Lingua Franca, Summer 2023

Summer 2023

The

Lingua Franca

CHANGEMAKERS

Going Going Green: Sustainability

Wrapping Our Minds Around AI

Advocates in Action: ISB’s Powerplay

Authentic Allyship at Brooklyn Pride

The

Lingua Franca

The Magazine of International School of Brooklyn

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rom 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.

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, internationallyminded learners who flourish in those spaces.

The Lingua Franca serves as a publication where everyone can go to find out what is happening in school and in the larger community, delivering all ISB-related news in a common tongue.

Artwork by Chili, 3rd Grade

Editors Danielle Valenti, Director of Communications Paul Romano, Communications Associate Design & Layout Kelvin Ward, Director of Admissions, Marketing, and Enrollment Principal Photography Caroline Mardok, Enlight Studio

International School of Brooklyn 477 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 isbrooklyn.org

Tell us what you’re up to!

We want to hear from you and would love to share your story with the ISB community.

Please email us your latest news, photos, and more at communications@isbrooklyn.org.

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A Note from the Head of School

We empower changemakers.

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ith the addition of this new pillar, our mission statement evolves in the most natural way. As a school and a community, diversity, equity, and inclusion have always been at the heart of who we are. This pillar expressly articulates our commitment to diversity in our mission statement, so that anyone who visits our campus or looks at our website will instantly know that ISB is profoundly invested in helping advance a more just and inclusive world.

In this year’s magazine, you will see the many ways in which this pillar of our mission statement takes shape at ISB. You will read features about how our faculty modeled risk-taking by building brave spaces in the classroom; how our faculty, staff, students, and families are “going green” together in the most innovative ways; and how our alumni are already making a difference in the world. I am incredibly proud to be part of this community of changemakers and find so much inspiration in the stories of our students, teachers, staff, alumni, and families. I hope you enjoy this edition of The Lingua Franca as much as I do!

Joe Santos Summer 2023 The Lingua Franca

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We empower changemakers.

Courageous learners committed to embracing and upholding integrity, justice, and inclusivity.

Empoderamos agentes de cambio.

Aprendices audaces comprometido(a)s en acoger y defender la integridad, la justicia y la inclusividad.

Nous donnons les moyens aux acteurs du changement.

Des apprenants courageux(ses) déterminé(e)s à adopter et à défendre l’intégrité, la justice et l’inclusion.

Desarrollamos aventureras y aventureros.

Creamos representantes.

Empoderamos agentes de cambio.

Formamos líderes.

Nous formons des aventuriers et aventurières.

Nous formons des élèves engagé(e)s.

Nous donnons les moyens aux acteurs du changement.

Nous formons des leaders.

ISB’s New Mission Statment

We develop adventurers.

We create advocates.

We empower changemakers.

We shape leaders.

ISB is proud to announce its updated mission statement, created and adopted by the Board of Trustees in June 2023.

CONTENTS News

Board of Trustees

A Decade of Dedication

07 Celebration of Service

19 Joe Santos’s Top 10 Memories Over 10 Years

08 Executive Committee Appointments 08 New Trustees

Features

09 Going, Going, Green: Sustainability 26 Wrapping Our Minds Around AI

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33 Andrea Kientz 35 Hector Castillo

Alumni 39 Class of 2019 Colleges 40 Brooklyn to Alaska 43 Re-immersed in ISB 45 Class of 2023

29 Advocates in Action: ISB’s Powerplay

37 Authentic Allyship at the Brooklyn Pride Parade

Updates from the

Board of Trustees Board Members Concluding Their Service After nearly a decade of service to ISB, Yvonne Brathwaite, Daniel Paccione, and Sophie Panchal have completed their terms this summer.

We are so grateful to Yvonne, Daniel, and Sophie for the unparalleled dedication they have shown to the school.

Sophie Panchal held the positions of Vice President, President, and Past President during her tenure. Sophie has worked tirelessly to plan for ISB’s financial stability, and her leadership brought about pivotal decisions around ISB’s strategic planning and expansion to include a high school.

Yvonne Brathwaite held the positions of Vice President and Secretary during her tenure.

Yvonne has spent countless hours bringing visibility to ISB’s work in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Most recently, Yvonne led our Board and community in its recent effort to determine the appropriate language for the DEI pillar of the school’s mission statement.

Daniel Paccione held the position of Vice President during his tenure. Daniel has been our IB expert and has led multiple rounds of creating and updating the school’s strategic plan. Throughout his time as a Trustee, Daniel has always ensured that the Board kept a strategic focus with equity at the forefront of our discussions.

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Executive Committee Appointments We are delighted to announce that ISB Trustee Michael León-Rivera is taking on the role of Vice President.

New Trustees We are thrilled to welcome two Board Members, Addae Cox and Alison Maschmeyer, each of whom bring a wealth of expertise and experience to our organization.

Michael León-Rivera is a creative strategist who has worked across the advertising, media, and entertainment industries. He is a parent of two children in the Lower School and Middle School on the Spanish track. Since joining ISB in 2016, Michael has been actively involved on the PA Diversity Committee, serving as Committee Chair for four years. Michael joined the Board of Trustees in 2021 and has served on the Governance Committee and Mission Statement Task Force.

Addae Cox holds two Master’s degrees in Education. In 2017, he co-founded the educational technology start-up, EnjoyTech USA. His visionary leadership was crucial in developing a smart bracelet revolutionizing student engagement. In addition to his technological achievements, Addae is an equitycentered change strategist and co-founder of the Ella Baker Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to community responsiveness. Addae also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at Hunter College, sharing his knowledge and expertise with graduate students who are current teachers.

Alison Maschmeyer earned her Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia Business School. Her 20-year career in financial services has provided highly customized solutions to entrepreneurs starting and growing their businesses. She has worked with hundreds of domestic and international start-ups. Alison is currently the Managing Director of the Americas for Pinnacle Investment Management Group, a global multi-affiliate. She has worked for BNP Paribas, Bank of America, and Deutsche Bank in New York and London. Alison has also lent her fundraising and creative marketing expertise to various international and local nonprofit organizations.

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GOING

GOING

GREEN SUSTAINABILITY

The school-wide theme at ISB for the 2022-2023 school year was “Sustainability.”

Throughout the year, the environment was kept in focus as we acknowledged humanity’s role in climate change with honesty and integrity. In and out of the classroom, our faculty, staff, students, and families joined forces in myriad efforts that made an immediate impact on our local environment and neighbors’ lives.

Our focus on making a difference by way of tangible initiatives helped to alleviate some of our collective and individual climate anxiety and develop a positive outlook on the role we can have in creating eco-friendly and lasting systems that make for a better future for our communities and beyond.

