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Academics » French
Bonjour! 
Et bienvenue! St. Stephen School is a school that recognizes the importance of French as a language to study. Not only is it a dominant language used in New York City, but French is spoken on five continents by over 200 million people. By studying French, our students increase their global awareness and prepare themselves to interact with French people all over the world. 
Map of Francophone (French speaking) countries around the world Mission The goal of the St. Stephen School's French Program is to create students who are interested and enthusiastic about learning French and about the French culture. The program is designed to create real life experiences that actively engage students. We want to see our students embrace the French language and gradually apply it to life both inside and outside the classroom, thereby creating life long learners of the French language and culture. This goal is accomplished through the teamwork of the dedicated faculty and administration at St. Stephen School. Ms. Kathleen Spring, the French teacher, has spent three years studying and teaching in France. She brings to the classroom her enthusiasm and real life experiences. Ms. Spring often shares stories and pictures to maintain students' interest and to show them that French is a useful tool outside of the classroom. French is offered in all grades, from Pre-K 3 through 8thgrade. Structure Students in the Pre-K3 and the Pre-K4 meet once a week. They will learn various traditional children's songs. They will dance, use hand motions and will also learn simple ways to greet one another in French. Kindergarten through 2nd grade learn French through various songs and games. They also meet once a week. Students will learn topics that will reinforce lessons they are learning in their regular curriculum in additional to holiday songs, greetings and prayers. In small groups they will play games and complete various activities which will reinforce their learned vocabulary in French. Beginning in 3rd grade, students will learn the French alphabet. They will become familiar with French spelling, and will gradually learn how to read and write, in addition to being able to express themselves orally in French. In grades 3-5 students focus on being able to talk about themselves and ask each other questions. The curriculum for grades 6-8 incorporates preparation for high school French in addition to projects to demonstrate the importance of global awareness. Students will learn about different Francophone countries, about holidays around the world, and about Francophone saints. They will also continue to expand their knowledge of French using real life situations to practice dialogues and learned vocabulary. Classes for grades 3-8 are held in the target language and meet 2-3 times a week. These students receive homework every day that class meets, they complete projects about the French culture and will also have projects that will be completed in the target language. The students are also assessed on a regular basis. French Outside the Classroom The students at St. Stephen School have unique opportunities to use French outside the classroom and see the value of knowing a foreign language. During the 2009-2010 students in the 3rd and 4th grade began a pen pal friendship with a school in the North of France in the village of St. Quentin-sur-le-homme. Students exchanged letters every 2-3 months, and sent and received stamps, postcards, drawings... In their last letter to us, the students of St. Quentin-sur-le-homme sent us a game of "Who's Who" that they made. Our students read descriptions of their pen pals and match the description with a picture to find their pen pal. In July 2011 students in the 5th and 6th grade will have the opportunity to travel to France. The company ACIS specializes in educational tours to France and will be leading a group of students, parents and teachers from St. Stephen School on a 10 day trip in France. We will visit Paris where we will see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre and many other sights. Students will complete a scavenger hunt and will take a cooking class. We will also see the castles of the Loire Valley and visit Normandy where we will see Rouen, the D-Day beaches, and the Mont St. Michel. 
Paris, France
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