French Catholic board to continue virtual education program

The French Catholic school board has chosen to continue its virtual education program.

A news release issued today by the Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon (CSCN) states that Académie virtuelle, originally launched in September 2020, saw 441 students registered for the fall term and 331 registered this spring.

“Our Académie virtuelle has been very successful and has been greatly appreciated by several parents and guardians who have seen their child learn and thrive in a virtual setting," said CSCN director of education Paul Henry in the release.

Full text of the news release follows:

Due to the challenges posed by the pandemic and in order to promote continuity in learning as well as ensure the well-being of its students, the Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon will maintain its Académie virtuelle during the 2020-2021 school year. Launched in September 2020, this new virtual school operates like a regular school but functions in a virtual mode. Since its opening, the Académie virtuelle has welcomed Kindergarten to Grade 8 students from several communities in the districts of Sudbury and Algoma. While the Académie virtuelle counted 441 students in the fall, no less than 331 students were registered in the spring.

The Académie virtuelle counts a team of teachers assigned to different levels. Students follow a regular schedule, which includes the national anthem, morning prayer, and teaching of several subjects such as French, social and natural sciences, physical education and the arts, among others. While students attend lessons live via their computer or iPad, they also spend part of the day working individually or collaboratively with other students in the remote classroom. As in a traditional classroom, students also have a recess in the morning and afternoon as well as a lunch break.

As part of its school year planning, parents and guardians will have to confirm if their children will pursue their learning at the Académie virtuelle during the upcoming school year. Students registered in the Académie virtuelle will be required to pursue this learning mode for a continuous block of time. They will only be able to change their learning mode on specific dates in the fall and winter of the 2021-2022 school year. The Académie virtuelle will host a virtual open house on Wednesday, June 16, at 6:30 p.m.

“Through the creation of the Académie virtuelle, the school board sought to support hundreds of families. To achieve this goal, we made sure to provide our students and staff with training and access to electronic learning tools required to learn in a virtual mode,” stated Mr. Paul Henry, CSC Nouvelon director of education. “Our Académie virtuelle has been very successful and has been greatly appreciated by several parents and guardians who have seen their child learn and thrive in a virtual setting."

The Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon offers a French-language Catholic Educational Program that is widely recognized for its excellence. The CSC Nouvelon provides a quality learning environment and academic program that runs from early childhood to adult education, with some 6,400 students enrolled in 27 elementary, one virtual school and 10 secondary schools.