Winds of Change - Compass 2019

Winds

2018/19 ANNUAL REVIEW of the AMERICAN SECTION - LYCÉE INTERNATIONAL de ST-GERMAIN-EN-LAYE

of Change

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This edition of Compass is proudly devoted to the concept of change and its inestimable value as an agent for good within a school. For years, the American Section has embraced change for the positive force it can be. However, the whirlwind of innovation in the field of education has compelled all of us to recognize that within just a few years’ time, our profession and the way we go about teaching children has undergone a remarkable shift in practice. Other than the obvious--such as the switch from teaching with chalk to teaching with technology, what is it about our profession, and, more importantly, teaching itself, that has undergone this remarkable transformation?

Present here in this year’s issue of Compass is our collective attempt to address these very questions. What change has occurred and why?

What value are the new innovations being proposed and what will be their overall value in the future, as the Section moves forward to embrace education in the next decade?

Ever mindful of the Section’s Mission Statement, we constantly ask ourselves the following: what changes do we need to embrace and adopt in order to give your children the best possible education for the future? What do today’s young people--tomorrow’s leaders--need to know in order to live lives of value and worth?

In order to meet these many challenges, our collective mantra is to remain flexible and open-minded--two key values in this rapidly evolving world. As you peruse this latest issue of Compass, you’ll no doubt marvel at how change is afoot at practically every grade level--from devices in the Primary School, mobile classroom furniture for the collègians, to the much-anticipated and radical overhaul of the venerable Bac for the Upper School. These are exciting times indeed, and we’re delighted to share with all of you how the Section embraces the future, while remaining true to itself.

Adrienne Covington and Mike Whitacre Co-Directors

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Table of Contents

ASALI-American Section of the Lycée International

2 Director’s Corner Winds of Change

Rue du Fer à Cheval - C.S. 40118 78100 St. Germain en Laye Cedex, France Phone + 33 1 34 51 74 85 Fax + 33 1 39 10 94 04 www.americansection.org

4 Lower School Change is Inevitable Building Bridges in CM2

The magazine is distributed without charge to current parents, alumni and former faculty and staff, and parents of alumni and other friends of the Section.

6 Middle School Rethinking the Classroom Transitioning to Middle School

Co-Directors: Adrienne Covington adrienne.covington@americansection.org and Mike Whitacre mike.whitacre@americansection.org Editor: Margaret Jenkins margaret.jenkins@americansection.org Graphic design: Judy Loda, judylodadesign.com Printer: Imprimerie Jasson-Taboureau Contributors Catherine Boalch, Emma Burdon, Adrienne Covington, Toscane Fischer, Cécile Fruman, Michelle Green, Beccy Haugen, Clemence Hicks, Joséphine Hullin, Andrew McGovern, Madeleine Parnot, Douglas Penner-Lacompte, Luc Postec, Joy Rotondi, Hannah Rousselot, Tracy Seeberg, Anna Souchet, Sebastien Valla, Mike Whitacre Photography Tonio Colonna, Margaret Jenkins, Alice Jousselin, Serge Seguin, Denis Royer, Pascale Stoffel Vol. 8, Number 1 Copyright 2018 by ASALI. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, without the permission of the publisher and copyright owner.

We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this magazine. If you have any questions, corrections or comments please contact the editor, Margaret Jenkins, at margaret.jenkins@americansection.org.

We provide outstanding American educational and cultural experiences within the context of the Lycée International. Fostering intellectual curiosity and self-confidence, we help students reach their full personal and academic potential. We actively prepare students to play dynamic roles in the world by developing their leadership abilities and nurturing a sense of responsibility towards others.

Please address admissions inquiries to Director of Admissions, Lisa Stephens-Morvan, at admissions@americansection.org.

8 Introducing Mindfulness 9 Upper School The Bac Reform 2021 10 Faculty Voice Catching the Winds of Change

What changes

14 The Lycée Under Construction

do we need to

16 Class of 2018 University Destinations

embrace and adopt in order to give your children the

18 Re-Bonjour!

How Graduates Find Their Way Back to France 20 Student Voice 2018 Summer Awards

best possible

24 Development Report

education for

31 Alumni Focus

the future? What do today’s young people--tomorrow’s leaders--need to know in order to live lives of value and worth?

Cover image: Architectural rendering

by Epicuria Architectes

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Change is Inevitable The ‘winds of change’ begin to blow at birth. Children go through innumerable changes before they get to preschool. Once they begin school, they can look forward to new teachers, new classmates, new skills, learning to balance homework and playtime, and so much more.

Change is a growth opportunity, but it can be stressful. That is where daily routines are beneficial.

Children knowing when they have French and when they have Section helps them prepare their expectations for a particular day. Routines help children feel safe and give them the power to handle their complex daily lives. With each new mastery, a child can take on a new change and challenge; each adding a new growth opportunity.

Changes in Lower School over the past few years include new teachers and administrators, new class trips and activities, a new edition of the CTP standardized test, and increased use of appropriate technology.

The Section’s embrace of technology is purpose driven.

Use of technology in the classroom is always driven by a specific, predefined goal. Our iPads allow all students to actively participate and respond when using the Nearpod app for example. Gone are the days when 4th graders who chose Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, or Montana had to wait in line for the M encyclopedia during geography!

Online access to programs such as our TCI Social Studies Alive! allow for lighter backpacks. Carrying around a heavy Social Studies book is now a thing of the past. Our new reading program has been a major plus by taking the single big - and heavy - anthology used in reading, and replacing it with a book baggie providing smaller, lighter, ‘Just Right’ books for each student.

Our adoption of selected technologies is a huge plus for parents as well.

Open and real-time communication with parents are facilitated by online programs such as Class Dojo, Edmodo, and Seesaw. No more waiting to see your child’s most recent homework assignments or to appreciate their daily experiences in the American Section. The link between parent and teacher is vital in ensuring that students have consistent and coordinated support both at home and at school. We urge parents to become familiar with these tools and to use them regularly and extensively.

New buildings, new activities…

The new Maternelle, awaited with great anticipation, is a brand-new complex with new structures, new playground, 4

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a new, larger classroom, new furniture, and new toilets!

What won’t change, however, is the great American Section teaching and learning within this new, modern space.

Exiting from the lower green gate after activities is a benefit that everyone enjoys; parking is easier and the children are safer. There is now a 5th grade field trip and a shared 5th grade graduation ceremony. New activities are always being considered and evaluated for their potential to make the overall educational and social experience for our Lower School students one that they will remember and cherish.

That said, in one critical area, “plus ça change, plus ça reste la même.”

No level of new facilities, activities, staff, etc. can change our need for hands-on assistance by parents, guardians, and caregivers to support our activities and events. Without their volunteer assistance, the Section cannot succeed in its mission.

We have constant need for support of activities such as Art and Library, tradition celebrations/events such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Project Week, and class parties, which all require the cooperative effort and engagement of our parents.

Our heartfelt thanks for your support!

The Lower School team thanks everyone for their continued support and looks forward to deeper collaboration with Section parents to make this unique educational opportunity a life-changing event for all.

-Beccy Haugen, Lower School Principal

Building Bridges in CM2 How does one build class unity when students are spread across two campuses and half the cohort is externé, present on campus just two half-days a week? Inspired by the positive long-term effects of the Section’s emblematic Amsterdam Trip and motivated by a monetary gift from the graduating class of 2017, which subsidized expenditures, the Lower School revived the Branféré excursion last year. Our three fifth grade classes spent three fabulous days with their teachers at the Centre Nicolas Hulot in Brittany exploring ecological themes in the 35-acre zoo and botanical garden. Activities encouraged students to interact and get to know each other, setting the stage for an easier transition to Middle School, while team-building exercises fostered a nascent sense of identity for the American Section class of 2025.

Fifth grade students came together again in the spring, for the first-ever Lower School graduation ceremony. Section students from both l’Ecole Schnapper and the Lycée International gathered with their families in the Agora, marking the end of primary school and the commencement of middle school with a moving celebration that featured student speeches and song. There was a palpable feeling of unity in the room, as accomplishments were remembered and the next rentrée considered with anticipation.

There are also a few new offerings that we hope will enhance the cohesiveness of our classes. Held in early February, “Bingo for Books” was a kids-only evening of team-building, bingo, and pizza, uniting our third, fourth, and fifth graders. Each grade played in its own room, and students from each class were mixed at small tables to ensure that cross-campus meetings take place. We hope that these get-togethers, in conjunction with special trips and events, will give students a greater sense of belonging to a wider contingent than their own class or school.

Margaret Jenkins, Assistant Director for Development, Communications and External Relations

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g n i k n i h t e R m o o r s s a l C the In my thirty-one years as a teacher, I have witnessed an astounding amount of change, both in and out of the classroom. Consider this: that my first job interview for a position as a history teacher in New York City in 1988 was at a well-known public high school on the Lower East Side.

During my campus visit, I was astonished to discover that the classroom furniture hadn’t changed since the school’s creation in the late 19th century. As I stood at the door, I looked out over neat rows of desk and chair sets, all graced with wooden tops and cast-iron legs. However, what truly riveted my attention (no pun intended) was this: every single piece of furniture was bolted to the floor. As I stood there gaping, the school’s principal apologized, explaining that if I were into the latest pedagogical innovations such as group work, I’d no doubt find the classroom set-up a challenge. Stunned, I nodded my head...and eventually took a job at another school.

Since that day, I have had the opportunity to visit many schools and dozens of classrooms. They have been remarkablefor the consistency they offered: student and teacher desks and chairs, a centrally located board for writing and cupboards for storage. With luck, there’d be plenty of display space in the classroom for student work providing the inevitable pop of color and cheer.

As constant as the classroom of yesteryear has remained, everything surrounding it has been in a state of constant evolution. Pedagogy has radically changed--with differentiated learning, group work, collaborative learning and the like.

Similarly, our access to knowledge and the outside world has also improved through technology. Whereas a teacher’s access to and communication of his/her field was through books and chalk, that universe now includes interactive boards, and electronic devices for both teacher and student.

The final holdout in the classroom--its furniture--is now poised for the most radical change of all. The classroom of the future recognizes that the classroom set-up should be able to address and accommodate every teacher’s needs-and provide the sort of flexibility s/he needs at any given moment. What I am talking about here is a fundamental shift of focus in the classroom. For starters, the teacher’s desk is no longer at the front of the room. To accommodate a more dynamic learning environment, it is now commonly placed to the side of the room. Student desks are subsequently arranged to face the teacher’s desk. However, should the teacher wish for her/his students to work in small groups

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the room can be arranged as s/he sees fit in a second. This lightning alteration is possible because classroom furniture is now fitted with wheels. Similarly, while the traditional front of the room is still reserved for the interactive board, student desks and chairs can also be turned to face the board in a snap. The key to understanding the classroom of the future is to understand that it is all about movement.

Anyone who remembers their own early adolescence will no doubt wonder: Who in their right mind would give a student furniture on wheels? Research reveals that offering collègiens the opportunity to move around a bit during class is not such a bad thing after all and can actually aid in the absorption of lessons.

This fact is particularly true of Middle Schoolers who have a

unique need to move about during class time!

As part of the Section’s Strategic Plan 2021, the classrooms on our Marcel Roby campus were outfitted with this new furniture. The renovation and refurbishment on the Marcel Roby campus is part of a multi-year plan to redo all Section classrooms. Following the work at Roby, one of the Section’s two allocated Lycée classrooms were recently outfitted. Next up will be the Lower School and brand new Maternelle classrooms. Freshly painted walls, new “sound-proofed” flooring, teacher and student furniture on wheels...the future has fast come upon us here in the American Section. With customary enthusiasm, we are delighted with these changes, excited by the innovative teaching these changes embrace.

Adrienne Covington, Middle School Principal and Co-Director

Transitioning to Middle School The transition from Lower School to Middle School can be very daunting. With schedules that change daily, a larger campus and new teachers, many sixth graders find themselves in need of a little extra guidance. In the American Section, we have done our best to meet the needs of our students with the Sixth Grade Advisory Program. Thanks to Joy Rotondi, Middle School Literature Teacher, the program has been revamped, and now includes greater depth and structure.

The core of the program takes the form of structured lessons in which the advisees learn about bonding, kindness, and cooperation. Students also learn how to organize their materials, plan according to their schedules, and incorporate extra-curricular activities.

