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
