La Lettre Summer 2022

La Lettre French American International School + International High School  Summer 2022

A More Sustainable Future DEI Progress Report PAGE 12

Analyzing Applesauce PAGE 18

New York Music Trip PAGE 34

Athletic Leaders PAGE 46

LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 1

A Grade 3 student releases live baby trout into the wild.

With support from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, students in Grade 3 set up aquariums in their classrooms and hatched live trout eggs, watching them grow into small fry over the course of six weeks. The program culminated in a field trip to Lake Merced, where the children released their fry into the wild to grow and contribute to a healthy aquatic environment in our own backyard.

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La Lettre

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Summer 2022

In This Issue 4

Head of School

Melinda Bihn shares the accomplishments and goals that inspire us now and inform our future

8

Board of Trustees

Board Chair Amy Baghdadi takes a hopeful look forward

12

Taking Our Bearings

Evaluating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at French American and International

34

A Sustainable Future

New York City Music Tour International High School’s first-ever concert tour

18

36

Analyzing Applesauce

Arts Season 2021-2022

Grade 2 students learn the origin of the materials and processing necessary to produce a daily consumer good

A photo gallery of this year’s performing and visual art presentations

44

20

Coaching Captains

Helping Our Habitats

During Earth Week at the Maternelle , PK4 students learned ways they can help the habitats that surround us

Student-athletes reflect on leadership on and off the field

24

Profiles, spotlights, and class notes

Environmental Impact

High school students explore ways to combat climate change, from repurposed clothing to reducing the environmental impact of coffee consumption

48

Alumni

66

High School Graduation

Class of 2022 Graduation speeches

72

College Bound

28

College Acceptances and Matriculations

Student Reflections

Grade 10 students created posters commemorating the second anniversary of the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis

Students share their hopes and concerns for the future of a planet in crisis

74

Grandparents Day

A multi-generational day on campus

La Lettre is published by the Office of Communication  Keelee Smith, Editor  Alexandra Mephon-Ryan, Associate Director

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Rick Gydesen, Publications

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Elsa Lundy, Associate Director of Advancement

French American International School + International High School (415) 558-2000  www.internationalsf.org

COVER IMAGE:

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Contents © 2022

150 Oak Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

A hand-lettered jacket at the Restorative Justice Runway Show, December 2021

LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 3

head of school

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Looking Forward

he work of education today is to prepare students for tomorrow. A French American and International education prepares our students to be global citizens—to think critically and communicate across cultures in order to make the world better. For the past two years in schools, of course, we have been especially focused on the here and now—evolving health regulations and changing Covid case counts have left little time to look beyond the next bend in the road. Yet, at French American and International, we have not lost sight of where we are going and why. Guided by our mission and values, we’ve remained intentionally focused on our goals for our students and our school community.

For us, this year has been about much more than just face masks and Covid tests, and this issue of La Lettre explores topics that inspire us now and inform our future. Being citizens of the world means caring for the planet and its people. From our littlest learners to our very savvy seniors, our students are studying climate change, the greatest threat to our world, in a range of ways. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) inform every aspect of the experience in our school, and we have advanced our work in DEI while also engaging in critical reflection on our progress through the NAIS Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM).

During these years of pandemic, we’ve also continued to cultivate our proud, engaged community, strengthening support for the projects that support our students. We joyfully returned to in-person events this year and held our most successful auction in school history, raising over $800,000

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in support of financial aid on just one evening in April. The Annual Fund also broke records this year, attesting to our community’s commitment to realizing the promise of our mission for every member of our school.

As we emerge from these years, we have the opportunity to evaluate our progress and set the direction for the years to come. Next year, led by our visionary Board of Trustees, we will reflect on our past while looking to our future, as we celebrate our school’s 60th anniversary and undertake our next strategic planning process. The initiatives that have brought us through the pandemic can now propel us forward; in all these areas, we will consider important questions as we envision our future as San Francisco’s leading bilingual and international school.

I’m inspired by all that we have achieved this year, and I look forward to setting our course as a community next year!

L’enseignement d’aujourd’hui a pour objet de préparer les élèves au monde de demain. Une éducation au Lycée International Franco-Américain prépare nos élèves à être des citoyens du monde - à réfléchir de manière critique et à communiquer avec les autres cultures afin de rendre le monde meilleur. Au cours des deux dernières années, les établissements scolaires se sont bien sûr tout particulièrement focalisés sur l’ici et le maintenant – les évolutions des réglementations sanitaires et du nombre de cas de Covid ne nous ont pas laissé beaucoup temps pour prendre du recul. Pourtant, au Lycée International Franco-Américain, nous n’avons pas perdu de vue nos objectifs et la vision qui

CARING FOR THE WORLD AROUND US Before Spring Break, our PK3 students learned about the many things we can do to care for animals around us.

In PK4 we welcomed two baby chicks, who spent a week in the PK Lavender classroom after they hatched. It was such a special experience for our students to closely watch the eggs in the incubator for the smallest crack.

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head of school nous anime. Guidés par notre mission et nos valeurs, nous sommes restés intentionnellement concentrés sur nos objectifs pour nos élèves et notre communauté scolaire.

Pour nous, cette année ne se résume pas à de simples masques de protection et à des tests Covid, et ce numéro de La Lettre explore des sujets qui nous inspirent maintenant et informent notre avenir. Être citoyen du monde, c’est prendre soin de la planète et de ses habitants. De nos plus petits élèves à nos terminales très informés, nos élèves étudient de diverses manières le changement climatique, la principale menace pour notre monde. La diversité, l’équité et l’inclusion informent chaque aspect de leur expérience dans notre établissement, et nous avons progressé dans ce domaine et entrepris une réflexion critique dans le cadre de l’évaluation de l’inclusivité et du multiculturalisme de NAIS. Au cours de ces années de pandémie, nous avons également continué à contribuer au développement de notre communauté fière et engagée, en soutenant encore davantage des projets au service de nos élèves. Nous avons avec plaisir recommencé à organiser des événements en personne cette année, en particulier notre gala annuel le plus réussie de l’histoire de l’établissement, qui a permis de recueillir plus de 800 000 $ au titre des bourses scolaire en une seule soirée d’avril. La campagne annuelle de financement a également battu des records cette année, ce qui témoigne

LEADERSHIP TEAM:

de l’engagement de notre communauté scolaire à faire de la promesse de notre mission une réalité pour chacun de ses membres.

Alors que nous émergeons de ces années, l’occasion nous est donnée de faire un bilan de nos progrès et de définir la direction que nous souhaitons prendre pour les années à venir. L’année prochaine, sous l’impulsion de notre conseil d’administration visionnaire, nous entreprendrons une réflexion sur notre passé à l’occasion du 60e anniversaire de notre école, et nous nous tournerons vers l’avenir pour entamer notre prochain processus de planification stratégique. Les initiatives qui nous ont permis de traverser la pandémie peuvent désormais nous propulser vers l’avant.

Nous examinerons des questions importantes dans tous les domaines et envisagerons notre avenir en tant que principal établissement scolaire bilingue et international de San Francisco.

Je suis inspirée par tout ce que nous avons accompli cette année, et je suis impatiente de définir une nouvelle vision de l’avenir de notre communauté l’année prochaine !

Melinda Bihn, Ed. D.

Head of School | Proviseur

The French American + International Leadership Team gather for a portrait at this year’s Annual Auction. From left to right: Dereke Clements, Director of Diversity; Stephen Dini, Director of Advancement; Andrew Brown, Dean of Admission; Sirika Yong, Maternelle Principal; Melinda Bihn, Head of School; Fabrice Urrizalqui, Middle School Principal; Julie Strong, Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning; Pauline Dides, Lower School Principal; Joel Cohen, High School Principal; and Aaron Levine, CFO and Director of Operations.

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MISSION

VALUES

Guided by the principles of academic rigor and diversity, French American and International offers programs of study in French and English to prepare its graduates for a world in which the ability to think critically and to communicate across cultures is of paramount importance.

Our international community brings together people from many backgrounds. Together we strive to create a shared culture that develops compassionate, confident, and principled people who will make the world better. We base our community on these values:

Guidé par des principes de rigueur académique et de diversité, le Lycée International FrancoAméricain propose des programmes en français et en anglais, pour assurer la réussite de ses diplômés dans un monde dans lequel la pensée critique et la communication interculturelle seront déterminantes.

RESPECT, INTEGRITY, INCLUSION, COLLABORATION, AND CURIOSITY. Notre communauté internationale rassemble des personnes de toutes origines. Ensemble, nous contribuons à créer une culture qui forme des êtres altruistes et déterminés. Dotés d’un sens moral, ils œuvrent à un monde meilleur.

Notre communauté repose sur les valeurs suivantes :

RESPECT, INTÉGRITÉ, INCLUSION, COLLABORATION, ET CURIOSITÉ.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY We commit to advancing equity and social justice in our diverse, urban community. We fulfill this promise through our programs and practices, and we inspire and equip our students to live this commitment locally and internationally.

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board of trustees

Board’s Eye View Amy Baghdadi, Board Chair

“Next year will be a time to celebrate our accomplishments and ambitiously envision what the future of French American and International will look like.”

T

he Board’s Eye View is a place for the Chair of the Board both to reflect on the past, and look to the future. For me, this task comes at a particularly poignant time, as my eldest child is completing his 14-year journey at French American and International, and will soon be heading to the other side of the country to study—for the first time in his life—away from this community.

My feelings about all of this? Gratitude. I am grateful for the quality and depth of the education that he has been so fortunate to receive; for the deep and meaningful personal relationships that he has been able to develop; for the vibrant and diverse community of which he has been a part; and for the incredibly strong foundation he will be able to build upon as moves into his future.

It is comforting that, while I reflect upon my son’s completion of his time here, I am also able to turn my focus toward all that next year has in store for us—next year will be a time to celebrate our accomplishments and ambitiously envision what the future of French American and International will look like. The 2022-2023 school year is the

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60th Anniversary of French American and International, and it will be a time to look back at all that we have accomplished over the last 60 years. I am looking forward to a series of community events where we can celebrate our school, our community, and each other. After the unprecedented challenges of the past few years, we could all use a good reason to celebrate!

Next year will also be a year for strategic planning. Our last strategic plan was developed during the 2016-2017 school year through a community-wide effort, led by our Board Strategic Planning Steering Committee. That effort resulted in a plan consisting of the five pillars—international program promise; cross-cultural cognition; vibrant, urban campus; proud, engaged community; and culture of giving—that have guided us throughout the last several years. This plan maintained its relevance and continued to guide us through times of change and turmoil that its drafters could never have anticipated.

Building upon this strong foundation, it is time to envision the next chapter in French American and International history.

Over the last two years, we have been gathering the tools we will need to complete this important work. We are accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS), the California

Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), the Western Association of School and Colleges (WASC), and the French Ministry of Education. Accreditation provides formal recognition by our peers, identifies areas of success and improvement, and encourages strategic planning. Last year, we completed the accreditation process for three of these organizations—CIS, CAIS and WASC. This is no small feat, even in a “normal” school year!

Accreditation requires an enormous amount of work from all of the constituents of our community. At the conclusion of these schoolwide processes, we receive accreditation reports full of information about what we do well and what areas we should focus on in the future.

This year, we continued the important work of gathering information through the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM) from the National Association of Independent Schools. Thank you to all of you who took part in this study, whether through the electronic survey, or student, faculty, and community focus groups. Your input is invaluable, and it resulted in important data that will inform the strategic planning process as we envision a future that is equitable and inclusive for every member of our community.

Next year, using these reports, the Board of Trustees will once again guide the important work of planning for the future. It is in this type of work that our amazing trustees truly shine. Our school has a long history of boards with both strategic vision for our school and the courage to act on that vision. From the decision to purchase the 150 Oak Street building at a time when no one could imagine filling it, to the decision decades later to purchase the parking lot at 98 Franklin that has paved the way for our transformative new High School project, the Board has a legacy of visionary thinking that has led to 60 years of excellence. I am fully confident that the current Board, with your help, will continue that tradition.

I look forward to celebrating, and working, with all of you next year. Bonnes vacances!

Le Point de vue du Conseil de gestion est un endroit où le président du conseil peut à la fois réfléchir sur le passé et se tourner vers l’avenir. Pour moi, cette tâche arrive à un tournant particulier de mon histoire, alors que mon fils aîné achève son parcours de 14 ans au Lycée International Franco-Américain, et poursuivra bientôt ses études à l’autre bout du pays — pour la première fois de sa vie — loin de cette communauté. Mon sentiment à cet égard ? De la gratitude, de la reconnaissance pour la qualité et la profondeur de l’éducation dont il a eu la chance de bénéficier, pour les relations personnelles profondes et significatives qu’il a pu y nouer, pour la communauté dynamique et diverse dont il fait partie, et pour les fondations incroyablement solides sur lesquelles il pourra s’appuyer à l’avenir.

Il est réconfortant de constater que, alors même que j’évoque la fin du parcours de mon fils ici, je peux également me tourner vers tout ce que l’année prochaine nous réserve – la possibilité de célébrer nos réalisations et d’envisager avec ambition l’avenir du Lycée International Franco-Américain. L’année scolaire 20222023 marque le 60e anniversaire de notre établissement, et ce sera l’occasion de revenir sur tout ce que nous avons accompli au cours de ces 60 dernières années. J’attends avec impatience

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

2021-2022 Amy Baghdadi

Chair

Cassandra McGoldrick

Vice Chair

Paul Loeffler

Vice Chair

Philippe Grenier

Secretary

Karen Schmid

Treasurer

George Akel Jean Paul Balajadia Asim Bhansali Tony Fenner-Leitao Mary Rose Fernandez Stephan Forget Jon Fulk David Hu ‘94 Brian Keil Sambou Makalou Robert Mee Erin O’Donnell Laurie Poston Philippe Sanchez Alona Scott Nadia Sesay Kevin Smith

Honorary Trustee Frédéric Yung

Consul Général de France

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conseil de gestion

une série d’événements communautaires où nous pourrons célébrer notre établissement, notre communauté et nous célébrer les uns les autres. Après les défis sans précédent de ces dernières années, nous avons tous un bon motif de célébration !