There are also team-building exercises. Working in cooperative groups, students create spaghetti-marshmallow towers that withstand the pull of gravity and would not be condemned by the fair-housing committee. One of the main lessons we want to impart is that we can accomplish more when we work together, and every student is a valued member of the team. This lesson includes a debrief piece on what worked, and what didn’t. All students have a voice, and their input in the planning and construction process is a requirement.

Another key activity designed to promote teamwork, confidence, and positive support among the students, is our new accrobranche trip. Students spend the day in the forest, participating in a challenging and rewarding obstacle course of zip-lines and tree climbing. This type of experience is unforgettable for student and teacher, and it changes the group dynamic, in and out of the classroom.

As students adjust to a more complex environment in Sixième, we provide emotional support and organizational tips. This approach helps them stayed centered, present in the moment, and cognizant of their environment and actions. As teachers, we strive to encourage students’ personal and emotional growth, recognizing their individuality and the spirit, in each and every one of them, that promotes unity and acceptance.

Tracy Seeberg, Middle School History Teacher

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Mindfulness Makes Headway “I feel refreshed!”

“It was like somebody hit ‘pause.’”

“I was alone, but I wasn’t lonely.”

“It’s like travelling to another universe.”

“Mindfulness makes you think about things for the first time - simple things that you never noticed.”

Leave it to the kids to make the most insightful remarks about a new classroom activity. As the faculty member charged with bringing mindfulness training to the faculty and staff, I couldn’t avoid giving mindfulness meditation a try in my own classroom. It felt strangely risky, outside the bounds of normal. But in practice, thanks to the receptivity and trusting nature of our students, mindful moments have proven to be easy, centering, and worthwhile.

Attention to “the whole child” is a key feature of the Strategic Plan 2021. Mindfulness, specifically, had been on our Co-Directors’ list of intended initiatives well before the Plan, and last spring was time to launch that initiative. I got in touch with Gina Keefer, an American school counselor and an expert in mindfulness for schools.” She grew the program at the American School of Paris and is now in private 1. What is mindfulness? Let’s start with what it is NOT: It is NOT hypnosis.

It is NOT prayer.

It is NOT brainwashing.

It is NOT napping.

Mindfulness IS a solo activity, best practiced - at the beginning - in trusting groups with a trusted leader.

Mindfulness quiets the mind without judgment. It does not require a mantra, but each mindfulness “script” does contain an area of focus such as listening or breathing or resilience or compassion. In the classroom, mindfulness activities may take as little as 5 minutes or as long as 15.

Practitioners find, over time, an enhanced ability to focus, to listen, and to appreciate the present moment. Anxiety is often reduced; conflict may be avoided; frustration may turn to acceptance or toward a peaceful solution.

2. As defined in the Apple Dictionary, third definition: anxiety: • Psychiatry • a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behavior or panic attacks.

3. As defined in the Apple Dictionary: mindfulness: 1. the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something: their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition. 2. a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

4. Joy’s favorite definition, however, is the one from mindful.org as it makes clear that mindfulness is a talent we already possess as human beings: “Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.”

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practice. She founded Both in Mind, a center for wellness in Paris.

We invited Gina to join the Middle School faculty, as well as representatives from the Lower School and staff, for a three-hour workshop in June 2018. Her introduction was aimed at teachers and the classroom scenario. As teachers, we want proof, and Gina’s explanation of the science of mindfulness was particularly compelling. She pointed out to us that the mental health issues that kids face have changed over the years. The number one area of concern has shifted from depression to anxiety. Fingers point at social media, technology, school stress, the hyperactivity of daily life, and the contemporary barrage of images and information; regardless of the roots, anxiety could be defined as a loss of control of one’s thoughts and emotions and reactions.

Mindfulness already has a proven track record in reducing anxiety, and is now incorporated into many mental health therapies including CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) for the treatment of anxiety and anxiety-induced depression, often reducing or eliminating the need for medication.

Some of us found the evidence and explanation so compelling that we’ve incorporated it into our personal and professional lives. Caitlin Echasseriau participated in the Mindful School’s program online this summer and began mindfulness practice this fall with her Third Graders. “They absolutely love it and ask to do it every class time.”

Gina came back to us in October 2018 and addressed the entire faculty and staff. In the half light of late afternoon, at the soon-to-disappear maternelle building, we practiced four mindfulness scripts with her guidance. Since that golden afternoon, colleague Michelle Green has led a mindfulness meditation during a PPMS (intruder alert) - she undoubtedly had the calmest and most attentive group in the building!

We have since equipped classrooms with meditation chimes. The Board also welcomed Gina Keefer for a mindfulness session during their January retreat.

Our ultimate goal?

Student-led mindfulness practice.

If the initial student enthusiasm is any indication, our children will take charge of their own wellness if given the tools with caring instruction. We invite parents to be as open andreceptive to mindfulness as our students.

Joy Rotondi, Middle School Literature Teacher Mindful Schools: https://www.mindfulschools.org/ American Mindfulness Research Association: https://goamra.org/ Center for Mindfulness@UMASS: https://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/ Gina Keefer: ginakeefer.com

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Having witnessed many changes in the Upper School curricula over the years, I am constantly reminded that we are an international section in the lycée system, that is subject to the greater directives of the French Ministry of Education. With the uncertainties surrounding the reforme du bac 2021, I reflected on a lesson gleaned from Siddhartha (once commonly read in the American Section) who implied that “you can never step into the same river twice.” Yes, the only certainty in life is change, and we have to change with it.

Reforms are nothing new in the French system. I dubbed the graduates of 2013 the “guinea pig class” because of the pedagogical changes that accompanied them throughout their three years in the Lycée.

At that time, the histoire/géographie Inspector General told me that to avoid ossification, changes are necessary. The scope of the History program went from a chronological study spanning the early 20th century through the end of the Cold War to a thematic program exploring the rise of China since 1949 to the role of institutions of world governance since World War II. Now students may even be required to do a croquis on the géo portion of their OIB exam, a particularly French exercise where they diagram geography terms on a blank map.

Yet, the bac reform of 2021 goes beyond that of the 2013 reforms, and will be the most sweeping change to date. The longstanding tradition of pursuing a filière in S, ES, and L has gone by the wayside. Instead, students will have the opportunity to study a variety of subjects based on their interests and passions. In this wider scope of options, our school will offer eight of the ten spécialités, allowing a wider breadth and greater depth of study. Those spécialités will be Math, Computer Science, SVT, Physics and Chemistry, Economics and Social Sciences, History, Humanities (with a focus on Literature and Philosophy), and Foreign Language, Literature and Culture. In addition, students may opt to take Art, Music, and Theater. In addition, a common core of required study will still see all students taking French, Philosphy, History-Geography, Civics, LV1 and LV2 (choices of German, Spanish, Italian, English, Chinese, and Russian), Physical Education, and a new multi-disciplinary Science program. The in-house challenges of scheduling these diverse courses and accommodating all the requests are currently being discussed by the French administration.

All students in the Lycée International will also be in the OIB program which entails scheduling an additional eight hours of class throughout the week for Literature and History/Geography in the language of their Section. With less than 1% of bac général candidates taking the OIB, the international sections will continue to coordinate and grade their final exams. In spite of the challenges, the reforms appear to be forward-looking with the intent of promoting continuity from the lycée to university to future careers.

Guardedly, I say France is capable of change, but for all its rigidity, there just may lurk an “exception”, or two, around the corner.

I wish I could write more definitively about the effects the reform de bac 2021 will have on our future.

There are still many unknowns on the way to implementation. Knowing that change is our one constant in life (Siddhartha), I propose we choose to approach the reforms like water flowing along the path of least resistance as we progress. Is progress always progress? We’ll see as we adapt to the changes.

The Only Certainty in the Bac is Change…

The Bac Reform 2021

Mike Whitacre, Co-Director, Upper School Principal

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Winds of Change

Hoisting our Sails to Catch the

Long-standing faculty members, Douglas Penner-Lacompte from the Lower School, Michelle Green from the Middle School, and Andrew McGovern from the Upper School reminisce about how the Section has changed over the past three decades.

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believe I was asked to write about “winds of change” in the American Section because this is my official 30th year as an American Section teacher. I have worked with twelve different American Section directors and a myriad of French principals, proviseurs and administrators.

I have seen French educational reforms as well as American Section curricula come and go. I have taught on four different campuses, and 2021 students have crossed the threshold of my Language Arts or history classes. I hope I have somehow enriched their lives. I know that they have enriched mine.

My first year teaching in the American Section was on the Marcel Roby campus. We actually had two fullfledged middle and upper school sections, one at the Lycée International and one at the Marcel Roby/Jeanne d’Albret site. There were two different tracks at Roby, one which led to the OIB, and one called American Studies which led to the BAC. All students earned an American high school diploma. Because we were not locked into OIB curriculum requirements in American Studies, we could mold our own program focusing on American history, literature, society, traditions, politics, music, art and sports. It was a genuine American Humanities program.

Demographics have changed which have impacted, to my mind, the student population we have today. We had more native speakers and more American families whose American companies brought them to France. The Français Special program was in full bloom and was offered at every level. Today our students are bilingual, but there are so many of them that have never lived in the States. This is where our curriculum plays a major role in boosting American culture and educational practices.

When Pete Seeger passed away in 2014, it was indeed a shock when we realized that our Troisièmes had no idea who he was. So we immediately took this teaching opportunity and brought in our guitars. On that day you could hear in the hallways our students singing Where Have all the Flowers Gone and We Shall Overcome, as a tribute to this essential American voice, a true spirit of freedom and social activism. This is proof that our resiliency, American resourcefulness and reinvention in the American Section have not changed.

Again, looking back at my first years of teaching in the American Section, what is the most striking was the lack of technology in the classroom at that time. Report cards, brevet grades, all administrative procedures were hard copy only, and definitely not so ecologically friendly to our friends the trees. You had to wait for your French colleague to finish filling out grades and comments in this huge, dusty binder with carbon copies they called the “kalamazoo” then grab it before another teacher got in! You did not leave SMS messages on cell phones. We actually used cassettes for audio samples in the classroom and were very proud to have our classrooms equipped with VCR players!

Instead of our present-day interactive smart boards, we had overhead, and believe it or not, slide projectors. Wow, I’m even amazed reading my own testimony, but don’t forget we are talking about the late 80s. Technology in the classroom has definitely affected my teaching approaches. Now we can share documents, do peer-editing, create trailers for

Michelle Green 1987-2016 2018-present

book projects, animation, maps, and research, to name just a very few. I quickly entrusted all of my students with the task of teaching me new functions and possibilities. They love the reversal of roles and feel empowered.

Today the classroom is fully equipped with Chromebooks, students are now walking around with their individual iPads, and communication between teachers and students is much more user-friendly. When I first started teaching there were no Kindles or iBooks. This is where, go ahead, you can call me old-fashioned, but as a literature teacher I feel it is important to hold a real book in your hands. I still see the excitement in my students when I hand out new books or when they pass around the book they are sharing with the class. Books are much easier on my students’ eyes instead of subjecting them to even more screen time. Neurologists have pointed out that students suffer from what they call “electronic screen syndrome causing sensory overload, lack of restorative sleep and a hyperaroused nervous system.” It also interferes with their levels of dopamine. From my observations, we have many more cases of hyper-active students with a difficulty to concentrate than when I first started teaching.

Some of the problems I see today with students are social media-related. These are challenges we, as educators and parents, need to face: the fear of missing out, cyber bullying, and just different forms of pressure to conform to superficial commercial standards. I firmly believe that we need to be smarter than each new technological advance that emerges and teach our students how to wield these inventions. So, the questions I would like to ask my 21st century students are: do you use technology or does technology use you? Does technology use up your time, blur your clarity of purpose, make you lose hours of precious sleep, give you a false sense of community, isolate you?

Don’t get me wrong, I actually love to check out new apps and adapt new methods to the classroom, but I don’t want to lose sight that this is just one teaching tool and that’s it.

It is encouraging for me to see that the American Section has expanded its high standard of education, WIN D S O F C H A N G E 1 1

class participation, the spirit of innovation, pioneering, community-building and outreach. We have only to look at our outstanding academic results, all of the vibrant extra-curricular activities provided, the commitment to support our foreign exchanges, community service and the well-being of our students with advisory and the more recent practice of mindfulnesss in the classroom which I prefer calling “heartfulness.” We recognize the need to help our students to decrease their stress levels, to get in touch with themselves, to stop the noise of the mind for just a few minutes and to listen to what their heart has to say. After

Doug Penner-Lacompte 1996-present

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n September 1996, when I began teaching in the American Section, I had only a vague understanding of how the Lycée International was different from the other international schools in which I had taught. In this new and very unique school with its multitude of cultures and practices, I had to adjust to many different routines and constraints.

