Connections
Winter 2016-2017
1960
inter-community school
zurich
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The Inter-Community
School is committed to
providing a supportive
and enabling learning
environment in which all
members of the community
are challenged to achieve
their individual potential,
encouraged to pursue their
passions, and expected to
fulfil their responsibilities.
Contents
Features
6 Service learning & character development
10 The IB advantage
Focus
14 The future of learning
20 ICS research garden
24 How to ensure learning is not hit or miss
Spotlight
28 Being a third culture kid
Life at ICS
33 Roundup performing arts
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36 Roundup sports
40 Celebrating participation
42 Special someone breakfast
44 EY and Primary out & about
45 Story of the friendship bench
46 International school library month
Speaker’s corner, Alumni & PA
48 A day in the life of ICS teachers
50 Speaker’s corner - My favourite book
52 Alumni – life after ICS
54 Parents’ Association
Cover Photo: Florence C., Grade 12 Student
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Learning through inquiry and interaction, our students
participate in extra-curricular activities that complement
the academic programme within and beyond the
classroom.
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Whether they were being creative in the art studio,
listening to stories in the library or taking part in
competitive sports and outdoor activities on campus,
these photos illustrate how Primary and Secondary
students enjoyed an exciting first semester at ICS.
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semester
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Snapshots from the
Happys!
Holiday
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Service learning and character
development
Instilling character traits such as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility,
caring, fairness and citizenship in our students is an integral part of ICS’s
educational programme. Service Learning is one of several activities
included as part of Character Development at ICS.
Shaping character
Character development and community
engagement is intertwined at ICS as an integral
part of a student’s educational journey in
the Primary, Middle and Secondary classes.
Participating in service learning activities helps
students develop several positive character
traits. When character development is an
inclusive part of the educational programme,
there are a number of benefits which extend well
beyond the classroom. Character development
supports successful relationships at home,
in the community, and in the workplace.
Furthermore, it develops the values and virtues
needed to promote sustainable participation in
an increasingly complex and globalized world.
Investigating, taking action and reflecting are
key elements of the Service Learning and
Community Engagement (SLCE) experience.
The development of positive character traits
evolves during a continuous cycle of inquiry,
action and reflection. After researching issues,
students set and put into action measureable
objectives in their local and global communities.
They receive guidance and support from their
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teachers and others to help them implement
their action. They are then encouraged to
reflect on the processes and outcomes. During
this process, they gain a deeper understanding
about the issues which challenge mankind in
today’s world.
Service learning activities, like the ICS Colour
Run or Round Square events teach students
about the values of caring about other people,
acting with integrity and being responsible
and honest. By engaging and interacting with
people around them, these values help them
come face to face with challenges and show
them how to become upstanding members of
the global community. Being part of the events,
either as an organiser or as a participant, helps
develop the character traits that are associated
with responsible and compassionate global
citizens.
SLCE and the IB learner profile
Catherine Berger Kaye, M.A., the leading
Service Learning expert worldwide and author
of “The Complete Guide to Service Learning”,
describes Service Learning like this: “Simply
put, service learning connects school-based curriculum with the inherent
caring and concern young people have for their world – whether on their
school campus, at a local food bank, or in a distant rain forest. The results
are memorable, lifelong lessons for students and foster a stronger society
for us all.” (1) In researching solutions, students are encouraged to be
open-minded using their talents to make a positive difference in the lives
of others. Within the IB Programme at ICS, service learning begins in
Primary Years with teacher-accompanied action and continues to the MYP
with SLCE supported by tutors and the SLCE coordinator. The Diploma
Programme further develops service learning in CAS (Creativity, Activity,
Service) where it is supported by tutors and the CAS Coordinator.
At ICS community engagement activities begin when students inquire
into an issue that they care about. Researching concerns that may
potentially develop into initiatives, students identify and investigate
choices for student-led community action. Within their own contexts, they
are encouraged to think critically, challenge previous assumptions, and
plan activities that will effectively provide the desired service results. As
awareness grows that their actions affect others and that their goal should
be to make those effects positive, service learning students, supported by
ICS teachers, take their initiatives from the classrooms to the surrounding
local and global communities.
“We’ll never forget the
“image” of the participants
running across the field,
laughing, with all the
colours swirling around the
runners; the enthusiasm
of the participants and
everyone enjoying and
having a fantastic time;
a great event with a
wonderful response from
the ICS community.”
Anna M. and Natalya L.,
Colour Run organisers
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Making an impact
In their efforts to ‘make a difference’
and become ‘agents of change’,
students are involved in four major
types of action: Direct, Indirect,
Advocacy and Research. Direct Action
involves face-to-face interaction with
people, animals or the environment.
Indirect Action, by the same token,
meets real needs people may have,
but is not necessarily seen by those
who benefit from what students do.
Advocacy involves making others in
the community aware of issues and
encouraging them to take action in
order to effect change. Research
helps a community deal with
concerns by providing information
students have gathered and reported
on. All four types of service help instil
the values which we want students
to develop as they provide service to
benefit others.
Advocacy and Indirect Action
Colour Run, Global Community
During
the
intense
planning,
preparation
and
project
implementation phases for this year’s
first Colour Run at ICS, organizers
Anna M. and Natalya L. held regular
meetings with SLCE Coordinators
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Rob McHarg and Lydia Eckstein, who
worked closely with both students.
“They were our advisors as needed,
but very low key. They let us make
our own mistakes, helping out as
needed, supporting us and helping us
really think about and solve problems
that came up.”
Initial inspiration for the Colour Run
came to Anna after she attended a
presentation given by Sarah Brook,
the young British woman from the
North of England who founded the
Sparkle Foundation in Malawi. Anna
says, “I had the idea of the Colour
Run: I wanted to do something big
to help Sarah out. And I wanted ICS
to be involved in helping and raising
money for the foundation!”
Anna and Natalya complemented
each other perfectly in their
collaboration to make the Colour Run
initiative work, with “very direct” Anna
speaking her mind when necessary,
and “diplomatic” Natalya refining
her interpersonal skills by handling
occasional touchy situations with
suppliers and sponsors.
The CHF 2748.70 earned at the 2016
Colour Run provided 200 children
in Malawi with 3 meals a day for 1
month, but the Colour Run became a
forerunner and an excellent example
of a successful, student-led service
learning initiative: it celebrates and
supports children living in another
part of the world; promotes the fitness
and well-being of local community
participants; encourages charitable
giving to a reliable foundation,
and offers an ethically sound and
pro-active Service Learning solution
emanating from a caring and
responsible school community.
Indirect Action
Photo Wall, Local Community
Included among many successful
SLCE initiatives at ICS is the G7
Round Square photo wall project,
which ensured that Secondary
teachers were easily recognized
by all ICS students throughout the
school.
Advocacy and Indirect Action
Peace Day, Local and Global
Community
The Grade 5 Peace Day brought
members of the ICS community
together in an interactive and creative
environment to exchange ideas and
reflect on the meaning of peace.
Indirect Action
“The Journey that Makes Us”,
Global Community
This year, ICS Round Square
representatives Daniela, Aleksandra,
Julie, Anna and Juyoung, as well as
ICS teachers Lydia Eckstein and Rob
McHarg, attended “The Journey That
Makes Us”. Each Round Square
conference has a theme based on
the ideals of Round Square and offers
keynote speakers, group discussions,
workshops, cultural visits, community
service and adventure activities.
One of the things all Round Square
members have in common is a
shared passion for what is happening
in our world, now and in the future.
Before they started their trip, our
Round Square students looked
forward to discovering much more
about “empowerment”, or as they
themselves put it: “what we can
do, as members of Round Square,
both academically and in the area
of service to help us realize that we
really can make a difference.” As the
girls collaborated with participants
from around the world, demonstrating
intercultural understanding through
action, regularly scheduled group
feedback sessions at the conference
provided them with opportunities for
exchanging ideas with their peers,
reflecting, and evaluating the impact
of what they had experienced.
All conference participants were
expected to share responsibility for
parts of the programme throughout
the week and the Round Square
team from ICS were no exception:
Anna was the ICS flag bearer at the
opening and closing ceremonies and
Julie attended the Prince Alexander
Lunch and presented Round Square
with the money ICS had raised for
Round Square International Service
Projects. During the Cultural Evening,
which is intended to provide students
with an opportunity to enhance
their social skills and broaden their
own cross-cultural understanding,
Juyoung performed a flute solo
dressed in a traditional costume.
Direct Action
On the Farm, Local Community
Several of our Grade 10 to Grade
12 Round Square students visited
the Hof Narr Farm in Hinteregg in
November to help out where needed.
Hof Narr is an organic, sustainable
farm which houses rescued animals
and is supported by the local
community. ICS Round Square
students volunteered working with
animals and planting trees. They
were very well looked after by their
host, Sarah, who even provided
them with hot chocolate! Our Round
Square students plan to continue
supporting this interesting project
and will revisit the farm in the spring
of 2017.
The girls returned to ICS inspired
and deeply moved by accounts
of the personal journeys some of
the exceptional key note speakers
shared with the Round Square
audience. In particular, the qualities
of leadership and decision-making
demonstrated by some presenters
left a lasting impression on the G10s.
“We were encouraged and inspired
by the speakers – to take risks and to
leave our comfort zones,” they said.
Indirect Action
Food Drive, Local Community
Round
Square
students
are
collecting food and toiletries to aid
the homeless and those in need
living in our host community, Zurich.
Donations collected are delivered
to Sozialwerke Pfarrer Sieber, an
organization that provides food and
emergency accommodation for the
homeless during the winter months.
(1)https://www.aisa.or.ke/images/AISA_Service_
Learning_Handbook_2016_FINAL_10May2016.pdf
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The IB
advantage
Every year thousands of school-leavers apply for places at universities across the globe. Once
students have received a place, what can give them the edge in their studies? What are the
qualities and attributes students need to succeed at university and beyond in the working
world?
