Leadership, Exploration & Discovery

As we head into the spring season, we share with you a snapshot of what's been happening in (and outside of) the classrooms at French American and International. In the photos and captions below, you will find our students stepping into leadership roles, taking a critical look at issues, and exploring the world around them.

Students Directed One Act Plays: The apex of International's theater program, which is committed to teaching all facets of theatrical production, is the opportunity to direct a play. The Back à Dos One Act Play Festival was held in late January and showcased six plays chosen by senior directors who managed every step of the production process, from auditions to final performance.

In the Middle School, 8th grade students are preparing early for their director roles. We have record-breaking participation in the Back à Dos program this year and, with 37 student actors, we got a little creative to ensure everyone could play a part. For the first time, we produced student-directed theater in the Middle School. Students were divided into four groups, and each group performed a different One Act play directed by one of four 8th grade students—Audrey, Saskia, Elizabeth, and Lenore. Bravo, students!

TEDx Talks Declared Dissent: International's annual student-organized TEDx event took place in February in the Dennis Gallagher Arts Pavilion. Students and guest speakers gave thought-provoking talks around the theme Declare Dissent, which included political correctness, computer creativity, veganism, and the future of the revolution. Co-organizers Hannah and Maria-Camila '18 shared about their experience as organizers and what they hope attendees took away from the event:

Organizing TEDxYouth@FAIHS was a whirlwind of an experience. It was a matter of learning how to juggle all of the different components—event day planning, prepping the speakers, preparing the venue, fundraising. Our only regret is not being able to organize again next year and get the chance to implement all the lessons and tidbits we learned this year! We chose the theme "Declare Dissent" because of how pertinent we felt it was in this day and age. The goal of our theme was not to inspire inflammatory speeches that would promote a single vein of thought, but rather to showcase talks that featured ideas intersecting politically, socially, and economically, and that went against the grain.

Young Entrepreneurs Opened a Restaurant: After learning about nutrition and discussing what they like to eat, how fruits and vegetables grow, and how to say in French the names of different foods, PK4 students prepared a healthy meal for their younger classmates in PK3 and served them lunch at their very own, student-run restaurant at the Maternelle. It was a success!

Students are Observing Intersectionality: In celebration of Black History and Women's History month, the International High School Student Diversity Council (pictured below) put together an assembly that challenged our community to look boldly at the reality of simultaneous race and gender bias. Their two-hour assembly, Observing Intersectionality, included a privilege exercise aimed at identifying ways in which we all experience and perceive privilege, or lack thereof; a powerfully emotive spoken word and musical presentation by Young, Gifted & Black, an Oakland-based edu-activist group; and a very poignant sharing of student and faculty narratives highlighting the need for humility, bravery, and resilience in our community and the world at large.

Exploring the Anthropology of Food: Exploration classes in the Middle School are intended to spark our students' curiosity in a more flexible environment: no grades, no homework, and students choose what they want to explore. In the Anthropology of Food class taught by Darryl Johnson, students make and sample food from all over the world and are challenged to better understand how different cultures see and relate to food.

"I like how we make delicious foods from different regions around the world, and how I learned different techniques that people use for cooking," said Noemie, grade 7. Her classmate Aissata concurs: "I love how Darryl has been to so many places and can teach us new things. I've learned how to make a Japanese curry and an Indian curry—and both were really good!"

Developing Research Skills: All 6th grade students have been exploring different themes related to The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling—such as colonialism, conservation, the history of India, and adaptations of the text. To kick off the project in English class, students spent time in the library doing preliminary work for their individual research papers and visual presentations. Their research has evolved to include endangered animals in India, the role of the English language in India, and Kipling's views on imperialism, among others. Through the project, students are learning fundamental research skills and how to read a text with a critical eye.

