While President of France Emmanuel Macron was visiting Washington, D.C., Washington state welcomed another honored French guest, consulate general of France in San Francisco Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens.

On the itinerary was a visit to Bellevue, where M. Lebrun-Damiens hosted the dedication of the French Immersion School of Washington library to retired Head of School Véronique Dussud, who founded FISW in 1999.

The fifth-grade class organized an emotional ceremony, sharing in both French and English the positive impact of the library and Véronique Dussud on their lives.

“It makes sense that this room is named in her honor. Both Véronique and the library have helped us learn and come up with ideas. Véronique created this school, starting with just an idea. She gave us the possibility of learning a new language,” said fifth grader Niko Cornell in a press release.

The French Immersion School of Washington is a preschool through 5th grade French immersion school in Bellevue. The school’s mission is to provide an excellent bilingual education in a welcoming environment that encourages critical thinking and curiosity. More information can be found at www.fisw.org.