Highlights from the Year

NEURODIVERSITY AT EB

At EB, we talk a lot about neurodiversity. But what is neurodiversity? According to the Oxford Dictionary, it’s “the range of differences in individual brain function and behavioral traits, regarded as part of normal variation in the human population.” We know that at EB everyone has their own individualized learning style—and we strive to honor our children’s learning needs however we can!

In Spring 2022, six EB teachers attended a comprehensive workshop in Walnut Creek in the “responsive classroom” methodology. This evidence-based framework hones in on research and knowledge of students’ social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development in order to create learner-based lesson plans. The core belief in creating a responsive classroom is that in order for students to succeed beyond high school, they need to learn a set of social and emotional competencies, such as cooperation, responsibility, and self-control—and a set of academic competencies, such as perseverance and learning strategies. This methodology compliments our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice (DEIJ), and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives, which EB has been developing for several years now.

In addition, this summer, our educators were tasked with reading and reviewing Neurodiversity in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong, who argues that we should embrace the strengths of such neurodiverse students to help them and their neurotypical peers thrive in school and beyond. We also celebrated Neurodiversity Week in March 2022! Neurodiversity Celebration Week aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, and organizations with the opportunity to recognize the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent. The goal is to create a more inclusive and equitable culture that celebrates differences and empowers every individual. Furthermore, the Learning Differences Support Group, one of the PA’s DEIJ affinity groups, with support from the Lower School academic team, invited Bay Area activist and founder of Unitopia, Aaryan Shah, for a workshop on “How to Be an Ally” to talk about how best to support our neurodiverse community.

Learning styles vary among students, and cultivating the right kind of teaching environment is instrumental in creating a productive and positive educational space. Not only do our instructors need to continue to evolve their teaching practices, but our families and staff also need to continue educating themselves on neurodiversity so that collectively, the EB community can provide the best possible education for our children.

“Our students… are also capable of dealing with situations likely to arise in daily life.”

PLURILINGUALISM IN ACTION

At EB, our mission is to nurture creative, multilingual learners. We want our students to leave with the vision to positively impact their diverse communities, and the local and international spaces in which we all belong. Unlocking the power of multilingualism for our students is what drives our educators.

One of the major milestones for EB students is taking the DELF. The DELF is short for Diplôme d’études en langue française (French language studies diploma). It is an international standardized test of French language proficiency, where test takers are awarded an official diploma demonstrating their level of fluency by the French Ministry of Education.

Passing the DELF is crucial for students who plan to continue their studies abroad or can envision themselves living and working in France one day. It gives them the flexibility to consider all opportunities, including perhaps acquiring French citizenship, for which the DELF B1 is a requirement.

This year, our eighth grade students studied diligently for this exam in their French classes with Madame Bishop and Monsieur Labadie. They underwent a mock exam proctored by Elodie Resurreccion, Corinne Pluche, Nordine Boulhais, Marion Tobie, Bénédicte CambonRitter, Emmanuel Labadie and Valérie Bishop, all certified trained examiners. The same team of teachers proctored and corrected the real exam, on March 23 and 24, 2022. We were once again very proud of the class of 2022’ results in this year’s DELF. Our students all passed the B1 level of the exam with high scores, meaning that they are able to carry on a smooth and easy discussion and to share their opinions in French. They are also capable of dealing with situations likely to arise in daily life.

In addition to the DELF, a few of our teachers participated in a workshop coordinated by the Mission laïque française, a reputable organization that works to promote the French language, instruction and culture. Specifically catered to educators in North America, this course was designed to deepen our educators’ understanding of harmonizing a multilingual curriculum, bilingual co-teaching, and supporting student language skill transference.

We continue to deepen our programs through a better understanding of the value of multiculturalism and multilingualism, for the sake of future EB global citizens.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM

This year, we were thrilled to resume our Artistin-Residence program which welcomes authors and artists from France and francophone countries directly into the classroom. As part of the Litt. Jeunesse 2022 (Youth Literature 2022) event, organized by Made in France, Orianne Lallemand visited our Kindergarten and G1 classes to introduce books about diversity and inclusion, such as Le Loup qui avait un nouvel ami (The Wolf Who Made a New Friend) et Le petit monsieur (The Little Gentleman).

Litt. jeunesse Made in France, a non-profit organization, held its second consecutive Frenchspeaking book festival in March 2022. This event was specially organized around the United States to bring author Orianne Lallemand to different schools.

