FAQ French American School of Princeton

This page contains answers to commonly-asked questions about FASP and its dual-language program:

Bilingual education and the dual language curriculum at FASP

Why a bilingual education?
Why the French-American School of Princeton?
How can one school harmonize two systems?
The non-bilingual family and the FASP student

Community, Family and Personal Life

The School Community
Personal Concerns
Teachers and the Parent-Teacher relationship
After my child leaves the FASP

Logistical Questions

The future of FASP and the Princeton Center for the Arts and Education (PCAE)
Transportation
Financial questions
Conditions for admission

Bilingual education and the dual language curriculum at FASP

1. Why a bilingual education?

a) Scientific evidence
The evidence in support of the benefits of a bilingual education continues to mount. Professor Fred Genesee (McGill University, Montreal), world renowned specialist of the effects of bilingualism on childhood learning, presents “The Benefits of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education: Communication, Cognitive, and Cultural Advantages”. Dr. Fred Genesee Presentation (in english)

b) Cognitive advantages
In the past twenty years, there has been a flurry of interest in the specifically cognitive benefits of second language acquisition. Recent studies have shown that a bilingual childhood leads to the development of a greater than average number of neurological pathways in the brain. These result in numerous cognitive gains in comparison with monolingual peers, including:

increased intellectual flexibility
greater capacity for abstract thinking
increased selective attention or “executive function”
increased creativity
superior academic performance
a broader vocabulary in both languages
better overall communication skills
increased math, logic, and problem solving skills

c) Linguistic advantages
For years linguists have noted that a bilingual childhood usually leads to a multilingual adulthood. Once a child is proficient in two languages, his or her brain has developed a foundation for further linguistic acquisition, what some specialists call a “multilinguistical consciousness.”

d) Cultural advantages

The truth is, in the 21st century, more than half of the world’s people are already bilingual and linguistic and cultural agility are more essential than ever.
At dual language schools such as the FASP, children are immersed in the global community.
Students who are offered a bilingual education are exposed to many cultural perspectives, opening them to limitless opportunities for learning and personal growth

2. Why the French-American School of Princeton (FASP)?

a) Pedagogical advantages
French and American schools each have strengths for which they are known the world over.

The French system is recognized for developing
- superior work habits
- synthetic skills
- analytic skills
- social graces and respect for the group
- team work
The best American pedagogy strives to nurture the child’s
- self-esteem with encouragement
- unique personality with positive reinforcement
- original ideas
- creativity and innovation
- enthusiasm for learning

The French-American School of Princeton harmonizes these two approaches to children’s education, resulting in young scholars who are both organized and creative, confident individuals and world citizens.

b) Cultural and interpersonal advantages of the FASP curriculum

An education at the FASP opens students onto a future not just in France or North America, but everywhere on earth
While the curriculums and languages at the FASP are French and American, the student body comes from all over the world; FASP families represent more than 25 countries.
Rather than cultural blending, the FASP chooses to highlight the individual richness of each student’s cultural heritage.
The mission of the school is to view each culture as an additional opening for learning and discovery.

Appreciation of cultural differences in childhood begins a process that extends beyond the classroom, encouraging the growth of the child’s emotional and interpersonal intelligence, teaching him or her not only tolerance of the “other” but also curiosity, deep respect and joy in the diversity of the world’s peoples.

c) Advantages of the FASP student/teacher ratio
Small class sizes allow teachers to provide individualized attention and care to each student

At the Preschool/Kindergarten level the student/teacher ratio is 9/1.
At the Elementary and Middle School level the student/teacher ratio is 17/1.

d) Cultural Advantages of French/English bilingualism

English: the most important language in the business and diplomatic world today.

French: one of the most important languages in banking, finance, diplomacy, humanitarian and non-profit organizations.

Francophone culture extends across all the world’s economic and social strata.

e) Linguistic Avantages of French/American English bilingualism

Solid and broad foundation: With their common Indo-European ancestor, French and English together promote a coherent and broad foundation - a “Common Underlying Proficiency”- that allows for precise expression of abstract ideas and complex emotions in both languages. CUP is more difficult to acquire when the two languages are from entirely separate linguistic systems.

