theASPect TEACHING & LEARNING AT ASP FEBRUARY 2011 The American School of Paris is a highly diverse, vibrant and family oriented community. Our mission is to inspire every student to achieve personal and academic excellence as engaged, global citizens, by ensuring a challenging, student-centered program with a compassionate and cutting-edge environment. Inside this ASPect 02 Our thinking for a new time 04 Crossing the magic line 06 Cultural exchange and expo 07 Theatrical exchange . Discovering language from another time 08 Living a language 09 Did you know? ASP’s Extension Program 10 Learning English as an Additional Language 11 Athletes’ African adventure
Transcript
theASPectTEACHING & LEARNING AT ASP FEBRUARY 2011
The American School of Paris
is a highly diverse, vibrant and
family oriented community. Our mission is
to inspire every student to achieve
personal and academic excellence as engaged,
global citizens, by ensuring a challenging,
student-centered program
with a compassionate and
cutting-edge environment.
Inside this ASPect
02 Our thinking for a new time 04 Crossing the magic line06 Cultural exchange and expo07 Theatrical exchange . Discovering language from another time08 Living a language09 Did you know? ASP’s Extension Program10 Learning English as an Additional Language11 Athletes’ African adventure
We invite you, along with teachers, students staff ,
board members and administrators to join our active
research and development and implementation of
innovative ideas.
With a DRAFT future-driven mission statement,
objectives for defi ning our highest priorities as we seek
to transform our school and strategies that defi ne the
“how”, we are now poised to write very specifi c action
steps. The mission, objectives and strategies defi ne the
terrain – the action plans for each strategy provide
the roadmap.
We are convening action planning teams– one for
each strategy – and you are invited to add your ideas
and insights as well as write actionable steps to ensure
implementation of each strategy so we achieve our
objectives and enliven our new mission.
Each of the six action teams will begin meeting in
serve on one of our action plan writing teams. Our goal
is to complete the research and writing within four
meetings with a bit of homework assigned too!
So far we’ve had over 250 teachers, staff , students, board
members and parents involved with setting our school’s
future blueprint. Our goal is to fi rmly establish our
long-term plan and to have it approved by our Board of
Trustees in June 2011. Then we get going. We’re on our
way to engaging in the essential work of closing the gap
between the traditions of schooling and the information
age where our students already claim citizenship.
Let’s work on this together.
All Good Wishes,
Lis Seeley
President of the Board of Trustees
Our Thinking for a New TimeAll of us must be concerned. ASP’s challenge is to ensure the gap is closing between the 21st century world your child knows and how they learn at school. ASP is taking the crucial step of looking forward and of doing all possible not to be restricted by “what we know” and “what we are currently able to do.” We’re planning the school of the future because hitting the replay button for curriculum and teaching is not going to work in preparing young people for 2020 and beyond.
02 SCHOOL NEWS
ACTION TEAM
21st Century Curriculum
Technology for Learning
Learning World Languages
Highest Standards for Teaching
Personalizing and IndividualizingStudent Learning
Global Citizens and Leaders
THEME
Rigorous, Relevant and Assessed Written Curriculum
Technology as a Tool For Teaching and Learning
French and Other Language Learning Programs
Teachers and Staff Learning and Professional Review
Tailoring Teaching and Learning for Each Student
Global Citizenship and Leadership
Mark E. Ulfers
Head of School
OBJECTIVES• Each student will set and achieve challenging educational goals
related to academics, aspirations and personal interests.
• All students will meet or exceed appropriate performance standards
and profi ciency levels in English and French, and we will increase the
percentage of students learning additional languages.
• Every student will understand and consistently demonstrate
the character attributes to be a contributing global citizen and
responsible leader.
• All students will demonstrate increasing profi ciency in such
interdisciplinary skills as critical thinking, problem solving,
communication, collaboration, digital literacy and creativity.
STRATEGIES• We will develop, implement and communicate a rigorous, relevant,
assessed K-12 curriculum, specifi cally designed to achieve academic
excellence and aligned to our mission and objectives.
• We will fully exploit the benefi ts of technology to best achieve our
mission and objectives.
• We will develop and implement long-term plans to secure our
fi nances, facilities and campus necessary to fulfi ll our mission.
