Detailed summary of the School Council Meeting on November 12, 2024
Prepared by the attending parents: Caroline Després, Jean-Bernard Dumerc, Célia Hughes, and Pierre-François Vilquin.
This document is not an official report.
Participants: 13
Voters: 11
Quorum: Met
Agenda
- Administrative Matters
1.1. Appointment of session secretary and deputy secretary
1.2. Approval of the agenda
1.3. Approval of the minutes from the June 13, 2024, meeting
1.4. Establishment of committees - School Organization
2.1. Start-of-year review
2.2. Exam and mock exam schedules
2.3. Internship period for 10th-grade students
2.4. 2024-2025 sports association and club activity program
2.5. Educational projects, outings, and trips for 2024-2025
2.6. Allowances for special missions (IMP)
2.7. Information on the PPMS (Emergency Response Plan) - Miscellaneous Questions
Highlights from the Agenda
For the complete report, please refer to the full document attached (French only)
1. Administrative Matters
1.4. Establishment of Committees
Ms. Campels noted the absence of staff representatives, affecting committee composition.
Ms. Hughes, a parent representative, emphasized the lack of dialogue opportunities with staff due to this absence, particularly as there have been no secondary staff representatives for two years and no primary staff representatives this year.
Ms. Campels expressed regret but clarified that the quorum calculation is based on filled positions.
2. School Organization
2.1. Start-of-Year Review
Secondary school enrollment increased, while primary school enrollment slightly declined, particularly in preschool, raising concerns about maintaining the current eight preschool classes next year.
2.2. Exam and Mock Exam Schedules
- Mock exams for specialty subjects will be held during regular weekdays instead of Saturday mornings.
- The schedule remains subject to change based on the official exam dates yet to be finalized.
- Terminale (12th grade) exams will begin in mid-May, followed by exams for Première (11th grade) and Troisième (9th grade) in June.
- The Diplôme National du Brevet (DNB) oral exams are scheduled for June 5 and 6, 2025.
Some exams will result in full school-day cancellations for other classes due to space and staffing constraints.
2.3. Internship Period for 10th Grade Students
10th-grade students will have a two-week internship period at the end of the academic year, allowing those who wish to intern in France to do so without difficulties.
2.4. 2024-2025 Sports Association and Club Activity Program
Ms. Campels praised the smooth organization of sports activities and clubs, noting that students manage the activity pages on the school website. She encouraged parents to support clubs when needed and highlighted Mr. Garcia’s role as club coordinator.
2.5. Educational Projects, Outings, and Trips for 2024-2025
- Terminale students cannot participate in overnight trips but may go on day trips. The same applies to Première students close to exam periods.
- Rising transportation costs were noted, with some international trips requiring the purchase of non-refundable tickets to minimize expenses.
- A cap of ¥150,000 for international trips and ¥50,000 for local trips remains in place.
Ms. Campels expressed gratitude to teachers for their commitment and noted efforts to manage costs effectively. Families will need to agree to non-refundable trips to keep costs reasonable.
- Miscellaneous Questions
3.1.3 Staff Composition
We note that over 60% of the student body now consists of students with Japanese nationality (often in addition to another nationality, including French).
Nationalités | Maternelle | Elémentaire | collège | lycée | TOTAL |
Franco-Français | 19,21% | 18,17% | 22,13% | 25,27% | 20,75% |
Franco-Japonais | 51,41% | 52,61% | 51,15% | 48,74% | 51,34% |
Franco-Autres | 9,60% | 10,27% | 6,05% | 5,78% | 8,11% |
Japonais-Japonais | 7,91% | 7,90% | 5,85% | 2,89% | 6,39% |
Japonais-Autres | 2,82% | 2,37% | 3,34% | 4,33% | 3,07% |
Etrangers tiers | 9,04% | 8,69% | 11,48% | 13,00% | 10,34% |
Total effectifs | 177 | 633 | 479 | 277 | 1566 |
3.1.5 Language Pathways – Learning Kanjis
Parents requested confirmation of the pedagogical goals for kanji learning from the Japanese teaching teams. For example, for the International Section in Japanese (SIJ), this includes mastering 642 educational kanji (教育漢字 / Gakushū kanji) by the end of elementary school and all 2,136 common kanji (常用漢字 / Jōyō kanji) by the end of middle school.
Ms. Campels proposed consulting the relevant teachers. (This follow-up has since taken place, confirming that by completing their education at LFI Tokyo from elementary through middle school, students can achieve the same level of kanji proficiency as in the Japanese school system.)