Happy (Lunar) New Year !
Bonjour ! Chinese New Year is just one of many items on the News de Nous newsfeed this week – tomorrow’s Open House, Camp FASTB details, reports from Pre-K, Elementary and Suzuki music classes, and an animal rescue operation all made headlines as well – here we go…
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Open House – Tomorrow Evening 6-8pm
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We are transitioning from counting down the days to counting down the hours to our Open House, tomorrow evening, February 7th from 6:00-8:00pm. The 2019-20 enrollment period is underway so if you are considering our school, we urge you to attend and please spread the word. We will be conducting tours and answering questions, plus you will have a chance to meet teachers and parents. A great opportunity to explore the lifelong gift of language for your child!
Watch parents from our school in Maine in our Power of Immersion video series discuss our immersion approach and its impact on their children and families:
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Bourse Scolaire for French Citizens
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We are thrilled to be approved to receive French scholarships beginning in 2019-2020! The Bourse Scolaire is a need-based financial aid program administered by the French government for citizens with educational expenses at accredited French schools outside of France. To apply, you must be registered with FASTB and you can click here for application instructions. The deadline to apply is February 20 – feel free to contact us with questions.
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Camp FASTB – Framework & Details
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We are pleased to announce that Camp FASTB will debut this summer for ages 5 and up! Beginning June 10, we will offer up to 6 weeks of French Immersion camp broken down as follows:
- Full Day – 9am-3pm $300 per child, per week
- Half Day – 9am-Noon $200 per child, per week
Extended care will be available at an additional cost. We are targeting the weeks beginning June 10, June 17, June 24, July 8, July 15 and July 22. If you are interested, please contact us by replying to this email with the following information:
- Your name and contact information
- Your child’s or children’s name and date of birth*
- Number & dates of the weeks you intend to enroll
* Must be at least 5 years old before 9/1/19
Ultimately, enrollment will dictate what we will be able to offer so please let us know as soon as you can.
We are also accepting applications for French speaking camp counselors so if you or someone you know is interested, please let us know – merci!
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FASTB Rings In The Chinese New Year
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Yesterday’s inaugural FASTB Chinese New Year event was a big success. Thanks to the terrific and informative presentation by Dr. Linda Carroll, a former USF Chinese language professor and current instructor at the Tampa Bay Chinese School, students tried on some traditional Chinese clothing, learned about the Chinese Lunar New Year and why it is different from the western calendar and also learned the zodiac animal that is associated with their year of birth.
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Dr. Carroll also demonstrated how to write Chinese characters and wrote each student’s name (thank you to Claire for providing the calligraphy kit). All in all, it was a great afternoon for everyone involved. The beginning of a FASTB tradition – Merci Dr. Carroll !
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Elementary Class – Well Prepared For The New Year
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Whether posing behind the Pre-K class’ Chinese Hanfu creation (above), or working on their own art projects, Claire’s Elementary class was ready for yesterday’s Chinese New Year – and much of their art work was used to decorate our lobby for the event (below).
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The Découverte du monde (Discovery of the world) Chinese theme also had students hard at work in math, geography and writing as they studied Chinese maps, language, food, literature and traditions. Lots on their plate, but still time to smile for the camera – love it!
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We had a little animal drama yesterday after we discovered an injured squirrel on the FASTB campus. Ashley from the Pinellas County SPCA came right over and, before a crowd of onlookers, explained what she was doing and took the squirrel to receive care. Bravo !
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Pre-K Class – Art, Sport et Crêpes
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The Pre-K week was a balancing act of indoor and outdoor activities… and eating. Priscilla made good use of the playground for sport as students navigated a course that involved balancing, climbing and obstacles (below).
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With the appetite built up, students (and teachers) munched on crêpes Monday in honor of the French holiday, La Chandeleur (below).
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And with physical energy spent and bellies full, the creative juices were flowing as students made dragons, some even channeling their inner dragon in the process.
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Suzuki Practice = Suzuki Progress
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A little over midway through our inaugural 6-week group session, Suzuki violin instructor, Jennifer Diedrich, reports that students are progressing toward our February 15th performance, learning the finer points of positioning, the bow & violin holds and the “Mississippi Texas” rhythm. Key is repetition and practice – and also listening to the book one music!
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2019-20 Enrollment: Steps To Apply
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While we continue to enroll students for 2018-19, we are very focused on 2019-20, so if you are thinking about applying (or know someone who may be interested), please consider a visit and tour – we’ve had a lot lately! Below is the sequence of events for our application process:
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- Inquiry: Submit the Application Inquiry Form on our web site and we will contact you to set up a school visit to give you more information about FASTB and answer questions
- Apply: Print, fill out and mail our Enrollment Application and fee
- Interview: After receiving the completed application we set up a parent or guardian and child interview to assess readiness and ability to benefit from our program
- Acceptance & Enrollment: Upon acceptance, an Enrollment Contract must be signed and deposit paid to secure a spot for the upcoming year
Please visit FASTB.org and click on the Admission tab for more on the process, tuition, financial aid and more – we look forward to hearing from you!
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FASTB Calendar 2018-19 AND 2019-20
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We have released our academic calendar for 2019-20 and you will note that the timing is more in line with area schools (no construction project thissummer!). To access the new 2019-20 calendar, click on the image below left and you can download a pdf. For this year’s calendar, click the image below right. Please also check the Events tab on FASTB.org periodically for more specific information on certain events. Merci !
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What’s Going On Up There?
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To keep tabs on activities up north, don’t forget to visit the Blog and Instagram of our school in Maine, L’Ecole Française du Maine – Year 18 is rolling along!! All of us on the News de Nous staff wish you a great week – Merci!
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The French American School of Tampa Bay, (FASTB), founded in February 2017 by Elizabeth and Willy LeBihan, offers a unique immersion school experience to students from Early Childhood through grade 12.
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2100 62nd Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702
Telephone: (727) 800-2159
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