At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, the New York French American Charter School added grades 6 and 7 to expand its lower and elementary schools. To further expand its offerings, the school partnered with educational curriculum provider Generation Code to launch a new STEM-based after school program in November.
Located in the Little Senegal neighborhood of Harlem, where the French language is very prominent due to a community comprised of many West African immigrants, NYFACS is a Franco-American charter school serving kindergarten through seventh grade. The new middle school is housed in the recently renovated Police Athletic League building located at 441 Manhattan Ave.
The NYFACS curriculum is based on the language immersion model: Students in kindergarten to second grade experience approximately 80 percent of their courses in French. These courses include reading, writing, science and math, while English reading, drama, dance and physical education are offered in English.
Students in third through seventh grade take half their classes, such as French reading, art and music, in French and the other half, such as English reading, math and science, in English. All instructors are native French speakers. This allows students not only to attain French language fluency, but to experience French culture and history as well.
To further welcome its new middle school students, NYFACS will offer its new STEM-based after school program for students in sixth and seventh grades. Each trimester will focus on a different topic, starting with drones in November and robotics in February. Guided by experienced tech experts, kids will peek into the inner workings of drones and robots and learn how to build and program them to properly function.
Image courtesy New York French American Charter School
