The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) has announced that “in response to the ongoing support of the Rockwood community,” a new French immersion program will start in the village next year.
It is still uncertain where the program will be offered – at Rockwood Centennial Public School or the new public school in the village’s south end – but the board has announced “early registration numbers … confirm that a program is viable.”
Local parents have lobbied for a Rockwood French immersion program for almost two years. Many were upset when a boundary review by the board resulted in area French immersion students having to travel to Brisbane – instead of Guelph – for the program.
At the time of that decision, several UGDSB trustees vowed to find a better solution for Rockwood students.
The report to establish a new French immersion program in Rockwood was approved by board trustees at their program committee meeting on Nov. 6.
The decision will likely be ratified at the board meeting on Nov. 26.
Board officials stated about 40 kindergarten and grade 1 students signed up for the new program at last month’s early registration for 2014.
The 15 students currently enrolled in JK and SK at Brisbane Public School and King George in Guelph did not have to register, though they too are expected to be accommodated in the new French immersion program.
The program will accommodate JK, SK and Grade 1 students in its first year, and will expand by one grade each year.
Boundary review
The location of the Rockwood French immersion program will be determined by the boundary review currently underway for the new school in the village.
“The boundary review will also confirm if the (French immersion) program is JK to grade 6, or JK to grade 8,” the boards stated in a press release.
The second report on the boundary review was presented to the board’s business operations committee on Nov. 12 and will be presented again at a public information session on Nov. 21.
The report outlines three scenarios, two of which are shortlisted:
– “scenario two,” presented as “staff’s preferred scenario,” is a JK to grade 5 dual track at the new school, which means it would have both regular track and French immersion students, with Rockwood Centennial housing a JK to grade 8 regular track and grades 6 to 8 French immersion; and
– “scenario 3,” the other shortlisted scenario, proposes the new school would accommodate JK to 6 regular track and JK to 3 for French immersion, meaning regular track students at the new school would graduate to Rockwood Centennial for Grades 7 to 8 and French immersion students would move to Rockwood Centennial for grades 4 to 8.
Board officials state the French immersion boundary would be the same for both scenarios.
“It roughly follows (clockwise) Jones Baseline, Wellington Road 22, Wellington Road 26, and Highway 7 continuing along the Eramosa-Milton Townline to include Eden Mills,” the board stated in a press release.
The regular attendance area for the new school would be the residential streets in the south end of the village of Rockwood, south of Harris Street.
“With the exception of the new school’s attendance area, Rockwood Centennial PS would retain its existing (regular track) boundaries north of and including Harris Street, and rural areas of Eramosa generally south of Wellington Road 50 and Highway 7 (including Eden Mills).”
To avoid the move of regular track students into the new school for one year, only to be sent back to Rockwood Centennial PS the next year, it is proposed in both scenarios that students in this situation be “grandparented” at Rockwood Centennial.
The final report will also address the issue of where Rockwood area French immersion students will attend secondary school.
French immersion students currently in grades 7 to 12 feed from King George to John F. Ross. Current board motions direct Rockwood JK to 6 French immersion students to Erin District High School, effective September 2014.
The final report of the boundary review will be distributed online on Jan. 10, 2014, in advance of a presentation to trustees on Jan. 14, with a final decision coming Jan. 28.
The board is welcoming public input as the boundary review committee works towards making final recommendations in January.
The website www.ugdsb.on.ca/rbr includes an online feedback form available until Dec. 18. Parents and the public are invited to an information session on Nov. 21 from 7 to 9pm at Rockwood Centennial.
