At Rowntree Montessori Schools, students are given a “head start” in French Studies, as they begin to study in the Core French Program during their Junior Kindergarten year, and continue throughout the primary, junior, and intermediate grades.
- Program Extension: Familiarization with telling time, weather, and the calendar along with French stories and songs, allows the children to become accustomed to the vocabulary and culture of Canada’s official second language. Thus, by the time RMS students reach the required beginning of Core French studies at the Grade 4 level, as set by the Ontario Ministry of Education, they are already well on their way to developing a practical working knowledge of the French language.
- Project Emphasis: In addition to traditional classes and teachings in French, RMS students have opportunities to express and expand their practical French knowledge through the preparation and presentation of projects. A visit to a Grade 5 French class, for example, might include a lesson on verb conjugations, but is just as likely to involve students presenting their French pizza and ingredients, or showing off their t-shirts emblazoned with French logos. Bulletin boards in the RMS hallways often display work that highlights French language and traditions, in order to maintain a significant profile for this important area of study.