Orianne Lallemand is a French children’s author who loves words and splits her time between writing and leading workshops in schools and libraries. She is best-known for her “loup” series, which tell stories, sometimes with lessons couched within, of a wolf on his many adventures. At EB, we felt lucky to have Orianne Lallemand visiting with us for a day and a half. She came into the three Kindergarten classrooms and two first-grade classrooms. During her visit, she introduced herself and “Loup” to the students, who were thrilled to finally meet the author of “Loup”! Students prepared for her visit by reading her books, creating wolf masks, and had questions ready for her. It was wonderful to see our students interacting with Orianne and teachers were excited to have the author-in-residence program back. Thanks to the generous donations of our community for supporting this program! Orianne lives with her husband and four children near Dinard, in Brittany, France.

BE A BUDDY… NOT A BULLY

Preschool is the time in a student’s school career where they begin to understand and develop healthy relationships with others. Last year, our preschool team began implementing the “Be a Buddy… Not a Bully” program developed by Laurie Gaunt, as a means for strengthening core values including respect towards others, and teaching children not only how to listen, but also the words to engage in conversation with others in their everyday lives. Throughout the curriculum, children learn that while others may look or act different, we are all valued members of society. Furthermore, they are empowered to build healthy relationships with others and expand their understanding of the world around them.

“Be a Buddy... Not a Bully” curriculum presents young children with the opportunity to explore differences, discuss the stages of developing friendships, and understand the impact of teasing and bullying. The organization of the curriculum remains consistent with each lesson; the topic is introduced through age-appropriate literature and followed by class discussion. An activity follows, presenting students with hands-on experience. Lastly, whenever possible, guests are invited to relate their experiences with teasing and/or bullying and how special friends made a difference in their lives. “Be a Buddy... Not a Bully” demonstrates to the students respect for individuals while encouraging inclusiveness, providing tools for children to live in—and create—caring communities where they become role models not merely for acceptance, but for inclusion. The curriculum is divided into three units: Embracing Differences, Building Friendships and Buddies Not Bullies. During the fall, our preschoolers started with the Embracing Differences unit of study. They were taught the importance of being yourself, promoting acceptance, understanding and confidence; the importance of friendships and the mutual dependence within friendships; and the acceptance of differences and respecting the value of choice. Working as a class, they interacted with the text and discussed what they had read. The teachers then led the students through an activity that highlighted the lessons presented in the literature. Lastly, the class came back together to reinforce the message of acceptance and finish the lesson. A sample lesson from the Embracing Differences unit:

Presentation: Read the fable, The Lion and the Mouse, from

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR

Eric Carle’s book, The Rabbit and the Turtle. Discussion: 1. Did the lion think the mouse could be a friend? Why or why not? 2. Can you have a friend who is bigger or smaller? 3. Does it matter what our friends look like? 4. Can friends come in all sizes and shapes? Activity: Illustration of Student and Friend After the book is read and the discussion is finished, students were asked to draw a picture of themselves with a good friend. They were reminded to show how they are alike and how they are different. Their name and the name of the friend were written under the pictures. Conclusion: As a whole class, the students recited “Remember that friends come in all sizes and each of us can help one another in many ways.” Many schools offer diversity programs to their students, but we believe what makes “Be a Buddy… Not a Bully” unique is its range and depth. One-week or even one-month programs can provide awareness, but they can only scratch the surface. The benefit of spreading a program over an entire year, with possible components in succeeding years, is the ability to integrate it into other educational activities and make the teaching of tolerance a natural part of the whole curriculum.

ECO STUDENTS IN ACTION

At EB, we believe that students need to be equipped to confidently embrace the delights and challenges of an interconnected world. Yet in our rapidly changing lives, the planet continues to face numerous environmental challenges. EB students are determined to have a say in their own future and have engaged in several different actions to work on making EB a greener school.

Eco-School (Eco-Ecole) Program

EB is following the Eco-Schools USA Program to educate our younger generations on natural science and the environment while supporting the development of a lasting conservation ethic and connection to nature and the outdoors. This program was created to help students better understand the world surrounding them

so they can actively participate in its future. It involves many constituents in the academic setting including students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Since its launch, the Eco-Ecole program has been supported by the Ministry of National Education in France.

At the beginning of the year, our students elected eco-delegates from Grade 3 to Grade 5, who have since been meeting regularly to decide on initiatives, communicate with their peers, and stand as ambassadors for a greener EB.

