2020-21 Annual Report
Academic Results
100% success on the baccalauréat, with an outstanding 100% mention (honors) achieved,
100% of International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma candidates achieved the full diploma (the Northern Hemisphere rate is 89%)
84% of diplomates achieved the prestigious Bilingual Diploma, compared to only 30% across the Northern Hemisphere, which is a true celebration of our bilingual mission
The IB class mean of 35/45 was 2 points higher than the world mean of 33/45. One student achieved a perfect score of 45/45.
18 students have matriculated to Top 100 Global universities including, among others, Harvard, McGill, Oxford, Penn State, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, and USC.
67% of 2021 graduates are attending universities and colleges, while 19% are attending business or art schools and 4% are attending community colleges. Of these 44 students, 18 are in the USA, 5 are in Canada, 13 are in France, 4 are in the UK, 3 are in Europe, and 1 is in Asia.
French Baccalauréat
- 100% Obtained the baccalauréat with honors
International Baccalaureate Diploma
- 84% Bilingual Diploma
- 16% Diploma
An Emotion-Filled Return to In-Person Learning
Due to the pandemic and associated health orders, it was a year of adapting to customized configurations across our campuses. Though we may be able to celebrate an “almost-normal” end to the academic calendar, this school year has been anything but. Flashback to our phased reopening…
The first lucky ones were our Orange County campus students. With less alarming numbers in Orange County than in LA County, the campus was able to open its doors in August (to preschool and pre-K students) and in September (progressively welcoming Kindergarten through 8th grade students in stages).
The situation was very different for our four LA-area campuses. While preschool and pre-K students returned to in-person classes at the end of summer, the rest of our students found themselves starting their school year online from their homes. Toward the end of the 2020 calendar year, approved waivers enabled our Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade students to return to in-person learning. Finally, with COVID-19 numbers in LA County improving every day, our 3rd – 12th grade students found themselves back in their classrooms in March 2021. It proved to be a huge relief for many of our families.
For the LILA team, the joy of having students back on campus was immeasurable. Nevertheless, it also added another layer of stress. It was a challenge for our campus directors to implement and manage a staggered return with such little notice. Unsurprisingly, the team and students faced the challenges head-on and with grace. In the end, LILA was able to uphold its core belief that our students thrive when they are at school.
Dive into in-person learning! – Take a look back at LILA’s triumphant return to campus-based learning.
DEI Updates
Dialogues on Diversity continue – We strive to cultivate a school community that is inclusive and respectful of each other’s differences and where every member of the LILA family feels treasured and celebrated.
LILA continued to demonstrate its commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the 2020-21 school year through multiple channels.
Indeed, we opened the 2020-21 year with two whole-of-school presentations delivered by our DEI mentor and consultant, Professor Camille Gear Rich. One gave an overview of the American context and its contrasts with the French perspective; the other was an exploration of implicit bias. These kicked off a series of virtual events, known as our Dialogues on Diversity.
These were complemented by active discussions among faculty at all levels. These conversations have led to reading material reviews and teachers gradually discovering exciting new books in which student well-being is at the center and all students can encounter mirrors of themselves. Additionally, to complement the work on curriculum and in the classroom, faculty established a school-wide Faculty & Staff for an Inclusive LILA group.
Formalizing the School’s DEI policy, the Board of Trustees approved our new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Charter, which was published in February 2021. Crafted by our Board Subcommittee on Diversity which included parent volunteers as well as Board, faculty, and staff members, this was the work of several weeks and the culmination of many hours of reflection and deliberations.
To underline LILA’s commitment to this document, the rollout to the community was carefully planned to include all stakeholders. The Charter appeared in our weekly newsletters, and each of our Parents’ Association (PA) meetings dedicated a moment to welcome Chantal Morgan D’Apuzzo, Chair of the Board’s DEI Subcommittee, for comment and conversation. The Charter was discussed at the March meeting of our cross-campus parent alliance, Parents for an Inclusive LILA. Head of School Michael Maniska gave it pride of place at the February all-employee in-service day, and this was reinforced during campus-specific faculty and staff meetings over the following weeks, where there was an opportunity for review, in both French and English.
A New Chapter for OC
A new look for a new chapter – In the summer of 2021, LILA’s Orange County campus officially became the International School of Orange County.
After more than 30 years, a page is being turned in the School’s history. After a three-year period of strategic transition, the Orange County (OC) campus became independent this past summer and embarked on its voyage as the International School of Orange County.
Though the Orange County campus will no longer formally be part of the LILA family of campuses, the two international schools will maintain close links, informally supporting each other’s missions and dedication to bilingual education. As the International School of Orange County begins their journey as an independent school, we congratulate them on this new chapter and wish them every success.
