Lycée Rochambeau

[Anonymous]

Any thoughts? My DH is pushing to send our children to the French School in Bethesda. I don't speak French so I'm hesitant. Does anyone have any experience or comments? I love the idea of our children being bilingual (and ultimately trilingual by the time they graduate) but I'm concerned about my inability to participate with homework, etc.

[Anonymous]

We are also thinking of sending our child to Rochambeau. My husband doesn't speak French and has similar concerns about participating and being including in the school community.

Hopefully others with experience at Rochambeau will chime in.

Also, have you looked at any of the following?
French Maternal School (prek-K)
Washington International School
MoCo's immersion programs

[Anonymous]

We live in DC so the MoCo immersion programs are out. I have looked at WIS and just checked out the French Maternal School's website but it's not too informative. Anyone with particular experiences either good or bad?

[Anonymous]

My husband and I checked out the French Maternal School and we were not impressed at all. Compared other schools we had visited, the kids did not look like they were full of energy and seemed a little too dull. It did not seem like an environment our daughter (full of energy and very inquisitive) would thrive. We'e decided not to apply.

[Anonymous]

Hello, My daughter is in 5th grade in MoCo immersion at Maryvale ES in Rockville. It has been a wonderful experience, and even though I am a french speaking parent, I know many parents that neither speak french and their children thrived with the immersion program.

Now that she is approaching the end of fifth grade I am pondering the next step. My wish is for her to continue French and am looking at the lycee to see if that would be an alternative to the Gaithersburg Middle school continuation.

How does one go about applying to the lycee? do they even accept kids as old as mine into the school. What grade is the school up to? I too, couldn't find any website that would clearly address these question.

Any thougths?.

[Anonymous]

Lycee Rochambeau is a french government school, and I have been told that it may be difficult if at least one of the parents is not fluent in French. It was initially established for diplomat children, but now is open to the public. We are a bilingual, French/American household and have started looking into the school and were told these things by our contacts at the embassy. Perhaps others who have sent their children there can chime in, but that is what were told. We are also looking into WIS, but will probably go with LR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello, My daughter is in 5th grade in MoCo immersion at Maryvale ES in Rockville. It has been a wonderful experience, and even though I am a french speaking parent, I know many parents that neither speak french and their children thrived with the immersion program.

Now that she is approaching the end of fifth grade I am pondering the next step. My wish is for her to continue French and am looking at the lycee to see if that would be an alternative to the Gaithersburg Middle school continuation.

How does one go about applying to the lycee? do they even accept kids as old as mine into the school. What grade is the school up to? I too, couldn't find any website that would clearly address these question.

Any thougths?.

You might want to try Coeus International School

[Anonymous]

From their website (www.rochambeau.org):
Informations détaillées au service des admissions : téléphone [phone] poste 246

I believe they do accept students who are fluent in French at the middle school level.

The brochure has a table of how US/French grades line up. IIRC from the open house, students receive their US/Maryland high school diploma after 1re (11th grade) and those pursuing the bac continue through terminale (12th).

PP, I'd love to hear more about Maryvale's program. If you don't mind sharing: How much of the day is conducted in French, and what subjects are instructed in French? What level of proficiency do students acquire?

I was initially very excited about the public school immersion programs, but when I looked closely at the Fairfax French immersion programs, it seemed like you could hardly call them that.

[Anonymous]

I totally agree with 13:21's post. My husband and I went to the French Maternal School for an open house and found it a bit surprising that the children were sooooo compliant. It felt staged. We didn't bother applying either as our son, who while being well behaved, is very active etc... We felt certain that, first off, he and other active children like him would have been filtered out and also that he would have been constantly told "no" and discouraged from being himself.

I think it might be a very nice school for more reserved children.

[Anonymous]

The students at the Lycee follow a very specific set of manners, which is very different than being restricted in their play and creativity. All three schools offer a curriculum that is above and beyond any that can be found in a public school here in the EEUU. You may be confusing 'compliance' with manners, which children I feel are not being taught in the public level. Lycee follows the French gov't standards of education. Having taught in public, private and the Lycee systems I would say that I would prefer private or the Lycee (also British or German education) above any public school in this Nation.

I do not want to imply that public education is deficient. It is satisfactory, but there are very different standards and what works for a particular family may not work for another. It is not about which style is better but about what will work the best for your family, for your morals, ethics and values and for your child(rens) education.

[Anonymous]

To 1321 and 2204:

Thanks for sharing your open house perceptions. Would you mind clarifying something? I want to be sure I understand to which school you are referring. There is a school called French Maternal School in Georgetown. There is also the Maternelle section of the Lycee Rochambeau in Bethesda. Which school did you visit?

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

It was the French Maternal School in Georgetown.

Regarding poster 7:44, I am not confusing "compliance with manners". My child is very well behaved and very polite. It has nothing to do with this. Nor am I praising the public schools in this country. I think they leave a lot to be desired.

To imply that my opinion has something to do with my morals, ethics and values is not informed. I am simply stating that if you have an active child, I don't think it is a good fit. I feel that they would be stifled. Personally, I don't find this healthy for preschoolers. I think it is another thing for children Kindergarten and up.

I know nothing about the Lycee. Perhaps it is different. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

1626 here again, thanks for confirming that PP. That's how I read your message, but then was confused by the post in defense of the Lycee.

[Anonymous]

Montgomery County's French Immersion program is one of the greatest deals going. Unless your company or goverment is going to pay for private school tuition, you should definitely look into it. The county will bus your child from a central pick-up spot. (Usually your home school.)
It is full immersion,with the exception of the "specials" (PE, art, music, couseling) where the program shares teachers with the English speaking portion of the school. It differs from Rochambeau in that it follows the Montgomery County curriculum, only in French. It attracts a diverse community with very involved, committed parents. Admission to kindergarten is by lottery and there is a waiting list. However, from second grade on, only children who already speak French are admitted. Because of attrition, French speaking children often can find spaces in the upper grades. There are children who have transferred in from Rochambeau and vice versa.
The program is intended for children from English speaking families, however, because of self selection, a significant fraction of families do have some connection to the Francophone world. Many kids without anyone at home who speaks French do fine, but my impression is that sometimes the English speaking parents' discomfort has led to kids withdrawing from the program.
As for the fluency attained, I speak as a parent whose child is now in the middle school program. There, the kids are required to read two grade level novels in French on their own each term and write book reports. My child does this without diffculty. She may be unfamiliar with some of the casual speech native speakers her age would use, but she can express herself freely and understands spoken French without difficulty. In addition, she is appreciative that a wider world has been opened to her because of her French.
There is an open house for the kindergarten program in February(?).
Hope this helps. Bonne chance!

[Anonymous]

OP, why is your husband pushing this school? Is he French?