Summary of the Primary School Council of October 12th, 2023

• Total enrollment in kindergarten and elementary : 817 students at the beginning of the school year, with a majority being Franco-Japanese (65%).
• 5 language pathways offered : Standard (33% of students), Parle English (26%), Parle Japanese (12%), SIA (21%), SIJ (8%).
• SIA : Despite previous reductions in the number of English language class hours in recent years, LFI Tokyo confirms its intention to maintain the current system of 9 hours of English per week, with no further reduction nor increase.
• There are no plans to introduce an SIA section in CP in the future, as the priority is to simplify the time schedules and to deliver all essential learnings in French in full classes.
• Organizing JLE classes based on skill levels (mixing students from CP to CM2) is not feasible due to the need to coordinate all language classes at the same time and group students from the main building and the annex. To assist those who wish to progress more rapidly, Japanese language teachers propose differentiated classes within each grade and personalized homework.
• To bridge the gap between supply and demand, the extracurricular service has opened additional spots, totaling 34 activities offered for 594 available spots and 636 registrations. There are no plans to reopen the after-school bus service (financial deficit, bus shortage).
• The daycare (garderie) cannot extend its hours until 7:30 PM due to staff schedule limitations. Additionally, staying at school until such a late hour may not be desirable.
• 19 primary classes will go on a school trip this year, with 2 or 3 CE1 classes awaiting confirmation. Families facing financial difficulties are encouraged to seek assistance from the solidarity fund to finance their child’s trip, so we can ensure that all children can participate.
• In terms of sustainable development, the LFI Tokyo aims to achieve level 3 of the EFE3D certification this year (level 2 obtained in 2022-2023).
• Teachers leading the Eco School project will continue neighborhood and playground cleanups. Initiatives against clothing and food waste are also underway.
• LFI Tokyo acknowledges the FLT’s request to generalize the use of Pronote to include all assignments but emphasizes that the paper agenda remains the reference tool.
• Following negative feedback last year, LFI Tokyo has not provided specific instructions regarding dress code for class photos this year.

Abbreviations :

SIA = American International Section

SIJ = Japanese International Section

JLE = Japanese as a Foreign Language

EFE3D = Eco-label given to schools with a sustainable development approach