Community at a Glance
for the 2020-21 school year
Financials & Financial Aid
Financials
Income
- 90% Tuition & Fees
- 6% Other Revenue*
- 4% Fundraising
*Other Revenue: Learning materials & student activities/camps
Expenses
- 76% Payroll & Benefits
- 15% Facilities / Capital Projects
- 4% Administrative
- 3% Educational & Auxiliary
- 2% Operating Reserves
Financial Aid
In 2020-21, we were able to provide $3,608,732 in school-funded financial aid.
Community Highlights
Admissions
The admissions season went very well, especially considering the need to pivot to a completely different way of operating. We offered virtual informational events every Tuesday morning and every other Thursday afternoon. As always, Parent Ambassadors were invited to join in and answer questions from attendees. We welcomed prospective parents from far and wide, allowing people to connect from every corner of the world. The virtual model allowed us to reach parents more easily and at times that better suited their schedules. It was a big success overall!
LILA Mini Club sessions moved exclusively online during the pandemic, starting in March 2020. Thanks to the weekly one-hour classes, the online Mini Club program continued to thrive during the 2020-21 school year, consistently growing in registration numbers.
204 total registrations in 2020-21
- Average registrations per class
Events
We organized more than 300 events last school year, featuring a mix of in-person and virtual festivities. Our parents and students hosted the largest number of events, while school-led events saw a reduction in number due to the limitations of not being able to mix grades as well as the inability to have parents on campus. Our parents were creative in transforming some traditionally in-person events into virtual events, but perhaps their biggest successes came from newly-created virtual events that kept the parent community connected and engaged. The variety of virtual events showcased the many hidden talents of our parents and highlighted community members’ willingness to share their passions, knowledge, and hobbies.
305 total events hosted; an 8% increase over 2019-20
- 45% School Hosted
- 41% PA Hosted
- 8% Parent Volunteer Group Hosted
- 6% Student Hosted
Annual Fund
2020-21 Annual Fund success – Colorful stars mark another record year for fundraising
As a part of the School’s overall operating budget, the community understood the importance of their commitment and supported at record levels, helping us surpass our fundraising goal of $700,000. Indeed, in 2020-21, our Annual Fund effort raised $716,000 and reached 66% family participation school-wide, with two campuses reaching more than 90%.
A big merci to all of our volunteers
| Iain A. Whyte Board Chair |
Chantal Morgan D’Apuzzo |
| Yvonne Alvardo Vice Chair |
Susan Jensen Debonne |
| Jean-Luc De Fanti Treasurer |
Marc Gareton |
| Marionne Epalle Secretary |
Sharyn Kerr |
| John D. Mickus Trustee Emeritus |
Santosh Kookal |
| Adam M. Weisman, Ph.D. Trustee Emeritus |
Chantal Mariotti |
| Dorinda Marticorena | |
| Ani B. Packard (as of March 2021) |
|
| Camille Rizko (through December 2020) |
|
| Irina Sardaryan | |
| Françoise Sorgen-Goldschmidt |
Burbank
Melinda Brownstone
Marie-Laure Goepfer
Christienne Palmieri
Lisa Schulz
Los Feliz
Jennifer Brian
Joke Fincioen
Eden Miller
Alicia Moo-Pow
Cristal Ricci
Nick Zgradic
Orange County
Christele Demuro
Laura Hahamian
Victoria Lopez
Santa Nieto-Guzman
Pasadena
Suzanne Black
Laurence de Crisnay
Nayiri Partamian
Jeanne Roué-Taylor
West Valley
Tamara Conniff
Jill Courtemanche
Cecile Gronfier
Reshma Pendleton
Burbank
Andrea Bidart
Nadine Bonnet
Padideh Farivar
Nicole Fortunato
Michelle Higgins
Veronica Hoomani
Claudine Kushner
Ann Levi
Kathleen Mahoney
Sundra Oakley
Christine Papazian
Patricia Perez
Fiona Reinhardt
Marise Samitier
Antonia Steffens
Karine Theard
Carrie Whyte
Salvator Xuereb
Los Feliz
Caroline Adler
Adam Bandler
Jessica Rivera Bandler