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Climate Resiliency Fellowship 11

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ast summer, ISB Sustainability Coordinator Muriel Stallworth and Preschool and Lower School Science Teacher Elizabeth Boyd visited Shelburne Farms, Vermont to participate in the Climate Resiliency Fellowship. Shelburne Farms has been dedicated to “inspiring and cultivating learning for a sustainable future” since the ‘70s, and the fellowship, “a year-long professional learning opportunity for teachers in the Northeast committed to learning, teaching, and taking action for the climate

through interdisciplinary and place-based approaches,” was the perfect experience to get inspired and informed for ISB’s sustainability-themed school year.

Over the course of the school year, Muriel and Elizabeth joined a cohort of eighteen educators from across the Northeast to reflect on the state of the planet and to foster a sense of hope within climate change education. This dedicated group of teachers engaged in discussion, reflection, and collaboration in school teams that were led by experienced facilitators and invited speakers.

Interspersed with moments of meditative reflection among the sprawling meadows and limitless views over Lake Champlain were activities and brainstorming sessions about how to create authentic and dynamic learning opportunities for students.

The Climate Resiliency Fellowship resulted in each team designing a sustainability plan for their school. For Elizabeth and Muriel, this meant preparing for the implementation phase of ISB’s focus on sustainability as they created both short-term and long-term goals for our school community. Since the fellowship unfolded over the nine months of the school year, Elizabeth and Muriel were able to routinely check in with their colleagues about ISB’s sustainability efforts and

the new systems they put in place at our school.

Throughout the school year, Muriel and Elizabeth shared what they learned with our students in the classroom and on field trips, as well as with the adults in our community in a series of professional development experiences with faculty and staff and meetings with our parent community. They brought us up to date on the latest climate science and demonstrated how everyone in our community can lend a hand to make ISB a leader among independent schools aiming to reduce their carbon footprint. This year alone, climate awareness efforts and sustainability initiatives could be seen all over the school, and we are just getting started!

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GREEN TOGETHER

World Language Used Book Fair and Clothing Swap

Tower Garden

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This spring, the PA Library and Green Dragons Committees hosted a World Language Used Book Sale.

For this eco-friendly, multilingual book sale, our community collected used books for all ages and in all languages other than English. All proceeds from the sale went to the ISB Annual Fund for

Excellence. The Clothing Swap and World Language Used Book Sale was a fun and eco-friendly twoday event that featured some great finds and big smiles! Thank you to the Green Dragons Committee, Library Committee, and Parents Association for all their effort in organizing and running the event.

Throughout the school year, students enjoyed caring for plants in our very own hydroponic Tower Garden. The vertical plant nursery produced Swiss chard, cilantro, lettuce, basil, and arugula. On one hot spring day in the ISB Courtyard, everyone cooled off and got an extra boost

of energy with delicious smoothies made from the leafy greens we grew. Along with oat milk, ice, and some strawberries and bananas to sweeten the deal, this very special harvest made for one really healthy recesstime treat that our whole community could enjoy!

Earth Week is always a very special occasion at ISB, with loads of fun, engaging, and thoughtprovoking activities. This year on Earth Day, we hosted a pop-up art station near our Pollinator Garden, where students of all ages were able to celebrate local

For the 2nd Grade Waste Management unit, French and Spanish 2nd Graders found a wonderful way to reduce waste in their classroom. Students made beeswax and cotton wraps as environmentallyfriendly alternatives to other food storage wraps

pollinators by drawing birds, bees, and other insects on paper circles that were displayed on sticks in our planters. They were also able to observe parts of plants and identify signs that bee-friendly perennials were on their way back!

such as plastic cling wrap or aluminum foil. Both of these biodegradable materials break down in landfills, and students have already used and continue to reuse their cool new wraps to pack their lunches!

Celebrating Local Pollinators

Sustainability is All of Our Beeswax

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GREEN TOGETHER Rescuing Leftover Lunch

This school year, ISB launched an initiative to reduce food waste and food insecurity. Each school day, excess food from the Cafeteria was packed by ISB staff and student volunteers and redistributed by the national food rescue organization Rescuing Leftover Cuisine

to community fridges in Gowanus and Red Hook.

Packing and labeling the food has been a true community effort, bringing staff and faculty together in a purposeful and uplifting way. Since November, there have been 29 donations, 903 pounds of food saved, and 753 meals served!

Class of 2019 Alumni Lila Tuschl and Esther Kuhn initiated schoolwide composting at ISB as part of their 8th Grade MYP Community Project.

After a hiatus due to the pandemic, we were excited to re-launch our composting program in mid-September.

ISB has sent dozens and dozens of buckets to Vokashi,

a composting company which uses the bokashi technique.

We also continue to work on teaching students the difference between inedible food waste, such as orange peels and chicken bones, and edible food leftovers, encouraging them to be mindful about not wasting food.

Composting Using the Bokashi Technique

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On a cozy winter night in January, the Green Dragons hosted students, parents, faculty, and staff for a special screening of the documentary, Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story in the ISB Gym. To begin the event, ISB Sustainability Coordinator Muriel Stallworth spoke about the work ISB is doing to manage food waste, as well as other important sustainability efforts the school is undertaking. In the movie, filmmakers Jenny Rustemeyer and Grant Baldwin investigate issues around food waste, from the farm to the supermarket to their own fridge, until they vow to

stop buying groceries and live solely off of discarded food.

After the screening, adults and older students heard from Marisa DeDominicis, the co-founder and executive director of Earth Matter NY, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the art, science, and application of composting in and around New York City. Lower School Science Teacher Elizabeth Boyd and a fantastic group of Middle School student volunteers also hosted fun activity stations for younger students – even featuring live worms!

Just Eat It Film Screening

ISB’s efforts to become a waste-free school are about creating systems that ensure our carbon footprint diminishes every day by taking the landfill out of the equation as much as possible. This impact is boosted by the many actions of our teachers, administrators, and dynamic PA Green Dragons Committee, along with our fantastic Middle School Action for the Climate and the Environment Club.

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GREEN TOGETHER

Creating a Sustainable Future

In the school years ahead, ISB plans to acknowledge, educate, and engage more deeply with climate anxiety as we continue to build and fortify climate resiliency within our student and adult community. Our focus will be to develop a “systemsthinking” mindset, so that we can employ a holistic approach to taking care of the environment, as well as the feelings many of us share about climate change.

We will actively research and imagine a future built on climate solutions, and we will advocate and act in support of at-risk communities, both human and non-human. By harnessing our powers of imaginative thinking and, of course, communication, we hope to expand the initiatives currently in place and to use our voices to advocate for the planet.

In the meantime, what can families do to partner with our school’s sustainability efforts?

• Stay tuned to what is happening at ISB and to what is positive in the world.

