Dear Families,
As this week draws to a close, so does the 2019-2020 academic year. The 40th year of the Anglophone Section will certainly be one we remember, not least because of the COVID pandemic.
Thank you to all the parents and students who took part in the section’s survey. It was very helpful to receive this feedback, particularly as we plan the new academic year. While we will be sharing more details of the feedback in the future, it was reassuring that the overwhelming response to the section’s handling of remote teaching and learning was positive. The survey also helped pinpoint the very real difficulties you experienced during the confinement period. We understand better the challenges faced by families, particularly in structuring the day to manage both children’s schoolwork, motivation and professional responsibilities. Once again, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all in rising to the challenge and in assisting your children. As a result, all classes completed the Anglophone curriculum for their year group.
As yet, the government has not specified the conditions under which we will be returning to school. At present, the schools are planning a normal return to the classroom. This could, of course, change between now and the beginning of September. The Anglophone Section, however, has been planning for three possible scenarios: a normal timetable, a partial return where the presence of students in school rotates to accommodate stringent safety measures, or a return to confinement. At present, we think the latter option is the least likely.
The Anglophone team is delighted that, in addition to having the majority of Primary children attending school during the last fortnight, we have been able to go ahead with important end-of-year events. This is especially true for our forty-nine Terminale students. They have had an especially stressful time, worrying about university places in the absence of examinations so it has been important to be able to bring some closure to their school career. It was, therefore, with great pleasure that we were able to hold their graduation ceremony Tuesday evening in the lycée’s Cour d’Honneur. In the same way, this evening, they will be attending their graduation ball at the Château de Courances.
Despite baccalaureate results having to be calculated in the absence of examinations, our graduating students are leaving with a fine set of OIB (Option Internationale du Baccalauréat) grades. In History-Geography, just under 80% of students achieved 14/20 or higher, the best set of History-Geography results ever. In Language and Literature, 73% of students achieved 14/20 or higher, the third highest written results in the last eight years and the second highest oral marks in that period. One student achieved 20/20 in the written and oral components of both subjects. I taught some of these students when they were eight years old so I am especially delighted to be able to celebrate with them this week.
At Courances, this evening, I will be making a special presentation to M. Berthelot, the Headteacher of the lycée. The section will be very sorry to see him leave. From his arrival, four years ago, he has actively promoted the international sections, given our section an office in the lycée and has done much to enhance the lives of the lycée students and the development of the international dimension within the académie, school and local community. On his retirement, we will be welcoming to the campus his replacement, M. Carton. He is coming to us from a school in the north of the region.
As the Anglophone Section office, like the rest of the campus, closes for the summer, on behalf of all of us at the Anglophone Section, I wish you all a very pleasant and relaxing summer. We look forward to seeing you again from the 24 August.
With our very best wishes,
Shaun Corrigan