Welcome from the Head of School

Bonjour!

Bienvenue à l'Ecole Franco-Américaine du Rhode Island. Welcome to the French-American School of Rhode Island.

All of us at FASRI--staff, faculty, and students--will be delighted to give you a tour and tell you about the advantages of our dual language program. You will be able to see how our young students, most of them starting with us at the age of three, embrace the French language. They learn through games, songs, and conversations. They play with friends, bake cookies, or paint a picture and construct their world naturally through an engaging hands-on experience inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach.

When you visit with us, you will see the hustle and bustle of students at work, engaging and collaborating with their peers throughout the school, in French and in English. You will see our teachers too, working closely with students, guiding their progress and projects, and meeting and planning collaboratively, .

Our students are very fortunate to learn a second language at this young age. Recent developments in neuroscience confirm that learning another language helps develops creativity, improve memory and cognitive skills, and may even delay Alzheimer's disease. Students will also develop the skills sought out by colleges and the professional world in the 21st Century: openess, adaptability, and collaborative skills. They will benefit from a broader world view and increased opportunities throughout life. The experience of an excellent multilingual education through middle school will also help them stand out when they apply for universities eager for students with 21st Century skills.

FASRI's student population represents over 25 nations. Many parents understand some French, and several students are trilingual. The French-speaking world offers an unusual diversity of cultures, traditions and ethnicity emphasized by the school.

As today's world grows ever smaller, FASRI gives its students the tools to explore and navigate its diversity. Please come visit and meet our wonderful and enthusiastic students and teachers.

Our doors are open to welcome you.

Merci et à bientôt.

Dominique Velociter (formally Thompson)
Head of School