Autumn 2016
Your secondary school curriculum How is it viewed abroad? internationalschoolparent.com
I Know How You Feel – The importance of helping your child to develop empathy Dutch Universities – All you need to know
New Headmaster at GES GEMS Academy Switzerland compete at the Scholar’s Cup Young Entrepreneurs at La Côte do swift business 100% pass rate for BSG A-Level students ISZL Students building with bottles in Ghana
The Power of Play. Toys are the New Textbooks.
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Welcome to the Autumn 2016 edition of International School Parent Magazine! After an active summer, and no doubt a busy start to the autumn term, your children are probably well into the swing of things! As the cold weather is closing in, but the snow has not quite arrived yet, our top autumnal tip for residents of central and eastern Switzerland is to take a trip to Swiss National Museum (Schweizerisches Landesmuseum) – The stone building that looks like castle, across the street from the Zurich Bahnhof, is the Swiss National Museum. It’s quite large, so allow plenty of time to visit with kids. The arms and armour collection is chock full of crossbows, chain link suits of armour, swords, helmets, rifles, daggers, pistols. The costume galleries recreate an 18th century drawing room with elegantly dressed men and women, family home with homey furnishings, and local market, as well an exhibit of 19th century Swiss ladies clothing with lots of bustles, bows and flounces. www.nationalmuseum.ch For those further west, Visit the United Nations – The United Nations offers hour-long guided tours of the complex, called the Palais des Nations, in English. Watch a film, learn how the UN’s predecessor, the League of Nations, came to be formed and see the chambers where decisions of worldwide importance are debated. www.unog.ch
We remain committed to the task of helping parents and children make the most of the fantastic opportunities an education at an international school in Switzerland provides. All that remains to be said is that I hope you have a wonderful start to the academic year.
As usual, we have some great articles from educational experts with subjects ranging from Empathy in the article “I know how you feel”, to everything you need to know about Dutch Universities, a hot topic at the moment after the Brexit vote.
Best wishes
I would like to extend our invitation to teachers, parents, and practitioners in all fields of education to contact us about writing and interview opportunities. We would love to discuss with you the opportunity to be featured in the magazine and on our new website at www.internationalschoolparent.com.
Work hard and be the best!
Nick Gilbert Editor & Publishing Director International School Parent Magazine Tel: +41 787 10 80 91 Email: nick@internationalschoolparent.com Visit: internationalschoolparent.com Facebook: facebook.com/internationalschoolparent
International School Parent Autumn 2016
Academy INTERNATIONAL BOARDING SCHOOLS
WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION IN THE U.S. AND UK WWW.EF.COM/ACADEMY
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> Campuses in New York, Torbay and Oxford > Internationally recognized high school programs: IB Diploma, A-Level & IGCSE > Guaranteed university placement > Students from 75 countries With private international boarding schools in the U.S. and UK, EF Academy helps students between the ages of 14 and 19 expand their horizons in inspirational, Englishspeaking learning environments. Our mission is clear: we open the world for students by offering them a superior education abroad, thorough preparation for university and access to a future that knows no borders.
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Phone: +41 41 417 47 94, Email: sofia.ivanidze@ef.com
WWW.EF.COM/ACADEMY
Contents 04 Does a bilingual education spell success? 08 Say YES to stepping outside your comfort zone 12 Let’s talk about sex 16 International School Choices – The Primary Years Programme (PYP) Advantage 18 Can children learn with no supervision? 22 Educating young people to be citizens of the future through CAS 26 My Story – Not an entrepreneur 31 Your Secondary School Curriculum – How is it viewed abroad? 35 8 Ways to Turn into a Weeknight Dinner Ninja 40 I Know How You Feel – The importance of helping your child to develop empathy 44 Dutch Universities – All you need to know 53 Posture 56 Preparing our children to succeed in an age of uncertainty 60 The Bow Tie in Le Bouveret 62 The benefits of a cutting-edge science program 68 School News
International School Parent Autumn 2016
Does a bilingual education spell success?
BY AMELIA MARTYN-HEMPHILL 6 |
By the time she was 12 Natacha Roumiantzoff already spoke 3 languages fluently. Her mother spoke to her in Dutch, while her father talked in French. English was the secret language they spoke only to each other, so that Natacha and her younger sister wouldn’t be able to understand. This tactic, Natacha explained, had the opposite effect. As soon as she started primary school, learning English became her top priority - the perfect way to tap into her parents’ code-speak. “I was super excited to learn new languages, it definitely developed my curiosity,” said Roumiantzoff, now 28 and working for the United Nations. Spanish and Italian quickly followed when she moved to an International School in Switzerland for her secondary education. “Suddenly I had friends from Spain and I needed to understand what they were saying,” she laughed. “You can’t fully understand the culture unless you understand the language.” internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Autumn 2016
he benefits of speaking multiple languages have been well documented, both in early and later life. In the age of globalization and an ever more competitive jobs market, a bilingual education can open many new doors for children and young adults. Social, psychological and even health benefits have been linked to extra language learning, but it’s a hefty commitment for schools and parents to take on, requiring plenty of forward planning and time investment. Speaking more than one language fluently is the reality for an estimated 50 percent of the global population. Countries such as Indonesia and India are home to hundreds of native languages and dialects, while the European Union officially includes 24. “I think one of the myths is that a bilingual education only works for clever or linguistically able children,” said Dr Gabriela Meier, founder of the Bilingual Immersion Education Network (BIEN) and Lecturer in Language Education at Exeter University. “It’s suitable for everyone.” The most common types of bilingual education programs involve learning the main school subjects in multiple languages, usually a different language on alternate days or with different teachers. This means that from the outset, lessons need to be more task based and tangible, involving multiple visuals, acting and extra multimedia to explain ideas. Dr Meier points out that this kind of supported learning can actually benefit students who may be less academically inclined. Often it is also boys, she says, who respond particularly well to this type of active teaching. Research carried out recently in the UK showed that bilingual children are less easily distracted in noisy primary school classes. Dr Meier adds that a multilingual education format also fosters greater social cohesion; pupils are made aware of the needs of others and are required to help each other more often. “It has more than just linguistic benefits,” explains Meier, who speaks French, Spanish, English and German fluently. “In a bilingual class, not knowing becomes normalized. It is acceptable that you need help and that you can help others too. If it is a well taught lesson then the content learning doesn’t suffer.” In Switzerland, bilingual education is highly desirable. According to a recent M.I.S Trend survey, 88% of people residing in French speaking Switzerland are in favour of bilingual English-French education. “Parents are aware of the importance of cultural literacy for their children’s future. Mastering an additional language goes beyond improving communication skills. Alongside music or art, language is about expanding a child’s horizons with a new set of references and providing a chance to connect more deeply with literature, cinema, gastronomy, economy, politics.” says Wendy Ellis, Principal at La Côte International School who introduced an English-French programme to meet parents’ demand. But with different languages come multiple exam systems, which can cause challenges for children switching between curriculums while still getting used to a new structure. The Swiss International School started in 1999 with 3 students and has now expanded to 16 locations and 3,300 students worldwide. Subject lessons are taught in English and the local language on alternate days for pupils ranging from kindergarten
to the end of primary. At college level the language of instruction varies from lesson to lesson, keeping a balance between the two. “It’s all geared towards fulfilling the local requirements, because our students need to know about their environments. At the same time they get the global approach to their academic subjects,” said Tom Huber, Division Manager of the Swiss International School. To avoid confusion, the school prints identical, national standard, text books in both languages. Teachers then plan lessons and asses jointly. “Since we always have a local teacher and an international teacher working together, they can use the best of both backgrounds,” Huber explained. “Usually after 18 months the children function very well in their other language.”
While studies have shown that multilingual students excel at planning and solving complex problems, some parents express concern that their children seem to fall behind their monolingual peers in the early stages of linguistic development. When Clarissa Vorfelt moved to Switzerland with her Dutch husband Egon, they decided to put their two children through French school up to the age of 11, while speaking English and Dutch with them at home. “It takes quite a tough parent to hang on in those early years,” remembered Vorfelt. “It can definitely seem a bit worrying at the start if their reading and writing is slower than everyone else’s,” she said. “For parents it’s hard to watch your child not scoring as high in a test or finding it as easy as others.” But exposing her children to multiple languages from a young age has definitely given them extra confidence and an important long term asset, Vorfelt concluded. Her eldest daughter Cecilia started college at Johns Hopkins University in the US this year, while her 16 year old son Joe is now studying at Aiglon College in Switzerland. Many multi linguals say that speaking a number of languages allows them to articulate their thoughts in range different ways and provides a broader perspective on complicated issues. Psycholinguistics Professor of Lancaster University, Panos Athanasopoulos, has spent most of his career researching bilingual cognition. His recent studies have shown that being bilingual does, in fact, statistically alter the way you think. People judging risk in their second language tended to make ‘more rational, economic decisions.’ Those decisions made in their first language, by contrast, were more likely to be affected by ‘deep-seated, misleading affective biases,’ which then unduly influenced their perception. Additionally, some scientists
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theorize that the increased blood and oxygen levels required by the brain when switching between two languages staves of dementia. The density of “gray matter” in the areas of the brain that control communication was shown to be higher in multilingual speakers. The four pillars of a new language - reading, listening, writing and speaking - each require a focused approach to ensure that one language does not become too dominant over another, but it’s also important to keep sight of a few key principles when bringing up your child as a multilingual.
• DO YOUR SCHOOL RESEARCH Having a long term plan for your child’s language education requires doing your own homework, and leaving some room for flexibility. If you are uncertain about where job or life commitments will take you or your spouse, it’s worth picking an International School that has global locations but a consistent curriculum or exam system throughout. On the other hand, if you want to integrate your child into a national program at a later date, make sure the bilingual school you choose works alongside those future requirements.
• STRUCTURED IMMERSION One of the most important foundations of a bilingual education is consistency. That means creating clear boundaries between languages to prevent confusion. When starting out, it’s important for children to form associations for each of their different languages and link their choice of words to a specific person or scenario. Experts suggest always speaking to your child in your mother tongue at home or adopting a “one parent, one language” approach.
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• USE LANGUAGE IN WORK AND IN PLAY The boom in digital teaching resources and online materials has never been bigger, giving parents and teachers an easy, accessible way to make language learning part of a child’s daily routine. Foreign films and cartoons, as well as YouTube channels, podcasts and interactive games can all be helpful tools to integrate, both for leisure and educational purposes. • KEEP YOUR CHILD MOTIVATED Setting personal goals can help both parents and students track learning progress. Making mistakes is a necessary part of developing a new skill. The latest research has shown that jumping back and forth between two languages also provides a physical mental workout that can stave off dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in later life.
• THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY Providing children with a more extensive grammatical tool kit has been shown to increase world view and benefit cognitive function. Psycho linguistic researcher Susan Ervin-Tripp established in 1960s that bilinguals develop different mindsets for each language, deciding which to use in response to any given situation. Helping your child nurture these different mindsets through exposure to a range of people, activities and arts helps to forge a positive sense of identity from an early age. • LINK LANGUAGE WITH CULTURE Studies have shown that the most effective way to retain new information is by engaging all the senses when learning. Getting familiar with a new language requires a lot more than just learning vocabulary and grammar. Immersing students in a country’s culture helps create a deeper understanding of the language. Some of the most successful language learning methods aim to engage students with food, music, history and art. • HAVE PATIENCE Though a bilingual child’s vocabulary may start off being smaller than a monolingual’s, it will be at least the same (if not bigger) across the two languages. Children don’t learn languages overnight. Practicing, experimenting and making mistakes are all part of the process and will pay off in the the long term.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
English-French bilingual programme from age 10
international-school.org T. +41 (0)22 823 26 26 | 9 LaCote_annonce_210x148.indd 1
16.09.16 13:43
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
Say YES to stepping outside your comfort zone
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BY DANNETTE HALEY
PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED CAREER TRANSITION, PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT, LEADERSHIP, AND LIFE COACH WWW.DANNETTEHALEY.COM
Moving from Ottawa to Toronto was not a big deal, although Canadians who don’t come from Toronto liken this city to Gotham City – face it; I had already left Havre Boucher, Nova Scotia: population 400 (when everyone was home for the holidays). Imagine when my husband, who worked for a multi-national company, arrived one evening, full of joy and anticipation; his first international assignment – Dallas, Texas was being proposed. After swallowing the lump in my throat – I thought, well better call my sister and run it by her – she knows everything! internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Autumn 2016
“What Dallas, Texas; how will you celebrate Halloween with your doors locked to bar all the criminal elements that must be coming just to your door”? Stopped in my tracks, there was more at stake here than Halloween. What about my career? As a Canadian living in the US my employment status would be: “NOT ELIGBLE FOR EMPLOYMENT”, how long till I could get my career back on track? What would I do with my time? I had a good university degree, had a great job and my childhood dream of being a busy career woman was slipping through my fingers as my husbands career was like a beautiful garden, thriving under wonderful sunshine. After weighing all the pros and cons, it was more important to him to have international exposure and I took the stubborn and determined stance that I WOULD get a job despite the employment restrictions in the US. Leaving Canada and arriving in Dallas changed our lives and set us on a course that fulfilled even our wildest dreams! After all the fears and trepidations, we discovered that people in this strange, dangerous land are actually quite nice and quite like us! Hard working, fun loving, and non-gun carrying – for the most part. We stepped out of our comfort zone, rolled the dice and decided to make the most of the adventure. For the spouse who is working, they have a haven of business colleagues who share a common goal and have the opportunity to go to the office everyday. For the spouse who is not working; that is where the challenge lies and for my husband and I, it was important that I AGREED; I accepted the challenge.
“You don’t know, what you don’t know about places until you have tried it and no matter where you go, you will find likeminded people!”
A JOB IS JUST A NETWORK AWAY Eighteen months later, another bomb – honey; what do you think of Singapore! “What, Singapore – I don’t even like rice” – there is NO way I can live in Asia. And besides, I had just started to enjoy this new culture and lifestyle in Dallas, Texas; new relationships with other young couples, wonderful neighbors with dinners back and forth; a casual drink on a terrace; all the exploring left to do, not to mention the shopping. My father had his first ever massage at the tender age of 55 in Dallas. He would be devastated if we moved. He certainly would never visit us in Singapore from Havre Boucher, Nova Scotia, which would be the equivalent of going to the moon for him! And how would I ever be able to restart my career? This proposed new culture would be too different, too unmanageable but with a heavy heart, I accepted to go and “look & see”. On that “look see”, through mutual friends, “who knew somebody that knew somebody”, I met my best friend for the next three years. My husband and I arrived with curious and willing attitudes (albeit tired from the jetlag) and open and excited to at least have a bit of a vacation and experience the best of Singapore for the week that we were there.
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My first conversation with Vicki, was a “me too” conversation – You lost your mom in your twenties; me too. You have two sisters, me too –(and three brothers for me). Your kids drive you crazy? Me too! You have live in help? -That is so going to be ME TOO! Needless to say, we loved Singapore! Again, we met like-minded people that were in the same boat; away from family and loved ones and up for an enlightened Asian experience. Part of that great experience was saying yes to that first proposed connection with people that we did not know but who could give us a first hand perspective on living in Asia.
IT REALLY IS THE MYSTERY OF THE RELATIONSHIP AND WHERE THAT FIRST YES CAN TAKE YOU
Atlanta, blah, blah blah”. Of course out of politeness, she insisted that we give her a call when we came for our “look see”. We went for our look-see, had a lovely but neutral lunch with Wendy as we listened to all the great reasons to live in the South! I resigned myself to another international move and insisted as a condition that we apply for status for me to be able to work immediately. While we were in temporary accommodations in Atlanta, we were standing in line at an Atlanta fast food restaurant; ChickFil-A and I hear this; “Hey Dannette”. Then and there, I re-met Wendy, and with the fog of resistance lifted, I was able to see and appreciate this warm, intelligent and helpful person in front of me and Wendy became my best friend for the next five years! It was again the mystery of the relationship and being open to wherever a chance meeting, a small, spontaneous conversation can take you.
“You don’t know, what you don’t know about places until you have tried it and no matter where you go, you will find like-minded people!”
After packing up Dallas, organizing another international move, paying strict adherence to what could and could NOT be brought into Singapore (because you know they cane people for chewing gum – NOT), we discovered that Singapore was actually NOT on the moon and we had more visitors then we ever could have imagined, including my father twice!
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My brother was the first to visit with his wife and family. This experience had such an impact on them, when they had the opportunity to relocate to Singapore from Alberta, Canada ten years later, it was an easier decision to make and indeed after having spent 10 years in Singapore; it was a life changing experience for them and their three children as well who profited from the world experience of being educated in an International school environment! AND through another chance of fate, neighbors on the street where we lived, worked at the same company I had worked for in Canada. Again leaning on my network, I was able to work with this company on an important project that restored my confidence that I could be a valuable contributor to a business after several years out of the workforce.
Staying open to building and nurturing a strong network, wherever one goes is an important part of any career transition.
Like all good things, Singapore had to come to an end! Through my husband’s professional network, he was approached by an excolleague to explore the opportunity of a job in Atlanta, Georgia. After being so sure that I did not want to LIVE in Asia; I was POSITIVE that I did not want to leave this paradise life of exotic foods, great friends, live-in help! Who was going to unload the dishwasher on the other end? Whilst deciding this next life changing decision, we took what could be one last holiday. Staying at the same hotel was an American family, who also lived in Singapore and whose sister Wendy was visiting from the U.S.; from Atlanta to be more specific. I absolutely ignored her but my husband was all over her like “white on rice”. “Oh, we are thinking about moving to
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
You know what’s coming – YES – we LOVED Atlanta! My career was again on hold because of my employment status “NOT ELIGIBLE FOR EMPLOYMENT”, but I knew that as soon as the application for a green card came through, that I would be ready. I filled my days with volunteering to the max at my children’s school, meeting people, moving forward important projects in the community. The day the green card came through, I was WORKING! Was it my dream job, actually maybe it was. It was back in sales, but at a very popular kitchen store – interacting with customers and providing solutions to their culinary problems gave me an opportunity to bridge the gap between my volunteer and community involvement and my desire to work full time.
