Calgary French and International School
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| Calgary French & International School | |
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| Address | |
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700 77 Street S.W. , , Canada | |
| Coordinates | 51°04′01″N 114°11′56″W / 51.067°N 114.199°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Private Elementary and Junior/Senior High |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Head of School | Mme Margaret Dorrance |
| Grades | preK-12 |
| Language | English, French immersion and Spanish |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Area | West Calgary |
| Team name | Vikings |
| Communities served | Cougar Ridge & Lakeview |
| Public transit access | Calgary Transit Route 453 |
| Website | www |
Calgary French & International School (CFIS) is a full French language immersion school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
All subjects are taught in French (excluding English and Spanish). The school's mission is academic excellence combined with the development of the whole student in an internationally focused environment. The 120,000 square foot school facility was built in two phases, in 2003 and 2005, to accommodate a growing school community.
The two-story school facility includes:
- 45 classrooms, for students in preschool through to Grade 12
- Two library/resource areas
- Two science labs
- Administration core
- Two cafeterias and kitchens
- Two dedicated Music rooms, with classes taught by certificated specialist music teachers
- Two dedicated Art studios, with classes taught by certificated specialist art teachers
- An outdoor classroom
- Two double-court regulation gyms
- Junior-sized baseball diamond
- Two playgrounds – for early childhood and elementary
- Running track and soccer pitch
- Two staff rooms
- Two theatre-style classrooms
Sports
The CFIS Vikings sports teams include golf, volleyball, basketball, badminton, soccer, cross-country running, and track and field. The school's senior school basketball team ranked 1st in South Central zones. The junior team came second in the ISAA league. Their 8/9 Girls' volleyball team has won South Central Zones. The school's coaches are extremely committed to the game. For Physical Education, students are not only graded on their athletic ability but on their good sportsmanship as well. There are also fitness tests, including the beep test, sit-ups, stretches, and push-ups.
Musicals
The school has an annual musical. All junior and senior high students are permitted to audition for the show, which changes from year to year, and encouraged to help out behind the scenes if they do not wish to take an on-stage role. In 2010, they started the musical program with Seussical Jr. In 2011, they performed Hairspray. In March 2012, they performed Beauty and the Beast, Fame in 2013, and Legally Blonde: The Musical in 2014. In 2019, the students performed Newsies: The musical. The musicals are always produced with a full set of lights and microphones and for all the shows except Seussical, a live orchestra made of a mixture of students and professional musicians conducted by the school's artist in residence.
Debate
The art of debate is an important part of our school culture. Our debate club competes in numerous English and French events throughout the school year. In past years, CFIS students have qualified for both Provincial and National Debate Tournaments.
The idea behind the debate is that there are two sides to every issue - the Affirmative and the Negative. The two sides of the debate have different jobs arising from their position with respect to the Resolution, issue, or topic. Participants of the Debate Club benefit from developing public speaking, critical thinking, research, and teamwork skills. We deal with the challenge of learning to be resourceful thinkers who can synthesize ideas and quickly articulate them.
Clubs and options
There are many elementary clubs and Junior-High clubs. Clubs mostly take place during lunch/recess periods and are optional. There are Improv clubs, Debate clubs, Yearbook Club, Student Council, Science Olympics, Environment Club, Jazz Club, and others. The school follows a six-day cycle. For students in Junior High, there is an options class 2 out of the 6 days during which students participate in Robotics, Photography, Weight Training, Visual Art, Drama, Outdoor Education, Sewing or Food Studies. During 3 of the remaining 6 days, there is a choice between the band, Film Studies or Learning Skills (there are only 5 of the six days with options classes). Students will select a different option for every quarter ( 4 in every school year)
Travel studies
Opportunities for national and international travel are offered in Junior/Senior High. These trips involve preparation/study beforehand and tie in with the appropriate curriculum.
Every year, students go on trips in and around the city of Calgary, some of which include a ski day at Lake Louise or Sunshine Village. As well, students have optional cultural voyages to various destinations, including grade 7 trips to Québec, Ottawa, and Montreal. For Grade 8, there is a Week-Without-Walls. In Grade 9, there is an optional trip to Costa Rica. For Senior High, the travel studies program changes each year. In 2011, the Senior High students went to Columbia, in 2012, they traveled to Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands The Travel Studies program permits students to experience first-hand other cultures and learn about ecology, geography, history and social studies as well. It is also a great opportunity to bond with friends, as students normally share their accommodations with a few friends. The students in Senior High will be going to Cambodia for the 2013 trip.
The annual CFIS gala, known as the Spring Benefit, is the largest fundraising event for CFIS. Since 2001, gala guests, donors, and sponsors have helped raise almost $500,000 for CFIS programs and equipment.
Trivia
There are two cafeterias in the school, one in the Elementary wing and the second in the Junior/Senior wing. These cafeterias offer monthly food plans and À-la-carte items so that students can order an optional meal for each day. There are also special lunch days (usually occurring at the end of each month) when students can order pizza and various other items. The uniform theme is based on blue, red, and grey.