SUNSET, La. — Académie Franco-louisianaise de Sunset (AFS), a free public elementary charter school in Sunset, is currently accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year. AFS is seeking students of all abilities who live in St. Landry parish and who will also be in kindergarten or 1st grade for the 2020-2021 school year. Transportation will be provided, and students do not need to speak French in order to apply.
“We are so excited to bring French immersion as a new choice to all St. Landry Parish parents,” says Lindsay Smythe Doucet, school leader of Académie Franco-louisianaise de Sunset. “Research has shown that immersion students tend to have greater mental flexibility, better problem-solving skills, and higher test scores than their non-immersion peers, and we want more students in St. Landry Parish to have access to the French immersion educational model.”
Starting with kindergarten and 1st grade, AFS will build its French-speaking students one grade at a time. At its capacity, AFS will provide students in pre-K through 5th grade with rigorous academic, linguistic, and cultural experiences while building upon the region’s French-speaking heritage. Cherie Royer, a mother of a French immersion student, has seen the impact of French immersion first-hand with her daughter. “The French Immersion experience has been incredible, both for my child and for us as a family,” says Royer. “She is not only learning a language, but she is exposed to teachers from all over the world and has learned about different cultures. All aspects of her education have been enhanced.”
There are two phases for acceptance into Académie Franco-louisianaise de Sunset.
Phase I: Priority Lottery
All applications for this round are due by 5:00 PM on Friday, February 28, 2020. Those students who apply within the deadline and meet the requirements will be placed in the lottery. Applicants will be selected by random computer drawing for our 96 available seats. Applicants not selected will be placed on a numbered waitlist.
Phase II: Open Enrollment
Applications will reopen a week after the lottery, once the lottery priorities have been assigned. Open enrollment will be on a first-come, first-serve basis after all waiting list priorities have been assigned. Phase II applicants must meet all requirements to be accepted into AFS. Though not required, interested parties are encouraged to learn more about the school at a Parent Interest Meeting, which is being held throughout St. Landry Parish. The times and dates for meetings can be found on the AFS Facebook page and website. Applications can be submitted online at bit.ly/AFSadmissions or at www.academiesunset.org.
