Spotlight on Education: Saint Stephen

BRADENTON - Several students from Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School were recognized for their French skills at the 62nd Annual Congrès de la Culture Française conference in Orlando, Florida held on March 14, 2014.

“We are extremely proud of the students who participated this year, because they excel in multiple languages,” said Dr. Janet Pullen, Head of School at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School. “Our students are talented, hard working and they deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments. We are fortunate to have the staff and teachers who help them realize their potential as well, and we want to congratulate everyone on these wonderful achievements,” said Dr. Pullen.

Nearly 1,000 students from 45 schools competed in the event to test their knowledge of French Culture through many different categories and competitions, and students from Saint Stephen’s excelled in many ways.

Laura DeMaio, a senior at Saint Stephen’s, scored not only at the top of her category for extemporaneous conversation, earning the coveted "Prix du Jury" distinction, but she also received one of the two scholarships offered by the French government. The Consul presented her with a two week, all expenses paid "Culture Lab" during the Theater Festival held in Avignon in July, complete with backstage access to meet with directors and actors as well as to attend all of the plays and events offered by the theater community.

Other Saint Stephen’s participants in Congrès included senior Catie Brown, juniors Michael Gharby and Lauri Schleicher, sophomores Christel Gharby and Hannah Sage, and freshmen Letherio Jones and Jerry Alex Monosiet.

Hannah Sage received first place in written French, as did Christel Gharby in impromptu speaking. Catie Brown, Michael Gharby and Jerry Alex Monosiet earned "Excellent" rankings in second place, for "Declamation", a category in which the students present a memorized poem, as Lauri Schleicher placed third in the same category.

Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School is a private, independent, co-educational, college preparatory school in Bradenton, FL. Saint Stephen’s delivers world-class education, excellent extracurricular experiences and exciting programs like AP course work, the iPad initiative, a band/strings program, a global education program, K-12 daily foreign language program and our Marine Science Initiative, to name a few.