• We will develop, implement and assess an expanded French and
additional language-learning programs.
• We will develop and support faculty, administration and staff to
continuously improve professional performance and maximize
student learning.
• We will design a system to support students in setting and
achieving educational goals related to academics, aspirations, and
personal interests.
• We will identify, model, reinforce and recognize the character
attributes, which enable every student to be a contributing global
citizen and responsible leader.
SCHOOL NEWS 03
We are interested in your thoughts about the DRAFT strategic plan framework above.
Learning French in Lower School is to enter a world where stories and fairy tales reign, a world where a form of sign language accompanies every phrase at the beginning level, and a world where the children themselves insist that you speak French.
04 FOCUS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING
“Et maintenant tu traverses la ligne magique…”From the fi rst day in Kindergarten at the age of 4-years-old, our Lower
School students know that when they cross the magic line into their
French classroom, no English is allowed, but also that language
becomes an adventure.
The French team in the Lower School is proud of their program, and
rightly so, as what they have built, and are still building, is a unique
program that is garnering interest from teaching colleagues from
other schools.
Lower School French Team Coordinator Jean-Pierre Heussaff
explained: “Five years ago I saw a video clip in which a fi rst grader
who had never learned French before was reading French in his fi rst
year of learning and I couldn’t believe it!”
And so ASP discovered a pioneering program – the Accelerated
Integrated Method – devised by Canadian educator Wendy Maxwell.
AIM uses hand gestures to teach high frequency words which allow
children to learn vocabulary and grammar with astonishing speed for
some, and to eventually correct themselves through the sophisticated
form of hand signing.
LS French Teacher Nadine Bertoglio said: “Once the children get to a
certain level, we can correct their grammar without interrupting them
while they are talking. For example, by just moving our fi nger like this
(bends her index fi nger down) we as the teacher can correct the use of
a verb in the infi nitive and the child will correct themselves as
they talk.”
Crossing the magic lineLanguage learning in Lower School
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theASPect February 2011
In the fi rst year of learning (more than 100 hours for each student),
the students will learn at least 350 high frequency words and
the accompanying hand gestures, which will increase to 750 in
their second year of learning – a level which corresponds to the
fundamental French vocabulary.
And of course the teachers were the fi rst to have to learn!
Teacher Veronique Baudin said: “It was a very big undertaking for us
at the start – and we are still always learning. We practice every day.
We have a DVD data base where we can discover new words and we
also check constantly with each other that our signing is the same so
that there is always consistency. But it is also true that it has become
so integrated into our teaching that we do it naturally.”
In the beginning, all words and phrases are spoken and signed by the
students and the teachers. As the students become more comfortable
with those high frequency words and phrases the signing is mainly
used to introduce new ideas for the next level of acquisition – the
introduction of new vocabulary or for grammatical correction.
Jean-Pierre said: “There are more than 2,500 words that can be
signed using AIM, but we only took from the AIM method what
could improve our teaching and the children’s learning, not the
entire program.”
And as Jean-Pierre is quick to point out, the ‘gestures’ adopted from
AIM are only one element to the Lower School French program.
He said: “The real heart of the program is the stories. The ‘gestures’
give the children access to the language, but it is the storytelling
which brings the learning alive and captures their
imagination. It is the stories and theatrical pieces
that make the French program so successful.”
Every unit at every language profi ciency level
in every grade has a story at the center of the
learning, many of them refi ned and honed over the
years in a never ending process of evaluation and
improvement for the program.
In addition, from the beginners through to
francophone classes, the students are also
introduced to the richness of our host country
culture in French – from art and architecture
through to traditions, customs and cuisine.
Nadine gave an example: “In 3rd Grade the students
study Van Gogh, in 4th Grade it is Monet
and in 5th Grade Picasso. These are units which
cross disciplines with the homeroom, the art
classes and fi eld trips and the learning in French supports those
units, tailored to the profi ciency. For example, with Monet in
4th Grade, our beginners would focus on vocabulary with colors,
but our francophone students would explore the art movement
of Impressionism.”
Combining language acquisition with cross-curricular activities is just
one of the areas that the team is constantly reviewing and updating.
