Draft:Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans


Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans is a private, French-immersion school accredited by the French Ministry of Education for Cycles 1 – 4 (Maternelle – 8th grade) located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ecole Bilingue is the only private French school in Louisiana recognized by the Association of French Schools in North America (AFSA) and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest. The school serves students ages 18 months through 8th grade (French course level equivalent of Crèche through Quatrième (4ème).

The school is located in Uptown, New Orleans, on a campus with five buildings that house the Maternelle, Élémentaire, and Collège programs.

History

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Founded, in 1998, Ecole Bilingue recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Ecole Bilingue began as l’Ecole Maternelle, a full-immersion, French preschool, and the first class consisted of 16 four-year-old students learning about words, numbers, art and play in French. This program was the first of its kind in Louisiana. L’Ecole Maternelle grew each year and introduced its first kindergarten class in September 2002. Since then, Ecole Bilingue has grown to offer full elementary and middle school programs through the 8th grade.

When the elementary school was added, the name of the school was changed to Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans. Plans were set in motion in that year to gain accreditation from the French Ministry of Education, which was achieved for the pre-school classes in January 2005 and for Cycle 2 (1st and 2nd grades) in June 2010. In June 2012, the school received accreditation for Cycle 3 (3rd through 5th grades). The school received accreditation from the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest in 2023.

Mission

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The mission of Ecole Bilingue is to develop globally literate students through a rigorous bilingual French-American curriculum, set in a nurturing and multicultural community. The school guides students to excel academically, foster their curiosity, and prepare them to become creative and innovative contributors to the world.

Academics and Student Population

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From the first class of 16 pre-kindergarten students, Ecole Bilingue has grown to include more than 420 students ranging from 18 months to the eighth grade. The school represents 29 nationalities, and the student-teacher ratio is 7:1.

Accreditations

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Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans is accredited by the French Ministry of Education for Cycles 1 – 4 (Maternelle – 8th grade).

Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS).

Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans is also accredited by the State of Louisiana.

Affiliations

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L’Agence pour l’Enseignement Français à l’Etranger (AEFE – Agency for French Education Abroad)

Mission Laïque Française L’Agence (MLF – Network of French Schools Abroad) www.mlfmonde.org

References

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