New Catholic French immersion school preparing for first batch of students

As thousands of children prepare to go back to school across London on Tuesday, teachers at a brand new facility in the city’s northwest are making sure everything’s ready to greet students for the first time.

The St. John Catholic Elementary French Immersion School on Coronation Drive is a replacement of the old facility on Hill Street.

While most of the more than 500 students come from the Hill Street location, Principal Susanne Schulert-Quenneville said they’ll welcome around 120 new kids.

“The challenge is making sure you have everything you need,” she said.

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While one obvious requirement — to have teachers — has been filled, Schulert-Quenneville said finding staff for French immersion institutions can be challenging.

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“The demand for French is huge. Parents want their kids to be able to have both languages,” she explained.

“Those numbers of French immersion teachers, or teachers who can speak French, are lower than English-speaking teachers. So staffing can be a huge issue, and I think that’s what it is right across the province of Ontario.”

READ MORE: London District Catholic School Board capping French immersion JK registrations

Filled with natural light, the building also has several energy-efficient technologies including LED lighting with sensors, low-flow toilets and regional native species planted outside.

The Ministry of Education funding allocation amounted to a little more than $12 million for the facility, including the cost of a daycare space that can accommodate 88 children.

It has 21 classrooms, which Schulert-Quenneville said are already at capacity with just a couple of spaces left in Grade 4, 7 and 8.