And this month the six-strong team spent two full days to start
recording their curriculum in order that they can more formally audit
what they are doing in their quest for continual improvement.
Jean-Pierre said: “We are always looking at what works, what doesn’t work, what can we try, what can we learn? And our next step is to audit what we have and start to develop a sensitive, continuous, formalized evaluation and assessment in order that we can continue to maximize learning for our students.”
06 FOCUS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING
For several years, students from all levels in grades 6 through 8 have
been involved with a student exchange program with a neighboring
College Yves Du Manoir - in Vaucresson. And this year it was the turn
for the Grade 6 Beginners and the Grade 7 Intermediate 2 classes.
Grade 7 Teacher Lara Bailly explained: “The idea this year was to swap
and celebrate cultural traditions. So our students went to celebrate
Thanksgiving at the college which the French students had prepared
for us, and this month we invited them to ASP and we prepared a
Galette des Rois. The cultural traditions were the highlights of the
visits but the students also participated in small groups with their
counterparts in science, English, social studies, Math, French and
EAL lessons.
“We also allowed the students plenty of time for more informal
interaction with a tour of the campus in French and English and
fi nishing the day with basketball and handball games. It is important
that they all get to practice both their French and English with native
speakers and discover the diff erences and similarities in their lives,
both at school and out of it. There are moments when the less
involved we are as teachers the more the students gain from
the experience.”
For the beginners in Grade 6, the exchange was necessarily
more structured. Teacher Valerie Jackson explained:
“We focused on the school day and the students made
presentations using posters that they had previously
prepared in class detailing subjects, timetables, classrooms
and teachers. They learned vocabulary and everyone could
formulate a descriptive phrase or ask a question about
school life. They were asked to make observations about and
comparisons between the French and American schooldays.
In November last year the students came to ASP and this
month our students visited them, also participating in regular
classes but in a more observational way.”
A diff erence that many students noticed was the inventive
and involved way that students are encouraged to explore
their subjects at ASP, exemplifi ed by an exhibition hosted by
the Grade 6 Advanced French Class for what could have been
a dry grammar unit learning the ‘passé compose’, but which became
a rich celebration of ASP’s international cultures and fascinating
exploration of immigration and what it means to be a citizen.
Teacher Valerie Jackson said: “I noticed that in a class of 16 students
we had 12 diff erent nationalities, and so all the children prepared
exhibits about their home countries but using the grammar they
had been learning for descriptions, comparisons and talking about
the past.”
Sixth Grade Student Freddy Ludtke explains… in French! “Le 18
novembre nous avons fait une exposition de nos pays. Les 7th
Francophones, et les 8th Beginners sont tous venus nous voir. C’était
comme un musée! Il y avait des expositions sur les États-Unis,
l’Espagne, la Corée, le Japon, le Mexique, la Belgique, l’Argentine,
et le Canada. Nous avons fait des présentations Powerpoint et des
posters pour parler de nos pays. Aussi, on a ajouté le passé composé,
l’imparfait, les directions et l’utilisation de qui, que et où. C’est tout ce
qu’on a travaillé pendant le trimestre. Nous avions un peu peur mais,
après quelques minutes
c’était très amusant. ”
Cultural exchange and expo!Sharing cultural traditions was the stepping stone for both the French exchange program and a special international student exhibition in Middle School this year.
FOCUS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING 07
theASPect February 2011
Building on an idea that started last year, more than 35 intermediate
French students are currently writing and rehearsing original theatrical
pieces which they will perform to students from the Lycée in Marly Le
Roi this Spring. In addition, students from the Lycée Louis De Broglie
are creating their own original pieces in English which they will in
return perform to our students when they come together. This month
the students from ASP visited the Lycée to set their plans in motion.
Upper School French teacher Mima Fayad said: “This was a chance
for our students to visit a French High School and to start working
together in groups. It was a fun way to discover a little more about
each other’s cultures and above all practice their languages (French
for us and English for them) with native speakers.”
The students exchanged objects – a piece of music, an item of
clothing, a picture etc – and then each group is tasked to build a play
using these objects in a straightforward or creative way with the
students writing their story, creating the play, assigning roles and
rehearsing, all in French.
Ms Fayad said: “This is quite a challenging project and it will be
exciting to see the results with the diff erent approaches that come
from the students who range in age from Grade 9 through Grade 12.”
