Paris In New York

A fun afternoon for the kids at the FIAF - Saturday Dec.8

Explore the richness of the French language and culture with your petits enfants through different activities At 2pm - Ages 7 & up

Tales of the Night - Les contes de la nuit
Directed by Michel Ocelot, 2011. Animated. 84 min.
In French with English subtitles

A hit at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival, Tales of the Night follows three young writers who meet in an abandoned cinema to create six fairytales. Travel with them as their imaginations take them to exotic lands.

Haskell Library
Open House & Story Time

From 3–4:30pm - Ages 3–6

Explore the Library’s kids’ collection and enjoy story time and arts and crafts in French from 3:30–4:15pm.

Puppet Show
The Princess, the Frog, and the Pea

Saturday, December 8 at 3:15pm

Ages 3 & up

Back by popular demand, Goat on a Boat presents a puppet show that combines three classic European fairytales into a unique, funny adventure.

Told in French and performed in English by Liz Joyce.

Music & Dance
French Boom
With DJ Dima Dubson

At 5pm - Ages 3 & up

Celebrate the holidays with some dancing!

Parents and kids are invited to groove to the French beats of NY-based DJ Dima Dubson.

French Children's Book Sale - from 10am–5pm

Discover unique children's books in French for all ages and levels. Buy the perfect holiday gift for the young Francophiles in your life! 

This week-end - A taste of France for Kids and Adults

Where to taste sweet delis from France, buy cute French clothes or books, and meet French people in a fun environment ? 

The Lycée Francais de New York is opening its doors to the public this week-end for its 2012 Fall Festival. Spread between Friday evening, November 9th and Saturday, November 10th, participants will enjoy various tastings of cocktails, high end chefs, a book fair, a vendors’ fair as well as many fun activities for children. 

Friday Night: TASTING SOIRÉE: Friday, November 9th, 7pm - 10pm

This Tasting Soiree cocktail party (for adults only) gathers more than twenty top New York City restaurants and caterers including: Ajna Bar, Bar Italia, Canyon Road, Cuis’in, DBA Bareburger, Fleur d’Oranger, Le Gamin, Great Performances, Kayser, Lactalis Deli, La Grande Pomme, la Marina, Moulin à café, Orsay, Pernod Ricard, Pinkberry, Sushi Shop, Vegan divas, etc…

Adults only.  $40 in advance, $50 at the door.  Ticket price includes food tasting and open bar.

FAMILY & SHOPPING DAY: Saturday, November 10th, 10am - 4pm

Get a jump start on your holiday shopping

Free admission and open to the public.  Featuring more than 40 vendors selling a variety of items for every age and every taste including:

Jewelry, fashion accessories: Two B’s Accessories, Avenue Chic, Minh-thu Le Roy, Violette, Gabrielle Vallarino, Bonnie Jennifer, Diane Rihs, L’atelier, Sugar and Vine, Bridget Gem’s, Tru Tru Design, Nathalie Regnault Sann, Blu Aura by Monica & Saide LLC

Adult and children’s clothing: IL GUFO, MUNY DESIGN INC., Kidini, Alessandra Battistoni, Busayo, Untuckit

Food: Alain Milliat, Canele by Celine and Kusmi Tea, Le Palais Des Thes, Fleur D’Oranger, Simply Gourmand, Antonia Ressle, Macaron, Cuis’in

Books: William Hall/High Valley Books, Krystel Abimeri, Bayard Presse

Home décor: Annabelle’s Pottery, Theoreme/Agnes de Villarson, Pia Rossi, Lee Baratier, Gregoire Ganter Photography, Adventure Shop, Craftspring, Retro NY Metro Inc.

Toys and children’s items: Raphaele Guerin, Patrick Martinez, Clafoutis, Little Pim

Beauty: Caudalie Spa

Movies: vente de tickets pour le Festival In French with English Subtitles

The Fall Festival vendor list wouldn’t be complete without the French Book Fair. This popular booth features new books for both adults and children including pictures books, atlases, novels, comic books, first readers, and many more.  100% of the proceeds from the sale of the books go directly to the Lycée Français.

Finally, children will be entertained with a variety of activities and classes for kids of all ages including: music classes, basketball, dance, soccer, yoga, story time, djembe, Brazilian bracelet making and many more.

For more information on the Fall Festival, please contact: Marysella Castillo [email protected] or call (212) 439-3853

 

 

 

Friday, December 16th: Art and Craft at the Jacadi Boutique

Friday, December 16 
3–4pm / 4:15–5:15pm
For parents and kids ages 5–8

Jacadi and FIAF celebrate the holidays with an afternoon of seasonal arts & crafts. Children will create snowflakes and gingerbread ornaments, and learn a special French holiday song!