Perhaps my biggest adjustment was the complex organization of the school. It was difficult not having my own class for the entire day and for each day of the week. In former teaching situations, I was able to easily continue lessons from one day to the next, but at the Lycée, several days pass between sessions and the pace is much more accelerated. In addition, I share “my” classroom with other Section teachers, so I must work differently and need to consult my colleagues when I want to change something in the classroom that will affect them.

Over the years, the demographics of my classes have changed. In my first years here, the Section offered native level and below level English classes from grades two to five. This has since been modified due to shifts in our students’ English abilities. Twenty years ago, we had many more families with an American parent and we were able to fill a class with twenty fairly proficient English speakers. In time, with fewer expat families, we found ourselves confronted with the difficulty to meet an increasing number of students’ weaker English skills. We began to investigate methods to make our instruction more individualized. We also looked at ways to expose students more often to oral English and determined that mixing classes and offering several extracurricular activities would be beneficial.

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thirty years, I can assuredly say that the American Section is alive and well and evolving at a steady pace. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” The American Section has always adjusted its sails to catch the wind that pushes our students to understand how important their education is and to lead happy and fulfilling lives. The construction site that will soon be the new lycée is a symbol of the building of an even stronger educational and cultural foundation.

Michelle Green, Middle School Literature Teacher

The expectations upon our students and families have also changed over time. The teaching staff has made significant changes to the homework and expectations for work outside of school. When I first began, there were as many as five book report projects and kids spent more time creating a book project (often with a lot of help from frazzled parents) than they spent reading books!

Our language arts program has evolved quite a lot during my time in the Section. When I first began, reading instruction was a whole group experience, with all children reading and studying the same book. While this worked fairly well for the middle ability students, the needs of children who were very proficient readers and others who struggled with reading were not being met. We later used an inquirybased approach to reading through Junior Great Books and as our students’ language ability ranges became more extreme; we adopted a three-level differentiated reading approach. Most recently the Lower School has implemented a very individualized reading program using authentic reading texts in an attempt to meet each child’s reading strengths and weaknesses.

The tremendous advances in technology have definitely changed my teaching. Students are using technology tools today that I could never have imagined twenty years ago.

The challenge I see as a teacher is finding ways to integrate technology in meaningful ways and to strike a balance between traditional book learning and screen time. Students in my classroom two decades ago had much more limited research resources and spent much more time trying to figure out places to get the information they need. Now they go on-line and can find anything they are interested in.

Two things have remained consistent throughout my experience in the American Section. One is the dedication of the teaching staff and administration in keeping abreast of US pedagogical trends and best practices. My colleagues and I spend a lot of time engaged in grade level meetings, professional development sessions, and curriculum development meetings to tailor our program to meet our students’ needs. The other aspect of my experience which has not changed is the cheerful and motivated students who are part of the American Section. When I enter the classroom each day, I see students who are happy and eager to learn.

Doug Penner-Lacompte, Lower School Teacher

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hings have changed quite a bit since my first stint at the Section from 1993 to 1995. For starters I was 27 and had a full head of hair. I’d only been teaching for two years, so didn’t feel much older than the Terminales. I tried to disguise the fact that I was often astounded by their brilliance. Now I celebrate it quite vocally every day as it is happening.

Whereas our students now seem to have rather precise ideas about what the Section is and will be for them both in and out of the classroom, suggesting a comforting continuity of experience, students then seemed to be discovering the Section as if it were eternally new. For me it had a more pioneering feel; the American Section felt smaller then and more “home-made” in the sense that every project or initiative was essentially improvised.

There was little sense of the American Section traditions so often guiding us now. Our Terminale class picture for the yearbook just happened to take place on the steps near the Primary building, whereas now it is deemed a necessary rite of passage. Students now want and look forward to certain clubs, activities and ceremonies and they are disappointed if they don’t happen in a predictable way. We once performed a small graduation ceremony in the cour de recrée behind building E (now christened the Bâtiment Scherer), put out a few chairs and gave one, perhaps two faculty comments. For another class we were in the Salon Rouge of the Château. After a few grave, brilliant words from Joan Lynch, Kevin Capé would summarize his favorite memories, foibles and academic vices of the graduates, ribbing them jovially. I once read a short poem and handed out flowers to each graduate. And that was it.

We made stuff up and the stakes didn’t seem so high.

When Mark Foster, Middle School ENL teacher and theater personality extraordinaire was busy with the International Players and collaborating on a musical production with a Serge Séguin (Serge had only been there for a year at that time, I believe, and was learning from Mark) then Section director Michael Veitch asked me to direct an Upper School play! I manifestly had no experience apart from an acting class I took on a whim in college. After wrangling with a mostly Terminale class who didn’t know their lines fully on the opening night (that hasn’t changed!), Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park came off somehow, and by the second night was actually getting laughs.

In terms of administration and staff we had only Mary Friel in Admissions (and so, so much more) and Jocelyn Black doing accounts and payroll. If we wanted to organize something, the teachers and directors had to build it. There was palpably less of a parent presence or involvement in the daily operations, and of course we had no internet then, so communication took place by analog telephones or by letter (stuffed by Mary, Jocelyn, and sometimes parent volunteers). All of that means that compared to today, we did far less in the way of communicating with parents, and relied more heavily on word of mouth. We rode on the coattails of the French parent evenings, sometimes adding our own informational sessions. But behind every event there were the same herculean and unseen efforts—now of our incredible, expanded staff and volunteers, then Mary Friel and Michael Veitch, who formed a mom-dad pair

Andrew McGovern 1993-1995 2007-present

who put in countless hours.

When I first arrived Kevin Capé was exclusively teaching History-Geography, and the Upper School teachers would divide up the Terminale class and do the university counseling with their respective groups of five to seven students.

Students and faculty both had smoking areas on campus.

There was a small room in the salle des profs with a primitive extraction fan dedicated to the profs fumeurs. The students smoked outside the former pre-fabs (the infamous F building) by the benches. They used to salute us without selfconsciousness as we walked by. Sometimes we’d stick out heads out of the windows of F1 or F2 and ask them to stub out their cigarettes and come to class. Decidedly a different attitude back then.

The most important ingredients haven’t changed: we still have great students, involved parents, a team of passionate educators and a totally dedicated staff. I can still picture Michael Veitch pausing a conversation to invite a student into it, dropping whatever was at hand and eschewing the adult interaction to attend fully to the kids. Or coming unannounced into class to take part in a discussion of Dostoevsky, Joyce or Shakespeare. Sean Lynch used to do that as well. To me that spirit still presides: we’re here as members of an intense community of learners young and old. Our teaching mission is to explore the big ideas with the students.

And truly, our pupils have always been the lifeblood of the building. Without them it is an empty shell, and we are at our best when we bring our best selves for them. It is just as true today as back then. As staff we assist in a full range of things: when a student doesn’t know where to go in the first weeks, is dropping off a class snack, has to drop off a form, or has a problem and needs to talk. Many of us stop at the cafeteria, the library, or on the street, during after school activities or on trips to interact with Section students out of the class as full persons, casually and without the formality of the French teachers. And it seems to me that that they, in turn, continue to see our Section and its members as the extended family it is.

Andrew McGovern, Head of English

WIN D S O F C HA N G E 1 3

THE LYC É E UNDER

T

t’s hard to miss the construction work on the Lycée campus these days! The central core of campus has been given over to a massive renovation project that will provide our community with functional, attractive, and integrated spaces commensurate with the quality education offered. Meanwhile, the school’s 2,800 students and 250 faculty members have been relegated to the periphery for well over a year: half the primary school playground has been blocked off for the construction of the new maternelle, while older students study in an unprepossessing assemblage of modular classrooms, with a long steephike up to the cafeteria. This long-awaited 73 million euro project, co-financed by the Département des Yvelines and the Région Ile de France, is due to be completed in early 2020.

According to the architectural brief prepared by the département, the finished campus will: 6 be safe, with clearly delineated spaces for vehicular

and pedestrian traffic; 6 be entirely accessible to people of reduced mobility; facilitate the movements of a large number of students of diverse ages; 6 connect buildings to increase functionality; 6 organize food services on one level to maximize efficiency; 6 give the Lycée International a distinct visual identity; 6 provide large, convivial and pleasant spaces for learning and working.

The Lycée International last saw significant restructuration between 1989 and 1994. At the time enrollment demands were increasing more rapidly than the campus could accommodate: classes were even held in the cafeteria for lack of space! A faculty parking lot was built, and the numerous “pre-fab” buildings that dotted the campus were torn down. As it was necessary at the time to widen the rue du Fer à Cheval, the existing Domaines building was demolished, though its wings were rebuilt and integrated into the glass structure of a new edifice. The resulting Agora was inaugurated in 1992. This building included a new cafeteria and the CDI (both previously located in secondary building), Mario’s café, and a multi-purpose room used for dining and theater performances.

The second phase of the project was the restructuring of the main building. The former kitchens and cafeteria located in the basement and the faculty housing on the fourth floor were converted to classrooms, and the former library on the ground floor to administrative offices. An extension was also

14

A Campus Transformed

Despite these major renovations, a decade later, the school was once again too small.National decentralization efforts saw the transfer of responsibility for the Lycée International from the state to the Ile de France region (for the lycée) and the department of the Yvelines (for the college and the école) in September 2005. Soon after, in 2006-7, the Conseil Générale des Yvelines began exploring further renovations. A parcel of land across the street from the main entrance, destined for administrative housing, was purchased in 2006. In 2010, a new loge was built, with the goal of making campus access more secure. Finally, after several stops and starts, a call for architectural proposals was launched in 2015, and work on the current campus transformation began in the spring of 2017.

Eight buildings are involved in the project, with a total surface area of 25,000m2. The goal of the renovation is to improve the quality of life for our current population of students, faculty and administrators, not to increase enrollment. The 17-acre campus will be harmonized, with the new landscape a compromise between the existing 19 th century “picturesque style” and a more “de-structured” contemporary landscape design of broken lines. The architecture is designed to blend into the landscape, and features rock foundations and vertical wood siding on the facades of the buildings. Wood will also feature on internal surfaces, notably in the atrium of the extension, the gymnasium, and the activity room of the maternelle.

R T S N O

A First Wave of Renovations, 25 Years Ago

C

added to the building. This is now known as the “tower,” and houses music and art classrooms, as well as faculty work rooms.

Finally, a large edifice was erected for the school’s youngest students. Inaugurated in 1994, the new primary building regrouped all primary classes in one place. Previously, certain grades and sections had classes in the Château, while others met in the Ecole du Bas, a dilapidated forty-year old building.

The maternelle building was also renovated.

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

THE NEW LOCATION OF THE AMERICAN SECTION OFFICE

The Gymnasium

Opened in September 2018, the spacious new gymnasium (2,300m2) boasts three distinct sports zones: a dojo, a room for climbing and gymnastics, and a vast multi-purpose room with bleachers. Separate entrances allow access for both Lycée International students and the town of Fourqueux’s clubs, who use the gym after school hours. The sports complex also includes two fields, the existing soccer pitch, and a track, which will be built on the space vacated by the lycée provisoire.

The Scherer Building and its Extension

Stretching from the school’s main entrance to the primary school, the extension of the Scherer building adds more than 4000m2 to the school. The architect envisioned the space as a long interior road leading to the original structure, with a large central atrium and natural light allowed by the glass roof. One side of the building will host administrative offices, with the French administration on the ground floor and section offices one flight up. Updated “state-of-the-art” science classrooms will be located on the opposite side. Food services will be on the lower floor, including a large central kitchen and separate dining rooms, with designated entrances for lower, middle and upper school students. The building will also include underground parking.

Due to ongoing construction, the Scherer building is already connected to the extension by walkways. It will be entirely renovated, with an intention to separate middle and upper school students within the building. Most collège classes will be held on the first three levels, while upper school classes will meet on the top two floors. Section classrooms will be located in this part of the building as well.

The buildings are scheduled for completion in May 2019.

