Answers to common questions from parents and students:
- How much homework should my son/daughter have each night?
- I don't speak French. How can I help my son/daughter in French Immersion?
How much homework should my son/daughter have each night?
The amount of homework your child receives on a nightly basis can
vary greatly. Students should expect to have at least a half hour
of homework per evening. This can include daily homework, working
on assignments, reviewing for upcoming tests, reading a novel,
and organizing notes and binders.
We understand that many of our students and their parents lead
very busy lives outside of school. If your child is unable to
complete homework because of an after-school commitment, please
advise us with a note in the agenda and we will arrange for
him/her to finish the assignment the next day at recess.
Rest assured that we will advise you if your son or daughter is
not completing assignments in a timely manner. Please feel free
to contact either of us at school if you are concerned about the
amount of homework your son/daughter is receiving.
I don't speak French. How can I help my son/daughter in French Immersion?
Here are some suggestions that will support your child in a
second language program:
- Be positive. Just a little work and encouragement on your part
can make a significant difference to your child's attitude
towards and achievement in French.
- Point out French in our community and in Ottawa. For example:
signs, labels, brochures, neighbours, street names.
- Support your child's learning by providing the necessary tools:
English/French dictionary, a dictionary of synonyms (like a
thesaurus).
- Introduce your child to board and computer games in French.
Scattergories, Taboo, The Game of Things, Scrabble, Monopoly, and
Clue are some of the many board games available.
- Music is a great motivator for tech-savvy teens. It also
provides a window into French culture. The iTunes website has a
great "Musique francophone" section.
- Encourage your child to watch TV or listen to the radio in
French. CBC is usually the easiest to understand because very
little slang is used. Why not watch a period of the next Sens
game in French, just for fun?
- Check out a French library book. We have an excellent French
Immersion section in our own Notre Dame library, and there is
also quite a good French section at the Carleton Place Public
Library. Chapters in Kanata now carries many easier French novels
that would be suitable for eighth graders.
- Subscribe to a French teen magazine. Some great ones for
students in grades 7 and 8 are Les Debrouillards, Les
Explorateurs, and J'aime Lire - all from Bayard Jeunesse. (See
Links section.)
- Travel to a French speaking destination. We are very fortunate
to live so close to Quebec. How about planning a ski/snowboard
weekend in Quebec? Or for a cheaper alternative, why not visit
the Snow Kingdom in Jacques Cartier Park during Winterlude (Bal
de Neige) for free? You don't even have to leave the province -
there are many wonderful opportunities to expose your child
to a French-speaking environment right here in the Ottawa area.
Visit a museum or a festival where both French and English are
being spoken, and the whole family will have fun.