As a proud sponsor of FIAF's signature à petits pas French immersion program for toddlers, Jacadi, in conjunction with FIAF, presents the fourth in a series of customized workshops designed to bring French language and culture to parents and their children at select Jacadi stores in the metropolitan area.

Jacadi Madison Avenue Boutique 
1242 Madison Avenue at 89th St
New York, NY 10128

Free! 

Space is limited. RSVP by Wed, Dec 14.
Contact Guitty Roustaï at [email protected] / 646 388 6605

Learn French In One Week End

At the New School, 14 hours of instruction Friday through Sunday...like a Marathon but convenient if you have to go to France.

Learn how to master common situations such as asking for directions, handling currency, ordering in restaurants, and shopping. Make rapid progress learning to converse in French.

Level 1 is for complete beginners; Level 2 is for students familiar with basic elements of the language; Level 3 is an intermediate-level course for students with a good working knowledge of French; Level 4 is an advanced course. Each workshop meets Friday, 6:00 - 9:30 p.m.; Saturday,10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (with a one-hour lunch break); and Sunday,10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m

Register for December 2-4 session

Wall Street Journal - "Learning to Be French in Brooklyn"

By KAVITA MOKHA

French dual-language programs, which didn't exist in New York City public schools five years ago, are booming across the city, spurred by lobbying efforts from the French community.

By September 2011, six elementary schools, one middle school and one charter school will have French programs. In Brooklyn, Public School 133 in Park Slope and P.S. 110 in Greenpoint are expected to unveil programs starting this fall.

View Full Image

Julie Platner for The Wall Street Journal

Students at P.S. 58, the Carroll School in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, which offers a French language program.

The growing number of French programs reflects the growing number of French. A survey conducted by the U.S. Census found 14,000 French lived in New York City in 2009, up from 12,000 in the 2000. The French consulate in New York says the true number is far higher—approximately 75,000 French living in New York state, most of them in New York City. About 3,000 French families have settled in the Carroll Gardens-Gowanus-Park Slope area of Brooklyn in the last 10 years, said Fabrice Jaumont, the education attaché at the French Embassy.

While there are a handful of private French bilingual schools in the city—Lycée Français of New York; the French-American School of New York; and Lyceum Kennedy among them—the high cost of attendance put them out of the reach for many younger French families.

The French dual-language programs in public schools, by contrast, are free. "There was a lot of thirst among them for programs like this, because four years ago, if you couldn't spend over $20,000 to send your child to a private school, you didn't have a choice," said Marie Bouteillon, the first teacher hired for Carroll School-P.S. 58's dual-language program in 2007.

That program started with a kindergarten class of 24 students, split evenly between native French speakers and non-French speakers, and with one teacher. It now enrolls nearly 200 students across four grade levels, with eight teachers, and has a growing waiting list for admissions this fall.

At Le Petit Paradis, preschoolers are learning their ABCs in both English and French. Aside from bilingualism's practical benefits, parents and experts alike say speaking multiple languages offer other advantages. WSJ's Christina Tsuei reports.

Dual-language programs have been offered in city public schools for more than a decade. Eighty of the city's 96 such programs are dedicated to Spanish, while seven are in Chinese and one each in Russian, Korean and Haitian Creole.

In 2005, French expatriates formed a group, Education Française à New York, to push for French after-school and dual-language programs in public schools. The group began by initially offering after-school classes in neighborhood public schools run by volunteers.

These programs benefited from funding from the French government, which offers special grants to support classes in French as a mother tongue, where no French schools are otherwise available for French citizens living abroad. Mr. Jaumont of the embassy said the French government helped out because the existing French schools in New York City were out of space, and they were too expensive for many young French families to afford.

What began as a gathering of French parents to discuss the educational needs of their children soon gathered momentum.

"Some of us first met other French parents in Carroll Park, and we started meeting more French people in bars and restaurants across the city, and fairly rapidly we were able to get a critical mass of parents who were interested in pursuing French bilingual programs for their children," said Catherine Poisson, president of Education Française à New York. "We started going to principals of various schools trying to establish after-school programs first and then dual-language education."

Meanwhile, the Carroll School and the French Embassy, pushed by a shortage of teachers qualified to teach French dual-language programs, approached Hunter College last year about adding a French track to its existing Master's in early-childhood bilingual-education program. Hunter will begin offering the French track starting this fall.

While a large number of the children enrolled in the public school dual-language programs are French, the programs also cater to children of other Francophone immigrants from countries like Switzerland, Canada and Senegal. The programs include an equal distribution of students who speak French at home and those who speak English or another language with their parents.