PACK YOUR FAMILY VALUES WITH YOU
children, my strong value around learning – (a new language) and the advancement of my husbands career provided a balance to leaving the comfort and security of the known and an ambition of mine, that I knew if I was really committed to, that I could make happen somewhere else. Atlanta was a wonderful sejour in our adventures and one of the strongest family values that we reconnected with was our faith value. When we left Atlanta, honoring this value in Geneva opened up a whole new family and community for us. In my darkest moments of being in despair at once again having to reinvent myself in a country where communication was, at best, difficult, this faith value pointed me in the right direction. And gave me hope! Honoring our family value of open-mindedness and acceptance we enrolled our children in The International School where once again, to fulfill my need to serve, I volunteered to the max- and through the parent network at this international school – which is one of the strongest networks as a traveling spouse that you will belong to, I was able to “be discovered”! A parent who had her own Executive Search Company needed help and I was just the girl.
Throughout all our moves, there were some constants. Annual trips back home to reconnect with family, an open door invitation to family and friends to visit whenever they wanted. For our family and bringing up children away from our culture, it was important to have some ground rules. One of the rituals that my husband and I both grew up with and that we made a mainstay of our family life is to eat together as a family at the end of the day. Sharing this time and getting at least twenty minutes of undivided attention, has allowed us to pass on stories of our childhoods, relate the important aspects of the day to each other and to stay connected. Respect, honesty, trust were the themes behind a lot of these stories. There was a pivotal moment during our Atlanta stay when our then nine-year-old son came home from Atlanta public school one day and professed his support of a complicated US foreign policy. I explained to him that as Canadians, we were PEACE LOVING – he said, “but I’m an American” - we knew it was time to move on. Having a broad-minded view of the world was a family value that was important for us to instill in our children and we were committed to this. Once again, I had just started my next new passion and had enrolled in a culinary arts school with the ultimate goal to bring new and exciting food to the world. The decision to move to Switzerland offered so many more advantages to the whole family, our goal of having internationally minded, bilingual
Coming back to the “mystery of the relationship “and being open to your network – I was offered a part-time job on a contract basis to do research - two years later, I was the main consultant effectuating searches throughout Europe! Reinventing myself yet again led me to my profession today, which is a professional business coach. I realized my passion for helping candidates in their job search, honored my value of learning in studying to be a professional coach and fulfilling my life long dream of being a busy career woman. And if you have any doubt left as to whether or not to embark on this international life journey, don’t take my word for it. I offer you great advice from one of my all time fav’s: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” “And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS! So... be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way!” – Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
et’s talk about Sex BY DR PENNY FRASER MB BS BSC(HONS) MRCS(ENG)
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50%
of young people don’t learn about wet dreams before they occur.
24%
of girls don’t learn about periods before they start having them.
Survey of over 2000 young people by the Sex Education Forum, National Children’s Bureau, UK internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Autumn 2016
Most parents and carers feel awkward and embarrassed when talking to their children about body changes, periods and sex. This is quite normal especially as many adults carry memories of their own bumpy, fearful, even shameful, ride into puberty. It is also normal to have significant knowledge gaps – for example, about sexually transmitted infections, today’s sexual culture on- and offline, where to get help in Switzerland etc.
WHAT IS SEX AND RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION? It is a lifelong learning process that begins at about the age of 3 years old when a child starts to notice the physical differences in the people around them and starts to ask questions. Good sex and relationship education addresses the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, human sexuality and sexual health. It is essential to enable young people to make well-informed decisions and to take responsibility for their sexual health and emotional wellbeing for the rest of their lives.
ENCOURAGING FACTS ABOUT SWITZERLAND The Swiss teenage (15-19 years old) pregnancy rate is one of the lowest in the world with an incidence of 8 per 1,000 women. Compare this a rate of 47 per 1,000 in Great Britain and 57 per 1,000 in the USA. (Journal of Adolescent Health, February 2015) There are a number of theories about why the rate is so low in Switzerland including later puberty and earlier access to reproductive healthcare but one indisputable fact for any parent in any country is that good sex and relationships education raises the age at which teenagers first start to sexually experiment. (National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy 2007, UK)
WHAT DOES YOUR CHILD NEED (AND WANT) TO KNOW ABOUT: The breadth and depth of topics that he or she needs to know will depend on their age and maturity. As with learning to read or to play football, each child needs to start with simple age-appropriate basics and build up to more complex concepts. Here is a broad outline of the five themes that sex and relationship education consists of:
1. Puberty – how their body will change. How the opposite sex’s body changes - boys need to know about periods and girls need to know about wet dreams and erections. How everybody is a little different - has different sized and shaped genitals, breasts, thighs etc. Reassurance that he/she is normal. 2. How babies are made – How the mechanics of sex works. How pregnancy happens and what a pregnancy test is. How to prevent a pregnancy with abstinence, contraception or post-coital measures. Where to get contraception in their area and that both males and females are responsible for this. 3. Sex as part of a loving relationship – how sexual feelings (or the lack of them) are normal. The different types of sex that people may choose to have. The variety of different sexual orientations – gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender etc. They may use this frank discussion to tell you about their own orientation. 4. Sexual health – which infections can be transmitted through sex and that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be tested for and treated (if not always cured). How to prevent infections. The availability of condoms in their area. Who they can talk to about their own sexual health, e.g. school nurse, doctor, adolescent health services, a trusted adult. 5. Their safety on and off-line – every child need to know that not all sexual contact is a sign of appropriate love. Teach them if someone, of any age, touches them inappropriately, engages them in explicit online conversations or shows them offensive material (pornography) to always tell a trusted adult, preferably a parent or a professional. Assure them that you will never be angry – even if they have broken some rules.
TOP TIPS FOR TALKING ABOUT SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR CHILDREN: • Do start as early as possible in their childhood so that sex and relationships conversations are just part of ongoing family life. However, it is never too late to start talking. To give you courage not to procrastinate, think of the statistics: The average age of menarche (the starting of periods) is 12.9 years old with 1.1% of girls starting to menstruate as young as 10.7 years old. Girls of African or Afro-Caribbean origin are usually earlier to start their periods and those with Asian origins are often later. The markers of puberty are a little more vague for boys but the median age of semenarche (also known as spermarche – the first ejaculation of sperm, often nocturnal) is 13.4 years old. The age range is from 11.7 to 15.3 years. • Do use proper scientific words from early on – penis, testicles, vagina, vulva etc. Educate yourself about human anatomy first if you need to! Using ‘proper’ words actually helps to take some of the embarrassment out.
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• Don’t prepare a full ‘birds and bees’ talk. Younger children will often ask blunt questions like the classic ‘where do babies come from?’ Give them little parcels of information and watch their reaction. They may be satisfied with the simple facts and definitions that you give. Be prepared to answer follow up questions until they themselves change the subject. • Do discuss your own cultural, family or religious beliefs whilst keep the scientific facts true. • Do choose side-by-side conversations with older children and teenagers. It is often easier for both parent and child to talk whilst doing an activity in parallel, e.g. walking the dog, driving, cooking etc.
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Here are some further resources that you or your teen may find useful. A book with facts and advice: ‘Speakeasy: Talking With Your Children About Growing Up’ by Miriam Stoppard. Two interactive advice and information websites aimed at adolescents. Online questions can be asked in English. www.ciao.ch (French) www.firstlove.ch (German) Clear information in English from the NHS on many topics: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Sexualhealthtopics/Pages/ Sexual-health-hub.aspx
• Do look out for opportunities to start a discussion. Topics may be triggered by a film, music video, or seeing tampons or condoms on sale etc. When their school or paediatrician offers the Human Papilloma Virus or Hepatitis B vaccinations, talk about why preventing a sexually transmitted infection is important.
Medical consultations for adolescents in Geneva, aged 12 to 25 years with or without their parents. Ask your paediatrican or family doctor for the equivalent in your canton:
• Don’t forget that dads, uncles or other male carers have a crucial role. Studies of post-adolescent boys show that they lacked such conversations at home and would have liked more input from their fathers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
http://www.hug-ge.ch/sante-jeunes/consultations
It is essential to enable young people to make well-informed decisions and to take responsibility for theirsexual health...
• Don’t forget that their curiosity will not go away. If you don’t give them a satisfactory answer, or if you shut down the discussion, they will go elsewhere for the answers – answers that you may not necessarily agree with. Keep the sex and relationships conversation open and ongoing.
Dr. Penny Fraser is a British-trained doctor who works at the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève and is also a mother of two girls. Along with Dr Michelle Wright, she is Medical Director of HealthFirst, providers of dynamic First Aid training and personal, confidential Health Screening Assessments within companies and organisations as well as Sex and Relationship Education in International Schools. Find out more: www.healthfirst.ch
• Do use the third person to open a conversation. ‘I have a friend that…’ Ask what their friends think or say about getting pregnant or looking at pornography. Adolescents find it easier to express their fears and curiosities by referring to a third person.
• Do listen to your child. Their opinions or knowledge may surprise or shock you but try to remain calm and neutral. In this way, they will feel safe to talk to you in the future. • Don’t assume that they understand the basics: ‘You mentioned AIDS – what do you mean by that?’ Gently correct and expand their knowledge.
• Do ask if their school provides validated sex and relationship education? Who teaches it and at what age?
• Do give yourself a ‘get out of jail free’ card. If your curious ten year old picks up a packet of condoms and asks what they are in a loud voice in the supermarket queue, it’s ok to say ‘Lets go home, and I will tell you all about them’.
• Don’t be afraid of saying that you don’t know. Be willing to find out more. Read up on the subject, talk to other parents and be sure to restart the conversation another day.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
International School Choices – The Primary Years Programme (PYP) Advantage | 17
BY THE INTER-COMMUNITY SCHOOL ZURICH internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Autumn 2016
hen deciding on a structure for their curriculum and the learning experiences they offer, international Primary schools have a range of educational programmes from which to choose. The International Baccalaureate (IB), for example, offers the PYP (Primary Years Programme) as part of its suite of programmes (which includes the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme). Alternatively, a number of international schools offer national or even state-based curricula. Some offer newer programmes of a more speculative nature. What, then, are the key competitive advantages of the PYP?
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ethically aware thinkers. The PYP nurtures independent learning skills, encouraging every student to take lifelong responsibility for their learning. A third advantage, particularly for globally mobile families, is that the PYP is also transferable: while its implementation may differ from school to school, the central structure and ethos of the programme remain constant. This provides parents and children with a vital continuity of learning, providing reassurance, certainty and stability when changing countries. A final advantage of the PYP is that the programme is underpinned by extensive and continual research into curriculum and pedagogy. The PYP is informed by global best practice in teaching and learning. Teachers in the PYP programme engage in ongoing professional development globally, to ensure best practice and to maintain the highest standards of education. The PYP is one of the foundations of the education offered at IB World Schools like the Inter-Community School (Zurich). It provides a rigorous programme that focuses on developing the potential of each child. Undertaking the PYP brings international students into a truly global community of learners and educators.
“IB students tended to outperform their non-IB peers on the ISA across all domains in a majority of grade levels”
Firstly, the PYP is supported and maintained by an international organization of the highest repute, creating a stable, secure and well-resourced foundation for the programme. The IB is a global organization specializing in international education. It is an integral part of a global community of schools and educators. As of 2016, 1,266 schools are offering the PYP in 106 different countries worldwide. The IB is a reliable and prestigious brand in international education, and is well known to universities throughout the world. Part of its reliability emerges from the rigorous processes of accreditation and authorization that schools must undertake before they are able to offer the programme. Accreditation ensures that the standards of education by candidate schools are both high and globally uniform. It provides quality control and gives parents the stability and certainty their children need in an education system.
A second advantage of the PYP is the edge it gives students academically. Research has demonstrated that the PYP provides significant educational advantages to students throughout the world. For example, a recent study of PYP and MYP Student Performance on the International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) examined the performance of IB students in Mathematics and literacy tasks compared to their non-IB peers across Asia, Oceania, Europe, Americas, and Africa. The ISA assesses math literacy, reading, and narrative and expository writing among international school students in Grades 3 to 10. The study demonstrated that “IB students tended to outperform their non-IB peers on the ISA across all domains in a majority of grade levels”. Research has also demonstrated that some of the key components of the PYP – inquiry-based learning, international mindedness and action orientation – are the elements that provide an advantage for students over other programmes. Inquiry-based learning prepares students for the future, creating flexible,
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
Educating young people to be citizens of the future through CAS BY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LAUSANNE
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Lyn Cheetham, a seasoned international educator and current director at the International School of Lausanne (ISL) in Switzerland, was a guest speaker at the Positive Economy Forum in Paris recently. The mission of the congress, to bring different parties together to emulate a better future, is very close to what the vibrant Australian has dedicated her life to: educating young people in their most formative years.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
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ISL Students Working In Cambodia
International School Parent Autumn 2016
ollowing is an excerpt from the 12-minute Ted-like talk Cheetham gave to the audience of approximately 700 educators, legislators, media and students: Taking a long-term perspective of today’s political and social actions with a keen view to the future is essential. Therefore, we must educate our young people to act differently. The International School of Lausanne, with 875 students from the ages of 3 to 18 years of age and from 68 nationalities has a tremendous opportunity to change young people’s minds and shape them into the citizens of the future.
• fulfil a genuine need;
To best educate our young people, we need to fully understand the major trends shaping our future.
• take them out of their comfort zone to take action in situations they would normally avoid.
Firstly, the future will be even more multicultural. Many of today´s societal issues – response to migration, terrorism, crime and war – are all products of no tolerance and a limited respect for diversity.At our school, every day I see that children embrace diversity. At their young age, they coexist in harmony with each other, and take an interest in each other’s cultures. So the big question for me as an educator, is how can we nurture and retain the tolerance and openness we all seem to be born with?
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Part of the International Baccalaureate curriculum is our Community, Action and Service (CAS) Programme that operates from Primary through to Secondary school. Service is really becoming a part of the DNA of our school, and in creating this culture of service, we strive to employ teachers from around the world who subscribe to this. We select service opportunities for our students which fulfil three criteria:
Secondly, another fundamental shift we see is the need to collaborate more. This requires a new universal set of values that foster the right behaviour. This takes dedication by our staff and a clear Mission and Aims and set of values we teach our students. Our mission says: We strive to develop students who will build a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. So for us it is not just about academics, it is about those values we model and teach every day. The third big shift is that increased awareness and care about sustainability will be key to the citizens of the future. I really sense much more realism and an impatience to create a different world amongst my students today, than I did a decade ago. Young people are more aware of the challenges, and the responsibility we all have. And, I think we, as educational institutions have a huge responsibility to nurture this consciousness for sustainability and the future of the planet. In the context of these three big transformations that we see now, we must educate our children differently.
• enable students to develop their understanding and advance their learning beyond the classroom; and
Our students engage in various service opportunities in Switzerland, our home country, and through service trips to Tanzania, Cambodia, Morocco, Poland and Romania. These activities have a profound impact on our students thinking about the world and also their educational and career choices. We have been running our programme in Tanzania for the last 10 years. Our students teach English to Tanzanian students, who have had all of their primary education in Swahili. This exposure to English helps them prepare for their secondary years, where they will be educated in English. For the Tanzanian students this is a highly valuable. For our students, it was an equally, if not but valuable experience. They were also exposed to Swahili and learned it from their hosts. Most importantly they learned about themselves. Our students learned that their reality is not the same as everybody else’s reality. We also raised approximately 70,000 CHF and, working together with the Tanzanians, helped build and paint classrooms and a preschool, a kitchen block for a school ,including an accommodation block for teachers. Our experience is that the more real engagement and service, the more life-defining learning. We have a sustained relationship with the community and there is just as much a real learning for us, as there is for them. We also organised a microfinance project which entailed supporting local businesses, and provided scholarships to educate a number of students who would not normally have been given the opportunity of any education at all. Through service we teach hope and confidence.
One way we do that at ISL is to provide a holistic education to increase the consciousness of our students for the world we live in. As an International Baccalaureate school, we encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
The following quote is from Rachel Call who graduated from ISL in 2008:
Lyn Cheetham with Primary students from ISL internationalschoolparent.com
“I can honestly say that the people I met in Tanzania changed my life. I wish there was time to tell each of their stories—the woman who took care of us, the little orphan girl I carried on my back, the
International School Parent Autumn 2016
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Tanzania Project
second headmaster of the school, our guide, the family who showed us their home made of mud—if only I could show you what each of them did for me.”
According to Makiguchi this means students understand what their role is and what their obligation is as a member of the whole community and to their fellow man.
Rachel wrote to me last week about her experience from a service trip to Tanzania. The essence of her note is that she found that she could learn so much from the people she encountered in the service. Our goal is exactly that: to create a mind-set that you meet as equals in a situation of different cultures and get an understanding of what the various cultures are like. For Rachel the visit to Tanzania defined her educational choices and work from there onwards.
This is what we hope to instill in our students at ISL through our CAS programme.
