News & Weekly Letters

The end of the school year coincides with an intense week of celebrations at school–the Kindergarten, 5th, and (just a few minutes ago) the 8th Grade graduations. This week, we also invaded the recital hall at Baruch once more–it’s almost too small for us at this point–for a very moving end-of-year assembly. Between the joy for the Red House, our House Cup winners this year (well done to House Captain Zohar and her Housemates), the smiles of the students called up on stage to accept an award, and the stirring homage to Benoît, it was an emotional moment!

During one of my first Halloweens at The École, Benoît arrived covered in a simple white sheet. His tall silhouette cut a rather imposing figure on the sidewalk and in the lobby. Unlike today, when he is a reassuring presence at the door, at the time, no one expected to see him there—we were still in the middle of COVID, and social distancing was very much de rigueur.

In schools in France and New York, there is an ongoing emphasis on students with special educational needs. At The École, we already have many systems in place. Our School Psychologist, Stéphanie Antoine, and her team do an admirable job every day ensuring that our most fragile students (whether the fragility is short- or long-term) are supported as best as possible. Our processes are increasingly better defined and more efficient at finding the right solutions for everyone.

With the end of the year approaching, the conversations at school are beginning to turn to the upcoming graduation ceremonies. We’re excited by the prospect of celebrating our Kindergarten, 5th, and 8th graders in June. It’s one of my favorite moments of the year; I love the mix of joy at cheering on our students’ success, pride in what they have achieved, and nostalgia–particularly when it comes to students leaving us for high school–at the passing of time and the sensation of another page being turned. If I’m being completely honest, I tend to shed a tear or two.

Yesterday’s Field Day is the perfect cue for a letter about sport–a subject I don’t usually discuss with you. It might not be very obvious, but I am passionate about sports. Even though I still run regularly (despite an uncooperative knee), I must admit that my glory days are behind me. I am more of an armchair athlete nowadays (as Andria can testify–if it’s a sport and it is televised, I will watch it). My sporting “career” was punctuated by very few victories and a wide range of sprains and fractures of all sorts–I was a puny kid, ill-equipped for physical prowess on the icy, windy sports fields of the Ardèche.