A mom from Steinbach says parents who are registering their children for Kindergarten have an opportunity to press the Hanover School Division to introduce a French Immersion program. Jennifer Stepaniuk initiated a lobby effort for French Immersion last fall that generated a number of inquiries to the school division. The administration in the school division has acted on those inquiries and is currently investigating the feasibility of providing French Immersion with a report due in April. Stepaniuk is pleased with that but adds the kindergarten registrations are another way to demonstrate the need for such education. She explains how to ask for French Immersion through Kindergarten registration.

Jennifer Stepaniuk would like French Immersion education in Steinbach when her daughter starts school."When they are at the school going through the registration process, all they have to do is ask the person who they are dealing with that they get the appropriate forms to register for French Immersion. But it's important for them to also indicate that their school of preference is that Hanover School Division school that they are at; that they do not want to send their children out of division."

Stepaniuk notes, even though the division is already looking into this program, filling out these forms will provide valuable information.

"Fill out the form. Do the paperwork. It's the very least we can do because this will give the school division a true picture of how many parents are looking for French Immersion and what schools are getting the numbers to implement the program."

Kindergarten registration is currently underway.

Hanover Superintendent Randy Dueck says there's no need to fill out the form. Rather he suggests parents who want French Immersion should write a note addressed to him and hand it in with their child's Kindergarten registration.