ISL also engages in Service Programmes in Switzerland with such organisations as Terres des Hommes, EVAM, working with student refugees, and Cecily’s Fund, for example. Tsunesaburō Makiguchi, a renowned Japanese educator said that ‘Real education only begins when you go beyond the classroom’. When you inject students into the community they have no choice but to navigate who they are, and to understand their relationship with the community, whether it is building homes for habitat in humanity, dog walking or working in a hospice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lyn Cheetham has been the Director at the International School of Lausanne since 2007. Under her tenure, she led a major 46 CHF million expansion project. Now completed, the campus is world class with a new Early Childhood centre for students ages three to four, a multipurpose auditorium with seating for 400, a broadcast recording studio, new libraries, triple-sized Olympic gymnasium, new café and cafeteria, expanded playground facilities, and much more. ISL has a top ranked IB Diploma Programme with an extensive range of subject offerings, including the arts with Music, Drama and Visual Arts. ISL has a history of its students achieving IB results which are ranked in the top percentages in Switzerland, and in the world. For more information about ISL, please visit: www.isl.ch
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
My Story – Not an entrepreneur BY JANE SHAH
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“So, you’re an entrepreneur? Wow, that’s amazing, how brave!” A typical response to that standard dinner party question when I reply that I run my own businesses. But no, I don’t class myself as an entrepreneur. I’m just someone who’s lucky enough to be able to work flexibly, doing the stuff I love. An entrepreneur, to me, is an innovator, an inventor, someone who bucks the norm and goes out on their own to fulfil a bright idea. That’s definitely not me. I’m far too logical, practical and, in fact, risk averse. I just wanted to have it all and, as luck would have it, I feel I’ve got it (for the moment, at least, but I’m never one to count my chickens). I’m quite simply self-employed. It doesn’t feel brave at all and the only really amazing thing, for me, is that I’ve found a way to have the best of both worlds – to be there for my children (a self-confessed control freak who wants to have the biggest influence on their lives) whilst also keeping my brain active, using the skills I’ve spent years acquiring.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
nd anyway, the word ‘entrepreneur’ doesn’t describe what it is I actually do - it’s become a hip catch phrase of the start-up era - so, to actually answer that ubiquitous dinner party question, what I do is run 2 small businesses: one as a brand and communications consultant; the other importing and selling the women’s sportswear brand ‘Lorna Jane’ in Switzerland. So, to give you some context, I’ll start at the beginning. Or at least at the beginning of the most recent chapter of my life…
Luckily, my professional skill set was malleable enough to be repackaged into a consultancy service. Yes, I had mostly been on the strategic and client-facing side of advertising, but I was also a creative wanna-be who enjoyed writing and dabbling in design. So, I realised that by combining it all – a customer service mentality, a strategic mindset and a creative approach - I could effectively offer myself up as a one-man (or rather, one-woman) creative advertising agency. Well, in theory, at least. I then had to put theory into practice…
In a not unoriginal story, 9 years ago my husband and I decided to leave the sunny shores of Sydney after 4 glorious freedom-filled years, to come back to Europe to be closer to family and friends. Our roaming adventure most definitely wasn’t over, but by then we were ready to have an adventure a little closer to home. By chance, I’d spent a summer studying at Lausanne University and he was part of the ‘Nestlé family’ so we already knew the Vaud region pretty well. And being keen skiers, this mountainous playground – especially after the flatlands down under – seemed like the perfect solution.
And actually, getting started wasn’t difficult. As my own first client, I named my business (InsideOut Communications), developed its brand identity, designed and wrote my website and a few calls and meetings later, I’d jumped the fence and had re-incarnated myself as an external consultant for Orange’s communications department. As I said, working as an employee in the market was definitely key to getting me started.
Until that point, I’d spent my career in the advertising world, working with global clients in global advertising agencies - and having a lot of fun doing so. The one compromise we knew that we’d potentially be making with the move to the beautiful land of chocolate and cheese was that it wasn’t known as a mecca for advertising. So it was a semi-conscious decision that a change of direction was likely for me. It’s just that we didn’t yet know what that change would be. When it comes to advertising, whether or not you’re in the industry, you’ll probably know that a small village in Switzerland isn’t exactly on the map when it comes to the places to be and be seen. It’s a great place to live but it’s not exactly London, New York or Sydney. Of course, there are some excellent agencies in Geneva (several of which I’ve since worked with) but it’s amazing how quickly you can become utterly Swissified - commuting the length of the lake and back every day never featured on my radar. So, instead, I made the leap to client-side marketing (i.e. working in a company’s in-house marketing department, as opposed to working in a creative advertising agency). I realise that might not sound like much of a change, but for those who are au fait with the industry, it’s akin to turning to the dark side. But turn to the dark side I did, and surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it – and how much I learnt – initially in the marketing department of Orange Communications and laterally as their Brand Manager. In retrospect (‘hindsight’s a wonderful thing’ is a cliché for a reason) this was an invaluable experience when it came to setting-up on my own later down the line. Three years and a baby later, I decided (as many women do) that the thought of leaving my newborn to go back into the workplace just wasn’t something I was prepared to do. However, I also wasn’t prepared to stop working altogether. In fact, work has always provided me with much more than a salary. It provides me with a sense of purpose and a real sense of self-worth. Wrongly or rightly. So I wasn’t about to give it up. I just needed to think a little more latterly.
And as we all know, work creates work. The more you’re out there, the more you’re talking to people and meeting people, the more people are talking about you, the more work comes your way. So, before long, I was juggling clients of all sizes (from start-ups to multi-nationals) on all types of projects – designing marketing collateral, writing web copy, creating brand identities, developing direct marketing campaigns, print ads, full-on campaigns and even copywriting scripts for video games (not something I’d previously had any experience of playing, let alone writing!) The diversity of people and projects keeps it all interesting and, on the whole, massively rewarding but still with plenty of time for my children (yes, I managed to fit in another one along the way – the biggest downside to self-employment being, I suddenly discovered, the lack of maternity leave). A big plus side of self-employment, however, is that you’re fully in control of how, when and where you work, making it so much easier to create time for yourself than in a traditional work place. I imagine there’d be more than a few raised eyebrows if you were to slip into your sports kit mid-morning, mid-office. But whether it’s putting a wash on while you’re mulling over an idea or going out for a run in the middle of the day, your time really is your own. And it’s thanks to this and my trusty sports-break companion, Sophie, that together we set-up what was to be my second business ‘The FeelGood Company’ importing and selling Lorna Jane sportswear in Switzerland, proving that new business ideas can really come from anywhere. It was after a trip to Australia to visit her sisters-in-law that Sophie started turning up to our sporting meet-ups dressed top to toe in Lorna Jane, putting me to shame in my eclectic collection of over-washed, slightly misshapen sports kit. Sophie’s enthusiasm is utterly contagious so after some corroborative research (Lorna Jane is enormous in Australia – outselling Nike, Reebok, Adidas and Lulu Lemon combined, annually - growing rapidly in America and without a doubt set to be the next big thing in Europe) I was an utter believer in the brand. We put together a business plan, pitched our case to the Global Development Director and won the Lorna Jane distribution rights in Switzerland. Just like that.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
Now, I may have worked with many retailers in my career but retail most definitely is not my forté. What I’ve realised, though, is that almost anything can be learnt. You need to have enough experience of the basics – and between Sophie’s natural flare for sales and networking and my brand and communications skills, we had most bases covered – and then be prepared to learn (through a combination of research and trial & error) to fill in the gaps. Who knew the importance of the Fair Trade Agreement between Switzerland and China in 2014? 18 months ago, certainly neither of us did and now we can quote it off by heart (not that recitals are often requested…) In just the first year of business, we’d created a loyal, direct customer base who kept coming back for more, we had a catalogue of enthusiastic brand ambassadors across the country and we’d successfully launched Lorna Jane into 17 Manor department stores across the country. We also had a website, a completely automated point-of-sale system, a stock management system (which was mostly brilliant but unfortunately also occasionally susceptible to human error – our bad) and, above all, the excuse to regularly shop some of the best sportswear out there. Not a bad job if you can get it. So no, I think you’ll agree that elf-employment doesn’t sound brave or scary. And it isn’t about being an entrepreneur. It’s just simply a different way of working. And the norms – the way we work, how we work, where we work and when we work – are changing all the time so that different has in fact become the new normal. 26 |
If it’s the type of normal that sounds like it might suit you, then all I can say is think it through, talk to the people around you and if it feels right then go for it. Gut instinct is a wonderful thing. And in case you want it, here’s my centime’s worth of advice if we were having this chat over a cup of coffee: 1. Know your marketable skills and leverage them. Doing what you love is important (but in an ideal world, that’s relevant for all jobs whether you’re self-employed or not) but if you can avoid it, don’t start from scratch. If you already have something that’s sellable, sell it.
(website, elevator pitch, know what it is you’re selling etc) but if you wait for it all to be perfect you’ll never begin. 5. You don’t have to know everything. You just have to know enough to be the expert and be self-aware enough to know what you don’t know. You also have to be motivated enough to fill in the gaps. 6. Self-promotion is massively important but keep it professional. Don’t saturate your personal Facebook feeds with pushy business pitches to all your friends. You’re running a business, even if a small, fledgling one, and you’ve got to keep it professional. Instead, use the likes of LinkedIn, talk to your contacts, hunt down projects, join professional bodies. In short, do the leg work and make every contact count. 7. Expect to be a jack of all trades but remember you can’t afford to be a master of none. If there are weaker parts to your offering either don’t offer them, brush up your skills and learn new ones or find someone you can sub-contract to. 8. If you’re going into business with a partner, ensures it’s primarily someone who’s company you enjoy (you’ll be spending a lot of time together), who’s opinions you respect (you will have disagreements but if there’s mutual respect you’re likely to solve them better and quicker) and ensure that person has a complimentary skill set to your own so you have clear areas of ownership. You don’t need a partner if you’re doing the same job. I don’t profess to know it all by any means, but I do have a few years and a couple of businesses under my belt, so if you do have any questions about being self-employed, I’ll do my best to answer them. You can contact me at jane@insideoutcomms.ch And obviously if you have any brand or communications needs or are in the market for some amazing new sportswear, then here are the go-to places I’d highly recommend. And I’m only a tiny bit biased – honest!
2. Don’t see the way you work as making you any different from anyone else. It’s what you deliver that counts. 3. Ensure you have the support of those around you. Even if you’re doing it on your own, you have to be realistic. Whether that’s financial support (bills still need to be paid before that first job is chargeable), emotional support (my husband and kids are my surrogate water cooler conversation colleagues these days) and logistical support (my children were in garderie for 2 days a week from young and although I do try to keep work to work days, if I do ever have to work at weekends / evenings, I’m lucky enough to have an understanding, hands-on husband and a great group of supportive friends). 4. Don’t wait ‘til all your ducks are in a row to get started. Yes, get the basics up and running so you’re credible
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
Your Secondary School Curriculum
How is it viewed abroad
BY JENNIFER KOLLER
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
hen it comes time to start thing about applying to universities abroad, many parents ask, “How will my child’s secondary school qualification appear to universities in the U.S., U.K., Canada or elsewhere in the world? Will they understand the grading scale, the amount of work and the curriculum standards of the country where I live?” The short answer is that most of the qualifications presented by international students are well regarded by Anglophone universities around the world. But it helps to understand a bit about the educational system in the country to which you are applying and to offer some information about your educational background in exchange.
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In general, colleges and universities want to understand how the applicant compares to other students offering the same qualification. For example, useful information might be the percentage of students who passed or achieved a certain grade in the national school-leaving exam. In countries where this information is not readily available, your school might be able to provide information about how you compare to other students in your school or region. This information could be provided in a “school profile” or within a recommendation or reference written by the head of the school or a teacher. Any relevant information about the qualification is useful – for example, does the qualification allow you entry to any university in your home country? What is a passing grade is in your country’s system? Answers to these questions will be useful to admissions officers unfamiliar with your qualification. Furthermore, many U.S., Canadian and U.K. universities have specialist admissions officers who read applications from particular regions. These admissions officers travel to the area, visit schools and communicate with counselors from the country or region. In most cases, they understand the qualifications they are presented with and if they do not, admissions officers will usually try to get more information about the qualification from the student’s school or other sources. That said, not all qualifications are as well known as others. For example, the IB has growing recognition in the U.S. with some 893 U.S. schools offering IB diploma. The French Baccalaureate is also quite widely known and understood by international admissions officers, whereas diplomas from countries with smaller number of applicants, such as Switzerland’s Maturity, may be less well known in terms of the rigor and breadth and the different types of Swiss diplomas. It is advisable for students to provide as much information about their diploma as possible. And, some universities do not devote resources to international travel and recruitment. Many large public universities, for example, may need more explanation of international qualifications and contextual information about the individual student.
To dig a little deeper, it’s best to consider each country separately. I like to start with a little background information on the various educational systems. But remember, each secondary school qualification has its strengths and most universities will not rule out students who hold an international diploma or certificates. More important is your student’s performance within whichever curriculum he or she has chosen.
USA Traditionally, U.S. high schools do not have a standard examination for graduating from high school. Students graduate by having successfully completed a certain number of courses in various disciplines according to state laws. While this has changed somewhat in recent years, it does explain why U.S. universities examine a student’s transcript or grade report, rather than a school-leaving exam. In addition to fulfilling the requirements of a high school diploma, a college-bound student might take a standardized test – the SAT or the ACT. These tests are administered by independent bodies and measure the “college readiness” of an individual student. So where does the national exam or diploma fit in to the U.S. admissions application? Exam results or predicted exam results are certainly considered as part of the student’s profile, but grade reports are required. Colleges and universities in the U.S. will ask to see an official transcript of the final four years of secondary school. Since most students apply during the fall of the final year of high school, universities will actually only see 3 years of grade reports plus a report from the first term of the final year. After the decision is made, universities will request the final semester grades and exam results from the qualification the student is taking. Even though the final grades are not available until after the student is accepted, care should be taken not to let grades drop significantly. Colleges and universities in the U.S. have been known to send students a warning letter, put the students on academic probation or even rescind an acceptance (although the latter is uncommon) if things go really wrong academically in the last semester or if exam results are much lower than predicted. Although typically, offers of admission are unconditional in the U.S. – that is, you do not have to achieve a certain mark in your school diploma exam, such as IB, French Bac, Maturity, Arbitur, A-Levels, etc. The fact that colleges and universities in the U.S. will be asking for 4 years of grades often comes as a surprise to international students. They are working toward exam results and do not realize that their performance in school will be considered as an essential element of the application. There is good news however, even if a student has not performed to the best of his or her ability or believes that his or her transcript does not reflect her capabilities: U.S. colleges and universities consider a variety of factors when considering applicants, taking a holistic approach to admissions. College applications in the U.S. are multifaceted, allowing students to describe their activities outside of school, whether that is a job, volunteer experience, sports, arts activities, online learning or whatever they do in their spare time. They round out the application by attending an interview, writing
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
essays and adding teacher recommendations to the application. But grades in school, the rigor of the student’s curriculum and SAT or ACT are the most important elements. Because so many of the international secondary school diploma programs mentioned in this article are rigorous and broadbased, most U.S. universities consider them to be excellent preparation for university studies. Students who have not done a full diploma, but have earned Advanced Placement (APs) or IB certificates are also considered well prepared for college-level studies. Try to make the most of the academic opportunities offered by your school. U.S. universities believe that the more challenging the curriculum, the better preparation it provides for students entering college. Course selection is important as well, especially in certain subject areas. For example, if you are planning to study Engineering and you are doing an IB diploma, you should take Math at Higher Level; similarly, you might choose Baccalaureate Scientifique or, in the Swiss Maturity, Applied Maths if possible. So, it pays to think ahead when choosing the secondary school diploma. That said, U.S. institutions generally have a 4-year Bachelor’s degree, allowing students to study a great variety of subjects before they choose a “Major” subject matter. Finally, some international students are surprised to learn that at U.S. and Canadian universities they may earn up to a year’s credit for their international secondary school qualifications, reducing their Bachelor’s degree program from 4 years to 3 or 3. 5 years.
choose their course of study before applying. Therefore, subject choices in school are more important when a student is thinking about applying to U.K. institutions. If for example, you would like to study one of the sciences, it is best to have taken advanced courses in biology, chemistry and/or physics while in secondary school. Similarly, your application to study history or literature will be stronger if you have studied these subjects at the highest level possible in your school curriculum and ideally, have devoted time outside of school to the subject matter. U.K. universities are looking for more focused preparation in fewer subject matters than some secondary school diplomas provide. So, if possible, try to take as many courses as possible within your curriculum to provide background in the subject(s) you may wish to study at university in the U.K. If you are doing an Extended Essay or other long research paper for your diploma, try to choose your topic in the subject area you hope to study at university. While most students in the UK take the A-Levels, a significant number study for the IB diploma. Therefore, on university websites, students will find the minimum requirements for the subject they select expressed in terms of expected grades on the A-Levels, IB and some international qualifications, such as the French Baccalaureate. There is often some information about international qualifications on “international Student” pages. This information is useful, but can be very general and some courses may have specific requirements that are not mentioned on the international student pages. So how do you figure out what is expected for a particular course if you have a qualification that is not mentioned in the international student pages or on the course requirements page?
CANADA Similar to the U.S., Canada does not have a college entrance exam. However, there are usually minimum standards set for certain secondary school diplomas and for certain courses. Normally, students are asked to select a program at the time of application and some programs may have specific requirements for admission. For example, the Business or Management school faculty in a Canadian university may require minimum grades in mathematics and even specific coursework. Transcripts are usually required, but grades in secondary school diplomas such as the IB are used for admissions purposes.
