Jean-Paul Jacquet – Head Teacher/Course Director 
Jean-Paul may hold the world record for never going anywhere without a sketchbook locked under his arm, an artistic obligation he has fulfilled for perhaps thirty years. It was in these sketchbooks that he documented his travels in France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, and many other places, where Jean-Paul has laid out his works and his dreams, and how he has for a long time envisioned a retreat for artists in France. During his many years as a teacher at Pomfret School and for the thirty years he has been known as a professional artist, Jean-Paul has dreamt of returning to and working in the place where he spent much of his youth. He is excited to invite students to join him in this ongoing dream, so that they will not only improve their skills as artists, but also delight in the beautiful country of France, its language, and people. He also hopes they will all go home with a sketchbook and never leave home without one again, something many of his previous students have taken to doing. Jean-Paul holds the position of Artist in Residence at the Pomfret School. He has taught there since 2000. He holds a BA in Illustration from Syracuse University. He has also studied in Florence, Italy. And don’t worry, he is fluent in French.
Elizabeth Jacquet – Program Directrix
Although she is still searching for a fitting medium to express her interests, Beth prides her self on being a “Liberal Arts-ist.” With degrees in classical languages, philosophy, and history, she has an eye for the esoteric and a continual thirst to learn. It just so happens that her two great passions in life are education and hospitality, both of which are extensively exercised at the chateau each summer. Having grown up in a culinary family but having chosen to pursue an acadmeic career, Beth has happily had a foot in both camps for the last 18 years. In a perfect world, she would spend her days eating exceptional food in exceptional surroundings with fabulous and creative people. So, for her, L’Atelier is the ideal fit, a summer cooked to perfection. At L’Atelier she hopes to open the students’ eyes to the joys of lifelong learning while graciously hosting them as if they were staying in her own home. Beth is the Director of the du Pont Library at Pomfret, and has taught Latin and history courses as well. She holds an MA in history from Vermont College and a BA in Latin and Greek from Boston University, with minors in philosophy and ancient history. She has also studied at the American Academy in Rome.
Tim Deary – French Teacher
Tim graduated from Amherst College in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in French and Sociology, and he earned his master’s in French Linguistics and Pedagogy from Middlebury College in 2014. He studied in Paris in 2008, and he served as a teaching assistant in Toulon from 2009 to 2010 before he began his teaching career at Pomfret School. Over the course of his tenure at Pomfret School, Tim has taught all levels of high school French, has coached soccer and basketball, served as the head of a dormitory, and acted as an advisor. Tim has extensive travel experience in France, and he has led language immersion trips with Putney Student Travel in which he taught students French while travelling to five different regions in France. Tim is excited to continue to share his love of the French language and culture with a motivated group of students!
Wilfred Beriau – Chef 
Without a doubt, Wilfred Beriau’s life revolves around two things: food and family (in no particular order). Fishing would be a close third. Chef Beriau has been a professional chef for nearly 40 years and has worked in some of New England’s finest establishments, including the Balsams Grande Resort Hotel in New Hampshire. However, don’t forget, family is also very important to Chef Beriau, which is why he left behind 80 hour work weeks in order to become a culinary educator 25 years ago. In his time teaching, he has been named both Maine Chef of the Year by the Maine Hospitality Association and the National Chef Educator of the Year by the American Culinary Federation, and was most recently awarded the Hermann G. Rusch Lifetime Achievement Award. He is very excited to once again join the team at L’Atelier, anxious to return to the culinary capital of the world and scope out carp in the Seine! Have no fear, there is no carp on the menu. Chef Beriau graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and holds an MA in Education from the University of Southern Maine.
Gitana Beriau – Gigi the Dessert Genius
Gitana (or Gigi as she is best known) might be best likened to the Wizard of Oz. She, without a doubt, is the one who makes things happen, even if she’s behind a curtain doing so. She’s thrilled to accompany L’Atelier each summer, as it allows her to reunite her love of the arts and education with her enthusiasm and talent for dessert making. An artist in her own right (she’s a cellist and former dancer), Gitana is also well versed in art history and culture. She has led students on tours to Austria and Italy, alongside her husband, Wilfred, and has also led intensive wilderness excursions through the mountains of Maine, New Hampshire, Colorado and New Mexico. Gitana holds a degree in musical performance and a minor in art history from Plymouth State University and earned an MA from Lesley University.
Remy and Coco-Lyon Jacquet – Young Helpers
Remy and Coco are very excited to return to France. In fact, these two bring up the chateau at least once a week (not to mention the snails, the frothy warm milk, the cheese, syrop de menthe, etc). They hope to learn some more French from their father, give their mother a hand around the property, eat well with their grandparents, and do some art alongside the busy students!
L'Atelier au Château 