ISB Lingua Franca, Summer 2022

Lingua Franca

International School of Brooklyn The Magazine of

Summer 2022 Translation is an Art Laying the Foundation for Change: DEI Year in Review A Great Feast of Languages: Theater at ISB FEATURED INSIDE:

THE MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN SUMMER COMMUNICATIONS2022 OFFICE

Lara Vallance Alex Galante Park Slope

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Communications Associate

From 17th century Italian, the term lingua franca literally means “Frankish tongue.” Historically, it was a composite language, made up of elements of Arabic, Greek, French, Italian, and Spanish. It was used as a means of communication in Mediterranean ports, which were bustling centers for trade between people from many different countries. Today, a lingua franca is any language that two or more speakers have in common and by which they can communicate efficiently.

Director of Communications

COVER PRINTINGDESIGNILLUSTRATIONANDLAYOUTANDMAILING

Danielle Valenti, Paul Romano,

A NEW TITLE FOR THE ISB SCHOOL MAGAZINE

At International School of Brooklyn, we are proud of the spaces we have dedicated to immersion in French and Spanish, as well as our community of passionate, internationally-minded learners who flourish in those spaces. We have chosen the new title, Lingua Franca, for our school magazine because we hope that it will serve as a publication where everyone can go to find out what is happening in school and in the larger ISB Community. With Lingua Franca, we intend to deliver all ISB-related news in a common tongue, right to your doorstep!

Caroline Mardok,

International School of Brooklyn 477 Court Street Brooklyn, NY isbrooklyn.org11231

Enlight Studio

Lingua Franca

WHY LINGUA FRANCA?

PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTENTS SUMMER 2022

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Sakai Troxell recaps a year of progress and outlines her vision for the future of anti-racist work at ISB.

During Pride Month, two 4th Graders demonstrated the real change that can happen when students are empowered to speak up for what they believe in.

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Theater provides a dynamic arena in which students can express their creativity and develop their performing arts techniques, while also honing their language skills as they practice dialogues and explore a range of vocal expressions. Read about three spectacular shows that were put on in three different languages this past spring: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown in English, Le procès du loup in French, and La Ciudad de Gaturguga in Spanish.

At ISB, translation is a part of everyday life. To celebrate this unsung art form and forward-looking approach to multilingual education, the Library held a fascinating panel discussion featuring translators and publishers of translated works.

ALUMNI UPDATES

"A Great Feast of Languages" Theater at ISB

Join us in celebrating four valued community members whose careers at ISB span a decade and more. Our school certainly would not be the same without Eliot Osorio, Oscar Pau, Xavier Huc (celebrating 10 years), and Leticia Gonzalez (celebrating 15 years).

Translation

FACULTYNEWS&MILESTONESSTAFF CLASS

Letter from the Head of School

STAFF SPOTLIGHT OF

Two recent alumni returned to ISB this year for very special projects. Read about the experiences of Liad Ben-Eli ‘18 and Quentin Stallworth ‘20 retracing their old steps while blazing a path for their futures. At ISB, you can always come home again!

GRADUATION2022 ISB'S CLASSROOMBOUNDLESSEXPERIENCE LINGUA FRANCA

Laying the Foundation for Change Student TransformsAdvocacyintoAction is an Art by Regan Penaluna

Next school year, ISB will begin its partnership with the Center for Anti-Racist Education to become a CARE School. A core group of ISB School Leaders will complete their training this summer, with our teachers participating in the fall. Our work with CARE will allow us to begin becoming the antiracist school that we have always known we wanted to be. The work will be hard and long, but impactful. To better support our faculty, staff and administrators’ transition to and adaptation of the CARE tools, Sakai will be aided by two new DEI Coordinators, Emilie Catinot and ChristinaISBWellington.willalso grow its commitment to sustainability next year, starting with some new green spaces on campus. In the fall, we will be unveiling our new pergola in the courtyard and learning garden in the side yard, as well as installing a student-created habitat for pollinators that will be used to teach about our connection to nature. Sustainability at ISB has often been championed by the Green Dragons Committee, the Middle School Action for the Climate and Environment (ACE) Club, and the Staff Sustainability Committee, but we also know that this is an important issue for many members of our community. In the new school year, we hope to find ways to bring more students, families, and staff members into the fold by creating more school-wide initiatives around sustainability. Earlier this spring, as part of our Café and Conversación series, a group of parents, staff members, and I began to discuss ways that ISB can make greater strides towards sustainability, and I look forward to continuing this conversation and partnering with the Green Dragons, our students, the staff and faculty, and our entire community to take action as a school.

2 | INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

This spring, we were able to bring back a number of events that we had been missing so much for the last two years, as well as add some new ones. The Lower School overnight field trip to the Ashokan Center, eagerly anticipated by the 4th and 5th Graders, was a lot of fun, and the 8th Grade overnight trip to the East Hill Farm was a wonderful experience, especially for those who had never been to a working farm before. We brought back the Spring Benefit, a great opportunity for parents, staff, and faculty to mingle –some of us hadn’t seen each other in person for two years! We also held our first in-person alumni reunion on campus in over three years! The event was very well attended, and it was exciting to hear about our former students’ successes and learn about their future plans. The impressive 5th Grade PYP Exhibition allowed our young scholars to share their investigations inperson with the community, as did the 8th Grade with their Community Service and their Wax Museum projects. For the first time, we celebrated Pride Month and Juneteenth in style, throwing events for both that left smiles on everyone’s faces. And, of course, the Middle School students raucously celebrated getting together for the first Middle School dance since December 2019! In classes, we were able to resume the group work and projects that we missed so much in the previous year, and we were also able to mix the French and Spanish cohorts in 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade for their English classes. The theme for the year was “A Return to Normality.” It was amazing to see students have a bit of that ISB magic back, and I am so proud of our team of faculty, staff, and administrators for working together to make that happen.

Dear ISB Community,

During the summer, we will also be completing the work on our three new Annex Classrooms on Court Street. Two of the new rooms will be classrooms for the Middle School, and the third – a larger space – is being converted into a Design Studio. This new creative space will be used by 4th to 8th Grade classes to explore the connections between science and design and hone their artistic talents with hands-on, interactive tools and activities. This is just some of the exciting ‘new normal’ ahead for us at ISB – what a full year we have in store!

Still, though, I think that we need to re-envision what “normality” means. During the 8th Grade Graduation, I encouraged our newest alumni to not simply accept ‘normal.’ As journalist Ed Yong at The Atlantic said in 2021, “normal led to this.” As our school community is able to continue to move away from COVID-induced measures, I would urge you, too, to take this to heart and consider ways that the new normal can be better than the old normal. Here at ISB, we are certainly embracing a ‘new normal’ with open arms.What does ISB’s ‘new normal’ look like? We are continuing to grow our program, culture, and community by recommitting ourselves to the things that matter to us most. In an effort to provide better systems and advance the school’s work, I have decided to expand the Senior Administration Team this upcoming school year to include colleagues who, in their work at ISB, not only provide different and informed perspectives,

Finally, I would like to thank all in our ISB community who helped to make the past school year a success. Your support has helped see us to the other side of this pandemic and inspired us to envision a new, better normal for our school. I hope you will enjoy reading the stories from another exceptional school year and discovering the features about the extraordinary people – including faculty, staff, students, and alumni – who make our school so

but have also demonstrated a steadfast commitment to supporting our school’s culture and growth. I am pleased to share as of August 1, 2022 the Senior Administration will include Sakai Troxell as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Danielle Valenti as Director of Communications; Kelvin Ward as Director of Admissions, Marketing, and Enrollment; and Kristen Moreland as Director of Admissions and Enrollment. Together with Rosa Torres (Director of Lower School), Itzel Mendoza (Director of Preschool), and Katie Rogers (Interim Director of Middle School), we have a very capable team in place to help take the school to a new level.

During the 2022-2023 school year, we edged closer and closer to prepandemic “normality.” The year presented us with a good deal of challenges; we still had to deal with quarantines, remote learning, social distancing, and masks – all exacerbated by the Omicron waves. And yet, despite all of these obstacles, we concluded the year on high note, as you will see throughout the pages of our newly-designed school magazine, International School of Brooklyn’s Lingua Franca

HeadJoeBestspecial.regards,SantosofSchool

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 3

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» Our policies ensure that all members of our school community represent and advocate for diversity in all forms.

ISB Board of Trustees President Gretchen Drobnyk shares about a forthcoming revision to the mission statement, an update on the strategic plan, and changes to the Board’s membership.

Throughout the year, we have also been working to update our strategic plan. As of this year, we are moving from a five-year strategic plan to one with commitments that are reviewed and modified annually. Prior to the Winter Break, we held focus groups with faculty, staff, parents, and Middle School students to help refocus the school’s strategic framework and identify goals. The results were clear – ISB has a strong community that welcomes equity and inclusion, while encouraging students and parents to engage in difficult conversations. These focus groups also reinforced the notion that our school has cultivated a distinctive educational culture that needs to be shared beyond our community. After a year of critical thinking and discussions involving many members of our community, the Board voted to pass the following strategic goals. Specific action items for the goals listed below will be identified each year.

Promote our distinctive educational culture

» Develop curriculum, policies, and programs that actively champion equity and inclusion.

» Increase connections to the native-speaking communities that inform our curriculum and culture.

NEWS

» Share and dynamize our distinctive educational culture in the community.

» We value differences and experiences that educate our students to be advocates for an equitable and just world.

Updates from the Board of Trustees

Jennifer Downing was born in Berkeley, California and raised in Paris, France. In 2014, she moved to New York, where she is now Managing Director and Senior Counsel at BNP Paribas. In this role, she manages legal financial crime risks, investigations, and litigation. Prior to her current position, Jennifer was a litigation and criminal defense attorney in New York (Paul, Weiss) and Paris (Bredin Prat). Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to legal pro bono work. She is admitted to the bar in New York and in Paris. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Sciences Po Paris, a J.D. from Paris I Pantheon La Sorbonne, and a LL.M. from Columbia University School. Jennifer has been an ISB parent since 2021, with two sons in the rising 5th Grade class on the French track.

Actively connect with the Brooklyn community and the world

» Establish an endowment that will support the growth of ISB through enrollment and appropriate space needs.

Strategic Plan

Dr. Antonette Whitehead was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Microbiology from the University of Michigan. From a young age, she aspired to help people, and her dream of caring for people became a reality when she began her medical schooling at Wayne State University in Detroit. After graduating, Dr. Whitehead commenced her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University’s Prentice Women’s Hospital. Twelve years later, she continues to enjoy delivering patient-centered care to the people of New York City. She is a partner at Downtown Women OB-GYN practice, which is affiliated with NYU Langone Hospital.

Jennifer

Antonette

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» Develop a financial plan that allows us to improve and expand our mission-aligned objectives.

