Dear families,
The entire school celebrated International Francophonie Week during Term 1.
Did you know?
• French is spoken by more than 300 million people worldwide and is the fifth-most-spoken language on the planet.
• French is the second-most-studied language in the world, with some 125 million students and 900,000 teachers of French abroad.
• French & English are the only languages spoken on all five continents!
• French & English have been the official languages of the Olympic Games since 1896. The Olympic Games in France are coming up, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
These facts are a reminder as to why a bilingual education is a huge asset in our global society, and reinforce the reason why we are all here as FANS members.
Best wishes for a fun and restful school holiday,
The FANS Team
(French-speaking Association of the North Shore)
Association
FANS recognised in the NSW State Parliament
Local legends! As mentioned in the recent newsletter from Michael Regan, Independent Member for Wakehurst, FANS is honoured to have been acknowledged by a Community Recognition Statement in NSW State Parliament following the French Market 2023.
Thank you to Michael Regan for the recognition and kind words of encouragement! Here’s a short extract of the statement:
“Through the hard work of volunteers, employees, school parents and teachers, the French-speaking Association of the North Shore is a true source of pride for our community, and I thank its members.”
Read the full statement
Team France
As an important member of the French community in Sydney, FANS is part of the “Team France” initiative, led by the new President of the Alliance Française in Sydney, François Romanet.
Members met recently during the screening of Bernadette (The President’s Wife), the top box office film of the Alliance Française French Film Festival, for a social gathering paired with constructive conversations.
Paris Olympics in Sydney!
Immerse yourself in the spirit of the Paris Games.
Organised by the Consulate General of France in Sydney, join a team representing the Olympic nation of your choice and walk through the streets of Sydney in the Olympic Parade on July 14 Bastille Day.
You’ll also have the chance to discover some of the magnificent sports we only talk about every four years, with discovery sessions available during the nine weekends leading up the July 14th event in sports such as archery, breakdancing, diving, fencing, javelin, and trampoline.
Festival du Film Français
As a proud partner of the 35th edition of the Alliance Française French Film Festival (AF FFF), FANS offered discounted group tickets for three films showing at nearby Roseville Cinemas, a new participating venue this year.
FANS members enjoyed 63 discounted tickets, proving our love for French cinema and the success of this new partnership. Watch this space for more AF French Film Festival offerings in 2025!
"Les Monsieur Monsieur" Swiss singers
FANS and KHPS were honoured to welcome Swiss musicians Les Monsieur Monsieur to perform a singing Masterclass and share Swiss languages and culture with the school choirs.
A huge "Merci beaucoup" to the Swiss Consulate General in Sydney for offering this free incursion to our students as part of their Francophonie events.
Social
Upcoming Events
Raclette Night: Saturday 18 May, 6pm - 11pm
It’s raclette time! Gather your friends and get your tickets for the legendary parents-only raclette dinner and dancing evening.
Raclette is a traditional cold weather dish originating in the Alps, featuring raclette cheese melted at the table in a raclette machine, served over potatoes and charcuterie, accompanied by a green salad and French cornichons/pickles. After the dinner there will be music and dancing.
This biannual event is a big sell-out, so be sure to get your tickets and secure your babysitter.
Have a raclette machine? Great! We need at least 24 raclette machines from the community to make the event a success. Please add your name to the lending roster:
Fête de la Musique: Sunday 23 June, 11am - 4pm
This whole-school event is hosted and organised by KHPS, with the help of the P&C and FANS. This is the third edition of the Fête de la Musique / Sounds of Killarney, featuring multiple stages to hear our KHPS bands, strings groups, and choirs perform, along with local musicians and buskers of all sorts. Come along to enjoy games, food, and celebrate a day of music on school grounds.
French Market: Sunday 17 November,
9am - 4pm
This year’s edition of the French Market, the annual FANS community fundraising event that attracts thousands of marketgoers from across greater Sydney, will take place at KHPS on Sunday 17 November. Plans are already underway, so be sure to save the date for what promises to be another fantastic celebration of food, language, and culture.
Exciting Opportunity Alert!
Are you passionate about community engagement and making a meaningful impact? FANS is seeking dynamic individuals to help coordinate our flagship event: the French Market.
With an impressive attendance of around 10,000 visitors, this annual event is not just the main fundraiser for our not-for-profit association, but a vibrant celebration of our community.
You'll play a pivotal role in orchestrating this extravaganza, from stall holders coordination to event logistics. But fear not! You won't be left to navigate this adventure alone. A thorough handover and ongoing support from experienced members of the team will ensure your success.
So, if you're ready to step into a rewarding volunteer role where you can make a real difference to our school while being part of a supportive team, we want to hear from you! Join us in creating memorable experiences and fostering community spirit.
Reach out to Clemence Duprat at frenchmarket@fanssydney.org or 0403 936 491 to learn more and get involved!
