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LeBlanc Elementary students celebrate the launch of the French Immersion program.

French Immersion to be taught at LeBlanc Elementary

The school system, in “The Most Cajun Place on Earth,” has taken a step to keep the French language alive. Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, Vermilion Parish will be home to the state’s newest French Immersion Education classroom!  
Soon after the Vermilion Parish School Board approved the motion in April of 2018, the curriculum department began the task of determining which school would become “L’école d’immersion française.”
After multiple meetings and numerous conversations, it was decided that the school best suited for French Immersion was LeBlanc Elementary.
 This school is large enough to support French Immersion Education without being so large as to not have room to house the program.
The community also has embraced French Immersion and LeBlanc Elementary principal, Rachelle Brown states, “Because of my love for French culture and the French language, I could not be prouder to host such a culturally enriching means of educating our students! Here at LeBlanc Elementary, we have a student population that is filled with both Cajun and Creole ancestry, and we cannot wait to get started!”
One kindergarten section at LeBlanc Elementary, during the 2019-2020 school year, will be French Immersion Education.  Each year, a grade level will be added. In six years, each grade level at LeBlanc Elementary will have one section of French Immersion Education.  (K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th)
According to CODOFIL, Vermilion Parish will become the 17th parish in the state to offer French Immersion and the LeBlanc Elementary Immersion students will be among 5,000 Immersion students in 34 schools statewide.  Both CODOFIL and the Louisiana Department of Education provide resources, professional development, and assistance with finding teachers who meet the qualifications to teach in French Immersion Education.

What is French Immersion Education?   

Imagine going to school as a young child and your teacher is from another country, and he/she speaks to you in French only.  You learn Math, Science and Social Studies all in French. Your tests are even in French! Yes, you do learn English, but the majority of your day is immersed in French.  French Immersion Education develops a student’s communication skills in French and also fosters early development of responsibility, heightened social and problem solving skills, and higher academic achievement.   
If you are interested in learning more about French Immersion Education in Vermilion Parish, or would like to learn how you can support this initiative, contact Supervisor Madeline DeHart at 337-898-5807.
To receive more information about enrolling your child in the LeBlanc Elementary French Immersion Kindergarten for the 2019-2020 school year, please complete the online application at https://www.vpsb.net/388559_3. This application closes on January 25, 2019.
The next mandatory parent meeting will be held on January 29, 2019, at 6 p.m. in the LeBlanc Elementary Band Room.

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