Partnering with an Eco-School

Last spring, the Eco-School (Eco-Ecole) Council, composed of our eco-delegates, started the process to have EB become recognized as an official green school. On January 27, 2022, four Eco-Ecole delegates, from G3 to G5, established a key partnership with a school in Vancouver that has been recognized as an official “Eco-Ecole” for the last several years.

In a small conference with our Vancouver partner school, students from EB learned important tips and tricks to help EB become an official EcoEcole. For instance, EB students learned that some schools participate in “Meatless Mondays” where students don’t eat meat once a week. Eco Schools also participate in zero-waste lunch challenges, where students are encouraged to bring lunches without any packaging. The philosophy behind these Eco-Ecole initiatives is to stay positive about becoming “green” and being forgiving of the community making mistakes along the way.

Eco-Action Team & Bronze Award

In the Eco-Schools USA Program, there are three award levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. EB’s ecodelegates have been working towards the Bronze Award, the first symbol of success for many in the program. To be eligible, EB must follow a sevenstep process focused around a specific initiative or pathway. For their initiative, the LS eco-delegates chose an audit on waste and consumption. The aim of the waste audit is to measure the weight and types of waste produced by EB in one day. It is an integral part of a school’s waste reduction campaign. Throughout the year, waste was collected, sorted, and weighed by students, teachers, and other helpers. The data collected helped to measure the effectiveness of their recycling and waste-limiting campaign. The team has already made great progress towards their Bronze Award, completing steps 1-6 in the process.

Step 1: Form an Eco-Action Team. Composed of a diverse group of students, teachers, and administrators, the Eco-Action Team meets monthly, and informal minutes are kept at each meeting. The council informs the whole school of team actions and events.

Step 2: Conduct an Environmental Audit. With help from teachers, our eco-delegates gathered, sorted and measured EB’s waste to form the basis of the plan for reduction.

Step 3: Create an Eco-Action Plan. A first draft of the plan was created and will be revisited as our progress continues.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR

Step 4: Monitor and Evaluate Progress. This is an ongoing process that will continue as our students assess and reassess how we are doing!

Step 5: Link to Existing Curriculum. Topics like waste and recycling have been part of the curriculum starting in preschool, where students learn about sorting trash, while the EB gardening teacher uses his class to talk about waste, recycling and consumption. The Eco-Schools Program will build off of this solid foundation. Step 6: Involve the Community. Our parents have joined in the efforts with the creation of the new EcoTeam Elders affinity group which supports the Eco-Council’s work and invites in parent participation.

Step 7: Create an Eco pledge. This last step in the award process includes creating a pledge for other members to take up, as well as coming up with a song or banner.

The Eco-School Council has plans to work on Step 7 and are very excited to continue to take the lead on this process. It’s encouraging to watch our students take initiative, make decisions, and work towards what they believe in!

Learning About the Life Cycle of a Tree

Learning about the nature that’s all around us is an important part of becoming a greener school. Our G4 students stepped right outside EB’s gates to learn about the life cycle of a tree.

Thanks to the expertise of an EB parent and EcoTeam member, our G4 Eco-Ecole delegates and their classmates learned how to collect seeds from a Chinese Flame Tree (Koelreuteria bipinnata) in EB’s neighborhood and properly plant them in pots. The soil and pots used in the project were also recycled and reused, continuing the sustainability focus.

Students also learned how to save and replant small saplings with the help of a screwdriver to avoid damaging the roots. “Today’s seeds are tomorrow’s fruits,” said our parent volunteer.

Thanks to the guidance of our wonderful EB parents, our students gained a new perspective on a place and a tree that they thought they knew by heart.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR

Since the start of the pandemic, EB has been at the forefront of data collection and scientific testing measures. We were one of the first schools to pilot the antigen testing program through the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), which is now widely used in different settings. The pilot helped gather important data to expand to other schools and was critical in allowing our students to return to campus safely.

We also partnered with the CDPH as part of a year-long pilot program to help train dogs to be able to detect Covid-19. We subsequently participated in an air surveillance study with Primary Health and Poppy Health to monitor the air on our campuses for Covid-19 pathogens, as an additional warning tool to identify a possible outbreak of Covid.

Our partnership with the CDPH in these important programs are examples of how we worked together to keep students safe as Covid restrictions were eased in the broader community, while also providing important data for Covid research, tracking and mitigation efforts.

Rizzo and Scarlett, Covid-detection dogs in training