La Gazette

The Annual Gala and Auction at French International was an unforgettable night filled with glitz, glam, and giving. With a theme of Studio 79: Voyage dans le Temps (travel through time), parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends of the school came together to celebrate and support French International.

Thanks to the generosity of the community, the Gala raised more than $250,000 and counting. This money will go towards providing financial aid to families, making education accessible to everyone, and enhancing the learning experience for all.

It's never too late to support financial aid, you can still donate here.

Donate to the Special Appeal

The 2024 Gala and Auction would not have been possible without the hard work of all the volunteers who coordinated art projects, grade-level baskets, decor, and more. Thank you to everyone who donated their time, items, and effort. A special thanks to the Gala Committee, especially the Chair, Jennifer Buddenhagen, and Co-Chair, Leanne Bach.

Thank you to the generous event sponsors, including Platinum Sponsor Guna Collaborative.

Finally, thank you to everyone who attended the event and supported the French International community.

On April 5th, the French International eighth graders performed their hip-hop dance routines in front of the entire school. The hip-hop unit began in January, and the students were divided into four groups. They received classes from a dance instructor who taught them the basic moves and how to choreograph a routine. The eighth graders then spent a few weeks working in groups to choose a song, choreograph a routine, and perfect their performance.

The hip-hop dance performance is the end of an interdisciplinary unit between physical education and music. Students are physically active and learn the concepts of choreographed movement. They learn about music interpretation and how to tell a story using dance and movement.

In addition, in this interdisciplinary unit, students learn collaboration and creativity. They work on adapting and adjusting when there are challenges. They learn to take risks and step out of their comfort zone with a final performance.

The rest of the French International students and staff were invited to watch the performance. Maternelle, Lower School, and Middle School students gathered in the gym to support and cheer on the eighth graders. The performance was an excellent opportunity for students of different age groups to come together and learn more about what they can look forward to in eighth grade. French International is one school with a united vision, and the performance was a fantastic opportunity to support the eighth-grade students' hard work.

Throughout the year, we share weekly Global Mindset Moments on social media to demonstrate how our mission is playing out in our school and how we are fulfilling our Strategic Plan. Here are the March Global Mindset Moments:

Global Mindset Moment (March 29): Eighth graders just finished designing and building roller coasters as part of their unit on energy transfer and how it relates to changes in motion and position. Third graders are starting to study structure and will create their own bridges in a few weeks. The third-grade students visited eighth grade to see the roller coasters in action. During their visit, they asked questions about the project, the challenges the students faced, and the advice they had for the upcoming bridge project. Our school is committed to preparing students for success and empowering global leaders. This interaction between the third and eighth graders was an excellent opportunity for both groups to learn, share their knowledge, and help each other improve.

Global Mindset Moment (March 22): Preschoolers visited our neighbors at Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue. They learned about the responsibilities of a firefighter and all the parts of a firetruck. Preschoolers are exploring the central idea: "We depend on each other." They are learning about different jobs and the interconnectedness of communities. As an IB World School, we want students to understand the interconnectedness of our world and the shared responsibility we have to be impactful members of our community. Even as young as preschool, our students are learning that we depend on one another.

Global Mindset Moment (March 15): On Wednesday, we hosted Laurent Bili, the French Ambassador to the United States. He was joined by Dominique Geulin and Frederic Jung from the French Consulate. We also welcomed our colleagues from L'Etoile and the Alliance Française de Portland. In our Presence pillar, we are committed to making our school a leader and hub in the region for cultural events and opportunities. We had an excellent visit and are grateful to have been able to host both the French Ambassador and our French colleagues in the region.

Global Mindset Moment (March 8): Three eighth graders took the reins on planning and hosting Women's History Month events. Trustee Cyreena Boston Ashby came back to speak to middle schoolers about the importance of Women's History Month, and each student got a card with a famous female historical figure and her significance. The eighth graders also put together a trivia game for today's advisory. As part of our People pillar, French International aims to create an inclusive and welcoming environment where people feel a sense of belonging. Highlighting the history and accomplishments of women enriches our community and the teaching and learning for all students.

Global Mindset Moment (March 1): Part of who we are includes a student-centered environment where learners follow their own inquiries, collaborate, and discover new things every day. This week's ACE Week was a perfect example of who we are. Students studied planets, atoms, and chemical reactions. They hypothesized and did various experiments to validate or refute their predictions. It was a fantastic week of discovery!

Earlier this month, French International eighth grader Declan Ing competed in the 2024 US Open Robotics Tournament in Council Bluff, Iowa. 

The tournament included teams from all over the US, and Declan’s team, X-Dream, finished 14th. In the weeks leading up to the competition, Declan’s team was given information about the competition and the functions each robot needed to complete. For the competition, Declan’s team needed to create a robot to compete in a game like soccer, score goals, and perform four different functions. The team worked for 10-15 hours a week for a couple of weeks to complete their robot.

Declan is the team's programmer and is responsible for coding the components for the robots to function.

Earlier this season, X-Dream won a regional tournament championship in California to advance to the US Open Robotics Tournament. They also won the 2024 Oregon State VEX Robotics Championships, which qualified them for the VEX Robotics World Championship in Texas in late April.

Kindergarten students are exploring the central idea, “People choose how to manage their waste and resources.” 