There are two elements to consider. One is the overall grade required in the diploma and the other element is the prerequisite courses that some UK universities will require for certain subjects.
Universities are seeking international students to diversify their campuses.
Because the admissions cycle ends before most students have their diploma results, Canadian universities must rely on “predicted grades” provided by your secondary school, so it is important that these grades be as accurate as possible. Canadian institutions will often publish minimum requirements for grades in different diplomas from previous years. While these change from year to year, they are useful guidelines for students.
UK
Secondary school in the UK includes examinations at two stages. Students take GCSEs after Year 10 or 11 In the UK. Universitybound students will then study 3 or possibly 4 subjects at “A-Level” and will pass exams in those subjects in Year 12 or 13. Alternatively, British students will study for the IB diploma. Results in these examinations and the subject matters chosen are quite important to universities in the U.K., because applicants
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
You should be able to get that information from the university website, but it helps to try to attend university fairs and open days or simply to call or email the university and discuss your particular qualification with the international admissions team. Furthermore, U.K. university applicants are required to include a reference from a teacher or the director of the school. This is another place to add information about the diploma, as well as about the student. Students can also look for comparison charts of various diplomas. There are many available on the Internet; some are more accurate than others. Look at the websites of schools in your area that offer more than one diploma type – they may show a comparison chart of different school-leaving qualifications.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jennifer Koller is a college admissions advisor who specializes in working with international students applying to a diverse selection of colleges and universities in the US, UK, and Canada. Based in Geneva and the U.S., Jennifer works with students and families around the world to find the right fit for their higher education. Jennifer holds a B.A. in French from Wellesley College and a Master’s degree in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She has lived in the U.S., Switzerland, England, France and Italy. Jennifer is a member of the International Association for College Admissions Counseling and the Council of International Schools. She is married and is raising three “third-culture” kids. www.youridealcollege.com
Universities are seeking international students to diversify their campuses. Make the most of your secondary school diploma by doing your best work, offering an explanation of the curriculum where necessary and being aware of the requirements for particular courses in different countries before you apply.
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NON-PROFIT DAY SCHOOL
3-18 YEARS OLD Academic Excellence Holistic Approach Family Spirit World-Class Campus Tel.: + 41 21 560 02 02
www.isl.ch internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Autumn 2016
Ways to Turn into a Weeknight Dinner Ninja
BY JUDY OKTEN WWW.BONJU.CH
Picture the scene: it’s 6pm on a Tuesday night. You’ve just picked up the kids from school. After a long day they’re tired, cranky and hungry. You get in the door and immediately have little arms and legs climbing up on you, wanting to play – while simultaneously complaining how hungry they are. With one child attached to your leg and and the other pulling out all the pots and pans beside you on the kitchen floor, you take a deep breath and start your mission – GET DINNER ON THE TABLE. And fast.
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You look in your fridge. You see: 1) a few soggy looking veggies in their grocery-story bags, 2) prepared pizza, 3) some sauces. You look in your cupboard and see a bunch of dried things like beans and rice that look like they take time to make, and also some bread and jam. Your kids start fighting, “She punched me in the face!” Things are escalating. You think fast – you don’t have time to wash/ chop/ prep the veggies/ grains, so you turn the oven on and throw the pizza in.
This one used to put me off completely. Before kids I preferred to be spontaneous - to open my fridge and see what I felt like whipping together.) I have to admit that I’m a huge fan of prepping now – it’s the single most important item on this list and will make your meals 75% easier, guaranteed. Food prepping can include 1) batch cooking beans/ grains 2) roasting potatoes/ starchy veggies, 3) grilling/ roasting/ steaming or marinating vegetables, 4) making simple yet versatile dips or dressings, 5) washing, chopping and storing fresh raw veggies. For example, I might make a batch of quinoa & wild rice, roast some sweet potatoes, steam broccoli & carrots, make hummus and a salad dressing, wash all my greens and fruits, and chop raw carrots & peppers. 90 minutes later: Fridge = ready! When you prep these kitchen staples in advance, all you need to do for mealtimes is choose the combination you’re going to put together, the seasoning you will use, perhaps a few fresh veggies and voila! - an endless variety of nutritious and delicious meals served in a hurry. I try to block 90 minutes on Sundays to make this magic happen.
2. “Flexible” Meal Planning
Sound familiar?
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I am a Canadian healthy food-loving marketer and mama of two energetic little ladies ages 5 and 3. After a 10-year career in marketing mostly at Proctor and Gamble, I’m now on a mission to make it easier for busy people like you and me to eat and drink well, and live healthy, energetic & abundant lives. One way I do this is through our daily green smoothie delivery service (check us out – www.bonju.ch) – taking the work out of making green routine. I LIVE and BREATH healthy! And yes, I admit that at meal time, I sometimes also reach for the jam and bread. And as a busy mom, I hear you – being organized enough to get food on the table fast during the week is a challenge. I’ve learned one way to solve this is to try to become a Cooking Ninja and be able to reach into your fridge and cook a healthy and well balanced meal from scratch in 15 minutes. For all you Cooking Ninja’s – I salute you. This article is for the rest of us who aren’t quite there yet. The good news is – in my quest to solve the weekday dinner dilemma, I’ve found pretty great tips and tricks that can make things a LOT easier. No Ninja moves required. All tips have been tried & tested in our kitchen and I know they work (when you put them to use!) Here are my top 8 favourites:
1. Batch Cooking is Everything
This one is kind of like meal planning for non-meal planners. Before I had my kids, it seemed like a huge and unnecessary chore to plan meals every night! It still still feels that way… yet I still need some kind of system to take the decision-making out of the equation when I’m tired and short on time. My method is to go shopping – and find inspiration there. Ooh, those eggplants look amazing, I’m so making Baba ganoush. I take it all home (wait for it) but before it goes in the fridge (drumroll!) I make a list of every single ingredient I bought, and write beside it the meal inspiration I want to create (or if undecided, a list of the possibilities.) For the eggplant I might write down Baba Ganoush, or roasted eggplant with tahini dressing. I do this with every key ingredient. I might connect a few and create a few meals based on what works well together. This serves as my guideline for the week. I still give myself some freedom to decide exactly when to make a dish and what to pair it with, but this method provides enough structure to help me batch cook/ prep in advance so I never have stare blankly into the fridge and wonder what to make.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
3. Buy and use your electric pressure cooker
7. Use your pantry!
I know it’s a bit strange that a pressure cooker gets its own bullet point! But it’s kind of a life changer. This little piece of magic is genius to help you cook while you get on with your life! I use it to make brown rice (cuts cooking time from 50 minutes to 20), beans of all kinds (hummus in minutes), porridge (10 minutes away to amazing oatmeal porridge) and soup. I would highly recommend an electric pressure cooker that you can program, set and leave, so it cooks when you’re not there and dinner is ready when you get home. How perfect is that? The one I use is called the Instant-Pot – it’s actually a slow-cooker, rice-cooker and pressure cooker in one, and it plugs into the wall so you can set it & forget it. Sold on Amazon – here’s the link for anyone curious!)
4. Make large portions and reinvent or freeze I’m a big fan of making my life easier. One way to do that is to NOT cook something brand new every day. When you do cook, make big portions so you have enough to reinvent leftovers into something new, or freeze them, ready to be thawed in a pinch. For example, let’s say I’ve batch-cooked a bunch of quinoa and beans. One night, we might have a quinoa salad with broccoli and beans. The next night, I could mash up the quinoa and beans and turn them into veggie burgers, served with steamed carrots, sweet potatoes and beet ketchup. If I still have leftovers, into the freezer they go. A good tip is to freeze portion sizes in small bags – they keep much better that way and are easier to thaw/ reheat too.
5. Make a list of your fave dishes I am sure you can name your top 5-10 meals right off the top of your head - your go-to’s, the ones you know your family loves and looks forward to. Pizza is high on the list for us. So is quinoa salad, coconut lentil soup, and vegetable tian. Take all of these dishes, and get them in a spreadsheet. Yes, I am actually suggesting you use excel for meal planning! I know it sounds a little crazy, maybe it is, but think about it – what’s the point in thinking/ rethinking the same question again and again and again? It’s efficiency we’re going for! The 15 min meal requires many decisions to be made in advance… so pull out that laptop. Add to your list every time you make something new that’s a hit with your family. Include the ingredients. Refer to your list when you’re looking for mealtime inspiration.
6. Make your “staples” shopping list While you’ve got your laptop open, make a new spreadsheet for your “basics” shopping list. You’ll likely end up buying a lot of the same items week after week, so simplifying this process in a list makes life a lot easier for you when you’re shopping with a toddler attached to your leg. Email me if you’d like a great list of the items to try to have on hand all the time!
Your pantry is where you keep things like whole grains (flours, pastas, grains) beans and canned foods (dry beans, canned/ jarred beans, jarred veggies), condiments (vinegars, sauces, butters, tamari/ soya sauce, salsas) seasonings (spices, spice mixtures, starches, sweeteners) and snacks (dried fruit, nuts/ seeds, whole grain crackers, fruit bars - and for us, definitely some good quality dark chocolate.) The dream is to be able to open your pantry (with a few items from your fridge/ freezer) and find everything you need to turn ingredients into your meal. The pantry can be a huge time saver – you can make endless varieties of pasta with tomato sauce and fresh or frozen veggies, quinoa/ bean salads with simple vinaigrette and leftover veggies, or burritos with beans, salsa and a handful of veggies – to name a few. Try your best to make it beautiful – use jars and sealed containers and label them well, so when the time comes it’s a pleasure to open your pantry and pick what’s for dinner.
8. Taco Tuesdays, Falafel Fridays Have fun with Theme Nights! The underlying theme here with many of these tips is really to SIMPLIFY the decision making as much as possible so when it’s time to cook, you have to decide as little as possible and just focus on execution. Enter Theme Nights. Some examples: Soup & Salad Mondays, Pasta & Veggie Tuesdays, One Pot meal Wednesdays (made in the Insta-Pot!), Pizza Thursdays, Stir-fry Fridays. You can also make theme night flavor-based , such as Mexican night, Lebanese night, Italian. Get creative and have fun with it!
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So there you go! Give it a try and let me know how you get on – I would love to know if some of these tips work for you as they did for me. Remember a few principles:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Judy is a Canadian living in Geneva for almost 9 years. After a 10 year career as a marketer in P&G she became a little obsessed with healthy food and is a graduate of Rouxbe Professional Plant Based Cooking Course, and Cornell University Plant Based Nutrition certification program. She is a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is co-founder of Vitality Food Lab Sarl, creator of BonJu Super Green Smoothies.
• Take it easy! Don’t be hard on yourself if it doesn’t work and you end up eating pizza 2 days a week at first! The learning curve is really about making it a habit, and this takes time. The best thing you can do is time-block 90 minutes on the weekend for most of your prep. The week will go so much smoother with this one step.
For more information about BonJu Super Green Smoothies, please visit: www.bonju.ch
• Involve your kids in the cooking. There are lots of things that little hands can do – tear herb leaves, wash/ dry greens, stir soups, shake nuts into salads, set the table. Get them to work :-) • Have FUN! Cooking can be a real joy if we give ourselves space and time to enjoy it. By simplifying the decision making, we get to focus on execution and actually eating together with our kids. Put some music on, grab a glass of wine and put that Ninja outfit on :-) It’s go time.
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know how you feel… BY DR LAURENCE VAN HANSWIJCK DE JONGE, MSC, PHD, DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST AND COACH
The importance of helping your children to develop empathy. Tips for instilling these skills. internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Autumn 2016
People who understand how to watch, listen, and observe the actions and emotions of those around them are often the most successful in life. A conscious alignment of one’s self with others starts with the development of empathy in the early years. Early theorists suggested that young children were too egocentric, or otherwise not cognitively able, to experience empathy (Freud 1958; Piaget 1965). However, a multitude of studies have provided evidence that very young children are, in fact, capable of displaying a variety of rather sophisticated empathy related behaviours (Zahn-Waxler et al. 1979; Zahn-Waxler et al. 1992a; Zahn-Waxler et al. 1992b). Little 7-year-old Johnny is playing in the park with his friends from school, laughing and joking around. His mother walks over and says to Johnny, “you see this kid there, his name is Sam, he is the son of my friend and he is quite shy and alone”. Johnny turns around to his friends and says “hey guys I’m off, see you later” and he turns around, picks up the spare football and goes over to Sam and quietly asks him if he wants to kick a ball. Sam smiles, gets down from where he was sitting alone and they start kicking the ball back and forth. There was no prompting from the parent’s side, no further information; there was some sort of internal understanding on Johnny’s side on what it means to be shy and alone and what that feels like. Not only had he left his group of friends for this, what was remarkable was that he went from being loud and boisterous, to approaching Sam in a soft and calm manner, mirroring Sam’s demeanour.
Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another being is experiencing from within the other being’s frame of reference, i.e., the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. Empathy moves us to share in another’s pain, to really see the world through their eyes. When we do, it very often changes the kind of decisions and actions we take. There are many definitions for empathy which encompass a broad range of emotional states. Types of empathy include cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and somatic empathy. Empathy is essential for motivating prosocial behaviour toward others, including complying with social rules and engaging in altruistic behaviour. Empathy also facilitates the development of social competence and enhances the quality of meaningful relationships.
THE DEVELOPMENTAL TIME LINE The ability to empathise begins at an early age, with infants as young as 18 hours showing some responsiveness to other infants’ distress. Right around their first birthday, children start “social referencing”, looking to their caregivers for information. They learn that facial expressions speak for different emotions. And at around 18 months, children exhibit the ultimate precursor to empathy -- understanding that other people have feelings different from our own. During the second year of life, toddler’s responses to others’ distress typically transform from an overwhelming personal distress reaction to a more “others” oriented empathic reaction. At the same time, toddlers become capable of rather sophisticated helping behaviours. However, don’t forget that egocentrism is normal for a toddler. They can’t be empathetic and unselfish all the time. As children reach the preschool years (4-5 years), significant developments occur in cognitive empathy, or theory of mind abilities, and 5-6 year olds have the ability to discuss feelings. There is evidence to suggest that these early dispositions toward empathy and prosocial behaviour may be consistent and stable over time.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO EMPATHY The ability to typically develops early and rapidly. But what factors facilitate this development? There are within-child contributions such as genetics, neural development, and temperament, as well as socialisation factors including facial mimicry and imitation, parenting, and parent-child relationships. If one or more of these factors function atypically, they may contribute to empathy deficits. The “disorders of empathy” (e.g. autism, psychopathy, schizoid personality, etc.) highlight the importance of the ability to empathise by illustrating some of the consequences to disrupted empathy development. Individuals with psychopathy show less physiological responsiveness to distress and have deficits in their ability to recognise facial affect, particularly fear. There has been recent supportive evidence from neuroscience studies, which shows dysfunction in empathy related brain areas, particularly areas of the limbic and Para limbic system (emotion areas), among psychopathic individuals (Kiehl 2006; Shirtcliff et al. 2009). If psychopaths have intact cognitive empathy, but dysfunctional emotional empathy, it suggests that the ability to feel another’s pain is the central component to motivating prosocial behaviour and minimising antisocial behaviour. It also suggests that the ability to cognitively understand another’s perspective can be socially dangerous in the absence of an emotional empathic connection with the other. From a broader perspective, studies show that cognitive empathy is more impaired in individuals with autism while emotional empathy is more impaired in individuals with psychopathy. This suggests that the cognitive and emotional components of empathy can develop unequally, and that both are necessary in promoting healthy social functioning.
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The more we can humanise the victims of distress or tragedy the better kids will be able to respond with empathy.
There is equally an importance of genetic influences, in concert with environmental factors, on the development of empathy. Other temperamental factors, such as reactivity, or the degree to which one physiologically responds to stimuli in their environment, has also been associated with empathy. For example, infants who showed relatively low levels of motor and affective responses to novel sensory stimuli at four months, were found to respond less empathically to a stranger simulating distress at age two (Young et al.1999). The association between low reactivity to sensory stimuli in infancy and others’ distress in toddlerhood may be an early sign of under arousal that may lead to later callousness and antisocial behaviour.
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Equally parenting itself is found to influence the early development of empathy. One aspect of parent-child interaction that is particularly relevant to the study of empathy development is the level of synchrony between parent and child. Synchrony is the temporal matching of behaviour between mother/father and child. Studies show that mother-infant synchrony measured in the first year of life (3 to 9 months) is directly associated with empathy level in childhood and at 6 and 13 years of age. Interestingly, synchrony was associated with later empathy, but not moral cognition, suggesting that it may be more important for the emotional, rather than cognitive, aspects of empathy. In addition, parents who match their infants’ affect (i.e. Affective synchrony) during interaction may provide children with two important experiences. On the one hand, it may lead children to feel that another, the parent, can feel what they feel. On the other hand, it may provide children with an understanding that their own emotionally motivated actions can influence another. Some children seem to naturally develop empathy without the parents “consciously” teaching this. However, if neurologically all is intact, then empathy can be helped along the way through conscious teachings.
