The ISE mission is to educate resilient, confident, self-motivated
and creative students, who are internationally minded and
accepting of individual differences, and who will be inspired to
develop their learning and achieve their potential.
20 January 2017
Save the Date:
• Thursday Jan 26, 18:30 to 20:00 – Presentation to Parents: Vision and Finances
Dear Students, Parents and Staff:
"People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things." Sir
Edmund Hillary
Just a note to say that as next week we will have the whole-school newsletter, I will not offer my own
newsletter.
In last week's Primary Assembly held on Friday, Joan Roach offered students a very thoughtful journey
into the topic of 'ambition' and the importance of setting goals that will drive us towards realizing our
potential. Students were asked to offer their ambitions to the entire group. My congratulations to the
students for being so thoughtful in their choices.
The students also had the task of making suggestions that I could use to set my own goals. I am sure
they will be pleased to know that I have carefully considered each of their suggestions several times
this past week. Their ideas are not only very ambitious but also appropriate and achievable. I have
therefore decided to strive towards achieving all three. Thus, I will aim to become a storyteller, learn a
language, and discover or invent something. I will let you know how I get on. It is always amazes me
how, even at such a young age, international students seem to be so intuitive and thoughtful in their
choices.
You might want to reflect on your own ambitions this week, and ask your child what they have set for
themselves. In doing so, I would suggest that you remind them that according to the psychologist Lev
Vygotsky, to learn best and achieve your potential, we have to take the risk of adventuring out of our
comfort zone and into a region he called the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). We might just as
well refer to this zone as the 'learning zone' - an area where you can expect to make mistakes, get tired,
be challenged, and need the help of expert others if you are to make the most progress.
As you might have guessed this week's newsletter is focused on Ambition!
When I began thinking of the ideas these young students offered, it reminded me of quotes from people
I have always admired. One of these personal heroes is the mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, who was
asked by a reporter just after he climbed Mount Everest , "Did you know you could do it?". After a few
seconds, and in his usual quiet and reserved voice, Hillary is reported to have replied, "No. You might
as well go to the beach".
By this he meant that if you are to truly make the most of this world, you should set yourself ambitious
goals; not those which you think you can achieve easily, but rather ones that maybe, just maybe, are
even beyond what you think you are capable!
The school vision is of a purposeful and focused learning community based on respect where all are engaged
in a co-operative, challenging and enjoyable learning experience. We aim to provide a caring, supportive and
positive environment where students, staff and parents feel valued, and safe.
The ISE mission is to educate resilient, confident, self-motivated
and creative students, who are internationally minded and
accepting of individual differences, and who will be inspired to
develop their learning and achieve their potential.
Nelson Mandela apparently said that "Leadership is about inspiring others to exceed their own
expectations" (2011, Nelson Mandela, Invictus) . I would similarly argue that education should be about
inspiring others, and ourselves, to exceed expectations.
Today the incoming president of the USA will be inaugurated. He will be expected to lay out his vision
for his country. He should be reminded of the need for all leaders, and in particular presidents, to set
lofty ambitions for themselves and their countries. In setting such ambitions, leaders can be inspired
by the words and success of Edmund Hillary, Nelson Mandela and President Kennedy (1962) who said,
We choose to go to the Moon in this decade ... not because [such challenges] are easy, but
because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our
energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are
unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win.
Hopefully when the incoming president sets his own vision we will be similarly inspired to set our own
goals.
Sources and Further Information:
"Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make
life so interesting.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
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•
KENNEDY, J (1962), "We choose to go the moon", Speech at Rice University on 12 September
1962, Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g25G1M4EXrQ (accessed 15 Jan 2017)
BBC (2015), 'Sir Edmund Hillary - The Race for Everest' Youtube,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDbE00gV20k, (Accessed 15 Jan 2017)
Questions: How do we measure the success of a president or prime minister? What ambition would
you set as your goals if you were the incoming president of the USA or the next Prime Minister of the
Netherlands? What would you set as your main goal if you were the Chief Executive of Google or ASML?
Or the ISE?
Parent Committee Meeting – 18 Wednesday 2017
Our parent committee has been ambitious this year. They have successfully arranged several wellattended events for students, which required a great deal of planning and the assistance of many
students and parents. They are now preparing for the International Fair at the end of the year, and will
also begin offering students the opportunity to purchase ISE hats, hoodies and similar items, to help
strengthen our sense of identity. This week we discussed possible transport changes, that I discussed
with city officials, and several purchases they intend to support with the money they have raised. The
priority for the committee is to support improvements which will benefit students across the school. I
am sure you agree this makes perfect sense. To summarize the results of their fundraising:
• Halloween Party raised €223 which was donated to the War Child Charity
• Pajama Day raised €550 for the Logan Fund
• Winter Fair raised €4878 which will be used for the Graduation Ceremonies for DP2 and Groups
7 & 8.