Advance financial innovation and stewardship for our future

Adding a Fourth Pillar to the School’s Mission Statement

» Build relationships with local organizations and other schools around the globe to broaden and develop advocates for a just world.

As you will read in Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Sakai Troxell’s year-in-review on page 8, she has been working in partnership with our community to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion at ISB. One item the Board of Trustees is currently focusing on is revising the school’s mission statement. While ISB has had a diversity statement for over six years, we feel it is time that the school’s diversity statement be integrated into the mission statement. The Board has involved community members in the initial planning phase by asking what three words should describe your student when they graduate from ISB, and we are using this input as a starting point for revising and updating the school’s mission statement with a fourth pillar. We are continuing to work through the summer on our updated mission statement; stay tuned for an update in the fall.

» Educate our community members and potential members of our community on the value of the IB Curriculum and benefits of language immersion, as well as how it prepares our students for a changing world.

Antonette has been an ISB parent since 2019, with a daughter in the rising 1st Grade class on the Spanish track. Whitehead

Champion equity and inclusion

Welcoming Two New Board Members Downing

We are thrilled to celebrate the appointments of Itzel Mendoza as Director of Preschool and Rosa Torres as Director of Lower School!

News 6 | INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN

ITZEL MENDOZA

Announcing New Leadership in Preschool and Lower School

Longtime faculty member Itzel Mendoza will be expanding on her leadership at ISB in the role of Director of Preschool. Itzel joined ISB in 2011 as Spanish Pre-K 3 Head Teacher. In addition to teaching in the Spanish Pre-K 3 classroom over the past 11 years, Itzel has taken on many important leadership roles in the school. In 2017, she became the Summer Pedagogical Co-Director, helping to implement the ISB teaching philosophy and adapt our pedagogy to the summer program. In 2020, she took on the role of Learning Support Coordinator, leading the Learning Support team and introducing systems that have allowed teachers to identify students who need learning support at a younger age. Most recently, Itzel served as Interim Assistant Director of Preschool in the 2021-2022 school year, helping to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Preschool.

Director of Preschool

Itzel is excited about her new role as Director of Preschool and is looking forward to continuing her career in education at ISB, where she finds “the most wonderful mix of diverse sources of knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as inclusive learning spaces that allow for continuous reflection and growth.”

After nearly two decades of shaping ISB’s Preschool into the flourishing program and community of learners that it is today, Rosa will now be building on her foundational work at ISB as Director of Lower School. In this new role, Rosa is especially looking forward to finding opportunities to further develop the bridges between the three divisions.

NEWS

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“Rosa is dedicated to the mentorship and professional development of her staff and possesses a vision and plan for the Lower School that reflects her passion for student-centered learning,” says Head of School Joe Santos. “We are very fortunate to have her as a school leader at ISB.”

Rosa Torres has been with ISB since its inception in 2005. She was part of the school’s founding teaching team and spent 13 years teaching in the Spanish Preschool classrooms, receiving a Blackboard Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2011. Rosa later served as the Preschool’s IB Coordinator, helping to develop the program and curriculum. Rosa then continued to expand her role at ISB, first as Assistant Director of Lower School and subsequently as Director of Preschool. During the 2021-2022 school year, Rosa led both divisions as the Interim Director of Preschool and Lower School.

ROSA TORRES Director of Lower School

As we move forward with a more comprehensive and integrative approach to DEI work here, that greatness will be fine-tuned and sharpened. Faculty, staff, and administrators will continue to grow their expertise and tools so that they are empowered to make more thoughtful decisions about content and conversations that will have direct impact on the student experience, thereby creating the leaders, adventurers, and advocates that will be changemakers and doers who help to affirm others, fix broken systems, and inspire those that come after them to do the same.

DEI Year in Review

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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In an increasingly complex world, educators are being tasked with providing safe, inclusive, enlightening, and equitable learning environments; ISB is no different. Unlike many of the older independent schools in New York City, ISB is still creating its legacy and, as such, is poised and positioned to learn from the mistakes of our counterparts and, in real time, correct our own with proactive systems, protocols, policies, and curricula that reflect our Mission Statement. I feel proud of and humbled by my ability to work in and serve this community. It is a magical place where so much greatness is already happening. The love, passion, and dedication here is palpable.

This year, we have tackled some significant historical –and current – truths, and yet have only scratched the surface. Our students were provided with more opportunities and resources to learn about marginalized groups and harness their voices through the IB inquiry lens. We implemented a Middle School Gender Policy and a crossdivisional Hate Speech and Symbols Policy. DEI is increasingly at the forefront of admissions and hiring practices. We are actively planning the DEI section of the ISB school website. Most recently, we committed to partnering with the Center for Anti-Racist Education (CARE) to become the antiracist school we know we can be. Throughout the school year, we have increased transparency and frequency of communications and encouraged more ISB community stakeholders to understand and appreciate their positionality in this work, and take action. Finally, collaborative relationships with Senior Administration and School Specialists, helmed by the unfettered support of our Head of School Joe Santos, continue to create better avenues for visibility and growth. This is just the beginning.

By Sakai Troxell

Laying the Foundation for Change

Earlier in the school year, the ISB Board of Trustees approved a change to our calendar so that we can observe the Juneteenth Federal holiday and close on Monday, June 20th, another firm and visible show of allyship for DEI at ISB. During the week leading up to Juneteenth, students learned about the significance of the holiday in their classrooms. In addition to school being closed, the Diversity Committee and I worked closely together to host our own Juneteenth Celebration on the actual date of Juneteenth, Sunday, June 19th. ISB families gathered in community for a few hours of music, food to celebrate this landmark occasion, and learning about the importance of Black contributions to our past and present.

A few highlights from our DEI journey this school year include:

As the cornerstone of knowledge in the schoolhouse, the relationship between ISB’s Library and DEI initiatives is an organic one. This year, DEI work benefited greatly from this relationship. The Library played a huge role in supporting faculty, students, and families by collaborating on the acquisition, promotion and thematic structures of resources that support the school’s – and, thus, the DEI – mission. The Library and DEI Office collaborated on heritage month resources and programming, selection of my readaloud books for classroom and library visits, potential visits from authors and community members that connect to DEI themes, and on creative and innovative ways to strengthen the interest of ISB stakeholders in the work year-round. I look forward to growing this relationship even more moving forward!

Prior to my arrival, cultural heritage and awareness months were not acknowledged in a cohesive way across divisions. This year, we did meaningful and detailed work during Black History, Women’s History, and Pride Months. We celebrated Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action for the first time, had guest speakers from the Brooklyn community, had an ISB Moms Career Panel, and raised our first LGBTQIA+ flag outside of the school! Moving forward, given the time and financial constraints of such programming, will recognize all months, but rotate those that receive supplemental events to ensure more equitable observance. Next school year, more comprehensive work will happen for Latinx Heritage, Disability Awareness, and Asian American and Pacific Islander Months.

The celebrations provided joy that everyone knew was needed at school again, especially in light of recent national tragedies.

Pride Party & Juneteenth Observance and Jubilee

I hope that, in the past school year, you have found there to be considerable developments that strengthen and nurture the ISB culture and community, and see the vision I have for the school reflected in those efforts. Our DEI future looks bright; I look forward and am committed to what's to come!

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This school year, for the first time, the DEI Director role became an official member of the Admissions Committee and all Major Role Hiring Committees. This is a huge milestone in ISB’s DEI journey; having a seat at the table is one of the most impactful ways to commit to the work as a school. The ability to learn more about how applications are read, which criteria are weighed more over others, and collaborate and discuss the potential makeup of grades on the Admissions Committee was both fascinating and empowering, and I believe that the DEI lens adds more depth to the process, as well as a fresh perspective. It was also great to see improvement in both our amount of applicants and newly enrolled families of color. I look forward to continuing to read applications in the future. In Hiring, this year I assisted with interviewing and decision-making in Senior Administrator and Administrator positions. DEI-centered interview questions were used in all initial interviews, and a DEI-specific section of the finalist interview days was also allotted. Having a voice in decisions about key leadership roles at ISB is pivotal for moving ISB’s DEI goals forward.

Admissions & Major Role Hiring Committee Presence

It is incredibly important to me to emphasize celebration as an act of resistance in this work, and so we chose to celebrate Pride and Juneteenth to end the school year! On June 10, 2022, I was able to organize a Pride Party for the entire school. School Nurse Kali Gerber created a Pride pamphlet that circulated during the day, and students –along with faculty, staff, and administrators – enjoyed music, games, art, face painting, cotton candy and a dunk tank (featuring several school staff, including Head of School Joe Santos). For every time a student was able to sink a staff member in the dunk tank, ISB committed to donating $5.00 to a local LGBTQIA+ charity of our choice. I am proud to say that our students sank staff 43 times, raising $215.

DEI & the ISB Library

Cultural Heritage & Awareness Month Observances

French 4th Grade students visited Kingsland Wildflowers Greenroof and Community Engagement Center, a Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF) project committed to expanding natural habitats and green corridors for bird and wildlife populations. As soon as they got to the building, which is now home to a film and television production company, they started talking about the importance of green spaces to urban communities. They shared knowledge about photosynthesis, bees, pollination, and the role of fruits in the life cycle of plants. They talked about the sewage runoff that happens when it rains, and how plant life, on roofs and elsewhere, helps to absorb the rain water and limit runoff making for a cleaner city.

EARTH MONTH DOCUMENTARY SCREENING

ROOFTOP RESEARCH AT KINGSLAND WILDFLOWERS

DOING OUR PART IN PROSPECT PARK

As part of their unit on Animal Dwellings, Spanish and French Pre-K 4 classes went to Prospect Park. In preparation for the hike, they talked about how pollution, deforestation, and the indiscriminate use of plastics all adversely affect animals, which can lead to the destruction of their habitats. The students did an incredible job thinking about what they could do to keep the places where animals live clean and in good condition. They shared their ideas and illustrated them with thoughtful, creative drawings. In our city, we share green spaces with all different types of animals, and Prospect Park is an ideal home for some animals. During their field trip, the Pre-K 4 students used their communication and thinking skills to share everything they observed and their ideas for promoting better, cleaner, and safer conditions for the animals in the park.

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In April, the Green Dragons kicked off a month-long series of events on environmental sustainability with an in-person screening of the documentary film, Chasing Coral. There was a full house in the ISB Gym for this thought-provoking movie with an urgent message. To the delight of the moviegoers, popcorn and drinks were served, and the film was followed by a Q&A session hosted by Kimesha ReidGrant, ISB Middle School Science Department Head. The Chasing Coral screening was also an important milestone for our community, as it was the first school-wide in-person event for ISB in 2022!

ISB'S Boundless Classroom Experience

ISB 4th Grade parent Marni Majorelle also explained how greenspaces like Kingsland Wildflowers get made by companies like the one she founded in 2007, Alive Structures. Then, our students walked along the beautiful rooftop space investigating plant and insect life. Students also ate some very delicious wild strawberries, which were small and not so easy to spot, but totally worth the extra effort!

