An Emotional Moment!

It was an emotional moment for our Bilingual Primary School community as we honored Madame Forgues and her remarkable career. After 35 years of dedicated service to education, including over three decades at Ermitage International School, Madame Forgues has officially retired. 

Madame Forgues joined Ermitage in 1990 as a teacher and became Head of Primary in 2007. Her career was a testament to her passion and unwavering commitment. Over the course of her leadership, she held the well-being of more than 3 000 children in her hands. She guided thousands of students, now adults, strengthened the school's bilingual programmes, and introduced new traditions such as the classe verte.

During her farewell, Madame Forgues delivered emotional speeches, reflecting on the school's origin and her central philosophy:
"Mrs Tomeret who once had this crazy idea of creating a school. And I have always been committed to preserving the spirit of this school, to making it an extraordinary place where, as she wished, the children come first. I always said that a happy child can learn."

Filled with emotion, she also shared a special message for the children:

 "You are my life. I have spent 35 years of my life making sure you are happy because it was the most important thing to me that you were happy at school. I have always told parents that if children are happy to come to school, you can ask them to do anything."

She led the school with care, vision, inspiration, and love. Her farewell was a celebration filled with heartfelt gifts and warm hugs, reflecting the deep respect and joy she brought to our school.

Turning the Page

Every student, teacher, and parent felt a pang of sadness at her departure. A particularly memorable moment of the day was the original song crafted by our Choral teacher, a nostalgic celebration of the inspiration and love with which she led the school. All staff and teachers came together for a special retirement party, providing a lovely finish to her career.

Madame Forgues will have undeniably left a positive and inspiring mark on Ermitage, and a page has now turned in the school’s story. On behalf of the entire Ermitage community, and the generations of children she has inspired, we say: thank you, Mme Forgues! 

While our hearts are full of gratitude and a touch of sadness for this farewell, we also look ahead with excitement as a new chapter begins. We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to our new Head of the bilingual primary school, Dave Hanson, and our Associate Director, Frédérique Moucouvéa who are more than ready to continue the wonderful story of Ermitage International School.