• Help your children to appreciate the environment by engaging them in outdoor activities.

• Answer your children’s questions about the environment.

• Participate in ISB’s effort to create a waste-free culture.

• Vote, if you can, to support pro-environmental policies.

• Be an ally to the environment by expressing support for the climate movement, at ISB and in your personal life.

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FIND

ISB IG ON

Keep up with the latest ISB news and events by connecting with us on Instagram and Facebook.

Looking Back

Head of School Joe Santos Reflects on His Top Memories over 10 Years at ISB Joe Santos is celebrating a decade at ISB! We’ll take a trip down memory lane, as Joe recalls his standout memories from each academic year since his serendipitous beginning at ISB in 2013, to his two children joining the school, to ISB’s current efforts to expand to include a high school.

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2013-2014: From Barcelona to Brooklyn It was the spring of 2013 when our family decided to leave Barcelona and move to the US, where my wife, Shellee, grew up. Shellee found herself a position at another independent school in Brooklyn, and because I’m not an American citizen, I was prepared to wait for my residency application to go through its paces before I could launch my own job search. I was ready to explore the city, get to know Brooklyn, and enjoy some good, old R & R! As we prepared for our transatlantic move, we started looking for preschool options for our daughter, Stella, and that’s when Shellee discovered ISB’s website. As bilinguals and international educators, Shellee and I were intrigued by the school and its mission. I wrote to the Co-founder and Head of School Rebecca Skinner to introduce myself as a fellow educator and offer to volunteer or help the school in any way I could, as I couldn’t yet work in the US. She replied that ISB was searching for its next Director of the Middle School and asked if I was interested in interviewing for the position.

When I pointed out that I did not have my residency sorted out, Rebecca replied that, as an international school, ISB had the ability to sponsor visas. I came over for interviews, met some of the committed teachers and administrators, and fell in love with the school. I was ultimately offered the position, and the rest is history. I may have missed out on my sabbatical year, but I gained so much more.

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“I am a firm believer that bilingualism is a veritable gift, and I am fortunate to witness how this gift uplifts all of our students every day at school.”

2014-2015: ISB’s First Graduating Class Nothing could compare to the excitement surrounding the graduation of our very first 8th Grade class: the Class of 2015. That first cohort of students was an outstanding group of creative, talented, courageous, and ever-curious learners. What’s more, their parents epitomized the mission and spirit of ISB; they were true adventurers and risk-takers who were willing to entrust their children’s education to this young school and its team of passionate teachers. As families of ISB’s inaugural graduating class, they paved the way while the school added on a grade year by year. The graduation day was an incredibly proud and joyous occasion for all of us.

2015-2016: The Courtyard Becomes an Art Gallery This was the year that the North Building opened. Our newly-outfitted gymnasium, art room, music room, and cafeteria would soon unlock an enormous amount of opportunities for our students, even if the construction timeline did not exactly cooperate with the school calendar and left us unable to use these new spaces until a little later in the fall.

ISB has been through several iterations as it continues to expand, and our teachers and staff have always been incredible at adapting to new scenarios or learning environments (which certainly serves as an excellent model for our students!), and this instance was no exception. Since art class needed to be held outdoors during the first month of school, the Art Department created a giant school-wide installation in the yard. I was so impressed by the way they took what was an unfortunate situation and turned it into a stunning, communal learning experience, which then became an iconic backdrop to recess for the rest of the school year!

2016-2017: Canciones en Costa Rica This school year, I had the pleasure of chaperoning our school’s first Language Acquisition trip to Costa Rica. I distinctly remember the excitement when we first arrived, and it was truly a fantastic trip. Our students were fully immersed in Spanish, as they were staying with host families and attending classes at the Cloud Forest School. We planted trees, went ziplining, cooked empanadas, and went hiking. This was a particularly musical group of students, and I have a wonderful memory of the whole bus singing as we approached Monteverde driving through the winding roads of the rainforest.

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2017-2018: Learning from an Inspiring Leader September 2017 saw the start of my tenure as Head of School at ISB. It felt like a dream to be entrusted to lead the school that I loved so much. For the first four months, I was lucky enough to work closely with Rebecca Skinner, ISB’s visionary Founding Head of School.

Rebecca’s mentorship set me up for a successful start to my tenure as Head of School, and I will be forever grateful to her for her guidance, advice, and words of wisdom.

2018-2019: ‘Morning, Joe! Getting to Know the Broader ISB Community As Director of Middle School, I was very familiar with the students, families, faculty, and programs in the 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades. Even though I had been at the school for a few years at this point, this was still very much a year of discovery, and I really enjoyed the process of learning about the many different facets of our school and engaging with all constituents of our community. As I started to interact with students across the divisions, I realized that it was time for a “name change” in this new role. All throughout my career in education and until this point, I had always been known to students as “Mr. Santos.” Now, as Head of School, it felt incongruous to keep that moniker, especially with the younger students. And so, I became known to everyone as “Joe.” Funny, however, is that alumni who graduated before I became Head of School still have a difficult time calling me Joe after all these years!

2019-2020: The Santos-Hendricks Family at ISB Without a doubt, my most cherished memory from this school year is finally having both of my children together at ISB. My daughter, Stella, had joined ISB back in my second year when she was in Pre-K 3. Stella has always been quite a confident and chatty individual, and she became known around ISB quite rapidly, as I became known as “Stella’s dad.” Our family had lived in Spain until our son, Henry, was five years old, and I was looking forward to him being able to reconnect with the Spanish language. Stella, too, was excited to be able to teach her older brother some Spanish! I am a firm believer that bilingualism is a veritable gift, and I am fortunate to witness how this gift uplifts all of our students every day at school. As a parent of two children with different language paths, seeing the way ISB instills a love of language learning was – and still is – incredibly enriching.

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2020-2021: Facing an Unprecedented Challenge Together The pandemic hit in March of 2019-2020 school, as “synchronous/ asynchronous” and “Zoom” became everyday terms, but it was during the 2020-2021 school year that we saw a true test of our mettle. As a school, we quickly pivoted from how things were done to find a completely new approach to education. It was all hands on deck, from our Facilities team who created spaces with maximum airflow and possibilities for social distancing, to our academic teams who supported classroom learning within a new cohort system and other innovations to curricula and student life, to our remarkable School Nurse, Kali Gerber, who kept us informed, masked, and tested, and to the community at large that worked together so our school could thrive against all odds. With so many of our routines disrupted and gatherings paused, I was and still am very proud of how ISB remained a place where students, faculty, and staff could find a sense of normalcy – and even joy.

2021-2022: Gathering Again This year really made me reflect on the value of the connections we share at ISB, as we began to celebrate together once again after so many of our usual gatherings had been pared down by the pandemic. Our annual Spring Benefit was back, and we introduced a new, beloved tradition of Cocoa and Carols. We also gathered in the name of great causes in our Pride festival and our first Junetheenth celebration in the Courtyard.

