Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley, 2020–2021 Annual Report

2020–2021 Magazine & Annual Report

This issue has been printed later in the year than is typical, due to delays related to the pandemic as well as the wish to align with our new brand launch. Thank you for your understanding.

TABLE OF CONTENTS OUR MISSION Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley nurtures creative, multilingual learners, equipped to confidently embrace the delights and challenges of an interconnected world.

NOTRE PHILOSOPHIE Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley forme des élèves créatifs et multilingues, prêts à se saisir avec confiance des bienfaits et des défis d’un monde interconnecté.

Message from the Head of School

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Message from the Co-Chairs of the Board

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Board of Trustees

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EB Launches a New Brand

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Meet Our Head Sébastien Robert

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Highlights from the Year

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EB’s DEIJ Statement

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Au Revoir Dr. Mehdi Lazar

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A Message from the Finance Team

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A Development Message

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EB En Fête

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Teachers’ Choice Fund

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Thank You to Our Annual Fund Donors

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Special Gifts

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The EB Endowment

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Congratulations to Our Graduates!

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EB Alumni Spotlight Awardee

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Alumni Updates

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Volunteer Award Recipients

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Parents’ Association

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Room Representatives

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In Memoriam

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EB By the Numbers 2020–2021

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EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: Mei-Lin Ha Byers, Gaëlle Feliz, Véronique Jordan, Sara Nicklès, and Manon Johnson.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Véronique Jordan, and many others LAYOUT: Véronique Jordan

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear EB Community, As I commence my first year as Head of School and my fourth year at Ecole Bilingue, I feel immense pride

diverse backgrounds and experiences that make up our community.

in our community’s efforts and our students’ resilience

Our Strategic Plan, created in 2018, serves as a

during this challenging time. Our Annual Report is

road map for EB and focuses on three major goals:

a testament to the tremendous achievements of our

deepening our programs, advancing the school, and

students, faculty, staff, Board of Trustees, parents, and

enhancing our facilities and finances. We developed

alumni in the 2020–2021 school year.

new standards for teaching and student engagement,

Thanks to Dr. Mehdi Lazar’s leadership, we were able to face continuing challenges presented by the pandemic. Our top priority remained the health, safety, and emotional well-being of our students, and I am proud of the efforts made by the entire team to ensure a safe and engaging year. Equipped with a growth mindset, zeal, and integrity, we navigated changing health standards, physical distance, and came up with creative solutions for teaching and learning. I was inspired by the exceptional efforts of our faculty

established a successful online learning program, created new health and safety measures for in-person instruction, and improved our facilities. Additionally, our school received a seven-year CAIS/WASC accreditation, which is a gauge of EB’s excellence as an independent school. The French Ministry of Education accredited our Middle School program as a Section Internationale Américaine, which will allow our students to more easily navigate the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) network.

and staff to continue cultivating a dynamic learning

We strive to provide all of our students with an

environment and make meaningful connections under

outstanding, equitable educational experience rooted

these circumstances.

in both a strong social-emotional program and rigorous

This past year, we witnessed many societal hardships— systemic racism, Asian hate, mass shootings, health crises, and climate deregulation. In light of these events, we doubled down on our efforts to foster global citizens who are creative and compassionate learners, raising their voices against hate and contributing to a more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. 2020–2021 also saw a strengthened schoolwide focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, bringing a lens to reflect the core of what we do at EB. We finalized our DEIJ Strategic Plan and are excited to engage in a self-assessment to continue a practice

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of intentional inclusion, celebrating and welcoming the

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bilingual academics. I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for entrusting me with EB’s permanent Headship for the next three years, and I look forward to engaging in the work that will ensure EB remains a strong and successful international school for years to come. On behalf of EB, my sincere thanks to each and every one of you who made contributions to our community. It is with great confidence that I invite you to read on and delight in the successes of our school.

With appreciation, Sébastien Robert Head of School

MESSAGE DU CHEF D’ÉTABLISSEMENT Chère communauté d’EB, À l’orée de ma première année en tant que Chef d’établissement et ma quatrième année à l’École bilingue, je ressens une immense fierté face aux efforts de notre communauté et la résilience de nos élèves pendant cette période difficile. Notre rapport annuel témoigne des réalisations extraordinaires de nos élèves, de notre corps enseignant, de notre personnel, du Conseil d’Administration, des parents et des anciens élèves au cours de l’année scolaire 2020–2021.

Sous la direction du Dr Mehdi Lazar, nous avons pu faire face aux défis constants posés par la pandémie.

La santé, la sécurité et le bien-être émotionnel de nos élèves sont demeurés notre priorité principale, et je suis fier des efforts déployés par l’équipe toute entière pour assurer une année motivante en toute sécurité. Grâce à notre état d’esprit aspirant à la croissance, notre enthousiasme et notre intégrité, nous avons navigué au gré des normes de santé, de la distanciation physique et avons proposé des solutions créatives pour l’enseignement et l’apprentissage. J’ai été inspiré par les efforts exceptionnels de notre corps enseignant et de notre personnel pour continuer à cultiver un environnement d’apprentissage dynamique et établir des liens significatifs.

L’année dernière, nous avons été témoins de nombreuses difficultés sociétales : racisme systémique et racisme anti-asiatique, fusillades de masse, crises sanitaires et dérèglement climatique. À la lumière de ces événements, nous avons redoublé d’efforts pour former des citoyens du monde, des élèves créatifs, empreints de compassion, élevant leur voix contre la haine et contribuant à un monde plus pacifique grâce à la compréhension et au respect interculturels.

L’année 2020–2021 a également été marquée par un renforcement de l’attention portée à la diversité, l’équité, l’inclusion et la justice (DEIJ) dans l’ensemble de l’école, de façon à ce que cet objectif reflète les valeurs fondamentales instaurées au sein d’EB. Nous avons finalisé notre plan stratégique DEIJ et sommes

ravis de nous engager dans une auto-évaluation pour poursuivre une pratique d’inclusion intentionnelle, célébrant et accueillant les diverses cultures et expériences qui composent notre communauté.

Notre plan stratégique, créé en 2018, sert de feuille de route à EB et se concentre sur trois objectifs principaux : approfondir nos programmes, faire progresser l’école et améliorer nos installations et nos finances. Nous avons élaboré de nouvelles normes pour l’enseignement et l’engagement des élèves, établi avec succès un programme d’apprentissage en ligne, créé de nouvelles mesures en matière de santé et de sécurité pour l’enseignement en présentiel et amélioré nos installations. De plus, notre école a reçu une accréditation CAIS/WASC de sept ans, un gage de l’excellence d’EB en tant qu’école indépendante.

Le ministère français de l’Éducation a accrédité notre programme de section internationale américaine au collège, ce qui permettra à nos élèves de naviguer plus facilement dans le réseau de l’Agence pour l’Enseignement Français à l’Étranger (AEFE).

Nous nous efforçons d’apporter à l’ensemble de nos élèves une expérience éducative exceptionnelle et équitable enracinée à la fois dans un programme socio-émotionnel solide et dans un enseignement bilingue rigoureux. Je suis reconnaissant au Conseil d’Administration de m’avoir confié la direction permanente d’EB pour les trois années à venir et c’est avec beaucoup d’enthousiasme que je m’engage dans le travail qui permettra à EB de demeurer une école internationale forte et prospère pour des années à venir. Au nom d’EB, je remercie sincèrement chacun d’entre vous pour les contributions que vous avez apportées à notre communauté. C’est avec grande confiance que je vous invite à poursuivre votre lecture et à vous réjouir des réussites de notre école.

Avec appréciation, Sébastien Robert Chef d’établissement

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MESSAGE FROM THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE BOARD Dear EB Community,

From the start, the 2020–2021 school year was set to be a riveting one. With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing and the announcement of our Head of School’s departure at the end of the year, EB was primed to demonstrate the perseverance for which it is known. By June, our Head search was in full gear and our students were mostly back in-person with hybrid learning options available, and their assessment scores showed that they hadn’t missed a beat. Our school’s swift, thoughtful and decisive response, along with the adaptive creativity of our faculty and staff, showed the strength of the EB program.

One of our key commitments was to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ). Alongside the entire EB community, the Board of Trustees participated in its own series of DEIJ training workshops with Dr. Derrick Gay. With his guidance, the Board formed a task force to examine how to implement its commitment to DEIJ. From there, we crafted and adopted a DEIJ statement, and created a permanent DEIJ Committee to see our vision through. The Board committee continues to work in collaboration with the school’s broader DEIJ committee to ensure that EB is welcoming, accessible, and reflective of its core values and widely diverse and international community.

Our Annual Fund campaign was resiliently strong, with over $438,000 raised and 90% of parents joining in. We sincerely thank you for your support of this critical effort. Having the dedicated participation of our entire community—parents, alumni parents, faculty, staff, grandparents—meant that we could pivot quickly and meet our needs for distance learning, safety equipment, campus preparation, and continued support to staff and families. Your

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contributions help to sustain the richness of the EB experience.

To assist in our search for the new Permanent Head of School, the Board formed a search committee, chaired by trustees Emma Gimon and Alex Bayen. Its first action was the selection of an Interim Head of school for the 2021–2022 school year. We were very grateful that Sébastien Robert, Lower School Head, agreed to fill this role. Then, with the guidance of our search consultant, Jim Scott of Resource Group 175, we crafted our position statement, shared with prospective candidates around the world. In the fall of 2021, after several weeks of interviews, meetings with faculty and staff, virtual community events, and feedback on the various candidates, the Board unanimously voted to hire Sébastien Robert as EB’s next permanent Head of School. We are confident that he will bring the energy, ideas and vision that EB needs, and appreciate the strong leadership he has already shown.

Despite the pandemic, EB held its second socially distanced graduation for our 8th graders. We congratulate them on their poise and perseverance as they embark on to high school!

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to the Board members whose service came to an end: trustees Michael Pincus and Pascal Hoffmann, and faculty representatives Michelle Mebine and Elodie Resurreccion. Their drive and dedication to EB are much admired, and the influence of their innumerable contributions will be long-lasting.

Cordially, Pria Hidisyan Mark Westover Board Co-Chairs

MESSAGE DES CO-PRÉSIDENTS DU CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION Chère communauté d’EB, Dès le début, l’année scolaire 2020–2021 s’est annoncée tumultueuse. La pandémie du COVID-19 en plein essor, l’annonce du départ de notre chef d’établissement à la fin de l’année : EB était prête à démontrer la persévérance qui fait sa réputation. En juin, la recherche d’un chef d’établissement battait son plein ; nos élèves en présentiel étaient de retour en classe, avec des options d’apprentissage hybrides et leurs résultats d’évaluation montraient qu’ils n’avaient rien perdu. La réactivité rapide, réfléchie et décisive de notre école, ainsi que la créativité et l’adaptabilité de notre corps enseignant et de notre personnel, ont démontré la force du programme d’EB. Parmi nos engagements clés figuraient la diversité, l’équité, l’inclusion et la justice (DEIJ). S’associant à l’ensemble de la communauté d’EB, le Conseil d’Administration a participé à sa propre série d’ateliers de formation DEIJ avec le Dr Derrick Gay. Grâce à ses conseils, le CA a formé un groupe de travail pour examiner comment mettre en œuvre son engagement DEIJ. Nous avons ensuite rédigé et adopté une déclaration DEIJ et créé un comité DEIJ permanent pour concrétiser notre vision. Le comité du Conseil d’Administration continue de travailler en collaboration avec le comité DEIJ de l’école pour s’assurer qu’EB est accueillante, accessible, et reflète bien ses valeurs fondamentales et sa communauté internationale très diverse.

Notre campagne annuelle de levée de fonds s’est résolument bien passée, avec une levée de plus de 438 000 dollars et une participation des parents à 90%. Nous vous remercions sincèrement pour votre soutien à cet effort essentiel. La participation dévouée de l’ensemble de notre communauté — parents, parents d’anciens élèves, professeurs, personnel, grands-parents — nous a permis de rapidement nous adapter à la situation et de répondre à nos besoins en matière d’enseignement à distance, d’équipement de sécurité, de préparation du campus et de soutien continu au personnel et aux familles. Vos contributions

nous aident à maintenir la richesse de l’expérience d’EB. Pour nous aider à trouver le nouveau directeur permanent de l’école, le Conseil d’Administration a formé un comité de recherche, présidé par les administrateurs Emma Gimon et Alex Bayen.

Sa première action a été la sélection d’un chef d’établissement par intérim pour l’année scolaire 2021–2022. Toute notre reconnaissance va à Sébastien Robert, le directeur de l’école primaire, pour avoir accepté de remplir ce rôle. Ensuite, avec les conseils de notre consultant en recherche, Jim Scott du Resource Group 175, nous avons rédigé une description du poste, partagée avec les candidats potentiels du monde entier. À l’automne 2021, après plusieurs semaines d’entretiens, de rencontres avec le corps professoral et le personnel, d’événements communautaires virtuels et de discussions sur les différents candidats, le Conseil a voté à l’unanimité l’embauche de Sébastien Robert en tant que prochain chef d’établissement permanent d’EB. Nous sommes convaincus qu’il apportera l’énergie, les idées et la vision dont EB a besoin et nous apprécions les solides qualités de leader dont il a déjà fait preuve.

