Five years ago, I nervously walked into my first French 2 class in Room 6, greeted by a flurry of Marie Antoinette posters, French maps, miniature Eiffel Tower models, and a smile from French teacher Anna Daniel. “Bonjour! Call me Madame!” she said with a smile across her face. I knew, starting from that moment, that French would become one of my favorite classes at Pinewood.

Fast forward to now, and this year marks Daniel’s 26th and last year as part of Pinewood’s faculty. She will be retiring after the 2022-2023 school year.

Daniel’s journey as a teacher began long before she set foot on Pinewood soil. She had taught Spanish for 10 years in Paris before coming to the United States, enrolling both of her daughters at Pinewood. Two years after her eldest daughter had graduated from Pinewood, Daniel received a call from now retired French teacher Michael Tetzlaff, who asked if she was interested in working at Pinewood.

“It was unexpected,” Daniel said. “I was in Paris on vacation when I got… [the] call. When I [came] back, I did a demo lesson, and I was hired.”

Beginning her job at Pinewood in 1997, Daniel initially taught both Spanish and French for three years before becoming a full-time French teacher. She has worked with hundreds of students from both junior high and high school and experienced much change from when she first arrived. When I asked her about what changes she thought impacted her the most, she cited the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced her to transition to teaching online through Zoom. This heavily impeded her ability to integrate the most memorable, immersive parts of her classes, such as field trips and in-person exhibitions, into her curriculum.

“I really loved the field trips; [from watching] French movies [and] meeting with the director, to going to the SF Moma, to going to French restaurants… [to going to] Stanford’s Cantor Museum,” Daniel said. “COVID-19 changed this a lot.”

Despite all of the change, one constant always remained in Daniel’s life: her dedication to her students. Daniel prided herself on creating stimulating learning environments, aiming to generate a positive impact on her students’ lives that persists even after their high school years.

“[S]he has been the heart of the French program,” said Olivia Bradley, Pinewood’s Department Head of World Languages. “Alumni come to Pinewood to visit her and have fond memories of being in her class. Her shoes will be impossible to fill.”

Although Daniel is sad to leave the Pinewood community, she is excited to be spending her newfound free time on her hobbies, especially traveling. She has already booked trips to Oceania, Europe, and Africa, ready to fulfill her lifelong travel goals alongside her husband. Together, they will be cruising around the world in their Cirrus — a small, four-seat plane. 

“[With our Cirrus,] [w]e flew to South America, Ecuador, and Alaska, and we fly very often to Mexico,” Daniel said. “One of the things that I want to do… is to fly around the United States, to the South.”

Alongside traveling, Daniel also hopes to find solace in being with her loved ones.

“I want to go… on adventures with my friends [and]… see my family,” Daniel said. “One of my daughters is in Los Angeles, and the other is in Miami, and I want to see them more often.”

Daniel will be missed by many at Pinewood. As a former student of Madame’s, I can attest to her kindness, generosity, and thoughtfulness. More than a teacher, she has also served as a mentor and confidant, nurturing my growth not only as a student, but also as a person. 

Madame: thank you for all you’ve done for the Pinewood community, and we all wish you the very best.