The Elementary school program is built on the knowledge acquired in Preschool and Kindergarten and allows each child to learn materials necessary to later schooling. This construct cannot happen without a good knowledge of the language, the access key to good thinking and the main means of communication. It is the heart of learning at the Elementary level. Mastery of language is therefore the main objective of Elementary school.

It is to attain this goal that French education was rethought and reorganized in multi-grade cycles:

• Cycle 1, acquisition of the first skills: Preschool
• Cycle 2, fundamental learning: Kindergarten, first and second grades of Elementary
• Cycle 3, deepening of previous acquisitions: Third, fourth and fifth grades of Elementary

A certain number of skills have to be attained at the end each of these cycles, which are approximately three years in length. This organization allows the teachers to respect the individual student’s rhythm, and style of learning, without losing sight of the common aims and the essential lessons. In keeping with our goal of maintaining a balanced program, all opportunities for reinforcing a theme across curriculum areas are utilized.

Subjects taught in French

• French Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Social Studies and Citizenship Skills
• Art
• Sports
• Music

Subjects taught in English

• English Language Arts
• Canadian Social Studies (cycle 3 only: grade 3, 4, and 5)
• Mathematics starting in grade 5

Cycle of fundamental learning

(Cycle 2: Kindergarten, first and second grades)

French

Acquisition of oral expression, reading and writing, are at the heart of this cycle.

Oral expression: Learning to express one’s self orally and learning to put order in one’s ideas in order to communicate them clearly.

Reading: It is in the first grade that most of the skill is acquired, and it is consolidated in the second grade

Writing: Children are encouraged to write legibly. Writing in the first grade is closely linked to the learning of reading. Children learn by copying written texts. From the beginning of this cycle, children write short texts, letters, rhymes, and poems, with the help of the teacher.

Poetic use of language: Students memorize rhymes and poems, and play poetic word games.

Mathematics

Numbers and computations: Numbers up to 1000; addition, and the basics of subtraction and multiplication.

Geometry: Organization of space, common solids, plane figures and their representation, map reading.

Measurements: Length, mass, elapsed time, uses and counting of money, telling time.

A detailed version of the Elementary curriculum is available upon request.

Cycle of fundamental learning

(Cycle 3: 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades)

French

The main objective of this cycle is to allow each child, by a better mastery of the language, to use and develop his knowledge of the world around him.

Oral expression: Students are encouraged to:

• Use different styles of discourse (narrative, descriptive, debating)
• Recite prose and poetry by heart
• Express an idea (book report, presentation of a project, discussion…) and take part in a dialogue

Reading: Reading is emphasized in this cycle. Through documentary texts, youth literature, literary texts, and everyday writing, students complete and deepen their reading ability.

Writing: Neat and legible writing is encouraged. Occasions to write are numerous: creative writing, book reports, correspondence, and keeping a journal, with special attention being given to quality of form and expression.

Poetic use of the language: Memorization of texts, and individual or group writing of poems.

Mathematics

The concepts taught in the second cycle should be firmly acquired by the end of fifth grade.

Numbers and computations: The decimal system, fractions, subtraction, multiplication, and the basics of division.

Geometry: Common solids, plane figures, and their representation using rulers, compasses, squares, reading and use of maps.

Measurements: Length, mass, elapsed time, surface, volume, units of measure and their uses, simple conversion of units.

Problem solving

A detailed version of the Elementary curriculum is available upon request.