Laure Abihssira
Laure Abihssira
Laure started teaching at The École in August 2023. She is originally from Paris, where she studied French Literature at the Sorbonne. She began teaching in French Public Schools and then at the Lycée Francais de New York from 2010 until 2023. She is delighted to join The École , where she is looking forward to continuing to share her passion for French literature with her students. Above all, she enjoys providing a respectful and trusting relationship with her students with patience and kindness.
Stéphanie Antoine
Stéphanie Antoine
Born and raised in the suburbs of Paris, towards the end of high school Stéphanie developed an interest in humanities and social sciences. After studying psychology and sociology, she obtained a master’s in philosophy. Her taste for writing took her to a school of journalism where she got a degree in journalism and a post-graduate degree in multimedia research. But she never lost her interest in Psychology. She entered a three-year training program in art therapy and started working in mental health institutions, schools, and associations. She realized that listening and helping people was really what she wanted to do. So she went back to school and obtained a professional master’s from University Paris X Nanterre – La Défense to become a clinical psychologist. She worked in Paris with children, teenagers, and adults.
She has been living in New York since 2009, working essentially with children in the French community. She completed the parent-infant psychotherapy post-graduate program at Columbia University. She considers herself a true lover of New York: she can walk for hours around the city, taking pictures and be as amazed as she was the first day. She strongly believes that dreams can come true as long as you are pursuing them.
Lucie Assogba
Lucie Assogba
Lucie was born in Argentreuil, France, and raised in Africa. She received a bachelor’s degree in law before she moved to New York in 2005. She worked with children from Nursery to 3rd Grade as an assistant in a bilingual international school in New York for 13 years before joining The École in September 2018 as a school life assistant. Lucie is very passionate about kids, and she loves to travel and discover other cultures. She likes listening to classical and gospel music, and she also enjoys quiet time.
Nicolas Beau
Nicolas Beau
Nicolas holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s in education. He is certified by the French Ministry of Education.
Before joining The École in September 2018, Nicolas taught for five years in Paris, France from Nursery up to 5th Grade, and then for two years here in the United States in Rhode Island and New York. His passions include traveling and discovering new cultures through music, dance, and food. He is very pleased to share his experience and love of French culture with the community.
Sara Beebe
Sara Beebe
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Sara received her education in North Carolina and New York, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Child Development and a master’s in Early Childhood Education Policy. She has blended her expertise in educating young children with her knowledge of the larger systems affecting institutional responses to education, resulting in a responsive teaching style rooted in evidence-based practice. Sara has been teaching since 2017 and has vast experience teaching infants and toddlers in various settings, including Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf environments. She uses elements from these and other pedagogical styles to inform her teaching practice. An artist herself, what Sara loves most about teaching young children is the open-ended way they explore and respond to the world around them, whether through art, nature, or movement. Sara loves to paint, read, and practice yoga in her spare time!
Laurence Bendinelli
Laurence Bendinelli
Laurence was born in Antibes in the southeast of France to an Italian father and a French mother. She studied at the University of Nice where she obtained her master’s in history and the middle ages. She has been a history and geography teacher since 2005, working in different countries such as Italy, Switzerland, China, and Egypt, and a year in a charter school in Kansas City, Missouri. When she is not teaching, Laurence likes practicing yoga, walking, studying astrology, and visiting new places, and she also makes time for exhibitions, movies, and books.
Madélia Bergeroo
Madélia Bergeroo
Madélia was born in Nantes, Brittany. She holds a master’s in communication from the University of Paris XII, a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Nantes, and a certification for teaching French as a foreign and second language (DAEFLE) from the Alliance Francaise of Paris.
Madélia started to teach French upon her arrival in New York in 2006. In 2010 after receiving her teaching certification, she joined FIAF (French Institute Alliance Française of New York), where she taught adults and children until 2017.
In 2014, as an educator and a mom herself, in response to the growing need of her community, she founded La Caravane FrancoFun, a progressive and community-based French immersion language school. She supported hundreds of French learners in her main school, in Long Island City, and as a vendor in many other schools across New York.
Passionate about bilingualism and project-based learning, she loves teaching with a purpose, through engaging and fun activities and lessons, tailored to the needs and interests of each student.
Adeline Berlioz
Adeline Berlioz
Adeline was born and raised in France. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History and a master’s degree in education. After teaching History and Geography in middle school for 2 years, she was certified by the French Ministry of Education for primary education. She taught in London in a bilingual school before moving to New York 7 years ago.
Since then, her pedagogy focuses on personalized tools intended for each student to understand and make progress taking the best of every education system she has been in contact with.