U

The Maternelle

Construction of the new maternelle commenced in the fall of 2018, when the old gymnasium was destroyed. The maternelle is located at the bottom of the hill, at the same level as the primary school playground. As the roof will be planted, it will blend harmoniously into the landscape. The new maternelle will expand to eight classrooms plus a large multipurpose room in the new structure, all situated around a large central playground and covered courtyard. The building should be finished by September 2019.

The Agora

Work on the Agora will commence as soon as the Scherer building is finished and food services are transferred into the new wing. The current large central dining room will be converted into a theater, and the spaces on either side into meeting and practice rooms for musical and theatrical activities.

Upstairs, there will be a café and a dedicated area for upper school students. The CDI will remain in the same place, though comfort will be improved with the addition of a facade designed to provide shade for those hot summer days! The basement will house the school’s technical services and include an area for archives. The last part of the lycée renovations, the completion of the Agora is scheduled for early 2020.

N O I T C

The Primary School

Changes to the primary school will be minimal, consisting principally of adding a walkway that will allow children direct access from the primary building to their dedicated dining room in the Scherer building extension. A staircase and an additional elevator will be added, as well as toilets on each level. The school’s enlarged playground will shift to the current location of maternelle building, and will include a small outdoor sports area.

Last June, a small group of middle and lower school students had the privilege of visiting the new extension and writing their names on the naked concrete walls of the new Section office. The construction site supervisor told them jokingly that their names would “reappear” during the next renovation project. Let’s hope that those names stay hidden for at least a generation, and that the beautiful, spacious new buildings, due to welcome the Lycée International community as of the this fall, will be our home for many years to come!

Margaret Jenkins, Assistant Director for Development, Communications and External Relations REFERENCES: - Boulet, François. Histoire du Lycée International de St. Germain-en-Laye. Les Presses Franciliennes. September 2013.

- Le Courrier des Yvelines. Un Établissement d’Exception, Rénové d’Ici 2020. October 7, 2015 - Lycée International de St. Germain-en-Laye. Le Livre du Cinquantenaire. Association des Amis du Lycée International, St. Germain-en-Laye. November 2003.

- Piffaretti, Alain. La Mue du Lycée International de Saint Gemain. Les Echos. October 5, 2016.

- Vincent, Ludovic. La 1ère Pierre des Travaux du Lycée International est Posée. Yvelines Infos.fr, January 17, 2018 - Yvelines, Le Département. Saint Germain-en-Laye Lycée International Conception – Réalisation pour l’Extension et la Restructuration du Lycée. Note de Synthèse Architectural. October 2015

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Class of 2018 Excerpt from the Faculty Address “Now today’s ceremony “I’ll close with a final observation. Those of you who have marks a key point in your own been here the longest joined the Section in Maternelle in initiatic journeys towards 2003 – the same year that I graduated from the Lycée. I’ve maturity and, like Lily Briscoe, noticed many such synchronicities in my life; coincidences the Ramsays, and Mr. Carmichael, that may just be random occurrences but which could just this rite of passage celebrating as easily be seen, as Woolf writes, as “divine goodness” teasing the end of one life and the us with momentary glimpses beyond the veil. Perhaps years beginning of another mirrors down the line you too will look back at what was at times a some of the radical and at times unsettling changes taking grueling adventure and perceive a kind of order or design place all around us. Now, I hope my history colleagues will in your lives. In any case, for the next couple of months you forgive me for stepping on their toes... But historically speaking, can relax, safe in the knowledge that, this is both an exciting and a terrifying time to be alive – there as far as this chapter of your lives is are, arguably, many reasons to be pessimistic, and yet rarely concerned… it is finished.” has an age been so charged with revolutionary potential.

Tonio Colonna, We may very well be witnessing the collapse of the liberal Upper School Literature Teacher international order… And guess who gets to clean up the University Destinations of American Section Graduates mess?” “One of the most 2011-2018 invaluable experiences 140 you’ve been given by the Lycée is the opportunity University Destinations of 120 to form bonds with American Section Graduates 100 individuals from various 2007-2018 national, cultural, and 80 socio-economic backgrounds, and this should 60 teach you not just tolerance, but empathy, 40 compassion, and a sense of 20 responsibility towards your fellow humans. In this age 0 of ethical relativism, let USA England France Canada Netherlands Gap Year Switzerland Ireland Scotland Italy Singapore Australia Japan your actions be driven by the innate moral sense that 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 we are all born with.”

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C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

University Destinations

Excerpt from the Student Address “We should be proud of what we have achieved. It’s easy to lose ourselves in rational thought and to say to ourselves “65 different classes have graduated since the Lycée’s creation in 1952, why is mine that special?” And it is true, we are the 65th class to have graduated from the American Section, but to say that it isn’t special is simply not true. This is no historical event, and in the grand scheme of things, unless one of us becomes a crazed dictator, it won’t have any particular impact. This is special because we all made it together, and we honestly couldn’t be prouder to have made it with this group. We all grew up together, and when we think back on the glory years of our lives, we will think of everyone here. It’s a huge personal achievement for each and every one of us, and no matter what we think about our grades, we are now those same young men and women we stared at in awe ten years prior, those young men and women our mamas and papas always knew we’d be.”

“My gut feeling tells me that there’s more to this moment than just an ending.

Rather than completely building something during these many years of Section, we’ve started a construction that we can finish in whichever way we want. The Section has not given us a finished product, like a Lily Briscoe painting of sorts, and it hasn’t just given us mere foundations to such a work either. It’s given us a few different structures, different teaching methods and ways of thinking that sometimes intertwine, sometimes complement each other and sometimes completely push each other out of balance. We have a ball of elastic bands, different colored Legos, a few very nice and shiny feathers, and more or less vague instruction manuals (depending on which teacher you got) on how to build something out of them. And we have to make the next big work of art with them.”

“This school’s greatest gift to us was to stop us from believing we were ordinary, while giving us the knowledge that everyone else can be as outstanding as we can.

Our teachers and peers, rather than shuffling us inside the limits of what’s acceptable, poked us around with a little stick, like we poked bugs in mud holes as kids, to see where we would go, how long we could survive.”

“If there is one thing we’ve learnt this year, is that we mustn’t shy away from the anonymity of tomorrow but rather embrace its ambiguity and our amorphous selves. We learnt not to obsess over “who I am” and ask “who’s there,” but rather to resign ourselves and accept this life’s unrelenting incertitude and, like Hamlet, to be satisfied that we don’t know, and that the rest is silence.”

Ito Choho ‘18 and Mika Desblancs ‘18

Class of 2018 Baccalauréat Results S

ES

L

Total

Très bien

20

5

7

32

Bien

5

5

1

11

Assez bien

4

4

0

8

Admis

2

0

1

3

AUSTRALIA (1) University of Queensland CANADA (4) McGill University (3) Bishop’s University FRANCE (15) Atelier de Sevres Ecole de Cinema, Elancourt Ecole de Beaux Arts, Strasbourg Faculté de Droit FLD Haute Ecole Ingénieurs Ipésup Prépas Janson de Sailly Prépas Jean Baptiste Say Prépas Ste. Geneviève (2) Sciences Po/University of British Columbia Université Paris I, La Sorbonne (2) Université Paris V, Descartes Université de Versailles, St. Quentin GAP YEAR (3) JAPAN (1) University of Tokyo NETHERLANDS (8) Amsterdam University College University of Leiden University of Amsterdam University College Maastricht University College Utrecht Delft Institute of Technology University of Rotterdam (2) UNITED KINGDOM/IRELAND (16) University of Cambridge (2) University of Oxford (2) London School of Economics (2) University of Bath (2) King’s College London (2) King’s College - Assas (dual law) University of Bristol University of Warwick University of Exeter Queen’s University Belfast University College Dublin UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (6) California Institute of Technology Macalaster College New York University Northeastern University Wellesley College Yale University

Evolution of Mention Rates 2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Très bien

59%

40%

41%

40%

49%

44%

31%

25%

16%

20%

28%

22%

Bien

20%

40%

41%

47%

39%

37%

56%

36%

38%

44%

39%

39%

Assez bien

15%

20%

14%

11%

10%

19%

9%

24%

37%

32%

30%

32%

No mention

6%

0%

3%

2%

2%

0%

4%

15%

10%

3%

4%

7%

2018

2017

WIN D S O F C HA N G E 1 7

Re-Bonjour!

How graduates find their way back to

FRANCE

Over my eight years of college counseling here, I’ve developed an acronym for a certain type of student: the GOOFs, or Get Out of France’rs. Whether they’re fed up with the intense workload and top-down teaching style, or they are simply hankering after broader horizons, their main goal is to Get Out. And while the numbers have dropped recently, for years a dozen or more of such graduates headed across the Atlantic every year to experience the campus life and curricular freedom of a North American university.

Yet once abroad, a growing number have been tempted back.

Whether it’s due to family and cultural ties, Donald’s Trump’s election, or an acceptance letter from a top Grande Ecole, many decide, like Dorothy, that there’s no place like home.

“The choice of studying at HEC was obvious given the school’s international network and opportunities,” wrote Graham Denavit ‘08, who returned to France after six years in the US. “I wanted to transition into public policy and Sciences Po offered a great program,” explained Romane Thiebaut ‘12.

“I was worried that I’d no longer be able to work in the USA but I haven’t found that to be the case: I spent this summer at the World Bank in Washington D.C.” Not that it’s easy to integrate back in to France after many years away!

Besides the pang of leaving behind the close friendships forged at university, students can encounter a rude reverse culture shock when they return from abroad.

“I honestly felt like I was starting to lose touch with my French side by my final years of college,” writes Celia Heudebourg ‘14, who is studying journalism at Sciences Po Paris. “I forgot how much people smoke and I’m four years behind in French slang!”

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C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

Many students say that living abroad taught them how French—or European—they really felt. “Staying in Europe is a cultural decision mostly,” reflects Olivia de Fouchier ‘12, now working in Brussels after graduating from Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

“While I met incredible people in the U.S., I missed the authenticity and tolerance for critique that I find in Europe. That said, I also miss the positivity and enthusiasm of the U.S.” Her ‘12 classmate Victor Siret, who joined ESSEC Business School after three years at Concordia University in Montreal, added some other reasons. “I like the architecture, the variety of cultures, and the possibility to drive through five countries in one day rather than one country in five days!”

Nonetheless, many graduates find that the professional or academic opportunities in North America still trump (no pun intended) any nostalgia for baguettes and ironic banter. “The MBA programs here last two years with a free summer for an internship,” wrote Rachel Salvador ‘11, now at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

“Post-MBA I am again focusing on the US because of the larger number of exciting opportunities.”

Henri Hicks ‘12 concurs that “there’s a lot that San Diego and my alumni network has to offer professionally.”

Now in his final year at the University of Toronto, François Gouelo ‘14 feels that North America offers superior research and leadership opportunities for undergraduates, at least in his field of computer science. “In North America, professors and employers will value your knowledge and intellectual drive,” he contends. “My academic, professional, and personal network have all grown immensely through all the projects I have taken part in. I have built my life here and I truly enjoy the fast-paced

Taken Aback by Brexit Since a third of our graduates each year cross the Channel each year to attend universities in the UK, Britain’s vote to leave the European Union came as an unwelcome surprise to many former students, prompting some to shift their future plans back to the Continent.

“Brexit has influenced me to apply for British Citizenship this year and definitely means that am I less likely to consider postgraduate work in the UK,” writes Tiphène Lechleiter ‘14, who studied biomedical science at the University of Kent. “I was pretty sure of coming back to France in any case, but I know quite a few friends who picked French schools for their master’s over top UK schools because of Brexit,’ confirms Jean-Laurent Cadoral ‘14, who studied accounting and finance at the London School of Economics.

A further source of frustration is that even 18 months after the vote, it isn’t clear what Brexit will actually mean for our graduates in the UK. “The main problem isn’t that Brexit is clearly going to mess everything up. It’s that Brexit is highly unclear,” explains Tiphène’s older brother Scott Lechleiter ‘13, who studied biochemistry at the University of Bristol “As a result anyone in serious uncertainty is considering going elsewhere.”

Apart from its influence on their own futures, graduates also said they feel saddened by the negativeattitude toward foreigners than they felt the vote revealed, though few reported any systemic hostility toward their presence. “I did experience outright hostility in the middle of London after the Brexit vote because our group of friends was speaking French when going out, but that was just one instance,” wrote Cadoral. “It was quite sad yet eye-opening to see British society crack at the seams, and there was a general sense of unease amongst Europeans,” agreed SarahAnne Aarup ‘12, a Cambridge graduate who is now studying diplomacy in Vienna. “Some of my E.U. friends took Brexit quite personally and sensed a latent form of racism; I didn’t, although I understood where they were coming from.”