Claire’s class was inspired by the unit and their discussions to take an initiative at school. During recess, the kindergarteners bring a trash bin and collect trash from the playground. They also wrote letters in both French and English about how to reduce food waste and the importance of not littering. The kindergarten students delivered the letters and presented this information to the Lower School students.

In this unit, kindergarteners discuss how people create with, use, and dispose of different materials and how we can care for the Earth. They are making art projects using recycled material, exploring how to reduce waste, and learning about what can be recycled and composted.

Part of the IB philosophy is to develop internationally-minded students who understand everyone has a shared responsibility to the connected global community. Sharing the Planet is one of the units of inquiry for the Primary Years Programme (PYP), and in kindergarten, that also means exploring the rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things.

Anne Prouty and Käthlin Gabaldon are the IB Coordinators at French International. Anne is the Middle Years Programme (MYP) Coordinator, and Käthlin coordinates the Primary Years Programme (PYP). The PYP is the framework for Maternelle and Lower School, and the MYP is Middle School. Both IB coordinators are responsible for developing the programme, helping create experiences for students, and being a resource for students. Get to know our IB Coordinators below.

Käthlin Gabaldon - Primary Years Programme (PYP) Coordinator

How long have you worked at French International? 
I have worked at French International for 10 years.

What languages do you speak? 
English, German, and my French is progressing. 

What is your favorite thing about working for French International? 
I love that I get to work with such amazing people from so many diverse backgrounds. 

What are you most proud of? 
I'm most proud of my kids and the people they are becoming. Having them at FI has played an integral role in that.

What is something you do in your role that most people don't know about or that would surprise people?
I communicate regularly with other IB schools in our area to help them (and us!) to grow on our IB journeys, to bring them on campus to visit, and to build connections for our teachers with other IB teachers in the area. This helps build our Presence in Portland and beyond, a pillar of the strategic plan.

A fun fact about you? 
I lived in Austria for the first two years of my life before returning to the States and growing up in Oregon.

Anne Prouty - Middle Years Programme (MYP) Coordinator

How long have you worked at French International? 
I started in 1992 as a parent and started teaching in 1998 when we opened the middle school. Two of my four kids graduated from French International!

What languages do you speak? 
English and some Flemish because I did a gap year between high school and college in Antwerp, Belgium. I have been studying French since COVID began! 

What is your favorite thing about working for French International? 
I love our students, and I really value our international community among the teachers, staff, students, and families. It’s a big reason that my husband and I were drawn to the school. Also, as a part of the IB Programme, our focus on best practices makes for a more inclusive, open-minded, and internationally-minded experience for students. Our student exchanges, trips, and our community service/projects are challenging but amazing experiences for our students to apply and explore what they have learned in the classroom. 

I love that our Athletics program is still thriving after more than 20 years and that we have kids who have an opportunity to learn about different team sports before they go to high school.  Some of them have gone on to be successful in high school and college sports.  I am very proud of all of these athletes.

What are you most proud of? 
I am really proud of the thorough curriculum development work that our teachers have worked on through the last two IB Evaluation cycles because it was definitely a successful team effort.

What is something you do in your role that most people don't know about or that would surprise people? 
I have served on a lot of school committees over the last 26 years and have really enjoyed being part of different groups of people at the school. It’s been a wonderful learning and social experience.

A fun fact about you? 
I love working with my hands and making furniture and other wood crafts. I volunteer as a coach for a women’s mountain bike camp. I get a thrill out of helping women become more confident riding on the trails. I am hoping to spend a lot more time on my bike this summer!
 

On March 20, the world celebrated International Francophonie Day, a day dedicated to recognizing the contributions of French-speaking individuals and countries to history.

The Bassalé family (sixth-grade parents) visited the school on March 18 to speak to students about Benin, Cameroon, and Senegal. All three are French-speaking countries with rich culture and history.

The Middle School celebrated with a “Hub Bub” on March 20, during which students and staff gathered in the hub. Fifth graders also joined for the assembly. Beginning French and French-track students sang songs representing different aspects of the francophonie.

The sixth-grade students participated in a francophonie buffet. Students researched a French-speaking country and brought in a traditional food dish from that country to share. 

There are more than 360 million French speakers worldwide and 77 member states of the International Organization of La Francophonie. At French International, we aim to educate students to become global thinkers and expose them to diverse and unique cultures.

On March 8, French International celebrated Le Carnaval with a parade, desserts, and dancing.

In the weeks before Le Carnaval, Maternelle students learned about Carnaval traditions. Teachers wove these stories into the current units of inquiry. Classes also created headpieces to wear during the parade, each class putting their creative flair on the decor.

French International welcomed The Beat Goes On Marching Band to lead Maternelle students through a school parade. Everyone met under the pavilion and paraded down to the fire station and back up the road to the main administration building. 

The celebration is not just for Maternelle students. Lower School and Middle School students and French International staff lined the parade route to wave and cheer for Maternelle.

After the parade, the band performed in the gym for all Maternelle students. Lower School students listened to and danced with the band later in the morning.

As part of French International’s united vision, we want to continue offering opportunities for our school to unite as one community. The energy from older students, faculty, and staff made the day memorable for Maternelle students. In addition, learning about the history and traditions of Le Carnaval offers an educational opportunity and continues to broaden the minds of our young global learners.