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Comments From The French Academy of Minnesota's Parents
The Magic of the Classroom
We are parents of two girls who attended
The French Academy of Minnesota for their pre-school years. We chose to
move them to a public French immersion
school for their kindergarten year and
beyond. Although we have been happy at the
public school, we are thrilled to return to
the French Academy and finish our elementary years. The
obvious reasons to change back to the French
Academy are
simple: 1) class size and 2) native French
being spoken. The less obvious reason is the
magic in the classrooms at The French
Academy of Minnesota. Veronique
and all of her staff show a passion that is
not just to teach excellent academics, but
also to instill the love of learning in each
and every student. We have missed the
environment that The French Academy offers and look
forward to our return next year.
Jodi and Todd Peterson, February 2004
My Three Children
Three years ago our almost-3 year old son
was ready for a structured pre-school
program, but because of a September birthday
and a September 1st cut-off at the local
pre-schools, we were unable to enroll him.
We remembered reading an article in our
local newspaper of a French woman who was
starting a French immersion school in her
basement, and learned that she would take
children as young as 33 months. After
Veronique spent a good thirty minutes on the
phone with us, enthusiastically telling us
about her program, we visited her in-home
classroom and were convinced that this was
the right curriculum and environment for our
son.
The French Academy of Minnesota has
grown from approximately six children in our
son's first year, to 45 this year between
three classrooms. Our son is now in his
fourth year (1st grade) at the school and is
doing well with math, science, is fluent in
the language, and is now reading and writing
in French. This Fall our three year old
twins were also enrolled in the school.
Veronique's passion for children is first
and foremost her most important quality. She
has a gift for engaging children and
nurturing their self-development and sense
of independence. We are always amazed when
we observe our small children at school
performing various fine motor skills, taking
responsibilities for keeping their
belongings and school articles organized,
and cleaning up after themselves. It gives
us pause as we think of how much more they
can actually do for themselves at home! And
what a boost it is to their self-esteem when
they can accomplish so much.
Veronique has a deep understanding of child
development and successful learning
practices. The curriculum is fun and
interesting for the children and encourages
their budding thought processes. Creativity
is enhanced through art projects, music and
cooking. During the holidays Veronique has
invited parents of different ethnic
background to share their family traditions
with the students. The children have enjoyed
many enriching experiences out of the
classroom as well, such as fieldtrips to an
apple orchard to pick their own apples, an
aquarium to pet sharks, children's theaters
to experience drama and even to a vineyard
to make grape juice!
When we look back at the history of the
school it is apparent that Veronique has had
a vision for the future and has made many
smart business decisions. Her organizational
skills and attention to detail are
impressive. She has hired excellent teachers
who share her passion for children and who
strive to give them the most loving and
encouraging learning experience possible.
Her high expectations of teachers, staff,
and even parents ensures excellence.
Veronique's presence in our community has
positively influenced the most crucial
aspect of the future - our children.
Dawn and Lance Stover, October 2003
A Brighter Future
Loving our
children unconditionally is as natural as breathing.
Having the patience, grace, and wisdom to help them
realize their full potential, now that’s a humbling
endeavor. One of the best decisions I have made in
guiding my son thus far has been to enroll him in
The French Academy of Minnesota
The cognitive and cultural benefits of the
immersion approach are appreciable, but even
more important to me is that these gifts are
given to my son in the context of safety,
comfort, and mutual respect. Both the
classrooms and the school as a whole are
well-managed. Information to the parents is
complete and timely. The rapport between the
students and the staff is exceptional. From
the first meeting with The French Academy’s director,
Veronique Noel, I could see that she knew
children well. She knelt down to be on eye
level with my son, she spoke kindly, with
humor; this made him smile, and he left
there wanting to see her again. I have found
all the staff members at the French Academy to be equally
knowledgeable and caring. Since that day,
Veronique and her staff have always taken
the time to answer my questions thoroughly
and sensitively. I have often received calls
at home simply to tell me how well my son is
doing. This positive, proactive approach is
shared with the children as well. On the
occasions my son has difficulty advancing,
his teachers are quick to assure me he will
succeed, and I know they make every effort
in helping him to do so. At The French
Academy the
partnership between home and school is
strong. It’s wonderful to feel that my input
as a parent is valued, just as I feel that
my son is valued for the unique and
wonderful individual that he is.
During my initial exploration of
The French Academy I
found the rooms to be bright, cheerful, and
well-organized. Most impressive, however, is
the fact that no matter the time I stop by,
the rooms remain neat and inviting. As an
educator I know that this kind of
environment only happens when the children
are participating in keeping the rooms
clean, and this speaks volumes for the
responsibility and stewardship being
fostered.
The curriculum is also well designed to
stimulate the children’s curiosity and build
their confidence through achievement. Each
day I try to arrive a few minutes early
since it is such a pleasure to peek in the
classroom and see my son completely absorbed
in his lesson.
The songs, rhymes, and stories work wonders
to increase the children’s fluency in the
French language. It is to rewarding to hear
my son singing French songs and using French
phrases at home. When I pick my son up from
school he is happy and full of energy. I know
he is enjoying his time at The French
Academy. Every day I
ask him, “What was your favorite activity
today?” and every day he replies “Oh,
nothing, I liked it all”.
At The
French Academy of Minnesota I have the sense of not only being a
part of an outstanding school, but also of
being part of an educational community
dedicated to helping all the children master
outstanding skills and appreciate their own
strengths and abilities. I don’t feel
isolated in my efforts to help my son reach
his potential. This gives me great peace of
mind. To all those at The French Academy who make this
possible, I would like to express a
heartfelt “Merci beaucoup”. Keep up the
great work. You are touching lives and
making brighter futures for all our
children.
Janetta Gong, January 2004 |
