NOTRE PHILOSOPHIE
VISION AND WELL-BEING
Dear EB community,
When I look toward our shared future, the need for more honest, courageous, and compassionate human beings in the world is clear. This need lies at the core of our mission and vision for EB.
Last year, EB engaged in a deep exploration of how the humanities—history, literature, and the arts—nurture the human values necessary for connection. I’m reminded of Monet, who observed that the beauty of a landscape doesn’t depend on the charms of its individual parts. Similarly, our shared future depends less on the exceptional qualities of any one student and more on their ability to work together toward a common goal. It is our bonds of trust, love, and empathy that will build a world that responds to the needs of humanity.
Throughout last year, we focused intentionally on our students’ well-being and sense of belonging. To support this, our teachers embraced creative teaching methods and professional development opportunities, finding new ways to inspire our learners and meet their diverse needs. Together, we are building a learning environment that embodies our vision, strengthens our community, and guides our students toward their future as courageous and thoughtful contributors to their global community.
After a 2023—2024 school year full of vision, collaboration, and forward momentum, our 2024—2029 Strategic Plan took shape, defining the way ahead. This plan, entitled “Our Path Forward,” builds on our core values and sets the course for our school’s continued evolution. It embodies our commitment to creating an environment where each member of our community is seen, valued, and empowered.
We cannot look to the future without recognizing the impact of technology on education. Educating the next generation on the use of emerging technologies, especially AI tools, is essential. We must equip our students to engage with these technologies skillfully, ethically, and responsibly. We believe that a balanced approach, which incorporates the study of humanities, is the best way to prepare students to harness the full potential of all that the future holds.
As we move forward, I hope EB will remain an inspiration for all members of our community, a source of well-being and academic excellence, providing a shared vision for the future. Please enjoy the highlights and achievements of the 2023—2024 school year in this issue of our Annual Report.
Sébastien Robert Head of School
VISION ET BIEN-ÊTRE
Chère communauté d’EB,
Alors que je me tourne vers notre avenir commun, je m’aperçois à quel point le monde a besoin de plus de gens honnêtes, courageux et bienveillants. Ce besoin se trouve au cœur même de notre mission et de notre vision pour EB.
L’an dernier, EB s’est engagée dans une réflexion approfondie sur la manière dont les lettres, l’art et les sciences humaines nourrissent les valeurs humaines qui sont indispensables à la création de liens. À l’instar de Monet, qui observait que la beauté d’un paysage ne dépend pas de l’attrait de ses différents éléments pris individuellement, je dirais que notre avenir commun dépend moins des qualités exceptionnelles de chacun de nos élèves que de leur capacité à travailler de concert vers un objectif collectif. Ce sont nos liens de confiance, d’amour et de compassion qui bâtiront un monde répondant aux besoin de l’humanité.
Tout au long de l’année, nous avons eu à cœur de veiller au bien-être de nos élèves et de renforcer leur sentiment d’appartenance ; pour ce faire, nos enseignants ont embrassé des méthodes pédagogiques créatives et des opportunités de perfectionnement professionnel qui leur ont permis de trouver de nouvelles manières d’inspirer nos enfants et de répondre à la diversité de leurs besoins. Ensemble, nous construisons un environnement d’apprentissage qui incarne notre vision, renforce notre communauté et guide nos élèves vers leur avenir de façon qu’ils puissent contribuer de manière courageuse et réfléchie à leur communauté internationale.
Après une année scolaire 2023–2024 placée sous le signe de la vision, de la collaboration et de l’impulsion, notre plan stratégique 2024–2029 a pu prendre forme pour définir le chemin à parcourir. Baptisé « La voie vers l’avenir », il se fonde sur nos valeurs centrales pour tracer la trajectoire de l’évolution continue de notre établissement. Il personnifie notre engagement à créer un environnement où chaque membre de notre communauté pourra s’épanouir et être considéré et apprécié à sa juste valeur.
Nous ne saurions regarder vers l’avenir sans prendre acte de l’incidence de la technologie sur l’éducation. Il est essentiel d’enseigner à la nouvelle génération comment utiliser les technologies émergentes, notamment les outils d’intelligence artificielle. Nous avons le devoir de munir nos élèves des moyens de les aborder avec dextérité, éthique et responsabilité. Nous sommes convaincus qu’une approche équilibrée, qui accorde une vraie place à l’enseignement des lettres, des arts et des sciences humaines, est la méthode idoine pour préparer les enfants à exploiter pleinement le potentiel de tout ce que l’avenir leur réserve.
Quelles que soient les voies que chacun de nous empruntera, j’espère qu’EB restera une source d’inspiration pour l’ensemble des membres de notre communauté, mais aussi de bien-être et d’excellence académique, l’esquisse d’une vision commune de l’avenir. Je vous souhaite une excellente lecture de cette édition de notre rapport annuel, dans laquelle vous trouverez les réalisations et les temps forts de l’année 2023–2024.
STRATEGY AND GROWTH
Dear EB Community,
As we look back on this school year, we are filled with gratitude and pride for the growth and accomplishments within our community.
In 2023—2024, we welcomed 77 new students and 45 new families to our EB community. Each family quickly became an active part of EB, forging friendships, volunteering time, and creating lasting connections. Representing more than 40 nationalities and a diverse range of languages and cultures, our families continue to demonstrate that a bilingual education within a multicultural environment is a choice many confidently make.
At the Middle School, facility improvements, a dynamic curriculum, strong retention from 5th to 6th grade, and effective leadership from the MS Head all reflect the excellence of our Middle School program and the strength of our full bilingual journey.
This past year, the Board worked with school leadership, administration, teachers, and parents to create a new 5–year Strategic Plan entitled “Our Path Forward.” This plan builds on EB’s strengths and sets a clear direction for the future. We’re excited to begin this journey together.
As we continue to build toward EB’s future, we are deeply grateful for the support that makes this progress possible. We sincerely thank you—parents, alumni parents, faculty, staff, and grandparents—for your generous support totaling $770,930. Your contributions help sustain the richness of the EB experience.
We’re thrilled to congratulate our Class of 2020 alumni on their recent high school graduations and college acceptances! In May 2024, more than 75 classmates and parents came together to celebrate this special group, who graduated from EB during pandemic restrictions. It was wonderful to see how their friendships have endured.
As we look back on the year, we also express our deep appreciation for the Board members whose service concluded: Rhonda Goldstein, Steve Levine, and Luc de Armey. We especially acknowledge Steve’s work as Chair of the Deepen Our Program Committee and Rhonda’s roles as Co-Chair of the DEIJ Committee and Chair of the Organization and Governance Committee. Their contributions to EB have been impactful and will be felt for years to come.
Thank you for your continued trust and partnership in creating a wonderful educational experience for our children.
Best regards,
Valla Vakili
Xavier Quan
Board Co-Chair 2024–2025 Board Co-Chair 2024–2025
STRATEGIE ET CROISSANCE
Chère communauté d’EB,
En dressant le bilan de cette année scolaire, nous ressentons une profonde gratitude et une grande fierté devant l’essor et les réalisations de notre communauté.
En 2023–2024, nous avons eu le plaisir d’accueillir 77 nouveaux élèves et 45 nouvelles familles, qui n’ont pas tardé à devenir des éléments actifs d’EB en nouant de nouvelles amitiés, en donnant de leur temps et en tissant des liens durables. Représentant plus de 40 nationalités et un large éventail de langues et de cultures, nos familles ne cessent d’illustrer qu’une éducation bilingue dans un environnement multiculturel est un choix qu’elles sont nombreuses à faire en toute confiance.
Au collège, la réfection des locaux, le dynamisme du cursus, l’important maintien des effectifs du CM2 à la 6e et l’efficacité de leadership du directeur du collège sont autant d’atouts qui reflètent l’excellence de notre programme et la force d’un parcours éducatif bilingue complet.
Ces derniers mois, le Conseil d’Administration a travaillé avec la direction, l’administration, le corps enseignant et les parents pour créer un nouveau plan stratégique quinquennal, « La voie vers l’avenir ». Ce plan s’appuie sur les points forts de notre établissement afin de définir une orientation précise. Nous avons hâte de nous lancer ensemble dans cette grande aventure.
Alors que nous poursuivons la construction de l’avenir d’EB, nous tenons à exprimer notre immense gratitude pour les soutiens reçus, sans lesquels ces progrès n’auraient pas été possibles, et c’est la raison pour laquelle nous souhaitons vous remercier, parents des élèves d’aujourd’hui et d’hier, membres du personnel et du corps enseignant et grands-parents, de votre générosité, qui nous a permis de récolter 770 930 dollars. Vos contributions aident à enrichir l’expérience proposée par notre établissement.
Nous sommes également ravis de féliciter les anciens élèves de la promotion 2020 qui ont à présent terminé le lycée et qui ont été acceptés dans différentes universités. En mai 2024, plus de 75 de leurs camarades et parents se sont retrouvés pour rendre hommage à ce groupe singulier, puisqu’il a terminé son parcours à EB pendant les restrictions imposées par la pandémie ; une occasion formidable de constater que ces amitiés ont ainsi perduré.
Tandis que nous revenons sur ces douze derniers mois, nous aimerions présenter nos sincères remerciements aux membres du Conseil d’Administration dont le mandat s’est achevé : Rhonda Goldstein, Steve Levine et Luc de Armey. Nous souhaitons saluer tout particulièrement le travail de Steve en sa qualité de président du Comité « Deepen Our Program » et celui de Rhonda, qui s’est acquittée des rôles de coprésidente du comité Diversité, Equité, Inclusion et Justice (DEIJ) et de présidente du comité Organisation et Gouvernance. Les fruits de leurs contributions à EB ne manqueront pas de se faire ressentir pendant de longues années.
Enfin, merci à vous de continuer à nous témoigner votre confiance et de nous aider à créer une merveilleuse expérience éducative pour nos enfants.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2023–2024
Not pictured:
Frédéric Jung, Consul Général de France
Olivier-Antoine Reynes, Consul Général Adjoint
Sabine de Maussion, Attachée Culturelle
From left to right:
David Abernathy, Treasurer, Finance Chair
Roxanna Ahlbach, Advancement Chair
Alexandre Bayen, Secretary
Robin Brewer, PA Co-President
Thierry Durandard
Rhonda Goldstein, Organization & Governance
Chair, DEI Co-Chair
Pria Hidisyan, Co-Chair
Brooke Howell
Steve Levine, Deepen the Program Chair
Gregory Nemitz
Yousef Nouri, PA Co-President
Xavier Quan
Sébastien Robert, Head of School
Vincent Salimi
Kristen Sidell, Building & Grounds Chair
Micah Stillwell, DEIJ Co-Chair
Valla Vakili, Co-Chair
Luc de Armey, Faculty Participant
Marion Tobie, Faculty Participant
INCOMING TRUSTEES
2024–2025
Jason Harm Originally from the Philadelphia area, Jason attended Tulane University in New Orleans where he received a Bachelor and Master of Architecture. After joining sports & entertainment architecture practice, HKS, in 2005, he began his design career in Dallas then moved to San Francisco, London, Perth, and finally Melbourne before returning to the Bay Area in 2018. He then joined real estate management firm JLL in 2021, where he manages ground-up development and existing building due diligence projects primarily in Northern California. Jason looks forward to helping the Board push forward initiatives as a part of the Buildings & Grounds committee and as a member of this amazing community.
