News de Nous is your go-to source for information!
We publish this newsletter to keep you informed of what's been happening and what's to come. Our reporters are on the scene with the latest breaking news from the heart of St Pete's youngest French-speaking community.
Featured in this edition: Halloween, Follow-up on the Parent-Teacher Conferences, St. Pete Run Fest, Election of Student Representatives, Edouard Philippe, and calendar update.
Please take a few minutes to read it through carefully. - Merci beaucoup!
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November 6th, 2022
Dear Parents & Guardians,
Thank you to all our families who participated in this year's Halloween Parade. It was a warm, sunny afternoon with many great costumes! These community events remind us of what makes FASTB so unique. Bravo to the teaching team and students for this colorful, fun, and unique celebration!
Another great IB Potluck took place last week! Thank you, Emmy, for another wonderful and informative presentation. Good food and laughter always go well together!
On October 28th, FASTB students voted for their class representatives. The fifth-grade students organized the elections. Congratulations to the elected delegates and candidates for their posters and ideas. Our students take their FASTB citizenship seriously, which is excellent!
Our first round of Parent-Teacher conferences went very well. We appreciate your participation as these are excellent opportunities to discuss your child's progress, strengths and needs with their classroom teacher.
I recently met with Dr. Gaëtane Michaud, MD, FASTB parent and Medical Director of Pulmonology at Tampa General Hospital. We want our community to remain vigilant as COVID cases are rising will keep you informed. Being well-prepared is key!
As always, thank you for your support and your trust in our school,
Warmly,
Corinne Güngör
Head of School
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Upcoming dates to keep in mind
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Friday, Nov 11: Morning Coffee with the Head 8:30 am - 9:30 am
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Saturday, Nov 12: PeliKids Marathon at 10:30 am near Dali Museum
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Thanksgiving vacation: November 21-22-23-24-25
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Friday, December 9: Morning Coffee with the Head 8:30 am - 9:30 am
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Wednesday, December 14: Winter Festival from 2 pm to 3 pm
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Winter Break: Dec 16 at 3:00 PM to Jan 3 at 8:30 AM
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Thank you to our entire school community for participating in this fantastic day, which may be the favorite of the year for some of our students. A special thank you to our dedicated staff for playing along and wearing elaborate costumes. The Halloween Show and Parade were great fun! Bravo to the students for preparing such an extraordinary celebration! Everyone pitched in to make the show a huge success! Even the spectators could not resist dancing and clapping; Perfect weather, excellent performance, and lots of friends!
Why do children (and adults) love Halloween so much?
Being a little afraid (when you know there is no real danger) is fun. Mouths dry, goose bumps, a blow to the heart in case of a sudden surprise. When it all ends in laughter, children experience extraordinary sensations. It excites their imagination and their whole body. On Halloween, they can almost escape "for real" into the imaginary world.
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"Café et Conversation" under the Tiki Hut! |
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Please join us Friday, November 11th
Morning Coffee with the Head of School
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Under the Tiki Hut! - All are welcome!
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follow-up on Parent Teacher Conferences |
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TIPS: after the conference:
- Please contact the teacher with any lingering questions.
- Please take a look at your notes about what you and the teacher will do to support learning, then make detailed plans about how and when you will help your child.
- If you still have questions, please feel free to put your thoughts in writing and schedule a meeting with the teacher or the Head of School as soon as possible.
Remember that you and your child's teacher have the same goal: your child's success and emotional well-being at FASTB.
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The PeliKids Marathon Challenge! |
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The students of 2nd grade and up are preparing for the final race, which will take place on November 12th, and end their marathon, which began in October. The teachers are proud of the investment of their students in this project!
On Bayshore Drive next to the Dali Museum
The race starts at 10:30
Saturday, November 12th, in St Pete
“The PeliKids One Miler is the culmination of an ongoing running
Marathon Challenge for kids through 8th grade, aimed at promoting an active lifestyle and healthy habits for life. PeliKids will log a total of 25.2 miles at school before completing the final mile of this 26.2 Marathon Challenge in front of cheering fans at the St. Pete Run Fest Finish Line!
Our motto is:
“I CAN DO 26.2!”
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The IB tree of the preschoolers
The children have been busy making the IB tree of the classroom. They painted the tree with brown paint and sponges. Then, they made hand prints to represent the leaves. The background (sky and grass) was made with ink and pieces of paper (torn for the sky and cut for the grass) and glued. Every branch of the tree represents a quality of the learner’s profile explained to the children. We will use this tree throughout the year by placing the children’s pictures on the branches to highlight their actions corresponding to the quality of the learner’s profile (see below)
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Election Day ~ Les délégués de classe |
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On October 28th, after a campaign period, FASTB students voted for their class representatives. The fifth-grade students organized the elections. Congratulations to the elected delegates and all the candidates for their beautiful posters and ideas.
