I am writing to you today from Nashville, where this year’s NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) conference for heads of school is taking place. It’s an important annual event that I have wanted to attend ever since starting at The École, but there are always so many other things to do that it was complicated to imagine not being at school, so I kept postponing it—until this year, when I finally took the plunge.
There are two main reasons why I was finally able to attend. First, wisdom and experience —not owing to the fact I turned a year older yesterday—have taught me that there will always be a myriad of excuses to stay at school and not leave for a conference. Second, The École is thriving, which makes leaving easier. Our leadership team has been strengthened by the roles of Ben, Philippe, and Sophie. The teaching team is looking stable, which allows us to prepare for next year with peace of mind, safe in the knowledge that our teachers know The École well and can organize ambitious projects in keeping with our context.
The school is also thriving because the admissions/re-enrollment season is drawing to a wonderful close, with 351 students already enrolled for next year—a number that will no doubt continue to grow between now and September. Here are some particularly satisfying elements that put this impressive number into perspective: 61 new students have already enrolled for next year, confirming the appeal of The École and our bilingual program. At the same time, the number of departing students remains on the lower end of the spectrum for an international school like ours. Our families are happy and want to stay at The École, and I would like to thank them for the trust they have placed in us. I also see this as a sign of our strategic shift to reduce our reliance on expat families (whom we love dearly but who can only stay with us for a limited amount of time!)
Another very interesting figure: 29 students are currently enrolled in 6th Grade for next year—a record for our Middle School and a testament to a team that has worked hard in recent months to develop a rigorous and stimulating Middle School program whose quality resonates beyond our walls. For example, the first round of high school admissions has once again been outstanding this year (I will share more details once we receive the results for public schools.) Our decision last June to move into a larger space to accommodate our growing Middle School seems even more pertinent today.
With all these pieces in place, I allowed myself to travel to Nashville, where, among other things, I had the opportunity to attend an excellent session by Shankar Vedantam, which focused on not confusing what is urgent with what is important. What’s important—essential—for me is that The École is thriving and will be even stronger in 10 years’ time. Dealing with urgent matters daily can sometimes draw my attention away from thinking in the long term. Coming to Nashville was, therefore, a step in the direction of what is important (while dealing with urgent matters urgently, too!)
Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday – I hope I have responded to you; If I haven’t, you will hear from me soon!