Stimulation of the Romance-Germanic combination: The juxtaposition across subfamilies increases linguistic flexibility more so than bilingualism across subfamily (such as Spanish/Portuguese or German/Dutch).
Easier acquisition of new phonemes: French exercises the tongue and palate of the American English speaker more than other major Romance languages. The constant phonetic gymnastics of the bilingual French and American child prepares muscles for more varied pronunciations (such as the linguistic systems of the Austro-asiatic or Afro-asiatic families).
Grammatical dexterity: Mastering the divergent grammatical systems of French and English provides a cognitive launch pad for learning other grammatically complex languages (such as Arabic or Japanese).

3. How can one school harmonize two systems?

a) A thoroughly researched and continually evolving process
The rich, stimulating, and highly motivating curriculum at the FASP is:

the result of years of research by linguists and educators.
in constant process, for FASP teachers work together continually to ensure that our programs in the sciences and the humanities complement and harmonize with one another.
accredited with both the French Ministry of Education and with Educational organizations in the United States.

b) What are specific examples of this harmonization of programs?

Students at the FASP are proficient in both the international metric system and the American system of measurements.
The FASP introduces fractions and probability in grades 2 and 3 as in the best American schools, while instilling early methods of synthesis and analysis as in the French system.
The FASP uses the highly regarded American program in early childhood music as taught trained Westminster conservatory instructors, yet follows the French curriculum in Art History after grade 2.
FASP first-graders improve their reading skills both via French phonetic and syllabic methods and the more global approach to reading frequent in American schools.

For details of our curriculum, see:

c) Will my child “fall behind” peers in monolingual schools?
On the contrary, as testified by numerous teachers from public and private monolingual schools who have received former FASP students, they are usually:

more advanced
better organized
more well-rounded in their skills
better equipped with selective attention skills
more confident
more respectful of others
more innovative

This is not to say that your child at the FASP will be doing exactly the same work as he or she would in a monolingual system at the same grade. What you can expect is that the skills they learn in one language will transfer to another easily and that they will have all the tools necessary for a smooth adjustment from the FASP to a monolingual school.

d) How do English and French work together at the FASP?
Bilingual education specialists have determined that the minority language of the school’s environment should be valorized in class in the earliest years of life.

For these reasons, preschool and Pre-K students at FASP learn in French immersion classrooms and are introduced to formal English lessons in Kindergarten.
The quantity of subjects taught in English gradually increases until the 4th grade, when 50% of the classes are in English and 50% are taught in French.

4. The non-bilingual family and the FASP student

a) Do FASP parents need to speak both French and English?
No. It is not necessary for parents to speak both languages.

b) My child doesn’t speak French; can he or she enroll?
Children of all linguistic backgrounds are admitted at the FASP from Preschool through Kindergarten. They do not need to speak French at home. After First grade, students require competency in French and depending on the child’s linguistic and educational background, he or she may be tested for French proficiency.

c) My child is non-French speaking, how long should he or she attend the FASP before becoming bilingual?
Linguists recognize two different types of skills as necessary for bilingualism, each with its own time frame:

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS): This the social and context-bound language that children under 5 learn so quickly, In most cases, a new non-French speaking preschooler at the FASP will be habituated to the French linguistic environment within weeks and will speak social French fluently within months.
Cognitive-Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). This is the language of problem solving, of the imagination, and of reasoning; it is the skill necessary for more evolved adult relationships, for negotiating the workplace as well as for success in the classroom. It generally takes five to seven years to acquire this level of language proficiency.

d) My child doesn’t speak English; can he or she enroll?
The capacity to speak English is not a prerequisite for acceptance into the FASP.

e) My child currently does not speak English; how long should he or she attend the FASP before becoming bilingual?

All students who spend their primary school years at the FASP become bilingual in English and French, whether or not their family speaks English at home. How quickly they do so depends in large measure on the extent their extracurricular life is integrated into the larger English-speaking Princeton community.
Dual language education specialists have determined that the minority language  that is, the less spoken in the school’s surrounding community  should be valorized in the first years of a child’s academic life. For these reasons, preschool students at the FASP learn in French immersion classrooms and are introduced to formal English lessons in Kindergarten. The quantity of subjects taught in English gradually increases until the 5 th grade, when 50% of the classes are in English and 50% are taught in French.

Questions of community, family and personal life

1. The School Community

a) Where do FASP families come from?
Families at the French American School of Princeton come from more than 25 countries around the world. The FASP is one of the most nationally, culturally, and linguistically diverse if not the most diverse school community in the Princeton area.

b) Are there any dominant values espoused by the FASP?

