Toronto French School
Encyclopedia
The Toronto French School (TFS), founded in 1962 , is an independent, bilingual
, co-educational
, non-denominational
school in midtown
Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. Elizabeth II
, as Queen of Canada
, is the royal patron
of the school.
At TFS, it is compulsory for students to study under the International Baccalaureate program in their final two years. Prior to this, students between the ages of 2 and 15 go through a broad bilingual program covering the arts, languages, natural and social sciences as well as mathematics. Furthermore, the school offers numerous side programs that focus on aiding students in expanding to an international level, such as through its optional SAT
preparation course.
with his wife, Anna Por, when he issued the articles of incorporation for his non-profit school. In doing this they had the objective of educating its students to become fully bilingual young Canadians, and not just good English Canadians. This would later prove to be a significant factor in distinguishing TFS from other private schools of the Upper Canada establishment, such as UCC and Havergal. The school began as an experiment in home schooling, and its first classes took place in rented Church basements. The experiment was successful.
In its first class on September 7, 1962, the school was teaching sixteen 3-5 year olds under a Mme. Nicole Corbi. Only four years later, the Toronto French School owned 6 locations across the GTA and surrounding areas, including the Mississauga Campus it still uses today, and several small facilities that they were renting. In 1972, the school acquired 318 Lawrence Avenue, the former Sifton Manor and made the 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) plot of land its new primary location.
The area of Sifton Manor itself was built in 1922 by a Sir Clifford Sifton
, and was named Armadale in honor of his wife, Lady Elizabeth Arma Burrows Sifton. After Clifford sold the house in 1947, it was owned by several other proprioters until Giles' school bought it in 1972.
By 1984, the Board of Directors included former Liberal
Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien
and a patron’s council was created with such illustrious names as Bata, Black, Labatt and Eaton. The school also received the official patronage of the Queen.
The current headmaster of TFS is the Honourable John Godfrey
, a former Liberal
Member of Parliament
(MP) and Cabinet Minister. Recent TFS parents include the film director Atom Egoyan
and his actor wife Arsinée Khanjian, the journalist Jan Wong
, the Ontario Court of Appeal judge John Laskin and the former city councillor Tom Jakobek
.
Graduates attend Canada's finest universities, and several TFS students every year pursue study at America's Ivy League
universities, Oxford
, Cambridge
or the London School of Economics
in Britain. Very rarely, students pursue study in France, and past TFS graduates have studied at the Université Panthéon Sorbonne and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
(Sciences Po) in Paris.
. Performed by the students and administration, and funded by the parents, the run at TFS usually raises within the tens of thousands of dollars.
The school's largest distinctive charity organization, founded in 1996, is the Seja Foundation.
The Toronto location acquired the old Sifton Estate, a group of three patrician brick buildings on 10 hectares. The Estate was once occupied by Sir Clifford Sifton
, a cabinet minister who served in former Prime Minister
Sir Wilfrid Laurier
's government, and Lady Elizabeth Sifton, and was used as a vacation home ideal for fox hunting. The Sifton mansion, now called Giles Hall, is the main building of TFS's senior school. The TFS Toronto campus, situated at the corner of Bayview and Lawrence, overlooks the Granite Club, and is nestled between the stately houses of Lawrence Park
and the Bridle Path
. The school turned to Raymond Moriyama
and Teshima architects, acclaimed for the National Museum of Saudi Arabia and the Canadian War Museum, to design the recent expansion of the senior school.
The opening event for the new field occurred at midday 7 November 2008. All students from grade 2 to Level V were for the first time granted access to the field as parents and teachers alike photographed the event.
The curriculum is structured with clearly defined subjects. Using an interdisciplinary approach, teachers set curricula goals, individually addressing the needs of each student. The inclusion of cross-curricular project work is meant to stimulate interest, and group activities allow students to develop improved co-operative and social skills. Additionally, organizational and learning skills, such as time management, are also taught in Guidance as well as subject specific classes. TFS students spend approximately two-thirds of their day in a French language classroom environment.
In the case of students with no prior knowledge of French, but who still wish to enter in Grades Six or Seven, there is a one-year introductory program which uses a multimedia, audio-visual approach to motivate the students to develop their competency to as high a level as possible. "Intro" students still attend regular classes in English, Guidance, Music, Art and Physical Education with the other students of their entry grade. This dynamic approach allows the introductory students to more easily integrate into the regular classes the following year, with additional support classes given to anyone who requires it.
