WINTER 2014-15 | NO. 4

CONTENTS

Contents

© International School of Zug and Luzern / / ISZL, Walterswil, 6340 Baar, Switzerland, T +41 (0)41 768-2900, F +41 (0)41 768-2901, community@iszl.ch www.iszl.ch / / The International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) provides a high quality Early Years to Grade 12 international education to day students residing in the cantons of central Switzerland. ISZL Magazine is mailed without charge to current parents, alumni, former faculty and staff, and friends of ISZL.

Editor: Ali Mackinnon / / Contributors: Jessica Andersen, Marcel Andrée, Zoe Badcock, Willie Bucher, Lorna Caputo, Neil Commons, Claire Competiello, Dominic Currer, Sofia Dionisio, Vitor Fernandes-Neto, Daniel Hamilton, Siobhan Hancock, Sam Hoksbergen, Catherine Jarvis, Eva Katgert, Máté Kovács, Tarja Kurkela, Gary Langenhuizen, Ali Mackinnon, Jacob Martin, Luke McCowan, Elisabeth Marksteiner, David Monk, Anne-Marie Muller, Jacqueline Newman, Karl Nordin, Paul Pavao, Raphael Radtke, Fabio Reinhard, Chris Robinson, Jocelyn Sutherland, Philip Tzonev, Jazmin Vaczi, Anne Van Dam, Chris Vincent, Colin Walker, Nicola White, Christopher Williamson / / Photography: Claudio Hernandes, Frans Hoofwijk, Cynthia Kemish, Ali Mackinnon, Jacqueline Newman, Rob Ogden, Jocelyn Sutherland, ISZL Staff and Student Archives Thinkstock / Vectorstock: 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12, 14,15,16,17,20,21,22,23,24,25,27,29,30,31,32,33,35,36,37,39,40,41 / / Design and Art Direction: StuderGuldin GmbH, Zug / / Printer: Multicolor Print AG

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17

26

3 Partners in International Education

4 In Conversation with Jacob Martin, Curriculum Director

6 Three Students Reflect “Why our School Charities are Important to Us”

8 Accreditation and Why it Matters

10 Experiential Learning, Luzern Campus Leads the Way

12 Grade 8, The Year of Living Dangerously

14 The Value of Ongoing Professional Development

17 Technological Innovations in the Classroom

20 Students’ Sporting Excellence

24 Preparing our High School Students for the Future

26 Supporting Students, The EAL Programme Flourishes

29 On the Buses

32 Above and Beyond, Our Nurses Excel

34 ISZL in the Business Community

36 Beyond the Classroom

38 Keeping in Touch, An Alumna Interview

39 ISZL Gala – The Roaring Twenties

2 |

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Community,

It is with great pleasure that I introduce our magazine this year! The articles herein bear testament to the work and efforts of many of the people who contribute towards the dynamic and caring community that is ISZL. To be honest I often feel humbled to be working with so many committed and outstanding individuals and teams at our school – from teachers through to the PA; from a truly wonderful Board to engaged and enthusiastic teachers – not to mention all of the support staff who through their varied contributions help make our whole school work.

Our position as one of the leading international schools in the world demands that we play a leading role in the global community as well as the local one. ISZL is an active member of various organisations including The European Council of International Schools (ECIS). ECIS is a global organisation that focuses on providing high quality professional growth and development opportunities for teachers, board members, and administrators in international schools worldwide. It has been my privilege, with ISZL Board approval to serve on the ECIS Board for 5 years now.

Each year, ECIS runs two major conferences. The first is for all educators and usually attracts over 2000 delegates. It provides various strands from IT to Early Childhood, from Board Governance to delivery of the IB, and helps extend the education and collaboration of teachers worldwide in an attempt to engage our interconnected community. The second is mainly for school administrators and focuses on leadership and talent development as well as providing a forum to discuss some of the major themes in our rapidly changing profession.

ECIS also runs a whole host of other professional growth opportunities for all people involved in education. The Sustainable International School Governance (SISG) programme helps train new Board members worldwide; the International Teacher Certificate (ITC) engages already qualified teachers with the demands of international education – including third culture kids, second language learners, transient student populations and meeting the needs of multi-cultural learners. The consultancy arm of the organisation helps new and existing schools with strategic planning, financial organisation, teacher recruitment, and even new Director searches! And a newly launched initiative - the Teacher Assistant Certificate (TAC) helps train classroom assistants to develop their skills in helping teachers address the needs of all children in their classes.

I feel honoured to have been part of this organisation for many years now, just as I feel privileged to enter into my tenth year leading our school. Our on-going success is due to the talents of everyone who contributes towards making this an outstanding place to work, learn and play, and I look forward to many more years of growth, reflection and success at ISZL.

Sincerely

Dominic CurrerDirector

Partners in InternationalEducation

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CONTRIBUTOR: ALI MACKINNON, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

How has your nomadic childhood helped you understand the challenges and difficulties facing students who move (sometimes on a regular basis) between schools and countries? I remember clearly the feeling of moving into a new school and the experience of not knowing the things that everybody else seemed to know. I also remember the feeling of a classroom taking time to get used to after moving from one system to another. This is why I will strive to ensure a consistency of experience for students entering the school at any point and ensure our curriculum is exciting, engaging but also synchronous with other systems where possible to allow for these difficult transitions.

What made you decide that teaching was the career for you?After school I decided to take a gap year before university to experience a little of the world. Although I was not originally thinking of teaching when I investigated the

volunteer opportunities that were available, teaching was one of the most interesting. I accepted a year posting in Nepal as a volunteer teacher in the Khumbu (Everest) region and this was such an enriching and exciting experience (the classrooms had no windows or ceilings and had 130 students in them!) that by the time I returned for my university degree I knew teaching was the only thing I wanted to do.

You have worked in many different types of schools from comprehensives to private and international Schools. How has that experience shaped you?My own personal experiences at school have certainly shaped me. The teachers I had have influenced and shaped my own teaching. Certain teachers showed how you had to teach and others showed me how you mustn’t! My time spent in international primary schools in the Soviet Union and in China I am sure helped me to understand other cultures and form relationships with a wide mix of people. My

time in state primary and more pertinently comprehensive secondary school (I was at a large all boys comprehensive in South London) really showed me the power a school can have in the life of a child. The comprehensive school was a scary place where learning was occasionally sneered at and although the teachers were positive and heroic in some cases, the aggressive culture of the school playground meant I was loath to go to school on occasion. I moved directly from this experience to a boarding co-educational school in England for the last few years of my secondary education and the transformational nature of this experience has changed me forever. Schools are very powerful institutions second only to the family and therefore I believe the work that goes on in them is one of the most powerful forces for change in society as a whole.

What are you looking forward to most at ISZL and what are your initial impressions?

IN CONVERSATION WITH…

In Conversation with Jacob

Martin Curriculum Director

Jacob Martin who recently joined ISZL as Curriculum Director, previously taught in England, Hong Kong and Austria. Most recently he was the Diploma Coordinator and Curriculum Leader at Vienna International School and prior to that spent nine years in Hong Kong working for the English Schools Foundation. Jacob started his career in a state school in South East London before going onto teach at Dulwich College. He joins us with his wife Charlotte who teaches Maths at High School and his two daughters, Georgina (G1) and Phoebe (EY2).

Jacob's childhood was spent in Hong Kong, Beijing, London, Moscow and Lisbon. Born in a military hospital in Hong Kong he later moved with his family to Beijing where Jacob was the only European boy to attend a Chinese Kindergarten. School in Moscow, a comprehensive in London and boarding school in Hampshire followed. Before going to University Jacob spent a year teaching English in a "high altitude rural community" in Nepal. He then graduated with a degree in Chemistry from Bristol University and went onto qualify as a teacher at King’s College London.

