Charlotte de Géry, French Teacher

Today, my guest is Madame Charlotte de Géry, my high school French teacher from Crystal Springs and Uplands School, who was a visionary educator and the Founder of the Peninsula French American School, established in 1979 in Menlo Park, California. Driven by a passion for fostering bilingual and bicultural education, she launched the school with a small group of parents and friends, initially welcoming just nine students.Her unwavering commitment to language immersion education laid the foundation for what would become a cornerstone of international education in Silicon Valley.

Under her leadership, the school adopted Arthur, the nephew of the beloved French children’s book character Babar, as its mascot, with special permission from Random House, symbolizing its deep ties to French culture.

Madame de Géry’s vision extended beyond language instruction, aiming to cultivate globally minded individuals through a rigorous and culturally rich curriculum. Her efforts helped the school grow and evolve, eventually leading to its rebranding as the International School of the Peninsula (ISTP) in 1996, when it expanded to include a Chinese (Mandarin) program and an international middle school. Today, the institution is known as Silicon Valley International School (INTL), a testament to her enduring legacy as a pioneer in bilingual education.

A long-time resident of Menlo Park, Charlotte de Géry remained deeply connected to her community. Her work has left a lasting impact, with INTL now recognized as a leading International Baccalaureate World School, offering programs in French, Chinese, and German across its campuses in Palo Alto and Menlo Park.

Today, at the age of 99, Madame de Géry is as vibrant as ever and it was an absolute delight to be able to sit down with her to have this lovely conversation!