In this different system, Grades Nine to Twelve are split into Levels I to V. In Level I, students are prepared for the French Brevet Diploma through greater emphasis placed on the French curricula in the Social Sciences, French and Math. By the end of that year, all students wishing to attempt to get the Brevet Diploma will have done several practice tests known as the "Brevet Blanc". In the next year, Level II, they will then be able to take part in the official Brevet Exam, with scores being sent to them by the following year. In general, over 95% of TFS students attempting the International Brevet will pass.
Once the Brevet years are over, students go through an intermediary period known as Level III where they are taught most Ontario Grade 11 material. It is this year that students are introduced to some of the way in which IB classes will work. They are taught how to do proper IB labs in the three Science classes, how to write IB commentaries in their Language classes and are given the basics that they will need for IB Mathematics. Furthermore, students are for the first time allowed to take the majority of their subjects in English, with even the possibility that every subject taken is in English, other than French. Once again, this shift in the school's method is meant as a preparatory measure for the IB program.
from pre-kindergarten through Grade 10. From Grade 11 on, the students have a choice of doing their courses in English
or French. The school is accredited by the Ministry of Education of France through Grade 10 and by the Ministry of Education of Ontario throughout its entire range. Students are offered an expanded choice of courses in English in high school, though many courses are offered in French during the high school years as well. Students may study Latin, Spanish, German or Ancient Greek as well. All students study French throughout all of their years at the school. TFS requires its students to enroll for the International Baccalaureate Diploma
(an externally moderated curriculum offered by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)) and also offers, and recommends the Brevet des collèges
. Examinations are taken in May of students' graduating year. The school covers the normal Ontario Grades 6, 7 and 8 curriculum in two years (Grades 6 and 7), thereby allowing students to start high school (Grade 9) at the age of Grade 8 students. Like other students in Ontario, TFS students graduate at the age of 18, as the high school extends over five years, the last two of which are the IB years.
Group 2: French A2 (HL/SL) – a language in which the student approaches near-native competence (A2) or French B (HL) – non-native competence
Group 3: Individuals and Societies (HL/SL) – History, Geography or Economics
Group 4: Experimental Sciences (HL/SL) – Biology, Chemistry or Physics
Group 5: Mathematics – Mathematics (HL), Mathematics (SL) or Mathematical Studies (SL)
Group 6 or 6th subject: One elective (HL/SL) chosen from:
– Group 2: a classical language (Latin, Classical Greek) or a modern language (German, Spanish)
– Group 3: a second subject from this group
– Group 4: a second subject from this group
– Group 5: Computer Science
– Group 6: Visual Arts or Theatre
A. Extended Essay – an independent research paper of 4,000 words on a topic chosen by each student, written under the guidance of a supervisor and assessed by an International Baccalaureate examiner. More information regarding the Extended Essay is available here.
B. Theory of Knowledge – a unique course of study which asks students to reflect critically upon knowledge claims and judgments made in a wide range of academic and experiential areas
C. Creativity, Action, Service – the CAS program requires students to be involved in creative pursuits, physical activities and community service for a total of 150 hours over the two IB years. A minimum of 50 hours must be dedicated to each component of this program. More information regarding the CAS program is available here.
In 2011, of TFS graduates:
From PK to Level V, each classroom has a computer and there is access to a computer lab and a mobile computer lab.
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
, co-educational
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
, non-denominational
Non-denominational Christianity
In Christianity, nondenominational institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination, or that remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations...
school in midtown
Midtown, Toronto
Midtown Toronto is an area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada roughly defined as the area north of Bloor Street and south of Lawrence Avenue, The east and west borders are somewhat defined as Bayview Avenue to Marlee Avenue/Oakwood Avenue/Ossington Avenue. The centre of this area is Yonge and Eglinton...
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, as Queen of Canada
Monarchy in Canada
The monarchy of Canada is the core of both Canada's federalism and its Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, being the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Canadian government and each provincial government...
, is the royal patron
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
of the school.