When she is not teaching, she loves cooking, baking, doing art, and spending time with her family.
Angélique Bizet
Angélique Bizet
Originally from Normandy, France Angélique holds a Master’s in art from the Ecole supérieure des arts décoratifs, Strasbourg and a bachelor’s in art from Robert Schuman University, Strasbourg,
After working as a tourism and hospitality consultant in Paris, she decided to follow her husband to the US for a new experience.
What Angelique likes about her job is seeing the smiles of the students every day and helping them to develop and grow at their own rhythm with the richness of the languages.
Angélique goes to museums in her spare time and loves traveling and discovering new cultures.
She draws in the street and perhaps soon on school walls with the children!
Benoît Brisset
Benoît Brisset
Benoit holds a bachelor’s degree in administration and economics from the University of Versailles. After an Erasmus exchange at a British university, he received his teaching certificate from the French Ministry of Education in 1999 and then taught in French schools abroad in Nicaragua, England, and Belgium at all levels of elementary school.
Benoit joined The École in September 2018 as the cycle 2 coordinator (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grades) as well as a 2nd Grade teacher. He was named assistant head of Elementary in September 2021 and Elementary head in September 2022.
His passions include outdoor sports like sailing and running. He also likes acting and loves to stage plays with students.
Julien Budrino
Julien Budrino
Julien holds a bachelor’s degree in modern French literature and is a graduate of the Dante Agostini Drum School in Toulouse, France. He began his teaching career as a French Ministry of Education-certified teacher in 2008, teaching for six years in a disadvantaged priority education zone (ZEP) in France. Julien has conducted professional development workshops on music education for French teachers affiliated with the AEFE network during his position as a Music Director at The École. Currently, Julien is driving the Maternelle Curriculum, ensuring its effective implementation. In addition to his teaching role, he offers private drum lessons. As a multi-instrumentalist, he emphasizes the use of music in his teaching and shares the view of Belgian writer Paul Carvel that “music deserves to be the mandatory second language of all schools in the world.” Julien is the drummer of the New York-based band The Midnight Callers.
Erika Cavallo
Erika Cavallo
Erika has worked in various educational settings since 2015, including both private and public schools. Originally from Bergen County, New Jersey, Erika attended Rutgers University where she majored in social work. After landing her first job as a youth mentor for a child whose first language was not English, she realized she had a passion for teaching English to non-native speakers and decided to pursue a career in ESL. Erika currently holds an ESL teaching certificate and is working towards her master’s in education. Erika loves to learn about new cultures and travel. She has visited France several times and believes traveling is the key to expanding one’s perspective on the world. She has a knack for learning languages and is a strong believer in the importance of bilingual education.
Olivia Cazals
Olivia Cazals
Sarah Corsin
Sarah Corsin
Originally from Paris, Sarah has a master’s degree in science from l’Université Pierre et Marie Curie. In 2010 she received her teaching certification from the French state and began teaching in the suburb of Gennevilliers. After 4 years of teaching in France, she moved to Madrid, Spain where she had her first experience of teaching in a bilingual setting. After Madrid, she moved to Asia, where she taught in French schools in Cambodia and Taiwan, where she was lucky enough to work with Jean-YVes and Andria, and built on her experience of teaching in multilingual contexts. After 6 years at the Lycée Français de Taipei (Taipei European School), she joined The École in September 2022 for a new bilingual teaching adventure on a new continent (with some familiar faces!)
Sarah loves teaching and works to make sure each child in her care feels confident to grow and learn at their own rhythm. She prefers teaching at the primary level because of the magical connection between each child and their teacher. She feels like a member of each child’s family!
Molly Davis
Molly Davis
Molly joined The École in 2022, her 8th year of teaching at elementary level. She grew up with her parents and brother just south of Boston, Massachusetts. Molly holds a master of science in education (MEd) in childhood education from the Johns Hopkins School of Education, a professional teaching license with an endorsement in French language education from The College of William and Mary, and a bachelor of arts (BA) degree from The College of William and Mary. Before working at The École, Molly taught at a public charter school in Brooklyn and at a public school in Oklahoma City. Teaching brings Molly joy because she learns as much from her students as they do from her! Having attended a French Immersion elementary school as a child, Molly enjoys speaking French with her students and colleagues.
