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Calgary French & International School

Canada, Calgary

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The school at a glance
Instructs in French, English
Fees CA$10,610 - 23,670
Ages 1 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 780
Type Co-educational
Opened 1969
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), Canadian Curriculum
Taught languages French, English, Spanish
Typical class size 20
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, Languages
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Community and Service
Stages Infant/Toddler Care, Early Years, Preschool, Kindergarten, Primary School, Middle School, High School
Introduction

Calgary French and International School (CFIS) is a private, independent day school in Calgary serving ages 1 to 18. The school delivers the IB continuum—PYP (Preschool to Grade 5), MYP (Grade 6 to 10), and DP (Grade 11 to 12)—alongside the Alberta/Canadian curriculum, with full French immersion and Spanish language enrichment. Established over 50 years ago as The Calgary French School, CFIS was Calgary's first French immersion school and has grown into a Round Square and UNESCO Associated School. It earned IB Diploma Programme authorization in 2019 and is pursuing PYP candidacy and MYP by 2025. The 700 77 Street SW campus features two gyms (7,000 sq ft and 8,000 sq ft), a 100 m by 60 m main field, and two U12 pitches, plus dedicated music and band spaces and on-site cafeterias. CFIS emphasizes travel and global citizenship through Round Square and offers robust arts, languages, and sports opportunities.

700 77 St SW, Calgary, AB T3H 5R1, Canada

The Essentials

Calgary French & International School has 780 pupils, typical class sizes of 20, instruction in French, English.

Location

700 77 Street SW, Calgary, AB T3H 5R1. The school is located in southwest Calgary. CFIS offers centralized bus service with stops across multiple communities for daily transport to and from campus.

Stages

Early Childhood (19 months through Kindergarten); Primary School (Grades 1–5); Middle School (Grades 6–8); Senior School (Grades 9–12).

Type

Private, independent day school

Pupil Nationality Mix

30+ nationalities are represented in the CFIS community.

Additional learning support

Learning supports include literacy facilitators, reading specialists, school psychologists, learning strategists, teacher assistants, interns, and external support; two libraries—the Learning Commons and Marcel Tremblay Learning Resource Centre; CFIS is an independent, private school.

School day structure

Before- and after-school care opens at 7:00 am and ends at 5:30 pm.

Bus service

CFIS provides a centralized busing service with stops across communities for Preschool to Grade 12; routes are set according to postal codes; ECE drop-off/pick-up is by a responsible person.

Fees

Annual tuition at Calgary French & International School ranges from CAD 10,610 to CAD 23,670 for 2026/27.

Tuition fees (2026–27 academic year)

- Junior Preschool (full day): CAD 20,260 per year.
- Preschool & Junior Kindergarten: Half day CAD 10,610 per year; Full day CAD 20,260 per year.
- Kindergarten to Grade 3: CAD 18,670 per year.
- Grades 4 to 6: CAD 18,930 per year.
- Grades 7 to 9: CAD 20,570 per year.
- Grades 10 to 12: CAD 21,820 per year.
- Embark transitional program (separate schedule): Embark Grades 1–3 CAD 23,340; Embark Grades 4–5 CAD 23,670; Embark Grade 7 CAD 25,720 per year.

Full detail of payment amounts by schedule (per year group)

- Re/enrolment deposit required for all grades: CAD 2,000 (applied to tuition).

- Junior Preschool / Preschool & Jr Kindergarten / K–Grade 3 / Grades 4–6 / Grades 7–9 / Grades 10–12 — Full-payment totals (deposit + balance due Sept 1):
- Junior Preschool (full day): deposit CAD 2,000; balance CAD 18,260; total CAD 20,260.
- Preschool & Jr Kindergarten — Half day: deposit CAD 2,000; balance CAD 8,610; total CAD 10,610.
- Preschool & Jr Kindergarten — Full day: deposit CAD 2,000; balance CAD 18,260; total CAD 20,260.
- Kindergarten to Grade 3: deposit CAD 2,000; balance CAD 16,670; total CAD 18,670.
- Grades 4 to 6: deposit CAD 2,000; balance CAD 16,930; total CAD 18,930.
- Grades 7 to 9: deposit CAD 2,000; balance CAD 18,570; total CAD 20,570.
- Grades 10 to 12: deposit CAD 2,000; balance CAD 19,820; total CAD 21,820.