NOT SO SIMPLE MACHINES

After much anticipation, the 4th and 5th Graders went on an overnight field trip to the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, NY for two days filled with hands-on lessons in the natural sciences and adventure education. The students went on a hike through an old Eastern Hemlock forest, had lessons in blacksmithing and archery, and even became citizen scientists as they collected samples from ponds and streams in order to investigate the health of freshwater ecosystems. Students and teachers had a wonderful time getting out of the city and getting closer to nature!

AN OVERDUE OVERNIGHT AT ASHOKAN

BUILDING AND BRAINSTORMING ABOUT LEGACY

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In French 4th Grade Visual Arts class, as part of the Artifacts Unit, students studied architecture’s place in conversations about art and artifacts. They were curious about how architects get their ideas and how external influences affect their choices. They studied blueprints, different types of buildings, and the surrounding landscapes of certain celebrated edifices. What’s more, they considered the legacy a structure could leave on a community. When their investigations were complete, students created a series of urban landscape drawings and drafts of buildings in unusual settings. After learning spatial principles and 3D joinery techniques using cardboard, students set to the task of making their own buildings. The results were not only sturdy and stable, but also beautiful and innovative!

One of our 3rd Grade units is called Simple Machines, and it’s more complicated than it sounds! To begin, students focus on all the simple machines surrounding us, including the pulley, the axis, the wheel, and more. They study several concepts of physics and experiment with how forces, such as friction and others, work. Then, they imagine the amusement park of their dreams, and create rides utilizing their new knowledge. They draft, plan, and gather recycled materials before finally beginning on their constructions. This unit is a thrill ride, and also an occasion for students to write—both in English and their target languages—explanatory texts, making sure that no important step in the building and functional processes is left out. At the demonstration event, one student was overheard telling a parent that she had never seen a particular aspect of her ride work in real life before, but included it anyway because "my teacher told me to be creative." Hold on to your seats!

As

LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Helpers unit, Pre-K 4 students visited

This planting event was complementary to posters created by students that highlighted Indigenous leadership in fighting for justice; managing the land in regenerative ways; and reconciling ancient and modern scientific knowledge and values of generosity, reciprocity, and community.

CONNECTING TO THE LAND AND COMMUNITY part of the Community our local fire station in Red Hook. The students asked the firefighters interesting questions, hopped on the fire engine, and even worked the firehose! The firefighters explained the importance of the firefighter's suit, gas mask, and gloves and gave an overview of what the students should do and who to call in case of fire. It was a fun and informative visit!

MEETING HELPERS AT RED HOOK FIRE STATION

Belying its humble name, Plumb Beach is a shoreline and tidal mudflat, low salt marsh areas, a tidal lagoon, a dune system, and woodland thickets at the entrance to Gerritsen Creek. Our 1st Graders visited this beloved stretch of sand and observed maps, walked along the beach, went on a scavenger hunt to find marine life, and learned about how Plumb Beach protects our city from natural disasters. Afterwards, they had a relaxing picnic lunch on the beach!

Earth Week 2022 at ISB was centered around the theme "Indigenous Advocacy Against Climate Change". Connecting to this theme, the ISB Faculty and Staff planted a pollinator garden, guided by Visual Arts Teacher Muriel Stallworth. This activity highlighted the work each of us can do, even in an urban setting, to help insects and birds pollinate our plants (and food supply) while beautifying our spaces and fighting against the loss of biodiversity. By planting these flowers, we hope to inspire all members of the ISB community to follow the extraordinary leadership of Indigenous Tribes in the fight against climate change.

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When the school day was over, faculty gathered by the newly planted flowers for the reading of a Land Acknowledgement written by Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Sakai Troxell. Here is an excerpt: “We celebrate this place called Lenapehoking and honor the Indigenous Peoples who first loved it and cared for it. We honor the current Lenape Tribes and Leaders who are still here, still connected to the Land, who are still and have always been here stewarding the Land. This Living Land Acknowledgement honors and recognizes the Indigenous Peoples who have been dispossessed from the homelands and territories that many now continue to fight for, despite their forced displacement. Today, many of the most mighty voices in environmental activism are Indigenous. Their connections to the land are evident; several hundred Lenape descendants still live in the New York area and many cities in the tri-state have Lenape names, for example, Allamuchy, Hackensack, Manasquan, and Manhattan. Many streets, parks, lakes, rivers and mountains also have Lenape names. This level of connectivity remains true of lands across the nation.”

A DAY AT PLUMB BEACH

First, the NYCH2O instructors introduced them to the mix of native and non-native trees and plant life in the park. They then began to talk to our students about water, and where New York City gets its high quality H2O. They learned that NYC, because of its abundant population, sources its water from reservoirs upstate, including the Croton and Catskill/Delaware Watersheds. It was interesting to find out this water supply is naturally clean and thus unfiltered. A major leak in the Delaware aqueduct and the billion plus dollar plan to fix it were also discussed. Finally, students built their own mini-aqueducts and worked as a team to make sure they didn't have any costly leaks!

As part of their Percents Unit in Math class, 6th Graders worked in groups to create their own business plans. For this project, the students decided on their store's mission, created an inventory, researched their costs, calculated selling prices (based on percent markup), and advertised their grand opening sales. Then they created receipts, which required them to apply their knowledge of percent discount and NYC sales tax.

SPRING IN BLOOM AT THE BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN

LEARNING ABOUT LOCAL WATER ECOLOGY IN RED HOOK PARK

The businesses included a bookstore, a clothing shop, a diaper shop, and a few cafés. This is Carroll Gardens, after all! Customers included the business owners' Middle School peers, faculty, and administrators. At the end of the day, 6th Graders had fun calculating all their profits!

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In Science class, the 6th Grade went out for what was much more than an ordinary walk around the neighborhood. Students hiked over to Red Hook Park to meet with NYCH2O, an organization whose mission is to educate New Yorkers of all ages about water ecology and to inspire them to do their part in protecting the city’s natural resources.

On a beautiful spring day, our Kindergarten classes visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. From the Discovery Garden to the Rock Garden, students had tons of fun playing and strolling along with their classmates. At one point, they paused to take in the sweet scents of the Fragrance Garden, where they drew their own beautiful flowers. Whether they were running up the Cherry Esplanade or making what they called, “flower angels” in the fallen cherry blossom petals, the Kindergarteners were in their element!

SMALL BUSINESSES, BIG IDEAS

FACULTY & STAFF MILESTONES

Xavier, Oscar, and Eliot celebrate ten years at ISB.

Over the past ten years, Eliot Osorio, Oscar Pau, and Xavier Huc have each helped to guide our students through everyday life at school, various academic undertakings, and even the occasional obstacle course! We are very grateful for their commitment to upholding and instilling in our students the values of our mission. Join us in celebrating these special anniversaries by finding out a little more about three familiar faces.

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Celebrating a Decade of Dedication

Do you have a favorite memory at ISB?

How do you see that the school has changed during these past ten years?

OSCAR PAU

The year I arrived, the school only went up to 4th Grade. It was the year that ISB moved from its second location in Prospect Heights to its current location on Court Street, so the building was pretty much empty. The classrooms were bare – the furniture hadn’t yet arrived. We were doing everything from scratch as we prepared for the school year. It was tough, but at the same time, it was so beautiful. I had never experienced this working in a school before because when I was in Spain, I was teaching at very established schools. Here at ISB, it was like, “now it is in your hands; it’s up to you to help us create this!” I had the sense that I was really a part of creating ISB in this phase of the school’s life.

Is there something you miss about teaching in the Lower School?

I would really like to see the school expand by eventually opening a high school and moving to a new campus. At the same time, my wish for ISB is that we always stay true to our educational philosophy, especially as it relates to language learning. Even as we expand to more campuses and more families, I hope that we never lose our identity of being a language immersion school. I think we always need to keep this at the center of our program because of the amazing impact we see that it has on our students and our alumni, and I hope that we never lose sight of the vision that the founders had for the school.

I have so many! I always cherish my memories from the first year because it felt like a very important part of ISB’s history. The first year I taught, I had only seven students in my 3rd Grade class – Sasha, Marozni, Xara, Luke, Mina, Emmet, and Lindsay – who were part of the school’s second graduating class, the Class of 2016. I remember so many of the things we did in class that year because it was so small. It felt like we were creating the units together. Now, even years after teaching this group, when I run into alumni parents from that class, they will see me and say, “my child always remembers you!” It is a very gratifying feeling.

Oscar Pau joined the school in 2010, and after an adventure teaching in Qatar, we are thrilled to have Oscar back with us in the school that he calls home. Before joining ISB’s Middle School, where he now teaches Spanish Language and Literature and Spanish Language Acquisition, Oscar was a member of the Lower School Faculty for several years and taught many of our current students and alumni in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade.

I am really enjoying teaching the different subjects, especially Language Acquisition. It’s so fulfilling to see how the students learn Spanish from zero. Everything that we do in this class is framed around real-life activities and situations. I think this aspect of the class is very engaging for students, and at the same time, they are so excited to be learning a new language and becoming more confident in Spanish.

These days, what are you enjoying the most about teaching in Middle School?

What were your first impressions of ISB?

What would you like to see for ISB in the future?

I miss the innocence and wonder about the world that younger students have. When we have class discussions, younger students will say the first thing that comes to their minds without worrying or being self-conscious, without any filter. Also, when you teach younger students, they almost see you as a superhero! It’s a very tender feeling.

What is it like to see your students grow up inside the school?

We have many international teachers and families coming from all different places, and so this can change the dynamic from year to year. In Spain, you go to a school and you can spend your whole career there with the same colleagues for the rest of your life. Here, in New York City, it’s not quite like that. There can be a lot of movement in an international school and in New York in general – and I still have to get used to this – but that doesn’t change how great I feel being at ISB. I think that we have maintained the same feeling that the school is like a big family. I feel just as recognized and welcome as I always did – from the first day until now.

“ We have maintained the same feeling that the school is like a big family. I feel recognized and just as welcome as I always did – from the first day until now. ”

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 15 FACULTY AND STAFF MILESTONES: A DECADE OF DEDICATION

It is so special to see how my students change throughout their years at ISB, each one in different ways. You really get to see how they are forming their own individual personalities. I am also always comparing the ways that they are still the same as when they were my students. Maybe it’s like the way that you see your children, how you always see them the same way, no matter what age they are. When I look at this year’s graduating class, the Class of 2022, I still see them as a group of 2nd Graders. For me, they don’t grow up!

The relationships I have built with coworkers and families throughout the years have been the most important part of these ten years at ISB. I have made a lot of great friendships with incredible people, and my colleagues have helped me become a better person – professionally and personally. I am also enjoying the opportunity to bond more with students and families in my new role of Athletics Director.