Mireille Desalm
Mireille Desalm
Originally from Brussels, Belgium, Mireille holds an associate degree in language. Raised Flemish and French, she spent seven years at UPNS (NYU Preschool) as both administrative and admissions assistant. She joined the administrative team at The École in August 2012. There are many things she enjoys about being a director of admissions. Meeting students and their families who are eager to learn more about the school she represents, she feels honored to be part of their journey, and looks forward, year after year, to recruiting new students for The École. When she isn’t working, you’ll find Mireille going on hikes, learning Norwegian (Bokmål) and planning for the next adventure with family and friends.
Guillaume Duchier
Guillaume Duchier
Guillaume joined The École en 2022. He teaches French math in Middle School. He is originally from Auvergne. He attended aClasse Préparatoire aux Grandes Écoles, and got a degree in math from Blaise Pascal University in Clermont-Ferrand. He became a certified teacher in 2009, and taught for one year in a middle school before joining the lycée Édouard Branly de Dreux where he was the math coordinator, leading a team of 14 math teachers. Guillaume loves to travel and has led many school exchange trips between France, Sweden, and Denmark. He hopes to share that passion with his students at The École!
Judy Dumas de Rauly
Judy Dumas de Rauly
Judy first started working at The École in 2018, leading French playgroups for children ages 0-4 years old. In 2023, she joined the Pre-Nursery class as the French teacher.
Before moving to New York City in 2015, Judy lived in France, where she earned both her Master’s Degree in French Literature and a Master’s in Editorial Engineering and Communication. Judy spent four years teaching at maternelle, elementary, and middle school levels and then worked in the field of communications for ten years at various large companies (Unibail Rodamco, Lagardere
Publicite, Lunii…). Becoming a mom was part of what led Judy back to the field of education.
Judy is delighted to share this new school year with our The École community and her greatest wish is to pass on to the children the desire to learn and to have confidence in themselves.
Sarah El
Sarah El
Sarah El is our office assistant. She is the eldest of 6 children and was born and raised in the south of France. After graduating from college with a degree in economics she arrived in the US in the summer of 2019. Since she’s been in New York, Sarah worked first as an au pair and later as a French tutor.
Manu Garcia-Guillén
Manu Garcia-Guillén
Originally from Toulouse, France, Manu holds a master’s in psychoanalysis and three bachelor’s degrees in psychology, Spanish, and education science. Certified as a teacher by the French Ministry of Education since 2001, she taught for several years in a mixed-grade classroom in a rural French commune, before opting for a New York adventure in 2010. She taught for four years at the International School of Brooklyn before joining The École in 2015. Manu’s teaching style draws on her first career as a theater teacher, as well as on an alternative pedagogical approach called “pédagogie institutionnelle” that incorporates social learning theory. Manu is also a Senior Dharma teacher and certified meditation instructor in the Kwan Um School of Zen. As such, she’s one of the guiding teachers at the Columbia University Buddhist Association.
Bridget Germain
Bridget Germain
Bridget joined The École in 2022 as the Elementary and Middle School STEAM teacher. Previously, she taught at an American school in Kuwait where she started her love for teaching in an international environment. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with an AAS in Illustration, BFA in Textile Design, and a minor in Art History. After graduating, she decided to further her education to receive her teaching certification to inspire young learners and help expand their creativity. Bridget loves seeing the new ideas and perspectives the students at the École bring to her class! Bridget enjoys visiting new places, going to museums, and painting!
Javier Gonzàlez
Javier Gonzàlez
Javier was born and raised in Madrid, a city that remains close to his heart. He first discovered the world of education when he decided to move abroad. In 2015, he started teaching Spanish to 4th Grade at the Lycée Français René Descartes in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He continued his international experience in Taiwan, where he worked with the school life team in the middle and high school of the Lycée Français de Taipei within Taipei European School, where he also worked as a 4th Grade Spanish teacher. He arrived at The École in 2022 and took up residence on the 4th floor as our School Life Assistant, supporting our middle schoolers on a daily basis.
Javier is very open-minded and believes a bond of friendship and understanding is important in the educational and emotional development of our students.
Gayle Hampton
Gayle Hampton
Gayle joined The École in 2012, initially as an advisor on the US curriculum. She holds teacher certification in NYS and the UK. Gayle received an MS in education from Fordham University, an MBA from Columbia University, and CELTA/ CLIL certification in English as a second language. She has held various academic positions in the NYC Department of Education, including curriculum development, and is experienced in elementary and middle school instruction. Prior to a career in education, she held positions in corporate investments and risk management at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank and American Express.
Gayle’s aspiration is to develop students’ analytical competencies through mathematics and philosophy. Gayle’s core philosophy is that all students possess the potential to excel in mathematics and develop a deeper appreciation of the discipline.