L’année prochaine sera également une année de planification stratégique. Notre dernier plan stratégique a été élaboré au cours de l’année scolaire 2016-2017 avec la participation de toute la communauté, sous la direction du comité correspondant du Conseil de gestion. Ce travail a permis d’élaborer un plan reposant sur cinq piliers — la promesse du programme international, la compréhension interculturelle, un campus urbain dynamique, une communauté fière et engagée, et une culture de la philanthropie — qui nous ont guidés au cours de ces dernières années. Ce plan conserve toute sa pertinence et a continué de nous guider pendant des périodes de changement et de bouleversements que ses rédacteurs n’auraient jamais pu prévoir.

Sur cette base solide, le moment est venu d’envisager le prochain chapitre de l’histoire du Lycée International Franco-Américain. Au cours des deux dernières années, nous avons rassemblé les outils dont nous aurons besoin pour mener à bien ce travail important. Nous sommes accrédités par le Council of International Schools (CIS), la California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), la Western Association of School and Colleges (WASC) et le ministère français de l’Éducation. Ces homologations nous permettent de bénéficier d’une reconnaissance formelle par nos pairs,

d’identifier des points forts et des domaines d’amélioration potentielle et encouragent la planification stratégique. L’an dernier, nous avons terminé le processus d’accréditation de trois de ces organisations : CIS, CAIS et WASC. C’est d’autant plus remarquable que ce n’est pas chose facile, même pendant une année scolaire « normale » ! L’accréditation exige un énorme travail de la part de tous les membres de notre communauté. À l’issue de ces processus à l’échelle de l’ensemble de l’établissement, nous recevons des rapports d’accréditation qui regorgent d’informations sur nos points forts et les domaines qui doivent faire l’objet d’une attention particulière à l’avenir.

Cette année, nous avons poursuivi cet important travail de recueil d’informations par le biais de l’évaluation de l’inclusivité et du multiculturalisme (AIM) de la National Association of Independent Schools. Merci à tous ceux d’entre vous qui ont participé à cette étude, que ce soit par le biais de l’enquête électronique ou des groupes de discussion d’élèves, de professeurs et des communautés. Votre contribution est inestimable et a permis de recueillir des données importantes qui éclaireront le processus de planification stratégique sur la voie d’un avenir équitable et inclusif pour chaque membre de notre communauté.

Le Conseil de gestion guidera une fois de plus l’année prochaine l’importante tâche de la planification de notre avenir. C’est dans ce rôle que les membres formidables de notre conseil donnent vraiment toute leur mesure. Nos conseils de gestion ont toujours fait preuve pour notre établissement à la fois d’une vision stratégique et du courage qu’exige sa mise en œuvre. De la décision d’acheter le bâtiment du 150 Oak Street alors que personne ne pouvait imaginer en utiliser tout l’espace, à la décision plusieurs dizaines d’années plus tard d’acheter le parking du 98 Franklin qui a ouvert la voie à notre projet transformateur de nouveau lycée, le conseil a toujours été caractérisé par sa clairvoyance et la pensée visionnaire à l’origine de nos 60 années d’excellence. Je ne doute pas que le conseil actuel, avec votre aide, ne manquera pas de perpétuer cette tradition.

J’ai hâte de célébrer et de travailler avec vous tous l’année prochaine. Bonnes vacances !

French American and International Trustees Sambou Makalou (left), Board Chair Amy Baghdadi (center), and Vice Chair Cassandra McGoldrick (right) and spouses at “Hollywood Nights”, this year’s Annual Auction at the Palace Hotel, April 23, 2022.

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Welcome New Trustees

Vidya Balakrishnan

Nicole Bookman

“Our decision to choose French American and International was due to the school’s commitment to growing a diverse student body with an outstanding bilingual and international education. As a multiethnic family, with extended relations across three different continents, we were also very impressed with the school’s thoughtful approach to integrating various global teaching methods into the curriculum.”

“We chose French American and International because we wanted our kids educated in a rigorous, bilingual program with an international and socioeconomically diverse community. French American and International has delivered in more ways than we could imagine. Our family felt welcome and at home from the start, and we’ve built lifelong friendships. We are very grateful to be supported by such an amazing community. I am honored to help support French American and International’s mission and to give back to a school that has given us so much.”

PARENT ‘32

Vidya Balakrishnan currently works at Salesforce where she is a Vice President of Product Management for the Financial Services Cloud suite of products. She spends a lot of time mentoring women in various technology roles and previously served as President of the HQ chapter for the Salesforce Women’s Network, representing over 8,000 women in San Francisco. She holds a mechanical engineering degree from University of Wisconsin and is originally from the suburbs of Chicago. She and her husband, Etienne, are the proud parents of a Grade 2 daughter at French American and International.

PARENT ‘33, ‘30

Nicole has a diverse professional background that includes finance, consulting, and Marriage and Family Therapy working in free clinic, school, and private practice settings. Nicole is passionate about mental health, creativity, building connection and community, and travel. She self-published Breathing with Baby, a baby book for parents, and founded Go Happy Kids. Nicole is looking forward to taking on her next creative endeavor while supporting French American and International as a trustee. She holds a BA in Finance from the University of Houston, and a MA in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco.

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diversity, equity & inclusion

Taking Our Bearings Evaluating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at French American and International Julie Strong  Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning Dereke Clements  Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

A

French American and International education develops compassionate, confident, and principled people.

By fostering belonging and community, it prepares students to participate meaningfully in an interconnected, global society. Diversity, equity, and inclusion have been at the forefront of our school initiatives for several years, especially as these issues have come to the center of national and international conversations.

This work is a journey, and, in order to continue to make progress, it is vital to assess where we are and where we need to go. There is no prescribed road map for this journey, but cycles of feedback and reflection provide compass bearings to guide us. In order to provide that much-needed data, we identified tools that would help us understand our progress and illuminate next steps. We chose the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Assessment of Multiculturalism and Inclusivity (AIM) survey, a comprehensive, well-validated tool that is benchmarked to our peer U.S. independent schools. We sought feedback that would allow us to plan in a data-driven way; ground our decisions in the specific needs and conditions of our community; and amplify the voices of individuals who may not have other venues for communication. The survey gathered information on the experience of all our school constituencies, especially in the areas of connection to the school; the relationships within and among stakeholder groups; policies and practices regarding equity and inclusion; and perceptions of DEI work in our community.

Reading our Compass The process of administering AIM included two major components. Many readers will recall filling out the online climate survey this past September and October. The survey was sent to all families, students in Grades 5-12, faculty and

staff, the Board of Trustees, and alumni. The survey data was anonymous, and raw data was handled only by NAIS. NAIS benchmarked the data to peer schools who have completed the survey recently, giving us a basis for understanding the responses of our own community within the context of other independent schools. To gain further information and context, we then held focus groups with several constituencies, including the Parent Association Executive Board, the Parents of Students of Color group, faculty and staff from all sections and areas of the school, and middle and high school students. In each case, stakeholders examined the data from their own group and from students, looking for themes and key findings. They then moved to open-ended discussion, sharing their own surprises and wonderings, and examining the intersections between the data and their own experiences. This process yielded a complex and nuanced view of the experiences of members of our community.

The Journey Thus Far The data show notable successes and significant growth in fostering an inclusive environment at school. For example, faculty feel a strong sense of responsibility and agency in DEI work and note that significant amounts of our least-renewable resource, time, is devoted to these efforts. The impact of our emphasis on hiring a diverse faculty and staff is evident, an important achievement in a difficult economic context. Parent support for the school’s initiatives as well as their perception of multifaceted progress is broad. Families are invested in inclusion and diversity as components of an excellent education, and see the value of integrating multiculturalism into all program areas.

In the classroom, this integrated approach to multiculturalism requires teachers to create opportunities for students to bring their identity and experiences to their learning.

Students are able to develop collectively when a variety of diverse experiences are represented in the learning process.

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DAY OF ACTION:

Student presenters (above and left) and keynote speaker Karen Clopton (right), City of San Francisco Human Rights Commissioner and French American and International alumni parent.

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diversity, equity & inclusion Our findings affirm the impact of our work done over the last several years and demonstrate that the prerequisites for further progress are in place. Engaging with diversity across a wide spectrum of differences shapes learning outcomes.

As we hoped, the feedback also illuminated specific areas for future consideration. Perhaps the most consistent theme in the findings is the need for stronger interpersonal connections between constituencies, especially among students and faculty. Students expressed both their need for deep relationships with faculty and other adults in the school, as well as their sense of having limited voice and agency in their school experience. Parents noted a slightly different but related experience of their own limited connection and pathways for communication. Also explicit in the findings was the acknowledgement of bullying, microaggressions, and various breaches of school values that impede inclusion and belonging.

Students expressed a desire for faculty to be more adept and proactive at addressing these inequities in behavior.

Across constituencies, a conspicuous finding was a below-average rating for our “caring community environment.”

Pride in our school is high, but there is clear room for growth,

particularly in the student experience of school spirit. How can we best help students, faculty, families, and every community member feel part of something bigger than themselves?

The principles of academic rigor and diversity hold equal billing in our mission statement, and this finding inspires us to seek greater integration of those two companion ideals— enhancing one advances the other.

Plotting our Path Forward Taken together, the findings from this assessment celebrate our work to date and orient us to the path ahead. The goal of administering this climate assessment was to give us a snapshot of where we are and to help us plot a course for the future, and the data serve that goal. We are attending to the inherent urgency of this work and forging the way forward, and the path from here will be informed by the experiences that our community shared in this process.

The results suggest that the foundation for moving forward is strong. We clarified widespread agreement on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion and a broad sense of individual responsibility for creating inclusive environments.

Grade 10 French Bac students created posters to commemorate the second anniversary of the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis.

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restorative JUSTICE FASHION A hand-lettered sweatshirt at the Restorative Justice Runway Show  International High School, December 2021

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diversity, equity & inclusion The efforts of the past several years have not only increased the visibility of DEI work but garnered investment from all constituencies. The process also gave us clear areas for further examination and planning. Deepening relationships, especially between faculty and students, and addressing breaches of community expectations and values are areas ripe for future action planning. The findings also raised our awareness of the experience of individuals with specific identities, allowing us to consider how we broaden inclusion of those individuals and groups. Going forward, the data from this assessment will inform our work in the short and long term—in the daily work of continuous improvement in classrooms and in hallways, on the field and onstage as well as in our upcoming Strategic Planning process.

The AIM findings also complement the recommendations from our recent accreditation processes. In the 2020-21

school year, we completed accreditation visits from the Council of International Schools and the California Association of Independent Schools. In their accreditation reports, both bodies recognized our commitment to DEI work and encouraged us to continue our work on building trust and belonging at all levels of the school. Ensuring full integration of this work in our curriculum and pedagogical practices was also noted as an area of growth, as we have identified.

The commitment to DEI runs through every aspect of our school and rests squarely on our mission and values. As one parent put it in a focus group, “French American and International is investing in DEI and not just paying lip service.”

Investments in school culture are most successful when they are ongoing and carefully mapped. The completion of this assessment is not an end in itself but another step on the way to realizing the full promise of our mission and values.

LEFT: Visiting the MLK Memorial on the Washington, DC trip this spring.

RIGHT: Students calling for a continued committment to social justice.

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sustainable future

Analyzing Applesauce

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Alice Jolimaitre Grade 2 Teacher ow do we make young children aware of environmental issues without confronting them with a threat over which they have no control? How do we get them to adopt more environmentally friendly habits without simply giving injunctions on what is bad or good for the planet? In the Lower School at French American and International, we carefully create opportunities for reflection for students and teach actions they can take in daily life, allowing them to develop a critical view of the consumer society and its consequences. An example of this is the exploration students take in Grade 2 on the origin of the materials and the processing steps necessary to produce a daily consumer good: an applesauce pouch.

We start by raising the question, “What is the packaging of the applesauce made of?” Together, students identify plastic, aluminum, and cardboard for the box. We take the first material, plastic, and then ask ourselves, “where does plastic come from?”, and “if plastic is made from petroleum, what is petroleum and where does it come from? How do we transform it?”

By pooling the knowledge of all the students in the class, we connect all this information and then further students’ understanding by illustrating through photos each factory involved in the manufacture of petroleum. What is petroleum? “It is a substance created by the decomposition of animals and plants that lived millions of years ago.” What does it look like? “It’s gooey black stuff. You can see it in the ocean when there is an oil spill.” How is oil transported from where it is extracted to the first stage of its transformation, the refinery? “By truck?”

“By plane!” “By boat.” “Through big pipes.” Together, we build the journey from the oil well to the manufacture of the plastic cap: the four successive factories and the means of transport between each—a pipeline, an oil tanker, a train, and a truck.

The operation is repeated for aluminum and cardboard.

Little by little, factories, roads, and vehicles fill the whiteboard that covers an entire classroom wall. This is where students make the connection: “Thirteen trucks? All those natural spaces destroyed to build factories? All that for applesauce? I will never buy applesauce again!”

This engaging and challenging lesson allows students to realize that most of the pollution from an applesauce pouch comes mainly from the manufacturing of the packaging and

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not the management of the waste after it is eaten, calling into question their assumption that if it can be recycled, it is not bad for the planet. We help students understand that zero waste does not mean you put everything in the recycling bin.

