Voices Spring Summer 10

ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010 �

Voices

6 Challenge at ZIS

�4 Students Making a Difference

2� The ZIS Gala 30 Back to the Future

Spring/Summer 20�0

Voices_spring10.indd 1 4/26/2010 2:49:03 PM

ZIS Voices is published biannually by the Zurich International School. Submissions of articles, letters and photos from faculty, administration, current and former students and their families are welcomed. For more information, please contact Rachel Ditchfield, Editor, on +41 58 750 25 42; or at [email protected]; or at Steinacherstrasse 140, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.

If you would prefer not to receive Voices please email [email protected]

Table of contents

1 Message from the Director2 Principals’ Page4 ZIS Baden Expansion5 Sporting Successes

Challenge at ZIS6 Relevant, Challenging and Engaging Curriculum8 Inquiry-based Learning at the Lower School9 Enrichment Program10 Middle School After School Activities11 Real World Experience at the Upper School12 Musical Opportunities14 Grade 9 Students Visit Ghana16 Volunteering in a South African Safe House18 Experiencing Life in India

20 The ZIS Annual Fund21 An Evening on the Ball – the 2010 Gala22 The ZIS Board of Trustees24 ZIS Administrative Assistants

Staff news25 Introducing the New Middle School Principal26 Farewell to Mark Hemphill27 Farewell and Welcome to Faculty and Staff29 Baby News Alumni30 Back to the Future32 In Memoriam33 The Class of 2010



Message from the Director

Peter C. Mott, Director

What’s a challenge? Passing a math test when you haven’t prepared sufficiently for it – that’s a challenge. Maintaining a healthy relationship despite differences of opinion and perspective – that’s a challenge. Adjusting to an entirely new and unfamiliar set of circumstances when a volcano thousands of miles away erupts into our lives – that’s a major challenge. Recognizing the magnitude of the environmental, ideological and economic problems in our divided world and maintaining hope in the face of terrorism, wars, and poverty – that’s a permanent human challenge. Disputing an umpire’s call in a tennis game – that’s also a challenge, and when someone is not very good at something, the “politically correct” way of describing this deficiency is to say that he/she is challenged.

We consider challenges good things, except, of course, when our authority – whether parental, political, or institutional – is challenged by people who have no business doing so! Some of us ‘thrive on a challenge’; most of us are expected to ‘rise to a challenge’ in our jobs, and a few of us may ‘challenge the status quo’. Our students say they are challenged by peers to who speak a language other than their own and many would define the annual ritual of having to say good-bye to friends who are moving on a painful personal and emotional challenge.

The etymology of the word suggests another, darker origin: challenge is derived from the Old French word chalonge which meant as much as ‘slander, accusation, dispute’ (echoing the Latin calumniare which meant “to accuse falsely” and which is still preserved in the somewhat archaic English word calumny). Perhaps it reflects the gradual evolution of democratic habits of mind that the word lost its largely negative connotation and has now assumed the status of an educational buzz word: are we sufficiently challenging our students (i.e. providing them with academic rigor) to prepare them for “success” in our world? I suspect that implicit in this assumption is the notion that we ‘challenge’ in order to be better than someone else, to assert ourselves against countless others who (we hope?) can’t measure up to the challenge.

In this edition of you will encounter an altogether different interpretation of ‘challenge’, one which is far more aligned with the meaning we had envisaged when we encapsulated ‘challenge’ as one of our Mission & Philosophy’s four pillars. The students who write eloquently about their experiences in helping underprivileged children in India, working in a haven for foster children in South Africa, or building a new cafeteria in our sister school in Ghana are not trying to prove something to others by accepting a ‘challenge’. They have stepped out of their comfort zone, have chosen to expose themselves to the unfamiliar, the un-comfortable, perhaps even somewhat threatening – not in a physical but in a moral and ethical sense. And they left, not only having made a difference in the lives of others, but having irreversibly changed their own. They are implicitly disputing the maxim (there’s the older definition of ‘chalonge’ again!) that challenges exist to establish or confirm moral, economic, social or personal hierarchies.

We can react to challenges fearfully or competitively; we can

turn away from them because we don’t feel up to the task or we can engage with them because we want to prove something to ourselves or to others. Either way the motive is ultimately narcissistic. We can also confront challenges selflessly because in stepping outside of ourselves, in resisting the urge to look out for ‘number one’, to possess the world before us, and to impose our own desires on it, we gain the power not only to make a difference to others, but, just as importantly, to change ourselves permanently. This is the greatest challenge of all, and this is what the smiles and tears in the faces of the children our students left behind are all about.


2 ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010

Principals’ page

Lower School Principal Viki Stiebert

At the beginning of this school year our teachers had the wonderful experience of Bill Powell and Ochran Kusuma leading a whole faculty in-service on differentiation. We were asked to read the book ‘Making the Difference’ in which they had written about the principles that support ‘teaching them all’, a particular challenge in an international school and one that we value highly. This principle is mentioned twice in our Mission and Philosophy, under ‘�earn�‘�earn��earn� We teach to multiple learning styles‘ and ‘�hallenge��hallenge� We challenge ourselves to ensure the success of each student‘.

Some of the points that we found particularly pertinent during our workshop were that all children can and will learn; diversity enriches; and children learn most enthusiastically and most efficiently when they are encouraged to use their strengths.

In an international environment the first challenge we have is providing appropriately for the diversity of cultures and backgrounds in our community, which makes our lives as educators interesting and far more challenging than we would experience in most national systems. The second challenge is reaching each student not only as a person but also in extending their very individual capabilities. Whilst a school in a national system would usually offer a certain slant to their education, i.e. being sports, drama, IT or music focused, at ZIS we offer a wide range of choices including all the above to the 600 children we teach in our ECC and Lower School. On top of that, this term alone we also have over 40 after school activities.

In each of our classes we have a wide range of learners whose successes and learning we celebrate. I think a particular strength at ZIS is that we are prepared to cater for each child as an individual. Our curriculum, being inquiry-based, offers the opportunity for children to truly extend themselves, acquiring skills whilst making learning their own.

Our world has changed, ‘digitalism’ is now a reality for our children and every day I have the joy of seeing children truly challenge themselves not just in the classroom but beyond. We are now communicating regularly with classes all over the English speaking world, with our sister school in Ghana and with experts whose knowledge we are seeking, on almost every continent. ZIS makes this possible for even the very youngest!

Middle School Principal Mark Hemphill

During the middle school years, between the ages of 11 and 14, adolescents grow and change more rapidly than in any other period of their lives. Students enter the Middle School as children and leave as young adults. As a result the middle school years can be the most challenging of all for students, parents and teachers.

For students the challenge is to learn to identify their strengths and to accept their weaknesses. It is a time when adolescents often lack self confidence and suffer from a very fragile self esteem. They may struggle socially as friendships develop and change. Some may be confused by the feelings and emotions they may be experiencing, not really understanding their moods or reactions. Their relationship with their parents and siblings is constantly changing and managing these interactions may be stressful and challenging for all involved. Understanding, accepting and learning to respect the adult they are becoming can be incredibly challenging.

For parents this phase in their child’s life can be the most challenging and stressful to cope with. Accepting your child’s growing need for independence and their reliance on their peers can be difficult. Seeing your child grow into a young adult who may be very different to yourself or developing interests and strengths in areas you may not have considered as important can be confrontational. Keeping your adolescent child focused on their studies rather than on socialising, their friends and a growing fixation with technology can be particularly challenging. Most difficult to cope with can be the mood swings, the rudeness and the sarcastic comments.

For teachers the challenge is to keep middle schoolers interested and engaged in their work, focused on their academics and positive about themselves and their studies. Middle schoolers can become increasingly negative and difficult to motivate. The challenge is to try to teach students to enjoy learning, to be self motivated, to be organized and to always do their best. It is well recognized that student results may decline in the middle school years as they are more focused on their social lives and the physical, emotional and hormonal changes their bodies are experiencing. Middle schoolers need to understand the relevance of what they are learning to their lives and teachers need to constantly review and evaluate what their students are interested in. The challenge for the Middle School Principal is to keep everyone in the Middle School happy and to balance all of their needs. Believe me, that sometimes this can be a real challenge!


ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010 3

Upper School Principal Jon McLeod

Baden Principal Ji Han

The dictionary has many definitions for challenge, and each time we see the word it calls to mind something specific to the one reading it.

In the daily life of a ZIS student, challenge comes in a variety of forms such as trying to master a skill, getting over the fear of speaking in front of others, trying out something new even if it is difficult, working with people – some you like and some you don’t – and making mistakes and learning from them is part of that. These are just a few examples of the daily challenges our students face. Certainly there are some who would say that compared to many children in the world, our students do not really have formidable challenges. I would agree that in the physical sense this is certainly true. However in today’s ever-changing and unpredictable society, our students will certainly face mental, emotional and intellectual challenges that we as adults have never encountered. Our students have the daunting task of preparing for a future that is vague, unknown and certainly more exciting than the world we know today.

Challenge is certainly high on our priority list at school as it symbolizes an important part of our beliefs and values and encourages us to strive for more than the ordinary, push ourselves and our students to go beyond what is expected but, most importantly, take steps that have never or rarely been tried before. It is our responsibility to create opportunities so our students will experience the successes and failures associated with challenges as well as know the difference when there is none.

The definition I found most appropriate for challenge reads ‘an undertaking that is stimulating to those engaged in it’. It is my hope that when students at ZIS experience challenge, they do so in a way that leads to a sense of stimulation, purpose and wonder for what is coming next. Schools, I believe, have a duty to the students to ensure that they are continually faced with new and unfamiliar situations, yes, even pushed out of their comfort zones. Only through working through such situations and finding ways to move beyond them can our children begin to develop the resilience and tenacity needed to really make a difference for themselves and the world around them.

This year we have introduced two new initiatives which we believe provide opportunities for students to challenge themselves in different ways. We believe their introduction is beginning to make significant inroads into positively changing our school culture and climate.

Firstly, this year all students, teachers and administrators have been divided into Advisory Teams. Grade 9 students are grouped together for one year. Grade 10-12 Advisory Teams are mixed and students remain with the same advisor year after year.

Linked with the introduction of this Advisory Program is a change in our student community service guidelines. Before this year, each graduating student had to complete 50 hours of community service. We believe this approach led to too many students simply ‘counting hours’ rather than having a meaningful service experience. The graduation requirement has therefore altered to ‘the completion of one pre-approved service learning project’ each school year. It is in the Advisory Teams where students are expected to work together to design, implement, and reflect on a service project. Being the first year of this program we are still learning the best way to go about doing this, but we have seen some great progress and initiative from the students. Some examples of activities include an Aids Awareness Week, paper recycling scheme, Bee Awareness, and working with groups in the local community.

The second initiative is to allow Grade 12 students, if they wish to and with the support of their parents, to take up the opportunity to organize their own independent Classroom Without Walls trip. For the trip to occur it must meet certain requirements. Most importantly, it must be related to some aspect of our Mission and Philosophy (Learn, Care, Challenge, Lead). For example, we have a group of students travelling to our sister school in Ghana, a group planning to climb Mt Kilimanjaro as well as to research the impact of climate change on and around the mountain, and a group travelling to Venice to undertake an economic study of the impact of the economic crisis on tourism there. All groups will report back to the school community about their experiences in the last week of school.

