Foreign Language Immersion

Is a very good concept, however my daughter grades have dropped dramatically this year. Her grades are so low that she is been expelled from the school due to her academic G.P.A. Which would be understandable if she just not able to keep up with the curriculum. However, this is not the case. This is her 3rd year at FLICS and she enjoys learning Spanish. I feel that her grades have dropped due to lack of extra curricultives, she has not had gym in two years and no type of elective this year. Students can not function/grow academically correctly without some kind of cool down. It's sad that my daughter have to leave FLICS for something she neither had control over or understanding. In hope they get their act together, because for the most part the teachers are great and being bilingual is a huge advantage.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children that attend FLICS. I am very satisfied with this school. I was plesantly surprised from day 1. Judging from my eldest daughters 1st DPS school I was so ready to abandon DPS, however FLICS is great. The parent involment is awesome and I feel this is what keeps its standards up. I have one daughter in 3rd grade speaking french. My other daughter is in kinderdgarden and learning Chinese. Huge thumbs up for FLICS! More importantly to the overwhelming positive parent involvment! This school seems to be better than any charter & most private schools
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in the second grade and has been at FLICS since last year. The school is ok as far as academics ,but she had no gym class at all last year and only goes to gym twice a week now. I dont like the fact that the middle school children come in and exit out the same door. This year they installed a metal detector for 6th grade and up . I as a parent must walk thru it as well. Last straw . I do love the fact that you can drop your child off as early as 7:30 am for working and school bound parents this is great . They also have latch key. However the parking for pick up is an absolute mess.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the first year that I have considered sending my daughter to an another school. She has attended FLICS since kindergarten. I love the fact that the students are immersed in a second culture and language, but I am saddened by the lack of organization and lack of ability for some teachers to control their classroom. This is especially noted once my child entered middle school. My daughter loves the language and skill she has acquired by attending FLICS, but acheivement in her primary language skills (reading, writing and science) are below average. Like all Detroit Public Schools, teachers are not guarranteed for the following year. This is a hinderance to teacher student learning. I wonder if this school would be more effective if it were a Charter School? I do commend the principal for trying to improve communication between the school and parents!
—Submitted by a parent

Filcs prepared me for things I never could get out in the real world with the foreign The Japanese language was one off the best structured languages and at the end you see that flics is more than a school I t's a family.I am porud to say I'm a firebird!

My daughter is a graduate of FLICS, having spent K-8 at that school. She excelled in the environment and many of her classmates as well have done excellent. Her exposure to Spanish early has lead it to a mastery of it...as she is now in high school (Cass Tech) has skipped a year of the language, and will be in AP Spanish in the fall. While doing well in the language consistently, She has maintained high marks in all other subjects, including math and science, as her FLICS teach really inspired her at the middle school level. Her class mates also populate the top high schools- Renaissance, Cass, and several private High Schools, as well as public high schools in high performing suburban districts. I cannot say enough about the staff and parents there at FLICS. To any one considering it, ask yourself what the world will be like in 30 years, and how valuable a second langugae will be to your child's adult life.....
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter started Kindergarden this month. While the first day was hectic as far as organization, I am pleased with everything else so far. She is in Chinese and Ms. Yang is her teacher. I like that she focuses on comprehension of what is being learned rather than just memorization. My daughter counts to 10 in chinese with ease and is teaching my husband and I as she learns new things. I am hopeful that she will continue to progress and thrive.
—Submitted by a parent

Great concept, terrible execution of the concept, I am sad to say that my child will no longer be in attendance.
—Submitted by a parent