Malgré la pandémie, EB a organisé sa deuxième remise de diplômes avec distanciation sociale pour ses élèves de 4e. Nous les félicitons pour leur ténacité, leur persévérance et leur entrée au lycée !

Nous terminerons par un grand merci aux membres du Conseil dont le mandat s’est terminé : les administrateurs Michael Pincus et Pascal Hoffmann ainsi que les représentantes du corps professoral Michelle Mebine et Elodie Resurreccion. Leur dynamisme et leur dévouement à EB, de même que l’influence durable de leurs contributions innombrables, suscitent une grande admiration.

Cordialement, Pria Hidisyan Mark Westover Co-Présidents du Conseil d’Administration 2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2020–2021 From left to right: David Abernathy Alexandre Bayen Christine Beliveau Jeremy Bled Antoine Carrière

Alexandra Erman Emma Gimon Rhonda Goldstein Pria Hidisyan Pascal Hoffmann

Jean-Philippe KouakouZebouah Mehdi Lazar Steve Levine Michelle Mebine Michael Pincus

Kristen Sidell Hannah Stott-Bumsted Elodie Resurreccion Nick Waugh Mark Westover

Frédéric Jung, Consul Général de France Olivier-Antoine Reynes, Consul Général Adjoint Juliette Donadieu, Attachée Culturelle Pria Hidisyan, Co-Chair Mark Westover, Co-Chair Antoine Carrière, Member at Large of ExComm Michael Pincus, Organization & Governance Committee Chair Nick Waugh, Treasurer; Finance Chair David Abernathy Alexandre Bayen Christine Beliveau 8

ECOLE BILINGUE DE BERKELEY

Jeremy Bled, PA Francophone Co-President Alexandra Erman Emma Gimon Rhonda Golstein, PA Anglophone Co-President Pascal Hoffmann Jean-Philippe Kouakou-Zebouah Mehdi Lazar, Head of School Steve Levine Michelle Mebine, Faculty Participant Elodie Resurreccion, Faculty Participant Kristen Sidell Hannah Stott-Bumsted

INCOMING TRUSTEES 2021–2022 Aimee Aikin joins the Board of Trustees as the Anglophone CoPresident for the EB Parents’ Association for the 2021–2022 school year. Learning to draw and sew as a young child, she received her MFA in Fashion Design from the Academy of Art University.

With over a decade in the industry, Aimee has worked at some of the most iconic consumer brands in the US, including Old Navy, The North Face and Athleta, bringing her artistic approach and creative designs to children’s clothing. She is passionate about the arts and arts education for kids; when she has a moment to herself, she loves to knit and she bakes a killer key lime pie. Aimee and her husband, Dan, have one son at EB and a younger daughter who will join EB in the future.

Gaëlle Gordon is French and has been living in the US since 2006. Gaëlle currently serves as the Director of Student Life at Mark Day School in San Rafael.

She earned a BA in economics and business from Paris Dauphine, France and a master’s degree in

sports management from the University of Strasbourg, France.

After moving to the United States, Gaëlle got a master’s degree in education from NYU. She played professional basketball in France and loves coaching when time permits. Gaëlle and her husband Brian live in Marin and have two daughters.

Chloe Le Marchand is a family medicine physician who is passionate about public health and pediatric and women’s health. In addition to seeing patients, she works at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) as a medical officer on the Coronavirus Clinical Team. Chloe graduated from medical school at UCSF and studied human biology and French literature at Brown University. In addition to her MD, she has an MS in Global Health from UCSF and is an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC). Chloe and her partner David Pruess have two children at EB: Aurélie and Lupin.

Mark David McPherson is a partner at Morrison & Foerster LLP, where he

represents companies and individuals in commercial litigation, particularly in cases involving cybersecurity and data privacy, and securities fraud. He obtained his B.A. degree from the University of Texas and his J.D. from the University of Iowa. Mark David’s roots extend back to his Cajun family in Louisiana, which taught him only enough French to know that he needs to do much better for his children. He and his wife Claire have a son at EB, and a younger daughter bound to join her brother at EB soon.

Anne Kuhry is the French Faculty representative to the Board and a native of France. She is the music teacher for students in Kindergarten to grade 8.

Heather McWhinney is the English faculty representative to the Board.

She teaches third grade English.

For full faculty bios, please visit eb.org.

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EB LAUNCHES A NEW BRAND In the fall of 2019, EB began the work of rebranding, with a goal to clearly articulate our story using inspiring language and an updated look. We started by gathering input from numerous stakeholders— teachers, administrators, parents, trustees, alumni— via full-day workshops and brainstorming sessions led by brand experts Mission Minded. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 forced us to pause our efforts, but we resumed a few months later in August to finish this important work.

We’re excited to share our new, more modern visual identity, coupled with intentional and specific messaging about EB’s unique value proposition.

While we’re the same school at heart, what’s changing is the way we talk about ourselves, clarifying EB’s special qualities as a school and as a community. In today’s competitive landscape, a brand that tells our story and lets parents know who we are and what we do best is crucial to EB’s continued success. We hope you enjoy “the new EB!”

Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley is a preschool– 8th grade bilingual immersion school where students learn in French and English.

We believe that when students see the world without borders or barriers, they can confidently and capably seize any opportunity.

Every day our students learn to speak, write, and think in two languages, becoming open-minded, adaptable learners who discover their best selves while respecting the differences of others.

Because when students are equipped with that boundless perspective, they belong anywhere in the world.

BELONG IN THE WORLD WELCOME EVERYONE

OPEN TO EXPLORE

LOVE LEARNING

BE YOURSELF

CENTER ON STUDENTS

EXPERT • GLOBAL• ENGAGED • WELCOMING • VIBRANT 10

MEET OUR HEAD SÉBASTIEN ROBERT We’re excited to welcome Sébastien Robert as EB’s next Head of School. Read on to learn more about him and his journey!

Where were you born and where did you grow up? How is it different from Berkeley?

I was born in Aix Les Bains, a small town in the Alps with 20,000 people. All of the young people knew each other—it was a great community. I used to go skiing every weekend, as the ski resorts were around the corner. There is also one of the most beautiful alpine lakes there, so you get to do aquatic sports during the summer and enjoy the mountains in the winter, a real blessing! Growing up there has shaped me into who I am today: an outdoor enthusiast and mountain lover.

How did you get involved in the field of education?

Some of my family members were in the education field and I saw how much they enjoyed their work. It seemed to me that teaching was the most rewarding job because you learn as much as you teach. Every student is different and over the course of my career, I have enjoyed teaching many different grades and personalities. Being an educator has always been part of me. When I was in the sixth grade, I told my parents that I wanted to be a teacher, an English teacher to be exact, but instead I became a primary teacher since I wanted to be able to teach lots of different subjects. What interests me the most is exploring new ways of teaching, discovering how different methods and practices can positively shape and impact the learning process of students. I love learning as much as I love teaching!

What is a hobby you enjoy outside of school?

Being outdoors, water skiing, snowboarding. I love spending time with my family exploring new places. California is such a magical state!

foster a community of belonging, so that everyone feels welcome. I am very proud of our diverse community and I want our students to be able to speak up and share their voices.

We are giving them the keys to be agents of change. It is an honor to lead such an institution.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, we have a cat named Joy. We got her during the pandemic and she is a very sweet cat who loves to cuddle!

What was the first job you ever had?

When I was 16, I got my boat license and worked at a boat driving school (teaching people to park in a harbor, rescue overboard passengers, etc.). I had that job for almost seven years; it was one of my greatest experiences. I met a diverse group of people, taught adults, and gained a lot of maturity.

What does “Belong in the World” mean to you and why does it represent our EB students?

When I hear “Belong in the World,” I think of a world without borders. I think of our students being able to work in Asia, in Europe or anywhere on the globe. I see students who understand multiple perspectives, and can communicate with many people on a deep level. To me, it also means recognizing one’s roots—our students are deeply rooted in the Bay Area. Our students’ identities are shaped by experiences in their youth and they will take this strong sense of their early environment wherever they go. An EB education will teach them to be the best version of themselves and reach for their dreams.

If you weren’t an educator, what would you be doing?

I would have loved to run a B&B in the Bordeaux region in France. I am a wine enthusiast and love history as well.

Welcoming travelers and sharing stories over a good glass of wine, what a dream!

What’s your favorite thing to cook?

Well, being a native of the Alps, I love cheese, especially Reblochon. One of my favorite recipes is tartiflette. Potatoes, bacon, cream and two layers of reblochon: a delicious meal!

What are you most excited about for EB’s future?

I think EB has a bright future: EB is a gem. Its amazing educators and fantastic curriculum offer a one-of-a-kind learning experience to our students. I am excited about EB being a leader in international education in the East Bay, educating in a unique way. Our world needs more empathetic leaders, and people who can solve complex problems. My goal is to 35

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR MAKING OUR CAMPUS SAFER Alfonso de la Torre is EB’s Facilities Manager and has more than fifteen years of experience in grounds, landscape, and building maintenance and project management in various Bay Area companies and organizations. During his career, Alfonso has overseen many construction projects and has been an Operations Manager and an Account Manager for landscape and construction companies. Alfonso is fully bilingual in English and Spanish, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with an option in Law Enforcement.

Keeping these kids safe has been a challenge, but still crucially important. Not only do we consider the security of our students—making sure visitors on campus have been screened, which has been a priority for many years—but now with the continued spread of COVID, we need to make sure that their health is a priority as well. We don’t want the kids to get sick and possibly increase infection, especially with the environment that’s going on right now.

We’ve been working on making our campus safe and keeping everyone together, learning.

learning. For the home learning cohorts, we added a lot of technology in the classroom, like projectors and screens, so that teachers could simultaneously teach in the classroom while accommodating our students at home. We were fortunate to offer PCR testing through Curative after each break during the academic year. When COVID cases were high in the county, we were able to test our community twice a week, and when numbers were dropping again, we were still testing once a week. For the students, we did antigen testing twice a week and teachers were obligated to do PCR testing twice a week, when cases were high. We have been pretty successful with our testing measures and protocols!

What have you been doing to keep the campus safe for everybody?

Is there anything you are hopeful about in the future?

Why is safety such an important value to EB, especially these past few years?

One major structural improvement was that we redesigned our ventilation system. We installed MERV 13 air filters, which purify air-borne diseases and smoke particles. We also installed UVC lights in our filtration systems to kill any bacteria in the air.

We added one-way traffic signs in the hallways and put in safety barriers in classrooms to create smaller pods and to keep students safe while optimizing 12

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I’m super excited that social distancing has pushed us in a good direction, so in the 2021–2022 school year, we are able to have more students mingling with one another. Of course, we’ll still have the classrooms divided, but each grade level will be able to interact with one another, rather than sticking to their specific pod. Hopefully things will continue to improve!

“EB teachers were quite savvy, and came up with creative solutions to engage students inside the virtual classroom.”

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN THE VIRTUAL SPACE Creating meaningful experiences, especially outside the normal classroom setting, was particularly challenging to manage last year. Experiential learning and field trips test students’ skills in applying their knowledge in real-world situations or via discussions outside the classroom. Although it was difficult to organize our normal field trips this year, EB teachers were quite savvy, and came up with creative solutions to engage students inside the virtual classroom.

In Sue Campbell’s classroom, the G6 and G7 students met with award-winning author Ji-Li Jiang during an hour-long zoom in May 2021. They talked about her memoir, Red Scarf Girl, and asked questions about her life during and after the Cultural Revolution in China. Ji-li Jiang, who is now a resident of the Bay Area, was born in Shanghai, China in 1954 and wrote Red Scarf Girl to document surviving the Chinese Cultural Revolution and overcoming her childhood difficulties. Not only were students privy to an intimate meet and greet, but Ji-Li Liang also presented a short film about her family’s experience that included archival footage of life in revolutionary and post-revolutionary China.

In recent years, EB has warmly welcomed the San Francisco Opera for a program known as Opéra à la carte, a highly-regarded academic program where students perform alongside professional artists in a 45-minute adaptation of a classic opera.

Even though some of the Lower School classes and the SF Opera’s professional artists weren’t able to come together in person, they still organized and performed a virtual adaptation of the Magic

Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Students memorized lines in advance, were coached by artists in a dress rehearsal, and then with some props, scenery, and costumes, performed for their class online. Despite the change in live performance, students enjoyed being part of this process of collaboration and artistic production.

