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An accessible and beneficial French education for all

Nov 3, 2019 | 6:31 PM

Studies have long shown that being bilingual is a great boost to one’s cognitive process, especially when learning a second or third language as a child. It can increase problem-solving skills, creativity, improve memory, and even stave off Alzheimer’s disease.

École Père-Mercure offers an educational institution in the Battlefords where these and other benefits can be cultivated while instilling French culture.

The Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 school is a dynamic French-language environment with a team committed to the educational success of their students.

While some may be intimidated to place their child in a francophone school with the added commitment of exposing him or her to the French culture and community, their door is always open, and they are always ready to help.

There may be a misconception about who is and who is not able to attend École Père-Mercure. Anyone who is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident can apply to enrol their children in the school. The school is not just for Francophones or families with a strong understanding of the French language. 

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The most important requirement is to be willing to help instil the language and culture with your child.

“If you have some French langue skills or are willing to integrate into the francophone community and support your child to learn the language, you are likely accepted,” Principal Julie Lemire said. “Showing that you are willing to try to learn some French or attend school activities and events at the Francophone Centre so your child can interact with other children in French chances are, you will be accepted.”

If you want your child to benefit from the Francophone environment of École Père-Mercure, but you yourself don’t have a French background, the school offers French classes through the Francophone Centre for those who want to learn.

Some may worry enrolling their child into an intensive French language learning environment at a young age could hamper their English-speaking ability and English writing skills. 

But at École Père-Mercure, English Language Arts instruction is still part of the day to day education. And studies have shown that if you learn an additional language, it will improve your first language skills. Students graduating from Fransaskois schools consistently have high averages in both ELA and French provincial exams.

As a member of the Conseil des Écoles Fransaskoises, École Père-Mercure offers culture and language programming that is focused on enriching the lives of students. The school follows the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education’s curriculum.

 “My son has attended École Père-Mercure for nearly two years,” Kelly Bitner, resident of the Battlefords, said. “He started out by attending the Petit Pingouins daycare and it’s incredible to see how his French has progressed. While he’s not yet speaking fluently at age five, he’s able to understand almost everything that he hears in French. We have family members who speak French, and he’s able to understand what they’re saying and respond to what they’re asking.”

Bitner and his wife weren’t sure if their son would be accepted to the school as neither are Francophones nor have Francophone heritage.

But what they did have was a desire for their son to speak the language.

“We were able to demonstrate that we are committed to helping him become a Francophone himself,” he said.

École Père-Mercure differs from French immersion programming by creating an educational environment that not only teaches a new language but supplements education with cultural activities to build a Francophone identity. French is taught and spoken as a first language in the school, From the morning announcements and report cards to the teachers’ conversations in the hallways. All the teachers and most support staff at the school are fluent French. Through being a part of this Francophone world, students progress in the language more quickly.

As a French-as-a-first-language school, students benefit from materials and resources that are written in French rather than a translation from another language.

“If the students are going to do a novel study, we will go to great lengths to ensure we find novels written by French Canadian authors or a Francophone artist from Canada,” Lemire added. “The students get to know the artists and so the kids have a greater sense of identity and greater fluency.”

Families speaking a language other than French or English at home have a good chance of being admitted as well. Immigrant families arriving in Canada can choose to integrate into the francophone and anglophone community and are welcome to apply at ÉPM. Studies show that children who identify to more than one language and culture at home can easily adapt to another. 

“The francophone community in Saskatchewan is becoming more and more diverse which contributes to its strength’’ Colette Lavallée, teacher and Special Needs consultant at ÉPM, said.

École Père-Mercure is located at 1881 99th St. in North Battleford. They can be reached at 306- 445-2490 or found online at http://pere-mercure.ecolefrancophone.com.

For more information about registration see the CÉF web site at: https://ecolefrancophone.com/en/