The University Admissions Officers Report 2016, a report
published annually by the International Baccalaureate
Organisation (IBO) seeks to address these issues and
provide a set of clear empirical answers for parents. The
authors of the report interviewed a total of 101 university
admissions officers from the UK and the US: in the UK,
the report covered a third of all universities, while in
the US, the survey covered a range of universities by
geographical location and type.
The survey asks university admissions officers to rate
three exam systems: A Levels, the IB Diploma Programme
(DP) and BTEC.
The survey also asks the university officers to identify
attributes that they look for in student applications.
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The five most important are:
• Evidence of a passion for their chosen course
subject;
• Good written English;
• Evidence of a positive attitude towards study;
• Evidence of an ability to think and work independently;
• Ability to persevere and complete tasks.
Admission officers also identified key qualities that
prepare students to succeed at university and complete
their degrees. The survey states that students could:
• Ensure they are ready to think and learn
independently;
• Ensure they have chosen a subject they are
passionate about;
• Ensure they have a secure understanding of the
demands of the course.
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Overall, the report found that in both
the UK and US there is almost total
agreement that the IB Diploma is the
best qualification to prepare students
to thrive at university compared to
A levels and BTECs. The Diploma
Programme is regarded as providing
students with university-ready skills
and attributes, from self-management
to intercultural skills, creativity and
an ability to cope with pressure. In
addition, the report found that that
university admission officers regard
the Diploma as the curriculum system
most able to encourage independent
inquiry among its students compared
to other curriculum systems.
For ICS, as an inclusive school
in which 100% of students were
admitted to the IB Diploma exams
in 2016, the survey results provide
confirmation that is providing a
world-class education that equips
students with the essential skills and
attributes needed to achieve their
potential in the post-secondary world.
The Diploma challenges students
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to think independently and provides
a rigorous basis for their further,
post-secondary studies.
“The report found that in
both the UK and US there
is almost total agreement
that the IB Diploma is
the best qualification to
prepare students to thrive at
university.”
However, there are other ways in
which the culture of learning and high
expectations at ICS helps prepare
students for post-secondary life.
Admissions officers interviewed in the
survey point out the need for students
to develop “a wide range of skills” vital
to university success.
For example, one of the competencies
identified in the report was the need
for “intercultural skills.” The ICS
commitment to global-mindedness
brings with it a series of attributes
central to developing intercultural
understanding and the skills needed
to negotiate the demands of a
diverse and interconnected world.
Along with this, the commitment to
developing personal responsibility
and engagement with the community
through CAS programmes, Round
Square and other community-based
initiatives develops this aspect of
the individual’s growth. Service
learning also provides opportunities
for students to acquire and exercise
leadership skills, personal qualities
that will help them manage
collaborative work in a university
and work-based context much more
effectively.
The survey emphasized too, that the
most successful students were those
with a balanced range of skills and
were equipped to cope with the stress
of study and were able to persevere
and complete tasks. ICS supports
its students in developing these
essential personal skills through the
Focus Days held at the beginning of
every year, which hosts workshops
on managing the demands of an at
times stressful work load. ICS also
guides and supports its Diploma
students through the Extended Essay
to help them develop the attributes of
discipline, focus and perseverance.
While the IB Diploma is a global
programme, the ICS difference
comes from the school’s commitment
to developing the whole child,
providing the opportunities for each
student to develop a balanced range
of skills, and providing some of the
most vital conditions for success in
their post-secondary lives.
If you are interested in viewing
the complete report, you’ll find it at
http://www.ibo.org/uk/universities/
university-admissions-officers-report-2016-key-findings/
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The future of
learning
In collaboration with KnowledgeWorks, ICS was proud to host Europe’s first gathering
of more than 50 participants, including international school heads, representatives from
international education associations, education innovators and leaders and Secondary
school students to envision where education needs to be in the next ten years.
Provocative questions were the focus
for the weekend and participants were
invited to consider: What might we
discover if we let ourselves imagine
new possibilities for the future of
learning? What if we could use data
gleaned from devices our students
are wearing to tailor resources to
their needs?
The two-day workshop was led
by
Katherine
Prince,
Senior
Director Strategic Foresight at
KnowledgeWorks. The conference
was based on KnowledgeWorks’
latest ten-year forecast on the future
of learning. Ms Prince has been part
of a number of investigative studies
exploring disruptions and solutions
in education. She believes that, “We
(educators) have the opportunity
– and also, the responsibility to
redesign the whole (educational)
system, transforming our current
public education system and its
many intersecting nodes from the
industrial-era design into a new
design consistent with the emerging
participatory economy.”
Connections: What will happen
this weekend? What will the
participants be doing?
Katherine Prince: The participants will
have a chance to explore the trends
shaping the world in education and
get grounded in KnowldedgeWorks’
forecast. So, we’ll start with the
content of the forecast and then
have a look at what that means for
education. We will be looking at
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broad changes in the world and
then at how the environment might
change, what education is trying to
accomplish, how future trends might
change how people interact in the
learning environment, and what we
need to prepare students for. It’s
going to be a lot about looking at the
future but based on the changes that
are happening today.
Connections: It sounds very
exciting!
Katherine Prince: Yes, there will be
lots of asking ’what if’, playing with
possibilities, asking ourselves to
think about the future of learning and
really stretch our minds. But also to
really ask ourselves what would we
like to see and what do we not want
to see happening?
Connections: What do you
think the role of an educator will
look like in ten years?
Katherine Prince: We believe it is
possible educator roles will become
more diversified. There will be more
kinds of roles. One of the areas we
think is important and one that I would
personally like to see is the concept
of a learning pathway designer that
doesn’t just say: ‘you are 12 years
old so you need to learn xyz’ but that
can come up with a more customised
learning journey. It might be heavily
classroom-based or it might not. But it
will enable educators to help learners
on their journey by helping them
find out what their needs, goals and
interests are, and pull their resources
together from one environment, or
cross environments, to help them
develop.
Connections: It sounds like a
lifelong journey. Here at ICS we
focus a lot on instilling a love of
learning. How important is that for
you?
Katherine Prince: Yes, that is one
thing that has really come out
of
KnowledgeWorks’
forecasts.
We’re thinking more about lifelong
and life-wide learning, and about
developing learners as whole
people, not only academically, but
by thinking about the journey as
being continuous. This is particularly
important as the world of work
changes and as we navigate the
complexity and turbulence even as
adults beyond school.
Connections: Your forecast 4.0
was for the next ten years. How
does your enterprise research for
the future?
Katherine Prince: We look at our work
at KnowledgeWorks as operating
on three time horizons – the ‘future
of learning’ works at forecasting
ten years out. Then we back plan
by about six years and think about
relatively long-term organizational
strategies in the field of education.
We look at policy and advocacy
work – in the US we are looking at
state and federal level and how to
incentivise for better conditions and
remove barriers. Then we operate
more near term, the one to three
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15
year time horizon. In schools and
communities in the US we are helping
them focus on implementing ‘Early
College Schools’. That is aimed at
students who are in high schools and
at risk of not going to university. The
Early College School project acts as
a bridge whereby students can do the
first two years of university while they
are in high school. And then we also
help schools in the US to move to a
more competency-based educational
system based on mastery and not
based on age.
Connections: Are the public
schools reacting favourably? Or
is there resistance and holding on
to the traditional brick and mortar
systems?
Katherine Prince: We’ve had a lot
of success with the Early College
High School approach over the last
ten to twelve years. We think it is
important to get beyond that to a
competency-based education. So far,
that has been received favourably.
Connections: Well, what are
the risks if schools don’t think
about the future?
Katherine Prince: If we don’t think
about it, we won’t be preparing
students for the world that they need
to navigate and lead in. The world
is changing so fast. What we are
preparing learners for is a different
world to what we were prepared for.
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And we really need to help them think
not just about the short term and what
they will be doing after each level of
education but what are the long term
skills, capacities and dispositions
that they will need in the various
positions to navigate successfully.
And a school curriculum would adapt
itself to these goals.
Connections:
Could
you
describe what a typical Grade 5
student’s day would look like in
ten years?
Katherine Prince:
Fundamentally
it is our choice to decide what the
future will look like. It can look in
many different ways for different
students. So I think we will be paying
a lot of attention to socio-emotional
development, even more so than
today and really helping people
to understand themselves more
and develop the skills they need to
navigate the changing world. I think
we will probably have very different
ways of helping that Grade 5 student.
For example, a customised learning
pathway so they can experience
learning better whether they are
technologically mediated or not.
In general, I believe we will be paying
more attention to helping learners to
understand themselves as individuals
and how they want to contribute to
the world around them. We will be
helping them spark a passion or
giving them a longer term view to help
them realise their potential. Those
things are happening now but I think
it will be more a degree of spread and
placing more emphasis on this.
Connections: What role do you
see an international private school
like ICS playing?
Katherine Prince:
Unlike public
schools, international schools have
opportunities to be innovators and
leaders. They have more freedom to
choose and have a protected space
in which to develop.
Connections: What can today’s
educators do to be active agents
of change?
Katherine Prince: One of the biggest
things is to try to learn about future
developments and then try to set
aspirational visions for what you
want for learning in a particular
environment. So, ask yourself what
would be the ideal future and then
think about what do we need to do,
for example, for the hard work of
change management or the exciting
work of finding new ways forward in
light of that vision. So, it helps to be
always guided by a sense of an ideal
that will help people lift out of the day
to day demands and keep an eye on
long term for what they want for their
students.
Connections: In your material
you talk about some ’what
if’ scenarios. Which of those
would you like to see happen?
At ICS we are working closely
with Ochan Powell, “Education
across Frontiers”, on developing
metacognitive skills. Is that
something you see playing a role
in the future of learning?
