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  • What is the difference between a consulting agency and a tutoring company?
    A consulting agency offers professional advice, information, insight, and actionable next steps whereas a tutoring company provides support for a specific subject or for multiple subjects. As a result, Faire sens is a consulting agency that is here to help you make sense of the French as a Second Language (FSL) curriculum in Ontario.
  • What do I do if I need a tutor for my child?
    Despite Faire sens being a French as a Second Language (FSL) consulting agency, you can find a list of recommendations for local tutors which can be found under the "Resources" section then under the "French Language Support" section of the website. That said, it is encouraged that you look for a tutor in your preferred area as well.
  • Why can I not simply book my appointments directly through your site? Why do I have to wait to hear back first?
    It was set up this way because one needs to review all the provided information from your appointment request form before proceeding with an appointment. Once this is done, our FSL Consultant will reach out to you via email to book an appointment. In that email they will provide you a few potential dates and times based on what you have indicated in the form. They will also ask that copies of the necessary documents are sent in your response, if you are comfortable to do so, so that they can properly prepare for your upcoming appointment.
  • Why do you ask about my French language skills on the appointment request form?
    This information allows our FSL Consultant to know the level of the parent, guardian, or caregiver and if they can help their child in French.
  • Why is your appointment request form only limited to children entering Junior Kindergarten up to Grade 8?
    This is because the most crucial time to make an academic decision is in your child’s formative years and during their time in elementary school. By the end of grade 8, your child’s academic situation will be very indicative as to where they should be headed and what program they should follow when off to secondary school.
  • Why is your appointment request form only limited to English-speaking school boards?
    This is because French as a Second Language (FSL) programs are only offered in English-speaking school boards and the consulting agency was created to help parents, guardians, and caregivers make sense of the Ontario FSL curriculum.
  • What if I am undecided about my child's school board?
    If you are undecided about which board to choose for your child, whether catholic or public in your region, be sure to select "Undecided" from the drop-down menu when completing the appointment request form. That question is located under the section called “Child’s Information” then under the school board related question. You must also indicate which boards you are considering in the form for a better consultation. NOTE: All our services are currently focused on the Durham, Halton, Peel, Toronto, and York Regions.
  • If my child goes to a private school, how do I fill out the appointment request form?
    Just be sure to select the "My child goes to a private school." option from the drop-down menu when completing the appointment request form. That question is located under the section called “Child’s Information” then under the school board related question. Finally, also be sure to provide the name of the private school when prompted so that our FSL Consultant can properly prepare for either the consultation or assessment.
  • If my child is homeschooled school, how do I fill out the appointment request form?
    Just be sure to select the "My child is homeschooled." option from the drop-down menu when completing the appointment request form. That question is located under the section called “Child’s Information” then under the school board related question. Finally, also be sure to state the approximate number of hours where your child has received French language instruction when prompted so that our FSL Consultant can properly prepare for the assessment.
  • Why do you ask for a copy of my child’s most recent report card in addition to other relevant documents such as their Individual Education Plan (IEP) and/or safety plan?
    This is because our FSL Consultant is always in solidarity with their fellow educators which is why the agency is meant to compliment all their hard work rather than to criticize it. So, if they spent the time to conduct Assessments FOR, AS, and OF Learning to be able to monitor your child's overall progress, then the least they could do is review their observations and recommendations prior to providing a consultation or assessment. The same thing goes if one of your child’s teachers suggested that your child be “brought to team” whereby the School Support Team (SST) ended up determining that your child needs an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or if they believed that a safety plan should be in place. These are very serious legal documents that should be reviewed and adhered to if they were appropriately put in place to begin with. With that being said, providing such documentation is on a voluntary basis.
  • How do you plan on keeping my child's information safe?
    All emails along with attachments are encrypted in Google Workspace, which is the email service provider that the agency uses. Moreover, any documentation that is provided on a voluntary basis will be stored for up to two years before being destroyed accordingly.
  • Which language is your service provided in?
    Our services are currently offered in English as the goal is to work with and support English-speaking parents, guardians, and caregivers to make the best decision for their child when it comes to French language acquisition.
  • Which parts of Ontario are your services provided?
    All our services are currently focused on the Durham, Halton, Peel, Toronto, and York Regions.
  • What is the difference between a consultation and an assessment?