Describing the post of Curriculum Director as "the job I have always wanted to do," Jacob explains how his childhood and varied teaching experiences have shaped him and shares his thoughts on how he sees his role developing in the next academic year

Name: Jacob Martin

Age: 4 1

Family: Married to Charlotte

with two daughters (Georgina

and Phoebe)

4 |

… JACOB MARTIN, CURRICULUM DIRECTOR

I am greatly looking forward to being involved with ALL the students in the school and all the programmes as opposed to focusing on only one. The ability to look at pedagogy and curriculum design from the perspective of all the students in the school is one I relish. I have found ISZL to be a positive, welcoming community with a strong emphasis on the family.

How long have you been out of the classroom?This is the first year and that’s the most difficult thing about this job.

What are the challenges facing you in the first year?Getting to know all the aspects of the school that I need to know! This also means getting to know all the teachers and seeing what is going on in the classrooms. My intention is to speak to as many people as possible in the next six months and see as many lessons as possible. So far I have observed eight and have another 27 planned before the end of the semester. By listening to and observing people I can

see where things may need improvement. I would like to involve students in the development and analysis of the curriculum and pedagogy. I will be looking to establish a student curriculum group with students taken from all campuses and year groups to discuss curriculum matters in general.

What is the single most important aspect of your job?The single most important aspect of the job is to improve the educational experiences for all ISZL students. This can mean providing opportunities for teachers to improve on the excellent classroom practice which currently exists, creating or improving the connections within the conceptual base of the curriculum or creating new opportunities for students that do not currently exist.

“ The single most important aspect of the job is to improve the educational experiences for all ISZL students ”

“ Schools are very powerful

institutions second only to

the family ”

“ I have found ISZL to

be a positive, welcoming

community with a strong

emphasis on the family ”

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THREE STUDENTS REFLECT…

CONTRIBUTOR: LIZ JEWITT, MIDDLE SCHOOL PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Involvement in service learning provides a powerful tool to guide students to be creative thinkers, with the skills to be innovative problem solvers, strong collaborators and team players. With this in mind, service learning sits at the heart of the personal development programme

in Middle School. Every year, we are amazed by the way our students create and embrace their responsibilities, giving so much time and energy to their fund raising, support and awareness initiatives for these charities.

These are powerful learning experiences for anyone, of any age. For our young students to realise that they are able to come together to make such an impact on the lives of others must surely be an immensely powerful and enriching lesson.

Three Students Reflect “Why our School Charities are Important to Us”

NAG is a school in Nepal which takes in street children and children who do not have the funds for an education, and allows them a safer home and the chance to make something of their future. I have been supporting NAG with charity runs and more, since I was just three years old, and it has made me develop a strong connection with the school and children. Working as the leader of a big group of 35 fellow students, trying to raise money and also inform the school about the Home of New Hopes in Nepal, was tough but a wonderful experience. I got to feel what it’s like to be responsible not only for a group of students my age, but also for students on the other side of the world, who were counting on me and the rest of ISZL to allow them a chance to get an education. Even though this was very stressful, it also made me realise how fortunate we all are to be in ISZL, and this made me want to work even harder to help these children. I developed a connection with a girl named

Sarita, who we helped finish medical school and gave the opportunity to help break the circle of poverty. We supported her and two others by raising money through Christmas cards and by organising bake and bracelet sales. It costs 5000chf to support one nurse through medical school, and we raised enough to support three. I really hope one day to go to the NAG school myself, so that I can see the effect of the hours of work I put into this.

EVA KATGERT, GRADE 9

PROJECT

NAG

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… “WHY OUR SCHOOL CHARITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO US”

The Cedar Foundation supports disabled children in Bulgaria. It provides homes to handicapped children so they don’t stay in orphanages. At ISZL, there is a small group that is dedicated to raising funds for this foundation. Last year I took part in this group and helped them raise money. Our goal was 14,000chf, which we raised and used to pay for renovations, a new garden and greenhouse at the homes in Bulgaria. Some of us even travelled there to help complete these tasks. One of the rooms was renovated to be a playroom with places to sit and have fun. However most of the work went towards the

greenhouse and garden. We set up a greenhouse with many different plants that would support each other and grow. We also built a garden with a great variety of plants that will be able to provide some food for the residents. What made me join and motivated me to work for the Cedar Foundation was my nationality. I’m half Bulgarian, and my sister is disabled, so I know where it is, and who I’m helping. I always enjoyed working for the Cedar Foundation because I knew that it was a good cause and it was also a lot of fun.

Kids of Africa is a Swiss / Ugandan charity which helps to lay the groundwork for transformation in the next generation in Uganda, leading to development and sustainability. The result consists of a tightly knit community of ten large families and outsiders that all contribute to making a brighter future for the children within the association.

The experiences I had with this service group transformed my idea of commitment and teamwork. I had never previously engaged in a service activity that warranted any out of school time and it definitely helped me realise not only the importance of these organisations, but also how easy it was to give up my free time. The story of the charity is personal and

on a scale where you can empathise with and admire the founder Burkhard Varnholt, (who I had the pleasure of meeting), and also assists in the motivation to invest your time in the project. In Grade 8 I took part in a second hand clothes sale where we encouraged people in the school to bring in used clothes and toys. We then had to sort, tag, transport, and display the huge amount of supplies, which was not an easy task. It required lots of time during breaks, after school, and weekends to complete. Overall, it was a great opportunity to get to know people in my grade that I had previously never talked to, but also to learn that my time is not so precious that I cannot give it up to stay at school and cooperate in something beyond the space of myself.

LUKE MCCOWAN, GRADE 10

PROJECT

Kids of Africa

PHILIP TZONEV, GRADE 9

PROJECT

The Cedar Foundation

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CONTRIBUTOR: JACOB MARTIN, CURRICULUM DIRECTOR

How do we know how good we are?At ISZL we are rightly proud of the programmes that we offer at the school. We firmly believe that the experiences of our students both in the school’s academic curriculum and the pastoral and student life aspects are of a very high quality. But how do we know? How do our existing and potential parents know? How do the students know? The issue of quality assurance in a sector as crucial as education is an important one.

The quality of the academic programmes on offer at ISZL is linked to the reputations of the organisations that accredit these programmes. Both the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the College Board (which offers the Advanced Placement (AP) programme) provide quality assurance processes that the school actively participates in. ISZL is re-evaluated every five years in order to continue offering the individual IB programmes. This process of evaluation is a rigorous one designed to ensure adherence to the IB mission and aims as well as the quality of the pedagogy and assessment. Similarly, a process of review of the curriculum documentation provided by teachers offering the AP courses exists.

However, the quality of the school and the quality of the experience of the students is something that goes far beyond the IB or AP programmes. So how is the quality of the school in a more complete sense to be established? Of course the school has internal systems of review that are constantly in action, but sometimes it is also necessary to have an external measurement of the quality of the programmes. This provides confidence for the parent community, the student community and also the staff who are either already at the school or who will be joining. This is the purpose of accreditation.

Accreditation and Why

It Matters

NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS“NEASC accreditation is a system of accountability that is ongoing, voluntary, and comprehensive in scope. It respects differences in institutional populations, missions, and cultures, and fosters institutional change grounded in the judgement of practicing educators. It is based on standards which are developed and regularly reviewed by the members and which define the characteristics of good schools and colleges.”www.neasc.org

COUNCIL OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS“CIS School Evaluation and Accreditation is an evaluation process that drives a school’s continuous improvement, through:– rigorous evaluation against internationally-

agreed standards– a blend of support and challenge, focused

on a school’s development; – a peer-based model that brings together

international educators from across the world of CIS-accredited schools.”

www.cois.org

ACCREDITATION…8 |

ISZL clearly operates in an international context with our students travelling to a wide range of destinations upon completion of their studies. With students going to the USA, the UK and European destinations, the quality of the programme and its acceptance in these destinations is also of key importance to the school. Therefore, when choosing who will ’accredit’ the school it is important that we select a range of agencies with as wide an acceptance as possible. The two agencies we are seeking accreditation from are the Council of International Schools (CIS, www.cois.org) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC, www.neasc.org). CIS is the leading agency involved with the accreditation of international schools and it operates in partnership with many other providers to deliver a process that allows for accreditation from multiple organisations in one visit. The NEASC provides accreditation of the school and the programme in an American context.