Ben Hayes
Ben Hayes
Ben was born and raised in France, moving to the United States when he was eight years old. He joined The École in 2009 and has been a Kindergarten English teacher since 2012. Since completing his master’s degree in childhood education at Hunter College, he has enjoyed working in the multi-cultutral and linguistically diverse environment offered at The École. He enjoys long walks on the beach and surfing.
Dara Herschenfeld
Dara Herschenfeld
Dara has been a teacher in various educational settings for the past 11 years. These settings include public, private and special education schools. She received her master’s in early childhood education in 2010 from Hunter College and has an extension in special education. Dara joined The École in September 2018, and has enjoyed being a part of the warm, welcoming environment the school offers. She looks forward to another successful school year. In her spare time, Dara enjoys exploring New York City, especially going to Broadway shows. Dara is also an avid reader who enjoys suspense novels.
Annie Huang
Annie Huang
Annie is originally from Shanghai, China. She graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University with a master of arts in applied linguistics and has a dual master’s degree from Hunter College in K-12 Chinese education. Annie has been teaching Mandarin in 3rd through 8th Grade at the École since 2013, and she loves the caring and loving learning environment at the school. Before joining The École, she taught Mandarin in both public and private schools in New York City, as well as ESL in China. Annie enjoys working with students from different age groups. She also likes applying technologies, different teaching methods and art projects in the classroom. In her leisure time, she loves to travel, cook and play the piano.
Joanna Jean-Delétoille
Joanna Jean-Delétoille
Joanna was born and raised in Paris. She holds a bachelor’s degree in applied science and a master’s degree in education sciences. Certified by the French Ministry of Education in 2011, she taught petite section (nursery) for 8 years in Paris (14e). Passionate about her work, in 2015 she became a teacher trainer, helping the next generation of maternelle teachers. Her teaching focuses on personalized work intended for each student to grow at their own rhythm. She was delighted to join The École as a French Nursery teacher in 2019 and is looking forward to applying her experience in a bilingual environment. Joanna loves dancing and traveling to discover new cultures.
Maya Korenbeusser
Maya Korenbeusser
Maya joined The École in 2022 as the Elementary and Middle School librarian. Maya has taught in classroom settings since 2014. Before joining The École she worked as 3rd grade teacher in a bilingual school in Brooklyn. She manages her career around the two pillars she loves: art and bilingual education. She began her career as a professional graphic designer in Paris, where she worked with a variety of French and international brands. In parallel, she continued her passion for art and was honored to be exposed in Parisian galleries. After relocating to New York with her young family, Maya added the education pillar promoting dual language education. It gave her the opportunity to work with children and cross paths with the amazing community at The École. In her spare time, Maya enjoys making cold-process soap with her kids and is an avid reader.
Yuna Kwon
Yuna Kwon
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and special education from New York University and then a master’s degree in early childhood education from Hunter College, Yuna has dedicated her career to teaching all age groups in early childhood, more in-depth. After her last year at The Dalton School, she has decided to explore a bilingual institution where she can take the initiative of DEI (diversity, equity, and Iinclusion), using her background as a bilingual. She strives to strengthen each child’s academic, social, and emotional needs effectively, collaborating with English language learners (ELLs) among diverse learners. She is committed to ensuring her students develop a strong self-identity and acquire the ability to be flexible thinkers and resilient community members. She very much looks forward to her journey at The École and to sharing her love and experience as an opera singer with the children.
Ryan Langlois
Ryan Langlois
Originally from Maine, Ryan has been teaching and sharing his love of music at The École since 2013. He holds a master’s in music from Brooklyn College and a bachelor’s in English writing and rhetoric from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas with time studying abroad at the National University of Ireland in Galway. Since moving to New York in 2008, he has collaborated with many artists to record several albums of original music and followed his passion for teaching working as a private music instructor and an early education music specialist with the NYC universal pre-k program. He cherishes the opportunity to create music with his students at The École and loves introducing them to a wide range of musical genres. Ryan lives in Brooklyn with his family and enjoys spending time (and playing music!) with his two kids, Elliott and Lucy.
Franck Le Martelot
Franck Le Martelot
Franck is originally from Brittany, France. He holds a Master’s degree in Modern Literature from Paris-Sorbonne and a CAPES. After 6 years teaching in Réunion, where he specialized in school/college liaison and trainee teacher training, he joined the Middle School at The École at its creation in 2013 as the French language and literature teacher. He is in charge of coordinating French teaching in the establishment, specially in cycle 3 with the harmonization of the curriculum between Elementary and Middle School. His mission is also to implement new projects for The École students, including the creation of original plays and participation in theater festivals in the US, a bilingual Philosophy class for 8th Graders, the World of Work project where professionals and students meet and discuss careers, the bilingual literacy prize Albertine Jeunesse and DELF diploma preparation for students, teachers and parents. In his leisure time, Franck loves playing games: pool, darts, chess, poker… and pétanques!
