Scrolling into Slumber: The impact of electronic device usage on sleep

Phone usage before bed

March 10-16 was national Sleep Awareness Week, and it got us thinking about the importance of a good bedtime routine for students, whose minds are rapidly developing and who need many hours of restorative, high-quality sleep every night. Longitudinal studies of adolescents have shown a clear correlation between late night phone or tablet use and […]

Benefits of Spending Time in Nature for Children

Does anyone else hear their mother’s voice identifying plants in their head, or is that just me?  As I walk around Jersey City every spring, she constantly pipes up:                 Ooh, look at the little crocuses popping up!                 There are the daffodils […]

Building a Strong Math Foundation with Singapore Math

Singapore Mathematics Building Strong Foundation

This month, our school welcomed Dr. Monica Neagoy, a renowned mathematics education specialist. Over the last three years, Dr. Monica Neagoy has been working with our school, offering training and guidance to our teachers on effectively incorporating Singapore Math into our curriculum. Additionally, we have integrated the Singapore Math textbooks, authored by Dr. Neagoy, into […]

Formal Assessments at the French American Academy

French American Academy in Englewood

Our Philosophy and Tests The French American Academy uses varied forms of assessment in our classrooms (such as project-based work, presentations, discussions, and self-assessment).  Formal standardized tests are minimal and chosen very selectively and mindfully. In fact, at our school, we have only four formal assessments that are offered periodically for students as they progress […]

Oral Fluency in Middle School

Oral Fluency

At the French American Academy, oral language skills naturally form the nexus of our curriculum at all levels. Our goal is to prepare our students to share information and opinions, debate, speak publicly, and engage diverse audiences fluently, with confidence and independence, in order to prepare them for the challenges they will encounter in high […]