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I mentioned last week that I haven’t been spending enough time in Maternelle lately. And yet wonderful things are happening there and it is always a huge pleasure—as Laurence will concur—to drop into the classrooms and watch the children learning, playing, and growing. 206—as insiders refer to it—is a unique place where kindness, generosity, and respect are imbued with a special meaning.

We’re at that point in the school calendar when our preparation for the next academic year becomes more tangible. Various elements are starting to fall into place and we are now switching from abstract visions to concrete plans that have the well-being of our students at their heart. Two obvious must-haves take precedence when it comes to achieving a high-quality, harmonious school: students and teachers.

We have to talk about the pandemic and the impact it is having on The École, its students, families, and employees. I have mentioned before that being as transparent as possible and sharing information as quickly as possible are of paramount importance to us. We also endeavor to be as clear as possible when we explain the procedures to follow. And of course missteps, oversights, repetitions, and inaccuracies sometimes happen. The Test-to-Stay (TTS) Program can be confusing and seem at odds with the protocol we were following just three weeks ago.

I’m not normally one to boast but, as someone who likes to stage a melodramatic back to school, I think I have exceeded myself this time! This week, there was tension as we faced the resurgence of COVID, suspense as we waited for our PCR results, laughter and/ or tears once we got them, and finally, there was even a touch of romance as we woke up this morning to a snow-covered New York City. I’m expecting an Oscar nomination any day now!

My office in the Elementary & Middle School Building is on the 2nd floor at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Yesterday, a little boy who was passing by paused in the doorway, walked shyly into my office, and confided in me that he wasn’t feeling too well because he’d lost his water bottle around two weeks ago now.