Pierre Le Royer
Pierre Le Royer
Pierre holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and a first-degree teaching diploma. He started his career working in Events for the Tour de France. His early years of teaching were spent in a disadvantaged priority education zone (ZEP) in the Melun school district in France. After that, Pierre taught in Paris (16e) for five years as a master teacher, collaborating with a research lecturer from the Paris school district, to teach trainees who wanted to teach English and French in their Maternelle or Elementary classes. He joined The École in 2019 and is excited about teaching French and helping his students grow in a bilingual and multicultural environment. His passion for singing has led him to conduct school choirs, which he will also be doing for Pre-K classes at The École.
Camille Martin
Camille Martin
Born and raised in Brittany, Camille has been a teacher in various educational settings and environments for the past 10 years including public, private, and special education schools in Canada, France, the USA, and Lebanon. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in modern history and ethnobotany in Canada, she obtained a master’s degree in education from University de Lorraine in 2013 and was certified by the French Ministry of Education the same year.
She tries to put at the heart of her teaching the richness of the cultural and linguistic diversity of her students so that they can better build bridges between languages and understand the multicultural and interconnected world that surrounds them.
In her spare time, Camille enjoys learning new languages, coding, listening to jazz, traveling, and discovering new cultures which include culinary ones.
Virginie Martin-Muggeo
Virginie Martin-Muggeo
Originally from the south of France and passionate about English from a young age, Virginie holds a teaching certificate of Professeur des Écoles from the French Ministry of Education, as well as a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College. Virginie has been teaching in New York in the French-American system since 2002 and she has been at The École since its opening in 2009.
Passionate about bilingualism, Virginie loves teaching in a classroom where the teachers speak different languages but work in close collaboration. Her studies in France and the US and her professional experience with American colleagues have enabled her to greatly diversify her teaching methods throughout the years. Although she speaks only in French in the classroom, she uses strategies borrowed from both systems and specifically tailored to The École’s bilingual structure. Outside of school, Virginie loves spending time in nature, with a soft spot for uncrowded beaches, and can often be found taking (too many) nature photos.
Melissa Millan
Melissa Millan
Melissa is from Long Island, New York. She is a New York State-certified teacher and school-building leader. She holds a Master’s Degree in British and American Literature from CUNY Hunter. Before joining The École in 2015, Melissa taught at a Charter High School in Brooklyn. Melissa discovered her love for international education when she worked as an English Language and Culture Assistant at a secondary school in Madrid, Spain. In addition to teaching, Melissa has worked in high school placement for nearly a decade.
Fawzia Mohamed
Fawzia Mohamed
Fawzia grew up on the North African Coast of Algeria, in the second largest city, Oran. She speaks, Arabic, French, English and self-taught Spanish. She obtained a Middle School English Teaching Diploma from the Ministry of Education and taught English as a third language. She moved to New York in the late 80’s and worked as an Administrative Assistant at the Mission of Algeria to the United Nations. In 2000, Fawzia joined the United Nations International School (UNIS) in Queens, where she worked for 15 years as a Teaching Assistant and a Teacher of Beginner French in Middle School and of Francophone classes in Elementary School. She was part of the Modern Language Teaching Team where she helped to establish a quality French and Foreign Language program for the students. She enjoys spending time with her family, exploring the outdoors, travelling and cooking. Fawzia has been working at The École since September 2019, and she is very excited to be part of an international school community. She is eager to adapt, and embrace new circumstances and unexpected challenges.
Aileen Montes
Aileen Montes
Aileen is originally from Dallas, Texas. In 2012, she graduated from the University of North Texas with a BA in mass communications. Since 2014, she worked for the Dallas Independent School District, with students ranging from nursery to 5th grade. Aileen moved to New York City in 2022 and in September, joined The École as a School Life Assistant. She is very passionate about working with children and looks forward to creating a strong bond with the children of the Maternelle. In her spare time, Aileen loves to explore the city with her husband and their beloved dog, Buki.