Zero waste means nothing goes in any bin, except for composting. They begin to make connections to what they observe in their daily lives and understand that the container ships they see entering under the Golden Gate Bridge or parked in the Bay may be full of bottle caps for applesauce pouches.

Once the door is opened, students begin questioning even more: “Where does the glass in my bottle come from? What is my t-shirt made of?”

In our complex world, we are disconnected from the source of our food and the production of the objects that surround us, and it is important to understand where these items come from. The students are very curious to understand how the world in which they live works, down to the smallest details.

Even if they do not yet have much control over their way of life, they can bring reflection to their families and generate behavioral changes: having an apple for snack rather than a compote in a container, to start with. The exercise can be repeated with other consumer goods, such as the glass bottles they drink from, and the t-shirts they wear.

To help students engage in the preservation of the environment, they must also be introduced to the wonders of nature.

There is no need to go far to immerse yourself in nature when you live in San Francisco. Each class has the opportunity to do this during the overnight field trips that we resumed this spring: discovering the unique redwood forest of the California coast in Grades 1 through 4 and the marine wealth of Catalina Island in Grade 5. These trips provide opportunities to encounter the beauty of nature and embrace their responsibility to protect it.

It is important that we talk about the environment with children, because social change often comes from them.

Young activists, such as Greta Thunberg, say they learned about global warming and its consequences at school. Thunberg’s determination led her family to radically change their way of life and ultimately mobilized millions of other young people around the world. Our goal is to talk to children about environmental issues in ways that provide information rather than frighten, so they understand the world they live in and feel capable of acting on it. Our work gives students a sense of urgency about the problem, but with the understanding that something can be done to address climate change: there is hope of a better future.

“Our goal is to talk to children about environmental issues in ways that provide information rather than frighten, so they understand the world they live in and feel capable of acting on it.”

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Earth Week AT THE MATERNELLE

ABOVE: A piece of handmade paper created by Kindergarten students for one of their Earth Week projects.

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Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Kelli Youngson Kindergarten Teacher

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uring Earth Week our Kindergarten students learned about the 4 Rs—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, and made posters to teach others as well. They brainstormed ways they could reduce how much trash they use, such as refusing or saying “no thank you” to things that they don’t need or want like plastic bags, bottles, and toys.

Students had lots of fun reusing items by making art and toys out of boxes, bottles, cans, and smoothie pouches. They also practiced properly sorting trash, recycling, and compost; they learned about what items can be recycled and how they

are turned into new objects—and they even made their own recycled paper!

The learning continued beyond Earth Week as we read books and watched videos about how paper, plastic, glass, and metal are made and how the manufacturing process affects plants, animals, and humans. We also learned about how indigenous communities are on the front line of the fight to keep the Earth healthy and clean, and even had the privilege of having the Ohlone Sisters, facilitators from the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribes, come to speak to us. They reminded us that it is our responsibility to keep the Earth safe and healthy.

Finally, the Kindergarten students made a giant Thank You Letter to Earth (based on the book Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre) that was displayed at the front of the Maternelle to show our community what we are working to protect.

ABOVE: Kindergarten students learn how to make paper during this year’s Earth Week at the Maternelle.

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Helping Our Habitats

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Guilane Kleinhenz PK4 Teacher his year at the Maternelle we chose to dedicate an entire week to Earth Day. In Pre-K we focused on learning about different habitats so that the students could gain a better understanding of specific, targeted actions they can take to help.

Between the five classes, the environments we learned about were the mountains, the ocean, the rainforest, the arctic, and the desert.

First, we talked about Earth in general, and students made pertinent comments such as, “it has a lot of water in it”, “it is the only safe planet for people and animals to live”, and “we need to take care of the Earth”. Together, we discussed how our actions matter and brainstormed ways to protect the Earth. Then, the students learned about the different habitats, each with their own set of problems and solutions. For example, when talking about the mountains, we identified

some endangered animals and how we could help to preserve their environment. The students readily volunteered their own ideas about how to preserve the environment including “sort the trash, compost, and recycling” and “don’t put litter or toxic products in the rivers.”

Ultimately, the students brought home simple steps that they could practice with their families, such as participating in beach clean up events to help preserve the ocean and practicing recycling and composting diligently, not just at home. Traveling more responsibly was another good point we discussed—using public transportation whenever possible, as well as riding our bikes or walking more. Some groups also discussed conserving water and eating more responsibly.

It was evident that while our students are already aware of some ways we can help care for Earth, they are eager to learn more. Conversations about caring for our planet continued in our classrooms beyond Earth Week, and subsequently in homes as well. We believe that this early awareness is an important first step towards our planet’s wellbeing—and our students’ enthusiasm is a promising glimpse into the future!

PK4 children play a traditional game they learned from visiting members of the Ohlone community in the East Bay. LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 23

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Sustainability in the Sciences

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rom their very first days in the Maternelle, French American and International students discover and discuss environmental issues with their teachers and peers. Students’ understanding evolves with their knowledge and maturity, and the science department, in collaboration with colleagues in other departments, builds awareness and develops students’ knowledge in a constantly changing world, positioning them to develop inspiring ideas and solutions to address some of the greatest challenges we face.

Grade 7 and 8 In Middle School this year, our students collaborated with their teachers to explore several areas of environmentalism.

Grade 7 students worked to find solutions to problems such as limiting waste, avoiding overconsumption, and identifying renewable energy sources. They studied problems and the consequences in class, and, while there were moments of grief about how dire some situations were, they were guided by our faculty to find solutions and take action, creating a sense of hope for their future during their final presentations. Grade 8 students completed projects on the endangered species of California this year. Each group selected an endangered species and studied its characteristics, its way of reproduction, and the reason why it is endangered, providing solutions to save the species.

Grade 9 In Grade 9, students in the French track did their Brevet oral presentation on “Human Impact on the Environment and Biodiversity.” Teachers challenged students not simply to present the problems of the impact of human action but also to discuss solutions. Many of the students’ presentations focused on alternative energies that could help reduce CO2 emissions and cope with the growing energy demand of modern society: “Nuclear Energy: a Problem or Solution?”, “Fusion Reactors as an Unlimited Source of Energy”, and “Biofuel : How to Recycle Oil in Restaurants and Use it as a Source of Energy?” were just a few examples.

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Other students explored the future use of mushrooms to produce biodegradable plastic, as well as the use of mushrooms to fight pollution. There were presentations on the disastrous human impact on species of animals like orangutans and the polar bear, and on ecosystems such as the coral reefs in Hawaii. Finally, some of our students presented on the devastating ecological and environmental consequences of human actions in Chernobyl and in the construction of the Panama Canal.

Grade 10 Students made videos on a variety of environmental issues, highlighting positive responses and solutions. For example, one group addressed the topic of the impact of a cup of coffee on our environment. The students showed the benefits of shade-grown coffee compared to sun-grown coffee: better taste, a healthier ecosystem, less mechanization, and economic security for people. Another group worked on sustainable fashion and why it is essential for safeguarding the environment. The students were so moved by their project that they decided to hold a sustainable clothing day, during which students could exchange or sell used clothes. The money from the sale was donated to an environmental association. Other equally interesting topics included the ecological impact of bitcoin, the positive and negative response to student activist Greta Thunberg, the ecological impact of video games, the problem of soil infertility, the impact of almond milk on the environment, and the importance of urban beehives.

The students conducted thorough, deep investigations to understand these problems and their solutions, including interviewing people active in the field. The essential point of these videos was to present a positive vision of solutions, and, as a result, to share a message of hope for our environment.

Grade 11 Our French Bac Juniors studied diverse ecosystems and the impact humans have on them in their science classes. They presented their learning in video formats to illustrate their thorough understanding of the discussions in their classrooms; these videos will be used again by our science teachers for presentations to future students, creating a sustainable loop of their own work!

“Sea otters have been struggling for the last decade to accumulate a population large enough to provide aid to the nearshore ecosystem.”

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Climate Change in the Arctic

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his year, Grade 12 French Bac students participated in a project to raise awareness of the rapid melting of the Arctic due to climate change. The student collaborated on a short video illustrating the effects of climate change in the Arctic, along with manageable solutions. The video was recognized by the Tara Ocean Foundation as part of its annual contest, and will be used online by the Foundation.

Students interviewed climate professionals like Surabi Menon, Co-Founder of ClimateWorks Foundation, and Bertrand Delorme, a Stanford research scientist who studies ocean circulation and its effects on climate change. Through a presentation of his experiments, Dr. Delorme demonstrated the role of the Arctic and cold ocean waters in capturing and storing carbon.

The students also reached out to a nonprofit research organization called the Arctic Ice Project, which partners with top organizations and scientists to restore the Arctic. Employing silica microbeads sent by the Project, our seniors conducted a series of experiments simulating arctic ice on a small scale, and were able to prove the efficiency of the beads in slowing the melting of the ice.

To make sure that the silicium wouldn’t harm the arctic environment, they also tested the pH of the water in both beakers, and found they were the same.

This year-long project fostered collaboration, provided students with an in-depth analysis of a real situation, and gave them a glimpse of possible, inspiring solutions to slow the effect of climate change. We may see our students leading the change soon!

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Sea Otters and the Marine Ecosystem Emily and Viviane, ‘23

Sea otters are an essential part of the marine ecosystem.

The sea otter habitat extends across the Japanese, Russian, American, and Canadian Pacific coasts. This species is hosted by nearshore ecosystems, such as eelgrass beds and algae forests, and is recognized as a “keystone species,” that is, a species with a large effect on its ecosystem and on which other species depend.

Throughout the last several centuries, the sea otter population has been endangered by a number of hazards. The most detrimental threat to the species was the international fur trade, which took a particular interest in the density and insulation of otter fur, and resulted in the decimate of the sea otter population along the Alaskan coast, even reaching northern California. The breed is also threatened by large oil spills, such as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster.

Because of the fur trade, the population of sea otters was in decline, but with the help of the International Fur Seal Treaty of 1922, the sea otters were able to rebuild their empire. Unfortunately, in the 2010s their population started to stagnate due to human pollution of the oceans. They’ve been struggling for the last decade to accumulate a population large enough to provide aid to the nearshore ecosystem.

Their diet consists mainly of sea urchins and mussels, both of which ruin the algae forests if not eaten. The algae forests also provide food and protection to many other marine animals; therefore with their destruction comes the downfall of many other species. The sea otters are needed to uphold these nearshore ecosystems.

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The Impact of DDT

Honey Bee Populations

DDT, or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, was an insecticide used primarily in the 1940s. In addition to being used to help control bugs and insects in fields, DDT was also used to combat illnesses such as malaria and typhus, as well as other various insect-borne diseases. A cancellation order for DDT was issued in 1972 by the EPA, and now only a few countries still use it to control malaria.

Despite DDT’s usefulness, it had as many harmful consequences as it did benefits: DDT still affects various ecosystems as well as health today. The half-life of DDT in soil can last decades, and it bioaccumulates and is then stored in fatty tissues, making it difficult to break down. Rachel Carson’s seminal text Silent Spring powerfully detailed the impact of DDT on various avian populations, calling attention to the damage and death it was causing.

We learned about how it continues to affect the environment today, as well as about the measures being taken to control and improve insecticide use in the future and about how we can repair these damaged ecosystems.

We also wanted to look at the impact of DDT on human health, since research shows links between DDT exposure and increased chances of cancer, diabetes, hereditary illness, and more.

Our video project is focused on bees and their recent population decline. We wanted to learn more about human impact on bee extinction as well as how we can help. In our research, we discovered just how grave a concern the decline of bee populations is. The issue is particularly prominent in California, where the almond industry affects about 48 billion bees and makes up 80% of global almond production.

Unfortunately, the conditions of this demanding industry are extremely detrimental to bees.

Despite the increasing demand for bees, their numbers are decreasing annually. What renders this issue all the more poignant are the devastating effects it has on humanity and the environment. Globally, food insecurity is a preeminent issue, and without bees to pollinate 75% of horticulture, this will be increasingly pressing.

Bees are essential to our lives but face both natural and manmade dangers. Shouldn’t it be our responsibility to protect them from extinction?

Mille and Noémie, ‘23

Maya and Isabelle, ‘23

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Student Reflections on a Planet in Crisis In Grade 10 History and Geography classes, students and teachers delved into complex climate topics—from fast fashion to video games, coupling with work being done in their science classes. This interdisciplinary approach gives students breadth and depth into the problems our world faces, and also empowers them to discover real, sustainable solutions to these issues. Here are a few reflections from some of our students.

Our Lives May Depend On It Lucy, Yasmine, and Flora ‘27

As teens, we are the victims of climate change and yet we are rarely included in its life-changing discussions. We are often overlooked and cast aside due to the fact that we are younger and we may seem irrational, but in reality, our opinions and ideas are just as important as any adult’s. Many assume that we do not know the facts, data, or history behind global warming and that we are not capable of understanding this significant and complex problem. On the contrary, we are experiencing climate change right now and we will have to cope with its future effect on our lives. Scientists have confirmed that 39% of teenagers today do not want to have children due to the destruction that climate change has caused on humanity. That is a choice that no other generation has had to face.

From a young age, French American and International has educated us on climate change. We have been taught the causes and the consequences of our actions and have learned valuable lessons on the effects and the solutions that we can take part in in order to help slow down global warming. We began recycling and composting as early as kindergarten.

We have learned about our current atmospheric situation in science, as well as in geography, and how industries and economies affect global warming. In English class, we have even written direct letters to Joe Manchin, a West Virginian senator, about supporting the Build Back Better Act, a bill that includes over $500 billion of national funding to support clean energy nationwide. We have gradually come to realize that even though climate change is terrifying and preposterous, it is not too late to still help heal our planet.