2022-2023: Setting the Stage for an ISB High School We announced the effort to open an International School of Brooklyn high school: an expansion of our program that will allow our students to continue their linguistic journeys in French and Spanish and experience the benefits of an IB education through 12th grade. One of my dreams is that this new division will allow us to create more connections with the surrounding community, whether through an expanded service learning program or opening up our future facilities to neighbors so that they can join us in celebration and in support of important causes.

We still have a lot of work to do to make this dream a reality, but if the last ten years have taught me anything, it is that when our community joins together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.

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WRAPPING OUR MINDS AROUND AI

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hen ChatGPT, the now ubiquitous artificial intelligencebased chatbot, was launched in the fall, it sent shockwaves around the world, especially within school communities. Due to AI’s potential impact on education, at ISB, we wanted to address some of the questions and concerns about this rapidly growing technology, especially as it pertains to early childhood and adolescent learning and social-emotional development.

Always on the cutting edge, ISB’s Library and Technology Teams organized a community roundtable on the topic of artificial intelligence. The panel of tech and AI-minded community members included Child Psychologist Dr. Mike Brooks, ISB parents Rahul Chopra, Robert Dugdale, and Alarik Myrin (who was joined by his son, 7th Grade student Zach), along with Technology Integrator and Design Teacher Federica Marzolo and Head of School Joe Santos. Moderated

by Technology Director Jordan Genee, the event turned out to

be an enlightening and uplifting conversation about the latest trends in AI research and development and its possible impact on our intellectual and daily lives. In anticipation of the event, Jordan asked ChatGPT why it was a good idea for our community to have this discussion, and the AI chatbot responded that “it’s a great opportunity to learn with other parents who are just as confused and bewildered about AI in education as you are.” It turns out that, this time at least, ChatGPT was right on!

Knowledge is powerful, and our panel event helped raise our community above the chatter around AI, clearing up confusion and calming nerves around this innovative and potentially revolutionary technology. That being true, members of our panel did express concern about the technology and how rapidly it is evolving. Acknowledging the potential havoc AI could wreak in the hands of bad actors, consumer technology expert Rahul Chopra also spoke about positive uses and outcomes of AI technology, noting that “the impact of AI will be as big

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as the internet or the iPhone, and the speed at which the impact will be felt is both exciting and concerning. Initial impact will be felt behind the scenes: systems that provide us with better recommendations or answers to questions, and tedious administrative tasks that will no longer be required.” He added that there is also potential for AI to help in the fight against online disinformation and commended Federica on having already been using AI in her Design classroom, “where students have been able to think critically about the technology and recognize its biases and limitations.”

Software engineer and entrepreneur Alarik Myrin put forth that “schools will have an issue with non-proctored assessments and that takehome work is going to be too easy to generate with AI.” Head of School Joe Santos reminded the full house of panel attendees that, “while this is certainly true, at ISB, we are at an advantage when 27

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it comes to navigating this new technology, because of our small student-to-teacher ratio and the tight-knit nature of our community.” He added, “Our teachers know our students.

They know their writing, and they can appreciate each of their unique voices.”

Federica spoke about parents and guardians “creating meaningful memories by learning how to use AI alongside their children” and remarked that one undeniably positive aspect of the advent of AI technology is that “it has kids really excited about learning!” As far as the impact of AI on teaching goes, she believes “it has opened up a world of potential for differentiating lesson plans so that all students can connect with any subject.”

Rahul shared that “from an education perspective, and for our kids, what I’m probably most excited about is how AI can reduce administrative work for teachers and make learning more interactive by

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personalizing lesson plans to help kids learn. I’m excited for how this new technology will make learning threedimensional in a way we did not have growing up.”

Alarik called these chatbots “a non-exhaustive research tool for kids that will never be boring” and compared it to “the encyclopedias – and, eventually, the Google – we had while growing up.”

Dr. Mike Brooks acknowledged that “AIs will evolve and proliferate rapidly, affecting every aspect of civilization. Our educational system can benefit from AIs, but there are many challenges ahead. We will start encountering existential challenges such as what skills can we teach our kids to prepare them to be effective in a world full of AIs.” Mike spoke of the importance of teaching kids how to use AI ethically and noted “there is much uncertainty about the future because things will change so rapidly. Even when this is

for the better, it will still be challenging because change is stressful and dealing with the unknown often elicits feelings of anxiety.” He suggested that we be mindful of AI’s sudden presence in our lives and advised that it is “vital for kids to get offline and have interactions with real people and nature.”

Alarik predicted that “students will inevitably learn, like lots of white-collar workers, how to use AI to boost their productivity, but schools will also need to figure out how to make sure that students are not using AI as a crutch to their educational detriment.” He believes that, at ISB, we have to be ready and resourceful, because “the impact on schools is going to be immediate and big, and the impact on society will be a little slower – maybe a decade — but also big.” One auspicious recurring theme of the discussion was how AI and the IB seem to be a perfect match for one another!

IB’s focus on inquiry is wellsuited for the student who seeks to interact with an AI chatbot in the most interesting and productive way. As more than one panelist noted, “The more well-thought-out the question, the more interesting the answer.”

The event helped us move on from ideas about AI that were partially formed by science fiction movies like The Terminator, among others, and our discussion ended on a very positive note. Robert Dugdale, who leads business development and enterprise at the AI platform, Amelia, expressed that he sees “the glass half full when it comes to AI and the potential for good that could come from such a powerful tool.” He explained: “Since I work day-to-day in AI, I have a unique perspective, and I honestly think that AI will make our lives better as long as we use it properly. I think our children, families, and school systems can use it for the greater good.” At ISB,

we expect this to have been the first of many conversations we will have about this quickly evolving technology and how to use it to better our community and educational practices. We look forward to continuing to learn and make positive changes together!

Thank you to our panelists for sharing their insights and expertise with us and to ISB Librarians Maria Falgoust and Amy Ribakove, Technology Director Jordan Genee, IT Support Specialist Joscan Crespo, and Design Teacher and Technology Integrator Federica Marzolo for organizing this event!

“At ISB, we are at an advantage when it comes to navigating this new technology, because of our small student-to-teacher ratio and the tight-knit nature of our community.

Our teachers know our students; they know their writing, and they can appreciate each of their unique voices.”

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Advocates in Action

ISB’s Powerplay

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n February, the Middle School transformed into a three-day learning experience that had been many months in the making.

Our ISB Middle School faculty teamed up with educational consultant Ayo Magwood to design a series of workshops, called “Powerplay,” which explored the historical origins and current implications of race and racism and caste hierarchies across national and global contexts.

