News & Weekly Letters

I say it often, but one of the most fascinating and challenging aspects of our work at The École is navigating intercultural issues. My international career helped prepare me somewhat–after seven years working in a French-British-German school in Taiwan, constantly having to bridge the gap when it came to understanding others and being understood, I thought that things would be simpler in a French-American school in New York.

A few years ago, one of our departing teachers–the legendary Vincent, who taught 1st Grade, for those who knew him–made a few touching comments during his exit interview that have stayed with me since (classic, selfless Vincent–turning a moment that should have been about him into a conversation about others!) Among other things, he told me that I was at my most discerning when I managed to see things from a child’s perspective.

It’s my favorite season. The trees and streets of the West Village are covered in multicolored leaves, the stoops are lined with pumpkins, it’s chilly out, and the sky is blue as an orange, as Éluard would describe it. It’s the time of year for dressing up–for anyone who was wondering, last night I was channeling Bob Harris in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. Last year, I wrote about the importance of play at school, and I was delighted to see the playfulness of our parents on display at the Halloween for Grown-Ups event–starting with Philippe and Laurence, who were magnificent as Mary Poppins and Bert the chimney sweep.

I almost didn’t write to you this week as I was giving serious consideration to a radical career change following my debut last week as an Instagram starlet. Andria managed to make me see reason and talked me out of it. So I’m picking up my pen again this week on the eve of the October break to write a letter in praise of the girls of The École who have made their presence well and truly felt since the start of the school year.

One of the advantages of growing up in a small town was definitely being able to leave school alone from a young age and bike home (picking up a baguette for goûter on the way). No need to sign a nanny up on Focus or to call a friend panic-stricken because you’re caught in an interminable meeting or your train is stuck in a tunnel. No need for an air tag to track your child and make sure they’re moving in the right direction.