Students born in 2017 can now apply for French immersion here. Applicants after January 31 are considered as “Phase 2”.

Grade 2 French Immersion Application

  • Create an account: https://frenchimmersion.wrdsb.ca/Account/Register
    • Please use your own personal email and not your child’s email address. Communications about your application will be sent to this email.
    • You will receive an email from noreply@wrdsb.ca. Please select the link to confirm your account. If you do not receive the confirmation email within a few minutes, you may have to check your junk mail.
For the application, you will need the following:
  • Parent information (name, address, phone number)
  • Child information (birth date, OEN – found on the report card)
  • School information (your home school based on your home address, which schools you would like to attend for French immersion)
  • Sibling information (if your child has a sibling in French immersion at your home school next year)

For more information, please watch our slide deck presentation: 

For new WRDSB registrants after Grade 2 (or WRDSB students who have changed addresses), please visit our Registration/Transfers after Entry Point page for more details.

2024 Timelines

  • Phase 1 Applications: Wednesday, January 10, 2024 to Wednesday, January 31, 2024. All applications received before January 31st form the basis of the prioritized lottery.
  • Data verification Lottery Class Formation for Phase 1 Applicants: February 1, 2024 – February 29, 2024. Grade 2 French immersion classes are created through a lottery system.
  • Phase 2 Applications: Thursday, February 1, 2024 – October, 1, 2024. Applications during Phase 2 are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, after Phase 1 applicants.
  • Notifications about placements: Starting March 5, 2024. Communication sent out to families to accept positions in Grade 2 French immersion classes for Sept. 2024. If a student is offered a placement in a Grade 2 French immersion class, they will have 2 weeks to accept. Students who apply in Phase 2 will be placed after students on waiting lists from Phase 1 unless there is a spot open at the school after Phase 1.
  • Waiting list placements: Starting March 6, 2024 to October 1, 2024. All students not placed in a class due to the lottery will be placed on a waiting list. The position in the lottery determines the order of the waiting list. Students on waiting lists are notified and placed as spots open up.

Phase 1 – Prioritized Lottery

Phase 1 opens January 10 and closes January 31.

Grade 2 French immersion classes are created through a lottery system in this order:

  1. Students with a sibling in French immersion at the school (and that sibling will be attending the school next year)
  2. Home school students
  3. Out-of-boundary students

NOTE: At some schools a lottery may not be required if there are fewer students apply than spaces available.

Phase 2 – Ongoing Grade 2 French Immersion Applications

Phase 2 opens February 1.

After Phase 1 applicants have been accepted into the French immersion program or placed on a waiting list, additional applicants will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis (Phase 2).

  • If a student applies after January 31 and the school has space in the French immersion program, the student will be placed in the class.
  • Applications after January 31 to full schools will be placed on the waiting list in sequential order (first-come, first-served) behind students in Phase 1. Alternatively, the student may be offered a French immersion class placement at a school with no waiting list.
  • Students with siblings in French immersion do not receive priority placement if applying after January 31.

NOTE: Students who apply in Phase 1 do not need to apply in Phase 2. Phase 2 is only for those who missed the Phase 1 deadline.

Changes to French Program Delivery

The WRDSB has changed to a Grade 2 entry point for French immersion. In September 2023, all students were enrolled in core French for Grade 1 (no Grade 1 French immersion offered in the 2023/2024 school year). The Grade 2 French immersion entry point begins in September 2024. As a result, all French immersion students will transition to 58% French instruction in Grades 2 through 6 and 50% French instruction in Grades 7 and 8. What’s more, all students will get double the amount of French instruction (16%) in Grade 1 core French. Core French instruction will remain at 8% in Grades 2 through 8.

Please note for 2024, the Grade 2 French immersion entry point will only be offered for students born in 2017. 

Learn more about the changes on the French Program Review page.

 

Attention Parents of Students in Grade 1!

It is time to decide your child’s French Language pathway!