Personally, Jason and his wife Katie are proud parents of two EB children: Naomi (G4) and Tessa (Moyenne Section) since 2020. He enjoys deep conversations, hot lattes and live entertainment (baseball and bluegrass concerts are the preferred).
Laura Spiekerman is the CoFounder and President of the identity risk management company, Alloy. Prior to Alloy, Laura led Business Development & Partnerships at a payments startup, where she first met Alloy co-founders Tommy Nicholas and Charles Hearn. Today, nearly 600 banks and fintechs turn to Alloy to take control of fraud, credit, and compliance risk, and grow with the clearest picture of their customers. Laura has been recognized by American Banker as one of 2023’s Most Influential Women in Fintech and by Crain’s New York as a 2021 Notable Woman on Wall Street.
Laura is a proud EB and Barnard College alumna and lives in Berkeley, California. She has one son at EB, Nico (Moyenne Section).
Veronica Volny Veronica’s background is in Biological Sciences—she received her Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2003. For a decade, Veronica organized and taught an undergraduate marine ecology class at a field station in the Gulf of California, and now serves on the Board of the Vermilion Sea Institute. Her deep interest in ecology led her into the world of local and sustainable food. In Boulder, Colorado, she started Meadow Lark Farm Dinners, hosting weekly dinners at a long table set in a field, among the rows of crops. Here in Berkeley, Veronica has linked her committment to good food to issues of social justice. She is co-founder of Dandelion Kitchen, a non-profit that uses recovered food to prepare meals for people in our community who are in need of food assistance. Veronica and her husband, Aaron, have two children: Henry (EB class of 2023) and Junot (G3). She joined EB’s Board in 2024.
Kelsey Vrooman joined the board in 2024. She is the Co-Founder and Partner of Mission & Data. Her data models and integrated dashboarding systems have been implemented in membership organizations, independent schools, and international schools. In her previous director role at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Kelsey managed the design of Market View, a market data visualization tool and partnered with the E.E. Ford Foundation and the National Business Officers Association (NBOA) on the Composite Financial Index. Kelsey is the co-founder of the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS). Kelsey has been a trustee and board officer for independent schools and organizations that serve the community, a director of educational technology, an instructional coach, and a faculty member. She received the Emerging Leader Award by the International Society of Technology in Education, was recognized as an NAIS Teacher of the Future, and holds degrees from Trinity University and Columbia University.
For full trustee bios, please visit eb.org
EB’S STRATEGIC PLAN
Our
Path Forward
The 2023—2024 school year served as an exciting marker for the future of EB. A full school year was spent on the development of a new five-year Strategic Plan. Based on an analysis of learnings gathered during the year and led by the Board of Trustees Steering Committee—composed of Trustees, parents, teachers and staff—the effort included a comprehensive family survey, a retreat for the Board of Trustees, careful analysis of internal and external data, and three focus groups.
EB is proud to present the 2024—2029 Strategic Plan: Our Path Forward. This plan is composed of four driving pillars, designed to set the stage for new and greater successes to come.
PILLAR 1: LEARNING AND GROWTH
We will prepare students of all backgrounds to engage with the key advancements and challenges of our time by:
• Championing critical thinking and creativity
• Fostering responsibility
• Supporting diverse learning needs
PILLAR 2: BELONGING AND THRIVING
We will ensure that all students, families, and faculty at EB can thrive by:
• Embracing the diversity of experiences that infuse the French language
• Integrating well-being, belonging, and inclusion
• Empowering faculty and staff
PILLAR 3: MISSION AND IMPACT
We will expand our mission by exploring new grades, partnerships, and programs by:
• Exploring new educational pathways beyond grade 8 for EB students and families
• Expanding global opportunities
• Offering summer programs, professional development, and year-round cultural events
PILLAR 4: STABILITY AND STRENGTH
We will secure the resources and facilities our students and faculty need by:
• Launching a capital campaign
• Ensuring financial sustainability, competitiveness and affordability
▼ Members of EB’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee gather at the end of a year-long process.
• Aligning long-term master planning with our strategic goals
Learn more
WHAT DOES MY GENEROSITY DO FOR EB?
Every day at EB, we seek to embody the school’s core values: Courage, Compassion, Curiosity, and Community.
In every class, we champion the opportunity to grow and connect; to face new challenges with courage and let each student’s voice be heard. We teach our students to recognize their own emotions, and to treat others with compassion. We encourage exploring the world outside the classroom with curiosity and a thirst for discovery. And we celebrate our unique and diverse community, providing spaces to connect, learn, and share.
In the pages that follow, you will see glimpses of school life that embody these ideals—all made possible by the generous support of the EB community. The strongest communities are those that work together, understanding that each individual has a role to play to make them shine. We’re grateful to count ourselves among them.
BELONGING AND THRIVING
“Our time at EB has been a great gift! We’ve made lifelong friends and had so much fun with this welcoming, warm, lovely community. Everyone—teachers, enrichment staff, all the heads of school, the front desk, maintenance, the bookkeepers, and of course the Development team and all the other administrators and leadership—has been such a pleasure to interact and work with over the years. EB is truly a special place.”
- Colleen Boyle, EB Parent, PA Anglophone Co-VP
CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY
▲ Students cheer each other on during the Move-aThon, EB’s kid-centered fundraiser, complete with special courses, DJ, prizes, and lots of fun!
▼ Students celebrate Dia de los Muertos in November.
▲ Parents and teachers socialize and dance at La Boum each spring, enjoying a kids-free night!
▼ A favorite end-of-year tradition, La Place du Marché, features music, food, games, and vendors, both adult and student-run.
▲ During Native American heritage month, students learn about tools and artifacts once used by American Indian tribes in our area.
▲ Members of the PA hand out red envelopes to celebrate Lunar New Year.
▼ EB parent Joël Saint-Cilien reads stories during Black History Month Storytime.
▲ Sponsored by the French government through the Villa Albertine program, story time with Barbada was a hit with our Lower School kids.
▼ In October, families share delicious food, lively music, and performances from a huge variety of cultures during World Celebrations.
▲ The Learning Differences Support Group invited a host of educational therapists to discuss how they could help support neurodiverse students’ educational journeys.
▲ We’re so thankful to our parents who organize the Teacher & Staff Appreciation event, a favorite with the employees!
▼ The semi-annual Swap Meet, sponsored by our EcoElders Affinity Group, gave community members the chance to discover new treasures!
LAUREN B., ANDRE P. & LYNN B. Renée Cole Clyde Award Recipients
In reviewing the nominations for the Renée Cole Clyde Inspirational Volunteer Award, it became evident that choosing only one parent from the pool of immensely dedicated and committed volunteers would be impossible. We’re pleased to announce that moving forward, one deserving parent per division will be selected as the recipients of this meaningful award.
Preschool: Lauren Barcelon
Some of the many traits that made Coley stand out were her boundless imagination and joyful enthusiasm, and the way in which that delight in her projects drew other people in and made them want to participate.
If anyone exemplifies joyful enthusiasm and infectious delight that draws others in and inspires them to participate, it’s Lauren. Whether she’s dancing in a rainbow tutu or sitting up until all hours of the night personally assembling 400 individual lantern kits, Lauren’s exuberant love of and dedication to this community always shines through, and her warmth and openness is an invitation to all to join in the fun. From Room Repping and Coordinating to chairingTeacher/Staff
Appreciation to planning Lunar New Year to supporting DEIJ initiatives, we offer our great gratitude for all you bring to EB!
Lower School: Andre Parris
From his first year at EB, Andre quickly became an indispensable member of the Parents’ Association, jumping in to help with an easy smile and the best attitude. He’s never been afraid to raise his hand to get the job done and has embraced numerous leadership roles. From organizing beautiful, inclusive World Celebrations with his wife Solange, to shepherding Room Reps as the Room Rep Coordinator, to MCing the Gala, to standing up to volunteer at the Marché, Move-a-Thon, carpool, in a video, as a Room Rep himself… if there is a volunteer need, Andre is there!
He is a master at bringing people together: his warm smile, positive energy, and genuine care make everyone feel welcome and showcase just how much this school, and its families, mean to him. Thank you, Andre, for the countless ways you help this community shine!
Middle School: Lynn Bentley
For over ten years, Lynn has been a steady presence in so many key areas of school life. She has supported teachers and parents as a long-time room rep, lent her design and aesthetic skills to numerous Galas (both as a graphic designer and decor lead), helped with key fundraising as an Annual Fund volunteer for many years, sponsored community through the Middle School Cafe Connexion, and helped say thank you through the teacher and staff gifts organization.
Her giving nature shines through as she exemplifies the spirit of pitching in and helping out wherever needed. No matter how chaotic the process might seem, you know it’s going to turn out alright in the end with Lynn at the helm, huge smile and amazing, friendly attitude in tow. Our deepest thanks for everything you’ve done over the years—you are a true delight to work with!
EMMA GIMON Emma Gimon Legacy Award
This year, it was our distinct pleasure to introduce a new award, in recognition of one individual’s deep and lasting impact on EB.
Sometimes, we are lucky enough to have people in our lives that we know we can count on 100% of the time. People who show up for the big moments, and the small ones, who lead with their hearts, and give generously in every way they can, inspiring others along the way. People who step up to lead in the tough times, and who are willing to lend a hand no matter the ask—those who exude steadfastness and dedication.
We have been truly fortunate to know and work with such an individual and are deeply honored to announce a new named award, in recognition of an amazing community member: the Emma Gimon Legacy Award.
For many, Emma Gimon’s is a familiar face on campus, present over many years at all EB events, in the classroom, volunteering day in and day out. While some may know her simply as the smiling Aussie willing to lend a hand, there’s so much more
to her incredible impact on EB. In every role she’s held, from Room Rep Coordinator to Committee member, Annual Fund volunteer to Trustee, Board Chair to Head Search Chair, she has given her all, and has gone above and beyond the call of duty. She has been a driving force during tumultuous times and we cannot thank her enough for all she has done for EB.
Emma spent hours planning and working alongside previous Heads and Trustees to ensure our school thrived and our students had an incredible learning experience. She opened her home for countless events, ever the gracious host, and played key roles in historic moments in EB’s history, from our last Capital Campaign to create the Outdoor Learning Environment, to the turf campaign providing a favorite spot for our kids, to setting the record for the G8 Endowment class gift under her direction.
