Parents looking to enrol their children in a French-language, early learning program need look no further than École Communautaire Gilbert-Rosset (ÉCGR) in the community of Saint Claude.

The school wants to get the word out about their pre-kindergarten program, geared toward children four years of age. Principal Sabin Basque explains this is a special program created by the Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine (DSFM) that the school has been running for the past five years.

"It's a full-time program starting in September," explains Basque. "We go slow with the students; they can come one day and stay home another day, and but at some point they stay with us the whole day and the whole week, and it's a combined program with the kindergarten students."

ÉCGR is a fully Francophone pre-K-12 school. Basque explains how this differs from a French Immersion program.

"We do everything in French," says Basque, "and the great thing with the [pre-kindergarten] program is that the students don't need to be Francophone or know much about French. We will help them out. We will do a big part of teaching them French, and we will have them well prepared to continue with us, within the DSFM, with the kindergarten program."

Basque adds the school also boasts a low student to staff ratio and features a large play area and green space for outdoor activity.

The school welcomes students from Saint Claude and the surrounding communities, with busses travelling to pick up students as far as Portage la Prairie.

The school will be holding a virtual information session on May 19th at 6:30 p.m.. Parents wanting to learn more about the program are invited to call the school at 204-379-2177 for the link to the session.