Last week, students elected their class representatives to represent them, notably during class councils. The "Délégués" are the spokespersons of the students to the teachers and school administration. They collect the students' opinions and proposals and share them during the class council. They disseminate the information communicated during the council to their fellow students. Each student may vote to elect class representatives. There are no age requirements. In case of a tie, the youngest candidate is elected :-)
The election of class delegates aims to involve students more actively in school life, develop a sense of community, and introduce students to the role of a representative and the qualities required to carry out this mission.
Elections and the tenure of delegate councils help students learn how to live as a community and participate in it fully. Delegates from each class represent their class and serve as spokespersons who can tell how they were elected and what made the favor of their classmates possible.
A sense of listening, the desire to help others, the strength of proposals, a sense of diplomacy, objectivity, responsibility, and perseverance are many essential qualities to collect the diverse suggestions of their comrades and transmit them for consideration!
Congratulations to our newly elected students!
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Art Week 2022: Blues-Rock with Guitarist Bryan Martin |
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The French American School of Tampa Bay is lucky to count among its community baritone singer and guitarist Bryan Martin. Bryan presented the electric guitar instrument and the various tools used in the Blues/rocks style to create original sounds and effects. Thank you so much, Bryan!
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Moyenne Section and Grande Section |
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"Learning through play" and "Learning through thinking and problem solving" is the pedagogical approach at FASTB. We propose that students solve a problem through play, a central activity in preschool. We practice math by having fun! Moyenne Section students learned to develop their creativity and sense of logic through various algorithms. Everyone was very insightful! (photo above)
In Kindergarten (photos below), students explored mathematical workshops to understand the composition and decomposition of numbers with the “numicon” game, learned the “Battle” with cards for subitizing, and practiced board games to play with dice and recognize the constellation quickly. These are just a few examples of great exercises that, with regular practice, increase our competencies with numbers and quantities.
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Former Prime Minister of France Edouard Philippe |
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Willy LeBihan, Founder of FASTB, met with Édouard Philippe on October 27. They discussed the rapid development of French International Schools in the United States and the possible collaboration with the University of Le Havre. Mr. Édouard Philippe is currently the Mayor of Le Havre, France, and previously served as Prime Minister of France from May 2017 to July 2020 under President Emmanuel Macron.
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Mayor Édouard Philippe and Consul General of France Raphael Trapp had the opportunity to exchange with French-American entrepreneurs of Tampa Bay. They discussed the footprint of French companies in the bustling region of Tampa, the area's potential growth, and the most promising business sectors in Southwest Florida. This meeting was organized as part of the reaffirmation of the Sister Cities agreement signed by Mayors Jane Castor and Edouard Philippe.
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In case you missed it! Art Week was a huge success with plenty of projects: Mandalas, Land Art, Stop Motions, Music, Circus, Stamp Carving, Yoga, Puppets, and Dance! A special thanks to our guest artists, grandparents and parents who kindly shared their talents with our students. |
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Having fun ..... being kids |
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FRENCH ACCREDITATION - AEFE HOMOLOGATION |
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From left to right: Magali Guilhem, Benjamin Monto, Head of School: Corinne Güngör, Olivier Guilhem, Emilie Duprat, Françoise Thuriere, and Marion Bazerque |
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Congratulations to the FASTB education team for a job well done.
The accreditation (extension for grades 4&5 / cycle 3) application submitted to AEFE Headquarters in Paris in October 2021 and reviewed by MENJS Inspector Jean-Noël Josse in May 2022 has been approved; we received the certificate! The school is now fully approved by the French Ministry of Education of France from PreK to grade 5. Our sincere thanks to Dominique Collado at Mission Laïque Française in Paris and the entire MLF-America team in Texas for their support throughout the accreditation process.
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Exchange with the University of Bourgogne to resume |
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Capital of the Duchy of Burgundy in the Middle Ages, Dijon has inherited a unique cultural and architectural heritage. As a result, it's an emblematic city of haute cuisine and lifestyle |
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We are delighted to resume our collaboration with the University of Bourgogne, France. During the first year of their Master's Program, French university students must do a "stage" in a school. The French American School of Tampa Bay is an official partner of Université de Bourgogne at Dijon and has been happy and proud to welcome student teachers in past years.
During their practicum, the graduate students will be shadowing our teachers. It is an excellent opportunity to create and conduct classroom activities and practice their teaching skills. We will be looking for two host families this winter for three weeks; more details will come.
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Got a question? Let us help! |
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Reminder to Parents:
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 as quickly as possible; thank you for your patience.
Thank you for checking your school contact information to ensure you are using this email address. We are finding that some emails are heading to other accounts, and while they eventually land in our inbox, this may result in a delay in our response time.
Alternately, please know 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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