On the first day of Powerplay, students participated in an intricate and fun simulation that addressed the question, “What is inequality?”

Through play (and tiny colorful pom poms!), students engaged with ideas around power dynamics, fairness, as well as individual and categorical inequities.

Faculty and students focused on three case studies in which racial constructs were used to divide, dehumanize, and devastate groups of people. The three examples were antiBlack racism in the US, discrimination

against the Romani people in Europe, and the Rwandan genocide. By learning about these topics side by side, our students were able to identify common characteristics of hate-based extremist movements; collaborate to discuss past, present, and future implications for systemic inequities; and work with their teachers to unpack the roles and impact they can have as young advocates and leaders.

In the “Power and Access” workshop, students expanded on ideas from the previous day’s activities and discussions by focusing on “ingroup favoritism” and “out-group prejudice.” They turned a critical lens toward the lack of diversity in managerial positions in English soccer and learned about the career of Paul Ince, one-time captain of the English national team and the first Black coach in the Premier League. In a workshop on “Data and Disparities,” students also discussed the inequitable access to healthy food and green spaces here in New York City.

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In the session “Power and Resistance Through Art: Reconstructing a Response,” Middle Schoolers examined race and gender representation in popular culture as well as “the art historical canon.”

Then, they made their own works of art as a way to process and respond to their Powerplay experience; they created artwork to raise awareness, denounce hierarchical injustice, and reconfigure the status quo. Later, students went on a gallery walk presentation of their peers’ artwork, which provided a space for them to meaningfully reflect on the content of the three-day workshop.

“Often we hear adults debate about ‘how old’ students should be before they begin to process the inequities of the world around them,” shares Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Sakai Troxell. “Of the many things that Powerplay has taught us, the most poignant is that our students – particularly Middle School students – are poised and ready to grapple with and begin to strategize about remediating large, complex topics such as race, racism, caste, 31

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and hierarchical systems. Creating spaces that allow students – and the courageous faculty that teach them – to focus on things that matter to their lives communicates to them that it is everyone’s responsibility – not simply those directly impacted – to promote change.”

Powerplay ended with closing remarks and a summary of key concepts, themes, and ideas such as race as a social construct, equality vs. equity, and system oppression

by Director of Middle School Katie Rogers and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Sakai Troxell.

They reminded our Middle Schoolers that positive change and remediation are possible and congratulated them for their curiosity, risk-taking, and engagement in the courageous conversations, and commended our Middle School faculty for continuing to put effort towards building brave spaces that teach historical and current truths.

In a check-in weeks after Powerplay had concluded, Sakai noted, “Our students are energized and empathic; throughout the three-

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day sessions, they could be seen both inside and outside of their sessions processing what they’d learned. In fact, recently, a parent approached me to share that her child engaged their family in a discussion that centered on the Powerplay workbook at their seder.

This is what true impact looks like. Katie and I are excited to continue to build our Powerplay with the Middle School faculty to explore different topics and, most importantly, fuse Powerplay content into the existing Middle School curriculum.”

“Of the many things that Powerplay has taught us, the most poignant is that our students – particularly Middle School students – are poised and ready to grapple with and begin to strategize about remediating large, complex topics such as race, racism, caste, and hierarchical systems.”

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Faculty & Staff A Decade of Dedication

Andrea Kientz

Assistant to the Head of School and Operations Manager

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ndrea is multilingual with French, German, and English. She is a motivator who always has encouraging words for her coworkers.

Andrea is also the consummate team player, enhancing the many all-star squads she works with throughout the school!

LF: What were your first impressions of ISB?

said that he could really envision me here and thought I could bring something to the table as a multicultural, trilingual parent.

I was introduced to the Head of School, Rebecca Skinner, and was immediately impressed by her passion for education and bilingualism. I was a parent to two young bilingual children, and ISB’s immersion program really spoke to me. Rebecca had a unique and inspiring way of communicating her vision. This made me want to be included in this amazing project, which still felt very grassroots at the time, in whatever way I could.

AK: My friend and former ISB Trustee, Jérôme Barth, had told me so many good things about the school and how wonderful the teaching philosophy and LF: What is the project you’re environment was for his two girls, most proud of or happy to have Maya ’18 and Ariane ‘20. He completed or been a part of?

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AK: One of my favorite projects was when we hosted the North American semi-finals of the AEFE Ambassadeurs en herbe international debate competition here at ISB. It was really cool to host students, school leaders, and teachers from other cities in the US and in Canada, along with French officials, for this amazing event which really showcased the caliber of our students’ critical thinking and communication skills. We worked with everyone in the school to make this happen, and it was a great success.

Something else I enjoy helping with every year is School Picture Day. ISB parent and alumni parent, Caroline Mardok, who has been taking the school photos for years, has such a talent for capturing the personality of our students, and it’s fun to watch that process behind the scenes and to see how each student has grown over the summer. I have a photographic memory, and by the end of School Picture Day, I know all of the students’ names, which gives me a great point of connection to start the year off with.

to think about. In my role as Operations Manager, I really enjoy working with all entities of the school – our three academic divisions, DEI, Facilities, Reception, the Library. This means that some days I end up helping out with the most random things in the school, but the spontaneity makes the job fun!

LF: How has the school changed during the past ten years?

AK: Definitely in size – the number of students has increased exponentially! When I arrived, Joe [Santos] had just launched the Middle School. A lot has changed since then, but the school still has the same spirit. Faculty and staff have come and gone in that time, but I find that they often leave a longstanding impression, almost like a legacy. You still see curricula that former teachers created, traditions they started, and teaching philosophies they shared with their peers.

complete the circle with our students and to grow as a school at the same time.

LF: What do you appreciate most about working at ISB? AK: I love the cultural richness of our families and staff. There is someone from everywhere!

In my first few years in New York, I didn’t know many French speakers, and so it meant a lot that the school connected me with a wider community of Francophones in the city.

ISB really is a happy place to work, and I can see myself here for years to come. I don’t know if I ever thought I would be working at the same place for ten years, but the more I work here, the more I love it. In truth, I never imagined I would love it so much – so thank you, Jérôme!

LF: What would you like to see happen in the next ten years at ISB?

LF: What do you enjoy most about your current role?

AK: I would love to see ISB start a high school so that our AK: This year in particular, students can graduate with I’ve really enjoyed helping a diploma that reflects the to put together the DEI events. fullness of our school program There have been so many and the languages we offer. meaningful and enjoyable Now, when our students leave opportunities for our at the end of Middle School, community centered around they go off in many amazing DEI, and I always leave those directions, but I think it would events with something new be really incredible for us to Summer 2023 The Lingua Franca

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rom early in the morning, Hector Castillo is everywhere around the school, making sure that all systems are running smoothly and that everyone in school has what they need to be successful. At home, Hector enjoys cooking Puerto Rican food, and his arroz con gandules is a perennial hit at school potluck lunches.

was calm and friendly, and I always felt really welcome here. All of the teachers treated me nicely, even when I wasn’t on staff full-time and didn’t have much interaction with them. Eventually, the Head of School, Rebecca Skinner, gave me the chance to work here, and ten years later, here I am!