Sage Morgan
Sage Morgan
Dawn Nguyen
Dawn Nguyen
Dawn brings over 14 years of experience in public, charter, and independent schools in California, New Jersey, Georgia, and New York City, most recently at Park Children’s Day School. She holds a Master’s of Arts in Education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction from San Diego State University. Prior to joining The École in 2021, Dawn taught in various grade levels from Pre-Nursery to 4th Grade. She is passionate about creating a virtuous community of lifelong learners who think independently and who are prepared for a demographically diverse society. Born and raised in California, Dawn is a world traveler and an accomplished athlete who recently ran a 100-mile ultramarathon and has trekked to Everest Base Camp.
Rebecca Pierre
Rebecca Pierre
Rebecca has worked at The École since 2022. She is from Eastern Long Island where she completed her studies in Business Administration. Rebecca has worked in several daycares, schools, and after-school programs. Through her various opportunities, she gained both knowledge and experience in her childcare career. The most exciting part Rebecca enjoys about her job is seeing the students grow and develop into their unique and individual personalities.
Enid Ramirez-Galvis
Enid Ramirez-Galvis
Enid was born and raised in New York City. She holds a BA in Sociology/Early Childhood Education from Lehman College and a Master of Science in Literacy from City College. She holds a New York State Professional Certificate in Early Childhood Education B-2. In 2010, Enid worked as a Universal Pre-K teacher in a preschool in Flushing, New York where the majority of the students only spoke Mandarin. In 2011, Enid worked with two, three and four years old at a bilingual French Montessori and Bank Street preschool on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Enid has been working at The École since 2018, and she enjoys being a part of another bilingual school environment. Enid’s teaching experiences have helped her grow as an educator as she understands the importance of quality bilingual education in the early years of a child. Enid has a dog named Willie Wonka.
Katie Repman
Katie Repman
Katie Repman is originally from Canada. However, she has lived in Manhattan for over 15 years and now calls it home. She holds a Master’s in School Counseling, a Bachelor’s of Education, and a Master’s of Fine Arts. She has been working as an educator since 2010 and has worked in early childhood all the way up to high school. She most recently worked at Eleanor Roosevelt High School and Patrick Henry Middle School. She speaks French and English. The aspect of school counseling that resonates most with her is her unique connections with the students. She looks forward to a joyful and productive school year.
Nathalie Robbins
Nathalie Robbins
Nathalie joined The École as our Fine Arts teacher in September 2022. She began her career as a professional surface pattern designer and has sold and licensed hundreds of her patterns to many leading brands like Pottery Barn, Target, Garnett Hill, Old Navy, and American Greetings. Her patterns have been used on products such as apparel, wallpaper, gift wrap, and more. With a passion to teach others, she has always dedicated time to leading creative art workshops and classes. Nathalie has mainly taught children from Pre-K to Middle school. Most recently she taught Elementary Art enrichment classes at Avenues, Speyer School, PS 11, and PS 87. She finds joy in inspiring children to find their creative voice.
Christelle Rochdi
Christelle Rochdi
Originally from the South of France, Christelle holds a master’s degree in international business. After having worked for a corporate training firm in France and living in Dubai, she decided in 2015 to make a career change and become a teacher.
Passionate about Montessori and Reggio approaches, Christelle fosters hands-on activities, autonomy, and respect for each child’s pace.
A Great traveler and art lover (Christelle took some classes at the école du Louvres) she finds inspiration from traveling, cultural differences, and art to enhance her curriculum.
Before joining the École in 2022, Christelle taught for 4 years as a nursery teacher at a French school FFLO in Brooklyn. She is thrilled to join The École’s bilingual community and help her students reveal their talents.
Alice Rotival
Alice Rotival
Alice was born and raised in Belgium. With four younger siblings and a grandmother who was an early childhood teacher, she quickly developed teaching and caring skills. She has worked in different pedagogical structures developing open-mindedness, curiosity, science, and a love of nature in children. She studied physics in the Université de Liège and has a Ph.D. in particle physics that involved collaborating with CERN and tutoring physics to future scientists and doctors at the Université de Liège. She moved to New York in 2016 and started to work at The École in 2019 where she helps teachers and staff whenever they need. She loves switching from teaching Nursery to any subject in 8th Grade in both French and English. She knows almost every student and teacher and the inner workings of the school, making it easy for her to adjust quickly to any situation. She is always happy to learn more and likes to read, travel, share, teach, and listen.
Jan Salamon
Jan Salamon
Before joining The École in May 2019, Jan worked as a Project Manager/IT Specialist with a record of success overseeing all phases of high-end contracting projects for commercial and residential clients. He prides himself in his supervisory and customer service skills and in his ability to maintain high standards and to achieve set goals. Born in Slovakia, Jan moved to New York to finish his education in the United States. As with most Europeans, he is fluent in multiple languages. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems as well as various management and professional photography certificates. Jan is delighted to be a part of The École family.
