Welcome to The École website! Whether you are just learning about our school, are one of our currently enrolled families, or are part of our growing alumni community, I hope you’ll find information here that gives you a very good sense of what makes The École such a special place.
When Yves Rivaud, co-founder and former head of school, opened The École in 2009 together with Clyde Javois, the goal was to create a bilingual school that would be different than any other in Manhattan. It was to be a true first of its kind, one that would reflect a society where the diversity of languages and cultures is omnipresent—the kind of global society our children will increasingly need to be able to navigate through and succeed in.
I was very proud to take over at the helm of this wonderful school in the fall of 2020. It was apparent to me straightaway that The École is a vibrant, international community of staff, teachers, parents, and most importantly, our students, who are our brightest lights. The illuminating academic journeys that our children experience, from Maternelle all the way through Middle School, are guided, of course, by our amazing teachers. And the warm, open—and fun—culture that we share helps our children grow to be not just great students, but good people.
I am looking forward to the prospect of leading The École into a new phase of its development. We have exciting plans for our growth. We will continue to expand the ways in which we deliver on our unique approach to bilingual education. And our community will continue to grow, as we bring in more students and families from around our neighborhood or from the far corners of the world, but who all value the idea of bilingual learning. You can read more about the development of The École in my weekly letters to the community.
I hope that after spending some time on this website, you will take the opportunity to reach out and find out more about all the latest developments at The École for yourself.
Merci,
Jean-Yves Vesseau
Head of School
About Jean-Yves
Jean-Yves grew up in the Ardèche region of France and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Montpellier. He started his career in education as a school life assistant while taking graduate classes and training to become a certified teacher. He then taught English at various schools worldwide, including Rome, Warsaw, and Los Angeles, before becoming deputy head of the Lycée français de Shanghai. In 2013, he was named the head of the Lycée français de Taipei in Taiwan. where he stayed for seven years before being appointed as the head of school at The École in 2020.
Jean-Yves has a wealth of experience in bilingual education and has built a strong reputation as a leader in his field. He strongly believes that education is about building bridges, and he enjoys the strong sense of community at The École. Jean-Yves is also convinced that one should never stop learning—he recently enrolled at the University of Staffordshire and completed an MA in Philosophy.
In 2017, Jean-Yves was awarded the Palmes académiques by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe for his contribution to French education. Jean-Yves is well aware that he owes much of his success to his wife, Andria, and to the support she has given him over the years.