I think both of these examples are certainly evidence of ‘challenging ourselves to be open to risk, change and innovation’ – one of the descriptors of our Mission pillar ‘Challenge‘.‘Challenge‘.Challenge‘.



ZIS Baden

New Middle School Opening in August

“The kids here will get an amazing education,” says Principal Ji Han

A new Middle School is being added to ZIS Baden this summer with the creation of Grades 6 to 8. Students will benefit from the full ZIS Middle School program in a smaller setting, says Principal Ji Han.

Two floors of the school building are currently being renovated to create a science room, math room, art room, IT room and drama room, and six new teachers have been appointed. Over the next few months, resources will be ordered, Smartboards and technology will be installed and final preparations will take place ready for the start of the 2010/11 school year.

“It is very exciting,” said Ji, who oversaw the opening of the school two years ago with just 29 students. There are currently 73 students in Pre-School to Grade 6, with a potential 30 in the new Middle School grades.

“With the addition of the Middle School, we will be able to offer a comprehensive programme for students aged three to 14 under one roof. The Baden community has always been open and inclusive, and the Middle School section will be a wonderful addition to our school. Even with increasing numbers and expansion, our aim to keep the spirit of community and closeness a high priority,” said Ji.

“We will offer a solid Middle School-based curriculum with core subjects as well as elective courses of drama, choir, art and IT. Currently students will learn German as the foreign language with the likelihood of an additional language later on when enrollment increases.”

The Middle School students will looked after by a highly qualified and motivated Middle School teaching team. “All the teachers are trained in middle school years and experienced practitioners,” said Ji. “The Baden Middle School students will follow a scheduled program, the same as at the Kilchberg campus, which includes an advisory program. As a 1-to-1 laptop school, each Middle School student will have their own tablet laptop, as at Kilchberg, and there will be Smartboards in all classes. I firmly believe that the students here will get an amazing education.”

Planning is underway to create an after school activities program, including competitive sports. Additionally Middle School students will have the opportunity to take music lessons as part of the Music Academy. The one difference to the Kilchberg Middle School timetable is that students in Grades 6 to 8 at ZIS Baden will have an early finish on Wednesdays, like the younger ZIS Baden students, rather than a late start on Mondays.

“This makes it ideal and more feasible for parents who have children in both primary and middle school levels,” said Ji.

ZIS Baden is also aiming to offer Early ZIS for two-year-olds as at the Early Childhood Center, should there be high enough enrollment.

For more information visit the ZIS Baden pages of the school’s website at www.zis.ch.

Students looking around the new Middle School classrooms at ZIS Baden, which are currently under renovation



Sport at ZIS

Sporting Success is not by Chance

SCIS Varsity Boys Soccer champions, SCIS MS Boys Soccer champions, SGIS MS Girls Soccer champions, SGIS Northern JV Girls Soccer champions, SGIS Cross Country champions, SST Girls Cross Country champions, SCIS Boys Cross Country champions, SGIS Varsity Girls Basketball champions, SCIS US Varsity Boys Basketball champions, SGIS MS Girls Basketball champions, SCIS US Swim champions, SGIS MS Swim champions, SGIS US Swim champions.

These results reflect one of the best years ever for Upper School and Middle School students and are the culmination of the strengthening of the structure for athletics and activities at ZIS.

“These results are fantastic but are not by chance; they are the culmination of four years’ work in the development of ATAC (Athletics and Activities) at ZIS,” said Athletics Director Greg Hart. “They are the consequence of putting everything under one umbrella and vertically aligning Middle and Upper School athletics and activities. We now have students coming to the Upper School with a passion for sport who already know the fundamentals thanks to the work at the Middle School. This has allowed coaches at the Upper School to hone their art of coaching and really bring the students on in their sport.”

A major contributing factor is the facilities available at the Upper School. “Three years ago during a typical week we would have gS14 teams using 37 different locations over a five day period,” said Greg. “Of the 90 minute contact time the coach might only have

60 minutes with the students, due to all the travelling time, and moving and setting up of equipment. Now the kids can be setting up equipment in our own gym and warming up before the lesson even starts. We have seen a better level of engagement in the kids thanks to that.”

It’s not just final results which reflect the success of the programme. “We have had a number of sportsmanships awards too, which is fantastic,” said Greg. “I don’t care whether we win or lose, but how we play the game.”

ZIS is a member of the SCIS (Sports Council of International Schools), ISST (International School Sports Tournament) and SGIS (Swiss Group of International Schools), something which is not always the case for international schools and reflects the importance the school places on sport.

“When the school values sport, the coaches feel valued, the

students benefit from that and the community sees the difference,” said Greg.

ZIS is increasingly known as a great competitor and host for tournaments for these different groups, thanks to the facilities and the organisation when playing host. “We have great parents here and a community behind us, to help with hosting and running a tournament,” said Greg.

“Taking part in these tournaments gives ZIS students the opportunity to travel throughout Europe to compete against comparable schools and athletes, as well as enjoying a different cultural experience and interacting with other young people. It’s a win-win situation.”

The Middle School Boys Soccer Team are the SCIS Soccer Champions



Challenge at ZIS

A Curriculum that’s Relevant, Challenging and Engaging

“We challenge our students to embrace the opportunities provided and to push their boundaries.”

We live in a dynamic and exciting world, where the only constant is change. At ZIS, our challenge is to match the needs of our learners to this ever-changing global environment, writes Mark Schulz, Director of Curriculum and Professional Development.

To meet this challenge, we need to be strategic learners ourselves, by expanding our perspectives and updating our approaches and strategies in order to provide effective learning opportunities for all of our students.

As a school, our challenge is to provide a curriculum designed to meet the needs of all ZIS learners. Therefore it needs to be relevant, challenging and engaging in order to allow students to fully develop their potential in terms of the skills, attitudes, values and knowledge required to meet their current and future needs.

Content knowledge is not enough. The shift now is to promote the development of key skills – communication and collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and innovation. These skills are not new; they tend to be part of the skill set of most of the successful people in the world. What has changed is the increasing demand for these skills for people living in the 21st century to enrich their lives and the lives of others and make them more successful in their work. Therefore student-led discussions, group activities, presentations and reflections feature prominently in our classrooms.

Without engagement, it is unlikely that learning will take place. Work that is too easy soon leads to boredom, while work that is too difficult for students leads to frustration. Students can now access

all the information they need to know, the challenge now is to get them to ask the right questions.

We realize that students entering the classroom today are much different from those who have come before. To make our connections with students we must change our strategies to fit this new age of children and to ensure that we cater for their full range of learning styles. While technology obviously plays a key part, its value doesn’t lie in the tools themself. Programs and Web 2.0 applications such as Google Apps, One Note, Google Earth, Skype, Flickr, Voice Thread, Blogs, Wikis, Jing and Movie Maker are used as powerful tools to support communication, collaboration and creativity during the learning process in ways that otherwise would not be possible.

At ZIS we have adopted the ‘Understanding by Design’ curriculum development framework (Wiggins and McTighe 2005). The central tenet is that the design of curriculum, assessment and instruction must focus on developing and deepening understanding of important ideas. The challenge for teachers is to first identify what they want students to know and be able to do, then to design assessments that allow students to clearly demonstrate their understanding and proficiency, and then to decide upon the most appropriate instructional and learning activities that will lead to these desired results. Through this process, challenging and authentic learning opportunities and assessments, designed to lead to enduring understandings and promote discussion about essential questions, are provided.

Learning is not restricted to the classroom and students of all ages go on a variety of curriculum-based trips, like this Grade 6 visit to Kerenzerberg



Challenge at ZIS

Meeting Educational Needs in an Ever-Changing World

In order to further support learning, personal growth and development, learning opportunities cannot be restricted to the classroom. We have the technological tools to bring the world into the classroom, but we also want our students to physically experience the wider world as often as possible. Initiatives at ZIS include: grade level, curriculum and Classroom Without Walls trips, Model United Nations, service learning, sports, outdoor education, arts activities and performances. We challenge our students to embrace the opportunities provided and to push their boundaries.

As parents, it can be a challenge to accept that things should look very different in schools today, compared to when we were students. There can be a tendency to expect or try to recreate the same setting for our children as we had at school, because we have been there before. Leaving the familiarity of a national education system to move to a possibly very different international context can add to this challenge. However, the need to prepare students for a vastly different future than we have known means that our understanding of the focus of education also needs to shift. The needs of our students are very different in order for them to cope with today’s ever changing world, let alone what they may need for an uncertain future.

The ZIS curriculum challenges students to develop their potential

Director of Curriculum and Professional Development Mark Schulz



Challenge at ZIS

Lower School Inquiry-Based Curriculum

Challenge: how much is embedded in this word! To be challenged, to face a challenge, to rise to a challenge, to take on a challenge, to challenge others. It is a concept that can sit right on the frontier of our comfort zones bringing with it a spectrum of feelings from excitement to fear, writes David Sargeant, Primary Years Programme Coordinator.

Few of us want to be so challenged that we become disabled by fear but as comfortable as our comfort zones are, we all know how equally disabling it is to be constantly under-challenged. For an educator, being in tune with student ‘readiness’ for the next challenge is in itself one of the greatest challenges of the job.

To be successful we need to really know our students and our curriculum. With these understandings it is crucial that we know when and how to invite students to explore the territory just beyond their comfort zones in the spirit of adventure, excitement and reflective risk taking.

In a Lower School inquiry-based curriculum often the teacher accompanies the student to this frontier, encouraging them to take the next steps beyond alone but always metaphorically in sight, never abandoning the student.

As 21st century educators we can’t just teach curriculum, implying that the primary focus is only curriculum coverage, we have to teach students the skills and attitudes that will enable them to embrace appropriate challenges and become learners way after they have left any kind of formal education.

I asked some Grade 5 and Grade 3 students to share some of their associations with the word challenge:

“It is learning a language that is not really your own.”“It is saying hi to people, making friends with them…and then having to say goodbye to them; saying hi all over.”“�iving in a new country, coming to a big school.”“A challenge for me and my family is to try and understand what Swiss people are saying.”“�earning to read and spell…but it is great when you do it well.”“�hallenges are a good thing because you learn more.”“It is a challenge beating Grade 4 students at soccer at recess, when you are just a Grade 3 kid.”

For educators the biggest challenge at the heart of everything is how we teach kids to become their own teachers. In The Lower School faculty lounge there is a Professional Development information board. Prominently displayed at the top are two extracts from the ZIS Mission and Philosophy, one of them is this: �hallenge - We challenge ourselves to be open to risk, change and innovation.

It reminds me of the importance of constantly challenging myself and of staying a lifelong learner.

David Sargeant, centre, with some students who love the challenge offered by learning at the Lower School



An enrichment program for students with a talent for maths has been running at the Lower School since 2008.

