Private French School in San Francisco, California

French American International School, San Francisco:
Located in the heart of San Francisco between Gough and Franklin streets, the French American International School is a family of PK-12 institutions dedicated to the principles of international and cross-cultural education. We are the oldest and largest bilingual French/English school in California, the only truly international school west of the Mississippi, and the most widely respected, well-established and accredited world leader in global education in the United States. We offer consistently rigorous academic programs of study leading to both the International Baccalaureate and French Baccalaureate diplomas. Our highly talented students graduate as sophisticated, knowledgeable, globally-aware, multi-lingual critical thinkers and international citizens, and as such are accepted into national Ivy League universities and international universities around the world such as Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge and many others.

Education Programs:
The bilingual education program of the French-American International School provides our students with a springboard for a global perspective. The daily curriculum is taught in English and French in a way that makes learning exciting and challenging and meets the high standards of the French educational system as well as high English standards. In school, students play and learn in both languages. Outside of school they practice what they've learned by speaking French and English with friends.

Lower School Program:
The Lower School of the French American International School strives to teach a comprehensive academic program of reading, writing, language, math, history and science in two languages. By learning in both French and English, the students come to appreciate the French and American cultures as a basis for understanding other cultures in the world. Within our caring, nurturing atmosphere, French American students develop self-esteem as well as respect for others in a sound scholastic environment. They are part of a school which is constantly striving for ways to provide international awareness and social values through its teaching and curriculum. French American aims to prepare young people for independence and survival in a society that demands increasingly complex skills.

Middle School Program:
The Middle School offers a bilingual course of study in French and English from 6th through 8th grade. Students play and learn in both languages. Our curriculum encourages personal growth enriched by academic rigor, the ability to listen and to understand, and an awareness and openness towards the outside world.

Other subjects include German or Mandarin, math, science, history, geography, music, arts and theatre.

In order to create a moment for not-strictly-academic thought and creativity within the school day, we have created an "elective hour" for our Middle School students. The options for students this year are: Yearbook; Studio Art; Girls Group; Photography; Sound Design; Cooking; Music Workshop; Computers; Global Exchange and P.E. Each class meets every other week (alternating with homeroom/assemblies) and is based on participation (i.e. no grades or homework).

Upper School Program:
The 9th and 10th grade academic programs are preparatory to the final two years of high school during which students complete either the International Baccalaureate (IB) or French Baccalaureate diploma. In the core disciplines (English, Math, Science, Humanities, Modern Languages and Art), courses are designed to build upon the foundation established in middle school, with a particular focus on the content and skills needed for success in the upper grades curriculum. Please note that arts courses in the first two years of high school are exploratory by design but also satisfy criteria set by colleges for both college entrance and further studies in the arts. Physical education classes are required for all 9th and 10th grades and continue in the upper grades in the French track only.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) and French Baccalaureate (Bac) Programs:
The academic programs offered at International are comprehensive honors programs. Unlike the Advanced Placement (AP) program, which consists of individual classes and varies by subject offerings in different schools, both the International Baccalaureate and the French Baccalaureate are two-year comprehensive honors programs which compose a student’s 11th and 12th grade years. Success in the programs’ examinations result in the awarding of a Baccalaureate diploma.

The challenging curricula are regulated by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) located in Geneva, Switzerland and the French Ministry of Education in Paris. Both programs are recognized worldwide. Many U.S. colleges grant students up to an entire school year’s worth of credit upon admission with either Baccalaureate diploma. The 9th and 10th grade academic programs are designed to prepare students for each respective baccalaureate’s diploma requirements. Consequently, they too are comprehensive programs with rigorous assessment procedures to prepare students for their externally-moderated diploma examinations. In sum, a four-year diploma from International reflects success in a demanding, comprehensive, integrated, internationally-based college preparatory program unique in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Athletics Program:
The objective of the athletics program is to provide students with multiple opportunities to participate in organized athletics. Given that athletes of this age participate at levels of differing abilities, talent, and experience, we have created an athletic program that supports this notion. Activities include: water sports, team sports, racket based games, physical-artistic sports, track and field, martial arts.

After School Program:
Our After School Program is designed to enhance the quality of time spent on campus after school ends. Children can play, learn and create through diverse extra curricular activities such as science, sports, arts and music. Study hall is also available for 1st through 8th grades, in French and in English. With the children’s well being always in mind, we provide a stimulating and safe environment all year long.

Summer Programs:
Our middle and upper school program offers students an array of academic enrichment courses. This year we're also offering a program in Strasbourg - France, in partnership with Rêve de Foot, a professionally run French Soccer School headed by Yves Lledo (director of a top flight sport-étude* soccer program in France) and former French pro Jean-Marc Venturini.