Even students with a UK passport are concerned about the impact Brexit may have on their job prospects. “I was certain about wanting to stay in the UK, but now I’m not sure,” says Lechleiter, who has dual nationality. “It’s been amazing to be a student here. It’s hard to predict what the real professional world will be like in the UK, for someone who hasn’t yet been in it.”

The tumult doesn’t appear to have discouraged our current students, who will still benefit from UK tuition rates, however. Last year 15 US Section graduates enrolled at British universities, only slightly fewer than in the past, and 36 students in this year’s class have also applied.

“Having both an American and French diploma has been great in terms of career opportunities.”

Romane Thiebaut ‘12, BA University of Chicago

environment I am in.”

Personal connections also play a pivotal role. “I now live with my American boyfriend, many of my friends live across the US, and both of my brothers have stayed here,” notes Salvador. Lucie Catillon ‘10, who recalls crying with joy after winning the lottery for an H1B visa, is now married to a Californian. For students in Canada, the path to work is even easier.

“When I graduated [from Concordia University in May 2014, I wasn’t too sure of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go but after 16 years being taught things, I felt like it was time for me to apply all the knowledge I had accumulated over these years,” write Maxime Bourges ‘11.

“I had done an internship in France the previous summer and that had not left a positive impression on me. I was happy in Montreal, and I had a solid group of friends. On top of that, getting a job in Montreal is incredibly easy. I am, however, beginning to miss Europe, not France necessarily but Europe and the ability to travel anywhere in the continent. I do miss my family as well after eight years being away from then. So after all this amazing time in Montreal, I feel that it may soon be time to pack my things and head home.”

For other graduates, it’s the vision of a family of their own that takes their thoughts back to France-- though this may come as a shock to lycéens currently slogging through

“It’s interesting to see how my two cultures tug at me in different ways based on where I am.”

Celia Heudebourg ‘14, BA Macalaster College

their 40th hour of class of the week! “Although the San Francisco Bay Area feels like home now, it’s hard to imagine raising kids here,” writes Catillon. “Suddenly France seems way more appealing to me now than it ever did.” Why? As Salvador explains, “I would rather start a family in a region with better work-life balance, public education, and health care.” Or as Hicks puts it: “I feel like it was a great place to grow up.”

No worries. Our admissions office will be happy to re-welcome you and yours!

Catherine Boalch, University Counsellor

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S

V

The American Section’s Summer Awards program has been giving our students opportunities to take part in life-changing summer experiences worldwide for over a decade. The Global Citizen Award finances special projects that focus on issues of human development, environmental protection, and/or human rights, while the Summer Scholars award allows students to explore in depth an academic or artistic subject in depth.

The American Section Summer Awards are financed by Annual Fund donations, through a grant by the American-based Friends of ASALI. A total of 51,000€ has been awarded since 2008.

Enjoy discovering this year’s winners!

2

1

0

8

Summer Awards 20

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

G LO B A L C I T I Z E N S H I P AWA R D

Balearic Islands Marine Expedition This summer, thanks to the Global Citizenship Award, I was able to participate in the Balearic Islands Marine Expedition. This seven-day expedition, run by Alnitak aboard a research vessel amid the ocean off the east coast of Spain, was an amazing opportunity for me to integrate a crew of marine scientists and marine conservation actors.

Alnitak is an NGO promoting cooperation and solidarity between scientists and citizens (i.e. students, teachers, fishermen, amateurs, etc.).

Having been fascinated with the ocean and marine biology since I was young, this was really a dream come true.

My days were spent on a twelve-meter long repurposed Norwegian fishing sailboat circling around the natural reserve of Cabrera, one of the Balearic Islands. On board, we watched the sea, searching for dolphins, whales, and turtles. Every dolphin’s fin and whale’s fluke is unique, so by taking pictures of them, the marine biologists could later compare them to previous photos and track the migration of the different groups. As for the turtles, we would equip them with special satellite trackers whose data was later collected and analyzed for the same reasons. However, though we were looking for wildlife, our most common find was trash: plastic bags, bottles, paint-cans, gasoline tanks, and even neon lights. The astounding amount of garbage we collected after only one week served as a chilling reminder of our planet’s current state.

Living on a boat isn’t as easy as it sounds, and every day different pairs were put in charge of cooking and cleaning.

The food was made in the tiny 2m2 kitchen equipped with a stove and hotplates and was entirely organic thanks to Alnitak’s new all-green initiative! When we weren’t watching, we could swim in the 28°C Mediterranean Sea, snorkel, or just nap on board.

This experience will forever be unforgettable; I was able to immerse myself in the world that has always enthralled me and understand first-handedly the appalling pollution of our oceans, at the same time forging new friendships, and enjoying the summer sunshine. I even hope to return next year, and hopefully spot the species I missed this summer!

Madeleine Parnot, Première

CO M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E AWA R D

My Month at the University of Chicago During the month of July following my Seconde year, I attended a program offered by the University of Chicago for high schoolers from across the globe. This enriching experience helped me determine what studies I want to pursue after the lycée and gave me concrete insight about universities. I strongly believe a course similar to the one I followed will be of great help for university searching.

As I have been interested in attending a summer program ever since the end of my Troisième year, I started searching the summer programs from different universities in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom last November.

When I discovered the course at UChicago, I knew that this was my top choice. The name of the course I followed is “Contagion: Emerging Diseases and Infectious Agents” and includes the study of everything related to viruses, bacteria, and parasites, as well as exploring how these pathogens affect the human body, and how to develop drugs and vaccines to combat related diseases. The course was open to high school students and a total of twenty (mostly from the U.S. and China) students were enrolled. However,

there were other students enrolled in different courses, and talking with people interested in different subjects added to the diversity of the experience.

Class days were split between lectures held by Dr. Fineschi and lab sessions supervised by teacher assistant, Dawn.

During lectures, we learned what happens to the body on a cellular level when a pathogen invades, and also scientific discoveries linked to diseases. Then we would apply what we had learned in the lab sessions through series of experiments.

For example, the first week was dedicated to the ABR Lab, which culminated in a very complete lab report (half of our total grade). Towards the end of the program, we even had the opportunity to experiment with the new technology CRISPR, which was a very exciting experience! The teachers told us that the material we were learning was the same that regular UChicago students learn, just condensed into three short weeks.

The high schoolers in the Summer Sessions were housed into campus dorms that are usually home to UChicago undergraduates. We were separated in a dozen

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houses, each welcoming students from different courses. I was very happy with my house and made many friends from all over the world. The residential assistants from my house were also incredibly nice and organized many outings to Chicago and in the neighborhood. For example, on the second day there, our RAs brought us to a park to swim in the waters of Lake Michigan (in lab we tested the quality of the water, and albeit a few diseases and bacteria, it is relatively clean).

During my time at the university, I was able to discover the city of Chicago: the Art Institute, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Taste of Chicago food festival, Millenium Park, Chinatown, Navy Pier, a baseball game, and the musical The Color Purple on tour. Every single one of these cultural discoveries was fascinating and inspiring, and I feel like I really was immersed into the Windy City.

This program was a great learning experience on an

academic level, but also on a personal level. I had the opportunity to live on my own and to see what it’s like to be a university student. I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of this project, and thank the American Section for offering me one of the Summer Scholars Award, which helped me finance it.

Anna Souchet, Première

G LO B A L C I T I Z E N S H I P AWA R D

Architecture and Acting at SCAD For one week from July 28th to August 3rd, I participated in the Summer Seminars program at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. SCAD is a leading college in Art and Design, and many past students have gone on to become professional designers or animators.

I began my search for a summer program during the summer from Troisième to Seconde. I didn’t exactly know what it was that I wanted to study, but I knew that I wanted something that was at the same time enjoyable and that could help build my portfolio for university applications. I struggled to find a suitable program to follow, as I found that these often did not particularly interest me, and tended to be very expensive. From word of mouth, I heard about SCAD, and realized that its Summer Seminars program had been exactly what I had been looking for. The program consists of selecting two classes from a wide range of domains, which would become your morning and afternoon classes for the week. The two I selected were “Introduction to Architecture” for the mornings and “Acting for the Camera” in the afternoon.

Introduction to Architecture taught the students the basis behind architectural sketching, as well as how to use the tools at our disposal. The week started off simple, with the basic rules and notions of perspective being laid down, and gradually intensified over the course of the week, as we found ourselves sketching full houses by the end of the course. In the acting class, the students were paired up to work on scenes which would be filmed by the others and later on shown to the parents present on the last day. The students did not choose who they were acting in the scene with, nor who would be filming them, which ended up being a great way to meet new people. Both courses were taught by professionals in their respective fields, with the architecture teacher being a professional architect, and the acting teacher having worked in movie casting for several years.

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Classes took place in buildings separate from the dorms, which meant students took shuttles to get to their classes. The buildings were often historical sites of the city which had been renovated and “recycled.” For example, the building in which my architecture class took place was a former train station. This, along with group excursions into town, gave the students a chance to see the artistic city of Savannah in all of its splendor.

Although international students were rare, making me the official “French Kid,” students still came from all over the U.S., with varying interests, talents, and personalities. SCAD became a haven, in which every student could find someone with similar interests. Out of 270 students, everyone fit in with everyone.

Students were grouped up in fours and separated into two-person bedrooms connected with a common bathroom and small living space. In addition to this, three of these groups would be brought together under two counselors (which they called SSAs) to form a group of twelve students. These were the people I ended up spending the majority of my week with, and I became good friends with all of them.

In the evenings, the whole seminar would go a field trip to a different location, to experience the city.

For example, one night we went to Tybee Beach, where both Baywatch and the Notebook were filmed, and another we went to a baseball game (which was rained out).

Although very brief compared to similar summer programs, which tend to span over the course of several weeks, the SCAD Summer Seminar was a great experience to not only meet new people and to discover a new city, but to explore two vastly different fields of study. I was able to learn a lot about the basics behind both architecture and acting, as well as some of the jobs attributed to these, which helped me narrow down my search for what I want to study later on and where.

Luc Postec, Première

G LO B A L C I T I Z E N S H I P AWA R D

Graines de Bitume in Madagascar With the support of the American Section’s Global Citizen Award, we spent three weeks last summer working with an association in Madagascar. Graines de Bitume, a local association created in March 2000 to help the children living in the streets of Antananarivo. It was the perfect humanitarian project, to which we could commit as much time as possible during our stay.

The first day was challenging in the sense that we were thrown out of our comfort zone. As it was our first time in Madagascar, we did not know what to expect. The journey to the center of the city was both exciting and destabilizing: a real culture shock with the crazy, chaotic disorder of the streets. So many things were happening at once, whether it be people running across the streets through traffic, merchants setting up their stands for the day, and very dense traffic, with cars all trying to get to the same place at once.

When we entered the association for the first time, we were welcomed by the administrators of the center, who gave us a tour.

In the first room, we were greeted by over sixty excited children who all shouted “hello” together. The enthusiastic and curious looks upon their faces were truly heartwarming. This was overwhelming because it was then that we realized the impact of our volunteering, and the reality of being able to help the children who were waiting for us.

Our work in the association was divided between three Graines de Bitume centers. Each center ensures that the children have access to essential services that their families cannot provide them. For instance, they are fed one full meal every day, may use facilities to wash themselves and do their laundry, and also have access to medical care. In the two main centers, the children range in age from four to twenty years old, about 260 children. For the most part, we took care of the middle schoolers within the association.

They usually only come to Graines de Bitume for half days, receiving assistance with their homework and extra classes. But since their actual schools had been closed for the past five months due to teacher strikes, they came for the whole day, though there were not enough teachers there to effectively take care of them. We were very useful, as we could teach and help them during our entire stay.

For the most part we worked in small groups and taught them both English and French vocabulary, changing activities every day. At first it was quite difficult, because none of them had the same level. For instance we could have a group with one 16 year-old in Cinquième,

one 14 year-old in Troisième and another 15 year-old in Quatrième. We had to adapt the class to each one of them, so that they could all understand. Our goal was to interact with the children as much as we possibly could. With each activity we were trying to convey both French and English culture through songs, dance, writing exercises, and pictures. At the same time they taught us the local language, Malagasy, and shared their favorite songs and dances. This is what really enabled us to get to know the children, and build close relationships.

