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High school French immersion students hope to continue program

Jan 17, 2018 | 1:00 PM

French immersion students in Meadow Lake have participated in the language program for the bulk of their schooling, but fear they may not be able to continue without an in-class instructor.

Each year, the program is up for review by the Northwest School Division (NWSD) board of education, but this year the board reserved its decision until April 18. Currently French immersion at the high school level is taught online, but the division is actively searching for a teacher.

The current Grade 10 students at Carpenter High School have been with the program since its inception at Lakeview Elementary School in 2007.

“We’ve come so far, and there’s only two more years to go and we’d just like to make it to Grade 12,” student Haley Dileone said. “To put a deadline on it is sad and frustrating.”

Emma Wilfing said she like to graduate with the bilingual mention on her high school diploma as it would be a leg-up on the job market. She said the online classes have been a tough experience.

“The math was difficult,” Wilfing said. “We were pretty much teaching ourselves everything we were learning.”

Christine Lajeunesse’s son Aiden has been in the program from the beginning, and said the students’ passion for the program has been unwavering. She added she understood the challenges the school board faced.

“Sometimes you feel like you’re facing a wall,” she said. “If we could overcome that hurdle, and have a full complete package, the rewards would be tremendous. It’s a rewarding program.”

 

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca  

On Twitter @ReporterKath