Academics
High School | Grade 9-12
Lycée students have so much to say, as their teachers tell us. Their intellectual curiosity is nurtured with care by our faculty in an academic program guided by preparation for the French Baccalaureate and renowned for its rigor, depth and breadth of subject areas.
The Lycée's upper school program prepares students to thrive in colleges and universities around the world. Students qualify for the New York State High School Diploma at the end of 11th Grade. New York State regards their final senior year, classe de terminale, as post-graduate study. A community of peers from all over the world adds perspective and insight for lively debate and discussion both in and out of the classroom.
Co-curricular programs in arts, civics, government, technology and athletics complement academic life. Opportunities for student leadership, social entrepreneurship and service learning let students apply what they learn to supporting their peers and to looking for solutions to pressing global issues.
Mathieu Cladidier, Head of High School
Through their years in High School, our students engage in a rigorous, comprehensive and well-rounded curriculum. They develop lifelong skills, centered on a thoughtful, empathic, and inquisitive view of the world. We allow students to refine who they are and to define who they want to become, as thriving, resilient, and confident teenagers in a rapidly evolving world. They graduate ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead, eager and prepared for higher education and for life.
A Baccalaureate-Driven, Bilingual Program
Students follow the French curriculum taught by French/Francophone teachers integrated with classes in English similar to what students find in the best NYC independent schools and taught by US-educated teachers. Secondary students choose to spend anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of their class time in English, depending on their interests, Baccalaureate exam choice, and plans for higher education.
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Year Nine
Ninth grade students begin a rigorous course of study to prepare for the Brevet exam, a French national exam taken at the end of Y9 that measures competency across a wide range of subjects, with written and oral components.Students continue with advanced math, computer science, science, history-geography, French literature and English literature, as well as fine art, music and PE. Coursework deepens their skills in writing, comprehension, critical thinking and argument. All students take a semester-long class in social entrepreneurship, which invites them to work in small teams to create a social enterprise that addresses one of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals. -
Year Ten
Tenth grade is a gateway to our Baccalaureate program and early preparation for college. Students continue to follow a focused course of study in math, science, history, their world language of choice, English literature, French literature, and PE. They also begin to focus their interests with a choice of electives in computer science, fine art, music or theater, and an additional course in history and economics.Students begin work with our College Counseling Office along with early career exploration through evening career programs and an internship at the end of the school year.
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Year Eleven
Eleventh graders begin their Baccalaureate program, which includes a common core of subjects: science, French literature, English literature, civics, world language, and PE. Students elect an additional 3 classes, spécialités ("majors") in computer science, economics, history, politics, the humanities and the sciences. All Lycée students take at least one of two math courses.
In January, an initial family meeting is scheduled with each student’s assigned counselor. Students then continue to meet one-on-one with members of the college counseling team, depending on their areas of interest and countries they are exploring for higher education. -
Year Twelve
Seniors complete the second year of their Baccalaureate program, with a common core of subjects: philosophy (in place of French literature), history-geography, civics, English, PE, science and their world language. They continue with a choice of spécialités ("majors"). Electives are also offered in music, fine art, cinema, Latin or Greek. Students planning to pursue math and engineering may add two additional advanced college-level math courses.
Work with the college counseling office intensifies, with in-depth workshops on writing college essays and preparing for college interviews, as well as one-on-one meetings with their counselor to talk about making a college list and receive ongoing support in making choices—from first acceptance all the way through the completion of the French Baccalaureate Exams.
The French Baccalaureate - A World Renowned Program
Lycée students have a choice of one of two Baccalaureate programs. Both are considered by the French Ministry of National Education to be equally rigorous and provide a gateway to colleges in the US, Canada, UK, France and beyond.
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Baccalauréat français international (BFI)
The Baccalauréat International (BFI) is a program of the French baccalaureate integrating the rigorous French bac curriculum, with advanced-level studies in English and an integrated History-Geography program taught by French and American faculty.
Through a partnership with the U.S. College Board and the French Ministry of Education, students are also able to take AP courses in place of some French program requirements, including AP US History, AP European History, AP Calculus B/C, and AP Biology.
The BFI is not a separate diploma but a specialization within the Baccalaureate. This course of study is for any student wishing to deepen their knowledge of American history, civics and culture in English, and a great option for pursuing study at colleges and universities in North America and in Europe. -
Classic French Baccalauréat
The traditional Bac, or Bac Standard is the classic fully French-language program followed by students across France. The majority of courses for this track are in French. Students who have recently relocated to the US from France or a Francophone country who plan to return there for higher education are advised to pursue this course of study.
From the Blog
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Place aux Maths: Why Math Matters
Bilingualism and biculturalism are two of our biggest assets, as math educators.
See how we help our students prepare for life after the Lycée.
Our college counselors work one-on-one with students as they prepare to apply to colleges, universities, CPGEs, and other academic programs all over the world.
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