Being Bilingual

La Lettre french american international school

SEPTEMBER 2016

| international high school | lycée international franco-américain

Living Our Values

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french american international school | international high school lycée international franco-américain

IN THIS ISSUE 4 HEAD OF SCHOOL 6 OUR VALUES 8 STRATEGIC PLANNING 10 BOARD’S EYE VIEW 12 SUSTAINABILITY 14 LOWER SCHOOL GREEN INTIATIVES 22 THE WORLD OUTSIDE 24 ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY 26 DESIGN THINKING 30 MAKER FAIRE 32 MATERNELLE ARTS FESTIVAL 36 HIGH SCHOOL VISUAL ARTS 38 LITERARY ACHIEVEMENT 41 LANGUAGE ACHIEVEMENT 42 VERTICAL WRITING PROJECT 44 CULTURAL AWARENESS 46 SOCIAL JUSTICE 52 INCLUSION 54 BACK-À-DOS: HAMLET MASHUP and A... MY NAME IS ALICE

58 MUSIC PROGRAM 60 MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPLORATION CLASSES 62 GLOBAL AMBASSADORS 64 THE LINGUISTIC JOURNEY 68 GLOBAL CONNECTIONS 74 COLLEGE COUNSELING 76 TEDx 78 IB SHOWCASE 80 ATHLETICS 86 ALUMNI PROFILES

89 SPECIAL INSERT: COMMUNIQUÉ

La Lettre is published by the Office of Communication, with tremendous thanks to all who contributed content.

Contents © 2016 Robert Movradinov, Director Rick Gydesen, Director of Publications Jessica Tripoli, Associate Director 150 Oak Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 558-2000 www.frenchamericansf.org

head of school

Living Our Values

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espect, integrity, inclusion, collaboration, curiosity: these values are an expression of our French American International School community. In a process last year that involved faculty and staff, students and parents, school leaders and trustees, we identified and defined values that express our school culture and complement our long-standing mission statement. The work of determining these values was truly inclusive and collaborative, with faculty and staff working in cross-divisional groups, students debating in class, parents discussing over coffee, trustees wordsmithing in meetings—all to hone a statement respectful of our French and American roots, worthy of the intellectual aspirations of our mission, and reflective of our multinational, multilingual, and multicultural school community.

This effort was not an academic exercise. Inspired by our outgoing Board Chair, Tex Schenkkan, who last year completed six years of Board leadership, this is work at the heart of our mission as a school. That mission—to teach critical thinking and cross-cultural communication, in the context of academic rigor and diversity—matters more than ever, as global, national and local events last year affirmed. How we go about what we do matters just as much.

The way that we treat each other as we work, learn, and play in school shapes the quality of our character, as individuals and as a community.

I am grateful to Tex for his guidance in this effort, and in so many things, and I thank him for his commitment to the quality of our school’s culture.

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These values will be at the heart of our work in the coming year, as we undertake a community-wide strategic planning process. Led by the Board of Trustees and focusing on questions of our school’s identity, our students’ experience, our campus community, and our financial sustainability, the process will use surveys, focus groups, and community conversations to engage all of us in a discussion of our future. While remaining respectful of our roots and true to our mission, we will create a shared vision of our future and a plan to achieve it.

In this issue of La Lettre, we explore the many ways that we live our mission and values at French American and International High School.

Thanks to myriad lower school sustainability initiatives, young students tackle environmental issues together and develop respect for the planet we share. The Design Faire fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and curiosity for students in grades 3-12.

Our Global Travel Program engages fifth through twelfth graders in lifechanging cross-cultural encounters that build respect for other cultures.

Middle schoolers examine the Syrian Refugee Crisis while International High School students form a Diversity Leadership Council to cultivate inclusion in our school community.

Student awards and exploits in the Arts and Athletics demonstrate how they meet and exceed their commitments school-wide. Finally, our Annual Report or Communiqué highlights our parents’ integrity as they generously support our school through their giving.

MELINDA BIHN, Ed.D.

L

HEAD OF SCHOOL

e respect, l’intégrité, l’inclusion, la collaboration, la curiosité : ces valeurs sont le reflet de la communauté du Lycée International Franco-Américain. L’année dernière, dans le cadre d’un processus auquel ont participé les enseignants et le personnel, les élèves et les parents, les directeurs et les membres du conseil de gestion de l’établissement, nous avons défini les valeurs qui caractérisent la culture de notre établissement et renforcent sa mission établie de longue date. L’identification de ces valeurs est le fruit d’un travail véritablement ouvert et collaboratif.

Les personnels enseignants et administratifs ont mené des débats avec les élèves en classe, des discussions avec les parents autour d’un café, des réunions du Conseil de gestion pour en affiner la formulation respectueuse

“The way that we treat each other as we work, learn, and play in school shapes the quality of our character, as individuals and as a community.” de nos racines françaises et américaines, digne des aspirations intellectuelles de notre mission, et qui reflète le caractère multinational, plurilingue et multiculturel de notre communauté scolaire.

Il ne s’agit pas là d’un simple exercice académique. Sous l’impulsion de notre Président du Conseil de gestion sortant, Tex Schenkkan, qui achève cette année six ans à la tête du Conseil de gestion, ce travail se trouve au cœur de notre mission en tant qu’établissement scolaire.

Cette mission—l’enseignement de la réflexion critique et de la communication interculturelle, fondé sur la rigueur académique et la diversité—est plus importante que jamais, comme l’a montré l’actualité mondiale, nationale et locale de l’année passée. La façon dont nous travaillons est tout aussi importante. La façon dont nous nous traitons mutuellement lorsque nous travaillons, nous apprenons, et nous jouons dans l’établissement, façonne la qualité de notre personnalité et de notre nature, en tant que personne et que communauté. Je tiens à remercier Tex pour ses conseils dans le cadre de cet effort, et de bien d’autres, et je le remercie pour son engagement au service de la culture de l’établissement.

Dans ce numéro de La Lettre, nous voyageons au cœur de la mission et des valeurs du Lycée International Franco-Américain.

Grâce à une multitude d’initiatives en faveur du développement durable à l’école primaire, nos jeunes enfants relèvent ensemble des défis de l’environnement et apprennent à respecter la planète que nous partageons. La Foire au design

encourage la réflexion critique, la collaboration et la curiosité des élèves du CE2 à la terminale.

Notre Programme de voyages et d'échanges fait vivre à nos élèves des classes du CM2 à la terminale des expériences interculturelles passionnantes et transformatrices grâce auxquelles ils apprennent à respecter les autres cultures.

Les élèves du collège étudient la crise des réfugiés syriens alors que ceux du lycée forment un Conseil de leadership de la diversité qui œuvre en faveur de l’inclusion dans notre communauté scolaire.

Les prix et accomplissements des élèves dans le domaine des arts et des sports montrent qu’ils tiennent et surpassent leurs engagements dans l’ensemble de l’établissement. Enfin, notre rapport annuel ou Communiqué met en évidence l’intégrité de nos parents et leur généreux soutien à notre établissement par leurs donations.

Ces valeurs seront au cœur de notre action pour l’année à venir, alors que nous entreprenons un processus de planification stratégique dans l’ensemble de la communauté. Sous la direction du Conseil de gestion, ce processus centré autour de l’identité de notre établissement, de l’expérience de nos élèves, et de notre viabilité financière, nous permettra, grâce à des enquêtes, des groupes de discussion et des conversations, de mobiliser toutes les parties prenantes pour façonner notre avenir.

mission Guided by the principles of academic rigor and diversity, the French American International School 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.

Guidé par des principes de rigueur académique et de diversité, le Lycée International Franco-Américain 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.

values 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: 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.

MELINDA BIHN, Ed.D. PROVISEUR

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 5

Our Values

O

ur 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:

Respect, Integrity, Inclusion, Collaboration, and Curiosity.

RESPECT—We celebrate the dignity, shared humanity

and potential in everyone. We listen attentively, speak thoughtfully, and act with courtesy and kindness. We take care of ourselves, our community, and our environment.

INTEGRITY—We speak and act with honesty. We take

responsibility for our actions and we meet our commitments.

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.

RESPECT—Nous célébrons la dignité, l’humanité

et le potentiel de tous. Nous écoutons attentivement et mesurons le poids de notre parole et de nos actes.

Nous veillons à notre bien-être, à celui de notre communauté et de notre environnement.

INTÉGRITÉ —Nous parlons et agissons avec honnêteté.

Nous assumons la responsabilité de nos actes et tenons nos engagements.

INCLUSION —Nous célébrons la diversité qui

INCLUSION —We celebrate the diversity that defines our

caractérise notre école, notre communauté et le school, our community, and the world. We seek to unmonde. Nous souhaitons nous comprendre et derstand one another and to appreciate differing perspec- apprécier des perspectives différentes. Nous faisons tives. We act with empathy and compassion. preuve d’empathie et de compassion.

COLLABORATION —We prize the benefits of working

COLLABORATION —Nous comprenons la valeur du

and learning together. We succeed through shared effort and by seeking excellence in ourselves and one another.

travail et de l’apprentissage collectif. Nous réussissons grâce à l’effort collectif et la recherche de l’excellence, pour nous-mêmes et les autres.

CURIOSITY—We are inquisitive about the world and

our place in it, about ourselves, and about one another.

We ask questions, take risks, and delight in discovery.

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CURIOSITÉ —Nous regardons les autres et nous-

mêmes avec curiosité. Nous interrogeons le monde et partons à sa découverte en prenant des risques.

Dynamic Leadership

T

he best institutions never stand still, and June marked the end of Board of Trustees Chair Tex Schenkkan's term of office. A trustee since 1999, father and father-in-law of three French American students, Tex has led the board for the past six years with an unsurpassed record of accomplishment. Under his leadership French American has reached a pinnacle of enrollment, financial, and academic strength. Beyond that, Tex laid the foundations for a future bright with even greater promise for every facet of the school. On Tex’s watch we built and opened the Early Childhood Center on Page Street, at a stroke expanding and enriching the

program for our youngest students, also allowing significant and ongoing improvements to our Oak Street campus. We purchased important parcels at 98 Franklin and 84 Page, bold and timely acquisitions whose development, now in the planning stages, will have a transformational effect on our programs, our facilities, and our finances. Perhaps most significant, Tex's board leadership led us to Melinda Bihn, in whom we found the ideal Head to take the school to a still higher level of excellence. These are only some of Tex's achievements as board chair, and the school owes him an inexpressible debt of gratitude for his dedicated, selfless, and accomplished service.

Tex remains on the board for at least an additional year, and his suc-

cessor, Josh Nossiter, will rely on his counsel. Josh, a trustee since 2001, twice Treasurer and Finance Committee chair, and father of two French American lifers, has been deeply involved in the school for a quarter century. Honored to have been voted chair by his trustee colleagues, he is thrilled to partner with Melinda and the board in taking French American to new heights. In our fifty-four years of history. French American has had its share of transformations, each another stage of its growth and maturation. Thank you Tex, for leading us through the last one, leaving the school better, bigger, and stronger than it has ever been. Welcome Josh, and thank you for your commitment to French American's exciting next chapter.

Tex Schenkkan officiating at the Maternelle Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, September 21, 2014

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strategic planning

Ensuring the Delivery of Our Mission ANDREA KENNEDY, VICE CHAIR | BOARD OF TRUSTEES

I

Dear French American and International Community: hope you all had a wonderful summer of rest and rejuvenation. I am writing to you as Chair of the Board’s Strategic Planning Committee to tell you about the process that we will engage in as a school community this year.

It is best practice in independent and international schools to undertake strategic planning every few years in order to ensure that the school will continue to thrive as an institution and that our primary stakeholders, our students, have the best possible experience aligned with our school’s mission. Setting the school’s strategic direction, along with ensuring the delivery of our school mission and the financial stability of our school, is a primary task of the Board of Trustees. While the Board and school leadership are responsible for developing the plan, and while it is the Board that ultimately votes to approve the plan, it is important to us that members of the school community—including students, parents, faculty and staff, and alumni—have opportunities to provide perspectives that will shape the plan.

We last completed a strategic vision in 2012, and we have achieved many of the goals of that plan, including embracing the revolution in education by undertaking modern learning technologies and methods, adding a Pre-K3 class, deepening our international collaborations, and building the Maternelle for our youngest students.

During the 2015-16 school year, in anticipation of this year’s planning process, the Board of Trustees and Head of School Melinda Bihn worked to define the broad topics to address in our next strategic plan. I am pleased to share these topics, to introduce those who will lead our planning efforts in each area, and to describe the ways in which we will engage the members of our community in this important work. You will see that focus groups and surveys among our key constituents are an important component of the work in three of the four topics. We will do our best to streamline opportunities for input to make the best use of everyone’s time and wisdom.

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Our key topics and questions for the strategic planning process are: 1) Identity. How can we align the perceptions of our school with our vision for our school?

The Identity Committee will examine how we are recognized today, how we would like to be recognized, and what can we do to align these. The team will be led by Andrew Brown (Director of Admission) and me (parent and Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees). We have engaged Neustadt Creative Marketing, a nationally recognized identity and branding firm, to undertake the research in this area. The work will solicit input from students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni through small focus groups and a school-wide parent survey, and from applicant and prospective families through focus groups and individual interviews.

2) Student Experience. How can we enhance our students' experience?

The Student Experience Committee will explore how the school can enhance our students' entire experience, from academics to student support to learning spaces to co-curricular programs. Head of School Melinda Bihn and the section principals—Marie-Pierre Carlotti, Fabrice Urrizalqui, and Joel Cohen—will lead this work with the faculty and staff of the school. Student input will be sought through focus groups, and parents will be surveyed for this work.

3) Community. How can we strengthen our sense of community?

The Community Committee will explore how we can support a sense of community for our students, families, faculty and staff, and alumni. The work will be led by Laurie Poston (parent and trustee) and Jihad Mirza (Director of Advancement), and facilitated by Lynn Wendell, our strategic planning consultant. The work will include the parent survey, focus groups, and community conversations with students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni.

"It is best practice in independent and international schools to undertake strategic planning every few years in order to ensure that the school will continue to thrive as an institution, and that our primary stakeholders, our students, have the best possible experience aligned with our school’s mission."

4) Financial Vision. How can we best enable the school to realize our strategic vision and be financially sustainable?

The Financial Vision Committee will start by examining key challenges facing all independent schools today as well as those particular to our school. Then, as goals emerge from the other committees and the Strategy Committee weaves the plan together, the committee will outline the financial requirements for how we can realize our plan. This work will be led by Ron Kahn (trustee) and Aaron Levine (CFO and COO), both members of the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees.

We will begin this work this fall. Opportunities to provide input will be communicated via email, in our weekly notes for each section, and through the strategic

planning page on our website. Periodic updates will be provided by email and posted at: www.frenchamericansf.org/strategicplanning Our goal is to identify key strategies in each of these areas by the end of the 2016-17 academic year, and to launch our new strategic initiatives in the 2017-18 school year. If you have questions, please email us at: strategicplanning@frenchamericansf.org I thank you for the many ways you support our community and I look forward to engaging with you in this exciting process.

ANDREA KENNEDY VICE CHAIR

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board of trustees

conseil de gestion board of trustees

2016–2017

Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens Consul Général de France, Honorary Chair Josh Nossiter Chair Andrea Kennedy Vice Chair Ron Kahn Secretary Stéphane de Bord Treasurer Vernon Goins Counsel Jean Paul Balajadia Christian Bonomo Clydene Bultman John Cate Orpheus S.L. Crutchfield Stephan Forget Judith Glickman Vernon Goins Diane Jones-Lowrey Paul Loeffler David Low Patrice Maheo Laurie Poston Tex Schenkkan Amy Guggenheim Shenkan Carey Wintroub Debbie Zachareas

in tribute We would like to thank Vice Chair Leigh Sata, who has stepped off the Board after 10 years of service. Leigh is a visionary thinker, whose work as a trustee benefits not just current students but those of future generations. He was instrumental in our acquisition of area properties and in the development of the Maternelle.

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BOARD’S EYE VIEW

I

“

BY JOSH NOSSITER

'd love to be a French American parent,” said my tennis partner somewhat randomly as we changed ends.

I couldn't remember what school his own children attended but my first thought was, why on earth would he say that? On reflection I think I knew what he was getting at.

So many French American parents are multilingual, multinational, and represent a far broader range of all the more usual markers of diversity than most schools. Though I'd never considered us particularly enviable, we do serve wine at most school events. We also tend to forget that for a great city, San Francisco is relatively tiny, a quarter the size of Paris, a tenth that of London. Parochialism is far from unknown here, so the French American cosmopolitanism we take for granted might understandably be viewed as desirably exotic, not to say engaging, by those outside the community.

Of course, our community is defined by more than cosmopolitanism and a fondness for wine.

Despite, perhaps in part because of, the ease of modern communication and travel, xenophobia and bigotry appear to be curdling into a virulent

nationalism based on demagoguery, manufactured hatred of perceived difference, and willful disregard for historical and scientific facts. This evil is none the less so for being familiar, and that it is occurring even in places formerly considered relatively sensible, our own country not excepted, makes it all the uglier.

Too often the response has been impotent hand-wringing or worse, appeasement.

At French American we take a practical alternative approach. The critical cast of thought, the intellectual curiosity, the variety of historical and cultural perspectives, the internationalism and bilingualism at the heart of the French American education are the surest antidotes to ignorance and prejudice. Wherever we may be on the political spectrum, our community is as one in cleaving to an education that inoculates our young against most if not all forms of dangerous stupidity.

However varied our backgrounds, however geographically dispersed, whatever our political views, we share a passionate belief in the strongest possible international education for our children.

A trustee colleague once spoke of the leap of faith required of her

"However varied our backgrounds, however geographically dispersed, whatever our political views, we share a passionate belief in the strongest possible international education for our children."

American family to send their child to the Maternelle. I knew exactly what she meant, but further suggested that rather than a leap of faith, she, like all of us, simply wanted to do the very best for her child and for the world her child will inhabit. This becomes more apparent at the end of the French American journey than at the beginning. The mother of one of our brilliant Class of 2016 valedictorians, chatting after the International High School graduation, was in genuine awe of her own child's eloquent, moving, funny, profoundly intelligent bilingual speech. If this mother, too, had begun with a leap of faith, the result at the end of 14 years was nothing but the real deal. Her child and her classmates are a bulwark of reason and civil discourse against a rising tide of debased mindlessness. That is a solid foundation on which to build a community.

A

Correspondence is welcome, to: joshua@nossiter.net

lors que nous échangeons nos places sur le court de tennis, mon partenaire me dit, « J’aimerais beaucoup être un parent d’élève de French American ». Je n'avais pas souvenir de l’établissement que ses propres enfants fréquentaient, mais je me suis tout d’abord demandé ce qui l’avait conduit à faire cette réflexion. Après y avoir réfléchi plus longuement, je crois que je comprends ce qu’il voulait dire.

De nombreux parents du Lycée International Franco-Américain parlent plusieurs langues, ont plusieurs nationalités, et donnent à l'école une diversité exceptionnelle.

Je n’ai jamais pensé que nous étions particulièrement à envier, mais il est vrai que nous servons du vin lors de la plupart des manifestations sociales de l’établissement. Nous avons aussi tendance à oublier que, même s’il s’agit d’une ville formidable, San Francisco est de taille relativement réduite, un quart de la taille de Paris, un dixième de celle de Londres. L’esprit étriqué est loin d’être inexistant ici, de sorte que l’on peut comprendre la séduction qu’exerce à l’extérieur de notre communauté l’exotisme, pour ne pas dire le caractère exaltant, du cosmopolitisme qui nous semble tant aller de soi.

Il va sans dire que notre communauté est définie par bien plus que son caractère cosmopolite et son penchant pour le vin. En dépit, et peut être du fait même de la facilité des communications et des voyages, la xénophobie et le sectarisme semblent se cristalliser sous la forme d’un nationalisme virulent fondé sur la démagogie, une incitation à la haine de la différence perçue, et une ignorance délibérée des faits historiques et scientifiques.

Sa familiarité n’en fait pas un moindre fléau, et le fait qu’il se manifeste dans des endroits autrefois considérés comme relativement rationnels, et notre pays n’y fait pas exception, en fait un phénomène encore plus répugnant. La réponse prend trop souvent la forme de lamentations impuissantes ou pire, de mesures d’apaisement.