What has it been like to see students grow up inside the school?

My first impression of ISB – besides how small it was – was that it felt more like a family than a school. Everyone was so much more connected than in schools I had worked at in the past. There was a much greater sense of camaraderie among coworkers than in other places I’d worked, and that made me feel immediately comfortable.

I love the basketball and soccer games with the alumni and staff. I always look forward to those events – it’s so fun to see returning students and current students, staff, and even former staff members coming together. We recently switched up the way that we create the teams to make these games more competitive and fun. We have had to pause those events during the pandemic, but look out for those games resuming next year!

I’m excited about the continued growth of the school. I remember when we had 250 students and staff, and we are still expanding in size and adding new things every year. It’s been awesome to see! Right now, basketball and soccer are ISB’s only competitive sports teams, so I would love to see our sports offerings grow. We are starting to join even more leagues, and I have seen that our teams are continuing to get stronger, so I look forward to seeing the Dragons compete more and win a few championships!

What are you looking forward to in the future of the school?

ELIOT OSORIO

“ It's mind-boggling to see these kids change from little preschoolers to teenagers. It's a warm feeling because you feel like you had a hand in that process of their growing. ”

16 | INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN FACULTY AND STAFF MILESTONES: A DECADE OF DEDICATION

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work at ISB?

What is one of your favorite memories in these past ten years?

I was just talking to one of our students yesterday, and I had to stop and ask him, “Wow, are you in 8th Grade now? I remember when you were in nursery!” It’s mind-boggling to see these kids change from little preschoolers to teenagers who are ready to move on to high school and start a new chapter in their lives. It’s a warm feeling because you feel like you had a hand in that process of their growing.

Eliot Osorio is ISB’s Morning Receptionist and Transportation Coordinator. Many of our Alumni also know him as Coach Eliot from when he coached the basketball team. In Fall 2020, Eliot took the lead of the Athletics Department and now oversees the basketball, soccer, and track teams. Eliot is also a sneaker connoisseur, and you have likely noticed his impressive collection of shoes over the years!

Do you remember your first impression of ISB when you joined in 2012?

How has the school changed since then?

What I think is great is the interdisciplinary side of the teaching we do here at ISB, and this has really helped me improve as a teacher. For example, in my Physical Education class, I invent games that also incorporate math and language skills. Because we follow the IB teaching philosophy, there is an emphasis on students being responsible for themselves, and so I encourage them to take ownership of their learning by charging them with creating their own games in class. This is just one example of how we encourage students to take risks as learners. Before joining ISB, I taught in more traditional schools with more traditional teaching methods, which were maybe simpler for the teachers, but, in my opinion, not as beneficial for the students and their learning and growth.

Honestly, my first impression of the school was that it was a bit hippieish! I remember being at the Fall Festival and observing the strong sense of community among families. At the time, there weren’t many students, and the parents were very involved. You could really see that it was the parents who helped create and develop the school into what it was. What was your first impression of ISB when you joined?

I would love to see more learning support resources in place in the target languages. I also hope that ISB can eventually open a high school so that students can have continuity in their education. I think the school has so much potential, and I believe creating a high school is possible!

There weren’t nearly as many resources back in those days. I remember I used to make up games with the students in Physical Education class. There were barely any cones or materials or anything, but we did what we could without them. We said, “Okay, no materials? We will find another way.” And everyone was happy!

What are some of your early memories of teaching your classes in the first few years?

XAVIER HUC

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 17 FACULTY AND STAFF MILESTONES: A DECADE OF DEDICATION

What are your hopes for the future of the school?

Personally, this has given me a deeper understanding of the progression of a child as they grow. I teach Kindergarten through 6th Grade, and I see how my students learn, behave, and communicate differently year after year. It is also very touching to see the bonds students form with each other develop over time. Some of our students who have known each other since they were in Preschool are almost like siblings at this point! It’s always exciting to see the way we integrate new students into the class, and how they can change the dynamic of a class in a positive way.

I have so many favorite memories at the school, but I would have to say the field days! When the kids are all together as a school, just enjoying the entire day outside, playing, and having fun, it’s a wonderful way to close the year.

As the French Physical Education Teacher for Kindergarten through 6th Grade, Xavier Huc has taught hundreds of ISB students over these past ten years. Xavier joined our community in 2012 and has been a core member of ISB’s Physical Education Department ever since. Xavier is a large proponent of wellness, and he encourages students to practice mindfulness and to avoid eating too much sugar, which he diligently models for our students – except, of course, on days when the Staff Appreciation Committee provides breakfast!

What has it been like to see your students grow up during these past ten years?

While the school is more structured in some ways, ISB is still the same school at its core, and there is still that very strong sense of community. Even though the classes have grown in size, we have always kept the same mentality of being close with our students and their families, and of course, each other on staff.

What is your favorite memory at ISB?

How have you grown as an educator during these past ten years at ISB?

Well, for one thing, I need to try very hard not to be late for school in the mornings! As for him, his experience as a student at ISB has allowed him to evolve tremendously. Our school is such a supportive and nurturing place, where students are allowed the space to grow and evolve to be their best selves. I think ISB has taught him to understand what it is to be empathetic, to take care of other people, and to share. Being bilingual has also offered him so much when it comes to cultural competence and critical thinking skills. Bilingualism has added so much to his life and the way he functions in the world; it has allowed him to adapt to different ways of thinking, to meet children from another culture, and to understand other cultures, including his own.

Ten years later, you are now a parent at the school! What has that experience been like for you?

FACULTY & STAFF MILESTONES

Leticia :

This school year, Spanish Pre-K 4 Head Teacher Leticia Gonzalez celebrated 15 years teaching at ISB! To commemorate the important milestone, Leticia was interviewed by Gabriel, Laszlo, and Lucia, graduating 8th Graders who all had her as a teacher in Preschool. Leticia and her former students conducted the interview in Spanish.

En una palabra: ¡ISB ha crecido tremendamente! Es un orgullo pertenecer a una comunidad que cada año crece rápidamente pero conserva sus cualidades de compañerismo, cooperación y ayuda mutua.

Este año escolar, la Profesora Principal de Español Pre-K 4 Leticia Gonzalez celebró 15 años enseñando en ISB! Para conmemorar el hito importante, Leticia fue entrevistada por Gabriel, Laszlo y Lucia, alumnos de Octavo Grado que se gradúan este año y quienes tuvieron a Leticia como maestra en Preschool. Leticia y sus ex-alumnos hicieron la entrevista en español.

Antes de que se iniciara la entrevista, Leticia compartió con Lingua Franca que cuando la contactamos para hacer esta entrevista, se sorprendió porque «15 años pasan muy rápido cuando amas lo que haces.»

La vida pasa y cada año los niños crecen mucho pero se quedan lindas memorias.

18 | INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN

Laszlo : What do you remember about our class?

¿Qué recuerda usted de nuestra clase?

Lucia : How does it feel to see your former students now?

Before the interview got underway, Leticia shared with Lingua Franca that when we reached out to her for this interview, she was surprised because “15 years go by really quickly when you love what you do.”

It was a fun class. We worked on many really interesting projects. I remember that Laszlo was coming from Spain and so he spoke really good Spanish, and that Lucia and Gabriel were just starting out learning Spanish but progressed quickly.

Time flies, and every year the children get older, but beautiful memories stay with you.

Leticia : ¿Cómo se siente al ver a sus ex-alumnos ahora?

La clase era divertida. Hacíamos proyectos muy interesantes. Me acuerdo de que Laszlo venía de España y por lo tanto hablaba muy bien español, y que Lucia y Gabriel aprendían español por primera vez pero progresaban rápidamente.

Leticia :

¿Cómo es que International School of Brooklyn ha cambiado a través de los años?

Gabriel : How has International School of Brooklyn changed over the years?

15 Years of Planting Roots for Lifelong Learning

LETICIA GONZALEZ

In a word: ISB has grown tremendously! I’m proud to be part of a community that grows so much each year, but holds onto its values of camaraderie, cooperation, and collaboration.

FACULTY AND STAFF MILESTONES: 15 Years of Planting Roots for Lifelong Learning SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 19

Leticia :

Los tres eran mis favoritos.

Leticia :

…¡ustedes tres!

I know it can’t be Gabriel or Laszlo!

Lucia : How has your teaching changed?

¿Qué sueños tiene usted para el futuro de nuestra escuela?

Laszlo : Okay. How is the ISB experience different for native and non-native speakers?

Después de la entrevista, Leticia dijo a Lingua Franca que considera a todos sus alumnos — pasados, presentes y futuros — sus favoritos.

¿Cómo ha cambiado su manera de enseñar?

¿Qué es la cosa que más le gusta enseñar en clase?

Lucia : Gabriel : Laszlo :

¡Yo puedo responder! A mí me gusta que sea una comunidad pequeña, donde todo el mundo se conoce. Espero que, mientras ISB siga creciendo, mantenga ese sentido de una comunidad muy unida.

Leticia : You weren’t even born yet when I started at ISB, but you have also been here for a long time. What is it that you love about ISB?

All of them have something special about them, they are all special in their own way. Todas mis clases han sido especiales, son especiales a su manera.

1

Leticia :

Lucia : Gabriel, Laszlo, and Lucia :

I love when my students are given the opportunity to play. I feel that when they play, they are more motivated and apt to learn. Can I ask a question?

Leticia :

…the three of you!

¡Buena pregunta! ¿Quién era su alumno favorito?

A mí también me gusta y aprecio el sentido de comunidad aquí en ISB.

Es interesante que los estudiantes que van creciendo en ISB, aparte de adquirir el lenguaje, también crecen en sus habilidades de pensamiento, sociales y de comunicación. Los contextos y experiencias que tienen en ISB los ayudan a crecer en todos los aspectos.

After the interview Leticia told Lingua Franca that she considers all her students — past, present, and future — her favorites.

Lucia : What is your hope for the future of our school?

I can answer this! I love that it’s a small community, where everyone knows each other. I hope that as ISB keeps growing it maintains that tight-knit sense of community.

It’s interesting that students who grow up at ISB, apart from acquiring the language, also grow in their critical thinking, social and communicative skills. The contexts and experiences they have in ISB help them to grow in every aspect.

Leticia :

Lucia : Lucia :

Gabriel : Laszlo :

By the way, who was your favorite student in all your years at the school?

¡Sí!

Sí, ¿quién era su alumno favorito?

Leticia :

Good question! Who was your favorite student?

¿En todos sus años, cuál es la clase que más destaca en su mente?

Leticia :

Yes, who was your favorite student?

Everything evolves in some way or another but, since the beginning, the faculty has maintained the PYP (IB Primary Years Programme) as a base in order to encourage inquiry and empower students to become lifelong learners.

