The French Académie Celebrates 25 Years of French Immersion Child Care
The French Académie is Minneapolis' only french immersion daycare & preschool accredited by the French Ministry of Education (AEFE) and licensed by the state of Minnesota. Our unique curriculum for toddlers, preschool, prek, and kindergarten combines the world-renowned French Maternelle with inspirations from Montessori and Reggio Emilia.
"Children don't come to our school to learn French. They come to learn, and they learn in French."
The French Académie is a very unique program. We work from the French curriculum. We welcome children starting at 18 months and guide them all the way through Kindergarten. In France, it's very different from the US because public school starts at 2.5 years old, and this is what I decided to use as a base curriculum.
Our pedagogical approach is a blend of the Montessori philosophy and the Reggio Emilia approach, and I strongly believe it's important to explore different pedagogies in the classroom setting. The French Académie offers four unique classrooms, an indoor gym space, a library, and an outdoor playground. Children don't come to our school to learn French. They come to learn, and they learn in French.
Minnetonka Daycare & Preschool Programs
Our childcare programs are comprised of four mixed-age classrooms: two bilingual classes for our toddler daycare program and two french immersion classes for our preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten program.
Toddler Daycare
Le Tout Petit Programme
Toddlers are constantly curious and continually growing. Our Tout Petit Programme supports toddlers as they learn how to interact with the world around them, mastering skills from independent self care and toilet learning, to managing emotions and individual expression. At the end of their time in the TPP, children will have the skills necessary to embark on their next learning adventure: preschool!
Preschool, Pre-K, Kindergarten
La Maternelle
In Maternelle, we offer a variety of activities aimed at helping each child develop their cognitive and social skills by stimulating their curiosity and imagination. Each child has different needs and grows at their own pace. The goal in our Maternelle program is for each child to grow up in confidence, prepared to become successful Kindergarten and/or Elementary students.
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Native french speaking bilingual teachers
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Low child-to-teacher ratios
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Reggio-inspired classroom explorations
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Play & project-based learning
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Weekly forest school
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Students cook cultural dishes in our learning kitchen
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Weekly music classes with a Music Together© In School Specialist
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Montessori practical life & sensorial activities
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Daily routines, manners, and etiquette
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Social Emotional Learning
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Personal hygiene and toilet learning
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Indoor and outdoor learning environment
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Spacious and safe learning environment
Enriching Child Care
Our creative curriculum has been carefully crafted
to enrich all aspects of early childhood development.
Our New Minnetonka Daycare & Preschool: The Perfect Space.
In 2019, our little school moved to Minnetonka from Saint Louis Park. Our new location has been designed specifically for us; our Director and our teaching team were involved in all aspects of the architectural design process to ensure that our space is perfect for the little learners that we serve.
We believe in the beauty of natural light; children aren't meant to spend all day in a basement! Every space in our school is flooded with natural light, with a full wall of windows in each classroom. Our indoor large muscle activity room and front office even have large skylights! Our school also enjoys a safe coded entry system.
Newly designed, impeccably maintained, and full of light, we guarantee that you have never seen an early learning school like this before.
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The French Académie Reviews
THE LATEST FROM OUR EARLY EDUCATION & MINNETONKA COMMUNITY BLOG