Therefore during this school year we are being re-evaluated by the IB to continue offering the three IB programmes whilst simultaneously also seeking accreditation from CIS and the NEASC.

These two processes are very similar in terms of structure, but the depth, rigour and scope of them may be surprising to many people unfamiliar with educational professional practice. The accrediting organisations provide a set of accepted standards covering all aspects of a school’s operation. This includes the governance, resourcing, curriculum, safety and all other aspects of an institution. The entire staff of the school must be involved in the process, which is not led by the senior leadership of the school.

The process begins with groups of staff looking at the standards and reflecting on how well the school’s current practice fits to this particular descriptor. From this the groups produce a set of findings and then collect evidence to support their ratings. Reports are written which include developmental suggestions. Feedback is also taken from students and parents to evaluate these standards. These reports are then collated and submitted to the accrediting organisations. After this has all been completed, a visiting team comes to the school and makes their own judgements, which include recommendations for the future direction of the school. If the school is judged as being of a sufficient quality in all of the standards covered then it becomes accredited as a CIS / NEASC member school which is also authorised to offer the three IB programmes.

Although the process is gruelling for all of the staff at the school, the recommendations and commendations do form the basis of discussions to frame the strategic direction of the school as well as provide us with excellent evidence to support our belief that we do indeed provide an excellent quality experience for all our stakeholders.

… AND WHY IT MATTERS | 9

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, …

The Luzern Campus is situated in the most exquisite park in all of Central Switzerland if not all of Switzerland. We have it all at our fingertips – the lake, a beach, mountain views of the local hills and the snow capped Alps, the grassy meadows and hillsides, sheep and sheep bells, the forest, tree lined pathways, century old majestic trees, fountains, gardens, hundred plus year old buildings not to forget our two hundred plus year old villa. Outside our classroom walls is the wonder of Switzerland as it was 50 years ago, 100 years ago, 150 years ago, and maybe even 200 plus years ago. So we should have everything we need for a smashingly successful primary school experience just staying in our vintage buildings and wandering the top-notch grounds. Yes, you could make the case for that scenario, however, the instructional staff on the Luzern campus truly believe in a hands-on / minds-on integration in our local community to experientially master the concepts we are building upon. As we study ’The availability of water impacts the survival of living things’ in Grade 2, we take our students down into the water pumping

station two stories under the earth to see the massive water pumps which pull the water out of Lake Luzern and then push it up to the local holding tank in order for the water to flow down into the homes and businesses in Horw, Kastanienbaum, and Luzern. As we build upon the events earlier in our history which have influenced our lives today we take special trips to the Swiss Transportation Museum, Swiss Open-Air Museum Ballenberg, Lenzberg Castle, or numerous times to the Altstadt Luzern to view the half timbered homes, the old town walls with their eight tall watch towers, as well as the numerous historic churches. As our Grade 1 students inquire into ’Public spaces provide people with the opportunities to make connections and establish a sense of community’ then that understanding of the past and how it has influenced our lives today makes us an active participant in the heavily attended Fasnacht children’s parade, as it weaves its way though the cobblestoned streets with other wildly enthusiastic youngsters chasing away the winter blues and heralding in the

Leads

Experiential Learning,

Luzern Campusthe Way

Experiential Learning – How the Luzern Campus takes the classroom out into the Central Switzerland Community. CONTRIBUTOR: GARY LANGENHUIZEN, HEAD OF

LUZERN CAMPUS

10 |

… LUZERN CAMPUS LEADS THE WAY

Spring season. Musical experiences have to be lived to be fully appreciated and the students on the Luzern campus can walk the grounds, take part in historical programmes and hear original works from the vastly influential composer Richard Wagner; experience backstage tours and insider workshops at the world famous Culture and Conventions Center (KKL) as well as dance recitals, plays, and children’s concerts targeting children. How could we not participate with our eyes, minds, and hands in art experiences at the Paul Klee Art Museum, Rosengart Collection and the Luzern Museum of Art – did I mention Picasso?

And let’s not forget about the importance of the physical geography of Central Switzerland and how it beautifully represents Grade 3’s ’Changes in the Earth impact the way people live their lives.’ From the Tierpark Goldau with its significant remnants of a massive landslide that buried Goldau to more recently the hurricane that destroyed 80% of their forest; or the impact glaciers and water have in Aareschlucht, Staubbach Falls, or

even admiring Trümmelbach Falls while spending evenings in Chalet Bergheim: the ISZL Environmental Classroom. We can’t stop there as we know we need a balanced lifestyle, as we study the positive effects on the whole child: hiking up Mount Pilatus to the Krienseregg station, enjoying the winter season during a whole school ice skate at the Swiss Life Arena, moving and experiencing the joy of expressing ourselves through dance with a choreographer in the dance studio complete with mirrored walls / ballet bars, and a floating floor; lessons in archery, bowling, badminton or tennis at the various local sports clubs, and sometimes just being active participants in the local Vita Parcours as our body, mind, and spirit are renewed.

Every year we scour the area for those teachable connections to really engage our students and this year we have added full day excursions to our Hünenberg Campus. Our students were able to take full advantage of the superb art, science and sports facilities (in the absence of the high school students during their Personal

Development Week). They also enjoyed the safe and protected experience of riding a bike in the grounds of a local Luzern city primary school where there is a simulated city road circuit painted on the hard surface play area. During these sessions we practiced and practiced, and assessed our bicycle skills and safety knowledge.

We are blessed in so many ways with an environmentally beautiful classroom surrounding our interior learning spaces. We could be happy with this; maybe we should be content with the top-notch spaces we are presented. But then again the staff on the Luzern campus lives a 21st Century educational philosophy and the standard for our learning environment is much closer to supercalifragilisticexpialidocious than brilliant! And one of our most memorable children’s authors, Dr. Seuss writes, ’Why fit in when you were born to stand out?’ The small but world class Luzern campus does just that!!!

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GRADE 8, …

CONTRIBUTOR: DANIEL HAMILTON, MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

As the seniors on a campus of over 800 students, Grade 8’s enter, or in some cases are thrust into, a rather unique educational encounter. At 13 years of age they assume the mantle of leaders in academics, sports, music and service learning and experience what is undoubtedly a challenging, enjoyable and memorable year.

ISZL’s programme in Grade 8 places equal importance on the academic and pastoral programme and is aptly summed up by Robinson who describes the necessity for “engaging feelings, physical development, collaboration where knowledge of the self is as important as knowledge of the external world.” The Middle School strives to provide an atmosphere conducive to promoting academic excellence as well as successful students with well-rounded characters and social skills. The developmental nature of the programme identifies what Eisner expresses as “situations in which students will work, problems with which they are to cope, tasks in which they are to engage and a supportive environment in which skills can flourish”.

Robinson also asserts that, “the two touchstones of personal growth are originality and authenticity”. (2011, p.172) This is perhaps best illustrated in the Grade 8 Challenge, a personal project developed over several months, in which a key element is student choice. Whether furthering interest in science and engineering by investigating aerodynamics and flight, researching a family tree or writing a musical score, the teacher’s role is to mentor and encourage these student driven projects.

“From choosing my own project, to coming up with ideas, to finally making it happen was a process I will never forget. It was challenging in many ways, but in the end I am very proud of what I have achieved,” featured in the introduction to a project last year and reflects a typical student experience.

Grade 8,The Year of

LivingDangerously

12 |

… THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY

Extending boundaries and accumulating experiences by providing situations in which students can develop emotionally and physically thereby building self-confidence, team and leadership skills abound. These include the Maths retreat in the mountains of Wengen, the spring musical, snowshoe hike, dance workshops in PE, and a range of design challenges such as raft building.