Katherine Prince: Exactly. I would
love to see ‘Education for Impact’
being realised more widely – helping
learners really evaluate and develop
as problem solvers and innovators
who can actively shape the world
around them. Service learning is
actually a lot of that but I would like
to see learners learning to think more
consciously about how they learn
too.
I’d also like to see ‘Designing for
Flow’ – finding ways to help learners
engage more deeply in learning
experiences so they can pay more
attention to emotional and cognitive
development. It’s crucial educators
have more understanding of how our
mind works and how emotion works
in order to help engage students.
Connections: What are you
hoping to achieve over the
weekend? What will the key
take-aways be?
Katherine Prince: We’d like to help
people look ahead and anticipate
the changes in the world. We want to
give them a chance to plan and think
about how they would like to respond
and what they want to create for
learning in light of those changes. I’d
also like them to think about future
possibilities and translate them into
aspirations and get a beginning sense
of what that could mean for different
contexts in terms of strategies and
operations. Finally, I’d like people
to come away with different ways of
how to respond to the changes we
are going to experience.
--What did participants do at the
KnowledgeWorks conference?
At the conference itself, participants,
who had come from Africa, Europe,
Hong Kong, India and Russia
explored the drivers of change
and examined new possibilities for
learning by considering a number of
‘what if’ scenarios.
They were divided into groups and
some were assigned an ICS student
ambassador. The groups took a
constructivist approach and mapped
out the five drivers of change. Each
group prototyped an action road map
and learning ecosystem, and shared
the attributes of their ideal learning
ecosystem.
For every activity, the participants
shared and exchanged ideas. The
ICS student ambassadors played a
key role and were actively involved,
often being nominated to provide
feedback to the whole group.
“The activity that I enjoyed the
most at the conference was
when all of the students were
put in a separate group and
we had to make up what are
the challenges and what are
the benefits of a customisable
curriculum. After we came
up with the ideas, we were
able to share with everybody
else from the conference and
all of the adults saw that our
point of view was somewhat
different to what they thought
that the future of learning is.”
Beatriz P., Student Ambassador
“I personally believe that
schools will change for the
better. After seeing so many
teachers collaborate with
each other to try to improve
our education system, I am
convinced that big change will
occur. One of the main changes
that was discussed was the
possibility of integrating a
curriculum that adapts to the
individuality of students. This
type of change will not only
help us, but also our future
generation to strive for what
they are really passionate
about.”
Julie C., Student Ambassador
Who is KnowledgeWorks?
KnowledgeWorks is a social enterprise
focussed on ensuring that every student
experiences meaningful personalised
learning that allows him or her to thrive
as well as providing thought leadership
around the future of learning.
KnowledgeWorks has a presence in
more than 30 states in the US. In 2002
the
KnowledgeWorks
Foundation
received a multimillion dollar grant from
the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
to undertake major initiatives to improve
urban education in the US. They have
also worked closely with researchers at
Harvard Business School on a project
that supports continuous improvement
methods in the educational field.
What does KnowledgeWorks do?
By providing tools, training and assistance,
KnowledgeWorks has been collaborating
with international school leaders and
education associations and supporting
them in developing innovative education
approaches. Their strategic foresight
team analysed how changes in the world
today could impact what learning looks
like in ten years’ time. The result of this
research was a forecast called, “The
Future of Learning: Education in the Era
of Partners in Code”.
What is KnowledgeWorks’ forecast 4.0
about?
The focus of the fourth KnowledgeWorks
forecast is exponential change –
particularly the impacts of machine
learning. KnowledgeWorks predict: “Over
the next ten years our lives will become
so inextricably linked with our digital
companions that we will find ourselves
living as partners in code, creating
the next generation of human-digital
co-evolution. The key challenge of the era
of partners in code will be to define how
people foster productive relationships
with technology that leverage, elevate,
and celebrate the unique contributions of
our humanity so that we can thrive amid
intensifying complexity.” They further
argue that “[...] this new era promises to
change learning dramatically, affecting
the ways education prepares learners and
the reasons individuals pursue learning in
the first place.”
KnowledgeWorks analysed signals of
change we can observe today and came
up with five drivers of change for the
future that might affect people, structures
and society in the context of learning. By
looking at these signals of change, they
ask educators to imagine a number of
‘what if’ scenarios.
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KnowledgeWorks’ five drivers of change and ‘what if’ scenarios
These are the five drivers of change and the ‘what if’ scenarios sourced and adapted from the KnowledgeWorks Forecast
4.0, The Future of Learning: Education in the Era of Partners in Code, http://www.knowledgeworks.org/future-learning.
Optimized Selves - discovering
new human horizons
Labor Relations 2.0 - negotiating
new machine partnerships
Alternate Economies - finding the
right niche
Neuroscientific research as well
as wearable devices and complex
computational tools are revealing new
insights into our brains, emotions,
biology and increasing our ability to
understand ourselves in new ways.
Consequently, by expanding human
horizons, we can focus more on
individual development in education.
Smart machines are now performing
tasks that were once performed by
the core of the middle classes. As
artificial intelligence and machine
learning
improves,
automation
will rapidly increase among the
non-routine,
complex
cognitive
tasks of knowledge professionals.
The key challenge for meaningful
employment will be to redefine the
unique contribution humans make in
the workplace. The choices we make
will shape the purpose of education.
New kinds of economies – sharing,
artistic, matching and maker – are
changing how we create value. As
the pace of change accelerates, new
forms of exchange and value creation
will grow. Individuals will move in,
and across, multiple intersecting
economies and seek new education
approaches that are more suitable to
their needs and outlook.
What if:
• Educators could use visual
feedback tools that showed the
levels of student engagement
in order to help them overcome
challenges and avoid boredom
and frustration?
• Educators were trained in
game design, neuroscience
and emotion science in order
to create a broader learning
environment?
• Learning pathway designers
helped learners cultivate their
individual learning conditions?
• Smart learning environments
used data from wearable devices
to tailor learners’ surroundings
and resources to their needs?
• Schools and families tailored
learning to every aspect of a
learner’s self-defined identity?
• Funding were customized to pay
for each student’s personalised
learning pathway?
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CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
What if:
• Every child had a ‘learning
pit crew’ made up of caring
adults and peers and personal
machine/digital partners?
• Learning partner placement
agencies helped families of all
socio-economic
backgrounds
find
supportive
learning
relationships?
• Smart
support
rankings
evaluated learning providers
using holistic criteria like wellness
promotion,
social-emotional
support, safety and culture?
• Learning ecosystem trustees
collaborated to support an area’s
learning resources?
• Schools taught robot relations
as a form of digital literacy?
• There was public funding for
lifelong learning?
What if:
• Individuals and student teams
earned impact points for
addressing real-world problems?
• Contribution
portfolios
showing evidence of students’
development and passions were
used to assess learning?
• Learning resources were tagged
by origin, values and impact (the
way grocery stores tag locally
grown food today)?
• Educator guilds cultivated craft
learning experiences for small
groups of learners?
• You could invest in your local
learning ecosystem?
• Corporate
and
venture
investments replaced property
taxes as a significant source of
school funding?
Smart Transactional Models creating self-managing institutions
Shifting Landscapes - innovating
in volatile conditions
This driver of change reflects
the potential for a cultural shift,
in combination with emerging
technologies,
to
create
new
possibilities for how people organise
and manage institutions and many
kinds of transactions underpinning
daily life. Smart contracts that
automatically execute the terms of
agreements promise to bypass layers
of admin and expand possibilities for
true local control of schools, school
districts, and other institutions.
A key priority in the next decade
will be to develop strategies for
navigating turbulence. The changes
in the world of work, the threat of rapid
technological unemployment, as well
as environmental volatility including
resource depletion, extreme weather
will spark off bold actions. Learning
and re-learning will help individuals
adapt and could contribute directly to
the search for effective solutions.
What if:
• Each learner had a Smart
Learning
Fast
Pass
that
unlocked learning opportunities
as the student was ready
and transferred money from
learner-controlled funding to
providers?
• A universal student record made
it possible for student data to
follow each learner throughout
the education lifecycle?
• Algorithmic
management
replaced numbers of central
office positions?
• Smart
contracts
enabled
learners with transportation
systems, food service and
other supports enabling them
to pursue learning experiences
beyond traditional schools?
• School systems improved via
automatic updates, the way
mobile devices and apps do
today?
• School boards shared authority
via
distributed
participation
in resource allocation and
ecosystem stewardship?
To see the full report “The
Future of Learning: Education in
the Era of Partners in Code”, visit:
http://www.knowledgeworks.org/
future-learning
What if:
• Neighbourhoods locally sourced
their own educators by identifying
local candidates and funding
professional development?
• The health of an educational
organization was measured by
the strength of its relationships
with varied partners?
• Public funding for community-wide
learning venues like museums,
parks etc. were viewed as being
an integral part of the investment
in public education?
• Schools taught learners how
to embrace complexity and
approach problems that can be
managed but not necessarily
resolved?
• School social impact scores
became critical metrics for
attracting funding, partnerships
and community engagement?
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
19
ICS research
garden
ICS parents and children may have noticed changes happening in the northern corner
of the main campus parking lot recently. The school has embarked on the construction
of a research garden, which involves a major remodeling and extension of the previously
existing garden in order to create a new learning space for students.
Investigation, inquiry, connection
The research garden was created
as a space for investigation,
inquiry and connection. It is an
extension of ICS’s outdoor learning
spaces: a unique classroom and
a controlled environment for the
school community to interact with
the natural world. The new research
garden will provide opportunities
beyond the traditional classroom,
broadening children’s experience of
eco-complexity through developing
an understanding that there are
multiple aspects to a garden, not
just the simple function of growing
plants. Children will also learn what
it means to work with consideration
for nature rather than seeing it as a
resource. The garden is also part of a
broader project to green the campus,
enhance our facilities and offset the
school’s carbon footprint.
