Oral Fluency in Middle School
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 […]
How We Teach STEM
The fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math – known collectively as STEM – affect nearly every component of our modern lives. It is therefore crucial to introduce students to STEM-based problem solving in class at a young age. STEM classes take a cross-curricular approach, challenging students to synthesize their knowledge from multiple disciplines in […]
Pen Pal Exchanges with French Schools
Bilingualism, among its many other benefits, “unlocks” the world for our students. Growing up speaking both French and English, they are better able to access both anglophone and francophone countries and cultures across the globe. To take advantage of these linguistic abilities, teachers in some of our Pre-K and Kindergarten classes at our Jersey City […]
Linking Goals with Actions for a Healthier Planet
For the last three weeks, students of all ages at the French American Academy have been boosting their efforts to reduce waste, recycle plastic and paper, walk, cycle, or ride a scooter, reuse materials, enjoy nature, and more. These small actions and gestures are all part of the “My Little Planet” (Ma Petite Planète) challenge, […]
Coding Class: A Cross-Curricular Powerhouse
The French American Academy started offering coding classes to its Elementary and Middle School students in 2018. As the years have passed, coding has been integrated into our STEM curriculum for younger and younger grades, and this year, for the first time, even our kindergarten students are learning the basics of analytical thinking and problem […]
Creating Energy and Incorporating Project-based Learning in Middle School
Example of a Project-Based Learning in the Classroom Our 7th-grade students took on the role of being engineers in their science class, and as a team, they built a windmill that produced 22 volts of energy. Over the course of a few weeks, with the teacher’s support, students used their problem-solving skills and science knowledge […]