Le Lycée International FrancoAméricain a adopté une approche pratique différente. La réflexion critique, la curiosité intellectuelle, la diversité des perspectives historiques et culturelles, l’internationalisme et le bilinguisme se trouvent au cœur

de l’éducation franco-américaine et sont les antidotes les plus sûrs à l’ignorance et aux préjugés. Où que l’on se situe sur le spectre politique, notre communauté est unanime dans son choix d’une éducation qui immunise notre jeunesse contre la plupart des formes de stupidité dangereuse si ce n’est toutes cellesci. Quelle que soit la diversité de nos origines, notre dispersion géographique, nos opinions politiques, nous partageons la même conviction passionnée en faveur d’une éducation internationale la plus rigoureuse possible pour nos enfants.

Une collègue du Conseil de gestion a un jour qualifié d’acte de foi la décision par une famille américaine d’inscrire son enfant à la maternelle. Je savais exactement ce qu’elle voulait dire, mais j’ai suggéré en réponse qu’elle souhaitait simplement, comme nous tous, ce qu’il y avait de mieux pour son enfant et le monde dans lequel il est appelé à vivre. Ce résultat est encore plus visible à la fin qu’au début du cursus au Lycée International Franco-Américain. La mère d’un des élèves qui a prononcé un discours lors de la cérémonie de remise des diplômes de notre brillante promotion de 2016 était en sincère admiration devant l’éloquence, l’humour, l’émotion, et la profonde intelligence du discours bilingue de son propre enfant. Ainsi, après 14 ans, son choix était-il sans doute justifié. Son enfant et ses camarades défendent la raison et le discours civilisé devant la montée grandissante de la bêtise. C’est sur ces valeurs que nous édifions notre communauté.

N’hésitez pas à faire part de vos réflexions à joshua@nossiter.net LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 11

sustainability

A Bright Horizon The National Center for International Schools (NCIS), the organization that manages the operations of the Chinese and French American International Schools, has completed the solar panel project that began in the summer of 2015. 630 modules over 11,340 square feet now grace six rooftops at 150 Oak Street. The system will produce an estimated 332,313 kW-hours per year, representing roughly a 32% offset of our current utility usage. Over 25 years, the system will save the schools about $2,000,000 and reduce CO2 emissions by some 5,970 tons. That's the environmental equivalent of planting 102.3 acres of trees—or not driving 19,426,676 miles.

To watch a video of the project's installation and to track our conservation efforts, go to:

www.frenchamericansf.org/solarpanels

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green initiatives

Lower School Embraces Sustainability Initiatives

T

he 21st United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in the fall of 2015 in Paris led to a historic international climate agreement, and was also the catalyst for French American International School’s sustainability initiative.

Over the course of the year, our students explored bilingual units of inquiry related to climate change, ecosystems, conservation and more.

Learning About Sustainability In 2015, with a newly developed bilingual science curriculum, blending the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) with the official French instructions and Éducation au développement durable, lower school teachers and students began to explore sustainability through new or refined units of study. First through fifth grade classes discovered the concept of sustainability across the curriculum through interdisciplinary projects, including the creation of musical instruments using

recycled materials, learning how Native Americans lived with virtually no carbon footprint, and exploring forests, gardens, and water conservation in a joint literacy and science unit. These cross-cutting curricular opportunities allow students to explore and make connections among science, math, technology, history and art.

A Garden of Possibilities In an effort to optimize land use and further inspire ecological best practices, students in the first and second grades, with the help of Friends of STEAM, are redesigning an outdoor garden space at the school. The garden, which will be cultivated in various spaces around campus, will provide an opportunity for children to think about their impact on the environment and identify green energy solutions. “The goal of the garden project is to impart a sense of responsibility toward the environment and the need for sustainable development for future generations,” said Lower School Science Coach Catherine Boucher.

A student fills fiber modules with soil for the Green Gates project. Succulents were planted in the modules, which adorn a fence in the Oak Street Yard.

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LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 15

Lower School Sustainability Efforts Honored by SF Environment

Erica Katz, Lower School Service Learning Coordinator

was create a Green Team. As much as possible, my goal was to give the students the autonomy to choose which environmental issues to address and how to do so.

One group of students chose to learn more about the school's new solar panels so that they could share their understanding with others. A second group focused on our compost-recycling trash bins, writing compelling facts on large posters above the bins to encourage proper use of the system.

A third group of Green Team members chose to set up a process to recycle granola bar and energy bar wrappers through TerraCycle. This group of students, led by Marco Smith, Isaiah Casilang, August Kennedy, and Jacob Inciarte-Valayre, presented their initiative to all classes in 1st–5th grades.

They cared a lot about getting the entire lower school involved, and they figured out a system to make it work.

It is a small part of the sustainability effort, but it's one that unites everyone.

Marco, Isaiah, and the other Green Team leaders also have plans for the future.

“We should get this started in the Middle School,” said Marco. “Older students set an example for younger grades, and getting middle school students involved will lead to more projects to protect the environment.”

One of the first things we did last year to get our students involved in the lower school's sustainability efforts

Read the Class of 2023 Green Team TerraCycle Project reflection at www.frenchamericansf.org/terracycle

In May, a group of faculty members and students were invited to a lunch at San Francisco City Hall at which French American International School, and three other San Francisco schools, received an Environmental Excellence Award for our lower school sustainability efforts.

Erica Katz, Lower School Service Learning Coordinator, reflected on the award and the value of community involvement: “As we discussed the meaning of this award with other teachers, we realized the thing we are most proud of this year is that so many people in our school community got involved in this year's efforts. In past years, there were many wonderful environmental projects, but they were isolated. This year we had involvement at every grade level with students, teachers, parents, administrators, and building maintenance staff all working toward the same goal, and learning from each other. We want to use this momentum to help us move toward an even greener start to the next school year and beyond.”

Fifth Grade Green Team TerraCycle Project

SF Environment Awards Ceremony. Left to right: Isabelle Cialone, Zoe Theulier, Audrey Amblard, Emily Chernock | Class of 2023.

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Tinker Space

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Karine Luguet, Librarian and Philippe Charpantier, Academic Technology Coordinator

ecycling is one of our mottos in the Tinker Space and last year it fit perfectly with the school’s sustainability initiative. Students were very proud and excited to present their projects at the Design Faire, which included a cardboard tube city with lights, plastic bottle propellers, inventions to save the planet, école écologique (their favorite), among others. All creations were made with recycled materials such as cardboard, parts of old digital equipment, recycled plastic, motors, lights, and various fabrics. It was a tremendous illustration of their ingenuity and curiosity.

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Semaines des Sciences

Family and Community Collaboration

In the Maternelle, our youngest students learn the sciences through the “Exploring the World” curriculum.

They are encouraged to think about the world around them through hands-on activities like gardening, recycling and composting, class and small group discussions, and autonomous science stations.

The Semaines des Sciences in February opened our PK4 and K classrooms to allow students to further explore their environment and the world around them.

Each classroom focused on a particular theme, from shadow and light to volcanoes, magnets, constructions, weight and mass, and recycling. Students questioned, observed, manipulated, and experimented as they visited different stations related to each theme.

“The students were really enthusiastic and came back every day with comments about things they discovered.

It was also a great opportunity to build a sense of community by letting them discover other classrooms and interact with teachers and their peers,” said PreK 4 Blue French teacher Sirika Yong.

The Friends of STEAM parent group at French American International School was formed organically three years ago by a group of parents interested in helping our children develop a love for science and experience it in a very hands-on, inquiry-based way. Studying science, technology, art, and mathematics as interconnected subject areas leads to increased critical thinking skills, a greater ability to evaluate and synthesize information, and a more comprehensive understanding of the world around us.

"It’s incredible to watch the students play and discover.

They have the curiosity and willingness to experiment that leads to amazing ideas. We are fortunate to have this very unique and robust partnership, where all parties involved—teachers, parents, and, most important, students—benefit from collaboration,” shared Amanda Kahn-Kirby, parent of Julia ’23 and Miles ’27, and Friends of STEAM member who works at a local biotech.

Going forward, Friends of STEAM hope to spur students’ interest and passion in coding, programming, and other technology initiatives.

View highlights from the Semaines des Sciences and other lower school STEM initiatives at www.frenchamericansf.org/ lowerschoolscience

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La Grande Fête:

Earth Day

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n April 29, the entire lower school community celebrated Earth Day and highlighted a year’s worth of environmental science investigations, sustainability initiatives and learning. Throughout the day, students enthusiastically showcased their classroom projects to parents and also to classes of younger peers. Kids were teaching kids throughout the day on topics such as water consumption and conservation, the water crisis in Flint, compost and recycling, ecosystems, and energy efficiency, as well as individual passion projects related to a multitude of environmental issues. The ownership the students took of their learning, coupled with the pride they demonstrated in sharing it with others, was palpable.

After school hours, the Friends of STEAM parent group planned and managed sustainability awareness stations for a deeper dive into topics such as biodiversity, climate change, energy, and food security. We also highlighted the school's commitment to green efficiency with tours of the solar panels and information on how to track the benefits they are creating. "We are very fortunate to have a wealth of passion and expertise among our parent community. For this large-scale event, we wanted to capitalize on this and bring awareness to the largest environmental issues of our time in a way that educated and encouraged action one child, adult, and family at a time,” said Ellen Burdge, Director of Teaching and Learning in the Lower School.

The Lower School Sustainability Celebration was held in conjunction with the second annual schoolwide Design Faire. The theme of sustainability wove its way through the Design Faire, with numerous upper school projects on display, as well as lower school creations designed in the Tinker Space.

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"We are very fortunate to have a wealth of passion and expertise among our parent community. For this large-scale event, we wanted to capitalize on this and bring awareness to the largest environmental issues of our time in a way that educated and encouraged action one child, adult, and family at a time."

ELLEN BURDGE, DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 21

the world outside

Small Steps Lead to Great Leaps LEARNING BEYOND BORDERS: LOWER SCHOOL STUDENTS DISCOVER THE WORLD OUTSIDE

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etween March and the end of May, all lower school grades embarked on trips tied to their curricula: K-2nd grades focused on the outdoor environment, 3rd and 4th featured science and history, and the 5th-grade trip to Strasbourg marked students' first international journey as a class. The trips kick off with a simple overnight, gradually increasing in number of days and complexity. Their collective goal is to foster autonomy, develop students' connections to their local and global communities, and ultimately awaken their sense of responsibility.

The program begins in kindergarten. At the end of May, K students traveled just one hour north of San Francisco to Marin's Slide Ranch. Thanks to hands-on learning, teamwork and physical activity, the children developed a stronger sense of self, and respect for the natural environment. According to the 1st-grade team of teachers, Tuolomne builds upon that outdoor education: "For city children it's an opportunity to go to a rural area and enjoy nature; to appreciate living things in their natural

habitats; to live collectively with their peers; and to become more independent." Bear Valley then gives second graders (pictured at right) the opportunity to learn how to ski with the motivation of their peers, and to experience water in its many states. For some it marks the first time they see snow!

The 3rd- and 4th-grade trips cast a spotlight on science and history, respectively. This year our third graders spent four days at Monte Toyon in the Santa Cruz foothills, hiking the local trails and learning about the coastal redwood microclimate. Students made fire by creating friction with a pump drill in a wooden base, viewed Jupiter through a telescope, and participated in a beach cleanup and tidepool exploration. In turn, our fourth graders lived the life of 49ers at Coloma in March—panning for gold, building shelter, and baking cornbread over coals.

They learned about the ecology of the surrounding foothills and how it was devastated by the influx of miners during the second half of the 19th century. Students then made an action plan to do their part in protecting the environment, but not before challenging themselves on the high ropes course.

Fourth-grade students returned to school after their trip to Coloma with an ignited passion to develop their own environmental action plans and projects. Students collected shoes for those in need, developed projects to save the seals, and organized local park and beach clean-ups.

They presented their ideas at the Lower School Sustainability Celebration on April 29.

While the K to 4th-grade trips take place in California with parent chaperones, the 5thgrade trip to Strasbourg marks the first time students travel internationally as a group, in the company of only their teachers. The journey to Strasbourg is not only a validation of up to eight years of French immersion, it is also a rare opportunity for students to live in a foreign country with a family for two weeks. By the end of 5th grade, students will have hosted French correspondents and had a chance to live away from home, becoming more confident and self-assured in terms of both language 4th graders panning for gold at Coloma, March 2016 and how to navigate another part of the world.

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Second graders on the slopes at Bear Valley.

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academic technology

Lenore Rhoads '22, Lea LĂźtjens '21, and Satine Cumming '21 took the Technovation Challenge

Technology Fosters Innovation, Creativity and Collaboration in the Classroom Dina Ghobashy, Director of Academic Technology

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he Academic Technology team drives innovation in teaching and learning within three arenas: information technology, our lower school tinker space, and our libraries. Our approach is student-centric. We begin with the desired student learning experience, then design and implement programs to foster creativity, multilingualism, meaningful connections, and reflection.

In recent years the nomenclature for the use of technology in education has changed from 21st-century learning to modern learning to teaching and learning.

Likewise, our understanding of the relationship between teaching and learning, and technology has evolved. This new normal of integrated technology requires a strong synergy between the technology infrastructure, software, instructional strategies and practices, professional development, and policies. We continuously evaluate our program to increase the strength of that synergy and to benefit from innovation in the education technology field, ultimately improving the learning landscape for our students.

In the world of innovation, learning spaces are hubs for reading, collaboration, social interaction, creation, research, and inquiry. At French American and International, both our tinker space and school libraries serve as learning spaces to foster collaboration. They are places 24 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

in which information, technology, and pedagogy come together to create a community of learners within and beyond the curriculum. Our tinker space is a sanctuary for students to imagine and create freely. In this handson learning lab, we empower and encourage students to experiment in the fields of science, technology, and engineering while maintaining an alignment with the curriculum and school initiatives. Currently, the tinker space is dedicated to grades one to five with plans to expand it to the middle school this year.

To develop not only savvy users of technology but also creators of new technology, we have created opportunities for students to learn a new language, computer programming. One clear example is the Technovation competition which challenges girls all over the world to build a mobile app that addresses a community problem. This year, four teams participated--two from middle school and two from high school. The teams persevered for 12 weeks, working tirelessly on their respective business plans and apps. Two teams won an honorable mention after pitching their ideas in front of a panel of judges and a large audience at the regional competition at Yelp’s headquarters in May. We could not be more proud of our world changers and look forward to continued creativity and meaningful connections through technology.

Maia Campbell '18 and Sarah Snyder '19 (not pictured: Kaysie Yu '17) LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 25

learning learning byby design design

EXPANDING BY DESIGN

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he fall of 2016 will launch the third year of design thinking in our school.

Since inception the 9th-grade design course has steadily expanded. In its first year, the class was offered for one semester and focused on the basics of design thinking. Last year, the course lasted a full year, introducing research into the design process. This year will feature another enhancement: the incorporation of computer science. In design teacher Barbara Abécassis' discussions with Joel Cohen, the high school principal was quick to point out that computer science should not be offered as a stand-alone skill, but rather as a complement to numerous disciplines. Both agreed that students would be more likely to enjoy and succeed in the design program if they could apply skills to the production of a tangible product.

Last year saw our sophomores continue design work– in English only. This year the French track will also offer design as an Option. Meanwhile, the students who be-

THE DESIGN FAIRE The Design Faire on April 29 highlighted student projects including mechanical toys, smart self-watering planters, and vehicles powered by wind and solar energy.

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gan their design journey as freshmen two years ago will have the chance to pursue design tech in 11th grade, under the International Baccalaureate umbrella. As a result, they will be tested in design for the first time. Over the course of their remaining two years at International High School, they will build multiple projects, culminating in a final design their senior year. They will build that project from concept to realization, with guidance from Abécassis, after drawing from any number of design disciplines: architecture, kinetic movement, energy efficiency, industrial and product design, to name a few.

The Design Faire on April 29 highlighted schoolwide projects that connect science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Student work included a variety of practical applications designed from concept to realization— projects like mechanical toys, smart self-watering planters, and vehicles powered by wind and solar energy.

Read on for inspiring displays of student ingenuity and resolve. Given the exploits of our students in the first two years of our design program, this year promises to bear even more fruit!

THE MECHANICAL CAR

NILS MAAG, SURAJ PATEL, BENJAMIN RYAN | CLASS OF 2018

A mechanical car project encouraged students to think about not only the product design process, but also target market research (children ages 5-8), design aesthetics, prototyping, and communication.

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WOODY THE DOG

MADELINE O'DONNELL, JESSICA HO, AND BETHANIA TADESSE | CLASS OF 2018

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WOODY THE DOG

MADELINE O'DONNELL, JESSICA HO, BETHANIA TADESSE | CLASS OF 2018

What's the name of your project and what inspired it? One of the members of the group shared a story about how she constantly begged her mother for a dog, but was rejected every time because of the responsibilities that come with furry friends. That story played a major factor in our decision to build a replica of a dog, as we believe that every child should be able to experience the joy dogs bring into our lives ... especially one that replicates the motion of a dog's wagging tail.

What was the most challenging part of developing it? A challenge that we faced was designing Woody's different parts. Because we struggled with Illustrator, it was difficult to perfectly design the toy parts with the right measurements. It took several prints to get what we were looking for. We became more familiar with Illustrator and learned to be patient with our project.

What was the most fun or exciting part of the process? The most exciting part of the process was seeing how our creation was evolving into an actual toy. We began with a lot of trial and error, but once we were able to identify specific issues regarding measurements and the mechanics, Woody finally took on the form of a dog. The building process was also very fun, as we were finally able to bring our ideas into reality.

What did you learn? We learned how to use Adobe Illustrator and the tools at our disposal. We also learned about four different motions in a mechanical object and how to apply them in our project: rotary, linear, reciprocating, and oscillating motion.

LAMP DESIGN

ZOE DOLINSKY | CLASS OF 2019

Lamps that consisted of shapes within other shapes inspired my project. The most challenging part was fitting the single-legged connectors through the hole of another because they were not designed to do so. The most fun part of the process was putting the lights in and seeing how it all looked together, completely lit up. I learned that to build the vision I wanted I could not simply follow the instructions for the Strawbees [maker kit].

Instead, I had to be creative and find a practical way to achieve my vision.

SF HILLS AMELIA NUGENT | CLASS OF 2021

What inspired your project? Our class had to do a project that represented a city, that you could wear, that looked very architectural, and that was full of shapes.

My project was inspired by a photo I found on the internet of the hills of San Francisco.

What was the most challenging part of developing it?

The most challenging part was by far figuring out the size of my 3D print. The app I used, 3D Sculpt, is made for kids to draw 3D pictures and not as much to print in a certain size. After making the prototype I had to modify it and hope that it would fit.

What was the most fun or exciting part of the process?

It was very exciting to come back and see my project fully printed, probably because of how long it took. I also loved presenting it to others at the Design Faire.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING ALEC FORGET | CLASS OF 2018

The architectural design project challenged students to create affordable, sustainable, and scalable housing solutions for the urban poor in developing countries.

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maker faire

A SELF-SUFFICIENT CAR JOEY KOURY | CLASS OF 2018

What inspired your project?

The project was originally conceived in our school's 9th grade Design Technology class, by a group consisting of Enzo Schlatter, Liam Branch, Nicholas Cialone, Suraj Patel, and me. We started researching and designing an electric car whose energy to power the car would never run out! We first had the idea to use solar panels, but solar panels are expensive and solar cars already exist. We then thought to use the idea of electromagnetic induction. To build a prototype, we searched for devices that already existed and that used a technology close to electromagnetic induction. We found them in wind turbines.

In this project, the battery is being used to run the car; at the same time, solar and turbines charge the battery.

What was the biggest challenge in developing it?

Sticking with it to conclusion! While this began in my first semester at International, I continued it thanks to Design Tech in 10th grade, and two years in Science Club (Wednesdays after school). My original partners lost interest after a few months, but I stuck with it. It really came to fruition at the end of 10th grade, with the presentation at the Maker Faire. In terms of assembling the car, the hardest part was constructing the base layout on the computer. I had never used SketchUp or Illustrator before, so it was tough. Luckily, I had M. Le Renard and Ms. Abécassis always there to help me.

The most fun or exciting part of the process?

The most exciting and rewarding part was gluing the wind turbines to the wheels of the car to finally see that my vision became a reality. Even though it was attached unprofessionally (using hot glue and cardboard), it was a great moment. From that point on, as I ran scientific tests over and over, the data showed how the four wind turbines actually did what my hypothesis said--make the car run for a longer period of time. That's when I realized that all my work was worth it.

What did you learn?

From a science perspective, I grasped Faraday's discovery of electromagnetic induction. I learned how to convert DC current to AC current and vice versa. I learned how to use a breadboard, a basic tool in electronics. I learned about companies around the world, like Spark 30 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

Fun, who make components off-the-shelf that I could use to build my car. I learned how to solder. I learned the importance of setting up the scientific tests properly, so that the results are more bulletproof later on.

