Mission, Vision and Values
VISION & MISSION
Our Vision
Cultivate the global thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.
Our Mission
To provide academic excellence through an authentically French and International education while prioritizing a caring environment and celebrating the diversity of our community.
OUr Values
At Lycée, we strive to cultivate in our students a set of values relevant to their entire lives, both within and beyond the school environment. These values are intended to imbue their lives with meaning and to guide them toward fulfilling their full potential. We aim to instill four fundamental principles in our students: curiosity, respect, empathy, and excellence.
Our school values drive the meaningful and impactful work of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), guiding us in creating an inclusive environment where every member of our community is not only acknowledged but also genuinely celebrated and respected.
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.
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RESPECT
Respect is essential to building a trusting and healthy learning environment. At Lycée, 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 Lycée, 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 commitment to celebrating diversity and practicing inclusion
Our commitment to diversity in all forms is rooted in our belief that engaging with unfamiliar ideas, perspectives, cultures, languages, and people creates the conditions for intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, empathy, and growth needed to drive positive change in the world.
to OUR first 50 years of history and many more to come
The Lycée Français de San Francisco (the Ecole Française at the time), was founded in 1967 by a group of parents and teachers—Claude Reboul, Henri Monjauze and Claude Lambert—who split off from the French-American Bilingual School to create a French immersion program based on the French Ministry of National Education’s curriculum. In 1967, 27 elementary students began classes in a one-room school house at a Russian Orthodox church on Geary Boulevard.
In 1974, the school was renamed the Lycée Français de San Francisco, and it moved to 28th Avenue. In 1977, Lycée had the honor of giving high school diplomas to its first set of graduates. Having outgrown the space, the secondary school moved several times before settling, in 1983, in its own building on Balboa Street.
In 1986, the Marin County French School in San Anselmo merged with Lycée, adding a North Bay campus for students in preschool through 5th grade. Also in 1986, Lycée was renamed the Lycée Français International La Pérouse in celebration of the bicentennial of the French explorer La Pérouse’s visit to California. In 1989, the Marin campus moved to Corte Madera.
In 1996, the Lycée Français La Pérouse landed its current elementary school spot in the historic St. Agnes School building. At first, 755 Ashbury Street combined primary and secondary students. Now, the Ashbury Campus is home to more than 400 students, from preschool through 5th grade.
In 2005, the Lycée Français La Pérouse acquired the Conservatory of Music, another beautiful historical building on Ortega Street and 19th Avenue. In 2007, the secondary school moved into its new home, the Ortega Campus, providing education to more than 300 students from grades 6 to 12.
In 2012, in order to better reflect our mission and honor our wonderful locations around the Bay, the school was relaunched as the Lycée Français de San Francisco, and in 2013 we inaugurated our new campus in Sausalito.
The Lycée is accredited by the French Ministry of National Education and the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and is proud to be part of a 495-member network of French schools around the world led by the Agency for French Teaching Abroad (AEFE).