The school vision is of a purposeful and focused learning community based on respect where all are engaged
in a co-operative, challenging and enjoyable learning experience. We aim to provide a caring, supportive and
positive environment where students, staff and parents feel valued, and safe.
The ISE mission is to educate resilient, confident, self-motivated
and creative students, who are internationally minded and
accepting of individual differences, and who will be inspired to
develop their learning and achieve their potential.
•
Finally the previous Secondary Parent Committee donated €8015 to buy sports kits for the ISE
sports teams, and €3515 is being used to improve the sound and lighting for school
performances and activities that take place in the cafeteria.
Electron Microscope - Science Lessons Jan 2017
My thanks to Chigo Okonkwo (TU/e) and Ruud Benson (Phenom World) for helping to arrange for DP1
and DP2 science students to have a chance to experience the world through an electron microscope. It
is one thing to see structures in diagrams or pictures within a book - it is another to actually get a chance
to experience the dance and beauty of our world as seen through a high powered microscope!
Transport:
If you are walking along the main roads leading to the school during the 'dark days of winter' can you
please be sure to wear reflective clothing so that you can be seen easily. The teacher road lies in a
nature reserve where street lights are restricted. This can make it quite difficult to see pedestrians
through the fog. (This reminds me of the poem the Fog by Carl Sandburg, "The fog comes in on little
cat feet" !)
Can I also remind parents who arrange taxis for their children, that a taxi can only transport as many
people as there are seatbelts in the vehicle. A licensed taxi has blue plates, and is thus insured in case
of accidents. Children cannot sit in the front seat unless they are 1.35m or taller. Booster-seats in the
back are not mandatory, but if they are available they should be used.
Finally, in my next newsletter I will describe the various plans we are working on to alleviate congestion
around the school campus.
Secondary Parents Evenings:
Many thanks to all those teachers and parents who attended the evening sessions this past week. As a
school which believes in the benefits of students, parents and teachers working together, these events
are just a step we can take to accomplish this. It would be a good time for secondary students to share
with their parents their goals for the term ahead, and set SMART targets.
Recommended Books and Articles:
Recommendation 1: Waddell and Firth,"Can't you sleep, Little Bear" (For Primary)
This is one of my favorite children's books not just for its advice in coping with the dark, but simply for
its beautiful style of writing, which highlights the lovely relationship between little and big bear. This
books compliments the one offered in last week's primary assembly. Joan Roach used a book written
by the astronaut, Chris Hadfield. He takes us through his solution for conquering his fear of the dark.
He had understood, as a young child, that he would need to conquer this fear if he was to ever to
realize his vision of becoming an astronaut.
•
•
WADDELL, M. AND FIRTH, B. (1994) 'Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?', Walker Books Limited,
London
KING ROLLO FILMS LTD (2006), YOUTUBE , 'Can't You Sleep, Little Bear? (Animated) ,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1aJimzuzbg,
The school vision is of a purposeful and focused learning community based on respect where all are engaged
in a co-operative, challenging and enjoyable learning experience. We aim to provide a caring, supportive and
positive environment where students, staff and parents feel valued, and safe.
The ISE mission is to educate resilient, confident, self-motivated
and creative students, who are internationally minded and
accepting of individual differences, and who will be inspired to
develop their learning and achieve their potential.
•
•
HADFIELD, C. (2017) 'The Darkest Dark', MacMillian Children's Books, New York
HADFIELD, C. (2015) 'The Astronauts Guide to the Earth: Life Lessons From Space ', Pan Books,
New York
Questions that Parents or Teachers might pose to younger children: When I was your age, I wanted to ....
What about you? What does the word ambition mean? My ambition is to ..? What is your ambition? Can
an ambition be a bad thing or lead to a bad thing?
Recommendation 2: Documentary – the Race to Everest (2015: For All Students)
There are many short clips and documentaries about Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. This one
provides details of the problems, equipment, alternative routes and competing teams, plus other
historical details that makes this quite a compelling piece to watch.
Sources:
•
BBC (2015), 'Sir Edmund Hillary - The Race for
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDbE00gV20k, (Accessed Jan 15)
Everest'
Youtube,
Questions:
(i) Factual: What is the Nepalese name for Mount Everest? Why do people in England typically call it
Mount Everest? What is triangulation? What was one of the main reasons the Swiss Team did not reach
the summit in 1952?
(ii) Conceptual: What part did nationalism play in the race for climbing the world's tallest mountain?
Describe a historical situation or event in which nationalism had negative consequences for an individual
or group?
(iii) Debatable: Should the new president encourage nationalistic sentiments and actions during his term
of office? Why/why not?
Recommendation 3: The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare (1606)
"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps And falls on
th’ other. "(Shakespeare, Macbeth, 1.7.25-28)
Macbeth is one of my favorite plays. One of my ambitions has been to play one of the weird sisters.
How much fun would this be! You just have to love not only the shear mystery hidden within their
opening lines, but also Shakespeare's wonderful use of childlike rhyme and rhythm to add a creepy
psychotic texture to the language, and to their performance.