From a design perspective, I learned the power of software programs like SketchUp and Illustrator. I also learned how to use the laser cutter, which I used to build the base of the car. I learned that even if you're not good at drawing (like me), you could get around this by finding pictures on the internet, tracing them, and adding your own design and specifications.

From a business perspective, I learned how important it was to make an awesome display board and be able to clearly describe my project to people in an interesting way. I learned that if I don't believe in my project, then I couldn’t expect others to. While there were a number of naysayers, when others saw my passion and energy they were in full support for me to succeed.

The Maker Faire Experience?

The experience was unbelievable! My sister described it as "Disneyland for nerds." For two-and-a-half days, I had practically nonstop visitors checking out the selfsufficient car. Engineers had flown in from all around the world. Families came from just down the road. Academics came from different schools in the United States.

They came to my table and I described the car, the science behind it, and the process. I learned a tremendous amount just hearing their feedback and listening to their questions and comments. It was extremely motivating because they were so excited that a 15-year-old in 10th grade at a school in San Francisco would be working on such a cool project. Meeting all those people who were interested in my project definitely motivated me to continue.

I would like to thank Barbara Abécassis for giving us a platform to think and build creatively in Design Technology class, and inviting me to apply for the Maker's Faire; Julien Astruc and Xavier Le Renard for helping me step by step in Science Club; my friend Suraj, who began this project with me and who still encourages me; and my family for always supporting me in this, helping with the display board and at the Maker Faire.

"

The most exciting part of this process was actually holding your first prototype,

"

knowing that you made something and are proud to call it yours.

AUTOMATED IRRIGATION SYSTEM CHRISTOPHER RACZEK | CLASS OF 2019

What inspired your project?

I have been very interested in electronics this year, and learning about different electronic devices in Science Club. With the knowledge I gained, I wanted to create something meaningful. The drought in California caught my attention, and I thought that I could combine electronics with botany to make a device. This device would figure out when it is the best time to water a plant, and even water a plant on its own.

What was the most challenging part?

The most challenging part of this project was doing all the experiments that lead to proving the idea was actually feasible. This took a lot of time and patience, realizing, documenting, and interpreting results.

What was the most fun or exciting part of the process?

The most exciting part of this process was actually holding your first prototype, knowing that you made something and are proud to call it yours.

What did you learn?

I learned many things, but most importantly, I learned to have patience. There are going to be a lot of things that go wrong when you are designing and making something, so you have to learn to work around them and with them and sometimes those mistakes might lead you down a better path.

Christoper Raczek (left) and Joey Koury [right] demonstrate their project at the 2016 Maker Faire.

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maternelle arts festival

Festival des Arts de la maternelle

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his past March, the French American International Maternelle staged a weeklong festival devoted to the celebration of the arts. The Festival des Arts involved a full team effort by students, teachers, assistants, administrators and NCIS staff in activities involving multiple artistic genres: music, visual arts, dance, poetry, literature, photography, and the digital arts. Parents were encouraged to stay on campus after morning drop-off and participate in the daily events with their children.

The goal of the festival was to foster a sense of discovery through collaboration. The children would learn about different forms of art and the techniques to create

it, while working in a collaborative environment through exchanges between the various grade levels. Some of the projects included the creation of a city suspended from balloons of different shapes, a 3D building with graphics in the windows depicting photos of all the students in the Maternelle, and "Hearts of San Francisco," where the children studied the famous heart sculptures around the city to learn how artists can showcase their art anywhere (and how art is an integral part of our city), and then creating their own heart-shaped paper cutouts to create a 3D sculpture.

Several visiting artists were invited to the Page Street campus to share their diverse artforms and engage the children in a one-on-one sense of discovery. This year’s

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presenters included an Indian singer who taught the children to sing a song in Sanskrit; a fashion artist who showed them how to use a knitting machine; a parent musician who introduced the children to the amazing sounds that can be created on a keyboard synthesizer; a disabled dance troupe who inspired the students to overcome limitations and keep creating; a parent architect who took the children through the process of designing and building a house; two San Francisco Ballet School students who shared what happens behind the scenes to create a ballet; and an Indian dancer who introduced the children to the world of classical Indian dance.

The final projects and artistic creations were showcased at a closing Vernissage on the evening of Friday, March 28, which attracted over 200 parents and families for a fun evening of celebration and demonstration.

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high school art

CIS Inaugural Art CONTEsT AWards

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he artwork of three International students— Noah Friedlander '18, Sophia Madhavan '16, and Hunter Spillan '18—was recognized in the Council of International Schools (CIS) inaugural art contest for their demonstration of outstanding technique and exemplary representation of global citizenship. The contest aimed to engage students at CIS member schools to think creatively about global citizenship and explore the question: what part of your world would you like to share with others?

Noah won 1st place in the Digital Art | 15+ category for his video to raise awareness about the California drought and water as a valuable resource.

Sophia won 2nd place in the Handmade | 15+ category for her work that explores our relationship with technology in the modern world. Hunter received honorable mention for his hand sculpture, created in The Future Lies In Your Hands art project that addressed global issues the students feel particularly passionate about.

CIS received approximately 330 entries overall, and the 15+ section was the most represented with close to 130 entries. In the end, six prizes were awarded in that section—three in both the digital and handmade category. The winners were selected by a panel of judges comprised of three international art experts working at CIS member universities.

Noah Friedlander Save Water, 1st place in the Digital Art | 15+ category

Watch Noah’s video at www.frenchamericansf.org/globalartcontest

Hunter Spillan

Honorable Mention

With this project I want to address how humans have grown away from nature, and no longer respect it. I started by sculpting a hand emerging from a puddle of oil, which is really symbolic of how we have polluted our environment.

As your eyes travel upwards, the oil flows into rivers that become cleaner and cleaner. I wanted to show how, as we become closer and more connected to nature, we can also make it better and cleaner, which is why the rivers morph into the veins of the wrist. This is exemplified by the heart whose veins grow into the branches of a tree—an image of humans and nature, flourishing together. I want my sculpture to inspire others to create a world where humans coexist harmoniously with nature.

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Sophia Madhavan, 2nd place in the Handmade | 15+ category

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literary achievement

Students Recognized for Literary Works Locally and Internationally

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wo literary arts contests showcased the talents of French American and International students on both a local and international level. French American middle school students submitted written pieces to the San Francisco Unified School District’s annual Literary Arts Contest in April. The contest invites students from all public, private, and independent schools in San Francisco to participate. The following students were awarded for their work:

■ ■ ■ ■

Maya Lacamp, Class of 2021, 1st place for Middle School Short Story: Courage, Jealousy, and the Deadly Battle Saskia Rafoni, Class of 2022, 2nd place for Middle School Non Fiction: Humans Amanda Weissman, Class of 2022, 3rd place for Middle School Short Story: Heartbreak: A Prelude to Depression Veronica Kruschel, Class of 2021, Honorable Mention for Symbolism in Poetry: Photo of the Skies, Photo of Sky’s

Matilda Holtz '20 and Milton Stookey '18 submitted literary works, written in French, to the Mission Laique Francaise (MLF) Concours de Nouvelles. MLF, a network of francophone schools outside of France, receives contest submissions from around the globe.

Excerpts from the six literary entries begin on the opposite page. To read the complete texts, visit:

www.frenchamericansf.org/literaryawards

Saskia Rafoni, Class of 2022, presenting at the SFUSD Literary Arts Contest

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Courage, Jealousy and the Deadly Battle MAYA LACAMP

"Courage above all things, is the first quality of a warrior." —Carl von Clausewitz

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remembered my mother's words as I grabbed my bag and headed for the new kingdom, Mount Olympus. It was created by my father, Zeus, so for the first time in a few hundred years, my whole family could be reunited.

When I was younger, we were separated because of the Great War. Feeling fearless, I slowly turned the metal handle and walked out of my house, into the open air. I watched the violet butterflies fluttering against the cool breeze, and the sun was shining brighter than ever. I took my map of Mt. Olympus out of my leather bag and pronounced the words Athena, goddess of war and wisdom. In a matter of seconds, the trees encircled me, and their spiky branches twisted and turned reminding me of a dark, menacing forest.

The wind rotated around me violently, gripping on to me so tightly that I thought it would never let go. The wind was so strong that it picked me up. I tried to look around for anything to grab on to, but I couldn't spot anything because of the dust and the blinding sunlight. As suddenly as it had begun, the traumatic experience ended.

I dropped from the sky like a skydiver whose parachute wouldn't open, and thought that this was going to be my death. Luckily, I landed on top of a light, white, fluffy cloud which felt like a soft pillow underfoot.

Shocked, I started asking myself all types of questions. So I had just been swept up by the wind and then thrown onto a cloud? How is that possible? Could this be Mt. Olympus? My thoughts were suddenly interrupted – "Glad to see you, Athena," my father said in a friendly tone. He was sitting on an immense, beige cloud that was shaped as a large sofa looking down at me with a wide smile on his face [...]

Humans SASKIA RAFONI

Humans. Just think of what we have become, what we have done… we used to be apes, a very, very, very long time ago. But we have evolved. We have evolved into horrors…

Most people don’t realize the barbaric things that we have done to the environment, to the other beings who share this existence.

The Earth—a gorgeous place that is unique compared to all the other planets in this solar system that can not

even grow a plant—we have destroyed systematically and thoughtlessly. We have demolished nature itself and have polluted so much that we can never make it disappear. We have caused others pain, a pain that is strong; we have ruined their beautiful lives, and made them miserable. Now, we are engaged in a battle over animals.

People say to me “I love bacon too much to become a vegetarian." They should be ashamed of themselves. ALL meat, in the end, was a stunning, intelligent, riveting, kind creature, that had a face, a heart, a mind of its own.

People buy “organic,” or “range free,” as an excuse to eat the flesh of others, or to eat the products of mothers. They say that the animals were “happy,” that it is all ok. Yet in the end, they die a grotesque, very painful death, that used to be hidden from the others, but is now exposed. We still support it, which proves that we are monsters. It is just a title that we have invented to make abusing and assassinating animals sound fine [...]

Coup de foudre MATILDA HOLTZ

Chaque matin je la voyais par la fenêtre, assise près de la porte, buvant délicatement une petite tasse de café au lait, un pain au chocolat à moitié mangé à son côté.

Une vraie femme d'habitude, elle se plaçait toujours à la même table et commandait le même repas. Je chérissais ces moindres moments d'observation en passant par le café pour me rendre au bureau. Pendant ces brefs moments, on était seuls dans le monde, se tenait entre nous, et je pouvais contempler tendrement la figure élégante drapée d'écharpes en soie. Et c'est ainsi que j'ai rencontré Suzanne, quelques instants de paradis chaque jour. Enfin, "rencontré" n'est pas le mot qui nous convient; je suppose qu'elle ne se rendait jamais compte des secondes que j'ai trainé près de la fenêtre, ni de la douleur que je subissais à son sujet. Elle était belle, d'un teint albâtre, pourtant vif et sans air blafard. Toujours tenus dans un chignon sévère, ses cheveux étaient lisses et semblaient même plus foncés que la couleur noire décrit. Mais de sa physique, ce qui m'attirait le plus était ses yeux. Ce n'était ni la couleur, ni la forme, ni la taille de son oeil, plutôt l'air de mystère qu'ils émettaient. Je ne les ai point vu souvent, elle portait d'habitude des lunettes de soleil, mais cela m’intriguait encore plus. Je ne voulais rien que de mettre ses petites mains délicates dans les miennes, fixer ses yeux énigmatiques, et lui confier mon amour sincère.

Hélas, les femmes d'un tel charme ne veulent rien d'un homme de mon type. On me trouvait plutôt bizarre, presque un vagabond. Je portais une barbe que j'adorais, mais avec mon teint cireux, ceci me donnait l'air d'un farfadet. L'état de mes habits était le résultat LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 39

d'un manque d'argent et un manque d'intérêt; je ne trouvais aucune raison pour me débarrasser des haillons que je portais souvent au dos. Mais maintenant, c’était mon apparence qui me retenait, et me rendait si honteux que je ne pouvais approcher la femme de mes rêves [...]

Heartbreak: A Prelude to Depression AMANDA M. WEISSMAN

She makes me feel ALIVE! I am like a dead man, still walking, without her– I am unfiltered, unhealthy, sickening without her– Without her I am just chaos walking...

She can make me laugh as easily as she can breathe.

She brings me that warm, calm sense of comfort like when you're going to bed thickly swaddled in blankets.

Together, we are a raging beast that devours novels and is never full. She understands my humor—even when it gets a little dark—and will always give me a laugh.

We've got hundreds of inside jokes from spelling mistakes, autocorrect, book references, making weird faces at each other for no reason, and how socially awkward we can be together.

She's contagious to me. She slips into my poetry and dances the dark words as if she is born to do so. But she doesn't so much dance as resist the music's call. She's armed with blades while struggling to break free of my words but will always be tethered. Even when I'm extremely busy, stressed, tired and occupied there's an iota of space in my buzzing, pounding brain reserved for her.

She accepts me for being me. Even when it comes to being reckless, breaking rules, being loud and having an occasional existential crisis [...]

Le collier de perles MILTON STOOKEY

Le fil fragile se disloque. Mes perles vertes roulent, s’éloignent les unes des autres. Je me sens vaciller au bord du noir. Tout à coup, une image me revient.

Un voilier bleu.

Je viens de la mer. Des vagues et des marées. Du sable et du ciel. Et j’en dépends, car c’est elle qui m’a donné ma couleur verte, elle encore qui par son souffle béni m’a transmis la vie, la pensée, l’âme.

La mer n’est pas un endroit précis ; elle est partout, et je suis comme elle. Je suis conçu dans ses bras, doucement, au rythme régulier des vagues. Un homme passe mes perles une à une sur un fil étroit. Il a les mains ridées, la peau bronzée, les cheveux blancs. Je nais ce soir-là, au large de la côte tahitienne, alors que les

40 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

premiers astres, faibles comme des bougies, éclairent le noir infini. Je prends connaissance bercé par les ondulations des eaux, baigné dans la lumière tiède d'une lampe à gaz. J’entends pour la première fois le vent, messager d’un océan qui ne cesse d'interpeller la terre ferme, comme s'ils avaient tous deux un compte à rendre.

Tandis que je me réveille au monde, les lumières d’un port succèdent à des vagues infinies et Tahiti disparaît pour toujours.

Je voyage sur le voilier bleu. « Chez moi » n'a aucun sens ; je suis né, il me semble, pour voyager, pour parcourir le monde, à la recherche de l’espace et du mouvement [...]

Photo of Skies, Photo of Sky's VERONICA KRUSCHEL

My camera clicked away, The sky was a bland shade of blue.

I took one last picture, Noting the cloud in the corner.

After snapping pictures like crazy, Capturing the world as I hiked, I sat on a tree stump.

Looking at all my pictures, My pictures are all of skies, I remember each image, Each moment.

Today, my photos have meaning.

The sky changes colors, Bland blue to dusky purple, Black to gray to dark blue, Light blue to delicate pink, A peach colored sky, Orange sunrises and sunsets.

Pretty soon I had found it, My picture without a sky.

My picture of my keychain, Resting on a thigh.

That keychain of the Eiffel Tower, Balanced on her thigh.

Oh, I remember The day she died.

She and this keychain of mine.

I remember her, I remember my best friend, I remember Sky. All my everything for Sky, The girl who died.

language achievement

International Juniors Excel at Mandarin Speech Contest ON PREPARATION: Because the speech competition was an extracurricular activity that I chose to do in my free time, most of the preparation time was done outside of class.

Having experience with performing theatre definitely helped my preparation for it as well.

ON THE EXPERIENCE: I found this experience very enjoyable, and was surprised because I did not initially think that I would win an award. Through this speech, I was able to cultivate my vocabulary and public speaking skills in Mandarin, which I am very passionate about. I hope to continue Mandarin studies in the future.

FAITH CHEN

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Wesley Tam and Faith Chen, Class of 2017 he 41st Annual Mandarin Speech Contest took place on Saturday, April 23, at Lowell High School in San Francisco. Two International juniors, Faith Chen and Wesley Tam, both of whom were in Sharo Chen’s Mandarin language class last year, took second and fourth place in the speech contest—the largest of its kind in the U.S. Not only did they compete at the highest possible level, but Faith and Wesley (who were born in the States and speak English at home) competed with students from China and native Chinese speakers.

WESLEY TAM ON THE DAY OF THE CONTEST: I had participated in this competition the year before, so I was familiar with the style and format. At the beginning of the contest, all participants disperse to their respective classrooms to begin the competition. I performed my speech about my interest in theatre and discussed the merits of characterization to learn more about one’s personality. Though I did not feel prepared to a degree that I felt comfortable with, I was able to improvise some sections of the speech, which I felt gave it a more realistic tone. I noticed that many of the candidates memorized their speeches verbatim, and they would try to reorient themselves if they stuttered or forgot where they were in their speeches.

ON THE DAY OF THE CONTEST: This contest is one of the largest of its kind in the United States and many students from various schools in Northern California compete.

By participating in the contest, students are given the opportunity to write and recite a speech about a topic of interest to them. My speech focused on the differences between the Chinese and American education system, which I was inspired to write about after visiting China a few years ago. I participated in the competition freshman and sophomore year, so I felt very familiar with the environment. I had to recite my speech in front of an audience and a panel of judges, and once the contest ended I waited for the results.

ON PREPARATION: All of the preparation for the contest was done outside of school as it was considered an extracurricular activity. I would try to find every minute to practice, memorizing my speech in the car or during breaks between classes. I was given two weeks to prepare for the speech contest, and coordinating time outside of all my school work and community service was challenging but a great learning experience.

ON THE EXPERIENCE: Participating in the speech contest this year was very different from previous years due to my maturity and realization that winning was not my only objective. Winning a trophy was an important goal of mine, but actually enjoying the whole experience and learning how to cope with time management and pressure was even more valuable. From this wonderful experience I hope to apply what I learned to different situations and circumstances in the future.

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collaboration

Vertical Writing Project

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Learning Through Collaboration

Maria-Camila Riano, Class of 2018 For this project, we created front pages of our own newspapers using a collection of articles about the environment. Each group had at least one member of each grade. As the only high schooler in my group, I was astonished by how capable and independent the younger students were. We created several drawings and synopses of articles concerning our changing climate and world, from the Zika virus to seagulls that have become addicted to junk food. I was pleased with how willing the younger students were to create illustrations and write articles. It was also interesting to observe the evolution of the French we have learned to speak at school. Overall, the experience was fun and a refreshing change from our everyday classes.

Mael Delieuvin, Class of 2022 I think that semaine de la presse is an experience that everyone should participate in. It provides insight into world problems and allows students to be involved and engaged in what’s happening.

The experience also provides insight into what is happening in younger grades and older grades, allowing for conversations with younger and older students of French American International School.

Overall, it’s a fun project and should be continued throughout the years.

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he French Ministry of Education's new vision of Le Nouveau Collège promotes creativity through projectbased learning and encourages innovation through the use of cuttingedge technologies. As we move forward with implementation of the new middle school curricula this fall, incorporating this vision, we continue to build upon and enrich our school's fundamental principles: learning from our community, thinking critically, and working collaboratively to challenge our perspectives. One of the ways we do this is through the cross-grades, cross-curricular Vertical Writing Project.

In the spring of 2016, students in grades 5, 6 and 10 worked together to design the front page of a French newspaper, as part of our third annual Vertical Writing Project. As in years past, students had been discussing media and free press in their classes and used that knowledge to create front pages on a global and relevant theme—sustainability (développement durable).

“We chose to focus on global and environmental awareness for last year’s vertical writing project because we were inspired by the 21st United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in the fall of 2015, and the resulting Sustainable Development Goals from the UN," shared Sébastien Dufresnes, Head of French at French American International School. "Global citizenship and awareness are at the heart of our mission, so thinking about and reflecting on global issues related to sustainability seemed significant and also timely as we held our first schoolwide celebration of Earth Day in April."

The project not only allowed students to share their knowledge, opinions, and unique skills, but also encouraged them to listen to and learn from their peers across the different sections of the school. The library was buzzing with innovative ideas and creativity, and the event was a true testament to the power and importance of collaborative learning.