While many of us missed out on traveling, teacher Elodie Resurreccion gladly welcomed two new extraordinary traveling “students” into her virtual G3 classroom. Based on The Flat Stanley Project, students were introduced to two large cut-out paper dolls, known as Clément and Clémentine, and a journal that has traveled around many classrooms in France, Canada and the United States in the last several years.

Over the years, each host classroom shows Clément and Clémentine their school, town and way of life, and then recounts their adventures along with accompanying photos in the journal. The children not only were able to practice their written French, but were also eager to show their new friends around Berkeley—visiting their classroom, UC Berkeley campus, the basketball court, Wildcreek Canyon, and EB chickens! One of our EB parents even knitted a scarf for Clémentine for her trip back to France. The goal of the project is to increase French reading and writing skills, and also teach children about people and cultures from different places—what a great opportunity to “meet” other children from other French-speaking locations, even during a pandemic!

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR VIRTUAL TEDXYOUTH@EB By the end of November 2020, EB Middle School students had fully adapted to the virtual classroom.

Teachers Sue Campbell and Gabrielle Hedlund, along with the rest of the TEDx Committee, launched EB’s first virtual TEDxYouth conference, to exchange powerful ideas online despite our hybridized learning conditions. Over 100 attendees from all over the country, and the world, tuned in for EB’s 6th Annual TEDxYouth Conference titled “Uncharted.” Hosted by KQED Morning News Anchor and EB parent Brian Watt, a group of alumni and student speakers confidently shared their ideas on current issues that are affecting health, climate, biodiversity, pop culture, human rights, and access to technology.

Our alumnae speakers and young current students had an array of empowering new ideas that invited the audience to think about the future in a new way.

Kate Solomon-Tilley (‘01) was invited to talk about her personal experience fostering children from the border.

Meaghan McGrath (‘02) who currently works for an innovative vertical farming company, spoke about the future of farming and sustainable food production.

Maddy Kelly researched how and why women’s voices are historically criticized as too high-pitched and “annoying,” especially the voices of women in leadership.

Students Clara Bartlett and Jules Droz dove into the then-rapidly developing science of fighting COVID and creating a vaccine.

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Bodie Oakley and Divvya BenDavid talked about the power of pop culture through the lens of graphic novels and cosmic horror, respectively.

Sammy Kirk and Juniper Hedlund chose to focus their topics on animals, wondering about their moral reasoning and how wildlife is severely affected by wildfires.

Kylie Chew dove into the future of virtual reality and how it could offer a more creative alternative to conferencing online.

Maëlle Griffin discovered the science of music as a form of therapy, and how it can stimulate body memory and parts of the brain that re-engage our senses and emotions.

Thank you to our 2020 TEDxYouth@EB speakers!

We are so very impressed by the curiosity, poise, and oratory skills of our young students and alumni!

Visit tedxyoutheb.com to watch the videos.

WHAT IS HYBRID LEARNING? Jeffrey Miles is our current English Program Pedagogical Coordinator and Instructional Coach.

An experienced educator, previously assistant principal at Lafayette School District, Jeffrey is passionate about teaching and learning and extremely student-centered. He has extensive knowledge as a learning specialist and holds two MA degrees: one in Educational Leadership and one in Teaching and Learning.

What is hybrid learning?

Hybrid learning is a model where children are in the classroom part of the time and part of their instruction is happening over the computer, over Zoom, over an asynchronous platform, like SeeSaw. As we all know, Covid has shifted education and the world. Being able to provide in-person, physical access to the school is really important from our perspective. It provides stability for kids, a place learning happens. But, we knew that we weren’t going to be able to do that for all our kids, and some of our families opted for remote learning this entire year. So, we had to figure out how to support kids while they were still at home.

What are some of the challenges of hybrid learning that are unique to a bilingual school?

In terms of challenges, there are not as many French online resources as there are in English and Spanish. Trying to find valuable and appropriate bilingual materials was a little tricky, but we were successful in securing French asynchronous and synchronous resources. Teachers found creative ways to boost verbal exposure online for children who are

not from a Francophone family, whenever possible.

Also, our teachers had to learn how to navigate this unfamiliar teaching process quickly. Scheduling meetings for our specialists and teachers to make sure we had all the pieces we needed to offer a robust curriculum was a juggling affair.

What were some of the unforeseen successes of hybrid learning?

Our kids and teachers are more technologically savvy than they’ve ever been before. They are very good at navigating platforms, at finding their assignments, and at communicating with their teachers. And, in fact, it has really fostered some maturity in the kids, especially the younger ones. Our kindergarteners, for example, whom we wouldn’t normally expect a lot from in terms of technology, now know how to log on, to use SeeSaw, and interact with technology in meaningful ways.

Are there some aspects of hybrid learning that worked really well? Is there anything that we can and should incorporate into our learning model in the future?

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR With hybrid learning comes a hybrid communication style with families, and we’ve been able to get more people at more meetings, because we were able to meet them where they are, to get them online, and connected. That has been a bonus to help us communicate more openly with the parents. The kids had a lot more independent work that they then brought into the classroom, instead of just doing it in the classroom. I think overall everyone became more open to adapting and changing, accepting that everyday has something new and different to offer.

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DEIJ: COMMITTING TO A BETTER SCHOOL EB was founded by a group of dedicated parents with a vision to provide their children with a bilingual education in a rich, multicultural environment. As the community has continued to grow and embrace new members, we have navigated, and we continue to navigate, the challenges and complexities of developing shared understandings. Always striving to be intentionally inclusive, EB also recognizes the continued work needed to make our school equitable, diverse, and committed to social justice.

This year, EB pledged to be an anti-racist school, and committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) programming for our entire community. During the 2020–2021 school year, we engaged in a year-long learning process with Dr. Derrick Gay, a diversity and inclusion strategist and renowned DEI leader. Our EB teachers, staff, students, families, and trustees participated in a series of interactive workshops to learn about the fundamentals of race, racial bias, the double-edged sword of diversity, how to foster an inclusive school, and how to talk about race. These workshops have given us a common language to use when discussing DEIJ matters, and a shared understanding of why the work is so needed.

Additionally, with Dr. Gay’s help, the EB DEIJ committee—composed of twelve members including faculty, administrators, parents, trustees and alumni—collaborated with the Board’s DEIJ committee to create a three-year DEIJ Strategic Plan. The goals of the plan are multifold and include 1) guiding EB through the next three years; 2) reinforcing EB’s mission, vision and values, 3) helping to create a community that is more inclusive and representative of the full diversity of the East Bay and our student body; 4) facilitating and supporting a more diverse, inclusive, equitable and socially just community.

EB has identified four areas of focus for its DEIJ work: (1) Recruitment and Retention; (2) Program and Curriculum; (3) Finance and Financial Assistance; and (4) Events and Fundraising. Each of these areas contain a set of objectives with actionable items for measurable improvements. The first piece of the plan will include a self-assessment and climate survey, to get an accurate sense of

“We strive to be compassionate with one another, and to recognize that we are all on a collective journey of understanding and action.” where we are now as a school and to identify key areas of improvement to align with our plan.

There are three closely connected entities working to implement these objectives: the school’s DEIJ committee (alongside the DEIJ Task Force—faculty and staff), the Board DEIJ committee and the Parents’ Association DEIJ Advisory Board.

With the support of the PA’s Diversity Chair and DEIJ Advisory Board, several parent and student groups were created with the goal of providing support and resources to different members of our community.

The EB Families of Color Affinity Group works to provide families the opportunity to build community, solve challenges, and share insights and resources related to raising brilliant, resilient, and dynamic children of color.

The EB Dads Antiracist Book Group provides a space for dads of all backgrounds to explore issues of racial justice in a supportive, non-judgmental environment through books and movies with antiracist themes.

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR The Learning Differences Support Group aims to provide support and resources for EB families whose children have been diagnosed with a learning difference or may suspect a learning difference.

The LGBTQ+ Alliance is a Middle School student group that aims to provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ identifying students and allies, as well as to educate fellow students and teachers about some of the challenges facing our identifying students, and ways in which they can be best supported during their middle school journey.

These groups and objectives have helped keep DEIJ issues in focus and were created in response to real needs within the community. We recognize that this is an ongoing exercise in learning and growing, and one that will not be completed overnight, if ever. As a community, we are neither perfect nor infallible.

We strive to be compassionate with one another, and to recognize that we are all on a collective journey of understanding and action.

More information about EB’s DEIJ efforts can be found on our website.

EVERY ONE IS WELCOME AT EB! 18

EB’S DEIJ STATEMENT EB is a school where everyone should feel they are exactly who and where they should be.

EB is a place of warmth, joy, and kindness that welcomes all people and nurtures in its students inquisitiveness, creativity, empathy, and a rich and engaged outlook on the world.

As set forth in our Mission, EB is a force for good in the world. We envision the school and its community to be an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment that is welcoming, accessible, and reflective of both our core values and our widely diverse, international community members. Our space should be one that embraces the delights and challenges of our similarities and differences and works to provide equal and just opportunities to every one of us.

EB prepares our graduates

to positively impact their diverse communities and the local and international spaces in which we all belong. We believe a diverse educational environment is paramount to these efforts, and that our school must live and embody the key principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ). Those key principles are reflected in EB’s five core values: Unity, Reflection, Integrity, Zeal, and Endeavor. As a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just community, EB seeks to not only acknowledge differences, but to mindfully support them by respectfully embracing all people and points of view.

Further, we actively work to identify and dismantle structural inequalities in order to provide equal and just educational access and opportunity to all within the EB community.

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AU REVOIR DR. MEHDI LAZAR In the fall of 2017, EB enthusiastically welcomed Mehdi Lazar as its new Head of School. His early commitment to meeting every staff member one on one and making himself available to all community members foreshadowed his dedication to this school and engagement with its many constituents. He quickly made his mark, showcasing a leadership style that included intensive research, creative problem solving, efficient collaborative work, and comprehensive attention to detail. With his work on the new Strategic Plan, he instilled a strong vision of EB in the near future. He also brought warmth and a sense of humor to his interactions that inspired a renewed energy in all.

Mehdi made the safety and well-being of students and staff his top priority: he initiated the ALICE training program and created a blueprint to react to an active shooter event; he co-chaired EB’s DEIJ task force, providing steady and inspiring leadership to our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice efforts, and helping to establish a three-year DEIJ Strategic Plan; and he shepherded the school through the complex and quickly-changing landscape of the pandemic. Mehdi met the challenges of the last year with calm, organization, innovation, and resolve, and was able to safely bring students back to campus well in advance of expectations.

Apart from the care he brought to his work and his passion for bilingual education, we will miss his smile and quick wit, his continual presence—at the gate, in the classroom, at all events—and his genuine ability to connect with everyone at the school.

Mehdi, we wish you success in your next endeavors and hope that you and your family find much happiness in your new home!

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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A MESSAGE FROM OUR FINANCE TEAM

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The 2020–2021 school year was challenging in more ways than one due to the COVID pandemic. This was true at the financial level as we experienced a sharp decrease in tuition and fees revenues. While we saw a slight enrollment uptick at the Middle School, enrollment at the Preschool and Kindergarten level decreased significantly due to parents’ concerns about the health and safety of their children. Because of the risks posed by the pandemic at the time, we did not run an extended day care and enrichment program. All in all, tuition and fees revenues decreased by about $1.6M compared to what was budgeted for the 2020–2021 academic year.

Additionally, a $900K promissory note held by a charitable remainder trust since 1996 was forgiven during the 2020–2021 fiscal year. The note originated in 1996 when EB acquired the Preschool building through a member of the community. Though we were saddened to hear about his passing last year, we were thankful that the debt was forgiven and $900K was recognized as a non-cash revenue. Payments on the note also ended which resulted in about $100K of savings. We are very grateful for the significant contributions of our EB community and their support in helping cultivate a sustainable future.

We were also faced with large expenses linked to the Covid situation that we could not have envisioned when we set the 2020–2021 tuition levels in January 2020.

These included renting portable classrooms to allow for physical distancing, increasing janitorial services, supplies and equipment, purchasing PPE, purchasing portable air purifiers, IT equipment to run a remote and/or hybrid educational program, improving ventilation systems, and hiring more staff and faculty as learning facilitators and COVID testing technicians. On the other hand, we gained some savings as a result of lower number of students, and the suspension of Extended Day Care and class trips.

In summary, instead of ending the school year with a very high deficit due to the Covid pandemic, these exceptional revenues made it possible for the school to end the year with an accounting surplus of just under $1.1M (including our annual loan principal payment).

Absent the forgiveness of the promissory note, the budget would have essentially been balanced thanks to the PPP loan forgiveness and AEFE’s subsidy. Notably, the forgiveness of the promissory note removed a $900K liability from EB’s balance sheet, but it did not generate additional cash for the school’s future use. The FY2021 surplus appears quite large, but the vast majority is due to this non-cash accounting recognition.

