Oliver Stephens Public School to Offer French Immersion

Wednesday, 29 September 2021 at 10:44

All French immersion elementary students in Oxford County will be split between Roch Carrier French Immersion and Oliver Stephens Public School starting in 2022-2023.

WOODSTOCK - It's official, Oliver Stephens Public School in Woodstock will become a dual-track English and French Immersion school.

The Thames Valley District School Board passed the recommendation last night and it's supposed to help with overcrowding at Roch Carrier French Immersion. The boundary line from the western part of the County will be the CP Rail tracks through Woodstock to where the rail line intersects County Road 22, north of County Road 2. From there on, the boundary line will be County Road 2. Those living south of the boundary line will attend Oliver Stephens Public School and those living north of the boundary will remain at Roch Carrier French Immersion.

This will take affect for the 2023-2023 school year. Oxford Trustee Barb Yeoman introduced a motion to make it so Grade 7 students attending Roch Carrier in the 2021-2022 school year will be able to remain at Roch Carrier for their Grade 8 year, regardless of where they fall on the boundary line. Her motion passed and with only one person voting against it, fellow Oxford Trustee Graham Hart. He was against the motion because he didn't like the idea of a new French Immersion school starting at Oliver Stephens with no Grade 8 students.

The Thames Valley District School Board also approved the following recommendations last night which will also take effect for the 2022-2023 school year:

- THAT the portion of the Oliver Stephens English Track attendance area located west of Mill Street be designated to attend Eastdale Public School.

- THAT the portion of the Springbank Public School attendance area located north of Devonshire Ave, south of Lansdowne Ave, and east of Spitfire Street, including all development on the west side of Spitfire Street, the east of Alberi Road and the east side of Juno Crescent, be designated to attend Algonquin Public School.

- THAT the holding zone within the Springbank Public School attendance area that is currently designated to attend Winchester Street Public School be accommodated at Springbank Public School.

You can watch the full discussion in the YouTube video posted below. The French Immersion discussion begins at the 1:16:10 mark and ends at the 1:57:40 mark.