At French American and International, from professional

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guest speakers, to fascinating field trips, we are exposed to countless different ways of thinking about the world’s problems and solutions. We’ve listened to speeches and made presentations, we’ve done experiments and watched documentaries. These all help us learn how to research and gather information by ourselves, and even more importantly, how to create our own opinions and ways of thinking. Some of us are concerned, others are scared or anxious or doubtful. We are often overlooked, ignored or muted, but this time we must be heard. Our lives may depend on it.

Climate Change at our School

By Chloe, Julie, and Sophie ‘24

At our school, climate change has always been an issue that we faced head on. From a young age, we were taught about the climate, and the effects human activity has on it. We quickly became aware that all of us as humans are responsible for what is happening to our planet. Climate change is something that affects each and every one of us personally, and it is close to all of our hearts. Our school encourages students by educating them about the consequences of climate change, and giving them the initiative to take action.

Earth Day has always been important to our school. Every year, students, and teachers work hand in hand to plan something special for the day in the hopes of raising awareness and educating others about the climate. It is always a collaborative effort that puts students in a position of leadership. Teachers make sure to integrate climate change in our curriculum and education. We are taught about climate change in many of our classes, such as science, sociology and history class. We also discuss and track the history of climate change, learning about its acceleration and the situation in our world today.

In our Stagecraft class, students reused and repurposed old clothes, which we then presented to the other high school students. The outfits each conveyed a message, the theme being restorative justice. In Biology and History and Geography, we made videos about different climate change related topics.

Specifically, we focused on the negative effects humans have on the environment and the consequences of climate change.

Some of our topics were the endangerment of bees, people’s

(Right and Next Page) Middle School artwork depicting the impact of humans on the environment.

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sustainable future personal opinions on Greta Thunberg, and the role video games play in climate change. In our History and Geography class, we spend many classes discussing climate change and its effects on our planet. Teachers create an open conversation for students to participate in, and share new and interesting information surrounding the topic of climate change.

Our school implements change in our environment to remind us about nature’s events around us. For example, our school has many solar panels on its roof. The solar panels help collect clean and renewable energy, becoming electricity, for our community to use while in the building. Another example is our color-coded bins, which promote waste sorting outside every classroom and in our hallways. Our school has always taught us to be careful with sorting our trash correctly.

For that reason, we teach our students about composting, recycling, and wasting in lower school. Afterward, they pair up with a “buddy” and spend a few lunches by the trashcans to correct and encourage the other students they’re watching over to sort their waste properly. Furthermore, in High School, our school organizes beach cleanups. The students are encouraged to gather for this cause and help clean our environment.

French American and International has always valued the voices of students, especially when it comes to climate change.

We have been put in a position that allows us to take action against the crimes being committed towards our planet. We’ve been encouraged from a young age to not only learn but teach others about the importance of fighting for our home. French American and International believes that we have the power to make a difference. We are the future, and it is our responsibility to take action against climate change.

We Pledge Allegiance to the Planet Katie, Madeline, and Zoey ‘27

French American and International has exponentially helped us have a better understanding of the planet that we inhabit, what its current condition looks like, what it will look like in the future if nothing changes—and what we can do about it. This year, in Grade 7, we studied a variety of issues in nearly every subject.

In Earth and Life Sciences, we completed a group project on how we can help the climate. First, we had a unit in class on the current climate situation to help us get a better understanding of it, and then our teacher gave us some excellent resources such as websites that taught us more about the main cause of global warming. One project was Comment la varech nous sauve et comment on peut le sauver (how kelp can save us and how we can save it). We discovered that kelp uses photosynthesis to absorb the CO2 in the air 30 times faster than trees, while being respectful to the environment, unlike

some other solutions. Another project, La Déforestation, researched how deforestation has damaged our planet, and why we have to stop before it becomes something irreversible (which is really close to happening).

We also worked on a project in History Geography. This project consisted of making pledges for the planet during Earth Week. The pledges included some solutions to the causes of global warming. Here is an example of one: I pledge allegiance to the planet The animals and the plants The land on which I stand To respect and preserve the environment, irreplaceable, reduce, reuse, and recycle Lastly, in English we worked on Greta Thunberg’s speeches and other influential environmental activists. We looked not only at the messages that they projected but also at what made their speeches so compelling. For instance, Thunberg uses the different pillars of persuasion (logos, ethos, pathos) with a mix of knowledge and emotion to get her message across.

Overall, we feel that French American and International has broadened our horizons on this global environmental crisis. We have learned so many new aspects of this problem: causes, effects, and solutions for global warming. All of these activities raised our awareness and led us to work on lowering our footprint.

Youth in Action

Patrick, Nina, Donatella, Neela ‘24 At the age of 16, we shouldn’t be worried about us not having a future. Unfortunately, a large portion of our country seems unbothered by the state of our planet and is climatosceptique. Here at French American and International, climate change has been at the forefront of our curriculum since we began our education; the programs of the Education Nationale and the International Baccalaureate both have units on climate change and acknowledge the impact of humans.

Since Pre-K, we are taught to love and respect the environment and to be responsible world citizens. Through numerous projects, open debates, and a mission to save our Earth, the students of our school have used critical thinking skills to take action on this pressing global issue.

It’s important for students and young people to be informed about climate change so that everyone, no matter what age, can make a sizable difference. Our school prioritizes a well-rounded education and believes that climate issues have a place to be talked about in every classroom. We have learned that one of the best ways to combat climate change is to end ignorance, which is why schoolwide engagement and workshops are organized. In History and Geography, we have

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sustainable future done a plethora of projects and posters as well as found new creative ways to spread awareness. We have presented our research throughout the High School as well as the Middle School and Lower School in order to inform a spectrum of ages and backgrounds. The more people involved in trying to combat the climate crisis, the higher the chances are for world recovery.

Our school recognizes that the constant mistreatment of our planet has led to a collapse in our ecosystem. We’ve all seen these effects firsthand, after all, from forest fires in Northern California to the coastal flooding in countless countries around the world. However, we can all help, especially those of us in younger generations. We are increasingly aware of the social, cultural, or environmental challenges we face, and must change. For example, the high school students have created many clubs such as Animal Rights Club, Plant Club, Sea Clearly (a beach cleanup club), and Youth Take Action Club that meet frequently to discuss worldwide problems and solutions facing our Earth. We asked Anais ‘22, founder of the Sea Clearly Club, to say a few words; “In the Sea Clearly Club, I strive to raise awareness about the endangerment of ocean plants and animals because of human pollution and the deterioration of the environment. I joined this club in Junior year and this year I took on the responsibility of leadership with Ines ‘22 and Annabelle ’22, and we recruited over 50 members. Last year we were able to donate $300 to our local marine mammals center and I am really excited to continue working hard to benefit our community and our world.” The

Grade 10 Histoire/Géographie students

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school promotes hands-on learning which in turn encourages the students to think outside of the proverbial box, helping them explore the problems, tools, and substances they’ll work with regularly in college and later in life. In the case of climate change, learning tips and tricks to save our Earth will always be useful and in many cases, crucial. These life skills will be used from now till the end of our lives.

As we have previously stated, our school is always bringing in new information and projects that trigger our critical thinking. Some of these projects include informational videos, a conscious fashion show, posters hung up in the hallways, inviting guest speakers, and installing solar panels on the roofs.

When we were in lower school, we had trash monitors that stood by the trash cans helping their peers choose the best bin to dispose of their trash in. In Grade 4, we had a competition for “Best Climate Change Poster” which motivated us to do the most research and planning possible. We also had to write one thing on a piece of paper that we would do for the planet for the rest of the year each New Year. If you enter any classroom, you will find a “turn me off when you leave the room” sticker next to each and every light switch. In the bathrooms, you will find our water-saving flush handles that are designed to reduce water use.

In conclusion, French American and International recognize that the youth is the future and they present us with many opportunities to display our skills while solving real-world problems. It is our responsibility and mission to help the Earth that we share since we know that there is no Planet B.

My Journey With Sustainable Fashion

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Maia, Mia Siu, and Aiya ‘24 ’m at the mall. A white cotton shirt attracts my attention, complete with a tag claiming it’s sustainably made, from China, and only $5. A shirt said to be sustainable, from across the world. A price tag parading five dollars, made by real people with real families. It took something as little as a price tag to get me thinking about the clothing I was dressing my body with. I hadn’t realized before that a seemingly fun and inexpensive purchase had real consequences; only I was not the one actively facing them. I was now consciously aware of this, yet I still wanted to do more.

The key to any change is knowledge—so the first step in my journey was finding out as much about fast fashion as I could. For starters, the term “fast fashion” signifies clothing that’s mass produced, inexpensive, and usually made unethically. To get scientific, the fast fashion industry holds its fair share of titles. It is responsible for 1/3 of microplastic in the ocean, contributes to upwards of 10% of carbon dioxide emissions, and is the second largest consumer of water in the world. These statistics are all referring to environmental impacts. At the same time, we could also address the unsafe and inhumane working conditions for the people producing these garments. On top of an unethical workplace, there is also the fact that the average salary for these workers is far under the estimated livable wage. Additionally, a single cotton shirt takes about 3,000 liters of water, 12kWh of energy, and around five months to decompose. Seeing as one of the defining characteristics of fast fashion is its poor quality, consequently the lifespan of these items are also fugitive. Beneath the brand name and price tags, there is waste, cruelty, and pollution.

I had explored and diagnosed the problem. My next step was to decide what to do about it. When I went shopping again, I didn’t want to contribute to the many faults of the fast fashion industry, but I still needed (and wanted) new clothes. With some digging, I found some brands that produce clothing both ethically and sustainably, but consequently the prices were higher than a sixteen-year-old with no income would have liked. I decided to entertain another option: buying second-hand.

Living in San Francisco, I had no shortage of thrift stores to choose from. At first glance, the numerous racks of assorted clothing were nothing short of overwhelming, but my determination only grew. In my next trips to the thrift store, I started sifting through the hangers, feeling the textiles, observing the colors. Now I rarely fail to leave the store without clothes that are aesthetically pleasing, inexpensive, and sustainable.

Even though buying secondhand is my favorite alternative to fast fashion, the most accessible, affordable, and effective option is this: simply don’t buy more clothes.

There is honestly no extremely sustainable and ethical way to shop, so limiting your purchases can help the planet and your wallet. Of course, this can be difficult if you are accustomed to regularly acquiring new garments. If you are determined to shop, try to remember to buy less and buy better. Buying a smaller amount of high-quality clothing is so much more sustainable than buying loads of garments that won’t last. For the creative people out there, give upcycling your old clothing a shot! If that does not suit you, there are many other ways to alter, tailor, and change your already existing wardrobe. Even if you don’t consider yourself particularly crafty, anyone can take a pair of scissors to a shirt and create something completely new. It’s free, and ecologically friendly.

This article has already mentioned some fairly discouraging things, yet I want to leave you with a sense of hope. I am not asking everyone to stop buying things entirely, but I think it would make a world of a difference if more people at least considered the impact of their purchases. I also encourage you to do more research on those things that make the knot inside you tangle up. I let my anger turn to passion, and now I live my life substantially differently than I did before. Changes can start small... to think all of this started with a price tag.

“I scoured various thrift stores for men’s button down shirts of all sizes with a similar gingham pattern, and made each one a tier of the dress.

I took each shirt apart and repurposed all the elements I could, from the buttons to the pockets.” –Aiya ‘24 LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 33

New York

Concert Tour

This spring an enthusiastic group of music students embarked on a journey to New York City for French American and International’s first-ever concert tour

ABOVE: The student choir performs an impromptu performance onstage at Carnegie Hall.

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travel program Alistair Hamilton Head of Creative and Performing Arts Upper School Music

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he purpose of establishing music tours at French American and International was to encourage students to sing in choirs, to work towards high levels of musicianship in bands, and to enhance their commitment and engagement with live music through rehearsals and performance. This has led to extended musical collaboration, camaraderie, wonderful moments on professional stages, and lots of fabulous opportunities for our young people. We toured several places throughout the year, but none were as special as our trip this spring.

With remarkable challenges to overcome this year, our students and families were thrilled that students had the opportunity to tour New York City and enjoy a regular and fulfilling experience as part of our Global Travel Program.

Thirty-eight students, faculty, and student videographers arrived in New York, and from the moment they arrived, they embraced the hubbub of this fabulous musical city.

Our ensembles performed in Brooklyn, Roosevelt Island, the Upper West Side, Grand Central Terminal, and at the

Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Our musicians also had the distinct honor to have a tour and later stand (and perform!) onstage at Carnegie Hall. Our students have wonderful memories of ambling through Central Park, singing under the bridges and serendipitously with buskers, and jogging around reservoirs. Exploring Lincoln Center let students engage with performance abilities of another level and from the Top of Rockefeller Plaza, the scope of the city became clear. The Metropolitan and Guggenheim museums were eye-opening experiences for all, especially on a rainy day.

Our students observed artistry unfold in a very moving and visually stunning performance of Madame Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera, on Broadway through Hadestown, at a graduating recital at Julliard with the GRAMMY-nominated Sandbox Percussion, and during remarkable moments onstage with the Martha Graham Dance Company.

We chartered a boat for our final live concert (including a stage invasion with Lady Liberty), and had some time to get-down with hilarious dancing and our fabulous chaperone DJ crew.

Bravo to our amazing student performers, our remarkable chaperone team, and to our techie Deniz for live-streaming and sharing our musical moments with families at home.