Thankfully, the $1.5M PPP loan that we received during the later part of the 2019–2020 school year was forgiven in 2020–2021, and has been recognized as a revenue. In addition, we received a $177K COVID-related subsidy from the AEFE, the French Government agency which oversees French schools abroad. We are also thankful for the donations of our community to the Solidarity Fund, created at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which directly supported COVID-related Financial Aid awards.

Based on everything above, EB was forecasting a surplus of about $175K (including our annual loan principal payment).

On another positive note, the school refinanced its debt at a favorable low interest rate of 2.7% fixed for 30 years on $9.7M and 3.25% fixed for 30 years on $1.3M. The low interest rates and the fact that they are fixed for 30 years—with mostly even annual debt service—is an excellent outcome for the long term financial stability of the school.

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We continue to work together to ensure that EB maintains a high quality education and experience with a diverse population. The Board remains confident about EB’s financial future. Thank you for partnering with us as fellow stewards of EB.

NICK WAUGH TREASURER

REVENUES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

ANTOINE PORTALES DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE

1. Gross Tuition and Fees

$12,450,243

78.93%

2. PPP Loan Forgiveness

$1,557,700

9.88%

3. Debt Forgiveness on Charitable Trust

$900,000

5.71%

4. Annual Fund

$443,748

2.81%

5. AEFE Subsidy Related to Covid Expenses

$177,225

1.12%

6. Events and Other Gifts

$139,923

0.89%

7. Ancillary Programs and Other Revenues

$104,268

0.66%

$15,773,107

100%

TOTAL

EXPENSES 1. Salaries and Benefits 1 2 3 4 5 6

$9,129,384

62.11%

$2,029,550

13.81%

$1,190,986

8.10%

4. General and Administrative

$927,210

6.31%

5. Debt Service

$651,973

4.44%

6. Loss on Disposal of Assets (Refinancing)

$297,420

2.02%

7. Covid Non-Labor Expenses

$289,742

1.97%

$181,614

1.24%

$14,697,879

100%

2. Tuition Assistance 3. Plant

7 8

8. Instructional Programs TOTAL

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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Annual Fund Teachers' Choice Fund Auction and Gala Endowment Fund Retail Rebates Alex Mills Library Fund Mary Havemann Library Fund Library General Fund

Fundraising Revenues

$496,029

Unrestricted $443,748

89.46%

$16,363

3.30%

$1,280

0.26%

$27,250

5.49%

Endowment Fund

$5,188

1.05%

Alex Mills Library Fund

$1,200

0.24%

Library General Fund

$500

0.10%

Mary Havemann Library Fund

$500

0.10%

Annual Fund Auction and Gala (net) Retail Rebates

Teachers’ Choice Fund

A DEVELOPMENT MESSAGE What a year it has been for all of us! The 2020– 2021 school year was another topsy-turvy one for Development. With nearly all of our in-person events canceled, the lack of opportunities to gather and create memories and bonds was challenging for this gregarious group.

Nevertheless, our community rallied together, continuing to support our students, teachers, and families and build school spirit through their screens.

Our amazing families, including our faculty and staff, contributed $490,034 in total fundraising revenues.

These funds were critical in helping us keep our doors for in-person education, ensuring a safe environment to engage our students, and continue a smooth learning process.

The Annual Fund, one of the largest sources of funding outside of tuition, was a success! Our committed parent co-chairs and volunteers worked tirelessly to motivate our families, ensuring 90% of families participated in this critical fundraiser.

This was truly a community-wide effort—we thank all of our giving families, especially those who contributed to the challenge grant in the last days of the campaign, without which we could never have reached our goal. In total, with your direct support, we raised $443,748 including $55,000 in matching company gifts, for our students and teachers!

Celebrations via screens became the norm and our community joined the fun with enthusiasm.

We hosted an online World Celebrations event, featuring cooking, dancing, art, and wine tasting that celebrated our families’ multicultural heritages from around the globe. Our virtual Family & Friends’ Day was a big hit, allowing over 300 family members from as far away as Australia, Japan and South Africa to connect with EB and jump into their student’s classrooms. This might be the start of a new tradition!

In the spring, we launched EB’s first ever virtual fundraising event: EB en Fête ! Hosted by Christopher Colebourn, EB’s SEL coach, and

Eli Marienthal (‘00), 2019 EB Alumni Spotlight Award winner, the evening was filled with fun video montages—featuring EB teachers, administrators, parents and friends—exciting auction items for sale, and a special fund for teachers. Our community contributed over $56,000 total during the soirée, which helped provide inclusion training for our teachers, tuition assistance, COVID testing for students and faculty, and more. Our special Fund for the Future was dedicated to the Teachers’ Choice Fund, to give teachers the means to create additional engaging, memorable experiences for their students, through field trips, fun projects in class, or specialized materials. Thank you to all of our participants who contributed to EB en Fête !

Finally, we’d like to thank our parent volunteers, especially our Parents’ Association Board. Despite a big change from the general order of business, you all found ways to engage the community and make connections at EB. Whether that meant hosting an Antiracist Book Club, setting up for a socially distanced graduation, organizing a special virtual magic show for kids, or supporting teachers and staff with special goodies, your efforts were sincerely appreciated! Thank you so much for all your work this year in encouraging and uplifting our community.

We are very grateful for the dedication, commitment and warmth you have all displayed towards your fellow families and the school in general.

We know we will continue to be challenged, but we’re heartened by the thought of being able to work together to continue growing, uniting, and celebrating this special community.

With gratitude,

Mei-Lin Ha Byers Director of Development and Communications

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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EB EN FÊTE

This year, we launched our first virtual benefit—EB en Fête ! On April 3, 2021, parents, friends, alumni parents, faculty and staff came together online for an evening hosted by SEL teacher Christopher Colebourn and EB alum Eli Marienthal (‘00). Through some virtual fun, laughter and a special performance from the EB parent band, the Radioactives, the community contributed $28,394, plus an additional $27,250 for the Fund for the Future, in support of the Teacher’s Choice Fund. We thank our community for their generosity and willingness to try new things!

EB EN FÊTE LIVE AUCTION DONORS

EB EN FÊTE SILENT AUCTION DONORS

EB Board of Trustees Anthony Lynch, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant Eli Marienthal, Back to Earth Kristen Sidell and Paul Abboud Kevin Smith and Liliane Lacoste

Floriane Anglio Bay Area Brain Spa Lynn Bentley Micheline Bogey Crêpe-Madame, Laetitia Verdeaux Family Laundry, Laura Guevara and David Macquart-Moulin Emma and Eric Gimon The Graceful Yogi, Ann Lefkovits Mehdi Lazar Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant Magali Noth Patina Clothing, Parvin Fakour Les Petits Carreaux, Stéphanie Ross Sébastien and Marjorie Robert Souvenir Coffee, Jeremy Bled Debbie Spangler La Tourangelle, Matthieu and Christine Kohlmeyer Vital Vittles

TEACHERS’ CHOICE FUND

Our Fund for the Future is a special portion of the Gala, where funds raised are dedicated to a specific need for EB. This year, as part of our virtual night of community and fundraising—EB en Fête—the $27,250 generously contributed by our community of families, teachers, and alumni, was allocated to the Teachers’ Choice Fund, to help our educators create additional engaging, memorable experiences for their students.

The Teachers’ Choice Fund gives teachers the opportunity to pursue any type of project, activity, or outing that fosters a love of learning for their students. The idea is to give teachers agency and the means to do something they like, to then inspire their students in the classroom! Keeping kids motivated and curious inside and outside the classroom can be challenging, especially in a pandemic. Giving teachers the funds to design an impactful experiential learning program is instrumental in cultivating a productive learning environment. Students are more motivated when they have opportunities to grow and explore science, math, language and reading in unique and alternative ways. Teachers are able to use these funds to create programming that inspires their students, while aligning with EB’s rigorous, bilingual curriculum. Teachers planned to integrate activities such as cooking, creating and binding books of short stories written by their students, and using coding software to solve a problem. Every teacher offers a different perspective, opening our students to a world of possibilities.

DONORS Keith Beattie and Michelle Strand-Beattie Christine Beliveau and Neill Knox Eric Bottino and Sara Buckelew Antoine Carrière and Irina Wolf Carrière Pierre-François Choquet and Stéphanie Long Choquet Benjamin and Jessica Cislowski Freddy and Lisa Corbin Alexandre and Cécile Cottus Alexandra Erman Jérémie Febvre and Charlotte Attry Gaëlle Feliz Emma and Eric Gimon Jason Harm and Kathryn Crepeau-Harm Pria Hidisyan and Benjamin Gold Justin and Brooke Howell Véronique and Sean Jordan John and Janice Kirk James Levine and Angela Jacobson Mindy Longinotti and Michael Roberts Vivian and Alfredo Lopez Richard and Blanca Lyon Mark and Claire McPherson Gideon Myles and Stephanie Battle Chudi Ndubaku and Nicole Blaquière Magali Noth André and Solange Parris Antoine and Melissa Portales Emma and Xavier Ragot Maria del Pilar Reyes and Aykut Akcaoglu Stéphanie and Aaron Ross Victoria and David Schumb David and Laura Schummers Kristen Sidell and Paul-André Abboud Hannah Stott-Bumsted and Guy Raz Donald Thompson and Laura Kuhlemann Sarah and Chad Thompson Laura Truffaut-Wong and Stephen Wong Mark Westover and Barbara Galligan James and Lillian Whitney Jonathan Whitney and Rachel Stern Dan Widmaier and Aimee Aikin Valeriy and Florence Zakharov 2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL FUND DONORS MARIA REYES

A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN Behind the scenes, actively working away, our Annual Fund volunteers play an immensely important role in making sure our largest fundraiser of the year runs smoothly and effectively. Our Annual Fund volunteers are parents who generously give their time to make calls (not always an easy task!), send emails, and talk face-to-face with other parents because they fundamentally care. This year proved to be more challenging than most due to the continued impact of COVID.

YVETTE HATTON

LIST OF DONORS FOR THE 2020–2021 ACADEMIC YEAR DONORS Président ($10,000+)

Jessica Bylo Chacon Emma and Eric Gimon Dave Margulius and Anna Kelly Anonymous (2)

Ambassadeur ($4,000–$9,999)

Alexandre Bayen and Zoe Abrams (MG) Natasha Boissier Antoine Carrière and Irina Wolf Carrière (MG) David Harding and Minsu Longiaru Yvette and David Hatton (MG) Gabrielle and Marc Hedlund John and Janice Kirk Jean-Philippe Kouakou-Zebouah and Jesica Goldhammer-Zebouah Mehdi and Caroline Lazar (MG) Mark and Claire McPherson Gideon Myles and Stephanie Battle (MG) Adam Noily and Maia Beyler-Noily (MG) Matthew Potts and Céline Pallud Xavier and Evelyn Quan (MG)

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Without their commitment, we would not be able to reach our goals.

And of course, we couldn’t have done it without our fearless Co-Chairs Maria Reyes and Yvette Hatton who led the way with great attitudes and tireless energy. Thanks to their perseverance and that of the AF volunteers, the community contributed $443,748! Thank you to the 90% of parents who chose to give to this year’s Annual Fund—your contributions make the EB experience possible for our students.