¡Yo sé que no puede ser ni Gabriel ni Laszlo!

A mí también, me gusta la comunidad y, por supuesto, ¡los profes!

What is your favorite thing to teach in class? Yes!

All three of you were my favorites.1

Todo evoluciona de alguna manera, pero creo que el profesorado ha mantenido el PYP (el Programa IB de Primary Years) como base para fomentar la curiosidad y empoderar a los alumnos para que lleguen a ser aprendices permanentes.

I also love and appreciate the sense of community here at IISB.like the community too and, of course, the teachers!

That it keeps growing, that we eventually expand to Upper School, and that more and more students like you all keep coming to Preschool!

Que siga creciendo. Que llegue a tener un Upper School y que la división de Preschool siga creciendo, ¡y que siga recibiendo a más alumnos como ustedes!

Me encanta cuando los niños tienen la oportunidad de jugar. Siento que cuando juegan, aprenden mejor y se motivan. Puedo hacer una pregunta?

Por cierto, ¿quién era su alumno favorito de todos sus años en la escuela?

Gabriel : In all your years, what class stands out the most to you?

Cuando yo empecé enseñando en ISB, ustedes no habían nacido siquiera, pero han estado en la escuela varios años. ¿Qué es lo que más les gusta de ISB?

Vale. ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre la experiencia de ISB para un alumno que es nativohablante de español y un alumno que no es nativohablante de español?

But, I think 7th Grader James, who was also the creator of beautiful buttons distributed at the event, put it best: “I used to think that translation was word for word. Now, I appreciate translation, because it is like rewriting a book and making a new work of art in a different language.”

As the event came to an end, ISB parent Marianne Gimon tipped her hat to our Librarians: “There was a discussion of librarians being gatekeepers for translated books, but Maria and Amy are widening doors and opening the minds of our kids by introducing them to top notch books from around the world.” Panelist Emma Raddatz expressed how impressed she was by the questions ISB students had asked: “It was really heartening to see that students are thinking and wondering about translation at such an early age.”

20 | INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN

The consensus among the panelists was that translation is rarely the simple process of transposing words and expressions in one language for those of another, but rather a complex, rewarding activity that draws on a significant part of our being: experience, imagination, reason, and artistic sensibility.

The panelists, Claudia Zoe Bedrick, Juan Pablo Lombana, Emma Raddatz, Nathan Rostron, and Emilie Robert Wong, answered questions posed by moderator and ISB parent Omar Berrada, who opened with the question: why do you translate— what meaning does it bring to your life? Juan Pablo, who is also an ISB parent, described his work translating plays and books between Spanish and English as an exhilarating experience of solving a problem that is unique to each piece of literature: “The book is a world with its own rules, and I have to figure out the rules.” Emilie said, “translation is a profoundly creative experience that made me not only a good writer, but a good reader.”

By Regan Penaluna ISB Parent and Library Committee Member

Translation is an Art

For me, as a mother of two at ISB, it was also an inspiring reminder of what our children are doing in school everyday as they switch between two or more languages while taking on multiple subjects and activities.

On April 27, 2022, a crowd of students, parents, and staff gathered in the school gym for a panel discussion on “Translation is an Art”—an impressive event dreamed up and led by School Librarians Maria Falgoust and Amy Ribakove. The walls were adorned with posters created by the Booklets (the library’s helpful crew of student volunteers), displaying facts about translation. (Did you know that the most translated book ever after the Bible is The Little Prince or that Gilgamesh was the first book ever translated?) There was wine, refreshments, and—yes, masks— but nevertheless, a palpable excitement among attendees at simply being together to exchange ideas and learn more about a fascinating topic—not to mention, one so close to the heart of ISB.

Take a look at the list of resources on the opposite page that Maria Falgoust and ISB Parent Raquel Frenchette curated if you want to explore the world of translated works.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 21 Blue Dot Kids Press Elsewhere Editions Enchanted Lion GreystoneInterlink Kids Yonder And Other DeepArchipelagoStoriesBooksVellum Europa FeministEditionsPress RestlessOpenMilkweedGreystoneLetterBooks

The National Book Award: Translated Literature

Of these books, a mere 0.2% were translated from an African language, 14% were translated from Asian languages, 7% were translated from Middle Eastern languages, and 79% were translated from a European language.

Researched by the Middle School Booklets

Other Resources

The Global Literature in Libraries Initiative (GLLI)

Speak Not: Empire, Identity and the Politics of Language

Fun TranslationAboutFactsResource List

Looking for books translated into English?

Publishers of Books in Translation for Adults

Thetranslated.world's top three most translated authors are Agatha Christie, Jules Verne, and William Shakespeare.

Publishers of Books in Translation for Children

Check out these publishing houses, book lists, podcasts, and more to find resources and other information on translation.

The most translated book from Spanish is Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes and the most translated book from French is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

World Book Club Podcast

PEN America

In 2019, the top four US publishing companies published 89,800 new titles, and only 737 of those were translated books, fewer than 1% (0.74%).

The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY)

In Spain, 28% of public books are translated. In Germany, 13.6% of new releases are translated works. In Turkey, 40% of published books are

Words Without Borders

World Kid Lit Blog

Book Lists and Awards

Sidwell’s Global Literature Book List

22 | INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN

Theater provides a dynamic arena in which students can express their creativity and develop their performing arts techniques, while also honing their language skills as they practice dialogues and explore a range of vocal expressions. Read about three spectacular shows that were put on in three different languages this past spring: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown in English, Le procès du loup in French, and La Ciudad de Gaturguga in Spanish.

“A Great Feast of Languages” Theater at ISB

Isabela F., Class of 2023

An adaptation by Karuna Hernandez and the Spanish 5th Grade students

The play addressed important subject matter and themes that included friendship, loyalty, empathy, tolerance, equity, and social justice. The classroom was packed with parents, who were also active participants in the play! First, they shouted out phrases that were held up on cue cards during pivotal moments in the play. Then, after a thrilling final act, they got to answer questions about the play and give their opinions about what should happen next in Gaturguga!

La Ciudad de Gaturguga

THEATER AT ISB SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 23

This spring, Spanish 5th Grade students put on a wonderful and fantastical play called La ciudad de Gaturguga, based on a work by Spanish author José González Torices and adapted by their teacher, Karuna Hernandez.The play told the tale of the faraway land of Gaturguga, where all the animals have lived in harmony as vegetarians under the benevolent reign of the wise founder and hero, Patacuervo. Alas, their peaceful existence is threatened by a powerful creature who is blinding the citizens of Gaturguga and covering up the sunlight with dust. The beast will not stop terrorizing the citizens unless they take down the wall that separates them from the rest of the world and begin to share their vegetables. At the same time, the city is about to hold its first election so many of the animal inhabitants are eager to impress voters by fighting off the unknown monster.

Spotlight On: Guillaume Roper-Sirvent

It’s been a long time, almost twenty years. I did a little bit of theater in middle school and high school, but I really got serious about theater in university. After I graduated college, I moved to Paris for my job as a teacher and I took advantage of the opportunity to go to different acting workshops. Very quickly, I decided to create my own theater company because I wanted to write.

I did! I wrote my first play and we produced it a couple of times. Then, I decided to move to New York to work as a teacher here. At first I wasn’t sure I would stay in the U.S. for too long. So, in the beginning, I didn’t try to work in the theater in French here. I actually went to UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade) School. It was so fun, because my English wasn’t that good, and, yeah, I did a couple very interesting semesters there! But, then I felt it was time to go back to acting in French and I met this group of French performers who had created a theater company (L’Atelier de théâtre) here. I performed in a couple of shows with them as an actor, and eventually I started to teach and direct shows for them as well. I directed two shows with them before the pandemic hit. Then, everything stopped. So, you can imagine, we are very excited to be back with this show at the Theater for the New City.

This spring, ISB Middle School French Language and Literature and Individual and Societies Teacher, Guillaume Roper-Sirvent wrote and directed a play that was produced at the Theater for the New City in Manhattan’s East Village. Guillaume started writing Le monde d’après at the outset of the pandemic in an effort to make sense of the strange time in which we were living. He also wanted to do his part to put a smile on people's faces and, more importantly, make them laugh! That is an important distinction for Guillaume, who spoke with Lingua Franca and discussed his play, his life in the theater, and how writing, directing, and acting have influenced his work as a teacher.

What inspired you to write Le monde d’après?

What happens in the play?

And, the play was already produced in Paris?

THEATER AT ISB 24 | INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN

had the opportunity to produce the play in Paris as well, with different actors and a different director, of course. A review of the Parisian version of Le monde d’après stated that when the show starts off it seems like it will be a sad show, a show about the pandemic and loss, but as the play goes on it turns out to be very much a celebration of life. That person got it.

Yes,enough!we

Well, it asks the question: “What if you could do anything? What would you do?” At the beginning of the pandemic, people were saying stuff like “when the pandemic is over, I’m going to do things differently”, things like, “I’m going to bake my own bread” and “I’m going to get in touch with nature.” Part of me, maybe my sarcastic French side, was like “No, you’re not. We are not going to learn anything, and we’re going to do everything exactly the same.” I wanted to put my characters in a position where they had all the opportunity in the world to do whatever they choose. And, I wanted the audience to think to themselves, if they had the opportunity tomorrow to do anything their hearts desired to make all the changes they want, without any conditions, what would they do. I’m not sure they would change anything. I’m not sure what I would do. Even something as big as a pandemic isn’t enough to break people’s habits. Except, if it taught us anything, it is that we are all here for such a short period of time, and, at least for me, I want to laugh as much as possible. I really hope that the play is funny, and I hope people enjoy being back in the theater. I want people to laugh. We smile a lot, but we don’t laugh

The idea for the play came to me when we were first in lockdown. And, the reason why I wrote the play I wrote, was that, at the beginning of the pandemic, especially in New York, it was so stressful and so sad that I decided to write a comedy because I thought “this is what we need right now!” I knew I had to talk a little about the pandemic and about loss, but I decided to talk about these things with a sense of humor. At the end of Le monde d’après, the audience should understand that the play is about life much more than it is about death.

How long have you been working in the theater?

And so, you did?

plays with your students in class?

Yes, I study plays with my students at ISB. In the 7th Grade, we are actually putting on a play right now! It’s called Le procès du loup and the students are loving it. One student came up to me recently and said, “I don’t know why, but this is the best class ever!” and I said, "Yeah, of course, it’s because you’re acting, because we’re making theater!"