Catherine Shaw
Catherine Shaw
Born and raised in North Carolina, Catherine has worked at The École since 2023. She earned her BA in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina and her MA in Teaching Elementary Education while living and working in NYC. She has been an educator since 2018, teaching throughout Manhattan and Vancouver, CA. Her favorite part of being a teacher is making learning fun and engaging for her students; she wants them to love school just as much as she does!
Adam Blake Soden
Adam Blake Soden
Adam Blake Soden is from Los Angeles, California. After moving to New York in 2010, he began his career in education working as an athletic director at a Harlem Children’s Zone charter school. He taught sports and after-school fitness classes at The Dalton School for two years before coming to The École in February 2022. One thing Adam loves about The École is that his students genuinely take pride in demonstrating excellent character during Sport. In his downtime, Adam watches movies with his daughters and plays chess.
Alisha Soto
Alisha Soto
Born in New York City, Alisha holds a BA in Psychology and Childhood Education. Currently, she is working toward her Dual MS in Early Childhood and Special Education at Hunter College. Prior to joining the École in September 2018, Alisha excelled in multiple teaching environments earning recognition from the Principal Leadership Facilitator in her former district. Her experience includes a gifted and talented public school, private Reggio and Montessori schools, as well as an at-risk public school, all of which has helped her become a seasoned educator. Over the 9 years of her career, Alisha has never felt more aligned with a school’s philosophy like that of The École’s, which is providing learning opportunities that engage, challenge, inspire and illuminate. The warm, nurturing, and rigorous learning environment she is able to provide her students brings her the most pride. Second to her career is her love of fiber art; during her free time, Alisha enjoys creating inventory for her small online shop of hand-made items for children.
Rémy Souchon
Rémy Souchon
Andria Spring
Andria Spring
Andria Spring is from Dublin, Ireland. She joined The École’s Communication Team in January 2022. She has more than 20 years of experience working in international schools as a teacher, translator, and administrator. Before joining The École, she worked in the Lycée français de Taipei for seven years and the Lycée français de Shanghai for two years as assistant head and coordinator, respectively. Prior to living in Asia, she worked in schools in Warsaw, Los Angeles, Rome, Seville, and Paris. Communication has always been a key part of her work, and she loves taking photos of kids thriving at school and sharing the exciting projects her teaching colleagues are leading with their students in the classrooms.
Miriam Tangara
Miriam Tangara
Miriam was born in Issy-les- Moulineaux, France, and grew up in the small city of Vanves which borders Paris. After graduating from high school where she majored in executive administration assistant and business administration management, Miriam became secretary for the head of human resources in Vanves’ town hall. Her fondness for education and children’s wellbeing grew when she became a mother in 2003. Her introduction to the realm of education occurred when she joined the Lycée Français of New York in 2011 to work as a teacher assistant.
In addition to her role as an assistant, Miriam was also part of the Diversity Committee of LFNY. In 2018, she attended, what she describes as a life-changing experience at the People Of Color Conference in California. From that moment on, she vowed to resort to her newly gained knowledge to sensitize her colleagues and students about promoting a school culture that would value diversity and cultural awareness in the classroom and make school enjoyable for all. As a French citizen of Malian descent, who recently became an American citizen, she realized how much diversity and inclusion had been paramount in shaping her hyphenated identity.
Before joining The École in September 2021, Miriam joined Chefs for Impact, as a food educational coordinator. In that capacity, she organized educational workshops raising awareness about food and sustainability, for children in New York City.
In joining The École as a student life assistant and after-school coordinator in Maternelle, Miriam hopes that she will be able to make greater use of her professional background as a secretary as well as her experience in the field of education, in order to contribute to an even better learning and working environment for all.
Alexandra Valencia
Alexandra Valencia
In December 2021, Alexandra joined The École as the Elementary and Middle School Spanish teacher. A native of Pereira, Colombia, Alexandra further enriches her expertise with a Master’s Degree in Teaching/Learning the Spanish Language and its Culture from Granada University, Spain.
Alexandra also holds a specialization in teaching Spanish as a foreign language from Externado University, a specialization in Innovation from EAN University, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration. With over six years of teaching experience, Alexandra has honed her skills in delivering Spanish language education to a diverse range of students, from kindergarten to middle school.
