French International School of Philadelphia
The French International School of Philadelphia (French: École française internationale de Philadelphie, EFIP) is a French international school in Bala Cynwyd, Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania within the Delaware Valley.[1][2] As of 1993 it is the only full French bilingual educational program in Pennsylvania.[3] It serves grades PreK-8.
History
The school established its bylaws on January 22, 1991, and it opened in September of that year.[4] At the time the school was established, the French expatriate population of Philadelphia was increasing. At the time, 47 French companies had operations in the Philadelphia area. The Philadelphia honorary consul for France, Stanhope S. Browne, and the general consul of France, Jean-Yves Defay, stated that they estimated that between 5,000 and 6,000 French people lived in the Philadelphia area. In addition some American families had concerns about education in American schools. The French expats worked with locals for five months to have the school established.[5]
Originally the school occupied a leased second floor wing of the
The school planned to add the third grade in September 1992.[7] Because the first facility was unable to give more space, the school moved into a facility of the Shipley School, the just-vacated Beechwood house, in 1993.[3]
The school eventually moved to Bala Cynwyd, PA, and established an Upper School in a repurposed office building on City Avenue to house grades 4-8 and a Lower School, located on Highland Avenue, to house pre-K3 to 4th grades.
Student body
As of 2014[update] the school has 320 students, with about 33% being French, 33% being American, and 33% from international and/or bilingual families.[8] In 1992 Josette Smith stated that many students were children of French business executives assigned to work in the Philadelphia area.[7]
See also
- American School of Paris - An American international school in France
References
- ^ "Home." French International School of Philadelphia. Retrieved on May 14, 2014. "150 North Highland Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004"
- ^ "Community Profile Archived 2015-02-02 at the Wayback Machine." Lower Merion Township. Retrieved on April 30, 2014. (contains maps of Lower Merion).
- ^ Philadelphia Inquirer. August 3, 1993. Retrieved on May 14, 2014.
- ^ "About Us" (Archive). French International School of Philadelphia. Retrieved on May 14, 2014.
- Philadelphia Inquirer. March 25, 1991. Retrieved on May 14, 2014.
- Philadelphia Inquirer. September 16, 1991. Retrieved on May 15, 2014.
- ^ Philadelphia Inquirer. June 4, 1992. Retrieved on May 15, 2014.
- ^ "Our Students Archived 2014-05-14 at the Wayback Machine." French International School of Philadelphia. Retrieved on May 14, 2014.