Spring 2017
Dear Alumni Students and Parents,  
 
With the end of the school year on the horizon, we look back with pride at this year's successes as well as forward with excitement to the future. This year, we moved administrative offices offsite to create more learning space, rolled out our 2016-21 Strategic Plan, and celebrated our 22nd Gala. We look forward to the year-end performances, graduating our largest Grade 8 class yet - 33 students - and celebrating Patricia Blaise-Caves' tenure at FASPS. We hope you'll join us for some or all of our upcoming events! 

 
With gratitude, 
Eric Thuau
Head of School
on behalf of the Alumni Committee
Calendar of Events
Wednesday, May 31 - Middle School Drama Show, Grade 6
Friday, June 2 - Middle School Drama Show, Grades 7 & 8
Wednesday, June 7 - Patricia Blaise-Caves Farewell Party
Thursday, June 15 - FASPS Grade 8 Graduation
Saturday, June 17 - Alumni Student Takeover Tailgate Party *
Saturday, June 24 to Saturday, July 1 - French Summer Drama Festival
Monday, June 26 to Friday, July 14 - Summer Youth Volunteer Program 
Fall 2017 - First ever FASPS Kermesse! Watch for a save-the-date in the coming weeks.
 
* Alumni students in grades 8-12 only!
Enjoy an evening of French theater performed by FASPS Middle School students! A great way to reconnect with other alumni students and current FASPS students and faculty. Grade 6 on Wednesday, May 31, 4:00 pm and 5:15 pm; Grades 7 & 8 on Friday, June 2, 7:00 pm, SJCC Auditorium.
Please join us to say farewell to beloved teacher and administrator Patricia Blaise-Caves, who will be leaving FASPS at the end of this school year. We will be celebrating Patricia's 22 years at FASPS at a picnic in her honor. The event is an 'international potluck' and we are asking guests to bring a dish from their country or region. FASPS will provide the beverages. Wednesday, June 7, at 5:00pm, FASPS Playground (weather permitting)
Please RSVP using the following link and sign up to bring a sweet or savory dish to share. We would love to try a dish that is unique to you, your family or your culture! If you cannot attend, but you would like to drop off a dish, you can do so via the RSVP and signup-sheet  here .
Join the Grade 8 Class of 2017 in celebrating their graduation from FASPS! Thursday, June 15, 6:00 pm, SJCC Auditorium
Alumni Student Takeover Tailgate Party 
Join FASPS's newest student alumni, the graduating Class of 2017, at a brunch tailgate party on the FASPS playground. Music, volleyball, food and a raffle of an Amazon Echo! For details, click here .Saturday, June 17, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, FASPS Playgrou nd.
 
Summer Opportunities for Alumni
Looking for volunteer hours and a way to give back to FASPS? Join our Summer Youth Volunteer Program! Volunteers are a vital part of our program as they help our teachers provide enriching experiences for our campers and help support French learning. We are looking for a few more youth volunteers for Week #3 (July 10-14). Please check our  website for more information and to apply. Questions? Contact  Katie Gagnon.
Fall Kermesse Volunteer Opportunity
Next fall, FASPS is planning it's first-ever French kermesse, or carnival, and is looking for alumni student volunteers to join the fun and earn valuable volunteer hours! Watch for more information in the coming months.



Alumni News
The FASPS Gala and Auction on March 25, 2017, was a fantastic success! This year's theme - Diversity Is our Magic, honored the spirit of inclusiveness embodied in the FASPS community and curriculum. In addition to the great party, guests heard from gala co-chair Chaunise Avanessian, Board Chair Susan Griesse, and guest speaker Peter Kline. The community responded generously by raising over $294,000 in total, with $138,000 in donations directed toward the Patricia Blaise-Caves Scholarship Fund. Merci to all contributors! Our eighth-grade student photographers captured some beautiful and hilarious portraits of our guests!  Planning for next year's Gala is already underway. Please save the date of March 10, 2018. We hope to see you there!
   
FASPS Youth Startup Weekend
The second FASPS Youth Startup Weekend (December 9-11, 2016) was a lively and productive weekend for the 27 participants in Grades 6-9, including several alumni students! The weekend kicked off on Friday night with inspiring talks from our speakers and a quick introduction to startup culture and pitching. On Saturday morning, participants gave a 60-second pitch of their big ideas, students voted on the top ideas, and teams were formed. Students spent the day on Saturday and Sunday thinking through their business models, customer validation, marketing, prototypes, and more, and then developed their final five-minute presentations. Our panel of expert judges gave them a real-world experience with tough questions and solid feedback. Nearly 50 guests came to see the final pitches from our four teams and everyone in the room was very impressed! Look for the next edition of FASPS Youth Startup Weekend and save the date to join us then!
Grade 8 Class of 2017
Our Grade 8 Class of 2017 includes 33 fabulous students. Whether they have been at FASPS since YPK or for only a couple years, they are all bright, passionate young adults with exciting futures! Bravo to all, and make sure to come back to tell us your stories! Below is the list of high schools they will attend next year:
 
