LFSF at a Glance
WELCOME TO LFSF
Since 1967, the Lycée Français de San Francisco, provides Bay Area with high quality multilingual education in an international setting.
OUR Mission, OUR VISION
By emphasizing intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and integrity, our international school prepares students to realize their potential and positively impact their world.
Our vision is to empower future generations to make meaningful contributions to our world through a multilingual and multicultural education.
OUR VALUES
At LFSF, we aim to develop in our students certain values, relevant to their whole life in and outside of school. These values should help both create meaning and guide the direction of their life to enable them to meet their full potential. We aim to impart 4 fundamental principles with our students: CURIOSITY, RESPECT, EMPATHY and EXCELLENCE.
CURIOSITY
We believe in fostering curiosity and critical thinking in our students, about the world, their education and all aspects of their lives, in an effort to educate the whole child and create an inclusive environment.
RESPECT
Respect is essential to building a trusting and healthy learning environment. At LFSF, we emphasize the importance of inclusion through respect for others as well as self-respect.
EMPATHY
Understanding the needs and feelings of others inside and outside the classroom is an essential strength that we look to impart on our students. Empathy sits at the crossroads of our other values as it requires curiosity and respect and is a foundational pillar of excellence.
Excellence
At LFSF, we strive for excellence in all regards so our students may push their limits and become the best version of themselves. We believe the work, the discipline and the integrity required in the pursuit of excellence are assets that will benefit our students for the rest of their lives.
A continuous, international CURRICULUM
LFSF is an international school that provides Bay Area families with a rigorous, continuous curriculum academic program from Preschool (age2, La Petite Ecole) to High School.
LFSF Preschool: It all begins here!
The Preschool cycle builds the foundations children will use during their entire schooling. Focused on socialization, our unique program inspires young students to question, create and explore and develop their confidence and individual personality.
THE LFSF French Track: a unique, authentic French language immersion program
The French track delivers the French National curriculum and leads to the French Baccalaureate. This rigorous French immersion program is completed by a solid US program that accommodates the national US curriculum requirements allowing students to also graduate with a US High School diploma.
THE international track : powered by the IB [APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED NOW FOR FALL 2024]
The International Track, or iTrack, is based on the International Baccalaureate (IB)* program. It provides an outstanding French language acquisition curriculum. The iTrack leads to a IB Bilingual diploma as well as the US High School diploma.
IT ALL BEGINS IN MATERNELLE
From the age of 2 (in la Petite Ecole), preschool plays a key role in the development of children and their successful transition into thriving students. It builds the foundations children will later use during their entire schooling. It inspires them to question, create and explore while allowing them to develop their individual personality. It builds the confidence they need to trust their own power to act and think responsibly. Finally it develops their ability to learn and succeed at school and in life. It all begins here!
HAPPY PLAY, TO JUMP START BILINGUAL LEARNING THROUGH PLAY
Happy Play is a program of fun and interactive, in-person weekly sessions designed especially for you and your child. Its content caters to the development of bright-eyed children between the age of 1 and 3, and is intended to familiarize your toddler with bilingualism and the French language.
A TIGHT KNIT, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
Part of what makes LFSF so precious to generations of students, parents and alumni is its amazing, international community!
- Among 850-900 students, we usually count 50+ nationalities and about 30+ spoken languages.
- 75% of families are US, US/other, US/F, or other.
- 50 to 55% of our students have at least one French parent. This is a unique and great advantage for all. It explains the strong, authentic level of French and bilingualism of our students!
50 to 55% of our students have at least one French parent. This is a unique and great advantage for all. It explains the strong, authentic level of French and bilingualism of our students!
OUR LOCATIONS
Our students enjoy three beautiful campuses:
PRIMARY CAMPUSES : From La Petite Ecole to gr5
Our Ashbury campus (ASH) at 755 Ashbury Street, in San Francisco, is a beautiful, historic building in the Cole Valley. It welcomes 350-400 students.
Our Sausalito campus (SAU) at 610 Coloma Street, in Marin County, is a gorgeous, open and vast campus, just over the Golden Gate bridge. It welcomes 150-200 students.
MIDDLE SCHOOL (Gr 6 to 8) AND LFSF HIGH (Gr9 to 12)
Our Ortega campus (ORT) at 1201 Ortega Street, in San Francisco, is a historical building and home of the TLF. It welcomes 350-400 students.
ACCREDITATIONS
LFSF is accredited by
- the French Ministry of National Education,
- the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)
- the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
LFSF is a Candidate School* for the IB programs, pursuing authorization as an IB World School.
We are a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).
OUR NETWORKS
LFSF is proud to be part of the international network of close to 500 sister schools across the world managed by the Agency for French Teaching Abroad (AEFE).
As an IB Candidate School, LFSF aims to become part of the 5,000+ school network of IB World Schools around the globe.
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Our Story
The LFSF was founded in 1967 by a group of parents and teachers. Just 10 years later, the first Class of LFSF seniors graduated.
In 1986, LFSF added its first North Bay primary campus, that was eventually moved to Sausalito in 2013.
In 1996, LFSF acquired its Ashbury campus that originally welcomed primary and secondary students.
In 2005, LFSF acquired its Ortega campus, another beautiful historical building on Ortega St @19th Ave.
*These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that LFSF believes is important for our students.
*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org