First off; my two little one's was in a school of very low performance. From k-2 in that school they were sold A students and, it looked as if they were where they should be compared to the other kids; they were head of they class and, doing what I thought a second grader should do. Well fast forwarding; I had the opportunity to send them to FLICS the first two report cards went from sold A to Sold C-B students; behind a whole grade in FLICS standards; now they comprehend ten times better when they read; and the math is much further in complexity than at the other school.I have them in the 3rd grade French class and the teacher Madame Markaj is wonderful!They love school again and is getting back to making A's again, and now I know they really earned them this time.I Was thinking about Chrysler elementary and, Bates Academy, but I consider myself lucky to have my kids in FLICS.One word of advice for you parents out there...This school is a sleeper don't rate 10 but this school is a 10!Your child after this school will be accepted at an top high school and will have a great chance for a college scholarship.Thank you hoped this helped in your choice.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter is in the second grade Spanish class. Senora Barriera has restored her exuberance for attending school. She looks forward to attending class and she is excited and happy to be in her classroom. She had begun to exclaim that she did not want to attend school while at Bates Academy, which was very unusual for her. We are far more impressed with an educational environment that promotes a healthy desire for learning, than to be involved with an institution solely on its reputation. We are pleased with Senora Barriera's approach and feel comfortable with our child being in her care. As we are very protective of our daughter, this praise is well earned. We are looking forward to the rest of the school year. Senora Barriera is a fine example of what a DPS educator should represent.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a Principal in an affluent suburban school district, but a resident of Detroit and I proudly send my daughter to FLICS. I cannot wait for my younger son to begin attending the school next year. The students are immersed in the cultures and language of their choice (Spanish, French, Chinese and Japanese). My daughter is in the Spanish program and people are generally astounded by how well she speaks, comprehends, reads and writes Spanish. We have a very active parent group and my daughter loves her school.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a student at FLICs. It is an okay school. I am very irritated by one particular teacher that I will not name. She makes us perform in the Spanish festival when we don't want to. Her voice is annoying. She yells a lot.
—Submitted by a student

Immersion in diverse language and culture should be required in all schools.
—Submitted by a teacher

Im a student at flics right now and its my last year and i think my school is wonderful with the exception of one teacher but they're trying their best so its okay.
—Submitted by a student

Beginning in kindergarten, students are immersed in their chosen target language of French, Spanish, Japanese or Chinese. My daugher, who majored in French, continued with French and Spanish in highschool and her fisrt year of college, where among other things, she is tutoring other students in French.
—Submitted by a parent

this is one of the best school i ever been this is my last year iam going to miss it there
—Submitted by a student

F.L.I.C.S is a great school for kids who have an open mind about learning. Because if know that your child does not listen or has innapropriate behavor this school is not for you. But when my daughter's friends leave the school she has to understand that they probably didn't get the language or didn't study. You have to be willing to learn anything and open their mind and can't act stubborn. This is my daughter's 8th year she has been there since kindergarten and takes Japanese and loves it and so do I. Her G.P.A is higher than a 3.5 and is looking forward for a great future for her. This is an exellent school with great teachers who share their international culture and language and their English language Arts and Mathematic teachers are great also. I highly reccomend this school to bright open- minded parents and children.
—Submitted by a parent

The philosophy at FLICS is an excellent one, but with all Detrot Publics schools I would advise parents to get involved, and seek out resources at home to continue their learning. Make an effort to change the things that you feel should be different. Instead on complaining about staff or teachers abilities, as a parent, volunteer, and provide your service where you see areas of lack. Attend the L.S.C.O. meetings with an open mind, and the Board meetings to express your ideals or concerns. You make a different! You meet the challenge! Do your homework as a parent, and research for the answers that they need. Provide some resources to help educate your child(ren). Remember it takes a village to raise a child, that's real talk...become a part of the solution, and not the problem!

My daughter is going to this school and she hates it she does not like it this is a bad inviroment for your child and she has been going since she was in kindergarten now she is in 5th and i am still thinkind about putting her in another school this school does nothing...
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has attended FLICS for 4 years and I have been holding on as it has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride. Some teachers and administrators are consistent and some others are not very consistent and in turn I have found that my child who is in an inconsistent environment has regressed as a student and has been just as inconsistent. I can not continue to have my child in an environment that lacks structure and consistency and this is unfortunate because FLICS offers a great tool in a second language but the only problem is that there is not much time spent teaching a language because of the chaos that is displayed on a regular basis in this school. I will be considering other alternatives for my child to get back focused on her studies as opposed to the chaos that she competes with daily.
—Submitted by a parent