A Sense of Responsibility - Compass Fall/Winter 2013 by American Section Lycée International de St. Germain en Laye

Compass AUTUMN / WINTER 2013

m a g a z i n e

A Sense of Responsibility Towards Others

AMERICAN SECTION

LY C É E I N T E R N AT I O N A L D E S T G E R M A I N - E N - L AY E

O P É R AT IO N F Ô R E T P R O P R E - O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 3

Compass

COMPASS ASALI-American Section of the Lycée International

4 Director’s Corner

Rue du Fer à Cheval - BP 70107 78100 St. Germain en Laye, France Phone + 33 1 34 51 74 85 Fax + 33 1 30 87 00 49 www.americansection.org

5 Primary School Sowing the Seeds of Good Character

The magazine is distributed without charge to current parents, alumni, faculty and staff, parents of alumni, and other friends of the Section. Director: Kelly Herrity kelly.herrity@americansection.org Editor: Margaret Jenkins margaret.jenkins@americansection.org Graphic design: Judy Loda, Newwalk Design Printer: Imprimerie Jasson-Taboureau Editorial Committee: Alison James, Sonia Lee, Catherine Reed, Tiffany Snel-Wark Contributors: Sarah Anne Aarup, Shabnam Anvar, Omran Belhadi, Margaret Boittin, Vera Chapiro-Bernal, Christine, Pierre, Antoine and Quentin Charcellay, Theodore Coonen, Julia Dakhlia, Jean de Rauglaudre, Laure de Vulpillières, Julie Fabre, Mary Friel, Beccy Haugen, Kelly Herrity, Louis Jamart, Alison James, Scott Lechleiter, Dounia Lomri, Andrew McGovern, Lucas Mennella, Catherine Reed, Alexi Remnek, Michele Silvestri, Tiffany Snel-Wark, David Warren, Anita Youngblood Photography: Beccy Haugen, Judith Hamery, Pauline Grieb, Celia Heudebourg, Margaret Jenkins, Donna Le Joncour, John Mathieu Vol. 3, Number 1 Copyright 2013 by ASALI. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, without the permission of the publisher and copyright owner. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this magazine. If you have any questions, corrections or comments please contact the editor. Founded in 1952, the American Section provides an American educational and cultural experience of exceptional quality within the unique context of the Lycée International, where thirteen national sections are represented. The American Section prepares students to become lifelong learners and global citizens by fostering intellectual curiosity and self-confidence that help students realize their full potential and developing students’ leadership abilities and sense of responsibility towards others. The American Section pursues this mission through a rigorous and rewarding American curriculum which culminates in the French Baccalaureate with International Option, as well as through a broad and enriching co-curricular program including such activities as drama, community service, sports and student publications. Please address admissions inquiries to Director of Admissions, Mary Friel, at admissions@americansection.org.

6 Middle School Who says Columbus Discovered America?

So many members

7 Upper School - Teaching Compassion 8 Faculty Voice

of the American Section community - from our youngest students to our

Exploring Cultural Identity 9 Community Voice A Humanitarian and Family Experience 10 Student Voice Global Citizen Scholarships 12 Window on the Lycée The Fastest Year of my Life

most senior alumni

13 Board Do you know what the ASALI Board does?

find the time to give back to others, often in small but very

14 Comings and Goings 16 Class of 2013 Graduation 18 Development Report 26 Alumni Focus

meaningful ways. This issue celebrates them all.

Making a Life of Service On the cover and above Images of American Section students taken by photographer Marjolein Martinot (www.marjoleinmartinot.com). We thank her for her collaboration with Compass.

D “...the most meaningful experiences related to service happen in our very own back yards.”

C In mid-October, two groups of students as well as a Section family presented their travels and experiences at the Global Citizenship evening. The talks were both fascinating and inspiring but two things really struck me. First, I was reminded that if one wants to give their time and expertise to the betterment of others, there are many varied opportunities and ways to go about this. Second, giving to others makes us happier people. The American Section is committed to instilling in our students and modeling a sense of responsibility towards others. We do this in many ways. We offer scholarships to underwrite service-related projects; we host evenings for our students to learn about what others have done with the goal of both celebrating great works, but also inspiring the next generation of students. We travel to India each year with fifteen Upper School students and spend much of the trip in the slums working directly with children. We expose our students to the difficulties of the world, and challenge them to find solutions and make a difference in small but meaningful ways. This year, in a joint effort with the British Section, we partnered with Room to Read, a non-profit organization with a focus on literacy and gender equality in education. In October, all of our students - from Maternelle to Terminale participated in a read-a-thon both in and out of school. The funds earned through reading, over 30,000€ as we go to press and still counting, will go to support the building of a library in India. We also recognize that frequently the most meaningful experiences related to service happen in our very own back yards. On October 12th, our Student Council led a group of students in an activity to clean the forest of St. Germain-en-Laye. Opération Forêt Propre has the goal of clean-up, but most importantly of educating children about maintaining and supporting their natural environment. This is an extremely powerful message to all of us - we might not have the time or means to travel across the world, but we can all walk the extra few steps to make sure that our litter goes into a trash can and not into our waterways or bird nests. This issue of Compass is about service – service to others and service to causes that are dear to our hearts. It highlights people and programs, but only those people and programs that we know about, and have been able to include. The truth is that so many members of the American Section community - from our youngest students to our most senior alumni - find the time to give back to others, often in very small but very meaningful ways. This issue celebrates them all. Kelly Herrity Director

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

Sowing the Seeds of Good Character

“He hit me!” “That’s mine!” “No, it’s not!” “That’s not fair!” “You’re copying!” “They keep bothering us!” “I’m not your friend anymore!” “You’re stupid!” Every day our kids are faced with situations that test their moral compass, that internal guidance system that defines how they will handle themselves and how they will react to challenges and stress. Character is who we are when no one is watching. How can we help our children in developing the character necessary to make responsible choices and to do what is right in any situation at school, at home, and beyond? Our Primary “Character Education” curriculum plants the conceptual seeds and nurtures the growth process of inquiry, discussion, and introspection necessary to develop these specific character traits. The curriculum ensures that our teachers and students have a common language that defines good character; a language that can grow and mature with the children as they progress through the primary grades. Everyone knows “The Golden Rule:” Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. So, how do we turn that into actionable learning for our primary students? The American Section Primary decided to concentrate on six character traits: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, self-discipline/perseverance, fairness, and caring/empathy. These traits are defined by a few statements of model behavior that support them, giving students a clear picture of what is expected for each. This curriculum, supporting the American Section mission of developing

students’ leadership abilities and sense of responsibility towards others, is totally flexible in its application. For younger students, we use hand puppets that give them the opportunity to practice the resolution of issues by role-playing both negative and positive situations. Whole class discussions, partner sharing, and a variety of writing assignments give ample opportunity to exchange opinions and ideas. Teachers weave the six traits into their lessons as opportunities present themselves. Some teachers begin the school year with an overview of all six traits and ask their students which they feel might be the most important to them. Many classes begin with a discussion about respect and responsibility, especially for school supplies, books, homework, and library use. Lessons centered on fairness at play, respecting authority, and caring for others arise from incidents on the playground and in our read-aloud stories. Columbus Day lends itself to the topic of selfdiscipline and perseverance. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is another great opportunity to weave good character into the program. The possibilities are endless. From discussing caring and empathy when reading stories about people and their heroic pets, to talking about being responsible for our environment during geography, we reinforce good character education, now documented and integrated throughout our program, with a common language for all to follow. But, we can’t do it alone! We need the triangular structure of Parent/ Teacher/Student to build consistency and above all, ensure positive role modelling and to be sure that each and every child in our Primary school receives a well-rounded character education that grows with them. As 19th century poet Charles Reade wrote: Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny. Beccy Haugen Primary School Teacher

P S Six Traits of Character Respect: Making this world a better place. - I will respect others and myself. - I will have good manners and use kind words. - I will follow the rules and respect authority. - I will recognize the value of people, property, and the environment. - I will do things that make my home, school, neighborhood, and community better places. Responsibility: Yes, you can count on me! - I will complete tasks. - I will accept consequences for my actions. - I will do my best. - I will make sure a job is done correctly and on time. - I will be a good example to others, especially those younger than me. Self-Discipline/Perseverance: Do your best! - I will finish my projects. - I will do the job right. - I will follow directions. - I will concentrate on my work. - I will not take too long. Trustworthiness: Be reliable, dependable, and honest! - I will be honest. - I will keep my promises. - I will follow through on my commitments. - I will do the right thing, even if it seems difficult. - I will be a good friend. Fairness: Be a good sport! - I will cooperate and take turns. - I will play by the rules. - I will share with others. - I will help to resolve conflicts. - I will listen to the ideas of others. - I will do the right thing to make sure that others are not treated badly. Caring/Empathy: Treat people with kindness and generosity - I will be considerate of other people’s feelings. - I will be generous. - I will do kind and thoughtful deeds for people who need help. - I will think before I act, knowing that my actions will affect others.

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

M S Who says Columbus Discovered America?

Above: American Section 5ème “Immigrants” from China; Student journal about a Mexican immigrant family.

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

My husband and I have an ongoing debate. He keeps pretending Christopher Columbus discovered America. I disagree. How can someone “discover” a place that is already inhabited? When Columbus first set foot on the island of present-day Hispaniola in 1492, he was greeted by the Taino, an indigenous people living among the islands in the Caribbean. The Taino were a resourceful sea-going community who could build a house from a single tree. The Taino people, numbering close to three million in pre-Columbian times, were a civilized society living in harmony with nature and each other. For many of you reading this, it may be your first encounter with the Taino. Your schooling more than likely included the “Columbus as Discoverer” myth instead of a varied perspective approach to history. It focused on the loudest voice, and in a grave omission, dismissed an entire population. Even today, for many young people, the discovery of America is their first exposure to an encounter between two cultures. However, when studying the subject at school, they are exposed to one point of view, “the winners,” Christopher Columbus and Spain. Every step on the road to the “discovery” of America is told from Columbus’ perspective. Columbus was a hero. Columbus was brave. Columbus brought needed goods to the New World. This common view neglects to elicit the cultural and ecological consequences the New World faced as a result of the arrival of Europeans. The knowledge that students often take away from these lessons is a very narrow and inaccurate view of this significant historical event. Thus, they believe Christopher Columbus discovered America. One goal in the American Section mission statement is to foster “a sense of responsibility towards others.” Teaching history by examining the “others” (their social, political, economic, and geographical place in the world) achieves just this. In 5ème history class, students spend four months learning about immigration to the United States during the end of the 19th century. In groups, students research everything from the reasons that people fled their homes to their arrival at Ellis or Angel Island to the long-term cultural implications of immigration today. Each student immigration group creates a family, allowing each student to develop a fictitious immigrant within the family. After thorough research and note taking, each student writes diary entries and op-ed articles from the perspective of their immigrant. They consider the thoughts, feelings, and actions of their immigrant’s persona throughout the entire writing process. For example: How did she feel to leave the rest of her family in Italy? Was he scared to travel across the Atlantic Ocean with only his brother? How did she survive the inspection at Ellis Island? Since he only spoke German, how did he manage to find a job? This portion of the unit is extremely powerful and highly emotional to each student, as these questions and more are examined through immigrants’ eyes. All group members then compile their writing pieces into one family scrapbook. At the end of the unit, along with other “family artifacts,” these scrapbooks are on display at our 5ème Immigration Exhibition where all of the immigrants truly come to life. At this time, the students dress up in late 20th century garb and engage in dialogue from the perspective of their immigrant persona. Using books, websites, and primary sources, students begin to understand the plight of immigrants. In doing this, the students develop empathy towards diverse people from around the globe. By encouraging students to embrace this multi-dimensional perspective in the classroom, they not only gain new historical light on profound moments in American history, but they develop a deeper awareness of the world around them. Furthermore, students become better equipped to successfully navigate within our international community and they begin to see the world through different lenses. Teaching history is presenting students with different perspectives on the same historical event. We accomplish this by encouraging constant inquiry within the classroom. Students need to question and analyze all of the players to fully understand history. Perhaps my husband is correct. Christopher Columbus did discover America . . . alongside Rosario Cappuzzo, Greta von Gersdorff, Wen Liang, Rose McGuire, Gustav Eriksson, and many other immigrants. Michele Silvestri Head of History

