There are three PROGRAMS OF CHOICE offered by School District No. 40 (New Westminster) for young children.  One is the Early French Immersion Program where children become skilled at the French language through learning in French, one is Late French Immersion where students begin their French program at grade 6 and the other is the Montessori Program, where children learn through the instructional methods developed by Maria Montessori.

Early French Immersion Program

Canada has many languages, but two have official language status, English and French.  The French Immersion Program is designed to teach French to non-French speaking children.  Children are accepted into this program in Kindergarten or Grade 1.  After this, children are only eligible to enter the program if they transfer from another Immersion school or have sufficient French fluency through other means, such as living in a French-speaking province or country.  Early French Immersion is offered at:

• John Robson Elementary:  Kindergarten to Grade 5 (This program will move with the regular program to the new site and remain there when the new school is built at Merrivale and Cunningham.)
• Herbert Spencer Elementary:  Kindergarten to Grade 5
• Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary:  Kindergarten to Grade 7 (This program will go to grade 5 when the new elementary and middle schools are built, and the grades 6 to 8 students will go to the new middle school.)
• École Glenbrook Middle:  Grade 6 to Grade 8
• École New Westminster Secondary:  Grade 9-12

For more information about the Early French Immersion, please click the link for a review of the program.

Late French Immersion Program

Students enter the Late French Immersion Program in grade 6 at Glenbrook Middle School.  These students also carry on in French to the end of Grade 12.  Similar to the Early Immersion Program, students study almost entirely in French in grade 6 and move on to gradually include English studies.  They can also graduate with the bilingual Dogwood Diploma (High School Diploma).  Late French Immersion is offered at:

• École Glenbrook Middle:  Grade 6 to Grade 8

For more information about the Late French Immersion, please click the link for a review of the program.

Montessori Program

Created by Maria Montessori, an Italian doctor, this method is a highly individualized and promotes students' intellectual, social, moral, physical and aesthetic development.  Children interact with specialized materials, the teacher and each other to develop their skills and knowledge.  Specialized Montessori materials allow children to discover and learn for themselves.  Children learn at the concrete level before they move to abstract understanding.  This allows them to build their abstract concepts on solid foundations.  Because they learn through their own investigations, they develop independence and strong self-esteem.  Montessori classrooms are multi-age classrooms, so that children learn from their peers in a community of learning.  School District 40's Montessori Programs are supported by the New Westminster Montessori Society.  Please see their website at www.newwestmontessori.ca.  Montessori Programs are offered at: 

• Richard McBride Elementary:  Kindergarten to Grade 5
• Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary:  Grade 1 to Grade 6 (This program will move to Connaught Heights when the new elementary and middle schools are built, and will include Kindergarten at that time.)

Please click here to understand the Application Process for Programs of Choice. The Application Form is available to download as a PDF.  A separate application form is required for each child. 

Please clik here for the Program Proposal Form.

Please click here for Programs of Choice Review.

For more information please contact:

• Sandra F. Pace, Director of Instruction                    604-517-6111    space@sd40.bc.ca
• Kimiko Johanson, Executive Assistant/Manager    604-517-6333    kjohanson@sd40.bc.ca