The memories from this trip will be carried forward, by our students and chaperones, for many years to come. We have ambitious goals to hit the road again next year for another music tour, so stay tuned!

LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 35

ARTS

SEASON A photo gallery of this year’s High School Visual and Performing Arts 36 LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022

performing and visual arts

HIGH SCHOOL VISUAL ART: A sunflower in solidarity with Ukraine | “Cultural Meal”

MUSIC: IB Music Recital, February 2021 | Winter Conservatory Concert, March 2022 LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 37

performing and visual arts

SPRING CONCERT: The French American + International Community Choir at Herbst Theatre

MUSIC: Songs For Senegal, October 2021 | Lower School Music, September 2021 38 LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022

VISUAL ART: Social Justice panels by Middle School Art students LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 39

performing and visual arts

THE SPRING MUSICAL: “Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage” by Tony Award-winning composer Dave Malloy

IB FILM FESTIVAL: A still from a short student movie created by an IB Film student.

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THE FALL PLAY: “Boy”, an exploration of gender by Korean-American playwright, Diana Son LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 41

performing and visual arts

IB ART SHOW: (Left) L’histoire des États-Unis: a Native American totem pole superimposed on the Statue of Liberty in recognition of Indigenous People’s Day. (Right): a sculpture depicting Dîa de los Muertos

THEATRE: Student-Directed One-Act Plays, January 2022 42 LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022

MUSIC: The New York Pre-Tour Concert, March 2022 LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 43

athletics

Coaching Captains Sara Shaughnessy  Director of High School Athletics

I

nterscholastic athletics continue to be an arena where adolescent student-athletes can explore their talents, both on and off the court. At French American and International, we support participation in athletics in Grades 5 through 12, and we will pilot programming in Grade 4 next year. Through their youth and teenage sport experience, and especially through leadership opportunities, Jaguar players learn tangible skills that will serve them later in life.

In the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a high school club consisting of captains from all teams, we discuss how to be a successful leader. We teach student leaders to exhibit the three C’s of capable captainship: be caring, consistent, courageous. As coaches, we look to our student leaders for many things. Captains aren’t appointed merely to gather equipment or send group texts, but also to be an echo of the coach’s voice on the field or a mediator in challenging conversations.

Captains have an impact on the entire team. The title is not just a resume builder or an accolade to hang on a shelf – the role matters in daily team events. Volleyball Captain Nathalie ‘22 sums it up perfectly, “A captain is the person on the team who exemplifies best intentions for everyone. It’s a

Three-sport student-athlete Daniel ‘26

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very important role to fulfill intentionally. When you don’t have a good captain, it can offset the trajectory of your whole season.” Nathalie was a crucial part of the Championship Women’s Varsity Soccer team, and will be attending New York University in the fall.

As the world changes, our student leaders must adapt their leadership styles to align with their peers’ needs and motivations. Our captains are learning and experiencing this collaboration in real time. Problem solving with students of varying dispositions will help them in their future endeavors.

According to Harvard Business Review journalists Herminia Ibarra and Anne Scoular, “Companies are moving away from traditional command-and-control practices and toward something very different. The role of the manager, in short, is becoming that of a coach.” Three-sport student-athlete Daniel ‘26 speaks about this notion of working together with various personalities to accomplish a similar goal. He observes, “Sports have taught me that everyone on the team is very different and comes from different backgrounds, but you are all together on one team. A good leader helps to take all these different people and balance them out for the same goal.” Daniel’s leadership helped his Boy’s Varsity Soccer team compete in the League Championship this fall.

Athletic participation can be intense. Between a rigorous academic load and daily duties for the team, our studentathletes commit to huge responsibilities. Data from this year’s postseason survey show that over 94% of respondents believe they have improved their time management skills during their seasons. Captain Joseph ‘22, who plans to attend Duke University in the fall, plays three varsity sports: soccer, basketball, tennis. He helped to bring home two championships this year for the Jaguars in soccer and basketball. He reflects, “Being a three sport student-athlete, I have worked really hard to make sure that I manage my busy schedules. In high school, we are encouraged to directly communicate conflicts with coaches, so doing that through the years has been helpful, and I think it will help me in college.” One of the best aspects of school sports is that all grades work together, and the seniors share this wisdom with younger teammates.

Student-athlete Nisha ‘26

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athletics It’s important for our student-athletes to lead by example.

Not every captain is the loudest one of the team. For more reserved leaders, modeling is a helpful tool that can be transferred to the workforce. Eighth grader Nisha thinks about what makes her a positive leader on the basketball court: “I like to avoid placing blame for mistakes. If someone throws a bad pass, you can’t go back in time and redo it.

So, as a captain, you realize if you have bad body language, you play worse. You are distracting yourself and others with the negative thoughts in your head. You have to take the experiences and use what you’ve learned to be better.”

Business researchers have found that people look to copy others’ behavior, especially when that person has power and status. In times of uncertainty, “employees look to their leaders for cues to follow. If they notice that their leaders are working to foster learning and cultivate the delicate art

Varsity Basketball captain Joseph ‘22

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of leadership as conversation, they will do likewise.” Nisha’s positive attitude will suit her well as she plans to play multiple sports for the next several years at French American and International.

Our student-athletes continue to succeed remarkably.

Whether achieving a personal record in individual sports like swimming or track & field, raising a gold championship trophy alongside best friends, or learning important life lessons that transcend sports, our students benefit from Jaguar Athletics.

We are proud of our inclusive program and the “no-cut” policy. In 2021-22, with the support of school leadership, we were able to add auxiliary teams to our offerings because of sustained student participation; 194 Grade 5 through Grade 8 and 253 high school students are a part of our program across 53 teams. In these crucial years, we are proud to witness many of our young people succeed in athletics. GO JAGS!

Varsity Volleyball Captain Nathalie ‘22 LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 47

“I kept silencing the voice that was telling me to do music, because there are a lot of reasons not to become a musician. The voice was very persistent, though. I’m so grateful I stopped silencing that voice, because it opened my life up in a way I would never have imagined.”

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alumni

PROFILE

Anna Laura Quinn

Class of 2003  Jazz Vocalist in New Orleans

A

nna Lauren visited campus this spring, and delighted in running into Joel Cohen (High School Principal), Andrew Brown (Dean of Admissions and Theory of Knowledge teacher), and Christine Bois (Science teacher).

“I was afraid of Madame Bois, but I also loved her!” she exclaimed as she headed into the Art Pavilion. She was impressed with the Dennis Gallagher Arts Pavilion, which was built after she graduated, and the many other beautiful campus improvements. Here she shares her memories of French American and International and her accomplishments since graduation in 2003.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO SINCE YOU GRADUATED? WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO NOW?

After graduating from French American and International, I attended NYU, and during my time there explored my varied interests in arts. I found a lot of satisfaction in my studio arts classes, and I spent the last two years intensely studying in that field. I also studied abroad in Paris, and was able to improve upon my French from my time at French American and International, and really polished my accent.

After graduation, I wasn’t quite ready to launch an art career in New York City, and had a light bulb moment to move to New Orleans somewhat spontaneously. I have now lived there for 12 years, and have built an amazing, beautiful, creative, supportive community of artists and musicians around me in New Orleans—like nothing I have experienced, or really ever heard of, anywhere else. With this community around me, I eventually realized that music was what I really wanted to be doing. I discovered the Jazz Studies masters program at the University of New Orleans and that is where I started focusing all of my energy on becoming a musician.

In early 2020, I began working on my second album— luckily finishing the last recording session the day before the lockdown in March of 2020! I had a very strong hand in producing the album—including writing all of the arrangements, spending a majority of the quarantine learning how to edit, designing the artwork, and even creating a music video—but I also recognized the importance of inviting the

right people to collaborate with me. Mixing and mastering music is an art form that only the masters know how to do!

The album is called Open the Door, and it is a work of art but it is also a statement of my future path in the music industry.

WHAT WAS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FEATURE OF A FRENCH AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION? I loved the community that was created at French American and International. As students, we grew up together, and I am still very close with friends I made in PreK! It was also so beneficial to have teachers from all walks of life, from many different countries. Having access to people who are different, who speak other languages, who have unique cultures early on in life really allowed me to see beyond myself.

The IB was invaluable in preparing for college—my hardest work was definitely done in high school! It is very rigorous academically, and my college professors were very impressed with the skills I brought to their classes, especially my writing.

LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 49

alumni I’ve heard this from other alums as well, at a variety of schools and multitude of majors. The discipline of a French school was also beneficial, because the classroom environment encouraged respect for your teacher and classmates.

DO YOU HAVE A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE FROM YOUR TIME AT FRENCH AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL?

The exchange trips that I went on were incredible opportunities for a young person. I traveled to Paris, Germany, Guadalupe, and Tahiti. Some people think that it’s crazy to send 10 year olds to Paris, and yes it was jostling for all of us, but when I look back on the exchange it was just the most amazing experience ever, that our entire class got to experience. Every trip pushed me to grow up a bit more, opened my eyes wider, and stretched my understanding of the world. We also built very strong bonds with the teachers on the trips, and created closer relationships than we ever would have if we just interacted in classrooms and hallways.

They treated us like students, of course, but also like friends because we experienced so much together.

I always liked the urban vibe when I was in high school because we could leave campus and be in the city. We really appreciated that we were treated like adults and felt very comfortable on our own off-campus.

HOW DID FRENCH AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL HELP SET YOU ALONG THE PATH YOU ARE NOW?

At French American and International, I learned to express myself through writing. This skill is so important no matter what you do—I’m not analyzing poetry anymore, but I am still regularly writing, from creative lyrics to professional emails.

It’s very valuable to know how to properly convey yourself in your day-to-day life.

I didn’t really know what I was going to do when I was at French American and International. I never would have imagined I would be where I am now! But what the school did provide was a feeling of possibility, that I could go any direction and be prepared for it.

HAVE YOU KEPT IN TOUCH WITH OTHER ALUMS?

One of the nice things that happened during the pandemic was the establishing of a weekly video call with my core group of girlfriends from French American and International. We’ve kept it up for two years—somebody still calls someone else every Sunday!

It was really beautiful to have that consistency, and in some cases to rebuild some friendships. We’re a huge part of each other’s history, so just to have that bond carried through the many milestones of life, and challenges of the last two years, has been really special.

WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO CURRENT STUDENTS?

Keep an open mind about how your life will evolve. Be nimble—opportunities can come from all different places.

That voice inside, your intuition, can say so much about the journeys ahead.

I kept silencing the voice that was telling me to do music, because there are a lot of reasons not to become a musician.

The voice was very persistent, though. I’m so grateful I stopped silencing that voice, because it opened my life up in a way I would never have imagined.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

The wheels are turning all the time, but I’m not putting any pressure on myself to come up with the next project.

It feels good to have released the album and to have a little more brain space freed up for exploration at this moment.

Currently, I’m really interested in delving deeper into the piano so I can do a bit more playing on my own. In the next year or two, my goal is to build up my following and perform a lot more. Ideally I’d like to perform overseas, and hopefully to tour in France.

I have to be nimble to see what the opportunities are, and be able to act when the opportunities present themselves. I’m planting a lot of seeds and look forward to seeing what comes to fruition.

WHAT EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WERE YOU INVOLVED IN AT FRENCH AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL? I played basketball all four years of high school. I played on the team with Charlee Underwood, and while I was eons behind her in skill level, we had such a blast together. I just really loved the entire team and community we had together.

During my senior year, I regretted not performing in Back à Dos throughout high school, so I tried out for the musical.

I ended up being cast in a One Act Play, and had a five page monologue I had to deliver in French. It wasn’t really what I had in mind when I auditioned—I was hoping for a role in Hairspray! But it was really a memorable experience overall.

50 LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022

Anna Laura (2nd from right) with her friends at their 2003 graduation

PROFILE

Chris Ebersole

Class of 2006  Sports Executive

C

hris works for the NBA as the Associate Vice President of International Basketball Operations. His team helps grow the love of basketball around the world through programs such as Jr. NBA and NBA Academies. His job is the perfect intersection of two things he fell in love with during his time at International: Basketball and an international mindset.

Chris visited campus this year, and enjoyed seeing the campus updates and hearing of future plans. He ran into fellow alum and friend Marcus Porchia ‘13, who works in admission, and caught up with Joel Cohen, High School Principal, whom Chris remembers as a Chemistry teacher and fellow musician—he shared memories of jamming together in the classroom. Chris and Joel connected over India, where Joel is headed next year and where Chris travels for work regularly, and also made plans to get together there.

WHY DID YOUR FAMILY SELECT FRENCH AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL?

The school always had a good reputation. My mother lived abroad for most of her childhood, so she really valued the international perspective of the school. Once my two younger siblings and I started in Kindergarten, we never looked back. My family fell in love with the school, and with France, as a result of our experience.

Now my parents own a home in France and visit every year, and my brother lives there as well. I definitely attribute our strong ties to France to their decision to send us to French American and International.

In 10th grade, my family moved to France for a year.

Looking back, it went much more smoothly than I might otherwise have expected. By then we had done a number of exchange trips through school—5th Grade to Paris, 7th Grade to Tahiti—that had allowed me to put the language into practice and speak with other kids my age. My French was also reinforced by the many French nationals in our school. I’m actually jealous of my 10th grade self at how seamless it was to move to France! I was so immersed in French at French American and International—I did the Brevet & the French Bac track, with most of my school work in French—so the transition was pretty straightforward with the exception of a bit of regional slang from the rural part of France we were in.

Chris Ebersole, Stanford University

LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 51

alumni WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING SINCE GRADUATION?

After graduating in 2006, I attended Stanford, where I majored in economics and minored in East Asian studies with a focus in Mandarin—which I began studying here at French American and International, so I had a bit of a head start!