School gardens, as sites for
experiential learning, have a long
practical and philosophical history,
tracing their ethical and intellectual
origins back to the seventeenth
century. The practical implementation
of school gardens as part of a
systematic approach to education
began in Europe, in the early
nineteenth century, and subsequently
spread throughout school systems in
the Western world.
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CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
Studies have demonstrated that
school research gardens have
numerous positive educational and
social benefits. The most obvious
initial benefit lies in the increased
interaction with the environment
the school garden offers students.
Numerous
activities
can
be
organized to heighten students’
awareness about the impact of their
environmental footprint in the school
community as well as in other larger
contexts.
Benefits of a research garden
Children who live in urban
environments often miss experiencing
the complexity of natural ecosystems.
Research gardens can provide them
with this vital opportunity. Through
working in the natural space, they
develop a sense of the complex
interdependency of all the elements
in the garden – plants, vegetables,
insects, soil, water, sun and so on.
Research gardens provide a site
for regular access so children can
experience this complexity first-hand
and create a bond with the place
itself. As part of this, children also
experience the fundamental changes
the natural environment regularly
undergoes over the course of a year.
Research gardens also provide an
opportunity for the development
of knowledge and understanding
in the environmental sciences,
and
scientific
thinking
more
generally. Gardens provide learning
opportunities for data-gathering and
interpretation, measuring space,
observing
and
experimenting
with natural and plant processes,
learning about soil improvement,
recycling, growth and decay and so
on. The garden facilitates cognitive
development through exercising the
child’s capacities for observation,
analysis and hypothesis.
Learning in a school garden can
also work to develop a greater sense
of environmental responsibility in
students. Gardening is about human
interaction with the environment and
the impacts, positive and negative,
that interaction can have. Research
has demonstrated that adults who
have had significant and positive
exposure to nature as children view
nature in positive and meaningful
ways and are more likely to be
environmentally sensitive and active.
This ethical imperative is central to
the concept of the research garden
at ICS: one of its aims is to provide
a space to teach environmental
responsibility both directly and
indirectly, through teaching children
to experience and value the natural
world and by working on concepts of
preservation and sustainability.
For example, one of the ways in
which this ethical dimension is
explored is through the growth of
vegetables for eating. This gives
children the opportunity to develop
an understanding of how food
moves from the garden to the
table. They also learn that there are
environmental impacts related to
their own consumption throughout
the process of food production.
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
21
22
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
ICS research garden
The intention behind the ICS
research garden is to provide a
diverse eco-system, but it is not a
formal garden. The garden is meant
to be organic, rather than carefully
cultivated as an ornament. There
will be plots for growing plants and
vegetables, a mud kitchen and shed,
flowers and perennials with carefully
selected colours and varieties. The
garden is designed for a diverse set
of users: for example, the canteen will
be growing herbs for school meals in
the space. Each grade level also has
a different brief and is interested in
growing things for different reasons.
For example, some grade levels
might grow vegetables for food,
while other, older grade levels might
experiment with carbon capture. The
intention has been to create a flexible
space for diverse uses and diverse
learning experiences.
The research garden at ICS is also
designed with a sensory element:
the school has sought to create a
space that works on the senses,
incorporating smell, touch, taste,
alongside sight and sound into
the space. For example, a choice
of plants has been made with the
intention of providing different
textures and smells. Some plants will
also be edible and the garden overall
is created with its broad aesthetic
properties in mind. In addition,
the garden will have a space for
contemplation and reflection.
Students will be engaged at multiple
levels – intellectual, sensory, social
and emotional. At the same time, it
will provide a powerful set of ethical
lessons about caring, and taking
responsibility, for the environment.
The garden has been supported by an
enthusiastic group of teachers, who
have a high level of understanding of
how to use and tend the garden. This
group has been sharing resources
with colleagues and working on
learning objectives for units that
incorporate the use of the garden.
ICS’s new research garden provides
a vast range of learning opportunities
for its diverse community. The benefits
are many: research has shown
that gardens can have a positive
impact on academic achievement
and student behavior, promoting
teamwork and collaboration as well
as increased student motivation and
enthusiasm, for instance.
Importantly, ICS’s research garden
will also allow for learning that is
inquiry-based and interdisciplinary.
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
23
How to ensure learning is not
hit or miss
What kinds of conditions might you need to learn well? Do you need a quiet room to think
or can you focus better while listening to music? Do you remember information better if it
is written down or is it enough to hear it once? This article looks at why reflecting on these
kinds of questions is crucial for lifelong learning success, and what concrete steps ICS has
taken to explicitly raise our students’ awareness of how they learn.
Learning about your learning is called
ICS
metacognition. It may seem like a
metacognition
parents while she was at ICS to find
complicated term, but it just means
Two years ago, ICS welcomed the
out more about the children she was
thinking about your thinking and
Powells for a workshop on “Becoming
observing. Connections asked her to
learning. It entered the educational
an Emotionally Intelligent Teacher”. As
tell us more about her inquiry.
lexicon in 1976 when the term was first
Mrs Campbell, ICS Head of School,
coined by the American psychologist,
says, “This workshop led to further
John Flavell (1979). He argued that if
intriguing and fascinating questions
could you please give us a little
children consciously understood the
like ‘How can we help students learn
background on the research you’ve
processes of their own learning and
about their learning?’” This and other
been doing?
could understand how to control those
questions resonated so strongly with
Ochan
processes, then successful learning
ICS professionals that the school
Frontiers has been researching and
could be achieved. He maintained that
decided to take the initiative further.
observing how students learn
as
a
lab
school
for
children need to be taught strategies
Powell
interviewed
Connections:
Powell:
Mrs
several
Powell,
Education
Across
for
several years now. We noticed that
which, when given enough time, they
Project week with Ochan Powell
some were very perceptive and clear
would independently apply to new
In November 2016, Ochan Powell
about what they needed in order to
learning situations. Metacognition has
along with Mrs Campbell and ICS
learn. However, we met others who
only been recognised as a discrete
Director of Education, Liz Hargreaves,
weren’t clear at all.
strand or dimension of knowledge
organized a one-week metacognition
know why one group of learners had
since 2001. It is still a relatively new
project at the ICS campus. One of the
this clarity and others did not. And
area
aims was to explore how our teachers
because we thought learning was too
can teach metacognition explicitly
important to be hit or miss and left to
and
chance, we set up this project.
in
cognitive-developmental
inquiry.
Influence
on
achievement
and
help
our
students
develop
We wanted to
metacognitive strategies. The week
lifelong learning
entailed workshops with ICS staff,
We started by sending surveys to
Research shows that understanding
observations in classrooms, meetings
international
how we learn is one of the most
with teachers and group discussions
world to ask them if, and how, they
powerful
with ICS parents.
teach
influences
on
not
only
student achievement at school but on
24
Mrs
schools
around
metacognitive
the
strategies.
Although most said they did, we were
lifelong learning. For some years now,
Mrs Powell’s workshop with ICS
disappointed to find that few could
ICS has been collaborating with Bill
teachers
actually demonstrate how consciously
and Ochan Powell, the internationally
specific
renowned educators and authors, on
development and ensuring they are
a number of key topics at the forefront
addressed in the classroom. The
of global education, one of which is
workshop was a huge success and
metacognition.
highly appreciated by all participants.
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
focused
areas
for
on
identifying
metacognitive
and deliberately they do it.
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
25
Connections: What makes your
Connections:
Why
is
metacognition so important?
we had some fascinating discussions
important?
Ochan Powell: We want to know
with the students’ parents to analyse
Ochan Powell: First of all, we are
how students apply themselves as
the kind of patterns they notice in their
very passionate about ensuring that
learners. What do they put into the
kids and to ask if they do anything in
the school experience for young
experience of learning and how does
particular to foster metacognition.
people is inclusive and that every
this support their learning. We know
student feels welcome.
Before we
from research that when students
started our non-profit, ‘The Next
are conscious about applying their
some examples of metacognition in
Frontier Inclusion’, it seemed many
skills, they learn more effectively and
action?
school leaders would cherry pick
more thoroughly, and that awareness
Ochan Powell: Of course. In a Grade
which students they admitted and
and self-knowledge are essential to
7 Maths class in Middle School,
we didn’t think this was right. So,
success in life and in learning. Being
for example, the teacher had set a
working with a school like ICS that is
metacognitive is a very different skill
problem at the beginning of the week.
not academically selective and that
set to the content that students usually
When reviewing his students’ work,
firmly believes it is their responsibility
learn in class. And as we don’t assume
he recognized students had used five
to teach all students, is crucial to the
they intuitively understand cognitive
different ways to answer the problem
success of our work. ICS has also
processes, we need to teach them
– all leading to a correct answer.
been a pioneer in the international
explicitly.
The teacher made a lesson of the 5
collaboration
with
ICS
so
Connections:
Can
you
give
different approaches, asking students
education landscape. And when we
been
to explain the reasoning behind each
project with leadership and faculty
working here at ICS for a week now.
and then to attempt at least one of the
members, they were so keen to delve
What has that week looked like?
other approaches in solving a problem.
deeper into the topic that they decided,
Ochan
ICS
Many of us were taught that there was
without hesitation, to work with us.
teachers to identify some children
only one right way. Today, we want
who demonstrated a high level of
our children, particularly in maths, to
consciousness
understand that there are many ways
started discussing the metacognition
Connections:
Powell:
You’ve
We
and
asked
self-direction
in their learning. We observed the
26
teachers and students in action. Then
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
to arrive at the same answer.