Being able to travel to Madagascar and to stay there for three weeks was a truly incredible experience that we will never forget. Before going to Madagascar, we both were aware that we would be exposed to extreme poverty, but witnessing it firsthand was truly eye opening. Seeing the terrible conditions they live forced us to put our own lives into perspective. When we saw the younger children wander off into the streets alone after school, we did not know whether they were going home, or if they were off to roam the streets of the city to beg for money, and we found this was quite frightening. Their daily lives, like the lives of so many other children living in poor countries, are so different from ours. This really reminded us how fortunate we are to live under a roof, to never be hungry, and to have access to education.

Although we had a short stay of just three weeks, we believe that we were able to make a small difference in the lives of the children at Graines de Bitume. It was also an experience that really affected us personally, and made our trip to Madagascar something that we will never forget.

Joséphine Hullin and Emma Burdon, Terminales WIN D S O F C H A N G E

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Key Statistics 2017 - 2018 Total Annual Fund Income: 73, 204€ Total Fundraising Income: 110,486€ Average Annual Fund Donations: 342€ As a founding section of the Lycée International, the American Section has been providing its students with a rigorous bilingual education, infused with American pedagogy and culture, for well over sixty years. And while the core principles of that education have remained constant, the successive directors, trustees, and faculty of the Section have always sought to enrich the program with cocurricular activities, cutting-edge pedagogical practices, library and technological resources, and program enhancements such as guest speakers, visiting authors, or health and wellness courses. The winds of change have been blowing for decades in the Section, and they are not about to stop!

Our annual development report recognizes those members of our community who have contributed to the fundraising efforts that empower these changes. Ranging from ten to several thousand euros, all contributions directly or indirectly touch every single American Section student, and the programs and projects funded by their generous donations strengthen the overall educational experience.

Many thanks to the parents, members of faculty and staff, and alumni listed below. Your Annual Fund gifts allow us to give American Section students a competitive 21st century learning experience that will provide them with life-long benefits.

D

Fabienne Aschenbroich and Jen Dalrymple Co-Chairs, Board Development Committee

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Program Supporters (up to 249€) Hélène and Nicolas AIMARD Mui Geh and Olivier BARON Charlotte and Guillaume BECLE Marie-Capucine and Eric BÔNE Daniela and Peter BOUJEV Céline and Olivier BOURIAUD Frederic BUHR Pierre and Murielle CHAKALOV Lea and Laurent CHAMBAUD-BOUDET Paraskevi TSOURIDI and Stefan CHAPMAN Evelyne DUVAL and Camille CITEAU Coumba KAMARA-COULIBALY and Sarga Antoine COULIBALY Richard and Adrienne COVINGTON Karl COX* Janet HART-DA SILVA and Jean-Philippe DA SILVA Vanina and Sébastien DE PRENEUF * Emilie BURELLE DEGOS and Damien DEGOS Anja and Christian DELANNES Judith ROSARIO and Marc DENISSEL Julien and Karen DESMOTTES Guotao TIAN and Feng DONG Caroline AGUILLON and Alexandre DURAND Caitlin and Xavier ECHASSERIAU Michelle and Thomas FISCHER Laurence and Laurent FISCHER Muriel ESCOLA-FLOCH and Ronan FLOCH Ben GACHES* Sophie GALLET-PONTHIER and John GALLET Sophie and Laurent GILHODES Kim MURPHY and Brahim HALMAOUI Stuart and Beccy HAUGEN Christina HAUSER Nathalie and Serge HEIDRICH Cécile and Richard HULLIN Julia HAMMETT-JAMART and Olivier JAMART Charlotte and Javier JARQUIN Margaret JENKINS Tatiana and Sven JOCHIMSEN Nathalie and Jean-Christophe JUILLARD Emmanuel and Ashlie KASPEREIT Alice LAMY Catherine and Etienne LAVAUX Le Manege Cécile and Arnaud LE TIRAN Ilona and Brian LOCKHART Nelly and Benoit LOMBARDET Andrew MCGOVERN Marjolein and Bruce MEE Ana Cristina and Olivier MENARD Sébastien and Emilie MORAS Miranda NICHOLS Delphine LARGETEAU and Jean-Luc NOCCA Jackie and Patrick NOONAN Jennifer and Xavier ODOLANT Kasumi PAILLAUD-IWABUCHI and Stéphane PAILLAUD Isabelle and Douglas PENNER-LACOMPTE Noriko KOBAYASHI and Nicolas POMBOURCQ Nathalie and Patrick POUPON Alexia and Pierre-Yves PROST Julie and Thomas PROUST

Where Donations Will Be Spent Fundraising 15,000€ Library 20,000€

Financial Aid 45,000€

Scholarships 11,000€ Summer Awards 6,000€ Strategic Plan Initiatives 119,000€

Guest Speakers 3,250€

Gabriel RIEDEL and Emmanuelle REIDEL DROUIN Reza and Anahita REYHANI Carine VASSY and Marc ROBERT Janet and Bernard RUBINSTEIN* Shiela and Mark SADOFF Hélène SALAÜN Sabine KENNEDY-SAYAG and Hugo SAYAG Jean-Jacques SEKOWSKI Rachel LUPIANI and Xavier SIMLER Hélène and Rui SOBRAL Graham SPEIER Lisa STEPHENS MORVAN Harrison STETLER Nicolas and Sonia SUDRE Anne-Claire PAILLE and Guillaume VUILLARDOT Mike and Janice WHITACRE Chrystele and Mark WINDRIDGE Six anonymous donations

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Development Report

5-Year Consecutive Donors

Community Builders 500€ to 999€

(+ Ten year consecutive donor)

Yasmin and Francesco BALLARIN* Nicole ROETTELE and Dennis BON Aude NOBECOURT and Alexandre COSQUER Tara PATEL and Eric DESBLANCS Nicky and Eric DOLADILLE Mireille FRANCO and Jose ESTEVE OTEGUI Alexia and Shahin GASHTI Elizabeth and Arnaud GUERIN Kimberly MOCK and Nordine HACHEMI David and Florence HALE Nora and Stephane HUSSON Christelle and Raphael LLOBREGAT Maryline and Franck MARILLY Marie-Claude MICHAUD and Alain DE SERRES Carolyn and Eric PENOT Véronique and Stéphane PUBLIE Annelise and Jean-Paul RIVAL Laura MONROE SINGER and Jean-Marie SINGER Nathalie and Stéphane SOUCHET Frédérique and Olivier TIREAU Iliana RODRIGUEZ and Santiago VIZCAINO Jonathan WHITNEY* Pamela and Antoine WOLF One anonymous donation

Where Donations Will Be Spent Strategic Plan Initiatives 119,000€ Classroom Renovations (Roby, Maternelle) Integrated database Mindfulness Program Technology

Financial Aid – 45,000€ Scholarships – 11,000€ Library – 20,000€ Fundraising Expenses – 15,000€ Summer Awards – 6,000€

Fabienne and Jacques ASCHENBROICH Yasmin and Francesco BALLARIN Marie Capucine and Eric BÔNE Emmanuelle GRELIER and Samuel BONAMIGO Carol and Pierre CAMBEFORT Karl COX + Richard and Adrienne COVINGTON Tara PATEL and Eric DESBLANCS + Nicky and Eric DOLADILLE Catherine and Bill FAHBER + Laurence and Laurent FISCHER + Michelle and Thomas FISCHER Alexia and Shahin GASHTI Sophie and Laurent GILHODES Kimberly MOCK and Nordine HACHEMI + Stuart and Beccy HAUGEN Nathalie and Serge HEIDRICH Helen and Tom HICKEY Julia HAMMETT-JAMART and Olivier JAMART Charlotte and Javier JARQUIN Margaret JENKINS + Cécile and Arnaud LE TIRAN Wendy and Randy LEMMERMAN Adeline and John MATHIEU + Andrew MCGOVERN Marjolein and Bruce MEE Katie and Jean-Christophe MIESZALA + Stéphanie ANDRIEUX and Keith NEY Véronique and John O’BRIEN Carolyn and Eric PENOT Isabelle and Douglas PENNER-LACOMPTE Annelise and Jean-Paul RIVAL Jennifer DALRYMPLE and Luis ROTH Beth PAUL-SAUNIER and Maël SAUNIER Jean-Jacques SEKOWSKI Bénédicte SILIER + Laura MONROE-SINGER and Jean-Marie SINGER Nathalie and Stéphane SOUCHET Emmanuelle RICARD and Tom VAN DEN BUSSCHE + Christophe and Martine VOLARD Christine and Richard WASHINGTON Mike and Janice WHITACRE Lorraine and Paul WHITFIELD

Global Citizen Awards Summer Scholars Awards

Speaker Series – 3,250€ These amounts represent cash outlay.

For accounting purposes, the cost associated with the Classroom Tech and the Classroom of the Future initiatives will be capitalized and amortized in the Section books, the effect of which is to spread the cost over a three to fiveyear period. As such numbers in the accounts which will be published at our AGM will reflect lower spending.

The Section anticipates spending more that received in donations over the next five to six years as our comprehensive strategic plan has been designed, in part, with a view to spending down the Section’s donation reserves.

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Director’s Circle over 2500€ Isabelle and Pierre DEBRAY Sabrina LOI and Marc FOURNIER* Katie and Jean-Christophe MIESZALA The VIENNOT Family*

Corporate Donations/ Matching Gifts

100% 90% 80%

Participation Rates

91% 83%

Friends of ASALI Board 2017-2018

70%

OFFICERS

60%

President: Evelyne Pinard Vice President : Lorna Colarusso Vice President (Events) : Alexi Remneck ‘87 Treasurer: Felix Tabary ‘10 Secretary: Leigh Schlegel

50% 40%

43%

42%

30% 20% 10%

Board

Faculty/ Staff

Senior Class

Family

Section Partners (250€ to 499€)

ASALI Benefactors 1000€ to 2499€

John ANDERSON Patrizia and Vincent BILLY Emmanuelle GRELIER and Samuel BONAMIGO Ann and Christophe CHAUVEL-GOBIN Nathalie SAREL and Remy CROISILLE Samantha MATTHEWS-DENEEF and Laurent DENEEF Kathleen and Gaël DOMINIQUE Jean-François and Karine DORIN Maki DOZAKI Catherine and Bill FAHBER Frédéric GAUTHEY and Gaelle HUNT Antoine and Gale GERRIER Tatyana and Edward GRABLEVSKY Laurence and Andrew HAFEMEISTER Meenu and Amit KOHLI Wendy and Randy LEMMERMAN Alexandre-Pierre and Fabienne MERY Sylvester MORGAN Véronique and John O’BRIEN Susan GRAHAM and Jeffrey RESNICK Beth PAUL SAUNIER and Maël SAUNIER Serge and Stacie STEPANOV Marlène PANES VIVEROS and Philippe TORDOIR Kumi and Fabio VANCINI Christine and Richard WASHINGTON Réka and Christophe WEBERT Lorraine and Paul WHITFIELD Four anonymous donations

Jacques and Fabienne ASCHENBROICH* Carol and Pierre CAMBEFORT Camille and Baudouin CORMAN Mildred and Philippe DELORME* Angélique and Jean-Benoît DEVAUGES Marisa and Cedric FONTENIT Helen and Tom HICKEY Muriel NELSON LEBBAR and Youssef LEBBAR Marie-Hélène and Olivier MARSALY Françoise and Jonathan MARSH Adeline and John MATHIEU Stéphanie ANDRIEUX and Keith NEY Luciana and Christian PONTICELLI Jennifer DALRYMPLE and Luis ROTH Emmanuelle RICARD and Tom VAN DEN BUSSCHE Christophe and Martine VOLARD

M E M B E R S AT L A R G E Matthieu Milgrom ‘95 David Renard ‘91 Elizabeth Sheehan Anton Zietsman ‘08 We thank Friends of ASALI for their support of our Student Award initiatives: Global Citizen Award Summer Scholars Award The Friends of the Association de la Section Américaine du Lycée International (FoASALI) is a nonprofit organization composed of former American Section students and parents. FoASALI’s purpose is twofold. First and foremost, it is FoASALI’s mission to act as the American Section’s philanthropic arm in the United States, participating in the Section’s development by funding specific projects, namely program enhancements that advance the mission statement.

FoASALI’s second objective is to expand the American Section’s family at large with its Lost & Found Event series and other networking-related activities.

