Dear Awty Family and Friends:

As Chair of The Awty International School’s Board of Trustees, I could not be more proud of our School and our community, especially during this unprecedented time in history. While the 2019-2020 academic year began much like it does every year, it certainly had a much different ending. I was inspired by our entire Awty community. Our families, students, faculty, and staff showed their resilience and adaptability while quickly transitioning to a new way of life, all the while retaining the distinctive spirit that pervades the Awty experience.

I am most proud of our students, especially the Class of 2020, for the grace and maturity they exhibited throughout the spring. They took to online learning with confidence and curiosity, adjusted to the changing world, and innovated in ways one could only imagine, demonstrating they have the 21st century skills not only sought by universities, but also prized in today’s workplace.

Our families played a key role by placing their trust in our administration, our staff, and our teachers every step of the way and by partnering with us to ensure continuity of our students’ education. For this, I am deeply grateful. Your trust and partnership with the school during such an extraordinary period in all our lives makes me proud to be a part of this community and honored to serve as Board Chair.

None of this would have been possible without the sacrificial efforts of our faculty. They kept our students learning by adopting multiple new methodologies and putting the well-being of the students first. The Board is deeply grateful to our faculty and staff, as I know you are as well.

I am particularly pleased to share some of the highlights of what the school accomplished during the 2019-2020 academic year. Members of the Class of 2020 had a 100% pass rate in the French Baccalauréat, with eight students obtaining the rare honorary award “Félicitations du Jury", and a 97% pass rate on the International Baccalaureate*. We also welcomed a new Senior Administrator, Darcie Durham, as Chief Impact Officer, who immediately took on the role as the school’s designated COVID-19 response manager, keeping the School apprised of the CDC’s guidelines and implementing the School’s protocols in addition to her role leading communications and strategic planning.

Finally, as we have previously shared, the Board approved the construction of a new Campus Center last May. The School has been advancing a facilities master plan for more than a decade; five of the seven buildings in the plan have been completed. The Campus Center is the next step. Three years in the making, this facility will be at the heart of the main campus and will provide support for 21st century teaching and learning, community connections, and STEAM education. Originally planned for construction beginning in the summer of 2020, the Board delayed construction amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic, but approved the addition of the modular classrooms that would serve as temporary classrooms during construction. We have been able to use the classrooms this school year to accommodate safe social distancing on campus and to welcome all students who wish to be on campus during the 2020-2021 school year. We look forward to sharing more information with you in the months ahead as the timeline is determined for construction.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank each one of you for the many ways in which you support Awty and our students. From your decision to join this community to your generous financial contributions, from your time, energy, and dedication as volunteers to your positive promotion of the school, thank you seems like hardly enough. We are forever grateful for your confidence in Awty to provide our students with a first-class education and the tools they will need to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Maryann Mannen
Chair, Board of Trustees