Frequently Asked Questions
Many parents wonder how they will be able to support their child and prepare them for a French education if they do not speak French themselves.
In most of the families in our schools, only one parent speaks French.
It is your attitude that will make the difference and have a significant impact on your child's experience. Show your child that you value the French language. By encouraging them to play in French and experience French culture, they will develop their cultural identity.
There are many ways for parents to ensure that the French language is valued in the home.
If you are French speaking :
- Speak French as often as possible
- Participate in French preschool programs (Centre Grandir en français in Thunder Bay) or meet other francophone families
- Give an important place to French at home by favouring for example French TV channels, radios and books or by speaking in French during meals etc.
- Read to your child in French (15 minutes per day)
- Play with your child in French
- Do daily activities in French, such as writing a shopping list or notes for your child or leaving a phone message in French
- Don't hesitate to speak French in public! Cheer on your favorite field hockey team in French!
- Participate in school council meetings and volunteer for school activities
If you speak English :
- If your spouse is French-speaking, encourage him or her to speak French at home
- Encourage your child's French-speaking family to speak to him or her in French even if you don't understand
- Develop routines that include basic French such as songs, nursery rhymes or counting to 5 before bedtime etc.
- Show your pride in speaking French: say "bonjour" to your child's French-speaking friends and learn to pronounce their names in the French way
- Listen to French music with your child at home or in the car. Try to learn the songs with your child.
Even if you live outside Thunder Bay, you can provide your child with a genuine French-language high school education at ÉSC des Satellites.
In a French language school, students learn and live in French. The student's experience is different from that of immersion programs. Immersion programs play a complementary role in increasing the number of anglophones studying French as a second language.
In French schools, students not only learn the different subjects of the curriculum in French, they are immersed in a French-speaking environment and can participate in many cultural or sports activities in French.
In French language schools, all subjects are taught in French except English. Upon graduation, students are highly proficient in both French and English and can identify with the French culture and community.
All students who live in or near the municipalities served by our schools are eligible for school transportation. This efficient and safe transportation service is provided Northwestern School Services Consortium External link for the Ignace, Dryden and Red Lake areas.
Transportation will also be coordinated on an individual basis for students traveling to locations other than the elementary school, such as Red Lake, for example.
The Ministry of Education develops the curriculum for ALL schools in Ontario. The expectations and learning content are the same in both English and French language schools. However, the French system curriculum takes into account Francophone cultural elements. The student learns the curriculum in French in a French cultural environment.
Our school offers several specialized programs in cosmetology, hospitality, mechanics, and more. Our PAJO, Coop, and MHS health programs allow students to explore practical career paths.
After high school, your child can continue their studies in either English or French.
Is French-language Catholic education free? Our school is funded by public funds.
Yes. Starting in September 2026, students will have the opportunity to play sports by joining the teams at the English-language high schools in their communities.
The Ontario French-Language Virtual Learning Consortium (CAVLFO) offers a variety of online French courses for high school students in the province. It works in collaboration with Ontario’s twelve French-language school boards (CSLF), the Jules-Léger Centre Consortium, and the Ontario Ministry of Education.
To better understand how an online course with CAVLFO works, please visit their Frequently Asked Questions.
Students will take hybrid classes synchronously with their peers from other satellite campuses. The goal is to build class communities through interactions in the virtual classroom, as well as through regular visits between students from different satellite campuses. In addition, they will be invited to system-wide gatherings and events. Teaching assistants may also accompany them on field trips to meet the requirements of the PPL1O course (Grade 9 – Active Living and Health) and any other courses requiring field trips during the student’s academic journey. There is also an opportunity to develop student leadership within the elementary school, and partnerships with English-language secondary schools to participate in sports teams should be considered.
Students will take eight courses per semester, with two semesters per year, from 9th through 11th grade. Courses in 9the year are all mandatory according to the Requirements for Obtaining the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The courses will be as follows:
- French (FRA) – Hybrid Course
- English (ENG) – hybrid course
- Physical Education (PPL) – Hybrid Course
- Science (SNC) – Hybrid Course
- Geography (CGC) – Hybrid Course
- CAVLFO Integrated Arts – Online Courses
- Technology (TIJ) – CAVLFO – Online Courses
- Mathematics (MTH) – Hybrid Course
The satellite campuses will have their own teaching and administrative staff. The teaching staff will consist of a principal/guidance counselor, two teachers, and two support staff members. Administrative support will also be provided on a pro-rata basis according to enrollment.
Additional teachers will be hired as enrollment increases in subsequent years.
No, at this time, the distribution and number of French speakers in the area do not justify the construction of a building.