    A consultation is a phone conversation to discuss which French as a Second Language (FSL) program could potentially be best for your child. An assessment is an in-person (at your home) evaluation which includes a series of tests to determine if your child is meeting curriculum expectations in their FSL program.
  • How often do I need to have a consultation?
    This is completely up to you as your child's situation can change throughout their academic journey. With that said, many school boards offer different entry points for their Extended French and French Immersion programs, so we may need to have another conversation if you wish to change your child’s French as a Second Language (FSL) program along the way.
  • How often do I need to have my child assessed?
    This is completely up to you as your child’s situation can change throughout their academic journey. With that said, unfortunately your child may experience multiple French Teachers in one academic year after their initial assessment. As a result, another assessment may be necessary if you want to know whether they are progressing accordingly.
  • Can I not simply ask my child’s French Teacher for their professional opinion?
    Absolutely! However, depending on what grade your child is going into and/or whether a permanent French Teacher has been assigned to their class for that year, a knowledgeable French Teacher may not be available to answer your questions based on your child’s current academic situation.
  • During a consultation, what can I expect during the discussion?
    You can expect to hear about all the available French as a Second Language (FSL) programs in your child’s school board along with the differences and possible setbacks with each. Our FSL Consultant will also make a recommendation based on your child's current academic situation and the paperwork that was provided prior to the appointment. NOTE: It is expected that you take notes during the consultation as the information will not be emailed to you afterwards.
  • What can my child expect during an assessment? After an assessment, what do you provide during the 30-minute discussion to review results and next steps?
    Every assessment includes a listening, speaking, reading, and writing test which is based on your child’s current grade and French as a Second Language (FSL) program. Please also note that our FSL Consultant has curated predetermined tests based on the Ontario FSL curriculum's specific grammatical expectations for each grade and program. As for the discussion, this is where our FSL Consultant will go over their observations that will be indicated on the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) or (CEFRL) rubric that they would have used. They will also show you the answers that your child provided for all tests. Next, they will provide you with their professional recommendation as to whether or not they should remain in their program before providing you with possible next steps by way of tailored resources for your child. Finally, you will be allowed to keep all the provided paperwork.
  • Why do you use the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) or (CEFRL) for your assessments when my child’s school and school board use traditional rubrics?
    The CEFR or CEFRL rubric allows for anyone to follow and understand where their child is at based on the following categories: understanding, speaking, and writing. Additionally, the Ministry of Education in Ontario has stated that the goal is to completely move towards this framework in the coming years, if possible.
  • What is the difference between your assessment and a Diplôme d'études en langue française (DELF) assessment?
    Our assessment is meant to determine your child’s current academic situation to recommend next steps whereas the DELF assessment is meant to provide a certification level based on your child’s current academic situation. With that said, both assessments include the levels outlined in the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) or (CEFRL) which are A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, or C2.
  • Why do your assessments vary in length of time?
    Each French as a Second Language program in Ontario comes with a different set specific grammatical expectations for each grade therefore, it would not be equitable to spend the same amount of time for each child. With that said, some grades that fall under a certain program are comparable to that of another based on one’s language level, which is why you will see a similar time frame. Additionally, please note that if your child has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that indicates that extra time is required for assessments, and you have provided me with a copy before the appointment, our FSL Consultant must adhere to that when the assessment takes place. As a result, the time frames provided on our website would not apply.
  • Where will the assessment take place?
    The assessment will take place in the comfort of your own home.
  • Why is the price for an assessment much higher than the price for a consultation?
    Consultations are done over the phone and require that the parent, guardian, or caregiver take notes whereas assessments are done in person and in the comfort of your home.
  • What types of payment do you accept?
    For consultations, the full payment must be sent via e-transfer to support@fairesens.ca prior to the appointment. For assessments, the fifty percent deposit must be sent via e-transfer to support@fairesens.ca no later than 48 hours prior to your appointment, however, the remaining balance can be paid via e-transfer or by cash prior to our FSL Consultant leaving your home. For report cards, a fifty percent deposit is required at least 72 hours prior to the appointment via Interac e-Transfer to support@fairesens.ca. The funds will be automatically deposited accordingly. However, please note that the remaining balance can be paid via Interac e-Transfer prior to me ending the video conference. Unfortunately, debit and credit card payments are currently not accepted at this time.
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