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About Us
Bienvenue!
I have always had a desire for families in the Altadena area to have a place to go for French homework help and and to offer support between families. Whether it's for school, learning the language, the new products or caring for people, we love being here and creating this environment for all of us. We are also interested in helping your child with homework, even if it's their English homework. They may hear a little French going on but they are welcome to join, no matter their propensity or interest towards French or not.
Madame Marie Laurin
Our French, Theatre, Film Teacher
Marie Laurin is an award-winning filmmaker and actor from Quebec. After earning a BA in sociology from USC early on, she moved back to Los Angeles to pursue her passion for acting. Marie quickly landed roles opposite luminaries such as John Ritter, Steve Railsback, Klaus Kinski, Burt Reynolds, and Harry Dean Stanton. After a successful start, she took a hiatus from show business to work as a mental health counselor in residential treatment facilities for abused children. Recognizing the therapeutic potential of theater, she implemented drama workshops for her young patients. In 2016, Marie returned to acting, now with opportunities to portray more complex characters. In 2018, she and her daughter, Clara Gabrielle, created The Uncanny, an indie feature exploring themes of grief and depression, which is currently garnering accolades on the festival circuit. Marie’s extensive experience as an actor, screenwriter, and youth counselor provides the perfect foundation for introducing students to the world of theater—a universe conducive to self-exploration and fantasy. Through journaling, puppetry, theatre games, improvisations, and scene studies culminating in a performance, Marie aims to offer students an educational and recreational environment within a nurturing setting. Ultimately, her goal is to foster creativity, verbal skills, positive self-concept, conflict resolution, social awareness, and respect for diversity through the arts. When she’s not busy being a drama queen, Marie is involved in animal rescue. As a hobby, she collects vintage clothing. Her partner teasingly calls her a hoarder, but she sees herself as a curator of exquisite old frocks, each with its own story to tell. She will help your child explore and tell their own stories.
Credentials: BA, Sociology, USC; California Basic Education Skill Test Training
Madame Zakia Ouslim
Our Homework Club French Teacher
Zakia is a lawyer from Algiers where she studied Law at the University of Algeria and got her Master Degree in Law. With Law degree in hand, she decided to come to America and found a niche as a French teacher in NYC and worked for many years. Eventually she moved to California, and found a new niche as an Arabic teacher in Rancho Cucamonga. Not ever wanting to slow down, she proceeded to study Dietician/Nutrition in Chaffey College and became a very good advisor as a nutritionist, in addition to becoming an expert chef in Mediterranean, French and Turkish foods. She will school the snacks!
Zakia enjoys teaching children, whether French or Arabic with passion and from her heart. She is so patient with kids and loves their energy. She has a keen sense of humor and her enthusiasm for learning is apparent when she engages with children. Zakia was the main helper at Petit Library and we are happy to have her help us at L’École d’Altadena.
Credentials: Law School University of Algiers, BS, MS
Madame Catherine DePauw
Our Part Time French Tutor & Art Teacher
Catherine was born and raised in Belgium and comes from a multi-lingual household. She speaks French, Dutch and English fluently.
She studied arts in high school and later Interior Architecture at St. Luc Institute in Brussels. She moved to California in 2001 and lives in Beautiful Altadena with her son, her husband and her 2 cats. She has always been passionate about Arts & Crafts and building/creating things. Her other passions are animals and children. Due to her own personal family journey, she has a special place in her heart for neurodivergent kids. During her adolescent and college years, she volunteered at a Hippotherapy Center where she taught children with disabilities to care for and ride horses. She was the French Arts & Crafts teacher at the Petit Library and loved it! She is also a local vendor and sells her goods in a few stores and online. She is very happy to continue this journey and share her love for Arts & Crafts with the children!
Credentials: Undergrad Studies, Psychology & Social Work, Arts & Architecture, UCL, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Madame Gil Barel
Our Part Time Fine Arts & Film Teacher
With over two decades of rich experience in the realm of art and design, Gil blends a unique fusion of academic mastery and practical know-how. Graduating with a Master of Fine Arts in both Graphic Design from ArtCenter College of Design and Art and Integrated Media from California Institute of the Arts, Gil brings a multi-dimensional approach to the canvas of teaching. Gil possesses a deep appreciation for the interplay between traditional and digital art forms. This insight is complemented by an extensive background in arts education, from leading classes in foundational design at ArtCenter to introducing middle-schoolers to the magic of stop-motion animation. Through her roles as an instructor, Gil has continually displayed an unwavering dedication to fostering creativity and nurturing talent in students of all ages. Whether guiding students through the basics of layout design or diving deep into the histories and politics of art, Gil's teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that art is an expressive tool, a transformative experience, and a lifelong journey. Join Gil for an immersive exploration of the arts in a setting that celebrates creativity, encourages individual expression, and inspires a lifelong passion for the world of art. Her Fine Arts classes will bookend the week.