Understanding, tolerance, and respect for all cultures and beliefs,
The school’s mission is to awaken and foster the child’s desire to learn,
Importance of conserving resources and protecting our environment.

c) Why is there a Parents’ Association?
The FASP’s outstanding Parents’ Association is a tremendous asset to the school community, organizing family get-togethers and extracurricular activities for the students and their parents as well as raising funds for specific school goals.

The FASP-PA organizes and provides:

the school yearbook
biannual school picnics
adult wine-tasting soirées
ice skating outings
coffee mornings
annual galas
spring egg hunt

Fundraising by the FASP-PA helps finance:

tools for the science lab
library books
computers
smart boards
playground equipment
transportation for field trips

Social benefits of the FASP-PA include:

assistance in acclimating to the Princeton region for new families
a supportive, diverse, and extremely stimulating community
lifelong friendships

2. Personal Concerns

a) What if my child has learning differences or special needs?
Contrary to popular belief, a bilingual education can be very successful in children with learning differences. Many such students have thrived at the FASP. There are no general rules. Please talk with us if you are interested in a dual language education for your child with special needs.

b) Is there anything I can do to improve my child’s experience at the FASP?

The most important thing you can do to facilitate your child’s success at the FASP is to be perseverant, to provide encouragement and well thought out support.
You do not need to become bilingual yourself or to change the language you speak at home.
While your child will quickly learn to speak a second language in social contexts, becoming fully bilingual is a process that takes several years, requiring involvement on the part of the whole family.
Ideas for fostering your child’s pride and enthusiasm for his or her school experience:
- Show confidence in the school and in your child’s dual language development
- Show curiosity for your child’s progress and praise continually
- Talk often with your child about the benefits of bilingualism
- Seek to enrich your child’s language and cultural experience through books, films, playgroups, travel
- Invite his or her classmates for language “play dates”
- Attend school events and shows
- Become a class parent or volunteer for the FASP Parents’ Association

d ) I work late. How can I help my child with homework?
FASP provides afterschool services which include supervised homework provided by our teachers or staff.

3. Teachers and the Parent-Teacher relationship

a) Where do FASP teachers come from?
FASP teachers are a diverse team, recruited from around the francophone world and the United States. They bring to our school a rich life and work experience from various countries.

b) What are the qualifications of the FASP teachers and staff?
All teachers have university degrees and teaching credentials. Most French teachers are certified by the French Ministry of Education. All teachers are native speakers in the language they teach.

c) How long can I expect my child’s French teacher to be at the school?
This depends, but as many teachers are not American citizens and must obtain teaching visas with time limitations, every year a certain portion of the staff has to be renewed. Such renewal is par for the course in French-American schools across the United States.
Renewal of French teachers is carefully choreographed at FASP. Please note that at all age levels there are also core long term members of the teaching team who have permanent residence in the Princeton area.

d) How can I reach my child’s teacher?
Appointments are always encouraged and can be arranged easily, as each teacher has his or her own professional email address which is made known to enrolled parents.

e) I don’t speak or write in French; how can I communicate with my child’s teacher?
Most teachers at the FASP speak both French and English. All are able to read emails written in English. Should you so wish, it is also possible to have confidential translation and/or interpretation assistance from a member of the school’s multilingual staff.

4. After my child leaves FASP

a) If we have to move, how can my child continue a bilingual education?
The school is part of a very large and highly acclaimed world network of 400 French schools in 125 countries. In addition, most major metropolitan areas in the United States boast of at least one French-American bilingual school to which the FASP student can smoothly transition.

b) Will my child "fall behind" peers in monolingual schools?
On the contrary, as testified by numerous teachers from public and private monolingual schools who have received former FASP students, they are usually:

more advanced
better organized
more well-rounded in their skills
more respectful of others
more academically successful than their monolingual peers.

c) What should we expect once my child has finished his or her years at the FASP?
Once your child has finished several years at the FASP, you can expect a student who is:

self-confident
tolerant and interested in others
knowledgeable and curious about the world community
a flexible and agile thinker
well-organized
respectful
cultured
well-rounded in his or her academic foundation
prepared for future academic rigor
bilingual or multilingual

Logical questions

1. The future of FASP and the Princeton Center for Arts and Education (PCAE)?

a) What is the Princeton Center for Arts and Education?