At TFS, it is compulsory for students to study under the International Baccalaureate program in their final two years. Prior to this, students between the ages of 2 and 15 go through a broad bilingual program covering the arts, languages, natural and social sciences as well as mathematics. Furthermore, the school offers numerous side programs that focus on aiding students in expanding to an international level, such as through its optional SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
preparation course.
History
The Toronto French School was co-founded 9 August 1962 by Harry GilesHarry Giles
William Henry "Harry" Giles CM, QC is a pioneer in early academic intervention and French immersion and widely regarded as an influential educator in Canada...
with his wife, Anna Por, when he issued the articles of incorporation for his non-profit school. In doing this they had the objective of educating its students to become fully bilingual young Canadians, and not just good English Canadians. This would later prove to be a significant factor in distinguishing TFS from other private schools of the Upper Canada establishment, such as UCC and Havergal. The school began as an experiment in home schooling, and its first classes took place in rented Church basements. The experiment was successful.
In its first class on September 7, 1962, the school was teaching sixteen 3-5 year olds under a Mme. Nicole Corbi. Only four years later, the Toronto French School owned 6 locations across the GTA and surrounding areas, including the Mississauga Campus it still uses today, and several small facilities that they were renting. In 1972, the school acquired 318 Lawrence Avenue, the former Sifton Manor and made the 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) plot of land its new primary location.
The area of Sifton Manor itself was built in 1922 by a Sir Clifford Sifton
Clifford Sifton
Sir Clifford Sifton, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician best known for being Minister of the Interior under Sir Wilfrid Laurier...
, and was named Armadale in honor of his wife, Lady Elizabeth Arma Burrows Sifton. After Clifford sold the house in 1947, it was owned by several other proprioters until Giles' school bought it in 1972.
By 1984, the Board of Directors included former Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
and a patron’s council was created with such illustrious names as Bata, Black, Labatt and Eaton. The school also received the official patronage of the Queen.
The current headmaster of TFS is the Honourable John Godfrey
John Godfrey
John Ferguson Godfrey, PC is a Canadian educator, journalist and former Member of Parliament.- Education :He was born in Toronto, Ontario. His father, Senator John Morrow Godfrey , was a Canadian pilot, lawyer and politician. John Godfrey graduated from Upper Canada College in 1960...
, a former Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) and Cabinet Minister. Recent TFS parents include the film director Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan, OC is a critically acclaimed Armenian-Canadian stage director and film director. Egoyan made his career breakthrough with Exotica...
and his actor wife Arsinée Khanjian, the journalist Jan Wong
Jan Wong
Jan Wong is a Canadian journalist of Chinese ancestry. Wong worked for The Globe and Mail, serving as Beijing correspondent from 1988 to 1994, when she returned to write from Canada....
, the Ontario Court of Appeal judge John Laskin and the former city councillor Tom Jakobek
Tom Jakobek
Tom Jakobek is a former member of the Toronto City Council. He was first elected to council in 1982 after serving as a school trustee, and remained a member until 2000....
.
Graduates attend Canada's finest universities, and several TFS students every year pursue study at America's Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
universities, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
or the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
in Britain. Very rarely, students pursue study in France, and past TFS graduates have studied at the Université Panthéon Sorbonne and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
The Institut d'études politiques de Paris , simply referred to as Sciences Po , is a public research and higher education institution in Paris, France, specialised in the social sciences. It has the status of grand établissement, which allows its admissions process to be highly selective...
(Sciences Po) in Paris.
Charity Events
The Toronto French School, like many city private schools, takes part in several charity events throughout the year. Although a good deal of these are international or general Canadian charities, there are many that were founded by the school itself. One of the most popular, and most distinctly Canadian of these is the Terry Fox RunTerry Fox Run
The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive charity event held in numerous regions around the world in commemoration of Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox, and his Marathon of Hope, and to raise money for cancer research....
. Performed by the students and administration, and funded by the parents, the run at TFS usually raises within the tens of thousands of dollars.
The school's largest distinctive charity organization, founded in 1996, is the Seja Foundation.
Location
Although TFS facilities were scattered in different areas, by the mid-eighties the school had condensed to two locations, one in Toronto (Bayview and Lawrence) and one in Mississauga (1293 Meredith Avenue - south of The Queensway between Dixie and Cawthra).The Toronto location acquired the old Sifton Estate, a group of three patrician brick buildings on 10 hectares. The Estate was once occupied by Sir Clifford Sifton
Clifford Sifton
Sir Clifford Sifton, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician best known for being Minister of the Interior under Sir Wilfrid Laurier...
