Dear families,
Dear families,
What a busy Term 3 it’s been!
From meeting acclaimed author Sophie Masson and a student exchange to Camberwell Primary School in Victoria, to our Parent Trivia Night, Book Week costumes, and a record-breaking Rallye Lecture, there’s been plenty to celebrate across our FANS community.
As we look ahead to Term 4, our Year 6 students are preparing for the DELF Prim’ exam, and the French Spelling Bee is on the horizon.
And, of course, our biggest community event of the year is taking shape: the 20th anniversary FANS French Market, happening on Sunday 15 November. The volunteer signup is now open, so add your name to get involved, make an impact by supporting the billingual program, and connect with the school community. Together, let's make this fun day a huge success.
Read on for a quick look at our Term 3 highlights and what’s coming up next.
We wish you a restful and sunny school holiday. Teachers look forward to seeing students back at school on Tuesday 13 October, when all FANS classes will resume.
The FANS Team
French-speaking Association of the North Shore
Association
Nominees announced for the French-Australian Excellence Awards
The nominees for the annual French-Australian Excellence Awards have been announced, and voting is now open!
These prestigious awards shine a light on the many people and organisations – from hidden talents to entrepreneurs and well-known figures – who make a difference in the France–Australia relationship and in Australian life.
Congratulations go to these nominated members of the FANS community:
Culture Entertainment & Events
-Geraldine Collins, La French Academy
-Emma Hamilton, "La Musique"
Entrepreneurship
-François Chemillier, Herdy
-Marine Hautemont, Choosing Your Uni
Environment & Sustainability
-Jenni Philippe, Qantas
International Expansion & Value Creation
-Sylvain Mansotte, Whispli
Research & Innovation
-Dr Olivier Laczka, Noxopharm Ltd
Business Leadership
-Marine Turner, EssenceMediacom
Don't miss the chance to cast your vote!
Congratulations Year 12 grads!
To celebrate the Class of 2025 and their achievements in French language, FANS had the great pleasure of presenting three awards at the Killarney Heights High School Year 12 graduation ceremony.
Congratulations to:
• Rami A for Outstanding Performances in Languages
• Noah L for the FANS Prize for French-speaking background who has shown commitment to learning French
• Adeline P for the FANS Prize for non-French-speaking background who has shown commitment to learning French
Two of these outstanding students are graduates of the FANS bilingual program at KHPS.
We wish them well on the next step in their journey!
Social
KHPS Parents Trivia Night
A huge merci to the 154 parents and friends who joined us for KHPS Parents Trivia Night 2026 in support of FANS and the P&C!
It was fantastic to see so many current and past parents come together — and even a table of former students! There were plenty of laughs, creative costumes and, of course, some seriously questionable trivia answers.
A special thank you to Olivier Marie, our Trivia Master extraordinaire, for the questions, visuals and expertly orchestrated chaos.
🏆 2026 Trivia Champions: Table #3 – Oui Love Trivia
🥈 Runners-up: Table #15 – Les Quizérables
🥄 Trivia Tragics: Table #10 – Phil 'N the Blanks
🦜 Best Dressed: Table #5 – The Eastern Quizellas
Congratulations to all our teams — and thank you for making it such a memorable night!
Missed out this year? Start assembling your team now… we are already cooking up something special for 2027!
Education
Year 6 DELF Prim' exam preparations
Every year, students in Year 6 are invited to sit the DELF Prim' A1 or A2 exam. The DELF (Diplôme d'Études en Langue Française) is an official diploma in French language proficiency, awarded by the French Ministry of National Education, and is valid for life.
The Alliance Française de Sydney certified examiners will be delivering the DELF Prim' A1 and A2 exams at KHPS during school hours on Wednesday 28 October.
To prepare, our Year 6 students have been answering sample exam questions in the writing, reading and listening comprehension sections with their teacher of French during reading groups. Students have also practiced the oral section of the exam with FANS teachers during recess and received personalised feedback.
This formal exam is an excellent official validation of your child's progress, and is a stepping stone to the next level of high school DELF certifications.
We wish them all good luck et bon courage!
The French journey doesn't stop here.
ENROL WITH FANS EXTRA-CURRICULAR
HIGH SCHOOL FRENCH CLASSES
The next milestones — DELF Junior B1 and B2 — are internationally recognised qualifications that confirm your child’s French language skills at a high school level, opening doors to exciting future opportunities.
👉 Learn more about FANS DELF Jr B1 & B2 prep classes and our other extra-curricular high school French workshops
2027 Bilingual Program enrolments at KHPS
The official enrolment period for Kindy 2026 has closed and the school is in the process of sending offers of places to future kindergarten students, with the first orientation day coming up in October.
If you are interested in enrolling your child in the bilingual program, please contact the office to discuss as soon as possible.