In my senior year, I walked onto the basketball team and developed very tight relationships with a lot of the players on the team, many of whom I’m close friends with today.

My first job out of college was with Cambridge Associates in Menlo Park as an investment consultant. I enjoyed the work, but during that time I was also coaching basketball, including the girls’ varsity basketball team at International.

Through the experience of coaching, I realized that I wanted to get back into sports, and basketball in particular. I started to explore opportunities outside of finance and landed with the NBA in their International Operations department. The job was this perfect marriage of my background in basketball as well as my international experiences. I was very fortunate to land the job, and have been in some version of that role for nine years.

DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES FROM FRENCH AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL?

I think about my time here a lot, because it’s one of those things where you don’t realize in the moment how valuable the experiences you receive in this school are. Looking back

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now, I realize how beneficial my time here was in opening my perspective to a global lens. This is something that is extremely helpful in my job, as I’m working with different stakeholders in regions all over the world, who all have different cultures and different ways of approaching problems. That I’m able to put myself in their shoes because of my experiences here is one of the most valuable things I gained from French American and International.

I also look back fondly at how committed the teachers were to developing us not only in their subject matter, but also as people. My teachers were experts of their subjects, and also really great mentors for all of their students. They brought us along in many more ways than just academically.

Lastly, I took for granted the strong sense of community. As students, we were all very close knit, thanks to our grade and class sizes. We knew each other so well—supporting, cheering on one another—I didn’t realize how special and unique that was until I got to college and learned of others’ experiences.

WHAT EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WERE YOU INVOLVED IN?

Athletics were a big part of my experience here, particularly basketball. I also picked up soccer, thanks to my year in France.

The camaraderie and the sense of community built through sports always resonated really strongly with me. From the teammates to the coaches, these were groups you grew up with over your time in school. The relationships with some of my best friends, friendships that began all the way back to Kindergarten, were built through competition and sport.

Obviously I’m passionate about sports, given my professional career, but I really think the values of sport are such a special part of the overall scholastic experience. Not everywhere in the world are sports built into the educational component. I wasn’t a special player, in either sport I played; it was really more the camaraderie and relationships that I built through it that was so enjoyable. I was able to take those athletic experiences and parlay them into college, and now into working in sports full-time. My career is probably not what I envisioned when I was younger, but you never know what path is going to present itself.

It was a lot to balance a heavy academic load with sports, and I was also interested in music and theater. I played piano and keyboard, and have fond memories of different theater productions that I was involved in. Being involved in music and theater allowed me to make new friends through those avenues, and have different unique experiences, like staying late on campus and messing around on the piano with classmates.

All of those pieces were critical. I’m glad I was encouraged by my parents as well as the faculty and staff to excel in academics, of course, but also to not discount the experiences outside the traditional classroom learning. All of those pieces of the puzzle come together, and they are really important.

Chris Ebersole at the Africa Academy at INSEP.

HOW DID FRENCH AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL SET YOU ON THE PATH YOU ARE ON NOW?

It’s definitely a rigorous program here, and it set me up for success in college in that I was not overwhelmed with the overall course load and had an overall smooth transition into college. The other part that has carried over for me in particular is the holistic approach to education at French American and International. I work on development programs for high school aged student-athletes, which includes building out curricula, and I borrow a fair amount of the overall vision of having a comprehensive approach to learning and development as a result of my experiences here.

We work with really, really talented young people in basketball, and I have the chance to help them see that they can be excellent at basketball, but there is also room to be excellent in other areas, whether in the classroom or in the arts. And we have a lot of success stories of young players who excel not only in basketball but also off the court.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS?

My main advice would be to take advantage of all the resources offered here. The layers of opportunity that exist are really endless, so try to make the most of it.

For older students, who are thinking about what’s next— college and what they want to do in life—you have had such a great education and exposure to the world, you now have the responsibility to take that and support the world in positive ways. Asking yourself what can I impact next, rather than what can I attain, is the best and most rewarding approach to take. Ask yourself what are the best ways to take this education you’ve been given, the work you’ve put in, and add value to the world.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

Right now I’m really focused on building out my department at the NBA. Since I joined 9 years ago, my department has quadrupled in size and our programs have expanded quite rapidly, so we’re still building our department out in order to have the impact that we want to have.

Our mission is to inspire and connect people around the world through the power of basketball. We aim to get young players and kids bouncing a basketball and falling in love with the sport, with programs that shape the developmental pyramid, up to future college or professional basketball players. We reach tens of millions of kids every year around the world through our Jr. NBA programs. With our more targeted, elite high-school programs, we have over 70 players who have made it into college basketball, and over a dozen that have made it to professional basketball. My goal is to sustain and continue to grow and build upon that.

Here in the US, the pipeline to college sports is very natural, but in many other places around the world, there are often gaps in the path to the next step. We work to make sure the opportunities are there for those who want to continue, supporting more than 100 international players in the league each year. Right now more than half of the top players in the league, have been international players, which has been a great shift in the last few decades.

On the personal side, my wife and I just had our first child in December, so most of my focus right now is on my family.

We’re planting our roots in San Francisco, building out our life as an extended family, and figuring out how I can balance travel with young ones. My daughter is just starting to babble now, not quite ready for school yet, but I would love for her to come to French American and International in a few years!

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Alumni Class Notes 1977 France Israel is enjoying new beginnings—she

recently became a birth doula and has started painting, after 25 years as co-founder of her own architectural visualization firm, View By View, providing 3D virtual designs and construction coordination services with such clients as Lucasfilm.

1979 Juliette Barthaux

is getting ready for retirement at the end of 2022 after raising three beautiful children and having a busy career at a major French television station, TF1. She is excited to move from Paris to the Alps to enjoy her retirement.

While Juliette only attended one year at French American and International (called FABS at the time), it left a lasting impression on her. “I arrived in San Francisco in 1975 without speaking a word of English and left for France almost bilingual at the end of 9th grade. What a year, what an incredible immersion. It was a profoundly marking year for me.”

1980 James Samuel Cahan made a big career change: from being a lawyer and prosecutor for 30 years, to developing a

whimsical card game, “(Anti) Social Citizen’’, which is selling in stores in Maine and online (anti-socialcitizen.com).

James’ wife, Hope, is a busy Town Councilor for Falmouth, Maine, and a policy advisor for a Santa Clara Supervisor. His daughter Kat is looking at colleges and his son Jacob is enjoying his sophomore year of high school.

Class of 1980

Reunion San Francisco In Attendance: Yannou d'Argencé, Sandro D'Amico, Susan Donner, Kirsten Gustavson, Anna Hastings, Frances Hochschild, Nicole Lapeyrade , Nick Paszty, Sharon Radcliff, Peter Rubino, Belinda Stroud, Ariane Trelaune, Michael Ullman, Vivian Williams

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Life is busy for Nick Paszty with his two boys back at home: Alex is working through an engineering course of study and Julian is soon to head off to CSU Monterey Bay Marine Sciences program. His spouse Gay is back teaching full time at the Berkeley School, his dog Gromit still barking at everything, and as for him, he is continuing his work on medicine development analytics at Genentech. He finds it a busy and very interesting time, as technology opens new avenues almost daily. He only wishes he had more time to go fishing!

Michael Ullman organized an informal

class reunion in December 2019 with the help of Nick Paszty ’80. Hosted in Michael’s mother’s home, it was a wonderful evening with many of classmates either in attendance or reconnecting from afar (see sidebar).

Michael’s children are now all out of the house, and he continues his work as a neuroscientist at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. At a recent neuroscience conference in San Francisco, Michael noticed someone with the same last name as his second-grade teacher, Madame Barbieux—indeed it did turn out that he was her grandson, with whom Michael is now in touch! He shared, “Dear alumni, she remembers many of you very fondly!” He also shared that his twin brother, Roger Ullman ‘80, is running an environmental foundation in New York, and his children are also almost out of the house (his younger daughter is off to college this coming fall). Michael was sad to announce the passing of his mother, Rose-Marie Ullman, at the age of 96.

Rose-Marie had remained a close friend to Jeannette Rouger, our Founding Head of School, and was very well-loved by her children and grandchildren, who celebrate her long and interesting life.

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“French American and International helped me to focus, and to love even more the mix of people this world offers us.”

TEVA VICTOR ‘91, SCULPTOR

1987 Cécilia Andrews (right) enjoyed a busy and intense beginning

of 2022 with several artistic projects that made her travel a lot— including an exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark, in honor of women’s rights, and joining Galleria Matria, an art gallery in Milan, which started representing her this spring. She is now preparing her next solo show opening in 2023 at Municipal Bonds, her art gallery in San Francisco. To further this experience, she is applying for art residencies in San Francisco and hopes to have the opportunity to return to the Bay Area more regularly. She invites her fellow alumni to visit her art exhibit in 2023!

1991 After several decades, Isadora Gullov-Singh (left) has returned to her true love of painting. Her soft, abstract, minimalist work has been acquired by private collectors and designers near and far. Her art has been featured in domino.com and can be seen on her website: www.igsartstudio.com.

Teva Victor (right) is still living in Tahiti, the “South

Pacific paradise island” as he calls it. He is a full time contemporary stone sculptor artist, and has sent large scale art in different parts of the world. Teva shared: “French American and International sure helped me to focus, and to love even more the mix of people this world offers us. Greetings to all the 1991 class and stay safe!”

1994 Amir E Talai is a working actor and writer in Los Angeles, known for roles in The Circle,

What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Legally Blonde 2, and recent appearances in The Shrink Next Door. Amir reflects back fondly on his time at French American and International, which he attended from PK to Grade 8: “I’ll always appreciate the special attention Marie-Pierre Carlotti gave me as a kindergartener. I was not very well-behaved and she recognized that I was not being challenged—I skipped 1st grade and went on to excel the rest of my time at French American. I still get to practice my French from time to time!”

2000 Ryan Drake-Lee marked a new milestone this year as his kids started their matriculation at French American and

International in PK and Grade 1. He’s also thrilled to have become a Little League coach to his first grader. Ryan was recently interviewed for the UC Berkeley Haas One Podcast series to discuss his career in consulting, management, and strategy, as well as his formative years in the Bay Area. He is very much looking forward to returning to travel, starting with Bryce Canyon and Escalante National Park, in Utah and Arizona respectively, this summer.

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2002 In 2016, Hunter Noack founded the nonprofit In A Landscape, an outdoor concert series presented in America’s most stunning landscapes that celebrates both classical music and the outdoors in experiences that are accessible to all. Hunter’s team brings a ninefoot Steinway grand piano to the middle of forests, fields, calderas, and historical sites. Concert-goers enjoy the music via wireless headphones, allowing them to freely explore the landscape while enjoying the concert. Over the course of 6 years, 145 concerts have been presented in dramatic locations including Crater Lake National Park, Montana’s Big Sky Resort, Idaho’s Teton Valley, and California’s Sierra Mountains.

2003 Charlee (Underwood) Jones (left) is currently working at Katherine

Delmar Burke School as an Upper School Physical Education Teacher and Advisor. She welcomed a daughter in May 2020 who will be turning two soon. They recently moved to the Richmond and love it! Charlee is enjoying being back home in San Francisco, teaching in independent schools, and being a mom. “Life is good and it is such an adventure raising my daughter in the place I grew up!”

2004 Paul Goodwin (right) has embarked

on a legal career at the United Nations, “thanks in large part to my international education at French American and International and the values the IB program instilled”, he shared.

Paul works at the UN Development Programme in New York as the head of an office responsible for investigating human rights and environmental violations within the UN’s development work around the world. “It’s been an exceptionally rewarding career, one that has drawn on communication, language, and analytical skills cultivated in high school.”

Jeremy Sorgen started a postdoc last fall at UC Berkeley, in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, with

some of his research focusing on Tribal sovereignty and cannabis policy in California. He is enjoying living in the East Bay again, after living in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles the last few years.

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“My five years at French American and International was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”

SAFIA BENYAHIA ‘09, ADMINISTRATOR–AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF PARIS

2006 Genie Cartier (left) welcomed baby Zelda Berenice Walker Cartier, born July

9th 2021. Zelda is now nearly walking already at 10 months and definitely on her way to becoming an acrobat like her mom! Genie works for Bioneers, an innovative nonprofit that brings together leaders in environmentalism, social justice and indigeneity every year for an annual conference. Genie is also the co-founder of Bow & Arrow Circus Theatre Collective. Genie is excited to finally be premiering her show “Dark Side of the Circus” a circus choreographed to Pink Floyd (in which she performs and directs) in September 2022, after it got canceled in 2020 because of Covid.

Salimata Gassama received an MD in Neurology in 2019 followed by a

clinical Fellowship in Neurology at the Pitié Salpetriere Hospital in Paris in 2021. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Neurosciences, focusing on the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders and maternal infection during pregnancy at the College de France in Paris and as a visiting Graduate researcher at UCLA’s Geschwind lab.

Katie Schenkkan (right) and husband Joe welcomed baby Nora in August

2021. They are starting early with Nora’s trilingual education—English, Spanish, and ASL, so far! Katie hit a 5-year milestone at Bain & Company as a career coach, and she looks forward to starting to travel again (for work and pleasure) in the coming months.

2007 Clifford Reilly moved to San Diego last year and is enjoying living in

Southern California! He is currently working at an Urgent Care Center in Imperial Beach.

2008 Martin Encinas Leon (left) co-founded a

boutique real estate agency, Harper Real Estate, a Top 1% Producer Internationally and Top 5% Producer in San Francisco.

He enjoys bringing his knowledge as a city native to clients, and helping people begin and build a thriving life in the city.

