Featured in this week's News de Nous, Back to School Week was a success and Music & Me returns; plus the latest in enrollment news and an update on Adult Education. These stories and more are a mere scroll away... |
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News & Notes From Ms. Tamye |
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Week 3 has been an action-packed week with tons of exciting things happening!
We were all delighted to arrive Monday morning to find the new Tiki Hut Classroom that magically appeared over the weekend!
Our school supplies made it to the school in perfect time to share them with the families during Back to School Week. We also received a photo from Mali that is included below.
It was such a joy to see the children create amazing works of art to decorate our halls. The school is certainly starting to showcase the creativity that abounds! I'm also loving the music that is being created with Alex during the Suzuki Music lessons! I can't believe how much these students are already picking up in such a short period of time! There are still spaces in his studio, so now is a perfect time if you are still thinking about guitar lessons!
Reminder for all families that we are CLOSED on Monday
in observance of Labor Day.
or you may call the school between 7:30 am - 3:30 PM.
Enjoy your long weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday!
~Ms. Tamye
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Back to School Meetings Under the Tiki Hut ! |
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Thank you, parents, for attending our Tiki Hut Back to School Week sessions this past week - and thanks also to our teachers for preparing and delivering their presentations! These sessions were designed to give parents an idea of what to expect in each classroom for this 2021-22 school year. Additionally, our teachers will host weekly office hours on Zoom for parents. The schedule is listed below. |
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Last year, FASTB sent school supplies to Ecole des Sables, located in Mali! The package arrived safely, and the students at the school were pleasantly surprised by this generous gift! We just received this photo!!! We take this chance to renew our thanks to the students and FASTB Parents Association who made this great project a success! |
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FASTB Welcomes Families Affected by Hurricane Ida |
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As we enter into this school year, a need has arisen much closer to home.
Hurricane Ida has caused great disruption. The Head of School from Ecole Bilingue De La Nouvelle-Orleans, Pierre-Loïc Denichou, has reached out to our network of AEFE and MLF French Schools for support as their school has been forced to close temporarily.
We are already working with students who would like to attend FASTB temporarily until they safely return to New Orleans! We are excited to have them join us and are pleased we can offer some help at this difficult time. We look forward to sharing all of the wonderful things at FASTB, and we know our students will warmly welcome our new friends.
If anyone is aware of any short-term rental situations we can pass along, please email Ms. Tamye to provide the information. We are eager to show the love of our community!
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School Supplies Arrived From France! |
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Our school supplies have crossed the pond!! We are so excited! |
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Teacher Office Hours on Zoom |
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As mentioned in our parent meetings, FASTB is resuming our weekly Zoom sessions for parents. Please take advantage of this opportunity to connect directly with the teaching staff and ask any questions you may have. The teachers will observe the following availability schedule:
Cecile
Wednesday's at 8:00 PM
Zoom ID: 947 0153 9812
Zoom Password: 34frwq
Kettly/Françoise
Thursdays at 5:30 PM
Zoom ID: 958 1921 1829
Zoom Password: Px459m
Marion
Wednesdays at 5:00 PM
Zoom ID: 964 7790 1047
Zoom Password: fastb
Olivier
Tuesdays at 5:00 PM
Zoom ID: 721 415 941
Zoom Password: 20202020
Benjamin
Wednesdays at 5:00 PM
Zoom ID: 890 1747 6038
Zoom Password: college
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Soy and Milk Allergies at FASTB |
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Two students at FASTB have an allergy to Milk and Soy.
Food allergies affect about 6% to 8% of children in the United States. Allergic reactions can be life-threatening, and in rare cases, deadly. While emergency treatment is available for allergic reactions, there is no cure yet. The only treatment for food allergies is the strict avoidance of allergens. Sometimes a small amount of allergen can cause a reaction.
We ask parents to explain to their child/children not to share food with other kids and let them know that other than not eating allergenic food, children with allergies can do everything else!
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2021 Good Burger Awards - FASTB is a finalist, please vote for us! |
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A Good ‘Burger is a business, organization, or individual in greater St. Pete making a positive impact in our community. In honor of a former mayor who referred to his citizens as “burgers” (as in St. Petersburgers), the Good ‘Burger Awards were established to honor those who contribute in a positive way to make our community special.