During her leadership as Board Chair from 2015—2019, our school and the Board flourished. She helped recruit two Heads of School over her tenure (no easy feat, and some excellent choices!), and shepherded our previous Strategic Plan launch, which greatly helped advance the school.
In addition to her incredible work ethic, Emma is the picture of humble kindness. She has a gift for making others feel welcome, for valuing the opinions and perspectives of others, and making you want to listen to what she might share. Her devotion to her friends and family, especially her children Luc, Paul and Loulou, is admirable.
We are so grateful to have benefited from Emma’s talent, generosity, and dedication over her many years at school. EB has shined more brightly thanks to her involvement and her impact will be felt for many years to come. A deep, most heartfelt thank you Emma—we hope this award inspires other parents as you have inspired us!
THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!
Year after year, we continue to be humbled and grateful for the incredible dedication and engagement of our parent volunteers. Led by our Parents’ Association Board, our amazing volunteers contributed countless hours to building community, supporting teachers, raising funds, and celebrating our constituents.
A huge thank you to our PA Board, our committee chairs, our Room Reps, Annual Fund volunteers, Gala, Marché, and Move-a-Thon volunteers, event, library, and classroom helpers, and all those who stepped up for roles big and small to ensure an amazing year for our kids, staff, and families.
A special shout out to our PA leadership who were such enthusiastic partners last year—we are grateful to work with them and each of our incredible volunteers to create such a special EB!
2023—2024 Room Representatives
Aimee Aikin
Akinyi Ajwang
Bistra Baharova
Lauren Barcelon
Andrea Barnetche
Margaux Bennett
Lynn Bentley
Colleen Boyle
Bridget Dolfi
Virginie Frémon-Aguado
Emma Gimon
Lieu Gorelzky
Jason Harm
Amanda Jacobsen
Elena Jun
Arum Kang
Lowry Kirkby
Brooke Mareschal
Dana Marinovich
Emilie Mazzacurati
Rachana Mehta
Paola Meta
Wendy Muse Sinek
Céline Pallud
Andre Parris
Emma Pollack
Rachel Poulain
Ed Rogers
Camille Rossi
Rachel Scherrer
Dinara Seitova
Laura Spiekerman
Caroline Steele
Reise Tanner
Sheida Vakili
Adrienne van Nieuwenhuizen
Sophie Vergnaud Wiseman
Heather Way
Ben Wiseman
Annie Wolfson Iden
Florence Zakharov
Aimee Aikin
Stephanie Battle, Co-Chair
Lynn Bentley
Jeremy Bled
Susan Collier
Thomakos, Co-Chair
Jessi Croizat
Michael Elie
Emma Gimon
Lieu Gorelzky
Allison Hampton
Jason Harm
Pria Hidisyan, Board Chair
Laura Kuhlemann
Vasa Kuzmanovska
Isabelle Le Blanc
Jennifer Le Thery
Angela Marlaud
Chris Mortweet
Deidra Moss
Greg Nemitz
Noelle Sadler
Marie-Eve Savard
Sarah Sawyer
Veronica Volny
Heather Way
Ben Wiseman
Annie Wolfson Iden
Suna Yalaz-Angell
Sophie Yu
Florence Zakharov
2023–2024 PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
PA Officers
Anglophone Co-President Yousef Nouri
Francophone Co-President Robin Brewer
Anglophone Co-Vice President Colleen Boyle
Francophone Co-Vice President Marie-Eve Savard
Secretary
Treasurer
Becky Lunde
Elmas Martin
Communications Secretary Daisy Nguyen
Volunteer Coordinator
Room Rep Coordinators: (TPS–G1)
(G2–G5)
Min Sik Jun
Lauren Barcelon
Andre Parris (G6–G8)
Committee Chairs
DEIJ
Annual Fund
Gala
La Place du Marché
World Celebrations
Move-a-Thon
Teacher/Staff Appreciation
La Boum
EB Spiritwear
Welcome Committee
LS Library Volunteers
Parent Coffee Sponsors
Emma Gimon
Seyyida Saterfield
Stephanie Battle, Susan Collier Thomakos
Heather Way, Katie Crepeau-Harm
Sarah Sawyer
André and Solange Parris
Peter Dillon, Jérôme Gorelzky
Aimee Aikin, Lauren Barcelon, Jessika Croizat, Alex LaGatta
Alexis Tjian, Bridget Dolfi, Lauren
Barcelon
Kim Langer
Emilie Mazzacurati, Caroline Steele, Joséphine Nadler
Céline Pallud, Camille Rossi
Roxanna Alhbach, Lynn Bentley
LEARNING AND GROWTH
“You are all amazing teachers. I genuinely appreciate everything all of you have done for me. You have really helped me learn and grow as a student, and also as a person.”
- Maya (G8) about her Middle School teachers
▲ Our Spring Showcase highlighted STEM projects from the year, letting students show off their knowledge.
for their peer schools.
▲ Students competed happily in our Olympic-themed Spring Showcase.
Medieval “knights” engaged in choreographed combat, transporting Middle Schoolers to a historical battleground. History married action with stories on the evolution of weapons, armor, and tournaments.
▲ The garden is readied for planting—students in preschool to G3 learn about the natural world in weekly gardening classes.
▲ Second graders shined onstage at Chorale de la Baie, where they performed
▲ TPS students develop their love of reading during library time.
▲ G5 classes spent a half-day in an interactive experience about the American Revolution during “Walk through the Revolution.”
▼ G4 students proudly show off what they’ve learned in music class during Family & Friends’ Day.
▲ The Champs Elysées Film Festival’s Artistic Director, Justine Lévêque, joined the G6 Drama students for a workshop on French cinema.
▼ In partnership with François Raynouard High School in France, EB developed and launched Chroniques Alternatives, an international competition that challenges students to use Artificial Intelligence tools to craft illustrations that reimagine historical narratives.
▲ The Lower and Middle Schools took part in the annual Défi Maths where students collaborate in teams to tackle a series of mathematical and logic puzzles.
▲ Students witnessed science in action during the solar eclipse.
▼ Students practice math, vocabulary (and sharing!) as they cook together.
▲ Fifth graders got a special behind-the-scenes tour at KQED, getting to see a real newsroom, and learn about what goes into making “the news” firsthand.
▼ At the Lower School, the annual December assembly focuses on welcoming storytellers and performers from diverse backgrounds. EB was proud to welcome Olga Loya who shared stories from her Mexican heritage.
▲ The Chabot Space and Science Center is a hit with our second graders.
▼ G5 students head out on their first international overnight trip to Quebec, Canada.
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
▲ Fourth graders learn about the history of the Gold Rush, indigenous peoples, and ecosystems of the Coloma region on their three-night trip.
▼ Third graders dive into the ecosystem and marine habitats of Marin Headlands during their first overnight trip.
▲ G1 students visit the Oakland Museum.
▲ Our sixth grade Catalina trip focuses on natural sciences, with special attention given to marine biology.
▲ In their last year, eighth graders visit France for a two-week homestay immersion—this has been a signature program at EB for over forty years!
▼ G7 students visit the nation’s capital, studying history and civics in Washington DC.
nationalities at EB 41
250+
volunteers contributed over 500 hours to make EB shine!
14 14
Middle School students launched French AI competition featuring five countries
196 students of color = 49% of student body
47
hours of time spent with visiting authors, artists, and performers
68th
championship won by EB Athletics teams!
152 152 solar panels installed at the Lower School, providing 60% of EB’s energy needs
70 books about empowering students purchased for faculty summer reading
MISSION AND IMPACT
“At EB, every door is open, every voice is heard, and every heart is welcomed. Here, we don’t just build knowledge— we build a family.”
-
Jessica Cislowski, G3 English teacher
EB’s student athletes work hard on and off the field, with the Middle School football and Lower School soccer teams bringing back championships!
▲ Twenty four Middle School students (and their families) participated in the California Coastal cleanup, volunteering to remove waste from our shorelines. Thanks to MS Science Teacher George Speckman for organizing!
▼ Students express their creativity in Art class, creating beautiful and intricate projects under the guidance of Art teacher Olga Popova.
▲ Middle Schoolers end the first week of school with Citizenship Day, a day filled with games, bonding, and friendly competition organized by MS
▲ Students in fourth grade spend 50% of their time in French class, learning everything from spelling and grammar to the history of the French Revolution.
▼ G7 and G8 students spend months working to select a topic, research, write, and deliver their talks to a live audience in EB’s annual TEDxYouth event—EB is one of the few Middle Schools in the country with a TEDx program!
Students in G3-G8 showcase their skills in the end-of-year Talent Shows, performing in front of their peers to everyone’s delight.
Dean Chrissy Greer.
BEYOND EB
“ EB always felt like an international school, [one] that had a strong foot in both the local community and local history. For a school that’s relatively small, it made the world feel a lot more connected .”
- Ala Ebtekar, ’93 2024 Alumni Spotlight Award Winner
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES!
Class of 2024 heads off to high school!
We are so proud of our graduating eighth grade students. Below is the list of high schools selected by our students. Bravo!
Sofia Bentley
Jadon Biskintawi
Sophia Cicero-Lopez
Benjamin Davis
Charlotte Dison
Maxine Drouin (IT)
Clément Droz
Amélie Duskin-Nkodia
Tatiana Elarco-Winet
Sophia Garcia-Becerra
Paul Gimon
Marshall Goldstein
Monique Hightower-Gaskin
Dastan Laal (IT)
Chloe Le Thery (IT)
Luca Macquart-Moulin
Stella Madison
Astrid Masquelier
Greta Mazin-Coyne
Chessie Prichard-Boissier (IT)
Nathalie Ricci
Enzo Vargas
Luca Waugh
Laney Waxman (IT)
HIGH SCHOOLS:
Acalanes High School (1)
Albany High School (1)
Bentley School (2)
Berkeley High School (6)
Bishop O’Dowd High School (1)
Head Royce School (1)
Maybeck High School (1)
Oakland School for the Arts (1)
Oakland Technical High School (1)
Piedmont High School (2)
Redwood Christian High School (1)
Saint Mary’s College High School (6)
Class of 2020 heads off to college and beyond!