The outdoor focus of the PDW in September exposes students to situations in which they can develop confidence and leadership skills in a safe environment. Daytime activities such as canyoning, via ferrata and high ropes course present personal challenges. These are complimented by evening team tasks such as building a bob-car or a marshmallow tower and water ferrying. The Maths retreat in November, consists of three days in which students are posed a wide range of problem solving activities and challenges designed to develop mathematical awareness and to build on the collaborative and leadership skills from the PDW. It is a delight in January to observe 13 / 14 year olds in a mountain hut chatting at tables as they share a fondue while reflecting on their three hour snowshoe hike up. As they excitedly contemplate the five kilometre ’headlamp guided night-time sledging’ return trip, they give an alternative picture to the popular view of teenagers spending all their time on digital devices. 100 students taking part in a spectacular spring musical is a unique component of Grade 8.

The daunting task of bringing such a project to fruition requiring the collaboration of teachers and parents, serves as an authentic model to the students – as only through their combined efforts can this remarkable feat be achieved in such a short space of time.

A range of technology tasks spread over the year tests practical and collaborative skills and include; building

a drivable bob-car, making the strongest balsa bridge and the design, build and racing of rafts on the Zugersee.

Meaningful Service Learning best comes from authentic opportunities and this is the aim of the yearlong initiatives in Grade

8, which build on the class-based service of Grade 6 and 7. The Kids of Africa group

organises second-hand clothes sales in the wider community, the Asylum Seekers group

provides a winter party and summer zoo trip for local refugee families and the CEDAR group is the vehicle for providing awareness and fundraising for the service trip to Bulgaria later in the year. For many, the service work is their most memorable achievement of the year and the article written in this magazine by past middle school students is testament to this.

At the heart of our programmes is encouragement of critical thinking, compassion for others, leadership and collaboration with a risk-taking approach to learning and living – crucially all within a safe and supportive environment.

References Robinson, K. “Out of Our Minds, Learning to be Creative” Wiley 2011 p179, A.V. Kelly The Curriculum Theory and Practice second Edition p112

“Through a diverse range of experiences the

students are challenged both physically and emotionally, and are nurtured on their journey to become effective problem

solvers and team players, whilst building trust, confidence and

powerful self-belief.˝

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THE VALUE OF ONGOING …

The Value of

CONTRIBUTORS: DAVID MONK – HEAD OF RIVERSIDE CAMPUS, DR ZOE BADCOCK, SIOBHAN HANCOCK AND JESSICA ANDERSEN

David Monk: There is no question that we have moved well beyond the era that perhaps existed when I was at school, where it was believed that teachers would arrive at their place of employment armed with their teaching certificate and fully equipped with all the skills that they would require for a lifelong service of teaching. Clearly, professional development is important to meet the needs of different responsibilities at various career stages, but it is also important to continue to develop professional performance and capability throughout a teaching career. The world is changing at an incredible pace, not just in terms of the technology and resources available to support student learning, but also in terms of what we know about the human brain and how children learn.

With this in mind it is essential for our students that we provide opportunities for their teachers to keep abreast of the latest developments in education and educational research.

It could also be argued quite simply that professional development should take a high priority because of the nature of schools and their mission statements. The desire to create ’lifelong learners’ is a worthy theme found within the aims and objectives of many schools, and should

surely be modelled by the teachers and administrators of any school with such aims.

Often, professional development does require teachers to be

away from their classes, but we do believe that this is a valuable investment that benefits our students in terms of the quality of the learning opportunities that are then presented

to them by teachers who really are at the forefront of

educational thinking.

Professional Development

Ongoing

“ I am so grateful for

the many professional development opportunities

I have been encouraged to attend while

teaching at ISZL.”

– Jessica Andersen

14 |

… PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Siobhan Hancock: In 2013 my individual professional development (PD) goal was to maximise opportunities for interdisciplinary and cross-curricular links between French language B and other subjects. I wanted to bring history into the French classroom, and the French language into the humanities classroom. The trouble was that despite having done a degree in French, I had never actually studied French history. I wanted to start with the most pivotal moment in modern French history: The French Revolution. I found a five day course for lifelong learners at the Université de la Sorbonne in Paris called ’Révolution: Une Exception Française?’ and was lucky enough that the school agreed to my attendance in

the summer as part of my PD goal. I really made the most of my time as a student again, fervently taking notes in class and asking questions when I didn’t understand, which I have to say, was not a rare occurrence due to the fact that I had not studied history since the age of 15!

On my return to school I planned a series of history lessons in French for my 12th grade IB Diploma class which explored the recurring concept of revolution in France from the revolution in 1789 until the present day. Students were fascinated by making links between the 1789, the Cultural Revolution in May 1968 and the riots of 2005 and really appreciated discussing meaningful issues that went

beyond mere vocabulary and grammar. I also appeared as a guest speaker in 9th grade humanities lessons as part of their unit on revolution, bringing the French language into the humanities classroom through studying the words of the ’Marseillaise’ (and singing it!) and looking at the original text of the ’Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen’ from the time of the revolution in 1789.

All in all my professional development experience refreshed the units that I was teaching and allowed me to bring my passion for languages into colleagues’ class rooms. I am very grateful to ISZL for facilitating this unique opportunity.

Name: Siobhan Hancock,

Head of Language Acquisition

French and Spanish

Teaches: French and German

Nationality: British

AT ISZL: 4 years

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Jessica Andersen: I am so grateful for the many professional development opportunities I have been encouraged to attend while teaching at ISZL. Last year I attended the ECIS Pre-Conference Session on ’Flipping the Mathematics Classroom’. This session in particular has hugely impacted my teaching and student learning. ’Flipping the Classroom’ is an educational model where students watch instructional videos at home and then do what they would traditionally do as ’home learning’ in class. I create my own instructional videos, post them on Schoology and students watch the video while following along with guided notes that I’ve provided for them. Students highlight anything that they don’t entirely understand and record any questions they have on their guided notes. Then in class they apply what they learned in the video. During this time students have the opportunity to ask their teacher and their peers questions about the video they watched, or the applications they are doing, and to clarify any misunderstandings.

Last school year was the first time I employed this model and when I surveyed my students at the end of the school year the overwhelming majority preferred learning by flipping and thought they learned more over the course of the school year in a flipped classroom versus a traditional classroom.

The advantages of this educational model:

I am able to give more individual attention to every single student during a class period.

Students do not have to struggle through difficult mathematics problems at home, but rather have the support of both their peers and their teacher as they are trying out new ideas.

It easily allows for differentiation as students can learn at their own rate, pausing and replaying videos as many times as they like. Students working at a faster pace can further their knowledge by watching extension videos and challenge themselves beyond the scope of the curriculum. They don’t have to wait for the rest of the class to be ready.

Zoe Badcock: India 2004, and I had moved to a new country, started working in an international school and a new path in life. The International Baccalaureate was a new organisation to me and I had to quickly learn a whole new language, a new curriculum and a new subject, Environmental Systems, becoming in time an examiner in IB Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS). After having joined ISZL in 2007 I became a senior examiner in 2009. This involved looking after a team of examiners but also, more interestingly for me, helping to develop the mark scheme for the exams. In 2011 I joined the paper writing team and now travel annually to the IB Assessment Centre in Cardiff, UK to help write exam papers in my subject. I was also given the opportunity to train to become an IB Workshop Leader. This training and the consequent teacher workshops that I have led in Ankara, Dubai, London and Paris have enabled me to meet many fascinating teachers from around the world, many of whom stay in touch and continue to exchange ideas. Beyond the academic stimulation, helping me better understand the course I teach, a very important part of my current role as AP and DP Coordinator is networking, knowing who does what, where, in the IB or College Board and staying abreast of new developments. This combination of examining, workshop leading, curriculum review and attending regional conferences helps me to serve the students and school better. I am also very happy to be able to participate in such interesting professional opportunities beyond ISZL.

THE VALUE OF ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Name: Jessica AndersenTeaches: MathematicsNationality: AmericanAT ISZL: 3 years

Name: Dr. Zoe Badcock

Function: IB Diploma & AP

Coordinator, ESS Teacher

Nationality: British

AT ISZL: 6 years

16 |

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM

Technological Innovationsin the Classroom

CONTRIBUTORS: CHRIS VINCENT, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND

THE ISZL TEAM OF TECHNOLOGY FACILITATORS: CATHERINE JARVIS, PAUL PAVAO,

JOCELYN SUTHERLAND AND NICOLA WHITE

Chris VincentTechnology is very much part of all of our lives. Indeed, for our students, they have never known a world without Internet, mobile devices and social media, all technologies that we adults have had to come to grips with. It should be apparent then, that an education that aims to be relevant and connected to our children’s lives must necessarily involve such technologies.