TEACHING EMPATHY 1. Treat children as individuals with minds of their own, talk to them about the ways that our feelings influence our behaviour. Talk to your children about emotional and mental states, and discuss the ways that our beliefs, desires, and emotions motivate behaviour. 5-6 year olds have the ability to discuss feelings. As five- and six-year-olds become more aware of their own emotions, they begin to recognise them in others, and their emotional vocabulary expands. 2. Model empathy. Use opportunities to model, and induce, sympathetic feelings for others. By pointing out situations that call for empathy parents can generate sympathetic responses for their kids. This can be done on the street, in a book, in a movie. Take the situation where little Ben has splashed paint all over his brothers drawing. A parent who says “you must tell him that you’re sorry” is forcing a child to say sorry without understanding why or how it relates to his brother’s feelings, he isn’t really exhibiting or learning empathic behaviour. Instead, it is better to encourage Ben’s participation in the process by asking: “How do you think your brother is feeling? What might you do to help him?” For younger kids it is harder to think of what the “other”
is feeling, so you can ask them “what does it feel like when your brother ruins your drawing”, they might answer “sad”. You then ask “so how to you think your brother feels now?” 3. Make kids aware of the similarities they share with others. The more we can humanise the victims of distress or tragedy the better kids will be able to respond with empathy. Research shows kids are more likely to feel empathy for those who are familiar or similar to them. So draw inferences on similarities. 4. 4. Empathy involves perspective taking skills. What is the world like from another’s point of view? Again in everyday life, movies, or books ask what do the characters think, believe, feel or want and how do we know that? This is opening up the understanding of how others minds work, growing the skill of theory of mind. By preschool age (4-5 years), children are generally capable of taking another’s perspective. The ability to understand others’ perspectives is integral for fully and successfully identifying with another’s experience. Theory of mind helps to transform the early developing affective experience of empathy to a more sympathetic, others focused, experience by more fully attaching one’s empathic feelings to a conceptualisation of the other’s experience rather than one’s own. The increase in the ability to identify with another’s experience also allows children to engage in more effective helping strategies, as they are presumably viewing the situation more accurately.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
5. Make a face. Studies show that simply copying a facial expression can make us feel the associated emotion. When researchers have asked people to imitate certain facial expressions, they detected changes in brain activity that are characteristic of the corresponding emotions. So make your child mimic a facial expression. We increase our empathic powers by imitating the facial expressions of people we want to empathise with. 6. More oxytocin, “the bonding hormone”, can help better decode emotional meaning in facial expressions. If research is correct then maybe children will find it easier to understand the emotional signals of others if they have plenty of their own oxytocin. Oxytocin is known to be released during breastfeeding as well as hugging and massage. 7. Reassessment of the Milgram Experiments –Moral Disengagement. Research shows us indefinitely that average well-adjusted human beings can be persuaded to harm others, even torture them, as long as the reasoning is correct, for instance by an authoritative figure. These people in the experiments were not psychopaths, they were ordinary people exposed to social pressure from a plausible authority figure. With the right rationalisations, otherwise decent people can disengage their moral responses. This is equal for kids. So make kids aware of this phenomenon, bring awareness so that they can better make decisions in certain situations. 8. Express your feelings openly. Often parents feel that they should not “burden” their children with their feelings or their woes. However, this is a great learning lesson for your children. If you are having a hard day, tell them. Not only might their reactions amaze you, your ability to verbalise a range of emotions will help children recognise and respond to the emotions of others. They will also learn from the emotional language you use. You can expand this by labelling the intensity of the feeling (e.g. 1 to 10), to teach them that there is a range of intensity to “sad”, “angry” etc. 9. Emotional vocabulary is key. Society has increasingly been expressing concern over the social and emotional growth of children. This has even sometimes been said to be replacing the traditional emphasis placed on the cognitive and physical development of children. Psychological studies into behavioural disorders, learning difficulties and other aspects of normal development have shown Emotional Literacy to be important in promoting happiness and selfsatisfaction. It is our uneducated emotions that move us, hold us back, and lead us astray. It is, at first and at last, our emotions that determine our choice of profession, partner, and politics, and our relation to money and religion. Nothing can make us feel more alive, or more human, than our emotions, or hurt us more. Yet many people lumber through life without giving full consideration to their emotions, partly because our culture does not encourage it, and partly because it requires unusual strength to gaze into the abyss of our deepest feelings. As parents it is our duty to push past our own fears and open
up in order to fully, emotionally educate our children. Emotional literacy is the building block for empathy as well as emotional regulation. 10. Monitor and guide media use. Research leaves no doubt that kids who are exposed to violent media and games act more violently (and less empathically) than those who are not exposed to those games and media. A 14-year-old boy who spends all weekend and most nights shooting and stabbing for entertainment, even if it is in the virtual world, is at far higher risk of acting violently in the real world. And the research is clear: such media objectifies others, and desensitises our kids, often the line between fiction and reality is blurred, effectively muting empathy. To live in a world without empathy is to live in a world that is ego-centric, dog-eat-dog, focused on me. A world without empathy is a world where people don’t consider how things look from another person’s viewpoint, a place where other’s feelings, perceptions, intentions, and motives don’t matter. Other problems arise in a loveless world. It would be impossible to trust anyone else as trust is built on leaps of faith and human compassion. We would have no way to experience the safety of others unless they exactly conformed to our expectations. Each of us would be self-appointed emperors of our own little world. Inevitably, it would be a rather lonely world. However, a world of empathy is one where people feel safe, secure, and connected. It’s a place where we can trust that people are concerned for our needs and interests. It’s a world where people see into our hearts, and see through our eyes. A world with empathy is a world where people understand and care. We as parents are armed with the abilities to help instil this in our children and unless there is an underlying neurological difficulty we can go a long way to making sure we raise emotionally literate and empathetic children.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Laurence van Hanswijck de Jonge, MSc, PhD, is a Developmental Neuropsychologist and Coach who provides educational and neuropsychological assessments for English speaking children between the ages of 3 and 18. Her practice is rooted in Positive Psychology and her belief in the importance of letting our children flourish through building on their innate strengths. She is certified by the University of Pennsylvania, USA, to run the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy based resilience building programme for children. She is also a CogMed coach, an evidence-based Working Memory Training program (computer-based) which sustainably improves attention by training working memory. Website: www.Laurencevanhanswijck.com Email: l.vanhanswijck@gmail.com
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
Dutch Universities – All you need to know
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BY MARILYN STELZNER
The Netherlands - with more bachelor programs taught in English than any other non-Anglophone country now seems more attractive than ever for local students. Brexit suddenly throws many unknowns into attending UK universities, about if and when EU students be charged international fees or subject to changing admissions standards. Even before Brexit, the number of UK students enrolled at Dutch universities has been increasing steadily because of the comparable quality but the lower price tag. Students from Switzerland are also recognizing the Netherlands as a place to include when investigating university options.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
hy is the Netherlands more and more on the radar for higher education? • The high quality of Dutch institutions of higher education. • The wide range of programs taught in English at the bachelor level, and no language barrier due to the high level of English across the population. • The low cost, comparable to staying in Switzerland, compared to options in Anglophone countries. • A friendly, tolerant, and vibrant environment for students, from student life to the country itself.
• Liberal arts and sciences offerings for students who want to delay picking a specific subject or subjects to study. • Options ranging from large programs with hundreds of students in a class, to small, tight-knit, residential learning communities. Note: What British universities refer to as a course, and US colleges call a major, the Dutch call a program. The table below, excerpted from the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2015-2016, helps put the reputation of Dutch universities into perspective when compared to Swiss universities or better-known universities from the UK, the US, and other countries.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
TWO TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION As in Switzerland, publicly supported institutions of higher education fall into two types: research universities and universities of applied science (UAS). Only 15-20% of Dutch students take the high school leaving certificate (VWO) qualifying them to attend a research university. The majority of students take HAVO, giving them direct access to universities of applied science. The table below summarizes characteristics of research universities and UASs.
SO WHAT IS THE COST?
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For the parents reading this, we’ll jump quickly to what this high quality Dutch university education might cost. Most bachelor students with a passport from the EU, European Economic Area (EU plus Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland), or Switzerland, regardless of country of residence, pay the government set fee of €1984 per year for the 2016-2017 academic year. University college (described below) fees, at approximately €4000, are somewhat higher because they offer a smaller-scale learning environment, with specialized advising and services and lower student-faculty ratios. EU/EEA/Swiss students are also eligible for a tuition fee loan from the Dutch government and can work in the Netherlands. Everyone else pays higher “international” tuition fees set by the university and typically ranging between €6,000 and €15,000 (Medical and pharmacy programs may be higher). It pays to do your research because the same degree might be offered at different prices at different universities. Permanent residents in an EU/EEA/Swiss country, but with a non-EEA passport, should contact universities of interest and ask if they are eligible to avoid international fees. According to Kim Zwitserloot of University College Utrecht in August 2016, “The fee status for UK nationals won’t change until Brexit negotiations are over, as until that happens the UK is in the EU. The latest news is that nothing would change till the end of 2019, meaning that students starting in fall 2017 would pay the EEA fees for at least the first two years of a three year programme. This bit is very, very much provisional though. Who knows what will happen in the end.” Students in the Netherlands typically spend between €800 and €1,100 a month on housing, insurance and daily expenses such as food, public transport, books, clothes, and cinema tickets. Bottom line: attending university in the Netherlands costs approximately the same as staying in Switzerland.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
Eight Dutch research universities offer an additional higher educational experience, known as a university college, and defined by: • Small-scale tightly knit academic communities. • Fast-paced and intense classes, small class sizes, highly interactive teaching methodologies. • An international atmosphere with approximately half of the students from outside of the Netherlands. • A liberal arts and sciences curriculum. • The requirement for students to live together (with a few exceptions).
University Colleges are for highly motivated students who have a diverse interest and don’t want to limit themselves to the perspective of one academic discipline. Such students are academically strong, intellectually curious, and interested in getting socially involved and giving back to their student community.
PROGRAMS FROM AEROSPACE ENGINEERING TO GRAPHIC DESIGN Over 330 bachelor courses are currently taught in English in the Netherlands, with more being added annually. The first step to finding a bachelor is to consider what subject you want to study. If you are not ready to make that choice, look into liberal arts and sciences programs, which let you explore multiple subjects.
• Instruction completely in English. Selected examples of programs below demonstrate the range of the options:
• Selective, holistic admissions. Many international school students gravitate to university colleges because of the close-knit international environment and the flexible curriculum. According to Alexander Whitcomb of Erasmus University College in Rotterdam:
To find a complete list of programs offered in English, use the www.studyfinder.nl website, first selecting Undergraduate for Type of Education and English under Language of Instruction. You can also search by institution or location.
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IS THE PROGRAM A FIT? Once you identify programs of interest, take time to assess their teaching, learning, social, and living styles. The best way to do this is to visit, either for an Open Day or on your own. You can also learn a lot on program websites and YouTube channels, or by calling the university. Investigate specific areas such as: • The number of contact hours to expect in lectures, seminars, tutorials, or labs, and what type of staff will be involved. University colleges generally involve the most interaction with faculty and peers. • Characteristics of a program’s teaching style. Dutch universities generally offer student-centered education in which the student is an active learner, rather than passively sitting back and listening to an instructor. Some programs use problem-based learning (PBL) where students apply new knowledge and skills to problems as a team. With group members from diverse backgrounds and cultural environments, discussions can be especially lively. • Availability of study exchanges and internships or work placements, which provide valuable experiences, enhance what you learn in a classroom, and appeal to future employers.
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On-campus housing for students is not traditional in the Netherlands but some Dutch universities guarantee student housing located on or close to the campus to first year international students. University colleges typically require students to live in their residences for at least in the first years as a residential experience is critical to the educational environment. Dutch universities and academic departments support many different student organizations that are run independently by and for students. Don’t let names like study associations mislead you, however, as many of the activities they organize are social. Student associations organize orientation programs for first year students, parties and going for drinks, events for international students, charitable projects, study trips and excursions, careerrelated trainings and workshops, sport activities, cultural activities and many other creative events.
CAN I GET IN? Research universities in the Netherlands admit students with nonDutch diplomas whose prior education is deemed to be equivalent to the Dutch VWO. The list of equivalent diplomas includes the: • International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma • Swiss Maturité • French Baccalaureate • German Arbitur • US High School Diploma with 3 to 4 AP classes and exam scores of 3 or higher
• 3 A-Levels with grades C or higher. • In addition, many bachelor programs at research universities accept students who have done well in the first year at a university of applied science. Some programs have additional subject requirements, minimum grades, and English language and mathematics requirements. For example, IB Math Studies does not meet requirements for some programs. An English language proficiency exam such as IELTS is required for students who are not native English speakers and not educated in English. Dutch universities of applied science sometimes admit students with a High School Diploma and IB certificates. Students who do not meet requirements can take a foundation year to develop academic and English language skills to the required standard, before starting a bachelor program. If you have an eligible diploma and the required subjects,check the program selectivity and whether the program considers additional factors. Most bachelor programs are automatic admission: If you qualify and obtain your diploma, you are entitled to prove you can cope with a university education. There is a slight wrinkle for programs with a matching procedure: If you qualify you may still be asked to undergo a test, be interviewed, or write a letter. The outcome of this process is advisory only, so technically students who get negative matching advice may still attend. Though these entry requirements might seem low, standards are not. According to Carolyn Barr of Leiden University, [I]t is exceptionally important to understand that all programmes select “after the gate” (after students have been admitted). Depending on the programme and university, students are required to pass 60%-100% of their first year classes in order to continue. We call it Binding Study Advice (BSA), but there is no advice about it – if you don’t make it you’re out. So while it may seem the Dutch system is not selective, that’s not entirely true. The first year at a Dutch university is seen as a probationary period. You will take regular exams and if you fail them, you will be asked to leave. Before this scares you away, understand that well-prepared students who apply themselves have a high chance to succeed. In particular, Dutch university representatives say that international students, especially those completing the IB diploma, usually do well.
PROGRAMS WITH SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS Although most programs are open admission, some are selective: Numerus fixus and other selective programs. A program is numerus fixus when limited places are offered and applications consistently exceed that number. Traditionally medicine, some business courses, physiotherapy, psychology and a few others are numerous fixus, but again this varies across universities. Selection is based on two or more criteria, such as grades and a letter of
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
motivation. For applications submitted for Fall 2017, students can apply to two numerus fixus programs prior to January 15.
• Course descriptions (syllabi) for required subjects • Interview, either in person or via Skype.
Programs that are selective but not numerus fixus fall into two categories: 1. Those officially labeled small-scale and intensive, such as the university colleges. All university colleges are selective and use holistic admissions processes requiring a combination of interviews, letters of motivation, and letters of recommendation. 2. Programs that require some form of talent such as art schools and dance academies. When a program is selective, remember that minimum grades or points are minimums; it is always wise to ask what grades are typical for students who received an offer the previous year. However, with the exception of some university colleges, offers are not conditional in the UK sense that the student must obtain a certain number of points or grade level on their final exams.
HOW DO I APPLY? With different types of institutions, programs, forms of selectivity, and application requirements, navigating the Dutch application process is a challenge. Each university can have its own online application system and you might even be required to mail documents by post. Refer to each program’s website for detailed information.
Application deadlines range from January 1 to June 30 with earlier deadlines for selective programs.
IN SUMMARY The Netherlands deserves a close look as you consider where you’ll apply to university for so many reasons. However, it is best to hear from the students themselves, featured in the sidebar… Useful Websites www.studyinholland.nl Overview of the country, the educational system, admissions requirements, scholarships, working while studying, visas, etc. www.studyfinder.nl Search for Dutch programs taught in English by location, institution and subject. www.studielink.nl Register for Dutch university applications. www.studiekeuze123.nl Data from student reviews but only in Dutch. | 47
ABOUT THE AUTHOR The Studielink website is used in most application procedures, but Studielink is not technically an application portal like UCAS or the CommonApp. Instead, it is a student registration system with the critical function of registering students with the Dutch government before they begin studies. You are limited to four applications in Studielink at a time, but you can withdraw an application and replace it with a new one. No more than two of the programs can be numerous fixus. The documents required differ from program to program but all require: • Copy of your valid passport or ID card • (Certified) copy of your diploma • English language test results (if you are not exempt)
Marilyn Stelzner is the founder of Global University Choices, a university admissions consultancy specializing in working with students applying to colleges and universities in the UK, Europe (including the Netherlands!), the US and Canada. Based near Lausanne, Marilyn works with students and families to identify options, understand the tradeoffs, and then find the right fit for higher education. Life-long residents of California, Marilyn and her husband jumped at the chance to move to Switzerland seven years and have never looked back. She is a member of the International Association for College Admissions Counseling, Independent Educational Consultants Association, and Higher Education Consultants Association. After touring ten Dutch universities in April 2016, Marilyn is excited to help spread the word about the great choices they offer students in Switzerland. More resources about university in the Netherlands are on her website at www.globaluniversitychoices.com/nl.
Some programs additionally require one or more of the following: • Transcript, or grade report • Letter of motivation • Curriculum Vitae/Resume • Two letters of recommendation, usually from teachers or school administration
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WHAT DO SWISS STUDENTS REPORT ABOUT THE DUTCH UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE? International School of Geneva, 2016, to Leiden University: LUC was my top choice, due to the extensive programmes they have to offer as well as the community and positive outlook on change to a global scale. I am planning to do a masters and remain in Europe, either in the Netherlands or the UK. International School of Geneva to Leiden University, 2016: I enjoyed studying at Leiden University, it was a great experience and I believe that there is no student life better than that of the Dutch! Education wise, International Studies was an interesting program. I took the East Asia track and soon became hooked on the politics/economics and Chinese language courses. I did, however, decide not to pursue international studies any further. After finishing my bachelor in 2015 I did a 6-month marketing internship at Unilever. This was an amazing experience and gave me the insight that I would love to work in the FMCG [Fast Moving Consumer Goods] sector later on. Hence, I applied for a MBA at the University of Amsterdam where I am now following the marketing track. I hope to graduate in 2017.