- Semi-annual installment amounts (re/enrolment deposit CAD 2,000; two equal balances due Sept 1 and Feb 1):
- Preschool & Jr Kindergarten — Half day: CAD 4,405 (Sept) + CAD 4,405 (Feb) = CAD 10,810 total.
- Preschool & Jr Kindergarten — Full day: CAD 9,230 + CAD 9,230 = CAD 20,460 total.
- Kindergarten to Grade 3: CAD 8,435 + CAD 8,435 = CAD 18,870 total.
- Grades 4 to 6: CAD 8,565 + CAD 8,565 = CAD 19,130 total.
- Grades 7 to 9: CAD 9,385 + CAD 9,385 = CAD 20,770 total.
- Grades 10 to 12: CAD 10,010 + CAD 10,010 = CAD 22,020 total.
- Embark semi-annual examples: Embark Grades 1–3 CAD 10,770 + CAD 10,770 = CAD 23,540 total; Embark Grade 7 CAD 11,960 + CAD 11,960 = CAD 25,920 total.

- Ten-month (monthly) installment amounts (re/enrolment deposit CAD 2,000; monthly payments September–June):
- Preschool & Jr Kindergarten — Half day: CAD 901 × 10 = CAD 11,010 total.
- Preschool & Jr Kindergarten — Full day: CAD 1,866 × 10 = CAD 20,660 total.
- Kindergarten to Grade 3: CAD 1,707 × 10 = CAD 19,070 total.
- Grades 4 to 6: CAD 1,733 × 10 = CAD 19,330 total.
- Grades 7 to 9: CAD 1,897 × 10 = CAD 20,970 total.
- Grades 10 to 12: CAD 2,022 × 10 = CAD 22,220 total.
- Embark monthly examples: Embark Grades 1–3 CAD 2,174 × 10 = CAD 23,740; Embark Grade 7 CAD 2,412 × 10 = CAD 26,120.

Application, enrolment and one-time fees

- New application (one-time): CAD 275.
- Re/enrolment deposit: CAD 2,000 (required to secure placement; this deposit is applied to tuition). The deposit is described on the fee schedule and payment-options text as required when an offer is received.
- New Family Membership Fee (one-time, new families): CAD 2,000 — non-refundable; due May 1 prior to the start of the year.
- Building Fund Loan (one-time): CAD 4,000 — refundable; due September 1. Families may donate some or all of the Building Fund Loan or request its return when their last child leaves.
- Annual family registration fee: CAD 500 per family — due May 1 prior to the start of the next school year.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Placement offer: a non-refundable CAD 2,000 deposit is required to secure placement; the deposit is applied to tuition. Balance payment choices are: full payment (balance due in September), semi-annual (half due in September and half due in February), or ten monthly installments (September through June).
- Administration fees for installment plans: semi‑annual installment plan includes administrative fees of CAD 100 per semi‑annual payment; the 10‑month installment plan includes administrative fees of CAD 40 per monthly payment (reflected in the installment schedule totals).
- Monthly pre-authorized payment: withdrawals occur on the first business day of each month and follow the selected payment plan.

Busing and before/after-school care fees (optional)

- Busing (full-year): One‑way CAD 2,210 (full payment) or CAD 221 per month; Two‑way CAD 3,250 (full payment) or CAD 325 per month.
- Before & After School Program (BAS) (Preschool–Grade 6): examples — Before School CAD 3,300 full / CAD 330 monthly; After School (Preschool–Grade 3) CAD 3,760 full / CAD 376 monthly; Combined Before & After CAD 6,550 full / CAD 655 monthly. Drop‑in rate CAD 25 per hour. (BAS & busing fees shown are based on 2025–26 figures and may be subject to change.)

Other costs and optional fees

- Uniforms: variable cost via the school uniform supplier (InSchoolwear).
- Tuition includes most divisional field trips; optional programs are additional and may carry separate fees. Optional items that can incur extra costs include Travel Studies, Debate, Athletics, Band, IB exam fees, university tours, musical productions, and certain co‑curricular trips.

Refund information

- The Building Fund Loan (CAD 4,000) is refundable and may be returned to families when their last child leaves the school unless families choose to donate some or all of it. New Family Membership Fee (CAD 2,000) is non‑refundable. The CAD 2,000 deposit is applied to tuition and is required to secure placement; it is described as non‑refundable when placement is offered. No separate general tuition refund table for mid‑year withdrawal is included in the tuition schedule document.

Fee payment options and methods

- Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) payments are accepted through Plastiq; Plastiq charges a surcharge (noted as 2.5% on the fee schedule).
- Cheque: post‑dated cheques may be made out to Calgary French & International School (or CFIS).
- Pre‑authorized payment: automatic bank withdrawals available; bank account details required; withdrawals scheduled on the first business day of each month.
- Online banking bill payments: accepted from major Canadian banks (CIBC, RBC, BMO, TD, Scotiabank, National Bank, HSBC, ATB) by entering “Calgary French” as the payee and using the student account number from the CFIS statement.

