All Saints’ Church site to remain as enrollment to grow to 100 and beyond
By: Courtney Gross
Approximately 60 students will greet Lawrence with a "bonjour" this fall when the Princeton French School opens a second campus on Carter Road.
The former space of the Lawrence Day School, the new campus for the bilingual elementary school will house first through fifth grade and also affords the academy the opportunity to expand into the middle school levels in the next few years, said Corinne Gungor, head of the Princeton French School.
The current facility, which hosts 85 students at All Saints’ Church in Princeton Township, will remain for its pre-kindergarten and kindergarten levels.
With two campuses, Ms. Gungor said, the school will boost enrollment to 100 students and look toward further expansion in coming years. Currently, the school has an extensive waiting list for those seeking the alternative and unique approach to education, where students learn curricula in both English and French.
Although many wait in the wings, Ms. Gungor said the Princeton French School will approach its upcoming expansion slowly.
"My goal is not to have a huge school," Ms. Gungor said. "I think we should do it step by step. … We shouldn’t forget that we’re talking about education and children, and our main goal is education."
The new facility which is approximately 7,000 square feet and has seven classrooms and a multi-purpose room will undergo renovations in the next few weeks and be ready to open its doors in September, Ms. Gungor said.
Although the majority of their students hail from Princeton, Ms. Gungor said most of them are sticking with the French school despite the move.
To make way for the French academy, the Lawrence Day School has moved to Lawrence Square Boulevard in Lawrence and also intends to expand its student body in its new space, Executive Director Geffra Nandan said. The preschool, which serves children from infant to 6 years old, has been on Carter Road for 26 years, and Ms. Nandan said it’s time for a change.
The school will continue to offer the same quality and the same programs, Ms. Nandan said, and its new location will most likely serve West Windsor, Lawrence and Hamilton residents.