News Centre

Following the request by parents to consider a middle/junior high school for the South Mandarin Bilingual Program, the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) initiated an expression of interest for a Grade 5-7 Mandarin Bilingual Program at Harold Panabaker School. As previously noted, the criteria for the expansion were:

• 40 students per grade in Grades 5 and 6 - registered before March 31, 2017
• 20 students in Grade 7 - registered before March 31, 2017
• Ability for the CBE to secure the appropriate number of qualified teaching staff

Registration numbers did not meet the expansion criteria for Grades 5, 6 or 7 for the 2017-18 school year, and thus we are unable to offer a Grade 5-7 Mandarin Bilingual Program at Harold Panabaker School for the 2017-18 school year.

Students wishing to continue in the Mandarin Bilingual Program for Grade 7 next year can attend the junior high program in the north at Colonel Irvine School. Please contact Jean Hugill at Midnapore School for more information (403-777-8680, Midnapore@cbe.ab.ca). Current Grade 4 and 5 students wishing to continue in the Mandarin Bilingual Program for Grades 5 and 6 next year will remain at Midnapore School.

Although the registration criteria were not met for the 2017-18 school year, we heard strong support from the parent community for the expansion of the South Mandarin Bilingual Program. For the 2018-19 school year, the CBE will designate Grade 5, 6 and 7 students in the South Mandarin Bilingual Program to Harold Panabaker School. This will be contingent on a minimum of 20 students per grade. We will also continue to monitor enrolment in order to make future decisions that most effectively balance resources required to create strong, sustainable programs throughout the CBE.

If you would like to discuss this decision further, you are welcome to attend the following session:

Monday, April 24, 2017 (Register)
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. (presentation at 6:30 p.m.)
Area 6 Office, Haysboro Centre at 1123 – 87 Avenue S.W.

Sincerely,