A Day in the Life of a L’Alliance New York Preschool Working Mom

Our star colleague Anne Marie van den Broeck wears many hats—two of which include working as the Special Events Manager at L’Alliance New York and being a mom to nine-year-old son Nico and almost five-year-old daughter Émilie. Serendipitously, up until this past summer, Émilie attended L’Alliance’s Manhattan preschool—which means that she and Anne Marie shared a commute to and from L’Alliance each day. We love that—as both an employee and a parent to a L’Alliance New York preschooler—Anne Marie has a unique perspective on our beacon of francophone cultures, and how we’re educating the next generation of French speakers. So we sat down with her to discuss this experience! 

When and how did your relationship with L’Alliance New York begin?

Soon after I moved to New York City. As a French-American dual national working in the field of French-American business relations, I was very familiar with L’Alliance as the leading educational, cultural, and arts institution for the promotion of francophone cultures and the French language. I have been delighted to attend films and various programs over the years. So many programs truly stand out even today, from the 2013 Power of Style series during which the late Vogue editor and francophile André Leon Talley discussed his elegant book Little Black Dress, to the 2023 New York premiere of the film Reste un peu (Stay with Us) with actor and filmmaker Gad Elmaleh, to the Marilyn’s Vertigo stage performance by actress Isabelle Adjani—part of our amazing 2023 Crossing The Line Festival. There are too many to count!

What made you decide to enroll your daughter in L’Alliance New York’s Preschool? How long has she been there?

As a bicultural family, we wanted our dual-national children to be completely fluent in both French and English. L’Alliance New York preschool very much appealed to us, since it introduces the French language to young children by offering a French immersion program starting at age two and a half. There is such a small window to ensure fluency—if possible, starting very young is best. Émilie was enrolled at L’Alliance Preschool for a full two years (Petite Section/Nursery and Moyenne Section/Pre-K). I am honored to now work in Special Events at L’Alliance New York and thereby contribute to the organization’s mission, and for my daughter to have actively benefited from total immersion at the preschool. Our son has also attended L’Alliance camps over the years, and my husband has taken a French language class. One could say that for us, L’Alliance New York is a family affair!

Do you speak French with your children at home? If so, how has L’Alliance expanded their practice? 

Yes, my husband and I committed from the start to the “one parent, one language” method with our children. I consistently and only speak French with them, and my husband consistently and only speaks English. L’Alliance has expanded Émilie’s practice because she was fully immersed in the French language every single day. She and her classmates, who hail from a wide array of countries, not only learned French—they learned in French. With the steadfast guidance and instruction of the wonderful preschool teachers and administrators, the learning curve was smooth and extremely enriching. Language is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

You were in the unique position of sharing a commute to work and school with Émilie—what was your routine to arrive at and leave from the office with her? Did you ever meet up with her at midday for lunch?

Émilie and I took either the MTA bus or the subway together. I delivered her right to the preschool classroom between 8:30am and 9:00am, where she was warmly welcomed by the team. Émilie enjoyed eating lunch with her classmates and appreciated the Little Green Gourmet meal offerings. She (and we) also certainly benefited from the preschool’s optional after-care program, which offers a 6:00pm pick-up time.

What did your daughter love about L’Alliance New York preschool? Any favorite or memorable lessons?

In addition to learning the early building blocks for writing, math, and reading, Émilie tells me she loved her class “mascots” each year (T’choupi in the Junior Class and Trotro in the Pre-K class.) The children drew pictures and learned to form their letters, among many other skills while telling creative stories about the adventures of their beloved mascots. Émilie loved her teachers, her classmates, storytime in the Library’s Espace Jeunesse, and, of course, recess in Central Park. The end-of-year shows were also a highlight!

What do you love about L’Alliance New York Preschool? 

In addition to fluency in French, our daughter has gained a love of learning at L’Alliance New York’s preschool (while also having fun, of course!) She enjoyed and benefited from every moment of the program, which effectively combines the best of the French curriculum with the best of the American curriculum. The class size is small (12 maximum in the Junior class, and 15 maximum in the Pre-K class), allowing for a low student-to-teacher ratio. This promotion of individualized attention in a nurturing, close-knit community can prove invaluable for young learners.

I would also be remiss if I did not mention the array of culturally enriching field trips offered by the preschool. The children visited such NYC institutions as the Central Park Zoo, the American Museum of Natural History, MoMA, and—possibly the highlight—learned (in French, of course) to bake madeleines and croissants with the chef at Bread Story bakery. The preschool students are also surrounded every day by L’Alliance New York’s cultural programming, including visits to our gallery right downstairs, which boasts a variety of rotating art exhibits. The learning truly takes place inside and outside the classroom.

What is your favorite French book or movie to read or watch with your children?

For very young children, one of our favorites is Thierry Courtin’s T’choupi series of illustrated books. Older children may enjoy the Le Petit Nicolas books created by Jean-Jacques Sempé and René Goscinny—and loved by our son Nico! He and I were fortunate to visit the 2023 Signature Sempé exhibit in L’Alliance New York’s gallery. We also attended the New York premiere of Le petit Nicolas: Qu’est-ce qu’on attend pour être heureux (Little Nicholas: Happy As Can Be) by Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre. This was part of L’Alliance New York’s renowned Animation First Festival, the only U.S. festival dedicated to showcasing the legacy and innovation of French animation.

If you’d like to explore French immersion preschool options for your child, take a look at our L’Alliance Manhattan and L’Alliance Montclair Campus admissions requirements, curriculums, FAQs, testimonials, class details, and much more.