frenchwithmmepollacco.com French Lessons and Tutoring

French with
Mme Pollacco

JOYFUL ONLINE LESSONS FOR BUDDING FRANCOPHONES!

About

I created Max & Mum, French for Fun in 1995 to teach French to young children and encourage my son Max to speak his mother's tongue! A year later, I was approached by the owner of Reston Montessori School, a wonderful school in Reston, Virginia. I fell in love with the school and the Montessori philosophy. I accepted the position , enrolled my children, and the rest is history!

A few years later, I started teaching privately to "bridge the gap" between elementary and middle, or high school. My program was originally designed to give the opportunity to elementary age students to continue building upon the strong foundation of the French language that they had acquired while attending Reston Montessori School.

My initial goal has always been to instill a love of learning the French language at an early age. My purpose, as a private tutor, is to motivate and encourage students to continue pursuing their studies. Not only do I want them to excel at local schools, whether public or private, I intend to help them develop the language skills that will enable them to engage in conversations with French speakers all around the world. My ultimate goal is for my students to become true citizens of the world and develop a lifelong love and appreciation for French and its various cultures around the world.

About

Group Lessons

Groups lessons are typically held during the school year. Students are grouped by age and level. I use a variety of mediums to accommodate all learning styles. My goal is to create an engaging curriculum and a joyful environment.

Private Lessons

I offer lessons to all ages and levels. Lessons are typically held weekly. They can be in conjunction of a school class or for anyone who wants to learn French. No previous knowledge of the language is required.

2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR

CALENDAR

First Semester Exception: Monday classes begin 8/31 September 8 – November 30

No classes:

9/7 – Labor Day Weekend
9/22–9/24 – Reston Montessori School Camping Trip
10/12 – Indigenous Peoples' Day

Second Semester December 1 – February 28

No classes:

11/25–11/28 – Thanksgiving Break
12/21–1/2 – Winter Break
1/18 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
2/15 – Presidents Day

Third Semester March 1 – End of May or June (depending on lesson day)

No classes:

3/22–3/29 – Spring Break
5/28–5/31 – Memorial Day Weekend

RATES AND FEES

GROUP LESSONS (3 to 6 students)

Yearly Tuition: $1,150* (*available until September 1st) Includes material fee
Trimester: $385
Monthly: $140

Group lesson tuition includes the material fee, access to digital subscriptions and books, most textbooks (if applicable), and the Grand Concours, should we participate in this year's contest.

Siblings: 10% discount.

PRIVATE and SEMI-PRIVATE LESSONS

1 student: $65/hour (Yearly tuition rate*)

Total yearly: $2,145
Trimester: $725
Monthly: $245

2 non-sibling students: $40/hour per student (Yearly tuition rate*)

Total yearly: $1,320 per student
Trimester: $445/student
Monthly: $145/student

2 sibling students: $75/hour (Yearly tuition rate*)

Total yearly: $2,475
Trimester: $825
Monthly: $275

Material Fee: $50 per student — to be paid at the beginning of the school year (please add to first payment). The material fee includes most textbooks, access to all digital material, and the Grand Concours, if applicable.

Siblings taking SEPARATE lessons: 10% discount on tuition rate for the second and any additional child.

We plan to have 33 weeks of instruction this school year, with the last week of the calendar dedicated to make-up lessons.

* Yearly tuition is calculated for 33 lessons. * Yearly tuition rate is available until September 1st, 2026.

Payment schedule:

Yearly: Payment is due no later than September 1st.
Trimester: Payments are due by the first class of the trimester.
Monthly: 9 payments, due on the 1st of the month, from September 2026 to May 2027.

Private lessons and group lessons follow the same policies and schedule.

NOTES: