All elementary schools follow the provincial curriculum. However, some also provide a bilingual program in French and English, and some also provide a modified instructional approach that employs self-correcting manipulative materials.
In some countries, schools vary in quality because of the type of staff or the level of funding they receive. This is not true in British Columbia. Teacher qualifications, administrators and funding levels are equivalent in all Richmond schools The difference between courses and teachers within a particular school are much greater than the differences between schools.
Parents who choose not to enrol their children at the neighbourhood school are responsible for their child's transportation.
Information Meetings
Parent information meetings for Kindergarten, will be offered on the dates below. You need not register to attend these meetings and everyone is welcomed. All meetings start at 7:00 PM:
Kindergarten Information Evening for Parents of Students with Special Needs
Program Options
French Immersion
Designed for students whose first language is not French, this bilingual education program is open to all Richmond students. Between Kindergarten and Grade 12, students follow the regular BC curriculum, studying approximately half of their time in English and half in French. Graduates of the program can participate easily in French conversations, take post-secondary courses with French as the language of instruction, and accept employment with French and or English as the language of work.
Richmond’s Early French Immersion program (EFI) is available for students who enter Kindergarten or Grade 1. For the first three years of the program, teaching is in French only. Then, from Grades 3 to 7, English Language Arts is taught one hour per day. In Grades 8 to 10, 50% of courses are offered in English; in Grade 11, 75% of courses are offered in English; and in Grade 12, all courses but one are offered in English. Students receive a bilingual diploma upon finishing Grade 12.
There is also a Late French Immersion (LFI) program, which begins in the Grade 6 year. LFI provides an intense language learning experience that enables students to join the EFI students in Grade 8 French Immersion.
Richmond French Immersion programs are provided in schools that also offer the English program. The resulting multilingual school environments give students many opportunities to develop an openness towards other linguistic groups.
French Immersion is currently offered at:
Download the brochure for:
Application To French Immersion Programs
To enroll in a French Immersion Program (Kindergarten or Grade One Early French Immersion, Grade Six Late French Immersion), parents/legal guardians new to the district must first register their child in person at their English Neighbourhood school beginning January 15th, 2010. For French Immersion, request and fill out the Alternate Programs application no later than by February 5th, 2010, 4:00 PM. Parents will hand deliver the completed Alternate Programs Application form to the School Board Office. Placement in these programs will be determined through a district-wide draw process, with sibling priority. Parents will be notified by email of their child's placement in the program and must confirm, by email, with the School Board their acceptance of the decision on the placement of their child in the program by March 1st, 2010. Acceptance into the program is dependent on space availability.
Parent information meetings for French Immersion (Kindergarten and Grade One) will be offered on the dates below. You need not register to attend these meetings. All meetings start at 7:00 PM:
Information meetings for parents of children in Grade 5 wishing to enter Grade 6 Late French Immersion (LFI) in September 2010 will be held as follows:
Montessori
 In 1907, Dr. Maria Montessori formulated the Montessori approach to education in Europe. This approach has spread to North America. Montessori education parallels good teaching practice also found in the regular Kindergarten Programs: children are treated with respect and given freedom within the limits of a carefully structured environment. The classroom is childcentered with a focus on cognitive development at an early age.
Instruction in the Montessori classroom is characterized by meeting the learning needs of each student. Students often work with attractive self correcting materials. This approach is used to develop concen-tration, self-motivation and organizational skills. It is expected that students will become more self-directed and receive less teacher direction as they get older.
Students are taught the general “big idea” first and then over time the specific details. The single concepts or “details” are taught in a sequential manner for the whole range of academic subjects eg. mathematics, grammar, spelling, phonics, geography.
Most often, Montessori primary classes are organized in family groups: that is, two or three grades in one classroom. In an ideal setting, the children will work with a teacher for three years in order to experience being the youngest through to the oldest in the learning situation. The three years allows the teacher to know each child very well. The oldest children in the classroom provide leadership, reliable friendships, and academic learning for those younger.
Application to Montessori Programs
To enroll in the Montessori Program, parents/legal guardians new to the district must first register their child in person at their English Neighbourhood school beginning January 15th, 2010. Children may enter the Montessori Program in Kindergarten to Grade Four through the district application process. Request and fill out the Alternate Programs application no later than by February 5th, 2010, 4:00 PM. Parents will hand deliver the completed Alternate Programs Application form to the School Board Office. Placement in the program will be determined through a district-wide draw process, with sibling priority. Parents will be notified by email of their child's placement in the program and must confirm by email with the School Board their acceptance of the decision by March 1st, 2010, 4:00 PM. Acceptance into the program is dependent on space availability.
Montessori is currently offered at:
Download the Montessori Program brochure by clicking here.
A parent information meeting for Montessori will be offered on the date below. You need not register to attend these meetings. This meeting start at 7:00 PM:
District Programs Based on Student Needs:
Blundell Centre
The Blundell Centre serves elementary students for whom success in school has been limited by their social, emotional and behavioral development. The Blundell Centre serves between 8 and 12 students at a time and is located in Blundell Elementary School. Parent involvement and connection with outside agencies are required for student success. It is staffed by 3 teachers, 2 child youth and family workers and a classroom assistant. As well, 2 additional child youth and family workers offer outreach support in the home school for approximately 20 children at a time. Outreach provides early intervention upon the request of the home school. Any requests for service from Blundell Centre are made through the Area Counsellor and should be directed to the attention of Allen Stevens, District Curriculum Coordinator and Learning Services liaison for The Centre. An intake review meeting is scheduled upon receipt of each request. The
average length of time students receive support from Blundell Centre varies depending upon student’s needs. The goal is to develop appropriate strategies in social interaction, organization and academics and then to reconnect the students with their home school setting as soon as possible. For further information please contact your school’s Area Counsellor.
First Nations
Within the Richmond School District there are approximately 250 students with First Nations ancestry attending Richmond schools from primary to grade 12. The students come from all parts of North America, with the majority coming from the prairie provinces and all regions of British Columbia. They represent a diversity of cultural backgrounds and socio-economic status. First Nations families are locating in all areas of the city the Richmond. The Richmond School District has 2 Resource Teachers providing support to First Nations students. Support is provided on request by:
• providing individual instruction which focuses on changing attitudes in order to improve regular daily attendance
• ensuring a supportive, encouraging presence for students
• promoting cultural and social activities
• working to strengthen intercultural understanding
• consulting with administrators, teachers and Learning Services Department personnel to develop programs that meet the educational needs of First Nations students
• developing cultural programs to meet the needs of First Nations learners
The students are encouraged to have the confidence to ask for help, to find success and to continue with their education.
First Nations studies are developed in schools when requested to foster in-school cultural enrichment. Building and maintaining a positive self-concept for First Nations students will always remain the predominant focus of the program.
Requests are made directly to the First Nations Teachers, Mike Akiwenzie at 668-6068 and Lynn Wainwright at 668-6559.
Hospital/Homebound
The Hospital/Homebound Program serves both elementary and secondary students who require support because they are away from school due to hospitalization, and/or illness for periods of two weeks or longer. The Hospital/Homebound office is located at the Learning Services Department, Brighouse Office. Requests for service from this program are made by direct referral from parent or school. The goal of the program is to maintain a strong link between students and their schools.
For further information, please contact Patti Silver at 668-7808.
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