"As the only high schooler in my group, I was astonished by how capable and independent the younger students were. It was also interesting to observe the evolution of the French we have learned to speak at school." MARIA-CAMILA RIANO, CLASS OF 2018 LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 43

cultural awareness

The Arts Amplify Cultural Awareness

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ulturally relevant field trips and guest visits are part of French American's modus operandi, and last semester had its share of both. On Thursday, February 11, our entire 5th-grade class—with a host of students from across the Bay Area—visited SFJAZZ for a workshop on the historical origins of jazz. With images of the African diaspora overhead, six on-stage musicians showcased the birth of jazz with their instruments: first the voice and the drum, then various European instruments (the upright bass and piano, the guitar and sax). The presenters traced the roots of jazz from West Africa to the fields of the South and Congo Square in New Orleans, engaging students in hands-on workshops that highlighted the importance of call-and-response and improvisation. Without a doubt our 5th graders benefited from this masterful blend of history, music, and cultural awareness.

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Similarly on Friday, March 4, a graphic novelist visited our middle school to demonstrate how he has used visual art to promote cultural awareness. Gene Luen Yang, also a National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, talked about how the Asian-American experience informed his graphic novel, "American-Born Chinese." According to the New York Times: "The narrative is divided into three parts: the coming-of-age tale of the Asian-American Jin Wang; the fantastical tale of a Monkey King who does not want to be a monkey; and the deeply disturbing story of Chin-Kee, a grotesque who takes every Chinese stereotype and wraps it into a leering, drooling package." Luen Yang poignantly described how his work exposed and inevitably combatted stereotypes. Gina Cargas observed, "The talk was a wonderful experience for our students to learn how Yang's cultural heritage informed his life and work—and to consider their own."

a lesson in life

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BY JÉRÉMIE ROSTAN

n January 29, 92 years young Max Garcia, co-founder of the Holocaust Center of Northern California and author of Auschwitz, Auschwitz, I Cannot Forget You, shared his mémoires with high school history students.

Garcia began with a poignant narration of his experience in the infamous Nazi camp and the continued resilience, unwavering hope, and many acts of camaraderie that allowed him to survive the death camp. He went on to explain how he made his way to the United States, where he also made a new life for himself and fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming an architect.

During a lively Q&A, Max Garcia answered the many questions from the audience with both humor and gravitas. In a particularly striking instance, the Auschwitz survivor described how shocked he was when he discovered the segregation then practiced in the South, which he could not help but relate to the anti-Semitic persecution he endured in Europe.

Undoubtedly, this experience was not just a rare history lecture, but also a precious life lesson for our students—one that planted a seed that will continue to grow as we reaffirm our school’s mission and strengthen its commitment to diversity in the future.

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 45

social justice

8TH GRADERS COMMUNICATE ACROSS HEMISPHERES

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By Robert Movradinov, Director of Communication

even thousand miles weren't enough to keep our students from communicating with young Syrian photographers currently refuged in Jordan, thanks to a project called San Francisco Portals. The group Shared_Studios set up numerous portals throughout the city, one of which was right in our Hayes Valley neighborhood, connecting participants to similar portals from other parts of the world, including Afghanistan, Mexico, and Honduras. Carrie Denning, who helped create the project, noted: “The idea of the portal is we create this kind of Narnia door...

That’s always existed in people’s minds—this wormhole to a distant land.”

This video conversation was part of a larger project that aimed to raise awareness and funds for Syrian refugees. Under the guidance of Histoire-Géographie teacher Mouna Harifi and Director of Student Life Leslie Adams, 8th grade students researched the conflict in Syria and what students here at French American could do to help. "I felt that people needed to know about it

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more," said Annabel Menendez '20. "A lot of kids didn't know much about the crisis before this year."

Last October, a representative of the International Rescue Committee visited campus to discuss the refugee crisis with students in both middle and high school.

Through bake sales and penny drives that began early last year, students raised nearly $1,000 to donate to the IRC and benefit Syrian refugees.

"This school is all about being in contact with others in the world, whether they're in crisis or not," said Ylva Bosemark '20. "The fact that we communicated and were able to help people across the globe really fits in with what we're taught here."

The students also presented their project at the Global Issues Network conference, and educated their peers about the crisis during an assembly with the entire middle school.

To listen to the students’ reflections and view NBC's coverage of the interaction, visit:

www.frenchamericansf.org/syrianrefugees

ASSIMILATION

KEELIN DAVIS, CLASS OF 2017 | PAPER, ARCHIVAL INK

For this project I re-created a portrait of a young Syrian refugee

by National Geographic photographer, David Gross. The portrait is created through the layering of Arabic and German texts.

The face of the portrait is made out of Arabic while the clothing is made out of German. This represents the attempt of assimilation of the refugees to European culture. The juxtaposition of the two very different languages shows the difficulties they have been going through. The texts I used are the Arab Peace Initiative in Arabic and a German article about a protest piece a German musician wrote about the Syrian Refugee Crisis.

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 47

JE SUIS UN IDIOT | I AM AN IDIOT ADRIEN GAUBIL, CLASS OF 2017 | WIRE SCULPTURE

The subject of this project was to deliver a message through a piece of art. I wanted to denounce how stupid human beings can be and especially the violence and the horrors happening in the Middle East. This soldier, with his rifle and ISIS flag is threatening, but I am making fun of him with the words "I am an idiot." I worked with metal wire to emphasize the brutality and savagery of this soldier.

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THOUGHTFUL DIALOGUES

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n November 13, 2015, a series of terrorist attacks in Paris killed 130 people and injured another 368. As was the case with the assault on Charlie Hebdo just ten months prior, the November attacks both rattled and cast a spotlight on our school community. While we kept sensationalist press at bay, one outlet collaborated thoughtfully with us. On November 16, Youth Radio's editor Brett Myer and reporter Kasey Saeturn interviewed teacher Laurent Scotto di Uccio and four members of the Class of 2017 to get an understanding of how we were discussing the terrible events in Paris, within our classrooms. Here's the transcription.

CLASSROOM REACTIONS: STUDENTS AND TEACHERS DISCUSS THE PARIS ATTACKS NOVEMBER 18, 2015 BY KASEY SAETURN FEATURED ON NPR/WBUR'S "HEAR AND NOW"

Just blocks from Twitter's headquarters and City Hall, the French American International School feels very San Francisco. So San Francisco, the school bell even sounds like the city's famous cable cars.

The school is also pretty French. Out of about 1,100 students, most speak the language. Many have family and friends in France. So on Monday morning, November 16, instead of playing in the yard before school, elementary students reported directly to class to meet with teachers.

Laurent Scotto di Uccio, who teaches 5th grade French, describes the encounter with his students: "So, my first question was, 'Why are you here?' So the kids were like, 'We don't know yet.' So I said, 'I don't know if you know, but something happened in Paris and in Lebanon not long ago. Did you hear about it?'"

All 44 of his students knew about the attacks already, so he prompted them: "Okay, can somebody tell me what happened?"

One by one, the ten- and 11-year-olds started describing the attacks in their own words. But they quickly moved to more complicated issues, like ISIS. The class also discussed why the bombings in Lebanon didn't receive the same attention.

Di Uccio was surprised that the discussion wasn't about black and white, good vs. evil. "As an adult and as an educator,

it's hard to talk about things that are emotionally impacting you. And they were," he said. "People died. But in the meantime, you don't want to impose anything on your students. You don't want to be in a place where you tell them what they have to think about things. So that was a time that you remember for a while as a teacher."

Older students, like 15-year-old Barbara '17, were worried about the West's reaction to the attacks.

"I'm going to be a terrible person and plug something that we learned in US History a week ago," she said.

"FDR's quote of, 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.'"

Fourteen-year-old Simon '17 says he's not really afraid of the terrorists. He's most afraid that the political power could shift in France, empowering French far-right parties like the National Front. "If we start to get corrupted, like politically inside the country, it might be very dangerous," he said. "As a half-French, half-American citizen, I might lose my nationality."

But for 17-year-old junior Lorenz '17, losing sight of the bigger picture is what concerns him. "The main goal of a terrorist attack is to instill fear, and also secondly to expect a response from the country that you attack," he said. "So, on their extremist websites, they take things we do in the West and spin the story in a way to make it look like we're bad people. And that's how they recruit people. What we have to watch out for is that we don't play into their hands."

The students we talked to said they hope the reaction from France and the West isn't an over-reaction. They said we don't need another 9/11.

EDITORS: BRETT MYERS, REBECCA MARTIN PRODUCER: BRETT MYERS TO LISTEN TO THE STORY, GO TO: goo.gl/kgNĂ˜zr

Youth Radio interviews Barbara, Sophia, Lorenz, and Simon (Class of 2017)

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 49

ACKNOWLEDGING BLIND SPOTS

BY ROBERT MOVRADINOV

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ecent years have seen hate crimes perpetrated against multitudes of people nationally and internationally. Racism, xenophobia, sexism, trans- and homophobia have all struck at our collective soul. Over the past two years, the Black Lives Matter movement has brought issues of social justice into the national consciousness. Meanwhile, other individuals have fanned the flames of hate—encouraging that we build figurative and literal walls between one another. On June 12, 2016, just three days after the last day of school, a gunman murdered 49 people and wounded 53 at a packed Orlando LGBTQ club with a military-grade assault rifle.

In the United States, the violence in Orlando and Dallas and the killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling have raised difficult questions about equity and justice, while abroad the bombings in Istanbul, Baghdad, and Nice are disturbing examples of extremism and hatred.

Talking about these issues is exceedingly difficult, yet doing so is vital if we are to move beyond the current state of affairs.

Recognizing the need for developing the tools to have these conversations, the faculty and administration at French American and International have made inclusion initiatives a priority. Last year, along with holding numerous assemblies that focused on issues of diversity, the school sent five staff to the People of Color Conference (POCC) on December 3-5. Four students simultaneously attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference; see page 52 for an interview with the attendees. The tandem gatherings engaged some 4,500 participants in dialogues about cultural competency, and its integration into curricula and hiring practices; and presented case studies about transformative conversations at individual schools. Affinity groups created safe spaces for intimate dialogue, and challenged many to examine their privilege. In one of the most compelling presentations, Mahzarin Banaji explained the work that she and Anthony Greenwald have done to uncover the "hidden biases of good people." The title of their book, Blindspot, is a metaphor to capture that portion of the mind that houses hidden biases. Thanks to the Implicit Association Test, Banaji revealed that social groups (without our awareness or conscious control) shape our judgments about people’s character, abilities, and potential; our likes and dislikes; and ultimately our hidden biases.

This and many panels encouraged participants to challenge our assumptions of one another and ourselves, 50 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

thus taking steps toward breaking down our biases and better understanding one another.

After the concurrent conferences, both students and staff came back inspired to spark conversation at our school, whose halls have not escaped insensitive remarks or ignorant comments on the part of community members. In words that echoed those of Aidan McCormack '17, high school Principal Joel Cohen noted, "Given that we are an international school boasting a wide array of cultures, we tend to think that we are somehow better off than other schools. Of course, that is not always the case, and we have work to do. But there has never been such synergy between the students and the administration." Just as high school students worked to form their own diversity leadership council, Mr. Cohen and diversity coordinator Mauricio Albrizzio spearheaded a diversity think tank for teachers and administrative staff.

Cohen was quick to note that past calls for such think tanks—say, for student assessments or teacher evaluations—have yielded ten participants or so. The diversity think tank sparked the participation of an unprecedented 22. Born out of urgency in the high school, the group met regularly over the course of the year to discuss four sets of priorities: student support, faculty development, curriculum, and school structures. Going into the summer, the group produced a report of recommendations, with the goal of expanding the dialogue and creating a culture of inclusion school-wide.

JOEL COHEN, HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL "One of the highlights of the POCC conference was participating in an affinity group for the very first time.

I chose to attend the international one for which the criteria was simply to have immigrated to the US at one point. It turned out to be an extremely diverse group with attendees from all continents, ethnicities and labels but we all had something in common that felt very comfortable. Despite the fact that we all came from different countries, we spoke about diversity and inclusion in a similar way, which was in fact quite different from the way diversity is approached in the US. None of us had ever been asked to check boxes identifying our ethnicity before! It made us realize how important it was for international schools operating in the US to understand the American sensibility around the notions of diversity and inclusion."

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inclusion

COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS INSPIRE ACTION Alex: ... where we could propose ideas and get things done within our school. I feel like SDLC opened my eyes to how good things could be, what kind of diverse and accepting environment is actually possible, in a way that I hadn't realized before.

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uring the first week of December 2015, four students from the Class of 2017 attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) hosted annually by the National Association of Independent Schools. Aidan, Alex, Maya and Olivier traveled to Tampa with Mr. Cohen (Principal), Mr. Albrizzio (Diversity Coordinator), Mr. Wagner (Dean), Ms. Garwood (Learning Specialist), and Mr. Movradinov (Communications Director) who attended the People of Color Conference concurrently. Engaged by the eye-opening discussions about diversity and thought-provoking affinity group exercises at SDLC, our students came back inspired. Over the course of the year they created International High School's own Diversity Leadership Council and elected three additional students from the incoming 10th and 11th grades to continue raising awareness about issues of diversity at International. Recently we asked them to tell us about this journey.

Aidan: Before I even went to SDLC I took part in the Black Student Union, where I started getting an idea of diversity and how it should be implemented in our school. But I didn't really think of any other topic except for race. When I went to SDLC, they showed us about age, sexual orientation...

Alex: ...gender, religion, socio-economic status...

[Note: ability and ethnicity complete the eight core cultural identifiers.]

Aidan: Most people don't think about all the other ways that people identify themselves.

Olivier: I think the reason why it's life-changing for us especially is that you're meeting with other people who are going through the same thing as you in terms of going to a private school. A lot of them are minorities, too, so we can all relate to the problems we face at school.

Alex: The atmosphere there was incredibly accepting.

You felt like you could talk to anyone about anything.

We'd be asked to say something about ourselves, and people were sharing these incredibly personal things about themselves and their experiences because SDLC fosters this sense of safety for everyone who was there.

Let's start with the origins of the Diversity Leadership Council. How did it take shape?

Being able to talk about issues pertaining to your own experiences, and not to feel like you have to constantly explain and justify, or keep your voice down and not be too bothersome, was an incredible experience, and not something I even realized was possible.

Maya: For me, wanting to be a part of diversity within the high school started after SDLC. At the end of the three days we discussed ideas that we wanted to bring back to the school, and Alex mentioned having some sort of council on the same level as student government, but that just related to issues of diversity.

Aidan: The other thing is that a lot of people talk about diversity. and they say they're not racist, but a lot of people don't actually do anything to make a difference in their community. Everybody who went to SDLC wanted to actually make a difference in their schools.

That's pretty rare.

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How are we doing in terms of diversity?

What's the role of allies?

Aidan: It's a lot less diverse than we thought it was preSDLC. Because that's when you realize...

Maya: I think allies are scared to speak up. They think that because they're not part of that group or haven't experienced what the group has felt, they can't help or contribute, but you really can. It does make a difference to have allies. You do make a difference speaking up for [the group] and backing them up. You can still be helpful even though you don't share the same upbringing.

Maya: ...what's missing and what needs improvement.

Aidan: Since it's an international school, all of us assume that we're pretty diverse and understand one another's cultures; but when you hear what other people hear in the hallways, it surprises you. After going to SDLC, you actually realize that what's being said is not okay—that there's a lot more progress that we can make.

Aidan: I see allies like a megaphone—they amplify without trying to impose their own view on the topic.

They help get the word out.

Alex: You hear people use slurs just casually without realizing the significance behind them. You are acutely aware of the way people talk about certain groups. The attitudes they have just in their tone sometimes. And if you confront someone about it, they would get very defensive without being able to acknowledge everyone's part in the institution of these issues.

Alex: Another important thing is dealing with microaggressions. When you hear someone using a slur, you feel like you should call people out. But it's really hard to say, "You shouldn't use this word because this is the weight it carries." It's suddenly you against that person and who they're with. Even if their friends aren't actively defending them, they're on their side.

Aidan: We've been throwing around the word "diversity" a lot. What we mainly mean is acceptance of differences that everybody has. Our school does have a lot of people from different cultures. But acceptance between the cultures is what we're trying to improve.

One of the main roles of allies in situations like that is to speak up, and not just stand passively by. It's very difficult when you put all the responsibility on the marginalized group. On top of being oppressed in society, they also now are single-handedly responsible for calling out all these things.

Alex: I came out during SDLC. It was clear when I was there that it was an environment where I'd feel safe.

[After SDLC] I came out in the diversity assembly at school. Before, what would happen—the tiny things, the small reactions—made me uncomfortable, not ready to do it. I'd never been out before! At SDLC I realized what it was like to have that kind of acceptance. I realized just how good things could be.

Maya: Aidan and I have been at this school since Kindergarten and Pre-K. We've grown up at this school, and we've learned to assimilate, so things didn't affect me as much. I've heard racial slurs said to me throughout my life here. Or, "You're not black, you're not Chinese."

I would just laugh it off, thinking, They're just joking, they're my friends. We go to French American. I know they're racially aware; they're international students. But after SDLC, you gain more of an awareness about the school and how things that people say do affect you and end up hurting you in the long run. SDLC was an eye opener for things that are right or wrong.

How do you see next year unfolding?

Alex: We're hoping to have regular assemblies, and diversity meetings where we pick a topic and have an open forum for discussion.

Maya: Just recently we went to Mr. Cohen with a plan to mirror SDLC within San Francisco private schools. We reached out to University, Lick Wilmerding and Bay and talked to them about holding an event where we could talk about growing up in San Francisco. We got a lot of interest from the other schools, so that's one of the big things we'll try to get done in the 2016-17 school year.

Aidan: For Maya and me, this school is all that we were accustomed to. Once you actually get experience, you see what is okay and what isn't.

Olivier: Before International, I grew up with the same type of thing, being numb to stuff that would be said because you get used to it over time. After SDLC, you re-evaluate everything that you've learned. It's hard to come back and still have that numb feeling because now you know so much more.

From left: Olivier, Alex, Aidan, and Maya.

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performing arts

Hamlet Mashup

AN INCLUSIVE, MULTILINGUAL, INTERGENERATIONAL EXPLORATION

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ur spring production Hamlet Mashup also advanced our community’s conversation around diversity and inclusivity, with an intergenerational company, cross-gender casting and a multilingual production merging the classical and the contemporary. As Michelle Haner, the Artistic Director of Back-à-Dos, reflected, “Theater is both a collaborative, interdisciplinary art form and a community event. As such, it can offer a powerful prism through which to reflect upon the values, questions and make-up of our community. It seemed fitting that our community’s take on Hamlet, this seminal masterpiece of world theater, should embody our school’s diversity, advance cross-cultural communication and invite critical thinking.”

From conception to production, the project captured the French-American and international character of our school. The direction itself was a collaboration between Michelle Haner and the company’s French Theater Director, Franck Bessone. Both had long hungered to direct Hamlet. As Bessone noted, “I discovered Hamlet when I was twenty, and ever since, this text has accompanied me (….) and with it the desire to, one day, direct it.” With this project, they chose to collaborate actively,

with major scenes rehearsed in both French and English.

In performance, these were alternated and sometimes “mashed” together. They committed to have the entire production sub-titled, so both French and English speaking audience members could appreciate and follow the whole play. Indeed, actors often shifted between languages, performing some scenes in English and others in French.

A number of sequences were boldly international.

Most prominently, the renowned “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy was performed by a chorus of students, speaking in diverse languages including Mandarin, Russian, Spanish and Italian. This soliloquy was also spoken by parents, staff and faculty members, who had learned the soliloquy in the language of their choice, rehearsed it independently, and then joined in from the audience.

Noted Haner, “Our community is dedicated to sharing and celebrating diverse languages and cultures. It seemed fitting that this famous meditation on universal themes of life, death, thought and action should exist, for our community, in myriad voices and multiple languages.”

The directors were also intent that the production reflect the diversity of student interest and talent, that

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students have a voice, not just as actors, but as cocreators and active collaborators. Thus, in addition to delving into the traditional play, students developed their own material through rants, reflections, improvisations, movement, dance and song. In the process, the cast brought in personal memories, texts and anecdotes to explore themes such as love, revenge, madness, power and corruption.

This original, personal material not only activated student engagement, but also became additional material, to “mash up” with the traditional scene work. In this way, for example, a skilled ballet dancer, Isabella Cooreman, could perform in a segment accompanied by vocalist Sophie Carpenter, and musicians Thibault Irrisou (piano), Madeline Holtz (violin) and Beatrix Vernet (cello). Original music was created by student singersongwriter, Lila Coley, while Junior Olympic fencer, Benjamin Schroeder, brought his skills to the fore in a culminating fight sequence with another skilled fencer, Chloe Verbestel.

