On Tuesday, the French Minister of Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, visited the school. He was previously president of the renowned French business school, L’ESSEC. Minister Blanquer, who joined President Macron’s cabinet in May, is a professional
educator, as members of our student, teaching, administrative and parents surely noticed during an engaging two-hour session with him. During the meeting, he was clearly impressed with the school’s innovative approach to pedagogy and how we blend both French and American educational approaches in our program.
He will perhaps bring back ideas and strategies for France in how we teach bilingually in Primary, the 7-day cycle in Secondary, project-based learning and our Secondary advisory program. He was intrigued by the work on mindfulness taking hold at school and wanted to know more about our Artist in Residence program.
After a tour of the Lycée, Minister Blanquer and his team of advisors visited our auditorium, where our 10th graders were taking part in a workshop with Stéphane de Freitas, the French social entrepreneur and film director. His documentary film, Á Haute Voix, presents an approach to breaking down social class barriers in France through public speaking. It opened the Cultural Center film season on Tuesday night. Minister Blanquer seemed genuinely to appreciate the cultural offerings for our students and community outreach through the Lycée’s Cultural Center.
On Tuesday evening, twelve of our seniors, joined by our Secondary director Nicolas L’Hotellier and Student Life director Isabelle Bichard, 
had the privilege of attending an event organized by the French Cultural Services at the 92Y. They had the opportunity to hear, first hand, President Macron’s inspiring speech about the future of Europe and the urgency to address climate change, themes so important to the Lycée. First Lady Brigitte Macron took the time to come and greet the students, as well. She remembered having a few former Lycée students in her own classes in France, recalling their “high level” before asking about our current Lycéens about their results on the spring bac exams.
The Lycée had also a special place during a moving evening about a new fund that will benefit bilingual classes in public schools, a beautiful way to spread ever further the French language, a cause near and dear to the Lycée as well. “Language makes us human,” said President Macron. It helps them “develop a conscience” and become “bridges between cultures”.
The evening opened with an emotional short play about the refugee crisis by students of the Boerum Hill School for International Studies. As Cultural Counselor Bénédicte de Montlaur noted, this young theater group had won first prize at the Lycée Français de New York’s very own French theater festival, Première Scène. The festival, now in its 20th year, is the brain child of two Lycée teachers: Nathalie Roussel and Frédéric Yvelin.
About the Author :
Pascale Richard joined the Lycée as director of the Cultural Center in 2011, where she aims to bring the best of French and American cultures through conferences, concerts, films and various events. In the fall of 2012, she launched the school’s Artist-in-Residence program. Pascale was previously Vice President of External Affairs at the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF). Her background is in journalism and writing with a focus on lifestyle and fashion. She is a graduate of Sciences-po and holds a master’s in journalism from New York University.