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
ECOLE BILINGUE DE BERKELEY
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