Claire Abboud
Leyla Akcaoglu
Satyel Amarelo
Aidan Boscovich
Maxime Carrière
Ian Choo
Cole Clyde
Christian Davis
Cahyani Dewi
Jacqueline Estimbre
Katya Gay
Sebastien Gorce
Axel Hanley
Caelan Jeon
Magdalena Johnson
Rahul Kapila
Erin Kirby
Alexandra Kozlova
Martin Langford
Tobie Largier
Marcus Lefkovits
Kyler LeGault
Andre Lintner-Calvo
Alec Loustau
Clarissa Mure
Aidan Myers
Stella Pfeifer
James Poff
Sasha Privat
Adrian Rees
Kevin Rojas-Debourg
Megane Rajas-Debourg
Theodore Robbins
Isaac Russell
Andre Risz
Margot Saulnier
Celeste Spear
Sonia Sullivan
Babacar Sy
Kaiel Taylor-Wang
Naia ValenzuelaAperribay
Loic Villasante
Sophie Vollmerhausen
Margaux Vuillequez
Lyna Wais
Darragh Westover
UNIVERSITIES
Arizona State University
Berkeley City College
Cal Poly, Humboldt
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Cornell University
CU Boulder
Georgetown University
New York University
Northeastern University
Oxford University, UK
Pitzer College
Pomona College
San Diego State University
SMCC
Sorbonne Université, France
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC Los Angeles
UC San Diego
UC Santa Cruz
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Southern California
University of St. Andrews, Scotland
University of Washington
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT AWARDEE ALA EBTEKAR
CLASS OF 1993
We are pleased to announce that Ala Ebtekar, painter, contemporary visual artist and alumnus from the class of 1993, has been chosen as the recipient of this year’s EB Alumni Spotlight Award. Ala’s exceptional contributions to the world of visual arts, civic spaces, and academia make him an inspiring and multifaceted role model for our community.
A Berkeley native with Persian roots, Ala Ebtekar’s educational journey began right here at EB. After graduating from EB in 1993, he attended Maybeck High School, and then went on to earn a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, and later continued his art studies with an MFA from Stanford University.
Ala’s passion for art was evident from a young age, and Berkeley’s vibrant cultural landscape provided a variety of opportunities for it to grow. At just 13, he trained as a DJ at KALX 90.7 FM, UC Berkeley’s radio station, a pivotal decision which he says eventually led him to explore graffiti and later, traditional visual arts. Following high school, Ala studied traditional painting in Iran under the guidance of Mohammad Farahani before taking academia by storm. His academic career has flourished as a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Art Practice at UC Berkeley (2007—2008), then the Department of Art and Art History at Stanford University since 2009.
Recognized by The Huffington Post as one of the “17 Visual Artists You Should Know in 2016,” Ala’s influence in the art world continues to be unique and profound. He is the founder and director of Stanford University’s Art, Social Space and Public Discourse initiative, where he investigates shifting ideas of public space through art, as well as a founding member of Stanford University’s Creative Cities Working Group.
His impressive portfolio includes over a dozen public and civic art commissions, with notable works for SFO, Alserkal in the UAE, The City of Oakland, Asian Art Museum, and Meta HQ in Menlo Park, CA. Internationally, Ala’s work has been included in prestigious collections such as those of the British Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, and the de Young Fine Arts Museum. He has been awarded residencies at ZKM, Cité Internationale des Arts, 18th Street Art Center, Sazmanab, and the San Francisco Center for the Book.
Much of Ala’s work reflects a deep contemplation of time, space, and the human experience, making him a fitting recipient of this award. From his exploration of cosmic themes and the phenomenology of light, to his merging of ancient traditions with cutting-edge technology, Ala’s relentlessly curious and creative embrace of the world is a perfect embodiment of what it means to “belong in the world,” a concept central to EB’s ongoing educational mission.
Watch Ala’s interview
NATHALIE AUGUST*
CLASS OF 2004
What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?
What I enjoyed most about EB were the creative classes and activities. From gardening in the huge gardening space on Heinz Street, to eclectic science lessons with the late Michael Rossman—from making vinegar to dissecting animals—there were countless unique experiences. Circus class, school plays, and music lessons (where we memorized “La Marseillaise” and “Hey Jude”) were quintessentially EB and so much fun. Field trips to pioneer camp, the Marin Headlands, Yosemite, and the famous French exchange are among my fondest memories. These less traditionally academic aspects of EB are some of my cherished moments.
Please describe your current work.
I’m currently the Senior Clinical Marketer at the Child Mind Institute in San Mateo, CA, where I combine my passion for marketing with my commitment to children’s mental health.
How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession?
EB has profoundly influenced my journey and shaped me into a true “student of the world.” The diverse environment fostered a love for learning and encouraged open-mindedness. As one of the few people of color during the 90s and early 2000s, I faced challenges that instilled in me a desire to advocate for marginalized children. After EB, I attended The Chinese Christian School. This journey, along with my bilingual education, inspired me to study International Business at San Francisco State University and spend a year abroad at Chity Univer-
sity of Hong Kong. I next earned my Master’s in Marketing from Swansea University in Wales, UK. These experiences guided me toward my current role at the Child Mind Institute, where I advocate for mental health resources and support diverse communities.
What would you say to parents just starting out at EB?
Congratulations! Your children are in an amazing place with a supportive community that will carry them into the future. The bond among families, students, and alumni at EB is truly unmatched, considering how unique EB is. The robust curriculum can be challenging, so I encourage you to utilize the resources available, like tutoring if needed. Since classes are small and the student body remains relatively stable, allow your children the space to change and grow. A kid who may have been a troublemaker a few years ago might evolve into a true friend for your child. Kids often want to shed their previous personas, so let them!
Describe your favorite EB memory.
One of my favorite memories is the buzz of excitement at the airport before our French exchange trip. With our CD players, suitcases, and cameras, we were ready to embark on a journey we’d been eagerly anticipating. That moment sticks with me as the start of something new; we felt so grown-up. The trip itself was a culture shock—being away from our parents for two weeks felt like forever, and I shed a few tears—but it was an incredible growth experience.
Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB?
In many ways, yes, EB was the foundation for everything that came after, shaping me academically, socially, and emotionally. I developed a love for language, diverse cultures, community, arts, and music, along with a passion for learning. Today, I truly feel like a citizen of the world.
Would you consider sending your child to EB?
Yes, I would. The foundation EB provides is unparalleled. Being fluent in French has been incredibly valuable and is a core part of my identity, and I want my son to speak French as well. The school’s academic rigor opens countless opportunities and prepares students for success in our complex, globalized world. I hope my son gains the confidence to face challenges head-on and pursue his passions while receiving the solid education that will empower him for the future.
Anything else you’d like to add?
My time at EB wasn’t always easy, but it’s an experience I truly cherish. I hope to provide my children with a similar opportunity because EB is a special place. I’m also incredibly grateful for the sacrifices my parents made to send me and my sister there during our formative years. Thank you, EB
*Formerly Nathalie McClendon
ADRIEN SCHMIDT
CLASS OF 1987
What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?
I was at EB from 1st to 5th grade in the 1980s. I had a fantastic group of friends. In fact, in hindsight it seems to have included the whole class because there are so many names that I still remember today, almost 40 years later! EB was a place that made me feel like I belonged there, as I’m sure it does today with all of its students.
Please describe your current work. I’m a startup guy in tech. I did my first internship while still studying in France in a startup and have stayed in startups or small tech companies almost my entire career. I worked in France, China and the US. Right now I’m trying to get a new AI project off the ground—it’s called Rozz, it’s a bot to help user search websites with an experience similar to chatGPT—and you can actually try it out on the eb.org website! Since it’s still a very early stage venture, I also work as a tech consultant with bigger companies, specializing in AI and big data analytics.
How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession?
When I was at EB, the school only went until the 5th grade. I remember we each had a skit to perform for our graduation party about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I was a businessman, which probably reflected what I assumed my Dad was doing at the time. But the highlight of the show was my best friend Brad who claimed
he’d become the President of the United States! That’s who you met at EB, great people who inspired me for life and gave me the entrepreneurial spirit.
What would you say to parents just starting out at EB?
They are giving their children the gift of a bicultural education that will serve their children in ways they cannot imagine today and for a very long time. Their kids will learn languages faster, they will appreciate different cultures better, they will get better grades at language exams, they will become more resilient, and they will speak unbelievably good French and English by the time they graduate.
Describe your favorite memory from EB.
In the 5th grade we prepared a musical called HMS Pinafore. It was a lot of work, we were totally into it, we all had great costumes and our drama teacher made us feel like we were fit to play on Broadway! In fact many teachers made a strong impression on me to this day, for instance the way Mary Havemann taught us the civil rights movement formed my thinking of many things in society 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?
When I left EB after 5th grade, our family moved from Berkeley back to France and settled right in the middle of Paris. Talk about a transition for a kid who grew up outdoors under beautiful blue skies!
In fact I transitioned into the French system seamlessly. I felt as much at home there as in California. But when I had my own first kid, I had such fond memories of my childhood in Berkeley that my wife and I decided to move to the Bay Area. That was ten years ago!
Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why?
100%. The only reason I didn’t is because we live in Marin, and so my kids went to the French bilingual school in Sausalito. There was never any doubt that I wanted my kids to benefit from the same bilingual education I received.
Anything else you’d like to add? The school has grown significantly since my time there and it looks fantastic!
“ EB was a place that made me feel like I belonged there, as I’m sure it does today with all of its students.”
CELIA BEASLEY
CLASS OF 1991
What did you enjoy most about your time at EB and why?
I loved being a part of a school that felt like a family, one where it was perfectly normal to speak a language other than English at home, or to have a parent with an accent.
Please describe your current work. I am an independent filmmaker based in Seattle, WA. For over twenty years I’ve been editing feature films, documentaries and tv series with incredible creative collaborators. My projects have premiered at Sundance, SXSW, and Toronto. My most recent project, PENELOPE, is an episodic series that is streaming on NETFLIX starting September 24.
How do you feel EB has influenced you or led you towards your choice of profession?
Growing up bilingual is an incredible gift. I learned at the very earliest age that there is more than one way to say something, to solve problems, to approach a situation. It is a huge asset in developing one’s emotional intelligence and empathy. As a storyteller, I have to understand and empathize with my characters so that I can tell their story, even if I would never make the same choices they do. Having empathy is key to doing that.
What would you say to parents just starting out at EB?
The benefits your child will get from being at EB are immeasurable. The brain development a child gets from
immersive bilingual education is unattainable any other way. Getting that in a supportive community like EB is a gift for life.
Describe your favorite memory from EB.
One of my favorite memories was the winter show the year I was in 6th grade. We didn’t really fit into the ‘spectacle’ along with the little ones singing and dancing, so we dressed up as ‘adults’ and played the part of the parents watching their kids perform, complete with the camcorder-wearing dad and the stage mom. The ‘real’ parents loved it!
Do you feel that EB adequately prepared you for life after EB? Do you feel you are a citizen of the world?
Absolutely. I was well prepared for high school and college after EB. Travel has always been part of my life—in fact my husband and I took a year off to travel the world with our kids when they were 7 and 9. It was the best experience of our lives.
Would you consider sending your children to EB? Why?
It was very important to me for my kids to have a school experience like EB, but I don’t live in the Bay Area. So in 2011, I co-founded the North Seattle French School, a bilingual elementary school in Seattle, which puts community at the heart of a global education. EB was a huge inspiration to me and I was grateful to receive so much support and mentorship from the EB community
in creating our school. Anything else you would like to add?
Of all the educational institutions I have been affiliated with, EB is the one I hold most dear. It feels like part of my family and will always be part of my story.
