Discours de Mr Liétard lors de la pose de la première pierre - GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY November 29, 2004

Merci, Madame Quélen.

Mr. Duncan,

Monsieur l'Ambassadeur de France,

Students, Parents, Teachers and Administrators of the lycée,

Friends and colleagues,

Soyez les bienvenus.

Welcome to our campus and welcome to our dream.

Our dream to have among the best education facilities in Montgomery County and to offer the best international education in the Washington area.

About one year from now, there will be (right here) a new high school building with the most elegant architecture a large building can offer, a theater for meetings and entertainment and state of the art laboratories. Over there, there will a gymnasium with all the equipment to practice indoor sports. The present building (there) will be torn down and there will be a soccer and sports field.

We need all this to offer our students and teachers the best facilities where they can excel. Our curriculum prepares our students for the French Baccalauréat, but we are pleased to note that colleges in the US and in Canada like what we do also. In fact, the majority of our students choose to stay in North America for their undergraduate studies.

So, we are not a little French island in Bethesda . Our students come from some [46] different countries, and some [600] of our families live and work in Montgomery County .

We are very proud to be part of the Bethesda community and pleased that Bethesda is part of us. This is also why, Mr. Duncan, we are truly grateful that your administration has helped us get to this point of start-up in our project, and why I would like to thank you first.

I must also thank today all our new friends who have and will continue to help us as the project advances: our architects, the firm of Bowie Gridley ; the construction company (Coakley Williams); our bond issuer (MHHEFA); our bank (Sun Trust); and our Project Manager (JFW Inc.). And of course, the many students, parents and teachers who have helped us in our preparation of this project and our neighbors who have been so patient with us. This is an exceptional project and a chance for all our students not only to watch it happen, but also to be associated with it and learn from it.

Some 220 years ago, French General Rochambeau and his troops marched alongside General Washington toward Yorktown and a decisive allied victory. Our school bears his name and we are proud to be a reminder of the very old ties between France and the US .

This is also why, Monsieur l'Ambassadeur, I want in closing repeat again the gratitude of our school, of our entire school community and of the Board of Trustees of the Rochambeau Foundation for the constant support that the French authorities have provided to the school. As I said before, the lycée is not a French island in Bethesda , but it is French nevertheless, and our link to France is important to the success of our mission and to our ability to serve our community. I also know the personal interest you have shown in our school and our dreams, and for that I am indeed very grateful.

Thank you all. Let's plan to meet again in a year and see this dream become a reality.