Other Review
Updated January 19, 2024
Re-opening of Bannockburn Public School as a Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 French Immersion Centre
The school will welcome Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 French Immersion students in September 2024, expanding by one grade per year up to and including Grade 6 in September 2027.
The school was originally planned to re-open in September 2023, but the timeline was changed to September 2024 to allow a more extensive renovation of the building to be completed.
Background
The decision to re-open Bannockburn Public School as a French Immersion Centre came out of the Yonge-Eglinton Phase 2 Program Area Review, which was completed and approved by the Board of Trustees in June 2021. The Review sought to address the continued enrolment growth and accommodation pressures in the Yonge-Eglinton area, specifically at Eglinton Junior Public School.
Part of the approved plan is for John Fisher Junior Public School, currently a Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 French Immersion Centre, to become a dual-track school with English and French Immersion tracks. By introducing an English track, John Fisher Junior Public School will be able to receive students from Eglinton Junior Public School, thus reducing the enrolment pressure at that school.
The English track started at John Fisher Junior Public School in September 2022 with Junior Kindergarten. Each year the English track will expand by a grade up to Grade 6. Space is being made available at John Fisher Junior Public School for the English track by assigning the northern portion of the school’s French Immersion catchment area to Bannockburn Public School. Detailed information about the Yonge-Eglinton Phase 2 Program Area Review can be found at https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Strategy-Planning/Search-All-Reviews/id/166.
Who Can Attend Bannockburn Public School in September 2024?
Students that will be entering Junior Kindergarten in September 2024 who applied on-time to the Early French Immersion program during the application period in November 2023 are eligible for placement at Bannockburn Public School. Placement into the school will be based on the number of applications received and the number of Junior Kindergarten spots available. Per TDSB Operational Procedure PR 597, all students applying on-time for the Early French Immersion program are guaranteed a spot in a program, but not a particular school. For more information on the Early French Immersion program, please visit: https://www.tdsb.on.ca/EarlyFrenchImmersion
Early French Immersion students entering SK to Grade 3 at John Fisher Junior Public School in September 2024 and who reside in the Bedford Park Public School attendance area or John Wanless Junior Public School attendance area or Bedford Park Public School/Blythwood Junior Public School shared attendance areas will be redirected to Bannockburn Public School for September 2024. An exception will be made for students who have an older sibling in Grades 4 to 6 at John Fisher Junior Public School in September 2024; these students will have the option to attend Bannockburn Public School or remain at John Fisher Junior Public School through to graduation.
Below is a table that shows the French Immersion grades that will be impacted by the move to Bannockburn Public School.
|
School Year
|
Grade
|
|
JK
|
SK
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
|
2022/23
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
|
2023/24
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
|
2024/25
|
B |
B |
B |
B |
B |
JF
|
JF
|
JF
|
Legend:
JF – John Fisher Junior Public School B – Bannockburn Public School
Next Steps and More Information
Construction at Bannockburn Public School is underway and will continue to the summer of 2024. This webpage will be updated throughout the year to keep the community informed of any new developments. A Questions and Answers document can be found below under 'Helpful Information'.