Anyone wishing to get involved or build his or her American Section network, please let us know at foasali1@gmail.com Evelyne Pinard President

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Development Report

Senior Class Gift Romane, Isabelle and Didier CENTIS Ito, Anne-Marie and Tarik CHOHO Jacques, Marine and Olivier DE LONGEAUX Juliette, Isabelle and Pierre DEBRAY Mika and Eric DESBLANCS, Tara PATEL Elise, Jenny and Gilles DU CREST Eliott, Valérie and Anthony EAGLETON Theodore, Amélie and Alexandre FEVRE Jean-Geoffroy and Frédéric GAUTHEY, Gaelle HUNT Nicolas and Juan HARDOY, Carmen GOMEZ ALZAGA Sophie, Wendy and Randy LEMMERMAN Jessica, Ilona and Brian LOCKHART Anna, Laure and Jacques MULBERT Alice and André RICHARD, Rose-Marie CARNEIRO-RICHARD David, Kristina and Alain RIPAYRE Chloé, Valérie and Paul ROTHWELL Leah, Shiela and Mark SADOFF Juliette, Yumi and Franck SCHOLLER Olivine, Bénédicte and Thomas SILIER Maximilien, Nathalie and Antoine TIRARD Hadrien, Sophie and Olivier TROJANI Matteo, Valérie and Marc VALDERRAMA Casseopeia and Tom VAN DEN BUSSCHE, Emmanuelle RICARD

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Donation Income 2017 - 2018 Senior Class Gift 2,310€ Gala Corporate Sponsoring 6,996€

Fundraising Gala 38,058€

Club International Events 4,716€

Misc. 855€

Annual Fund 57,061€

Other Sponsoring 500€

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V enetian Night Total Proceeds: 45,054€

Our 2018 fundraising gala, Venetian Night, was an elegant celebration that brought together our American Section community, reuniting parents, faculty and staff, and students for a sophisticated and successful evening of fundraising. The tempestuous weather outside only accented the beauty within, as most guests arrived with beautiful Venetian masks, and some were bedecked in sumptuous costume!

Highlights of this year include our online auction, which raised just under 10,000€ and involved over one hundred different bidders.

Also exceptional was the active participation of faculty and staff. Lower School teachers Beccy Haugen, Ben Ghiglione, Caitlin Echasseriau, and Miranda Nichols made beautiful works of art with their students for the auctions. In addition to the popular faculty and staff book basket, Office Manager Nora Husson donated a gourmet Moroccan meal, Business Manager Jackie Noonon contributed an Irish step-dancing class, our Co-Directors offered the ever-popular “Director for a Day,” and Proviseur Isabelle Negrel arranged for a visit of the Lycée chantier. Their efforts brought in nearly 4000€!

Thank you to the amazing Venetian Night Gala committee: Fabienne Aschenbroich, Agnès Catton, Jennifer Dalrymple, Marianne Frychel, Gabrielle Grieb, Margaret Jenkins, Alice Jousselin, Meenu Kohli, Kimberly Mock, Kim Murphy, Annelise Rival, Sabine Sayag, and Hélène Sobral, for organizing such a memorable and profitable evening. Thank you as well to team of student volunteers, whose efficiency is essential to the smooth running of the evening. American Section Co-Directors, Adrienne Covington and Mike Whitacre, assisted by Jonathan Marsh and Carol Cambefort, were once again our auctioneers, adroitly running an exciting Live Auction and Raise the Paddle. Former Section parent Fred Manoukian and his band provided quality musical entertainment. Thank you as well to the many members of our community who made or facilitated auction donations, as well as to our numerous commercial sponsors.

The funds raised at the Gala and through our Annual Fund allow us to invest in programs and projects that tuition does not cover, including classroom technology, financial aid, global citizenship endeavors, and the classroom renovation project. Every € raised directly benefits our students. On their behalf, we thank everyone who took part in this important fundraising event!

Margaret Jenkins, Assistant Director for Development, Communications, and External Relations

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PLATINUM SPONSORS (5000€+)

The American Section Fundraising Gala

GOLD SPONSORS (2,500€+)

Jennifer Dalyrmple and Luis Roth SILVER SPONSORS (1000€+) Camp California Charline Photography Juggle English Véronique Pion Jewelry BENEFACTOR (700€+) Raynald Baia Champagne Jeeper Golf de Fourqueux PARTNER (300€+) American Basketball Camp American Library in Paris The Aschenbroich Family Isabelle Bardoux Big Apple Yoga La Boutique du Vélo Cazaudehore la Forestière Jeremy Castin Fanxi Delarue Dharma Yoga The Gaufroy Family Nora Husson Jo and Jo Josette Dujon (Baïa) Barbara Leone Le Manége Elizabeth Matthews MIS Rise International School Mon Media Coach Talisman B&B

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A L U M N I F O C U S Scottish bard Robbie Burns wrote “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

In this issue of Compass, we present five American Section alumni whose post-lycée life course has dramatically shifted from its initial vision.

Cecile Fruman ‘85 When did you attend the Lycée International?

I was born to an Argentinian dad and a French mom, and my family lived in Le Pecq, close to St. Germainen-Laye. When I was three, my parents and older sister, Agnes, and I moved to the U.S. for my dad’s job. When we returned in 1975, Agnes and I were fluent in English and our French was a bit shaky. So, it was an obvious choice for my parents to enroll us at the Lycée International — a choice that shaped my life. I arrived at the Lycée in Third Grade français spéciale, and graduated in 1985, fully bilingual and well prepared to step into the world.

Please give a quick synopsis of your parcours after the Lycée?

I attended classes préparatoires and graduated from ESCP Paris (now ESCP Europe) with a business degree and new-found proficiency in Japanese, having spent a semester abroad in Tokyo. I was so enthralled with my experience in Japan that I obtained a scholarship from the Japanese government and went back for two more years, studying language and marketing. While living in Osaka I made a decision not to pursue a career in marketing in the private sector, but to put my skills to better use in international development. This was prompted by hearing about the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, one of the first micro-finance institutions to lend small amounts of money to women to help them grow their businesses. I resolved to work in this field and was fortunate to be hired by a French NGO, CIDR, to lead their flagship micro-finance program in Mali.

At the age of 23 I set off to live in a remote town a day’s drive from the capital city, Bamako, in a mud hut with no running water, electricity, or phone connection, at the helm of a small team.

I had the most marvelous experience of my life in Mali both professionally and personally. At a professional level, I had a tremendous amount of autonomy and agency. I would call my boss in France once a month from the post office to report back and receive guidance. Otherwise, it was just the team and me calling the shots! I could see the impact of my work every single day by sitting under the baobab tree discussing the state of the village bank with the elders or

training the youth in book keeping. I had such a profound sense of purpose, satisfaction and fulfillment. I could not have dreamed of a better job.

Personally, I felt equally fulfilled. I was deeply touched by the hospitality and friendship of the people that had so much less than I did and yet shared so generously. I made great friends and enjoyed the beauty of the country and its people.

Let us know more about your “change”? What motivated it?

It was during my last year in Mali that a team from the World Bank visited to collect data for a book on microfinance in West Africa.

I was thrilled to receive them, as they introduced my team to a new financial model for analyzing performance.

Given how isolated we were (remember - no internet!) this was incredibly helpful. We gained considerable insight on the strengths and weaknesses of our financial model, and collaborated well. Shortly thereafter they sent me a letter offering me a one-year contract at the World Bank to collaborate on a global study of microfinance. I hesitated, as I had been considering taking another assignment in Africa, but the experience seemed too good to pass on. I thought I would stay one - maybe two - years. And here I am, still in D.C., 22 years later!

Describe a day in your current life.

In the past 22 years, I have had a very full personal and professional life, replete with frequent - and mostly exciting - changes. I married a wonderful Turkish man and we have two children who both attended the Washington International School (WIS), a school very similar to the Lycée in that it provides a diverse, multi-lingual, multi-cultural environment. In the many years that I have been with the World Bank, I have had a rich and diverse career. Some of the projects that I enjoyed the most include: micro-finance in Benin, poverty alleviation and community development in Morocco, private health expansion in Kenya and South Sudan, investment climate reform in Peru and Uzbekistan, competitiveness strategies in India, etc. Over the years I have taken on more managerial responsibility and have enjoyed leading teams and helping colleagues find meaning in their work. Because the World Bank has gone through

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ALUMNI FOCUS many leadership changes and reorganizations in the past 20 years, I have developed resilience and greater ability to make the most of change, even when uncomfortable. And as one is never done learning, I have just started a certificate program at Georgetown University in D.C. to become an executive and leadership coach.

What do you feel like you gained from your American Section experience that has carried over or driven your life choices?

Being bilingual opened many doors professionally.

Being brought up in an international environment made it natural for me to venture off to Japan, Mali and then the U.S.. Having friends from the LI around the world meant that I had a support network to rely on whenever needed.

Most of my very best friends are those I met at the LI and have stayed very close to over the years. I am extremely grateful to the LI for the excellent education it provided as well as the diverse and committed community which supported my growth.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession (past or present)?

Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now?

To those young people interested in a career in international development, I would encourage you to take the plunge. Go spend a few years in a developing country, work for an NGO doing meaningful work, roll your sleeves up, develop an understanding for the politics, economics and social conditions, make deep and lasting friendships and enhance your empathy. Take risks at a young age travel the world, challenge yourself, expand your awareness of the world. You won’t regret it!

Clemence Hicks ‘08 When did you attend the Lycée International?

I was at the Lycée from 2005 to 2008, the years of Seconde through Terminale. My parents were both teachers there and my brother Henri was in the American Section at Roby. For collège I went to Debussy across the road because they had a C.H.A.M./D. (Classes à Horaires Aménagés Musique et Danse) class. But my entire family was in the American Section, so it made sense that I would end up there at some point!

Please give a quick synopsis of your parcours after the Lycée?

I went to Harvard University and graduated in 2012.

I spent time traveling with friends in Europe, did the vendanges in the south of France, and lived with my extended family in Montana. In January 2013, I started a job at a management consultant company. The very attractive pay and the opportunity to work with bright and highly ambitious people motivated my decision. I lived in Boston for eight months, and then moved to San Francisco. It was in San Francisco that I started singing again. I didn’t, however, have enough time to put in the amount of practice required, as I worked remotely during the week and my hours could get a little crazy. I knew this rhythm wouldn’t get any better as I advanced in the company, so I had to think hard about what I really wanted to be doing down the road. I thought about changing jobs and finding a place where I would have better “work/ life balance” but any career-advancing job would have by 32

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definition taken most of my time and energy. In the end, I left my job and moved back to France in the summer of 2015 to focus on music.

Let us know more about your “change”? What motivated it?

I was glad to work in business, but in my second year I had a pretty strong sense that it wasn’t what I wanted to be doing.

I missed studying music and performing.

I thought if I picked up singing again as a hobby it would fill that void, but it only made me want to do more, and I finally decided if I was going to pursue a career as a professional musician it was now or never. During my first two years back I took classes in choral conducting, harmony, and music theory at a conservatory in Paris as a way to immerse myself in the musical scene here. I was lucky to sing with an excellent a cappella chorus and had the opportunity to lead a few rehearsals for choirs in the Paris area. The most important thing was finding a good teacher for my vocal training. I was lucky to find a fantastic opera workshop in Orvieto, Italy. It was there I met my current voice teacher, as well as wonderful friends and musicians from all over the world. I spend most of the academic year working on technique and preparing roles for the operas that we perform in the summer. Two years ago I sang Despina in Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte and last summer I was Lisa in Bellini’s La Sonnambula. This March I will be performing Susanna in Mozart’s Nozze di Figaro in Romania. It’s a fantastic role and I’m very excited.

Describe a day in your current life. What is different from a typical day before?

When I’m not rehearsing for a show, I spend the day alternating between practicing, studying scores, playing the piano and doing whatever odd job I have currently going on (tutoring, babysitting, freelance consulting, etc.)

When I’m rehearsing for a show or in a masterclass, there’s usually a morning, afternoon and sometimes evening session with other singers and musicians. The rest of the time is eating, sleeping, and studying.

What do you feel like you gained from your American Section experience that has carried over or driven your life choices?

I had fantastic teachers in the American Section, that I will remember for the rest of my life. I am sure they had and have an influence in my life choices, even if only subconsciously. They were a huge part of my education during some very formative years, so how could they not?