, a cabinet minister who served in former Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
's government, and Lady Elizabeth Sifton, and was used as a vacation home ideal for fox hunting. The Sifton mansion, now called Giles Hall, is the main building of TFS's senior school. The TFS Toronto campus, situated at the corner of Bayview and Lawrence, overlooks the Granite Club, and is nestled between the stately houses of Lawrence Park
Lawrence Park, Toronto
Lawrence Park is one of Toronto, Canada's most affluent residential neighbourhoods, along with Rosedale, the Bridle Path, and Forest Hill. It is also one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in Canada....
and the Bridle Path
Bridle Path, Toronto
The Bridle Path upscale residential neighbourhood in the former city of North York, now part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is characterized by large multi-million dollar mansions and two to four acre lot sizes. It is often referred to as "Millionaires' Row"...
. The school turned to Raymond Moriyama
Raymond Moriyama
Raymond Moriyama, CC, O.Ont is a Japanese-Canadian architect. He has designed several buildings at Brock University from the 1970s through the latest campus expansion and is the University's former chancellor....
and Teshima architects, acclaimed for the National Museum of Saudi Arabia and the Canadian War Museum, to design the recent expansion of the senior school.
Play and Sports Field Project
Recently, the Toronto French School replaced its old, decaying main field with an improved one. Made entirely of synthetic astroturf, it was designed with the intent of being as low maintenance as possible. The approximate surface area of the field is 48000 square feet (4,459.3 m²) of astroturf, completely encircled with a combination of stone and metal fencing. In case of rain, the field has a 1 km long drainage system that runs underneath, allowing the field to rapidly soak up and drain away large amounts of water. Estimates project that it should be able to dissipate up to 10 inches (254 mm) of rainfall in a little over an hour.The opening event for the new field occurred at midday 7 November 2008. All students from grade 2 to Level V were for the first time granted access to the field as parents and teachers alike photographed the event.
Student body
TFS is an independent co-ed school with 1,300 day students and non who do board. All students study the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme during Grades Eleven and Twelve (Level IV and V). From Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5, students attend the Junior School program at either TFS's Toronto or Mississauga Campuses. Following this is the Senior School program. Grades Six and Seven can be done at either campus, however once the latter is complete, it is compulsory for students to switch to the Toronto Campus. TFS students in the Mississauga area have the option of taking a special "Mississauga Bus" to and from the Toronto Campus.Grade 6 and 7
Following the French Ministry of Education guidelines, the transition from a class-based program to a subject-based program takes place in Grade 6, the beginning of the Collège level. Although students retain their homeroom base, they are taught by specialist teachers.The curriculum is structured with clearly defined subjects. Using an interdisciplinary approach, teachers set curricula goals, individually addressing the needs of each student. The inclusion of cross-curricular project work is meant to stimulate interest, and group activities allow students to develop improved co-operative and social skills. Additionally, organizational and learning skills, such as time management, are also taught in Guidance as well as subject specific classes. TFS students spend approximately two-thirds of their day in a French language classroom environment.
In the case of students with no prior knowledge of French, but who still wish to enter in Grades Six or Seven, there is a one-year introductory program which uses a multimedia, audio-visual approach to motivate the students to develop their competency to as high a level as possible. "Intro" students still attend regular classes in English, Guidance, Music, Art and Physical Education with the other students of their entry grade. This dynamic approach allows the introductory students to more easily integrate into the regular classes the following year, with additional support classes given to anyone who requires it.
High school
Unlike most other Ontario schools, TFS completes the elementary school program (Grades 1-8) in seven years and retains a five-year high school instead of the Ontario four-year Grade 9-12 model. In this way, TFS maintains the provincial norm of 12 years of schooling, but dedicates the last five of these years to preparing students for a strong OSSD and the completion of the challenging requirements of the International Brevet and the IB Diploma.In this different system, Grades Nine to Twelve are split into Levels I to V. In Level I, students are prepared for the French Brevet Diploma through greater emphasis placed on the French curricula in the Social Sciences, French and Math. By the end of that year, all students wishing to attempt to get the Brevet Diploma will have done several practice tests known as the "Brevet Blanc". In the next year, Level II, they will then be able to take part in the official Brevet Exam, with scores being sent to them by the following year. In general, over 95% of TFS students attempting the International Brevet will pass.
