Dear friends,
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving break!
The break marked the end of a very fun and exciting Art Week where the students, staff, and volunteers created an unforgettable experience for everyone. I would like to thank all of those who attended the Exhibit, it was amazing to see how our community came together to celebrate the creativity of our students.
This edition of the News de Nous takes us into the classrooms to see all of the fun and exciting projects our teachers put together this week. Looking ahead, I am excited to build on this momentum as we head into the holiday season!
Warm Regards,
Colin LeBihan
School Director
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Upcoming dates to keep in mind
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December 25 - January 5: Winter Break
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January 8th: School Resumes
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January 15: Martin Luther King Jr Day (No School)
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Over the past couple of weeks the CM1/CM2 students have been working on an IB unit which focuses on ecosystems. As a part of this unit, students in Benjamin’s class have been creating presentation boxes that highlight different ecosystems found around the planet.
Through their investigations, students created detailed lists of the main plants and animals which make up these varied ecosystems, and are working to understand the unique, and often intertwined, roles played by the fauna and flora that inhabit them.
In order to study these relationships, the CM1 and CM2 students set up a woodlouse farm in the classroom. After reading and researching reports on the woodlouse habitat in the wild, students identified what they would need to create the most ideal habitat and living conditions for their new invertebrate classmates.
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I would like to send out a special thank you to everyone who came to FASTB’s Art Week Exhibit. The attendance was more than we could have imagined, and we were delighted that the students got to share their art with so many members of the FASTB community.
I would especially like to thank those parents who volunteered their time to share their art with our students. The workshops organized by parent and community volunteers provided them with new and exciting perspectives!
I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our wonderful FASTB staff who worked all week to lead, organize, and execute their own art projects. Culminating in the set up of our wonderful Art Week Exhibit, which transformed the halls into a vibrant gallery.
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COOPERATION COUNCIL (Pedagogie Freinet)
The cooperation council takes place every Friday in the CE1 and CE2 classroom, and was set up as part of their second IB unit: "How do we organize ourselves?"
This council brings together all of the classroom’s students, as well as Jennifer, to discuss all aspects of class life. It works to facilitates a place for discussion, reflection, analysis, decision-making, and aims to organize work and class life.
The council deals with the resolution of conflicts, but it is also an opportunity to thank or congratulate classmates for their achievements.
As the year progresses, the aim of the council is to make students totally autonomous in preparing and managing classroom discussion.
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Weather Report
An effective method of gauging the atmosphere in the classroom is through the “weather report”.
To begin, students distinguish between what's happening in the classroom and what's happening at recess. Students use their hands to indicate what they think:
- Open hand = sun = positive assessment
- Closed fist = sun/cloud = mixed assessment
- Open hand facing down = rain = negative assessment
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Tickets
Students utilize tickets, of which they are given three each week, to express what will be discussed at the board meeting on Friday.
Using the tickets, students can:
Congratulate or thank a classmate
Present an idea, project or proposal
Put forward a concern, worry or difficulty
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Council Meeting Preparation
In preparation for the weekly board meeting, the chairman and secretary read the tickets. They group together those that are similar, and filter out subjects that are no longer relevant to the class discussion (For instance, when a matter has been resolved beforehand).
The tickets are then placed in envelopes available to students at all times. Once they have written their ticket, students place it in the "council box".
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FASTB's Adult Ed community met this past Monday to celebrate a joyful Frenchgiving together!
During this festive season, we are very grateful for our wonderful - and very culinary talented - adult education students who celebrated Thanksgiving à la française! We were also joined by FASTB graduates (now in high school!) who shared fond memories of their years with us. Conversation (and sparkling grape juice) flowed, and everyone left with full bellies and happy memories.
Merci FASTB community!
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In this edition of the Critter Column we are payed a visit by some familiar ducklings! First seen in the second edition of our beloved column, these babies are growing into their adult feathers. We couldn't be happier to watch them grow. |
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Pick-Up and Drop off Procedures |
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Drop-Off: 8:15 am to 8:30 am
Drop-Off at FASTB begins at 8:15 am and goes until 8:30 am. Upon entering the parking lot, parents should follow the drop-off route marked with cones. Parents are advised to pull up to the marked point before parking to expedite the drop-off process for all. Once parked, a staff member will greet and escort students to the gate adjacent to the car circle. Parents can then proceed out of the parking lot. Once inside the gate, students are divided into two groups according to age, with older students going onto the playground and the younger students remaining in the lunch area. At 8:30 am, students walk to class. To remind you, the use of cell phones is strictly prohibited in the parking lot unless you are safely parked. Thank you!
Late Drop-Off: 8:30 am onward:
Parents who arrive after 8:30 am are advised to park and escort their child to the marked door in the car circle area. Once at the door, please ring the bell, and the student will be let in.
Pick Up: 3:00 pm to 3:15 pm.
Dismissal at FASTB begins at 3:00 pm when the students are walked by their teachers to the lunch area adjacent to the car circle. The gate which leads to the car circle remains closed at all times. Using walkie-talkies, teachers standing outside the gate communicate with their counterparts inside to call students when their parents arrive in the car circle. Parents are advised to pull up to the marked point before parking to expedite the pick-up process. Once parked, a teacher will walk the student to their respective car, open the door, and ensure the child gets in. However, the parent is responsible for securing their child’s seat belt or car seat before driving away.
Late Pick-Up: 3:15/3:20 onward
We highly recommend that parents notify the school in advance of delays or changes in pick-up times for students. Without prior notification, students still waiting to be picked up by 3:15/20 will be escorted to the office. The school office will then contact parents to remind them to collect their child, and the student will be placed into aftercare until the parent arrives.
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What to do if someone has COVID-19?
Below are our recommendations
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We want to hear from you!
Please use the email address office@fastb.org for general school correspondence. Questions and requests sent to this address are forwarded as needed. We do our best to respond to emails quickly; thank you for your patience. Alternatively, please know that you can call us anytime for an immediate response! School Office Phone: (727) 800-2159
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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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