UPPER EAST SIDE — The French Institute Alliance Française is adding a full-day pre-k program for the upcoming school year, school officials said.
Up until now, the French dual-language preschool at 22 E. 60th St. had only offered half-day classes for ages 3 and 4, and with increasing demand, it's only been able to take in 26 out of 40 children who apply, according to Anne Bellec, the director of the FIAF Preschool.
To meet the growing need, the school's creating a new classroom to accommodate 15 full-day pre-k seats, running Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“We have seen an enormous increase in interest from parents who want to immerse their child in a foreign language from an early age,” Bellec said. “We are thrilled to be able to expand our mission of inspiring children to learn and love French.”
Adding the full-day pre-k option will be key for working families and will allow for a more enriched curriculum for students, Bellec said.
The French Institute Alliance Françiase's immersion program aims to get students to be bilingual in French and English by the end of students' second year and includes activities like Parisian-baking lessons, dance and music classes, field trips and writing letters to French penpals, according to FIAF.
Many of FIAF's students have been accepted at schools like Horace Mann, Chapin, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory, United Nations International School, Lycée Français of New York, Lyceum Kennedy International School and the French-American School of New York, according to FIAF.
FIAF is accepting applications for the 2016–2017 school year online.
By next September, the school will offer two half-day classes and one full-day class for three-year-olds, and a full-day class for four-year-olds.
