Dear friends,
Over the past two weeks, FASTB has been on the move. We enjoyed our Halloween Celebration, completed Parent Teacher Conferences, had our first field trip, and even rescued a turtle! To celebrate this exciting time, this week’s special Friday edition of News de Nous is full of exciting trips and events that have been taking place at FASTB.
I would also like to send a special thank you to the entire FASTB community for making the time to join us for the Halloween Celebration! With a busy start to the year so far, this event was the perfect moment for the students to unwind and have fun.
As we wrap up another fantastic week at FASTB, I would like to remind you all that next week is Art Week! Thank you to everyone who volunteered to come in and share their art with the students, and we hope you can join us for the Art Week Exhibition from 5-6pm on November 16th.
Warm Regards,
Colin LeBihan
School Director
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Upcoming dates to keep in mind
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November 14-16: Art Week!
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November 20-24: Thanksgiving Break
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December 16: Kermesse
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December 5 - January 5: Winter Break
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This week Françoise arranged an opportunity for the Kindergarten class to visit the Tampa Museum of Art. This gave the GS students a chance to discover several exhibitions and artists firsthand.
The day began with the reading of an art discovery book which contained a selection of famous paintings. This was followed by card and board games, lunch, as well as plenty free time to use the playground adjacent to the museum.
The visit consisted of a guided tour of the museum exhibitions which featured styles ranging from Impressionism to Haitian Art and Sequin, as well as works from artists such as Purvis Young and Pepe Mar.
Firsthand experiences such as these are one of the best teaching tools at our disposal to help our students develop critical thinking, engage curiosity, promote active learning, and challenge their imagination.
Special thank you to Françoise for organizing this wonderful excursion, as well as the parent volunteers who helped make this trip possible.
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Art week events will take place during the school days on Tuesday, November 14th and Wednesday, November 15th. Thursday will be a regular school day for students, but we will host an Art Exhibition - showcasing the students' wonderful creations - from 5pm to 6pm on campus. Parents and students are invited to the exhibition.
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Special thank you to everyone who came to FASTB to join this year's Halloween Celebration!
The "fashion-show" format was new to the school, but I think we can all agree it was a huge success for the students. Every student had the opportunity to show off their wonderful Halloween costumes in front of the entire the FASTB community! Going on to enjoy games, and goody bags provided by the Parents Association.
Thank you to our older students for leading the celebration, and also to our younger students who showed tremendous bravery walking down the red carpet.
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After School Club Sign-Up |
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Registration for the second session of after school clubs is now open!
By popular demand, Emilie has opened another slot for the EC3 and EC4 Judo. This will be offered on Wednesday and Thursday from 3-4pm.
Clubs Offered This Session
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Judo: Grades K,1,2,3: Tuesdays- 3pm-4pm
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Judo: Grades EC3,EC4: Wednesdays 3pm-4pm
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Judo: Grades EC3,EC4: Thursdays 3pm-4pm
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Homework/Tutoring: Grades 1 through 6: Fridays 3pm-4pm
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Arts and Crafts: EC3, EC4, GS/K: Wednesdays 3pm-4pm
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Arts and Crafts: Grades 1 through 6: Mondays 3pm-4pm
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Theatre: Grades 1-3, Thursdays 3pm-4pm
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Theatre: Grades 4-6 Tuesdays 3pm-4pm
The link to register can be found: HERE
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Over the course of the coming year, the EC4 class will be corresponding with children from the École Primaire Hauteville located in the town of Pauillac, a small city in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France.
The purpose of this project will be for the students to discover French culture through the lived experiences of their counterparts in Pauillac. Students from both FASTB and Pauillac will share snippets of their life in their city and at school with each other. Students will write letters, dictated to Emilie and Kettly, which will include drawings and photos that illustrate special moments from this year at FASTB (Halloween, Art Week…).
As we approach the end of the year, a Zoom meeting will be arranged to allow the children to see and speak with each other.
Big thank you to Emilie for organizing this exciting project. We are looking forward to seeing what comes our way from Pauillac!
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As fall is now upon us, second and third graders created some beautiful, fall-themed, watercolor pumpkins - learning about adding value to drawings and paintings during the process. |
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First graders also made some beautiful fall-themed art. After studying the work of contemporary artist Eloise Renouf, they created some wonderful, mixed-media, fall-themed landscapes. In the following lesson, they learned about one-point perspective and drew and painted some very impressive pumpkin patches! |
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The second graders continued working on fall themed mixed-media landscape collages. Using the techniques they learned in class, as well as inspiration from contemporary artists, students created beautiful fall landscapes. For the trees, students learned to add shading with charcoal. |
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The 2nd Symposium on French Education in Florida took place on October 5th and 6th in Miami.
The Regional Symposium is dedicated to teachers and coordinators of French programs across Florida. This meeting provided a wonderful opportunity for educators to discuss the perspectives and evolution of the French language, and the importance of developing l’esprit critique (critical thinking) in the teaching of French.
Emmy represented FASTB and had the opportunity to attend this very engaging seminar, meet educators of French from all parts of Florida, and attend an event organized by M. Le Consul Général de France, Raphaël Trapp, at La Résidence de France in Miami.
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Raphaël Trapp - Consul Général de France
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From left to right:
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Charlotte Barbier - Doctorante en Sciences de l'éducation, conférence sur l'esprit critique.
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Elizabeth de Gouzel - Coordinatrice Alliance Française Miami
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Muriel Molinier - French Program Coordinator à Coconut grove School
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Theresa Antes - Associate Professor of French and Linguistics à University of Florida
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Cécile Lacheteau - Attachée de coopération éducative et universitaire
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Anthoni Dominguez - Cultural and Education Attaché
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Victoria Creux Laroche - Educational Affairs Programme Officer at the French Embassy
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Emmy Decker - Curriculum Coordinator at the French American School of Tampa Bay :)
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Laura Deveze - Directrice pédagogique de l'école Le Petit Prince à Boca Raton
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Nawel Belghazi - French teacher at Downtown Doral Charter Elementary School
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Stephanie Kassis - Director of Operations at Association des Petits Ecoliers de Miami
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Stanislas Riener - Directeur Exécutif à Alliance Française Miami Metro
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In this edition of the Critter Column we go just beyond the fence of the lunch area to assist a turtle in distress.
We were notified that this turtle had tried and failed to climb up the slope of the pond by a local resident. After grabbing our gloves, we sprang into action, and had the turtle back on its feet.
The turtle provided no comment on this event, and returned promptly to the water.
An exciting show for the EC3,EC4, and Kindergartners who were enjoying lunch on the other side of the fence!
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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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