The line which begins, "Fair is foul and fouls is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air" always makes
me smile. It has as mentioned this childlike quality, much like the very strange opening in 'A Portrait of
an Artist as A Young Man' by James Joyce. It plays on words and repetition and comes across like a
nursery rhyme while generating with subsequent lines a sense of mystery that Sherlock would enjoy.
There is one part of this story that remains puzzling for a different reason and that is simply the
incredibly quick change in the character of Lady Macbeth. Of course this relates to the horror of what
she has done, it is just the speed at which this change takes place that I find puzzling. I would like the
chance to discuss this with Shakespeare should any of our students create a wormhole that would
enable me to go back in time.
The school vision is of a purposeful and focused learning community based on respect where all are engaged
in a co-operative, challenging and enjoyable learning experience. We aim to provide a caring, supportive and
positive environment where students, staff and parents feel valued, and safe.
The ISE mission is to educate resilient, confident, self-motivated
and creative students, who are internationally minded and
accepting of individual differences, and who will be inspired to
develop their learning and achieve their potential.
For those of you who enjoy comparing and contrasting the text with the historical facts, and possible
reasons for certain parts of the plot, I offer several suggestions below.
You might also read the Napoleon recommendation, who certainly matched Macbeth for both his
ambition and his tragic end. You might want to investigate, compare and contrast the two tragic figures
– Napoleon and Macbeth.
Sources and Further Exploration:
•
•
•
•
SHAKESPEARE (1606), The Tragedy of Macbeth
MABILLARD, A. (2000) 'Sources for Macbeth', Shakespeare Online, http://www.shakespeareonline.com/sources/macbethsources.html (Accessed 12 Jan 2017)
CANNING. I et al (2015), Macbeth (Movie), Weinstein and StudieCanal
John Singer Sargent (1888), 'Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth', The Tate Britain Painting,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth#/media/File:Ellen_Terry_as_Lady_Macbeth.jpg,
(Accessed 12 Jan 2017)
Recommendation 4: The Rise of Napoleon by Robert Asley (2001)
"Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or
very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them." (Napoleon Bonaparte)
I think no quote from Napoleon could be more perfect. What is the relevance of works such as those
of Shakespeare or the history of Napoleon, which relate to a period up to hundreds of years ago? This
is an obvious question, which all students should continually ask themselves and their teachers.
In response, we would hope that all of us will have taken the time to learn from great works whether
they be written today or long in the past. We should develop from such works principles and values for
behavior, which we can use not only to guide us in our own path in life, by from which we can measure
the success and appropriateness of our leaders.
In a similar way we should hope that all leaders will likewise take the time to read such great works,
and take the necessary time to reflect deeply on the negative consequences of blind ambition, their
ethics and moral compass.
We might also wonder how different the world might have been if Napoleon might have pondered
such texts. (Then again, I recall reading a book about Mao Zedong suggesting that he studied ethics
widely when he was young, which from my perspective did not really have the impact one might expect.
We do need to take care with such material as many texts written prior to the Cultural Revolution where
destroyed and/or ''adjusted'' to fit the views of the time).
I recall comparing the ethics of Mao Zedong with the ethics of Benjamin Franklin and others, in order
for students to ponder the difference between being ethical and moral. I have to admit I really enjoyed
the diversity of opinions and the discussion generally.
For younger children who may not be able to understand the relevance of such material, they will be
able to grasp the differences between the ethics of Slytherin and Gryffindor Houses in the Harry Potter
books. The little quiz below offers 16 questions to determine which house the Sorting Hat might select
for you. A very useful tool to discuss ethics and morality with children.
The school vision is of a purposeful and focused learning community based on respect where all are engaged
in a co-operative, challenging and enjoyable learning experience. We aim to provide a caring, supportive and
positive environment where students, staff and parents feel valued, and safe.
The ISE mission is to educate resilient, confident, self-motivated
and creative students, who are internationally minded and
accepting of individual differences, and who will be inspired to
develop their learning and achieve their potential.
Sources and Suggested Reading
o
o
o
ASPREY, R. (2001) 'The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, Basic Books, New York
LI, Zhi Zui (1994), 'The Private Life of Chairman Mao: The Memoirs of Mao's Personal
Physician' **
Harry Potter House Quiz , https://www.doquizzes.com/QTZNHH
** Note: My version of this text is in storage so I cannot check whether it was the one which contained
the description of Mao's ethics as I believe it does. This text was banned in China and there is some
controversy regarding its sources.
Questions to ponder: It is right to ban a book? If so, what criteria should be used and who should decide?
Either way, what might be the consequences of this? What factors/evidence can we use to help us decide
whether to trust the statements and content of a book such as the one about Mao Zedong?
Best wishes and enjoy your weekend,
Roy White
Director
The school vision is of a purposeful and focused learning community based on respect where all are engaged
in a co-operative, challenging and enjoyable learning experience. We aim to provide a caring, supportive and
positive environment where students, staff and parents feel valued, and safe.