Lower School
Think internationally.
Lower School Viewbook
Rooted in San Francisco and informed by a global perspective, French American International School + International High School is the intellectual home for families seeking a world-class education and an inclusive, multicultural community. Our Lower School is an intellectually rich program, offering authentic academic endeavors in combination with supportive social emotional learning. We inspire students to discover their individualities, explore their passions, and think internationally.
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French American International School
Bienvenue! At French American, American,our ouryoungest youngeststudents studentsare areimmersed learning in two languages on their first first day dayof ofschool. school.Teachers Teachers pay close attention to the cognitive, cognitive,linguistic, linguistic,and andsocial social development of each student, warmly encouraging encouraging critical thinking, the active exchange of ofideas, ideas,and and collaboration. Our social emotional learning program program encourages children to become empathetic listeners, listeners, cooperative partners, and responsible individuals. By the time our bilingual students studentscomplete complete5th 5thgrade, grade, they have put their bilingual skills skillsinto intoaction actionby bystaying staying with a host family in France Francefor fortwo twoweeks, weeks,and andare are inquisitive thinkers and risk-taking learners. Students Students enter the Middle School with confidence, confidence, curiosity, curiosity, and autonomy. By joining our French American community, community,you you and your child are taking the thefirst firststeps stepsin inaajourney multilingual and a multicultural of lifelong learning. of lifelong learning, journey an adventure shaped by the acquisition of a new language. Warmly, Warmly,
Pauline DidesCarlotti Marie-Pierre Lower School Principal
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French American International School
Bilingual Journey The French American bilingual journey begins in the Maternelle. Children enter at Pre-K3, Pre-K4, or Kindergarten. Initially, students benefit from classes that are conducted in French 80%-90% of the time. After 2nd grade, we switch to approximately 55% French and 45% English in order for children to maximize the transfer of competencies between their two languages.
90% French
80% French
PK-3
Entry point
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PK-4
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Lower School Viewbook
As the children progress through the Maternelle and Lower School, they begin to see themselves in relation to others and think beyond their immediate emotional needs. They learn self-sufficiency as well as collaboration. They are encouraged to speak for themselves and express their own thoughts and questions logically, as well as actively listen to their classmates and teachers. Collaborating with classmates and teachers from around the globe introduces our students to different cultures and puts them ahead of peers at other schools in their understanding of diversity. Our English- and French-speaking teachers collaborate in their teaching to enhance the bilingual experience for our students.
55% French
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French American International School
Maternelle Our Maternelle is a unique bilingual environment where learning comes alive for our PK-3, PK-4, and Kindergarten students. Children transition from the security of home and begin a journey towards independence in a loving and nurturing environment, surrounded by a diverse group of friends. Children learn to become students and take an active role in their education. Our program is differentiated, hands-on, and child-centered, and teaches children to work together while developing their own personalities. Classrooms are bright and colorful, opening into expansive, shared spaces which blur the lines between work and play. We recognize each child as a work in progress and are careful not to rush or push the children beyond their natural, unfolding capabilities. Through guided and free activities, students develop fine and large motor skills. Vocabulary, syntax, and the rhythm of language are built through daily verbal interactions in the classroom, in the context of physical activities, and through stories, art, dance, and music. Gently, and in incremental steps, the children socialize and develop autonomy. This is the prerequisite for the critical thinking skills that will emerge in later years, and is at the core of our school’s mission.
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French American International School
Social– Emotional Learning
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Lower School Viewbook
Teachers pay close attention to the linguistic and social emotional development of each student, warmly encouraging critical thinking, active exchange, and cooperation. Our teachers utilize the research-based Responsive Classroom approach to provide a safe, challenging, and joyful climate for students throughout their lower school years. All of our students’ needs— academic, social, emotional, and physical—are important and recognized in this approach to teaching and learning. Students interact in deeply meaningful ways with each other, becoming interested in peers and developing trusting relationships. They feel a part of the classroom, are more comfortable in school, and are building a community. The techniques used in the classroom are also implemented in the After School Program, ensuring consistency and creating a more cohesive structure and integrated experience for students, teachers, and staff.
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Lower School Viewbook
Grades 1-5
The well-planned pedagogical approach in the Maternelle is maintained and reinforced each year at French American. Students begin 1st grade with a great sense of resourcefulness and independence, thanks to their blossoming bilingualism and their increased confidence and self-esteem. 13
French American International School
Grades 1 & 2— Building Fundamental Skills 14
Lower School Viewbook
With ever-increasing autonomy, our students establish and consolidate their reading in both languages and practice their cursive writing skills. They continue to spend 80% of their time in French. We provide students with enough vocabulary, structure, and competency in understanding and expressing themselves in French to tackle any academic subject in 3rd through 5th grades.
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French American International School
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Lower School Viewbook
Grades 3 through 5— In-Depth Studies
Students explore language arts, math, science, history, geography, and the arts at a much deeper level than previously. These are the years where balanced bilingualism is honed, with students spending 55% of their class time in French. Essential concepts are introduced in 3rd grade, reinforced in 4th, and mastered in 5th. Experiencing two distinct national approaches to the same subject broadens students’ understanding of how another culture views the world.
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French American International School
Learning Beyond the Classroom Students in Kindergarten through 5th grade take part in local field trips and overnight outdoor education trips that complement and extend their learning in the classroom. These experiences develop a sense of responsibility, self-esteem, and independence of mind. Students explore first-hand their relationship with nature and the environment, and find varied contexts to speak French in a natural way.
