“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength but through perseverance.” – H. Jackson Brown
January 2024 — ISO Community,
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As the Director of the International School of Ouagadougou over the last few years, I am (and indeed, as a community we all are) very fortunate to have THE BEST OF THE BEST! I have had the honor of working with a positive and supportive parent community (as witnessed by our annual Holiday Fair), top-caliber professional educators, and a support staff unequaled in any school that I have worked in over the last 30 years. I have also been very fortunate to have a Board of Directors that has a strong vision, and an unwavering commitment to the students. All of us, working as a community, have put our students first – and I am truly humbled by the progress that we have made, on all fronts.
As our Board Chair and the next director have shared, this will be my fourth and final year as part of the ISO community. It is my sincere hope that during my tenure here, both my family and I have had the chance to impact our students – even just a tenth as much as they have impacted us. I have been truly blessed, and my role here has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life. At this point, I am now confident that the International School of Ouagadougou is in solid condition, and will have the administration and staff that can confidently lead our school to its 50th anniversary in 2026!!
In July, as I close out my fourth and final year, I know that I will remember our school as being a place where students from 22 different nationalities are accepted, where older students enjoy working side-by-side with younger students, where the teachers care about the whole student and not just about their grades, and where the parents, teachers, and the Administration, all work together in putting the best interest of our students first.
At this time, I am not saying goodbye: I will still be at the helm of the International School of Ouagadougou for the next five months, and I am going to savor every moment of it!!!
As our Board President has mentioned, the educational environment here at ISO is the exception, not the rule!! … The closer July 1, 2024, comes, the more I recognize how truly lucky I have been to be a part of something as special as the education of our students here at the International School of Ouagadougou.
Parents, please remember that teachers (and Directors) may come and go, and schools may change, however, you are, and will always be your child’s first and most important teachers. I look forward to working with you for the remainder of this school year to help ensure that our students achieve “excellence to the highest level.”
Warm Regards, welcome back, and let’s have a great start to 2024!
Jeff Trudeau