LF: Do you have a favorite ISB memory?

LF: What were your first impressions of ISB? HC: It’s hard to choose a favorite memory at ISB. There’s a lot of HC: When I came here, I started them, which is a good thing! I as a maintenance worker with a really enjoy our staff potlucks. I private company, and I remember I like working with all of the different was immediately interested in a job teams in the school, and these are at the school. Since day one, I liked nice moments to come together and the environment and the vibe – it share our food and cultures and 35

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Hector Castillo Facilities Manager

relax. One summer, the staff had a barbecue on the old deck in the yard. We grilled, had music, and it was a great time!

LF: What project did you have the most fun working on?

HC: I always like ISB’s Spring Benefit. Even though it’s a lot of work, it’s also a lot of fun and you get to know the parents and people you work with. I remember the Casino Royale-themed Benefit, when we turned the Gym and the Art Room into a full-on casino.

That was one of the best benefits we ever had, and it was incredible to see it all come together. We have really managed to transform some spaces over the years, which has been a great experience.

With teamwork, anything is possible. A gym becomes a casino, a library becomes Ancient Greece — you never know what to expect at ISB! It definitely keeps things interesting.

LF: Currently, what do you enjoy most about your work?

HC: There’s always joking and laughter here, which makes the work more fun and pleasurable. As we say, “there’s never a dull moment!”

There’s good days and bad days, and it’s hard work, but I try to enjoy every moment that I can. That’s what keeps me motivated!

LF: What is it like to see the students grow up over the course of ten years?

HC: Wow, this is so nice.

You’re here all day – it’s like your second home – so it’s like seeing your children grow. You see the students every day in the halls and the classes; they grow up and they graduate, and then they go out into the world to do their next thing. Even though you weren’t a direct part of their education, it still feels like an accomplishment.

I’ve known some of these kids since they were in Pre-K, and some of them will remember that. Alumni come back, and they will still remember me!

It’s amazing to see them so grown up.

mostly bigger than ISB, but we’ll get there!

LF: What would you like to see for the future of ISB? HC: ISB brings in a lot of good, caring people, and we all want to see the school grow, get a bigger building, and become an even better establishment. For me, ISB is part of my future, and I want to see the school keep going strong!

LF: How are you different from when you joined ISB ten years ago?

HC: I’ve changed and matured a lot in this environment. I have a lot of responsibility in leading our Facilities Team, paying attention to the needs of all the classes, and managing the construction and facilities.

I’d say that in my job now, I am more focused on the big picture. I’m always thinking ahead to what’s coming up, what plans the school has, and what will be better for ISB. Every day I learn something new. Just like the kids, I am here to learn everything and anything! This past spring, I was able to attend the first NYSAIS Facilities and Operations Conference, and this was a great experience. It was really interesting to meet other facilities managers and to learn about the work they do at their schools, which were Summer 2023 The Lingua Franca

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Authentic Allyship

Reflections on the 2023 Brooklyn Pride Parade

Sakai Troxell Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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n June 10, 2023, over 50 members of the ISB community walked alongside one another and the broader Brooklyn community for the first time in the Brooklyn Pride Parade.

Last year, School Nurse Kali Gerber approached me about ISB marching in the parade and then spearheaded the logistics to get us registered and energized to participate. In conjunction with marching in the parade, the DEI Office created ISB Pride t-shirts for our community, with the profits going to Brooklyn Community Pride Center, a safe space for our local LGBTQIA+ community.

Brooklyn Community Pride Center emphasizes gender, racial, and ethnic parity. According to their mission statement, the goal of the organization is to offer “physical and mental health services, social support, recreational and cultural programming…through promotion of the empowerment, development, and general welfare of the community.” To date, over 100 shirts have been sold!

The experience at Brooklyn Pride was like no other.

Students and families from all Divisions came together in support of the LGBTQIA+ community and each other, with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts. It was

pure ISB magic, and it was contagious – schools around us admired the air of solidarity and friendship within our group. There is so much strength in numbers, but even more strength in authenticity; everyone there wanted to be there, and that matters.

While marching, I kept hearing spectators asking about the school with all of the energy and enthusiasm.

What is International School of Brooklyn?

This is us. The loudest and proudest in any space we occupy. Adventurers, advocates, changemakers, and leaders. Still learning but learning together – making mistakes along the way and holding ourselves accountable to promote progress and understanding. Raising our voices so everyone knows our commitment to belonging is real and proactive. This is just the beginning for ISB. We look forward to showing up in numbers and in spirit at other community events in support of other important groups, organizations, and causes as we continue on our journey of learning about and raising awareness for the uncomfortable-but-necessary historical and current truths of our society.

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Alumni Class of 2019 Colleges

ISB’s Class of 2019 graduated high school this year! Our smallest graduating class has big plans for next year as they set off to colleges and universities at all corners of the country and abroad. They will be studying everything from finance and political science to cinema and theater to linguistics, journalism, and philosophy. Members of the Class of 2019 will be attending the following colleges in the fall: American University of Paris (France) Cornell University DePaul University Drexel University Emory University Fashion Institute of Technology George Washington University Ithaca College King’s College London (United Kingdom) McGill University (Canada) Oberlin College Occidental College Tulane University University College Dublin (Ireland) University of Toronto (Canada) Wesleyan University

Artwork by Melchior, ‘19 39

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Brooklyn to Alaska

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rooklyn to Alaska is a local nonprofit organization founded by ISB Alumni Parent Sam Gregory, ‘16, ‘18, ‘22, whose mission is to provide a pathway for BIPOC youth to create transformative, life-defining experiences in the rugged wilderness of Alaska, while forging deep and lasting connections with the outdoors and each other. Since the organization launched over a decade ago, several members of the ISB community have gotten involved in this incredible initiative, from faculty to parents to alumni. Most recently, Brooklyn to Alaska has taken bolder action in addressing the systemic inequities of outdoor recreation through the development of their “Graduate to Guide” leadership program.

ISB Alumni Jonah Huapaya ‘19 and Samuel Larriere ‘18 are now among the first group of participants to complete the Graduate to Guide program. The Lingua Franca sat down with these two adventurous risk-takers to hear about their respective journeys to Alaska, their thoughts on leadership, and recollections on how their experiences at ISB brought them to this juncture.

LF: Tell us about how you first got involved with Brooklyn to Alaska.