“ Growing up bilingual is an incredible gift. I learned at the very earliest age that there is more than one way to say something, to solve problems, to approach a situation.”
ALUMNI PARENTS GIVE BACK
Every year, EB’s Alumni Committee shows up, in spirit and in practice, to support the school’s events and programs, and to help maintain connections between EB and its alumni community. We’re grateful to work with such amazing partners to create a rich and meaningful experience post EB! Special thanks to our Alumni Committee Co-Chairs
Anne Brandon, Vicki Schumb, and Azadeh Yazdi for their enthusiasm and unwavering support!
Would you like to be a part of the Alumni Committee? Do you have a new email address? New school or job? Email us at alumni@eb.org with updates!
Sponsored by the Alumni Committee, EB cinéma returned with a screening of the classic La règle du jeu at the beautiful Meyer Sound Pearson Theater.
Alumni Committee Members
Susan Acquistapace
Marie-Anne Alain
Becky Andersen
Golriz Ardebili
Andrea Bacigalupo
Julianne Balmain
Brigitte Bastrenta
Anne Brandon, Co-Chair
Pat Burns
Christine Chapon
Tina ChenChardonnet
Awatif Chirar
Danielle Clements
Steve Cook
Tamara Daney
Luz de la Riva
Ellie Dunnigan
Feriel El Ghaoui
Fabiola Etienne
Marcella Fasso
Joan Finnie
Setenay Frucht
Ladan Gehring
Hilary Goldman
Amy Gordon-Risz
Hülya Gürtuna
Mei-Lin Ha Byers
Brooke Hauch
Joyce Hemmer
Elizabeth Herzberg
Virginia Hoyt
Devyani Jain
Manon Johnson
Véronique Jordan
Florence Kragen
Alex LaGatta
Ann Lefkovits
Kathleen Letellier
Steve Levine
Vivian Lopez
Nasi Maghsoudnia
White
Michelle Maguire
Johnelle Mancha
Chase Martin
Tina Meyer
Susan Nehme
Kim Nogay
Jeanne Oakley
Brenda Ogburn
Fatima Osman
Gloria Polanski
Natalie Powell
Anshu Prunet
Ritu Rai
Maria Reyes
Rick Richetta
Cottie Rood
Roberte Rountree
Marie-José Sat
Vicki Schumb, Co-Chair
Kristen Sidell
Caroline Steele
Joan Steele
Nathalie Stringfellow
Virginie Tejero
Nathalie Valette
Jacqueline Van Lang
Ellen Vaughan
Susan Vinluan
Morrison
Priscilla Wanerus
Suna Yalaz
Azadeh Yazdi, Co-Chair
Milan Zydow
Alumni Committee members help serve at the G8 graduation dinner, a long-standing tradition!
EB SAYS GOODBYE
Chauncey Burnett & Sara Nicklès
After 19 years of dedicated service, Chauncey Burnett, cherished Director of Enrichment and Athletics, left EB in August to start a new chapter. With her quick smile and huge heart, Chauncey deeply impacted the lives of countless students and colleagues with her commitment to creating a nurturing and dynamic environment at EB. From word speller extraordinaire to sports enthusiast, Bay Area connoisseur to all things child development, schedule juggler to student caretaker, Chauncey did it all. Parents and students alike could always count on her to listen with care, and bring her fun attitude to turn frowns into smiles.
Under her leadership, the Enrichment and Athletics programs flourished, fostering an atmosphere where children were excited to learn and play. Always ready with a kind word or sympathetic ear, she leaves behind a legacy of excellence and compassion and we will miss her greatly.
The school community expresses deep gratitude for her years of service, with a resounding “Bravo!” for her remarkable achievements.
As our beloved Registrar and School Secretary, Sara Nicklès had a powerful impact in her 20 years at EB. Over two decades, her roles have been many—from school nurse to editor, writer to Covid coordinator. In every role, her tireless dedication and profound work ethic have made her a pillar of support for our students, parents, and staff, and vital to the continuity of communication and administrative operations at EB.
We’re particularly grateful for her extraordinary work during the pandemic. As our Covid coordinator, she managed communication with families, doctors, and scientists, and she participated in all the online city, county, and state meetings and updates, consistently sharing the most current research and studies with our community. Her efforts were instrumental in helping us navigate procedures and logistics to ensure everyone’s safety.
Sara will be profoundly missed, not only as an essential member of the academic team but also as a good listener and a cherished friend. Her presence has enriched our community in countless ways, and her contributions will be remembered fondly by the many whose lives she has touched. We are certain her future endeavors will be met with the same success and admiration as they have here at EB.
STABILITY AND STRENGTH
“ What I love about Ecole Bilingue is how everyone works together, like a village raising a child. Students are supported by their teachers, peers, and the whole team, with parents included in the process. At EB, we are united to help every child grow and succeed .”
- Elodie Resurreccion, French Program Coordinator
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO YOU
What an exciting year full of growth, discovery, and accomplishment! The 2023—2024 school year was jam-packed with more than 25 events, both large and small, celebrating our community and the rich diversity within. We are so thankful to the 250 volunteers who partnered with us to create these moments of connection—your support and the support of our donors enabled EB to really shine.
We are indebted to our families, community, and friends for their generous contributions totaling $770,930. Led by our Board of Trustees, and thanks to a motivated team of volunteers, the Annual Fund reached $477,384 and 92% parent participation— setting us up for a successful school year and confident budgeting.
Our community boogied down at the A la Discothèque Gala, where partygoers contributed $106,528. Record-breaking funds raised during the Fund for the Future, dedicated to Teacher Professional Development, have already been put to inspiring use, sending our faculty off to develop new tools, engage with new strategies, and exchange with peers, all for the benefit of our students. We’re so grateful to our donors for their generosity!
Another highlight was the Showcase, where the campus was transformed into mini Olympic Games. A huge thank you goes out to the academic team for such an impressive display of student achievement! And bravo to the class of 2020, who gathered together in the largest reunion in recent history, before heading off across the country, and the globe, to college and next adventures.
From a financial standpoint, we ended the 2023–2024 school year with a sizable surplus, thanks to two main factors: a stronger enrollment than originally budgeted and high interest rates on EB’s short term investments. The surplus was invested in the summer 2024 facilities projects, including:
• Lower School: outfitting the MPR with new windows and doors, revamping the playground area with upgraded safety mats, artificial turf, and a new canopy, and working towards sustainability through the installation of solar panels in partnership with the Eco Elders.
• Middle School: enhancing campus security with new perimeter fencing, a fabulous outdoor stage that students and families have already enjoyed.
• Preschool: new paint for all of our classrooms and doors, upgrading and reorganizing the Enrichment office space.
These projects help create a beautiful and comfortable space for our students and staff and we are thrilled with the results. Special thanks to our amazing Facilities Team for all their hard work!
It is a privilege to work alongside each of you to create an exceptional experience for our students. We’re sure you will agree there is no better investment than your child’s educational journey and we are grateful for your support and commitment to EB.
With gratitude,
Mei-Lin Ha Byers
Antoine Portales Director of Development Director of Business & & Communications Finance
PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT 2023–2024
OPERATING BUDGET
THANK YOU DONORS “Creating Possibility” in the Annual Fund
As the largest fundraiser of the year, the Annual Fund plays a pivotal role in supporting EB’s operating budget, and ensuring an exceptional experience for our students and teachers, every day.
From buying library books to installing new carpets, supporting teacher benefits to bringing visiting authors to school, the Annual Fund creates possibilities for every student. Without it, we could not hope to be the school we are today.
A heartfelt thank you to our parents, faculty and staff, alumni parents, alumni, grandparents and friends for their strong and unwavering support— thanks to your generosity, $477,384 was used to strengthen our programs, people, and spaces.
We are humbled by the dedication of our incredible parent volunteers, who spend hours ensuring our parent community—our most stalwart supporters— understands the importance of standing together and committing to EB. Thanks to them, an overwhelming 92% of families joined in this crucial effort.
We would like to especially thank our two fantastic Co-Chairs: Stephanie Battle and Susan Collier Thomakos. Their drive, enthusiasm, and unfailing good spirits led us unerringly to the finish line. Thank you to all who contributed—you make EB the vibrant school we know and love.
Mille mercis !
