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Santa Catalina School has its first sister school.

As part of its commitment to global education, Catalina has formed a partnership with Saint-Denis International School, a Catholic, co-ed boarding and day school in the town of Loches in the Loire Valley of France. The partnership opens up the opportunity for student exchanges, among other benefits.

“Saint-Denis International School is a very special place, and has much in common with Santa Catalina,” said Dr. Kassandra Thompson Brenot ’87, director of global education at Catalina. “We look forward to deepening this partnership over time.”

Saint-Denis serves students from nursery school through high school. Originally founded as a girls school in the 1850s, it went coed in the 1960s and today boasts nearly 800 students from 30 countries.

In addition to student exchanges, the partnership provides opportunities for virtual collaboration, cultural understanding, and service projects addressing global issues. And students won’t be the only ones to benefit; teachers can grow their peer network and expand their knowledge of different educational practices.

“At its core, a sister school partnership goes beyond connecting schools; it’s about connecting people,” said Dr. Brenot.

The partnership agreement between the two schools was signed October 9, the feast day of Saint Denis.

(Photo: Dr. Kassandra Thompson Brenot '87 with Martin Chatagnon, assistant head of school and director of international programmes at Saint-Denis.)