The French American School of Puget Sound (FASPS), the region’s leading French immersion school, is proud to celebrate its 30th anniversary this fall. Founded in 1995, FASPS has grown from a modest preschool into a premier bilingual institution, now serving more than 440 students from 18 months through Grade 8 across its Mercer Island and Seattle campuses.

This milestone marks three decades of academic excellence, cultural connection, and community growth, and signals the school’s continued commitment to preparing the next generation of engaged global citizens.

In the fall of 1995, co-founders Patricia Blaise-Caves and Véronique Dussud opened FASPS with only 13 students in a church basement in Newcastle. News about this innovative new approach to education spread quickly, and more students applied. The larger student body prompted a move to a larger facility in Newport Hills the following year.

Four years later, in 1999, FASPS had expanded to 146 students and relocated to its current location on Mercer Island. Moving from a few portable classrooms to converting a former Mercer Island fire station into an academic home. That same year, Christine Knorr was appointed Head of School.

From 2003 to 2010, under the leadership of Head of School Andrée McGiffin, FASPS completed two capital campaigns. The first, in 2004, added a new one-story school building to the Mercer Island campus. The second, in 2008, added a second story and launched the school’s Middle School program. By the end of the decade, enrollment had nearly tripled.

In 2010, Eric Thuau, the current Head of School, assumed leadership, ushering in a new era of innovation and growth. And in 2011, the first class of FASPS middle school graduated. Over the years, as more families became aware of the benefits of bilingual education, FASPS began offering early education programs for children as early as 18 months of age. In 2024, the school expanded its early learning offerings with a new preschool campus in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. In 2022, FASPS purchased a city block in Seattle’s North Beacon Hill to build a permanent urban campus for generations of global citizens to come.

FASPS’s success is built on its unique harmonized bilingual program, which blends the strengths of the French and American educational systems. According to a 2009 peer-reviewed study, contrary to common belief, simultaneous bilingual exposure does not delay language acquisition; in fact, it may foster metalinguistic awareness and advanced communicative skills. At FASPS, students are immersed in both French and English, gaining fluency while developing critical thinking skills, adaptability, and cross-cultural understanding.

“We nurture young minds, foster academic excellence, and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of our community. Our program is designed to help our students develop the adaptability they will need to thrive in a globally interconnected world,” says Head of School Eric Thuau. “This 30th anniversary is both a celebration of our legacy and a bold step forward. We look forward to welcoming new families, expanding our impact, and continuing to inspire young learners for generations to come.”

About FASPS

Founded in 1995, the French American School of Puget Sound (FASPS) is a private, independent school offering bilingual education from preschool through Grade 8. Located on Mercer Island with an additional preschool campus in Seattle, FASPS delivers a rigorous academic program rooted in French and American educational systems, nurturing students to become curious, compassionate, and globally engaged citizens.