Calgary French & International School (CFIS) is a private French language immersion and International Baccalaureate school in

Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,30 ...

, Canada. All subjects are taught in French, except English and Spanish. According to the

Fraser Institute The Fraser Institute is a libertarian-conservative Canadian public policy think tank and registered charity. The institute describes itself as independent and non-partisan. It is headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Calgary, Tor ...

Report Card on Alberta's Secondary and Elementary Schools 2019, CFIS achieved a top ranking of schools in Alberta. It is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Associated School, as well as

Round Square Round Square is an international network of schools, based on the educational concepts of Kurt Hahn, and named after a distinctive building at Gordonstoun. Founded by a group of seven schools in the late 1960s, by 1996 it had grown to 20 member ...

affiliated, and it is accredited by the

Canadian Accredited Independent Schools Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) is a national organization for independent schools in Canada. The current Executive Director is Patti MacDonald. History Canadian Association of Independent Schools The Canadian Association of Independ ...

. The $20 million school facility was built in two phases, in 2003 and 2005. The two-story school facility includes 45 classrooms, two library/resource areas, two science labs, dedicated music rooms, dedicated art studios, an outdoor classroom,2 dedicated cafeterias, double-court regulation gyms, a junior-sized baseball diamond, a running track and soccer pitch, and two theatre-style classrooms, as well as a stage also acting as a gym for early childhood education.

History

The Calgary French School (the predecessor to the Calgary French and International School) was founded after the passing of the Official Languages Act in September 1969. Many mothers had practiced French on their own, and sought to establish an educational institution that could teach young in an all-French environment, called

French immersion French immersion is a form of bilingual education in which students who do not speak French as a first language will receive instruction in French. In most French-immersion schools, students will learn to speak French and learn most subjects s ...

. Calgary French School began in church basements, and became a part of the Sacred Heart School in 1974. Throughout this time there was consistent growth in both student numbers and scholarly reputation. Over time, the community desired a space to call home. In late 1999, the shared space was reclaimed by its owners, so the school sought its own building. A campaign began to raise funds to purchase land and to construct a new site for the growing school.

References

External links

Official Site
{{High Schools in Calgary Educational institutions established in 1969 Elementary schools in Calgary French-language schools in Alberta High schools in Calgary Middle schools in Calgary Private schools in Alberta Trilingual schools 1969 establishments in Alberta