The Extended French Immersion Program is designed to develop Grade 7 and 8 students’ skills in reading, writing, listening and oral communication in French. Through this immersion experience, students will communicate and interact in French with growing confidence and fluency. The program implements the Ontario curriculum and provides authentic experiences as well as marketable second language skills. 

The Extended French Immersion Program accepts students who are currently in Grade 6 Core French and who have a desire to learn in French across most of the curriculum areas.   

Extended French Immersion is offered at three sites:

• Harrowsmith Public School (northern region)

• Module de l'Acadie (western region)

• Module Vanier (Kingston region)

My student is

In Grade 6 at a LDSB school and has only learned Core French:

The next steps are:
1. Use the school locator and select the ‘Extended immersion’ program to determine which school is in your catchment 
2. Please apply to the school that is closest to your home address:

• Harrowsmith Public School Registration Form
  
• Module Vanier Registration Form
• Module de l'Acadie Registration Form

Application forms available on January 24, 2022.

The Challenge Program is designed to meet the needs of academically motivated and/or formally identified gifted students who are seeking new learning challenges while maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle.  The purpose of the program is to engage students in the provincial grade level curriculum through enriched experiences in a fast-paced, dynamic and multi-faceted learning environment. Students will have the opportunity to extend their learning and maximize their potential alongside peers from a variety of schools. 

Traits of a Challenge student:

• is curious and well-rounded; is likely to be found learning new skills on their own and/or reading and researching in their spare time 
  
• is open-minded, creative, innovative, and takes risks in their learning   
  
• solves problems in a critical/creative way by asking questions, looking at multiple perspectives, evaluating information  
  
• has the potential to share ideas, listen to others and challenge respectfully 
  
• has strong language and/or math and problem-solving skills 
  
• consistently demonstrates self-motivation and self-regulation  
  
• is aware and concerned about issues of social justice, the environment, equality and ways in which one can change the world for the better  
  
• is capable of working at an accelerated pace  

• Calvin Park Public School (Kingston region)

• Loughborough Public School (Northern region)

• Odessa Public School (Western region)

The Limestone Education Through the Arts Program (LEAP) allows students to learn the Grade 7 and 8 curricula through an integrated, hands-on approach that uses the arts as a foundation. Taught by teachers who are specialists in their field, the purpose of the LEAP Program is to provide students with the opportunity to achieve their personal best through arts-based activities that emphasize teamwork, self-direction, motivation, innovation and creativity. 

LEAP is designed for students who demonstrate a passion for the arts and best demonstrate their learning through creative and artistic activities. Students participate in experiences that develop their skills and interests in movement, drama, visual arts and music.  LEAP allows students to gain an appreciation for all arts disciplines while growing as knowledgeable and responsible citizens.

Traits of a LEAP student:

• is passionate about the arts
  
• is ready to learn, and explore learning, through the arts
  
• is willing to participate in all strands of the arts (visual art, music, drama, dance)
  
• would benefit from (or find increased academic engagement through) artistic approaches to learning
  
• is open-minded and willing to take creative risks in learning
  
• is accepting and inclusive of peers
  
• is a team player who works well in groups
•  has strong self-regulation skills and can set goals and monitor their progress

The LEAP Program is offered exclusively at Calvin Park Public School.

The ATLAS Program is designed to provide focused, structured learning opportunities for students who are experiencing difficulties with executive functioning skills (including communication and organization). As a result of these difficulties, their academic performance is not reflective of their potential. Through intensive, direct teaching experiences, the use of assistive technology and more hands-on learning, students will have opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies and attitudes that they will need to be successful in their learning.  

Students in the ATLAS program may or may not be diagnosed with a Learning Disability. The program focus is on developing students’ organizational skills, self-advocacy skills, communication skills, and social skills, as well as enhancing their use of assistive technology to support their learning for today and future pathways.

The ATLAS Program promotes respect, collaboration and inclusiveness. These attributes enable students to develop a sense of their role as citizens within their communities and global society.

Atlas students sometimes:

• have learning gaps in:
  
  • reading
    
  • writing
    
  • math
    
• have difficulty expressing their ideas (written or oral)
  
• have difficulties with executive functioning (planning, time management, organization, working memory, adaptable thinking)
  
• demonstrate a preference for hands-on learning
  
• struggle to demonstrate their full potential in traditional classroom
• lack confidence/self-esteem in academics

Step 1: January 10-28, 2022

All online applications for Challenge, LEAP and ATLAS were due Friday, January 28, 2022 by 4 p.m. APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

Applications are not accepted after the deadline. The next entry will be for the 2023-2024 school year. Please check back in January 2023 for information and dates.

Step 2: February 4-21, 2022

All applicants will receive an email on February 4, 2022 outlining, in detail, the next steps of the application process (i.e., task requirements, how to submit tasks, etc.). 

Application requirements will include:

ATLAS: A completed application form, February 2022 report card (for Learning Skills), an in-school team questionnaire and a student advocacy card (to be completed at the home school). 

Challenge: A completed application form, February 2022 report card, a task requiring a response to a question provided to the student, and a school-based questionnaire.