Once the Brevet years are over, students go through an intermediary period known as Level III where they are taught most Ontario Grade 11 material. It is this year that students are introduced to some of the way in which IB classes will work. They are taught how to do proper IB labs in the three Science classes, how to write IB commentaries in their Language classes and are given the basics that they will need for IB Mathematics. Furthermore, students are for the first time allowed to take the majority of their subjects in English, with even the possibility that every subject taken is in English, other than French. Once again, this shift in the school's method is meant as a preparatory measure for the IB program.
Academic program
Students are taught mainly in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
from pre-kindergarten through Grade 10. From Grade 11 on, the students have a choice of doing their courses in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
or French. The school is accredited by the Ministry of Education of France through Grade 10 and by the Ministry of Education of Ontario throughout its entire range. Students are offered an expanded choice of courses in English in high school, though many courses are offered in French during the high school years as well. Students may study Latin, Spanish, German or Ancient Greek as well. All students study French throughout all of their years at the school. TFS requires its students to enroll for the International Baccalaureate Diploma
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
(an externally moderated curriculum offered by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)) and also offers, and recommends the Brevet des collèges
Brevet des collèges
The National diploma is a diploma given to French pupils at the end of the , This diploma is awarded to students that are or were within French cultural influence, including France itself, Lebanon and Syria, the latter two within the scope of a League of Nations mandate to France after World War...
. Examinations are taken in May of students' graduating year. The school covers the normal Ontario Grades 6, 7 and 8 curriculum in two years (Grades 6 and 7), thereby allowing students to start high school (Grade 9) at the age of Grade 8 students. Like other students in Ontario, TFS students graduate at the age of 18, as the high school extends over five years, the last two of which are the IB years.
The TFS courses
Group 1: English A1 (HL/SL) – a first language, normally native to the student, which must include a study of world literatureGroup 2: French A2 (HL/SL) – a language in which the student approaches near-native competence (A2) or French B (HL) – non-native competence
Group 3: Individuals and Societies (HL/SL) – History, Geography or Economics
Group 4: Experimental Sciences (HL/SL) – Biology, Chemistry or Physics
Group 5: Mathematics – Mathematics (HL), Mathematics (SL) or Mathematical Studies (SL)
Group 6 or 6th subject: One elective (HL/SL) chosen from:
– Group 2: a classical language (Latin, Classical Greek) or a modern language (German, Spanish)
– Group 3: a second subject from this group
– Group 4: a second subject from this group
– Group 5: Computer Science
– Group 6: Visual Arts or Theatre
A. Extended Essay – an independent research paper of 4,000 words on a topic chosen by each student, written under the guidance of a supervisor and assessed by an International Baccalaureate examiner. More information regarding the Extended Essay is available here.
B. Theory of Knowledge – a unique course of study which asks students to reflect critically upon knowledge claims and judgments made in a wide range of academic and experiential areas
C. Creativity, Action, Service – the CAS program requires students to be involved in creative pursuits, physical activities and community service for a total of 150 hours over the two IB years. A minimum of 50 hours must be dedicated to each component of this program. More information regarding the CAS program is available here.
Bilingual Diploma
The International Baccalaureate Bilingual Diploma is awarded to students presenting a Language A2 and/or a Social Science course and/or an Experimental Science course in a language different from their Language A1 as well as to those who write an extended essay in a language different from their Language A1 in a Group 3 or 4 subject (i.e. In History, Geography, Economics, Philosophy, Psychology, Social and cultural anthropology, Business and Management, Islamic History, ITGS, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Systems or Design Technology).About Toronto French School
Parents say that they chose Toronto French School for the following key reasons:- Academic excellence from Pre-Kindergarten to university entrance;
- Bilingual education;
- International Baccalaureate;
- Diverse, co-educational environment;
- International perspective;
- Strong athletics program and varied co-curricular activities; and
- Success of the graduates.