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International School of Geneva to University College Roosevelt, 2019: When I came to UCR I had the desire to remain an international student, both living and studying abroad as I had done in Switzerland. I felt like I fitted in well in an international environment rather than something like a traditional British school or university. International School of Zug and Lucerne, 2013, to Erasmus University College, Rotterdam, 2016: I was born in Luzern and raised in a small town called Walchwil in Canton Zug. My mother is Swiss and my father is British, therefore I was fortunate to grow up bilingually. My mother and father did not attend university themselves, but deemed education extremely important and wanted to give my brothers and I the best possible opportunities they could. I attended the International School of Zug and Luzern. My education was primarily in English and therefore it was important for me to find a Bachelor degree that was taught in English. My first instinct was to look at the US and UK. However, in addition to the fees being too high, I was in a part of my life where I did not know what direction I wanted to go in and finding a suitable Bachelor programme that fit me and my needs (which at the time were not being confined to one specific subject, in case i wanted/needed to change my mind). My college counsellor suggested I look at Holland. It at first did not appeal to me as I had not heard much of the Netherlands as a country and it was not a popular destination amongst my friends. However, circumstances forced me to look into it more. I came across the University College programme, which is what captured my attention, and I realised that it would be a great fit for me. Essentially I could build my own bachelor degree. It would give me extra time to figure out what I wanted to do, what I was passionate for and what my dislikes were. A friend of mine,
who got accepted to Erasmus University College, suggested I apply. Three years later, I’m standing on stage at our graduation ceremony, looking back at the incredible journey I had just experienced. EUC and moving to the Netherlands was one of the scariest but most rewarding choices I’ve made. I learnt a lot about myself, being away from home. I grew as a person along side of the enriching EUC community that I had the pleasure to help build. I was a part of the main study association board and am now chair of the Alumni Association. It had its difficult times but I would not change a thing about my journey. I’m now doing an internship at a start-up company in Rotterdam, taking some time to explore the job market and looking to start my masters (possibly in sustainability or marketing) in the summer of 2017. International School of Zug and Lucerne to Leiden University: I went to a Swiss international school for 5 years, and am also a Swiss-American dual national. Initially as a high school senior I only applied to schools in England, as my school was very focused on British universities. I studied a BA in Politics at Durham University for a year and […] felt academically under challenged. Having done the International Baccalaureate, I also was more used to a broad study curriculum, as opposed to the single-track British degree. I thus started looking up Dutch universities, particularly liberal arts and sciences colleges, and applied to Leiden University College. My experience there has been one of personal, social and intellectual growth. I’ve never been in an institution so encouraging of the individual! The small class sizes, minimal lectures, and discussion-based learning are much better suited to my learning style as an IB student. I am getting a BSc in Global Public Health and find the multifaceted, interdisciplinary nature of my degree program to be very progressive. The professors are also much more accessible and passionate about their students, as they aren’t lecturing to a 500+ audience. There is a much stronger support network, academically and socially, for students at Leiden University College. It is also a very smooth transition from Switzerland to the Netherlands culturally - I find the Netherlands is similar in terms [of] infrastructure and development but much more culturally vibrant and accessible. It’s a perfect place for a young student to grow! Kantonsschule Zürcher Unterland Bülach, 2013, to Leiden University: I graduated from high school in Switzerland with the Swiss Matura in 2013 and started the Bachelor International Studies at Leiden University in 2014. My experience has been very good, I enjoy the course for its variety and also appreciate the international study environment. I am currently in my fifth semester, doing an internship at an NGO in Rio de Janeiro as a part of the degree. Since the program covers quite a few different areas (politics, economics, history, cultural studies, area studies, language), I hope to get a better idea of what I want to focus on in my Masters and in my professional life later on through this internship, because I am not sure yet what I would like to do. I will definitely look at some Masters in the Netherlands, but also in other European countries […]
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
Preparing our children to succeed in an age of uncertainty
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BY SARAH NORRIS WWW.STEPINTOMYSHOES.CO.UK
Technology has dramatically transformed the way business is conducted. The modern world of work is characterised by relentless change. Innovation and reorganisation are routine activities and few businesses have escaped major overhauls. Although a push for increased efficiency and productivity while continuing to make and sell indispensable products or services remains the overriding objective, the speed at which technology triggers change is unchartered territory. And the general modus operandi is sink or swim. As we see Yahoo’s decline, one of the first major players in this space sell off its assets, it is clear that in order to prosper, companies need to remain at the forefront of innovation while staying in touch with consumers’ behaviour and needs. internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Autumn 2016
or young people entering the work force, the future lacks clarity. Computers or robots are increasingly replacing traditional jobs. Supermarkets, airlines, and even passport control have all embraced automated checkouts. Innovations coming to market threaten to wipe out entire industries. Consider self driving cars and professions that rely on driving to make a living. New business trends are also exposing a different type of consumer keen on instant gratification with a preference towards a ‘shared economy’. Airbnb vs hotel, Getaround vs rental car or WeWork instead of an office are all relevant examples. Access to most products and services are now a tap away on our cell phones. Digital behaviour has also exposed vast amounts of fresh consumer information commonly known as “big data”. How we make sense of that information and optimize it to solve the world’s problems or improve our lives is work in progress. Young people are catching on. We have seen a large increase in university applicants opting for computer science. Imperial College claims a twenty percent increase year on year, making it one of its most competitive courses. Not surprisingly, Business & Management degrees are also a popular option according to Which?University as young people seek to learn about business in this new environment. Entrepreneurship is often a module taught as part of the degree. Durham University has taken it a step further offering Entrepreneurship modules for students across the University from “non business disciplines”. 50 |
The key question on most parents’ mind beyond university subject choice is how to prepare their children for this uncertain future. Education as we know it, simply does not adequately train young people for work. Students lack both the skills and knowledge required to be meaningful workers of value in their first job. Modernising education to address this void is a complex issue. Consider creativity as an example. In the “old days” creative subjects were indulged as pleasant hobbies because the common held belief was that they were unlikely to pay the bills. Sir Ken Robinson, the author and expert on education, is very outspoken about schools killing creativity and the need for reform. In the real world, authentic creativity is in high demand, a sought after asset by employers as they continuously look to push new boundaries and reinvent the world as we know it. We also now recognize that creative and academic are not mutually exclusive and instead can be highly complementary. Elon Musk who has often been labelled a creative genius with his knack for building successful businesses with a purpose, is a physicist and economist by training. We know success means different things to different people but to me, the ultimate measure is personal well being. Having a fulfilling professional life can contribute vastly to this. Previously formal education provided the most important stepping stone to a professional career which in turn had a distinct pathway in which you worked your way up the ladder. Today, higher education still translates into more earning power. But future career trajectories are no longer linear and disruption is commonplace. Job loyalty, a previously valued trait, means little to the millennial nor is it likely to be frowned upon. The Bureau of Labour Statistics estimates the average worker today will have ten jobs before
they reach the age of forty. This number is likely to climb as job hopping becomes increasingly routine. So, when parents ask me how best to prepare their children for this age of uncertainty, I stress the importance of planting and nurturing the raw ingredients that will allow a young person to thrive. It starts with an appreciation of the journey ahead, one which is likely to encounter many twists and turns, while instilling faith in the outcome. This is true not only of future career paths but life in general. Life is full of surprises, both good and bad. Teaching your children how to enjoy life is a parent’s responsibility. It means teaching them to be flexible and open to the changes in life’s blueprint. It also means weaving gratitude and what matters most into the fabric of their thinking: health, family and friends above all else. This helps with being able to put life into perspective in the face of setbacks, professional or other. Continuously attempting to rescue one’s children from life’s inevitable disappointments can do more harm than good. Experience is instrumental in learning to overcome disappointment, fear and gain perspective. Resilience and grit are first cousins, all qualities valued by the modern employer. Thriving in this new age will also require young people to be authentic, independent thinkers, trust their instinct and be bold. Helicopter parents need to be cautioned to hand over the reigns. The end of school also marks the end of childhood and parents need to let their offspring spread their wings and fly. There is a big difference between guiding students to avoid mistakes rooted in inexperience to doing everything for them. Burdening students with a laundry list of activities orchestrated by what adults think is valuable while hiring tutors to do much of the thinking for them does few favours for preparing them in life. Interests, real genuine interests that students personally own, take time to develop and are rarely inspired overnight. Parents should encourage interests but allow their children to own them. Samina Khan, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Oxford, suggests that children should start preparing for getting into Oxford as early as eleven years old. Rather than prompting pushy parents into overdrive, her intentions are well meaning. She advocates that cultivating sincere interests in children increases their chances of a successful application. Oxbridge chooses students who can talk around their subject and can articulate why they want to study it. The reason they answer these questions better than others is because these students genuinely are interested; an interest they have developed by educating themselves and being engaged. This breeds motivation and ambition. It also builds confidence and instils a sense of worth. A saying comes to mind celebrating National Library Week in the US: “The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the smarter you grow. The smarter you grow, the stronger your voice when speaking your mind or making your choice”. By the same token, parents are responsible for teaching their children to be pro-active. Few things come easy in life. Procrastination and passive behaviour in which students hope that everything works out for the best is an all-too-familiar trap. The complex new world order will reward entrepreneurial thinking and a go-getter attitude. This holds true of career
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
progression as well. If you rely on human resources, a recruiter or even your boss to tell you what to do, you’ve missed the opportunity. Seeking support is fine, but one must be self-reliant, take responsibility for moving the needle and make things happen.
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now”
In a nutshell, parents should put children in the driving seat of their own destiny. They need to embrace their children’s independence, individuality and interests while teaching them that most goals are attainable with effort and hard work and to shut out the noise that tells you any different. “Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now”. Goethe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Norris is committed to helping young people achieve their potential in life. She is the founder of Step Into My Shoes, an educational consultancy with an expertise in British higher education and future pathways. Her focus is on improving student performance through lateral thinking and skill based training. Sarah’s clients include multiple schools and students in the UK and abroad. She is also engaged by multinational corporations such as Allen & Overy to coach students in competitive assessment for entry into selective universities. Sarah delivers the annual Youth Enrichment Programme in collaboration with London Business School, Europe’s highest ranked Business School, to talented students in Year 12 across several London based schools. Sarah holds a BSc Econ from the London School of Economics & MBA from London Business School & Stern School of Business. For more information visit www.stepintomyshoes.co.uk
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Posture
BY MEHERNAAZ DUGAST ROUILLÉ
Do you or your children tend to sit with a rounded back? Do you or your children sit for many hours a day? Lower back or neck tension? Or other muscular aches? Do you have difficulties in sitting and/or standing upright? Do you go to the gym or play sports and still find it difficult to have a good posture? If your answer to any of the above questions is a YES it’s time to find a solution. However, you might ask, why do I need a solution?
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
IMPORTANCE OF AN UPRIGHT GOOD POSTURE: 1. Good posture results in good and complete respiration 2. Improves blood circulation 3. Internal organs work more efficiently with a good upright posture 4. All the muscles and joints of the body are in balance when one has a good posture 5. One can avoid musculoskeletal aches and pains, like back and neck pain, disc herniation’s, etc… with a good upright posture Most of us know about the above advantages of a good posture but we still ignore our postures, due to fatigue or not having sufficient knowledge on how to do so! Most people avoid their posture and do excessive sports or some sport, and only realize that they need to improve their posture when they get muscular or joint pain or have an injury. This is a regular error with most fitness and gym goers and sportsmen!
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Posture needs attention and improvement first, before you go into fitness training, sports etc… otherwise there is a very good chance that your posture will deteriorate and cause aches and pains in the future. “Children need to be taught at a very young age the importance of posture and must be gently corrected so that it develops into a good habit from childhood. However, it’s never too late. One can start correcting one’s posture at any age. The sooner the better.”
A FEW TIPS TO GET STARTED: 1. To improve a rounded thoracic / dorsal spine, lift your chest up first, then relax shoulders without dropping your chest.
throughout the day, since muscles get tired after a while. In that case, lean back into the back of your chair or sofa. Making sure that your buttocks are right into the chair or sofa. Now maintain a good posture and take support of the back of the chair. What’s important is not be rounded all the time. However a few occasions in the day are ok to round the back, as far as you try to maintain a good posture 70 % of the time during the day. IMPORTANT - Some of the above tips will vary if you have a back and / or neck problems and also according to each individual’s posture
A FEW ALTERATIONS AT HOME OR OFFICE CAN DO WONDERS: 1. Your sofa must be firm. Not soft. Soft sofa’s round the lower back. Regular rounding of the lower back will lead to muscular imbalances and cause aches and pains in joints and muscles. Disc herniation’s is commonly caused due to a poor posture and regular rounding of the lower back. 2. Use a Swiss / Gym ball adapted to your height, to sit. One finds balls of diameter 45, 55, 65 and 75 cms. Take professional advice before choosing one for your children or yourself. They are excellent to improve posture and to reduce tension in the lower back and hips due to prolonged sitting. 3. Start with 5 mins on the Swiss / Gym ball as you work in the office or at home in front of the computer. Alternate with the chair for the next 5 mins. Keep alternating for a few weeks for 5 mins only. To let the muscles get used to the change slowly. Increase duration slowly, from 5, 10 to 15 to 20 mins. Do not sit on the ball for too long otherwise the postural muscles will get too tired. Be gentle with your body no matter what age when you are making changes or it can result in injury. 4. Gently bouncing on the Swiss / Gym ball helps to release tension from the lower back and hips due to prolonged sitting. Very important - keep your feet firmly attached to the floor.
2. Elongate your vertebral column towards the ceiling, by imagining a thread in the center of your head, pulling you up to the ceiling. The face at this point must be looking straight forward without taking the chin up or down.
5. Would be great if schools, homes and offices could have Swiss / Gym balls for children and adults to sit on. You can recommend this idea to your school or office.
3. Make sure that your lower back has a normal arch, it must not be over arched or rounded.
6. Stand or walk (even better) when you get a phone call. To mobilize the hips and other joints.
4. Feel the use of your back and abdominal muscles, while you sit upright.
7. Be active in school or office. Use the stairs not the elevators. Keep your printer in another room so you get up from your desk.
5. Do not tense your shoulders or push them back with force. This will cause neck and shoulder tension and pain.
8. Drink water regularly, another great reason to get up from your desk.
6. Of course, one is unable to maintain an upright posture
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
9. Do not sit for long durations. Take regular breaks to walk. Stand and work sometimes if you can. 10. It is not easy to remember many of these points when we are busy at school or work. Therefore, using pop up’s on the computer or little messages.., will help you to develop new habits for the better. 11. Change takes time. Be patient and persistent. 12. Strengthening, mobilizing and stretching of the muscles which are causing poor posture can help tremendously to improve posture and therefore also benefit from the advantages of good upright posture mentioned above in this article. Consult a posture and exercise specialist, to help you improve your posture. IMPORTANT - Some of the above tips will vary if you have a back and / or neck problems and also according to each individual’s posture
THE FOLLOWING TOOLS HELP TO IMPROVE POSTURE AND AVOID FUTURE ACHES AND PAINS DUE TO POOR POSTURE: | 55
• Education • Swiss Ball Training
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
• Medicinal Ball Training
Mehernaaz Dugast Rouillé is a certified Personal Trainer, Back & Neck Pain and Posture Specialist and Hatha Yoga Practitioner with an experience of over 20 years in Lausanne, Paris and Mumbai. She works with individual clients personally as well as conducts small group classes in Lausanne. She also extends her services to corporates and associations wherein she conducts various seminars and workshops to improve health and lifestyle.
• Hatha Yoga Postures • Foam Rollers • Free hand exercises • Resistant training However, a professional needs to decide what tools are best for you and in what combination. Each person is different, with a different posture, work environment, habits, stress levels, medical history… therefore the exercise program must be tailor-made. The same exercises cannot work for everyone.
Email - consult@meher4fitness.com Mobile - 078 842 18 78 Website - www.meher4fitness.com
Your regular efforts and a good corrective exercise program will surely lead to great results for an improved and upright posture. Be regular with your efforts and your exercises. Consistency and patience is the key. Good Luck!
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
The Bow Tie in Le Bouveret BY SWISS EDUCATION GROUP
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Men on towering stilts, flame twirlers, jugglers, acrobats and a red carpet are not the most expected sight in the quiet lakeside town of Le Bouveret in Switzerland. Nestled on the shores of Lake Geneva, a half hour from the French border, the Le Bouveret campus of CĂŠsar Ritz Colleges Switzerland hosted the unusual spectacle to the mild bemusement of the locals. internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Autumn 2016
he evening was a homage to the life and work of Chef Anton Mosimann (OBE). Over the past 5 decades, he has quietly revolutionised his industry, cooking for the rich, famous and royal and influencing a generation of chefs. Fortunately, Chef Mosimann is as good at collecting as he is at cooking and has saved every souvenir along the way. For the first time, his entire career has been catalogued in the Mosimann Collection, a beautiful, 4-storey whitewashed building attached to the campus.
birthday party with red, white and black umbrellas hanging upside down from the marquee. The pressure is on for the students, as this event also serves as their end of year exam. They have meticulously prepared everything from the décor to the menu. The food, served as perfect miniature dishes, ranges from frogs’ legs (stealthily disguised as chicken wings to all but the most observant) via palette cleansing shots to an array of delicious desserts. Specially created cocktails, including The Minty Monkey (a whiskey sour with a twist), all add to the merriment.
