Le Grand Concours is a national competition sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF). Nearly 70,000 students in all 50 states competed in the March, 2020 event and were evaluated for their written, oral and listening comprehension skills in French.
Upper School French Teacher Steven Crumb reports, « Results just came in, and we’re proud to announce that seven MICDS students earned medals. Graduating senior Ryan Ahn ’20 especially distinguished himself by placing 4th in the nation for the highest level, 5AP. We couldn’t be prouder of Ryan and all the French students who participated this year. We look forward to presenting these awards at a ceremony this fall. »
Level 2A
Nikitha Ada ’23 – Silver (ranked 6th nationally)
Evelyn Lui ’23 – Honorable Mention (ranked 10th nationally)
Level 3A
Selina Balci ‘22 – Bronze
Camille Henderson ’22 – Honorable Mention
Level 4A
Prithvi Dhanabal ’21 – Bronze
Nina Hamilton ’22 – Bronze
Poulomi Rudrappa ’21 – Bronze
Coumba Diallo ’22 – Honorable Mention
Estephanie Estrada ’21 – Honorable Mention
Fiona Richards ’21 – Honorable Mention
Level 5A
Jack Morris ’21 – Gold (ranked 6th nationally)
Level 5AP
Ryan Ahn ’20 – Gold (ranked 4th nationally)
Middle School French Teacher Zuowei Chang also has great news from 7th grade French! Carli Salazar Estrada ’25 earned a Bronze medal and ranked first in the Saint Louis Chapter. Anna Moore ’25 and Amisha Poojari ’25 earned Honorable Mention and ranked third in the Saint Louis Chapter.
AATF President Anne Jensen said, « As the president of AATF, I would like to extend my special congratulations to those students who ranked nationally in Le Grand Concours. They have shown a superior level of French language skills, cultural competence, and commitment to French. It is my hope that these students will continue their interest in French and pursue study and travel opportunities as future ambassadors of the French language and the many cultures it represents. I would also like to congratulate the teachers who prepared nationally-ranked students because without their dedication and hard work these students would not have attained their ranking.
« Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to the parents who have supported and advocated for the French programs in their children’s schools. Our Association is grateful to the dedication and hard work of everyone who shares our passion for the promotion of French. »
For more information about the National French Contest, please visit:
www.frenchteachers.org/concours.