Having the students explore all the
were really excited and enthused about
Emotions impact learning. They can
ways of getting there is a good example
thinking about their own learning. They
impact them negatively (just as we
of a deliberate way for a teacher to
were also perfectly capable of sitting
know when you’re angry, you don’t
teach metacognition. Students were
beside an adult and together with that
make good decisions), they can also
challenged to think about how they
adult trying to decide how you grapple
impact learning positively. And so
approached a problem and discuss
with a problem, how you extrapolate
a child who doesn’t feel efficacious
their methods with peers. Thinking
planning points from it, and how you
about learning a particular subject and
about
try to understand complex issues.
who has learned some metacognitive
the
‘how’
helps
students
discover more about their learning.
strategies might say: ‘What are some
As teachers, we are interested not
things I know about myself that I need
you
only in the behaviours that children
in order to learn well? What other way
learn from the conversations you
exhibit but what we can do to
can I try to approach this task?
had with ICS parents?
encourage them. The main purpose of
---
Ochan Powell: We were curious
developing the skill of metacognition
about what role the parents played.
is to help students develop the skill
For more information on Ochan
What unanimously came out of those
of self-direction or of self-efficacy
Powell
conversations was the trust they had
because they need to take charge of
Frontiers, please visit http://www.edu-
in their children to do their best. They
their own learning.
cationacrossfrontiers.com/
Connections:
What
did
and
Education
across
also talked about the importance of
relationships and of taking time to
really listen.
Connections:
How
can
teachers be sure they are teaching
metacognitive strategies?
Connections: As well as having
Ochan Powell: At the workshop I
a strong culture of learning and
gave this week to ICS faculty, we
high expectations, ICS actively
used a taxonomy table to assess
promotes a culture of care at the
what cognitive and metacognitive
school. How does this tie in with
processes are being used for a
metacognition?
particular task. Teachers can use this
Ochan Powell: We would like to see
tool to evaluate if a particular task they
more young people who value and
are giving is using the full range of the
care about each other; who come out
taxonomy and what proportionality
of school and are confident to take
of that range they are using.
risks; and who are effective in how
example, does the task develop
they listen to other people. Teaching
factual or conceptual knowledge, are
metacognitive strategies enables our
the students analysing, remembering
students to be thinkers who are able to
or creating?
look at issues from multiple facets. An
taxonomy table to question if their task
ICS Grade 2 teacher said “I would like
is really working at the metacognitive
my students to care about the success
level.
For
Teachers can use the
of others so when they work in a
team, it’s not just about themselves.”
Connections:
How
might
And these are important values. ICS
parents support their children who
promotes these every day.
are feeling less confident?
Ochan Powell:
I believe it is very
Connections: You mentioned ICS
important to help your child develop a
being a pioneer in global education
vocabulary for their emotions so they
and we know that you attended the
can put a label on what they’re feeling.
KnowledgeWorks conference ICS
It’s important to dignify their emotions
held recently. What metacognitive
and not dismiss them. We know from
strategies did you observe in the
cognitive coaching that unless we
students who attended?
dignify an emotion, the other person
Ochan Powell: First of all, the students
will not think we have heard them.
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
27
Being a
third culture kid
Where are you from? Everywhere and nowhere
“I’m a Third Culture Kid. For most people, the question: ‘Where are you from?’ is not so
complicated but for a lot of Third Culture Kids (TCKs), it can freeze them in their tracks.
It’s difficult for me to answer this question so I’ve tried to show it on a map.”
6
“My mum’s job moved
5
us again to the US,
where I attended
University in New York”.
“When my sister was born
we moved to Switzerland for
four years. My sister has three
passports. We both attended
an International School where
I completed the IB Diploma
program and my sister went
Mum
to the EY school and 1st and
2nd grade. I lost my Japanese
but I could still speak Swedish
because I kept in touch with my
primary school friends through
Whatsapp. And I learned to
speak German in Switzerland”.
1
“Mum and dad met in
Argentina, where I was born.
I have two passports – an
2
“The three of us
moved to South
Africa when I was
two”.
American and an Australian
one”.
90%
Higher education:
Adult
TCKs*
Occupation:
have academic
post-secondary
education
+80%
are professionals,
semi-professionals,
executives,
managers/officials
* Statistics taken from the TCK World website based on some actual life choices made by 400 Adult TCKs. See “ATCKs maintain global dimensions throughout their lives” by Ann Baker Cottrell and Ruth Hill Useem
/ http://www.tckworld.com/useem/art5.html
28
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
+7
Volunte
4
“When I was eight my mum’s job
took us to Sweden so I finished
Primary school there. I no longer
spoke Afrikaans, but I could speak
basic Japanese and Swedish (and
English of course)”.
3
“Then we moved to Japan
three years later. When we
moved to Japan, I could
speak Afrikaans and English”.
Dad
75% 92%
eering:
Networking:
in local
community
or broader
network
80%
Foreign languages:
yearly
contact
with people
from other
countries
use a
language
other than
English
occasionally
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
29
“TCK’s have the tools to be cultural brokers of
the future.”
Ochan Powell
ICS parents had the great opportunity to attend a workshop on the topic of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) with the internationally
renowned education researcher and author Ochan Powell. Mrs Powell addressed the following questions: What does
it mean to be a TCK? What are their strengths and challenges? What concerns might TCK parents have and what might
teachers and parents do to help TCKs feel at home wherever they are? Here are the key highlights that came out of that
workshop.
Strengths and characteristics of a TCK
Highly adaptive
Every time TCKs move they need to adapt to new situations and new environments.
Multi-faceted worldview
TCKS tend to grow up in multiple cultures with different social norms and are used to an intercultural lifestyle.
Maturity of perspective
Generally speaking, TCKs’ exposure to different cultures enables them to have greater capacity for
compassion and empathy.
Advanced cross-cultural communication skills and general social skills
TCKs often have strong communication skills and tend to be able to engage in dialogue with just about
anyone.
Loyalties to relationships and not locations
Because their environment changes often, TCKs tend to place a huge emphasis on interpersonal relationships.
Ochan Powell
Ochan and Bill Powell founded
‘Education Across Frontiers’, an
organization
dedicated
to
the
professional learning of teachers
and school leaders around the world.
She has written numerous books
on key educational topics such as
personalized learning in the global
classroom, inclusion in international
schools, and parent advocacy in
international schools, to mention just
a few.
30
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
Definition of Third Culture Kids
A well accepted definition came out of David C. Pollack’s and Ruth
van Reken’s book, “Third Culture Kids – Growing up Among Worlds”.
They wrote: “A third culture kid is a person who has spent a significant
part of his or her developmental years outside their parents’ culture.
The third culture kid builds relationships to all the cultures, while not
having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are
assimilated into the third culture kid’s life experience, the sense of
belonging is in relationship to others of the same background, other
TCKs.”
Raising TCKs
Ochan discussed some of the worries parents have about raising TCKs, for example, their kids don’t feel like they belong;
they have difficulties settling down; or it’s hard for them to make friends. Here are the tips that she gave as well as some
ideas that came out of the group discussions.
Top three challenges for TCKs
Rootlessness / restlessness
Because of the ‘nomadic’ lifestyle of a TCK and the lack of a single home environment, the continuous upheaval
gives some TCKs the feeling of being uprooted and insecure.
Unresolved grief and loss
When TCKs move, they leave behind everything and everyone that had shaped their lives thus far - friends,
school, neighbours, community etc. They often lack the life experience to put moving into context. They also
may lack the emotional vocabulary to express the grief and loss they might be feeling.
Real or perceived arrogance
When TCKs move, the experience and knowledge about the cultures and countries they left behind may come
across to others as arrogant.
How parents can help
•
Let your children be sad. Allow time to process
How teachers can help
•
their grief and give voice to their emotions. Make
sure they have a good set of emotional vocabulary.
•
so they can better conceptualise later on.
•
in your TCKs past experiences.
•
Validate and normalise emotions and equip them
with stories – tell them the story when you moved
•
Inform yourself with information and discuss with
other parents in the same situation.
•
Spend enough time on the topic making sure your
children feel seen, heard and valued.
•
•
Teach about identity differences and provide
opportunities for them to explore their identity
through, e.g. writing diary entries, talking about
and not only with other TCKs to help them deal
•
Help them to make friends and be aware many
TCKs are afraid of making a cultural faux pas.
Help them build long-term relationships with locals
with friends who leave. A balance of both is ideal.
Be sensitive to the word ‘home’. Show an interest
family histories and culture heritage.
•
Help them to understand the host culture.
•
Connect a TCK who is struggling with a school
counsellor.
•
Take time for transitions. Talk about goodbyes.
Help your children embrace membership in a
Provide enough time to process the changes
vibrant community.
and give them the vocabulary to talk about their
Find a balance between maintaining your cultural
feelings.
heritage(s) and the local culture.
•
Be sensitive to dietary changes and food likes and
dislikes in the new culture.
•
Don’t push to make friends but create opportunities
for new friendships to grow.
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
31
Life at
ICS
32
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
Roundup
performing arts
This semester has seen students take to the stage at ICS, and in the local and wider
Zumikon and Zurich communities, sharing their Performing Arts talents with appreciative
audiences. Here is a roundup of events from the past semester.
IB Diploma Programme Music Concert
Our talented IB DP Music students took to the
stage on 20 October, to present solo performances
as part of their coursework requirements. DP
Music students must put together a portfolio of
contrasting music of either 15 minutes (standard
level) or 20 minutes (higher level) over the two-year
course. Performers at this first IB DP Music concert
included Elise M. (piano); and Krzysztof Z., Monica
C., Sophie G. and William S. (voice), who performed
in a range of styles, from music theatre and jazz, to
popular and classical. We look forward to seeing
our DP Music students at forthcoming school
concerts and the second IB DP Music concert, on
6 April 2017.
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ArtsAlive!#1
ArtsAlive! events are a series of
small, friendly and informal concerts
that feature instrumental, vocal,
dance and theatre performances,
and celebrate the diverse artistic
community at ICS. These events are
great opportunities for students with
a passion for Performing Arts to gain
experience in performing live in front
of a supportive audience.
