This week was chockfull of meetings and I would like to thank you all, on behalf of The École team, for taking the time to attend. It’s the first time since I arrived in New York that we’ve been able to hold these meetings in person and the teachers were very enthusiastic about sharing their approaches and methods of work with the class parents. Since the start of the year, we’ve been surrounded by children who apply themselves to their learning, are serious and engaged in class conversations, and are happy to be in class with their friends. I was excited for the parents to meet the teachers, particularly the new ones, so you could see who is behind it all.
I’ve said it many times—when I arrived, The École was already a wonderful school—I wouldn’t have been interested in joining had it not been the case! Since my arrival, I have made it my mission to make it an even better school, unequaled in the care and attention it bestows on every single student and one that is magical for its students. It takes a lot of strength to do my job and I draw that strength daily from the students who jostle against each other to be the first ones in the door in the morning and from the incredible energy that my colleagues invest every day in their work inside and outside the classrooms. I draw strength too from the conversations I have with families, new and “old” alike. They guide me and encourage me to constantly rethink, build on, and better understand what needs to be done. I draw strength also from Phillippe and Laurence—how do they do it? They are present early in the morning and late at night because that’s how you create real school spirit, not just through catchy slogans!
The coming together of all this energy, enthusiasm, and goodwill yields incredible results visible from inside The École in the way the students have approached this new school year. It’s why I was so happy to welcome parents to school this week so you could see for yourselves the driving force behind it: the teachers and all the systems they have put in place to help the children succeed. Since August 29, when we first gathered to start work on the new school year as a team, the teachers’ skill, talent, and know-how resonate through the corridors of the school – a type of soundtrack that you could never tire of.
After a very full week, there is nothing like a three-day weekend to recharge the batteries. On Tuesday, I fly to Ottawa with Benoît Brisset for the back-to-school seminar for heads of school and elementary heads. It will be a first for me in the US as the event was virtual in both 2020 and 2021. I’m looking forward to meeting my colleagues in real life as we have been meeting on Zoom twice a month for the past two years. As a postscript to last week’s letter, it will also be a pleasure to accompany Benoît who will attend the seminar for the first time in his new role as Elementary Head of The École.
I can’t help but end this letter on a personal note because today is my dad’s birthday. I mention him to you from time to time in these letters. He might not have spent a lot of time in school, and he might not have many diplomas to his name, but he is fit as a fiddle. Always the first on the beach in the morning, in his bright pink swimming shorts, with his Yankees cap back-to-front, his hips and knees reconstructed a hundred times over, an astounding silhouette for a man of his age, he walks towards the Mediterranean, ready to do a few lengths with a smile on his face. I also draw my strength from him, especially from him.
Have an excellent weekend one and all and Shanah Tovah to everyone in our community who is celebrating Rosh Hashanah!