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June 2011
THE 7EME NEWS
“I like to
follow each
student’s
progress
and create
new school
projects.”
Nadia Vuong
Mme VUONG
It was a great opportunity for us to interview Mme Vuong,
who has been the Ecole alsacienne Petit Collège Director for
two years now. We learned a lot about her and we thank her
for taking the time to speak with us!
By Inès Froidefond, Juliette Zanartu & Charles Lévy-Thiébaut,
7ème 4
Mme Vuong, what attracted you
to the Ecole alsacienne?
I share the same values as the Ecole
alsacienne and I admire the school’s
long and important history. I like
that we take the time to give
individualized attention to all
students: we follow their progress
and accompany them in times of
difficulty.
Please tell us about your
background.
I taught elementary school at many
different levels and at many
different schools in the Hauts-deSeine department (92). I enjoyed
hosting student teachers in my
classes and I decided to become a
teacher-trainer (maître formateur)
at the DUFM, now known as the
Institut Universitaire de Formation
des Maîtres.
I moved to New York City to accept
the positions of Professor and
Educational Coordinator at the
Lycée Français de New York. As
Educational Coordinator, I enjoyed
developing new methods for
learning and teaching. An
interesting fact about the Lycée
Français de New York is that the
preschool is bilingual: each class
has a Francophone teacher and an
Anglophone teacher.
After six years at the Lycée
Français de New York, I returned
with my family to Paris. I developed
long-distance learning courses
based on two-hour modules for
adults and children who do not
have local access to French
courses. Although I found this kind
of teaching rewarding, I missed
being in a school environment and
interacting with students and
teachers on a daily basis. When I
heard that Mme Briane was retiring,
I was happy to apply for the
position at the Ecole alsacienne.
What do you do after saying
hello to us when we arrive in the
morning?
I have meetings with parents, Mr. de
Panafieu, school administrators and
the Petit Collège teaching staff. I
also visit the class rooms when
possible.
What do you like best about your
job?
I like to follow each student’s
progress and to create new school
projects.
What do you like least about
your job?
Paperwork.
Do you ever get tired?
I am busy all day so I don’t notice it.
I only get tired in the evening when I
stop working.
Do you know each student’s
name?
Not yet! There are 566 students in
the Petit Collège.
What do you do on Wednesdays?
I work on school projects with Mr.
Bourdeau, Clothilde, Danièle and
some of the Educational Staff.
We’re a small group and we work
well together, so we’re able to get a
lot done.
Do you get along with everyone?
When I arrived, I was the new person
at school and everyone knew each
other already. I am enjoying getting
to know everyone and building
strong working relationships.
THE 7ÈME NEWS JUNE 2011
Mme Vuong’s interview
(continued)
went to the farm where Diego was
born and we adopted him.
Are you afraid of anything?
What do you eat for breakfast? I am vigilant about the security of
For breakfast, I eat a bowl of cereal
with cold milk and drink Americanstyle coffee.
students at school.
read every night. I like books that
surprise and touch me.
What celebrity (or historical
person) would you like to meet
and why?
I would like to meet people who
lived during the ancient Roman or
Medieval period. I would ask them
what daily life is like for them.
Did a student ever bring illegal
items to school like drugs, cigars,
beer, or alcohol?
Please tell us a little more
about yourself: Where were you I haven’t seen any illegal items in the
born? Do you have siblings? Are Petit Collège, but I’ve had to
your right- or left-handed?
confiscate some toys with sharp
I was born in Antony, Hauts-depoints.
Seine (92) and I grew up in Cachan
Do you like candy? If so, what
(94), where I attended local public
kind of candy? Do you get to
drink soda at work?
schools. I have a sister, Frédérique,
I like candy, but I try to avoid it. I
who is five years younger than me. I
prefer cookies. I don’t drink soda. I
am right-handed, but both of my
sometimes forget to drink water
children are left-handed.
during the day so I have two water
What’s your favorite book?
I have many favorite books. I need to bottles on my desk to remind me.
What’s your favorite movie?
I have many favorite movies. I like
movies that are full of details,
emotions and surprises.
Do you like music? Do you play an
instrument?
Yes, I like music very much. I so
enjoyed the spring choral concert
given by the students in Mireille’s
activité annexe (extracurricular
class). Music is such a pleasure. I
don’t play an instrument, but I like to
listen to soul music and 1980s dance
music.
What languages do you speak?
I speak French and English. I used to
speak Italian well.
What is your dream travel
destination?
I like to learn about different
cultures, ways of life and climates
around the world. I’d especially like
to visit small Pacific Ocean islands,
as well as Australia and New
Zealand.
“A big project we
are working on now
is the upcoming
reconstruction of
Building 8 to create
larger, more luminous
classrooms and to
improve circulation,
including making the
building accessible
for people with
reduced mobility. We
will add a Nursery
3s class (“petite
section”) and create
a cafeteria with 70
places for
“maternelle”
students.”
Nadia Vuong, School
Director
What’s your favorite food?
I like Thai cuisine very much for its
delicious and surprising flavors.
What is your favorite color?
My favorite colors are blue and
green. I especially like midnight
blue, the color of the sky at night.
Do you have a pet? Where was
your pet born?
I have a very nice border collie named
Thank you, Mme Vuong!
Diego; he is three years old. He was
born in Les Landes (40). While at a
local antiques fair there, my husband
and I saw a sign for free puppies. We
Nadia Vuong:
“Music is such a pleasure. I don’t play an instrument but I like to listen to soul
music and 1980s dance music.”
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