Having both native French speakers and English speakers In the classroom has helped both students and teachers, says Ms. Bouteillon. "One example is that of Francophone parents, who recorded themselves reading poems, short stories and spelling tests to help Anglophone parents and students with French homework," said Ms. Bouteillon, who is now the instructional coach at the Carroll School.

For many French parents, the programs have a broader draw than merely raising their children with two languages.

"It's not just learning the language," said Lea Sloan, whose father is French and mother is American and who was involved in efforts aimed at establishing a French program at P.S.110 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where her 5-year-old daughter Mia Sloan will begin attending kindergarten this fall. "It's a whole experience, because my kid will want to go to France and have attachment with the country, the culture and the food through the language."

French on the Go at New School

Before traveling to France or another country where French is commonly spoken, stop at The New School for a weekend immersion in the French language. Master common situations such as asking for directions, handling currency, ordering in restaurants, and shopping. Make rapid progress learning to converse in French. Level 1 is for complete beginners; Level 2 is for students familiar with basic elements of the language; Level 3 is an intermediate-level course for students with a good working knowledge of French; Level 4 is an advanced course. Each workshop meets Friday, 6:00-9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (with a one-hour lunch break); and Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., for a total of 14 hours of instruction.

French on the Go: Level 1 NFRN0804
A   4 session(s). Fri., Sat. & Sun., beg. June 10. $350.00
Register: Non-Credit

Holidays gift ideas : French songs for children

I just received this wonderful collection of discs for kids. 

With very soothing melodies and words from childhood everyday life, Muriel Vergnaud's songs are a great way for your children to learn French

To download

Muriel Vergnaud, flutist and composer from France, is also the founder of LiveYourSong -Multi Arts French program for children.For years, she taught her unique concept of learning French through singing and movement in numerous NYC schools. 

www.murielsworld.com

"J’ai dans mon panier un petit caillou,
deux, trois petits cailloux blancs,
j’ai dans mon panier un petit caillou,
petit caillou de rien du tout.
Entre les petits caillous, je marche à petits pas.
J’ai dans mon chapeau un petit caillou,
deux, trois petits cailloux blancs,
j’ai dans mon chapeau un petit caillou,
petit caillou de rien du tout.
Entre les petits caillous, je marche à petits pas.
J’ai dans mon foulard un petit caillou,
deux, trois petits cailloux blancs,
j’ai dans mon foulard un petit caillou,
petit caillou de rien du tout.
Entre les petits caillous, je marche à petits pas."

French Institute - Many interesting events in October

Among others, I would recommend:

. the Cross Cultural Workshop : Interesting in moving to France ? How to assimilate quickly...

Mondays, 6–9pm 
October 5 and November 2: Vivre en France / Living in France 
October 19 and November 16: Travailler en France / Working in France

. Theatrical event :

Fabrice Luchini : "Le Point sur Robert"

Wednesday & Thursday, October 7 & 8, 2009 at 8pm
Florence Gould Hall

The French actor, winner of multiple Cesar Awards, will also present the movie The Discreet. 

Tue, Oct 6

. For the kids:

Cook in French (5-11yrs)- Sat, Oct 3

Bookmaking (4-6yrs)- Sat, Oct 10

Bookmaking (7-10yrs)- Sat,Oct 10

L'Heure du Conte - Thu, Oct 1 (3-6yrs): storytime program with French stories and songs

A Petits Pas Story Hour (2-3yrs) - Thur,Oct 8 : French stories for toddlers

Cine-club des Frimousses (3-8yrs) - Thur, Oct 8 ; french movie club

More Info, go to www.fiaf.org

A New French-American International School is opening in Gramercy

Opening September 2009.

After Lycee Francais de New York in the Upper East Side and Lyceum Kennedy Mid-town, here is EINY, Ecole International de New York. Founded by former managers of Lyceum Kennedy, Clyde Javois and Yves Rivaud, EINY will start as a small school with about 80 students from the age of 3 to 11 ( Nursery through 5th Grade) and will eventually welcome kids through High school.

Admissions Now !

French-English dual program at P.S. 84 in the West Side

SEEKING 8-10 NATIVE FRENCH-SPEAKING STUDENTS, AND 8-10 STUDENTS WHO ARE NATIVE SPEAKERS OF A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN FRENCH, TO FORM A FRENCH-ENGLISH DUAL LANGUAGE CLASS IN WHICH ALL STUDENTS WILL BECOME BILINGUAL, BILITERATE AND BICULTURAL.