Annual Fund Participation Rates
n 100% Trustees
n 92% Administration & Staff
n 92% Parents
n 92% Faculty
STEPHANIE BATTLE
SUSAN COLLIER THOMAKOS
2023—2024 ANNUAL FUND DONORS
Président ($15,000+)
Anonymous (1)
Ambassadeur ($10,000–$14,999)
Emma and Eric Gimon
Sébastien and Marjorie Robert (MG)
Catherine Ronneberg
Valla and Sheida Vakili (MG)
Emissaire ($5,000–$9,999)
Alexandre Bayen and Zoe Abrams (MG)
Robin Brewer and Arnaud Allezy
Jeremy Fanucchi and Paola Meta (MG)
Rhonda and Jacob Goldstein (MG)
David Grewal and Daniela Cammack (MG)
Gabrielle and Marc Hedlund
Tenzing Joshi and Lowry Kirkby
Tanny Keeler
Sebastien Leger and Chasa ToliverLeger (MG)
Gideon Myles and Stephanie Battle
Xavier and Evelyn Quan (MG)
Vincent Salimi and Monika Hix
Edward Sinek and Wendy Muse Sinek
Panayiotis Thomakos and Susan Collier Thomakos
Donald Thompson and Laura Kuhlemann
Kevin Tsai and Julia Song (MG)
Bill and Micki Turner
Ben Wiseman and Sophie Vergnaud Wiseman
Florence and Valeriy Zakharov (MG)
Anonymous (6)
Consul ($2,400–4,999)
Roxanna and Greg Ahlbach
Rene Bilodeau and Naomi Black (MG)
Marley and Paul Blandori
Pablo Chang-Castillo and Julien Brasseur
Katherine Dawson and Jeremy Bled
Peter Demarest and Kim Klaus (MG)
Noureddine El Karoui and Elizabeth Purdom
John Fricke and Andrea Issod
Joseph and Meghna Greenwald
Mei-Lin Ha Byers and Wayne Byers
Yvette and David Hatton (MG)
Pria Hidisyan and Benjamin Gold
Aaron Hirsh and Veronica Volny
Brooke and Justin Howell
Max Kozlov and Tatiana Pavlova (MG)
Jesse Kulp and Vasa Kuzmanovska (MG)
Mindy Longinotti and Michael Roberts (MG)
John MacFarlane and Colleen Boyle
Robert Madison and Alexis Tjian
Musa Mawanda and Digne Nahimana
Gregory Nemitz and Sarah Sawyer
Adam Noily and Maia Beyler-Noily
Antoine and Melissa Portales
Guillaume Privat and Alexandra
Thusy-Privat (MG)
Ed Rogers and Julie Shackleton (MG)
Christopher Rohstedt and Kimberly Taylor (MG)
Matthew Schriock and Margaux Bennett
David and Laura Schummers
Ty Shemin and Jessika Croizat
Charlie and Meredith Speight (MG)
Laura Spiekerman and Nick Greene
Nicholas Szeto and Gordon Runnels
Rafael and Yani Vargas
Anthony and Ilke Ventre
Anonymous (13)
Attaché ($1,000–$2,399)
Bassem Al-Sady and Hana El-Samad
Mona Ameli and Rambod Nader
Jonathon Angell and Suna Yalaz-Angell
Rimas Avizienis and Kathryn Gies
Carol Battle
Richard and Lynn Bentley
Samar Birwadker and Madeline Wallace (MG)
Martha Chase
Marilyn and Richard Collier
Thiago Da Costa and Suzy Lord
Peter Dillon and Deidra Moss
Lawrence and Downey Drouin (MG)
Thierry Durandard and Rick Richetta
Christopher and Phoebe France
Mamadou Moustapha Gning and Fatou
Ba (MG)
Karen and Dan Gruber
Marc and Melanie Hartenfels (MG)
Christopher and Melissa Hughes
Ashley and Anneliese Jameson
Man-Cheung Lee and Adrienne van
Nieuwenhuizen (MG)
Jack and Kathie Longinotti
David Macquart-Moulin and Laura Mitchel Guevara
Sylvestre and Angela Marlaud
Kirill Mazin and Gwen Coyne (MG)
Christopher Mortweet and Sophie Yu
Magali Noth
Sim Alexandre Peyron and Olivera
Marjanovic-Peyron
Jacob Reid and Shara Hashemi
Charles and Karmela Richey
Blair and Georgia Sadler
Jan Smidek and Cristina Hernandez
Kenneth Stevens
Daniela Strijleva and James Robertson (MG)
Bryon Sutherland
Nadia Zaks and Aaron Rust (MG)
Artur Zawadzki and Anna Zawadzka (MG)
Anonymous (13)
Diplomate ($500–$999)
Wayne and Carol Byers
Carol Cislowski
David and Fiordalissa Cooper
John and Robin Crepeau
François Daubet and Jihyung Seo (MG)
Jennifer Dawson and Phil Purdom
Wilfried and Lorena Eisinger
Yann Fischer and Bonnie Chan
Luis Fracica and Jennie Levitt (MG)
Hilary Goldman and Manning Sutton
Saptarshi Guha and Sheetal Kapani (MG)
Alan and Allison Hampton
Jason Harm and Katie Crepeau-Harm
Siamak Jafari and Christina DanielJafari
Min Sik and Elena Jun (MG)
Angela Karran
Bruce Kuhlemann
Erik Leklem and Morgan Courtney
Vivian and Alfredo Lopez
Kevin and Rebecca Lunde
Emilie Mazzacurati and Brian Turner
Anaïs Mazzoleni and Saqueo Hernandez
Matthew McCarthy and Anna Kern
Sherri McMullen
Tina, Michael, and Joshua Meyer
Andre and Solange Parris (MG)
Matthew Pech and Marie-Eve Savard
Matthew Roder and Ange Evelyne
Kouakou
Joel Saint-Cilien and Dona Bellow
Victoria and David Schumb
Kristen Sidell and Paul-André Abboud
Edouard Swiac and Lauren Gruber
Anonymous (17)
Membre (Up to $499)
Ameena Ahmed
Samuel and Magali Arons
Joanna Barron and François-Jérôme Selosse
Brigitte Bastrenta and Rudolph Walter
Abass Bella
Ludovic Bellier and Tania Tinoco
Espinoza
Vicky Bettencourt
Vincent Bienaime
Maxime Boulet-Audet and Fujia Chen
Sam Bower and Hiromi Ui
Angelica Bowlin
Eleanor Boyle
Chauncey Burnett
Bénédicte Cambon-Ritter and Mark Ritter
Antoine Carrière and Irina Wolf Carrière
Nicole and Jean-Mathieu Chabas
Karima Chemeur
Jonathan Chèze
Jessica and Benjamin Cislowski
Jean-Baptiste Cochereau
Christopher Colebourn
John Colin and Amanda Douglas
Stephanie Colker and Charles Andrew Thomas
Emilie Crofton and Bawaya Elisee Sare
Alfonso and Carolina de la Torre
Alaric Degrafinried and Doran Navarro
Degrafinried
Emmanuel Delorme and Claire Readhead
Joan and John Demarest
Ramata Diakho
Ann DiGiano
Nathan Dison and Heather Hardwick
Ellie Dunnigan
Majda Elhams
Fallon Eloy-Defauw
Julie Eloy-Defauw
Stephen and Therese Englehart
Alexandra Erman
Virginie Falquerho
Safieh Farshadnia
Howard Feight
Gaëlle Feliz
Christian Ford and Deirdre McCullaghFord
Diane Foster
Leigh and Kelsey Foster
Virginie Frémon-Aguado and Lee
Sandwina
Stavros Gadinis and Katerina Linos
Miguel and Mayra Garcia
Geneviève Géant
Gregory Germe and Emi Fujita
Anne-Sophie Giordani-Annibali and Thomas Gaucher
Jazmin Gonzales Flores
Antonette Goroch
Tenzin Gould
Gretchen and Richard Grant
Patricia Grob
Justine Grosse
Brian Gzowski and Lauren Barcelon
Mike and Pat Gzowski
Bela and Shikiri Hightower-Gaskin
William and Mijo Horwich
Virginia and Phil Hoyt
Joseph Imwalle and Bridget Dolfi
Manon and Adam Johnson
Florence and Arnaud Joliff
Michael Jonath and Sylvie Mwila Jonath
Véronique and Sean Jordan
Emily Kaltenbach
Donald Kelley and Susan Getman
Hana and Naji Khabbaz
Odile Kieffer
David Klaus
Florence and Jules Kragen
Anne Kuhry
Marie-Paule and Richard Laden
Dominique Lallement
David and Kimberly Langer
Hannah Lê and Edmund Lee
Hayne and Kit Leland
Odile Leland-Arizmendi and Javier Arizmendi
Steve Levine
Gabriel Liboiron-Cohen and Lara Patton-Cohen
Fabien Lombard
Nicolas Loncle and Amy Pooler
Fred Lonsdale
Margot Lopes
Dahlia Lopez
Nancy Lowenthal and Jean Savy
Stan Lunde
Nasi Maghsoudnia White
Geoffrey Maines and Magdalena Stoeva
Erik Marinovich and Dana Johnston
Marinovich (MG)
Lloyd and Elmas Martin
Stephanie and Paul Masquelier
Alicia Mattera Chumbley and Alexander Chumbley
Deirdre McCullagh-Ford and Christian Ford
Andrée McGiffin
Heather McWhinney
Jennifer Meledje
Alison Michael and Jennifer MichaelStevens
Meliza Mokrani
Béatrice Morand
Adrien and Jenny Moritz (MG)
Roger Mullins
Matthew and Joséphine Nadler
Theresa Nelson and Bernard Smits
Sara Nicklès
Luigi Oldani
Coretta Ondongo
Joe Parreira
Vanessa Perez Miranda and Juan Jose Burred
Damon Perkins and Martine LiautaudPerkins
Tucker Pinochi
Corinne Pluche
Olga Popova and David Gay
Mercedes Portillo
DeAndre Ragland
Emma and Xavier Ragot
Elodie Resurreccion
Laurent Rigobert and Ethel Brennan
Jeffrey Robbins
Danielle Roberts
Helen Roder
Jeffrey Rodriguez
Matthew Rosenthal
David Rust and Joy Smith
Benjamin Safdi and Cynthia GerleinSafdi
Anya Schwin Gibson and Casey Gibson
Sihem Semai and Abderrahmane Djebbard
Daniel Shawel and Saba Kassu
Victor Shnayder and Anne Collins (MG)
Gabriel and Amanda Sibley
Noelle Simmaly
Alison Skubic
Gary Smith and Coline David
Sandrine Soulet
George Speckman
Harold Stevens and Edward Sweet
Madeleine Stokes
Vincent Szeto and Gordon Runnels (MG)
Jean-Luc Szpakowski and Gloria Polanski
Benjamin and Reise Tanner
Virginie Tejero
Misikir Tilahun and Misgana Bogale
Marion Tobie
Camille Trou
Laura Truffaut-Wong and Stephen Wong
Leo Vacher and Julie Jin
Susan Vinluan-Morrison and Frank Morrison
Priscilla Wanerus and Eric Hughes
Carol and Michael Washington
Nick Waugh and Riley Bove
Steven Weinberg and Georganne Ferrier
Danya Winterman
Ibi and Viorica Winterman
Abhi Yadav and Rachana Mehta
Ari Yampolsky and Emmanuelle Soichet
Simona Zompi and Gregory Paolino
Milan Zydow
Anonymous (82)
Gifts at the Consul level and above are considered leadership giving.
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.
2023–2024 Annual Fund gifts by constituencies
Corporations & Foundations
Adobe Systems Incorporated
America’s Best Local Charities-Donor Choice
Apple Inc.
Bank of America
BNY Mellon
David E. Quan Agency Disney
Exelixis
Gap Foundation
Genentech
Gilead
Google Inc.
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Intuit Foundation
John Hancock
Kaiser Permanente
McKinsey & Company
Mercer Marsh McLennan
Microsoft
Morgan Stanley Matching Gifts Program
OSIsoft, LLC
PlayStation
Publicis
Roblox
SalesForce.com Foundation
Stryker
The Sports Basement
TIAA
VISA
Wells Fargo Bank
Workday, Inc.
