Dear friends,
As we begin 2024, I want to take a moment to acknowledge some of the wonderful moments we have had here at FASTB since the last Newsletter.
Since we last spoke, our youngest students embarked on a trip to the Mahaffey Theater to see their favorite fables played out on the big stage, Kindergarten took over the parking lot with their rollerskating, and our students worked to make their own snow day in the classrooms.
Looking ahead, in addition to all of the upcoming events at FASTB, I am very excited to announce that the Winter Festival (Kermesse) which was postponed due to weather has been rescheduled for March 1st. While now officially a Spring Carnival, FASTB cannot wait to bring back all of the games and activities our students love.
With the end of the winter weather on the horizon, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful week.
Warm Regards,
Colin LeBihan
School Director
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Upcoming dates to keep in mind
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January 23: Café & Conversation
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January 26: (Parent Event) Job Day
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February 13: Café & Conversation
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February 14-15: Parent - Teacher conferences
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February 15: 11:45am Early Dismissal - P/T conferences
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February 16-19: February Break
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February 21: Grades 2-3 Showcase #2 at (8:30am)
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February 22: Grade 1 Showcase #2 at (8:30am)
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February 23: Grades 4-5-6 Showcase #2 at (8:30am)
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February 27: Kindergarten Showcase #2 at (8:30am)
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February 28: EC4 Showcase #2 at (8:30am)
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February 29: EC3 Showcase #2 at (8:30am)
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March 1: (Parent Event) Spring Festival (1pm-2:30 pm)
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This week, our youngest students embarked on their first field trip of the year as they paid a visit to the Mahaffey Theater to see a stage rendition of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith’s book “The Stinky Cheese Man”.
The book, and performance, work to deconstruct many of the familiar fairy tales we grow up hearing, and worked to bring new meaning to the fables Julie and Lucile bring to the classroom.
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After the show, and due to the weather, our students proceeded to the nearby Dali Museum to explore and seek shelter from the rain.
Thank you to all of the parent volunteers who made the time to join the EC3 class on this outing.
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Career Day (January 26th) |
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A huge thank you to everyone who has already volunteered their time to come in and speak with our students. They are incredibly excited!
With so many different careers on display, it is sure to be a wonderful day of learning and exploration.
A big thank you to the Lealman Fire Department for joining us as well. they will be coming to show off their truck, equipment, and speak about fire safety to our entire school.
Should you still be interested in participating, please send us an email at office@fastb.org before the end of the school day tomorrow so that the staff can finalize the days activities. |
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Brainstorming Project in CE1 and CE2 |
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This week, our Ce1 and CE2 students began their next IB unit: How We Express Ourselves!
Students held a bilingual discussion with Miss Jenny, Miss Maeve, and Miss Emmy about expression and the different media we can use to express ourselves (books, stories, speech, and art...)
Their unit’s Central Idea revolves around the art of storytelling, as well as how stories can help us think, feel, imagine and understand others!
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Upcoming FASTB Puppet Show |
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We are incredibly excited to announce that FASTB will be hosting a puppet show rendition of "The Little Red Riding Hood" for the entire school on Tuesday, January 30th, courtesy of the legendary puppet group Bits 'N Pieces
"Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre is dedicated to influencing the world of tomorrow by enchanting the children of today. Through the theatrical retelling of classic children’s stories, each with its own unique life lesson and moral, Bits ‘N Pieces brings to life the magical wonderment of children’s fantasy and reinforces the core values long told and emphasized by great storytellers."
Please follow the embedded link to pay a visit to their website, and see the wonderful people who make these shows possible.
A very special thank you to Bits 'N Pieces, as well as our very own Julie Morel for making this event possible.
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"To kick off 2024 in style, snow made an appearance in the classroom! Nidou (The class mascot) wanted to do a little magic by bringing snow to Florida.
As we've done since the beginning of the year, we're having fun and discovering the world through various experiments.
This time, we created snow! All you have to do is mix two ingredients together, and a chemical reaction occurs, creating an identical material, as cold and crumbly as snow!
So we built snowmen in Florida, and yes !!!! Anything is possible, a beautiful moment of discovery. "
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Roller Skating With Kindergarten |
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This week we watched the Kindergarten class take over the FASTB parking lot with their roller skating. With the gates to the parking lot closed, our students continued to master their balance, and worked together to follow Françoise's directions.
Thank you Françoise for this unique activity that brings our students outside, teaches them the importance of safety equipment, and gives them the confidence to keep on rolling.
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Vote For A Second Zero Waste Day |
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As you may know, this is our second year participating in Zero Waste Tuesdays. This is the day where our lunchboxes are packed without plastic or one time use wrappers. This practice has been a tremendous success throughout our school, and we have seen less and less "waste" in our students' lunchboxes!
On Wednesday, December 20th, FASTB had its first "Conseil des Délégués" of the school year, where each class president represented their grade to begin discussions and make requests on how to improve their school year.
Stemming from this discussion, several grades requested a second "Zero Waste" day during the week, a request which the other grades approved unanimously.
We are delighted by their caring nature and desire to help the world around them, which is why we would like to add a second Zero Waste day. We greatly appreciate your feedback on this event, and in choosing which will be our second day!
FASTB teachers met to discuss this matter, and as a reward for this wonderful initiative, we have set up a challenge: If we reach 1,000 Zero Waste lunchboxes before the end of the school year, each student will receive a Lily of the Valley flower! This flower, called “muguet” in French, is traditionally given on May 1st to bring good luck for the year. (By our calculations, and with your support, we should reach this goal in May!)
Thank you for your participation, we are excited to see what our school can accomplish!
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CE1 and CE2 Trip to the Imagine Museum |
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In the week leading up to break, our CE1 and CE2 students set out on a trip to visit the Saint Petersburg Imagine Museum.
The Imagine Museum is a glass art museum that features a collection of contemporary glass art from around the world. In addition to their renowned collection, the museum also serves to showcase the evolution of studio glass work, and highlights the pioneers who helped establish it.
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Please join us on Tuesday, January 23rd
Café et Conversation
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Under the Tiki Hut! - All are welcome!
Join us for casual coffee gatherings that bring teachers, parents, and school administrators together in an informal setting. These meetings hold significant importance in nurturing communication, cultivating connections, tending to queries, and establishing a school atmosphere that is both encouraging and accommodating. Café et Conversation gatherings present an opportunity for cooperation and shared comprehension that proves advantageous to students, parents, and the entire school community.
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With the cold weather not seeming to let up anytime soon, the FASTB pond's resident turtles have taken to catching every ray of sunshine they can get.
With warm weather on the horizon, we look forward to warming up with our cold blooded neighbors.
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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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