 

French language programs at the WRDSB begin in Grade 1, where all students learn French through our core French program. In Grade 2, students can choose one of two pathways for French language learning.  

Core French – no application needed

Core French is taught to all students in our elementary and secondary schools as part of the regular Ontario curriculum. Students learn the French language by speaking, reading and writing. Students are automatically enrolled in core French starting in Grade 1. Students in core French will receive between 120 and 150 minutes of French instruction per week.

To learn more about the French program pathways and student learning opportunities, visit our website: www.wrdsb.ca/french/french-programs/

French immersion – application required

Students enrolled in French immersion spend 50 percent of their day learning in French. In Grades 2 through 6, subjects taught in French are French Language Arts,  Social Studies, Visual Arts, Drama/Dance/Music and Physical Education. In Grades 7 and 8, the subjects taught in French are French Language Arts, Geography/History and some combination of Visual Arts, Drama, Music and/or Physical Education. If your child completes French immersion from Grades 1 through 8, they can continue their French pathway in selected high schools.

To learn more about the French immersion pathway, visit our website: https://www.wrdsb.ca/french/

Mark your calendars!  Phase 1 of the Grade 2 French immersion application process for students born in 2017 will start on January 10, 2024, and close on January 31, 2024.  

 

Who is eligible to apply for Grade 2 French immersion?

This year, all children born in 2017 are invited to apply.

How do I apply for French immersion?

You can apply online at www.wrdsb.ca/french. Applications for the program are accepted from January 10, 2024, to January 31, 2024 (Phase 1). You can also subscribe to our website for up-to-date information about the application process.

If I apply, am I guaranteed a spot? 

No, the Waterloo Region District School Board does not guarantee anyone a spot in Grade 2 French immersion. In cases where demand for a Grade 2 French immersion program exceeds our capacity to offer the program, we use a lottery system to determine which students are accepted into the program.

We use a lottery system to establish Grade 2 French immersion classes, with preference given to home school students who apply before January 31. Students who live within the boundary of the neighbourhood school (determined by your home address  – www.stswr.ca) or who have an older sibling attending a French immersion school are considered “home school” students when applying for Grade 2 French immersion. Students in these situations have priority for entry into a Grade 2 French immersion class if they apply by January 31 (Phase 1). All applications after February 1 are processed on a first-come, first-served basis (Phase 2).

Which school will my child attend?

There are no attendance boundaries for French immersion. To learn which schools offer French immersion at the WRDSB, visit www.wrdsb.ca/french/schools. If your home school offers French immersion, we will try to place your child there first. You may also select two additional schools on your application. If your home school does not offer French immersion, you may select three other schools on your application.  

When there is enough interest, physical space available, and the WRDSB has enough French-qualified staff, any school may be considered a possible site for the French immersion program. The decision to expand into other schools is made by the end of March for the following school year. Please note that these are just some factors staff consider when determining which schools will offer an immersion program.

If my child is accepted into the French immersion program, can my other children attend the same school even if it is not their ‘home school’?

 Yes.

Transportation – are French immersion students eligible?

The distance guidelines used to determine eligibility in the WRDSB’s transportation policy apply to students attending their home school for the French immersion program. Transportation to an out-of-boundary school for French immersion is not provided.

When will we know if our child has a spot in the program?

Families will be notified in early March if they have secured a spot in the program. Once a child has been accepted into the program, their spot will be guaranteed for 2 weeks. Families must click the emailed link to accept the placement during that time. If the child is not already attending the school, you must complete any student registration or transfer paperwork provided by the WRDSB. If families decline their spot, students from the waiting list will be contacted to fill those vacancies. 

 Where to find more information about French programs

  1. General Information about French programs:  www.wrdsb.ca/french/french-programs
  2. Schools that have French immersion:  www.wrdsb.ca/french/schools
  3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):  www.wrdsb.ca/french/faq

If you have questions that the information on our website has not answered, please contact the Planning Department and Learning Services at frenchprograms@wrdsb.ca.