Education
Keep in touch
Email: info@fanssydney.org
FANS Office: 02 9975 5038
Information about the association, the bilingual program, and high school classes can be found on our website: www.fanssydney.org
2025 Bilingual Program Enrolments Open in May
Bilingual program enrolments for the 2025 school year will soon open in May!
If you have a child entering Kindy in 2025, stay tuned to register your enrolment online: www.fanssydney.org
Semaine de la Francophonie
It’s been a term full of celebrations, including the International Semaine de la Francophonie / Francophonie Week, where students in the FANS bilingual program took part in learning centred around Francophone countries, cultures, and language. Some of these activities were done in partnership with Camberwell Primary School (CPS), a bilingual school in Victoria.
Outside of the classroom, the entire school enthusiastically participated in recess and lunchtime activities. Many thanks to the teachers of French, who organised the famous Flag Hunt / Chasse aux drapeaux, karaoke, hockey, flag bingo, pétanque, word games, and 1, 2, 3 Soleil.
Harmony Day
Coinciding with these celebrations was Harmony Day, where students proudly displayed their cultural heritage with traditional clothing. The school’s diversity is an asset to our children’s education, creating a rich environment that promotes openness, understanding, and a global outlook.
In the classroom
Semaine de la Francophonie
Early Stage 1
Kindy classes were busy learning about different French-speaking countries: Clare learned about Martinique, Carlow about French Polynesia, Athlone about Morocco, Ardee about Vanuatu, and Kildare about Mayotte.
Stage 1
Students sent their presentations of Belgium (Y1) and Senegal (Y2) to partner school Camberwell Primary School (CPS) in Victoria, and KHPS received CPS students’ presentations about Morocco (Y1) and Madagascar (Y2).
Stage 2
Francophone stream students took on the challenge of creating a presentation about a French-speaking country of their choice. Well done!
Illustration competition with CPS
(Camberwell Primary School)
All Year 3 to 6 students (Stages 2 & 3) participated in this term’s Illustration Competition of a French word used in English. Students at KHPS voted for the Prix Coup de Coeur for the best Camberwell Primary School (CPS) illustration, and vice versa! CPS is a partner bilingual school in Victoria. At the same time, the grand juries from both schools voted for the Prix du Jury.
Congratulations to the winners for their excellent work!
Lève ta voix! Raise your voice! AAFEBS reading aloud competition
Francophone stream students in Years 1 to 6 had the option of participating in “Leve ta voix! Raise your voice!”, a new reading aloud competition, along with other students across Australia as part of the AAFEBS (Australia Association of French-English Bilingual Schools) network collaboration.
The jury was most impressed by students' wonderful presentations and high reading level across all categories. Thanks to the parents who helped their children select a text and prepare for the competition.
Some examples of texts read are:
Harry Potter, Le Petit Nicolas, Verte, Le petit prince, Loup, Loup, y es-tu, Pop à l’ecole, Sami et Julie, La cabane magique.
The finals with other AAFEBS schools will take place online.
Merci à tous!
Category A (Year 1)
15 participants
Winner: Daria S. (not pictured)
Category B (Years 2 - 3)
22 participants
Winner: Zoé F.
Category C (Years 4 - 6)
15 participants
Winner: Jacqueline T.
Focus
Happy 25-Year Anniversary to the FANS bilingual program! Fêtons les 25 ans du programme bilingue FANS !
In 2024, FANS is a not-for-profit, parent-led association of 430 member families; we are all parents and carers with a keen interest in our children’s bilingual education. Without its members, there would be no FANS!
Whether you’re enrolled in the Anglophone or Francophone stream, being a FANS member comes with many benefits, including a leading bilingual primary education, and fun social events with an international community. Membership also comes with the chance to contribute, give back, and help maintain the program’s long-standing success.
The FANS Committee is an elected group of dedicated parent volunteers, and all our successful events are made possible by the power of member volunteers. All profits go directly towards our children’s education.
Looking back to 1998, FANS was founded by a small, highly motivated group of French-speaking parents to provide their children with a bilingual education while living in Sydney. After overcoming many hurdles, the bilingual program started at Killarney Heights Public School in 1999, and today we continue to benefit from their perseverance and initiative.
This year, the entire community is invited to proudly celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the FANS bilingual program. This huge milestone will be marked by a series of celebratory events in August and merits its own special edition anniversary logo.
Week of 12-15 August: Special recess & lunchtime activities for students
Friday 16 August: Special K-6 Assembly
Saturday 17 August: Official community 25-year celebration event
Call-out for archives!
We are seeking any bits of FANS history to gather memories from the last 25 years, including photos, videos, newsletters, articles, testimonials, and student work.
If you have anything to share, please contact the FANS Office: info@fanssydney.org
With thanks to Le Courrier Australien for sharing this article from their archives, marking the founding of the FANS bilingual program at KHPS:
