News & Weekly Letters

I say it often, but one of the most fascinating and challenging aspects of our work at The École is navigating intercultural issues. My international career helped prepare me somewhat–after seven years working in a French-British-German school in Taiwan, constantly having to bridge the gap when it came to understanding others and being understood, I thought that things would be simpler in a French-American school in New York.

A few years ago, one of our departing teachers–the legendary Vincent, who taught 1st Grade, for those who knew him–made a few touching comments during his exit interview that have stayed with me since (classic, selfless Vincent–turning a moment that should have been about him into a conversation about others!) Among other things, he told me that I was at my most discerning when I managed to see things from a child’s perspective.

As promised, this letter intends to keep you informed about our progress with our exciting relocation to 115 E 22nd Street. You can find our first letter here.

Where we are now
On Tuesday, October 22, we visited our architects’ offices downtown. The goal of this meeting was to pick the material and the color for the cabinetry, the laminates, the restrooms, and the floors, which is both an exciting and slightly overwhelming process!

It’s my favorite season. The trees and streets of the West Village are covered in multicolored leaves, the stoops are lined with pumpkins, it’s chilly out, and the sky is blue as an orange, as Éluard would describe it. It’s the time of year for dressing up–for anyone who was wondering, last night I was channeling Bob Harris in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. Last year, I wrote about the importance of play at school, and I was delighted to see the playfulness of our parents on display at the Halloween for Grown-Ups event–starting with Philippe and Laurence, who were magnificent as Mary Poppins and Bert the chimney sweep.

The World of Work is back for its eleventh season at The École in 2024-2025! We are delighted to welcome a variety of industry experts to meet our 8th Grade students in their classroom and share their professional experience, values, background, and knowledge with them.