Au Revoir Monsieur Gaudet

Last night was a very special evening for the TFS community as we gathered to celebrate Norman Gaudet and his retirement as Head of School.

Hosted at the beautiful home of Sonia Mirbaha and Yashar Fatehi, the evening brought together parents, faculty, friends and supporters of TFS for a warm and elegant send-off. It was exactly the kind of night Norman deserved — thoughtful, heartfelt and full of appreciation for everything he has contributed to the school.

For me, the evening was especially meaningful because I had the honour of painting Norman’s official portrait which will hang in the school with the other Head of School portraits. There is something very personal about creating a portrait. You spend hours studying someone — their presence, their posture, their expression, the small details that make them recognizable not only physically, but emotionally. Then, at a certain point, the painting leaves the studio and becomes part of a larger story.

Standing beside the portrait before the unveiling, I felt incredibly grateful to have been asked to contribute something lasting to a school that has become important to our family. As a TFS parent, and with Louis having such a wonderful first year at Jardin d’éveil, this was not just another painting commission. It felt personal.

When I first met with Norman about the portrait, he gave me the best direction an artist can hope for: “I trust you 100%. You have full artistic freedom.” That kind of trust is rare, and it shaped the entire process.

I wanted the portrait to reflect Norman’s warmth, dignity and calm confidence — the qualities that so many people in the room clearly recognized in him. A Head of School has to lead, but also connect. There is a also an approachability that I believe I captured in the portrait that I am quite proud of.

I also had the chance to say a few words before the unveiling, and I was truly touched by how warmly everyone responded. One of the lines I shared was that there was something funny about asking the man behind a campaign called Can’t Wait to sit still for a portrait. Thankfully, Norman did sit still — and the result now becomes a small part of his legacy at TFS.

Thank you to Sonia Mirbaha and Yashar Fatehi for hosting such a beautiful evening, and to Tessa Shirley, Rehana Persad and everyone at TFS who helped bring the event together.

Au revoir, Monsieur Gaudet — and congratulations.