At ISZL we strive to ensure that educational technology is effectively integrated across the curriculum to deepen and enhance the learning process. While thoughtfully integrated experiences involving the use of technology certainly have the potential to excite and engage children, more importantly, such experiences provide ways of learning that are simply not otherwise possible. The following examples from across a range of ages and curricula areas provide an insight into some of the exciting ways that educational technology is bringing learning to life at ISZL.

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TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS…

Jocelyn SutherlandStudents and teachers in Early Years (EY) to Grade 1 have explored a variety of creation apps to enhance the units of inquiry. To support the play-based approach, technology in the younger years is used primarily as a documentation and creation tool. In EY1, students have been introduced to iPads in the classroom for the first time. With teacher support, students used the camera and Drawing Pad app to record and trace their facial features. This activity promoted the development of fine-motor skills as well as colour recognition as students scrolled through a variety of drawing tools and a wide pallet of colours. The artwork the children created was displayed alongside other activities students did to explore who they are. Teachers are also exploring another documentation app Tell About This which allows them to record and document student thinking and reflections about work, field trips or class activities. In EY2 to Grade 1, students have also been introduced to story-making apps such as Book Creator and My Story. Students use the keypad to type, record their voices and create or snap pictures. With these creation apps students explore literacy, become authors and share their learning through eBooks. With proper scaffolding and a purposeful approach, technology in the Early Years classroom promotes confidence, independence and fosters creativity.

Paul PavaoIn the Zug Primary School, iPads are increasingly integrated into the learning experiences of the students. The mobility and ease of use provided by iPads allow students to learn and create anywhere and anytime. To begin the year, students in Grade 2 were learning about transportation systems in their Unit of Inquiry on How We Organise Ourselves and all classes took a field trip to the Swiss Museum of Transport in Luzern. With their iPads in tow, students were able to photograph the different collections and exhibits and immediately incorporate the images into a digital poster using an app called Pic Collage. Once the images were arranged to the students’ liking, they were then able to annotate their collage with captions to describe the various pictures – all done while ’on the go’! Once back at school, teachers were able to email the finished Pic Collages to their own accounts to print off ready for display!

Nicola WhiteEach year the 7th graders hold an art exhibition for their parents, displaying and describing the artworks they created in class, which have been mainly inspired by their PDW in Paris.

Last March they made a huge change to the presentation of their normal Art exhibition! They created an augmented reality experience for their parents, using an app called Aurasma. Parents were asked to download this app prior to the exhibition so that they could partake in this new magical experience.

Videos were taken of each child talking about their projects, the inspiration behind them and how they created each artwork. Each video was embedded into a small picture of each child under the artwork. When parents put their phone with the Aurasma app opened, to the picture of their child as if to take a photo, their child came alive before their eyes and began to talk to them about their art project.

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… IN THE CLASSROOM

Cate JarvisTechnology is used in many ways to support students at high school and these are just a taster:

The Mathematics department makes mathematics visual by using iPads to record pupils’ explanations of mathematical concepts. Students use a combination of mathematical language and hand drawn notation to create a short instructional video. These are shared online through the ISZL VLE and are proving to be a very effective way for pupils to reinforce their understanding of mathematical concepts.

The PE department uses the Coaches Eye App on the iPad to record pupils during activities. They can then slow down the movement and add annotations to help the pupils improve their performances.

The English department has harnessed the power of Twitter to communicate with authors and writers, who have returned tweets with ideas and comments, taking the lesson outside the classroom and into the real world.

The Humanities department is using infographics to collate data in an exciting new way. The power of images is being harnessed and the pupils have to learn to explain concepts concisely. Pupils have been able to use animation as a learning tool by creating stop motion animation to visualise the physical process of mountain growth; learning a concept in a kinesthetic way.

The Arts department and Science department are sharing videos via Vimeo. These are used to visualise ideas and allow the pupils to revisit concepts and performances.

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STUDENTS’ SPORTING EXCELLENCE

Students’ Sporting Excellence

League or national level?U18 National team, 1st men’s team on club level.

Ambition? Do you see yourself staying in this after you leave school?Yes, I want to win all national tournaments and want help the Swiss national team to become successful at international level.

What makes you get out of bed or stay up late and train hard for this sport?It helps me to clear my head from all the schoolwork and my ambition is to become a leading figure of hockey in Switzerland as well as internationally.

Why do you love it so much that you sacrifice other things?I have many good friends there and it is a lot of fun playing with and against them.

What do you sacrifice for this?A lot of free time after school as well as the weekend.

How does this impact on your schoolwork?I have to get stuff done correctly the first time because I have little time to recheck everything.

Name: Fabio ReinhardGrade: 11Sport played: Field hockeyNumber of years participated: 13 yearsTeam / Club played for: Lucerne SCNumber of practices a week: 4 official practices, but I have do stuff on my own as well, which adds up to 10h-15h per week.

ISZL excels in competitive sport. Last year we were champions in 23 inter-school competitions and runners-up in 14. The soccer and basketball teams won ten tournaments between them and other teams including unihockey, skiing, badminton and tennis also came home with winners trophies. Over 700 students try out for one or more of these teams every year and some go on to strive for national or international success in their chosen sport.

Ambition? Do you see yourself staying in this after you leave school?Yes, I will be attending a university in England (hopefully Loughborough) that has a specialist a track team.

What makes you get out of bed or stay up late and train hard for this sport?I have to attend trainings to be able to compete in track meets and since I love competing in them, I train hard to be eligible to compete.

Why do you love it so much that you sacrifice other things?I sacrifice things to do track & field because it has been

a passion of mine for a while, because it is a good opportunity to stay fit whilst representing my club and canton at track meets.

What do you sacrifice for this?I just increased my trainings to train Saturday mornings, so as well as evenings during the week, I lose my Saturday mornings.

How does this impact on your school work?It depends on when the training starts, but I tend to do most work I wasn’t able to do at home during my frees at school.

League or national level?I compete in Swiss championships and regional championships.

Name: Christopher Williamson

Grade: 11

Sport played: Track & Field

Number of years participated: 5 years

Team / Club played for: Leichtathletik

Klub Zug

Number of practices a week: 4 times

a week

20 |

STUDENTS’ SPORTING EXCELLENCE

League or national level?National.

Ambition? Do you see yourself staying in this after you leave school?My biggest ambition is to go to college in the USA and continue swimming. I want to swim and keep improving my times, and my technique as much as I can for the longest possible period. For that reason I want to keep swimming in college!

My ultimate dream is to go to the Olympics. I would also like to pursue science studies and get a job related with sports, something like sports medicine.

What makes you get out of bed or stay up late and train hard for this sport? Swimming is my passion! I feel happy when I swim! I train hard because it is something that I really enjoy and I want to feel that the hard work was worth it! I want to fight to make my dreams happen! I want to achieve my goal! I really think it is important to follow and fight for something we want.

Why do you love it so much that you sacrifice other things?It is a time that is yours alone… It is hard but relaxing. I sacrifice parties, family time, game time, sleeping time… so many things, but I have a purpose. I want to fight for my dream to become true!

What do you sacrifice for this?I sacrifice mainly time with my friends and my family. I have to be very disciplined and know exactly what my priorities are. If I don’t prioritise there are consequences in both my academics and swimming.

How does this impact on your school work? I spend a long time every day swimming and travelling to get into the pool. So, most of the time I don’t have as much time to do my homework and prepare all the school related activities. Sometimes I really get stressed! 24 hours per day is so short to do everything that I need to do and things that I love. But I think it makes me a better organised person.

League or national level?U16, U17, U19, U23 – National league.

Ambition? Do you see yourself staying in this after you leave school?Yes I do. I am hoping to be able to stay in this sport at a high level besides my schoolwork, as well as after. However it is clear for me, that my main profession will not be volleyball.