Jackie Langford is currently working with 13 students from Grades 3, 4 and 5, offering them additional challenges to what is happening in their classroom. “It’s not about stretching the children by giving, for instance, Grade 5 students Grade 6 work, but about stretching them sideways, extending their problem-solving and critical thinking skills,” said Jackie. “They work on their own, in pairs and in groups, and sometimes take things home. It is often student-initiated because they are highly motivated.”

At the moment Jackie, who works part-time, focuses only on maths. “This is because our class teachers say that’s the area most difficult to differentiate for because the gap in abilities is often quite large,” she explained. “Students may need further challenges and I support the teachers by offering that. All students need to be challenged but in different ways. It’s about giving equality of opportunity, in the same way that we support students who are struggling by providing learning support.”

Students who might be eligible for the program are identified by teachers or, occasionally, recommended by parents. Jackie starts by observing the child in the classroom and then gives them an individual problem-solving challenge followed by a standardized maths test and non-verbal reasoning test.

Once selected, students spend time with Jackie in grade-level groups when they would be doing maths in their classroom. Students taking part in the programme must agree to keep up with their classroom maths work. “The students love coming and the parents and classroom teachers are very positive about it,” said Jackie.

Challenge at ZIS

Enriching Learning for Mathematically Talented Students

Jackie Langford, left, with some of the students on the Lower School Enrichment Program

School counselor Doris Benrey Venguer works with Lower School and ECC students who have emotional difficulties or developmental issues. She works closely with parents, teachers and other members of the Learning Support team to help students, but remains the child’s ambassador throughout.

“Some things are transient, such as anxiety about going on a field trip, but other emotional problems are more complicated and require support for an extended period of time,” said Doris, a clinical psychologist and child and adolescent psychotherapist who has worked at ZIS for 12 years. “It’s important that I understand the situation from the child’s perspective as well as their family and cultural background. I look at their relationships with classmates, teachers and at home. Children know that they can talk to me about anything, it’s confidential and that I am on their side.”

For children with such diagnoses as autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Doris works with parents, teachers, tutors and external professionals to create an Individual Education Plan in order for everyone to work together to help the student.

While School Counselor Jill Wagner is available to work with all children new to ZIS, Doris will become involved should any youngster display extreme or continued transitional difficulties. She also works with school Nurse Betsy Zimmerman to cover the topic of puberty with the Lower School’s older students.

Help with Emotional and Developmental Issues


�0 ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010

The Middle School after school activities programme is challenging for students on a variety of levels and offers the opportunity to experience a wide range of sports, arts and music. Every season some 260 of the 280 students at the Middle School participate.

New this season is mountain biking which, together with recently added kayaking, is part of a concerted effort to make the most of the local environment, said Assistant Athletics Director and Middle School PE teacher Jay Haken.

“The idea is to use the local environment as much as we can and we have bought kayaks and bikes so that a lot of students can try these activities out,” he said.

The ethos of the programme at the Middle School is to give everyone a chance to try out a variety of activities.

“I don’t think it’s our responsibility to provide any kind of activity at an elite level, rather to give kids the opportunity to participate and experience as much as they can,” said Jay. “We never offer more than two seasons of a sport as we don‘t want kids to become a ‘one sport student’; we encourage them to do a variety of sports and activities.”

As well as having competitive-level sports, Jay and his colleagues offer developmental groups.

“We aim to have A teams for the best performers and the B teams almost always focus on the future, with skills and drills. We have created a strong B team programme with less fixtures and time commitment, but which still gives students the experience of being part of a team. Our responsibility is to try to ensure that everyone gets that experience.”

As well as sports, there’s the opportunity to be part of musical and drama productions, musical groups and other arts and technology activities. Recent productions, including ‘Fiddler on the Roof Junior’, have included a large number of students both on stage and behind the scenes.

But with all this on offer, students sometimes need to make difficult choices.

“The challenge at the Middle School is for students to have a level of responsibility for their time management,” said Jay. “We encourage them to be active participants in the after school activities programme but they have to manage how much time they commit in order not to get behind in their school work. They need to strike the balance between academics and participation.”

The Middle School is where students have their first opportunity to represent ZIS in sports or at Model United Nations sessions which involve traveling and overnight trips.

“They are representing something larger than themselves and that’s a massive part of the experience — there is the camaraderie, the sense of belonging and they gain life-long memories,” said Jay.

Again, students must maintain their academic standards in order to participate.

“One of our advantages is that almost all of our coaches are teachers in school, so they are educators first and coaches second. The coach and the class teachers work together with the student to ensure they keep on top of their school work,” said Jay. “These experiences are part of the Middle School philosophy and a big reason why this is such a positive place to be.”

Challenge at ZIS

A Wide Variety of Activities on Offer

Activities on offer at the Middle school range from the new mountain biking club to the spectacular musical productions, like ‘Fiddler on the Roof Junior’


ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010 ��

Kevin Braunschweig is one of three Upper School students currently taking a course completely independently. He decided to sign up for AP Statistics after the course was not run as usual at ZIS due to lack of student sign ups.

Although he didn‘t need the class, with a course load of five classes he felt he had time to do it.

“It’s something that interested me and I knew that I would be taking it sometime later in college so thought I would do it now,” he explained. Kevin had to make his case to Principal Jon McLeod, explaining how he was going to do the class and be assessed. He was assigned a ZIS teacher, should he need support, and told he had to present a project at the end of the year, to show what he had learned.

“Math is my strong point and I have a lot of support at home,” explained Kevin, who simply got some books on the subject and created his own syllabus. “I concentrated on stats for a couple of weeks over the winter and February holidays.”

Kevin had looked into doing the course with Virtual High School. “VHS do offer it but at 12 hours work per week, which is more than I do on my other classes, so I looked into other ways of doing it,” he said.Kevin Braunschweig studied AP Statistics

independently

Independent Study – an Option to Extend Learning at the Upper School

Upper School students have the opportunity to extend their experience through a summer internship programme.

Having begun four years ago with IBM, the programme has expanded recently to give students the chance to work with a variety of businesses and organisations, including in the areas of childcare and school administration.

“We have so many applications, so many students who really know how important having work experience is,” said Melissa Johnson Schnyder, Upper School University and Career Counsellor. “And whether a student gets a placement or not, it is great experience to go through the process of writing a resume and cover letter, and having an interview. These are valuable skills for them to learn.”

Members of the Leadership Team and parent volunteers, including Liz Kalmin who runs the Job Center, help with the process and undertake the interviews. Students are then recommended to the employer, who then interviews them before matching them to a suitable post.

“I know that at IBM students are ranked in the same way as their regular employees and sometimes the company wants them to come back – even after college,” said Melissa.

Manuel Seybold, who has coordinated the internship program for IBM in recent years, explained why the company offers places to students over the summer.

“It is the chance for us to get ‘top talent’ into IBM and we have high hopes that, once they enter college or university, they will still remember that it’s a good place to be,” he said. “All of these young people bring with them a unique set of skills and perspectives, every year they come with a different approach of how they see the world around them, and they bring new ideas which we can benefit from.

“We have similar programmes around the world and it shows that we engage with our community.”

Manuel explained that ‘the best of the best’ were selected each year and then teamed with an IBM ‘coach’, who assesses their skills, experience and personality before matching them with a project.As well as their ‘day job’ the students are set a task as a team – last year this was an ‘Integrated Strategy Project’ through which they developed a system to plan, manage and account for the millions of deals with small businesses.

“The students organise themselves into roles, like being the project manager, or working in marketing and IT, and through this we teach them professional project management,” said Manuel. “Last year their process management, thoughts on the flaws in the existing process and recommendations were sent to the European Steering Committee and we certainly made a lot of use of that. It is good to have input from people with fresh ideas.”

Going through the school’s internship programme is not the only way students can get work experience, of course. In the past students have organised their own placements at places such as myclimate – a Swiss organisation focused on carbon offsettingSwiss organisation focused on carbon offsetting measures – and in a medical practice in the UK. “We have to empower students, tell them to go out themselves and beat the pavements, because that’s what life is about,” said Melissa.

Challenge at ZIS

Job Placements Offer Real World Experience “All of these young people bring with them a unique set of skills and perspectives, every year they come with a different approach of how they see the world around them, and they bring new ideas which we can benefit from.”



“Just going through the audition process is great experience for these kids and if selected the level of music they work on is super-challenging,” said Tracy.

This year six ZIS students were selected to perform in the Jazz Band and Choir in Rome, two in the Senior Honor Orchestra Festival in Frankfurt, and eight in the Honor Band and Choir in Turkey. Nine students participated in the MS Honor Mixed Choir Festival in April.

“There is, for instance, an 80 to 100 piece orchestra which is something they can’t experience at our school,” said Tracy, who added that attending the AMIS festivals is a great professional development opportunity for teachers. “There are world-class conductors there who often hold workshops for teachers so we come back to school with energy and new ideas.”

Grade 7 student Mandy Kessler was selected to take part in the MS Honor Band Festival in March in Dusseldorf.

“I was so nervous in the audition,” said Mandy. “I was really happy when I saw my name on the list, it was awesome.”

This year 11 ZIS students were selected, almost double the number of previous years, which Bill Gilfry sees as the result in a change to the way band is taught. Students are now grouped according to their ability not grade, meaning that children in Grades 6, 7 and 8 play together based on their musical level rather than their age.

“We decided to change this to keep students challenged and interested and it’s definitely a good thing, as students are enjoying it and we can see the progress,“ he said. “We saw it in the results of honor band.

Challenge at ZIS

Opportunity to Perform at a World-Class Level

Tracy Sons conducting a group of Upper School musicians

The opportunity to perform with musicians and singers of a similar standard is on offer to the school’s most talented music students through AMIS, The Association for Music in International Schools.

From Middle School onwards students can audition to participate in one of several festivals held at a variety of locations around the world each year. Only the best musicians are selected to take part, making it a wonderful experience for students.

“We have so many kids who are capable and I encourage them to prepare and participate in these events,” said Tracy Sons, Upper School music teacher.

“If they are selected they have the chance to work with top class conductors. The coolest thing is that they just get to be musicians for three days, spending time with people who really understand how much they love music. They are in their element.”

Each year dozens of ZIS students audition for a variety of festivals, which this year included the AMIS Middle School Honor Mixed Choir Festival held at the Upper School in April.

To audition students must practice and perform a selected piece of music which is recorded by Tracy and colleague Bill Gilfry, Middle School music teacher. These are then sent to the AMIS selection committee whose members decide who can participate. Both Tracy and Bill have been part of those committees in the past.

If chosen, students are sent the selection of music being used at the event in order to start to prepare for the festival.


ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010 �3

Challenge at ZIS

Students Selected for AMIS Festivals

“In many cases the music is a little over their head and being able to organise yourself to be able to learn it and show that you understand it when you’re playing it is quite a challenge. The students are very motivated and really want to achieve.”

To get to that point Bill has helped them rehearse at weekends and lunchtimes, as well as taking part in normal lessons.

Bill organised the hosting of the recent AMIS Middle School Honor Mixed Choir Festival, in conjunction with the ATAC office and with support from the Parents’ Association.

Nine ZIS students, including Mandy, were chosen to participate in what was originally planned to be an 80-strong choir (the aftermath of the Iceland volcano eruption preventing some students from travelling).