Before finding his passion in real estate, Martin worked at tech giants Google and Apple and majored in Music Industry and Business Administration at the University of Southern California.

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2009 Safia Benyahia is working at the American University of Paris, and recently got promoted to run her own unit in

Student Affairs, reporting to the Dean of Students. Between the view of the Eiffel Tower from her office and a very service-oriented role with many hats to wear, she is never bored! She recently had the opportunity to pilot a co-curricular performing arts program and even direct some musical theater. “That felt like a dream, and I thought of Martha Stookey a lot, what it must’ve been like for her to build Back à Dos from the ground up... She was so inspiring!” Safia is also pursuing a part-time Masters at the AUP and is applying to Theater MFA programs. She kept the theater bug she caught at French American and International, and continues to perform in Paris as a hobby. She recently enjoyed getting together with Michelle Haner, our Artistic Director of Back à Dos, who was in Paris this spring. Safia has also stayed in touch with a lot of classmates, and looks forward to celebrating the weddings of Elodie Vajda ’09 and Alicia Levine ‘09 this summer! Safia kindly shared: “Thank you to everyone at French American and International for all that you do. My five years there was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I probably wouldn’t be where I am today without it!”

Alicia Levine just graduated with an MBA in Sustainable Solutions from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco.

She is now working in Business Development at a food tech company making “beanless” coffee. Last but not least, Alicia is getting married in September!

2010 Marie Cartier (right) received a Master of Social

Work from CSU East Bay last year. She is now working as an Associate Clinical Social Worker for a UCSF mental health clinic, serving people with severe mental illness, often also experiencing homelessness. She also continues to do theater and art locally, including as a collective member with the San Francisco Mime Troupe, as a teaching artist with NCTC, and writing, teaching, doing props, and more. She finally got to perform in her first live show since the pandemic, a circustheatre variety show called “May Day May Pole: A Celebration of Spring and the Workers,” conceived and performed by Marie and her collaborators at Bow & Arrow Circus Theatre Collective. Last but not least, she also adopted a senior chihuahua named Lady Catherine De Bourgh!

2013 After working for a few years as a software engineer and manager, Andrew Beckman started a company with his best friend from college called Rundoo. This vertical software platform facilitates orders and delivery between contractors and building material suppliers (e.g. paint stores, hardware stores, lumber yards, etc). Outside of work, Andrew got married in 2019 to Katerina, who he grew up partnering with in ballet, and they welcomed their dog Gemma late last year.

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“My legal career at the UN is thanks in large part to my international education at French American and International, and the values the IB program instilled.”

PAUL GOODWIN ‘04

Melina Dunham (left) is currently based in Athens, Greece and is a founding

member of Ecogenia, a new nonprofit organization in Greece that is mobilizing youth for climate action through civic service. She serves as Development Manager, and also leads the organization’s works with French and European partners, for which she credits French American and International!

Carlo Lipson (right) is currently studying at The

University of Texas School of Law and will be graduating in 2023. He is loving Austin but looks forward to eventually coming back to the Bay Area to practice law.

2015 Edgar Smit just finished his master’s degree in Material Sciences and Engineering

at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. He is currently looking for work as an engineer in the packaging, medical, or construction industry.

Following completion of Visa’s Graduate Business Rotational Program, Bakari Smith (left) relocated to Singapore for his next role at the company. He is now working as an Analyst in Asia Pacific Business Planning and Operations. In this position, Bakari supports the execution of key goals and objectives for Visa Asia Pacific, including business performance tracking, multi-year business planning, and industry-related regional insights, all in support of strategic initiatives across the region.

2016 Cyrus Uvala (right) After graduating from Virginia Tech with a BS in

electrical engineering in December 2020, and graduating from Navy Officer Candidate School in June 2021, Cyrus is currently a Student Naval Aviator training at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX. Upon completion of flight school, he is hoping to fly jets for the Navy and travel the world.

2017 Rebecca Bihn-Wallace just completed her first year in the MFA Fiction

program at Brooklyn College and is also enjoying freelancing and interning in New York. She’d love to connect with other fellow French American and International alums in the city!

After doing a City Year Program in Boston, Alison Dart was recently accepted to the Teachers Assistant Program in France. She is very excited to be moving to France where she will be teaching English to primary school students in the Académie de Versailles for the upcoming school year.

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Maya King graduated from Gonzaga University in 2021 with a BA in Political Science International Relations and a

minor in German. She is currently working in the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability as a Public Service Aide. Maya will be going to Stanford Law school in the Fall. We were honored to have Maya return to campus in March 2022 for our High School Day of Action on the theme of “Systemic Oppression in Everyday Life.”

Maya’s insights from her work in Police Accountability and Law and Justice reform were invaluable to our students.

They learned about their rights as young citizens and the work Maya department does to ensure citizens of all ages understand the expectations of conduct required for officers during civilian interactions.

Wesley Tam moved from the Bay Area to Los Angeles this spring, where he started a new job in environmental planning with WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering professional services firms. He graduated from UC Berkeley last year with a BA in Geography, and a BS in Conservation & Resource Studies, with a focus in Sustainable Planning for Green Cities.

2020 After studying Neuroscience and Computer Science at Smith College, Mercer Kriese recently began working in a lab at NYU Langone, researching neural development in the vestibular balance system of zebrafish.

Holly Gregory just finished her second year at Sarah Lawrence College and is building her career in theater production.

She is studying various forms of technical theater from set design to costume making, while working as a stage manager and a producer. She aims to connect this work to social justice movements in her social studies classes and is recreating models of radical social organization that have been inspired by the performing arts. This summer, she will be working in New York on various theater projects: as assistant costume designer for a one-night show Breathe, a one-act play based on the 2020 BLM protests in Harlem, exploring complex perspectives on racism and police brutality, and as stage manager for off-off Broadway shows and festivals. Holly aims to graduate early from school to begin working on these projects full time, and hopefully expand into writing and directing as well.

Save the Date!

Please save the date of Thursday, December 15, 2022 for our Annual Alumni Holiday Party. Alumni and alumni families from all graduating classes are invited to reconnect during a festive happy hour at the school’s Arts Pavilion.

Alumni from Classes of 2018-2022 are invited to join the Young Alumni Panel during the Senior Lunch on Friday, December 16, 2022. For more information, email alumni@internationalsf.org

Class Reunions Are you coming up to a milestone year? We’d love to help you plan your Class Reunion!

Email alumni@internationalsf.org for more information.

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Alumni Holiday Party

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lumni and alumni parents from all decades of French American and International history joined us for the Alumni Holiday Party on December 15, 2021 at the Dennis Gallagher Arts Pavilion. It was a pleasure to return to an in-person version of this event, and welcome alumni families back on campus. Some guests had never before seen the Arts Pavilion, while others delighted in returning to a space where they once regularly performed as musicians or Back à Dos cast members. The lively crowd enjoyed reconnecting with some of our celebrity faculty—Joel Cohen, Andrew Brown, Christine Bois, Daniel Paz, Scott Paton, Jean-Pierre Nagy, Alistair Hamilton, and Melinda Bihn—and appreciated the chance to catch up with former classmates and parents.

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Young Alumni Panel

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n December 2020, a panel of recent alumni returned to campus from their universities around the globe to share sage advice with our senior class regarding adjusting to college life, time management, clubs, internships, studying abroad, and more. Our Alumni Panel consisted of: Alex Bottome ‘21 (Freshman, UC San Diego), Elijah Casilang ‘21 (Freshman, University of San Francisco), Daniella Drum ‘21 (Freshman, University of Notre Dame), Rachel Durney ‘18 (Senior, UC Berkeley), Caroline Kelley ‘20 (Sophomore, University of St Andrews), Corin Ropp ‘19 (Junior, UCLA), Cami Smith-Dahl ‘20 (Sophomore, USC School of Cinematic Arts), Adriana Villarina ‘21 (Freshman, UC Berkeley).

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Thank you to everyone who participated in our Annual Auction on April 23 at the Palace Hotel, as well as through the Online Auction or 48 Hours of Giving. It was wonderful to see our community come together in support of our school. Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $850,000 which is a school record! Your support made an incredible difference to our students and families. Financial aid allows our school to realize the promise of our mission and values: your gifts ensure that the needs of every student are met and sustains the socioeconomic diversity that our community cherishes. Thank you!

Saturday, April 23, 2022  Palace Hotel, San Francisco

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Class of 2022

Love that risks loss, dreams that dare failure— these are the stuff of good goals and great lives.

Melinda Bihn, Ed. D. Head of School Head of School Melinda Bihn delivered the following address to the Class of 2022 at the International High School Graduation at Herbst Theatre on June 4, 2022

W

hat a pleasure it is to celebrate this event with all of you—the Chair of our Board of Trustees, our beloved faculty and families, our distinguished guests, and, most especially, you, the Class of 2022. What a privilege it is, we now know, to be here to honor you and your achievements.

These are many, of course. You’re terrifically talented and delightfully diverse, excelling in academics, athletics, and the arts. You’re smart, pursuing the IB or Bac while learning en distancielle, en hybride, et en présentielle, in English and in French. You’re passionate, debating philosophically and demonstrating politically, in class and out of it—and sometimes out of it when you should have been in it. You’re persistently polite, always ready with a bonjour, madame or a good morning, Melinda, before skewering me in a speech at a StuCo assembly. You’re appropriately impatient with adult imperfection. You’re well spoken and outspoken, driven and hard-driving, and decidedly distinguished in so many ways.

These last few years, you have managed imaginatively in the midst of the unimaginable. Your high school experience has been a study in the unexpected, encompassing pandemic and protest, social distance and social movements. In this French and international education, you have debated almost everything, but decided very little. Lifers, I will never forget visiting your 5th grade classroom, and watching your French teacher instruct you in the color of ink you were to use on the day’s dictée. Le bleu, et pas le noir. Et surtout pas le rouge! Oh, la rigueur française. While you’ve all had options along the way—To brevet or not to brevet? Bac or IB? OIB and Specialité? Standard level or higher?—you’ve had little choice in the challenges you’ve faced. But now? Now you choose.

Now you choose the time you spend. You have spent so many years in school, answering bells rung by others. Some of you, clearly, struggle to rise before noon, others fade fast after lunch. Now you choose how you spend your time. Starting

now you will choose what fills not only the blocks in your planner but also the shelves of your mind. Rise early or get up late, but put in the time it takes to learn. Take time to do things well. Make time for the things, and especially for the people, who matter. Time is yours only to spend, of course: You cannot keep it. Choose to spend it on what is worthy of you and your education, and you will live a life well spent.

Now you choose the company you keep. You will choose your leaders, and we are counting on you to choose well. You will also choose your friends, and that choice will matter, too.

The friends here are familiar—for four years, or fourteen, you have grown up together, in class and on the court, on the field and on the stage. Now you must choose your company from a world wider than the walls of 150 Oak. Choose carefully, for the quality of your companions shapes the quality of your character. Think where man’s glory most begins and ends, says Yeats, and say my glory was I had such friends. Make glorious friends, of many kinds. The only thing they must have in common is the call they make on your very best self. When your soul hears that, answer. And when you meet that perfect complement to your character that Montaigne describes, saying of his friend de la Boétie, parce que c’était lui, parce que c’était moi—ah, well, then, seal that friend to yourself, as Shakespeare says, and wear them in your heart’s core, ay, in your heart of heart.

Now you choose the ideas you entertain. You have selected your next schools, and they are impressive indeed. Some of you have settled on the subjects you will study, and that is wonderful as well. But now all of you will make daily decisions about the ideas you encounter. And the ground you cover conceptually will determine the distance you can go cognitively.

Real knowledge results not from the familiar but the foreign— from ideas that are uncomfortable and even unsettling. Your teachers have guided your learning to ports of call as varied as literature and mathematics, histoire/géo et les sciences; now you must make that voyage yourselves. Engage with a diversity of ideas, and employ the critical thinking you learned here, that famous French scepticisme, to make sense of what is new. Argue your points, as you have learned to do in Philo and in TOK, but attend to the ideas of others, too, and then make

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Class of 2022 your choices. If you do that, you will enter the battles of your time armed not with opinions but with something far more powerful: ideas.

Now you choose the goals you pursue. For many years, these have been given to you—tests to take and games to win; parts to play and grades to get—but now you can decide your dreams for yourself. Make sure they are lofty enough to sustain your spirit—work that is meaningful, achievement that is honorable, yes. But in a life that is truly beautiful, what will matter most is love. And loving something will not be enough.

No one ever wrote a great story about someone who loved her job. You must love someone—you must care for, and about, others. That means risking loss, something your class has already known. I know you remember and miss, as we all do, the people who are not with you this evening. Love that risks loss, dreams that dare failure—these are the stuff of good goals and great lives.

Now you choose. And that can be overwhelming, as I was reminded just a few months ago. In our school, riding the elevator is a privilege reserved for high schoolers, much to the envy of the little learners on lower floors. When you could finally ride the elevator again after Covid, you were willing to do so at any cost—even with the occasional administrator.

That is how I found myself in an elevator this spring with

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three of you, and with Mr. Brown, our Dean of Admission.

Hi, Melinda, hello Mr. Brown, you said, and then fell silent as elevator etiquette requires. But I of course did not. I was eager to encourage you as you approached your college decision deadline. Aren’t you excited, I said. Your first big choice. You finally have a say in your fate. You get to choose from here on out. Then I glanced over my shoulder at the students behind me, all of whom looked positively sick as they contemplated the significance of that decision. The doors opened on the fifth floor and they fled, leaving Mr. Brown and me alone in the lobby. Mr. Brown put his hands in his pockets and made those funny noises that British people do, right before they say something scathing. Well, Boss, he said as he strode away, I think you’ve properly terrified that lot for today.

