News & Weekly Letters

On February 7, I will be participating in a panel on artificial intelligence–touching on its impact on certain sectors, how people in every field try to reign it in, and how, in the long term, living and working alongside AI will not only be possible but beneficial.

It was before the winter break, which seems a long time ago now. A bit tired, but excited at the prospect of the two weeks of rest ahead of us, everyone in the Elementary and Middle School Building made their way to Baruch College to celebrate our last assembly of 2023. The plan was to give center stage to our students who take part in different activities and recess clubs. Tiera, the president of our student council, set the tone with a spirited speech about the values of The École and how she sees them incarnated daily by her schoolmates.

The end of the year is fast approaching, and the top 10 best-of-everything lists are everywhere. Today, it’s my turn to share my perfectly subjective top 10 with you – my top 10 best memories of 2023 (in no particular order!

I’ve said it before and’ll say it again: a school should be a memory-making machine.  For its students, of course, but for the adults in the community, too! We should also have the right to experience moments we will treasure for years. Ever since I started out as an educator, I have strived to organize and contribute to motivating projects for students that I can enjoy as well.  I have always considered it a recipe for success, which probably explains why I love my job so much!

When it comes to leading a school, there are several indicators that a head must keep on their radar. These indicators vary according to context; in many schools throughout the States, one of the most crucial gauges is the amount raised through fundraising. Michael, Coco and Gala’s dad, told me recently that the majority of my counterparts in New York (aka fundraisers-in-chief) spend their evenings soliciting fat checks from families—I don’t envy them for a second.