About us
Frenz is a not-for-profit organization helping public schools across New Zealand open and operate quality French-English bilingual programs. The bilingual units are fully integrated within each school, with students participating in all aspects of school life.
Bilingual education offers children the opportunity to become proficient in all academic subjects in both languages.
You can follow our activity via our Facebook page!
How Frenz Helps?
Support
Our volunteers are parents of children in the bilingual programmes. They support your children by helping in the library, fundraising and finding stagiaires to come help teachers in the classroom
Partnership
We provide schools with:
-All the French-language learning resources
-A French library onsite
-Financial support
-Enrollment process support
Promotion
We maintain relationships with various embassies and promote bilingual education in New Zealand online and at events such as the French Festival
Helping units off the ground
We support parent groups
interested in opening a bilingual
programme in their community. We apply for grants to help schools set up new units.
Seal of Quality
We help schools apply and maintain the LabelFrancÉducation, a seal of quality awarded by the French Ministry of Education that validates the French-language skills of children outside France’s school system
Meet The Frenz Committee
Frenz is governed by a committee, all elected from Frenz members for a mandate of one year, which can be renewed. The committee members are all volunteer parents and presently consists of a treasurer,
2 co-presidents and a representative from each school offering a bilingual programme. Frenz employs a
manager to run the association.
Djena
Frenz Director
Djena is originally from New Caledonia and have been living in Wellington for six years with her French husband and their two daughters, Kiara (16) and Tilia (1 year old). Deeply attached to family values and multiculturalism, she embraces life in New Zealand while keeping close ties to her Pacific roots. She loves DIY projects, camping, and cooking, which bring creativity, joy, and quality time with her family and friends.
As a certified teacher with over 20 years of experience, she has taught French and led various educational and cultural projects. She worked at the Alliance Française of Wellington, where she created the One Day School program, and at Ridgway bilingual school. Today, as the Director of FRENZ New Zealand, she dedicates her expertise and energy to promoting bilingualism and building stronger connections between families, schools, and francophone communities.
Élodie & Richard
Co-president & Tresurer
Elodie and Richard have been involved as parent representatives for La Decouverte since 2019. Three of their children have been through the program and their youngest child is in year 4 at the new unit L'Aurore at Haeata campus in Christchurch. Elodie is originally from Paris and loves to bring communities together, Richard is from the North shore of Auckland and works for Christchurch City Council as well as volunteering for different outdoors/environmental organisations.
Jessica
Co-president
Jessica is originally from Haute Savoie (Passy) and have been living in New Zealand for 13 years.
She spent 5 years in Mount Cook, followed by 5 years in Lake Tekapo, and have now been in Christchurch for the past 3 years.
She has two beautiful daughters, Nina (9) and Eva (6.5), who attend the French section at L’Aurore and absolutely love it. Her partner is English and they love the outdoors.
She has built her own business here in Christchurch: 'The Perfect Match Real Estate" , a connector service that supports buyers, sellers, and developers by matching them with the right people and opportunities.
In addition, she works in the sales space alongside a high-performance speaker and tactical strategist, helping businesses sharpen their vision, implement the right strategies, and significantly lift their sales performance.
Florence
L'Archipel Unit
Representative
Florence grew up in Paris but have lived most of her adult life in various places around the world: Exeter, London, Geneva, Dubai and Hong-Kong, with her Kiwi husband Richard - and now Auckland.
She loves travelling (clearly!), and she is passionate about cultures and languages - hence her involvement in Frenz.
Her 2 older kids Sophie and Lucas are both in l'Archipel, and Félix who isn't two yet is already very familiar with l'Archipel big family.
Leslie
L'Étoile du Nord Unit Representative
Leslie is originally from Lyon, France, and moved to Auckland with her French husband 10 years ago. She has two children, Elliot (8) and Talia (5), who love being part of l’Étoile du Nord. Leslie enjoys baking and spending quality time with her family and friends. She is happy to take on the role of parent representative to help support this bilingual education system, which we are lucky to have.
Helen
Kowhai Intermediate Unit Representative
Gaëtan
La Découverte Unit
Representative
Gaetan grew up in northern France. He now calls Ōtautahi home, where he lives with his Kiwi wife and their two young children, who attend La Découverte.
Deeply involved in his local community, Gaetan has served on the Tuia Burnside Primary School board since 2025 and actively supports both the Alliance Française and Frenz. He now joins Frenz as a parent representative.
Professionally, he works in project management, and in his spare time, he enjoys rugby, exploring Aotearoa’s beautiful whenua through hunting and tramping, and sharing his love of the outdoors with his whānau.
Stéphanie
La Découverte Unit
Representative
Stephanie has been a parent at La Découverte since 2022 and has two children there, one in year 2 and one in year 4.
She has been involved with Frenz since last year.
Marine
L'Aurore Unit
Representative
Marine is originally from Southern France and has been in NZ for the last 3 years with her French husband after a long stay in Australia. She has one child in year 3 at l'Aurore and another one starting soon. She was the powerhouse behind the establishment of Christchurch new FRENZ unit L'Aurore
Peter
Ruru La Chouette Unit
Representative
Sarah
Ruru La Chouette Unit
Representative
Wellington-based Sarah brings a French-English heritage to her family life. Raised bilingually in a small village near Reims, she grew up immersed in both cultures and attended a bilingual school herself. Since moving from Brussels to Aotearoa in 2016, Sarah and her partner Tom have been dedicated to nurturing their sons’ dual heritage. Leo (7) and Raphael (5) are now thriving in the Ruru la Chouette's French bilingual unit.
Jeanne-Marie
Ruru La Chouette Unit
Representative
Jeanne-Marie grew up in Paris and later lived in Buenos Aires and New York. She moved to Wellington in 2014, where she worked for the French Film Festival at the time. She loves travelling with Jack, her Kiwi husband, and their daughters. She is passionate about cultures, languages, and sharing these interests with her family.
Her two daughters, Céleste and Joséphine, are now part of the Ruru La Chouette unit, after the family returned to Wellington following three years in Paris.
How it
started
Frenz has been making
French-English bilingual education
a reality in NZ since 1994.