FASTB is a finalist in the category Arts and Culture, establishing St. Pete as an Arts & Culture destination on the national stage.
Award winners will be determined by popular vote. Voting is open to the public from Monday, August 30, 2021, to Friday, October 1, 2021. Winners will be announced during the 9th Annual Good ‘Burger Awards on Thursday, October 28, 2021. Tickets are required to attend.
Thank you for voting for FASTB; friends and family can vote too :-)
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Middle School Students Share Stories with Kindergarten |
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Two 8th grade students took the lead by reading to the Kindergarten class! They worked on flow and intonation in their presentation of the stories - which they achieved beautifully! Our Kindergarten students truly appreciated being read to by the "big kids" and it was such a treat to watch them interact! This class is off to a wonderful start and bonds are being made throughout the school! |
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Music & Me Returns with Music Together In-School Program! |
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We are thrilled to welcome back Music & Me, offering the Music Together in-School Program at FASTB for 2021-22! Starting next week, Music & Me will work with each class outside in our picnic area, bringing this terrific music appreciation program to our students. Everything from basic rhythms with the younger students to songwriting with our middle schoolers is included in this fun, hands-on approach. As with every member of our staff, the Music & Me Teacher will have a temperature and wellness check upon arrival each week and, during this COVID time, will not conduct any music lessons inside. |
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Adult Education and DELF classes are back! |
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Bonjour!
We are very excited to announce that Adult French classes and DELF preparatory classes return to FASTB this year! Unfortunately, because of Covid precautions, our first semester will be online only. The Fall semester includes 13 classes, from the week of September 13th to December 18th.
Adult Ed:
The classes take place on weekdays, typically between 5-8:30 pm; please send us your availability if you are interested in joining a class!
DELF preparatory classes:
At FASTB, we offer a preparatory course for students from middle school/high school and adults. The classes prepare the students for the DELF exams. The Diplôme d’Etudes de Langue Française (DELF) (English: Diploma in French Studies) is a certification of French-language abilities for non-native speakers of French, administered by the International Centre for French Studies (Centre International d’Etudes Pédagogiques or CIEP) for France’s Ministry of Education.
The French American School of Tampa Bay has also become an official testing center for the DELF and DALF, alleviating the previous need to travel to take the DELF exams. The DELF Exam designed by the CIEP is an official qualification awarded by the French Ministry of Education certifying a level of fluency in French. Such certifications are useful for school records, as well as college and job applications. The classes are an hour and a half each week after school, sometime between 3:30 to 6 pm.
For those interested in finding out more about these classes, we will have a virtual Open House on Tuesday, September 7th at 7 pm on Zoom. Specific log-in details will be sent in the coming days to all who participated last year and those who have expressed interest so far this year. If you would like to be included, please send an email to adulted@fastb.org with your name, contact information, availability, and level in French (beginner, intermediate or advanced).
Merci!
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FASTB Is Still Enrolling: No Prior French Needed for Ages 3-5 |
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We are continuing to enroll our Preschool & Pre-K students. Over the summer months, we have worked hard to enroll in the Florida VPK Program and are awaiting our contract to be signed. This is a great program that will allow ALL of our 4-year-old students to receive additional resources from the State of Florida! We would love your help to get the word out that we now have this program available, so we offer a Referral Credit of $250 for each student you refer who enrolls before October 15th.
As a reminder: Rising Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade students can enter our immersion environment with no previous instruction in French. These years are foundational for language development, and students at this age are particularly suited to thrive in this environment.
At FASTB, Kindergarten students are not only at a great age to learn a second language, but they also have the bonus of being eligible for Florida scholarships (must be 5 on September 1), which are available to students K & up. Please see the latest on Florida scholarships and Step Up for Students in the article above to learn how you could benefit from this great offering in Florida.
Private Virtual Tours
You hear things about language immersion, but what does it actually look like? Well, the best way to see what we do first-hand is to schedule a private virtual tour, which will take you inside our dynamic and safe classrooms to see where it all happens.