“Singing is very personal and so it was a challenge to audition,” said Bill. “There were ten pieces for the festival and students sang in languages they had never spoken or sung in before. There was a three part texture for girls and boys, and at some points they were singing four different parts. That’s a challenge – to sing different parts and to be holding your own.

“For boys it’s an additional challenge as their voice may be changing from one week to the next and suddenly they can’t make the notes they could before, so I teach them tools to learn how to sing at different levels.”

The festival was a huge success and a wonderful experience for the students involved, said Bill.

“It was an amazing event for everyone,” he said.

Bill Gilfry practising with Grade � student Mandy Kessler

“If they are selected they have the chance to work with top class conductors. The coolest thing is that they just get to be musicians for three days, spending time with people who really understand how much they love music. They are in their element.”

Nine ZIS students were selected to join the AMIS Choir Festival hosted at the Upper School in April. Photo by Cecilia Nilsson



Catherine Hurrell, above left, teaching the children. Above right, students Eva Edwards, Chloe Munro, Charlotte Taylor and Louis Op de Beeck, together with Steven from the village, working on the foundations of the dining hall

Challenge at ZIS

The World Outside the Classroom

This February a team of Grade � students and teachers visited Ghana to spend a week with students at the Bosomtwe Community School. Here is their story...

In 2008 ZIS sent a group of Grade 9 students to Ghana to participate in a Model United Nations at Lincoln Community School in Accra, writes Middle School teacher Bill Hovey.

I was the MUN director and Lower School PE teacher Ibrahim Oubda came along as my chaperone. Accra was several hours from Kumasi and the Bosomtwe Community School (BCS) that Ibi, Maud de Moor and the Lower School had been sponsoring. One night Ibi shared his dream of bringing kids from that year’s Grade 7, the first kids to begin working on the BCS project, to the school itself when they were in Grade 9. This year’s Team Ghana was born that evening.

Twenty Grade 9 students and history teacher Sarah Goudy accompanied Ibi, Maud and myself to Ghana for nine days this past February. The trip combined cultural excursions within Accra and to Cape Coast, visiting the Cape Coast slave castle and Kakum rainforest canopy walk, with service learning projects at BCS school.

The main aspect of the BCS experience was rotating through three stations: working on finishing the dining hall, a building project supported by ZIS donations, visiting and helping in the village (water fetching, cooking, basket weaving…), and then teaching and playing with the school children (Pre-K to Grade 3). Wedged between all of

these were bus trips, visits from and with Ibi’s family, lake and ocean swimming, market bartering, mango, pineapple and coconut eating, a gospel service, drumming evening, bonfire, dancing, soccer match with villagers, and getting sick!

It was an extraordinary trip and true to our Mission and Philosophy - Learn, Care, Challenge, Lead. The level of learning was varied and high. An ethos of care was underlying throughout the week. Kids continually stepped up to lead as opportunities were ever present. The most difficult aspect of the trip is the challenge of keeping its spirit alive now we’re back to the daily stress and demands of Zurich life.

“The most meaningful part of this trip was seeing the positive outlook on life that the people of Ghana possess.Everyone smiles and laughs. What they lack in material possessions, they make up through just being happy. I’ve honestly tried to laugh and smile more often.”



Challenge at ZIS

Grade � Students Make a Difference in Ghana

Sam Bunderson, above left, and Noemi Holzleg, above right, had the experience of a lifetime in Ghana

By Noemi Holzleg and Sam Bunderson, Grade �

As the bus drove down the red dirt road, the villagers and the school children welcomed us with warm smiles. We walked on towards the dilapidated school building as the children were starting their morning prayers. Every morning we were greeted by their humble voices before we split into our rotations, which consisted of teaching the children, constructing work at the new cafeteria building and befriending the villagers. Already the very first day left us with irreplaceable and unforgettable memories of everything we experienced.

We walked into the classroom and it was dark and stuffy. Four grades were packed into one small building and two of those had lessons out on the porch. The classroom supplies were extremely basic: a box of chalk and a run-down board. The benches and walls were cracked and worn out. Even though the conditions were unfamiliar, we tried our best to lighten up the environment and despite the state of their classroom the children looked forward to learning. We spent hours entertaining the children with big group games such as ‘What time is it Mr. Wolf?’ and teaching them with addition cards and colourful dominos. These excited children have taught us to not dread school, but be grateful for having the chance of a high-standard education.

While some of us were teaching at the school, others spent time in the village. This experience made us feel like part of a family that had been complete strangers to us just a few minutes before. We had the opportunity to live the life of a local child — we fetched water at the village pump, washed clothes with soap in a big basin and made

traditional Ghanaian food. As well as then living in a family’s home, we had the chance to practice weaving baskets out of palm fronds with an excellent instructor who had been weaving baskets for the past 60 years. From our time spent in the village, we became more aware of diversity and how that makes life more interesting.

We didn’t just work with the children and in the village, we all took turns working on the dining hall. We began by mixing cement. First, we had to make a well of dirt and then pour in the cement mixture along with water. After mixing all this cement we had to carry it in wheelbarrows to the dining hall. We were supposed to “slap” the wet cement onto the wall, but as it turned out, we could barely do it. The village workers enjoyed watching us try and fail. In fact, it was more a question of them helping us than us helping them! Working side-by-side with the village workers gave us an irreplaceable experience.

The valuable time we spent in Ghana filled our hearts with love for every child and every smile we saw. All of us are dying to go again and were heartbroken when the day of leaving came. A mix of happiness and sadness dripped down our eyes and we wiped away the tears as we were waving goodbye. We just have to remember, it’s not like I won’t ever see them again, because we’re definitely going back!

The lessons we learned are things everybody should know, everybody should live with and everybody should take to their hearts, and this message is what we want to share.



The children crowded behind me with fearful eyes as the intimidating woman marched towards the door. I was never so thankful to have a padlocked gate between me and another person.

It was my second week at the safe-house and my supervisor was away. My responsibilities as a volunteer were turning out very differently from what I had expected. I had never travelled by myself. I had never been to a developing country. I had never been to Africa. I had no idea what to do.

This winter vacation I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa where I worked as a volunteer at a children’s safe-house in Jeffreys Bay, home to 12 youngsters, ranging from five months to 14 years in age. It was an amazing experience.

Up until then I’d had a very sheltered and privileged life compared to many other children from around the world. I grew up in America, attending an international school, with door-to-door transport, my mother driving us to sports, and my parents planning all our trips.

I had wondered for quite some time, “How can I grow up like this, when there are other people starving, who are no less deserving of this life?” I had no influence on the family I was born into, or choice concerning my family’s social or economic status. I realized that after a certain point, you have to take your life into your own hands, and make it something you are proud of. I hoped to explore a less developed country and experience up close and understand the challenges in the lives of those people who did not grow up in such a feathered way, particularly those who also had no influence on their situation yet: children.

I applied to a program in South Africa because one of the country’s national languages is English, and thought I could make a more profound impact in a country whose language I could speak. I was lucky to gain acceptance after speaking with the head of the small volunteer program, as the application requirements stated a

minimum age of 18. Because I was volunteering over the December holidays (South African summer holidays), the usual pre-school to which volunteers were sent was closed, and I was posted to a children’s safe-house to assist a single caretaker, Nelly.

Although I babysit regularly, love children, and thought I was quite prepared by studying South Africa beforehand, I can in no way compare my previous experiences with the one I had in those three weeks. Upon my arrival each morning the children and I began cleaning up the three bedroom house, vacuuming floors, sweeping outside and returning furniture to its proper place. Only after the house was returned to an orderly state were the children allowed to eat their bowl of porridge in the playroom, whilst I bottle-fed Hope, the youngest, and kept a watchful eye on two more youngsters. Breakfast was usually followed by games like tag or ball games in the empty garage, as Nelly and I would call one youngster after the other to the bathroom to bathe, diaper and dress them for the day. The children and I would spend the afternoons out of the heat, and in the cooler house. They’d want me to read them stories, impress them by teaching them how to memorize math times tables, and draw pictures, whilst they jammed around me and watched, and spent hours touching and playing with my hair, fascinated by its texture and color. Gradually, a sort of ritual was established: the kids would plait my entire head in the afternoons and I would take the braids out again just before I left, only to repeat the process again the next day.

When first arriving at the house, I had expected an introduction on how to deal with and approach situations, and guidance as to my role as a volunteer. The house was run by the caring but overworked supervisor, Nelly, who had received inadequate training herself, and who was naturally running out of energy when looking after the children alone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Although I was initially overwhelmed to find myself thrown in the middle, I came up with some activities I could do with the children, such as writing Christmas cards or making decorations to hang up around the haven.

As the time progressed and I had moments to reflect, I realized how naive it was to think that I could just fly somewhere with absolutely no specialized skills and only the strong desire to ‘do something’, and expect to make a difference.

In the past, the safe-house had received donations, such as huge chalk-boards or coloring books. However, these were of no use, since chalk and crayons were missing. To us, it may seem an effortless thing to go out and buy something so simple, yet when I gave some

Challenge at ZIS

The Desire to Make a Difference

by Marie Baldauf-Lenschen, Grade ��

“The visit helped me realize that community development and working with children is very important to me, and that I would like to learn about and pursue international development projects and/or charity work in my future career.”

The gate which stood between Marie and the angry woman



bags of crayons and chalk to the children, they were magnetized with wide eyes and huge smiles on their faces, almost overwhelmed, as they unpacked the gifts.

Broken shards of glass from passers-by who threw their bottles over the wall lay scattered across the outside play areas, so that many of the children cut their feet numerous times. We created “projects”, cleaned up all of the broken glass and set a schedule to free the areas from these shards before the children went outside to play. Nelly looked at the schedule dismissively and informed me that I could continue implementing the plan while I was there, but that she would not follow through with it, since their lease was up and they would soon be moving.

With no training or prior experience, the most unsettling moments were those in which I had no idea how to act. In my second week, for example, Nelly left me with sole responsibility for all 12 children every day. Although I did not mind working longer hours, I was worried about having full responsibility, as a foreign girl only two years older than the oldest girl of the house.

I was involuntarily put to the test when an angry mother appeared one afternoon, demanding that I release her daughter. I hadn’t been aware that some of the kids at the safe-house were foster children with mothers and fathers, who had been removed from their homes by the Department of Social Development, when the children suddenly came running, crowding around me one afternoon with worried looks on their faces. On the other side of the gate was the mother of one of the children, Angel. It was immediately clear that she was very determined to get her way. Upon seeing very worried looks and frantic headshaking from the older girls while I searched for the keys (the padlock on the gate always remained locked), I decided to hold the ground against this increasingly aggressive woman. After initially asking some aloof questions, she became agitated, demanding that I release her daughter.

I tried to calm Angel’s mom, who could see her daughter and was calling to her, while Angel herself was clinging to my hand, in no way wanting to approach her mother. My feeling that something wasn’t right increased as the smell of alcohol came through the gate.