Sibling discounts

- A 10% tuition discount applies to a family's third child (Kindergarten and higher). A 15% tuition discount applies to a family's fourth child (Kindergarten and higher).

Notes on optional/ancillary billing

- Annual registration, new family membership, building fund, busing, BAS, optional program fees, and any program‑specific charges are billed separately according to the school's billing calendar and the payment plan chosen. Instalment administration fees increase the total paid under semi‑annual and monthly plans, as reflected in the installment totals above.
Academics

Calgary French & International School teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), Canadian Curriculum for students aged 1 to 18.

Curriculum

IB Programmes spanning Preschool through Grade 12: Primary Years Programme (Preschool–Grade 5), Middle Years Programme (Grades 6-10), and Diploma Programme (Grades 11-12) with full French immersion and Spanish language enrichment.

Student Teacher Ratio

Standard maximum class size is 20 students (16 in Preschool and Junior Kindergarten, and 12 in Junior Preschool).

Higher Education Progression

30+ University Destinations.

Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

CFIS provides extensive social and emotional learning support through a dedicated learning supports team, including school psychologists and guidance counsellors. Specialist staff assist with literacy and language development, contributing to students' social-emotional growth. The Library and Learning Commons spaces foster inquiry-driven learning, digital citizenship, and cross-curricular competencies aligned with UNESCO principles. The House Program offers a faculty-mentored environment to develop students' academic, social, and emotional potential. Guidance counsellors support students' well-being and post-secondary planning, complementing a learning environment designed to nurture emotional growth.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

CFIS provides a wide-ranging learning supports program with specialist staff to assist students. Literacy facilitators motivate reading and support homework, and Reading specialists focus on helping youngest students become proficient in written French. School psychologists support social and emotional challenges. Learning strategists develop customized educational plans, and Teacher assistants and Interns provide in-class support. External support includes educational aides, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

CFIS uses full French immersion with English literacy development beginning in Grade 3 and Spanish instruction introduced in Grade 4. EAL specialist support is available for students whose first language is not English. Embark offers a supportive entry point for Grade 1–4 students with no prior French experience. English language development is integrated alongside French immersion to support multilingual learners. The program fosters fluency in multiple languages throughout the primary years.

Mental Wellbeing

CFIS provides mental wellbeing support through school psychologists to aid students with social and emotional challenges. Guidance counsellors offer individual attention to students' well-being and post-secondary planning. The Learning Supports team and the House Program contribute to students' social and emotional development. Small class sizes and a bilingual immersion environment support a positive sense of belonging and well-being. The library spaces reinforce wellbeing through inquiry, collaboration, and digital citizenship.

Safeguarding

CFIS has an Anti-Racism & Mutual Respect Policy safeguarding the rights of all community members to be treated with kindness and respect, privacy, and self-identification. The policy outlines processes for reporting rights violations, investigations, and consequences, including confidentiality and restorative actions. It emphasizes non-discrimination across race, culture, gender, and other identities and provides guidance on enforcement and safe-campus practices.

Admissions

Admissions

CFIS offers education from 19 months through Grade 12 with instruction in French and English, enriched by Spanish. It is an International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum school offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP). The school provides global perspectives and experiential learning through IB and Round Square initiatives and prepares graduates for Canadian and international universities. The CFIS community includes more than 30 nationalities and prioritizes students' well-being and sense of belonging. Tour and Information Sessions are offered monthly to learn about programs, community, and approach to education, and spots can be reserved. Inquiries and applications are handled through dedicated portals. The four academic divisions are Early Childhood, Primary School, Middle School, and Senior School.

Scholarships

CFIS offers targeted funding programs through its Giving pages: the CFIS Annual Fund supports school priorities and classroom upgrades, with a theme of Every Classroom Counts and a goal to raise $350,000 to upgrade current classrooms and construct eight new classrooms opening in 2027. The Bridging Bursary provides financial assistance to current students experiencing temporary hardship, funded in part by community gifts directed to this fund. The Round Square Travel Bursary expands opportunities for student travel and experiential learning, helping more students participate in travel experiences that build resilience and global awareness. Ways to give include One-time Giving, Monthly Giving, Employer Matching Gifts, Gift of Securities, Major Gifts, and Sponsorship. CFIS is a non-profit organization and registered charity, and donations receive tax receipts; contact details for CFIS's Development team are provided on the Giving site.

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