P.S. 84, The Lillian Weber School for the Arts, is a District 3 public school located on 92nd Street just off Central Park West, with students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 5. In addition to our English monolingual classes, we have long offered a Spanish-English dual language program for Kindergarten through Grade 5, and will continue to do so.

In September 2008, we launched District 3's first ever French-English dual language program. We started with two classes: Kindergarten and 1^st Grade.  Eventually, we will have French-English classes in Kindergarten through Grade 5. Students in this dynamic program will graduate from P.S. 84 reading, writing and speaking in both languages.

To enter Kindergarten in September 2009, your child must turn 5 between January 1 and December 31, 2009.

To apply for the French-English dual language program, your child must first register at P.S. 84. Those families who do not live in the P.S. 84 catchment must apply for admission through the District 3 Kindergarten Lottery, which is open to families in Districts 3, 5, and 6.  

Looking for American families to welcome French teenagers in July or August

Every year, around that time, friends and family contact me to help them find a family that would be willing to welcome their kids for 4 or 6 weeks. Most of them are between 16 to 18 years old. They want to improve their English and also discover the American culture.

If you are looking for a babysitter during the summer months or would like to do an exchange with one of your kid (same age) or just want to have someone that can speak in French with you, then do not hesitate to contact me to get more info.

Most of the kids live in Paris or its suburbs.

Contact me

Holidays - Idees Cadeaux - French Songs for children

The Lycee Francais de New York gathered music and lyrics of 65 favorite French children's songs in a book and CD.

Jacques Letalon, music teacher at the nursery level, sings with his students some of the classic songs that every student knows and loves : Freres Jacques, le Pont d'Avignon, Au feu les Pompiers, La Barbichette, Pomme de Reinette, Une Souris Verte, Promenons-nous dans les Bois, Jean Petit qui Danse, Gentil Coquelicot and many more !

Amazing illustrations by Otto Steininger

Vive la Musique !

$20 (without shipping)

Contact the Development Office at LFNY : 212-369-1400 or PNY at [email protected]

A morning at Le petit Paradis Preschool.

8.45am...I am running on the pavement of the Upper East Side hoping to stop a cab. Rush hour, no luck! 

9.00am...Here I am in front of the door of Le Petit Paradis, On time but all sweaty. I open the door and enter a colorful and welcoming room filled with young "red-sweatered" kids. 

 

Few are seated at the little painted tables, doing some activities. Counting sticks, working on letters, painting, pouring beans with spoons, learning how to lace a shoe...All in silence and calm. When they finish, they take the tray with the material and put in back on the shelves. They can pick another tray to work on the next activity. 

Some others are playing on the floor with blocks, reading a book on a bench,  pressing an orange for a snack (fresh squeezed orange juice for everyone and only organic food !), playing at the mini-kitchen or dressing up in costumes.

While I am watching them, a little boy named Raphael comes to me pulling a beaded necklace he just did. "Oh, you are walking your dog !", I tell him. From that moment, he is not going to let me go anywhere without him. Full of imagination, very attaching, he makes me laugh and forget about my rush of the morning.

Le Petit Paradis is a good mixture between Montessori and Bank Street. Kids from 2.9 months to 5 years old are mixed together, everyone learning from each other Hand-Eye Coordination, Respect for material, Focus on an activity. But at the same time there is a big space for imagination and creativity through pretend play, music and movement or art. Both philosophies encouraging community living.

10.15am...Clean-up time.

Everyone seat on the floor around the two teachers. It is Circle Time. One teacher is American (former teacher at Trinity School) and the other one French Canadian (former librarian). They switch from French to English and kids have to do the same. Most of them come from a bilingual family but some are from English speaking parents or with parents coming from a foreign country with no French at home. I heard a 5 years old girl speaking French after only two months at the preschool. Both of her parents are Americans, none of them speak French ! "They are like a sponge at that age" explained to me Christina Houri, the founder of Le Petit Paradis. She herself grew up around 7 languages and attended the Lycee Francais de New York in High school. " At the beginning, they absorb. Then, they mix the two languages and eventually one day, they just separate both and are able to switch from one language to another !"

10.30am...Kids and teachers are dancing on French music. They talked about the date, letters and words, and they learned about the Ocean and recycling.

Time to get dress to go to the local playground and time for me to leave...Bye bye, cute little red-coat children !

For your information, few spots are still available in the afternoon in January for the rest of the year.

REGISTRATION FOR 2009-2010 NOW !!!!!

Le Petit Paradis Corp, Preschool

1656 Third Avenue

Tel/Fax (212) 410-0180

www.lepetitparadispreschool.com