The project also took an inclusive approach through integrating adult community members into the creative process. A number of faculty members from both the

lower and upper school embraced the challenge of taking on scenes and characters, rehearsing and performing side by side with students. As such, this project built upon the inclusive, intergenerational approach of Awaiting Dawn, the 2013-14 collaboration with Moise Touré and Les Inachevés. Indeed, many students and faculty members who took part in Hamlet Mashup had also been part of the Awaiting Dawn team. As such, they were building on that intergenerational collaborative experience. The presence of faculty members also created additional resonances in the play. For example, the Head of Humanities Jérémie Rostan played a philosophizing gravedigger while Back-à-Dos founder Martha Stookey, as the First Player, helmed a traveling theater company of young performers. Parents, including Head of School Melinda Bihn, joined the actors in reciting Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy.

Of course, a central goal of the piece was also to take on this powerful story fearlessly and to breathe life into the towering figure of Hamlet, the prince who incarnates the “soldier, scholar, courtier," while grappling with all the “whips and scorns of time,” the untidy stuff of the human journey. Given Hamlet’s sweeping humanity, casting was “gender-blind” as four students— Beatrice Brown, Madeleine McGrath, Benjamin Schroeder, and Edward Mathieux—and one teacher, Amaury Suchon, took on the title role. “Gender blind” casting was also present in the exploration of many other roles, including Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia and the Players.

The project thus offered diverse participants that crucial opportunity to imaginatively step into the shoes of the “other," to hereby stretch their own humanity and, then, to share that journey with a wider community.

HAMLET MASHUP travels beyond the school In May 2016, nine IB Theater students, all of whom had been involved in diverse capacities with Hamlet Mashup, performed a 15-minute fragment of the larger piece in the Contemporary Performance Diaspora Theater Festival in Berkeley. Hosted by Inferno Theater Company, a key local collaborator on the Awaiting Dawn project, this cross-cultural, interdisciplinary festival gave our advanced theater students the opportunity to share their work with a larger community, and meet other students and professional artists working in diverse media.

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A… My Name is Alice

EXPLORING GENDER, IDENTITY, AND OUR SHARED HUMANITY

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REFLECTIONS FROM THE BACK-À-DOS FACULTY TEAM ast September, a group of students spearheading a new club, LASER, came to talk to our school’s Academic Council about the dominance of a binary (male/female) understanding of gender. They encouraged a more complex, nuanced appreciation of gender, one in which individuals can explore and affirm their gender identities on a spectrum and eschew labels of any kind. They pointed out the many ways in which those with non-binary gender identities are marginalized, or simply ignored. They called on us as faculty members to probe more deeply how we thought, talked about and presented questions of gender, both in and out of the classroom.

We had already started production of our fall show, the musical review A... My Name is Alice, a piece that was developed for an all-female cast in the 1980s by The Women’s Project. When we were setting our Back-à-Dos season, our faculty team held many conversations about the material (pros, cons, possibilities), but the issues raised by the LASER club invited us to think even more deeply about the question of gender.

Although we added our own contemporary touches, there are ways in which this piece is bound by conceptions of gender that our own critically thinking students of 2015 cracked open and revisited in ways that are profound and vital. In that spirit, we recognized this show is but one piece of a conversation about gender, and we encouraged our audience to think of it in that way.

It is important to note that when we were selecting a musical, the issue of gender was not the sole or even main draw of A... My Name is Alice. We wanted a piece that could mobilize the vocal qualities of our particular talent pool, and believed this piece could serve them well. More important, we appreciated the way the material touched on many facets of the human journey. The characters happen to identify (or be identified) as women. However, as they grapple with love, loss, power, intimacy, identity and a gamut of relationships (work, family, friendship), their journeys are, above all, “human,” not just “female.”

May this exploration be but one among many facets of the larger conversation about personal identity and community diversity to which our school is much dedicated.

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music

Musical Partnerships and Collaboration

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DR. PHILLIP LENBERG, MUSIC FACULTY he music program at French American and International continues to grow with the guidance of Amaury Suchon in the lower school, Melinda Becker in the middle school, and Dr. Phillip Lenberg in the high school.

We have partnered with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to bring their student performers to our Black Box Theater, offering concerts and presentations to our music classes and exposing our students to live classical and jazz performances. Some of the highlights of last year’s visits include a string quartet, brass quintet, and a variety of vocalists and jazz combos. International also continues partnerships with local arts organizations including Left Coast Chamber Ensemble and Little Opera. These orga-

nizations worked with the IB music students, giving the students opportunities to work with professional composers and to hear their own compositions performed and recorded by a professional chamber ensemble.

Last year saw the birth of the Middle School Chorus, directed by Melinda Becker. The Middle School Chorus performed a variety of repertoire at the Hayes Valley Holiday Block Party and Middle School Arts evening to great acclaim.

This year we will be offering an orchestral ensemble and a high school chorus, both new additions to the growing program. Based on the success of our Black Box Recital in January, these ensembles will be performing in two new intimate end-of-semester recitals meant to cater to students focusing on classical and jazz music.

CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: High School Arts Evening, May 13, 2016; San Francisco Conservatory musicians visit to the Arts Pavilion, March 2016; the Middle School Chorus performs at the 8th Grade Graduation, June 8, 2016; the Winter Recital, January 2016 58 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

Noah Friedlander '18 LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 59

Isabel Dumas from a video she made of herself at home, performing an original composition for her Exploration class. Have a listen to Isabel's music on YouTube!

exploration classes

Exploring Our Interests

Four middle school students discuss the merits of Exploration classes, in which they have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of disciplines, in a more flexible, "chill" environment.

Creative Writing Amanda Weissman, Class of 2022

Welcome to the 60s Sophia Leinwand, Class of 2022

How is the Creative Writing Exploration class different from your regular subject classes?

Why did you choose Welcome to the 60s?

Exploration classes are very different in the sense that regular classes are more structured. It’s much more chill, go with the flow, and you can laugh more than in regular classes.

I chose the class because I’ve always really liked history and the 60s decade is such a fun time to learn about, so I thought it would be really cool to explore it further. I took it last fall and loved it so much I had to take it again.

What is your favorite part of your Exploration class?

What is your favorite part of your Exploration class?

My favorite part of Creative Writing is when we sit down and write. I like to see how my writing changes based on what we’ve been learning. It expands in different ways than it did before.

My favorite part is when we watched documentaries on the Freedom Riders [a group of civil rights activists who in 1961 challenged segregation in the American South] and made presentations with a partner, highlighting what we liked best.

Amanda was awarded 3rd place in the San Francisco Unified School District Literary Arts Contest, Middle School Short Story category. Her piece, “Heartbreak: A Prelude to Depression,” can be read by visiting www.frenchamericansf.org/literaryawards.

Songwriting Isabel Dumas, Class of 2021 How is the Songwriting Exploration class different from your regular subject classes?

The Exploration class is different because it’s smaller, easier for us to have 1:1 time with the teacher or classmates, and also allows for a more collaborative class.

We get to explore different subjects and have more freedom in terms of what we want to do.

Why did you choose Songwriting?

I’m personally a songwriter—I love music, I love songwriting—so songwriting seemed like a perfect fit to explore and grow that interest.

What have you liked best about the Exploration class?

I like how I’ve been able to work on songwriting outside of home and with my classmates. Everyone adds something; it’s a group effort.

Intro to Python Programming Alex Bareli, Class of 2020 Why did you choose this Exploration class?

I chose Intro to Python Programming to learn the basic language of Python and understand its syntax. I have a great passion for programming and ever since I was a child I loved using computers. I took programming as an Exploration class in my 6th and 7th grade year, and I wanted to continue on that course.

What do you like about the Exploration program?

I like how the Exploration class isn’t a graded class.

There is no homework and no stress, and we can just come in, sit down and learn without having to stress about failing the class. It's a fun subject to participate in, and a fun way to learn it.

What are you interested in exploring next year?

I would like to explore programming further. I am interested in pursuing a career in programming, and I would love to get a master’s degree in it, so hopefully I will be able to jumpstart my knowledge early on.

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global ambassadors

Educators in the

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International Arena

ur school lives at the intersection of French, American, and international education. Our students and educators have often focused their energies on the international stage. In addition to this, our Head of School has challenged us to raise our profile locally and nationally. – While the IB Showcase at SFJazz underscored our value proposition to local prospective families (see article on page 78), presentations at National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) events cast a spotlight on our pedagogy.

On February 24-26, the NAIS Annual Conference graced our city, and our educators, led by Melinda Bihn,

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took the stage to tout the merits and relevance of our programs, highlighting our expertise at delivering them.

In one address, Dr. Bihn and Dean of Admission Andrew Brown discussed "Third-Culture Stories," addressing how we can support international students at independent schools. In another, Andrew Brown teamed up with three fellow teachers--Scott Paton, Minakshi Capur, and Laurent Scotto di Uccio--to showcase our global travel program. Unchartered waters for most schools, global travel has developed in tandem with the curriculum at French American International School. In the words of Melinda Bihn, "Our teachers wowed the audience with first-hand accounts from our wide-ranging global travel program, and their commitment to providing those

Citizens of the world come from somewhere.

Sharing our humanity means sharing our planet.

Going a long way goes a long way.

Mother and other tongues matter.

Those who’ve come far can take you far.

You can’t be what your curriculum isn’t. experiences to our students." While our trips always imply a baseline level of risk with regard to student safety, sometimes our administration also must weigh loftier threats, such as the outbreak of the Zika virus or a terrorist bombing in a European capital. Over time, the cultural, social, and pedagogical benefits of being there have proven to far outweigh the risks.

Both sessions proved so compelling that NAIS invited Melinda and Andrew to deliver a webinar that spoke to internationalism in schools last May. They explained what it means to cultivate citizens of the world, in the company of student ambassadors Wesley Tam and Madeleine McGrath, Class of 2017. The presentation went way beyond the food, festivals, and fun approach

and included some candid transformative learningmoment anecdotes from the students who had travelled with us to the Galapagos and India, respectively. The webinar culminated in the assertion that the mere presence of an international or global curriculum, no matter how astutely permeated with international elements, is only a beginning. What actually counts is how the curriculum is enacted. Seen this way, “international mindedness” is fostered—and a global education is realized—only when the curriculum comes alive in the daily learning interactions between faculty and students, school and families. In other words, international mindedness and global citizenship are as much about people and values as curriculum.

The 2016 Arabic Language class trip to Morocco.

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the linguistic journey

Learning

Beyond

Borders

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lobal travel begins with baby steps. In May, our kindergartners visited Slide Ranch, leaving the comfort of home and parents, in some instances for the first time. From Tuolomne to Coloma, lower school students embarked on regional adventures tied directly to their curricula. The 5th-grade class trip to Strasbourg serves as a pivot point—punctuating students' bilingual quest, laying the foundation for future exchanges to Paris and Tahiti, and propelling them toward linguistic trips in Guatemala and Italy, Morocco and Taiwan. By the time students reach International High School, their journeys expand in the name of culture and service learning, science and sports. In effect, travel to India in the 11th grade begins with overnighting at a local ranch.

The goals of our travel program are that our students become autonomous and able to communicate across cultures, that they develop empathy for others and knowledge of themselves as they experience the world.

None of this could take place without mutual trust among parents and teachers, students and chaperones.

Thank you to our entire community for empowering our students to learn beyond borders.

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The Arabic language trip to Morocco

The Linguistic Journey Continued

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ast spring, our middle school students embarked on overseas journeys to Morocco, Guatemala, Italy, Taiwan, and France. Students were fully immersed in the respective country’s culture through language, food, dance, art, and religion. For many students, these trips represented a continuing linguistic quest—putting into practice their third language, selected in 6th grade.

Students of Arabic traveled to Morocco in February, where they engaged in intercultural discussions with peers, put their language and bargaining skills to work at the souq, and received cooking lessons from "mama Kadijah"—resulting in new vocabulary words, an appreciation for new spices, and a traditional home-cooked dinner of braewat and tajine of beef. Jamal Mavrikios, teacher and chaperone, recalls a moment at a local park: "After lunch we walked to Aarsat Moulay Abd AsSalaam Park. We were soon joined by Moroccan school kids who were put into small groups with our kids and engaged them in simple Arabic conversation. The first 66 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

time they tried, the kids were very hesitant to speak Arabic and conversation was awkward, full of long gaps and a tendency to fall back on French and English. However, by the time they moved to their second conversation partner, the kids relaxed and conversation flowed much more easily. Afterward, one giddy student came to me and reported it was 'awesome' to interact with a Moroccan peer in Arabic."

Seventh graders studying Spanish spent two weeks with host families in Guatemala in March, hiking the Volcán de Pacaya, dancing salsa, exploring the town of Antigua Guatemala, and practicing their language skills at a local school. A group of 7th graders also joined high school students in Taiwan for Mandarin language and cultural immersion. Similarly, 7th-grade Italian language students lived la dolce vita for two weeks in Salerno, Italy. They learned about paintings, sculptures and mosaics from the X to XVIII century at Badia di Cava, hiked up Mount Vesuvius for a clear view of the islands of Capri and Ischia, visited the ruins of Pompeii, made and enjoyed tiramisu, all the while practicing their Italian in

The 8th Grade trip to Paris

The 7th Grade Spanish language trip to Guatemala class and at home with their host families.

"The duomo (cathedral) was gorgeous. With a courtyard in front—a perfect entrance—you step in and it's like you’re entering a portal to a new dimension.

Immediately, our voices quieted. There is nothing but silence and the echo of our footsteps. Beautiful mosaic covered the walls, and the ceilings were arched with all different designs. After looking around the top level, we were lead into the crypt. The first color you see is gold.

Lots and lots of gold. There were relics of San Mateo, the patron saint of Salerno." – Isabel '21, Italy Eighth grade French students visited two schools in Paris in March—Notre Dame de Sion and Ecole Alsacienne—as part of the schools' exchange program. They stayed with correspondent host families, engaging in French conversation, visiting art museums, and immersing themselves into the daily lives of Parisians.

The 7th Grade Italian language trip to Italy "I loved the complete immersion into Parisian culture.

I was reminded of so many customs, and unspoken rules and those things that you grow up around but never question. Not only that, but I like to think that I am now capable of speaking French more casually, both in the sense that it comes easier, and my correspondent also taught me some slang." – Ina '20 "My favorite thing I did while I was in Paris was going on a scooter ride. My host family dad owned a scooter, and rode it safely every day to work. He took me on two tours, 'Paris by day' and 'Paris by night.' It was spectacular! All of the history packed into the winding alleyways of Paris, the lights of the Eiffel Tower and the Ferris Wheel sparkling. It really got me thinking about how lucky we are to be traveling the world at such a young age. If we're doing these things now, imagine what we can accomplish later on in life." – Emerson '20 LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 67

global connections

Communicating

Across Cultures Last spring, seven groups of high school students spent about two weeks traveling abroad—to Senegal, Malawi, Taiwan, India, Peru, Galapagos, and Tahiti—participating in science exploration, linguistic study, cultural immersion, and sport and service learning opportunities.

Students experienced diversity of language and culture, of course. But through local interactions that included volunteering at Hacienda Tranquila, an ecological foundation to help Galapagos recover; playing soccer with young Chigoli players in Malawi; exploring Tahiti with host families of correspondents who visited International in early April; listening to traditional chanting inside Buddhist caves in India; practicing Mandarin in Taiwan; being welcomed by a Senegalese community with a spontaneous dance circle and teaching their children at École Natangué—students returned home with a greater understanding of and appreciation for our common connections and shared humanity.

ABOVE:

The 2016 Service Learning trip to Senegal.

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RIGHT: The 2016 high school trip tp Peru.

India

Gwyneth Luhmann, Class of 2017 It’s funny how in that final moment, I realized for the first time where I was. We had traveled 10,000 miles, to a country so different from our own. And on that last day, I finally became aware of the pure beauty of the country: the diversity of art forms, religion, cuisine, and the people.

No matter where we were, be it the slums of Mumbai, or the rural areas of Hyderabad, the people were so full of life and culture. They are what made the country so beautiful. Their enthusiasm to bring us into their world, even for a brief moment, to shock us in the most stunning way, is what made this a cultural immersion.

My eyes have been opened to culture like never before.

You can read about the slums, listen to the music, watch a Bollywood dance film, but only when you're there do you truly learn and become an international student.

Malawi

Kavya Chatterjee, Class of 2018 Today was a fulfilling day. We played in a premier league stadium against the Chigoli Academy players; they were from ages 10 to 14. They are very talented and definitely gave us a challenge for the hour we played them. We ended up winning 2-1, but it took us a while to get the first goal in. The young boys, being almost a foot or two shorter than us, encouraged us to play our hardest in the scorching heat. I personally had fun being schooled by a boy about a foot shorter than me, who then laughed with me about it afterwards.

After lunch we drove to Kambali Lodge and experienced traditional African living. We stayed in huts made out of

India 70 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

clay or wood and straw, and ate incredible food consisting of stews and insima, maize flour. To end the night we drummed together and made rhythmic sounds. Overall, a day that I will never forget.

Senegal

Carly Ryan, Class of 2017 The fifth day somehow found a way to be more meaningful and exhilarating than all the others, which I thought would be impossible. In the morning we went straight to Natangué where we helped out in classrooms.

During each class, the kids sit down and color or practice writing letters, but since there are not enough tables or teachers, only half the class does the activity. While two groups were coloring, I sat down with the children waiting and introduced myself with my Senegalese name, Aïssatou (the children do not understand Carly and would just call me Toubab). The teacher told me I could read to the kids who were waiting if I wanted.

Once I sat down with a book in hand, I remembered that the kids' French was not yet very developed. I opened the first page and one of the little ones, Koumba, broke the silence that they had so well maintained, and yelled out a word in Wolof: 'niay.' Considering the giant elephant on the page, I assumed he was talking about that. So I said 'éléphant' (and he repeated 'éléphant'); then the others sang the word in Wolof again, 'niay.'

When I turned the next page there was a chorus of young voices telling me Wolof for giraffe, and I echoed.

I would then tell them the French translation and they would all reply.

In so many ways it feels like this culture has so much more to offer me than I have to them. Today, even the children taught me.

Senegal

Galapagos

Malawi

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T

he timing for the high school Peru trip last year was spot on. Arriving into Cusco last spring, we found the country in the midst of a heated presidential election. Our visit was advertised as an opportunity to improve our Spanish language skills and to achieve a better understanding of Peruvian culture and history. What better way to meet those goals than with a ready-made conversation topic?

Among the many candidates, Keiko Fujimori—daughter of the former president, now serving jail time in Lima on corruption charges—drew the most media attention.

In all, ten candidates contested, including two former presidents, Alan Garcia and Alejandro Toledo. A president is constitutionally barred from serving consecutive terms of five years. Therefore, the incumbent, Humala, was termed out and accepted his fate, it was reported, with grace.

Peru’s Political Landscape

Understanding Peruvian Culture and History Through the Presidential Elections By: Scott Paton, History Teacher & Chaperone The young man sitting next to me on the Avianca flight to Lima was less sanguine, stating categorically that all candidates were corrupt. Peru, he claimed, suffered from a fixed system that thwarted true democracy in favor of the elite political class. Perhaps, but from what we saw, there was no absence of rough and tumble retail politics. Campaign posters littered the walls of the city and, routinely, loud cavalcades of vehicles snaked their way through the neighborhoods, tooting and drumming, enthusiastically advising passers-by to vote for their candidate. All candidates also participated in a highly viewed American-style debate a week before balloting.

Freddy, our very knowledgeable guide to Incan history, commented that the candidates unfortunately were not given sufficient time to explain their programs. There was a lot of what he called Peruvian drama, and too much of what he said we Americans call “sound bites.” Campaign superficiality it turns out is also not an exclusive American export!

The night before we left, as we walked to the market, we noticed that police were lining up in force on the 72 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

main Armes Square, the center of Cusco, dominated by the city’s cathedral. Political cartoons, mocking the elite candidates, and newspaper banners critical of many, but especially of Fujimori, were exhibited on the facing walls. Citizens inspected them avidly. Soon enough a long procession of demonstrators filed into the square area. There were many students, and retired folk, too.

Many carried banners uniformly denouncing Fujimori.

One sign, in English, read: “Gays against Fujimori.”

For all its vitriol, the campaign served as dependable fodder for dinner table conversation. At Conor Harty (Class of ‘19) and Benjamin Ryan’s (Class of ‘18) home, the family did not favor Fujimori, the now well established front-runner in all polls. They said Peru needs

strong leadership with innovative ideas to revive the economy and strengthen the educational system. They supported Veronika Mendoza, the Broad Front candidate and a member of the national congress representing Cusco. Critics among those we spoke to referred to her as the pro-Chavez (nationalist and socialist ex-president of Venezuela) candidate. Suraj Patel and Julian Bellinghausen’s (Class of ‘18) host family, conversely, were strong supporters of Fujimori. They recounted that they were comfortable that she had inherited her father’s toughness on terrorism. Underscoring the level of passion that the election elicited, Mom opined that a bomb should be hurled in the direction of Mendoza and her radical comrades!

