FASP School Blog

In an increasingly interconnected world, families often find themselves relocating to different cities or countries throughout their careers. Such mobility can present challenges, particularly when it comes to providing consistent and high-quality education for their children.

French American School of Princeton is part of a large and robust network of over 566 international schools teaching the French curriculum, located throughout 138 countries with 390,000 students. Although these schools are not affiliated, many share dual accreditation by their state/local accreditation body as well as by the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) through the French Ministry of Education, ensuring consistency throughout children’s bilingual educational journeys.

This unofficial network can be an educational game-changer for mobile families, offering numerous advantages, not only in terms of language immersion but also in providing a seamless educational experience across different locations.

“I never imagined that sending my son to a French bilingual school would be the key to unlocking his ability to speak Farsi at home!” exclaimed Sanaz Jalalian, parent of two sons currently attending French American School of Princeton (FASP).

Daniel and Liam Rashidi, currently in 8th Grade and 4th Grade at FASP, speak English and Farsi at home with their parents, Sanaz Jalalian and Saeid Rashidi. “Liam started at FASP in Kindergarten not knowing one word of French,” said Sanaz. “Growing up in NJ, the boys have learned English and we have always spoken both English and Farsi at home. As Liam began to learn French at FASP, something happened in his brain that he was able to differentiate languages and although we knew he could understand Farsi, we were delighted to finally hear him speak the language that my husband and I had both grown up with.”

“Why should I learn French when we live in the US and speak English?” asked six-year-old Evelyn Morison when her parents enrolled her at French American School of Princeton (FASP) in First Grade to begin her bilingual education. It’s a question asked by many English-speaking families when exploring private school options in Princeton, NJ.

For over 20 years, French American School of Princeton, located at 75 Mapleton Road in Princeton, has been a leader in bilingual education for children in Preschool to Eighth Grade.

With a strong focus on language acquisition in the early years, students become bilingual, learning in French and in English throughout their time at FASP. FASP Students in Preschool through Third Grade do not need to have any prior knowledge of French to enroll.

Bilingual Education From a Parent's Perspective

“Why not French? was how we thought about the question,” said Katherine Hieronymus, Evelyn’s mother, who was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, speaking only English. “It’s the same approach to any academic pursuit – why do kids learn math or science? Why take music lessons? Why sports?”

French American School of Princeton (FASP) is proud to nominate Natalie Martin and Sonia Grare, Middle School teachers in Math and Science, for the Princeton Prize for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching awarded annually by Princeton University.

French American School of Princeton Bilingual Education

In FASP’s bilingual curriculum, Middle School students study Math and Science in English and French, utilizing both languages, as well as teaching methods from both countries. Natalie Martin and Sonia Grare co-teach: Natalie in English and Sonia in French. The method requires close collaboration between the teachers to ensure concepts, theory, and facts are thoroughly understood and students are able to demonstrate their knowledge in both subjects in two languages.

To nominate Natalie and Sonia for this prestigious award, students were asked to submit letters of recommendation. Their words beautifully illustrate the power of a bilingual education and what it means to be able to synthesize language and concepts to become independent thinkers and to be able to master math and science in new and exciting ways.