PAFEA
in the News
Parents:
06/01/08 -
CP/1st grade classe -
- "My daughter, Sophia, who is 6, followed the 1st grade (CP) program,
this year (2007-2008).
I was extremely happy with the results.
In less than one year, Sophia learned to read and write (cursive) in
French.
She is now able to read by herself, her magazine "Pomme d'Api", that
she receives each month to keep in touch with French.
I was also very satisfied with her teacher, a French lady from "l'Education
Nationale", which is the French official organism for teachers.
She was competent, and very patient with these little kids, who were
often tired after a day in their primary schools.
Thanks very much!"
Constance Beau de Lomenie.
02/28/05 -
CP/1st grade classe -
-
"To add to other parent's comments. Camille has been in the program
for two years now and we will be enrolling Thommy in the kindergarten
program next year. I am very pleased with the progress that Camille
is making as she is now able to read in French and even to spell some
of the basic French words. I am very pleased with her progress.
As for extra-curriculum activities, I have found that limiting her
activities to one per week is simpler for us to manage. It allows her
to complete her homework (from her US school) and is easier to
administer (consider three children x 1 activity). Regarding homework
completion, Camille just has to work harder on Mondays and Wednesday
to complete her assignments for the week. I would welcome homework
from the French classes with a two-weeks completion time-frame.
Camille is not as enthusiastic as I would like when it comes to going
to French classes but at the end of every class, she has always
enjoyed herself, the teachers and her friends.
Best"
- Julie Rumberger (CP/1st grade)
02/27/05 - Questions to a PAFEA parent -
"Here are answers to your questions:
Do PAFEA children still have time for other activities during the
rest of the week (such as sports, music...etc.)?
"Yes
there is still time for other activities during the week, not much
though."
Is 4 hours a week enough, not enough or too much?
"4
hours is enough."
Do the children like their classes and teachers?
"Yes, Justine really likes her teacher and her classmate."
How
is the curriculum and quality of the program?
"We think the program is good and well adapted. The program is good
way to learn French and maintain a quality education."
What
do you like in particular about the PAFEA program?
"The
price is very competitive in comparison to private schools. And very
happy with the class size!"
-
Laurent and Marie Fanget (CE2/3rd grade)
02/13/05 - Questions to a PAFEA parent -
"Here are answers to your questions:
Do PAFEA children still have time for other activities during the
rest of the week (such as sports, music...etc.)?
"My child does. However, I think if a child was very committed to a
sport (2-3 day practice) it would be a lot to add on the French. My
thought is that I consider this class one of his major extracurricular
activity and book only one other day activity."
Is 4 hours a week enough, not enough or too much?
"It is enough from the point of view of commitment to the program (I
can not imagine doing this three days a week) but I think it is
difficult to really accomplish the CNED program, as it stands now, in
that amount of time."
Do
the children like their classes and teachers?
"My child does."
How
is the curriculum and quality of the program?
"I think the CNED program is OK. I don’t think it is the best program
for children who will not be returning to a French school as it is too
rigorous and rigid to be done in a 4 hour block. I would prefer to
either use this program and modify it or see if there was a different
program available. Having said that I also realize that different
parents are looking for different things and it is difficult to have
one program fit everyone’s expectations."
What
do you like in particular about the PAFEA program?
"My
child gets to be with others to do the CNED program and gets to
develop those friendships.
The program is teacher led."
- Neil Parkin (CP/1st
grade)
02/07/05 - Back in France -
- "Hello Philippe,
I am still on the email list, so I thought I would give you
our opinion as well.
Alexis and Tristan stayed active in sports throughout the
school year. At some point Alexis had French and 2 sports (swimming
and baseball), but that turned out to be too much (not for him but for
me!). So, we decided that French and one sport is a great combination.
4
hours a week seems to be a good formula. Looking at how easily the
boys have adjusted to the French school life here, and how well both
of them perform academically, I would say we definitely "got our
money's worth" from the PAFEA enrollment. Tristan happened to get a
teacher that keeps a very fast pace in CP, but he has had no trouble
getting up to speed.
As
for the teachers, you know that the whole family adored Veronique. For
Tristan, it was harder to say, since he was more reluctant to go to
his class at times. But, overall he always came out of the class
happy, and still talks about "his French teacher, Sophie".