James Robertson and Daniela Strijleva (MG) David and Laura Schummers Victor Shnayder and Anne Collins (MG) Mike and Katie Slemmer (MG) Panayiotis Thomakos and Susan Collier Thomakos Donald Thompson and Laura Kuhlemann Alexandra Thusy-Privat and Guillaume Privat (MG) Brian Turner and Emilie Mazzacurati Anonymous (3)

Consul ($2,100–3,999)

Jonathon Angell and Suna Yalaz-Angell (MG) Robert Bartlett and Victoria Plaut Carol Battle Christine Beliveau and Neill Knox Richard and Lynn Bentley Jeremy Bled and Katherine Dawson Eric Bottino and Sara Buckelew Edric and Ethelwynne Cane Pierre-François Choquet and Stéphanie Long Choquet (MG) Jean-Gaël Collomb and Maria DiGiano (MG)

Ted and Tania Davis Peter Demarest and Kim Klaus (MG) Phillip and Lorraine DeMello (MG) Peter Dillon and Deidra Moss Jean Drapp and Jena Parson Alexandra Erman Jeremy Fanucchi and Paola Meta (MG) Jacob and Rhonda Goldstein (MG) Randolph Griffin Christopher Harrelson and Sara Rahimian Pria Hidisyan and Benjamin Gold Joshua and Kelley Hinds (MG) Justin and Brooke Howell Ashley and Anneliese Jameson (MG) Serge Kogan and Stephanie Profitt Max Kozlov and Tatiana Pavlova (MG) Ronald Lebofsky and Anne Guillemet James Levine and Angela Jacobson Alex Liu and Crystal Yu Mindy Longinotti and Michael Roberts John MacFarlane and Colleen Boyle John McCarthy and Sodabeh Fazlollahi Alain Montiel Gregory Nemitz and Sarah Sawyer Antoine and Melissa Portales Ogi Radic and Melissa Maquilan Radic Charles and Karmela Richey (MG) Ed Rogers and Julie Shackleton (MG) Joseph and Susannah Rose

Aaron and Stéphanie Ross Matthew Schriock and Margaux Bennett Ty Shemin and Jessika Croizat Kristen Sidell and Paul-André Abboud Edward Sweet and Harold Stevens Nicholas Szeto and Gordon Runnels Karine and Jean-Yves Tripier (MG) Jonathan Whitney and Rachel Stern Dan Widmaier and Aimee Aikin Valeriy and Florence Zakharov Anonymous (3)

Attaché ($1,000–$2,099)

Bassem Al-Sady and Hana El-Samad Carol Battle Rene Bilodeau and Naomi Black (MG) Tarak and Christine Borchani Arnaud Boullé and Marisol Puentes Orduz Patrick and Hannah Brown-Lopes Pierre Chew and Kristin Nolan David and Fiordalissa Cooper Freddy and Lisa Corbin Matthieu Couturier and Katherine Gora Ghislain de Jamblinne and Qi Han Ivo Dimitrov and Bistra Baharova Samir Dzankic and Golriz GhassemArdebili Christopher Evans and Naomi Edelson Yann Fischer and Bonnie Chan Todd Gehring (MG) Mamadou Moustapha Gning and Fatou Ba (MG) Jason Harm and Kathryn CrepeauHarm (MG) Pascal and Tegan Hoffmann (MG) Philip Kaminsky and Lisa Materson Charis Kaskiris and Vanessa ArceKaskiris Goran and Koraljka Kukic Alexandra LaGatta Carl Langford and Wendy Bernstein Thibaut Lassalle and Mariel Chatman Lassalle Isabelle Le Blanc and Voytek Okreglak Steve and Ann Lefkovits Jack and Kathie Longinotti Erik Marinovich and Dana Johnston Marinovich (MG) Sylvestre and Angela Marlaud Musa Mawanda and Digne Nahimana (MG) Kirill Mazin and Gwen Coyne (MG) Michael, Tina and Joshua Meyer Yousef Nouri and Ann Winterman Thomas Odermatt and Yumi Nakao Marc Piette and Arum Kang Andrea Popa (MG) Phil Purdom and Jennifer Dawson Sébastien and Marjorie Robert Dirk and Marjorie Setchko Muna Shadfar Robert Tjian and Claudia Belcher Amee Tsai Rafael and Yani Vargas Hongguo Wang and Xiang Chen

Gordon and Berna Watson Nick Waugh and Riley Bove Susan Weiner Artur Zawadzki and Anna Zawadzka (MG) Anonymous (3)

Diplomate ($500 to $999)

David Abernathy Jeffrey Appell (MG) Tomas Bayou Ludovic Bellier and Tania Tinoco Espinoza Jebel and Ghessycka Bennett Maer and JoAnna Ben-Yisrael Maxime Boulet-Audet and Fujia Chen Jérôme Bouvard and Stéphanie Poulain Dirk Brockstedt Susan Campbell and Doug Oakley Erica Chan (MG) Jason Cohn and Camille ServanSchreiber Michael Cruse Gaëlle Feliz Frank Fletcher and Libby Hruska Michael Geddes and Mmakgantsi Mafojane Ismael and Audrey Ghozael (MG) Matthew Goff and Dushka Hernandez Jerome and Lieu Gorelzky (MG) Benjamin Grant and Kelley Kahn Brian and Lauren Gzowski Mei-Lin Ha Byers Reginald and Sherryl Hairston Marc and Melanie Hartenfels Jocelyn Jaigirdar Paul Johnson and Joan Steele Maximilien Launey and Shagane Barsegian Launey Vivian and Alfredo Lopez David Macquart-Moulin and Laura Mitchel Guevara Robert Madison and Alexis Tjian Kevin Matthews and Geraldine Le Roux Samuel and Daphne Noily Magali Noth Ilya Oparin and Nadege Oparin-Thorez (MG) Matthew Pech Robert Petrossian and Melineh Ohanjanian Erik and Lauren Rainey Maria del Pilar Reyes and Aykut Akcaoglu (MG) Matthew Roder Catherine Ronneberg Angelica Searles and Patrice Zauret Kapil Shrikhande and Sylvia Ratnasamy Zachary Sifuentes and Claret Vargas Alistair Sinclair and Nataliya Libina Lindsey Smith Timothy and Micah Stilwell Timothy Stokes and Anya Lewis Bruce and Pat Strand Manning Sutton and Hilary Goldman Mihai Toader and Ana Sirbu Camille Trou

Fair Wang and Hui Chuan Liao Arlena Winn Xiang Wu and Yi Chen Nadia Zaks and Aaron Rust Anonymous (6)

Membre (Up to $499)

Ben Abadi and Christina Coleman Abadi Ameena Ahmed Judy Ann Alberti Marie-Anne Allain Tino Andretti and Hélène Choquet Javier Arizmendi and Odile LelandArizmendi Sacha Badame Brigitte Bastrenta and Rudolph Walter Nicolas and Darlene Bearde Keith Beattie and Michelle StrandBeattie Abass Bella Caroline Bertier Michael Biskintawi Mark Bostick and Marna Mignone Nordine Boulhais Emmanuel Bouquillion Eleanor Boyle Anne Brandon Robert and Lillian Brewer Kendall and Cheryl Brown Hervé Bruckert and Emari Dimagiba Marlin Bryant Chauncey Burnett Patricia Camacho Bénédicte Cambon-Ritter and Mark Ritter Bianca Cano Nakamura and Shizen Nakamura Rodrigo Castaneda and Adriana Parcero Andrea Cavallo and Kyle Jeffers Carmine-Emanuele Cella and Béatrice Monfort Olivia Chaillou-Rodes and Stève Chaillou Yvette Chalom and Paul Fogel Rezki Chaouche Dengpeng Chen Ender Choo and Cheah Hui Siow Benjamin and Jessica Cislowski Jean-Baptiste Cochereau Sally Cohen Christopher Colebourn John and Estelle Coleman Steve and Wendy Cook Jonathan Cotté and Carmen Benza Alexandre and Cécile Cottus Emilie Crofton and Bawaya Elisee Sare Luc and Leah De Armey Alfonso and Victoria De la Torre Jean-Pierre De Oliveira and Stephen Diana Natalia Del Pozo Garcia Karine Delambily Alexandra Destler Francis and Ann DiGiano Nathan Dison and Heather Hardwick 2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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John Colin Douglas and Amanda Douglas Wilfried and Lorena Eisinger (MG) Julie Elie Michael Elie (MG) Stephen and Theresa Englehart Cédric Espenel and Megan van Overbeek Fabiola and Jacques Etienne Virginie Falquerho Howard Feight Jean-Philippe Filhol Florian Franceschini Bernice Frucht Miguel and Mayra Garcia Nicolae Garleanu and Linda CoxGarleanu Geneviève Géant Gregory Germe and Emi Fujita Oleg Gidirim and Bahar Ozgur (MG) Samuel and Elise Gipe Mathew Glaser and Maureen Cane Julian Andres Gonzalez Holguin and Lizbeth Viviana Urdaneta Melo Gabriela Gonzalez Piñeda (MG) Amy Gordon-Risz and Yann Risz Olivia Graff Richard and Gretchen Grant Douglas and Sarah Greenholz Sylvaine Guille Griffin Brian Hallinan and Terry Solomon-Tilley Jennifer and William Hammond Alan and Allison Hampton Ann Hasse Ramin and Amy Hedayatpour Joyce Hemmer William amd Mijo Horwich Beverly Hoskins Eric Hughes and Priscilla Wanerus Nghi Huynh Veda Igbinedion Joseph Imwalle and Bridget Dolfi Jesse Jablonski and Sarah Rae Wannier Majda Jenison Manon and Adam Johnson Michael Jonath and Sylvie Mwila Jonath (MG) Véronique and Sean Jordan Donald Kelley and Susan Getman Hana and Naji Khabbaz Chris Kirby Alix Koliha Mirza Kopelman Florence and Jules Kragen Patrick Krzyzosiak and Teresa Parker Bruce Kuhlemann Fanny Labadie Richard and Marie-Paule Laden Hélène LaFrance Dominique Lallement Cécile Laurent Hannah Lê and Edmund Lee Remi Lehe and Anna Venancio Marques Serra Hayne and Kit Leland Vanessa Lerude Jean-Marie and Kathleen Letellier Stephen Levine

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Brigitte Little Nicolas Loncle and Amy Pooler Fred Lonsdale John and Tara Losito (MG) Michael Lukan and Laura Pantaleo Richard and Blanca Lyon Virgile and Véronique Machenaud Carla Maia Antoine and Chase Martin Lloyd Martin and Elmas Martin Maikel Masoud Rosa Materson Heather McWhinney Michelle Mebine Fahim and Rachida Merzouk Jeffrey Miles (MG) Kamran and Anosha Misaghi Béatrice Morand Frank Morrison and Susan VinluanMorrison Virginie Mounkala-Nkodia Matthew and Joséphine Nadler Michael and Elizabeth Nadler Chudi Ndubaku and Nicole Blaquière Jane Newhard-Parks Brent and Nezha Nickerson Sara Nicklès Sasha Nouri Luigi Oldani Albert Pappalardo Joe Parreira André and Solange Parris Chris Pawlowski Marc-Antoine Pignon and Camille Rossi Michael Pincus Roy and Olga Plaut Corinne Pluche Hervé and Rebecca Pluche Barry and Margaret Pollack Olga Popova and David Gay Jano Porter David Pruess and Chloe Le Marchand Bénédicte Remaud and Jean-Christophe Martin Elodie Resurreccion Laurent Rigobert and Ethel Brennan Alfred and Pam Roberts Dominique Roddier and Wendy SitlerRoddier Helen Roder Mary Margaret Rodocker Jeffrey Rodriguez Roberte Rountree David Rust and Joy Smith Benjamin Safdi and Cynthia GerleinSafdi Marie-Elise Sallat and José-Luis Villasante Orville Schell Alexander Schopff and Emma Pollack Victoria and David Schumb Daniel Shawel and Saba Kassu Reid Sherman Noelle Simmaly Alison Skubic Gary Smith and Coline David Bernard Smits and Theresa Nelson Larry Southern

George Speckman Caroline and Jeffrey Robbins Paul Sullivan Stephanie Sullivan Jean-Luc Szpakowski and Gloria Polanski Nicolas Tackett and Kan Liu Pauline Tajchman Lorelei Tarricone Virginie Téjéro Sarah and Chad Thompson Misikir Tilahun and Misgana Bogale Michael Ting and Stéphane de la Rue du Can Marion Tobie Evelio Vila Sanchez and Marianne Vila Frédéric and Ariane Ville Gisèle Villiger Matthew Wadlund Heather Ware Steven Weinberg and Georganne Ferrier Isaiah Weiner and Anna Kozlachkova Roberta and Manny Weiner Stephan Wenger and Asli Apkan Eric Wilkins and Maureen Akika Steven Wilkinson Christopher Williams and Heidi Hawthorne Dirk and Amanda Williams Danya Winterman Viorica and Ibi Winterman Azadeh Yazdi Milan Zydow Anonymous (12) Please Note: Every effort has been made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions.

If, however, your name was in some way listed incorrectly or omitted, please accept our sincere apologies. At a convenient time, please notify Véronique Jordan at the EB Development Office at vjordan@eb.org, so that our records can be corrected.

Sources of Giving for the 2020–2021 Annual Fund n 64% Parents n 16% Corporations,

grandparents, friends n 14% Board n 5% Faculty/Staff n 2% Alumni/Alumni

parents

Corporations & Foundations

Annual Fund Volunteers

AAA Adobe Apple Inc. Bank of America Bank of Marin Bank of the West Chevron Cisco Delta Dental Disney Dolby Laboratories, Inc. Dropbox Equinix Gap Genentech Google Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Heller Consulting Jones Lang Lasalle KeyBank Foundation Levi Strauss Matson Navigation Company, Inc Microsoft Morgan Stanley NetApp, Inc. OSIsoft, LLC Paypal Qatalyst Partners Roblox SalesForce.com Foundation TIAA VISA Wells Fargo Workday, Inc. Yahoo!