LEAP: A completed application form, February 2022 report card, an arts related task, and and a school-based questionnaire.

Step 3: Notification on April 1, 2022

All applicants who completed the application requirements are notified by email if they are accepted, placed on the waiting list, or if they have been declined. They will be notified on Friday, April 1, 2022 after 3:30 p.m. 

Candidates for Challenge, LEAP and ATLAS programs will be contacted (by email) regarding the status of their application on Friday, April 1, 2022 after 3:30 p.m.

What is the process for applying for LEAP, Challenge and ATLAS?

Please refer to the Choices at 7 application process information. All applicants must complete the online application form by the due date and then complete the application requirements. All Challenge and LEAP applicants will be invited to submit a task and an educator/school team reference will be submitted. The tasks are scored together with the report card and a school-based questionnaire. The students are then ranked in numerical order, by their overall score. The selection of suitable candidates for ATLAS will be made by a Board committee who will review each on-line application, student’s report card, IEP (if applicable), the in-school team questionnaire and the student advocacy card. 

What is the deadline for applications?
All of the dates are posted within the Choices at 7 application process information. We do not accept late applications.

What do I do if I am having technical difficulties?
Please contact the ITS LDSB Service Desk at 613-417-3559 for assistance. Please note that all requests for technical support must be made no later than 24 hours prior to the submission deadline. If you continue to experience issues, please contact your classroom teacher, student support teacher or school administrator for assistance.

Where can I get more information about the programs and the admission requirements?

Information about the admission requirements and important dates are available at Choices at 7.

Challenge is offered at three sites. Can we apply for whichever one we prefer? 
No. There are geographical boundaries for each site. Visit the list of Challenge Program selection sites for more information. Particular elementary schools feed into each site (i.e., northern schools into Loughborough PS, western area schools into Odessa PS, and the others into Calvin Park PS. Please note that you can only apply to one Challenge site.

Can we apply to more than one program, for instance LEAP and Challenge?
Certainly. Several students apply to both programs every year.                                                

If your student attends a school within the Limestone District School Board, we access the report card electronically and no action is required on your part. If your student attends a school outside our Board, or is home schooled, you will be asked to deliver or mail a hard copy of the most recent report card to the Limestone District School Board Education Centre, 220 Portsmouth Ave., Kingston ON K7L 4X4, or scan and email.

Can my student apply for a Grade 8 placement in LEAP, Challenge or ATLAS?
Yes. The process is the same as Grade 7. Please note that there are only limited vacancies in the Grade 8 programs, because most of our students continue on in the program from Grade 7.

What is the selection process for Challenge and LEAP?
Challenge and LEAP applicants are rank-ordered based on their overall score. First Round: equity of opportunity. The first 23 places in each program are accepted from the rank-ordered list based on quotas for each Family-of-Schools. Second Round: based on the overall assessment score of each applicant until the cut off point of acceptance.

My student is currently in a Grade 6 French Immersion program (not in Core French). Do I need to apply to Vanier or Acadie?
If you are a Grade 6 LDSB student, currently in a French Immersion program, you do not need to apply. Your current school will transfer your child’s information to Vanier (Rideau PS, Polson Park PS, Ecole Kingston East Elementary School) and to Acadie (J.R. Henderson PS, Amherstview PS). You should, however, complete a Tri-Board Student Transportation application. If you are in a Grade 6 French Immersion program in another school board, you are required to complete a LDSB Student Registration Form and submit it to Vanier or Acadie (based on the location of your home). 

How many applicants apply and how many are accepted into each program?
As the applicant numbers vary significantly each year, we are not able to provide a specific answer.

Is there a waiting list?                                                 
Yes, a short waiting list is established for all programs, and it is kept active until the end of September. Vacancies are created, for instance, if a student is accepted into both LEAP and Challenge, so has to accept one offer and decline the other. That vacancy will be offered right away to the next person on the waiting list.

If my student doesn’t get in, will we be notified?      
Yes. All applicants are notified by email if they are accepted, placed on the waiting list, or if they are not being offered a space, on the notification date. 

I missed the application deadline. How do I apply now?We do not accept late applications. Please visit Choices at 7 for a list of dates.

I have completed and submitted my child’s application but have not received any emails from the Choices at Seven registrar?
You will receive an automatic reply when you submit your application form for ATLAS, LEAP, Challenge (you should retain this reply for future reference). The application form will require that you provide only one email address for all future communications – ensure that it is typed correctly before submitting your form. You should also check your clutter/junk mail box as emails will sometimes end up there. If you have any concerns or questions please email the Choices at Seven Registrar.

Due to the restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will not be in-person visits nor in-person information sessions.

Is transportation provided?
Transportation is not guaranteed but we attempt to accommodate requests. If your student is accepted into a program, at the time of registration at the school, you will have to complete an application for transportation through Tri-Board Student Transportation. If Tri-Board Transportation can find a space on a bus which is near where you live, and it is going to the site your student would be attending, they will try to accommodate the request. However, this accommodation may result in your student arriving a bit late and leaving a bit early every day, which may affect their progress.