On the return flight, the woman I sat next to, a recent immigrant to the Bay Area, was adamant in her support of Fujimori, too. She said Peru needs a woman to lead them. It’s a very macho country, she added. “She will stand up to the Lima elites and to her father.” Fujimori, with her American education and her dedication to service, will bring about the reforms that Peru sorely needs.

In balloting on the Sunday after our return, Fujimori polled 40% and Pedro Kuczynski, former prime minister and minister of finance, now running for the Peruvians for Change party, came in second with 21%. Mendoza came in third and the former presidents trailed far behind. If no candidate achieves 50%, the top two face off.

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college counseling

Selective College Admit Rates Shrink Even More

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Ashley Rochman, Director of College Counseling his year, selective college admission rates in the United States continued the trend of continual shrinking. Stanford University lead the way again this year posting the most selective acceptance rate of only 4.69%. To put that statistic another way, Stanford received 43,997 applications and rejected 41,934 of them. Harvard’s admit rate was a record-breaking 5.2%, and Columbia’s was 6.4%. On the UC front, UCLA, UC San Diego, and UC Berkeley received over 100,000 applications each. UC Berkeley’s admit rate was only 14% this year, and UCLA’s was 15%.

Continuing the Trend of Success in Selective College Admissions Despite the increased competition, our Class of 2016 continued our tradition of gaining acceptance to the most selective colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. The 72 members of the Class of 2016 received a wide array of fantastic offers of admission. Twenty-six different students received offers from universities that accept 15% or fewer of its applicants,

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including acceptances from Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Cornell (2 students), Carnegie Mellon (7 students), Northwestern, Stanford (3 students), University of Chicago (3 students), Washington University in St. Louis, Williams College, Swarthmore College, and other prestigious schools in the US and abroad.

On the University of California front, six students received offers from UCLA and six from UC Berkeley despite the ever-shrinking admit rate. In 2012, the UC system received 160,939 applications. This year, the UC system received 206,339 applications.

Internationally, students received multiple prestigious UK acceptances, including many unconditional offers to Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Glasgow, Durham, York, and King’s College London. In Canada, our students received offers from McGill University, University of British Columbia, Ryerson University, and Bishop’s University.

(Decisions from French universities were still pending at time of publication.)

On the opposite page is a list of all acceptances and where our seniors will be attending college.

Congratulations to the Class of 2016!

class of 2016: where are they going? acceptances American University Arizona State University (Fine Arts) The University of Arizona Bard College Bates College University of Bath Beloit College Bentley University Bishop's University Boston University (10 students) University of Bristol (UK) University of British Columbia (4) Brown University Bucknell University California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State University Chico (2) Dominguez Hills East Bay Fresno Stanislaus University of California: Berkeley (6) Davis (9) Irvine (3) Los Angeles (6) Merced (3) Riverside (5) San Diego (8) Santa Barbara (7) Santa Cruz (20) Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University (7) Chapman University (2) University of Chicago (3) University of Cincinnati Clark University (5) Colgate University (2) University of Colorado, Boulder (8) Colorado College Columbia University Concordia University, Montreal Cornell University (2) Davidson College University of Delaware Denison University (2) University of Denver (3) DePaul University (5) DePauw University Dominican University of California Drexel University (4) Durham University (UK) Earlham College (2) University of Edinburgh (3) Emmanuel College University of Exeter (UK) The University of Findlay

Fisk University Fordham University Franklin and Marshall College The George Washington University (5) Georgia Institute of Technology (2) University of Glasgow (UK) Goldsmiths College, University of London (UK) Goucher College Harvard University University of Hawaii at Manoa HEC Montreal High Point University Hofstra University (2) University of Illinois at Chicago (2) University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign Imperial College London Indiana University at Bloomington (5) Johns Hopkins University King's College London (6) Lafayette College Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College (3) University College London Loyola Marymount University Macalester College University of Manchester (UK) College of Marin University of Maryland, Eastern Shore Maryland Institute College of Art (3) University of Massachusetts, Amherst (2) University of Massachusetts, Boston McGill University (3) Merrimack College Miami University, Oxford (2) University of Michigan (2) University of Minnesota, Twin Cities The University of Montana, Missoula Mount Holyoke College University of New Haven New School of Architecture & Design New York University (6) New York University-Abu Dhabi University of North Carolina School of the Arts Northeastern University (5) Northwestern University Oberlin College (6) Occidental College (4) University of Oregon (4) University of the Pacific (3) Pennsylvania State University University of Pittsburgh

Pitzer College Portland State University University of Portland (2) Pratt Institute University of Puget Sound (5) Purdue University Queen Mary, University of London Reed College (7) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (6) Rhode Island School of Design (2) Rochester Institute of Technology University of Rochester Ryerson University Saint Mary's College of California Saint Mary's University San Diego State University University of San Diego San Francisco State University (5) University of San Francisco (5) San Jose State University (3) Santa Clara University (5) Sarah Lawrence College 92) School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2) Seattle University Simon Fraser University Skidmore College (2) Southern California Institute of Architecture University of Southern California Southern Methodist University University of St. Andrews (UK) (3) St. John's University (2) Stanford University (4) Stony Brook University Swarthmore College Syracuse University (5) Temple University The University of Texas, Austin Trinity College (2) Tulane University (2) University of Utah Vanderbilt University Vassar College University of Vermont (2) Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Washington University in St. Louis University of Washington (5) Wellesley College Wheaton College MA Whitman College (2) Willamette University (4) Williams College University of Wisconsin, Madison (2) Wittenberg University The College of Wooster Worcester Polytechnic Institute University of York (UK) (2)

matriculation Bishop's University (Canada) California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State University, Dominguez Hills Carnegie Mellon University (3) College of Marin Cornell University Davidson College De Paul University Dominican University of California George Washington University (3) Harvard University High Point University Hofstra University Johns Hopkins University King's College London (2) New York University (2) New York University-Abu Dhabi Oberlin College (3) Pitzer College Pratt Institute Reed College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2) Santa Clara University Skidmore College Stanford University (3) Stony Brook University Syracuse University The University of Findlay Tulane University (2) University of British Columbia (3) University of California Berkeley (2) Los Angeles (2) Santa Barbara (3) Santa Cruz University of Chicago (3) University of Colorado at Boulder University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Oregon University of Portland University of Puget Sound University of San Francisco University of St. Andrews (2) University of Washington (3) University of Wisconsin, Madison Virginia Tech Wellesley College Willamette University Williams College

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER LA LETTRE 2016 | |75 75

TEDx

Students Deliver Second Annual TEDx Program

O

n Saturday, January 23, International students presented their second TEDx program—one year in the making. After exploring topics from hair to climate change, and from education to sustainability, seven students and three professionals showcased their "ideas worth sharing." A packed Arts Pavilion also featured three organizers' interview with Philip Zimbardo, best known for his studies on the psychology of evil. When asked about the program, here's what some students offered.

What are some takeaways from your presentations?

Isaac van Aelstyn '17 on Sustainable Local Development: Sustainability is essential in development work. It means helping current generations meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability is about people getting themselves out of poverty, not just receiving aid.

Isobel Stephen '16 on the Future of the Arctic in a Changing Climate: Black carbon is a powerful short-term contributor to melting glaciers, and our priority should be to cut back on its emissions. The Inuit—who live in

the Arctic—have built a life around its ecosystem, and we must do all we can to save their way of life because what is happening to them now, will happen to us later if we don't act.

Organizers, what did you learn from your experience?

Mia Mostoufi '16, Louisa Baldi '16, and Sebastien Bernt '16: As a team we learned that knowledge is not ageist.

Within our community there are so many hidden ideas that just need a platform for expression. The nature of TED events allows these people to share their ideas so they will be heard and valued. Organized by six International students, who independently organized every aspect of this event—down to a balanced budget and creating a website—the event not only showcased student leadership, but the values our school instills in its students: independence, self-motivation, critical thinking, global perspective, and communication. The team used skills taught in the classroom, and applied and expanded them in real-life situations; creating invaluable life skills and lessons.

Students, thank you for your initiative, ideas and presentations. We look forward to next year!

Presenters and organizers, from left to right: Isaac van Aelstyn '17, “Sustainable Local Development”; Ilana Nachoum, Feldenkrais Physical Therapist, “Feldenkrais and the Body”; Liam McSpadden '17 (pictured at right), “The Increase of Political Disparity and the Suppression of Opposing Viewpoints”; Gillian Berkowitz '17, “The Social Significance of Hair”; Sophia Madhavan '16, “The Beauty of Neutrality”; Isobel Stephen '16, “The Future of the Arctic in a Changing Climate”; Louisa Baldi '16, Ishan McCarthy '16, Keishi Foecke'17, Mia Mostoufi '16, Leo Findlay '16, “The Uncertainty of Our Futures and How It Affects Our Life Decisions”; Sebastien Bernt '16, Alexander Boccon-Gibod '17, Hannah Chan '18, “The American Education System”; and Tara Nader, CEO/Founder of Longeva Skincare, “Cancer and Entrepreneurship”.

76 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 77

ib showcase

THE

I

IB

SHOWCASED AS NEVER BEFORE nternational High School has been delivering the International Baccalaureate since 1978.

We were the first on the west coast to be authorized to offer the program, and fourth in the nation—in the good company of United Nations International School (1) and The Dwight School (3) in New York, and Washington International School (2) in DC. Now there are some 850 schools offering the Diploma Programme in the U.S., and over 3,000 worldwide. While we were avant-garde by adopting the IB almost 40 years ago, the program has been growing in popularity nationally, and gaining traction locally. With that in mind, we decided to present our first-ever IB Showcase at the luminous SFJAZZ Center on September 29, 2015, underscoring both our expertise and our location in the heart of San Francisco.

Preparation for the program was intense, complete with script development, rehearsals, and daily updates on the part of the Leadership Team. We drew from the talents of students past and present, and our educators and communications staff, who together touted the merits of the IB: a personalized, interdisciplinary program that comes to life thanks to an international community and cocurricular travel. Students provided living examples of internal assessments and extended essays, while alumni underscored how the IB had prepared them for life beyond high school. After the 50-minute multimedia display by multi-generational voices, the crowd of 500-plus left inspired.

For their invaluable participation, immense thanks to Maxim Levet '08; Larson Holt '15; Andrew Beckman, Tara Singh, and Alex Szotak (Class of 2013); Sara Fay, Robin Fierberg, Thibault Irissou, Jasmine Sorrells, and Isobel Stephen (Class of 2016); and Justin Melville '18. Likewise, special thanks to our educators, Melinda Bihn, Andrew Brown, Joel Cohen, and Dina Srouji; and to Robert Movradinov (producer).

To see a recap of the IB Showcase, go to: www.internationalsf.org/ib

78 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 79

“Encouraging students outside of their comfort zone, and empowering them so they believe in themselves, their individuality, and their unique voice, is the goal.

When the students feel empowered, that’s the ultimate win.” —Scott Kennedy

athletics

I

Jaguar Athletics

Empowering Students On and Off the Field

n the summer of 1985, Athletic Director Scott Kennedy was in Paris Island, South Carolina for Marine Corps boot camp. While there, a chaplain told him, “If you find a path that has no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” Scott delivers the same message to his student-athletes at French American International School, who are challenged every day to stay committed to their sport while successfully managing the rigor of our academic program. “Through the obstacles we are building a foundation for success—on the field, in the classroom, in life. The entire community is committed to building a positive, fun, yet challenging environment to develop in students a sense of pride, belief in oneself, ownership, and belonging,” said Scott.

Under Scott’s direction, participation in the athletics program has grown 11% from the 2014-15 season. As a result of increased interest, the program added JV Girls Basketball and Soccer teams last year. “Increased student participation is very much at the heart of our mission.

Being part of an athletics program allows students to feel connected to and engaged in something beyond the classroom. There’s a positive correlation between involvement in athletics and academic achievement.

Student-athletes are engaged, accountable, and able to learn time management by balancing schoolwork with practices and games,” explained Scott.

Striking a balance between athletic responsibilities and academic pursuits is significant, but Scott also encourages participation in other school programs, including theater, music, the arts, or global travel. “I encourage students to take the opportunity to go to Malawi or India; global travel is an incredible learning experience.

Sports can be put on hold for a moment while that education happens.”

Scott and his team also work with students on community service projects, as another valuable piece of their overall educational experience. In conjunction with the San Francisco Unified School District and our own Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the department held the first-ever Basketball Special Olympics at International High School in February. The event provided an opportunity for student athletes to raise awareness and do good for others while earning their community service hours during February break.

Over the course of the past year, the athletics department has developed a coaching education and licensing program, requiring state coaching certifications, cardiac and concussion trainings, and offering sport-specific professional development opportunities. “We believe the overall growth and development of coaches trickles down to our players. The idea is that we are a community—of coaches, students, parents, and teachers—working together, supporting and respecting each other.” Further to this, the department offered workshops through the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) for student athletes, coaches, and parents to learn how to be supportive on the field and on the sidelines through sportsmanship and positive behavior. They have also established a working relationship with the Physical Education team to collectively work toward improving the health and overall fitness of our student population.

The High School Athletics Team: SCOTT KENNEDY, SARA JOHNSON, AND IAN NOH

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 81

Jaguar Nation:

The Year in Review Leadership Retreat Every fall, International High School athletics teams kick off the start of the new season with a day trip to the Marin Headlands. Student-athletes meet and welcome incoming Jaguar freshmen, engage in group workouts and team bonding, and take workshops with the Positive Coaching Alliance.

Soccer Led by new Athletic Director Scott Kennedy, the men’s Varsity soccer team improved from the 2014-15 season, defeating opponents who had not been beaten in years.

The Varsity team missed the North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs by only one point, and the Junior Varsity team finished second place in the JV Jamboree tournament.

The women’s Varsity team, also led by Coach Ken-

82 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

nedy, went 9-5 in the league, earning them a spot in the league playoffs and a place in the NCS playoffs. They played a hard game against undefeated league opponent Drew and lost 2-1 in extra time. We look forward to further success this year, with a great group of young talent making up the roster.

At the middle school level, the boy’s Varsity soccer team captured the first ever Bay Area Interscholastic Athletic League (BAIAL) soccer championship, defeating San Francisco Day 2-0 in the championship game. The girls team competed very well against older and bigger competition, never giving up regardless of score or opponent. “Our goal was to instill in the girls the work ethic and tactical soccer knowledge for them to be successful in future years at French American and International,” said Coach Ian Noh.

Tennis Women’s tennis saw increased interest and participation last year, with enough members to add a JV team. The JV team earned a 1st place finish at the Jamboree tournament during this inaugural season. The future is bright as we only had one graduating senior on the roster.

The men’s Varsity team won the Team of the Year award for our school. Led by Julian Elias, Class of 2017, the team made it to the second round of the NCS playoffs, losing to the champions. They earned second place in the league.

Volleyball The women’s Varsity volleyball team made it to the second round of the NCS league playoffs, losing to perennial powerhouse Branson. Michelle Gajdka ‘16 was named BCL West Volleyball Player of the Year and earned a full athletic scholarship to Santa Clara University. Our JV volleyball team showed incredible improvement from last year, earning eight more wins than last season.

In middle school, increased participation numbers meant we could field Varsity, JV, 5th and 6th grade teams. It was the first time in school history that all three competitive level teams (Varsity, JV, and 6th grade) advanced to the BAIAL playoffs. We had a very young boy’s Varsity team with a dedicated group of 5th-7th graders playing against predominantly 8th grade Varsity teams. They competed with heart, determination, and grit to earn the respect of all opponents.

Cross-Country Three female and three male Varsity runners qualified for the NCS Meet of Champions in November 2015. Head Coach Karin Hansen was impressed by the team’s perseverance and steady improvement.

In middle school, a large team of 5th-8th graders was led

by Rowan Davis ‘20 and Maya Lacamp ’21, who both secured multiple 1st place finishes over the course of the season.

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 83

Sailing This newly created club team will follow and oblige all California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association (PCISA) rules and regulations. The team earned a 1st place finish at the Regional Regatta at the Peninsula Yacht Club and two individual sailors—Genna Corlett and Alex Boccon-Gibod, Class of 2017—competed in the Honolulu Regatta in November.

Basketball The girl’s Varsity Basketball team qualified for the NCS playoffs last year with a 14-11 record. It was a noble effort, having defeated St. Vincent de Paul in the first round, but ultimately losing to St. Joseph Notre Dame, who went on to win the NCS tournament. For the first time in four years, men’s Varsity basketball earned their first league win, and the newly-created JV team earned eight more wins than the 2014-15 season and only recorded one loss.

Basketball is our largest program in the middle school, with five girls and five boys teams consisting of 5th, 6th, and 7th graders, plus a JV and Varsity team at both the

84 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

boys and girls levels. The 6th grade boys advanced to the semi-finals of the BAIAL championship games, and the girls 5th- and 6th-grade teams recorded impressive victories over the course of the season.

Badminton Beginning the 2015-16 season without enough players to field a proper girl’s team, our coaches recruited within our student pool and we were able to finish the season strong, earning a 2nd place finish in the playoff tournament. In addition, eleven players qualified for the NCS playoffs, which is a really great showing!

Baseball The Varsity baseball team earned their first league win in four years. The team is strengthened by a large roster and strong interest (perhaps associated with the excitement around the Giants’ success) by seniors and freshmen alike. The middle school program, in its second year, also showed great growth and improvement; the 7th and 8th grade boy’s team won the first San Francisco Youth Baseball League (SFYBL) championship in school history.

We are looking ahead to a few solid successful years of Jaguar Baseball!

Swimming Coach Braegen Carroll joined Jaguar Athletics for the 2015-2016 season and led this supportive group of students to many personal records and improvements.

Students shared, “The swim team showed an amazing amount of sportsmanship and teamwork despite it being mainly an individual sport. I think everyone improved in their own way and enjoyed the season. And, Braegan was great.”

Track and Field The track and field team at International continues to grow. Five student-athletes earned a spot at the NCS Meet of Champions, and Emmanuel Nwabueze ‘17 finished 1st in the 100m event at the league meet.

Alumni News

Jaguar Athletics hosted their 5th annual alumni game in December, with over 30 alumni stopping by the Jag Den to show off their hoop skills.

Shayna Mehta ‘15 (pictured at right) earned Ivy League

Rookie of the Year for her impressive basketball debut at Brown University.

Ben Rainero ‘11 continues to lead the cross-country team at

Cornell University.

Natalie Kelly ’14 continues to succeed as a multi-sport

student-athlete at Lewis and Clark College. Natalie plays tennis and basketball.

Emilia Omerberg ’13 continues defending the soccer goal at

Oberlin College.

Christopher Ebersole ‘06

is enjoying a successful career with the NBA, helping to expand the brand internationally.

Lillian Jahan ‘10 completed

her first year of professional basketball, playing for Les Squales in La Rochelle, France. Her team won the championship.

Alex Seutin ‘14 recently

made his debut for the Stanford Cardinal as a sophomore walk-on.

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 85

alumni profiles

Melina Dunham Class of 2013

M

elina Dunham‘s international education didn’t end when she graduated from International High School in 2013. Opting to defer her college enrollment, she spent a year traveling from experience to experience—studying German in Berlin in the fall; interning at the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley; tutoring French American and International students; and attending an art school on the Greek island of Paros before moving to New York to study at Barnard.

During the spring of 2016, Melina was one of six students selected as a fellow for Barnard’s 8th annual Global Symposium. Launched in 2009, the Symposia Series aims to create spaces where young women and women leaders from around the world can meet, network, and engage in dialogue around global women’s issues. This year’s symposium was held in Paris, and Melina believes her French American background gave her an advantage.

As a Student Fellow, Melina worked to develop and run a leadership workshop for high school students both at home in New York and in Paris.

Upon learning that she would be working with French students, Melina recommended two Parisian high schools to Symposium organizers.

“Having been a correspondent at French American and International High School, I was familiar with the lycées and knew which ones would be good to work with. Not only did those high schools end up at the workshop, but it turned out that one of the girls who attended my workshop had also been a correspondent at French American, a few years after me!” she said. “It was the best coincidence.”

After a summer internship and a trip to Tunisia, where she hosted a conference on "Student Activism in a Budding Democracy" with a program run by Columbia University, Melina is back at Barnard this fall to complete her political science degree. Conditional acceptance to a master’s program at Sciénces Po means she has options when it comes to pursuing her goals and working to empower women worldwide.

