This new school year of 2016-2017, there have been many new additions to WIS. Students, teachers and staff members alike have come to join the WIS community. This year WIS has received 12 new wonderful faculty member additions. This new teacher, who goes by the name Paul Diamond, will be teaching Theory of Knowledge (T.O.K), History and Geography.
Mr. Diamond has a French and American dual-nationality like many francophones at WIS, and grew up in Washington D.C. He went to the University of California for his bachelors and to the London School of Economics for his Master’s. He has lived in many places: Paris, Sao Paulo and Barcelona just to name a few. He likes long meals, cinema, traveling, and Brazilian music. His favorite color is purple but he doesn’t wear it, he says “it’s for Prince”.
As for sports, Mr. Diamond recalls listening to two particular games on the radio. One was the 1978 NBA championship featuring the Washington Bullets (now the Washington Wizards). The other was the 1982 world cup semifinal. In regard to this agonizing match between France and West Germany during the World Cup semi-final he says “if only Rummenigge had stayed on the bench.” Additionally, he also likes to check up on the Spanish Liga to see how Barcelona is doing.
He is already quite familiar working with kids and teenagers alike. Besides teaching upper schoolers, Mr. Diamond has three kids aged 5,6 and 8. They are his “hobbies,” although it can sound like he is managing two full time jobs.
Mr. Diamond has picked up languages throughout his teaching adventures. He speaks French, English, Portuguese and Spanish. He claims that “to learn a language, you have to be in that country, speaking it all the time”. In France, he taught at the Paris International School. In addition, he has lived in London briefly, as well as New York and Maputo. Mr Diamond really likes teaching T.O.K as well as his other classes.
The WIS campus is “beautiful” he says that some of his previous schools did not have as much greenery. He especially encourages us to “stop, smell the roses and turn off your devices”.
Concerning other things he feels strongly about, he says “with time I find my opinions growing less strong, I’m convinced of less.” But he doesn’t like gun violence and the ubiquity of plastics. He will be happy to know that we have recycling bins around the campus, to keep WIS clean and the campus as beautiful as he finds it now. If you see him around the campus feel free to welcome him, or talk about a Washington Wizards game you saw recently.
by Celeste Bloom