Each floor is lined with luxurious carpet, beautiful display cases and impressive white orchids, giving any 5-star hotel a run for its money. Each staircase is flanked with photos of Chef with iconic legends from supermodels to presidents. Upstairs, there is even a section dedicated to the British Royal Family, including the menu from TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding (catered by Chef Mosimann) and a slice of their wedding cake. The Claude Nobs’ kitchen is a hidden gem amongst the collection. Modelled on the founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival’s iconic chalet (which has hosted every great musician over the years), hanging flowers and lights in jars adorn the ceiling. Copper pots hang from the kitchen island and a large table flanks one side of the room. This Chef’s Table is available to reserve with a private chef for those wishing to host their own future event. The launch party is not only hosted, but also catered by, César Ritz Colleges and Culinary Arts Academy students (who, as member schools of Swiss Education Group, conveniently and fortunately share this scenic campus). The concept is the students’ idea, as the circus theme is a tribute to Chef Mosimann’s 50th
As Chef Mosimann, adorned in his trademark bow tie, addresses the students to thank them, the sun sets over this remarkable view. At the end of the evening, guests leave with their own miniature bow tie pin, a beautiful box of confectionary delights and lasting memories of an exceptional evening celebrating a truly iconic Chef.
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International School Parent Autumn 2016 BUSINESS EDUCATION l GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
BUSINESS
SCHOOL
BACHELOR
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MASTER / MBA
Banking & Finance Management Family Business Mgt.
Accredited degrees
English & French or bilingual
Renovated campus
Company visits & network
Communication International Business International Trading
Faculty with real experience
Career services Top recruitment
Practical learning New programmes
Easy application 3 intakes / year
UNIVERSITY IFM - Institute of Finance and Management
Tel : 0223222580 - www.universiteifm.com - Geneva internationalschoolparent.com
The Benefits of a Cutting-Edge Science Program BY THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN SWITZERLAND
Amy Bloodworth works with Middle School students.
International School Parent Autumn 2016
he excitement is tangible as 14 sixth-grade students stream into the state-of-the-art Middle School Science Laboratory in the Campo Science Center on a Friday afternoon. Several students are so eager to begin that they must be told not to crack into their Raspberry Pi kits until their teacher, Amy Bloodworth, can explain the day’s lesson. “It’s not always like this,” laughed Bloodworth, who has taught Sixth-Grade Science and International Baccalaureate Biology at The American School in Switzerland (TASIS) since 2010 and last spring received the school’s highest professional honor: the KhanPage Master Teacher Award. “Engineering and Invention is the unit they get most excited about.”
WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY
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Created by both Bloodworth and Middle School Science Department Chair Dr. Brett Merritt in 2013, the Engineering and Invention unit combines inquiry-based and problem-based learning to provide every student with the ability to achieve invention literacy, a concept defined by JoyLabz/Makey Makey founder and CEO Jay Silver as “the ability to read and write human made stuff, from toasters to apps.”
Pi Foundation with the aim of promoting the teaching of basic computer science in schools and developing countries, enables people of all ages to explore computing and learn how to program in languages such as Scratch and Python. Bloodworth’s grant proposal was accepted, and she was able to acquire seven full sets—a Raspberry Pi, small monitor, keyboard, and SD card—and a variety of accessory kits for particular experiments. Eager to take the next step, she obtained a grant to travel to the University of York for a three-day “Raspberry Pi in Middle School Science” workshop, completed a Python course on Codecademy, went to Raspberry Picademy to become a Raspberry Pi Certified Educator, and along with High School Science teacher Claire Thomas attended a workshop in England to learn more about computer programming with the Python language. In support of the Hour of Code global movement, Bloodworth and Thomas then spent class time before the Christmas Holiday using a website called Trinket to teach all sixth grade and ninth grade students how to code in Python. Many other teachers in all three divisions at TASIS—Elementary, Middle, and High School—also provided their students an introduction to coding during that week. Bloodworth’s students were enthusiastic about their introduction to coding, and many went on to fulfill her “choice homework” requirement by completing sections of Codecademy’s Python course. Her classes began working with electrical circuit trays upon their return from the Christmas Holiday and then created their own physical circuits on a smaller scale that they could manipulate and control using programming. They moved on to the Raspberry Pis in April and didn’t look back.
They love the creativity of imagining something and being able to see it through as a project.
Back in September 2013, Bloodworth and Merritt, who taught at TASIS from 1998–2000 and then returned in 2010 after earning his doctorate in Curriculum Instruction and Teacher Education with a specialty in Science Education at Michigan State University, took steps to obtain funding for the devices necessary to kick off the Engineering and Invention unit. After applying for and receiving a TASIS Foundation grant, they were able to outfit sixth-grade students with both the Makey Makey, an ingenious invention kit used to turn everyday objects into touchpads and combine them with the internet, and the Drawdio, a pencil that allows students to draw music. “We had an idea, we had a goal, and we found a way to fund it—and the goal was to try to get these devices in the hands of every single one of our sixth-grade kids so that we could start to realize what we thought was its potential learning capacity,” said Merritt, who was honored with the Khan-Page Master Teacher Award in 2014.
The devices have been put to use for the past three school years by Bloodworth and Merritt and have generated much enthusiasm and interest, inspiring Bloodworth to apply last summer for a Lighthouse Project grant for the amazing Raspberry Pi, an inexpensive, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a monitor and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. The innovative device, which was developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
SCIENCE CAN AND SHOULD BE FUN In a model similar to the Boy Scouts of America’s merit badge system, students in Bloodworth’s class work their way through a set of increasingly difficult challenges in order to acquire Raspberry Pi badges. The approach has proven to be a powerful motivator.
Summer Programs—plans to conduct Raspberry Pi units centered around the Wildlife Cam Kit, which produces a massive amount of data and allows students to learn how birds choose their food, and the Oracle Raspberry Pi Weather Station experiment, in which students build and commission a weather station. “The applications of this device are limitless,” she said.
“We’re used to seeing kids get awards for athletics and the arts, and we wanted to find a way to recognize their achievements in science,” said Bloodworth. “They really love getting the badges.” Students’ confidence soared through the roof as the unit progressed. “The kids thought they could never do this when we started, and I didn’t think they could hold their concentration long enough to see it though,” said Bloodworth. “But now they’re amazing me with their patience. They’re getting really good at identifying their errors and correcting them. They love the creativity of imagining something and being able to see it through as a project. Whatever they come up with (even if it’s completely insane!), I try to help them make it happen. I am learning with them along the way.” “It’s something very new,” said James Haunso, a sixth grader from Denmark. “You can experiment with new things that you didn’t have the option to before. You can put your creativity into your work, so it’s fun to come to class every day.” On this particular afternoon, students have piled up outside the laboratory door well before class time. After Bloodworth admits them, calms them down, and prevents them from diving right into their work stations, she shows a short YouTube video that illustrates how to use a Raspberry Pi Sense Hat to work with pixels. The students pay close attention and fire off thoughtful questions. They then break into pairs and, without assistance from Bloodworth, build their Astro Pi setup for the day. Students are remarkably engaged, and the only chatter is related to their goal of creating an animation that will be activated when an accelerometer detects movement. Bloodworth bounces around the room and helps answer the many questions that arise. (Students are already speaking a language no layperson would understand.) There are too many questions for one teacher to field, so many students are relying on assistance from their peers. “They’re learning and borrowing from each other,” said Bloodworth. “They’re not always writing code from scratch—they’re often borrowing and manipulating to create the outcome they want.” Once students have mastered the basics of coding, Bloodworth wants to push them to use their newfound knowledge in novel ways, such as taking apart stuffed animals and working with different Raspberry Pi kits to create animatronics. “I want to see that they can apply the lessons we’ve learned in a more creative and open-ended way,” she said. In the future, Bloodworth—who also teaches a course that is a mix of science, robotics, and food chemistry for the TASIS
WHY ENGINEERING AND INVENTION? STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) has been a rising movement in educational policy and curriculum choice in recent years, as schools strive to improve competitiveness in both scientific and technological development. TASIS teachers have worked very hard for years to continue crafting the science and mathematics parts of the equation, but Merritt and Bloodworth recognized that there was much work to be done on the technology and engineering side. “We needed to update our program and enact a curriculum for a world that does not yet exist,” said Bloodworth, who earned both a degree in Biology and a degree in Teaching from the University of Southampton and a Master’s in Education from Open University. “We had to look beyond TASIS to see where we are heading and then try to filter that down into what we do.” “Every UK university and most US college science courses now include at least one compulsory module on coding,” she continued. “New technologies lead to the production of huge amounts of data in all the disciplines, which needs to be organized and mined. We are now seeing this filter down into the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum with the introduction of database mining and bioinformatics. In order to properly prepare our students for this, we can’t wait for high school. We need to introduce coding and an introduction to these new technologies in middle school and even elementary school.” Merritt believes it is critical to design a curriculum that strikes the right balance of being challenging, engaging, and exciting while also driving home the core concepts and skills necessary o prepare students for success at the high school level. “I think that’s where this Engineering and Invention unit
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International School Parent Autumn 2016
seemed like a really good marriage,” he said. “We have found these inventions and gadgets to be a wonderful way to be able to teach a lot of our core content in a way that was new for kids, was challenging, involved the learning of a lot of different kinds of skills they didn’t necessarily have, and allowed for a lot of different levels to work at different paces.”
MEASURES OF SUCCESS At the end of each school year, a large number of students ask Merritt and Bloodworth if they can borrow a Makey-Makey or a Raspberry Pi over the summer, where they might be able to buy their own, and if they can recommend any other devices that are similar. “These questions aren’t coming from the parents,” said Merritt. “They’re coming from the students themselves, and we take this as evidence that kids are willfully wanting to do science on their own time outside of school when they are not responsible for doing it at all.” “I have my own Raspberry Pi at home,” said Leo Panella, a rising seventh-grader from Germany. “You can do anything that has to do with computers. You can program. You can use the program. You can even attach different things to make it do what you want it to do.”
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High School Science Department Chair Alec Ogilvie, who has led the department since he arrived at TASIS in 2008 after a 10-year stint at the European School in Varese, often drops in on middle school lessons and has been struck by the level of student interest and enthusiasm. “I think that’s what matters more than anything because you are switching science on to be this cool thing,” he said. “You’re switching them on to science in middle school and that has massive repercussions later on. If they believe that science is fun, science is cool, and science is interesting, we’re on our way.” While Merritt views the uptick in enthusiasm as a major success, he also understands how important it is that this renewed excitement for science also leads to improved classroom performance. So far it has. “All our internal assessments we’ve done in class have shown us that through these fun devices we are seeing our kids start to become more comfortable and more fluent with the language of electricity and energy and circuits,” he said. “And that of course is really good for us because if they were failing all our quizzes and tests, we would be a little bit discouraged and would think, we know they are having
fun, but they are not learning the things that we want them to. But in reality we are seeing the opposite. Their performances on assessments have demonstrated that this approach is really helping them develop an intuitive sense of circuits, how to fix them, how to build them, and how to talk about them.” “I see it spilling over into other areas of science,” added Bloodworth. “They’ve become really good at articulating every single step. They’re much more detailed at explaining the steps of an experiment because of what they’ve learned from writing algorithms.” Ogilvie is excited to see how this new set of skills translates to science at the High School level, as the first group of students to complete the Engineering and Invention Unit as sixth graders will be ninth graders this fall. “I think this is the year where we will start to see a big difference,” he said. “And I expect to gain even more momentum as we move forward, especially with more and more students staying at TASIS all the way through Middle School and High School.”
THE FINAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE Bloodworth believes TASIS has only just begun to scratch the surface of what is possible, and she envisions a future in which all students begin learning basic coding skills as early as age four. “I’m really interested in making coding something that kids do from Pre-K to grade 12,” she said. “They wouldn’t need to use a computer at all until second grade because so many aspects of coding can be taught without one.” That future may not be far away. TASIS Instructional Technology Coordinator Tim Venchus has been teaching Scratch, a free visual programming language, to middle school students, and in turn these students have taught the language to elementary school students. Students who receive this training are very well-prepared when they begin the Engineering and Invention unit in grade six. “The key, whether it’s middle school or higher up, is getting them interested in it,” said Ogilvie. “It’s even better if you can start younger because they have a natural fascination with it.” The benefits of learning to code at a young age are enormous. Students develop a fluency with technology, learn valuable problemsolving skills, become more creative, and establish a lifelong curiosity for understanding the “how and why” of their surroundings. “Most kids today are just end-product users, and I want them to understand how things really work and to create things that are meaningful to them,” said Bloodworth. “There’s something very creative about coding, inventing, and robotics, and even just working with LEDS on tiny motor boards is great for a child’s fine motor skills. As kids move up grades with these skills, we’ll be able to do so much more with them.”
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Royal British Legion The branch The Swiss branch was formed in 1947. As an overseas branch of the Royal British Legion, we support the Legion’s objectives in our area of action. To that end and to ensure our commitment to both the memory of the fallen and the future of the living, our main missions are: • To provide welfare care support service to former service personnel and their dependents in Switzerland and to members of the Crown armed forces everywhere. • To represent the charity at commemorative and fundraising events in Switzerland and nearby France. • To organise and ensure the financial success of the annual Poppy Appeal in Switzerland. • To promote comradeship by organizing social and fundraising activities for the enjoyment and benefit of members. With more than 140 members, a network of dedicated volunteers and many people, companies, churches and sports clubs supporting our cause throughout Switzerland, we truly make a difference.
how can you help? There are various ways for you to join us in making a difference by: • Becoming a member. • Donating. • Letting people know about the Swiss branch. • Wearing a poppy when that time of the year comes round. • Attending one of our events. Getting to know us and our members will enable you to broaden your network, and you will meet some truly interesting people. Our members include those who have served their country with distinction both in the military and outside it, covering almost every conflict since WWII. Members can also benefit from preferential prices at British Swiss Chamber of Commerce events. Whether you’d like to meet new people, enjoy a day out or simply just help our cause, why not take a first step and see what we do?
www.britishlegionswitzerland.ch info@britishlegionswitzerland.ch
International School Parent Autumn 2016
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The latest news from Switzerland’s top International Schools internationalschoolparent.com
SCHOOL International NEWSSchool – La Côte Parent International Autumn 2016 School
Welcome Apéro h an apéro. academic year than wit y to kick off the new wa r tte be no is ere Th families, as rmly welcomed new school community wa On this occasion the s of Signal iful evening on the hill families. It was a beaut well as our returning g Alps. Laughter, clinkin neva and the French Ge e Lak ng oki rlo ove de Bougy, d the air by a guitar player fille thms performed live rhy va no ssa bo and glasses ht. of this late summer nig
Singing for One Day One Choir On September 21, all our stud ents gathered in the courtyard to sing the song “Beautiful that way ” from Italian movie “La vita e bella” to celebrate International Peace Day. This was part of the glob al choral initiative ‘One Day One Cho ir’, which was created to mob ilise the inspiring and harmonious pow er of singing together to unit e people globally for peace. The students unrolled colourful fabric to crea te the peace flag and blew some bub bles. It was more than a little bit magical.
iness at La Côte do swift bus Young Entrepreneurs ior Entrepreneur nity to take part in a Jun Students had the opportu how to finance d about business plans, club last term. They learne e product s stages involved in creativ a project and the variou entrepreneurs ents were mentored by development. MYP stud a task set by the llenge. They worked on to work on a real life cha to design a nforama. Their mission was popular furniture store Co that their design s were thrilled to find out new couch. The student rama to be and was chosen by Confo idea had made the final Europe! produced and sold across
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SCHOOL International NEWS School – British Parent School Autumn of Geneva 2016
Peace
d (Personal, Social an As part of their PSHE thought urse, BSG students Health Education) co d what ans in the world an about what peace me chance m. They then had a peace means to the poems through drawings, to share their ideas sted s when our school ho and personal wishe place ace Run which took participants in the Pe peace dents learned some on 6th April. Our stu n team. g with the Peace Ru songs which they san stories lighted to hear the The children were de torch. and to hold the peace shared by the team peace all come true! May our wishes for
BSG goes back in
time! Year 6 and Year 7 students were taken back in tim e around 500 ye Leonardo da Vin ars, to the time of ci, Galileo, Shak espeare and Fran ço is I fo r th 16th June. Twen eir Renaissance Day, on ty-four children, split into two team s, took part in dif organised by the ferent activities Year 7 subject te achers, to help th em learn about in science, math the advances m s, medicine, poet ade ry, theatre and art du ring the Renaiss and students ali ance. Teachers ke dressed up fo r the occasion an d we all learnt ab people and their out the Renaissan achievements. Th ce e undoubted hig hli gh t of the day was lea about parachute s and flying mac rning hines, first inven ted by Leonardo. designed, built an Th e stu de nts then d tested their ow n parachutes, wi th an egg for a pa were a few casu ssenger. There alties! Year 6 stu dents got a taste of life in second 7 students finish ary school, and ed off their unit Year of work in history in a fun and informative students agreed way. All the that the day was ‘amazing’, ‘awes ome’ and ‘fun’, an lot about this ex d th at they learnt a ceptional time in European history.
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100% pass rate for BSG A-Level students Congratulations to our graduating class es of 2016! Our A Level class achieved a brilliant 100% pass rate and 84% A*-C grades. Our IGCSE results were also impressiv e with 87% A*-C grades.
All at BSG are very proud of you!
