French Immersion: Learning in French
Secondary French Immersion (FI) Program & Transportation Update
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board continues to expand its secondary French Immersion (FI) offerings, with programs now available at St. David CSS (since 2023), St. Benedict CSS (since 2024), and Notre Dame (new in 2026).
As part of this growth, the Board is aligning transportation services for FI students with the existing transportation procedure APO012 to ensure consistency and equity across all sites. Under this alignment:
- Students graduating from St Anne (K) will attend Notre Dame and will receive busing in accordance with APO012 if they are in the school’s English catchment area.
- Students graduating from Sir Edgar Bauer will continue to attend St David and will continue to receive busing in accordance with APO012 if they are in the school’s English catchment area.
- Students graduating from Our Lady of Fatima will continue to attend St. Benedict and will continue to receive busing in accordance with APO012 if they are in the school’s English catchment area.
- FI students attending St. David, St. Benedict or Notre Dame from outside the schools’ English boundaries will not be eligible for yellow bus transportation, however may request a GRT pass per instructions sent by STSWR to eligible students.
Grades 9 – 12
In Secondary school, French Immersion students take 10 courses in French: four in French language, and 6 in which other content subjects that are taught in French. One grade 9 French credit, either Core or Immersion, is required to obtain a Secondary School diploma. French Immersion courses in grades 10-12 are optional and lead to a certificate of French Immersion studies, upon graduation. The prerequisite for the grade 9 French Immersion course is 3200 hours of French instruction in elementary school.
Registration for French Immersion courses is done through the course selection process. It will be assumed that grade 8 French Immersion students are attending their feeder French Immersion school unless families tell their elementary school otherwise.
Following the French Immersion Pathway – Information for Grade 8 students transitioning to Grade 9
2020/21 French Immersion Review
Secondary French Immersion Site Selection and Evaluation of Transportation Alternatives