Jonah: I got involved through Mr. Stokes, who was my Math Teacher at ISB at the time. He was involved in the organization as a leader, and I remember he shared a video about Brooklyn to Alaska in class. He noticed that I was interested in the program and then asked me to join. The same summer I graduated from ISB in 2019, I went on my first trip to Alaska.

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Samuel: My mom was at an ISB parent event after my class had graduated, and Sam approached her to ask if I wanted to be part of Brooklyn to Alaska in the summer of 2020. After the participant trip was canceled due to the pandemic, Sam invited me to be on the inaugural leadership trip.

The leadership training program is all about closing the gap in outdoor adventure. The idea is to involve BIPOC youth from the Brooklyn community so that we have more program leaders who look like the participants themselves, that way they can see themselves in other fields and professions. Both Jonah and I participated in the leadership trip back in 2020, and now we will be leading the Graduate to Guide trip this summer. We’ll be teaching a group of participants the main components of wilderness survival and being an outdoor adventure guide.

LF: Prior to your involvement in Brooklyn to Alaska, what sort of wilderness and outdoor adventure experience did you have?

Jonah: When you first arrive in Alaska, climbing up to Sam [Gregory]’s cabin is two miles uphill, and even though it’s hard on your body, you still have to persevere. Now, my ability to persevere in situations has grown, and I have become a stronger person mentally because of this.

Samuel: Everyone has different values and strengths that they bring to Alaska. When you are in your comfort zone, it can be hard to tell what your strengths are, but when you’re up there and completely out of your comfort zone, your strengths – and weaknesses – are revealed, and it’s exciting to discover this about yourself and to see the participants discover this, too. We recently had a participant who could barely hike fifty yards, and at the end of the trip, he was promising us he was going to start working out and doing athletics to become stronger.

Brooklyn to Alaska?

Jonah: I remember during my 8th Grade graduation at ISB, my Physical Education Teacher, Jimmy Martinez, told me that I should continue speaking up in front of people. He saw that I was uncomfortable with public speaking at the time, but he also recognized the potential I had and told me to keep practicing so that I would become more and more comfortable.

I felt that he saw me as a leader, and this encouraged me to explore that part of myself and to better learn how to conduct myself in front of a group of people.

Samuel: I think back on the way our Math Teacher, Mr. Stokes, treated us when we were Middle Schoolers, who could sometimes be an annoying and rowdy group. He was always kind and sympathetic but also strict when he needed to be. I try to use this caring approach when dealing with kids on LF: How did your experience at ISB the trip. prepare you for a program like this?

LF: You both have become teachers Jonah: I think that being part of in a certain sense through your ISB’s tight-knit community helped involvement as guides in the program. me develop skills to better connect and Do you see yourself teaching or engage with different types of people. volunteering to mentor in the future?

Samuel: Not really much at all!

Sometimes my mom and I would take the MetroNorth to go hiking for a couple hours. I had been kayaking once before.

Samuel: ISB always prioritized being able to confidently speak in front of Jonah: I had gone on a few camping your classroom or an audience. I do trips with my father in upstate New genuinely feel like that helped me, York, but this was the first kind of real even just in the sense of using the rafting trip I had ever done. I didn’t physical volume of my voice and have many wilderness skills going into having the ability to project and the program, but I quickly realized enunciate my words. All of these skills that this trip was as much of a mental helped me throughout high school battle as it was a physical battle. and beyond.

Jonah: While I don’t want to teach professionally, I really do enjoy being able to present and equip these young kids with life skills, along with rafting and outdoor adventure skills. It’s fun for me and it’s fun for them!

Samuel: I would say career-wise, I’m not quite sure what I want to do yet, but Brooklyn to Alaska has shown me how vital it is to pass down LF: When you think back to when you LF: Are there any lessons, teachers, information to the next generation. first entered the program, what kind or experiences from your time at ISB In some type of way, I’d want to be of skills did you develop on the trip that had an impact on you and the involved in that in my future – passing that helped bring you to this point? work you are doing as a leader at down skills and teaching kids in a safe 41

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and comfortable environment.

LF: What attributes do you both, as leaders, bring to Brooklyn to Alaska?

Jonah: I think I bring perseverance and grit. No matter how hard things are, I will keep going. Each trip, we set out with a mission to complete the adventure. It’s not just about giving the kids a great experience, but also about showing them that nothing is ever the same, that they can overcome new challenges they are faced with, and that things are going to get better even if they are hard at first. I try to model a good mentality of staying strong and positive, both in good times or bad.

Samuel: At the core of what I bring to the program is curiosity. I think this is an important aspect of being a leader. It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of what makes a leader, but I always want to learn as much as there is to

know about rafting, the wilderness, and planning a trip. There is so much information out there, but we can often fall into a pattern of doing the same thing. I always want to learn more and excel and do better. Being curious about the participants’ backgrounds and stories and getting to know them makes you a better leader because this allows you to connect with everyone.

them to new and unique challenges, and encouraging them to use different parts of their minds and realms of knowledge.

Jonah: I agree, and I would also add that both programs strive for diversity and creating a brighter future with young leaders and innovators who want to change the world for the better. Brooklyn to Alaska and ISB are LF: Do you see any overlap with both pushing forward young people Brooklyn to Alaska’s mission and core who will have a positive impact in values, and those of ISB, or the way the world. that both of these programs teach?

Jonah and Samuel, along with other Samuel: I think there is absolutely Brooklyn to Alaska graduates, will be overlap between the two. It’s been leading river rafting trips, overnight a long time since I’ve been in the backpacking, ice climbing, and glacier International Baccalaureate program, hikes for private clients in Summer but both Brooklyn to Alaska and ISB 2024, so if you have always dreamed are all about developing a wide about an expedition to “The Last range of skills and using our minds Frontier,” why not take a tour led by in ways that we don’t always use ISB alumni? Visit brooklyntoalaska. in a traditional academic setting. org to learn more and to find out how Brooklyn to Alaska is exactly that. you can support this amazing work.

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Re-immersed in ISB Summer Program Internships

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ur 2023 ISB Summer Program was jampacked with learning, fun, and fantastic field trips around the city. This year, a number of young, talented, and hardworking alumni came back to ISB to help make it an even more enriching experience for our students. As our alumni community grows, we continue to support our graduates’ initiatives and learning beyond their time at ISB. In this spirit, we offered two exciting and edifying opportunities in our 2023 Summer Language Immersion Program.

The Summer Program High School Internship for alumni who are rising 9th-12th graders was the perfect chance for them to reconnect with the ISB community and continue their language practices, all while gaining real-world experience and developing essential workplace skills. This year’s spectacular group of high school interns included Leo Amieva-Unger ’20, Karla Arreguin ’20, Simran Singh ’20, Manu Larson ’22, and Joaquin Mejia ’23. Our alumni had a great time reconnecting with former classmates from various grades, reminiscing about their time at ISB, and making new memories. They also added their own French and Spanish language skills to all aspects of the program, from the classroom to the playground.