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 25

Has your teaching affected your work in the

In May, Guillaume Roper-Sirvent and his 7th Grade French Individuals and Societies class put on a hilarious production of Zarko Petan’s Le procès du loup. This absurdist continuation of the Little Red Riding Hood story had the audience in stitches, as the Big Bad Wolf finally saw his day in court. The show was an immersive experience that began even before the first line of dialogue was uttered. Upon entry, attendees had to go through courtroom security before taking their seats in the gallery. Then, a pair of off-beat stenographers made a special announcement to make sure to show respect for the court and the seriousness of the matter at hand by turning off all cell phones, even while one of them had trouble putting

hers down! When the trial officially began, the courtroom hijinks were a riot. Both the defense and prosecution came well prepared for a legendary dispute concerning a cast of characters that included, among others, Little Red Riding Hood, her Grandmother, the Fox and, of course, the Big Bad Wolf himself. As everyone got to tell their side of the story, there was some serious equivocating on the witness stand, as well as some realtime witness tampering when the Fox was giving his testimony and the Big Bad Wolf kept slipping him $100 bill after $100 bill! Complete with a hilarious twist ending, the show was so delightful that the only question left unanswered was whether the audience or the actors had more fun that day.

Dotheater?youread

Individuals & Societies Class • • • •

Yes, in much the same way, being a teacher has also been very helpful for me when it comes to my directing. Actors tell me that I am very clear in my directions and that I’m very patient. It’s connected in a lot of ways, but, like I said, I like to make sure that the two worlds are separated so that I can do my best in both areas. I definitely want to keep doing both, being a teacher and working in theater.

My work in the theater influences my teaching because since I started acting, I’m more comfortable speaking in front of groups of people. I’m used to public speaking. I know how to project my voice and make sure everyone hears me. I am also able to bring my sense of humor into the classroom, my experience with improv. Though, at the same time, these two aspects of my life are very separate. I don’t go into the classroom and try out new material on my students! When I first started teaching I was teaching history, and my students didn’t even know about my life in the theater. Then when I moved to New York and started teaching at ISB, I started teaching French language and literature, which allows me to incorporate some theater into the classroom.

How does your life in the theater inform or influence your work in the classroom?

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Capucine is a member of the crew and plays the flute in the show. She spoke to us about some of the challenges of working with so many props and helping to get the large ensemble casts ready — there were two separate casts for each night's shows — for “such a complicated show with many different scenes and musical numbers.”

FROM THE CAST AND CREW:

Manu can relate to her character of Schroeder because, like her, he is a musician too. Also Manu said “He doesn’t talk that much but, when he does, he’s very big. I have him yelling a lot, and I like to yell!”

Alex, who plays the Good Man himself, pointed out that Charlie Brown is such a great character to inhabit because “anyone can relate to him, to sometimes not having enough confidence to do what you want to do, or to simply feeling like nobody sees you. Charlie Brown often feels like he’s the worst, even though anybody who knows him, knows he’s quite the opposite!”

Happiness is the Middle School Production of

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown

On the 21st and 22nd of April, the Middle School took the stage in a lively production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. During a dress rehearsal leading up to the much-anticipated premiers, we caught up with some of the cast and crew. In between running scenes, they found some time to talk about their work on the show, about their relationships with their characters, and about why they were so eager to share their version of the classic musical with the larger ISB community.

Oscar loves playing Snoopy, because “he’s very emotive. He makes a lot of noises and gestures. You can always tell how he’s feeling by his facial expressions. And, he’s a dog! So, he’s unique. He always has these smart lines. It’s really fun and relatable, because I also love making funny comments with my friends.”Liam

Giana “does not really relate” so much to her character Lucy, because “she’s mean to everyone, and she’s bossy.” She says “that’s not really who I am, but it’s fun to play her!” She added, “I think, on the inside, she’s actually very kind and wants to help people.”

Eva Luna plays Peppermint Patty, and her take on the character is that “She’s very sporty. I’m not, exactly, but every now and then I play soccer with my brother and with my little sisters. She’s a fun character to play. She always thinks she’s the smartest person in the room. She’s not! She’s very matter-of-fact, but she can be goofy too, especially when it comes to her interactions with Charlie Brown, who she has a crush on!”

Zachary, who interprets the role of Rerun, proved true the old adage that there are no small parts, only small actors. Rerun has one “cool” line that Zachary “practiced and practiced and, basically, mastered” but, at this stage of the rehearsal process, he was “more concerned with nailing the choreography.” His take on Rerun is that the character says little but makes his presence felt in a big way through “his dynamic singing, dancing, and other creative gestures on the stage.”

can identify with his character Linus, because “he is young, and because he’s young he’s often underestimated.” He explained that “I really don’t like when people underestimate people based on their age. I think Linus would agree with me. He’s very intelligent and there is wisdom in every line he says. If an adult were to say something he said it would be one thing, but Linus doesn’t get the appreciation he deserves.”

“ Happiness is anyone and anything at all, that’s loved by you. ”

In our conversations, members of the cast and crew kept coming back to the idea of the timelessness of Peanuts. Zachary pointed out that “it’s not stated in the script that the action is taking place in one particular time period” and that, while the Peanuts crew “doesn’t have the technology we do, they do have computers.” Savannah, who works on the technical crew and show design teams, added that what she likes about these stories is that “they aren’t specific to one point in time” and “the characters’ clothes can be fashion from before, or from today.” Capucine said that the great thing is that “you can imagine it’s any time you like!” Alex thinks the play has resonated with so many people for so long, because “there is this large group of different characters who contradict one another, so there is always someone you can relate to.”

Zofia and Benjamin Fabre 376 Clinton St Apt 2 Brooklyn NY 11231 Brooklyn, NY 11231-

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 27 THEATER AT ISB

Performing Arts Department Head and Director of the show Justin Indovina wrote in his Director’s Note, “We can learn a lot from Charlie Brown and his friends. As quoted in the final song of the show, ‘Happiness is anyone and anything at all, that’s loved by you.’” “Happiness” lists all the little joys in life, like “five different crayons”, “catching a firefly”, “singing together”, and “pizza with sausage.” For everyone in the audience on the 21st and 22nd of April, they surely had one more “happy” thing to add to their lists, the spectacular 2022 ISB Middle School performance of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown!

ISB kicked off Pride Month with our first Flag Raising in the front of the school building. Throughout the year, two students in our Lower School, Charlie and Sai, staunchly advocated for more visible LGBTQIA+ community representation at school, with a clear focus on flying an updated Pride flag outside. These students – our very own young leaders – met with their teachers, Director of Lower School Rosa Torres, Head of School Joe Santos, and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Sakai Troxell to create the change that they wanted to see at ISB, and they were successful. On June 1st, they stood alongside school leadership and raised the flag, which flew with the ISB school flag throughout Pride Month.

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Pride Month

Student TransformsAdvocacyintoAction

is a bold and firm statement. It says that, as a community, we will continue to support each other, and to support equal and fair treatment for all. We will continue to learn how to harness our voices to promote the change that the world needs, now more than ever. Our school’s flag will fly alongside flags that support communities that deserve better treatment and better policies – alongside communities who belong anywhere and everywhere they so choose. With this Flag Raising, ISB commits to continuing to do the hard work to ensure that, one day, we will live in a world where this is our reality.

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 29

At the Flag Raising, Head of School Joe Santos spoke, and our two student ambassadors read aloud from Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Sakai Troxell’s statement on this milestone occasion:

When you look up the word “advocate” in the dictionary, you find the following definition: “a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.” ISB’s Mission Statement reads, “We develop Adventurers. We create Advocates. We shape Leaders.” Today is a day where our school’s Mission shines brightly. One thing has been clear to me since I began my time here at ISB, and that is that our students – and our community, as a whole – are unabashedly afraid to speak up and speak out for each other, and against

It is important to remind ourselves that movements like that which have brought us the first rainbow flag, the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the legalization of gay marriage, begin with people. We are so proud of our students for being the catalysts for this meaningful change in our school community.

Thisinjustice.FlagRaising

Modeling the spirit of ISB’s mission, Rebeca encourages anyone thinking about making a similar move “to follow your joy and take a risk. It’s never too late.” She added that “finding joy in the process and taking your time is very important in making sure you are getting the most out of the change you wanted to make and the new world you wanted to enter.” Rebeca told Lingua Franca, “I love being a teacher. I have zero regrets. It is the best decision I ever made!”

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Rebeca reflects on her choice to become a teacher as the best decision she has ever made.

FACULTY & STAFF NEWS

Bebe Balogun Spotlight

Bebe presenting on her capstone project to ISB staff and faculty during a “Discuss and Dine” session in the spring.

When reflecting on the path she has taken to become a teacher, Rebeca sees her journey as more than just a career change but “an opportunity to live a second life.” That’s not to say she doesn’t find similarities in her former life in film and current life as a teacher. Rebeca notes that, like film programming, “Teaching is a creative endeavor that makes connections with different cultures and languages and introduces interesting subjects and perspectives to young people.”

Rebeca Conget

Spanish 3rd Grade Teacher Rebeca Conget just completed a Master’s Degree in Bilingual Childhood Education at Brooklyn College. This milestone was the culmination of the bold decision Rebeca made to become a teacher after having worked as a film distributor and film festival programmer for 20 years. Since making the adventurous choice to change careers, Rebeca has been simultaneously working on her degree and teaching at ISB, first as an Assistant Teacher in the Spanish Pre-K 4 classroom and now as a Head Teacher in Spanish 3rd Grade.

This spring, School Aide Bebe Balogun graduated with her Master of Public Health from Hofstra University. For her capstone project, she created a program plan to address an issue in her area community. Namely, Bebe's work seeks to destigmatize mental health for Black men ages 18-35. In order to create more openness and willingness to seek help, she has partnered with health care institutions, including One Brooklyn Health as well as faith-based institutions, such as a local church and mosque. The project will consist of monthly information sessions on topics such as health insurance, Blackness and mental health, and alcohol use. There will also be monthly community gatherings where there will be music and food. The gatherings will serve as a meeting point for the young men in the program and potential mentors. Bebe hopes that having this vital work based in Black community centers will foster trust in the one hundred young Black men who are participating in the program and help them become more open to the idea of seeking help for mental health issues, thus “enjoying an all-around better quality of life and also leading as an example for future generations,” which Bebe sees as the ultimate goal.

Celebrating the achievements of our faculty and staff

Librarian at ISB has been a joy for Amy, and it is the people she works with that make the experience so wonderful. She says, “I love getting to work with Maria (Head Librarian Maria Falgoust). She is a wonderful mentor and is always open to my ideas.” Amy is also inspired by how much students love to listen to stories and check out books. She notes that “Our students are curious, bright, and thoughtful, and I always enjoy hearing their thoughts on whatever they are reading.” Running the 5th and 6th Grade Book Club was one of the highlights of the school year for her, and she was consistently impressed by the sophisticated nature of the group's comments and observations. She also really appreciates how focused the ISB Library is on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This focus is very important to Amy as, she says, “it aligns with everything I've learned in graduate school, as well as my own values.”