Teaching Compassion Can young people be taught to feel compassion? Adolescence is not famous for being the most civic-minded or empathetic phase in a person’s moral development, but learning how to think about the feelings and perspectives of others is something that can and should be taught in school. Reading books and discussing them requires an emotional and moral response as well as an analytical one. The dilemmas faced by characters in books are not always the ones that most stir our students’s hearts to action, however. The American Section’s mission statement includes the mandate to teach our students a sense of personal responsibility. A good way to do that is to create a curriculum that forces kids to think hard about how people treat each other and why. One natural virtue that our students have and upon which we, their teachers, may capitalize is their natural sense of injustice or even outrage. They are frustrated by the way the world is run and they are daily reminded of their own powerlessness (real and perceived) to actually change things. When they are allowed to explore and deepen their convictions, the frantic feeling of not being able to take action disappears. Their desire to share concrete, well-researched information and real, practical solutions develops. They also start to see that what they are learning in their classes in school may serve them when they head into their more powerful roles as adults. All of a sudden, they are reading research reports, deciphering graphs, evaluating sources and sifting through rhetoric in service to an idea that matters to them. Last year, my Premières chose a controversial topic to research. The subject needed to matter a great deal to them (“passion” is the bulk of the word “compassion”) and they needed to research both (or more) sides to the argument. My students chose the following subjects on their own: gay marriage and adoption, research funding for cancer, research funding for life on Mars, developing insects as a food source, euthanasia, national approaches to education and schooling, jaywalking, approaches to curing eating disorders and many others. When the students delivered their speeches, audience members were initially assigned “pro” and “con” reactions. They were required to challenge the argument, not the person, and they did so with great respect and interest. Naturally, everyone revealed their true positions after the initial debates were concluded. Though this kind of exchange happens in other venues, the students’ choice of topic creates an investment for them and for the audience of their peers. Their desire to take action was palpable in many cases, not just in the arenas they had researched, but for the causes their friends had shown them were worthy. In some cases, students augmented or amended their views in reaction to the audience’s reaction. Seeing things from someone else’s point of view can be the first step to real and powerful change. Catherine Reed Head of English

U S Here is an excerpt from one of the essays: “Institutionally, we cannot avoid our duty toward Roma communities. As they often come from Eastern European countries, they are European citizens, and therefore cannot be refused the right to settle in France. And according to the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948 by France, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services”. The true debate does not concern legal circumstances, however; it has rather to do with our moral duty to humanity, the mere act of reaching out to what may seem an unappealing Other. I do not have the power to change anyone’s behavior, but I hope to change at least one person’s attitude towards Roma communities. There is a latent hostility towards these people, and unfortunately a very contagious one. I will assume we all have a natural tendency for solidarity. And yet, lately, we consider our moral duty grudgingly, and from a conceited perspective, like they owe us, as if our rare acts of altruism should be rewarded. Because let’s face it: if we are to examine France’s position, there is little to boast about: bullying has seemed to become the national sport. The media stigmatizes and the policemen flex their muscles. Instead, people of means choose to send their children to the other side of the world to contemplate poverty. But a quick RER trip will easily grant you a full view of child beggars. And even though we tend to shove the idea of abject poverty as deep as we can into our subconscious, and depict it as the natural curse of the Third World, it inevitably pops our self-reflecting bubble. To defend the interests of Roma communities alone would be unfair to all of those who share their living conditions. In fact, to label the Roma community as the prototype of poverty and therefore to ignore the rest is a dangerous mistake. Because unlike our bigoted selves, poverty does not recognize ethnicity, nationality, skin color… The faces we see under bridges or in metros are just the extreme illustrations of a vast, vast iceberg. It is estimated that eight million French citizens live below the poverty line. And the official numbers do not reach those who escape the system, such as illegal immigrants, our invisible victims. So, the first step could be acknowledging the shortcomings of the society we live in, and, more crucially, our responsibilities to our immediate community. If this is done correctly, with a broad-minded approach, it is necessarily challenging. Gandhi once said: “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” And in our capitalistic society, wealth equals strength. The next move would be: give. Just give, as long as others lack what you are blessed with. Engage in learning about the adversities of others, regardless of who they are and where they come from, and do not expect any material compensation, because you will inevitably discover a whole other kind of treasure. “ Vera Chapiro-Bernal - Terminale

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

Exploring cultural identity Lucas Mennella spent three months of his sabbatical teaching in a Berlin school notorious for its large immigrant population and youth delinquency. Taking a leave from teaching duties at the Lycée, I spent last year completing a “European Master in Intercultural Education” at the Freie Universität-Berlin. The program included a three month project working in local schools which I spent teaching in the Robert Koch Oberschule in my neighborhood, Neukölln, a district of Berlin notorious for a large immigrant population and youth delinquency. As a school with 98% Kindermitmigrationshintergrund (PC German term for immigrant/second generation kids), Robert Koch has often been used as a case study for multiculturalism and language education. After a semester of conferences and lectures, I was anxious to get back into the classroom. My impatience was compounded by the constant theoretical discussions about these Kindermitmigrationshintergrund. The sweeping generalizations inspired a growing desire to just speak to the Kinder themselves. I finally had an opportunity to do so from March through May through a collaboration with Frau Meyer, an English teacher at Robert Koch. Working with a class of Premières, the theme of the program was identity politics and cultural identity, bringing in controversial articles from the German press in the hopes of giving the students a chance to speak for themselves. The idea for the program was inspired by a law in Germany which disallows dual-nationality for children born in Germany to non-European parents. Though conceived as a way to force children of Turkish and Middle-Eastern origins to see themselves as more German, reading about the law made me think of the students of the American Section and how short-sighted and unjust it seemed to force a high-schooler to throw off the nationality (and rights therein) of their parents’ homeland just because of the politics of their country of residence. Though it would affect Americans, Canadians or Australians living in Germany, the political discussion surrounding the law was often xenophobic and Islamophobic, with gross stereotypes used to judge what was best for Germany and its Kindermitmigrationshintergrund. Many political speeches about the controversy decried schools like Robert Koch for isolationism and failed integration - where hajib - and taqiyah-wearing students fail to integrate into 8

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

Germany, instead forming dangerous gangs and falling into youth delinquency. Despite its notoriety as a Neukölln “Problemschule”, Robert Koch’s reputation proved to be unfounded. The students that were well-behaved, smart and engaged in discussions. The maturity of the students in discussing controversial and provocative issues blew me away, as they were seemingly at ease conversing about their own backgrounds, even in what for many was their third language. Despite the introduction of inflammatory political articles and racist statements from German leaders, the students seemed all-too-used to facing xenophobia and stereotypes and calmly dismissed such viewpoints as ignorant. The students all identified themselves both as German and the culture of their parents, saying it was impossible to choose between one or the other. Their ability to seamlessly shift from one language and culture to another reminded me of the American Section students. Unfortunately, the students of the Robert Koch Oberschule did not benefit from the prestige of the English language and the valorization of American culture found in the OIB program. Their ‘home’ culture was instead decried by many politicians and journalists as an obstacle to integration rather than a linguistic and cultural resource for German society. The final classroom hours were dedicated to the Optionspflicht - the law requiring the students to give up one of their passports. Though disappointed by the inconvenience caused, the students unanimously declared that they would simply take the practical option - a German passport - and hope a change to the law would come sometime soon. The recent election results make that less likely. Their remarks made me think back to the American Section students, in agreeing that though nationality brings rights and benefits, it does not determine the culture to which one belongs. Though each student admitted that, when forced, they would give up their Turkish, Syrian or Lebanese passport, they said that would in no way affect their feelings of belonging to the culture of their parents or grandparents. In the same way our students are often simultaneously French and American (or Canadian, Australian, Dutch, et al), despite only holding one nationality, the students of the Robert Koch Oberschule did not allow the political devaluation of their cultural background to affect their dynamic multicultural identity. Since returning to France and the American Section, I have frequently thought back to my time at the Robert Koch Oberschule. Exploring identity politics with Frau Meyer’s class helped me to better understand the complexities of growing up with multiple nationalities and different cultures at home and at school, but more than anything it made me realize just how fortunate the students (and teachers!) of the American Section are to have a pluricentric academic program that valorizes both languages and encourages a deeper understanding of multiple cultures. Lucas Mennella Upper School History

A Humanitarian and Family Experience:

Three Months with ACAY in the Philippines

May 19, 2013 will be forever a memorable date for me: a big soccer tournament was organized with the Aetas children. My first challenge was to explain to the tribal children they were playing soccer and not basketball. Filipinos love basketball! We organized six training sessions and it was comical! One cousin gave us money to provide uniforms and equipment. I drew a design that was printed on the tee shirts with the French and Filipino flags. On D-Day we set everything up: we had a sound system, girls from SOL were the cheerleaders, the MVP boys were the coaches, I was the referee. The atmosphere was electric! The yellow team won and got gold medals. The children were all delighted, and I was as well! The following day it was my turn to learn from them. They showed me how they fished in the river: they were so good and they caught 30 fish that we cooked for dinner! Antoine Charcellay, 6ème On July 6, I celebrated my 9th birthday in the city where I was born. Manila boy was back! In the Philippines, when you celebrate your birthday, you should make three wishes: one for yourself, one for your family and one for ACAY. It’s what I did! ACAY organized a big party for me: there were 40 people! We played games, and the boys and girls danced for me. We ate a giant chocolate cake. It was great! Quentin Charcellay, CM1

The Charcellay family, including parents Christine and Pierre and their three children, Antoine (10), Quentin (8) and Maud (6), spent three months, from May to July 2013, in the Philippines. They were volunteering for the NGO Association Compassion Asian Youth, or ACAY. ACAY gives a second chance to youth in difficulty, including a residential home for young girls, a rehabilitation and reinsertion program for young prisoners, and family accompaniment program. You can learn more about ACAY at www.acaymission.com In 2003 Pierre’s job took us to Manila as expats. Soon after our arrival, Christine came into contact with ACAY and rapidly got involved with them. Strong links and friendships were developed with the staff. Our family’s commitment to ACAY continued even after our departure from the Philippines in 2006; including welcoming representatives of the NGO into our home every year during their European fundraising tour. Two years ago, we began to dream of going abroad for a few months with our children to work on a humanitarian project. We really wanted to experience a meaningful family experience in a different environment. Naturally, we chose ACAY as the charity we wished to support. The work we did at ACAY was quite varied and related to our individual skills. For example, we offered the youth English tutorials and cooking sessions, gave individual job-hunting recommendations, provided jewelry-making ideas, and hosted general culture evenings. We also worked closely with the staff on the subjects of team and knowledge management, and assisted them in developing a communication plan and related tools. We were impressed by the quality of the work done by ACAY and really appreciated the quality of the human relations built between the youth and the multi-disciplinary team. The main challenge during our stay in the Philippines was to keep our children busy and as involved as much as possible. It was not easy! Antoine, the eldest and most mature, was of course the most disposed for this. He organized a soccer tournament with the Aetas, an indigenous tribe, and became the King of Power Point in preparation for our weekly general culture meetings. Quentin and Maud followed along and simply played with what they found. We were all very warmly welcomed by the team and shared a lot of time with ACAY youth and staff. All three children were enrolled in a local school for two months, primarily to increase their exposure to the culture, and secondarily to allow us to work more for ACAY. Their integration was difficult but eventually successful. Quentin, Antoine and Maud discovered many things during our stay: poverty, slums, jails, remote villages, bumpy roads, chaotic transportation, unbearable heat, monotonous meals, as well as great parties with the Filipino youth and the warm and dynamic Catholic sisters. They also were able to spend more time with their parents! It was a very intense experience for all of us, an encounter with amazing, dedicated people and a stunning NGO, in a completely different context from St Germain. The fact that we were volunteering as a family was highly appreciated. It also reinforced the links within our family: the children played together more than usual and shared a lot of discussions with us. We even discovered some hidden sides of their personalities! It is difficult for the children to express what they learned from this experience, but we hope that we planted a seed that will grow, and that they will be more caring, more aware of their privileges, and be more open-minded. If you want to know more about our adventure with ACAY, have a look at our blog: acaycharcellay.wordpress.com (password: CHA2013). Christine and Pierre Charcellay

