Becoming Bilingual: New French Immersion School in St. Pete is for Everyone

At least one-third of our childhood is devoted to school. It’s where we learn things like math and history, and the difference between a metaphor and a simile. In addition to learning the official curriculum, we also practice our burgeoning social skills and test our growing independence at school. It plays a significant role in influencing the person we become.

Beginning this fall, The French American School of Tampa Bay (FASTB) will offer an exciting new choice to help guide kids through these formative years.

Recently I met with the couple responsible for bringing this new opportunity to St. Pete: Beth and Willy LeBihan. Their passion for this project is unmistakable, but passion is not the only thing they bring to the table. Their qualifications make it clear they are up to the challenge.

FASTB Founders, Beth and Willy LeBihan. Photo by Kelly Nash Photography.
FASTB Founders, Beth and Willy LeBihan. Photo by Kelly Nash Photography.

As a native of France, Willy brings first-hand knowledge of the French education system. Born and raised in Maine, Beth offers the American perspective. In addition to their childhood experiences, both have graduate degrees and extensive professional experience as teachers and administrators.

Plus, the two educators-turned-entrepreneurs have done this before. In 2002, they founded The French School of Maine. Its continued success inspired them to take their experience and passion to the place they have come to see as their second home: Tampa Bay.

What is The French American School of Tampa Bay?

The FASTB provides students, from early childhood through high school, a multicultural educational experience through French culture immersion. Essentially, the school combines both the French and American education systems to provide a “diverse, mind-opening educational experience in the atmosphere of understanding and discovery”.

Sounds great, but what does that mean exactly? For starters, your monolingual child will become bilingual. Studies consistently demonstrate the value of being bilingual. In addition to learning a second language, students will learn the curriculum required by the American system while immersing themselves in the French approach to learning. Contrary to some recent trends in American education, the FASTB emphasizes the importance of art, music, language and play as part of a successful learning environment.

The FASTB operates in close partnership with the Mission Laïque Française, the French Ministry of Education, and the Association of French Schools in North America. Students can move easily from one of nearly 500 French international schools to another, because they are all accredited by the Ministry and consistent with the French national curriculum. FASTB also will be accredited by the Florida Department of Education. So, they’ve got the official stuff covered.

Tell Me More About this French Approach

It’s not just the official stamps of approval that make FASTB authentically French. FASTB strives to create an atmosphere in which students feel as if they have walked into a school in France.

As Beth explained: “We don’t teach French. We teach in French.”

Students and teachers speak French during school hours, but immersion is about more than just language. It’s the free play on the playground. It’s the emphasis on varied types of communication rather than just technology. It’s the attention to the little things students take for granted. Everything from the triangle-shaped oversized pencils (for clumsy, small hands) to the four-ring binders (rather than typical three-ring American style) is authentically French.

This is an environment unlike any school in our area, where children naturally become bilingual; further develop their sense of compassion and empathy; gain a better understanding of the wider world; build a strong foundation for success in math and science; and have access to art and music in-school (not just after). If these priorities are your priorities, The French American School of Tampa Bay may be the right choice for your family.

The French American School of Tampa Bay

Voulez-vous apprendre plus?
(Do you want to learn more?)

The French American School of Tampa Bay opens in the fall of 2018, and they are accepting applications now. The school is located at 2100 62nd Ave. N. in St Pete. If you think this innovative program might be the right fit for your family, then visit their website at http://fastb.org/ to learn more. You may also contact them at [email protected] or 727-800-2159 to arrange a campus visit. To keep up to date as opening day approaches, follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheFrenchAmericanSchoolofTampaBay/

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Tina Stewart Brakebill
Tina and her husband Brian visited St Pete for the first time in January of 2017. Four months later, they waved goodbye to Illinois and moved to their new forever home in the Sunshine City! They both believe it’s the best snap decision they ever made. Leaving her job as a university history professor was the toughest part of the relocation, but she is thoroughly enjoying having more time to write. Currently, in addition to her work with Green Bench Monthly, she is working on her third book (and first novel) and loving life in DTSP.