Afternoon Enrichment Classes

The team at L’Atelier is happy to offer small group, on-site, in-person enrichment classes for children ages 5-7 from 1:00pm-3:00pm weekdays. Our first sessions run from September 14 until Thanksgiving Break.

These classes offer students in “blended learning” or other alternative school models a place to go on “off-days” where they can get warm, academically engaging, in-person French instruction in a safe learning environment while socializing with a small group of peers. The curriculum is based on our philosophy of strong academics combined with creativity, inquiry, and a nurturing approach.

What is an “enrichment pod”?
● Ages 5-7
● On-site, in-person instruction
● 1:00pm-3:00pm weekdays
● Sign up for one day or multiple days per week
● Six students max per day
● Sessions last for the NYC DOE school quarter
● French immersion (previous French exposure required)

This is a uniquely challenging time to be a parent. As schools implement “blended / hybrid” learning models, many of us have become rightfully concerned that our children’s loss of time physically in school this year will be detrimental to their social, emotional, psychological, and academic development. Pediatricians (as well as our own experiences) teach us that young children need live instruction and socialization every day, not three, two, or in some cases, one day per week. Our pod enrichment sessions are designed to help solve this problem by offering a safe and engaging instructional environment that is on-site, in-person, and small group-based, to help students who are in alternative, online-only, or “hybrid / blended learning” models fill in the “school gaps” during their week.

Our pod sessions are 100% French-based, for ages 5-7, and take place every weekday from 1:00pm-3:00pm. The “pod size” for each day will be capped at a maximum of six students. It is required that your child have previous exposure to French and relative comfort with the language.

L’Atelier is a no-screens zone. While there are many benefits to technology, L’Atelier has always been, and will continue to be, a place of 100% hands-on, face-to-face instruction, and a break from the online world.

Differentiation: We will differentiate our curriculum for each individual student, with activities tailored to each child’s readiness and French level. We are also happy to help your child with any homework packets from their school.

How does it work?
Our pods are organized by day. You can sign up for one day per week or multiple days by adding each individual day to your cart. So for example, you could sign up your child for Tuesday and Thursday. The sessions last for approximately the length of one school quarter.

We feel very confident that your child will be safe at L’Atelier, but that they will also be able to enjoy a warm, nurturing, “natural” school experience. Feel free to email us at latelierny@gmail.com if you have any questions about the precautions we are taking at our school due to Covid-19.

If you and other parents have already formed a pod for your children, you can BYOP (Bring Your Own Pod) :), and we can tailor our curriculum to your pod. Keep in mind that we can only host six students max per day.

A few more FAQs:

Can you briefly explain your pod-enrichment curriculum?
We have a differentiated selection of engaging academic activities appropriate for ages 5-7, at a variety of French levels. As always, we tailor our approach to each individual student, so we could have a group of six children working on three different activities. Our instructional priorities are reading, writing, and math, with an incorporation of the arts, science, and social studies. We combine the rigorous academic focus of the French national model with hands-on projects, creative expression, inquiry and problem solving, a warm and fun environment, and a goal of creating global citizens. You can read more about L’Atelier’s philosophy here.

Is everything in French?
Yes! We are a French immersion school. We only speak French with the children, and all our activities are based in French. However, the children are not “forbidden” to use English or any other language. When a child responds to one of us in their home language, we reformulate that answer back into French. We are well-versed in using hand gestures and other tricks to help clarify words.

Does my child need to speak French to do pod enrichment?
Yes. Unlike our nursery and pre-k program, your child needs to have had previous exposure to French, e.g., through a parent or immersion program, to join our pod enrichment classes. If your child’s French is a little “rusty,” that’s okay; it will come back during class. However, if they are entirely new to the language, they would feel lost during our activities.

Can my child bring in English-language materials from school?
Yes! We are happy to help your child with assigned work from their primary school, and it can be in English. With work for this age group (5-7), it is usually very easy to support a student in French even though the assignment itself is in English. Your child will not be confused. Simultaneous use of two languages is actually a positive stimulator for the brain.

However, please keep in mind that L’Atelier is a “no-screens zone.” We are happy to help your child with their homework, but it needs to be non-screen-based. L’Atelier is a refuge from the always-online world. Please save screen-based assignments for another time.

What happens if there is a citywide mandated closure of preschools?
Any pod enrichment sessions that L’Atelier cancels due to government mandated lockdowns will be refunded.