Her dedication to cultural immersion is demonstrated through the organization of memorable trips, including a significant journey to Costa Rica and various field trips to culturally significant places within the city. These excursions, such as visits to Little Spain in Hudson Yards and to prominent museums like the MOMA and MET, enrich her students’ learning experiences by allowing them to explore Spanish culture firsthand.
Laurence Van Koninckxloo
Laurence Van Koninckxloo
Originally from Belgium, she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and her Master of Science in Science Education at the University of Louvain. Laurence has turned teaching abroad into a lifelong career. For the past 15 years, she has taught Middle and High School Science in both English and French overseas in Singapore, Hong Kong, and New York. Laurence worked for The École from 2014 to 2016 and returned to the staff again as a Middle School Science teacher in 2018 after a 3-year break in Paris. She is passionate about life sciences, ecology and sustainable development… but also arts & crafts, fashion and yoga! Laurence lives in Jersey City with her husband Philippe and her two children, Jack and Louise.
Jean-Yves Vesseau
Jean-Yves Vesseau
Jean-Yves grew up in the Ardèche region of France and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Montpellier. He started his career in education as a school life assistant while taking graduate classes and training to become a certified teacher. He then taught English at various schools across the world, from Rome to Los Angeles, before becoming an administrator at the Lycée français de Shanghai where he served as deputy head. He later took over as the head of Lycee français de Taipei, where he stayed for seven years before being appointed as head of school at The École in the summer of 2020.
Jean-Yves has a wealth of experience in bilingual education and has built a strong reputation as a leader in his field. He strongly believes that education is about building bridges, and he enjoys the strong sense of community that he feels at The École. Jean-Yves is also convinced that one should never stop learning, which is why he recently enrolled at the University of Staffordshire and completed an MA in philosophy.
For his general contribution to the field of education, Jean-Yves was awarded the Palmes académiques by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in 2017. Jean-Yves is well aware that he owes much of his success to his wife, Andria, and to the support she has given him over the years.
Lauren Vogel
Lauren Vogel
Lauren was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, and graduated in 2015 with degrees in psychology and Spanish from the College of Charleston. After graduation, she traveled throughout Europe and Asia for one year, volunteering along the way as an ESL instructor. She then spent three consecutive years in Spain as an ESL instructor and private tutor. Lauren has a passion for immersing herself in diverse and unfamiliar cultures. Her appreciation for travel, languages, art, music, and most of all educating children has influenced her decisions since high school. She got her start working with children as an intern with the Traumatic Brain Injury team at the Children’s Healthcare Center of Atlanta. Lauren speaks Spanish and is working hard to improve her French. Lauren’s hobbies include hiking, skiing, reading, and challenging herself with the NY Times crossword puzzles.
William Watelet
William Watelet
William arrived in New York in 2022 from his native Belgium. He holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and a certification for teaching French as a foreign or second language ( DAEFLE) from the Alliance Française of Paris.
Sharon Webster
Sharon Webster
Sharon Webster joined The École in 2023 as a CE2/3d Grade teaching assistant. After graduating from the University of Vermont, she worked as an English language assistant from 2020 to 2022 in secondary schools in Belfort and Chambéry, France. Sharon taught middle school in Guilford, Connecticut, as a substitute teacher before moving to NYC.
She brings knowledge from outdoor education as a former student and trip leader for Kroka Expeditions and Camp Wabun. As a wilderness guide, Sharon has led numerous trips in the Northeastern U.S. and Canada, from canoeing to bike-packing. Sharon loves being a member of a multilingual community and leading students on local excursions in the city.
Sara Weintraub
Sara Weintraub
In August of 2021, Sara Weintraub joined The École as the US curriculum coordinator for Elementary and the Grade 2/CE 1 English teacher. Sara holds a BA in education policy from Duke University, an M.Ed in early childhood education from Lesley University, and an MA literacy specialist degree from Teachers College at Columbia University. Before coming to The École, Sara was a staff developer at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, she taught second grade at The Pingry School, and she worked in both public and charter school settings. Sara is passionate about curriculum development and implementation. When she’s not teaching, Sara can be found cheering on her favorite sports teams: Duke basketball and the Boston Red Sox.
Ciara Whelan
Ciara Whelan
Ciara is originally from Pearl River, NY, and has worked at The École since 2022. Previously, Ciara has worked at Achievement First and Public Prep schools. Ciara also spent time in Australia from 2019 to 2021 and worked at an independent school just outside the city of Melbourne. Ciara received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Psychology at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. She received her master’s degree in Literacy at Hunter College here in NYC. Ciara loves teaching math and instilling a love for reading in her students. When she is not teaching, Ciara loves to sing and play her guitar.
