The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

13| W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,M arch 1,2018 w aterloochronicle.ca CAMBRIDGE 90 Main Street cornerstonefurniture.ca 519.740.9991 /CornerstoneHome /cornerstonehomeinteriors Dozens of items are currently in stock! Sale begins March 1st, 2018 Quantities are limited - items in photos may not be in stock. CORNERSTONE'S RUGS & FLOOR COVERINGS All in-stock rugs and floor coverings are 30% off of our everyday low prices. Faced with increased demand and limited space, the region's Catholic school board is preparing to reshape French immer- sion education to improve program delivery in the long-term. Launched in 2015-16, Wa- terloo Catholic District School Board's French im- mersion program is con- sidered to be in its infancy, but is ready to expand to accommodate growing in- terest. The program is current- ly offered in primary grades at three schools across the region, includ- ing Cambridge's Our Lady of Fatima, St. Anne in Kitchener and Sir Edgar Bauer in Waterloo. Based on projected en- rolment, however, there won't be sufficient space at existing schools, prompt- ing the board to strike a committee to find proac- tive ways to rethink French immersion schooling with an eye to setting the stage for successful expansion. Currently, 245 students are enrolled in French im- mersion at the Catholic board between grades 1 to 3, but those numbers will grow with every year of the program's rollout. Next year, Grade 4 classes will be added as the program matures. Additional grade levels aren't the only factors driv- ing expansion, according board superintendent John Klein. Spurred by increased demand, Catholic schools offering French immersion are also planning to offer second classes, where nec- essary, within the same grade to maintain class siz- es. The demand is there, said Klein. He noted visits to French immersion re- view information posted on the board's website were receiving high traffic num- bers following announce- ments about the review Thursday. "It was sort of off the charts," he said. "That gives us a great indication that they're very keen on that." The committee is tasked with conducting a compre- hensive review of pro- grams and recommending changes for expansion, while ensuring all students receive equitable access to quality French immersion programming regardless of location. All proposed changes must reflect cost and space limitations. The board has also not- ed changes could affect stu- dents currently enrolled in the board's French immer- sion program, as well as families interested in sign- ing up for the program in the future. Changes could also impact English stream students enrolled in schools offering French immersion. The committee, made up of board and school ad- ministrators, a French con- sultant as well as French- and English-speaking par- ents, started meeting last fall. Members will also be looking at the growth phas- es experienced by other school boards in Ontario, many of which have been offering French immersion for four decades. Part of the committee's review process includes three open houses to seek feedback from families. The open houses are sched- uled for Our Lady of Fati- ma in Cambridge on March 6, Sir Edgar Bauer in Kitch- ener on March 7 and St. Anne in Kitchener on March 8. All public infor- mation sessions will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Specific options eyed for changes to French immer- sion programming are be- ing kept under wraps until the first open house. Those who can't attend any of the open houses can access information shared by the committee on the board's website as of March 6. Public surveys conduct- ed last November and De- cember will also be consid- ered in the review. EDUCATION Catholic board reviews French immersion to meet demand The Waterloo Catholic District School Board is conducting a comprehensive review of its French immersion program to prepare for expansion. Metro/Photo Three open houses set at Catholic French immersion schools to gain parent feedback LISA RUTLEDGE lrutledge@cambridgetimes.ca