The first ArtsAlive! of the school year
took place on 21 October and featured
solo and group performances, music
and dance, covers and original
material. Refreshments for the event
were provided by the Grade 6 Round
Square team, who are raising funds
for students at SMD Nepal.
The next ArtsAlive! event takes
place on 3 February 2017. Primary
and Secondary students, parents
and teachers are invited to sign up
to perform, using the link in the ICS
Bulletin. Zumikon MehrGenerationenKonzerte
ICS celebrated its links with the
Zumikon Musikschule and local
community on 26 November,
performing as part of the Zumikon
MehrGenerationenKonzerte at the
Reformierte Kirche Zumikon. ICS
ensembles, such as ICS Stage Band,
The Big Sing, ICS Singers and the
Grade 10-12 Vocal Group, performed
alongside soloists Elise M. (piano)
and Sophie K. (cello), to present a
programme of music that included
jazz standards, popular tunes and
classical repertoire. The concert
was a wonderful opportunity for ICS
students to perform alongside other
local musicians, as well as sharing
ICS music with our wider community.
Singing Christmas Tree
The market stalls at Werdmühleplatz
provided the ideal festive setting for
the ICS singers as they performed
on Zurich’s Singing Christmas Tree
on 29 November. This event runs
for an entire month in the lead-up to
Christmas, and features children’s
youth and adult choirs from all over the
Zurich area. Thirty-nine ICS Primary
students performed on this year’s
tree, dressed in festive green and red
elf costumes, singing seven songs
in both English and German. Songs
included the traditional German carol
“Lasst uns froh und munter sein” and
“Christmas Sing-Along”, a medley of
traditional English Christmas songs.
when they performed on 1 and
2 December at the annual BITE
(Baccalaureate International Theatre
Ensemble) Show. Grade 12
students presented a collaborative
project, inspired by the changing
image of women over time. Grade
11 students presented solo theatre
performances, derived from their own
passions and based on the theory of
a chosen practitioner.
Everything that went into creating
the performances came from the
students, reflecting their work in and
out of class, and their understanding
of what it is to be a designer, actor,
creator and performer.
Winter Concert
This year’s Secondary Winter
Concert was held in the Main Hall on
6 December. The packed audience
of parents, siblings, family, friends
and teachers were treated to a
showcase of performances from
vocal and instrumental soloists,
small groups and ICS extra-curricular
ensembles. This event offered the
opportunity for talented student
musicians to present music.
BITE Show
Our Grade 11 and 12 IB Diploma
Theatre students put on several
originally devised theatre pieces
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35
Roundup
sports
ICS just wrapped up a very successful season for all of the autumn sports teams. All teams
were strong competitors in the SGIS and SCIS tournaments, as well as in the new ISSL
league (a newly formed league between ICS, ZIS, IZSL, Basel and TASIS). Our players and
coaches showed great pride and spirit and represented ICS exceptionally well throughout
the entire season.
Many teams finished the season with
championships and top three finishes
in leagues and tournaments. Here are
some of the highlights of the autumn
season:
Cross Country
All three Cross Country teams
(Primary, MS and HS) had a great
season and were one of the strongest
squads in Switzerland. The first big
event was the SGIS Cross Country
Championships, which ICS hosted
on Saturday 1 October. There was
a positive atmosphere and an air
of excitement all day. There were
288 runners from eleven schools
competing over six age categories.
ICS did very well, collecting six
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individual medals (one 1st place and
five 2nd place finishes), 21 top 10
finishes, and five team trophies (three
1st place and two 3rd place trophies),
which allowed them to place 2nd
overall amongst all of the teams.
A small contingent from the MS/HS
team travelled to Lugano to take part
in the TASIS invitational meet. They
came home with one individual 3rd
place finish, the boys’ team 2nd overall
and the girls’ team 3rd overall.
The
Primary
team
went
to
Schaffhausen to compete in a Primary
school meet. The team was extremely
successful taking the top 3 spots in all
six categories at the meet. The team
came home with two 1st place, one
2nd place, and four 3rd place finishes.
The Grade 5 girls dominated their race
taking the top 4 places.
MS Tennis
The MS Tennis team was a force to
be reckoned with this autumn season.
They were almost unbeatable in their
friendly matches and had strong
showings at the ISSL and SCIS
Championships.
ICS hosted the ISSL Tennis
Championships in Fällanden. The
team took first place in 5 of the 6
categories over the course of the
day to become the inaugural ISSL
MS Tennis Champions. They also
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37
performed extremely well at the very
competitive SCIS tournament they
hosted at the Stork Tennis Centre in
Oetwil am See. With seven schools
competing, they took top 3 spots in
5 of the 6 divisions (one 1st place,
three 2nd places and one 3rd place).
These results allowed the team to take
2nd place in both the boys’ and girls’
divisions as well as 2nd place overall.
On top of this, they also came home
with the Sportsmanship trophy, voted
on by all the players and coaches
at the tournament, for exhibiting
great spirit and gamesmanship as
ICS always has. Overall, it was an
excellent season for the MS Tennis
team.
MS Boys’ Soccer
The MS boys’ Soccer team had a very
successful season. With 60+ boys out
for the team, they had a strong and
successful season at both the A and
B level.
The MS Boys’ B team had a very
strong season and dominated the play
in all of their games. They went into
their ISSL Championship tournament
undefeated and remained that way
until the end of the day, winning all
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three of their games to become the
inaugural ISSL champions!
showed great improvement over the
season.
Varsity Boys Soccer
The Varsity Boys’ Soccer team had
a very good and successful season
and went into the season finale Swiss
Championship tournament in Lugano
looking to finish the season on a high
note, and they did just that! They
played some good team soccer over
the course of the weekend and came
out in 2nd place.
The highlight was a 5th place out of 10
teams finish for the A team in a very
competitive SGIS tournament. They
finished with 3 wins, 1 loss and one
tie (against the team that ended 2nd
place) and with a couple of bounces
their way, they could have easily
ended up in the top 3.
Along with this success, the boys
also came in a close 2nd place in
the inaugural ISSL league standings,
capping off a great year for the team.
JV Boys’ Soccer
The JV Boys’ Soccer was a close knit
team and showed great pride and work
ethic on the field all season and great
improvement along the way. The boys
played well in all of their ISSL league
games and came out with a strong 2nd
place finish in the inaugural season.
MS Girls’ Soccer
The MS Girls’ soccer team had a solid
season. With 50+ girls out for the
team they played good soccer and
After such a successful season for
all of the autumn sport teams, we are
looking forward to another exciting
and successful season for all of our
winter teams. Go Tigers!
The season was capped off with
the newly structured Autumn Sports
Awards on Wednesday 23 November.
Here the teams were able to celebrate
their success as an individual team
and later with all of the autumn season
teams.
Congratulations to all of the individual
award winners!
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39
Celebrating
participation
Celebrating service, sports, drama and the arts, the assembly was jam-packed with
information and videos that helped emphasize the amazing energy and spirit of our ICS
Middle School students.
Matterhorn, Eiger, Jungfrau and Pilatus – not just
names of famous mountain peaks in our host
country, Switzerland, but also the names of the 4
“Houses” here at ICS. The Grade 6-8 Assembly
re-introduced the houses as students cheered,
and highlighted the 4 areas in which students can
earn points for their houses: Arts, Service, Sports
and Student Council Events.
Student Council Members were introduced and
the class representatives spoke about upcoming
events.
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As part of “ICS TALKS – Ideas worth spreading” G10
Round Square students who attended “The Journey
That Makes Us”, the International Conference in
Germany, gave a talk in the library in November.
The ICS Coin Challenge, the Winter Concert, the
Winter Disco were previewed, as was Spirit Week
#2, which takes place at ICS in December.
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41
Special someone
breakfast
What a crowd! Parents’ attendance at the “Special Someone
Breakfast” was exceptional!
The Main Hall filled quickly and parents had time to meet and greet each other and
finish their breakfast before they were treated to a presentation prepared by G3
students Pau, Oliver and Gabby. The boys took turns explaining their research about
“how much water we use at ICS in a day, a month and a
year”. Their research on saving water started last year in
G2 when they explored a unit of inquiry called Sharing
the Planet and started learning about the earth’s finite and
infinite resources.
The boys’ presentation received warm applause from the
audience before parents moved from the Main Hall to the
Primary building where the children awaited them in their
classrooms and enthusiastically shared a wide range of
learning activities with their Special Someone.
The entire Primary Staff at ICS was delighted to welcome
so many vistors. We thank parents for their participation
and support, and say thank you to all our Primary students
for helping to make this morning a very memorable
experience for their “Special Someone”.
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43
EY and Primary
out & about
ICS Primary students attended two theatre performances, joined a weaving-workshop and
even ice-skated their way into the winter holiday break.
Continuing the exploration into
their current Unit of Inquiry “How
We Express Ourselves”, our EY2s,
Kindergarten/EY3s, Grade 3s and
Grade 5s went on field trips to Zurich.
The EY2s set off to see the play “Der
Froschkönig” (The Frog King). The
puppet show follows the fairy tale by
the Brothers Grimm, implemented
in a humourous and endearing way
using life-size cloth figures.
Our Kindergarten/EY3 students
attended a performance of the
Kasperli Theater in Zurich to see
“Schtärneglitzer am Finschterhorn”
Lantern
walk
Parents and siblings of Early Years
students were invited to gather at
the ICS Playground on Thursday 3
November to join the children and
their teachers in their annual Lantern
Walk to the nearby forest. EY families
gathered around a fire, baked bread
shared by the students, and songs
were sung by the light of the lanterns.