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

Global Citizen “No pain, no Gain”

As I sat staring over behind civilization and the large red wing of the using satellite maps to Airbus, excited voices were navigate unchartered murmuring. Below, in the territory (that’s right… area previously occupied no cell phone coverage!). by clouds, an ocean of After 10 to 15 kms of melting white ice floated. hiking with the heavy The plane moved further rucksacks we would Louis Jamart volunteered as inland, and the ice turned arrive at the first lake, service fieldworker by assisting into a thick white sheet but no time for a break! Professor John Anderson on a over which we ventured for We pumped the zodiac research project in Greenland. an hour. When we landed, and paddled out into thick mountains of dust the middle of the lake had replaced the icebergs to collect the water and I saw for the first time samples. Using an echo the direct effects of rising sounder we located the temperatures. The speakers deepest point of the lake crackled as the captain welcomed us to Kangerlussuaq. (5 - 30m). We then dropped the make-shift anchor (a stone Kangerlussuaq (the “Kanger”) is situated at the head of wrapped in fishing net) to keep the boat from drifting. We the Fjord of Sondrestrom in South-West Greenland. The used a secchi disk to measure the transparency of the water, settlement was previously an American Air Force base, and often being sprayed by freezing waves blowing across the ice. provides an ideal point of meeting and departure for many The disk indicated the depth of sunlight penetration of the scientific teams. I had come to join the Lakes and Arctic water and thus whether or not plants were able to grow at the Circle (LAC) project, part of the Arctic Research program deepest levels of the lakes. After this, we used a Van Dorn bottle funded by the National Environmental Research Council to collect water samples from the top, middle and bottom of (NERC) in the UK. The LAC team has been studying the lake. Then we paddled back to shore and filtered the water sediment records from Arctic lakes to determine vegetation through micro-filters in order to eliminate unwanted bacteria, changes associated with past climate warming events. I which could interfere with the results. We sampled two lakes had contacted one of the lead investigators, Professor John per day and returned to the laboratory around 8pm, where Anderson, offering my services as a fieldwork volunteer and we analysed the samples. Only once this was complete would he had generously agreed! we eat dinner and then finally go to bed, around 11pm, in I was welcomed by Professor Anderson. He ushered me broad daylight! And so the cycle went. straight to the research vehicle and we hit the road. Our small With only 0.026 people per square kilometre, red and white utility vehicle (ute) sped away along the only Greenland is a country of huge natural diversity. We road in town, heading towards the K.I.S.S research base. I was studied lakes in three completely different regions so I was shown my room, and then we headed straight back out to the fortunate enough to experience the Greenland ice sheet, ute to begin fieldwork. When I arrived back at base-camp at the Greenlandic coast and the Greenlandic plains, which 8pm, I knew I was in for a long and rewarding two weeks. until recently, had been completely covered by snow. I saw We were in Greenland to sample and analyse water from pristine white glaciers… an image of what the world might remote Arctic lakes. These lakes are constituted of melted ice have looked like before human industrialisation… I also from the surrounding glaciers. The glaciers themselves have, saw mountains of black dust where glaciers have scraped for hundreds of thousands of years, preserved sediments the rocky surface of the land… an image of where global dating back to the last ice age. So by studying water samples warming might lead us. Already, humans have started from Arctic lakes, we are able to understand how climate building upon land that was snow-covered only several change affected living organisms and therefore what we decades ago. might expect to happen as a consequence of global warming This trip confirmed everything I had heard about climate in the century to come. Our goal was to sample two lakes change and global warming, and sealed my desire to pursue per day and to process the day’s samples each night. There Environmental Sciences at University. It was made possible was plenty of work to be done and not much time. Our thanks to the willingness of the NERC research team to motto became: “No pain, no gain.” take a risk and accept an unknown student volunteer. I’m There was no “typical day.” Each lake that we studied exceptionally grateful to Professor John Anderson, Professor (twenty-one in total) was different, and accessibility to the Graham Underwood and Dr Erika Hogan for their kindness, various locations was dependent upon the weather. I would patience and intellectual generosity. Finally, without the wake up around six. Over breakfast, the day’s itinerary would support of the American Section, none of this would have be decided. We then packed our rucksacks - up to 40 kilos per been possible. The Global Citizenship Scholarship which person because our bags contained the limnology research offers recipients the opportunity to pursue their personal equipment, as well as the zodiac boats needed to cross the commitments to causes beyond their community, helped lakes, and sufficient food, water, mosquito spray, and warm me make a decision about my future career direction. clothes to survive emergencies. We headed off with incredibly heavy loads to trek through layers of glacial dust leaving Louis Jamart, Terminale 10

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

Scholarships Volunteering: not a Gift, but an Exchange Ever since our trip to India with the American Section, we longed to go back, never dreaming this fantasy could become reality. The non-profit organization with whom we worked is Manav Sadhna, which means “Individual Worship” in Hindi. Based in Mahatma Gandhi’s Ashram, where Gandhi himself lived and served, this non-profit focuses on empowering women through job opportunities, providing quality education to kids who cannot enroll in Ahmedabad’s underfunded public school system, and providing the inhabitants of the slums access to doctors and medical care. We helped teachers and staff at the “Community Center,” Manav Sadhna’s school and activity center, a beautifully decorated agora located at the heart of the Ramapir no Tekra slum. Children from ages six to sixteen, living in impoverished conditions in the surrounding slum, can come to this “Community Center” to participate in a value-based education and eat a nutritious lunch every weekday morning. These children come to Manav Sadhna because they cannot go to public schools, as they are expected to work and provide a source of income for their families. Manav Sadhna makes sure that this education is not in vain, by speaking to the children’s families and easing them into this unfamiliar educational system. We went to Ahmedabad loaded with heaps and piles of supplies, materials and ideas, but soon we realized that they would not be enough for these enthusiastic and eager to learn children. They devoured every activity we presented to them! In the end, the activities they enjoyed the most were the ones that required genuine reflection, such as mathematical card games, intricate origami pieces, dialogues, and charades. Alongside children’s activities, we spent most evenings cooking and serving at Manav Sadhna’s restaurant, Seva (service) Café, in downtown Ahmedabad. This restaurant has a very particular concept: the staff are all volunteers, and at the end of their meal, the customers “pay from the heart;” there is no set price on the food, only donations. Thanks to this remarkable system, Seva Café appeals to any socioeconomic class. It is a space where all can have a great time, whether poor or rich, while eating local food and watching live artists perform. Working at Seva Café was one of the most wonderful experiences we had, because of the charming, always-smiling staff who ensured that everyone, even the volunteers, had the best experience possible. Some of the best friendships we made were at Seva Café. Upon arrival, we were expecting to help and teach more than to be taught and helped. The inspiring people and communities we met absolutely transformed these arrogant ideas about humanitarian work.

One inspiring person we met was named Rahgu. Rahgu is dashing, charming, and utterly selfless, the perfect man. However, he was paralyzed as a child by polio, and lost the use of his legs. One might think Rahgu is a person that Manav Sadhna helps. But Rahgu is a person that helps others. Every single day, without a break, Rahgu delivers lunch and dinner and conveys doctors’ medical advice to the elderly. We helped him deliver food to these maggiis, that is, elderly widows, whose lack of income makes nourishment a daily struggle. Children and adults, beggars and police officers alike would greet him as soon as we stopped at any maggii’s house, and we watched as their faces lit up when Rahgu arrived on his motorcycle laden with food. And Rahgu is but one among many. As we sat for the morning Prathna, or “All-Religion Prayer” and sharing session, a woman proposed that every person share a life changing experience. Although the participants spoke in Gujarati, we had a friend translate and discovered awe-inspiring stories. Almost every person had a similar story: a childhood spent in a slum or even on the streets, until Manav’s educational program took them under their wing. Eventually, after excelling in their studies, they came back to become essential staff members and enable more children. In the Tekro, a colorful, chaotic maze of a place, it was easy to get lost going from the volunteer house at the slum’s edge to the “Community Center” at the community’s center. Each time a friendly stranger would point us in the right direction. At one intersection, a good-humored salesman at a snack stand got into the habit of pointing out the correct street every time he saw us. A girl our age, Vundana, invited us into her home and, after giving us masala tea and teaching us how to drink it properly (not in the cup, but in the cup holder) she showed us her family album, and gave us beautiful henna tattoos. This warm and inviting nature was present in every person we met, from the rag-picker who waved to us every morning to Baraht, a man who helped us cross the chaotic streets. In Jamalpur, a neighboring slum, we discovered an equally loving community. In a country torn by the Hindu-Muslim conflicts, this community, a mix of people from both religions, has never broken out in violence or uproar. In fact, leaders of both religious affiliations meet during times of religious conflict in the country and ensure that the slum community stays strong and unified. We thought that volunteering was a type of penitence we were to endure to make us “good people”. We were taught that helping others had to come with sacrifice, that having fun while doing it was not possible, was even reprehensible. Now, thanks to people like Rahgu and the staff of Seva Café, thanks to communities like the Tekro and Jamalpur slums, we understand how arrogant it is to believe that a volunteer is to give without receiving. Enjoying volunteer work and learning from those you are helping is not only acceptable - it is essential. Volunteering, fueled by happiness and enjoyment, is not a gift, but an exchange. We thank the Global Citizenship Committee for enabling us to embark on this extraordinary exchange. Julie Fabre, Terminale & Julia Dakhlia, Première

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

Do you know what the ASALI Board does?

American Section Board, fall 2013. From left: Drew Shagrin, Jonathan Marsh, Kimberly Mock, Sonia Lee, John Mathieu, Jonathan Hall, Debbie Bloch, Roman Bereza, Craig Bradley, Marc Fournier. Absent: Ina De Witte.

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

My father was a member of the Board for three years, so I like to think I know more about it than most students of the American Section. At least when asked what I knew of it, I could do a tiny bit more than blink and ask something along the lines of, “Wait? The American Section has a Board?” Still, up until a few weeks ago, I couldn’t really say I knew much about it. I knew that it made decisions; that it voted on policies and rules; that it took up quite a bit of my dad’s life. But really, none of it interested me: administration, under any guise, was always boring. A few weeks ago, I got the chance to attend a Board meeting. Well, ‘got the chance’ perhaps isn’t the right phrase, since it turns out anyone can attend the first part of a Board meeting, as long as they notify the President of the Board in advance. (Just another of those things I didn’t know about the Board, and about the American Section in general). Anyway, I was invited, I was somewhat curious, I went. The ASALI Board of Trustees meeting is divided into two parts: during the first, the directors of the schools and of the various committees report on new initiatives and progress; this part is entirely public. The second half, the executive session, is private. (Bet you didn’t know that. Bet you didn’t know that the minutes of the Board are public, either. At least I hope you didn’t. I don’t enjoy being alone in my ignorance.) My initial conclusion about the Board meeting was proven correct: I was bored. It dragged on and on, like a class in a subject you hate, where your only activity is to watch the hands on the clock slowly move forward. I wasn’t the only one, either; someone was chewing gum; a few people had glazed looks on their faces as they turned robotically from one speaker to another. So no, the boredom wasn’t a surprise. The real surprise was that most of the people weren’t bored. It’s always surprising to find out that something you take for granted has been worked on. Like all the annoying envelopes that fill up your mailbox around wine-tasting

season, you never really think about the work going into filling every single one of them. And so it was that I was completely taken by surprise that these people care; that these people work to make this Section better, to improve the lives of the students, to try new things and implement new regulations. There’s Jonathan Hall, President of the Board, calling the session to order and administrating the whole session; Debbie Bloch, his deputy, making sure everything as it should be, Andrew Shagrin, with three children in the American Section, spread out from maternelle to middle school; Craig Bradley and Ina De Witte, reporting on the development committee along with the Development Director, Margaret Jenkins; Marc Fournier on Finance, with, of course, the Business Manager, Alain Ginsbach; Jonathan Marsh, who discussed the tax status of the American Section; Kimberly Mock and John Mathieu on the ASALI website, and John also had the all-important duty of making sure we finished on time (we did); Roman Bereza, who attended Board meetings for months before and between his terms on the Board; Sonia Lee, who had already been on the Board before my dad joined and is still serving. She and Roman are among the four trustees who were attending their next-to-last Board session after serving for many years; seeing, with dignity and grace, one director leave, another take his place, and then having to search for a third. I guess I always took the American Section for granted. I never thought about the work going on behind it to keep it running as well as possible, just as I don’t think about how many people worked to assemble the computer I’m typing this on, or how many factories are devoted to making the paper I write on. I didn’t appreciate the Board, because I didn’t know what the Section would be like without it. Seeing them discussing tuition, talking about the difficulties of finding another director, asking questions about the new Classroom Reading initiative was both jarring and moving, and made me realize how vital the trustees are to the smooth sailing of the Section; how much these people care and work for it, made me realize that they were willing to devote hours of their life to these meetings because they love this Section although they’ll need to jazz the first part of the meeting up if they want their audience to ever attend more than once! Anita Youngblood, Seconde