86 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

Jason Nossiter Class of 2002

J

ason Nossiter ‘02 still remembers preparing texts for his first French Bac exam—l'orale de français—when he was a junior at International High School. "Coming in on a Saturday to practice five texts and knowing that my friends at other schools were all going to the Giants game, or going to chill in the park, while my group of weirdo Frenchies was poring over Victor Hugo's speech against the death penalty so we could be evaluated in a ten-minute fire drill by someone we'd never met before: that was a moment of realization for me that what I was doing was entirely different."

A lifer, Jason credits his capacity for open-minded discussion and critical thinking to the rigorous curriculum and “politically engaged” teachers he encountered at French American and International. After completing Le Bac, Jason headed to UC Santa Barbara for his undergraduate studies, where his pursuit of a political science degree included a year spent at Sciénces Po. During his

time in France, he witnessed firsthand the political climate surrounding the 2005 referendum on the European constitutional treaty—an experience that culminated in an honors thesis about the vote and its consequences.

Now, as a Vice President at Bernstein Global Wealth Management, Jason says that his internationally focused education prepared him to understand the ways global events can affect markets. “If you had asked me at a younger age—or if you had asked my math teachers at French American—what I’d be doing now, I doubt I would have thought of this!” he says. "But for me, going into markets, it’s all about cause and effect relationships.

Being educated there makes it second-nature to have an opinion, and to understand what the issues and consequences of these events are. We really do become global citizens: you take the stuff personally, because it has context."

Most recently, Jason enjoyed a new global travel experience on his honeymoon, which he and his wife spent in Mauritius.

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 87

A THOUSAND REASONS TO GIVE 88 | LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016

special insert

FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

COMMUNIQUÉ ANNUAL REPORT 2015-2016

FIRST... AND FOREMOST

A THOUSAND REASONS TO GIVE

THE COMMUNIQUÉ IS PUBLISHED BY THE OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL | INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

LYCÉE INTERNATIONAL FRANCO-AMÉRICAIN

2

state of the school

TREASURER’S LETTER

T

TO FRENCH AMERICAN AND INTERNATIONAL DONORS he 2015-2016 year was, by all measures, an extremely successful year for our school community. Under the superb leadership of Melinda and her team, we were able to accomplish the acquisition of 84 Page Street in an extremely competitive real estate market. Along with the purchase of 98 Franklin Street and 159 Fell Street, this opens a world of possibilities for enriching our students’ experience, which will be key to our school-wide strategic planning in the coming year. Continued strong enrollment, successful community fundraising events, and our most successful annual fund ever have enabled us to act quickly and take advantage of these unique opportunities and to rebuild our cash reserves. With an ever competitive landscape for schools in our city, it is imperative that we plan for the future and be able to offer our students a state-of-the-art learning experience, which families are seeking.

With our partner, the National Center for International Schools (NCIS), we were able to successfully refinance our bank debt on 150 Oak Street, leading to considerable

annual interest savings for the school. In addition, we were able to repatriate significant reserve funds from NCIS, which was a bank requirement in connection with the original financing of the purchase of 150 Oak Street.

We have seen another year of impressive college admissions, which further shows the quality of the education received at the French American International School and International High School. Our bilingual and international curriculum has proven to be sought after by the world’s top universities and colleges in an ever competitive college admissions landscape. Our faculty is, of course, primarily responsible for the success of our students and they are directly reflected in our college admissions results. We cannot thank them enough for the fantastic job they do and their dedication to our students.

Your support and generosity this year as a parent community is astounding and has directly affected the positive direction in which we are going. Because of your time and your generosity, we are building a school of which we can be very proud. I hope that you share my enthusiasm and I look forward to an even more exciting and successful school year in 2016-2017.

STÉPHANE DE BORD Treasurer, Board of Trustees

FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016 2 | FRENCH AMERICAN FRENCH INTERNATIONAL AMERICAN COMMUNIQUÉ INTERNATIONAL 2013-2014 COMMUNIQUÉ 2013-2014

3

TOTAL REVENUE BY SOURCE 2015-2016 Endowment and Other Releases: 1% Academic Income: 5%

Administrative Income (Interest, Rent): 1%

(After School, Exams, Trips)

Advancement Income: 5%

Tuition (Net of Aid and Discounts) 88%

OPERATING EXPENSES 2015-2016 Depreciation: 4%

Contingency/Reserve: 3%

Facilities: 11%

(Security, Maintenance, Utilities, Janitorial)

Bond Debt Service: 4% Admin/Operations Expense: 5%

(Insurance, Technology, Publications, Advancement)

Administrative: 11% (Salaries, Taxes, Benefits)

Program

(Salaries, Taxes, Benefits)

51%

Program Expenses: 11%

(Trips, Books, Athletics, Professional Development)

* Data reflects the budget numbers for 2015-2016

COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016 FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

4

ANNUAL GIVING REVENUE BY SOURCE 2015-2016 $1,602,402

Special Events $530,535

Parents $685,318

Board of Trustees $126,325

Foundations and Grants $90,751 Matching Gifts/Corporate/Retail Rebate $86,958

Alumni Families $43,537

Grandparents $33,685

Friends $5,293

PARENT PARTICIPATION BY GRADE 2015-2016 TOTAL PARTICIPATION 76% 100%

89% 87% 85% 82% 85% 80% 77% 75% 73%

65%

72% 70%

66% 54%

PK3 PK K

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 9 10 11 12

FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016

5

PARTICIPATION Our Pre-K 3 reached 100% parent participation! We are proud to announce the six classes that reached 100% parent participation! Thank you to the families of our 100% classes: Pre-K 3 Tangerine, Pre-K 3 Turquoise, 1st Grade Green, 2nd Grade Yellow, 4th Grade Red, 7th Grade Blue.

High levels of participation help us raise important operating revenue and successfully apply for funding from outside institutions.

Pre-K Tangerine: 100% Participation

1st Grade Green: 100% Participation

COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016 FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

6 THE COMMUNIQUÉ is produced to inform the French American and International community about philanthropic activities and school accomplishments. This edition of the Communiqué includes donor lists for the last full fiscal year (July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016).

donor list school operations

ANNUAL FUND

AMBASSADORS A special thank you to our dedicated 2015-2016 Annual Fund volunteers who supported our efforts as class representatives, phonathon volunteers, and all-around advocates for our dynamic program.

Monique Andrada Paul Banas Jennifer Bauer Heidi Bjornson-Pennell Robert Bottome Kerry Bourdon Malcom Clark Cindy Clementz Terry Henry Frances Hochschild Kathleen Jordan Meltem Kamber Andrea Kennedy Kenn LeGault Laura Meyer Matt Ogburn Pernille Pradel Oland Yvonne Prospato Alexandra Quinn Liz Rody Suzanne Shade Sabra Stoner Dionne Woods

Great care has been taken in preparing this report to make it as accurate as possible. The Advancement Office apologizes for any errors or omissions. If you should note an inaccuracy, please notify us at 415-558-2021 so that we may correct our records.

French American International School is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization.

2015-2016 ANNUAL FUND GIFTS RECEIVED JULY 1, 2015 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2016 The Annual Fund is French American and International’s single largest fundraising initiative, supported by donors from every constituency. We are extraordinarily grateful to our current families for their generosity and commitment to the Annual Fund and to the many alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, faculty, and staff who believe in the impact their contributions have on our school. The Annual Fund supports many aspects of the school but, at its heart, it allows us to continually invest in our programs, teachers and, most importantly, our students.

THANK YOU!

FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016

7

CERCLE DU PROVISEUR

PRINCIPAL $5,000–$9,999

All donors of $1,500 or more are members of the Cercle du Proviseur giving society. Thank you for your leadership and ongoing generosity.

PROVISEUR

$20,000 or more Anonymous (2) The Baker Street Foundation The Tom Merit Hancock Family Fund Sean and Melissa McAvoy Google Inc. Michael and Xochi Birch

PROVISEUR ADJOINT $15,000–$19,999

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant Jeff and Suzette Clarke Stephan Forget and Florence Solal Andrea and David Kennedy

MINISTRE

$10,000-$14,999 Anonymous (1) Asim Bhansali and Brittny Bottorff Chris Bonomo and Jen Nurse Tom and Caitlin Brown Philippe Courtot and Freya Anne Eduarte

Dolby Laboratories Conrad and Sandra Donner Kevin Franklin and Keehae Park Genentech Jeremy and Kate Green Julia Rowe and Ronald Kahn Soren and Caroline Krogh-Jensen Asriel and Carmela Levin David Low and Dominique Lahaussois Rachel and Ananth Madhavan Christopher Perry and Amy Swanson-Perry Salesforce.com Karen Schmid Dan Schryer M. Bradley Smith and Michele Trufelli Stanley & Arna Smith Foundation Harry Turner and Brian Keil Carl and Robin Washington Wells Fargo Bank Carey and Noah Wintroub Alasdair Cathcart and Zhenya Yoder

Anonymous (3) Adobe Systems Inc. Jennifer Goldberg Annunziata ‘87 and Jim Annunziata Apple, Inc. JP and Ann Balajadia BlackRock Peter and Jessica Bradshaw Gary and Clydene Bultman Alison and Marc Chaput Alexandre and Marianne Dayon Stephane de Bord Andrew and Pascale Eland Peter and Laura Fenton Ronald and Beverly Garrity Kayvaan Ghassemieh and Shannon Wolfe Dominic Hamon and Mirta Salabasis Robert Hayes and Fiona ParkerGivens Ked and Cecilia Hogan Thomas Huot and Stacy Feld Kenn and Anya LeGault Joshua Margulies Brian Ferrall and Laurie Poston Dezz and Traci Ropp Ray Ryan and Jennifer Braun David Samra and Erica Pearson Samra

David and Svetlana Silverman Nicolas Tsingos and Agata Opalach Michael Li-Ming and Wendy Wong Carl Yestrau and Julianne Casper YouTube, LLC

AMBASSADEUR $2,500–$4,999

Anonymous (2) Robert and Sharon Bottome Michael Burbank and Cindy Roberts John Cate and Jeanne Myerson Atri and Anshu Chatterjee Scott Clasen and Janette Wipper Jonathan Craig and Patty Nozato Judy Craig Luca de Alfaro and Françoise Beaufays Laurent and Roxane Divol Laurence and Hakim Erhili Marc Escobosa ‘91 and Meg Escobosa Michael Finney and Gypsy Achong Mark and Christine Fisher Karin Flood Vince Foecke and Linda Hinton Christopher and Andrea Galvin David Goodstein and Olga Perkovic

CAPITAL GIFTS

Received July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016

cercle du proviseur The school relies on the leadership and generosity of those who are able to contribute as part of the Cercle du Proviseur.

FY 15-16 saw a record number of donors – thank you!

201

gifts at the Cercle du Proviseur levels THANK YOU!

Thanks to the incredible generosity and leadership of our families and friends, our school now includes a brand new Maternelle and redesign of 150 Oak, which includes a Makers Lab, Lower School Science Lab, Tinker Space, Art Room, and Community Room. With deep gratitude to the following who supported our Building the Future capital campaign.

Anonymous Christopher and Kerryann Bourdon Judith Glickman Jeremy and Kate Green Ked and Cecilia Hogan Julia Rowe and Ronald Kahn Paul Loeffler and Michael Sullivan Carey and Noah Wintroub Michael Li-Ming and Wendy Wong Frederika and Bob Zipp

COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016 FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

8

Gilbert and Caroline Goodwill Philippe and Heather Grenier Sara and Matthew Jennison Rajneesh and Gauri Khokha Ashutosh and Tiffany Kulkarni David Kvaratskhelia and Christina Giguere Chris Lambert and Nancy Chung Michael Leeds and Rebecca Yee Peter and Meike Maag Paul Machle and Dr. Kathleen Jordan Patrice Maheo and Ping Xie Ed Marcum and Deeksha Prakash McKesson Corporation Wen and Susan Miao Yasuo and Judith Nozato Matthew and Brenda Ogburn Kinkead Reiling and Erin O’Donnell Reiling Ian Rosenfield and Susanne Caballero Leigh Sata and Wendy Chin

Laurent and Ann Sellier Symantec The San Francisco Foundation John Verbestel and Kyle Matthews Tom Willis and Angie Gorr Alfred Yan and Gallia Levy Sandy Zweifach and Nina Kjellson

CONSUL

$1,500–$2,499 Anonymous (6) Michel Armand and David Blumberg Khaldoun and Amy Baghdadi Paul Banas and L. Jasmine Kim Alex and Jennifer Bauer Mary Beattie Melinda Bihn and William Wallace Alain Bourgade and Eileen BlumBourgade Christopher and Kerryann Bourdon

Kimberly Branagh Joseph Bravo and Rika Ueda Jenny Tseng and Nicholas Brown Jack Brown and Daikha Dridi Erik Bruce and Patty Dtura Bruce Guy Burdick and Nicole Ryan Kimiko Burton ‘82 Richard Calle and Rebecca Speer Ling and Jenny Chang Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Min Chen and Jing Zhou Cisco Systems, Inc. Orpheus Crutchfield Frank and Elena Dal Santo Laurent and Adriana de Bord Christiane de Bord Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation Marc and Ella Diouane Gilles and Natalie Drieu Peter and Sonia Dwares Matthew and Danelle Ebbel Jeff Fadiman and Katerina Hollblad-Fadiman Tim Fay and Cappie Alverson-Fay Harold Matthew and Dorothée Fisher Gino Fortunato and Laura Meyer Roel Funke and Jacqueline McLaughlin Greg and Carole Galanos Judith Glickman Philippe Golle and Sanae Nakagawa Ramzi and Maria Haidamus Eric Halpern and Gina Bartlett Steven Hirsch and Paik-Swan Low Thomas Horn A.T. and Sherri Howe Christopher Jaeger and Heidi Werbel Robert Jameson and Suzanne Shade Amy and Sommer Johnson Corrina Jones Diane Jones Lowrey and Paul Lowrey Alpar and Meltem Kamber Leslie Kardos ‘82 and Miguel Barron Gary and Emily Ketchen Tony and Rita Kim Mason Kirby and Amanda KahnKirby Roberto and Sarah Lartigue Bruno Larvol and Wan Chi Gene Lau and Arlene Cosca Edward Lee and Rhonda Righter Aaron Levine and Patricia Ryan

FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016

Tom and Stephanie Lima Paul Loeffler and Michael Sullivan The Lopez-Figueroa Family Kathleen and Dexter Lowry Kenneth and Bente Lynard Matthew Maier and Bridget Finn Charles and Jeanette McCoy Stephen McGrath and Marina Landau Theodore and Kirsten Miclau Jihad Mirza and Kathleen McNamara Owen and Melissa Muehlfeld Amir Najmi and Linda Woo Josh Nossiter Kevin O’Connor Damon O’Donnell and Virginia Halsey Gerald Okimoto and Minette Kwok Mario Pacini and Barbara Martino Kambiz and Micheline Pasha Michail Petropoulos and Mirjana Andjelkovic John and Dawn Pickering Max Poletto and Kara O’Keefe Andrew Posselt and Faye Jamali Alexandra Quinn ‘87 and Mark Spolyar Amir and Kristina Razmara James Reed ‘95 and Rossemary Reed Larry and Jane Reed Lily Remoundos Antal and Cheryl Runneboom Gerard and Judith Schenkkan Robert Schlatter and Janine Oliveira David and Debra Shapiro Young Shin and Eloisa Tejero David and Bonnie Smolins Richard Stanton Michael Steiner and Audrey Yee Steve Stone and Bridget BaskettStone Sabra Stoner and Ken Maikish Victoria Sung John Surnow and Elizabeth Moy Edward Szylko and Michelle Hansen Paul Tam and Rhonda Kwok The Thendara Foundation Jacqueline Van Lang and Dan Sivolella Norman and Jennifer Villarina Angie Wang Nathaniel Wyatt and Sarah Sweedler Kevin and Catriona Yale

9 CONSEILLER

ATTACHÉ

Anonymous (6) Julio Avalos and Sonali Maitra Kevin and Tracy Baldwin Jared and Claire Bobrow James Curran and Jacqueline Lytle Brian Davis and Casey Kimball Sebastien and Auriane de Halleux Dmitry Dolinsky and Inna Dolinsky Michael Donner Cecily Dumas and Sarah Moulding Richard and Jennifer Emerson Shelly Erceg and Patricia Jacobsen Mehran Farimani and Mitra Rezvan Michael Fisher and Mary Lin-Hua Wu Felix Hack and Ann Lucchesi Dino and Aida Hadzibegovic David Hearth and Lauren Hall Dennis and Sabrina Higgs Gina Hill Peter Joshua Alan and Linda Kahn Felix Litman and Sunhee Son Russell Long Anthony and Mona Luke Jane Mac Elree Matthew McLeod and Adeline McLeod David and Christine McSpadden Mentor Graphics Paul and Nia Miller Lou Mohanty and Elizabeth Sousa Julien Moreau and Nellie Moreau Denis Pavlov and Natalia Aleeva Bruno and Karine Pradal Martin and Maria Quinn Philippe Sanchez and Sarah Van Dyck Edward and Virginia Sayre Kenneth and Tina Schneider Lori Schryer Craig and Christina Stephen Stephen Street and Natalie Marine-Street Alex and Danielle Toussaint Stephen Viess and Meghan Biesiadecki Visa Adam Wilson and Quyen Nguyen Paul Wolters and Amy Sehnert Scott Lauze and Mark Yesayian Zephyr Real Estate

Anonymous (20) Hani Abdelazim and May Allam Magnus Almquist and Elda Checa Christine Arena Hank Bannister and Kyoko Watanabe Louis-Martin and Colette Bedard Jonathan Belk and Kimberly Schmitt Cassandra Benjamin Andrew and Mara Brown Jeff Carpenter and Joan Wernett Stephane and Maryanne Chauvel Michael and Jamie Chen Matt and Cindy Clementz Lisa Cohen Barry and Peggy Corlett Yan Cui and Yue Zhi Tyson Daugherty and Vanessa Critchell Marc and Terri David Matthew Davis and Karla Ellis-Davis Denis Descause and Romana Ricci Wendy DeWald Reza and Firouzeh Dibadj Amanda Dorian Michael Drumm Laurent and Mary Jane Dubois Timothy Dufka and Marie-Pierre Carlotti Andrew Dunbar and Zoee Astrachan Max Durney and Cathryn Barrett Mary and Lawrence Ebringer Daniel and Chris Edmonds-Waters Johan Euphrosine and Yoko Shamoto Robert Evans and Robin Wong Evans Expedia/Hotwire Inc. Vincent Fanguinoveny and Michelle Edkins Ariel Fischer and Stephanie Rossi Phillip Fong and Diana You James and Christen Friedman Gap, Inc. Pierre and Clarice Gaubil Xavier Gury and Agathe Evrard Bob and Elissa Hambrecht Justin and Amy Hess Stephen and Elizabeth Howe Mansour and Wendi Karam Michael Kasolas and Stella Pantazis John and Juliet Kelley Thomas and Lynn Kiley Hakan Kiliccote and Muruvvet Celikbas Lance King and Alisa Mosler

$1,000–$1,499

$500–$999

John Knightly and Floriana Spezza Josh and Dana Kriesel Jean-Marc Landau and Jennifer Landau Jack Leidlein and Michelle Steigerwald Ralph and Diana Lobdell Frederick Luhmann and Theresa Henry David and Patricia Lynn John and Tippi Mackenzie Eric Mao and Florence Kong Mao John and Kathryn Marple The Mathais Lloyd Spiegel Foundation Michael and Sachita McCarthy Jamie and Cassandra McGoldrick Nicholas Mercer and Barbara Antonucci Michael Kasolas & Company Jolyon Miller and Mehri Brown Jeff Moray and Susan Chambers Ignazio and Heather Moresco Laura Norrell and Lora Hirschberg Jon and Leslie Norris Joy Nwabueze Christine Motley and Neil O’Donnell Jeannette Ogburn Oracle Corporation Alexei Oreskovic and Jessica Branson Adama Ouedrago and Coumba Diouf Andrew Pennell and Heidi Bjornson-Pennell Luigi and Yvonne Prospato Red Hat Zachary Van Doren and Florence Richard Robert Rieders Jean-Sebastien Riehl and Maria Chiam Josh Rosenfeld and Stephanie Parr Andrew and Jill Salzman

