Petite section
2-year-olds
Adults to children: 1 adult to 8 childrenGroup size: 16
The youngest room, with a guide and an assistant
- Morning8:00 am to 12:00 pm · 5 daysOffered
- School day8:00 am to 3:00 pm · 5 daysRest after lunchOffered
A French preschool for ages 2 to 5
Circle time in French, at a child's own pace
Some children join the song right away, and some watch first with a small smile. At Cattail both are welcome. The guides speak French from the door through lunch, and the words come through songs, picture books and play.
Programs
A room for each age, three ways to spend the day
Moyenne section
3-year-olds
Adults to children: 1 adult to 10 childrenGroup size: 20Songs, stories and a longer morning of play
- Morning8:00 am to 12:00 pm · 5 daysOffered
- School day8:00 am to 3:00 pm · 5 daysLunch from homeOffered
- Extended day7:30 am to 5:30 pm · 5 daysQuiet play after restOffered
Grande section
4-year-olds
Adults to children: 1 adult to 12 childrenGroup size: 24The oldest children, with the longest stories and the most to say
- School day8:00 am to 3:00 pm · 5 daysLunch from homeOffered
- Extended day7:30 am to 5:30 pm · 5 daysQuiet play after restOffered
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Holds a place and covers the enrollment file.
- Books and supplies
- Covers the year's picture books, songs and art supplies.
- Field trips
- Covers transport on the few outings, such as a morning at the bayou.
Each room keeps the same guides all year, so a child hears the same voices speaking French all year.
Sample programs.
A morning in French
The words arrive inside the day
Children hear French while they hang up a coat, sing, hear a story and share a snack. The guides point, act things out and sing, so no child is asked to translate or to perform.
At the door and at pickup we speak English with families, so you always know what happened and what is next.
Greetings, songs and a picture book in French each morning
Play, snack and outdoor time with the guides speaking French
English with families, at the door and at pickup
Every day
Four ways French shows up
Songs
Rhymes and songs with actions, some from the old French of Louisiana, sung at circle time and again on the way outside.
Picture books
A story every morning, read slowly, with pictures that carry the meaning for a child who is new to the words.
Snack and play
Setting the table, pouring water and building with blocks, with the same few words used the same way each day.
Outdoors
Naming what we see in the garden and the yard: birds, leaves, puddles and the cattails by the fence.
Dates
The school year at a glance
Tours run in the fall and in late winter, applications open in the new year, and families hear from us in March.
This school year
Tours
October and February
A tour takes about an hour in the morning, while you can hear the rooms at work. Children are welcome to come along.
Book a tourApplications open
January
The form takes a few minutes and asks about your family and the schedule you hope for.
- Decisions
Families hear from us
March
By email and a phone call, with a place or a spot on the waitlist.
First day
Mid-August
New children start with a short visit alongside a parent.
- Closed
Closed for breaks
Late December, Mardi Gras week and a week in spring
We share the full list of closures at the start of the school year.
Sample dates.
The team
The people in the rooms
Two of the guides who speak French with the children every morning.
Cécile Thibodeaux
Director and Grande section guide
Cécile grew up hearing Cajun French at her grandmother's table and leads the school. She is at the door most mornings, and she is the person to ask about a tour.
Amadou Diallo
Moyenne section guide
Amadou grew up speaking French in Dakar and guides the middle room. He sings every morning and keeps a guitar by the rug.
Safety and license
Who licenses us, and how we look after the room
License
Licensed by LDOE
Early learning center license · LA License # 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 8 children
2-year-olds
Group size: 16
1 adult to 10 children
3-year-olds
Group size: 20
1 adult to 12 children
4-year-olds
Group size: 24
Group size
Up to 24 children
with 2 adults
Capacity
60
Ages 2 years to 5 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Mandated reporter training
Safety routines
Arrival and pickup
A guide greets every child at the door and signs them in. At pickup a child goes only with the people on your list, and we ask for ID at the door until we know you.
Allergies and snacks
Tell us about allergies at the tour; we ask privately once you enroll. Snack is set out in the room, and we ask families not to send nuts.
When a child is ill
A child with a fever or a contagious illness stays home. If a child becomes ill at school, we call you right away and a guide stays close until you arrive.
Drills and headcounts
We practice fire and severe weather drills, and we count heads every time children move between the rooms, the yard and the garden.
Washing and play materials
Children wash their hands on arrival and before snack, and toys and books are wiped down between uses.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
From families
What families say about the first weeks
“The tour was unhurried. Cécile let our son listen from the doorway until he was ready to come in, and answered every question without a script.”
Marie L.Parent of a three-year-old
“Drop-off is calm. A guide meets each child at the door, and we always know who to ask when we have a question.”
Julien R.Parent of a two-year-old
“She hums the songs in the car and teaches them to her little brother. We learn a new word most weeks.”
Odile F.Parent of a four-year-old
Sample reviews.
Come and hear a morning at Cattail
Tours run in the fall and in late winter. Book one, or call the school and we will find a time that works.