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SCHOOL International NEWS School – Geneva ParentEnglish Autumn School 2016
block e starting dary on th n co e S S E G ng upils enjoyi ary Year 7 p GES Second e eir first wak hs and … th History, Mat Léman! tivity on Lac boarding ac
Back to school
me ool. A special welco S pupils back at sch GE r ou all ve ha It's great to S ry first group of GE w staff and our ve ne , ren ild ch w ne to our d girls, faces of the boys an ts of smiles on the Lo s! pil pu ary nd Seco tivities. in exciting new ac s again and sharing meeting their friend
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will lead the ish School as its new Headmaster. He Tim Meunier has joined Geneva Engl primary lopment as it expands to provide both school through a major phase of deve leadership s extensive experience of teaching and and secondary education. Tim bring on, Clifton ols, including St Paul’s School, Lond at a range of prestigious British scho academic ol, Oxford. He has held pastoral and College, Bristol and The Dragon Scho ning an and co-eduational environments, span leadership positions in both single-sex Master, (13roles have included boarding House age range from 3 to 18. His previous (13-18) and of Studies, (13-18) Senior Deputy Head 18), Head of Science (8-13), Director change g Geneva English School at a time of Head. (7-13). Tim is thrilled to be joinin brand new phase of education and to be leading the school into a
Fire Safety training at GES Late August, GES Primary and Secondary staff got ready for the new academic year! Preparations involved Fire Safety training!
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SCHOOL NEWS – GEMS World Academy International School Parent Autumn 2016
Camps at GEMS World Academy Switzerland – A different way to occu py your children This past summer school holiday, GEM S World Academy Switzerland (GW AS) offered a wide range of fun and educational summer activities in the form of day camps. The camps ran over several weeks durin g July and August with a choice of half or full day participation and more than 100 child ren from 4 to 16 years old enjoyed langu age learning activities as well as spor ts activities. It proved to be an interesting way to occu py children while promoting their deve lopment and learning and it offered working parents a flexible and perfect solution.
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The “Language in Action” programm es use an approach based on theatre and acting skills. This originality is inten ded to make language learning more dynamic and friendly for the children whilst helping them develop their self-confidence. If English and French were the official languages taug ht in the summer camps, no fewer than 11 other languages are offered all year round in the World Language Learning Centre (WLL C), open to children and adults. Alongside the language programm es, the school offered several sports camps. From basketball to football, swimming and gymnastics, GWAS offered its beau tiful facilities to participants. Football, basketball and entrepreneursh ip camps will be proposed during this autumn school holiday from Monday to Friday, 17-21 October so please visit our website for details: http://www.gemsworldacademy-s witzerland.com/ and check under Learning/Holiday Camps or contact the school directly via email: registrar_gwe@gemsedu.co m or phone 021-964.18.18.
Service Day - The joy of togetherness
PYP to DP. It was our second annual service day! On June 21st 2016, the school was exuding with energy and action from beautifying our garden under the supervision of staff Grades 5 to 11 cooperated in many activities on campus. There was a group
with the ‘Me Elderly’ activity led by the Red Cross. The aim of this members. Another set of students pretended to be 90 year-old people led the making of a film for Graduate Women International, a was to develop empathy and respect for the elderly. One of our teachers
clips with much insight and sensitivity. NGO supporting education for women. The group produced three different to fundraise for Medair, an NGO devoted to supporting In school, students were also working with Amnesty International or baking and thinking in the corridors of the school, but our pupils vulnerable populations in emergency situations. There was much laughing cooking for the homeless in Geneva or collaborating with our also conquered outside territories, taking care of animals at a local shelter, of special needs and handicapped students. Earlier in the school neighbours from L’Espérance, an organisation devoted to the education we took the opportunity to present this cheque to them. The year, the school had raised funds for L’Espérance during a charity gala and and installations. money will be used to expand their playground with special equipment l success. This was followed by a school talent show and the In the afternoon, the sponsored fun run organised by grade 8 was a wonderfu day in the most beautiful way. inauguration of the Friendship tree which completed a community oriented exclusively positive. Amnesty International saluted GEMS students’ The feedback received from organisations working with our students was our students profusely. The Medair representative were engagement with global issues. Graduate Women International wrote thanking by Grade 10. Thank you to all for your participation and engagement. impressed by the effort and good spirit displayed in the bake-off organised
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SCHOOL International NEWS School – GEMS Parent World Autumn Academy 2016 Jazz Workshop at GEMS World Academy Switzerland High School in New Zealand The GWAS Music Academy hosted a jazz workshop with the Neon Fusion Jazz Band from Fielding of Guitar, ran the workshop on July 15th 2016. Julie Tompkins-Wagner, Director of the Music Academy, and John Lane, Professor and learn all that they can while for the 8 member band which is on a Student Horizons tour of Europe. Their goal is to assimilate group and they learned a lot about searching out performance opportunities along the way. It was a real pleasure to work with this how to “funk it up”, and really performance technique, jazz style, ensemble balance, and how to play off each other. Not to mention members and their director, use their instruments in a wider range, both stylistically and literally. Congratulations to all the band Danielle Grove, for their stellar preparation which made it so rewarding to work with the group. The GWAS Music Academy offers individual instrumental and vocal lessons to students aged 5
and higher and is open to the public.
If you are interested in music lessons, please visit the website: www.gemsworldacademy-switzerland.com/learning/music-academy/ or email: musicacademy_gwe@gemsedu.com or call 021-964 18 18
GEMS Academy Switzerland compete at the
Scholar’s Cup
The World Scholar’s Cup (WSC) is an intellectual
competition that invites teams of 3 students to study 6 different topics and use their knowledge on these topics to win medals and do their best in each of the 4 events. This however is not solely created for educational purposes but also to meet new people and learn about different cultures and have fun. We competed at the regional Switzerland round at GEMS in May and were able to qualify for a global round . We decided to go to the mini global round in Prague and as we like to call it Pwaague*. On July 21st, we arrived in Pwaague and got settled into our hotel. The next day we had the openin g ceremony with an interesting speaker called Mr.William Cathers, followed by a scavenger hunt in the afternoon. We were divide d into different groups that represented different countries. We had a lot of fun running around the old town and trying to complete bizarre and interesting challenges. We bonded with many different scholars from around the world and ended the day with an amazing evening boat cruise on the Vltava river. The following day was the most challenging. We had the scholar’s challenge (a very difficult individ ual multi choice quiz), team debates and finally the collaborative writing (an essay challen ge with topics related to the world scholar’s cup subjects). On July 24th, we had the scholar’s bowl (a difficu lt collaborative quiz with creative and interesting ways of gaining points) followed by the debate showcase (the top 8 debaters debated on a new topics in front of all the scholars). This concluded the educational part of the WSC but by no means ended the whole event. Later that afternoon we had the scholar’s show and cultura l fair to look forward to. The cultural fair was a chance for everyone to try food from around the world and learn from the 30 countries that were present. The next day we had a day off to explore Pwaag ue. We decided to go on a day tour and booke d a guide to show us around the whole town. Later that day we had the scholar’s ball. This gave all the scholars a chance to dance off all the stress they had from the past few day and eat ice cream and chat to each other. We also had an interesting performance from the alpaca -in-chief, Mr.Daniel Berdichevsky who almost broke a light and another organisers’ glasse s. The last day was the closing ceremony where the medals were awarded and the farewells were said. Switzerland as a whole did very well winning medals across all events and subjects and we were very proud to hear that we qualified to go to the tournament of champions at Yale University. Overall we had a lot of fun and definitely recom mend * A common occurrence during World Scholar’s
it for other students.
Cup tournaments is the echoing of the word “Pwaa ”. “Pwaa,” explains Berdichevsky, “is the sound that a happy alpaca makes.” The alpaca is the symbo l of the World Scholar’s Cup and appears in the logo. The word “Pwaa” is used as a pun in various places during the contest. Examples of usage: Pwaasome (Awes ome), Pwaala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur), Singapwaa (Singapore), Pwaalified (qualified), or just “Pwaa ”. Written by Tessa van Engen and Ceria McMi nn (Students at GEMS World Academy Switze rland)
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SCHOOL International NEWSSchool – International Parent Autumn School of2016 Berne
Grade 6 Orientation Week ISBerne always kicks off the year with a few great events, the first being the Grade 6 orientation week. The move from the Elementary School to the Secondary School takes a bit of e adjusting. Students need to learn wher their classes are, where their advisors’ dules offices are, how to access their sche and homework in the school portal system and general expectations for all secondary students. This week-long
Outdoor Education Week Within the first few weeks of school all students from Grade 3-12, participate in a week-long camp in the Alps. We do this camp at the outset of the year in order to take adva ntage of the lingering summer weather. But, more importantly, we find for an international school with a high student turn-over rate, it is a wonderful way to quickly build camaraderie among the classmate s. This camaderie will set a foundation for teamwork and friend ship throughout the school year. This year the camps included hikes, mountain biking, rafting, a tour of a dam, tour of a cheese facility, rope s courses, and more!
orientation culminates in a studentled orientation for parents, where the students explain to their parents the in changes and expectations to expect Secondary School.
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PTC Welcome BBQ Every fall our Parent Teacher Committee holds a welcome BBQ for the whole community. Like the outdoor education camps, this gives an opportunity to parents for getting to know one another. At ISBerne our parent community is very strong and is a valuable resource to both the school and the families it comprises.
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Terre des Hom mes
Fun Run our CAS advisor has partnered with the Swiss organis ation Terre des Homm es for our annu al Charity Fun Run. The Fu n Run is a longstanding tradition at ISBer ne and a great family day out. In addition to the fundraise r run, there is a BBQ lunch, a flea market an d games for the younger stu dents. Our Grad e 12 CAS students coordi nate the day, an d they did a fantastic job th is year. Terre de s Hommes, who work to he lp underprivilege d children around the world , were the happ y recipients of over 2,500 fra ncs! In recent years,
International SCHOOLSchool NEWSParent – EcoleAutumn Mosaic 2016
and Mandarin to Russian, Arabic indedness! promote open-m been added to A new project has ulum: all students our bilingual curric 12 will follow our from age 4 to age and Civilisation Foreign Language t gh an approach no programme, throu arin , Arabic and Mand only of the Russian o the history & languages, but als cultures. geography of those will have a 2 week 1P and 2P classes culture, with fun immersion in each , , story telling, music activities of cooking 2 er children will have etc., whilst the old 3P age: Mandarin for full years per langu ic ab 5P and 6P, and Ar and 4P, Russian for for 7P and 8P.
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Holiday camps We will be opening
registrations for ou r camps for the autum n, February, Easte r and of course summ er holidays! More information please check our website : www.ecolemosa ic.ch
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SCHOOL NEWS – International School of Zug2016 and Luzern International School Parent Autumn
ISZL Students building with bottles in Ghana
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During the first week of the summer break, a group of ISZL students, teachers and parents learnt a pioneering new building technique to help impoverished communities in Ghana. The new construction technique is based on PET bottle ‘bricks’, and Andreas Froese, the innovator of this building techniq ue, flew in from Mexico to teach our group and assist with the building of Europe’s first PET bottle cistern, now on display now at ISZL’s Riverside Campus. This project has been part of the preparation for our Personal Development Week (PDW) in September when we will be working at the Kokrobite Chiltern Centre in Ghana, a foundation that provides educati on for local children and support for their families. Thanks to fundraising efforts by our group, Andreas has flown to Ghana where he has been training our partners in the village of Kokrobite to build a new school out of his PET-bo ttle bricks. Our group was only able to pay for four weeks of Andreas’ time, but he was kind and passionate enough to donate three additional weeks to the project. Construction of the first classroom will be completed about the same time our PDW group arrives on September 15th to help put on the roof. Once complete, we hope this classroom becomes a focal point for community education about this new cost-effective construction technique that can be used to build just about anything. Our goal is to train and fund local “PET bricklay ers” to build not only a larger school, but also an integrated system of rainwater cisterns that can provide safe drinking water in the dry season. Contaminated water is the single largest cause of death, illness, and missed school days for children in this village of 8000 people. Young women particularly carry the burden of sourcing clean water in the dry season. If you would like to help employ some of our new PET-bo ttle brick layers as they start construction of the first cisterns and a second classroom in October, we know our partners in Ghana would greatly appreciate your help. A new cistern, which provides water for a family of 6 costs approximately CHF 300, and each new classroom costs approximately CHF 6000, including materials and labor. Even small donations, when combined, can have a BIG impact. For information about how to help, please contact our staff trip leader, Christopher Koch christopher.koch(at)iszl.ch. By Eleanor P-S, Grade 12 Student
Children’s Human Rights United Nations Youth Summit on ns in Geneva to attend the Youth This summer we visited the United Natio Rights a parallel event to the 32nd Human Summit on Children’s Human Rights, and d by Ariel Foundation International Council. This was organized and hoste n International. the Ariana-Leilani Children’s Foundatio Dr. King and Dr. McVarish (from Twenty two children were involved and UK. ng us feel very proud to represent the CBeebies) called us “delegates”, maki ssed what violence meant to us. This We shared our presentations and discu an way. They recorded our opinions on made us think about life in a different e UN! iPAD and will play them to the whol Council XX Room where the Human Rights The UN was amazing, especially the the room had lots of colourful stalactites was meeting that day. The ceiling of
rows of tall flags. hanging down! Outside, there were . and we realized that we are very lucky The world can be a scary, unsafe place ence! happy that people are making a differ Some of the stories were sad, but we’re students) By Hugo W & Tomas C (Grade 3
www.iszl.ch internationalschoolparent.com
SCHOOL NEWS – International School of Zug2016 and Luzern International School Parent Autumn
Peru - Machu Picchu through the Back Door…. The 6th ISZL summer expedition took place in June-July this year. A huge group of 32 ISZL students, together with 4 teachers, embarked on this exciting trip that included a 7 day trek and camping along the little-trodden Choquequirao route, a back door to Machu Picchu; white-water rafting down the Urubamba head-water of the Amazon; down-hill biking through spectacular scenery with a back-drop of the Urubamba mountain range; visiting the unique Inca ruins of Moray and the salt mines of Maras; working with the local peoples of the Cordillera Vilcanota to support the ECOAN reforestation project; and journeying in dug-out canoes to a lodge deep in the Amazon jungle. The major focus, the famous Choquequirao to Machu Picchu trek, is one of the most challenging and spectacular hikes in all of Peru. This truly has to be the ultimate Andean trek, rising to a height of 4’200 metres and stunningly beautiful all the way. What an experience for us all! Our day working with ECOAN was also quite an adventure. Light drizzle in the early morning cleared until we arrived with the community in the hills. Each armed with a pair of secateurs and weighed down by a hefty eucalyptus fence post, we trudged up the mountain to 4’100m. Rain soon became icy snow which was very unseasonal and our hands froze as we tried to prune the small queuña trees on the hillside. It was not quite as we had planned but we managed to prune 50 trees and left a huge pile of posts for the community to begin the fence rebuild in the next days. Retreating to the village hall, our cooks reappeared and prepared some amazing food and there was a great atmosphere of camaraderie despite the cold! Amazonas Explorer together with ECOAN planted 50’000 trees on the slopes of the Laras and Patacancha Valleys over the last year, working closely with the local communities, providing environmental training and financial support, and giving 1% of all profits to the cause. We were delighted to help with this worthwhile local project. Here are some snapshots from the students on the trip: For further reading on the trip and more photographs please visit peruiszl2016.weebly.com Elizabeth Jewitt, Service Learning & Personal Development Coordinator, Middle School And the poetry of the hike…
Deep in the Amazon…
Biting dust, Hungry fleas, Treacherous roads,
This morning we woke up on the side of the
And blistering heat.
misty lake. We were on the boat by 06:00
Pounding hearts, Cramping legs, Itchy skin,
experiencing the sounds and the sights of
And sweaty backs.
the waking jungle. Amongst many things we
Over the ridge to reap its rewards,
were lucky enough to see four giant otters
Phenomenal views, Fantastic food, Hearty
next to us, screeching and fighting for fish.
company, And nothing to lose!
Emma-Sunshine
Zhi Feng and Nils The final day of the trek…
On the magical and mystical
Downhill biking…
Today was our last day of hiking…We made
Choquequirao…Tonight was amazing…I
If you’re a real thrill seeker and looking for
it to Machu Picchu.
stepped out of the dinner tent and was
a real adrenalin rush, then today was the
For those of us who decided to climb to
stunned by the view... It was pitch black of
perfect day. We went on a wonderful 30
Machu Picchu Mountain, we woke up early
course but I had never seen the stars like
kilometer bike ride taking us 700 vertical
at 4:45 and had a quick breakfast at 5.
this. Each star was bright and visible in a way
meters down into a small valley to the Maras
We had to leave by 5:30 though we were
I can’t describe. I saw shooting stars for the
salt pans. Bikes, gloves and helmets were
delayed by a few stragglers. We began
second time in my life... Oh but not only the
all provided and we all hopped on the
climbing Machu Picchu mountain while the
second...I saw 6 that night and each just as
saddles and went for the most amazing ride.
others slept.
astounding as the last. We gathered later to
Upon arriving at the salt fields everyone was
Mathias, Philip and Alex V. sprinted to the
star gaze. We each pulled out our inflated
shocked by the difficulty but also how much
top, taking only 44 minutes versus the usual
mattresses and warm sleeping bags as we
fun the ride was and I’m sure I speak on behalf
1.5 hours! Eventually 26 of the 32 made it
laid pressing to one another for warmth. We
of everyone when I say we all really loved it!
to the top! After taking many pictures and
told jokes and laughed under the star light
We recovered with a nice evening in Cusco
enjoying the breathtaking view, we began
sky. Tonight was amazing and unlike anything
with shopping and a dinner of local food.
heading back down, which was almost as
I’ve ever seen.
Mathias
tough as going up, since the stairs were
Jack
steep and small! Philip
www.iszl.ch internationalschoolparent.com
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