We also conduct after-hours in-person tours and will continue to do so through the fall months.
You can also feel free to visit our Admissions page and website to explore further what we offer and learn about our admissions process.
We look forward to hearing from you soon - merci!
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FASTB Wellness Team Effort |
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Thank you to our parents and staff for being vigilant about spotting symptoms, per the Wellness Agreement. It is great to have everyone looking out for one another during this persistent time of COVID cases rising. For those not familiar, our Wellness Agreement is signed by families and staff, pledging to monitor for the prominent COVID-19 symptoms and stay home if these symptoms appear. Additionally, we do temperature checks every day and practice distancing, hand washing, and wearing face coverings to keep each other safe! |
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COVID-19: Protocols, Recommendations, and Waiver |
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Would you please read carefully and become familiar with the drop-off/pick-up procedures and other guidelines?
Here is a summary of our 2021-2022 protocols and recommendations:
- We encourage all parents/caretakers/older siblings to get vaccinated.
- Masks are strongly encouraged for all members of our school community inside the school during operating hours (teachers and staff, students, and parents, as well as vendors, volunteers, and visitors). In addition, they are recommended outside on the school grounds.
- Masks will be encouraged inside regardless of vaccination status.
- Access to the school building is limited to essential workers and students.
Our number one priority is always to do our best to protect our community. We need to create a safe environment for all our students who do not have the opportunity to be vaccinated.
The school is extremely grateful to the following parents, who are medical professionals, for sharing their time, expertise and for helping us write clear protocols.
At the French American School of Tampa Bay:
Dr. Gaetane Michaud, MD, Pulmonary Critical Care, Tampa General Hospital and USF Tampa
At l'Ecole Française du Maine:
Dr. James Gallea, MD, Emergency Medicine Specialist
Dr. Lisa Lucas, DO, Primary Care Physician
WAIVER: Parents wishing that their child does not wear a mask inside and /or outside may request an exemption from School Director Tamye Crutchfield: tamye.crutchfield@fastb.org
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Suzuki Guitar with Alex Gammon - Registration is open! |
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Our returning families already know Alex through his role (and popularity) as the Music Together Teacher for the past three years at FASTB. So, you probably already know how much the kids adore him, have heard about his amazing baritone voice and his excellent guitar playing! We are delighted to inform you that Alex will be returning to FASTB but in a new role in 2021-2022. Alex is going to be starting a Suzuki Guitar Program, with his studio located at FASTB!!! Of course, FASTB students will be first in line to sign up for lessons!
It was a treat to meet Alex this summer, in Maine, where he visited L’Ecole Française du Maine and met with the Suzuki Guitar Teacher, Gary Wittner. Gary gave Alex many helpful tips and ideas on how to bring this opportunity of a Suzuki Guitar Program to life in St Pete. It’s very exciting!
Alex got his first guitar at age 13, just for show. Still, when his family thrust him into private lessons with Sarasota guitarist Jami Gee, he centered his life around the instrument, learning jazz, rock, and classical pieces. As a teen, Alex played guitar in the Fogt’s Junior All-Star Band, which performed at Sarasota retirement homes and blues festivals, covering old swing hits and dancey jazz tunes.
After studying Childhood Anthropology at Florida State, Alex was intrigued by Early Childhood Development, which led him to the Music Together program. Blending his passion for Music and Early Childhood Development, Alex passed the Music Together and Canta y Baila Teacher Training in the fall of 2018 and winter of 2019, respectively. He began working with FASTB students in December 2018, teaching the Music Together in School, Rhythm Kids, and Music History/Ukulele curriculums.
He took the role of the FASTB Suzuki guitar teacher in the Fall of 2021, hoping to bring music to the students' lives via his favorite instrument. We are thrilled to have Alex on board, offering this exciting opportunity to our school families. If you are interested in having your child take guitar (or ukulele) from this devoted teacher, you can contact him directly at:
(941) 321-7962
Rest assured- Music Together with Music & Me will also return, and we will introduce you to the new teacher soon :-)
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The French American School of Tampa Bay
2100 62nd Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702
Telephone: (727) 800-2159
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