Canadian Parents for French - Calgary Chapter

last modified: 1 November 2012

CPF Calgary Chapter is a volunteer association working to promote and support French-second-language learning opportunities for those associated with the city of Calgary, Alberta.

Contact us at cpfcalgary@yahoo.ca.

Support local schools, teachers, and your children by purchasing a membership in Canadian Parents for French.  65% of your membership fee comes back to your local chapter.

membership benefits            join CPF online           renew your membership now

Our vision           Our meetings

French immersion in Calgary           Supporting your child          French in your home

Upcoming activities for children & families in Calgary          Upcoming events, activities and resources in Alberta and Canada

What's new in Calgary?

French in the future

Join us for our first meeting of the school year!  Guest speakers, door prizes, chapter AGM.   details

French-speaking mentors sought

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area is launching a campaign to recruit mentors who speak French or want to be matched with a bilingual child or teen.  Please forward this volunteering opportunity to your contacts, families, friends and members.  For any question regarding this program, please contact Pauline Jacques, Francophone Program Coordinator, at 403-978-9292 or  pauline.jacques@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca.

Our vision

  1. All Calgary parents have adequate information on which to base a choice of language program for their children’s education.

  2. All interested students have good access to French Immersion programs, and access is not limited to those with a parent available to drive or those who can afford a transportation fee.

  3. Students with special needs are supported and accommodated in French Immersion programs so that they, too, can become bilingual..

  4. Parents have adequate information to be effective and comfortable in supporting their children in French programs from kindergarten to post-secondary.

  5. Parents know what to look for, expect, encourage, and support in French Immersion programs so that they can be partners with the education system in making the program the very best that it can be.

  6. Students have good access to the extra-curricular opportunities to experience and use French that are so important to becoming not only fluent in French but confident in using the language.

  7. All students receive the information, encouragement and support they need when making the choice of whether to continue to study in French.

  8. CPF Calgary Chapter grows stronger so that it can be increasingly effective in achieving this vision.

Calgary Chapter Meetings

All CPF members and potential members are welcome and encouraged to attend!  Meetings are conducted entirely in English.

 

French Immersion in Calgary

Did you know that in 2008/09 there were more than 10,300 French immersion students in the two Calgary school districts? This represented 7% of the total school population within those districts. There were also more than 900 immersion students in three private schools.

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) offers public French immersion programs from Kindergarten through to Grade 12.  For information follow these links:

The Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) offers public French immersion programs from Kindergarten through to Grade 12.  For information follow these links:

French Immersion programs are offered at the following private schools:

For a list of preschools and playschools in Calgary which feature some French-second-language learning, click here.  This ranges from "immersion" programs in which most or all of the time is spent in French to those which regularly include some introduction to French.

For postseconday opportunities to continue French studies in Alberta and elsewhere in Canada, click here.

Supporting your child who is learning French

Yes, You Can Help!

Concerned about helping your immersion student?  Want to know what other immersion parents have learned?  Looking for French resources and extracurricular activities? Yes, you can help your child in French immersion! answers these and many other questions. A wealth of useful information for French immersion parents, this online resource from Alberta Education was written by unilingual parents with the assistance of teachers, administrators, researchers, and education department staff.

Join CPF

Your membership in CPF makes this web page possible!  Join Canadian Parents for French.  It costs just $25 for one year or $60 for three.  Of that fee, 65% goes to the Calgary Chapter, 25% to the Alberta Branch, and 10% covers processing costs.  By joining CPF, you support your child through:

Discount from the Alliance Française for CPF Calgary members: Members of CPF in Calgary can now access a special rate -- just $25 -- for membership in the Alliance Française of Calgary.  This membership permits parents and children to use the excellent library of current French magazines, books, children's books, DVDs, CDs and music and to participate in many events and activities promoting and supporting the French language and culture. Simply show your current CPF membership card to the folks at the Alliance Française on the 2nd floor in the Herald Building, Suite 200, 206 - 7 Ave SW.

Counselling Service for Parents of Bilingual Children

The Parent Counselling Service at the University of Calgary Language Research Centre is designed for parents with questions about raising their children to speak more than one language.  If you have questions related to schooling and bilingualism, please fill out this form, which will be sent to Dr. Rahat Naqvi.

Upcoming events and activities in Calgary

French in your home