Curriculum
We Believe in the constant striving for excellence in everything we do through continuous improvement strategies and being progressive and future-oriented in our planning and change management approaches.
Catholic Curriculum
Catholic schools are respectful of the initiatives of the Ministry of Education and the implementation of learning expectations and programs designed to provide quality education for all students in Ontario.
Catholic schools are privileged to deliver these programs in light of the message of the Gospel. All curriculum can be illuminated first by the Religion and Family Life Education programs and secondly, through the integration of the themes of Catholic Social Teaching. For example, two schools, one from the public system and the other from the Catholic system implement a program of recycling and composting within the school, and as well, decide to work together to clean up a nearby stream. The students from both schools see this activity within the context of the protection of the environment and good citizenship. The Catholic student should also understand this work as their participation in God’s act of creation and their mission to be good stewards of God’s creation.
Catholic Curriculum and the Catholic Graduate Expectations
Catholic Education is a holistic education designed to form students – mind, body, heart and soul. Catholic education, therefore, understands the human search for knowledge as both an academic and spiritual quest. It invites students to respond in the cultural context in which they live, in the light of our faith.
This integrated, two-fold dimension of Catholic curriculum, therefore incorporates not only the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the world of work but also the fundamental values, attitudes, and actions that characterize a person of faith. This understanding is expressed clearly through the vision of the learner described in the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations.
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations.
Catholic curriculum contributes to the formation of a learner who is:
A discerning believer formed in the Catholic faith community who celebrates the signs and sacred mystery of God’s presence through word, sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, reflection, and moral living.
An effective communicator, who speaks, writes, and listens honestly and sensitively, responding critically in light of gospel values.
A reflective, creative and holistic thinker who solves problems and makes responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good
A self-directed, responsible, lifelong learner who develops and demonstrates their God-given potential.
A collaborative contributor who finds meaning, dignity, and vocation in work, which respects the rights of all and contributes to the common good.
A caring family member who attends to family, school, parish, and the wider community.
A Responsible Citizen who acts morally, seeks and grants forgiveness, and promotes the sacredness of all life.
French as a Second Language (FSL)
Core French
Students learn French as a subject. At the elementary level, students must accumulate a minimum of 600 hours of French instruction by the end of Grade 8. At the secondary level, academic, applied, and open courses are offered for Grades 9 and 10; university preparation and open courses are offered for Grades 11 and 12. Core French programming is taught in all schools, Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12.
Immersion
Students learn French as a subject and French serves as the language of instruction in two or more other subjects. From Kindergarten to Grade 6, French is the language of instruction for all subjects except for Core English and Religion. In Grades 7 and 8 French is the language of instruction for 50% of the day, with Math, Religion, and Core English being taught in English. At the secondary level, academic and applied courses are offered for Grades 9 and 10; university preparation and open courses are offered for Grades 11 and 12. In the French Immersion program, students accumulate ten credits in French: four are FSL language courses and six are other subjects in which French is the language of instruction.
French Immersion programming is offered in elementary at St. Joseph's School (Port Elgin), St. Anthony's School (Kincardine), St. Basil's School (Owen Sound), and Notre Dame (Owen Sound). École Immaculée-Conception (Formosa) is a single-track French Immersion school. Both Secondary schools, St. Mary's High School (Owen Sound) and Sacred Heart High School (Walkerton) offer French immersion programming.
CEFR - Common European Framework of Reference
The Common European Framework of Reference is an internationally recognized standard for describing what second language learners are capable of communicating and understanding at each stage of their language development.
The CEFR identifies a continuum with six levels that are described in the table below, from the Council of Europe website.
As discussed in the Framework for FSL in Ontario Schools (2013), the revised Ontario FSL curriculum is informed by the CEFR. FSL programming in the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board is based on "asset model" assessment of what students are capable of communicating and understanding in French, and then next steps for instruction are planned for help students move through the continuum as their abilities improve.
Teachers plan and use Action Oriented Tasks in both Core and Immersion programming at all levels to give students the opportunity to learn and experience the French language in a meaningful way using the four strands identified in the FSL curriculum (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing).
The criteria for an Action-Oriented Task is as follows
- Learners are social agents who use the target language in order to carry out a pre-defined task with tangible results
- Oral communication is spontaneous, purposeful, and set in the context of everyday life
- The goals of the task are clearly identified and use verbs of action, (give, make, explain, persuade, etc.)
- The task requires a problem to be solved, an objective to be achieved or a goal to be accomplished, subject to certain parameters and constraints
- Authentic texts, language competencies, and learning strategies are integral to accomplishing the task
What do Action Oriented Tasks look like in the Bruce Grey Catholic District School Board?
- Secondary Core students interacting in French out in the community
- Senior Secondary Core students teaming up with Kindergarten for Peer to Peer mentoring and communicating in French
- Junior Core students using green screens and stop motion to invite a friend to a film, and to introduce themselves and their families
- Intermediate immersion students investigating job postings, writing resumes and cover letters, and participating in mock job interviews with BGCDSB coaches and administrators
- Kindergarten immersion students using inquiry to guide their writing
- Junior immersion students exploring their passions through inquiry
Oral Expression
Listening Comprehension
Written Expression
Written Comprehension
There are four independent levels of evaluation offered (A1, A2, B1 and B2). Students wishing to be evaluated through the DELF should discuss with their teachers which level they would be successful at.
DELF examinations are held yearly in Hanover at the board office. The 2018 DELF will occur over the week of May 7th to 11th, with one day dedicated to each level.
Why Take the DELF?
From the Association canadienne des professionnels de l'immersion (ACPI):
International recognition of French proficiency:
• Life-long certification, whether obtained in the candidate`s country or another country.
• Based on the same international standard used in 164 countries (CEFR).
• Facilitates interprovincial dialogue across Canada.
A testimonial to one’s success in learning French:
• Recognition of the candidate's accomplishments to date on the path to French proficiency.
• Represents an official document, recognized internationally, that enriches the candidate's school or professional portfolio.
Advantages for postsecondary education:
• Recognized internationally by francophone postsecondary institutions, including a growing number in Canada.
• Acceptance into a university in France (B2 or higher level).
Enhances one’s resume:
• A description in meaningful terms what the candidate is capable of doing in French.
• Helps to open doors to a wide range of career and recreational opportunities throughout Canada and around the world.
• An aid for professional advancement.
For more information about the DELF examination please contact the French as a Second Language Consultant