News & Weekly Letters

This week was punctuated by events that were, to say the least, antinomic: our 3rd to 8th graders completed the Terra Nova tests to demonstrate how robust our curriculum is to the authorities, while in Maternelle, Pre-Nursery to Kindergarten celebrated Fun Day—a new tradition inaugurated this time last year (which incidentally finished under glorious sunshine in Madison Square Park); the FDNY completed the first inspection of our new building kickstarting the countdown to moving day for our Elementary and Middle School classes, while our younger students created a new rooftop mural with the artist Antoine Wagner (aka Daphne from Kindergarten’s dad), symbolically reaffirming our love for our Maternelle Building.

I’m often asked where I find the inspiration to write a letter every Friday. Each week is a little different: sometimes I see something that triggers an idea, sometimes it’s a conversation with one of you, sometimes it’s an article I read or a podcast I listen to, and other times—like last week with the Substantial Equivalency Law—it’s a necessity dictated by current events at the school. This week, for a change, it’s a photo that got me thinking. And a photo of me to boot!

Sometimes, events that occur far from our own reality have a direct impact on us. For example, in 1895, the State of New York passed a Substantial Equivalency Law, with the stated aim of ensuring that independent and religious schools follow a curriculum more or less equivalent to what is expected in public schools, particularly where English and math are concerned. Private schools are free to teach religion, foreign languages, or other idiosyncrasies provided their students can demonstrate a solid foundation in these core subjects.

I hope everyone is back into the rhythm after the two-week break and is ready to tackle the final stretch of the school year. Upon returning from Taiwan where I spent a spring break full of joyful and emotional reunions, I noticed that some little elves had been at work at 111 dotting each piece of furniture with a sticker—green for what gets moved to the new building, yellow for what stays, and red for what won’t make the short trip and will be discarded or donated.

When it comes to describing the current state of the world, one word continuously resurfaces: uncertainty. This uncertainty destabilizes us because there’s nothing more reassuring than thinking we can predict what’s ahead. I imagine everyone deals with uncertainty differently – I, for one, am currently getting daily doses of rationalization from Philippe! As for me, I usually turn to philosophy for answers, not only to stave off panic but also to find inspiration—inspiration that I strive to put to work at The École to make sure we always stay on course no matter what the environment is. Here are a few examples that have helped me in the past.