Our first meeting back in January was with the Winnipeg School Division. It was very informative because the assistant superintendent went over the Heritage Language Act with us as well as answered some of our questions. We also went over the last proposal that was presented a number of years ago by a different group of people. Unfortunately, it did not go through so we are attempting again.
What we were told is that we need 23 children in a particular year to start the program. Most language programs start in kindergarten or grade 1, but we also talked about the possibility of having a program start in grade 7. Many of the children signed up are already enrolled in school and so this shows community support for a later bilingual program start.
We asked about where the school that would have the language program be located. That is dependent on which school has space. It makes sense that a crowded school will not be built on to accommodate a new program. So we have been doing a little research in the last few months as to which schools are not at capacity. Though we have no say as we make the proposal, maybe a gentle suggestion could go a long way. Also we could also encourage the division to look at where the majority of the families reside in making their decision.
A proposal would need to be made in the early fall of 2013 to this division. The board would deliberate, go over their budget for the coming year and make a decision. If the proposal is accepted, the program would begin in 2014. The school would be responsible for choosing the location of the school, hiring the teachers, and gathering curriculum and materials. They would also advertise the program and ask for committed families to sign up.
We left the meeting feeling positive but also aware there was much work to be done.
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