Holding out for a hero? You would have found many at the Lycée Francais pre-K and Kindergarten Halloween parades on Wednesday, November 7. A quick scan of our fearless four and five year olds revealed no fewer than six Spidermen, three Knights of the Roundtable, two Ninja Turtles, one Superman, one Batman and a Harry Potter. On hand also were at least two firemen, two construction workers, and one police officer – true heroes of the New York-area this week, as we know. And, yes, there were princesses, a Dorothy or two, and fairies with sparkly crowns and paper wings to remind us of the importance of dreams and carrying on.
Holding out for a hero? You would have found many at the Lycée Français pre-K and Kindergarten Halloween parades on Wednesday, November 7. A quick scan of our fearless four and five year olds revealed no fewer than six Spidermen, three Knights of the Roundtable, two Mutant Ninja Turtles, one Superman, one Batman and a Harry Potter. On hand also were at least two firemen, two construction workers, and one police officer – true heroes of the New York-area this week, as we know. And, yes, there were princesses, a Dorothy or two, and fairies with sparkly crowns and paper wings to remind us of the importance of dreams and carrying on.
Surely many more heroes lingered in the crowd of two hundred or so who gathered in the cafeteria to watch the celebration — parents, faculty, staff and students dressed in street clothing. The point here is that postponing Halloween gave the families of the Maternelle a chance to celebrate the hidden strengths of our community at a difficult time.
A few short conversations around the room showed in simple ways how we help each other.
Parent Denise El Chaar, who lives in the Village, and her family stayed at home through Friday last week with no power and used firewood to keep her house warm. Friends welcomed her uptown when the wood ran out (They are home now!). Two Lycée grandparents spent last week caring for their grandchildren. They had relocated from Brisbane to New York for three months to watch them while their own son and daughter-in-law juggle distant UN assignments. Volunteers from the Annual Fund woke up extra early to prepare a breakfast of coffee and pastries for the parents in attendance.
Beyond those present at the Halloween parade are the many parents and faculty and staff in our community who continue to support each other and families well beyond our midst. This work continues (see link). It is not to be smug or self-congratulatory. We see kindness across New York and around the world every day. It’s rather to say that this very human drive to comfort and support one another bubbles up at tough times, and we are hopeful.
But I digress…the Halloween parade started on a bright note. “You are my sunshine,” the children sang to the music of teacher Jacques Letalon and his mariachi-jazz band. The children are the sunshine, and they remind us of what shimmers behind every dark cloud.
Go to the Primary Blog to see more pictures and the Maternelle Blog to watch some videos about the Halloween ceremony!
About the Author :
Elisabeth King joined the Lycée team in November 2011 as the school’s first director of communications. A francophile at heart, Elisabeth spent her junior year of college in Paris, and held her first job at the French Trade Office here in New York. She brings to the Lycée over 15 years of experience in media and communications in non-profits, government, news and business. She was previously executive vice president and director of strategy at ABI, Inc., a boutique public relations agency, and she worked as associate editor on two books co-authored by Todd Brewster and the late ABC News anchor Peter Jennings.