Theatrical exchangeIn Upper School a French exchange with a local French Lycée has inspired ASP students to launch a mini Franco-English drama festival.
Discovering Language from Another Time
At the end of last year, thirty-two Upper School students and teachers attended a sold-out performance of Julius Caesar in English at the Theatre Gerard Philipe in Saint-Denis. The American Repertory Theater of Cambridge, MA set the play’s dramatic action in the US of the 1960’s with its iconic images, period dress and innovative rendering of the language through various media: projected television screens, haunting musical pieces, pauses lengthening into gestured silences, and controlled articulation of lines. As many of our students feel that reading Shakespeare is already an adventure in translating a “foreign language”, actually watching a live performance on stage renders this daunting task more accessible and even enjoyable when such language is not reduced to mere recitation. So, the ART set to words the fear of tyranny and revolt in an ancient time, calling on contemporary technology with its panoply of visual arts to do so. This multi-layered approach to language seemed to broaden student refl ection on the use and abuse of power during the dizzying eras of imperial Rome, the Sputnik challenge to US hegemony, and global unrest today. Reactions to this three-hour Shakespearean production were immediate. Senior Hayley Howard was delighted with
“the inspiring acting, creative sets, and jazz music” while 11th grader Chris Carjuzza enjoyed the game of power Julius Caesar himself engaged in with an admiring Roman crowd, was intrigued by the close relationship between Brutus and servant Lucius that centered on food and sleep, but deplored the trendy, hip stage sets. Twelfth graders Beatrice Verez and Danielle Iwata applauded the original use of sign language and hand gestures that indicated in their own way both closeness and distance. In addition, the main actors held a Q and A with the audience after the performance and ASP was active in this exchange as one of our seniors started the session with a pertinent question about the creative role of jazz and blues as a backdrop to the dramatic scenes. In answer, director Arthur Nauzyciel evoked his vision of seeing music as another form of language, indissociable from the poetic text. His answer led to an animated discussion about the cast’s use of silence and gesture as equally potent linguistic signs. One student later confi ded that learning Shakespeare is like learning a foreign language you already knew as a child, but have forgotten. When you see one of his plays on stage, he said, the beauty and force of its mysterious lines bring you back to the excitement and awe you felt when you could express emotions of love, anger, and fear with newly-found words and gestures.
By Virginia LarnerUpper School English Department
08 FOCUS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING
Living a language
Upon arrival in Madrid, we took multiple metro lines to get to our
hostel, just in time to enjoy a traditional Spanish breakfast of tostadas
(toasted bread with jam) and consume some much-needed caff eine.
After settling in, we left the hotel and walked to the Palacio Real,
where our tour guide, Javier, gave us a tour, providing Spanish
explanations of the various rooms and decorations of the home of
many previous monarchs. We enjoyed the panoramic view of the
terrace of the Palace, and after lunch, we walked to the Museo del
Prado. Although at this point staying awake had become a struggle,
we were engaged both by the art and by Javier’s explanations about
Bosh, Velazquez and Goya.
After our tour of the museum, we had free time to explore the city,
in which some students shopped at the Spanish department store
El Corte Ingles, while others had far too much chocolate con churros,
a traditional Spanish desert of deep-fried dough and thick hot
chocolate, and lost their appetites for dinner. Dinner was a three-
course meal at the Museo del Jamon (the Museum of Ham), including
the traditional paella, with shrimp and sausage.
The next day, we explored the beautiful Atocha station or the
botanical gardens before taking the train to Toledo, Spain’s former
capital. Our guide gave us a tour of this beautiful, medieval town
where there were few tourists, and we saw the cathedral, synagogue,
and other historical monuments. We also saw one of the most
famous Greco’s painting “El entierro del Conde de Orgaz”.
We learned about its intricate religious and cultural history. That
evening, we ate at a traditional tapas restaurant, where we were
off ered a variety of Spanish dishes.
Saturday, we made the most of our last day in Madrid. We walked to
the Museo de la Reina Sofi a, the modern art museum of Madrid. We
had a tour centered around Picasso’s famous Guernica, his piece in
protest of the Spanish Civil War, and saw other pieces on this subject.