What makes you get out of bed or stay up late and train hard for this sport?I have been playing this sport for a long time now, and I am enjoying every second of it. For me this sport is a way of relaxation, keeping fit, and having fun at the same time. Also when I am at the practices I get to spend time with people who I share common interests with.

Why do you love it so much that you sacrifice other things?Volleyball is a kind of sport that I consider always to be exciting, every single ball game is different and unpredictable. Finally, my biggest passion is beach volleyball, but

since I only get to play it in the summer, I consider indoor volleyball to be a good addition to it, in order to keep in practice for the summer season.

What do you sacrifice for this?Personally I do not feel like I am sacrificing anything specific. I have been doing this for almost half of my life, and this has become an important part of my everyday life. People who do sacrifice a lot of things, mostly their time, are my parents. It takes a lot of effort to go to trainings and come home, mostly the weekends spent next to the courts at matches are a real effort. I am very thankful to them for doing this, because without this, it would not be possible.

How does this impact on your school work?It does impact my schoolwork of course, however I do not think directly. What is more affected is my time management. This significant time and effort that I am putting into this sport, has taught me how to use the remaining time left, to spend the most efficient way.

Name: Jazmin VacziGrade: 10Sport played: VolleyballNumber of years participated: 6 yearsTeam / Club played for: Richmond VBC (London), London squad, Steinhausen VBC, ISZL Varsity

Number of practices a week: 6 times

Name: Sofia Machado DionisioGrade: 10Sport played: SwimmingNumber of years participated: 6 yearsTeam / Club played for: Limmat Sharks Zurich in Switzerland (and Sporting Club de Portugal in Portugal)Number of practices a week: 8 times

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League or national level? Regional level, nearly national. If I move to Holland after this year I will likely be accepted into the Dutch national team.

Ambition? Do you see yourself staying in this after you leave school?Yes I do. I have ambition to reach a very high league of skiing like Europe Cup or World Cup, and become the best skier Holland has ever known.

What makes you get out of bed or stay up late and train hard for this sport?The love for the sport is what makes me do it. It has become routine and is not always fun but I have set my goals and am focused to try and reach these.

Why do you love it so much that you sacrifice other things?I don’t look at is as sacrifice as skiing defines me, and what I do and stand for.

Skiing is a part of me so no sacrifice can be great enough to chase away what I want to achieve.

What do you sacrifice for this?Mainly free time and my weekends and holidays.

How does this impact on your school work?I try to handle and organise things as best I can and give teachers a heads up so I can catch up or work in advance. However this does not always succeed!

Name: Sam HoksbergenGrade: 12Sport played: Alpine Ski RacingNumber of years participated: I have been skiing recreationally for many years, I started racing at the age of 12 with school and joined a local team at the age of 14. Team / Club played for: I am currently in the ZSV selection, which is one of the 10 selections in Switzerland before entering the national selection.

Number of practices a week: I do physical training like weight training and endurance every single day and in the winter I will ski on average three to four days in the week. Off season I have several trips of between 3 and 5 days where I will be out of the country.

STUDENTS’ SPORTING EXCELLENCE

League or national level? National League as well as national and international competitions.

Ambition? Do you see yourself staying in this after you leave school?Yes, I want to be in the national team in the under 15s. After school I want to become a professional soccer player.

What makes you get out of bed or stay up late and train hard for this sport?Passion. I want to improve.

Why do you love it so much that you sacrifice other things?I sacrifice things because I am happy to play this sport and I would nearly do everything to become better and get to be a professional soccer goalkeeper. I also sacrifice things because it is fun and I enjoy playing football.

What do you sacrifice for this?Most of my free time. After school I either go play football or I do my homework.

How does this impact on your school work?I have less time for my homework therefore I need to be more concentrated than others.

Name: Raphael Radtke

Grade: 7

Sport played: Soccer

Number of years participated: now the

6th year

Team / Club played for: FC Baar from

2009-2011, Then I changed to FC Luzern

(from 2011; 2010- 2011 member of team

of dreams, preparation for the squad)

Number of practices a week: I train

6 times a week.

22 |

League or national level?2nd tier of adult competition and 1st U19 with club played for U16 Hungarian national team 3 years ago.

Ambition? Do you see yourself staying in this after you leave school?No, I don’t. Despite the success I’ve had, I don’t feel like I can play professionally, (too many non-sports related surgeries.) However, I would like to continue recreationally.

What makes you get out of bed or stay up late and train hard for this sport?Love of the game; also the fact that I don’t know anything else, in that I’ve been doing this for most of my life.

Why do you love it so much that you sacrifice other things?I didn’t start playing because I loved the game. I started because my dad played and I wanted to be better than him. But through the years, I’ve come to love all the small aspects of it and never grow tired of it.

What do you sacrifice for this?I don’t feel like I sacrifice anything, because I don’t know what I could have instead of it. However, I know that I don’t go out and socialise as much as others because of how much time I spend training.

How does this impact on your school work?I feel like (or want to feel like) it has a positive impact on my school work, because I’ve learnt to use my time effectively and not procrastinate too much, because I know that I won’t have much time to complete any school work, so I get it done when it needs to be done.

Name: Máté Kovács

Grade: 12

Sport played: Basketball

Number of years participated: 10 years

Team / Club played for: Swiss Central,

previously GCZ rich and MAFC (in

Hungary)

Number of practices a week: 5 times

League or national level?Mini Top, NOVITZEN Top, Elite, Switzerland u15 national team, Sweden select.

Ambition? Do you see yourself staying in this after you leave school?Yes.

What makes you get out of bed or stay up late and train hard for this sport?My goal and the love for the game.

Why do you love it so much that you sacrifice other things?I love this because it’s fast and aggressive.

What do you sacrifice for this?Time with friends.

How does this impact on your school work?Sometimes completing homework and giving in assessments on time.

Name: Karl Nordin

Grade: 9Sport played: Ice Hockey

Number of years participated: 6 years

Team / Club played for: EV Zug,

Argovia Stars

Number of practices a week: 4 times

a week

STUDENTS’ SPORTING EXCELLENCE | 23

PREPARING OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS…

CONTRIBUTOR: ELISABETH MARKSTEINER

The College Counselling Handbook * should be the start of every student and parent’s journey. It has a month-by-month plan of what students should be doing to ensure that their transition to post-secondary education is as smooth as possible.

Let me imagine you a 9th grader (student or parent) and take you through the process.

– Do well academically.– Involve yourself in extracurricular

activities that interest you.– This is a good time to try new activities.

Most important is that from now on your semester grades matter. Colleges from all countries ask to see your transcript, which is the record of your academic achievement as seen in your semester

grades. So at the end of January, our 9th graders receive the first grade on their

transcript. Grades aren’t the only thing that colleges want to see. Some value commitment to extra-curricular activities: join teams, clubs, carry on with what you were doing in your community outside school. A long-term commitment where students eventually rise to a leadership role is just as important as trying endless new things but if ever there was a time to try new things, the beginning of high school is it. We also begin to talk about future plans. Those with a passion for art should attend college presentations since so much depends on a portfolio. Those with ambitions for the super-selective colleges should try to show how they excel and we advise students to make the most of their summers. We introduce students to Naviance, a manageable electronic online portal, which links everything to do with college and careers for the next four years (and beyond).

In 10th grade, the first serious choice that students make (in conjunction with advice from counsellors, teachers and parents) is whether to choose the AP or IB programme. So our key points for this year are simple: – Continue to do well in school.– Maintain your involvement in

extracurricular activities.– Attend college visits.– Talk to your parents about university. We are often asked whether AP or IB is better or more prestigious. The only thing a university cares about is that you have challenged yourself and done well. AP and IB are only two of many different educational systems. The best one is one where you can do well and show your strengths. Colleges do have different credit policies for both systems, so come to college visits to find out. To make an informed choice about where to go on afterwards, we offer several opportunities for students to learn more about themselves. We offer the PLAN test (a standardised test for 10th graders) looking at maths, English, science and writing skills, which gives a worldwide comparison. Although colleges don’t use the results, it is practice leading up to other tests. For many students it is their first experience with formal external testing. Students can also take a psychometric test to help them plan their future. With this data we then meet students and parents to help plan post-secondary education.