PARENT ANNUAL FUND GIVING
TOUTE PETITE SECTION•100%
Mamadou Moustapha Gning and Fatou Ba
Mei-Lin Ha Byers and Wayne Byers
Christopher and Melissa Hughes
Tenzing Joshi and Lowry Kirkby
Charles and Karmela Richey
Jan Smidek and Cristina Hernandez
Valla and Sheida Vakili
Anonymous (5)
PETITE SECTION • 92%
Pablo Chang-Castillo and Julien Brasseur
Jessica and Benjamin Cislowski
Stephanie Colker and Charles Andrew Thomas
Anne-Sophie Giordani-Annibali and and Thomas
Gaucher
Tenzin Gould
Joseph and Meghna Greenwald
Jason Harm and Katie Crepeau-Harm
Sebastien Leger and Chasa Toliver-Leger
Gabriel Liboiron-Cohen and Lara Patton-Cohen
Dahlia Lopez
Geoffrey Maines and Magdalena Stoeva
Alicia Mattera Chumbley and Alexander Chumbley
Xavier and Evelyn Quan
Matthew Schriock and Margaux Bennett
Laura Spiekerman and Nick Greene
Edouard Swiac and Lauren Gruber
Leo Vacher and Julie Jin
Anonymous (11)
MOYENNE SECTION • 87%
Joanna Barron and François-Jérôme Selosse
Samar Birwadker and Madeline Wallace
Nicole and Jean-Mathieu Chabas
John Colin and Amanda Douglas
Leigh and Kelsey Foster
Tenzing Joshi and Lowry Kirkby
Man-Cheung Lee and Adrienne van Nieuwenhuizen
Erik Leklem and Morgan Courtney
Emilie Mazzacurati and Brian Turner
Adrien and Jenny Moritz
Christopher Mortweet and Sophie Yu
Matthew Pech and Marie-Eve Savard
Jacob Reid and Shara Hashemi
Vincent Salimi and Monika Hix
Victor Schnayder and Anne Collins
Gabriel and Amanda Sibley
Daniela Strijleva and James Robertson
Valla and Sheida Vakili
Anthony and Ilke Ventre
Nick Waugh and Riley Bove
Anonymous (15)
KINDERGARTEN •
Rimas Avizienis and Kathryn Gies
Juan Jose Burred and Vanessa Perez Miranda
Stephanie Colker and Charles Andrew Thomas
Emilie Crofton and Bawaya Elisee Sare
Thiago Da Costa and Suzy Lord
Peter Demarest and Kim Klaus
Christian Ford and Deirdre McCullagh-Ford
Leigh and Kelsey Foster
Luis Fracica and Jennie Levitt
Christopher and Phoebe France
Virginie Frémon-Aguado and Lee Sandwina
John Fricke and Andrea Issod
Gregory Germe and Emi Fujita
Mamadou Moustapha Gning and Fatou Ba
Joseph and Meghna Greenwald
Brian Gzowski and Lauren Barcelon
Siamak Jafari and Christina Daniel-Jafari
David and Kimberly Langer
Hannah Lê and Edmund Lee
Man-Cheung Lee and Adrienne van Nieuwenhuizen
Musa Mawanda and Digne Nahimana
Xavier and Evelyn Quan
Christopher Rohstedt and Kimberly Taylor
Benjamin Safdi and Cynthia Gerlein-Safdi
Leo Vacher and Julie Jin
Ben Wiseman and Sophie Vergnaud Wiseman
Abhi Yadav and Rachana Mehta
Nadia Zaks and Aaron Rust
Anonymous (13)
FIRST GRADE • 98%
Joanna Barron and François-Jérôme Selosse
Ludovic Bellier and Tania Tinoco Espinoza
Maxime Boulet-Audet and Fujia Chen
Sam Bower and Hiromi Ui
David and Fiordalissa Cooper
Peter Dillon and Deidra Moss
Fallon and Julie Eloy-Defauw
Stavros Gadinis and Katerina Linos
David Grewal and Daniela Cammack
Min Sik and Elena Jun
Sylvestre and Angela Marlaud
Jennifer Meledje
Alison Michael and Jennifer Michael-Stevens
Meliza Mokrani
Adam Noily and Maia Beyler-Noily
Sim Alexandre Peyron and Olivera Marjanovic-Peyron
Charles and Karmela Richey
Joel Saint-Cilien and Dona Bellow
Matthew Schriock and Margaux Bennett
Jan Smidek and Cristina Hernandez
Donald Thompson and Laura Kuhlemann
Florence and Valeriy Zakharov
Artur Zawadzki and Anna Zawadzka
Anonymous (17)
SECOND GRADE •
93%
Roxanna and Greg Ahlbach
Mona Ameli and Rambod Nader
Robin Brewer and Arnaud Allezy
Nicole and Jean-Mathieu Chabas
Jessica and Benjamin Cislowski
Emmanuel Delorme and Claire Readhead
Wilfried and Lorena Eisinger
Saptarshi Guha and Sheetal Kapani
Marc and Melanie Hartenfels
Aaron Hirsh and Veronica Volny
Siamak Jafari and Christina Daniel-Jafari
Jesse Kulp and Vasa Kuzmanovska
David and Kimberly Langer
Hannah Lê and Edmund Lee
Nicolas Loncle and Amy Pooler
Sherri McMullen
Andre and Solange Parris
Guillaume Privat and Alexandra Thusy-Privat
Ed Rogers and Julie Shackleton
Vincent Salimi and Monika Hix
Victor Shnayder and Anne Collins
Charlie and Meredith Speight
Ari Yampolsky and Emmanuelle Soichet
Anonymous (19)
THIRD GRADE • 100%
David and Fiordalissa Cooper
Emilie Crofton and Bawaya Elisee Sare
John Colin and Amanda Douglas
Majda Elhams
Jeremy Fanucchi and Paola Meta
Stavros Gadinis and Katerina Linos
Brian Gzowski and Lauren Barcelon
Alan and Allison Hampton
Jason Harm and Kathie Crepeau-Harm
Max Kozlov and Tatiana Pavlova
Erik Marinovich and Dana Johnston Marinovich
Musa Mawanda and Digne Nahimana
Anaïs Mazzoleni and Saqueo Hernandez
Christopher Mortweet and Sophie Yu
Matthew and Joséphine Nadler
Adam Noily and Maia Beyler-Noily
Damon Perkins and Martine Liautaud-Perkins
Daniel Shawel and Saba Kassu
Ty Shemin and Jessika Croizat
Panayiotis Thomakos and Susan Collier Thomakos
Misikir Tilahun and Misgana Bogale
Simona Zompi and Gregory Paolino
Anonymous (9)
FOURTH GRADE • 100%
Vincent Bienaime and Odile Kieffer
Thiago Da Costa and Suzy Lord
Yann Fischer and Bonnie Chan
Brooke and Justin Howell
Erik Marinovich and Dana Johnston Marinovich
Lloyd and Elmas Martin
Panayiotis Thomakos and Susan Collier Thomakos
Ben Wiseman and Sophie Vergnaud Wiseman
Anonymous (17)
FIFTH GRADE • 90%
Ameena Ahmed
Bassem Al-Sady and Hana El-Samad
Rene Bilodeau and Naomi Black
Robin Brewer and Arnaud Allezy
Peter Demarest and Kim Klaus
Nathan Dison and Heather Hardwick
Mamadou Moustapha Gning and Fatou Ba
Yvette and David Hatton
Joseph Imwalle and Bridget Dolfi
Ashley and Anneliese Jameson
Sylvestre and Angela Marlaud
Musa Mawanda and Digne Nahimana
Gideon Myles and Stephanie Battle
Luigi Oldani
Antoine and Melissa Portales
Jacob Reid and Shara Hashemi
Daniela Strijleva and James Robertson
Nicholas Szeto and Gordon Runnels
Donald Thompson and Laura Kuhlemann
Ben Wiseman and Sophie Vergnaud Wiseman
Ari Yampolsky and Emmanuelle Soichet
Florence and Valeriy Zakharov
Anonymous (16)
SIXTH GRADE • 97%
Jonathon Angell and Suna Yalaz-Angell
Alexandre Bayen and Zoe Abrams
Richard and Lynn Bentley
Alaric Degrafinried and Doran Navarro Degrafinried
Noureddine El Karoui and Elizabeth Purdom
Gregory Germe and Emi Fujita
Emma and Eric Gimon
Rhonda and Jacob Goldstein
Patricia Grob
Mindy Longinotti and Michael Roberts
Robert Madison and Alexis Tjian
Anaïs Mazzoleni and Saqueo Hernandez
Matthew and Joséphine Nadler
David and Laura Schummers
Edward Sinek and Wendy Muse Sinek
Gary Smith and Coline David
Bryon Sutherland
Kevin Tsai and Julia Song
Nick Waugh and Riley Bove
Danya Winterman
Nadia Zaks and Aaron Rust
Artur Zawadzki and Anna Zawadzka
Anonymous (12)
SEVENTH
Vincent Bienaime and Odile Kieffer
Antoine Carrière and Irina Wolf Carrière
Karima Chemeur
François Daubet and Jihyung Seo
Katherine Dawson and Jeremy Bled
Alexandra Erman
Gabrielle and Marc Hedlund
Pria Hidisyan and Benjamin Gold
Kevin and Rebecca Lunde
John MacFarlane and Colleen Boyle
Gregory Nemitz and Sarah Sawyer
Jeffrey Robbins
Sébastien and Marjorie Robert
Matthew Roder and Ange Evelyne Kouakou
Min Sik and Elena Jun
Benjamin and Reise Tanner
Anonymous (8)
GRADE •
Richard and Lynn Bentley
Nathan Dison and Heather Hardwick
Lawrence and Downey Drouin
Safieh Farshadnia
Miguel and Mayra Garcia
Emma and Eric Gimon
Rhonda and Jacob Goldstein
Bela and Shikiri Hightower-Gaskin
David Macquart-Moulin and Laura Mitchel Guevara
Robert Madison and Alexis Tjian
Stephanie and Paul Masquelier
Kirill Mazin and Gwen Coyne
Rafael and Yani Vargas
Nick Waugh and Riley Bove
Anonymous (7)
EB GALA 2024 “A LA DISCOTHÈQUE”
LIVE AUCTION DONORS
Paul-André Abboud and Kristen Sidell
EB Board of Trustees
Graham Gathright
Ross Hutcheon and Lynn Welch
Disco was alive and well as showcased by our groovy A la Discothèque Gala, hosted in the beautiful Sequoyah Country Club in Oakland. Amid disco balls, glittering chandeliers, and tropical accents, our community members came together in a beautiful show of support for EB, contributing $106,528 (gross) for our students and teachers. Hosted by parent extraordinaire Andre Parris, the night was filled with joy, laughter, and impressive dance moves!
A record-breaking $94,226 raised during the Fund for the Future was dedicated to Teacher Professional Development and will have a huge impact on the number and types of trainings and development our dedicated teachers will have access to. We’re so grateful to our donors for their generosity!
Comprising months of preparation and organization, our gala is only made possible thanks to the tremendous work of many people. Thank you to our amazing Gala committee, led by Co-Chairs Heather Way and Katie Crepeau, for their incredible efforts in creating a fabulous night of celebration.
Jennie Levitt
Kili McGowan and Jeremy
Townsend, Next Adventure
Sherri McMullen
Adriana Parcero and Rodrigo Castañeda
Sébastien Robert
Sébastien and Marjorie Robert
Marie-Elise Sallat and José-Luis Villasante
Meredith and Charlie Speight
Spiekerman-Greene Family
Heather and David Way
SILENT & ONLINE AUCTION
DONORS
Averyl Interior Design
Lauren Barcelon, Catlandia
Bay Area Discovery Museum
Benchmark Climbing
Benefit Cosmetics
Micheline Bogey
Books Inc.