We spent our last few hours before going to the airport having
lunch, and no one was ready to leave Madrid when we got back
on the plane to Paris.
by Anna Bradley Webb and Chloe Dorgan (Grade 11)
Learning in the fi eld
Every year Upper School Spanish program founder Claudine Delalande takes students from ASP’s advanced Spanish classes to Spain. She said: “It is an invaluable way of reinforcing their learning and although short, the immersive aspect of being surrounded by Spanish is extremely important in bringing language learning alive. The trips to Madrid or Barcelona are art orientated and before leaving, students learn about Spanish painting and architecture in the context of some aspects of Spanish history. This year we studied some paintings of the most famous Spanish artists like El Greco, Velazquez, Goya and Picasso. “Also, a part of this academic trip is to observe and participate in the Spanish way of life. We use public transportation, walk through the city, go shopping and the local guides we use speak only in Spanish. It reinforces their confi dence in comprehension as much as giving them an opportunity to practice.” This year 18 students visited Madrid and Toledo during the Thanksgiving break.
“The Spanish course at ASP has been one of my biggest sources of growth. I started in Spanish 1, clumsily stumbling over verb tenses and nowI am in Spanish 5, actively debating in class.” Chloe Dorgan
For the last 16 years, the Extension Program has been part of ASP’s life. We are thrilled to share with our students a wonderful educational journey: “Learning English the American way”. Our goal is to promote a total language immersion. Learning another language involves a variety of skills: mental fl exibility, creativity, problem-solving and reasoning. It also allows students to understand a culture on its own terms.
FOCUS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING 09
Did you know?
theASPect February 2011
ASP EXTENSION AT A GLANCE…
• The Extension Program is a division of ASP with an
enrollment of 2000 students annually.
• It welcomes 350 students on Wednesdays, 230 on Saturdays,
350 during school breaks and 800 for summer camp.
• A core faculty of 22 teachers are joined by 55 more
during the summer camp.
• 30% of our families come from a multicultural family.
In the Extension Program we teach English as a Foreign Language to
a wide French-speaking community that includes French citizens and
expats who live in the Paris area and whose children attend French or
bilingual schools. 48 nationalities are represented.
We off er language courses to children, young adults and
professionals throughout the year, during school breaks and over
the summer. Our classroom approach is theme-based and relates to
American culture and traditions.
Extension students are taught to use English naturally and
spontaneously and are encouraged to explore creative ways of
learning through artwork, fi lm-making, theatre, and music.
A range of interactive projects are designed to encourage self-
confi dence and curiosity for learning.
The main goal for all teachers is to create a group spirit, to promote
independence and responsibility, to develop group and partner
skills, and to provide an informal and pleasurable but eff ective and
interesting learning experience. In short, this program goes beyond
language acquisition. We are fortunate to be able to enjoy ASP’s
wonderful facilities. ASP is committed to a future of strong language
learning both within and outside of its gates. Our students are
fully immersed in an American-style setting and get a unique
educational experience.
By Laurence FeniouFounder-Director of ASP Extension
ASP’s Extension Program
When we think of language learning we automatically think of our
French and Spanish programs, but as an international school, every
year we welcome many students who do not speak a word of English.
Language learning at ASP for more than 50 students in Lower and
Middle School this year alone started with learning English.
The EAL team (Sarita Cole, Carole Rowlands, Linda Franco, Barbara
Trudeau and Ana Wier) ensures that all those students can make the
transition and become fully integrated into mainstream academic life
within two years.
Students are taught English for social and academic purposes. EAL
specialists Sarita Cole and Carole Rowlands explain: “Academic
language – the language of a subject matter – is fundamentally
diff erent from conversational language. Students can take up to three
years to achieve the social language level of their peers and 5 to 7
years to achieve academic language profi ciency. As students progress
through the grades they encounter far more low frequency words,
complex syntax and abstract expressions that are often only heard
in an academic context. EAL students must continually gain more
language profi ciency each year than their native speaking peers.”
The students in the Lower School EAL program are taught during
the language arts periods in their schedules and so, importantly, do
not miss any other subjects. In Middle School, EAL classes are during
English and Social Studies. The team will often pre-teach upcoming
subjects to give the students a head start with vocabulary in order
that they can participate with their classmates and not feel ‘lost’.