The Fastest Year of my Life Following a year in ‘the hot seat’ as the new Proviseur of the Lycée International, Compass met up with Joël Bianco to find out his future plans and past impressions after a year which he describes as “the fastest of his life”. When we talked to you just after you started your new job, you told us you hoped to “be surprised” - were you? I was expecting the school to be different and special, but I was completely unprepared to what extent! Most of all, I’ve been surprised by the students, and I’ve loved getting to know them. They have a great capacity for reflection, for hard work and for seeing someone else’s point of view; they are polite and respectful but not obsequious - they succeed in striking just the right balance. As a leader, you blend an ability to see the big picture with a ‘let’s get down to business’ practicality. We’re thinking in particular about some of the changes you’ve made, like closing the gates between classes and having the younger children wait for the start of classes in the foyer instead of outside… When one is new it’s easy to see things with fresh eyes as you’re not hampered by how they’ve always been done. In both those examples, the solution was simple and it freed up staff members to fulfil other tasks - for instance, as well as improving school security, closing the gate has meant we now have a supervisor free to help the little ones in the canteen. What other projects are in the works? We’re very pressed for time and space, both pupils and staff. I have the impression that we’re all running all the time. I’m lightening the students’ loads – for instance, I’ve cut three lesson hours out of the S program in Terminale, and I intend to cut more across the board. Our students have an enormous capacity to work but they also need time to do nothing. With the help of Club International I’m creating a student lounge where the students can relax. I hope to have

it finished this school year. I’m also looking at the school website which requires a lot of work - in fact, computer technology needs a huge overhaul in general. While I’d like to computerise grading, it’s extremely complicated when you have thirteen different sections, each with their own system, and each different from the French system. We have to remember that we are first and foremost a French school but in addition we have this incredible cultural richness. I’d like to see the different elements working more closely together with everyone benefitting from the resultant cultural exchanges. It’s also imperative that we change our report cards to accurately reflect the extra work students here do compared with those at other schools. It’s not apparent when one sees section report card grades what that requires in terms of lesson hours and work. A simple grade can’t begin to reveal the weight of the OIB program. Students shouldn’t receive equivalent grades as their contemporaries at other schools for the modern languages taught here: a 13 here is worth at least three points more than in other schools as they are truly multilingual. That’s not evident to an outsider and we need to ensure our students are fairly rewarded when applying for university. To address these and other issues, I’m establishing an educational advisory board including representatives from the sections, not just from the French side. In addition, I’d like the school board to be comprised of one third staff, one third ‘users’ (parents and students), and one third of deputies from the administration and the communities and regions we operate in. So, there’ll be delegates from SaintGermain and other communes for example, and two posts representing our partner schools. We’ll also have a representative for the high school – this year that will be the director of the Dutch section.

Yes, we wanted to ask you about the Dutch Section which faces closure because the Dutch government is withdrawing its funding. Why can’t it become a privately funded section? The difficulties the Dutch section is currently facing (and other sections could face) is because the OIB is not understood and valued outside (or even within) France. Unfortunately we can’t make the section private because legally the LI exists as a state school with open access to all. Increasing the number of private sections would upset the balance, implying that the school is private and therefore elite, which would threaten our very existence. We have to tread very carefully to demonstrate the enormous added value our school offers not just to our students but in a wider context in terms of France’s international relations and understanding. But we also have to be seen as egalitarian and non-discriminatory. That sounds like a long-term goal which other goals do you have for the LI? Where do you see it in ten years’ time? We need completely to review the heart of the LI: the buildings need to be renovated inside and out; we need more space for both the children and the administration; the renovation should also include providing disabled access. We need to renovate the Château and amphitheatre and find a new purpose for the Château to prevent it falling into anyone else’s hands. We need an architect to re-think our beautiful, but challenging site: for example, perhaps the canteen should be at the bottom of the hill so the little ones wouldn’t have such a hike and delivery trucks wouldn’t have to drive into the middle of campus. I’d love to see the Agora used as a true agora or meeting place where we could hold ceremonies; for that matter we really need some proper meeting rooms…. However, the true challenge is even greater: in ten years’ time we will either have succeeded in demonstrating the importance of an international school and its relevance to the outside world - or we could be in danger of closure. It’s up to us. Tiffany Snel-Wark FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

The American Section bid a nostalgic farewell to long-standing faculty member Josephine Crichton in June, and welcomed two new teachers, Lili Zimmett and Melissa Pedraza in September.

Comings and Goings

Lili Zimmett is teaching 6ème, 5ème and 4ème English at Collège Marcel Roby.

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

Lili Zimmett is a walking advertisement for literature’s power to set the course of our lives: the New Yorker might never have become a teacher had it not been for a book. “When I read The Color Purple in high school, I knew I wanted to teach English,” says Zimmett, who joined the Lycée this year as the new Middle School English teacher at Marcel Roby. As a school-aged teen she liked reading “coming of age stories, mystery novels, I liked realism not fantasy - I probably wouldn’t have been into Harry Potter.” Zimmett will no doubt be an enthusiastic advocate for some of her favorite titles when on duty at the Roby library with colleagues Amy Crist and Charlotte Jarquin. Short stories are her passion at the moment. “I really admire the way a good writer can create a whole world filled with fully developed characters and tell a story in efficient language.” Zimmett discovered France during her junior year at college. “I studied in Aix-en-Provence and fell in love with French culture and everything about France. It was such a positive experience that I was always yearning to come back.” After obtaining her Master of Arts

in English from the prestigious Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College, Zimmett taught middle and upper school English for eight years at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York City, before the Lycée lured her back to these shores. In the short time she has been with the American Section, Zimmett has been struck by the worldliness of the kids she now teaches. “They seem more informed than most Middle School children in the States. In classrooms in the US you hear pupils say “we” and “us” a lot because their lives have been so similar. The children at the Lycée have been exposed to different cultures and make fewer assumptions.” Zimmett has also taken pleasure in observing the cultural differences between her native US and France. “In New York people always have a beverage in their hand when they are walking down the street. I love the way that in France people take the time to sit down and have coffee or lunch together - although I’m carrying a bottle of water right now!” Alison James

Josephine Crichton retired in 2013, after 28 years of teaching in the American Section primary school.

Above: Trustee Sonia Lee honors Josephine at graduation 2013. Below: Josephine with her first American Section 2nd grade class in 1985.

Josephine Crichton has had a long story with the American Section. She arrived, with her daughter Annie and one suitcase, in August, 1985, after ten years of teaching in California. The Château was the Primary School at that time, and the AS classrooms were on the top floor. As soon as possible Josephine went about transforming some of the spaces. Using the 18th century mosaics on the floor, she made large stencils, and as a French colleague said, “Put the Château floor on the walls!” This was followed by creating a planetarium on the top floor, where the children and parent helpers from the American Section painted and hung the planets, the sun, and created a prehistoric sea. When the first satellite primary school opened at Ecole Henri Dunant, Josephine set up and opened the Grade 1 class. The first overnight trip ever for our Primary students? Many remember the trip to Lascaux with over 60 Grade 2 students which provided a fascinating array of activities and learning experiences. Branferé followed: a special trip organized for the graduating Grade 5 students, repeated several times and always a rousing success. The first Digital Reporting Team was inaugurated by Josephine during Sean Lynch’s tenure, and from then on included a 25-minute film per year with the collaboration of her Grade 5 students. Notable ones include Movin’ On Up, Changes, What Matters, and even the last minute filming of the American Section Graduation this year. These and others can still be viewed on the AS Vimeo site. Teaching three levels of Primary School, involving many subjects was always challenging and creative for Josephine. She loved the variety of students, from teaching five-yearolds in the morning to working with her Grade 5 students in the afternoon. Working with students and parents during Project Week and, in the olden days, the annual primary plays that were done with each class at the end of the year, provided tons of memorable moments. When recently asked what she misses the most, there was a resounding, “The kids! And working, exchanging with all my international colleagues. At the Lycée International, contact with the children and parents in the Section was a rich and ever-changing panorama. I miss that energy and joy.” After 28 years at the Lycée, Josephine has retired. And while she’s thrilled to be able to sleep late, pursue various artistic endeavors, and travel outside of school vacations, the American Section students and Jo’s colleagues will always occupy a very special place in her heart.

Melissa Pedraza is teaching Kindergarten and 2nd grade at the Lycée International, and 5th grade at Ecole Schnapper. With a Puerto Rican father and basic Spanish her only foreign language, Melissa Pedraza was not obviously destined for France. But her unique set of skills as a primary teacher and literacy specialist and coach were a perfect match for the enticing vacancy that the American Section posted earlier this year. After landing the job, she gave up a position at the Castlewood School in Bellerose, Queens, New York, took a one-month crash course in French and threw herself in at the deep end. “I haven’t travelled a lot and had wanted to go abroad, but only if it was the right place and the right job,” explains Pedraza, who grew up and studied in New York. Pedraza is an expert in the Columbia University Teachers College

Teaching of Reading Program, which is being rolled out in selected primary classrooms this year. Melissa is teaching the program in kindergarten, second and fifth grades. The method is based on the premise that children will improve their reading skills if a particular book engages them. In a break with traditional teaching methods, pupils

who are learning to read get to make their own individual reading choices, rather than the whole class tackling the same title. Children are also taught about the processes involved in reading, the teacher facilitating their reading accuracy, rate, and comprehension through workshops and individual conferences. “When we look at a book, we are thinking as well as reading,” says Pedraza. “We explain to kindergarten children that even if they can’t read yet, they can look at the pictures and tell the story. We find they can sit doing this for ten or fifteen minutes at a stretch.” Pedraza finds it “exciting to be teaching such a range of ages” at the Lycée. She is also leading the American Section’s Primary Players theatre group – some thirty budding thespians. “We’ll be putting on a play in June, but first we are doing a lot of role playing and improvisation and I’m getting to know everyone.” Alison James FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

Class of 2013

G R A D UAT I O N Words of Wisdom

“This school has made us, and we have each had a part in making this school. It has become clear that our solidarity, our friendship, our individuality, our creativity, our everything, is not something we have in spite of the difficulties we experience. It is something we have because of the difficulties we experience.” Scot Leichleiter ‘13

“Our eyes may have at times been too glued on the steep trail to admire our surroundings. We focused on the grades; what will hopefully stay with us is the knowledge and resourcefulness. According to Buddah (or perhaps Lao Tzu or Dan Millerman, depending on the source), ‘there is no path to happiness; happiness is the path.’ Is sitting on the current summit our happiness, or was it our Lycée years themselves?” Sarah Anne Aarup ‘13