About TFS graduates
In 2009, of TFS graduates:- 50% of TFS graduates achieved averages of above 90% on their six best Grade 12 courses
- 95% of TFS graduates attained averages of 80% or more on their six best Grade 12 courses, distinguishing them as Ontario Scholars
- 55% of TFS graduates decide to attend OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
universities - 23% of TFS graduates decide to attend universities in other provinces in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- 19% of TFS graduates decide to attend universities in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- 3% of TFS graduates decide to attend universities in the United Kingdom
In 2011, of TFS graduates:
- 71% of TFS graduates achieved averages of above 90% on their six best Grade 12 courses
- 100% of TFS graduates attained averages of 80% or more on their six best Grade 12 courses, distinguishing them as Ontario Scholars
- 65% of TFS graduates decide to attend OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
universities - 10% of TFS graduates decide to attend universities in other provinces in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- 12% of TFS graduates decide to attend universities in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- 12% of TFS graduates decide to attend universities in the United Kingdom
- 1% of TFS graduates decide to attend universities in IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Information technology
Student access to information technology at TFS is a priority. The elementary grades primarily use Apple Macintosh computers while the senior grades use primarily Windows PC’s, with the exception of a media lab and new laptop cart of apple macs. There are over 400 computers available for student use throughout the entire school campus. There are laptops and LCD projectors available for loan on teacher request. Wireless access coverage is also available at Mississauga, Junior and Senior School for school equipment.From PK to Level V, each classroom has a computer and there is access to a computer lab and a mobile computer lab.
Notable alumni
- Prince Hermann Friedrich of LeiningenPrince Hermann Friedrich of LeiningenPrince Hermann of Leiningen is the younger son of Prince Karl of Leiningen and of his wife Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria....
- Samantha NuttSamantha NuttSamantha Joan Nutt, , C.M., O.Ont., LL.D., FRCPC, CCFP, is a co-founder and Executive Director of War Child Canada. She is a physician with more than thirteen years of experience working in war zones. Since the beginning of her career, Nutt has focused on providing assistance to war-affected women...
, doctor and founder of NGO War Child Canada - Martha Hall FindlayMartha Hall FindlayMartha Hall Findlay is a Canadian lawyer, businesswoman and politician. She was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Liberal Party of Canada's candidate in the Toronto riding of Willowdale in a federal by-election held on March 17, 2008 to fill a vacancy created by former Liberal MP Jim...
, former Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) in the WillowdaleWillowdale (electoral district)Willowdale is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.The riding was created in 1976 from part of Eglinton....
riding and Liberal PartyLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
leadership candidate in 2006. - Molly Shoichet, a prominent medical engineer at the University of Toronto
- Steven ShehoriSteven ShehoriSteven Shehori is a multiple Canadian Comedy Award-winning and Gemini Award-nominated writer, director, playwright, actor and comedian from Toronto, Ontario. Since 2008, he has worked as a writer and celebrity interviewer for The Huffington Post, contributing humor, film, music, political and...
, a multiple award-winning playwright, director, television writer and Huffington Post contributor. - Mona Loutfy, an infectious diseases specialist who helped administer the first course of antiviral drugs during Toronto’s SARS outbreak
- Alykhan VelshiAlykhan VelshiAlykhan Velshi is a lawyer, policy analyst, and ministerial assistant. He has worked at the predominantly neoconservative American Enterprise Institute and was manager of research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, where he co-founded the Center for Law and Counterterrorism with...
, current Director of Communications for the Hon. Jason KenneyJason KenneyJason T. Kenney, PC, MP is Canada's current Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. He has represented the riding of Calgary Southeast in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997....
, Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism in the ConservativeConservative Party of CanadaThe Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
HarperStephen HarperStephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
government. - Jamie Kastner, documentary filmmaker
- Elaine LuiElaine LuiElaine "Lainey" Lui is a self-proclaimed gossip maven. She pens a website, laineygossip.com, and is a reporter for CTV's etalk.- Early life and education :...
- Martha BaillieMartha BaillieMartha Baillie is a Canadian poet and novelist.Baillie was born in Toronto, Ontario and educated at the prestigious Toronto French School. She studied history, French and Russian at the University of Edinburgh, and completed her studies at the Sorbonne, Paris and the University of Toronto. It was...
, bestselling novelist and poet