PreparingHigh School Students

GRADE 9 GRADE 10

for theFuture

our

* Available to download from the Parent Portal under Handbooks and Policies.

“It’s very much a guided and focused programme but which

still leaves room for the students to take

responsibility for the process.”

– Parent

24 |

11th grade is about making choices. – Do well in school.– Continue your involvement in

extracurricular activities.– Research universities online, in

guidebooks and counselling office.– Explore majors, careers, and interests

through Naviance and use it to record your preliminary university list.

– Attend open house programmes hosted by various colleges and universities and university visits at school.

– What country / continent / hemisphere are you considering?

When we meet with students and parents in the second half of the year, the transcript is pretty much finished – there is only one more grade to be entered before an application to college. Now is the time for the standardised tests that colleges ask for SAT, ACT, IELTS etc. Seemingly everyone wants something different.

12th grade – apply. – Do well in school.– Visit and revisit universities. Attend

university representatives’ visits.– Complete applications on time. This may

take longer than you think.– Don’t procrastinate. The focus of 12th grade should not be the application itself. The preparation completed in the previous years of high school should mean a relatively stress free application process. We ask students to follow our timeline to allow for changes in plans. A family’s plans change and suddenly the country in which they didn’t need or want any information about becomes the next destination. We know that circumstances change and the timeline we have in place means that students can make a considered application to tertiary education that will suit them. While college counselling seems focused only on what is going on in school and working with our students, we are very conscious that our role is that of an advocate of the school and the student to the outside world. We therefore encourage students and parents to come into school when college presentations take place. Counsellors meet on campus or across the world with colleges to ensure that the outside world knows about our students and our school. The better informed a student or parent is about what is out there in the world – it’s a big world with lots of opportunities – and the more honest a student is about who they are and how they learn best, the better a college fit. What we want for our students is to be happy and successful.

… FOR THE FUTURE

GRADE 12

“I’m in Grade 11 now and find that my

counsellor is always available to talk to and gives

me really good advice. She also knows so much about

the universities I am thinking of applying to.”

– Student

“University applications are never

smooth and can be rather stressful. Luckily Ms Scholte

was able to make things much easier for me. Her quick

answers to my numerous emails were possibly the best

help I could get.”

– Jack (ISZL Alumnus)

GRADE 11

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SUPPORTING STUDENTS, …

Supporting Students, The EAL Programme

Flourishes

“I think it’s great how you try to get the students, coming from all over the world, to the

same academic level. It must be a big challenge every year! All EAL

teachers do a great job!”

– Hilde D (parent)

“Being French and recently in Switzerland, we have

subscribed to the EAL programme in ISZL Luzern for 1.5 years. We now

recognise that our son has a fluent level of English almost similar to English family kids. This is for us a great achievement,

especially each time we are listening to his fantastic accent ;-)”

– Emmanuel V (parent)

CONTRIBUTORS: LORNA CAPUTO –PRIMARY EAL TEAM LEADER,

CLAIRE COMPETIELLO – PRIMARY EAL TEACHER,

JACQUELINE NEWMAN – COORDINATOR MS EAL & MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGES

26 |

… THE EAL PROGRAMME FLOURISHES

The English as an Additional Language Programme (EAL) encompasses all campuses and supports 200 students who come from non-English speaking backgrounds.

The programme is intended for students aged 5 – 16

(Kindergarten – Grade 10) without the English skills necessary to access

their grade level curriculum effectively. At all times, the learning environment is stimulating, meaningful and highly relevant to daily life and 15 highly trained specialist EAL teachers support students across three campuses. EAL teachers are committed to using inquiry-based learning, meaning that students are engaged with a dynamic and progressive approach that makes language learning authentic and relevant.

Students in Primary and Middle School have three levels of EAL support: Developers, Intermediate and Advanced. Developer level students have English support in their classes and extra English during German lessons. These students generally do not have German classes, although there are exceptions. Intermediate and advanced students have English support in and out of their classes and also attend German classes.

EAL students entering Middle School are given an English assessment and the results of this test, in conjunction with past school records and early feedback from the homeroom teacher are used to form the initial student EAL profile. New students entering Grade 8 and above are required to demonstrate at least intermediate proficiency in English as the demands are rigorous and a strong command of English is required to enter High School. This is to ensure that these students have the minimum English language requirements to access the curriculum and to succeed in external qualifications.

Within the High School, EAL is better known as ’Language B’. Students have three lessons per week, the focus being on Humanities and English language instruction. The EAL teacher also teaches Humanities, Language A and runs a CAS (Community and Service) group. Teaching a number of subject areas allows her to have a sound understanding of what is happening in the classroom, ensuring that language support is more effective. This campus wide teacher commitment, combined with support from the school management for on-going growth, means the quality of EAL teaching and learning is extremely high.

My best part in EAL is we can make friends very easily.

When I came to EAL first time, I could not speak English well,

but I got many new friends and sometimes they helped me and I

helped them.

Ryota Y (student)

Personalised EAL Learning at the Luzern CampusBY CLAIRE COMPETIELLO

With small class sizes and fewer classes per grade level, teachers at the Luzern Campus are extremely privileged to be able to adjust the EAL programme to suit individual needs, while still following the IB PYP curriculum and learner outcomes. Some children commence with no English at all and others just need a little extra support to help them access the curriculum. Above all, every child receives personalised support from teachers.

Just over one quarter of all students at the Luzern campus are part of the EAL programme, ensuring a supportive, respectful environment and shared understanding between students, parents and teachers. Russian, Danish, French, Canadian, Italian…are just a few of the nationalities of students currently in EAL classes. While English language acquisition is the focus, the expansive variety of cultures and native languages of all students are nurtured and promoted.

All EAL students openly express their joy in coming to classes, where they actively participate in reading, writing, speaking and listening activities such as creating digital stories, reading competitions, language games and field trips. Motivated by their own interests, students also inquire into the world around them through their own personal projects. Enjoying outdoor learning opportunities on the spectacular Vierwaldstättersee is just the icing on the cake!

All staff share the same flexible, caring approach to teaching and learning – every child receives a unique, tailored programme to suit his / her own learning needs, interests and experiences.

“When we first arrived at ISZL our children

had no knowledge of English. The EAL resource was fantastic as the

teachers were used to this. The children quickly felt at ease in the small groups. Our

son was offered extra help with reading in the mornings before school; we were taken a back

by this kind offer. However we later found out that this is the spirit of EAL as well as the

school. We cannot say enough good things about the EAL programme.”

– Mattias P (parent)

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The Strengths of the EAL programme at Zug PrimaryBY LORNA CAPUTO

Here at the primary school in Zug we allocate one EAL teacher to every grade level; this model enables us to respond very well to EAL students’ needs and to really get to know the children and class teachers we support. EAL teachers set individual targets and work closely with class teachers to ensure that each EAL student is progressing well and can access the curriculum comfortably. Class teachers, support teachers and parents all work together to establish an effective support network for students; this commitment to collaboration results in truly outstanding school-to-home links.

Over the course of their careers, the EAL teachers at Zug have all lived in several

different countries and are familiar with many languages, which is appreciated by students

and parents alike. Based on their education and experience, our EAL teachers have strong cultural and

linguistic awareness, which allows them to connect well with international and multilingual families.

Through my day-to-day interactions with EAL students, parents and teachers, I have realised just how happy, settled and supported our community is. There are many people behind the scenes who enable us to be an internationally-recognised centre of excellence; in my thirteen years of running EAL departments, I have yet to see as good a model of EAL support as the one here at ISZL.