In the Classroom at KHPS
Rallye Lecture Reading Competition
Thank you to the parents for motivating their children to read in French, and to the teachers for the organisation of this Rallye Lecture and keeping track of all the books and completed challenges.
Well done to all the students – this was a great challenge this year and we are so proud of all our readers.
Students have beat last year's record by 104 books! The grand total of books read is an outstanding 2,669 books!
Top classes
Some classes must be especially commended for their group effort. Omagh (Year 3) and Youghal (Year 1) students read an average of more than 21 books each, while Athlone (Kindy) students read more than 22 books each during the 6-week challenge. What an amazing result!
The Certificats d’Or winners were announced today to the most avid readers of 2026. As we have some very eager readers, we’ve even had multiple ties!
Kindy : Romy L. and Noe J.F.
Year 1 : Bella H., Clara H. and Maelan B.
Year 2 : Marcus R.
Year 3 : Alice F., Elyna B., Daria S., Jeanne B., and Nora S.
Year 4 : Leo C., Liam S., Charline P. and Octave M.
Year 5 : Clementine F.
Year 6 : Liam D.
Congratulations again to the winners.
Coupon Draw Results
Coupons were drawn by Mme Bentley, with a video of the draw shared with students during Intensive French. Each book read and each challenge completed added a coupon to the draw. One lucky reader per year has received a voucher to redeem at the school canteen before the 13th November. Bravo to:
Kindy : Carla M. - Athlone
Year 1 : Clara H. - Youghal
Year 2 : Theo P. - Galway
Year 3 : Gael J.F.. - Omagh
Year 4 : Octave M. - Ulster
Year 5 : Clara Q. - Furbo
Year 6 : Leana M. - Ennis
Rallye Lecture at Camberwell Public School (VIC)
This term, our Stage 2 students strengthened their connection with Camberwell Primary School (CPS), our sister school in Victoria, through a range of engaging French-language projects.
Students exchanged letters, postcards and visual creations, then enjoyed reading the letters from CPS and completing a matching game to connect each letter author with their visual identity cards. They also shared their love of reading through the Rallye Lecture, taking part in book tastings, voting for their favourite French books and exchanging their reviews and results with CPS.
Our students also created and exchanged recorded book readings and comprehension questions, practising their reading aloud skills.
These authentic exchanges give students a real purpose for using French while developing their reading, listening, speaking and comprehension skills, as well as their confidence and intercultural understanding.
It has been a wonderful way to connect, communicate and share our love of French and reading with our sister school!
Linguafest 2026: A Film Giving Ecology a New Breath
This year, ten Stage 3 HPGE French students took part in Linguafest, an annual short film competition organized by the Modern Language Teachers' Association of New South Wales (MLTANSW). The initiative encourages students to collaborate and showcase their linguistic and creative skills by producing a short film. Guided by FANS teachers Mme Daniel and M. Gautier, the students wrote, directed and recorded a short film titled A New Breath.
The film tells the story of Gaia, a new student who seems to communicate with nature and reminds everyone of the importance of simple everyday actions to help protect our planet.
The students were involved in every stage of the project, from writing the script and developing the characters to recording the voices and filming.
Congratulations to the students and the whole team! We look forward to hearing back from the selection jury and sharing the film and results in early Term 4.
Stage 1 HPGE French -
La Grande Lessive
Every Friday during Term 3, a group of selected students from Year 1 and 2 met to prepare an artistic French event called La Grande lessive® . This unique and internationally shared event, which translates to “The Great Laundry,” will transform our school grounds into a colorful outdoor art gallery on Friday, October 16th.
This year, artists worked on the theme "Photo (et) graphie" and present an A4 artwork. They used cameras, pencils, markers and even objects to express their creativity.
Save the date: Friday, October 16th from 8:00 to 9:00am or after school. Everyone is welcome!
In the Classroom - High School Students
After-school extra-curricular classes in Forestville
DELF B1 & B2 Junior Exams
Congratulations to the students who successfully sat the DELF B1 and B2 Jr exams at the Alliance Française Sydney in May.
Best of luck and bon courage to the 12 students who will sit the November DELF exam session.
The DELF is an internationally-recognised diploma of French proficiency, providing a valuable certificate for those interested in living, studying or working in a Francophone country.
The DELF B2 is now the standard level required for anyone applying for French citizenship, and can be required to study in a French-speaking university.
High school classes
Why continue French with DELF certificate prep classes from Year 7?
KHPS graduates finish primary school with a far stronger level of French than any other public school in Sydney. But once in high school, daily immersion disappears – even at Killarney Heights High School, where French is adapted for KHPS grads, exposure drops significantly. For those attending other schools, French may not even be on offer, or only at a beginner level.
