Bringing the Francophone World to Fifth Grade

The lower school history classroom was filled with insightful conversation on Wednesday, February 11, as upper school French 401 and 501 students presented semester-long research about the francophone world to Grade 5 students. Organized by upper school French teacher Denise Mihailoff and lower school history teacher Helen Santoro, the annual event is one of several touchpoints the lower school students have with the World Languages department as they get a sense of future language studies.

“I had an amazing time visiting the lower school students and sharing my experiences in the French program,” said Mari Pritchard ’26. “It was great to reflect on my four years taking French here at King and to hopefully inspire younger students to follow this path!”

That enthusiasm is exactly what the teachers hope to generate.

“Every year, I look forward to collaborating with Helen and meeting the fifth graders to share highlights of the upper school French students’ work,” said Madame Mihailoff. “It is always a meaningful and inspiring experience, and I am continually amazed by the kindness, curiosity, and sense of community our King students share, regardless of age or whether they are in the Lower or Upper School.”

This year, students in French 401 discussed cultural topics including food, housing, friendship, and the Palace of Versailles, while French 501 students presented on the history of France from its creation through the 17th century. Together, they showcased their language proficiency,  francophone knowledge, and love of the French program at King.

“My partner and I spoke about various cultural projects that we created throughout the year, along with the French curriculum in Middle School and Upper School,” said Charlie Mehta ’27.

“I had a wonderful experience talking to the lower school students about French class,” said Ian Kurlander ’27. “I was surprised about how receptive they were to learning about French culture, as I thought they wouldn't understand, but they seemed to have enjoyed and comprehended our projects.”

“Meeting the Grade 5 students and telling them all about our class was a wonderful experience since I learned how curious they are about languages, history, and culture,” said Cristina Saez de Ibarra ’27. “It was surprising how interested younger students are, and teaching them all about the course shows how languages can connect people together.”