Paul-André Abboud Bobby Bartlett Lynn Bentley Jeremy Bled Riley Bove Alexandra Destler Emari Dimagiba Golriz Ghassem-Ardebili Yvette Hatton, Co-Chair Pria Hidisyan, Board Chair Libby Hruska Janice Kirk Max Kozlov Laura Kuhlemann Isabelle Le Blanc Angela Marlaud Mark McPherson Greg Nemitz Doug Oakley Tracy Poff Stephanie Profitt Maria Reyes, Co-Chair Sarah Sawyer Hal Stevens Susan Collier Thomakos Stephanie Sullivan Berna Watson Suna Yalaz-Angell

Annual Fund Participation Rates n 100% Trustees n 100% Administration & Staff n n

90% Parents 87% Faculty

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SPECIAL GIFTS Library Fund Donor

Gifts in honor of…

Ann Hasse

• Sebastian Barker Gabriela Gonzalez Piñeda

Alex Mills Memorial Fund Additional Donors Linda and Craig Hildebrant John Rosenthal and Sally Drach Mary Havemann Library Fund Additional Donors Richard and Heidi Hintz

• Christine Borchani Yvette Chalom and Paul Fogel • Philippa Brown-Lopes Kendall and Cheryl Brown • Frederick Corbin II Freddy and Lisa Corbin • Renee Cole Clyde Amy Gordon-Risz and Yann Risz • Jean-Gaël Collomb Francis and Ann DiGiano • Carol Cosman Ann Hasse

• EB teachers and staff Jeremy Fanucchi and Paola Meta

• Lewis Howell Justin and Brooke Howell

• Andre Demarest Dominique Lallement

• Lucien and Mylène Arnaud Boullé and Marisol Puentes Orduz

• Gaëlle Feliz and Véronique Jordan Sasha Nouri • Isabelle Foulon Carl Langford and Wendy Bernstein • Irène Hardy Angelica Searles • Naomi Harm Jason Harm and Kathryn CrepeauHarm

• Leah Mallet Camille Winet and Randall Elarco • Mollie Mandle Anomymous • Patricia and Bill Alberto Blanco and Kalei Patrick-DeMello • Emma Ragot Sally Cohen

• Colin Hasse Ann Hasse

• Teachers and TAs Magali Noth

• Beatrix and Nellie Hatton Beverly Hoskins

• Delois Jackson Wilkinson Steven Wilkinson

THE EB ENDOWMENT For the past several years, the EB community has been working diligently to invest in the long-term success and health of our community. It is no easy feat, but our community is lucky to have had past and present donors who continue to commit their efforts to support the EB Endowment. Currently, the EB Endowment is composed of three distinct funds.

The Silver Jubilee Endowment Fund was created in 2003 by one of EB’s founders in celebration of the school’s 25th anniversary.

In 2015, alumni parents John Rosenthal and Sally Drach established the Fund for Excellence.

Allocations from this fund will support specific expenses intended to enhance the educational experience of EB students.

In 2008, the graduating class and their parents created an EB tradition of presenting the school with their legacy gifts to the EB Endowment. Despite a tumultuous year with most of their learning taking place online or in a hybrid learning model, students made their contributions to the class gift in the fall, totaling $163. Other parents and alumni parents joined in giving to the Endowment, for a total of $2,213.

Thank you Ed Sweet and Hal Stevens for your leadership and encouragement!

G8 Class Gift Student Donors Clara Bartlett Anna Dixon Maëlle Griffin Henry Hoffmann Margot Johnson Simon Langford Tobias Prichard-Boissier Persys Shadfar Roxanne Sweetstevens Kai Valle Donald Watson

Endowment Donors Sam and Magali Arons Gaëlle Feliz Tanny Keeler and Kent Hodgetts Alexis Knudsen Ritu Rai and Sidhardth Kapila Victoria and David Schumb Madeleine Stokes

G8 Class Gift Parent Donors Robert Bartlett and Victoria Plaut Dirk Brockstedt Manon and Adam Johnson Edward Sweet and Harold Stevens Guido Valle Gordon and Berna Watson

Current Value of Endowment Funds*: Silver Jubilee Endowment Fund EB Class Gift Endowment Fund EB Fund for Excellence TOTAL

$242,670 $163,999 $85,959 $492,628

*As of June 30, 2021

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES!

Congratulations to our Class of 2021 heading off to high school!

Clara Bartlett Julien Blake Dominik Brockstedt Clara Chaillou Anna Dixon Alexandre Girerd Maximilien Girerd Maëlle Griffin Henry Hoffmann Margot Johnson

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Simon Langford Eli Pawlowski Tobias Prichard-Boissier Oscar Rigobert Zaynab Safi-Eddine Persys Shadfar Roxanne Sweetstevens Kai Valle Donald Watson

CHOSEN HIGH SCHOOLS Acanales High School (1) Albany High School (1) Berkeley High School (4) Bishop O’Dowd High School (2) College Preparatory School (1) Head-Royce School (1) International High School (1) Maybeck High School (2) Marin Academy (1) Saint Mary’s College High School (4) Stuart Hall High School (1)

Class of 2017 students at an EB-sponsored picnic.

Congratulations to our Class of 2017 heading off to college!

Aiyanna Adams Havis Armstrong-Harris Elizabeth Bisno Noam Chocron Connor Corcoran Jordan Cornet Nicholas Davis Amanuela DeArmey Sabina Dzankic Hugo Gostlin Andrew Grasman Camille Grisot d’Allancé Morgane Hanley Cyanne Hett Edward Hoffmann Melody Joliff Nina Kelley Max-Emilien Kluiwstra-Descalle Audrey Krueger Juliette Labadie Tia Laurent

James Lukan Ella Macallair Kames Matheson Aidan McCarthy Nicolas Nouri Marco Pellerin Josephine Poff Marius Pot d’Astier de la Vigerie Nina Prunet-Sharma Amélie Ritter Isabel Ross Evelyn Ruiz George Russell Kalin Sivolella Noah Sonet Benjamin Theunissen Anna Tripier Adriana Villarina

CHOSEN UNIVERSITIES Barnard College Cal State University, Long Beach College of Marin CSU East Bay Diablo Valley College Duke University Loyola Marymount University McGill University The New School Northeastern University San Diego State University (2) San Francisco State University UC Berkeley UC Berkeley - Sciences Po, Dual BA UC Davis UC Riverside UC Santa Cruz University of Miami University of Oregon University of Washington Tufts University Tulane University Wentworth Institute of Technology 2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT AWARDEE: ROSE CARMEN GOLDBERG CLASS OF 1998 Congratulations Rose!

What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?

I attended EB all the way through, from Pre-K to eight grade. So there are many enjoyable experiences to pick from. For one, I enjoyed the deep immersion in a different language and culture. (I still dream in French, so clearly the immersion is deep!) It has given me a more expansive view of the world and my role in it. Indeed, my time at EB meant much more than learning a language in a technical sense. At EB, students are treated as the intellectual equivalent of adults. Thanks to this pedagogical philosophy, the EB curriculum exposed me to foundational questions about identity, morality, and mortality through French literature and poetry. It’s rare for schools to have young students grapple with deep life questions, but it’s so important. My EB experience is precious to me because of more than academics, though. I made lifelong friends, and am still very close with a group of women from my year. We’re more like sisters, really. EB friends are the ones you call when you lose a parent, and the friends you Zoom with to meet new babies during a pandemic.

Please describe your current work.

I wear two professional hats. First, I’m a Deputy Attorney General in the Office of the California Attorney General’s Public Rights Division.

I conduct investigations and file lawsuits to protect Californians, with a focus on veterans and

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servicemembers, preventing gun violence, protecting individuals with disabilities, and holding the federal government accountable for following the law. I litigate in both state and federal court, and collaborate with state attorneys general offices across the country.

Having a big impact as an individual on communities across my native California is very fulfilling.

Second, I’m a Lecturer at UC Berkeley School of Law. I teach Veterans Law, a specialization I developed over years of representing homeless and low-income veterans in San Francisco. Following equal rights icon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s vision of the military as a key battleground for social justice, my Veterans Law course focuses on some of the most pressing issues of our time, including sexual assault, racism, and discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. I also teach Legal Research and Writing to international Master of Law students. Teaching such accomplished and diverse students is exciting and humbling. I’m constantly learning from them.

How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession?

Going to school in Berkeley teaches you to recognize inequities and to understand your responsibility to try to combat them. And the EB curriculum feeds into this, teaching students to be aware of the world around them, near and far, in all its diversity, and to embrace it. EB also gave me an early love of reading and writing, which helped lay the

“The EB curriculum… teach[es], students to be aware of the world around them, near and far, in all its diversity, and to embrace it.” groundwork for my law practice and teaching. EB pushes students to pay close attention to language, to its many layers and meanings.

This passion for language—so quintessentially French—is critical to my success as a lawyer. Moreover, learning the law is like learning a new language, and my EB education gave me a comfort and thirst for this process of growth.

What would you say to parents just starting out at EB? Take advantage of it, too! Both my sister and I went to EB. My dad spoke fluent French before we enrolled, having lived in France and Switzerland for many years, and having his daughters at EB gave him a home in a francophone community. He found friends in

fellow EB parents, friends he could speak French with, eat good stinky cheeses with, and watch French movies with. Though my mom didn’t speak French when my sister and I started at EB, she learned along with us. She joined a parents’ group that met in the evenings to learn French together. Overall, I would emphasize to new EB parents that EB is a tight-knit community, not just amongst students and teachers, but also parents. It’s not only students that find community and immersion in another culture, parents experience this, too.

Describe your favorite EB memory.

I have many good memories from EB, and many involve Michael Rossman. As my science teacher, Michael led me and my classmates through reptile dissections and taught us about the secret lives of plants. Michael was much more than a science teacher or camp leader. He brought his background as a social justice advocate and one of the leaders of the free speech movement at UC Berkeley in the sixties into the classroom.

He strongly encouraged everyone to speak up for themselves, in big and small ways, and to stand up for what they believe in. He also paid close attention to students as individuals. He made especially clear, as a science teacher, that women can be anything, including and especially scientists. This was an important message to hear at a formative age, when other parts of society were saying otherwise.

Though I didn’t become a scientist, I like to think I’m living up to Michael’s faith in me by blazing my own path

in public interest law.

Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world?

I feel so lucky to have gone to EB, both professionally and personally.

Speaking French has served as a powerful tool in my public interest work. For instance, before law school I worked at a non-profit in the Bronx in New York that serves French-speaking immigrant women from West Africa. Because of my fluency in French, I was able to communicate with these women directly when almost no one else could, to help them access critical services and to support their immigration cases. My exposure to another language and other ways of living and thinking through EB makes me a better teacher to my international students at UC Berkeley School of Law. In addition to being able to speak French with my (many) French-speaking students, I know what it feels like to have one leg in another culture.

This helps me understand my students’ personal experiences in the classroom and connect with them in a richer way. So ultimately, EB has made me a citizen of the world wherever I am. Even now, having made it full circle back home to the Bay Area, after having lived and worked in many states and countries.

Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why? Absolutely. EB’s intimate community is a great place to grow up in,

especially in contrast to the growing disconnection and alienation of modern times. EB is like a small village, with deep connections to the bigger city of Berkeley and the larger world. Moreover, fluency in French is an asset in so many ways, even if you don’t move to a Frenchspeaking country or go into a field that uses French. It helped me a lot in learning Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, for instance. The less tangible experience of living in two cultures also helps you see outside yourself, and to better connect with and embrace others. This is good for being a lawyer, teacher, doctor, artist, investor, writer, whatever your children might grow up to be.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I am so honored to have been selected for the Alumni Spotlight Award. As a third grader playing kickball in the EB courtyard or a seventh grader reading Jacques Prévert, I never would have imagined this happening in my wildest dreams. In attending EB graduation this year to speak, the real treat for me was hearing from the graduating students. They spoke with honesty and insight about how difficult the pandemic has been and with optimism for the future. As I told students in my speech, I can’t wait to see what they’ll do as future citizens of the world.

2021–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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ANNE-MARIE LONSDALE CLASS OF 1995 What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?

Our amazing teachers! I will always remember Mary Havemann, Judith, Jean-Yves, Mr. Nikoloff, Libby, Coach, and all my wonderful, caring teachers from my time at EB. Please describe your current work.

I work in the performing arts in multiple capacities, as a producer, consultant, facilitator, and administrator first in San Francisco and Chicago, and now in New York.

I own my own business, Partake Arts, which offers strategic and capacity building services to artistled organizations, and I am also the Managing Director of The Story Collider, a science communications and storytelling nonprofit.

How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession?

We read so widely all the great French poetry and literature, as well as English-language classics, and this allowed me to be deeply grounded in the texts that create my foundation as a theater artist and creator. I first fell in love with theater and dance while a student at EB, and I even had the chance to direct a Molière play, The Misanthrope, when I was in college.

What would you say to parents just starting out at EB? Don’t be afraid that your kids are gossiping about you in French behind your back, because they are! Please know that giving your children the gift of a bilingual education will change their lives for the better forever, and that you are 38

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offering them the world, literally. Enjoy watching their minds explode as they learn, speak, and read in two languages, and don’t feel left out.

Describe your favorite EB memory.

The France trip to Lyon in 5th Grade!

What a wonderful experience, to get to truly live in another country, to make such wonderful connections with my host family, and to enjoy France. We went to Paris and Mont Blanc. It was the experience of a lifetime.

Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world?

Being bilingual from the age of four has given me so many gifts. I have been able to study and learn in French, Spanish, Italian, and Greek.

