Message from the Head of School
Dear EB Community, As I enter into my fourth and final year as EB’s Head of School, I feel proud of what we’ve accomplished together, despite, or perhaps in light of, the multiple challenges we have faced. These challenges remind us that education matters more than ever, that it is not only a fundamental right but a necessity, and the most powerful tool to fight misconceptions, global issues, and social injustices. Our students will remember these times, and they will be better prepared for tomorrow’s challenges. The world is fast changing and our students, through their multilingual education and multicultural mindset, and their social, emotional and analytical skills, will succeed as the next generation of critical thinkers and leaders. The 2019–2020 year started off strong, as we kicked off the second year of our Strategic Plan. We dove right in with our International Track at the Middle School, which successfully completed its pilot season and entered into its second year. This program continues to be an asset to EB as new families look for that individualized instruction, international community, and small-school feel. I am excited to see it continue growing and becoming a hallmark of EB’s Middle School. Likewise, our Toute Petite Section class of two-year olds thrived with a full roster and waiting list, emphasizing parents’ appreciation of the value of bilingualism from a young age.
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Then, the pandemic hit. Thanks to our amazing team of faculty and staff, in partnership with our parents, our students continued receiving high quality instruction in a completely
new way. We developed, adapted, and refined our distance learning program so that each grade level could make the most of the situation. We trained our teachers, expanded our technology library, and got to work on our reopening plan. With the collaboration of our Board of Trustees, facilities team, and the whole community, we made smart investments and placed a huge emphasis on safety on campus. In addition to supporting our teachers and learners, we knew that being there for our families was a top priority and the right thing to do. Our community blew us away with your support of the spring Solidarity Fund, created as an emergency tuition assistance fund to assist families experiencing economic hardship due to COVID-19. Parents, faculty and staff, alumni parents, grandparents, and alumni came together to contribute over $145,000 to ensure our EB family could remain whole. Thanks to you, we were able to provide emergency aid to 32 students. This generosity is so indicative of this amazing community and the strength of our bonds. While the pandemic raged, racial unrest surged into the national spotlight with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. EB remains strongly committed to an antiracist education— we have started to have deep and meaningful conversations about what it means to be an antiracist school. We launched affinity groups and a DEI committee, and invited Dr. Derrick Gay to come work with us and engage the whole community in the creation of a DEI plan. With solid enrollment for the 2020– 2021 school year, EB has proven
to be strong and has a bright future ahead. Our school is in stable financial standing and offers an education that rivals any top-performing school. Our Board of Trustees works diligently to continue moving the school forward. Our Parents’ Association has also been a steady partner as we work on creating a supportive and inclusive community for all our members. Our staff members care deeply about each individual child and they work tirelessly to support, educate and inspire our students. They are among the highest caliber professionals I know, full of love, integrity, and passion. They are devoted to the whole child and to the mission of our school. It is a pleasure and an honor to call them my colleagues. While I embark on a new chapter in life, my family and I will truly miss EB and its Berkeley setting next year. I have grown accustomed to the unparalleled warmth, familiarity, and uniqueness that I have found in this corner of the world. I am very confident about the future of this amazing school, its full potential to achieve excellence, its lasting impact, and its special community. This school is full of outstanding students and families and I know that with you by its side, EB is poised for more great achievements and successes ahead. I thank you for your trust and support as we tackle this next year together. Warmly,
Dr. Mehdi Lazar Head of School
