In 1969, Calgary French & International School (CFIS) pioneered French Immersion education in Calgary. In fact, CFIS established its French language program prior to the Royal Commission that led to the federal policy of official bilingualism. CFIS’s founding parents were confident that children in an English speaking community could become fluent in the French language. Today, CFIS offers research-based quality French Immersion and Spanish education from Preschool to Grade 9 for more than 575 students.

All of CFIS’s Junior and (Senior High starting in Sept 2007) programs prepare students for post-secondary. Calgary French & International School is a Category 1 independent school (as defined in the Education Act of the Province of Alberta) and is under the jurisdiction of Alberta Learning. It is registered as a non-profit charitable Society and is administered by a Board of Directors elected from its membership.

Through a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication by staff and many parent volunteers, CFIS has started to create a Centre of Excellence for multi-language learning and culture.

In September 2003, the School moved into its new $12 million facility and completed the building expansion with the High School wing in June 2005 as CFIS continues to grow to Grade 12. CFIS High School will be offered as of 2006/07. Students will graduate with a minimum of three languages – English, their immersion language (French or Spanish) and an extensive foundation in at least one other language.

CFIS viewed its circumstances as a unique opportunity to expand its programs to include Spanish, Grades 7 to 12, and professional development for teachers qualified in language education from across the province.

This expansion includes an $18.8 million capital project that is being phased in over time in order to accommodate fundraising, volunteer capacity, orderly growth of the student body and program introduction, and to manage orderly site development within a systematic and realistic timeframe.

The magnitude of the initiative also required a corporate reorganization of the school. This led to the creation of Calgary International Language Foundation (i.e., the owner of the facility and the Library), and Calgary French & International School B.A.S.E.S. (i.e., ensures accessibility to the School by offering scholarships, bursaries and awards to students and teachers qualified in language education), in addition to the original operating Society, Calgary French & International School Society (i.e., responsible for academic programming and operations). The School also updated its branding and image with a new name, logo, colors and uniform to reflect additional languages, expanded programming and cultural exchanges. The Principal of 14 years retired and a new Principal was hired, along with a Fund Development Coordinator.

Past President

Donna S. Finley, B.A., B. Ed., M.B.A.
Past President & CEO

Throughout 1999 to 2004, Donna held several key leadership roles with Calgary French & International School including President & CEO and Chair for each of the three volunteer Boards. Donna provided the driving force behind CFIS's conception and realization of a new vision that included the financing and construction of its $18.8 million facility completed in 2005.

CFIS achieved new milestones throughout Donna's term as illustrated in the school's:
- Acknowledged strategic importance at a provincial level to education in Western Canada.
- Expansion from an elementary school to include junior and senior high school programs.
- Additional language curriculums.
- Development of initial LEAD strategy.
- Distinguished status as a successful Public Private Partnership model.
- Forging of new community and educational partnerships.

In recognition of Donna's leadership and contribution, the Donna S. Finley Student Award for Excellence in Leadership was first awarded in June 2005. This award is presented annually to one CFIS graduating student who demonstrates exceptional leadership skills and qualities.

Jane Carrothers

Jane has a life-long passion for education and languages. In the early 1970s, she served as a commissioner on the Bilingual Districts Advisory Board, which took her all over Canada and made her an expert on the state of French language communities across the country. As an active participant in Canada’s movement towards official bilingualism and with a view to her own children’s education, she helped establish French Immersion programs in London (ON), Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver. In the late 1970s, in response to the influx of Vietnamese refugees, she retrained to teach adults English as a Second Language. In this capacity she worked with all kinds of second language learners, including refugees, immigrants and Canadian-born French speakers, most notably as a teacher with the House of Commons. In 1999 (at the age of 70), she took many years of volunteer service through the Anglican Church one step further when she spent a year in Madagascar teaching ESL in a remote theological college. Jane continues to believe in the power of language and education to broaden horizons, particularly in the context of the Canadian mosaic.

Louise Moore

In 1969, lacking an opportunity to provide young children with a French immersion experience, Louise joined Mary and Jane in a search to resolve this problem through the very simple and direct approach of creating their own school. Their reasoning for this initiative was along the lines of "if we open such a school, the students will come!" and their vision gave birth to the Calgary French School. For 5 years she and the founding mothers developed and directed the school and its programs during a time when educational and neurological research validated the benefits of early second language development. In later years, Louise resumed teaching in Immersion programs at the Junior and Senior High levels. Having left the school in the hands of very committed parents and professional staff, the last 35 years has brought great change and evolution for the school into a Centre of Excellence. Observing the CFIS as a leader and a model in educational excellence, Louise is very satisfied to have been part of the initial idea to establish such a school. Now retired from the classroom, she continues to hold an interest in following the exciting plans for further growth and expansion at CFIS and sits on the Endowment Society Board.

Mary Leeds Stapleton

Mary Stapleton is currently a Research Associate at the Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary. She is the Managing Director of the Arctic Circumpolar Route and has been President of InterFacts Consulting Ltd. for over 25 years. Mary holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Design and Architecture from the University of Calgary; and degrees in Art History and Secondary Teaching. She studied art history and museum management at Harvard University School of Graduate Studies. She conducted research on collections of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary prior to the establishment of the present museum. She has lived in Alberta and British Columbia since 1964, and has consulted in the northern areas of both provinces as well as the Yukon and Northwest Territories. She has been involved in community service work throughout her career, in English, French, and aboriginal language communities. She is the mother of two children who attended the Calgary French School, Adela Galloway Cosijn and Hannah Galloway; and the grandmother of Danae Cosijn, who attended the school for four years.