The Lantern Walk is reminiscent of an
old Swiss custom. In our host country,
Räbeliechtli” (“Räbe” sugar beet,
“Liechtli” light) is an annual autumn
tradition in which children carve little
lanterns out of sugar beets. When it
gets dark, a procession of children
and their families walk through Swiss
neighbourhoods carrying their lanterns
and singing their “Räbeliechtli” song
“Latärnli, Latärnli”.
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about puppet Kasperli’s snowshoe
trek up a mountain to discover why
the stars have suddenly stopped
shining.
Grade 3 students went on a field trip
to Zurich’s Bellerive Museum. They
viewed an exhibit on carpet-weaving
in Morocco, learning how cultures
express their beliefs and values in
different ways and also participated
in a guided tour and a weaving
workshop.
Grade 3 and Grade 5 ice-skating field
trips to the Kunsteisbahn (ice-skating
rink) Küssnacht (KEK) also took
place. These ice-skating mornings
were planned as an outdoor activity
that celebrates winter and the
successful end to the first school
term.
The story of the
friendship bench
The ICS Culture of Care means helping all children feel safe, happy and included, and one
of our goals, as Primary School Student Ambassadors, is to promote social and emotional
well-being for all of our classmates.
We noticed that sometimes at play
times there are children on the
playground that seem to have no one
to play with. We decided that we want
to help these children make friends
and we came up with the idea of
creating a “Friendship Bench”.
Creating a Friendship Bench would
also reinforce the Primary School
essential agreements, which are to
be respectful, safe and responsible.
We talked about the benefits with Mr
Crocker and Mrs Campbell. We think
the benefits of having a Friendship
Bench would include:
• The Friendship Bench will help
make the playground a happy
place for all children.
• Parents will know that the
Friendship Bench will always be
a place for their children to find
friends to play with.
• ICS Primary children will develop
empathy by asking someone
sitting on the Friendship Bench
to play with them.
•
The Friendship Bench will help
all children make friends.
Mr Crocker and Mrs Campbell loved
our idea!
The Student Ambassadors visited
Ms Patricia in the Communications
Department so we could share our
idea. We needed some help with
designing the Friendship Bench to
make it attractive and make children
want to sit on it. Ms Patricia showed
us lots of wonderful designs and then
we voted on the design we would like
to use.
We’re excited that a Friendship
Bench is going to be part of the
Primary playground. We look forward
to its arrival as soon as it’s ready.
We’re sure that the Friendship Bench
will soon become another part of the
warm and caring environment in our
school!
From the Primary School Student
Ambassadors:
Maya C. (Grade 3), Kai H. (Grade 4),
Aleks G. (Grade 3), Priya L. (Grade
4), Sabrina F. (Grade 3), Carina B.
(Grade 3), Youp C. (Grade 4), Evelina
A. (Grade 4)
Our next step is to present our idea
at an assembly, so we can tell all
Primary School children what the aim
of the Friendship Bench is and let all
Primary school children know how
they can help if they see someone
sitting on the Friendship Bench.
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45
Celebrating international school
library month
ICS students and staff celebrated International School Library Month in October this year
with a host of exciting fun events.
As part of the International
Association of School Librarianship,
ICS takes part in the yearly School
Library Month. The aim of School
Library Month is to highlight the
valuable role libraries play in our
students’ lives. Through these
activities our students get to
experience the pure joy and pleasure
of books and their characters. They
are exposed to a wealth of information
that will help them navigate the world
and sow seeds for lifelong learning.
Here are some of the activities we
held in October 2016.
Book character day
Primary Students were invited to
dress up as their favourite book
characters and enjoy an outdoor
parade during morning recess on
Book Character Day. The children’s
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imaginative
costumes
included
lots of weird witches, red and blue
masked super heroes and elegant
princesses.
fantastic entries and although our
judges had a very hard time choosing
only one, the first prize went to Yunho
L. in Grade 5.
Participating students were also
invited to the Primary Library,
carrying the book their character was
from, for a photo session. Judging by
the laughter and big smiles seen all
around, this year’s Book Character
Day was a grand success and a good
time was had by all!
Yunho’s drawing represents a 3D
factory called ‘Library’ that produces
books. Each letter of the word shows
a part of the production line, with
the last letter sprouting colourful
books! What an amazing idea and a
fantastic logo for our Primary Library.
Well done Yunho.
Library doodle
The school Primary Library held
the “Design a LIBRARY Doodle”
competition. Students and families
were invited to come up with a doodle
using the word library that would
serve to be the Primary Library’s logo
for one year. We were inundated with
Guess the reader
ICS members of staff were invited
to come to the Primary library and
read to our students but they hid their
faces behind their books. Students
had lots of fun guessing who was
reading.
Contact ICS Libraries
Besides School Library Month, our Primary and Secondary libraries host many other events during the year. Parents
and families can check the ICS Bulletin or access our Library website for information on upcoming events, reading
suggestions and curriculum help. It also offers access to the library catalogue.
If you would like to come to the Library to set up family accounts and access the many resources we offer, the
Primary and Secondary Libraries are open to the ICS community throughout the school day from 8:00am until
4:30pm. For more information, you can contact us at [email protected].
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47
A day in the life of
ICS teachers
Our exceptional Primary and Secondary teachers
are dedicated to providing students with a nurturing
environment that supports students’ learning in a
positive and friendly atmosphere as well as focusing on
the well-being of our students.
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49
Speaker’s Corner
Favourite books
In “Speaker’s Corner” of this issue, we gave our staff the microphone and asked them to tell us about their favourite book.
Kathy Garcia
Primary Learning Support Assistant
My favourite book is The House of the
Spirits by Isabel Allende.
It is a beautifully written novel with an interesting mix of
fantasy and reality. I enjoy the creative aspect of the
novel with its very complex characters and historical
references.
Lara Porter
Digital Coach
My favourite book is Wild by Cheryl
Strand. It is an amazing story of perseverance, independence, and connecting
with nature. As a woman it was very powerful to me and
I would highly recommend it.
Tony Simcock
Traffic Supervisor
I am reading Swiss Watching - Inside
the Land of Milk and Money by Diccon
Bewes. (Also available in German.)
It’s a no.1 International Bestseller and is a funny and
witty description of the Swiss Culture. If you are new to
Switzerland, it’s a must read.
Rachel Doell
University Counsellor
Nightingale is my most recent favourite
book because it was a very emotional
read and I love emotions. There were
some truly tragic, heart wrenching, awful moments but
also moments that made my heart glow. The fact that it
was part factual (based around events during the 2nd
world war) made the emotions even more intense.
Stefan Puchalski
Primary Musician-in-Residence
I’m currently reading White Rage: The
Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide,
by Carol Anderson, PhD.
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Tiffany Crook
Secondary English as an Additional
Language (EAL) Teacher
One of my favourite books is Tuesdays
With Morrie by Mitch Albom. I currently
just finished All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony
Doerr. It is set in World War II and won the Pulitzer. And
I just started A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.
Frances Tannel
Secondary Maths Teacher
Two books that were page turners for me:
I Promessi Sposi by Alessandro Manzoni
(an Italian Classic): because it depicts
life in Italy in early 1600 and discusses many universal
and timeless themes.The Gold Finch by Donna Tartt:
because it is a very realistic story about an 8th grader
and how his life changes direction after a tragedy. I was
so anxious to find out what was going to happen next.
Andrew Grover
Grade 2 Teacher
And to think I Saw it on Mulberry Street
by Dr Seuss is my favourite book because
it tells the tale of what can happen when you have a
powerful imagination and highlights the ability to take a
simple event and blow it way out of proportion for fun.
Lindsay Landmark
Secondary Counsellor for Grades 9-12
& Grades 9-12 Personal Development
Programme Coordinator
I am finally reading my first “real” book
since starting maternity leave. It’s a recent book called
All the Light We Cannot See, and it’s been queued in
my kindle for two years. It’s by Anthony Doerr, and he
won the Pulitzer Prize for it. A great read. Oh, and the
author lives in Boise, Idaho-score!
Rachel Suery
Primary Learning Support Counsellor
Ahhh reading… my biggest enjoyment
in life! My day is not complete without
reading whatever my current novel is at
the end of the day, in a quiet space! I normally do not like
to read a book twice. But there is one book I have read
more than once, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The
book’s compelling simplicity and inspirational wisdom has
me gleaning new meaning with each read. My favourite
quote is “All we need in life is a garden and a book”. The
best combination ever!
Karen Lewis
Grade 2 Teacher
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferante is a
book about childhood friendship and the
turbulence that goes with it. It is written
from an intensely personal viewpoint and keeps you
turning those pages.
Alexandra Meyer
Primary German Teacher
I am currently reading Behind the
Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo and
A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah
Winman. I could not think of one favorite book that I
have read multiple times or recommend over and over
again. There are too many that I have really enjoyed
reading. I often read two or three books at the same time.
Depending on my mood, I pick up one or the other. Or if I
tire of one, I put it away for a few days to pick it up again.
The first of the two books is considered a non-fiction
book; the other is a novel with a mystic touch, so they are
very different.
Alina Wrona-Eden
Grades 6-8 Counsellor & Primary School
Positive Discipline Support
This is the book I have been recently
reading (again) and I refer to it frequently
when I work with students: Mindset: The New
Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
Annabel Aikman
Primary Speech & Language Therapist
One of my favourite books is The Time
Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.
Kirsten Chaplin
DP Theatre and MYP Drama Teacher
& Drama Coordinator
My favourite book is: too difficult to narrow
down! Either Le Petit Prince by Antoine
de Saint -Exupéry, or anything by the late, great Terry
Pratchett.
John Mikton
eLearning Director
I am currently reading The Inevitable:
Understanding the 12 Technological
Forces That Will Shape Our Future By
Kevin Kelly.