FACULT Y ADDRESS “Class of 2013, I have a wish for you: get as far out of your skin and your particular experience as you can. Many of you have already felt this in India, or on the Global Citizenship projects you’ve undertaken, so you know what I’m describing. It’s electrifying. Why do this? Because it’s a shot in the arm, because in a strange way there is nothing more restful than being away from the comforts and the familiar, since when you are, you have no choice but to take each moment as it comes. How refreshing, when for so many years life has been about relentlessly racing to the next task to the eternal soundtrack “Ding ding dong, ding, bling bong”. You’re gonna miss it. You know it… The Lycée. Just so you know, that’s called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But I urge this dépaysement, which by the way doesn’t require far-flung travels. For some, it can happen by being blindsided by music, prose, a sight, a person: anything disorientating in the extreme because so often hesitation, fear, and dislike of difference can and does gives way to wonder and recognition. Because, especially in this environment, we could benefit from a dose of losing control (hey, it’s in the Vox theme song, so it must be true). From being off schedule and off-piste. Because the world that is rich within these gates is likely to be vastly richer beyond them. And because…and here I dare to speak for all of the adults present today…you can wander far - in outer or inner worlds - knowing that if the ride gets a little too scary or wild, you will always, always, ALWAYS have a family and safe anchorage here in this community. So on this day of change and contradictory feelings, I am urging you away and already welcoming you back to this place, its people, and what it means to you. It is yours. As the lifeblood of all we do here, you students are the inheritors of the keys to the Château, something no piece of paper - passport, birth certificate, or even diploma - can confer upon you. Class of 2013, Godspeed, and be well.” Andrew McGovern, Upper School English

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

University Destinations Class of 2013

Class of 2013 Baccalauréat Results

CANADA (8 students) Concordia University (2) McGill University (6) ENGLAND (9 students) Imperial College London King’s College London University College London (3) University of Bristol (2) University of Cambridge University of Leeds FRANCE (16 students) Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture, Paris IESEG School of Management ISCOM Digital Lycée Fenelon, Paris (prépa) Lycée Henri IV, Paris (prépa) Lycée Hoche, Versailles (prépa) (2) Lycée La Bruyère, Versailles (prépa) Lycée Marcelin Berthelot, St. Maur (prépa) Lycée Notre Dame de Grandchamps, Versailles (prépa) Lycée St. Geneviève, Versailles (prépa) University of Nanterre/University of Essex (joint law program) University of Paris Dauphine (2) University of Paris Pierre and Marie Curie (medicine) (2) HOLLAND (4 students) Erasmus (3) University of Maastricht IRELAND (2 students) Trinity College Dublin Queens University Belfast

TOTAL

Très bien

44%

Bien

37%

Assez bien

19%

no mention

Lycée Slam

(or a lightning tour of the OIB English curriculum) It was done; it was finished. Yes, we thought, laying down our books in extreme fatigue, we have had our Baccalaureat vision. But wait, Life stand still here. Questions and feelings swim in my mind: What does one live for? Why should I have let the toad work squat on my life? And If Shakespeare had never existed, had we never read his works, would the world have differed much from what it is to-day?” Why do we feel (we all feel) this sweet sensation of joy? We’re free… We’re free… We’re free… But free from what? From those Winter afternoons drifting listlessly by; The cantine’s tawdry decadence, where we became eaters of leftovers (I don’t want a change! I want Swiss cheese.) A shattered plate full of lentils, in front of hundreds; Those precious moments when you think, Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew. Someone had blundered, and it was you. The librarian who throws a savage glare like a lioness with her cubs when you talk; Those evenings, nights, and library hours spent procrastinating; The famous line “I’ll do it in an hour” -- Probably one of the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought; Virtue is social. That means I can go on Facebook with less guilt. Ah, bac blanc exams-that productive and fructifying pain That we were spared on Saturday January 19 because the roads were deep in snow; Many may think that this is just another school: tables, seats, and kids, and little books; However, There was pasture enough for our imagination; Sections merging and flowing and creating, Philosophy, math, economics, drama, Human Rights Watch, creative writing, VOX, Model United Nations, to name a few. When I was young I walked into the Lycée, and when I was 18 I walked out. And by God it was rich. The world is in your hands. The readiness is all, so let be.

SCOTLAND (1 student) University of Dundee

Sarah Anne Aarup and Scott Lechleiter ‘13 *With quotes from Death of a Salesman, Death and the King’s Horseman, Hamlet, Medea, The Bluest Eye, To the Lighthouse, Walden, and the poems of Elizabeth Bishop, Philip Larkin and Emily Dickinson

SWITZERLAND (1 student) Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne UNITED STATES (14 students) Brown University Claremont McKenna College Dartmouth College Mount Holyoke College New York University Northeastern University (2) Northwestern University Rice University Skidmore College Smith College University of California Berkeley University of Pennsylvania Wellesley College

GAP YEAR (2 students) Followed by: Bard College in Berlin University College London

Evolution of University Destinations 2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

7 Year To tal

France

117

USA

113

England

Canada

Netherlands

Gap Year

Ireland

Switzerland

Italy Scotland

2 2

Belgium 1

Australia New Zealand

1 1 1

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

BUILDING

Thank you to the 252 donors who contributed to our fundraising efforts during the 2012-2013 school year. As a result of your generosity FOR THEIR and commitment, our students are benefitting this year from exceptional programs and experiences that would not otherwise exist. The American Section would not be the same without your help. The Annual Fund reached two record highs this year. The total amount contributed to the Annual Fund was was 66,000€, an inspiring amount. Annual Fund participation rates also broke records, with 44% of our families, 97% of faculty and staff, and 100% of board trustees joining the effort. Thank you one and all. In the following pages you will discover what’s being done with the 105,083€ generated by fundraising last year: technology in the classroom, financial aid, Writer in Residence and art programs, holistic student support programs, Global Citizen Scholarships, and more. These programs and experiences, made possible by fundraising, make a meaningful difference to every single American Section student. We hope in the future that all our families will contribute to the Annual Fund, helping to perpetuate these important programs and enhancing the experience we offer our students.

BLOCKS

FUTURE

70,000€ 60,000€ 50,000€ 40,000€ 30,000€

Annual Fund Evolution 18

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

2012-13

2011-12

2010-11

2009-10

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

2005-06

2004-05

2003-04

2002-03

10,000€

2001-02

20,000€

Where the Money is Being Spent

Your donations are making the following possible: Student Programs - 25,000€ Extracurricular enrichment programs Classrooms-without-Walls and field trip initiatives Writer-in-Residence The India Project Student Support Program Primary Art Program Student Scholarships, including Global Citizenship and Summer Scholars

Financial Assistance - 25,000€

Student Programs 25,000€ Technology (Chromebooks and iPads) 33,880€ Professional Development 6,680€ Finacial Aid 25,000€

Library 10,440€

Aid for Section families

Technology - 33,880€ Tools that provide real opportunities for 21st century learning Classroom sets of Chromebooks and storage carts for Marcel Roby and Lycée International secondary Classroom sets of iPads and storage carts for Schnapper and Lycée International primary

College Counseling - 4,000€ University networks to promote American Section students

Library - 10,440€ Online resources and databases for students and faculty RandMcNally, Web Path Express, Grolier Online and Brain Pop American Library in Paris access Curriculum Mapping software

Professional Development - 6,680€ Opportunities for faculty to explore the latest in American best-practice pedagogy

College Counselling 4,000€

Key Statistics 2012-2013 Total Annual Fund Income - 66,606€ Annual Fund participation rates: 44% of our families (50% contributed to overall fundraising)

97% of our Faculty and Staff 100% of our Board Total Fundraising Income - 105,083€

Thank you to our corporate sponsors: Thank you to John Mathieu and the many members of our community who participated in our “Don’t Give” video last year! You can view (and be inspired by) the video here: http://www.youtube. com/watch?v= YyxFvKLmXco

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

Development Report

Program Supporters up to 249€ David & Keveren ADOUTTE Jean-Marc & Catherine BABUT Jonathan & Isabelle BAKER *Francesco & Yasmin BALLARIN Indrajit & Caroline BANERJEE Jean Julien BARONNET & Lara VOLOSHIN Christian & Ying BELLISSEN Christophe & Virginie BELORGEOT Hannah BLANNING-LELOUP Michel & Debbie BLOCH Catherine & Philip BOALCH Charlotte BORDE Hamid & Naïma BOUCHIKHI Jean-Pascal & Virginie BOURDIER John Andrew & Julie BURKE Stéphane & Karine CALLE David & Agnès CATTON Nikolai & Rosa CHAPIRO BERNAL Pierre & Christine CHARCELLAY Pascal & Min Hua CORCESSIN Richard & Adrienne COVINGTON Josephine CRICHTON Philippe & Amy CRIST Gints & Samite DANNE Olivier & Caroline DE PERCIN Christian & Anja DELANNES Lisa DEMANGEAT Eric & Nicky DOLADILLE Gilles & Jenny DU CREST Alain & Janelle DUBOS Anthony & Valérie EAGLETON Miguel & Sonia ENESCO Nima & Parissa ESKANDARI William & Laurence FABRE Aurélien & Natalie FAULKNER-FARCY Laurent & Laurence FISCHER *Mark & Madeleine FLEMING Mary FRIEL Alain GINSBACH Michelle GREEN Etienne & Sylvie GRIMON Béatrice GRIVEAU Rodolphe GROSSET Arnaud & Elisabeth GUERIN Bruno & Frédérique GUIOT Yasmina HADERBACHE Judith HAMERY Stu & Beccy HAUGEN Ben HECKSCHER Terry HERSHEY Olivier & Beth HEUDEBOURG *Clémence HICKS *Henry HICKS Scot & Marie HICKS Troy HOLST & Yvette STEPANIAN Matthew JACKSON Etienne & Laurence JACQUES Olivier & Julia JAMART Margaret JENKINS Bradley & Laurence JOSLOVE Jean-Christophe & Nathalie JUILLARD Erik & Stéphanie KUFFERMAN Alice LAMY Donna LE JONCOUR Arnaud & Cécile LE TIRAN Youssef & Muriel LEBBAR Yannick & Lorette LEE-JOUANNY

C O M PA S S M A G A Z I N E

Gala Corporate Sponsoring 7,950€

Source of Funds 2012-2013

Randy & Wendy LEMMERMAN Olivier & Catherine LETEURTRE Brian & Ilona LOCKHART Stephan LOESCH & Martina ZOEBELIN Christophe & Joanna MAINGUY Sylvie MARTEL Kate McCARTHY Andrew McGOVERN Bruce & Marjolein MEE Patrick & Tracy MEMMI Giorgio & Lennys MILANO Manuel & Qi MILLOT Barbara MOROSS & Renaud DA Xavier & Lisa MORVAN Marcio & Cristina NASCIMENTO Alain & Farila ODIN Xavier & Jennifer ODOLANT Olivier & Ana MENARD David & Christine PAGET Frédéric & Maryline PATREAU Douglas & Isabelle PENNER-LACOMPTE Eric & Carolyn PENOT Dionisio & Maria José PEREZ-JACOME GONZALEZ DE COSSIO Cyril & Glenda PETIT Christophe & Anne PEYMIRAT Thierry PUJOL & Margaret MALLON-PUJOL Dan & Catherine REED Alain & Vanina ROBIC Fabrice & Valérie ROUSSEAU Bernard & Janice RUBINSTEIN Mark & Shelia SADOFF François & Sara SALLEMBIEN Maël & Beth SAUNIER Christian SCHUBERT & Teresa ADAMS Michele SILVESTRI Roger & Ruth SURRIDGE Jennifer TABARY Robert & Cecile TRAN Marc & Valérie VALDERRAMA Nella VALORIS Matthieu & Denise VAN VEEN Fernando & Maria VELEZ LIMONGI Benjamin & Kathrine VIDET Guillaume & Anne-Claire VUILLARDOT-PAILLE Jenny WATERS Mike & Janice WHITACRE Paul & Lorraine WHITFIELD Cedric & Susie WOINDRICH Maxime & Edwige YAO *Anton ZIETSMAN 7 anonymous donors *Alumni and former community members