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Lower School Viewbook
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Lower School Viewbook
Global Trip to France A traditional rite of passage for our 5th graders is their exchange trip to Strasbourg, France. Students spend two weeks with a host family, while enjoying historical sites with their classmates during the day. This trip represents the culmination of their lower school bilingual education and prepares them for extensive global travel experiences waiting for them in the Middle School.
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French American International School
After School Program Our After School Program is designed to enhance the time spent on campus after school ends. Children can play, learn, and create through diverse extra-curricular activities such as science, sports, arts, music, and learning lab. With the children’s well-being always in mind, we provide a stimulating and safe environment all year long. The After School Program encourages creative and artistic expression, as well as physical and cognitive growth of our students. Students are stimulated to think and create, and expend their energies in a safe, secure environment. Most important, it is a space where kids can be kids.
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French American International School
Mission Statement
Guided by the principles of academic rigor and diversity, French American + International offers programs of study in French and English to prepare its graduates for a world in which the ability to think critically and to communicate across cultures is of paramount importance.
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Lower School Viewbook
Guidé par des principes de rigueur académique et de diversité, le Lycée International Franco-Américain propose des programmes en français et en anglais pour assurer la réussite de ses diplômés dans un monde dans lequel la pensée critique et la communication interculturelle seront déterminantes.
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French American International School
Our Values Our international community brings together people from many backgrounds. Together we strive to create a shared culture that develops compassionate, confident, and principled people who will make the world better. We base our community on these values:
Notre communauté internationale rassemble des personnes de toutes origines. Ensemble, nous contribuons à créer une culture qui forme des êtres altruistes et déterminés. Dotés d’un sens moral, ils œuvrent à un monde meilleur. Notre communauté repose sur les valeurs suivantes:
Integrity Intégrité We speak and act with honesty. We take responsibility for our actions and we meet our commitments. Nous parlons et agissons avec honnêteté. Nous assumons la responsabilité de nos actes et tenons nos engagements.
Respect We celebrate the dignity, shared humanity, and potential in everyone. We listen attentively, speak thoughtfully, and act with courtesy and kindness. We take care of ourselves, our community, and our environment. Nous célébrons la dignité, l’humanité et le potentiel de tous. Nous écoutons attentivement et mesurons le poids de notre parole et de nos actes. Nous veillons à notre bien-être, à celui de notre communauté et de notre environnement.
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Lower School Viewbook
Inclusion We celebrate the diversity that defines our school, our community, and the world. We seek to understand one another and to appreciate differing perspectives. We act with empathy and compassion. Nous célébrons la diversité qui caractérise notre école, notre communauté et le monde. Nous souhaitons nous comprendre et apprécier des perspectives différentes. Nous faisons preuve d’empathie et de compassion.
Collaboration We prize the benefits of working and learning together. We succeed through shared effort and by seeking excellence in ourselves and one another. Nous comprenons la valeur du travail et de l’apprentissage collectif. Nous réussissons grâce à l’effort collectif et la recherche de l’excellence, pour nous-mêmes et les autres.
Curiosity Curiosité We are inquisitive about the world and our place in it, about ourselves, and about one another. We ask questions, take risks, and delight in discovery. Nous regardons les autres etnous-mêmes avec curiosité. Nous interrogeons le monde et partons à sa découverte en prenant des risques.
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French American International School
FAQs How can we support our child at French American if we have no French at home?
Will bilingual immersion undermine my child’s learning in English?
70% of our families speak no French at home. Parents can do much to support the learning of their bilingual children by modeling appropriate and correct language in their native tongue. When children have meaningful and varied reinforcement in all their languages, bilingual acquisition is optimal.
The cognitive advantages of immersive bilingualism are well researched and documented. Early on there may be some lags in reading scores and other measurable skills, but this is temporary. By 3rd grade, there is little interference or confusion, and students are able to thrive studying a single curriculum taught in their two languages.
Does French American + International provide accommodations for learning differences?
Is our child entering Kindergarten without French at a disadvantage?
Yes. Our teachers are used to accommodating learning differences and view this as part of reaching and engaging every student in every class. Students who have learning differences work with our counselors and learning specialists to develop personalized strategies, and are later allocated extra time on standardized tests.
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Our teaching approaches to French immersion have proven highly successful for students entering Kindergarten without French. We have found no discernible correlation of this to academic success in later years. The presence of a majority of peers in Kindergarten classes who joined us in PK-3 or PK-4 (with newly minted accents and age-appropriate vocabularies) only enriches the bilingual environment for the newcomers. Children joining in Kindergarten soon feel at ease and, after a short “silent period,” begin speaking French in full sentences. Additionally, a specialist teacher supports small groups of new learners of French with regular class activities without physically separating them from the rest of the class.
What does French American + International mean by inclusion and diversity, and why is it so important? Every one of our students benefits from interactions, discussions, and shared activities with other students from various backgrounds, including: countries of origin, cultures and religions, ethnicities and races, family structures, income levels, learning styles, native languages, physical abilities, political beliefs, and sexual orientations. For us, bilingualism, internationalism, and an early appreciation for diversity in all its forms are keys to understanding and communicating across other cultures. We engineer this deliberately by bringing together families and educators from a wide range of backgrounds. Together we strive to create a shared culture that develops compassionate, confident, and principled students who will make the world better.
Why French rather than Spanish or Chinese? Since our founding in 1962, we have been proud to be a part of the global network of French schools abroad. We consider the French educational tradition to be one of the very best, as it is highly rigorous and maintains its standards by a high degree of direct control from the Ministry of Education. French citizens place a very high priority on the role of education and educators in society, and this has greatly contributed to its success internationally as well as domestically.
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