The woman loudly protested that she had agreed with Nelly that Angel was to come back to her home for a sleepover. I responded as calmly as I could that I had heard of no such agreement, and was not allowed to let any children leave the premises. The woman became more and more angry and began shouting at me, accusing me of being a racist for not letting her take her daughter home. I took the children and retreated back into the house after apologizing to her for the inconvenience of the situation. I was grateful that nothing more happened, but was in a state of shock for most of the rest of the day. I was later informed that Angel’s mom had tried unsuccessfully to take Angel back twice before, and was now no longer allowed inside the haven.

Volunteering at the safe-house showed me that the local structures were very fragile, and sometimes too weak to handle well-meant donations if not closely coordinated. It made me realize that such donations have to be very much thought through, to maximize effectiveness for the intended people. Furthermore, I realized that this kind of trip is not very beneficial as a one-time only thing. Making a lasting difference takes a sustained commitment of time and effort. The visit helped me realize that community development and working with children is very important to me, and that I would like to learn about and pursue international development projects and/or charity work in my future career.

I returned to the same South African safe-house during the March break, and together with the manager and her support organization, made an inventory of the most important needs of the new site. I now want to raise funds for, and come up with a plan on how to acquire these items. Then, I will hopefully once again be able to see the gleaming eyes and smiling faces of the children when they hear the story of the many people in Switzerland who care to help them.

If you would like to support Marie in her efforts please contact her at [email protected].

Marie, with hair braided by the children at the safe-house in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa



Challenge at ZIS

Grade �2 Students in India

Grade �2 students Virginia Hasenmeyer and Laura Gambineri raised money, including holding a raffle at WorldFest in October, to fund a life-changing trip to India over the winter break. Here Virginia thanks everyone for their support and writes about the experience:

We would like to thank all those ZIS members who contributed to raising money for Kochi, India. We used the money wisely and hope that we could help the underprivileged children by giving them some new textbooks, pens, crayons and for the small ones some drawing books and paint.

Here is a short summary about how we got to the idea of going to Kochi, and how it changed our life.

During an assembly in school, our Principal Mr. McLeod, announced the Classrooms Without Walls trips. We were super excited and wanted to do something similar and so we got to work. We started writing emails to big organisations such as UNICEF, Worldvision, KinderForKinder and many more. We wrote about 20 emails, and got replies from almost all.

One organization, KinderForKinder, forwarded our email to an Indian college named Rajagiri College of Social Science. When we got the first email from the core leader, Mr. Antoni, we were astonished:

First of all I congratulate and appreciate both of you for your great decision to serve the underprivileged children in a meaningful way. May the Almighty bless you to make your efforts fruitful and thus you may become a model to others all over the world.

The way we were welcomed, convinced us and we were ready to go to Kochi, Kerala!

After making the last arrangements concerning flight and accommodation, we wanted to collect as much money as possible to take to India, so that we would be able to help the children in

Virginia and Laura raised some of the funds for the trip through a raffle at World Fest last October

Virginia serving food to some residents of a home for the elderly



Challenge at ZIS

Thanking the ZIS Community for the Support

a different way. We wrote letters to family and friends asking for donations, and were surprised by the amount of people who were willing to give us money and trust us with it. During ZIS annual World Fest we collected over CHF 700 by selling raffle tickets for an Indian spa in Zurich. At this point, we would like to thank the people who bought raffle tickets again, and say that you caused smiles on the faces of many children. Just before leaving for the trip, we had a total of CHF 2,021!

Flying to India caused butterflies in our stomachs and a mixture of feelings. The first step onto foreign ground caused an arousing feeling and then humid air blew us away the second we got out of the plane.

We were welcomed by Mr. Antoni at the airport with an A4 piece of paper where “Virginia” was written in red coloring pencil. After a long drive, we arrived at the college, and went to our guestroom. We had everything we needed: a bed, a toilet and a bucket of water.

During the 12 days of work which we were going to accomplish in Kochi all my expectations were fulfilled and even more. Already after the first day we went out for a “shopping day” where we got everything we needed for the children. We purchased over 250

“This trip has made us better people and made us think of things we didn’t consider before. We have the feeling that we made a small but effective change!”

boxes of colorful crayons, the same amount of math textbooks for the children in school, and over 50 paint sets with paintbrushes and color-in books for the smaller children, and money itself for other programs we attended. Over 300 pens were purchased and we ourselves added pens, clothes, shoes and handbags that we had brought from Switzerland.

Throughout the 12 days we visited all age ranges of children from nine months old to 16-year-olds, and even a elderly home of with people of an average age of 75 years. Together with the children and elderly we had programs planned which included them singing and acting to us, as well as us singing, playing and interacting with them. Although the language sometimes hindered us from telling longer stories in English, the personal guides helped us to have a smooth language transition.

On the faces of the children we saw a stream of happiness as never before when handing out the presents to all individuals. It gave us a feeling of showing care towards the less benefitted and how small changes can be a great, delightful surprise in the eyes of a child.

We will repeat a trip like this, but looking back we want to change some things. For example, on the next trip we will want to go to one place and see how we affect one place throughout two weeks, instead of traveling around areas and always seeing different lines of poverty but not being able to help in the long run.

This trip has made us better people and made us think of things we didn’t consider before and we have the feeling that we made a small but effective change! Thank you!

Virginia and Laura spending time with children at a creche



The 200�/�0 ZIS Annual Fund

Enhancing Educational Excellence

The Annual Fund is a year-long fundraising effort to support the school’s annual operating budget and enhance educational excellence at ZIS.

A strong Annual Fund strengthens the school’s financial position, gives ZIS more flexibility in planning, and helps to keep tuition fees as low as possible.

As each donation is put back to work immediately in the school to benefit this year’s students, each donation is important. Donors can designate gifts to this year’s Annual Fund to benefit Student Life (Athletics & Activities), Student Support (Language & Learning Support), Libraries, IT, and the Arts, or allow ZIS to designate where the donation can best be used.

As with all income, Annual Fund donations are included in the operating budget to ensure that they are best used. Donations enhance educational excellence for each ZIS student, whether in the libraries, on the sports field, in the language lab, on stage, or in front of a laptop.

Did you know?— The 08/09 Annual Fund raised over

CHF 155,000, with families from more than 30 countries making a donation. Of this, CHF 45,000 was raised by the 2009 Gala to enhance visual and performing arts at ZIS. The balance benefited all students by being disbursed among the campuses or, at a donor’s request, being designated to Student Life, Student Support, Libraries, IT, or the Arts.

— Every member of the Board of Trustees and Leadership Team has already given to the 09/10 Annual Fund.

— Donations to ZIS are tax-deductible for Swiss and U.S. taxpayers.

— Participation by our families demonstrates to outside donors like corporations and foundations that our community supports ZIS’ fundraising efforts. Gifts of any size make a difference!

— All information regarding gift amounts is kept strictly confidential.

“To date over 250 donations have been received – thank you to everyone who has participated,” said Robin Pola, ZIS Head of Development. “Every gift makes a difference to our students,”

There is still time to donate to this year’s Annula Fund. For more information or questions, please contact 2009/10 Annual Fund Co-Chairs Luitgard Holzleg (Parent, Middle and Upper Schools) and Lily Quinn (Parent, Lower and Middle Schools) or Robin Pola.

Luitgard Holzleg T +41 (0)43 377 85 [email protected]

Lily Quinn T +41 (0)43 844 69 77 [email protected]

Robin PolaZIS Head of DevelopmentT +41 (0)58 750 25 [email protected]


ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010 2�

The 200�/�0 ZIS Annual Fund

ZIS Gala: An Evening...on the Ball

Photos clockwise from top: the organisers – Sophie Danner, ZIS Development Office; Chantal Hackett, auction and raffle; Monita Singh, decorations; Regina Roos, auction and raffle; Karin Edstam, Gala Committee Chair; Robin Pola, ZIS Development Office; guests enjoyed a three course dinner; MetroGnome provided the music; Christie’s auctioneer Andreas Rumbler in action

Photos by Deirdre Flynn, Regina Roos and Sophie Danner

“An Evening...on the Ball” was the theme for the sixth annual ZIS Gala which took place on April 24.

The evening consisted of an apero, dinner, dancing to the live beats of ‘MetroGnome’, a raffle with over 70 prizes, a silent wine auction, and a luxury live auction conducted by a Christie’s auctioneer.

Around CHF 60‚000 was raised and will be benefitting ZIS Student Life (Athletics and Activities) through the Annual Fund.

ZIS thanks Karin Edstam, Gala Chair, and her team of volunteers, including Chantal Hackett, Alicia Lindgren, Regina Roos and Monita Singh, and the Development Office for their tremendous work in making the evening such a success. ZIS would also like to thank the corporate and individual sponsors and donors for their generosity.

The sporting theme was reflected in the decorations



The ZIS Board of Trustees

A Strategic Direction with Two New Board Members

With extensive experience in the fields of education and strategic management, Lucy Küng, left, brings many skills to the Board of Trustees.

Lucy is a professor of strategic management and is currently associated with universities in the USA, UK, Switzerland and Sweden. She is also on the supervisory board of Swiss national broadcaster SRG. Her expertise includes helping with strategy and culture in

non-profit organisations and she is looking forward to helping ZIS build on its success as the organisation matures.

“I am very impressed with ZIS’ forward-thinking philosophy, and its goal to help students fulfil their potential, and be world citizens and life-long learners. It is a tremendous school,” said Lucy, a member of the Education Committee.

“ZIS is an organisation that has been through a very heavy growth period, and I can offer input on how to take it forward into the next stage of its development through my experience with organizations, like ZIS, where intellectual capital, motivation and creativity are so important. Another way I want to help is through my knowledge of what universities all over the world are looking for.”

Lucy, who is British/Swiss, is married with an 11-year-old daughter who attends a bilingual school.

Farewell and Thanks to Departing Members

Strategic marketing expert Martha Braide Kurth, left, wants to ensure that ZIS’ unique Mission and Philosophy remain at the heart of the school and all its decisions.

“‘Learn, Care, Challenge, Lead’ needs to be reflected throughout the organisation and in the choices we make at the Board level,” said Martha, who is a marketing executive at UBS.

Martha, whose son Jason is in Grade 3 at ZIS, first became involved with the school at a strategic off-site meeting in 2006. “I was asked to attend as a parent and was really impressed. It was a great day spent asking all the right questions and looking at the most important issues,” said Martha, who subsequently acted as an advisor in the work to update the school’s logo and image.

“I‘ve done a lot of strategic planning in my career and it’s an aspect of my job I love. Using my business experience to contribute to the future of ZIS will be a great way for me to give back. I believe that being a Board member is a serious commitment and an important role, and I’m looking forward to making a real difference.”

Martha, a member of the Community Relations Committee, is Canadian, British and Swiss. With UBS for the last eight years, she has held responsibilities in the areas of international marketing and branding. Prior to that, she worked for Swiss Life, responsible for market development in China, as well as global branding and marketing.

Kate Telford’s time on the Board included the historic decision to build the new Upper School.

“It was a privilege to serve on the ZIS Board for five years, especially at such an exciting, if sometimes nerve-racking, time as we approved the CHF 34 million investment in the Upper School building and saw the dream become reality,” said Kate. “I am proud to have played a small part in the growth of our school. Today we are truly world class. Thank goodness parents no longer have to serve ‘hot lunches’ and our children no longer play in converted office block car parks – yet no one seemed to mind, we were a fine school even back then.”