Other Corporate Sponsoring 800€ Club International 3,793€

Gala 25,935€ Annual Fund 66,606€

Section Partners 250€ to 499€ François ABÉLANET & Lisa BARLOW Jerome & Joséphine BAUDELET Eric & Sheila BAUMERT *Jacques BEHR & Véronique ELY André & Laure BENTZE Xavier & Céline BOULAT *Craig BRADLEY & Elizabeth WEBB Ian & Laurence BURDON Didier & Isabelle CENTIS Christophe & Ann CHAUVEL-GOBIN Nicolas & Charlotte DE SMET Gina ELARDO Ron & Martine GEROW Edward & Tatyana GRABLEVSKY Jürgen & Gabrielle GRIEB Juan HARDOY & Carmen GOMEZ ALZAGA Kelly HERRITY & Pete SHAPIRO Richard & Cecile HULLIN Rajiv & Marie-Noëlle ISWARIAH Pierre & Chrystèle JACQMARCQ Xavier & Charlotte JARQUIN Michail KOROBITSYN & Anya ASTAPOVA Marc & Vera LAPORTE Keith & Stephanie NEY Steven & Margarette NUSSBAUMER John & Véronique O’BRIEN Olivier & Evelyne PAREIN Bertrand & Catherine RAME Jean-Paul & Annelise RIVAL Marc ROBERT & Carine VASSY Philippe & Frédérique ROBERT-GORSSE Chris & Alice SANTEIU Nicolas & Chrystèle SIMON Stéphane & Nathalie SOUCHET Antoine & Nathalie TIRARD Eric & Yana TOFFIN Philippe & Kerri VILLOINGT Richard & Christine WASHINGTON 2 anonymous donors

Matching Grants

BTS

Tax Services

Community Builders 500€ to 999€ Olivier & Patricia BLANC Christophe & Chantal BOURGES Karl COX *Alexis & Marisa DE BELLOY Alain & Marie-Claude DE SERRES Eric DESBLANCS & Tara PATEL Jean-Benoit & Angélique DEVAUGES Didier & Marilyn DOUAY Bill & Catherine FAHBER *Marc & Sabrina FOURNIER Laurent & Sophie GILHODES Stephane & Quyen GORIN Andrew & Laurence HAFEMEISTER Jonathan & Natacha HALL Christophe & Irene HEURTEVENT Goran & Elisabeth LAZOVIC Thierry & Marie LETRILLIART John & Alicia PRESTON Luis ROTH & Jennifer DALRYMPLE Alexandre & Nancy TREMBLOT DE LA CROIX François & Martine VAN DER WIELEN 2 anonymous donors

ASALI Benefactors 1000€ to 2499€

Friends of ASALI Board 2013-14 President: David Renard ‘91 Treasurer: Jeremy Da ‘99 Secretary: Lorna Neligan Colarusso M E M B E R S AT L A R G E Grace Abuhamad ‘09 Robin Gillespie ‘73 Evelyne Pinard Alexi Remnek ‘87 Elizabeth Sheehan Anton Zietsman ‘08 We thank Friends of ASALI for their support of the following initiatives: Writer in Residence Global Citizen Scholarship Student Support Program Community Service Award Theater Program Primary Art Program The Amsterdam Trip The India Project Friends of ASALI is launching a series of alumni get-togethers, informal events organized by volunteers in locations across the globe, in December 2013. Thank you to them for taking this initiative! We hope it will provide opportunities for many alumni to reconnect with each other and the Section.

Philippe & Marie-Anne AYMERICH Roman & Naïma BEREZA Pierre & Carol CAMBEFORT Philippe CLAR & Margaret DICKASON-CLAR Mark & Catherine CORRIGAN Bertrand & Lise DE FOUCHIER *Philippe & Mildred DELORME Nordine HACHEMI & Kimberly MOCK Jonathan & Françoise MARSH John & Adeline MATHIEU Brian & Mee Hyun MC DONALD Jean-Christophe & Katie MIESZALA Bertrand POINTEAU & Sonia LEE Xavier & Alicia ROBERT Michel & Maria SAPRANIDES Tom & Emmanuelle VAN DEN BUSSCHE

Director’s Circle over 2500€ Jan & Ina DE WITTE Gaetan & Lucy GIANASSO *Derek & Maria STEELBERG

Participation Rates 2012-2013 100%

100%

90%

97%

80% 70%

72%

60% 50% 40%

44%

30% 20% 10% 0

Family

Board

Faculty/Staff

Senior Class

Consecutive Donors Have donated for at least five consective years. Ten year consecutive donors in italics. Thorkild AARUP & Marilyn GELLNER François ABÉLANET & Lisa BARLOW Philippe & Marie-Anne AYMERICH Indrajit & Caroline BANERJEE Brooks & Annette BEAULIEU Jaques BEHR & Véronique ELY Christian & Ying BELLISSEN Pascale & Elisabeth BERNAL Olivier & Patricia BLANC Michel & Debbie BLOCH Charlotte BORDE Xavier & Céline BOULAT Christophe & Chantal BOURGES Nikolai & Rosa CHAPIRO BERNAL Rodolphe & Lisa CORONAS Mark & Catherine CORRIGAN Karl COX Philippe & Amy CRIST Bertrand & Lise DE FOUCHIER Alain & Marie-Claude DE SERRES Jan & Ina DE WITTE Christian & Anja DELANNES Eric DESBLANCS & Tara PATEL Didier & Marilyn DOUAY Gilles & Jenny DU CREST William & Laurence FABRE Bill & Catherine FAHBER Laurent & Laurence FISCHER Ron & Martine GEROW Nordine HACHEMI & Kimberly MOCK Yasmina HADERBACHE Olivier & Beth HEUDEBOURG Christophe & Irene HEURTEVENT Pierre & Chrystèle JACQMARCQ Etienne & Laurence JACQUES Olivier & Julia JAMART Margaret JENKINS Marc & Vera LAPORTE Youssef & Muriel LEBBAR Olivier & Catherine LETEURTRE Brian & Ilona LOCKHART Réné-Philippe & Claire MANTRAND Jonathan & Françoise MARSH John & Adeline MATHIEU Jean-Christophe & Katie MIESZALA Marcio & Cristina NASCIMENTO Bertrand POINTEAU & Sonia LEE Dan & Catherine REED Xavier & Alicia ROBERT Marc ROBERT & Carine VASSY Philippe & Frédérique ROBERT-GORSSE Mark & Shelia SADOFF François & Sara SALLEMBIEN George & Reyneke SCHENCK Thomas & Bénédicte SILIER Nicolas & Chrystèle SIMON Derek & Maria STEELBERG Antoine & Nathalie TIRARD Nella VALORIS Tom & Emmanuelle VAN DEN BUSSCHE François & Martine VAN DER WIELEN Patrice & Shippen VAUDREMER Robert YOUNGBLOOD & Ursula LIU

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

Development Report

Senior Class Gift Thorkild & Sarah Anne AARUP, Marilyn GELLNER Joseph, Elisabeth & Cara BEJJANI Pascale & Elisabeth BERNAL Charlotte BORDE & Josephine HEBERT Christophe, Chantal & Bastien BOURGES Anna & Sebastien BROUSSE Hubert, Marie-Hélène & Laura CATANESE Bruno, Françoise & Alex CHAPPERT Jean-François, Laurence & Jade CLERVOY Mark, Catherine & Marie CORRIGAN Richard, Adrienne & Lucinda COVINGTON Gina & Rex ELARDO Marie-Laure & Nicolas GASTELLU Ron, Martine & Alice GEROW Philippe, Sophie & Marie GUERINET Yasmina HADERBACHE & Clara TOURNIER Andrew, Laurence & Matthieu HAFEMEISTER Margaret JENKINS & Ben GHIGLIONE Bradley, Laurence & Jeremy JOSLOVE Marc, Vera & Raphaël LAPORTE Jacques, Ying & Martin LEONARD Olivier, Catherine & Romain LETEURTRE Laurent, Guylaine & Théa MALBOIS Réné-Philippe, Claire & Thibault MANTRAND Marie-Pierre & Cléa NICAUD Olivier, Catherine & Matthieu PATURET Bertrand & Stella POINTEAU, Sonia LEE Jean-Paul, Annelise & Paul RIVAL Philippe, Frédérique & Coralie ROBERT-GORSSE Fabrice, Valérie & Constance ROUSSEAU Rémi, Nathalie & Augustin SALOMON George, Reyneke & Hanna SCHENCK Christian & Clara SCHUBERT, Teresa ADAMS Ron, Catherine & Mathieu SIMERAL Eric, Yana & Alix TOFFIN Marc, Valérie & Clara VALDERRAMA François, Martine & Nathan VAN DER WIELEN Patrice, Shippen & Edmée VAUDREMER Eric, Janice & Joanna WOLFARTH Robert & Henry YOUNGBLOOD, Ursula LIU 1 anonymous donor

Friends of the Library Keveren ADOUTTE Emmanuelle ALLART Jerry ASTRACHAN Caroline BANERJEE Carol CAMBEFORT Christine CHARCELLAY Bridget CORBANI Marisa DE BELLOY Isabelle DEBRAY Marie-Claude DE SERRES Charlotte DE SMET William FAHBER Françoise FREITAS Meenu KHOLI Muriel LEBBAR Yvonne LEMONNIER Cecile LE TIRAN Ilona LOCKHART Caroline MACNAUGTHON Mee Hyun MCDONALD Cymoril METIVIER Katie MIESZALA Sylvie NAHOUM Cristina NASCIMENTO Christine PAGET Fabiana PESTANA Glenda PETIT Joceyln PHILARDEAU-PLANCHE Serina PIZIGO Cécile PLACIDET Alicia PRESTON Alicia ROBERT Rayo RUCHE Serene SAUMURE Dika SCHAEFER Eliza SHAH Nathalie SOUCHET Denise VAN VEEN Anne VIENNOT Laura VOIGT

Senior Class Gift SUMMER SCHOLARS

Thanks to the generosity of the Class of 2013, rising Première and Terminale students will now have a an exceptional opportunity to explore their academic and/or creative passions in depth. Similar to the Global Citizen Scholarship, the Summer Scholars Award will be granted to motivated students who desire to spend their summer focusing on a particular subject and honing specific skills and aptitudes. The Section’s first Summer Scholars will be designated this spring. 72% of Terminale Class families, contributed to the Senior Class gift, donating a total of 2,150€ to fund the Summer Scholars program. Thank you for your generosity!

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Friends of the Arts Nick ALLDRIDGE Jerry ASTRACHAN Sandrine BENYAHIA Arianne BOUCHE Christophe BUSSEROLLES Carol CAMBEFORT Agnès CATTON Mick COHEN-CARROLL Florence CONDOTTA Isabelle DEBRAY Angélique DEVAUGES Desirée GENIN Sophie GILHODES Elizabeth GUERIN Pauline LAMBERT Alexandra LUBIN Elena MACNAUGHTON John MATHIEU Geni MERMOUD Cymoril METIVIER Elisabeth NOLAN Siun O’SULLIVAN Catherine PANDOLFI Fabiana PESTANA Anh PHAM Laurence RAPIN Mathilde RETIF Eliza SHAH Nathalie SOUCHET Véronique THEISLER Véronique THIREAU Denise VAN VEEN Lisa VOIGT Rachel WARREN

Friends of the Arts It was another banner year for the arts in the American Section! Our three theater programs continue to thrive, attracting ever-increasing numbers of thespians and presenting brilliant theatrical productions. Sandy Holderbach directed a talented group of thirty Primary Players in a vibrant, fun-filled original production, entitled Don’t panic, (but the books have come to life). The Middle World Players staged an amazing performance of Oliver! under the direction of Judith Hamery and musician Frédéric Manoukian, and Kate MCarthy’s upper school actors gave a superb rendition of Some Like It Hot. In our classrooms, primary students continued to benefit from bi-weekly art lessons. We thank all the members of our community who volunteer in the classrooms and with the theater program, as well as those who make monetary gifts to ensure the continuation of our vigorous arts program.