Please say hi to your family, the boys' teachers and
classmates. All is well on this side of the ocean: we are still in
temporary housing until the end of February (some difficulty adjusting
to lack of phone line at the beginning.... now it is all fixed), boys
are attending the international school in
Fontainebleau,
and all of us enjoy the forest very much (including the dog).
All the best,"
- Riitta (CP/1st et CM1/4th grade)
02/13/05 - Avec 3 enfants -
- "Bonjour Philippe,
Marc (CM1) et Olivier (maternelle grande section) apprennent
le francais par l'intermediaire du PAFEA et nous en sommes tous (les
enfants aussi) tres
contents.
Comme beaucoup de francais a l'etranger je pensais que la seule
solution pour
mes enfants etait l'ecole francaise. Marc en a beneficie
pendant 2 ans puis, les
frais de scolarite etant absolument inabordables et surtout
disproportionnes par rapport a l'enseignement propose, nous avons
chercher une autre solution.
L'enseignement du francais propose par le PAFEA est devenu tres vite
notre solution ideale.
Les enseignants sont d'une excellente qualite, les classes de petites
tailles avec un niveau assez homogene et le ratio enseignant/eleve et
si eleve (2
enseignantes pour 5 ou 6 eleves) que les enfants sont vraiment suivi
de tres pres, tout en profitant d'un esprit de groupe et de
camaraderie.
Leur niveau de francais est TRES BON, les retours des evaluations
corrigees par un enseignant en
France me le confirment chaque mois.
Oui c'est vrai que les cours par le PAFEA leur prennent 2 apres-midis
par semaine, mais ils ont quand meme le temps de faire beaucoup
d'autres activites
(pour Marc: soccer, cours de dessin, chorale, echecs et theatre, pour
Olivier: soccer puis tennis, echec, et cours de dessin). Bien sur ils
ne regardent pas la
tele ni l'ordinateur pendant la semaine, il faut connaitre ses
priorites :). Pour ce qui est des trajets, les enfants se reposent
dans la voiture pendant les 20 minutes necessaires pour se rendre a
l'ecole et de mon cote je me suis organisee avec une autre maman du
PAFEA pour ne faire le voyage qu'une fois par semaine. Il y a une tres
bonne entente entre les parents et l'entraide est de coutume.
Mes enfants aiment beaucoup leurs maitresses et se sont fait de bons
copains de "classe de francais". Ils ont vraiment plaisir a aller a
leur cours du mardi et
jeudi meme si mon aine est un peu bouscule pour ses devoirs ces soirs
la.
Je recommande a 100 % le programme du PAEFA pour les parents soucieux
de l'apprentissage de la langue francaise pour leur enfants a un cout
realiste."
-
Marie Decitre -
mere de 3 enfants (K and CM1/4th grade)
Teachers:
03/30/05 - Classe de Maternelle(K) -
- "Bonjour Philippe,
Anne-Sophie et moi avons ecrit un petit texte que tu peux mettre en
ligne:
Nous sommes tres contentes d’enseigner le programme du CNED a la
classe de grande section de maternelle (Kindergarten). Depuis le debut
de l’annee, les enfants ont fait d’enormes progres, tant en lecture de
mots qu’en ecriture cursive, ou encore en enrichissement de
vocabulaire francais. Le programme est soutenu, mais nous reussissons
a motiver nos petits eleves a chaque cours. Le ratio dans notre classe
est de 3 eleves par enseignante, ce qui permet un enseignement adapte
aux besoins et rythme de chaque enfant. De plus, le contact avec les
parents est tres convivial, ce qui permet un suivi personnalise."
- Anne-Sophie Avat et Soazig Drévillion
02/13/05 - Classe de CM2 -
Madame Kaci is a former High School Principal with 40 years of
teaching experience.
- "
Bonjour Philippe
Je pense que les enfants peuvent aisément
avoir d'autres activités
du fait que le programme ne les occupe que 2 fois par semaine et que
les
évaluations sont faites en classe.
En ce qui concerne le volume horaire avec 4h par semaine nous pouvons
terminer le programme vers le début
juin.
Les enfants paraissent intéréssés
et participent aux différentes
activités.
Le
programme est tres intéréssant
et fournit les notions de langue dans un contexte de culture générale varié qui
fait appel a la réflexion
des enfants et qui les motive.
En un mot j'aime beaucoup ma classe, les enfants sont adorables!"
- Hassina kaci