Danielle Lapidoth
Admissions Assistant
Right now I am reading The Door By
Magda Szabo. I found it in the Brockenhaus
and am hooked! It’s about the relationship between an
artist and her inscrutable housekeeper, and examines
what constitutes a working (in every sense of the word)
relationship and the desire to know one another (even if
one feels an aversion to that other!)
Russell Uebergang
Secondary English as an Additional
Language (EAL) Teacher
While it is difficult to find the time for
leisure reading, I enjoy reading about
travel experiences or recommendations for travel in
newspapers or magazines, perhaps the odd travel
book, magazines about IT innovations and latest
IT products. Reading detective type stories by authors
like Robert Ludlum is a luxury, a ‘put me to sleep’ type
strategy or a ‘turn off the brain from work’ strategy. Sandra Swales
Central Purchasing Assistant
One of my all-time favourites is The
Perfume by Patrick Süsskind. It really
tickles my senses, when I read it; I can
smell the smells, hear the noises and see the colours he
writes about.
Jonathan Bradley
Secondary English Language & Literature
Teacher, Design Teacher
My favourite book is, A Confederacy of
Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. It was the
first book I read that caused me to laugh uncontrollably.
I may have even shed a few tears during a few absurd
moments in the book. Also, the story behind how the
book was almost never published is also an interesting
account.
Abbie Fox
Grade 1 Teacher
I don’t have one favourite book, but
one of the loveliest books I’ve read in
recent years is The Housekeeper and
the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. It’s about an unlikely
friendship between a housekeeper, her 10-year-old son,
and a brilliant mathematician who has only 80 minutes of
short-term memory because of a traumatic brain injury.
All three people are outsiders in their own way, but they
bond over math and baseball in this very affectionate,
subtle story.
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51
ALUMNI
Building bridges between
Business & Tech
In this issue’s Alumni, we meet Sonika Coomar (Graduate 2008). Sonika’s work revolves
around finding ways to connect the worlds of business and technology. Her job is
understanding what both sides want and finding solutions to meet both parties’ needs.
ICS was the first international school
that Sonika Coomar attended. Despite
her worries about adjusting to new
teachers and students, Sonika says
that it was a very smooth transition for
her, and she became part of the ICS
community within weeks of arriving.
Reflecting on her time at ICS, Sonika
remembers
that
academically,
anything that involved numbers
– Maths, Physics, Chemistry and
Economics - were her main points of
interest. She recalls fondly how Mr
Gardner boosted her confidence when
things got tough, or how Mr Marchetti
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told her not to blow up his lab and to
stay out of trouble! During her time at
ICS, Sonika was also a member of a
regional Swiss rifle team and spent
a great deal of her free time and
weekends training. She was known as
the “wandering photographer” of ICS
and loved to bake and design cakes.
Coming from a family of scientists
and
engineers,
numbers
and
problem solving have always been
Sonika’s forte and family members
encouraged and motivated her to
pursue her interests in STEM fields.
At Oregon State University, Sonika
double-majored in Computer Science
(Systems Engineering) and Business
Administration, following her Bachelor
studies with a Master’s degree in
Computer
Science
(Information
Systems) from the University of
Zurich. After completing her Master’s
in 2015, Sonika started working at
Alpiq Switzerland as a Junior Product
Manager in Mergers & Acquisitions.
She oversees and negotiates IT
transactions in the M&A process.
Starting off as an analyst and moving
on to software development, Sonika
noticed how difficult creating a bridge
“ICS taught me many things, but most
importantly it helped me grow and become
independent. It taught me that nothing is
impossible if I set my mind to it and work
hard.”
between the engineering/technical
side and the business side were. She
says, “It was as if the two were from
two different planets and could never
agree on anything.” She decided
to combine computer science and
business to focus on the missing
bridge.
Today, Sonika works in English,
German and French as the link
between IT and business, with a clear
understanding of both their needs.
Sonika says that her experience has
shown that usually business people
“win” as decision makers, which can
make the jobs of technicians very
challenging at times. By striving to
find solutions that meet the needs of
all the parties involved, Sonika saves
time, prevents misunderstandings and
conflicts, and makes sure that work is
completed in a cost-efficient manner.
male-dominated field,” but she has
never considered herself any less
qualified in comparison to a man with
a similar educational background as
her own.
Sonika plans to continue working in
her bridge-building role for the time
being, accepting more challenging
responsibilities and solving problems
as she moves up the corporate ladder.
She considers it important to observe
those in senior positions and learn
from them and says one should never
be afraid to ask for help or guidance.
In terms of gender issues, Sonika
admits that “things are not always
easy when you have a career in a
Sonika would like to continue doing
something meaningful that she is
passionate about. She wants to grow
as a human being and keep learning
new things. “My past is behind, I
learned from it. The future is ahead,
so I do my best to be prepared. But the
present is here, so I live it to the fullest
every day.”
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53
THE PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
Supporting our
community
The Parents’ Association is pleased to support the community by putting on various events
throughout the year including the Welcome Back Picnic, Book Fairs, Halloween Party,
Winter Market, Zurich Walking Tour with Clive Greaves and the International Festival.
When an event nets more money than it costs to put on, the net proceeds are donated to
various causes and charities that are connected and related to our community and its needs.
Highlights of Causes
supported by the PA
International Festival 2016
CHF 7,000 to Save the Children,
Syrian Refugees; CHF 2,487 to Library
for e-books; and CHF 650 to Nepalese
students
International Festival 2015
CHF 20,000 for rebuild of Nepalese
partner school, SMD, after Nepalese
Earthquake and CHF 1,600 to Library
for e-books
Clive Greave Walking Tours
donation to Arogya Agrom clinic for
marginalized people in India
Halloween 2016
CHF 830 to support Grade 10 projects
during their Cambodian trip.
CHF 1058.10 to the University
Scholarship of Nepalese Students.
Christmas Market 2015
CHF 10,908 to the University
Scholarship of Nepalese Students
Carbon Offset
CHF 6,000 relating to unused funds in
fiscal 2015-2016 donated to provide
trees along the school entrance drive.
The Nepalese Student University Scholarship Fund
The Parents’ Association is proud to have helped 5 Nepali students embark
on further studies having graduated from ICS. Our scholarship students
at ICS have been selected from our partner school SMD in Kathmandu,
Nepal. They study at ICS for their IB diplomas through 11th & 12th Grade
and become part of our community, living with host families. In Nepal there
are no possibilities for them to study beyond 10th grade.
After graduating from ICS their options to continue to study are limited as
they often come from remote Himalayan villages with little financial means.
As a result of the Winter Market and parent donations we strive to help
these students continue their studies so that they can make a difference to
their communities, when they return, which they all promise to do. It is the
multiplying effect of education that makes raising money for their further
studies so powerful for the future development of Nepal.
We currently are supporting 3 students at University in Finland and 2 who
are studying in Nepal.
Above: Nepalese Graduates, Chhimi and Lhakpa
“Life after ICS, I think I have become a more mature and goal-oriented kind of person
in general. However, I always try my best to be fully present and enjoy each and every
moment. The Parents’ Association enabled me to embark on this journey & I am very
grateful.
Chhimi Thinley
”
“I am forever grateful to ICS and my host families for their guidance, support and help.”
Lhakpa Sherpa
54
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
International Festival
Our annual International Festival is a very popular event and due to the kind donations of goods and services and hard
work of the community, we are able to raise funds for charity. The 2016 event took place on the first Sunday in June, a
day of very unpredictable weather! We had everything from sun and fluffy white clouds to a stormy downpour. However,
this didn’t deter either the children or the parent community from enjoying the festival. We had many happy, cheerful
visitors and a record number of countries represented - 21 country stalls which included new countries such as South
Korea, China, Poland and South Africa. Together with the delicious food supplied by parent volunteers, there was musical
entertainment and displays of dancing from parents and children, making the day a great success.
Thanks to Mala Hasset, Mini Curiel and their fantastic team, as well as student volunteers. We raised CHF 7,000 for a
donation to the Save the Children Syrian Crisis.
Halloween Party:
A spooktacular success!
Many wild witches, wicked wizards, ghostly ghouls as well as some perfect princesses and superb superheroes
came along to our Halloween Party on an awesome October evening. With tasty treats, tremendous trunks, divine
dancers and a horribly haunted house, it was clear that everyone had a ‘frightfully terrifying’ time!
Huge thanks to Theresa Sinding and her terrific team for organising and planning such a wonderful Halloween
Party. We really do appreciate all the effort, hard work and many hours involved to ensure that the evening was a
‘spooktacular’ success!
A fond farewell and a warm welcome!
We are very sad to be saying farewell to our VP Primary, Alison Corteen.
Alison and her family are relocating to Los Angeles early in 2017. We
would like to thank Alison for all her hard work as part of the PA Board and
the many ways in which she has contributed to enhancing our community
here at ICS. Wishing her every happiness in her new home in California!
We would like to extend a very warm welcome to Christina Lund Hirsbak,
who was elected at the General Membership Meeting on 1 November.
Christina took on the role of VP Primary on 1 December. We are excited
and pleased to have Christina join the PA board.
From left to right: VP Primary, Alison who is leaving and
Christina the new VP Primary.
Contact the PA Board
If you have any questions, or if you would like to get more involved with the
PA, please contact a member of the board.
We would love to hear from you!
Michaela Salge, Secretary: [email protected]
Ellen Lederman, Treasurer: [email protected]
Michele Stitt, President: [email protected]
Christina Lund Hirsbak, Primary Vice-President: [email protected]
Kerry Rees, Communications Coordinator: [email protected]
Shubashnee Story, Secondary Vice-President: [email protected]
CONNECTIONS WINTER 2016
55
1960
inter-community school
zurich
ICS Inter-Community School Zurich
Strubenacher 3
8126 Zumikon
Switzerland
Tel: +41 44 919 8300
Website: www.icsz.ch
ICS is fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) as well as the New
England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).