Writer in Residence Bringing Shakespeare to Life

Student actors shone in Some Like it Hot, Oliver!, and Don’t Panic (but the books have come to life) in 2013.

American Section students were treated to a marvelous week with Shakespeare expert extraordinaire, Ben Crystal. Entertaining and appealing, Ben drew kids in immediately with his emphasis on performance and acting. Most people now come to Shakespeare as readers, which is too bad, since the plays were meant to be heard and seen, not just studied in a quiet classroom. He made the lines come to life for the kids by leaping around the stage and moving in and around the audience, as a Globe actor might have done in a sunlit space. He convinced our students that everything they need to know about Shakespeare is in the lines on the page and he taught them how to look for meaning and stage direction inside of the iambic pentameter. The sessions were very interactive and Ben made even the most reluctant readers feel that they could understand Shakespeare’s message. Ben is a one of a group of actors interested in reviving the original pronunciation of the Elizabethan accent in order to really hear the meanings as they were intended. In studying the way the lines were originally delivered, modern readers can now understand jokes and nuances of meaning that had become obscure over time. Some of the differences, when Ben modeled them for us, were striking and hilarious. Needless to say, our students asked wonderful questions, and Ben was delighted by their interest and knowledge about the plays. Ben invited kids to act for each other and he showed them just how to read the lines to discern what the exchanges should look like on the stage. Our students were delighted by his performances, but best of all, they each came away from his demonstrations with a sense of real understanding of why the plays are written in the ways they are. Catherine Reed Head of English FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

GALA - April 19, 2013 Total Proceeds 33,885€ which was used in its entirety to equip our classrooms with Chromebooks and iPads

It was an enchanted evening, the fruit of months of work and the contributions of hundreds. And when the final numbers where crunched, our collective efforts were greatly rewarded. The nearly 34,000€ in profits raised by the Silver and Gold Gala have enabled us to propel our classrooms into the present, with classroom sets of iPads and Chromebooks. These modern learning tools have made their appearance in American Section classrooms this fall. Gala co-chairs Fabienne Aschenbroich, Gabrielle Grieb, Stéphane Jaquemet, and Rachel Warren along with their committee: Sara Boubguira, Jennifer Dalrymple, Ina De Witte, Ron Gerow, Amy LaFrance, Elizabeth Lazovic, MeeHyun McDonald, Katie Mieszala, Kimberly Mock, Carolyn Penot, Laurence Rapin, Annelise Rival, and Sabine Sayag, outdid themselves, engineering an elegant and exciting evening of fundraising. Silent Auction tables were laden with enticing items, donated by generous commercial sponsors and community members, as well as over fifty splendid Class Baskets, organized by a dedicated network of Class Basket coordinators. The raffle also offered fabulous prizes, including the grand prize, an electric bicycle, donated by La Boutique du Vélo in Le Port Marly. The highlight of the evening was an entertaining and spirited live auction, led by Maître Frédéric Laurent of SGL Enchères and our own Middle School Principal, Adrienne Covington. Singer and designer Valérie McCarthy sang a beguiling rendition of Carmen to kick off the auction: a beautiful gold necklace of her own design, donated by Benedict of St. Germain. Other highly sought after live auction prizes were a selection of rare fine wines donated by Maison Winetage, and the handmade puppet scarf knitted by Primary School Principal Barbara Moross. American Section students played an instrumental role in the Gala’s success. Led by Tiphene Lechleiter, the twenty-five upper school volunteers, graciously outfitted by Ekyog of St. Germain, were instrumental in the running of the evening. Primary Community Service children led by Beccy Haugen and Rachel Warren crafted beautiful centerpieces. And our youngest students, the PreK class, worked with their teacher Beccy Haugen to make the EIEIO Barnyard mosaic which brought down the house in the Live Auction.

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Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors American Express Benedict Camp California David Yurman La Boutique du Vélo Maison Winetage Plastic Omnium Super U Unilever Benefactors Costa Navarino Hotel Ekyog Mas de la Chérine Raynald Baia Valérie MacCarthy Westin Hotels and Resorts Partners Bill Fahber Creative Consultant BPS Tax Services Cosy Ride Culture First Daniel Espinosa Jewelry de Montaigne Design Horton Tax Services Jostens Léafine Marjolein Martinot photographer Melia Barcelona Hotel Nissan Jardinerie de Pépinières Euvé Pierre Hermé Paris Rembrandt Classic Hotel Veronique Pion Jewelery

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

ALUMNI FO CUS

Making a life We continue our series highlighting different careers by looking at the professional lives of some American Section alumni. We hope their choices may inspire some of you and help anyone wishing to follow a similar trajectory. In this issue we are focusing alumni working in humanitarian professions - former American Section students who are “making a life of service”.

T H E O D O R E C O O N E N (‘90) works for the United Nations peacekeeping Mission in Haiti after working in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. To quote Theodore, “My years at the Lycée had a big impact on my interest in international affairs. I took part in the Model United Nations (MUN) program for five years and it opened my eyes to the UN’s role in peace and security, international development and human rights. MUN was a key formative experience that sparked my interest in global citizenship and public service. “I majored in political science at Yale University Theodore Coonen and continued participating in MUN at university. After a few years in the private sector, I switched to the world of public policy working for two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Tanzania and then in New York focusing on international development. This career switch proved very rewarding as I was managing programs aimed at improving opportunities for persons and communities in developing countries. I obtained a Master’s degree in international relations at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva before joining the United Nations five years ago. “I now work for the UN Mission in Haiti as a political affairs officer. The Mission’s mandate is set by the UN Security Council to help stabilize the country after a coup d’état in 2004 and the terrible earthquake in 2010. My work involves meeting political interlocutors in Haiti to promote reconciliation between highly polarized actors and assist in strengthening governance institutions. I also analyze political, economic and humanitarian developments to advise what initiatives the Mission should undertake. “What I most love about my job is that my work ultimately focuses on trying positively to impact the security and well-being of persons living in very difficult circumstances. It has also exposed me to fascinating cultures in countries that are facing sobering challenges such as poverty and conflict. It’s challenging work as there are many factors outside one’s control and sometimes circumstances impede 26

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swiftly achieving tangible results. It can be frustrating working for a big organization like the UN which is bureaucratic and often doesn’t move fast enough, which is why I also recommend work experiences with NGOs which are faster and nimbler. “My advice to students interested in careers in international affairs is to take advantage of the unique international curriculum of the Lycée, including the study of foreign languages; get involved in extra-curricular activities such as community service, European youth parliament or MUN; use the Internet to get involved with international organizations and NGOs on a volunteer basis; and keep up with current events by reading newspapers and periodicals. International organizations and NGOs recruit graduates with diverse academic backgrounds, so many majors at university can lead to an international affairs career. Finally, make the most of the opportunities for discovery, service and international exposure which are central to a Lycée International education.” O M R A N B E L H A D I (‘08) currently works for free as a lawyer in a non-profit law firm in Pakistan called Justice Project Pakistan (JPP). “I litigate before the Lahore High Court seeking the return of Pakistani citizens to Pakistan - citizens who are being held by the United States without charge, trial or access to a lawyer at Bagram in Afghanistan, which is the other Guantanamo Bay. “I don’t have a typical day at work. At the moment I’m working on a human rights report so my days are filled with drafting, research and e-mails. Other times, I travel to different parts of Pakistan to meet ex-detainees, relatives of current detainees, journalists or government officials. I’ve also been to Kabul and Bagram in Afghanistan. I was a stone’s throw away from my clients, but wasn’t allowed to meet them!” Omran studied European Law at the University of Warwick, graduating in 2012 with an LL.B. in European Law and a Master II en Droit Comparé from Lille (he studied in Lille and Saarbrucken during his Omran Belhadi

of Service “

Listen to yourself and believe in your passion. Meet those who inspire you. Dare to write to them. Some will say no, others will accept. Ask questions, and be a doer.”

year abroad). “Like most people, I started panicking about my professional life six months before graduation. I was hell-bent on doing criminal and human rights law. One day I read an online article on drone strikes in Pakistan. There was a link to a UK based organization called Reprieve which offered the possibility of volunteering with JPP in Pakistan. Because my father is Pakistani, I was deeply interested in working there. I obtained a volunteering position with JPP, initially for three months then extended to a year. “Hearing the thanks of ex-detainees and relatives of current detainees for the work I do and knowing it makes a difference in their life is the most enjoyable part of my work. Countering the U.S. and Pakistani governments’ arguments in court and narrative in the media is second best. Administrative tasks, such as budgeting and filing, are at the bottom of my list. They’re tedious and gruelling but still need to be done. Even so, I would choose the same career again without question. In fact, I signed a part-time contract (paid this time) with JPP starting July 2013. I’m moving to England to continue my studies so I’ll continue my work from abroad.” Omran says the atmosphere and support of Lycée staff, particularly American Section teachers, helped guide him into his profession. “I knew I wanted to be a lawyer, but not in what practice area. At the Lycée my participation in MUN and contact with American Section teachers developed my taste for international law. More importantly, it fostered in me a sense of duty towards others, and the desire to use my education and talents to help others. “I advise any students wanting to do law to pay close attention in French and Philosophy classes. The English marvel at our ability to have a ‘plan en deux parties, deux sous-parties’. Also, make sure your eyes and ears are open in EN and ENH classes. The depth of analysis and reasoning American Section teachers push you to is invaluable when learning or practicing law. “For anyone wanting to work in the non-profit sector, remember that it, too, is competitive. Skills and experience that you would need to develop to join the ‘for profit’ sector are equally applicable for non-profits. Develop your language and cultural skills - everyone is impressed by someone who can speak more than three languages! The Lycée is a unique institution in that the quality of language education it offers is unmatched. Make full use of that.

Shabnam Anvar

Keep your mind open to other cultures, opportunities and perspectives. “Lastly, remember your time at the Lycée. It’s given you more than just an excellent education; it’s given you a worldview and cultural understanding that is unparalleled anywhere else in France, perhaps even the world. It’s important to spread the tolerance at the heart of the Lycée and give back to the Lycée community as much as possible.” When asked to describe her job, environmental activist S H A B N A M A N VA R (‘94) says, “I am part of the pack who is inventing their profession as they go along. I define myself today as a Sustainable Solutions Instigator, Connector and Advocate. I am an independent freelancer, and I write, consult and speak about sustainable solutions; I define sustainable business models, products and services for and with organizations; I facilitate collective intelligence sessions, so organizations can co-create products and services with their stakeholders; I give conferences on subjects that go from seed regulation (my legal expertise) to participatory democracy! What I enjoy most about my job is connecting people and instigating change; seeing people realize that they do have the potential to effect change and start to believe in themselves. What I like least is having to earn money. I wish I could do what I do for free without having to get contracts signed!” But would she choose the same path again? “Work to do good? Of course. “After the Lycée, I was clueless as to which path would help me “save the planet.” I went to law school, got my business law masters, then my environmental law masters, and added a Doctorate at the Panthéon-Sorbonne. I’ve worked for a variety of companies including IBM Europe and France Nature Environment. In each position, no matter my title, I acted as a change instigator, developing my tools as I went. “At the Lycée, MUN helped foster my life mission as an environmental activist, and I developed this further during my years at UNIS in NYC; after that I figured out my path on my own.” Shabnam’s advice for current students wanting to follow a similar course is simple: “Listen to yourself and believe in your passion. Meet those who inspire you. Dare to write to them. Some will say no, others will accept. Ask questions, and be a doer.”