I’m now learning Portuguese so that I can communicate with my sisterin-law’s family in Portugal. I travel widely and without fear, and often find myself translating for people at the pharmacy or in a café, if I can.

The gift of language also made me much more adept at mathematics, which has allowed me to excel in the finance aspects of my work. I also know that being raised in multiple cultures with fellow students who speak multiple languages and come from many different cultures has made me more open, more engaged, and more committed to equity and justice in our world.

Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why? Being raised in both a bilingual and multi-cultural community, I know

“…Giving your children the gift of a bilingual education will change their lives for the better forever…” that I am more deeply aware of the diversity of lived experiences and histories that make up the world. I feel that I am more sensitized to the world around me, and more able to identify problematic political and historical narratives because I am constantly comparing and contrasting the stories we are offered in our culture. Learning French and American narratives naturally offers us the opportunity to understand the complex world that we have inherited postcolonialism, and teaches us about our privilege and responsibility to the larger global community. This comes directly from a bilingual and bicultural education that prioritizes critical thinking, like the one offered at EB.

SORMEH YAZDI CLASS OF 2008 What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?

Describe your favorite EB memory.

Informatique avec Madame Pluche et cours de musique avec Sandra. I also have fond memories of every class and all the friends I made while at EB.

In eighth grade the entire class went to France together as part of an exchange program with another French school. One day Mme Métayer gave us an exercise to help us explore the Parisian métro system where we were split up into groups and basically raced from point A to point B. Each group had an adult chaperone who was meant to only help us from getting extremely lost, otherwise we were left to decide the best route ourselves. It was a great team building exercise and just extremely fun. We got a sense of freedom and responsibility while still being very safe.

Please describe your current studies.

I’m a student at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.

How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession?

My grade schooling at EB has shaped my entire life. I studied abroad in France and had a really wonderful time, largely because I already had a good grasp of the language and could make connections easily because of it. I did research in a physics lab in France because I was one of the few physics students who spoke French and could communicate easily with an international lab.

What would you say to parents just starting out at EB? The methods EB used to teach its students French surpass any other language classes at other schools.

EB fully immerses its students into French language and culture.

Having half of their classes in French and the other half in English really gives fluency to students.

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Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world?

Yes, I do.

Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why?

“I really benefited from the small class sizes and value the ability to speak French with ease.”

If I end up back in the Bay Area, I would certainly consider sending my children to EB. I really benefited from the small class sizes and value the ability to speak French with ease.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Artichauts sauvages !

(Sormeh Note: reference to the houses they had—a chant that her house came up with.)

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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DEMIR WORTHINGTHON CLASS OF 2010 What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?

I went to EB from Pre-K to the end of Middle School, so I experienced the whole gamut. I think the best time at EB was actually getting to reflect on what I learned at the end of Middle School. I was lucky enough to create long-lasting friendships, and I’m still very close to some of my EB best friends, whom I see regularly. While education was important, I enjoyed all the classes I took, especially the interactions with the faculty. Just getting exposed to a broader global community was what I liked the most about EB. Please describe your current work.

I am an engineer and geologist working for the California Environmental Protection Agency doing water quality and protection.

One of the main things I do is work on spill response. So whenever there is a diesel, chemical or illegal spill into a wetland or waterway, I’m the point of contact. Usually what we’re doing is trying to assess the situation, give input to the responsible agency or party, and try to help them to direct cleanup activities. Sometimes I’ll coordinate with the legal team and write up orders if there are any penalties. I also work with parties who are having issues complying with water quality regulations and help them achieve compliance. I do a lot of things but it is guided by the principle to protect water quality in the Bay Area, whatever situation presents itself. I’m lucky to get to do something that I’m passionate about and makes a difference. I get to flex that scientific muscle, as well.

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How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession?

Going to EB gave me the perspective that whatever I do as an adult, I want to positively impact the community that I’m from or that I participate in.

With that in mind, I went to school with the dream of doing some environmental work, but I wasn’t sure yet what that was. When I got the opportunity to work for the State of California, I realized that it was a job that I would be making a direct positive impact on the people and places that I know and love. EB gave me a strong sense of community and a strong sense of responsibility for protecting my community.

What would you say to parents just starting out at EB? For parents just starting out at EB at Preschool, it’s going to be tough at the start. The transition is hard, but if you start learning French with your kids, the language is with you forever. Sometimes, it’s hard to support your kids if you don’t come from a Francophone background, but things do get better very quickly.

For parents, generally, the quality of education is great at EB. You would be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t get involved in the extracurricular activities, school events, and community. That’s what EB provides better than any other school in the area. Don’t just send your kid to school to EB, but actually be part of the events and interact with your fellow families. This is such a special community.

Describe your favorite EB memory.

When I went to France in the 8th grade, it totally blew my mind to fly halfway across the world with some of my best friends as a teenager. To just wander around the city, explore on our own and take in the rich French culture that Paris had to offer, was a pretty amazing learning experience. It was a big part of growing up and learning how to navigate the world on my own and it was a lot of fun.

Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world?

I absolutely feel like I’m a citizen of the world. After graduating from EB, and moving on, and meeting new people from new backgrounds, you realize that not everyone is exposed as you are when you’ve gone through EB. I felt lucky when travelling to France and other places where I didn’t know the language. Being in Germany, I knew French and how transportation worked, and how other cultures can be organized, but knowing the difference between France and the U.S. helped me get my bearings in the world. This has given me a lot of comfort, emotionally and professionally. EB has given me a lot of tools and confidence to go out, and face the world.

ELISE KRUEGER CLASS OF 2013 What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?

I loved the opportunity we were given to learn and discover different history and ways of life through our dual curriculum and all the amazing trips we took. Being able to travel and learn outside of the classroom was an amazing opportunity. From the small day trips to having correspondents in France, kept me interested in class as it tied what we learned to real life and experiences.

Please describe your current work.

I am a realtor and personal trainer here in the Bay Area and love that I have the opportunity to do both!

Going into college I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life. I was playing D1 soccer and I was happy with that. I was majoring in business because I knew it was a broad major which could help me with almost any job I wanted. At the end of my freshman year, I saw the seniors graduate and realized that would be me in a few years, I realized I needed to enjoy my time in college while working hard and setting myself up for a good future after graduation. I got a job, while still playing soccer, got my real estate license, and graduated a semester early, finishing school online during the pandemic.

A year later I am working full time as a realtor at Compass and as a personal trainer. I joined my mother, who has been a realtor for over 22 years, and we formed The Vives Krueger Team. I love having someone to work with and utilizing each of our strengths.

How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession?

My choice of profession was not something I thought I would be doing. I have always loved looking at houses, remodels, etc. However I did not know I would get into real estate. EB provided me with knowledge, skills, and a work ethic to be able to work for myself. I am able to work for myself and do two jobs which I absolutely love.

What would you say to parents just starting out at EB? EB is a great opportunity for your child to not only become bilingual in both speaking and writing but it encourages learning in and outside of the classroom.

“Being able to travel and learn outside of the classroom was an amazing opportunity.”

Describe your favorite EB memory.

I have several favorite memories from EB so it is hard to pick one.

The most memorable moment was the “polar swim” on our trip to Catalina. We woke up early, it’s cold outside, and we jumped into the freezing water. My other favorite memory is Grandparents’ Day. My grandparents would come every year and it is something we still talk about to this day.

Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world?

Academically, EB did a great job at preparing me for the next steps of life and continuing my education.

EB did a great job at allowing us to discover and visit places we might have never had the opportunity to see.

Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why? I would absolutely consider sending my children to EB, mainly for the bilingual aspect. My mother is French, moved to the US in her mid 20s, so for me to be able to get a French education and do the same for my future children is amazing.

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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ZEINA SAAD CLASS OF 1994

What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?

What would you say to parents just starting out at EB?

The sense of community and building that community was amazing. I’m still friends with some of my EB peers, and French is still a big part of my life, as well as my children’s life. EB also helped me build my confidence, and I was able to thrive academically and socially after EB. EB helped me create a solid foundation for the rest of my academic and professional life, especially being able to navigate two languages.

I was lucky enough to have French-speaking parents at home. My parents could help me with my homework. Even if you don’t speak French at home, there is so much capacity for language acquisition at home. If you create connections with other EB families, those connections last for years. My neighbor’s child, who is now 26, they still have best friends at EB, and it’s wonderful to still have that sense of close knit community.

Please describe your current work.

Describe your favorite EB memory.

I’m a consultant. I work with clients in implementing software and software solutions. I work primarily with nonprofits to make software more efficient. This is something that I’ve been doing for quite a while, which I love!

I have great memories of the teachers. I have such a strong association with certain people. I had some powerhouse teachers, who were pretty fantastic, and I have them in such high regard. They played such a big role in my life, and being able to share that with my brothers. I even saw one of my former teachers at an event through work last year, and it was such a wonderful experience to see her again!

How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession?

The math curriculum was particularly strong at EB, and set me up for success in my high school and college education, as well as my profession. When kids ask you, “why do you need to know math?” Well, it’s not just math, you probably won’t use calculus in your life, but it’s the foundation of problem solving and critical thinking. That’s something with the basis in math that helped me out a lot later on. Having a mixed education, and that separates other folks around you, and being able to confidently travel, also positively influenced my choice of profession.

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Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world?

First of all, EB 100% prepared me. I went directly from EB to the Oakland Unified School District, and the experiences were night and day.

EB offered small, tight-knit classes in a tiny building, and we were one of the first graduating classes to have Middle School classes at the Grayson campus. Going to a huge school was totally different. I was coming into a school that included

9th grade in Middle School and coming in at the very last year, but even that big transition was important in learning how to adapt.

After leaving EB, everything was easy, education-wise, if I’m honest.

I even left EB with a Spanish education, and continued with it later on. In terms of being a citizen of the world, I’ve lived in a dozen countries and traveled in over 50.

I’m Lebanese, and born in Lebanon, but EB has continued to instill this love of travel. We have the privilege and the love to do it.

Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why? I would definitely send my kids to EB, and I would love for them to be a part of the community.

“EB helped me create a solid foundation for the rest of my academic and professional life, especially being able to navigate two languages.”

ALUMNI NOTES Vincent Bustararret (1986) founder of CityScoot, the first service to offer full access to electric mopeds throughout Paris, Milan, Barcelona and Nice, has been taking western Europe by storm! It successfully raised $25.6 million in 2020. They are even allowed to circulate in rue de Rivoli in Paris, which is now closed to cars.

Nick Chaset (1996), CEO of East Bay Community Energy, which seeks to lead the transition to clean power in our area, co-launched a new green initiative in July 2021. The ultimate goal is to reduce the cost of power purchases for, and retain the “green attributes” of the renewable energy contract for local public power agencies.

Gabriel Chytry (1995), a Broadway theater actor and former basketball player, was chosen to replicate Lincoln in the six-part CNN series, “Lincoln: Divided We Stand.”

Camilo Eifler (2012) was drafted by the NFL Jets Training Camp as a linebacker in the summer of 2021.

Justine Gilcrease (1982) is co-owner of Justine’s, a fabulous late-night French brasserie in Austin, considered one of the top fifty restaurants in the city. Justin Huffman, former sous-chef who left for California for the last couple of years, has returned as the executive chef, and is planning to focus on more Southern French Provençal cuisine. If you’re in the Austin area, make sure to check out the fare!

Martin Jonikas (1996) assistant professor of molecular biology of Princeton, was one of three recipients to receive the 2020 Vilcek Foundation Prize, which recognizes the career achievements of foreign-born innovators in the sciences. A citation from the Vilcek Foundation states: “Jonikas has used molecular biology to advance the single-celled green algae Chlamydomonas as a widely used model for photosynthesis—biochemical process at the heart of global food production.”

Nicholas Tripcevich (1981), works at the Archaeological Research Facility at UC Berkeley.

He has been conducting archaeological research in central Andes since 1999, focusing on obsidian quarrying and geochemistry, the Andean caravanning tradition, geophysics, and geospatial analysis methods in archaeology. More recently, his work on llama caravan routes has been featured in the Smithsonian Magazine and Discover.

Julian Walter (1999), commercial and travel photographer, rode the legendary Trans-Siberian Railroad, and captured his unique experience for Condé Nast Traveler last year.

Mei-Lin Ha Byers (1999), EB’s Director of Development and Communications, welcomed a beautiful son in May 2021.

Bienvenue Quinlan ! We are so excited to have him join EB when he’s old enough! (photo right)

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ALUMNI STAY IN TOUCH EB ALUMNI RECONNECT

Graduation

TEDxYouth

Alumni Spotlight Award 2021 Recipient, Rose Carmen Goldberg (‘98), was invited to speak at the G8 Graduation, recounting her EB experience and how it impacted her life and career in working as a lawyer for public rights.

