The Petit prince Competition

In the fall 2005, the students in the French class were offered the oppportunity to participate in this literary and artistic event, as part of the competition that is organized every year by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in New York. An awards ceremony then took place at the Cultural Services, and four were awarded to students from the international high school. In the opposite picture, Damina Bakayoko of the Manhattan International High School displays her prize certificate at the awards ceremony for the competition. To her left, Chantal Perullo, Parent Coordinator at Manhattan International School and to her right, Carmelle Saint-Gerard Lopez, her French teacher.

Participation in Première Scène Theater Festival
at Lycée français de New York, March 2006

The in-depth study of Le Petit prince led to a presentation of a theater play inspired by the work of Saint-Exupéry, and written by the French teacher herself. This creation was competing with those of other high schools, private or public, for immigrant or non-immigrant students. The organizers had chosen the ‘Masks’ as the main theme for the festival. The performance of the French Heritage Language Program students won several prizes, among which those for best actor and best actress. This achievement is the result of long hours of conception and rehearsal on the part of the students and their teacher, but was also made possible by the support of several of the school administrative staff as well as the staff of the Internationals Network for Public Schools. It was a chance for the students to expand their skills and marked the first time the Francophone community had actively participated in such an event which brings together French students from at least twenty other schools in the New York area.

Meet the author, May 2006

This event is the outcome of the study of the book Les petits garçons naissent aussi des étoiles (‘Little Boys Come From the Stars’) by Pr. Emmanuel Dongala (center), started in April. The students were offered to meet the author in person on May 13 at the French Institute-Alliance Française (FIAF) during a lecture that was held for them and the FIAF audience. Over the afternoon, the students were able to ask Pr. Dongala many questions that helped them better understand their reading.