In addition, teachers join the current students in their mainstream
classes to accompany them in some subjects whilst still supporting
exited students for a further two years.
Enjoy this report by Barbara Trudeau illustrating the inter-disciplinary
nature of the Lower School EAL program, where language meets
math and art.
The Momentum project exhibiting in The Cube at the end of last year by Jonathan Saiz was
a perfect moment for a cross-curricular discovery by fi fth graders in the EAL program.
The students were studying volume in their math classes, and producing eff ective writing
in their EAL classes. We followed the project through its various stages and watched, measured,
interviewed, and conjectured. We were pleased to have the opportunity to experience
a learning project which appealed to our class’s multiple learning styles!
10 FOCUS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING
Learning English as an Additional Language
THE STORY OF A CUBE ENCOUNTERBy Barbara Trudeau and Grade 5 EAL students
“On a November day, our class took a trip to the big cube. I was excited to visit the artist who built the cube.” Bennet
“We saw a towering cube with black paint.” Alex
“We estimated the height of the cube but we all got it wrong except me.” Zaccharie
“In length it was 2.5 meters, in height 2.5 meters, in width 2.5 meters. We went up to see the cube from the top; it was open.” Mikkael
“The cube was painted with waves and could feel the waves and could smell the paint. The sky was gray; it was awesome.” Alex
“Jonathan, the artist told us that his goal was to make us feel the waves and somehow we did!” Bennett
“Also Ms Trudeau asked if it was a cube or a rectangular prism. The artist said it was a rectangular prism. The day after we came with our rulers to measure the volume and when we saw the cube it was painted with waves.” Victor
“We got so interested in the cube that we wanted to know what were the length, width and height.” Paloma
This year’s basketball season will be one to remember for
ASP’s athletes even before they arrive at the end of season
ISST tournament.
The Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball teams have been invited to
the International School of Kenya during the February break for
a tournament in which not only will they play students from the
international school, but also several local teams.
It will give them a chance to spend a week building on their
strengths and focusing on their game just before the International
Schools Sports Tournaments, hosted at ASP for the Girls and at
ACS Cobham for the Boys (March 9-12).
The Girls are enjoying a spectacular season with only one loss after
playing weekend games against seven opposing teams; Brussels
(St.John’s), The Hague (ASH and BSN), Amsterdam (ISA and Antwerp),
ISH and ACS Cobham International School.
And after a slow start, the Boys have picked up a winning streak
over the last two weeks and have a 9/5 win/loss record.
And the Kenya trip will not just be about game tactics on the court,
but also provide the teams with valuable off -court team building
activities such as rock climbing and kayaking in addition to the
cultural experience of playing with local Kenyan teams.
The 21 students and their three coaches (John Kim, Barbara Hoegen
and Keith Holman) will spend three days in the Nairobi National Park
and Upper School teacher John Kim has been impressed with the
students’ engagement: “They are really keen to maximize the inter
cultural aspect of the trip and are also researching ways in which they
might participate in some volunteer activities.”
Athletic Director Han Hoegen said: “We trust that the Kenya trip will
have a positive eff ect on both teams through team building as well
as a new cultural learning experience with this great and exciting
opportunity the International School of Kenya is giving us by inviting
the Varsity basketball teams.”
SPORTS NEWS 11
theASPect February 2011
ATHLETES’ AFRICAN ADVENTURE
2 32 3
Get ready for the Bollywood Gala
A Celebration to Benefit ASP! Come and experience the glamour and energy of Bollywood!
Champagne reception, music & entertainment, dance, gourmet cuisine, plus unique auction items benefiting the school, will all be part of this exciting event. With the beautiful Pré Catelan as our backdrop, plus the vibrant colors, sights, sounds, and exotic fragrances of India,
we’re planning a spectacular evening which you won’t want to miss!
You should have received an invite via e-mail, but if not, visit the GALA section of our website to buy tickets or to take advantage of sponsorship opportunities. All proceeds from the
ASP 2011 Bollywood GALA will benefit the 2010-2011 Excellence Fund.
Reserve soon to avoid disappointment!Questions? Contact Michael McNeill: [email protected]