Sorry! That’s not what I meant to do then, not what I mean to do now. No one choice will determine your fates, dear hearts. That, in fact, is my point. We choose and we choose in life, we make daily decisions big and small, and it’s the choosing itself that makes the difference. We are the sum of our choices, which means we can always add up to more.

So, Class of 2022. Now you choose. We know you are ready.

We can’t wait to see what you choose to do and who you choose to be.

Congratulations, and godspeed.

Class of 2022

I

Chloé Marple, Valedictorian Baccalauréat Français

remembered this story a few days ago. It’s a little parable that’s been floating around in my head for a while, but I never knew where it was from, although I know I didn’t make it up and it certainly isn’t true. It goes like this: A man named Bartok Whynn was a stonecutter, who carved gargoyles on the tops of medieval cathedrals. One day (and now I am quoting from the text), Bartok Whynn was engaged in the task of bringing to life the most gruesome gargoyle he had yet conceived when he lost his footing and fell. Because he was so high atop the cathedral, it took him quite a long time to reach the ground. The stonecutter had time to think.

What he thought was, “I am going to die.”

This thought was followed by another thought: “But I know something. I know something. What is it I know?”

It came to him then. “Ah, yes, I know what I know. Life is funny. That is what I know.”

And falling through the air, he actually laughed aloud. The people on the street below heard him. They exclaimed over it among themselves: “Imagine a man falling to his death and laughing all the while!”

The story goes on after this. The stonecutter lives: he is crippled but now given to fits of laughter. He ceases to carve gargoyles. He dies without fanfare a few years or decades later.

I like this odd fellow, and he’s right. Life’s not as serious as we think it is. And I say this as a high schooler, in the time of life most known for pretentiousness and egotism.

As I learned in philosophy this year, there’s no argument that you can’t improve by saying that humans want to be gods.

It works every time. And we certainly seem to be acting like gods, when you look at our domination of this planet and the life on it. We have that characteristic selfishness of those drunk on power.

But we are funny gods. I mean, I’m standing here, wearing a shiny tablecloth and a piece of cardboard on my head, speaking as if I have some special knowledge to impart, and all of you are just soaking up my words, as if this were a perfectly logical thing. And I find that hilarious. I find it hilarious that

we were directed to turn clockwise when we filed in and sat down.

Ceremonies are an especially human activity because they are right at the intersection of our attachment to dignity and our objective ridiculousness.

This may seem irreverent in light of human history, especially recent history.

There isn’t anything humorous about school shootings and war crimes. And I’m not making light of suffering, nor do I purport to draw light out of it, but I think levity is the most powerful tool against hate.

Humor cuts through jargon and filler words and pretense. Laughing at oneself is a way of recognizing that we are small in this world, that we are here only briefly.

Humor is a constant reminder that we do not have all the time in the world, so why waste what we do have? To put it a bit more darkly, in the terms of Bartok Whynn, we are all falling from the top of a cathedral, so why not laugh on the way down?

Don’t misunderstand—I’m not saying that humor justifies nihilism. In the grand scheme of things, we—as individuals— don’t matter, but that isn’t the point. Life is still wonderful, and humor is a celebration of this wonder. Existence is miraculous even in a non-religious way. Because we are here! You and I, and look at this world we have the luck to be in!

Dostoevsky said: “I see the sun, and if I do not, I know that it is there, and there’s a whole life in that, in knowing the sun is there.”

That’s what I mean by “life is funny.”

First, that existence is delightful. (Did you know that, contrary to the proverb, frogs die instantly when thrown in boiling water, they don’t jump out, and a frog will attempt to escape water heated beyond its critical thermal maximum? I love telling that to people. It’s not really related but I thought you should know.)

And second, that to appreciate existence, you can’t take yourself too seriously. Pomp and circumstance, exaggerated dignity, these will leave you floating in an abstract and sterile world.

I think it was Plato who said that to learn to philosophize was to learn to die–that is, to leave behind one’s physical form.

But I say that philosophy, and everything, really, is about learning to live, to remember that we exist and that this one life we have is a funny one.

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Class of 2022

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Alice Chanter, Valedictorian International Baccalaureate

ood evening, ladies and gentlemen: My name is Alice. Today is an exciting day.

Here we are, done with High School.

It’s crazy to think how far we’ve come in the past four years. If anyone were to ask what my first memories of International High School were, they would be from the freshman retreat. I was so nervous about going camping with a hundred people that were practically strangers. People I would be spending the next four years with. Then came the moment when Mr. Paton successfully made the leap of faith, jumping from that massive tree onto the trapeze bar. As he swung down to the ground, he whipped out his phone and took a selfie with the whole grade in the background. I knew right then that this high school journey would be a special one.

However, I quickly discovered that life at International wasn’t going to be all swinging through the trees wearing a Hawaiian-print shirt. There was some serious studying to be done. As Charles Dickens put it, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” We worked hard to get to this point, but we didn’t do it all ourselves. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to so many people, especially our teachers. To our teachers, thank you for unselfishly sharing your knowledge,

“Greatness does not come from material wealth and shallow fame. It is created from the ways we interact with the people we meet in life; whether we might inspire them a little, show them a simple act of kindness, or leave them with a little more happiness or hope than before we met them.”

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your time, and your talent with us. Yes, we know it was your job, but what you did for us went beyond the call of duty, especially during Covid.

Classrooms at International were not without humor. It might come as no surprise that there is a small library of quotes from International teachers.

While drafting this speech, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and came across this one from Ms. Stan’s 10th grade physics class. “When I touch this, I should survive. If I don’t, my will is on the piano in the living room”. It makes you wonder, what the hell were we learning at the time? I think anyone in our physics class would agree that Caspar Schilling was the teacher’s favorite, immortalized in the Ms. Stan quote, “Caspar, don’t you see I am standing here like an idiot waiting for you to shut up.” There were the Mrs. McClean moments. The infamous “that was easy” button, with its automated voice, “That Was Easy”, used on students who failed to answer the simplest questions correctly. The foam baseball bat was reserved for repeat offenders.

Now is our time to go out into the world, to find our passions, and pursue them. In a much-used quote from William Shakespere, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Twelfth Night, Act II Scene 5. That was for all you English teachers. We cannot count on having greatness thrust upon us. Achievement and success will be unique to each of us, and my biggest hope is that we will all achieve our own version of success in the years to come. Ambition is good, and we can all strive for greatness, whether it is recognized by the whole world or a handful of people. Greatness does not come from material wealth and shallow fame. It comes in many forms. Often it is created from the ways we interact with the people we meet in life; whether we might inspire them a little, show them a simple act of kindness, or leave them with a little more happiness or hope than before we met them.

The time we have spent together at International will not be remembered by grades, popularity, or likes on Instagram.

Instead, we will remember the relationships we built with one another, the friendships we forged, and the people we were.

Class of 2022, four years is too short a time to spend among such a magnificent group of people, and from the bottom of my heart, I wish you all the very, very best.

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Class of 2022

College Acceptances 2022 American University (2) Bard College (4) Barnard College (2) Boston College (2) Boston University (11) Brandeis University Bryn Mawr College (2) Bucknell University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2) California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State University Chico Dominguez Hills Long Beach Los Angeles (2) Northridge San Marcos Carleton College (2) Carnegie Mellon University (4) Case Western Reserve University Chapman University (5) Claremont McKenna College Colorado College Columbia University Concordia University, Irvine Concordia University, Montreal (3) Cornell University Dartmouth College Dauphine Londres DePaul University (3) Drexel University Duke University Durham University (2) Emerson College Fordham University (8) George Washington University (6) Gonzaga University Grinnell College (2) Hampshire College Harvey Mudd College Howard University

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IE University Imperial College London Kenyon College (3) King’s College London (2) Lafayette College Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College (4) Loughborough University Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University (5) Loyola University Chicago (4) Macalester College (5) Maryland Institute College of Art McGill University (9) Miami University Oxford Michigan State University Middlebury College New York University (6) Newcastle University (2) Northeastern University (6) Northwestern University (2) Oberlin College (5) Occidental College Oxford College of Emory University Pace University (2) Paris Pantheon-Sorbonne Paris Sorbonne (8) Pepperdine University Pitzer College Pomona College Pratt Institute Queen’s University Reed College (6) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (3) Rochester Institute of Technology Royal Holloway, University of London Saint Joseph’s University Saint Mary’s College of California (2) San Diego State University (4)

San Francisco State University (5) San Jose State University Santa Clara University (8) Sarah Lawrence College (2) Scripps College Seattle University (2) Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Simon Fraser University Skidmore College Spelman College St. John’s College (Annapolis) Stanford University Syracuse University (3) Temple University (3) The American University of Paris The College of Wooster The University of Edinburgh The University of Sheffield Toronto Metropolitan University Trinity College Trinity College Dublin (2) Trinity University Tufts University (4) Tulane University of Louisiana University College Dublin University College London (2) University of Aberdeen University of Arizona (4) University of Birmingham University of Bristol University of British Columbia (2) University of California Berkeley (6) Davis (11) Irvine (14) Los Angeles (6) Merced (10) Riverside (13) San Diego (6) Santa Barbara (5) Santa Cruz (20)

University of Chicago University of Colorado Boulder (8) University of Denver (4) University of Glasgow (2) University of Hawaii at Hilo University of Hawaii at Manoa (4) University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign (2) University of Iowa University of La Verne University of Liverpool University of Massachusetts (Amherst) University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) University of New Hampshire (Main Campus) University of Oregon (15) University of Pennsylvania (2) University of Pittsburgh (2) University of Puget Sound University of San Diego (4) University of San Francisco (8) University of Southern California (3) University of St Andrews (3) University of Stirling University of the Pacific University of Toronto (5) University of Vermont University of Victoria (2) University of Washington (16) University of Wisconsin (2) University of York Vanderbilt University Vassar College Washington University in St. Louis (2) Wesleyan University Willamette University (3) Williams College (2) Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Class of 2022

Matriculation 2022 Bard College (2) Barnard College Boston University (3) California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) Carnegie Mellon University (3) Chapman University Columbia University Concordia University Montreal (2) Dartmouth College Duke University George Washington University (2) Grinnell College Hampshire College Kenyon College (2)

Loyola Marymount University Macalester College McGill University New York University (4) Northeastern University (2) Northwestern University Oberlin College Occidental College Pitzer College Pomona College Purdue University Reed College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute San Diego State University (2) Santa Clara University (2)

Stanford University Trinity University Tufts University (2) Tulane University of Louisiana University of Bristol University of British Columbia University of California Berkeley (2) Irvine (3) Los Angeles (5) San Diego Santa Barbara (2) Santa Cruz

University of Chicago University of Colorado Boulder University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Oregon (4) University of Pennsylvania (2) University of San Francisco (2) University of Southern California University of St Andrews University of Washington Seattle (6) Vanderbilt University Vassar College Washington University in St. Louis (2) Williams College (2)

The International High School Class of 2022 poses for their official portrait on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, June 4, 2022.

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intergenerational support

Grandparents & Grand Friends Day

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n November, we hosted our second annual Grandparents & Grand Friends Day, in which we welcomed grandparents and relatives of students from the Maternelle up to Grade 2. We were thrilled to celebrate the day in a hybrid format this year—fortythree joyous grandparents arrived at our Oak campus and shared coffee and croissants outside with Head of School Melinda Bihn.

The event moved indoors and officially began, as an additional 126 participants from all over the world joined us through Zoom and a chorus of Grade 5 students sang the canon “Vent frais, vent du matin”. The short musical performance was followed by a presentation in both French and English from our school leadership. Melinda gave a brief history of the school before touching upon our Mission and Values, our strong community, and the way the school has adapted during the pandemic. Melinda also highlighted the school’s work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well the future high school on 98 Franklin.

Maternelle Principal Sirika Yong, developed the concept of the Maternelle’s open-air classrooms and campus, and the different aspects of learning in French and English. She also spoke to the importance of social emotional learning in the classroom during the early years, and gave a range of examples of the units taught from PreK 3 to Kindergarten.

Lower School Principal Pauline Dides spoke to the importance and influence of grandparents and grand friends in students’ lives. She went on to discuss the role of Grades 4 and 5 as a transition to Middle School, and the long-term commitment necessary to get the full benefit of a bilingual education. She mentioned the various local school trips in the lower school, culminating in the Grade 5 trip to Strasbourg, France, where students stay with local families while attending a French school for two weeks. Overall, the presentation gave our grandparents and grand friends a comprehensive overview of the amazing experience their grandchildren are receiving at French American and International.

The event continued with the real treat of the day—our guests paired up with their students to receive a short tour of the campus! They visited the beloved Tinker Space and the colorful play yards, peeked into the art and the music classrooms, and ended in our new third floor library where a book fair was taking place. As the day closed, each grandparent and relative who had attended, both in-person and online, received a short, cheerful video of their student’s grade, giving them a glimpse into the classroom and their student’s daily school life.

Students and grandparents were thrilled by this special day, and we look forward to this annual tradition to continue in the years to come.

Grade 5 students singing the canon Vent frais, vent du matin, November 2021 74 LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022

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Thinking internationally since 1962 Save the Date!

60th Anniversary Back-To-School Picnic

Saturday, August 27, 2022, 11am–2pm  Presidio Civil War Parade Ground

60th Anniversary Party

Saturday, September 24, 2022, 6pm  Four Seasons Hotel

www.internationalsf.org/60th

LA LETTRE SUMMER 2022 75

150 Oak Street

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San Francisco, CA 94102

Lower School families celebrate at the year-end Olympiades at Kezar Stadium, May 2022

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SAN DIEGO CA PERMIT NO. 751