That’s why FANS runs after-school classes designed just for former KHPS students. These classes prepare students for the internationally recognised DELF Junior B1 and B2 exams, with separate streams for Anglophone and Francophone learners.
The DELF is not only great preparation for HSC French – it also opens doors to study, travel and work in Francophone countries worldwide.
Find out more on our website or contact the FANS office.
French Market
FANS French Market in Killarney Heights
20th Anniversary Edition!
- 60+ boutique stalls offering gourmet food, fashion, accessories, homewares, art, and handcrafted goods – all with a French flair.
- Delicious French cuisine, including crêpes, croque-monsieur, raclette, charcuterie, cheeses, pastries & baked goods, waffles, saucissons, foie gras and more.
- Family fun with carnival rides, children’s games, and live music performances all day.
Volunteers needed!
Sign-up today! The French Market needs you
Sunday 15 November | 9am - 4pm | Killarney Heights Public School
Keen to add your name to the team? The volunteer signup is now live!
Everyone is welcome—no experience or French required.
First in, best dressed, so put your name down for your preferred role and timeslot now:
😎 SIGN-UP AS A FRENCH MARKET VOLUNTEER 🥐
A team of 300 volunteers is needed across Fri 13 Nov, Sat 14 Nov & Sun 15 Nov 2026.
Make an impact on fundraising for FANS and the French Bilingual Program, make new friends, and give back to the community! The school will be hosting 5,000 to 10,000 market visitors, so let's show them our amazing spirit.
Children & teens - Family teams
Grab your friends and family to signup together!
- Children from Year 5+ can sign-up as helpers with a supervising carer.
- No cooking or food prep permitted for those under 16 years old.
- Teens 16+ years can help with all roles, including cooking.
Thank you for your contributions!
Focus
New Books for the Bilingual Program!
One of the most important ways that fundraising supports the French-English Bilingual Program is by investing in high-quality French-language resources for our students — and this year, thanks to our community’s incredible fundraising efforts, we are adding nearly 1,000 new books and learning resources to the FANS resource collection.
This major investment has been made possible through funding from the STAAFE grant. As part of the grant funding arrangement, FANS is required to match the grant contribution dollar-for-dollar from our own funds. This means that the fundraising our community does throughout the year directly enables us to unlock this additional funding and significantly increase what we can invest in French resources for our students.
It is a substantial investment in the program, with resources that will be used by students across the school and continue to support French learning for years to come.
Every book has been carefully selected to complement classroom learning and the curriculum, while matching students’ French language and reading levels. The new collection includes:
- Decodable readers for Kindy to Year 2, supporting the development of French phonics and reading skills alongside the school’s reading program.
- New French-language books for Francophone stream students, including new titles and popular series that are widely enjoyed by children in France.
- Bilingual books for younger students, including stories featuring animals speaking in both French and English.
- French-English chapter books for older students, helping them develop their reading skills while engaging with age-appropriate stories.
- New bandes dessinées (BDs) and other high-interest titles to encourage reading for pleasure.
- Classroom reading collections, providing books for the baskets and classroom libraries used by students throughout the year.
- Teaching resources from La Planète des Alphas, including materials, games and resources supporting the learning of French sounds and more complex phonics from Kindy to Year 2.
The new resources are being introduced progressively across the school. New readers have already begun arriving in classrooms, with further resources for Years 1–2 in Term 3, Kindy in Term 4, and Stage 2–3 across Term 4 and into 2027.
A huge merci to everyone in our FANS community who has contributed to fundraising throughout the year. Your support doesn't just fund individual events or activities — it helps us access additional funding and turn our community's fundraising efforts into real, lasting resources for our students.
And a very special thank you to the Executive Teachers, M. Gautier and Mme Angaru, for their collaboration in carefully selecting, organising and planning this new collection. Their expertise ensures these books are not simply new titles on the shelves, but valuable resources that directly support our students’ learning and help foster a lifelong love of reading in French.
Bonnes vacances à tous !
Happy holidays everyone!
Happy holidays everyone!
With thanks to our Ambassador sponsor
Decathlon Australia
FANS Ambassador 2026
We are delighted to welcome back Decathlon Australia as a FANS sponsor for 2026.
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Merci, Decathlon Australia, for supporting FANS and the French Market!
With thanks to our sponsor
LJ Hooker Alliance
FANS Supporter 2026
We are delighted to welcome LJ Hooker Alliance as a FANS sponsor for 2026, continuing a valued partnership that has been part of our community for many years.
Formerly Ray White Fairweather Group, the team has been a long-time supporter of FANS and the French Market, and we are proud to welcome them under their newly launched LJ Hooker Alliance brand.
With a strong understanding of the local community, LJ Hooker Alliance works closely with families looking to settle in the Forest area and across Sydney’s Northern Beaches.