Dina Benadon
Marion Billet
Nadine Bonnet
Ian Brennan
Jennifer Brian
Sarah Chen
Amanda Duffy
Josey Edwards
Joke Fincioen
Ivy Gao
Trilby Glover
Taji Huang
Krista Killian
Fiona Reinhardt
Eden Miller
Nancy Fareed Moreno
Audrey Neustadter
Nima Nourizadeh
Adam O’Byrne
Emily O’Halloran
Ani B. Packard
Kelly Pangell
Caroline Pham
Amy Poncher
Sibel Roman
Kayla Rose
Kaylie Schiff
Sara Sedlacek
Shawn Sedlacek
Bowie Sims
Laura Smolowe
Livia Tortella
Jeff Vespa
Pasadena
Michele Abernathy
Suzanne Black
Laurence de Crisnay
Chantal Morgan D’Apuzzo
Ann Donahue
Nicole Fortunato
Michel Ingham
Nayiri Ketchedjian
Nayiri Partamian
Viktor Raskin
Jeanne Roué-Taylor
Julia Sushytska
Kymie Tan
West Valley
Yasmine Abdul-Rahman
Hope Ariel
Jennifer Atienza
Raquelle Bolleau
Tamara Conniff
Jill Courtemanche
Gabriella Dentamaro
Jessica Grichy
Trisha Gum
Lauren Healy
Alexis Jolly
Saien Lai
Reshma Pendleton
Lynn Sharrott-York
Burbank
Carolyn De Fanti
Stephen Salinger
Los Feliz
Caroline Pham
Burbank
Alex Andricos
Carolyn De Fanti – Co-Chair
Laure de Rivieres
Jessalyn Gilsig
Pascha Goodwin
Pat Hadnagy
Sundra Oakley
Gabrielle Pascoe
Jane Ropell
Stephen Salinger – Co-Chair
Jackie Weinstein
Salvator Xuereb
Sali Zimbrich
Los Feliz
Jordan Monsanto
Alicia Moo-Pow
Nancy Fareed Moreno
Tamika Nelson-Glass
Melissa Nesic
Adam O’Byrne
Caroline Pham – Chair
Jane Ropell
Annabelle Safinia
Sara Sedlacek
Erica Swinkels
Carrie Tayour
Karen Todd
Livia Tortella
Jessica Valdez
Nick Zgradic
Burbank
Cassy Clarke
Mia Cottet
Carolyn De Fanti
Miriam Elewy
Nicole Fortunato
Pascha Goodwin
Lory Hansen
Veronica Hoomani
Amy Kehoe
Valerie Kossayan
Nadine Mascart
Sundra Oakley
Gabrielle Pascoe
Marise Samitier
Mitie Tucker
Jamie Vernhes
Jackie Weinstein
Arwen Widmer
Mara Winokur
Salvator Xuereb
Los Feliz
Deborah Afshani
Michelle Alexandria
Courtney Ballard
Eva Behrend
Elspeth Bevan
Alina Bokde
Nadine Bonnet
Jennifer Brian
Cat Chiang
Jason Dabb
Ivette Dávila Garcia
Jill Ettinger
Nancy Fareed Moreno
Candice Floyd
Helen Hamber
Veronica Hoomani
Tania Ingman
Thompson Katie
Fabienne Lavaud-Soulies
Jennifer Lechevallier
Stephen Lehman
Meg Loucks
Elizabeth Wise Lyall
Amanda Marshall
Sean McAllen
Jeff Meyer
Olivier Mouroux
Adam O’Byrne
Josh Pangell
Anna Paternot
Luis Pires
Amy Poncher
Lindsay Raffaele
Fiona Reinhardt
Jessica Rivera
Sibel Roman
Jane Ropell
Shawn Sedlacek
Bea Sequeira
Camille Solari
Erica Swinkels
Livia Tortella
Jason Tower
Jocelyn Towne
Randall Truitner
Jessica Valdez
Angelica Vale
Samantha Weisman
David Wilson
Orange County
Roxanne Aminian
Willy Andre
Cathy Berry
Sarah Blek
Julisa Bravo
Claudio De-Fraja
Brandi Iryshe
Delphine Papadakis
Rachel Rifat
Dana Rothman
Hillary Shaw
Sandy Smith
Pasadena
Michel Ingham
Christine Kim
Elizabeth Levey
Siwatu Moore
Carmellia (Sommerhalder) Munguia
Dora Nunez
Vanessa Preisler
Viktor Raskin
Yohannes Rose
Jeanne Roué-Taylor
Amelia Tang
West Valley
Jennifer McCall
Sunida Parkin
Shundell Prasad
Asian Affinity Group
Ivy Gao
Black Affinity Group
Raquel Bolleau
Alicia Moo-Pow
Yohannes Rose
Español + Latinx Affinity Group
Ivette Garcia Davila
Bea Sequeira
LGBTQ+ Affinity Group
Patrick O’Neal
Middle Eastern Affinity Group
Nancy Fareed Moreno
The Bookshelf
Ayo Davis
Brenda Kelly Grant
Amy Poncher
Yohannes Rose
Maja Shipp
What Is Allyship? Book Club
Andrea Denny-Brown
Nicole Fortunato
Nancy Fareed Moreno
Jennifer Atienza
Susana Gomez-Judkins
Alex Nesic
Kelly Pangell
Viktor Raskin
Susana Gomez-Judkins
Thank you for another great year!
We have made every effort to properly recognize all of our generous donors and dedicated volunteers. If an error or omission has occurred, please accept our apologies and notify the advancement team at development@lilaschool.com.
Social Media
Social Media
LILA’s social media platforms were an especially great way to help keep community members, both near and far, connected to each other and updated on school happenings and news. Perhaps unsurprisingly, we saw our social media following and engagement continue to grow.