Kate’s two sons, Alex, Class of 2009, and Oliver, Grade 11, started at school in 1994.

Chairman of the Board Douglas O. Marston praised Kate’s work on the Board, particularly her involvement in the decision to build the new Upper School. “She was very involved in looking at economic scenarios, to ensure it made sense, which was a very important part of our decision,” he said.

Kate and husband Ian were due to move to Amsterdam but have now returned to Zurich.

Catherine Vogel enjoyed an ‘interesting and challenging’ three years on the Board of Trustees. During that time she served on the Governance Committee and was Chair of the Education Committee.

With previous experience of serving on Boards for non-profit organisations and a career in marketing and brand strategy, Catherine wanted to use her skills to the benefit of the school, having already served on the PA Executive Committee.

“It is important to see how the school works in terms of long-term strategy, how it manages itself financially and the governance,” said Catherine. “It was a really positive experience – interesting and challenging.”

Douglas O. Marston said: “Catherine wrote one of the most detailed marketing presentations for the future of the school, for which we are very grateful. We wish her and her family well in Singapore.”

Catherine and her family – husband Roelof, daughter Julia, Grade 10, and son Eliot, Grade 6 – are leaving this summer after a ‘very happy’ six years here.



The ZIS Board of Trustees

A Thank You from the Chairman

Reports have now been written by each of the 2� committees as work continues towards ZIS being reaccredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Committees, made up of faculty, staff, students, parents and trustees, have been reviewing all parts of the school in the areas of philosophy and objectives; curriculum; governance and management; staff; student support services; resources; and student and community life.

Their reports will be reviewed by the Steering Committee which will produce the final report in June. Any areas for improvement will help form a plan of action for the school.

Reaccreditation Process

Final Report to be Written in June

The next big step takes place in the week of November 1 when the accreditation team, made up of about 16 educators, visit ZIS to review the whole school. During this time they will meet with members of the ZIS community and review survey results. At the end of that visit the team then writes a report for CIS and NEASC and their decision is expected in December.

“It has been a lot of work, particularly for committee chairs, but the feedback from committee members has been really positive,” said ZIS Accreditation Coordinator Elly Dilworth. “To have had this focused time to look at all aspects of the school has been really worthwhile.”

“To have had this focused time to look at all aspects of the school has been really worthwhile”

Every member of the ZIS community deserves a big thank you for their commitment to the school, says Chairman of the Board Douglas O. Marston.

This year faculty and staff have been very committed to the reaccreditation process.

“This is really important to the school and everyone has been working very hard, on top of their normal workload,” he said. “It is a good opportunity to be contemplative and thoughtful, a chance to assess how we are doing as a school. I’m not sure if people realise how much time and energy it takes, and faculty and staff deserve a big thank you for all that they are doing.

“This is a process that spans almost an entire school year, with each and every department and on each campus; it has involved committees made up of faculty, staff, trustees, administrators and students. It really is a big deal since the process occurs only every ten years with an interim review every five.

“We do it as a combined accreditation for the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the leading organisations in the world of international education.”

In turn, Douglas also thanked the huge number of members of the ZIS community who volunteer at school.

“There is a great spirit of volunteerism at our school and I would like to thank everyone for their commitment to that – parents, teachers, faculty and staff, and Board members. Without this level of commitment and ethos of giving, our school would not be the wonderful place it is,” he said.

“Parents volunteer to work on projects and issues related to their own children’s activities in the school – that I would expect to be the norm – but many also volunteer in the much wider school community, which is what really helps make our school so special.

“Teachers and staff devote untold amounts of time to the school, above and beyond their normal working schedules. This we see in their involvement in school trips, coaching and chaperoning sport teams, on a variety of projects, and with InnovateZIS.

“Behind the scenes, of course, there is also a lot of work done to prepare for the school day, and for projects, presentations and performances. We are truly grateful that our faculty and staff show their commitment to our children and the school community in this way.”

“There is a great spirit of volunteerism at our school and I would like to thank everyone for that. Without this level of commitment and ethos of giving, our school would not be the wonderful place it is.”



ZIS Administrative Assistants

Helping the School to Run SmoothlyLower School

Executive Assistant to the DirectorZIS BadenEarly Childhood Center

Upper SchoolMiddle School

Rita Brodbeck has been working at the school since 1996 at the beautiful lakeside ECC villa.“I still enjoy seeing our tiniest members growing and developing into independent little individuals,” said Rita. “I so enjoy the daily contact with the parents, students and staff and help them in any way.”As well as normal everyday duties and supporting the Assistant Principal Laurel Sutcliffe, Rita helps with the children and teachers, organises hot lunches and absences.

Helen Falcomer (left) and Ivana Horyna are the Middle School team. As well as dealing with the stream of phone calls, mail and emails, Helen and Ivana take student attendance. Helen is also responsible for the production of student reports and controlling student files. Ivana coordinates travel for school trips and faculty professional development, the booking of external facilities and ordering of various supplies. Both Helen and Ivana also help the MS faculty and staff with a variety of other tasks.

Cornelia Lachenmeier (left) and Romy Backus work together at the Upper School.Cornelia’s role includes the organisation of Graduation and arrangements for all school trips. She also coordinates workshops for faculty, the booking of sports facilities and outside venues. Romy’s responsibilities include attendance, petty cash, reports, IB/AP assistance, and bringing children their forgotten lunch! They both also deal with the numerous phone calls and emails that come in each day, as well as helping to keep the school running smoothly.

Monika Ingold has worked at ZIS Baden since the opening in August 2008. Her duties include the administrative support for the teachers and the Principal (ordering supplies, reports, fieldtrips, travel arrangements...), coordinating the bus service, ordering and serving school lunches, attendance, managing the petty cash, responding to various parent inquiries, finding apartments for the new teachers and helping them getting settled in Baden and many other miscellaneous tasks, small or big, that come up during a school day.

Beatrice Thomann supports Director Peter Mott as well as the school’s five departmental directors. She is the secretary to the Board of Trustees and coordinates school-wide faculty and staff travel needs. Having built up the Human Resources function and relocation organisation for new faculty and staff, Beatrice now coordinates the initial welcome for new employees and any housing needs. She previously worked for a major travel company both on location and running a team at the headquarters, as well as in marketing.

Deborah Cotorceanu (left) and Claudia Hohl at the Lower School Front Desk assist with the daily needs of our younger students and their families – helping them to feel secure and familiar with their new surroundings. They provide logistical, administrative support to the staff, overseeing daily attendance, buses, and dismissal, as well as coordinating school field trips and teacher conferences.



Welcome to ZIS

A Great Fit for the new Middle School Principal

David Wood is excited to be coming to ZIS, a move he describes as a ‘great fit’ for him and his family.

“I am very excited to be coming, for personal and professional reasons – it’s a dream job,” said David, who will be joined by his wife Leanda and son Connor, who will go into Grade 9. Older son Joel is studying at university in Germany.

“I have had my eye on ZIS for a while – it has an excellent international reputation – and I thought it would be a good school for our younger son, which is top of our priorities.”

David’s impressions were confirmed during his visit in March for the recruitment process. “I was so impressed when I met the students, faculty, staff and parents during my visit. One of my first interviews was with the students, which was a great way to start – I really enjoyed their company,” he said.

“The Middle School teachers are really passionate about middle school education and want to preserve the integrity of the school. And I love the Mission and Philosophy of the school and can really relate to it. I came back from my visit on such a high – I loved the school, the people, the city – it felt like a great fit.”

David is now looking forward to getting to know ZIS better. “My first goal is to learn all about the school, build relationships

with students, faculty, staff and parents and continue the good work that has been done by Mark, Mike, the Curriculum Area and Grade Level leaders,” he said.

He is keen to build on service learning at the Middle School and support the work that comes out of the reaccreditation process.

“I saw a lot of desire to build on the way students and the school community can make a difference. I’m interested to talk more about how the Middle School fits into the local community, and to look at ways for students to continue to be active, busy, engaged and productive,” he said. “I am sure there will be some goals to come out of the reaccreditation and it’s important to support those.”

Currently Assistant High School Principal of the Western Academy of Beijing, David is looking forward to returning to the middle school age group. His background is in guidance and counselling, and he has previously worked in his homeland of Australia as well as at two schools in Saudi Arabia.

With family and a home in Germany, not far from Schaffhausen, the Wood family is delighted to be moving to Switzerland. “We spend summer and winter vacations at our house in Germany, so it feels a bit like coming home. We have also spent a lot of time in the area, hiking and skiing, and Zurich is a beautiful city. This is somewhere we will definitely be for a while,” he said.

Leanda is an IB and AP English teacher and will become a part-time Upper School University and Careers Counsellor in August. A keen musician, David enjoys playing the guitar and is currently in two bands in Beijing.

Peter Mott is looking forward to David joining ZIS in August.

“He impressed us from the start with his ability to articulate a vision for our Middle School, understanding of middle school, the kids, the academic needs, and vision for the school as a whole,” he said.

“When he came here I think he impressed all of the constituencies with his caring approach. He has considerable experience, comes from a well recognised school and was highly recommended. He has a strong technology background and understanding of the role it plays in education.

“I believe that one of the things he will continue is the positive relationship with students and adults and be very good at living the four pillars of our Mission and Philosophy – Learn, Care, Challenge, Lead – as he brings great strength in all of them.

“He will be an important voice on the Leadership Team and will contribute in the school’s development in the future. We very much look forward to having David and his family here.”

David Wood with his wife Leanda and sons Connor, left, and Joel, right



Farewell

An ‘Invaluable’ Four Years at ZIS for Mark Hemphill

Coming here was the best thing he ever did, and a challenging and rewarding experience, says Middle School Principal Mark Hemphill who is leaving this summer after four years at ZIS.

Mark will be taking his ‘dream job’ at a leading school in Sydney when he returns to Australia with his wife Barb, the ZIS Webmaster, and their son Lachie, Grade 6. The move also means that they can be close to their family again.

It’s clear that the students have been paramount for Mark. “I love working with the kids here and being able to help them,” he said. “The kids have always come first for me in any decision. I hope I have been able to make a difference here and to have had a positive impact. My role has been very much about the family and not just about school, I’ve also given advice to parents, looking at the whole picture, and I have really enjoyed that.”

Mark has also valued the chance of meeting people from around the world. “I have enjoyed working with the different cultural groups, it’s been interesting to see that a particular response is because of cultural experiences and that the way people react is because this is the way they do things in their country,” he said.

“I have really enjoyed learning about different styles of education around the world. Bringing that all together with everyone’s different experiences and perspectives, trying to keep everyone happy – that’s definitely been rewarding. I feel far worldlier for having been at ZIS

and it has certainly broadened my horizons. I am so much more aware of the world, the people, and the differences.”

Amongst the initiatives Mark has developed during his four years as Principal are the expansion of electives, the advisory program and the after school activities offerings; the change in the schedule; and changes in course content. He also introduced curriculum area leaders (CAL) and created the post of guidance counsellor.