Engaging in Science Exploration: Students at the Maternelle conducted a series of science experiments during Semaine des Sciences in February. Young scientists in PK3, PK4, and K explored concepts ranging from shadows, light, and air to electricity, magnetism, and the kaleidoscope. They learned how to use what they know to make and test hypotheses using the Scientific Method, discovered that a build up of gas and water in a closed container create enough pressure to send a film canister rocket into the air, and asked questions like: Are all substances soluble in water? Which objects float, and which objects sink? Are all objects drawn to a magnet? Stay curious, students!

And Global Exploration: Our 2018 Global Travel Program season has officially launched! A group of 9th-11th graders traveled to Copenhagen & Berlin in mid-February, and the second group returned from Senegal this week. The next set of trips—scheduled for around Spring Break—will take Middle and High School students to China, Morocco, Italy, Nicaragua, France, Vietnam, Tahiti, China & Tibet, the Galapágos, Thailand, and India.

Discovering What Life is Like in First Grade: Head of School Melinda Bihn had "so much fun with Scarlett and Co." when she spent a day in mid-February with Scarlett, her classmates, and teachers in 1 Blue. From PE to French, Math to Play Time on the Oak Street Yard — a fun and educational time was had by all!

And What Life is Like in College: In January, we welcomed back recent grads for a Young Alumni-Senior lunch with this year's graduating seniors. Members of the Class of 2016 and 2017 shared about their college experiences—at NYU, UC Berkeley, Harvard, Virginia Tech, and Washington University in St. Louis—and offered advice to our current students making the transition to college this year. Wise words of advice on college choice ranged from the inspirational to the practical, but perhaps Ben Schroeder, International '17 and current NYU student, said it best when he advised: "Weather matters."

On the Courts and Slopes: International High School Athletics had a successful 2017-18 winter season!

The Women's Varsity Basketball team earned back-to-back championships in the BCL Central, a 16-0 perfect season throughout league play, and a 7th seed in NCS playoffs! They finished fourth in NCS after losing to #2 seed St. Bernard in the semi-final playoff game.
The Men's Varsity Basketball team improved throughout the season and played their hearts out in large part due to the bond and brotherhood they've shared since they were in elementary school together. Their season ended in a (very close!) 55-54 loss to San Domenico (#1 seed) in the BCL Central semi-final playoff game.
International became the first San Francisco school to support a Club Skiing team. Sophomore Sydney Milner has earned two 1st Place finishes in the early season races in Tahoe.

In the Middle School . . .

The 5th Grade, 7th Red, and 8th Red Boys Basketball teams won the CYO Championships this season—Congratulations, student-athletes!
Students in grades 3-8 had the opportunity to develop their skills in both basketball and volleyball at our clinics held during February break.

Upcoming Events

State of the School - March 13: Board Chair Josh Nossiter and Head of School Melinda Bihn invite you to join members of the Board of Trustees and the Leadership Team for our annual State of the School on Tuesday, March 13 in the Dennis Gallagher Arts Pavilion at 66 Page St. Following the reception at 6:00pm and a preview of the High School Musical, Fiddler on the Roof, Melinda will share our strategic planning process, including initiatives already underway this year and planned for next. We hope that you will join us for an exciting discussion of our community's shared vision for our school.

Childcare will be offered from 6:00-7:45pm at both 150 Oak and 1155 Page campuses. Please RSVP here and let us know if you will need childcare.

Annual Auction - March 24: Join us on March 24 at the Ritz-Carlton for a fun evening of food, drinks, live auction, and dancing to the tunes of Mustache Harbor—all to benefit our teachers, students, and school. Tickets and event details are available online. If you want to help at the Auction, plan to put together a table with a group of friends or have other seating requests, or have general questions about the event, please reach out to Françoise Monet at (415) 558-2015 or francoisem@frenchamericansf.org.

Spread the Word

Our own families are our best advocates. If you value the stories above, please consider forwarding this to those in your broader circles who might be interested in having a peek inside our school and our programs. Simply click on "Forward to a friend," below. Thank you!

Contact Us

If you have questions or feedback, please contact us in the Office of Communication at communication@frenchamericansf.org.