Amy says that while she never could have predicted that she would be working in a multilingual library, she is so glad that she finds herself here at ISB. This is not only because ISB’s Library allows her to practice her rusty French, but because the three languages help make the collection dynamic and diverse. “At Pratt we talked a great deal about the importance of a multicultural, inclusive collection, and that is truly what ISB has.”

Amy’s goal for her Library class is to ignite students’ curiosity for literature. She loves to help them find the books that will help make them lifelong readers.

Of her process, Carolina says “she works spontaneously and inspiration comes to her in the form of an itch that begs to be scratched.” Some of her ceramic work is inspired by dance and references the ephemeral forms created by the human body in motion. Her art books tend to reflect nature and are often investigations of patterns she perceives in the natural world that repeat, for example, “rivers are like roots, and roots and rivers are like pathways in the brain.”

Amy Ribakove

This summer, Librarian Amy Ribakove completed her Master of Library and Information Science at Pratt Institute. As she reflects on her final year in the program, for Amy, working at ISB brought much more meaning to her education because she was able to directly apply her learning to her classes and author programming. To give an example, she explains, “I took a collection development course in the fall and was able to create a policy for ISB rather than inventing a hypothetical community for the assignment!”Beinga

Another form Carolina’s art takes is that of the animita. In Chile, animitas are an aesthetic and religious phenomenon that has the appearance of little homes or chapels and can be found on sidewalks, street corners, and highways. They are a way to pay tribute to spirits in limbo, as well as a place where the living can ask spirits for favors and protection.

Carolina’s “Animitas” series and other works of art are now being permanently displayed at Haco Gallery at 31 Grand Street in Williamsburg. Her pieces there are functional ceramics and works on paper that include collages and artist's books. She would love for ISB colleagues, parents, and students to drop by and see her work!

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 31

Carolina’s artwork is now on display at Haco Gallery in Williamsburg.

Spanish Visual Arts Teacher Carolina Bermúdez is both an art teacher and a prolific creative artist. A native of Valparaíso, Chile, she moved to New York City to pursue her passion: art in various forms including dance, drawing, and ceramics. She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts with double majors in Studio Art and Modern Dance at Hunter College, then a Master’s Degree in Art Education at New York University while she continued to explore her art in the medium of ceramic sculpture and collage. Carolina’s deep well of inspiration and creativity have led her to a career as a working artist that spans more than two decades.

Carolina Bermúdez

At ISB, we partner with the French Ministère de l'Éducation nationale and Spanish Ministerio de Educación in order to bring educators who are not just native speakers of their languages, but also professionals who, in many ways, embody the mission and values of our school into our classrooms. The teachers who take part in this program are internationally-minded educators who are thoughtful inquirers and bold risk-takers. The lived-experience they bring with them from abroad helps to enhance the dynamic and immersive nature of our

Cristina Dominguez-Delgado

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Spanish 4th Grade Head Teacher; Formerly Spanish 1st and 3rd Grade Head Teacher

FACULTY & STAFF NEWS

These last six years at ISB have been amazing! I have grown so much as a professional and as a person. I have learned a lot from each of my Division Directors – Joe, Richard, and Rosa – and from my colleagues. I have also learned so much from my students, who I'll never forget, and their families who have always been very supportive and kind to me.

Sara Fernández Valladares

I am so grateful to ISB for the wonderful experience I've had for the last seven years. I am very appreciative to have had the opportunity to work with such amazing faculty and staff, who all make ISB a very happy place to learn and grow.

I was able to experience what a special school this is not only as a teacher, but as a parent in the school. It has been great to witness how my daughter has been supported by so many kind and committed professionals who have helped to shape her world. We will truly miss the ISB community and the commitment of the school to create a learning environment where everyone can feel welcome and express themselves freely. We have seen our daughter embracing celebrations from different cultures, making decisions that were caring toward her peers and community, and loving the process of learning in Spanish.

After spending all of these years at ISB, I am for sure walking away as a risk-taker! I had left everything in Spain and came here on my own, with no family, no friends, and now I am returning to Spain full of experiences that I will be taking with me in my daily life. I think I have become a better listener and someone less afraid of the unknown.Iwillmiss my students, my colleagues, and the community. When I get asked about ISB, I always say that I love my students. I feel extremely lucky to have worked with each one of them in Middle and Lower School. We have learned, traveled, laughed, and even cried together. Same with my colleagues, who have always made my work and school life a joy – some of them are like family to me, and that is what I value most. Obviously, I will forever have a place in my heart for the entire ISB community and how we always work together to advocate for a better world. Living in New York City has also been incredible, and I am going to miss how vibrant the city is, and taking pictures at all times.

¡Hasta la próxima! A la prochaine !

ISB says “see you later” to beloved faculty moving on to new chapters in their personal and professional lives

This summer, I will be returning to Spain as an English Teacher. In Spain, I am an employee of the Spanish Public School System, and so my position has been waiting for me all these years. I am excited to be returning to my teaching career in Spain at a new school that has an Erasmus Plus program, which will allow me to travel to other countries to learn about different teaching methodologies.

I feel very lucky to have been part of the ISB community, and I am fortunate to call ISB and New York home. This is not a goodbye, but a “see you soon” since I'll visit the city often. Actually, in November I'll be back to run the Marathon, and I'll visit all of you!

These four dedicated teachers – Sara, Isabelle, Cristina, and Aude –who came to ISB from abroad and are leaving ISB after the 2021-2022 school year, have been valued members of our community, will be forever tied to the success of our educational program, and will always hold a place in our and our students’ hearts. We asked them to share a few thoughts about their experiences living in New York City and working at ISB over these past few years.

Our family will be returning to Spain with a suitcase full of unforgettable memories! Working at ISB has reinforced my passion for teaching and learning, so it will be a path I will continue to grow in back home in Spain. It has been an honor to serve ISB's mission and share this journey together. Thank you, ISB! I hope that we will stay in touch!

Spanish 2nd Grade Head Teacher; Formerly Middle School Spanish Language Acquisition Teacher

classrooms and ignite our students’ curiosity and sense of adventure!

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 33

I truly cannot believe it has been four years since I started working at ISB and that I’m turning the page on the most enriching professional experience of my career so far.

I love to travel and have lived and taught in many different cities in Europe and the United States, including Brussels, San Francisco, Seattle and, of course, Brooklyn. Living in an international city is very important to me because it allows me to meet people from all over the world from different backgrounds and with open minds. For those reasons, and many more, it has been a joy to get to know New York City!

I’m leaving ISB and Brooklyn at the end of the school year, but I’m taking so much with me and I plan on

I will miss my students very much and will always look back fondly on the great work we have done together. What I really love about the ISB approach to teaching is that students take initiative in their education through our focus on inquiry-based learning. As a teacher at ISB, you have to really trust the process — because a child’s curiosity is gloriously limitless! — but, once you do, you’ll find it fun and rewarding to see your students creating freely and being more engaged in their work.

Aude Kaçar

Isabelle Dussart

French 4th Grade Head Teacher; Formerly French 3rd Grade Head Teacher

My years teaching at ISB have been invaluable. I loved being a part of a broader international community and network of IB schools. Teaching the IB interdisciplinary units and the inquiry cycle alongside the French curriculum was a challenge, but one that I really enjoyed and that enriched my teaching style. The teaching that we do at ISB makes our students more engaged in their learning. Our students take more initiative than in the schools I have taught at in the past, and this is one aspect of ISB that I definitely want to bring to my classrooms going forward.

Another special benefit of my time at ISB has been the opportunity to have worked closely with some really brilliant colleagues, who have also become close friends. I am sure that the generous spirit of collaboration at this school has consistently enhanced our students' classroom experience. For me, I’m going back to Europe as a better teacher and person having shared knowledge and experiences with my colleagues.

Over the past four years, working at International School of Brooklyn has helped me to grow both professionally and personally. Working with educators from all over the world, being surrounded by different languages, teaching students who are eager to learn and who have a global mindset, and just being a part of this uplifting community has all made my ISB experience one of the most wonderful of my life.

These past six years at ISB have been such an important part of my life. I met a lot of amazing colleagues who come from all over the world, and I will miss them dearly. I really appreciate the families and the way that our whole community comes together as a team for the well-being of theNext,students.Iwill

be heading to Saint Barts, where I will be part of the founding teaching team of a new IB school that is opening there. The school will have only about 20 students in first through twelfth grade to start. I am very excited about this opportunity because I will be helping to create the curriculum. I will be teaching a variety of subjects: Art, French, Math, and even Physical Education. Since we are a new school, we don’t have a gym, and so P.E. will take place in the sea. Lessons will include windsurfing, cleaning up the beaches, paddleboarding, and more – so, of course, I volunteered to teach P.E.! I’m really looking forward to this new chapter in the Caribbean. I recently bought a studio apartment in Guadeloupe, and so this summer, I will be working on getting my boating license so that I can travel the 220 nautical miles between Saint Barts and Guadeloupe!

I am very grateful to have had this opportunity at ISB, and it is going to be so hard to leave the school, Brooklyn, and my friends. I do take comfort knowing that New York is only four hours from Saint Barts and Guadeloupe. I know that I will come back, and I’m sure that I will get some visits as well, maybe during ISB’s Spring Break! I will definitely stay in touch with ISB. You know, au revoir is just short for au plaisir de vous revoir!

French 2nd Grade Teacher

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RetrouvaillesReencuentros

If you missed this year’s reunion, we hope to see you at the next one! To stay up-to-date on all alumni happenings and opportunities, make sure that the ISB Advancement Office has your current email address on file by sending an email to alumni@isbrooklyn.org.

On June 9th, ISB hosted an Alumni Reunion event filled with hugs and the many smiling faces of old classmates and lifelong friends! During this beautiful spring evening, alumni and families of ISB Classes ‘15, ‘16, ‘17, and ‘18 enjoyed music and refreshments in the Courtyard. Catching up was the main focus of the night, but alumni also reveled in retracing their (smaller) steps, which led them to touring the halls of our buildings, and eventually to a pick-up game of basketball in the Gym! It was a truly special occasion, and with our alumni body continuing to expand every year, we look forward to hosting more of these combined class reunion events.

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 35 ALUMNI UPDATES

and group to group while Miss Kim is teaching.” Liad’s internship also included a project component and she told us she was “happy to be helping to design the new ISB Middle School Science Google Site.”

Our First Alumni Internship at ISB

Liad was thrilled to be headed back to ISB; she told us that “Talking to Miss Kim again, in a second, I was like, yeah, this is what I want to do.” Her enthusiasm was based on her wonderful memories of her time in Middle School, and she shared that “I love Miss Kim and I love ISB. ISB helped build up my confidence as a student. I felt immersed in so many different cultures and I learned so much. Going into my first year of high school, I felt really well-prepared.”Whenher internship with Kimesha was in full swing, we caught up with Liad who was helping out in several Science classes and in a variety of ways. When describing the work she was doing under Miss Kim’s guidance, she told us that it “changes from day to day, but a lot of it is helping to set up for labs and bouncing around from student to student

Working with Kimesha was an obvious choice for Liad, who told Lingua Franca that “Looking back, Miss Kim is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. She always pushes her students to succeed and sets them up for success. She really wants you to do well.” After Liad’s decision was made and she reached out, it didn’t take long to get the green light for her internship in Kimesha’s Science classroom. In Liad’s words, “I emailed Miss Kim. We Zoomed the very next day, she said she’d be happy to have me, and it was all set up. Just like that!”