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

ALUMNI FO CUS

David Warren

D A V I D WA R R E N (‘77) is Executive Director of Turning Winds Academic Institute, a therapeutic boarding school in north-western Montana. “We measure success in the shining young lives of our students. I try, each day, to keep a close rapport with each student, so that I can detect important teaching opportunities and inspire life-changing decisions. Administratively, I help the rest of the academic, clinical, and behavioral professionals do the same to achieve our mission: rescuing troubled teens from crisis, restoring them to the path of their potential, and reuniting them with their families. While managing a school of uncommonly challenging students is not for the faint of heart, the days are never boring and the outcomes are extraordinarily satisfying.” Academically, David’s post-Lycée path included Brigham Young University and Harvard Business School, and a post-graduate program in advanced Japanese studies, the Inter-University Center (aka “Stanford Center”), in Yokohama, Japan. Professionally, he followed a ten year career in international banking with about fifteen years of international management consulting, interspersed with stints in turnaround and “next level” executive positions. “Since organizational development is the product of individual development, success in each of these roles involved helping employees to find their own highest purpose, align it with their work, and harmoniously work for a cause greater than self. Personally, I found the more I helped others, the more I was fulfilled. Ultimately, I chose my current profession because I believed it to be the place where I could make the greatest difference for good. “At the Lycée, I worked harder and grew more than I ever had before, while making marvellous, lifelong friendships and memories. My Lycée experience was transformative, greatly boosting the confidence and possibilities of a shy young boy and inspiring changes that made my subsequent journey possible. Two teachers, in particular, made indelible differences: Mr. Graille and Mr. Moon. While they were very different, each was gifted in inspiring and enabling the best in me. They expected far more of me than was reasonable – and believed in me far more than was imaginable. In many ways, I’m simply trying, now, to ‘pay forward’ their gifts to me. “To students interested in going into my profession, I would advise getting a PhD in a course of study combining academic, clinical, and management disciplines – the latter is a scarce-and-needed commodity in this industry. So qualifying would likely take creativity and persuasiveness to achieve, but could be accomplished either through proposing a joint program, or perhaps by getting dual degrees. Meanwhile, I would suggest getting work and research experience in these areas along the way, to add practical insight to academic learning, refine focus, and assure real world relevance.” 28

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D O U N I A L O M R I (‘10) is serving as a Youth in Development Peace Corps Volunteer in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. “My role is to promote healthy lifestyles amongst Guatemala youth. I conduct workshops and activities in two middle schools to help the youth develop life skills such as communication, leadership and decision-making. I also facilitate workshops on substance abuse and sexual education. In my second year of service, I’ll also help parents to develop positive communication skills with their children. “After the Lycée, I attended New York University majoring in Psychology. I interned every semester and gained experience in many different fields. I also volunteered at a few non-profits that worked with children and young adults in need. Finally, I interned at the NYU Peace Corps office and realized I really wanted to serve once I finished college. I graduated a year early and a month later left for the Peace Corps. “At school I was part of the Community Service club for a few years and was its Student President in Terminale. It was a really good way to start understanding how important service was for me, and it definitely sparked my desire to serve others. For anyone interested in following a similar course, I would say get involved in any way you can! Any experience is helpful. The Community Service activities at the Lycée are moments I still look back on now. “The Peace Corps is a beautiful adventure. When I applied, I did not know where or when I would be placed. Now I am living in rural Guatemala, serving a beautiful indigenous community and enjoying every moment of it. I am learning about this country and myself every day and have gained new perspectives. “I love being part of a new community. I work and live here so there is no barrier between the people I work with and myself. It is a little hard being the only foreigner in a small rural community where everyone knows each other but every day I get more comfortable. I have just started my service, but I already know Dounia Lomri I wouldn’t hesitate one second to do Peace Corps all over again. Two years of service are completely worth it.” A L E X I R E M N E K (‘87) is an Environmental Engineer with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the New York Regional office. He is the Climate Change and Water coordinator for the Clean Water Division and is also a member of the Dredging, Sediment, and Oceans Section. “My job consists primarily of providing and exchanging information and informing my colleagues of climate change impacts and potential programmatic activities. There has been a lot of work associated with recovering from Hurricane Sandy, which caused $55 billion dollars of damage in the New York City area. We also do training on risk management for water and wastewater treatment plants and climate change. For the Dredging, Sediments

Alexi Remnek

and Oceans section I write and review reports, present data using charting and geographical information system software, and do fieldwork. “After school I studied civil and environmental engineering at the University of California at Davis. I worked as an environmental engineer before joining the Peace Corps as a water resources engineer with the Thai Department of Local Administration. I obtained a Masters in Environmental and Water Resource Systems Engineering and Biogeochemistry from Cornell University. I then worked in Washington DC with an NGO with fieldwork primarily in Cameroon, before joining the EPA in New York in 2003, first working on water quality, then with the Hawaii State Department of Health, before returning to New York two years ago for my current job. “In this field you need a science background, and graduating from the French school system gives you a leg up. Try to do volunteer work with local environmental organizations; internships or just doing outdoor traveling or sports could be useful. Also, get as technical a background as possible, either in engineering, environmental management or science. Many students seem to get into environmental policy or general environmental courses and have a hard time finding employment afterwards; you can always go from more technical to less technical work but the opposite is rarely true. “I gravitated to this kind of work because my first love was geography and urban planning and I also enjoy skiing, camping, hiking, and being in the ocean. I like the interconnection of systems, and trying to figure out things. I find international development more personally rewarding and important in terms of impacts on people’s lives, but a lot of people I know struggle with either finding the next job/consultancy or the next grant for their organization. The work I do now should have a significant impact on the type of society we have, and I am working on complex and challenging issues. I also enjoy doing field work and having both a personal and professional connection with water bodies and landscapes. “I feel that we are trying to solve the world’s problems with a toothpick rather than a hammer, and that not enough money and resources goes to infrastructure. Besides nuclear war or an epidemic, it is environmental degradation, accelerated by the effects of global climate change, which threatens our society the most. It is disheartening both to see a lack of understanding of the importance of good infrastructure and environmental management, and to lack the resources to do what is needed to avoid further problems.”

M A R G A R E T B O I T T I N (‘97) is a researcher at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, at Stanford University. “My research focuses on prostitution in China, and human trafficking in Nepal, Latin America, and the US. I analyse the data I gather, write academic articles and policy reports based on my findings, and manage our research team.” Margaret trained as a lawyer and political scientist. After the Lycée, she went to Yale and then lived in China for two years, where she taught English and studied Chinese. After working for a Chinese human rights organization in Washington, DC, she completed a law degree at Stanford and is currently finishing a PhD in political science at UC Berkeley. “Being raised and educated in a bilingual environment, and studying additional languages at the Lycée, has been immensely helpful. Some friends at the Lycée and I started an ecology club with Marika Rosen, which was one of my first exposures to social justice issues. I remember my Section teachers fostering a sense of social responsibility in us, reminding us constantly how lucky and privileged we were, and how important it was to be responsible citizens involved in our communities. “I didn’t have a clearly charted path starting out. I went to China after college because I wanted to live in a completely different country about which I knew nothing. Once I had lived there for a while, I decided it would be interesting to study it in graduate school. I decided to study prostitution because the school where I taught in China was in a red light district, so I was reminded Margaret Boittin daily about the issue. “I love the freedom to research whatever I am interested in. I love designing projects with a strong social justice component that hopefully can have a very concrete effect on improving certain injustices in society. I love having control over what I do, and when I do it, and not answering to a boss. I love collaborative projects where I work with a team of researchers. However, research and writing can be lonely and difficult. It can also be depressing to think about these topics all the time. There are administrative aspects tied to grant writing and management that are very time consuming. But I would definitely make the same choice again. “For students wanting to pursue a similar direction, I would say that it is important to be passionate about what you study, patient and persistent. For someone specifically interested in human trafficking, women’s rights, or human rights, it’s never too early to research what local organizations are doing and whether they take volunteers. For someone interested more generally in an academic career in law or political science, the education you are currently getting at the Lycée is a wonderful foundation for pursuing such goals at university.” Tiffany Snel-Wark

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

ALUMNI FO CUS

Experience is what made the difference “...try a million things, see what clicks. I did a million activities at the Lycée, joined a million clubs in college, had a million jobs after graduating… that’s the only way I found what really excited me.” Hello, it’s so exciting to get to reconnect with the Lycee community after 15 years away. I live in Boston and have got two jobs currently. I’m the Deputy Director of the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association and also a leadership consultant with Cambridge Leadership Associates, which is Harvard-based. It’s been a long and windy path to get here, and I LOVE my jobs. These jobs are great because they connect with my passion, which is in leadership development within nonprofits. That passion was born at the Lycée. School was extremely difficult for me, and I felt like American Section extracurriculars were my saving grace: that’s where I could engage with people instead of rédactions, and where I could demonstrate competency in a non-academic arena. My absolute passion was Model UN. In fact, that was all of my friends’ passion – we loved the terror and subsequent exhilaration of speaking in front of classmates and committees, seeing ourselves get better at public speaking, taking trips to UNESCO in Paris to do research for resolutions… it was amazing. This experience was in sharp contrast to another experience I had of starting an Ecology Club. I led that group from 4ème to Terminale, and it felt like a constant burden, like group members needed to be dragged along. I still feel my energy draining away just thinking about it… I graduated from the Lycée with a sharp question in my mind – what was the difference between Model UN and the Ecology Club, that made one energy-giving and the other energy-sapping? How do you create an organization that volunteers want to join, wanting to take on more work, ready to take trips to UNESCO when they could just be doing so many other things instead? These are the questions I took with me to college. I ended up at Harvard where I studied sociology, and wrote my senior honors thesis on that sharp question, examining how to create volunteer engagement in nonprofits. After college, tired by school and curious about those parts of the world we don’t see at the Lycée, I took a whole bunch of jobs: worked as a barista, apprenticed with a handyman, built furniture for a store, researched for professors, tutored, drove a taxi, worked retail – it was fascinating. Going to the Lycée gives us particular expectations of

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the international life we’ll lead, and my American Section friends were already living it; one was in China, one was in Russia, another in Italy – where was I going to go? I heard about all the nonprofits in Cambodia, and that felt right. I ditched all those jobs and moved to Cambodia two years after college with no contacts and no plan. It’s a long story, but after many jobs, I eventually set up a business, teaching nonprofits how to manage their staff and recruit volunteers. After four years, I came back to Harvard for grad school, where I studied and taught leadership and volunteer engagement. Now my wife (did I mention I got married along the way?) and I are planning to return to Cambodia, and in the interim, I’m working those two jobs listed above. When you read this story, what is on your mind? Are you overwhelmed? Are you thinking, “what’s my seminal Lycée moment that will drive my career passions?” Are you thinking “Laure’s life sounds neat, but what am I going to do as a career?” Here is my response to that: Many of my Lycée friends went straight into obvious career tracks - doctor, lawyer, etc. One of my friends in the British Section joined Reuters straight out of college and is still a journalist there, fifteen years later. That’s great if those careers work for them. But if those obvious career tracks don’t appeal to you, then explore – try a million things, see what clicks. I did a million activities at the Lycée, joined a million clubs in college, had a million jobs after graduating… that’s the only way I found what really excited me. Focusing only on schoolwork and only doing what you’re told isn’t going to teach you what you want from life – that’s what others want from you. Think about it – what excites you? What could excite you if you learned more about it? Follow that. If it turns out you don’t like it (like I didn’t like driving a taxi), then learn what you can from it (I learned how to drive much better!) and ditch it. Move on and pursue something else that excites you and explore that. Keep moving, keep trying, and that’s how you’ll figure out what you want to be when you grow up. Laure “Voop” de Vulpillieres ’98

British and American Section faculty and staff at the Room to Read book swap

The October Room to Read read-a-thon was an incredible and inspiring success! As we go to press, our combined Sections have raised over 30,000â&#x201A;Ź to build school libraries in India and Bangladesh.

A M E R IC A N SE C T IO N P IC N IC SE P T E M B E R 2013

2013-14 Human Rights Team

India Exchange Team

FA L L / W I N T E R

2013

L E C H Â T E A U D ’ H E N N E M O N T - WA T E R C O L O R B Y J E A N D E R A U G L A U D R E , P R E M I È R E