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ONE STUDENT AT A TIME

Tomorrow’s World

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WELCOME PAGE 3

APPROACH PAGES 4-5

ELEMENTARY PAGES 6-7

CO-CURRICULARS PAGES 8-9

SECONDARY PAGES 10-11

FACILITIESPAGES 12-13

Welcome MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL, MME MARGARET DORRANCE

Tomorrow’s world will require today’s young people to be innovative and creative global citizens. At the Calgary French &

International School (CFIS), an ability to effectively and confidently navigate among different cultures affords our graduates an exciting range of future options.

In our school’s warm, welcoming community of talented and engaged teachers, involved parents, and dedicated and skilled staff, each student’s unique potential is nurtured in

a robust, dynamic and diverse learning environment. We work together toward the common goal of fluency in multiple languages, while balancing academic achievement and purposeful enrichment across a wide-ranging variety of curricular and co-curricular activities.

I hope you find the following document informative and inspiring, and I invite you to tour our school to see the Calgary French & International School’s educational philosophy in action.

“OUR CHILDREN ARE

ENGAGED AND HAVE

VERY STRONG ROLE

MODELS IN THE OLDER

STUDENTS.”

~CFIS PARENT

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Approach At the Calgary French & International School, students’ experiences extend far beyond the language arts. Using the Alberta Education Program of Studies as a baseline for learning, CFIS surpasses the provincial standard with a diversity of enrichment activities.

Beginning with our early childhood pro-grams, academic and co-curricular courses are taught in a French immersion context, complemented by formal English instruction beginning in Grade 3, Spanish classes be-ginning in Grade 4, and intensive Spanish instruction in the secondary division.

Academics are varied and supplemented by co-curricular offerings appropriate to students’ ages and interests. These may include field trips, guest speakers, travel studies, fine arts, technology, philanthropy, athletics, and numerous options, teams and clubs. At every grade level, leadership, in-ternational and citizenship initiatives bring learning to life, developing character and a sense of responsibility.

CFIS has over 100 enthusiastic faculty and staff, with specialist teachers in visual arts, dramatic arts, music and physical education as well as a three learning strategists, two literacy coaches, a consulting psychologist and support for choosing and applying to university.

Teachers and staff are encouraged to pur-sue opportunities for conference presen-tations, action research and publication in professional journals. They are supported with instructional leadership in the areas of curriculum implementation, professional de-velopment, learning and teaching resource acquisition, and student assessment.

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ElementaryFull- and half-day options are available in preschool

and junior kindergarten. We also offer before-

and after-school care for students in preschool

to Grade 6. Our main years of admission are

preschool, junior kindergarten and kindergarten.

At the Calgary French & International School, classes are inviting, caring, happy environments filled with enthusiastic learners and dedicated, passionate edu-cators.

Our focus is on the whole child. Intellectu-al, social, emotional, ethical and attitudinal capabilities are nurtured, with an em-phasis on internationalism and character development for all students.

In our preschool, junior kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms, daily routines and lessons are full of exploration, stories, playing, singing, art and dramatics. Young children quickly learn to understand and express themselves in French.

Our comprehensive literacy program begins within a full French immersion environment starting in the early years and is the foundation for academic excellence in all subject areas. Students steadily build comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills in a balanced, multidisciplinary approach, which includes

teacher-directed instruction, student-led inquiry, small-group instruction, and cross-grade collaboration. In addition to foster-ing academic success in both French and English, our eager young linguists embark on preliminary Spanish language studies beginning in Grade 4.

The hands-on, integrated curriculum engages students in all academic areas: French, English and Spanish language arts, math, science and social studies.

Academic subjects are enhanced by a diverse co-curricular program, which includes visual and performing arts, music, technology, physical education, and numerous options, teams, and clubs. Art, music and physical education programs are progressively implemented starting in preschool.

Each child’s individual needs are met in the classroom with access to support in any areas of challenge. Low stu-dent-to-teacher ratios support this individ-ual attention. Participation in open-ended

activities allows for further enrichment and offers the opportunity for every child to reach his or her potential.

Opportunities for international exposure abound and are integrated into the cur-riculum through participation in UNESCO’s four pillars of learning:

• Learning to know;• Learning to do;• Learning to be; and• Learning to live together.

The development of solid organizational skills and work habits, along with research, study, reasoning, and problem-solving skills, prepares our students for secondary studies.

Continued emphasis on character de-velopment and leadership, and further study of the UNESCO pillars of learning, develops a global perspective. Students become independent learners and leaders with a developed sense of personal re-sponsibility.

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Integrated with our academic program, over 80 co-curricular sports teams, options, arts, music, travel opportunities and community service initiatives help CFIS students discover and pursue their passions.

Opportunities for leadership and character development abound, focused around the theme of international aware-ness.

Co-curriculars enrich our school community, creating the space where school and life merge.

Co-curriculars

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Secondary Division In our Secondary Division, our princi-pal and teachers know each of our 160 students by name. Caring teachers understand adolescent developmental phases and are well prepared to sup-port students to develop their identities, sharpen their meta-cognitive minds and channel their energies. We provide an environment that values curiosity, critical thinking, personal initiative, problem-solv-ing and leadership skills.

CFIS aims to provide an education that balances success in the classroom with active participation in all aspects of school life—social, cultural and sporting. A wealth of co-curricular opportunities are offered, most of which are structured and timetabled in sports, options, arts, music, and community service. Our travel studies program focuses on culture, leadership and global responsibility, providing op-portunities for national and international perspective and language acquisition. Ev-ery student from Grade 7 to 12 is provided with mentoring and guidance from faculty members and our dedicated guidance

counsellor. CFIS students are dynamic individuals who possess strong academ-ic abilities, positive character, cultural awareness and excellent language skills in English, French and Spanish.

Our graduates step into a world of choice. They might study any number of dis-ciplines and have the ability to pursue French, English or Spanish language arts at the post-secondary level. Students have been accepted into universities across Canada including the University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, Queen’s University, Bishop’s University, Mount Allison University, Simon Fraser Universi-ty, St. Francis Xavier University, Dalhousie University, University of Calgary, and Uni-versity of Alberta. Their diverse areas of study include business, law, engineering, journalism, science, education and music.

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• Expansive playing fields, outdoor classroom, community garden and two dynamic playgrounds

• Two gymnasia, modern equipment, soccer and baseball fields, weight room, network of running trails from the school into Calgary park pathways

• Two expansive, well-stocked art rooms, three dedicated music rooms for students in preschool to Grade 12

• Makerspace areas as well as two large, fully-functional science labora-tories in the Secondary Division

• Two libraries with thousands of books in French, English and Spanish

• Two newly-renovated cafeterias with hot-lunch options

• A bussing program that strives for door-to-door service.

• Before- and after-school care pro-gram from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Facilities

“CFIS HAS AN EXCELLENT REPUTATION AND WE ARE VERY PROUD TO BE A PART OF IT.” ~CFIS PARENT

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The Calgary French

& International School

accepts applications for stu-

dents from preschool to Grade 12.

We invite your family to tour our facili-

ties, meet our leadership and faculty, and

see our wonderful school first-hand.

Visit our admissions page at www.cfis.com, email

admissions@cfis.com or call 403-240-1500 for

more information.