The PCAE is a not-for-profit organization that assembles multiple educational and arts organizations that share resources while maintaining their separate identities, individual space, and unique missions.
Beginning in late August 2011 the PCAE will be the new home of the French American School of Princeton, the American Boychoir School and the Wilberforce School.
The PCAE expects to serve as the performance, teaching and gallery space for other arts and education based organizations.

b) Where is the PCAE and what are the attractions of this location ?
The PCAE is located at the historic campus formerly known as St. Joseph’s Seminary at 75 Mapleton Road, Princeton, NJ. Please click here to view maps and get driving directions.

This magnificent site consists of seven buildings including a neo-gothic chapel built in 1934 with ideal acoustics for performances, and a gymnasium with a performance stage, situated on 47 lush, mature, beautifully landscaped acres adjacent to Lake Carnegie. The campus is an ideal space for reflection, academic discovery, artistic creation, and appreciating nature.

c) Will the FASP merge with the other schools at the PCAE?
No. These organizations will share resources but will maintain their separate identities, individual space, and unique missions.

d) Will the entire FASP student body study at the PCAE campus?
Yes. The FASP Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary and Middle schools will be located at the PCAE campus beginning in September 2011.

e) Will the FASP add grade levels?
Yes. The FASP has opened a Grade 7th class in 2011-2012 and expects to expand its program to the end of Middle School (8th grade) in 2012-2013.

f) Will languages other than French or English be taught at the FASP ?
Spanish and Latin are part of the curriculum starting in Grade 5.

2. Transportation

a) How do I get to the school?
Please click here to view maps and get driving directions.

b) Is there school bus transportation to and from the FASP?
No. Free transportation (state-funded bus service) is currently not available to our school. Parents provide transportation for their children by their own means.

c) Is there a car pool network?
Yes. The school strongly encourages car pooling and publishes a student directory of contact information so that parents can work out car pooling arrangements among themselves.

d) Are there any financial supports for transportation?
Yes. School age children may be eligible to receive a stipend from the Princeton area Public School Districts to offset transportation costs, provided that:

the child lives at least two miles from campus, within the state of New Jersey and less than 20 miles from campus.
a parent sends in a written request for this support for the following year before a specified date in March (the school administration facilitates these requests).

3. Financial questions

a) How much does it cost to send my child to the FASP?
Please click here for details about our tuition rates.

b) Is there Financial Aid?
Yes. Need based financial assistance is provided to children with French nationality via the system of scholarships administrated by the French Consulate in New York City.

It may be helpful to know that the possibility of receiving financial aid increases with the number of children in the same family enrolled at the FASP.

c) Is there anything my child might need as an FASP student that tuition does not cover?

Parents provide their children with snack and lunch, either prepared ahead of time, or through the school lunch program.
Parents should expect to pay about $100 per child per year for the purchase of a backpack, a library book bag, sports shoes, hand sanitizer, handkerchiefs and other miscellaneous supplies requested by teachers.
Parents also pay an annual fee to the Parents’ Association, in order to finance field trips and school events such as school picnics, holiday parties and more rarely, class projects.
About twice every year, students participate in field trips with modest fees that are not covered by tuition.
Occasionally in the upper grades, a more substantial outing or trip is planned that may cost more.
Optional costs: year book, graduation gown, an “end of the year show” DVD, and some evening events sponsored by the Parents’ Association.

4. Conditions for admission

a) Age and maturity
Children entering Preschool must be three years old by December 31 of the current school year and must be toilet-trained. If you are applying to Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten, your child will be invited to attend an evaluation session in February. The purpose of the session is to assess each child's development in the areas of language (regardless of the language spoken by your child), physical coordination, and social maturity.

b) What is the cut off date for entrance?
You may submit your application for admission for the upcoming academic school year starting October 1st through February 28th. Please submit and return all documents before the deadline to ensure consideration of your application. Beginning of March, you will be informed of the child’s admission status.
Applications for admission are accepted throughout the year, but those received after the deadline will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

c) What if my child doesn’t speak French?
Children of all linguistic backgrounds are admitted from Preschool through kindergarten. They do not need to speak French at home. After first grade, students require competency in French and depending on the child’s linguistic and educational background, he or she may be tested for French proficiency.

d) What if my child doesn’t speak English?
The capacity to speak English is not a prerequisite for acceptance into the FASP.