École Bonaventure

French Immersion programs began in Manitoba in 1973 and grew significantly over the decades, with Selkirk launching its program in 1987 to promote bilingualism and cultural awareness. The program expanded quickly and was later renamed École Bonaventure in 1994.

French Immersion Programs in Manitoba

French Immersion was first offered in Manitoba in 1973, with only a few hundred students enrolling in the program from the St. Boniface and Winnipeg School Divisions. After about 50 years of French Immersion in Manitoba, more than 28,000 students had enrolled in the program. Selkirk launched its own French Immersion program in 1987, a few years after the provincial rollout. The Lord Selkirk School Division recognized the importance of helping students develop bilingualism and cultural awareness. Students in the French Immersion stream were taught to communicate, learn, and appreciate the culture of the Francophone world.

In 1995, Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning recognized French Immersion programs as one of the four official Kindergarten to Grade 12 school programs. French Immersion was delivered in a minority-language context, with the Bureau de l’Éducation Française (BEF) supporting schools offering French Immersion programs.

The Creation of École Bonaventure

Originally, there were students enrolled in French Immersion programs from Kindergarten to Grade 1. These two grades of French Immersion were held at Selkirk Junior High School and administered by Lawrence Kristalovich, the Principal of Robert Smith School. Due to the involvement of the principal from Robert Smith, the program became known as “Robert Smith’s French Immersion.” In 1988, Lucie Kuly joined the French Immersion team as a teacher and gradually the program grew.

By 1989, the program had grown to include 5 grades and Lucie Kuly was appointed Vice-Principal. A few years later, the program ranged from grades K to 6 and Lucie Kuly was named Principal of the French Immersion program. École Selkirk Junior High then became a dual track school

In 1994, Robert Smith’s French Immersion was renamed École Bonaventure after a naming contest was held. The top two choices were École Bonaventure and École de la Rivière Rouge (translated as Red River School). The name École Bonaventure was chosen to represent the spirit of adventure shared by the students, staff, and parents. The school continues to encourage literacy in both English and French.

In 2015, École Bonaventure received a long-awaited gym addition. In 2019, the school underwent one more renovation, during which École Bonaventure teamed up with Robert Smith School to plant trees in the playground to celebrate National Tree Day.

List of Principals for École Bonaventure

École Bonaventure Collection

Click on images to enlarge

Sources

“About Our School,” École Bonaventure
Evolution of French Immersion Program (Selkirk), Selkirk Journal, April 24, 2009
“École Bonaventure Grand Opening”, Selkirk Journal
“École Bonaventure opened with style”, Selkirk Journal
“And the Winner is….”, Selkirk Journal
Brief History of French Immersion, Province of Manitoba