Jenny Sandelson and Jiri Weiss Cristian Santesteban Eric Save de Beaureceuil and Nichol Garzon-Mitchell Geoffrey and Christina Sawyer Jay Seiden and Dionne Woods Ahmed Shalabi and Mai Badr Neil and Gina Smith Paul Spiegel Hadi Taheri and Parissa Sayar Tony Tam and Katherine Toy Seth Teich and Diana Teich Patrice and Theresa Tollenaere Jeff Topor and Michelle Kuppich Tommasso and Dorte Trionfi Richard and Cynthia Ulffers Santosh and Sheeba Varghese Zeev Vax and Marcia Bana Tonetto Roque and Karine Versace Malcolm Warne and Christy Farber Michael Watts and Mary Beth Pudup Misha Weidman and Nina Taft Seth Weissman and Margaret Robbins Suzanne Kane and Buck Whitaker Michael Wong and Kathleen Jiang Albert Yu and Suzy Leung Debbie Zachareas Jim and Sheela Zemlin

PARTICIPANT $1–$499

Anonymous (82) Leslie Adams and Anne Ludwig Mauricio and Charles Albrizzio Christian Aldecoa and Elizabeth Jacobson Elchan Aliev and Rena Abdinova April McCrae Al-Shamma Jean ‘89 and Carmel Jean Fred Altshuler and Julia Cheever Karen Andrews Tito and Erica Arana

COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016 FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

10 Fred and Beth Asperin Christina Astley ‘94 and Mason Astley Julien Astruc Autodesk, Inc. Yacin and Anne-Lorraine Bahi Amy R. Baker Muriel Barton Christophe Baubert and Aleyda Gonzalez-Tello Eric and René Becker Eythor and France Bender Yahya Benkhelouf and Nacera Siamer Matthew Bens Gary Beuschel and John Kruse Valérie Bianquis Charles and Regina Biederman Vincent and Sophie Birling Kassaye Bogale and Hanna Alemayehu Youcef and Megan Bouhamama Olivia Bova Roy Brakeman Brian Brantner and Matthew Fuller Clark and Linda Brink Thomas Brisebras and Jacqueline Ortega David Brownstein and Grace Shohet Ellen Burdge Michele Burton David Caldwell and Chloe Soroquere Marta Camer Marcella White Campbell ‘95 and Greg Campbell Kevin and Clarissa Canady Gina Cargas Paul Cartier and Teresa Palmer Val Casilang and Digna Reyes Dickson and Chitra Chan Patrick and Dorothee Chanezon Colombe Chappey Hong Chen Michelle Chernock Konstantina Chilingirova Robert and Elizabeth Cleary Elizabeth Cleere Joel and Marion Cohen Martine Sheppard and Andrew Cohen Serge Colombeau and Nancy Buxton-Colombeau Mary Connick Laurie Cotulla Richard and Yayoi Coughlin Nathan and Delphine Cozzolino Sean Cullen and Juliette Robbins

John Dallas and Annie Longsworth Jacquelyn Dara Michael Dart and Janine Darwin Andre de Castilho and Kristine Clark-de Castilho Guillaume Decalf and Haleh Partovi Joseph Deery and Keysha Bailey Adrien Delecluse and Carole Gridley John Diamante Steve and Ruth Dickstein Clare Dougan Ryan Drake-Lee ‘00 Ted DuBois Herbert and Sarah Dunmeyer Tom and Margaret Dunn Bob and Connie Eby Graham Edwards Steven Engelbrecht and Anna Hana Avittal Xavier and Jelena Erhart Gail Erivin-Caudle Philippe and Victoria Erville Paul and Laura Escobosa Raymond and Sadia Faber Houman and Shala Fardin Kitty Fassett Blaine and Maria Feinstein Ramon Felciano ‘85 and Emma Carlson Norman Ferrer and Katherine James David Fierberg and Deborah Baron William and Mary Filener Mike and Marika Fishman Nicolas Fiszman and Christina Hellmich Paul Fogel and Yvette Chalom Eric and Ellamarie Fortenbach Robert Foster Alexander Fowler and Megan McVay Greg and Jan Fowler Jill Foxe Jeff Francois Jeremy and Tracinda Frank Bernard Friedlander Julia Friedlander Bruce and Michele Fuller Kimberly Gallegos Barry and Laura Galvin Roger and Irma Garcia Lisette Garcia-Kohler and Jim Kohler Claire Garwood Cigdem Gencer Frank Gendre and Hokulani Gearheard-Gendre

Michael Gerrity and Katherine Patty-Gerrity Gilead Science, Inc Goldman, Sachs & Co. Lois Goodwill Richard Gregory and Cecilia Borgenstam Hugh and Alisa Groocock Hervé and Hélène Gross José Abraham Gutiérrez-Gómez and Cristina Correa Rick Gydesen Robert and Annette Hagopian Sharon Halpern J. David and Elena Hamner Michelle Haner and Steve Haskell Mr. David Haner Matthew and Noemie Hansen Bob and Benna Harris Christian and Sari Haudenschild George Hauser and Jutta Reichert Peter Heinecke and Kathryn Bowsher William and Theresa Henry Mark and Karen Hensley Monica Hernandez Hewlett-Packard Company James Hill and Abigail Wainwright Richard and Laurence Hills Frances Hochschild ‘80 Devin Holmes Jeff and Karen Horn Fiona Hovenden David and Cheryl Howell Bernard Huger and Elizabeth Huger Satnam and Bakhsho Hundel Thomas Hunt and Linda Candelaria Intel Corporation Stewart and Noreen Irving Joseph and Patricia Jacques Lucien Jamey and Tanya Aly Matthieu and Stacy Jeanson Glenn and Liz Johnson Marta Johnson André Jones and Elisabeth Soeurs Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Nathalie Kakone and Laurie Blavin Thor and Lecia Kaslofsky John Kay and Gail Kay Mariska Keasberry Fred and Adina Keller Patrick and Djenaba Kelly Georgios Kiurtsidis and Katarina Bakerova Bart and Ana Klerkx Daniel Klingebiel ‘89 and Yoko Klingebiel

FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016

Walter and Murni Knoepfel Gordon Knox and Cecilia Galiena Manu and Erica Kodiyan Howard Koenig and Elizabeth Rody Koenig Steven and Kimberly Koury Igor Kouznetsov and Elena Popova KPMG Cheryl Labrecque Steve and Wendy Landreville Ettore Leale and Juliette Hayes John and Rebecca Lee Laurance Lee and Sofia Touami Florence Lestrade-Vieira Ruth Levine Christopher Lewis and Angela Shiu Holden Lim and Kris Endoh Charles Link and Vicki Cocchiarella-Link Franklin and Jennifer Loffer Toby Ludmer Christopher and Liesl Ludwig Tom Lufkin and Elaine Lufkin Niris Lui and Scott Paton Jeremy and Chloe Lukins Karim and Kathryn Machi Netta Maclean and Donald Maclean Patrick Maguire and Elizabeth O’Boyle Maguire Phillip and Mona Malik Jim Manning Thomas Marigne Carri and Adam Martino-Jacobs Michael Martins and Sabrina Sayre Farshad Mashayekhi and Nazanin Hakim Michael McCormick and Leilani Battiste-McCormick Jesse and Erika McMillin Jacob and Stephanie McNeill Heather McWhinney and Christian Levert Brian and Susan Melville Adam and Julie Menter Arnaud Merceron Paul Merlyn and Sloan Norman David Mes and Emmanuelle Lambert Evan Metcalf Gabriel Metcalf and Elizabeth Sullivan Stephen Miller James Milner and Rita BentonMilner Ada Morales Chris Morales Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Mahmoud and Farima Motavaf

11 Marcelo Mourier and Michele Floyd Robert Movradinov John and Anne Mullen Mark Mullen Robert and Paige Mullin Marilyn Myerson JPN Dushyanth Nataraj and Prathima Vadiraja Stephanie Nehring and Michel Tassetto Paul and Jennifer Nock Diane Novo Doug Nugent and Becky Mortimer David and Sheila O’Connor Eric Oillarburu ‘88 and Aimee Oillarburu Juan Ortellado and Mireille Gaonac’h Victor Ortiz de Montellano and Melissa Rodgers Sondra Osorio Christopher Otto and Susan Celia Swan Girish Pancha and Fiona McGrath-Pancha Justin Parr and Ayako Akazawa Mike and Nita Patel Daniel Paz and Ilana Loewenstein Camille Pennix Roselyne Perron

Anne-Marie and Robert Pierce Olga Potapova Juliette Powell Qualcomm Stefan and Michelle Raczek Marc and Elodie Rambert Regina Ranoa-Bertrand Sanjeev Rao and Swati Jayadevan Edward and Colette Retournard Stéphane Richard and Noëlle Plat Sheila Riley Mark Rogers and Carol Salvagione Andrew Rose and Miriam Green Inna Rostker Nancy Rutherford Denise Ryan Nicolas Saint-Arnaud and Sarah Sussman Albert Salopek and Suha Jhaveri Juan Sanchez and Cecily Chudacoff Jeff and Larissa Sand Sand Studios Sherwood and Ciela Sarté Jennifer Sawyer Garland Sanford and Tobey Schreiber Carsten and Elisabeth Schroeder Laurent Scotto Di Uccio and Alice Jolimaitre Somasunder Sekaran and Anne Davies Dmitry and Laura Shapiro Robert Sharp

Mitch Shaw and Kim Pabilonia Juliet Shin Young Hee Shin Bethany Silvestri Christopher Simi ‘03 Lawrence Simi and Janet Rogers Mark Singer Mary Singer Bradley Siu and Kristie Wong-Siu John and Cheryl Smith Jonathan and Amy Smith Kevin and Tina Smith Steven and Alison Snyder Vanina Solans and Jean-Luc Solans Sony Computer Entertainment Christian and Diane Spirandelli Ellen Stern Martha and Richard Stookey Nathaniel Stookey ‘88 and Jodi Dunmeyer Stookey ‘88 Lauren Stoxen Noel and Hilary Sy-Quia Jose and Eden Tejero Andrei Terebilo and Nina Bubnova Tyson Thomas ‘88 David Tobiano and Kathryn Shantz Vicenta Touami Leon and Karen Traister Jessica Tripoli Xavier Tsouo ‘88 Blake and Amber Turrentine

Lisa and Fabrice Urrizalqui Ana Maria Vallarino and Dane Vahey Nico van Aelstyn and Almudena Bernabeu John Read Vanderbilt Francisco Varela Alexander Vilderman and Kimberly De Martini Tatyana Vilderman Jonathan Villa Ricardo and Viviana Villarina Edgardo and Teresa Villarosa Alexandru and Elena Vlad Silvia and Achim Voermanek Jean-Baptiste Volta and Marie Vorilhon-Volta Ibrahima and Julie Wagne Jesse Wagner and Danny Wagner Adil and Lori Wakil Gresha Wallace John and Sophie Wallace Evan Wallitt and Sarra He Ko Pen and Shu Lian Wang Mary Wang Betty Wexler Charlie and Chris Whisenand Workday Adelina Wu Amelia Wyman ‘92 Yahoo!

Souhil Zaim and Sabrina Mekhalfa

COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016 FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

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endowment and institutional

FOUNDATIONS

Received between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016

Thank you to the following foundations for their significant support of our students and our programs.

The Baker Street Foundation The San Francisco Foundation Stanley & Arna Smith Foundation The Thendara Foundation The Tom Merit Hancock Family Fund

ENDOWMENT FUNDS Received July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016

French American and International value the generous support of our parents, alumni, and friends who made gifts, pledges, and pledge payments in support of endowment and special projects during the 2015-2016 fiscal year. These gifts help build a better future for our school and our students.

ENDOWMENT FUND

David Samra and Erica Pearson Samra Wells Fargo Bank NICHOLAS SOMMERFIELD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND Gifts made in memory of Nicholas Sommerfield, 1997-2003

Brian McGuire EDYTHE LYNN WEXLER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND Gifts made in memory of Edythe Lynn Wexler

Kathy and Martin Cohn Betty Wexler

CORPORATIONS, MATCHING GIFTS, AND RETAIL REBATE We thank the many parents, parents of alumni, and friends who took advantage of their employers’ matching gift programs to increase the value of their contributions to the school. We also want to thank our community members for bringing corporate support to the school through advertising purchases and retail rebate programs.

The companies listed below contributed nearly $90,000 in the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

Adobe Systems Inc. Amazon.com Apple, Inc. Autodesk, Inc. BlackRock Capay Organic Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Cisco Systems, Inc. Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation Dolby Laboratories eScrip Expedia/Hotwire Inc. Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant Fiddlesticks Gap, Inc. Genentech Gilead Science, Inc Goldman, Sachs & Co. Google Inc. Great Lakes Scrip Center, LLC. Hewlett-Packard Company Intel Corporation Kaiser Permanente

FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016

KPMG McKesson Corporation Mentor Graphics Michael Kasolas & Company Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Oracle Corporation Qualcomm Red Hat Salesforce.com Sand Studios Schoola Sony Computer Entertainment Sports Basement, Inc. Symantec Target Visa Wells Fargo Bank Workday Yahoo!

YouTube, LLC Zephyr Real Estate

13 Soirée des Vins, November 8, 2015

special events A very special thank you to the community of volunteers who donated their time and talents to help further the mission of the school!

SOIRÉE DES VINS CO CHAIRS Ann Balajadia Marc David Debbie Zachareas EVENT UNDERWRITING Stephane and Maryanne Chauvel SPECIAL THANKS Ana Avittal Guy Burdick Elizabeth De Bord Gautier Demarcy Karri Donahue Wallitt Evan Philippe Grenier Peter Heinecke Connie Ip Lance King Igor Koutznekova Julia Latifi Lori Luddington Matt Maier Alisa Mosler Robert Mullin Sheila O’Connor Pernille Pradal Oland Elena Popova Corin Ropp Dezz Ropp Traci Ropp Sabrina Sayre Dan Sogg Julia Zharova

FOOD VENDORS 20th Century Café Acme Bread Company Andante Dairy Boccalone Delica El Porteño Hog Island Oyster Co. La Ferme Soleil Le Marais Bistro Oxbow Cheese Merchant Prather Ranch Meat Co Thompson River Ranch The Slanted Door Souvla WINES Banshee Wines Charles Neal Selections Clase Azul Copain Wine Cellars Duckhorn Wine Company Ernest Vineyards Failla Wines Fever Tree Soda Forlorn Hope Freeman Winery and Diamond Wine Imports, Greek Wines Garber & Company Grable Vineyards and Richard Berridge Heron Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant Kimberly Jones Selections L’Esprit de Champagne Luli Lyra Wine Maisons Marques and Domaine Martine’s Wines Neal Family Vineyards

Oakville Winery and Ghost Block Estate Paradigm Partida Tequila Pride Mountain Vineyards Revel Wines Portfolio Silver Oak & Twomey Sonoma County Distilling Company Southern Wines and Spirits Rosé Table St. George Spirits Rosenthal Wine Merchant The Henry Wine Group Unti Vineyards VIAS Imports Wait Cellars WineWise

DÎNER D’EPICURE CHAIRS Kimberly Branagh Suzette Clarke HOST Jeff and Suzette Clarke SPECIAL THANKS Justin Melville Shelley Lindgren & the SPQR and A16 Team

Gary and Clydene Bultman Stephane de Bord Christiane de Bord Mary Lin-Hua Wu Stephan Forget and Florence Solal Kayvaan Ghassemieh and Shannon Wolfe David Goodstein and Olga Perkovic Philippe and Heather Grenier Lauren Hall Gina Hill Michael Kasolas and Stella Pantazis Rajneesh and Gauri Khokha Bruno Larvol and Wan Chi Asriel and Carmela Levin Patricia Lurie Elizabeth O’Boyle Maguire James Milner and Rita BentonMilner Josh Nossiter Christopher Perry and Amy Swanson-Perry Kinkead Reiling and Erin O’Donnell Reiling David Samra and Erica Pearson Samra Gerard and Judith Schenkkan David and Svetlana Silverman Michael Li-Ming and Wendy Wong

PATRONS Anonymous (3) JP and Ann Balajadia Chris Bonomo and Jen Nurse Kimberly Branagh

COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016 FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

14

Dîner d’Epicure, May 7, 2016

AUCTION CHAIRS Kerry Bourdon Kate Green Lance King Lily Remoundos Sabra Stoner SPECIAL THANKS Anna Avittal Hilary Baldi Eric Becker René Becker Jennifer Berkowitz Kimberly Branagh Marta Camer Maryanne Chauvel Stephane Chauvel Gina Cargas Anne Davies Steve Engelbrecht Natalia Càrdenas Incerti Igor Kouznetsov Helen Lee Christine Lewis Tunde Martins Alisa Mosler Francine Farouz Pernille Oland Elena Popova Vijay Sekaran Jennifer Tagatz Jessica Tripoli Audrey Yee LIVE AUCTION DONORS Blum Family Foundation Jack and Lynette Branagh Gary and Clydene Bultman Kyle and Katina Connaughton & Single Thread Marie-Pierre Carlotti

Ramzi and Maria Haidamus Dennis and Sabrina Higgs Ked and Cecilia Hogan Ludivine LeMaire David Low and Dominique Lahaussois Thomas Marigne Arnaud Merceron Ludovic and Silvia Milin Lily Remoundos Mary Risley Dina Srouji and Eric Nervaiz Debbie Zachareas UNDERWRITING AND SPONSORSHIP BoConcept San Francisco | BoConcept San Jose Christiane de Bord Amanda Dorian Brian Ferrall and Laurie Poston Ray Ryan and Jennifer Braun Tup Market LLC TABLE SPONSORS JP and Ann Balajadia Robert and Sharon Bottome Jeff and Suzette Clarke Andrea and David Kennedy Paul Loeffler and Michael Sullivan Jon and Leslie Norris Lily Remoundos Carey and Noah Wintroub

PADDLE RAISE $25,000 +

Daniel and Manizeh Rimer

$10,000-$19,999

JP and Ann Balajadia Christopher and Kerryann Bourdon Andrea and David Kennedy

Annual Auction, March 19, 2016

$5,000- $9,999

Andrew and Pascale Eland Jeremy and Kate Green Xavier Gury and Agathe Evrard Ashutosh and Tiffany Kulkarni David Low and Dominique Lahaussois Kinkead Reiling and Erin O’Donnell Reiling Tom Willis and Angie Gorr

$2,500- $4,999

Alison and Marc Chaput John Cate and Jeanne Myerson

$1,000- $2,499

Anonymous Chris Bonomo and Jen Nurse Laurent and Roxane Divol Stephan Forget and Florence Solal David Hearth and Lauren Hall Ked and Cecilia Hogan A.T. and Sherri Howe Robert Jameson and Suzanne Shade Michael Leeds and Rebecca Yee Asriel and Carmela Levin Paul Loeffler and Michael Sullivan Bruno and Karine Pradal Martin and Maria Quinn Marc and Elodie Rambert Gerard and Judith Schenkkan Harry Turner and Brian Keil Carey and Noah Wintroub

$500- $999

Ramzi Abadou and Sarah Holloway Kimberly Branagh Gary and Clydene Bultman Richard and Yayoi Coughlin Laurent and Adriana de Bord Timothy Dufka and Marie-Pierre Carlotti

FRENCH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL COMMUNIQUÉ 2015-2016

Cigdem Gencer Dominic Hamon and Mirta Salabasis Bruno Larvol and Wan Chi Craig Lobdell and Jennifer Tagatz Richard and Cynthia Ulffers

Up to $499

Anonymous Leslie Adams and Anne Ludwig Khaldoun and Amy Baghdadi Eric and René Becker Melinda Bihn and William Wallace Jeff Bissell and Lee-Ann Bissell Andrew and Mara Brown Stephane and Maryanne Chauvel Susan Cheng and Alex Woo Jean-Francois Drageon and Nadine Hubert-Drageon Cecily Dumas and Sarah Moulding Douglas and Maureen Ebersole Philippe and Heather Grenier Ramzi and Maria Haidamus Amy and Sommer Johnson Igor Kouznetsov and Elena Popova Roberto and Sarah Lartigue Aaron Levine and Patricia Ryan Ignazio and Heather Moresco Robert Movradinov Josh Nossiter Alexei Oreskovic and Jessica Branson Lily Remoundos Jonathan and Amy Smith Dina Srouji and Eric Nervaiz Michael Steiner and Audrey Yee Edward Szylko and Michelle Hansen Lisa and Fabrice Urrizalqui Alexander Vilderman and Kimberly De Martini

EVERY MOMENT, EVERY DAY, EVERY STUDENT...

...BENEFITS FROM THE ANNUAL FUND To make a donation to the Annual Fund, please contact Emma Stein at 415-558-2015 or emmas@frenchamericansf.org. Or visit:

www.frenchamericansf.org/donate

LA LETTRE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 103

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