He implemented a very smooth and successful move to the villa two years ago at the same time as the introduction of the 1-to-1 laptop program. “I have had a lot of autonomy and a lot of scope to have an impact, as Peter is very good about letting you run with things, which is fantastic,” he said.

Mark will become Head of Knox Grammar Preparatory School, at which they registered Lachie many years ago. “It has always been my dream school for him and I have always thought I would love to work there, so it’s a wonderful opportunity,” he said.

But there is a lot he will miss about being here. “I will miss the outdoor lifestyle – running in the hills, going skiing so easily, hiking, the beauty of the country, and the ease of travel. I will miss making friends from all over the world and the different conversations you have with people,” he said

“These four years have been invaluable – the best thing we have ever done, we have absolutely loved it but it is just too far from our family as they get older.”

ZIS Director Peter Mott praised Mark’s student-centred leadership. “In these four years Mark has developed, together with the faculty and administration, what could be called the happiest and most ‘together’ division in the school, by having brought the Middle School philosophy to full fruition,” he said.

“He created a division that’s very proud of its accomplishments. It has a solid academic program and an excellent co-curricular program. I really believe that the Mission and Philosophy is very much alive at the Middle School.

“Mark is so incredibly student-oriented. He always puts the kids’ interests first and will not compromise when it comes to their learning experience. The faculty, I believe, feel led by him and, at the same time, have the opportunity to give input into decision-making at the Middle School.

“He has been a great member of the Leadership Team; he’s a very clear and sequential thinker and brings us back down to the ground – he’s very good at forcing us to think of practical issues around visionary ideas. Finding a worthy successor has been a huge challenge.”

Mark, Lachie and Barb with their dog Molly

“I hope I have been able to make a difference here and to have had a positive impact.”


Faculty and Staff News

Community Relations Director who Created Closer Partnerships

Béatrice Pleban is the new Head of Business Office responsible for finance and control at the school. She is Swiss and has previously worked for international companies.Béatrice replaced Edgar Suppiger who joined ZIS in March 2003 and left earlier this year.

First Learning Support Teacher Retires

Mary Baur, who is retiring this summer after 22 years, was the first ever Learning Support teacher at ZIS predecessor school IPSZ.

A primary school teacher in the UK, Mary took additional training in learning support after moving to Switzerland and being asked by friends for advice about their own children. She originally worked just a few hours per week but this quickly developed into a busier role. “It was great, you knew everybody and the teachers could sit and talk as whole body in the staff room in the the eaves of the building,” said Mary. “You knew every child in the school, it was really like a family.”

Mary is now part of a team of teachers working with children at the Lower School. “The team is absolutely wonderful and I’m really going to miss them,” said Mary. “They are extremely professional, we also laugh a lot together and support each other a lot. I will also miss the children - when you see how well some of them have done, it’s fabulous.”

Mary is looking forward to having more time with her two sons and grandchildren as well as renovating a home in the mountains. She may still be seen around the ‘green school’ in the future as a tutor.

New Head of Business Office


Christine with her husband Guy and their children Caroline and Thomas

Director of Community Relations Christine Ross, who is leaving ZIS after 2.� years, helped bring different parts of the school community together to create closer partnerships.

As the first person in the role, Christine created a team consisting of the Admissions and Development offices. She also worked closely with the Parents’ Association and corporate partners to improve relationships both within and outside the school.

“I put the Community Relations team together – taking people doing very distinct functions with different ideas and creating one team with a common purpose,” said Christine. “Two years later we have a very integrated team with a strong sense of purpose who work together on issues that affect the school as a whole.

“I have really appreciated being accepted onto the PA Executive Committee! Before this position was created the PA ExCom and the school didn’t work as closely together. It was an honour to work with them, and a ‘win-win’ situation as it helped enable the school to better support the work of the PA and vice versa.”

With demand on international schooling in the Zurich area

so high, developing stronger and more open relationships with businesses was another priority. “I have worked closely with the corporations who do so much to support ZIS and which have often wanted to get children into the school despite limited spaces,” said Christine. “I saw an opportunity to be more transparent, and to keep them abreast of all developments and the number of spaces we have.”

Christine has enjoyed working at ZIS. “Every day was different, it was always very varied and allowed me to work with different people from different facets of life each and every day. I will never forget my time here and will always feel very connected to the school and the community,” she said. “I have made wonderful friendships and thoroughly enjoyed working here. ZIS is a very special place.”

Director Peter C. Mott said: “Christine did an outstanding job

of creating the Community Relations team, creating strategic goals for those areas, and of building our relationships with corporate partners. Her diplomacy, tact and ability to negotiate has resulted in some very beneficial arrangements for the school.

“On the Leadership Team she was able to understand whole school needs with a clear view point. We will miss her all-school perspective, her personality and sense of humour.”

Former Board member Michaela Seeger, who co-chaired the �ampaign for Building for International Education, has been appointed as the new Director of Community Relations.



Farewell

Faculty and Staff Leaving ZIS

Emma Bladen leaves ZIS after two years as a Grade 2 Homeroom Teacher and E�-G2 �anguage �oordinator. Her highlights have included ‘teaching the incredible students in Grade 2 and learning from them everyday, the bright smiles and conversations with students, the humor and support from colleagues and partnerships with parents’. Emma is returning to working in Asia where she will assume a teaching position at the New International School of Thailand.

Ann Carshult‘s highlights at ZIS include ‘coaching volleyball, school trips, friendly students, and professional book studies with well educated colleagues’.After six years as a �earning Support teacher at the Upper School she is moving to Thailand to teach at the New International School of Thailand, Bangkok. Having enjoyed winter sports, the Alps, swimming in �ake Zurich and last minute European travel opportunities she is looking forward to island hopping, improving her golf and exploring Asia.

Grade 5 homeroom teacher Aaron Downey is leaving ZIS after two years to move back to his home of Toronto and be near family and friends.“The highlights have been the students, and my travels throughout Switzerland,” he said. “I will miss the view from the train on my ride to work, watching the sunrise over the mountains but am looking forward to being in a big city again!”

Stephen Castledine, who is leaving the Upper School after three years as a science teacher, will miss ‘the quality of student exchange and the professionalism of colleagues’“I have enjoyed every day with the students as well as coaching the football team and working with Greg Hart, Edith Stirnimann, Steve Burnham and my science colleagues,” he said.Stephen is taking up a post in Stockholm, Sweden, working as curriculum coordinator for a group of schools.

University and Careers Counselor Melissa Johnson Schnyder is moving to a similar role at a small international school in Thailand after three years at ZIS. Amongst her highlights Melissa includes the wonderful moments when students are accepted to universities after a long wait. “I’ve also really enjoyed the professional development opportunities I’ve had, the kind and supportive colleagues here and helping coach track and cross-country,” said Melissa, adding that she will miss the supportive parent community, advisory time and the yakalele orchestra!

ECC German teacher Christine Boeni has enjoyed working for such a ‘professional and open-minded school’ for the past seven years. “The diversity of the students, their straightforward and eager way of learning German has always fascinated me and has been one of the most motivating highlights!” said Christine. “I’m going to miss the lively and cheerful atmosphere of the villa, the beautiful location and of course the friendliness of my colleagues.” Christine will continue to work in local schools and study for additional teaching qualifications.

Romy Backus has been an Upper School Administrative Assistant for four years. She has enjoyed seeing the Upper School through the transition to the new building in Adliswil, and working with such wonderful and warm colleagues. “I will miss being asked for the craziest things by students – like batteries, extension cords, balloons, flashlights, carbon paper, water bottles, extra shoelaces, confiscated cigarettes, ice, rope, salt, matches, shoehorns, various world currencies, and pasta!” Romy starts a new position for an executive search firm in June.

Middle School �earning Support teacher Devon Hehl will miss ‘the beautiful country, great people to work with, caring teachers, and fun and caring atmosphere at the Middle School’ when she leaves ZIS this summer after three years. She is moving to Zambia to become a �earning Support teacher at the International School of �usaka.



Lower School Learning Support teacher Kristin Simmers is moving to London after after three years at ZIS. “I continue to be amazed and inspired by the students, and will truly miss them and my colleagues at ZIS,” she said. A keen runner, Kristin has enjoyed the nature and sporting opportunities in Switzerland.

Cornelia Meintrup, Middle School German teacher, is leaving ZIS for a second time! “The first time my kids (�ena and �ennart both at Michigan State University now) and I stayed for eight years and this time it was just one short year, but I enjoyed it very much,” she said. “What I love and will miss very, very much are my students. Middle school is my favorite place to be!” �ornelia and her husband Niklas are moving to Shanghai, �hina.

Jennifer Walls has been at ZIS for two years - the first as a substitute teacher and classroom volunteer, and this year as a Grade 3 homeroom teacher.“I have enjoyed working with my third grade team, sharing learning and new experiences with my third graders including the incredible field trips, having the opportunity to get PYP training and apply best practices in teaching, and meeting students and families from all over the world,” she said. Jennifer and her family are moving back to the USA.

Also leaving this summer are:Lower School: Melissa Dubzih, Grit Jassmann, Kathy Lancaster.

Middle School: Monica Dulcic, Sergio Ferrer, Gail Matheson, Annemarie MacLean.

Upper School: Ron Bell, Dan Davis, Stephen Doubt, Cathleen Drilling, Sarah Goudy, Patrick Holmes, Asha Lynch.

ZIS Baden: Sarah Bielmann, Mary Egloff-Woodrow, Stefan Van Staveren.

Celina Richters is staying at home with her newborn son Bogislav after leaving ZIS following 18 months as a �ower School German teacher.“I have loved working in a community with so many nationalities, and seeing the possibilities of teaching if someone has ideas and has the motivation to work to make them come true,” said �elina. “I have enjoyed the openess of colleagues and principals and working with the many wonderful, interesting, motivated, challenging and diverse children.”

Yanina Miguel, Admissions Assistant, is leaving ZIS after three years but will still be connected, through her daughter Marian in Kindergarten.“I will miss working with the ZIS team and the school families,” said Yanina. “All their support, interactions and exchange of ideas were very rewarding and enriching. Of course I’ll miss the happy atmosphere of working around children and friends. Now I’m looking forward to my personal ventures.”

Farewell

Faculty and Staff Leaving ZIS

Baby News

MS math and science teacher Stephen Boyd and wife Rosangela welcomed Oliver in March.

Elly Dilworth, Accreditation Coordinator, and husband Mark, US IT Curriculum Coordinator, welcomed daughter Charlotte in February, a sister for Jack.

US Assistant Principal Amy Greene and husband Rob Pfeiffer, MS math teacher, welcomed son Bobby in November.

LS IT Technician Eduardo Milhomem and wife Silke Andresen welcomed son Fernando in March.



Alumni news

Back to the Future

Dear Alex,

I am writing to you at the end of the 5th grade year. My best friends were Brady, �uca, Davis and �ennart remember to keep in touch with them. Also my favorite school subjects are homeroom and library. In this year Steve �arber was my teacher and he was a very good one. The films I like are Pokemon and the Matrix. I have read a lot of books my current favorites are Artemis Fowl and I hope to finish the �ord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein.

