IFS BACK TO SCHOOL AY 2022-2023

It has been two years, and the school’s COVID-19 measures have protected its students and staff well, but mask requirements have been eased with the situation in Singapore stabilising. And so, it was truly wonderful to welcome our students back on campus for the start of the 2022-2023 academic year and see their beaming faces once again. Nevertheless, we remain vigilant. Particularly in our concern to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on students’ schooling and well-being.

The International French School (Singapore) starts a new academic year with over 2,920 students from ages 2 to 18 across maternelle, élémentaire, collège and lycée. New to the school are some 632 new IFS students arriving from all over the globe. They join their ‘camarades’ in filling out the 136 classes within the school.

In his welcome message to students, IFS Principal Mr David Binan urged students to “get involved in the school’s civic life, act as class delegates, and participate in charity projects.”

Addressing IFS during the school’s ‘pré-rentrée’ all staff meeting, Mr Jean-Marc Arnaud-Deromedi, Président du Conseil Exécutif expressed the importance of remembering the school’s values of “excellence for all where each student is accompanied to achieve the best of themselves. Values of caring where social and academic well-being is at the centre of our concerns.”

For this ‘rentrée’, IFS welcomes two new heads of school. Mrs Sylvie Allonas joins IFS from Canada and will oversee the 5ème, 4ème, 3ème and 2nde grades. Mr Florian Olive takes over as Head of IFS Maternelle, arriving in Singapore from the French Occitanie region. They join an IFS teaching faculty of over 280 teachers and 139 educational support and administrative staff. In further updates, Mr Grégory Bailleul will this year take charge of the 6ème, 1ère and Terminale grades.

During the summer holidays, a series of work and improvements were made to enhance the school. New lighting upgrades to the bus bay area have been installed. More comprehensive shelter has been added between the canteen, corridors and outside walk areas. In élémentaire, student play courtyard areas have been upgraded with new rubber flooring, and a brand new multimedia studio has been constructed and equipped.

In his opening remarks during the staff pré-rentrée, Mr Deromedi commented on some of the new projects being planned for the school. “Among the new, big projects, there is above all the extension of our campus bringing our capacity to 4000 students. In addition to increasing the school’s capacity, this will involve implementing a different pedagogical approach at the kindergarten level. We also plan to create a collaborative and caring space for our secondary students.”

In concluding his ‘back-to-school’ message, Mr Binan thanked all those who have placed their confidence in an IFS education, “Today, choosing IFS means choosing an educational institution that shows its capacity to evolve while keeping the values that are the basis of its success. Choosing IFS means showing confidence in the teaching faculty, in a multilingual French education open to the world and in the exceptional network of the Agence pour l’Enseignement Français à l’Etranger (AEFE). Choosing IFS means allowing your child to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to join a constantly evolving society made up of permanent interconnections with others, tools and the environment.

Have a great school year, and see you soon!”