Credentials: California Institute of the Arts, MFA in Graphic Design
Mademoiselle Clara Gabrielle
Our Part Time Across the Board Helper
Clara Gabrielle, an award-winning filmmaker, made her on-screen debut as Julia Roberts’ baby boy in Steel Magnolias. Intensive training at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Institute and the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts (LACHSA) cemented her passion for theater. After graduation, she performed in various shorts before starring in Off-Broadway's Innocent Flesh.
In 2017, Clara shifted her focus to behind-the-camera storytelling, co-writing The French Teacher with Brazilian director Stefania Vasconcellos. The following year, she teamed up with her mother, Marie Laurin, to create the psychological horror indie The Uncanny, marking her directorial debut.
A true francophile, Clara spent her childhood summers in Quebec City with her Grand-Papa and Grand-Maman, learning to speak French while indulging in grand-maman décadent gâteau au chocolat.
Clara’s journey seamlessly intertwines her French-English upbringing with a diverse acting background and a passion for storytelling.
Credentials: High School, Theatre & Film, LACHSA; Undergrad studies: Theatre, Dance, Art History, Set Design, Theatre
Madame Chelsea Compton
Madame Maestra Music Teacher
Chelsea is a caring mom of three spirited boys who loves teaching kids of all ages. She received her B.A. in Music from UC Berkeley, and obtained a French teaching certification in Utah, Pennsylvania, and California. She has taught French at American Fork Junior High School and American Heritage Academy in Utah, at Northwestern Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, and at Fort Bend High School online. In the vein and focus of L'école, she taught a summer French class and created a summer French camp for elementary-aged kids. Additionally, she has been a private French tutor and singing coach. Although not a French native, she lived in France during a semester of college and stayed longer, for 18 months of volunteer missionary service. Most recently, she taught a Music class in French at the Petite Library Language and Cultural Center. She was a co-teacher for all three of her sons’ home preschool co-ops. She loves working with people to achieve their goals and seeing the joy of accomplishment. She strives to be student-focused, catering the curriculum to the person’s unique interests and needs. She loves being with her kids, serving in her Church, singing, playing piano and learning guitar, volunteering at her kids’ school as Room Rep, library helper, PTA secretary; jogging, hiking, swimming, dancing, yoga, gardening, cooking, traveling, and making treats for friends. We look forward to her joining our merry band for music circles.
Claudine Marie Gueniot Voznick
Madame Directrice, Founder, Total Francophile
I have over 20 years of experience running other people's offices and managing many different workloads from High Finance (Goldman Sachs) to Academia (USC, Investment Office) to lately, Engineers and Rocket Science (JPL-NASA). I was one of the 530 people laid off in February 2024 and after the devastation wore off, I reinvented myself and decided Education was my new mid-career change. When most of my friends who were teachers were moving into retirement, I am just getting started. I passed the CBEST and if I am not on site at the center, I hope to be substituting at AAM. I love children. I love French. I love Children's Theatre. I was an actress before my EA jobs so I have a ton of enthusiasm. To boot, my 9-YR old son needed an after-school care so, after the Petit Library pulled down their shingle, I committed to hanging mine. I had nothing else going on and a ton of heart to make a difference in this latter half of my life. This may be my dream job. Although we are in the same space as Petit Library, we are a new entity with new platforms and ideas. We want to serve you and your needs. I truly want to create a "Little France" or a "Petite Ville Française“ in Altadena. I live in Altadena with my husband and son and our beloved Chief of Staff, Bix!, the neighborhood Welsh Terrier.
Credentials: BA-English, Mt. St. Mary University; AA in French, PCC
We are glad you found us!
Do you have little ones that you want to introduce the French language and music nursery rhymes?
We are hoping to continue classes on Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM (also on Saturdays at 10:00 am). Class goes till 11:30 AM. Drop in rate is $30 and $20 for an additional sibling. Come meet Maestra Chelsea. We need 6 families to make the class. If the class is on, I will notify the web each week by 5pm on Monday, the day before.
If mom/dad cannot join, the nanny may bring the child! An adult has to accompany: Ages 0-5
Contact Claudine for details.