After coming back and spending time at ISB, speaking of her Spanish, Liad remarked, “now that I’m here again and I’m hearing kids talk in Spanish, it’s coming back to me,” which is timely because she has already applied for a college semester in Spain!

According to Miss Kim (Middle School Science Department Head Kimesha Reid-Grant), “Liad’s presence and support in the classroom was invaluable during her time here. She helped to organize and set up labs and explained concepts and instructions to students individually. She helped out in (Middle School Science Teacher) Ashley

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ALUMNI UPDATES

iad Ben-Eli ‘18 attended high school at the Institute for Collaborative Education, where graduating seniors are required to complete a second semester internship. This spring, when the time came for Liad to choose an internship, she wanted hers to be STEM-related. She was discussing various options with her family when her little sister Laliv ‘22 suggested, “You should come to school with me!” Liad loved the idea, immediately thought of her Middle School Science teacher Kimesha Reid-Grant, and did not hesitate before contacting her about the possibility of interning at ISB, the school she says “where I’ve always felt most at home.”

As a bonus, Liad was having a wonderful time being reimmersed in life at ISB and let us know that she “would encourage other alumni to come back.” In her experience, “Graduating from ISB is a very special thing, especially because it’s a small school. I feel a sense of community at ISB that I haven’t really felt at any other school I’ve gone to, and I’ve gone to a lot ofInschools!”thefall,Liad will be attending Northeastern University, where she plans to major in Neuroscience and minor in Computer Science. She hopes to continue on to study medicine in a field related to pediatrics and emergency care. She is also “a hundred percent going to study abroad.” She explained that, “a really great resource that ISB gave me is the study abroad experience I had when we did the Costa Rica trip in 7th Grade. Going on that trip, staying with a host family, and being independent for a week gave me some real familiarity with the idea of studying abroad. It taught me that I can figure things out on my own and can feel okay living on my own for a time. It did wonders for my sense of independence, and I’m actually still in touch with my host family from Costa Rica!”

Odlum’s class as well, and she attended field trips with the 6th Grade. She also worked really hard on organizing our new Science website that we hope to be publishing soon! The website will feature student projects, and be a way for parents to catch a glimpse of the work.” Kimesha added “Liad has such a strong work ethic. She’s confident, driven, independent, and goal-oriented. I can identify with her, particularly, because she knows what she wants at such a young age. When I was a high school student in Jamaica, I also knew what I wanted when I went for Marine Biology in Ocho Rios. I set my compass and went for it.”

Kimesha’s vision of Liad’s future is a bright one. She said “We have no doubt that Liad will achieve all she sets out to do, and we will always be here to support her as an ISB family. She will be out there raising the ISB flag high for us.” Kimesha

also spoke about how Liad’s internship was a pilot program of sorts, highlighting that this mentorship was the first of its kind. Now she's looking ahead “hoping that this is something that will continue and that other alums, who are familiar with IB and understand the core values of the school, will come back to support our students.”

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 37

lass of 2020 alum Quentin Stallworth is going into his junior year at The High School of Art and Design, where he majors in Film. This spring, his passion for filmmaking led him back to ISB.

ALUMNI UPDATES

Quentinmater.described his journey towards the creation of his latest film “No Ratings, No Reviews”, and how it brought him back to International School of Brooklyn. He said, “It all started in September of last year. There was a program my school mentioned, called Reel Works. I applied, interviewed, and pitched my movie idea for the narrative lab, where you create a narrative film over a nine-month period, and

“No Ratings, No Reviews”

38 | INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN

I was accepted!” The film that Quentin had conceived is “about a teenager who downloads a game to his phone, and it starts to cause real life consequences.” He explained that “The main character plays the game and, after he beats the first level, things start to get weird. His school bag unzips and everything falls out. It all just escalates from there, until he gets to the fifth level and then something really unexpected happens.” According to Quentin, “the audience gets this message that the game is very dangerous and you don’t really want to play it, but for the protagonist, it’s too late. Then his best friend falls for the game, and eventually the whole school becomes obsessed with it.”

Quentin’s life in film goes way back to when he was “a really small child, around five or so,” when he used to experiment with his mom’s camera. He told Lingua Franca, “She had this handheld camera that was pretty good, for the time.” He shared, “I could barely talk, but I used to take random videos documenting what was happening around my family and me.” Quentin still has those short documentary videos, and suggested that one day he may use them “for something,” but right now he is working on a narrative film that was the reason for his return to his alma

Withof.”his movie now in post-production, Quentin has a special message for Head of School Joe Santos and our extraordinary Facilities Team, who opened up the school on a weekend so that his film shoot could take place without interruption. He concluded our conversation with this final note of gratitude: “Thank you so much, I could not have done this without ISB.”

SUMMER 2022 Lingua Franca | 39

When we asked Quentin about his vision for his future career, he said “I’m definitely not done

with film. I have so much to accomplish. Although, after we finish post-production on the film, I’ll probably focus more on academics for a while, but I’ve made a lot of contacts, and I’d really like to find a way to do more editing.” Quentin added that "Anything is possible but, right now, film is the thing that catches my eye the most. I love the teamwork aspect – the camaraderie on shoots and in all phases of production. Being on set is such a wonderful experience. It's a great community to be a part

Thank you to our superstar Facilities Team for always going above and beyond to help our students!

Quentin is confident that the movie will be finished “before the end of summer” and said that “ISB has had a big hand in helping the film get made.” He explained that “Since the film is about a group of high school students, we needed a school in which to film the majority of the scenes. We looked at a bunch of high schools first, but none of them were willing to accommodate our shoot. So, that’s when I thought about reaching out to ISB. I contacted Joe (Head of School Joe Santos) who, after hearing my proposal, said ‘sure, you can film here.’” So, Quentin said, “that’s how we were able to get it done, that’s how we got the scenes we needed!”

It is quite fitting that Quentin would make his first big narrative film at ISB because as an ISB Middle School student, he made his first small narrative film here. Throughout Middle School, Quentin was part of the Action for the Climate and Environment Club, a club that was run by Quentin’s mother, ISB Faculty Member and Former Trustee Muriel Stallworth. Quentin told us that “an interest and concern for nature and the environment is just something that runs in the family.” As part of the club’s work, Quentin made what he described as “a stop-motion animation about plastics in the ocean and pollution in general.” He recalled that “our group was working on landfills and we made this very short film, about two or three minutes long, which was kind of the first narrative film that I ever made. It had a full story. It’s not the greatest movie in the world, but I was happy with how it came out at the time!”

In October, we were thrilled to host our first in-person Alumni event since before the pandemic! Over 20 members of ISB's Class of 2020 had a great time reconnecting and catching up with each other and their former teachers in the garden of Baby Luc's on Court Street.

ISB’s Class of 2018 graduated high school this year! Our former students will be setting off to colleges and universities located in all corners of the country, from here in New York City to Vermont to California. As an international school community, we are also thrilled to see that over one third of the class will be going abroad for their studies — not including those alumni who are taking exciting gap years that will be spent volunteering and traveling overseas! Our alumni adventurers, advocates, and leaders will be studying everything from neuroscience to film to software engineering to literature to music. Among the colleges and educational programs they will be attending are:

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CLASS OF 2018 COLLEGE DECISIONS

Middlebury NorwichNortheasternCollegeUniversityUniversityofthe

Don’t miss the next alumni event! Update your contact information with ISB by sending an email to alumni@isbrooklyn.org and following @isbrooklynalumni on social media for news about alumni happenings.

Class of 2020 Alumni Meetup

Rochester Institute of Technology Sarah Lawrence College Sciences Po, Reims (France)

LudwigIndianaEmersonClaremontBocconiBerkleeBenningtonUniversityCollegeCollegeofMusicUniversity(Italy)McKennaCollegeCollegeUniversityMaximilianUniversity

McGill University (Canada) Arts (United Kingdom)

Macaulay Honors College

Marcy Lab School

Skidmore College Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) University of Massachusetts Amherst University of Glasgow (United Kingdom) Villanova University

ALUMNI UPDATES

American of Munich (Germany)

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The Boerum Hill School for International Studies

Academy of Finance and Enterprise

Notre Dame School of Manhattan

Graduation

Brooklyn Friends School

Avenues: The World School

Class of 2022 42 | INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN

Sint-Rombouts College (Belgium)

Friends Seminary

Brooklyn Technical High School

LREI - Elisabeth Irwin High School

Poly Prep Country Day School

The Berkeley Carroll School

The Hewitt School

The Clinton School

Bard High School Early College Queens Bay Ridge Prep

Stuyvesant High School

The United Nations International School

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts

Grace Church School

Léman Manhattan Preparatory School

Edward R. Murrow High School

The High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College

The Beacon School

Our graduates were accepted to 16 independent, parochial, and boarding high schools and were matched with 20 public programs, including at specialized high schools. We are so proud of our students and excited about all of the opportunities that await them in the future. Members of International School of Brooklyn’s Class of 2022 will be attending the following high schools:

Brooklyn Latin School

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We create Advocates. We shape Leaders.

Comunicadores y comunicadoras apasionad(o)as, conectado(a)s activamente con su comunidad y el resto del mundo.

Nous formons des élèves engagé(e)s.

Nous formons des aventuriers et aventurières.

Creamos Formamosrepresentantes.líderes.

Innovadores e innovadoras entusiastas dedicado(a)s a asumir retos y a explorar ideas nuevas.

Nous formons des leaders.

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Colaboradores y colaboradoras creativo(a)s e intelectuales audaces inspirado(a)s a pensar críticamente, siempre en busca de respuestas.

We develop Adventurers.

Des communicateurs et des communicatrices passionné(e)s, connecté(e)s à leur communauté et au monde.

Eager innovators dedicated to taking on challenges and exploring new ideas.

Passionate communicators actively connected to their community and the world.

Des collaborateurs et des collaboratrices créatif(ve)s et audacieux(ses), aptes à prendre des risques, à penser de façon critique et toujours à la recherche de réponses.

Des innovateurs et des innovatrices enthousiastes, prêt(e)s à relever des défis et à explorer de nouvelles idées.

Desarrollamos aventureras y aventureros.

Creative collaborators and intellectual risk takers who are inspired to think critically and seek answers.

477 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 (718) isbrooklyn.org369-3023