My hobbies include playing imaginary games with my friends, talking about recent affairs, painting warhammer and occasionally playing video games. Here is some of what I have achieved so far when we went to �ortona we had groups and out of eight ours won. I have read most of the books in our house. Also I have good imagination and very good general knowledge.

These are my memories of 5th grade, when we went on the skitrip skiing all day long was rather tedious but some of it was really fun especially when we skied down moguls. For some of our units of inquiry were a �eltic trip to Neuchatel where we visited an old �eltic house and some cool looking bits of different celtic objects and we also went to a flight museum where we looked at different kinds of airplanes and tried all these different “pretend to ride plane cockpits”. There were bits of fire behind the planes.

Here is some advice I personally would like to follow. First off don’t do drugs, secondly don’t smoke, thirdly always be nice and lastly don’t swear. When I grow up I want to be a scientist who studies medicines for diseases and have a degree in medical science and micro biology. I would also like to play the trombone well. Also I would like to draw manga and read books about how the universe works. Remember to always wash your face and bits of your body with sweat glands.Alex Telford

Alex in 2010 says: It was a nice surprise to receive the letter and it did spark somenostalgia. In a way it’s quite odd to think that the letter represents myself all those years ago, when I had little concept of what my future would be like. Most of the contents of the letter weren’t surprising except for my desire to study microbiology. I had thought I was more interested in astronomy and engineering when I was younger.

Imagine receiving a letter, written by yourself when you were �0, on your graduation from school, with advice and ambitions for your future.

That’s what happens to many students of former teacher Steve Carber, who set his Grade 3 and 5 classes a letter-writing project during his four years at ZIS predecessor school IPSZ. Despite leaving Zurich and returning to the USA, Steve has kept the letters and posts them back to the students when they graduate from school.

One recipient was Alex Telford, Class of 2009, who wrote to his future self at the end of Grade 5. As well as listing his closest friends at that time and his hobbies, Alex wrote: “When I grow up I want to be aWhen I grow up I want to be a scientist who studies medicines for diseases and have a degree in medical science and microbiology.”

Alex is now studying Biochemistry at Bristol University, in the UK.

“Alex is one of the coolest examples of someone doing what he said he would do,” said Steve.

“In some cases I never hear from the student again, and always wonder how it turned out, but those I do hear from all speak very highly of that project. I have been

Alex Telford, above left, graduated from ZIS in 200�. He is pictured, above right, in Grade � with his friend Lennart Meintrup



Alumni news

Letter Writing Project

Former teacher Steve Carber pictured in his classroom

contacted by some parents and students who said they cried together when they read the letter. There is probably no other instance in life when someone is going to get such direct communication from the person that they once were.

“I got the idea from my 7th grade PublicI got the idea from my 7th grade Public Speaking teacher who did the same for us back in the 80s. It was such a meaningful and memorable thing for me to get my own letter that I decided to do this with all of my students over my 11 or so years of teaching in K-8 classrooms.”

Students responded differently to the idea, said Steve.

“It was challenging to get some of the kids to write more than one or two sentences – I think they couldn’t really imagine the notion of getting this as an adult, yet somehow still as themselves. Others wrote quite a bit, ranging from how much they liked Pokemon to deeper ideas about what they wanted to do for a future career,” he explained.

“To me, the letters carry a deeper significance aside from just being kind of cool. Most of us who have lived in Zurich have at least heard of the nearby Jung Institute, and in those circles they speak often of notions like inner child. Such ideas are rather abstract, but this letter is a fairly

incredible reminder of where we all came from and what we were like back then. To individuate as adults it is helpful to remain aware of that younger version of ourselves. That person is still with us, in some ways unchanged, yet we have also changed.”

Of course, some of the letters don’t reach their author.

“I suggested that the students use an address of someone in their family who was not likely to ever move house – so some of the letters went “care of” an auntie in Yorkshire or whatever. Others over the years have bounced back, since the Swiss postal service is real good about returning undeliverable mail. This is just part of it – a few people will never get their letters,” he said.

“In some cases the letters weren’t sealed, so I read them again before posting them – and it feels like I’m back in time as I can recognise the writing without reading the name,” said Steve, who now teaches on an MEd in International Education program and has recently published a book about the IB Primary Years Programme.

Many students have used the letter as an opportunity to get back in touch with their former teacher.

“I’m always curious to know how they are getting on, and some have added me to their social networking sites. I think they find it very interesting to remember what they were like then,” said Steve.

Remembering his days in Switzerland, Steve said: “The primary school was a very different place back then, in an office building in Gattkikon. The school logo on all of our blue sweatshirts was a student centered rendition of William Tell’s apple, and rather non-corporate-looking. My memories are of a very happy, close-knit place. In the winter I always miss those Klosters ski trips, too. One of the famous teachers back then was Bertil Bergagård who took students on weekly Alpamare trips!”

Steve �arber now teaches an MEd in International Education program visit www.endicott.edu/internationalmasters.He is also the co-author of ‘Taking the PYP Forward’, available from www.amazon.co.uk �ontact Steve at [email protected]

Alex Telford, above left, graduated from ZIS in 200�. He is pictured, above right, in Grade � with his friend Lennart Meintrup



Former Faculty

In memoriam

Do You Have a Story?What have you been doing since leaving school? Contact Voices editor Rachel Ditchfield at [email protected] to share your news in the magazine.

Alumni

Holiday Reunion

More than 20 alumni braved harsh weather in December to attend the annual alumni holiday apéro, which took place this year at The Lion Pub in Zurich.

ZIS, AISZ, and IPSZ alumni gathered to celebrate the holidays and catch up with old friends and teachers. A good time was had by all!

Stephan Blank, Joshua Crouse, Jenny Day and Ingrid Höfstrom, all Class of 2004

Rick Lawrence, ZIS Faculty, and Roger Kaufmann, Class of ��84

The ZIS community was saddened to learn of the deaths of two former faculty members - Randi Pregnetter, who died last year, and Fred Alexander, who died in March.

Randi, left, was the Upper School librarian for 12 years. Colleague and friend Mary Ann Canzanella remembers hers as an exceptional librarian and faithful friend.

“Randi was one of the finest instructional librarians I have ever known,“ she said. “She loved working with youngShe loved working with young

people and was confident and ultra-competent with technology and all the resources it affords. Many of us ‘old-timers’ lost a Many of us ‘old-timers’ lost a bright, giving, faithful friend who never told an untruth and who always acted with integrity. We miss her terribly and will remember her always.”

Upper School librarian Edel Sturcke learned a lot from Randi. “I remember her as a very generous person, willinglyI remember her as a very generous person, willingly sharing her expertise with newcomers like me,” said Edel. “She encouraged me to start on post grad work and also to apply for her position once she had decided to go back to the States to be closer to her daughters.

“Watching her work helped me a great deal: she always put the students first, trying to find out what they needed at which level, in which form. She was always looking for ways to make the library more user-friendly and more up-to-date.”

Fred, left, came to AISZ in 1982 as a physics and chemistry teacher and later taught geography, Middle School math, AP Biology, and computer science. He ran a computer club, led the Middle School ski week, and coached MS Girls Basketball. He left in 1995 to return to Canada with his family.

“Fred was a wonderful person, a great teacher, and a good friend,” said Upper School science teacher Rick Lawrence. “He contributed much to the school as a teacher, coach, computer coordinator, and active member of the community. He was an early adopter and enthusiastic proponent of using computers in education and his work as one of our first computer ‘experts’.

“I remember class trips Fred organized, especially ones on which we hiked to the Rosenlaui Glacier, stayed in a mountain hut, and students prepared their own meals. A real mountain experience! Fred taught students to ski on school trips, sharing his love of the mountains and elegance in the sport.”

Around a dozen alumni were due to meet up in New York in early May for the annual Alumni of International Schools Reunion, which is also attended by former students of other European schools. See the next edition of Voices for a report and photos.



ZIS cares about the environment. This paper consists of 70% recycled paper and is FSC certified.In der Vorstufe und der Druckplattenherstellung verzichten wir gänzlich auf chemische Mittel.

Class of 20�0

Congratulations to the Class of 20�0

From back row to front row, left to right� Jabbo Gehring, Urs Weber, Sebastian Rainer, Dominic McNamee, Maxime Huijgen, Nicholas Burnham, Daniel Drummer, Gabriel Martin, Bastien Vogt, Michael Hale, Finlay Small, Jonathan Langford, Rohan Rajiv, Simon Strong, Severin Knaub, Christian Evertz, Oliver Broks, Lisa Der Weduwe, Russell Du Peza

Deniz Lorenzini, Marc Lemann, Alex Han, Jonathan Ranstrand, Robert Schenck, Bjoern Borgers, Alexander Svensson, Ultan Whelan, Kevin Braunschweig, Benjamin Rosen, Michael Truninger, Emil Mawad, Joanna Jourdan, Arthur Paquier, Mish Aleisa, Christian Clausen, Gavin Steinhubl, Felix Baldauf-Lenschen, Karol Remin

Daniel Edmonds, Raymond Remmert, Guillaume Dubois, Thibault de Keersmaecker, Nicholas Hetherington, Imogen Roscoe, Laura Brendle, Ben Pidduck, Greg Herren, Bjorn Kvaale, Vladimir Taratynkin, John Remmert, Stefan Bloch, Dimitri Da Ponte, Michael Schenck, Felipe Rigaudeau Lopez, Niklas Spaniol, Venla Aho

Juhani Meurman, Rohan Bhanot, Yuval Grossmann, Haran Grossmann, Skerdilajd Dizdari, Matthew Davis, William Lawrence, Maximilian Spielbichler, Jordan Reid, Kai Dieter, Maren Rackebrandt, Melissa John, Anna-Theresa Mehl, Eleonora Spanudakis, Rachel Kearney, Milja Takala,Younes Huber, Timotheus Baldauf-Lenschen

Moritz Reithmayr, Alison Sienkiewicz, Jessica Luedi, Michael Wilkes, Elliot Young, Amit Zaidenberg, Sarah Engler, Sangeetha Maxwell, Rocio Perez, Christina Haupt, Helene Gleitz, Virginia Hasenmeyer, Laura Gambineri, Helen Poxon, Jamie Oosterbaan, Fabiola Kaiser, Geneve Anderson, Sarah Collins

Andrea Eggli, Cristina Leopoldi, Julia Peter, Yael Burla, Hannah Zundel, Hannah Barkan, Livia Kriech, Cassandra Stutz, Sara Ullman, Alessandra Veenendaal, Abigail Waddington, Georgina Sutcliffe, Katherine Walwyn Brown, Alexandra Boedtker, Stephanie Illy, Laila Brenninkmeijer, Aleya Thakur-Weigold, Luisa Freiin von Wangenheim, Laura Perez

Not in picture� Turman Askar

Photo� Foto TEVY Wädenswil


Zurich International SchoolMain Office · Steinacherstrasse 140 · CH-8820 Wädenswil · T +41 58 750 25 00 · F +41 58 750 25 01 [email protected] · www.zis.chCampuses in Wädenswil (Main Office), Adliswil, Baden, Kilchberg


Documents

Voices Spring Summer 10