Meanwhile, the ISB Counselor position for college-aged alumni was all that and more for Miguel Davis Sánchez ‘18, a rising junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Lingua Franca sat down to catch up with Miguel, who is currently majoring in 43

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Education at UMass and “wanted to work in something that has a direct relation with my major over the summer.”

Miguel wants to be a high school guidance counselor because of his own experience in high school, where two guidance counselors “went out of their way to be a mentor for students of color.” Miguel continued, “They made a tremendous difference in my academic career and my personal life, and eventually led me down this path; seeing the impact that had on me as well as other students was so inspiring.” Even though he hopes to eventually work with older students, Miguel enjoyed working with our ISB summer kids, and was happy to be spending time and gaining experience in a place he says “is very special to me and where I met my best friends – who are still my best friends today!”

Miguel has also enjoyed the linguistic aspect of the Summer Program, saying “ISB does a lot of great things for students in the sense of building communication skills in French, Spanish, and in English.” He was an asset to the Summer Program in both the French and Spanish groups, as he has continued to use the languages in both his personal and academic life since his time at ISB. A graduate of the Spanish track, Miguel has kept up his Spanish with his family and in college, where he has many friends who are native Spanish speakers, and he also hopes to spend an upcoming semester in Spain.

Since his Middle School French Language Acquisition class, which he says “set a really strong foundation in

the language,” he has gone on to continue coursework in both high school and college, and most recently took a conversational French class with discussions centered around racial and social issues in francophone countries.

Summer Program Director Elizabeth Lahart shared that Miguel, Karla, Simran, Leo, Manu, and Joaquin all made fantastic Summer Program team members. “ISB alumni are proactive, adaptable, receptive to feedback, and they genuinely enjoy using their language skills. Each of our Alumni Counselor and CITs brought their unique energy and bone-deep understanding of ISB’s culture and immersion model to the program. The children also loved knowing that some of their counselors had graduated from their school and formed a special bond.” Our Summer Program team looks forward to having another group of ISB alumni join us next season!

Re-connect with ISB

As our alumni community grows, we are committed to providing resources and opportunities for lifelong learning and personal development. Stay connected with ISB by updating your contact information with our Advancement Office at advancement@isbrooklyn.org.

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Class of 2023

Congratulations to the International School of Brooklyn Class of 2023!

Avenues The World School Bay Ridge Prep The Berkeley Carroll School Brooklyn Technical High School Dwight School Edward R Murrow High School Elisabeth Irwin High School (LREI) Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts Frank Sinatra School of the Arts Friends Seminary Grace Church School High School of Art and Design Léman Manhattan Preparatory School Notre Dame School of Manhattan The Packer Collegiate Institute Saint Ann’s School United Nations International School Xavier High School

New Horizons

Our graduates are attending the listed high schools this fall.

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2023 Commencement Ceremony

“This day is so special to me because it marks the end of our time here at this nurturing school, but it also marks the beginning of a new journey. While we are excited to sail to a different shore, our memories at ISB will always have a place in our hearts as it should for anyone who walks through these hallways. This school has developed some of the most sensitive, caring people I have ever met, and for that, I am so grateful.” -Mia Williams

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On a appris à développer une voix qui peut conquérir une audience, on a appris à développer nos idées, à oser les exprimer, à affirmer nos désaccords. J’ai appris que, même à nos âges, on peut créer quelque chose, initier une action, avoir un impact sur notre monde. J’ai appris qu’on peut rêver et qu’on peut se tromper aussi, et que se tromper est acceptable car ce qui compte c’est d’être à l’écoute, d’essayer et de s’engager pour ce en quoi on croit. Nous allons nous heurter à beaucoup d’inconnus, beaucoup de doutes mais, ce que je peux dire avec certitude c’est qu’ISB nous a donné les clefs tant académiquement qu’ humainement pour affronter ces défis qui nous attendent.” -Eva Luna Boumendil

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“ISB is a place I love very much. It is a kind community that offers students space to be able to be themselves and encourages us to take bold actions to fight for what we believe in. ISB is a place where I felt a sense of belonging the minute I arrived, where students advocate for everyone and are never afraid to lead. Now, as we move forward to this next chapter of our lives, we shall bring with us the valuable memories and lessons we have learned along the way.

So, to my fellow graduates, keep an eye out as you go out into the world, whether you’re fighting for environmental justice, ensuring LGBTQAI+ rights, or promoting racial equity, whether that be in Cairo, Tokyo, Istanbul, New York, Paris, or Buenos Aires. Look to your left and look to your right, because you just might see one of us fighting in solidarity right beside you leading a change the world needs.” -Leif Moen

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“Aunque sea una escuela chiquita todos me recibieron con los brazos abiertos.

No pasó mucho tiempo hasta que hice amigas en la escuela. Poco a poco me fui acostumbrando a mi nueva vida. Fui conociendo a la gente en mi escuela, fui conociendo la ciudad y mucho más.

Aunque solo he pasado un poco menos de 3 años en esta escuela, todavía he tenido la oportunidad de crear numerosos recuerdos y experiencias inolvidables.” -Isabela Freedman

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“Everything has always led back to this school and these people. The outcome from this is that all of our forming moments and milestones have occurred within the walls of ISB, with the very people here. There is something so special about learning most of our basic knowledge in the same place, around the same people, absorbing information, growing together, and supporting one another. There are surprises, adventures, and new experiences every day at ISB, but one thing that has been a constant all throughout is that there are no strangers at ISB. If I ever needed anything, there would be a multitude of places for me to go. The lessons I have learned about kindness, justice, and integrity, are ones that I will carry with me. Looking back on our time at ISB, it was better than I could ever imagine it being. “ -Zoe Panchal

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Join us in building a stronger, more vibrant ISB community.

Support the Fund for Excellence

Every contribution to the Fund for Excellence directly enhances the ISB experience of our young learners, empowering them on their path to becoming advocates, changemakers, and leaders of tomorrow. Make a gift!

Upcoming Events

ISB events are an opportunity to come together and forge memorable experiences.

Please check our calendar for a diverse array of lectures, movies, gatherings, and celebrations including our annual Pecha Kucha Night, this year’s inaugural Winter Market, and our various Alumni Reunions.

Lend Your Time and Talents

Volunteering is a tangible way to advance the ISB mission and contribute to the success of our learners. For information on how to get involved, email our Advancement Office at advancement@ isbrooklyn.org.

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Lingua Franca Summer 2023

477 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 isbrooklyn.org

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