Bellevue High School
Garfield High School
Ingraham High School
Interlake High School
Seattle Academy
Issaquah High School
Big Picture School
Mt. Rainer High School
Eastside Prep
Tesla STEM High School
Juanita High School - Cambridge Program
Lakeside School
The Overlake School
Inglemoor High School
The Bush School
Holy Names Academy
Newport High School
The Northwest School
Lycée Français International de Tokyo
Grade 8 Class of 2013 is Heading to College!
Congratulations to our 2013 Grade 8 graduates on their college plans for next year:

Matthew Bell - University of Washington
Anika Bull - University of Pennsylvania
Ida Clayes - ESSEC Business School Paris-Singapore
Olivia Daugs - Chapman University
Camila David-Smith - University of Washington
Caroline Dauché - UC Berkeley
Elodie Geltzer - Northeastern University
Arthur Guédon - Engineering program, specific school TBD
Louise Joubert - University of Washington
Olivia Klein - Western Washington - Honors Program
Madeleine Mousseau - Georgetown University
Paul Oliver - École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
Ezra Sackstein - Western Washington University
Laureline Sauvage - University of Washington
Sacha Vallortigara - Toulouse Business School
Oscar Monzon - Bellevue College
Merritt Opdycke (2006) Participates in Rocket Launch!
Merritt Opdycke, FASPS Class of 2006, and now University of Southern California class of 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering, just helped break a world record! Merritt and his team's rocket is the first-ever designed, built and launched entirely by students. The Fathom II rocket launched from Spaceport America on March 4, 2017, reached an altitude of 144,000 feet, and topped out at a speed of Mach 4. Watch the
USC Viterbi Video. Spaceport America Press release.
From Space.com article:
 
The spacecraft's record-setting altitude of 144,000 feet is about three times the average cruising altitude of most commercial airliners , the statement said. That makes this the most successful launch in the lab's history, shattering the records of other campus-based rocket clubs , including Delft Aerospace Rocket Engineering (an amateur rocket club consisting entirely of bachelors and masters degree students) at 70,397 feet (21,000 m), and the German University of Stuttgart HyEnD team, at 98,400 feet (30,000 m), according to the statement. "While other university groups have reached higher altitudes using mixtures of professionally made and student-made components, the new record from the USC Rocket Propulsion Lab (RPL) is believed to be the highest altitude achieved worldwide for a vehicle designed and manufactured entirely by students," the statement said.
   
Let FASPS know about YOUR successes! If you or other FASPS alumni you know have an accomplishment you'd like to share with the FASPS community, please contact us! We are accepting submissions for upcoming Alumni Newsletters!
Alumni Survey - Please Help FASPS! 
Grade 8 Classes of 2013-2016
Feedback from students about their post-FASPS experience is extremely helpful to us in evaluating and improving our program. If you have not already done so, we would love for any of the students who completed Grade 8 at FASPS and are in high school this year to  complete our anonymous survey . The survey will remain open until June 29, 2017. Merci! 
Alumni Committee
We are very grateful to the members of the Alumni Committee for their work with us this year: 

Co-Chairs: Thalia Opdycke and Pamela Zytnicki
Members: Jenn Huff-Facq, Kristen Glant, Kimberly Daugs, Laura Mousseau, and founding FASPS alumna Rebecca Smith. 
Class Reps: Julia Mitchell (2011), Guy de Gouville (2012), Celine Opdycke (2012), Olivia Daugs (2013), Madeleine Mousseau (2013), Avidan Baral (2014), Sofia Tarczy-Hornoch (2014), Leila Guilhemotonia (2015), Ani Pigott (2015), Eléna Zytnicki (2016), and Paul Derieux Chagnard (2016).
Stay Connected
We want to hear from you and know all about your high school and college experience! Please email us back with YOUR news! 
 
You can stay up to date with FASPS  via the following channels: 
Like us on Facebook  View on Instagram
Or to our FASPS Alumni Program via the following channel: 
Like us on Facebook

French American School of Puget Sound 
 
Our Mission: What We Do
We challenge students to excel academically and thrive in French, American and international cultures.
 
Our Vision: Why We Do It
To Inspire the next generation of global citizens to learn, understand, and act wisely in a multicultural world. 
 
Our Core Values
Excellence - Integrity - Cultural Agility - Community