Breakout Mentors
Christine Brozowski, MD
Cosmetic Dermatology
Cal Athletics
Bénédicte Cambon-Ritter
Camp Galileo
Andrea Cavallo and Alix Koliha, The Vintage Playground
The Cheese Board Collective
Alicia Mattera Chumbley, The Bar Method
The Coder School of Berkeley
Jonathan Cotté, Griffin Judo
Michael Cruse
CuriOdyssey
Dimples
Thierry Durandard
Susie Fazollahi, Parvaneh Coaching
Five Little Monkeys
French Premiere
French Talent USA
Emma Gimon
GoldenBug
Justine Grosse
Hafner Vineyard
Head Over Heels Athletic Arts
Manon and Adam Johnson
Emily Kaltenbach
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant
Kiehl’s
Kitchen on Fire
Kokoro Lingua
Kromatine
La Tourangelle
Bénédicte Lasalle, Bénédicte
Lasalle Photography
Lawrence Hall of Science
Little River Inn
Kan Liu
Arthur Lockhart, Arthur Lockhart Photography
Masse’s
Julie and Adam Menter
Meliza Mokrani, Worthy
Mr. Mopp’s
Joséphine Nadler, Pâtisseries by Joséphine
Shay Nicholas, Kintsu Spa
Magali Noth
Oakland Athletics
Oakland Zoo
Luigi Oldani, Cro Cafe
Petit Pot
Picante
Elodie Resurreccion
RÊVE Bistro
Sébastien and Marjorie Robert Savio.fr
SFMOMA
Shawl-Anderson Dance Center
Soulful Photography
Laura Spiekerman
Théâtre du Lycée Français
Touchstone Climbing
Hiromi Ui
Walt Disney Museum
Heather Way
The Way Family, Tip Top Bike Shop
Brian Watt, KQED
Danya Winterman, Marine Mammal Center
Y-Brush
Zachary’s Pizza
Florence & Valera Zakharov
Zut! on Fourth
SPECIAL THANKS
Mario and Sarah Assadi, GreenerPrinter
Meliza Mokrani
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Roxanna Ahlbach, East Bay Curated
BRONZE SPONSORS
LJ Kruse Company
Rick Richetta, Compass
WINE SPONSORS
Hiram Simon, Wine Wise
UNDERWRITING SPONSORS
Stéphanie Ross (Band)
Pierre-François Choquet (Band)
Raffle and Game Donors
Hervé Bruckert
Jean-François Drageon, Calparrio
AUCTION & GALA VOLUNTEERS
COMMITTEE
Heather Way
Co-Chair
Katie Crepeau
Co-Chair
Lynn Bentley Armando CiceroLopez
Tori de la Torre
Phoebe France
Kim Langer
Adriana Parcero
Andre Parris
Benjamin Privitt
VOLUNTEERS
Vincent Bienaime
Julianna Cressman
Alfonso de la Torre
Virginie Falquerho
Bela Gaskin
Anne-Sophie
Giordani-Annibali
Justine Grosse
Shikiri Hightower
Emily Kaltenbach
Odile Kiefer
Anne Kuhry
Arthur Lockhart
Kate Mikhailov
Fanny Mukeba
Daniel Ramirez Ortiz
Ashley Stepanek
Bryon Sutherland
Kathryn Thai
Caroline Vantighem
FUND FOR THE FUTURE:
TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
During one evening, our community showed just how much teachers mean to them: a recordbreaking $94,226 was contributed during our Gala’s Fund for the Future portion of the event, dedicated to providing opportunities and training for our teachers to continue growing, learning, and ensuring the best classroom experience for our students. A huge thank you to our donors!
DONORS
Roxanna and Greg Ahlbach
Aimee Aikin and Dan Widmaier
Mona Ameli and Rambod Nader
Apple Matching Gifts Program
Richard and Lynn Bentley
Chevron Humankind Matching Gift Program
Pierre-François Choquet and Stéphanie Long Choquet
David and Fiordalissa Cooper
Thiago Da Costa and Suzy Lord
Katherine Dawson and Jeremy Bled
Alfonso and Tori de la Torre
Emmanuel Delorme and Claire Readhead
Wilfried and Lorena Eisinger
Alexandra Erman
Jeremy Fanucchi and Paola Meta
Luis Fracica and Jennie Levitt
Gap Foundation Gift Match Program
Miguel and Mayra Garcia
Emma and Eric Gimon
Rhonda and Jacob Goldstein
Joseph and Meghna Greenwald
Brian Gzowski and Lauren Barcelon
Mei-Lin Ha Byers and Wayne Byers
Jason Harm and Katie CrepeauHarm
Pria Hidisyan and Benjamin Gold
Christopher and Melissa Hughes
Tenzing Joshi and Lowry Kirkby
Tanny Keeler
Max Kozlov and Tatiana Pavlova
Man-Cheung Lee and Adrienne van Nieuwenhuizen
Erik Leklem and Morgan Courtney
Mindy Longinotti and Michael Roberts
Robert Madison and Alexis Tjian
Erik Marinovich and Dana Johnston
Marinovich
Musa Mawanda and Digne Nahimana
Emilie Mazzacurati and Brian Turner
John McCarthy and Sodabeh
Fazlollahi
Sherri McMullen
Anosha and Kamran Misaghi
Adrien and Jenny Moritz
Gregory Nemitz and Sarah Sawyer
Adam Noily and Maia Beyler-Noily
Magali Noth
Andre and Solange Parris
Antoine and Melissa Portales
Guillaume Privat and Alexandra
Thusy-Privat
Xavier and Evelyn Quan
Jacob Reid and Shara Hashemi
Maxine Reynolds
Sébastien and Marjorie Robert
Stéphanie Ross
SalesForce.com Foundation
Seyyida Saterfield
Edward Sinek and Wendy Muse
Sinek
Charlie and Meredith Speight
Laura Spiekerman and Nick Greene
TIAA
Valla and Sheida Vakili
Jean-Luc and Agnieszka Vay
Anthony and Ilke Ventre
VISA
Nick Waugh and Riley Bove
Abhi Yadav and Rachana Mehta
Florence and Valeriy Zakharov
Anonymous (11)
SPECIAL GIFTS
Alex Mills Memorial Fund
Kenneth Dunphy
Cheryl Mills
Mary Havemann Library Fund
Richard and Heidi Hintz
Gifts in honor of…
• Zaid Ahmed
Vincent Szeto
• Marielle Bled
Jennifer R. Dawson
• Naomi and Tessa Harm
John and Robin Crepeau
• Andre and Nico
Demarest
Dominique Lallement
David Klaus
• Ava Gathright
Suzette Brillantes
• Faris Gould
Anonymous
• Layla Hall
Stephanie de Souza
• Lewis Howell
Brooke Howell
• Shahab Laal
Safieh Farshadnia
• Anders Lunde
Stanley and Patricia Lunde
• Claire MacFarlane
Eleanor Boyle
• Jeannette Rouger
Tanny Keeler
Gifts in memory of…
• Maria da Conceicao
Parreira
Joe Parreira
• Edythe Ford
Christian Ford
• Octavia McConnell
Deirdre McCullagh
• Filomena Patullo
Meta
Paola Meta and Jeremy Fanucchi
• Michael Rossman
Nadia Michalak Prioleau
• Brad Williamson
Adrien Schmidt
THE EB ENDOWMENT
EB’s Endowment was founded in 2002, during the school’s 25th anniversary. Since then, the three funds that make up the Endowment have continued to grow steadily, through the generosity of parents and alumni parents.
EB’s class of 2024 continued the tradition of the Class Gift to the Endowment with a group donation of $26,217. A big thank you to Emma Gimon for her leadership in this worthy effort!
EB is committed to growing its Endowment to ensure a strong and sustainable future for our school. Join us! Reach out to mha@eb.org to learn more.
Current Value of Endowment Funds*:
Silver Jubilee Endowment Fund
EB G8 Class Gift Endowment Fund
$282,167
$299,448
EB G5 Class Gift Endowment Fund $179
EB Fund for Excellence
TOTAL
*As of June 30, 2024
$99,155
681,049
Endowment Donors
Stephanie de Souza
Nadia Michalak Prioleau
Adrien Schmidt and Doan-Nhu Bui
Anya Schwin Gibson and Casey Gibson
G8 Class Gift Student Donors
Charlotte Dison
Tatiana Elarco-Winet
Paul Gimon
Marshall Golstein
Chloe Le Thery
Astrid Masquelier
Luca Waugh
G8 Class Gift Parent Donors
Richard and Lynn Bentley
Emma and Eric Gimon
David Macquart-Moulin and Laura Mitchel Guevara
Robert Madison and Alexis Tjian
Paul and Stephanie Masquelier
Kirill Mazin and Gwen Coyne
Anonymous (3)
IN MEMORIAM
10/1/1942–11/12/2023
Adrian Rees 5/3/2006–11/3/2024
Karma Stephens Roberts 08/2/1949–08/27/2024
Bernadette Dervaux-Brooks passed away on November 12, 2023, in Nice, France. After holding teaching positions in well-established schools in Paris, Bernadette joined a young Ecole Bilingue in 1980. She was immediately engaged in the rapid growth of the school and remained committed to EB for over twenty years. She taught Kindergarten, 1st Grade and specialized in “soutien” or support for all elementary grades. Many students and families remember her fondly as an important teacher in their early years at EB.
Bernadette was devoted to EB, participating fully in all its traditions, both inside and outside of the classroom. She loved the Halloween parade, sang in the lively faculty chorus, and performed with the EB Troupe of the time with gusto. She also had a passion for gardens, so plentiful in California and for the outdoors, and traveled regularly to France to visit her large French family. Her husband, Brooks, preceded her in death.
Bernadette brought so much joy and kindness to all, and touched many lives. Her beautiful, youthful smile will stay with us always!
Adrian James Rees passed away on November 3, 2024. He was 18. Growing up in Berkeley, Adrian was known for his bright spirit and warm heart. He attended Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley (class of 2020) and Berkeley High School. He started working full time in June 2024 at Meyer Sound.
Adrian is survived by his loving parents, David and Françoise Rees, his grandmother Madeleine Bollerot, his aunt Rachel Rees and cousins Amanda Garcia and Lyndia Mo Herron, who cherished every moment with him. His wide circle of friends and extended family members will forever remember his kindness and the joy he brought into their lives. He raced through life but left a lasting impression wherever he went and with whomever he met. Adrian’s legacy will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
Karma Stephens Roberts, 75, passed away peacefully on August 27, 2024, in Reston, Virginia. Born in Portland, Oregon, Karma spent her early years in Eugene, where she cultivated her lifelong passion for education and travel. She attended Stephens College in Missouri and later completed her studies at the University of Oregon.
Karma devoted her career to teaching elementary and middle school, specializing in special education and reading comprehension. Karma was known for her kindness, warm spirit, and ability to make everyone feel welcome. She had a deep love for French culture and language, and her glamorous sense of style always reflected her elegance and joie de vivre.
She was preceded in death by her brother, Mark, and her parents, Beulah and Wilfred Chapman. She leaves behind her two children, Hilary and Mark Roberts, and two adored grandchildren. Karma’s warmth, generosity, and passion for life will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.
Bernadette Dervaux-Brooks
