Florence Rink
French Teacher
University of Paris, Sorbonne IV, MA
email: florence.rink [at] sonomaacademy.org
Educated first at the Sorbonne and the British Institute in Paris, then at Oxford for English and American Literature, Florence Rink joined us as a French teacher in 2004. As a young woman, Florence took the suggestion of a teacher and took a teaching position herself to help her pay for her studies. She says she can still remember that first day of class. She hated walking in that first day--she was just 20 years old--but by the end of class she'd fallen in love with the experience of teaching. She was hooked!
University of Paris, Sorbonne IV, MA
email: florence.rink [at] sonomaacademy.org
phone: (707) 545-1770 x3421
Since that fateful day, she has taught in schools in France, England, and the US. Her teaching expertise is not limited to language—she also taught ski school for many winters while living in France.The last school she taught at before coming to Sonoma Academy was the Greens Farm Academy in Westport, Connecticut (claim to fame: Martha Stewart and Paul Newman were neighbors of the school).
Sonoma Academy was a very different kind of school than the others Florence had taught at. For example, she sat in her first Council meeting here—and though she wasn't quite sure at first what to make of it, she became intrigued with this style of listening and sharing.
Says Florence, "What makes SA a great school for me is that we really see our students and get to know them well, we appreciate each other, respect each other because we all work hard and lastly, we also work well together. I have the privilege to be in an amazing place, to spend my day with teenagers (and they are awesome) and to collaborate with amazing faculty who blow me away everyday. I hope that all my students will be able to find a job that will be as much fun and as rewarding as mine!"
When she is not in the classroom, Florence loves baking, gardening, and upholstery.
What makes SA a great school for me is that we really see our students and get to know them well, we appreciate each other, respect each other because we all work hard and lastly, we also work well together.
Sonoma Academy Is...
...the only private, independent, college preparatory high school in Sonoma County. On our beautiful campus nestled at the base of Taylor Mountain in Southeastern Santa Rosa, our students are able to explore their interests and passions in a rigorous and inspiring environment that develops a lifelong love of learning and prepares them for college and beyond.
Sonoma Academy admits students of any race, color, religion, ethnicity or national origin, citizenship, gender or gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, or disability, to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnicity or national origin, citizenship, gender or gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and tuition assistance programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