Kate Solomon-Tilley, class of 2001, came back to EB to participate in our sixth Annual TEDxYouth Conference, and EB’s first virtual conference. Kate has been working on Broadway for many years with kids in productions such as Lion King, Aladdin, and What the Constitution Means to Me. She was invited to share her experience fostering three toddlers and how everyday citizens can take action when confronted with injustice and human rights violations.

Meaghan McGrath, class of 2002, spoke about the future of farming. Passionate about sustainable food production, she focused on the innovative impact of indoor vertical farming, and how this new technology can save space and resources while utilizing a system that mitigates the effects of climate change.

Meaghan studied Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Following three years with Blue Earth Consultants in Oakland, she then completed her Master of Environmental Management at the Yale School of Forestry, while also pursuing an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She currently works for Plenty, an innovative vertical farming company based in South San Francisco that is focused on growing snackably delicious produce near consumers.

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Summer at EB We were busy this summer, after finally being able to open our summer camp for EB students!

We saw some friendly faces who joined our camp as counselors, including recent EB alums, Anna Dixon and Clara Chaillou (‘21), and a rising junior Aleksander Ramirez (‘18)!

Samin Yzadi (‘12) interned at EB virtually for several months, helping us prepare for our first virtual gala, EB en Fête, as well as helping to launch our Alumni Giving Day, to help strengthen the EB Endowment for future generations. Samin has been accepted into Penn State for Law. Félicitations !

A Time to Remember and Come Together— Virtually For the first time, EB hosted a holiday-themed virtual alumni reunion, where many of our alumni peers came together from all over the country and the world, from as far as France, Scotland, and even Ohio!

ALUMNI COMMITTEE

Alumni Committee Members Becky Andersen Nasi Maghsoudnia Brigitte Bastrenta White Anne Brandon Michelle Maguire Pat Burns Johnelle Mancha Christine Chapon Tina Meyer Tina ChenMichael Morris Chardonnet Susan Nehme Awatif Chirar Brenda Ogburn Steve Cook Gloria Polanski Tamara Daney Natalie Powell Thierry Durandard Ritu Rai Luz de la Riva Rick Richetta Fabiola Etienne Karoline Robbins, Gaëlle Feliz Co-Chair Joan Finnie Karma Roberts Hilary Goldman Cottie Rood Amy Gordon-Risz Roberte Rountree Hülya Gürtuna Marie-José Sat Mei-Lin Ha Byers Vicki Schumb, Ann Hasse Co-Chair Brooke Hauch Joan Steele Joyce Hemmer Nathalie Stringfellow Elizabeth Herzberg Nathalie Valette Virginia Hoyt Jacqueline Van Lang Devyani Jain Susan VinluanVéronique Jordan Morrison Florence Kragen Priscilla Wanerus Kathleen Letellier Demir Worthington Steve Levine Azadeh Yazdi Vivian Lopez Milan Zydow

After their children have graduated, sometimes many years later, our alumni parents continue to show up to support and celebrate EB. This year, with many of our events canceled or moved to the virtual space, we had fewer opportunities to gather, yet our Alumni Committee remained no less committed.

Our annual Alumni Reunion was held online, with support from long-time Middle School teacher Corinne Pluche. It was wonderful to see alums from all over the states and as far away as France and the UK come to check in, share updates, reminisce and get competitive with a little online trivia.

We are grateful to our EB Cinéma Chair, Demir Worthington, for organizing two virtual movie viewings and discussions. Les glaneurs et la glaneuse (The Gleaners & I), directed by Agnès Varda, followed a series of French gleaners and the tradition of reusing food and material in urban landscapes as well as in the countryside. Une semaine de vacances (A Week of Vacation), was the story of a young school teacher from Lyon who takes a week’s leave to reflect on the essential aspects of her career and her personal life. Watching and discussing these two films together made for engaging evenings with fellow EB cinephiles!

Though our traditions have paused or been adapted, our Alumni Committee continues to show up to create an ongoing legacy for generations of EB families and students. We are grateful to the 2020–2021 Co-Chairs, Vicki Schumb and Karoline Robbins, who led this year’s committee with grace and flexibility. We feel fortunate to have such dedicated members to maintain our wonderful Alumni Committee!

Would you like to be a part of the Alumni Committee? Please reach out to our Director of Development, Mei-Lin Ha Byers, at mha@eb.org.

Do you have a new email address? New school or job? New exciting project? Visit the Alumni tab at eb.org and let us know via our “Stay in Touch” page. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, @eb_alumni, and LinkedIn!

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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RENEE “COLEY” CLYDE AWARD RECIPIENTS The Renee “Coley” Clyde Inspirational Volunteer Award was created in 2018 in memory of a special member of EB’s community, and an incredible parent volunteer. The goal of the award is to honor and recognize a parent or family whose dedication to EB serves as a source of inspiration for our community, as did its namesake. We are thrilled to announce that the recipients of the 2020–2021 award are Stephanie Walton and Natasha Boissier.

STEPHANIE WALTON Throughout the years, Stephanie has been a big fan of EB’s and one of its most vocal cheerleaders.

Since her family’s start at EB in 2008, Stephanie quickly jumped into the volunteering mix, starting off as a Room Rep and then joining the Annual Fund team in what would become a yearly tradition.

Her larger than life personality, fiery passion and enthusiastic charm made her an irresistible volunteer, who could pull you in and make you joyfully agree to just about anything she asked. Stephanie took supporting the school seriously (but always with fun at heart), and played a huge role in the school’s development efforts, as a Trustee Co-Chair of the Board’s Development Committee for three years, chairing the Annual Fund for numerous years, and one of the best last day campaign callers around.

Stephanie was always the first to generously offer her home for EB events, host parties for the auction, and sign up for wherever help was needed. She brought her radio and television experience to emcee 46

ECOLE BILINGUE DE BERKELEY

many galas, as well as rock the stage as the lead singer for EB parent band Crisis during countless World Celebrations, Marchés, and parties. We are so thankful for the many years of fun, liveliness, laughter, and dedication Stephanie shared with EB!

NATASHA BOISSIER Early on, Natasha decided that becoming involved with EB as a supporter and volunteer was one of the best ways to support her children’s experience. She joined the PA as the Scrips and Retail Rebates Chair and then signed on as an Annual Fund volunteer for six years to help raise critical funds for EB. Her role in creating and chairing the Locavore table at World Celebrations started a yearly tradition to celebrate local foods.

Later on, Natasha brough energy and excitement to her role as Marché Chair and helped create some of the brightest memories for our families: endless entertainment via the petting zoo, acrobats performing on the lawn, beach-themed fun for all, and delicious eats from local vendors. In 2020, Natasha organized a wonderful sociallydistanced graduation, ensuring our 8th graders felt celebrated and special even amidst a pandemic.

We are grateful to Natasha for her innumerable contributions, her positive attitude, her generosity of spirit, and all the many ways she supports EB, big and small. Thank you!

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Three cheers for the EB Parents’ Association! The school is privileged to have such a committed group of parents and caregivers who ensure that the community remains whole.

Led by the exceptional team of Rhonda Goldstein, Jeremy Bled, Aimee Aikin, and Florence Zakharov, the PA was instrumental in supporting our parents with engaging activities this year. They helped organized gingerbread house making, a family magic show, Earth Day celebrations for kids and families, and our virtual First Friday coffees. Since most of our events were hosted online, our Diversity Chairs and other parents took the initiative to launch several affinity groups, such as the EB Dad’s Antiracist Book Club, EB Parents of Children of Color, and the Learning Differences Support Group, to help parents and caregivers find comfort and support in navigating challenges unique to their families, background, and experience.

The PA is an integral part of the EB community.

Year after year, they help bring families together to create community, support our faculty and ensure our children have a great experience. We deeply appreciate the PA Board for their continued coordination and commitment in growing our sense of community, culture and love of EB. Thank you to all of our parents who volunteer their time and energy for EB: thank you for being the backbone of this school. The level of your dedication demonstrates your passion to create something meaningful, long-lasting and genuine here at EB. Merci !

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2020–2021 Parents’ Association PA Officers Anglophone Co-President Francophone Co-President Anglophone Co-Vice-President Francophone Co-Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Communications Secretary Room Rep Coordinators: (TPS–G1) (G2–G5) (G6–G8)

Rhonda Goldstein Jeremy Bled Aimee Aikin Florence Zakharov Laura Schummers Yousef Nouri Maria DiGiano Lauren Barcelon Colleen Boyle Brian Turner

Committee Chairs Annual Fund EB en Fête Gala World Celebrations Diversity Chair Teacher/Staff Gifts

Yvette Hatton, Maria Reyes Stéphanie Ross, Cécile Cottus Golriz Ardebili, Amy Glaze Laura Guevara Colleen Boyle

ROOM REPRESENTATIVES

Thank you to our numerous Room Reps who enrich our students’ experience every day!

Without the typical on-campus events or activities last year, Room Reps had to find a way to creatively support teachers and their students. EB’s Room Representatives persevered and found meaningful ways to make the classroom fun for everyone!

Between safely baked goods for students, crafts for Room Rep Coordinators Aimee Aikin (TPS–G1) Colleen Boyle (G2–G5) Erin McCormick (G6–G8)

Aimee Aikin Lauren Barcelon Stephanie Battle Tomas Bayou Naomi Black Colleen Boyle Jess Cislowski Susan Collier Thomakos Linda Cox-Garleanu

Lunar New Year, and gift packages for teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, our Room Reps stepped up to the plate and provided the faculty with much needed support and fun ways to engage students! Un grand merci to all of our Room Reps who made this year possible!

Rebecca Dahmani Bridget Dolfi Julie Elie Rhonda Goldstein Lieu Gorelzky Jennifer Hammond Marc Hedlund Angela Jacobson Géraldine Le Roux Paola Meta Daisy Nguyen Céline Pallud Tatiana Pavlova

Emma Pollack Lauren Rainey Charlie Richey Karoline Robbins Ed Rogers Camille Rossi Seyyida Saterfield Julie Shackleton Katie Slemmer Victor Shnayder Rae Wannier Crystal Yu

“I like the connection to the school, playing a part in making fun things happen for students and families, knowing the Room Rep parents for all the grades, and getting to know all the lovely folks at EB.” —Colleen Boyle, EB parent, on why she volunteers

2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT

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IN MEMORIAM

Andrée Graham, mother of Benjamin Graham (2002) and Emma Deboncoeur (1997), was born on March 18, 1953, in Alsace, France. She moved to the U.S. in the early 1970s to attend the University of Indiana where she also met her husband, Mark Graham. She later moved to the Bay Area to teach French at Stanford University and to get her MBA from UC Berkeley, before settling in Berkeley.

Andrée Graham Mar. 18, 1953–Nov. 10, 2021

Although Andrée battled Multiple Sclerosis, she did not let her disability stop her from living a full life. As a life-long learner, she took classes every semester at UC Berkeley’s OLLI program. To stay connected to her French roots, she proudly participated in Les Amis de la Culture Française and La Bibliothèque Tournante. When it came to staying active, Andrée was fearless, always finding ways to participate in various programs for people with disabilities, including yoga, pool exercises, and even white-water rafting. She gave back to the local community, mentoring and tutoring immigrant students as well as helping in other local causes. To her last days, she remained determined and graceful.

Andrée passed away November 10, 2021, and is survived by her son, Benjamin Graham, and ex-husband, Mark Graham.

Baifang Schell, mother of Sebastian (2006) and Sasha Schell (2007) and wife or Orville Schell, passed away last year. Orville and Baifang met in Beijing and were married in 1987. Her death leaves an immense emptiness in the center of all their lives.

Baifang Schell Jan. 4, 1956–Feb. 22, 2021

Angelica “ZiZi” Searles Feb. 1, 1980–Dec. 29, 2021

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Her two wonderful boys were lucky enough to go to Ecole Bilingue that had a singular trait upon which Baifang and Orville often remarked: “Students there tended to treat each other kindly, respectful and to form fast and lasting friendships. Indeed, today our boys still see many of their old Ecole Bilingue friends on a regular basis. In this world where things come and go so rapidly, this is a lovely gift. Thank you.”

Angelica “ZiZi” Searles was born on February 1, 1980, in Monterey Park, California. Her dedication to the environment propelled her in 2008 to begin her 10-year career with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She later completed her Master of Science degree at SF State in Hydrogeology in 2014. ZiZi was known for her passionate dedication to both the communities she served and the people she worked with.

A tiny blessing presented itself when her first baby boy, King, was born in 2011. Her second baby boy, Prince, was born in 2016, and she dedicated the rest of her beautiful life to caring for and nurturing her beloved children. France and Francophone Africa always called to her, and she aspired to travel and live abroad with her Francophone family.

She later married the love of her life, Patrice Zauret, longtime and beloved EB teacher, who lovingly cared for her until the last day of her young life on Earth, on December 29, 2021.

EB BY THE NUMBERS 2020–2021

40

Middle School students

43 students speak a 3rd language at home

97

18

teachers received

245

students use the software SeeSaw

396

students total

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