PREMIUM EDUCATION IS JUST A STROLL AWAY: TWO PRIVATE SCHOOLS OFFER CLASSES NEARBY

For parents and soon-to-be parents moving into condos and homes in the Edgewater, Ravenswood, Andersonville and Lincoln Square neighborhoods, there is no shortage of public and private school options for children.

Previously, I wrote about several public schools nearby. This blog post will talk about the Lycee Francais de Chicago (also known as The French International School) and the Rogers Park Montessori School.

The French school is building a new campus, and the Rogers Park school is building a large addition to its current structure to accommodate more students.

The French International School is currently located at Irving Park and Lake Michigan, but its new building on Wilson Avenue between Damen and Winchester avenues will open in July 2015. It’s being built on the site of what was the old Ravenswood Hospital. Bilingual education starts at age 3 at this school, which educates children who are between the ages of pre-kindergarten and grade 12.

The French school is particularly interesting to me, as my mother is French and my father is American. My sister and I grew up in a bilingual household. Now that my sister and her husband are expecting their first child, they are seriously considering sending their son here. This makes my mother, who is from the French province of Brittany, very happy. I’m excited because if James goes to the LFC, I’ll be near enough to pick him up from school.

The LFC program, according to its website at www.lyceechicago.org, offers a rigorous dual-language curriculum that integrates the French educational system with a strong American program and the International Baccalaureate. With the help of an engaged multicultural community, students are prepared to become responsible global citizens.

The school was first founded in 1995 by a small group of French and American families with fewer than 150 students. Now, the school consists of nearly 500 families and more than 700 students.

The Lycee Francais de Chicago teaches French language arts and literature, math, science, music, visual arts, physical education, world history and geography, and philosophy in French.

It teaches English language arts and literature, social studies, American history, math (grades 3-5), dance and drama, and computer science in English.

Another nearby school located in West Andersonville/Lincoln Square is Rogers Park Montessori School. It was founded in September 1966 by 10 Rogers Park parents in a converted space in St. Ignatius parish. Since then, it has moved three times, largely due to its expanding number of students. It is currently located at 1800 W. Balmoral Ave., just west of Ravenswood Avenue, on what used to be the site of Hines Lumber.

Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator. The Montessori method allows young children to develop at their own pace. RPMS seeks to deliver quality educational programming; foster community, respect for self, others, and the environment; and build a strong academic foundation for a lifetime of learning,

RPMS offers classes for children who are between the ages of 2 and 14. The school’s vision embodies eight values. Among these are pride in academic achievement, a joy and thirst for discovery, self-reliance, a sensitive and respectful regard for others, the ability to collaborate, and the ability to think analytically.

“Guiding all our practices is the education and promotion of peace within self, in relationships and within the world,” the school’s website says.

For more information on the Rogers Park Montessori School, visit www.rpmschool.org.

Victoria Marty has written for newspapers and magazines for more than 15 years and recently moved to the Lincoln Square, Chicago area. A frequent runner who loves learning and exploring new places, she has perfected the art of getting lost while simultaneously finding unique landmarks, boutiques and out-of-the-way nooks worth writing about. Her blogs are geared toward the newly transplanted who want to learn as much about Chicago as they can, as quickly as possible.