International High School

How do we love in a time of rage? How do we fix a broken world while not breaking ourselves? We are living in a time of great transition for our country and world. If you want to understand what we can do in your role as parents and your children's role in becoming change makers then please register now for the SF SPEAK online event hosting Valarie Kaurrenowned activist , author and filmmakeron February 3, 2021, from 10am-11:15am. Register here: https://buff.ly/3pvsRwB Thi...s dynamic discussion, in the style of City Arts & Lectures, is in conversation with Virgina Paik (Head of Live Oak School) where they will discuss Valerie's journey and the wisdom she has drawn from scientists, sages and activists to help us imagine new ways of being with each other, and with ourselves, so that together we can begin to build the world we want to see. See more

There are just three performances left of our high school student-led One Acts! Join us for this eclectic, funny, dark, playful, thought-provoking student-visioned, student-run festival. Reserve your ticket now! https://buff.ly/3ch1Lpr

Daly '22 and Ian '22 made playing together while socially distancing look easy during the Winter Concert last week! Thanks to the help of two grand pianos, the two musicians, who are in the same cohort, were able to perform a beautiful rendition of Erik Satie's work together, even after only having one in-person rehearsal before the concert. Bravo, students!

Congratulations to Aashka '21, Ines '22, Madeline '22, and Satine '21, members of our Girls Who Code Club who participated in the TechTogether Seattle Hackathon. They won not 1 but 2 two challenges for their app prototype EunoiaThe Wolfram Award Sponsored by Wolfram Language, and Best Presentation & Idea! We couldn't be prouder of their well-deserved recognition and awards! Check out their presentation here: https://buff.ly/3pnmNWT

Join us tomorrow night for International High School’s Winter Concert! The evening will feature solo performances, faculty/student bands, original songs & compositions, orchestra & chamber music, and our student/parent choir. Look for the Zoom link in your Principal’s Weekly tomorrow. We hope to see you there!

Today is #givingtuesday and our high school students are taking a moment to show their appreciation for their teachers on this special day! Every gift made on #givingtuesday is a thank you to our teachers. Please visit internationalsf.org/donate to make your gift now!

Join us for our Virtual Songs for Senegal on Oct 30! Tickets, as well as items for purchase, are available in the link below. All profits from sales will be donated to Ecole Natangué. We look forward to seeing you on Friday! https://www.internationalsf.org/.../ser.../songs-for-senegal

Just before October Break, we held our first Community Salon of the 20-21 school year, featuring parents and alumni discussing Design Thinking with our parent and alumni community- and some of our high school students as well! The evening was rich and rewarding, full of interesting dialogue and meaningful engagement. Join us for our next Community Salon on December 3!

Grade 10 students spent time recently creating self portraits, inspired by Gustave Courbet’s Desperate Man 1845 (last image). These works of art not only illustrate our students wearing masks, but also, and more importantly, they capture the deep emotions they are feeling during this moment in history.

Welcome back, faculty and staff! This week, our teachers returned to campus, masked and distance, for our annual pré-rentrée. In addition to continued Professional Development and curriculum planning, they also helped pack up bags and boxes for each student, filled with textbooks, tech gear, and other supplies. We look forward to welcoming our students back remotely next week!

HOT OFF THE (virtual) PRESSES! The hardworking newspaper team, though no longer able to meet in person, has put together this year’s final issue of The Exposer. Read for thoughtful commentary and comic relief, ideas to pass the time, and even a personality quiz, all at the link below! https://drive.google.com//1344rAH9LURgXGOKv4GQluF6HO/view

Our Head of School, Melinda Bihn, was featured by the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education for her work leading our school through the transition to Remote Learning. Thank you, Melinda, for your leadership during this time, and for your dedication to French American and International!

Our seniors are the best! Not only did they greet Melinda with huge smiles when she delivered their diplomas, but they also gave her flowers! Over 2 days and 310 miles, 87 diplomas were delivered. Congrats Class of 2020!

Special Delivery! High School Principal Joel Cohen and Head of School Melinda Bihn set off on journeys throughout the Bay Area to deliver diplomas to our senior class. While not a traditional graduation, our seniors and their families will still be celebrating the completion of their high school career on June 6. The Class of 2020 now has a special place in the history of our school as the first class to have a virtual graduation. Congratulations seniors!

In a time like this, having something to look forward to makes all the difference! Today is your last chance to snag one of the incredible lots on our online Auction. -- you don't want to miss out on drinking incredible wine, spending some time at a resort in Mexico, or golfing at Lake Merced Golf Club! https://faissf2020.ggo.bid/bidding/package-browse

Today’s Library Likes comes from our High School Athletics Director Sara Johnson. What are you reading right now?

Our Head of School Melinda Bihn shares her book recommendations for students of all ages. Join her on a literary odyssey!

Our librarians are launching a new initiative this week, called Library Likes! We will be sharing book recommendations from our librarians, faculty, staff, and even students and parents with you. The first recommendations come from our high school Librarian, Lisa Borton, featuring two books for our high school students and parents. If you have recommendations you’d like to share with our community, please comment below, or, send a video with your recommendation to [email protected]

Thanks to your support, we unlocked the generous matching gift from the Eric and Tiffany Friedman Foundation and together we raised over $335,000! We will be able to be there for our students and families next year. This campaign brought joy and smiles to our social media feeds, and it will bring comfort and relief to the families who rely on financial aid for their children's education. Thank you! The generosity of our community is an inspiration.

Please join us by donating at whatever level is possible to you during to our 48 Hours of Giving to ensure the strength of our community and the continuity of our mission. https://alumni.frenchamericansf.org/givi/FAISGivingDay2020

48 Hours of Giving continues today! If you have not made your gift yet, please consider donating during this campaign to support our financial aid program. And don’t forget to share and tag your I French American + International post. https://alumni.frenchamericansf.org/givi/FAISGivingDay2020