If you had the choice, would you do it the same way again?

My initial reaction is to say that I would do it differently, specifically that I would have continued my music studies more seriously directly after high school. But I think the choices I made in college and after made me come back to singing and performing with a different level of maturity and experience. I’m grateful for it.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession (past or present)?

Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now?

Current students who already know they want to be a professional singer or musician have a significant leg up on me – some might say I’m a little late to the game. I would give the advice that some of my friends who have already launched their career would give: train well and be patient.

Hannah Rousselot ‘10 Please give a quick synopsis of your parcours during and after the Lycée.

I attended the Lycée from 2005-2010, from Quartième to Terminale. My mother is American (and also a Lycée alum!) and my father is French. We moved to France because my dad got a promotion for his job at Liberation. They put me and my sister in the American Section because they wanted us to keep up both French and English. After graduation, I went to Smith College. I graduated in 2014 with a degree in English Language and Literature and immediately went to grad school at Brown University to get a Masters in Elementary Education. After that I moved to D.C. and taught preschool and second grade for three years.

Let us know more about your “change”?

What motivated it?

After three years, I decided to leave teaching because of how teachers are treated and the unrealistic expectations. I loved the children and I loved helping them learn; but I put my all into my students and it still wasn’t enough. The profession expects teachers to be parents, special educators, whole group educators (who still differentiate all the lessons), nurses, therapists, artists (to decorate the classroom), and mediators (for parents and administrators). It was just so much; I came home exhausted and upset, which isn’t what I want in a career. At the same time, I was submitting my poetry to magazines and anthologies, and it was actually getting published! I decided to take a year to focus on my poetry. Next year I will attend an MFA program. As much as I miss my students, I don’t miss the stress and panic that came with the profession.

Describe a day in your current life.

There is so much that is different. I don’t have to wake up early to go to work; now I wake up around 8:30/9 am and begin writing. I write and submit for a good portion of the day, and then I head to one of my many part-time jobs.

Because I’m not teaching, I have much more brain space to create and be creative. My poems (and short stories) are being accepted at an amazing rate, and I do get paid

for most of those publications, which is a surreal feeling. I also have a book of poems, Fragments of You, coming out in 2019 from Aldrich Press. It’s incredible; I never thought this dream of mine might come true. Feel free to check out my website, www.hmrpoetry.com or facebook.com/ hmrpoetry.

What do you feel like you gained from your American Section experience, either in or out of the classroom, that has carried over into your current life or driven your life choices?

I think quite a bit. I’m a good prose writer because of the American Section- they are very rigorous and have high standards. I also loved the creative writing opportunities that the American Section gave me. Learning about Philip Larkin was an important moment, because up until then I always thought poetry had to be a certain way. Reading about Larkin taking “a piss” in a poem really inspired me to write poems about real life, and not just the flowers of life. I also think that the international quality of the Lycée makes us all a bit more open minded and empathetic. I definitely wouldn’t be the woman I am today without the American Section.

If you had the choice, would you do it the same way again?

I think I would have held off on grad school for teaching. I had wanted to be a teacher my whole life, and I’m still sad that it didn’t work out for me. I’m not willing to give it up all the way yet, but I think it would have been smart to wait a little before putting myself in that debt. At the same time, the people I met and the experiences I had were priceless. I am happy that I gave teaching a go. It made it possible for me to try out poetry in a safe space. Plus, I learned so many valuable skills teaching that I’m not willing to give up.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession (past or present)? Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now?

Keep learning. Even if you think your art is “perfect”- keep learning. There is always something more to learn about art, and about how you create art. If you keep an open mind it makes it so much easier for when you get feedback from any direction. Also, have a plan. Definitely try it out while you have another job to support you, even if it’s being wait staff. Don’t expect it to work right away. I got SO MANY rejections before acceptances finally started pulling in. Don’t get discouraged, keep trying, and keep your feet on the ground.

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ALUMNI FOCUS

Marc Guinez ‘08 When did you attend the Lycée International?

I attended the Lycée International from the fall of 2005 to my graduation in July 2008. My parents are both French, so I grew up in Paris until the age of 10. At that point (year 2000), my father’s job took us to Arlington, VA for five years, where my sister Claire and I attended American public school while doing CNED French and & Math lessons on weekends. The weekend lessons proved to be a smart maneuver by my parents, as we needed a fluent French level to join the Lycée when we returned to France. Between the weekend lessons and a dedication to speaking French at home, we managed not to forget our native tongue.

Please give a quick synopsis of your parcours after the Lycée?

After graduating from the Lycée, I got my B.A. from Harvard University in Economics, with a minor in Environmental Science and Public Policy. After graduating, I traveled along the Pacific Coast Highway with friends from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and in June began working in merchandising at Abercrombie & Fitch’s headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Merchandising at A&F, described as the “hub of the wheel,” is a business owner role that crafts the creative and financial strategy for a given product line, and coordinates the development process with cross functional teams (designers, planners, supply chain, etc). During my time at the firm, I ran Hollister’s Male Outerwear & Swim departments, before accepting an opportunity on the newly created e-commerce merchandising team, where I was responsible for the e-commerce product and assortment strategy for all Hollister male tops. Last summer (July’17), I left A&F to return to Europe, and completed a one-year MBA at INSEAD. Let us know more about your “change”? What motivated it?

My big change was to pivot out of fashion and into technology.

In late 2015, after doing a lot of self-reflection, I realized that I loved the strategic aspect of the merchandising role, but wanted to apply the same skills to an industry I was more passionate about: technology. From my early teenage years, I had always loved technology, and at A&F I was still spending my lunch breaks reading technology blogs. After taking the GMAT/etc, applying to schools, and this past year attending INSEAD, my “change” journey finally came to an end as I started at Apple this fall.

Describe a day in your current life. What is different from a typical day before?

Well...the weather is a big one! I’ve never lived in California before and have to say that sun and 20°C really make for a pleasant work environment! Weather-aside, I would say that my new role is broader in scope. While merchandising at A&F was more product-focused, my new role consists of analyzing both Apple’s organization and macro trends with a more zoomed out lens. But the biggest difference stems from the topics and the subject 34

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matters. Working on technologyrelated projects gives me a sense of energy and fulfillment every day that was simply harder to find in the world of fashion, given my personality and interests.

What do you feel like you gained from your American Section experience, either in or out of the classroom, that has carried over into your current life or driven your life choices?

I will always be thankful to the American Section and its amazing teachers and staff for cultivating in me a deep appreciation for history and literature. I didn’t really understand at the time why these subjects were called “humanities,” but it has become much clearer to me over the years: both subjects help develop our understanding of the complex emotions and dynamics that make us human.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Hicks was VOX’s faculty mentor while I was in the group, and my love for a cappella singing carried over into college, where I sang in the Harvard Opportunes for four years. Literature and History gave balance to my academic focus on Math and Science, and a cappella singing gave creative balance to my love of sports (basketball in particular).

If you had the choice, would you do it the same way again?

Yes, absolutely! Every decision, good or bad, has brought me to where I am today. I have learned so much and met so many amazing people, I would never give them up to carve a different path.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession (past or present)?

Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now?

Invest in relationships - in an AI world, the ability to connect with humans will be of utmost importance. Meet people from as many parts of the world as you can. Making deep connections with people with different backgrounds, traditions, and customs helps reduce fear of the “other,” and grows your empathy muscle, which is so needed in today’s polarizing world, and the AI future that lies ahead.

Cultivate balance both academically and outside of the classroom. Just as meeting strangers will make you more empathetic to other cultures, cultivating both the analytical and creative sides of your brain will help you empathize with more ways of thinking, which is key in strategic roles that touch many disciplines.

Don’t underestimate the importance of your undergraduate degree/major. It opens and closes more doors than you would think, so take whatever time you can to explore and try to get it right. One tip I wish I had been given at your age is to search job postings at companies in fields you are passionate about, and look at the qualifications they look for. I think this will give you a more tangible approach to finding the right major than to start with the major and later explore careers related to it.

Focus on the journey - I know this is cliché, but it is so true. Choose to find pieces of happiness and joy in your everyday life, and always assume positive intent in others.

You might be wrong some of the time, but I guarantee you

will lead a happier life than assuming the opposite.

It feels undeserved and premature that I should even get to write in this publication reflecting on my life and give advice, it feels like not so long ago I was a Section student.

Which perhaps is the final thing I will add: it all goes by very fast so make sure you take the time to enjoy it, and as the rappers of my teenage years would say: “Drive slow, homie.”

Toscane Fischer ‘16 Please give a quick synopsis of your parcours during and after the Lycée.

My older brother Adam and I joined the American Section in 2006. We come from a purely French family, and learned English at a young age when we lived in Singapore, so were able to pursue a bilingual education at the Lycée when we moved back to France. I graduated in 2016.

Please give a quick synopsis of your parcours after the Lycée?

I had been training pre-professionally in dance, in parallel with the Lycée, all through high school. I planned to attend Warwick University after graduation, and spent that summer attending a dance summer intensive, the World Dance Movement in Italy. There, I got a scholarship to attend a two-year conservatory program in a performing arts school in New York called the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. So, after a lot of negotiations with my parents, I deferred from Warwick to pursue my dream and study dance and musical theatre. The deal with my parents was to return to Europe to attend Warwick after those two years, and use this New York experience to go after a career in arts management, for example.

My fourth semester classes at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy took place between 5:30pm to 11:30pm, scheduled so that we could audition all day, every day in New York, in hopes of booking a job before our graduation. Long story short, after a couple months of auditioning, I booked a job as a dancer for Royal Caribbean Entertainment, an American cruise line company that offers full scale Broadway shows and original productions.

So, instead of studying management at Warwick I’m currently in the company’s rehearsal studios in Miami, learning two amazing shows that I will soon be performing all over Asia for the next ten months.

Let us know more about your “change”? What motivated it?

It was a tough decision. It was hard choosing to leave the academic system to study performing arts, and then to take this job, especially after having grown up at the Lycée where it feels like life revolves around school and grades.

The obvious answer for what motivated this change would be to tell you how deeply passionate and obsessed with dance and Broadway I have been my whole life, but I honestly don’t think that was enough in itself. If it hadn’t been for unexpected opportunities coming up at the right time, pointing me towards what I wanted to do, rather than what I thought I should be doing, I don’t think I would have realized that this career was an option, and don’t believe I would be where I am now.

Describe a day in your current life.

Right now I’m five weeks in to my six-week rehearsal process, so I’ll wake up around 7:30 or 8 am, go to conditioning at 9,

start warming up for rehearsals at 10, start rehearsals with the cast at 10:30 and have a lunch break from 1:30 to 2:30.

I’ll come back to rehearsals after lunch and dance until our director lets us out, usually around 6:00 pm. Right now, we’re done learning our shows, so it’s mostly notes and adjustments on choreography and then building stamina which means running the shows from beginning to end as much as we can so they get more and more comfortable in our bodies. Then I’ll go home, watch videos of what we’ve done that day, take personal notes, review the notes we were given during the day, eat dinner, watch some TV, ice, massage and deal with any injuries, and then hopefully get to bed not too late, to do the same thing again the next day!

What do you feel like you gained from your American Section experience that has carried over or driven your life choices?

I think I gained from the Lycée a critical and analytical sense, which not only is crucial to become the thoughtthrough and detail-oriented artist that I hope to become, but also pushes me to really observe, dissect, and challenge any kind of performing art, instead of just enjoying the show passively. I also think the American Section gave me the tools necessary to be able to express and understand why I appreciate whatever and whomever I’m watching

perform. All in all, it has made me an opinionated and out-spoken human which I believe are two very important qualities for a career in performing arts.

Do you have any advice for current students who might be interested in going into your profession (past or present)?

Is there anything they could do to prepare for it now?

Do not to get caught up in what’s expected of you after the Lycée! Take some time away from this crazy bubble to think about what you really love, what you really want and how you could make that happen for yourself. Some dreams seem unconventional or out of reach, but more often than not they’re more accessible than you think. We’re so young when we get out of school, if you don’t take a risk now, when will you? School is important, and I fully intend on getting a degree, but it’s never too late to study, whereas a career in performing arts specifically can’t wait. Finally, one of the best thing you could do to prepare yourself for a career in performing arts is work on being your most bold and confident self.

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The emblematic prefabs, put up to provide temporary space over three decades ago, were destroyed in July 2017 to make way for the new construction.