THREE FRENCH NATIONALS LAUDED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO NEW ORLEANS EDUCATION

NEW ORLEANS – New Schools for New Orleans conferred honors on three Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orleans faculty members Saturday, Nov. 5 at its Excellence in Teaching Awards Gala at the Ritz-Carlton.

In addition to celebration and recognition, these teachers were each awarded $1,000 Classroom Excellence Grants to be used toward their students or throughout the school.

Salma Anguilet of LFNO’s lower school teaches first grade. Born and raised in Gabon, Anguilet taught in Morocco and Gabon before joining the faculty at LFNO where she has been for five years. She intends to use her prize to add vision, opening her students to the world, especially with flexible classroom material, French games and books. 

“Salma is an amazing teacher for so many reasons,” LFNO Principal Chana Benenson said. “She facilitates learning opportunities that support children’s development of critical thinking skills, and she demonstrates boundless warmth toward her students.”

A New Orleans native with a French mother, Margot Marks grew up in the immersion education system. This is her ninth year in education, six of which are as a French immersion fourth grade teacher at LFNO. She intends to use her prize to purchase flexible seating options, a listening station and tablet for her classroom.

“With five years of experience at Lycée, positive relationships with students, families and staff and her positive classroom culture, Margot is so deserving of this recognition,” Gina Bianchi, principal of the middle school campus, said. “Margot supports new French teachers, curriculum development for her grade level, keeps her classroom open to colleague observations and shares best practices.”

A native of Nantes, France, Pierre Bouard of LFNO’s Priestley campus teaches physical education in the upper school. In his third year of teaching PE at LFNO, Bouard intends to collaborate with his PE colleagues to determine how best to use this grant, so it benefits as many students as possible, especially those preparing for Baccalaureate exams.

“Pierre is a thoughtful and compassionate teacher who is 100% committed to problem-solving and life-skill-building with his students” Principal Benenson said. “It’s not just physical education that Pierre teaches, rather he systematically empowers students with lifelong holistic skills needed for success.”

New Schools for New Orleans issue the Excellence in Teaching Awards to acknowledge the critical role educators across the region play in New Orleans’ success. This marked the first year the awards were presented at a full gala celebration, gathering the city’s outstanding educators, civic leaders and community leaders.

# # #

About Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orleans
As New Orleans’ sole French pre K-12 public school, Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orleans is designing and providing an innovative, world-class French Accredited learning model by immersing students in a culturally and linguistically rich learning environment. LFNO maintains four academic goals school-wide to increase mathematic, reading and standardized testing performance and goal achievement, while also surrounding students with French language, culture and academic life. LFNO.org