Good morning.
Thank you for inviting me to be here today.
This morning, I have the pleasure of telling you about my experience in immersion schools. I am the principal of École Howden, part of the Louis Riel School Division, here, in Winnipeg. Throughout my 24-year career, I have worked as a teacher and administrator in immersion schools at every level, kindergarten through grade 12. For 10 years, I taught music to elementary and high school students. For three years, I was the vice-principal at Collège Béliveau, a school for students in grades 7 to 12. For the past 11 years, I have been a principal, first, at École Provencher, a K-8 school, and, then, at École Howden, a K-6 school. I'm very proud to be a member of our school division's team. The Louis Riel School Division is considered a leader in the province when it comes to immersion programming, so I'm very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work and learn in an environment where both of Canada's official languages are so highly valued.
I was not bilingual when I began my career. In fact, I thought my French education had come to an end when I took my last core French class in grade 12 or when I dropped my French class in my first year at the University of Toronto because I was so lost after three months. All that to say I didn't learn French as a young child or in school; rather, I learned French as a teacher working in an immersion school. It was not until I learned French as a teacher that I realized for the first time the program's true power. From the early days of my career, as I watched my students succeed and their language proficiency improve, I eventually came to recognize the program's potential, so much so that I chose an immersion school for my own children.
The success of my students shaped how I look at learning as an educator in an immersion school. For instance, I firmly believe that immersion programs should not be viewed as elitist. They are for all students. I believe that just about every student can achieve success, regardless of what subject they are studying or whether they are in an immersion or English-language program. That said, in order for students to derive the maximum benefit from being in an immersion program, certain conditions need to be in place.
In doing research for my master of education thesis, at the University of Lethbridge, I explored those conditions. I was trying to pinpoint the reasons why some students would switch from the immersion program to the English-language program when they started high school. I learned that the enrolment and retention rates of the immersion schools in the Louis Riel School Division were among the highest in the country. I determined that the model our schools use and our focus on a French-only environment from kindergarten to grade 12 are factors that greatly contributed to the success of our schools. The French-only model for all levels, especially high school, is very rare in Manitoba and around the country.
I also believe that a French-language learning environment is essential in order for students to reach their full potential. Obviously, I'm a big believer in the work I do and the potential of our immersion schools.
I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this important discussion. I look forward to answering your questions and sharing my views.
Thank you.