A Close and Supportive Environment in Middle School EALBY JACQUELINE NEWMAN

The main emphasis of the EAL programme is on helping new students feel welcome and secure while they learn the academic language and skills necessary to access the MYP curriculum. This is no simple task for new language learners. Research has shown that ’… in order to catch up to grade norms within 6 years, EAL students must make 15 months’ gain in every 10-month school year’ (Dr. Jim Cummins, Geneva, 2010). At a recent question and answer session held especially for new EAL parents, facts such as these are presented to help parents realise the enormity of what lies ahead.

A warm and close environment pervades the EAL classrooms. At the beginning of the academic year, all Middle School EAL students are invited on a retreat to the school’s chalet in Wengen, where they quickly make new friends from all backgrounds. Students’ mother tongues and cultures are valued and used often, especially within the first few weeks, to help students comprehend new vocabulary and facts. Emphasised is the fact that the stronger the mother tongue, the faster the student will learn English. In fact, all EAL students are required to carry a translator with them and to write all new English vocabulary into a little yellow notebook, complete with translations into their first language.

SUPPORTING STUDENTS, THE EAL PROGRAMME FLOURISHES

“The EAL teachers support us by checking our essays,

teaching us English very fast and effectively and helping us in

difficult situations. To conclude EAL is AWESOME!”

– Martin R (student)

“The EAL team encourage the students in

a brilliant way.”

– Katja A (parent)

28 |

CONTRIBUTORS: NEIL COMMONS AND TARJA KURKELA,

ISZL ZUG BUS SERVICE TEAM AND THE ZUG CAMPUS BUS DRIVERS

15:40 at Zug Campus, up to 450 children have swiftly found their allocated school buses and the traffic comes to a halt for yet another departure of our fleet of distinctive blue vehicles.

Half a million kilometres of safe rides driven a year, 300 bus stops daily, an international mix of 28 qualified drivers, fleet maintenance for 30 buses and up to 250 changes per week to the regular schedule… all of this is carefully planned and followed through, day in day out, by our transportation team.

To enable everything to run smoothly for this second largest transportation company in the Canton (only the ZVB public buses have a higher volume of passengers per day), several hours of dedicated daily work go on behind the scenes.

We take great pride in transporting your children safely from home to school and back. Welcome aboard!

OntheBuses

ON THE BUSES | 29

Allenwinden

Vierwaldstättersee

Zürichsee

Zugersee

Ägerisee

Arth-Goldau

Walchwil

Zug

Unterägeri

Edlibach

Oberägeri

Menzingen

Schindellegi

Pfäffikon

Richterswil

WädenswilHirzel

Horgen

Oberrieden

Thalwil

Rüschlikon

Kilchberg Adliswil

Stallikon

Ottenbach

Muri

Mühlau

Hagendorn

Sins

Hünenberg

Cham

Emmenbrücke

Buchrain

Ebikon

KriensHorw

Meggen

Küssnachtam Rigi

Weggis

Luzern

Aeugstam Albis

Affolternam Albis

* Bus routes and stops are always subject to change.

ON THE BUSES

“It helps keep me young working and associating with the

kids. I’m kept up to date, like it or not!”

–Chris

“As a bus driver you have a huge responsibility

in every respect, to the child, the parents, the school and

on the road to all road users. Laughing children and satisfied

parents are the reward and motivation”

– Willie

“I enjoy being with the kids and

talking to parents, it’s like a family.”

– Marcel

MAJOR DESTINATIONS SERVED*

30 |

WHERE DO OUR BUS DRIVERS COME FROM?

SWITZERLAND(21)

GREAT BRITAIN(1)

GERMANY(2)

BULGARIA(1)

PORTUGAL (1)

NETHERLANDS (1)

DENMARK (1)

YEARS OF SERVICE

OUR BUS DRIVERS HAVE HIDDEN TALENTS:

1

2

3

4

5

67 8 9

10

11

12

13

14

15

54% 1

– 3

YEAR

S 41

%

4 –

6 YE

ARS

5%

MO

RE THAN

10 YEARS

250changes per week to the regular schedule

300bus stops daily

450children to transport each day

500 000kilometres of safe rides driven a year

28qualified drivers

30distinctive blue vehicles

ON THE BUSES | 31

CONTRIBUTOR: ANNE VAN DAM, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL PRIMARY SCHOOL

A half hour spent in one of the offices of school nurses gives an insight into what happens throughout the day in this busy part of the school. Students visit the office with various needs, a sick girl waits for her mother, a teacher asks for the address of an emergency clinic in Zurich and a school leader waits to discuss a protocol for an allergy.

The nurses at ISZL provide immediate support for children, staff and parents. They apply bandages, give medical advice and provide a listening ear to all community members. Apart from the provision of direct care and community support, the nurses also impact a wider group of people through their involvement in various initiatives.

Cynthia Kemish and Emma Sugden, both nurses at the Zug campus, organise a yearly retreat for nurses who work at international schools in Europe. This retreat provides an opportunity for professional development and the benchmarking of our school health and safety practices against those of other schools. Every year, an expert

joins the group and updates the nurses with current research and information. In this way the retreat offers nurses the possibility to stay accredited and licensed. The group stays in touch through an online platform that provides opportunities to ask questions and feedback throughout the year.

Cynthia Kemish is a board member of the organisation ’Kids Heart’, one of the school’s official charities. This charity aims to protect children (and adults) by making defibrillators available on school premises. These devices restart the heart if a pupil, teacher, parent or visitor suffers a sudden cardiac arrest. Children and young people can suffer sudden cardiac arrest just as well as the

older population. Medical experts believe many children could be saved if a defibrillator is used within minutes of

collapse. There is currently no national system in place in Switzerland to ensure defibrillators are located on school premises.

Knowledge of emergency response procedures is of paramount importance in our school. Therefore

the nurses of all three campuses provide these courses for all staff of the school. They became

“I have the opportunity to

really get to know the children.”

– Claire Twiss

“I enjoy the ever changing health issues I encounter. Because we are working with

individuals it is always a different and unique

situation. It is dynamic.”– Cynthia Kemish

ABOVE AND BEYOND,…32 |

emergency response instructors through a course in the UK and update and train all members of staff. Amanda Gaillet, one of the nurses at our Luzern campus, has recently finished another training course and

has become a certified trainer of these instructors.

Not only do adults have an opportunity to learn from the nurses,

students also have access to their expertise. The school nurses support the learning of students through links with certain units and visit classrooms to talk about health and safety. High and middle school students who have chosen a babysitting course (one of the school’s clubs and activities) learn about how to respond in certain situations and how to apply bandages and band-aids. Through this support Meri De Jong, the nurse at the high School campus ensures students are well equipped to earn some extra money in their communities.

Parents are also updated through the ISZL website. Through the site our nurses share information about the school’s health practices and current developments. The yearly screening of students ensures the school keeps track of students’ height, weight and eyesight. The nurses also organise the yearly flu vaccination for staff members.

The nurses’ offices at ISZL definitely feel like well-organised and efficient walk-in clinics with caring and professional nurses. Their contributions to the community go beyond their immediate responses to the day-to-day needs of their community. They impact a wider community through their passion for people and their profession.

Aboveand

Beyond, Our Nurses Excel

“I adore teenagers – I like the complexity of them

as they take that step towards adulthood.”

– Meri De Jong

“The trust of the children is

very special.”– Emma Sugden

“I love the buzz of working in a school

and being part of the development of children

as they grow.”– Amanda Gaillet

… OUR NURSES EXCEL | 33

ISZL IN…

in the

CONTRIBUTOR: ALI MACKINNON, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

ISZL has firmly established itself as a highly successful international school with a world-class reputation for excellence within international education and its reputation is well deserved. This also extends into both our international and local business communities as well as the greater Swiss community. The strategic nurturing of this reputation is multi-faceted and key to its success is the collaborative approach undertaken by the ISZL Leadership Team.

Promotion of ISZL in the arena of international education is the responsibility of the Director, Dominic Currer; a highly respected educator and Board member of the European Council of International Schools (ECIS). Dominic also presents regularly at international conferences on leadership and education. Through these associations, he is able to promote ISZL’s reputation as a

ISZL BusinessCommunity

34 |

…THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

world-class school at the forefront of pedagogical excellence. According to Dominic, ’international status is not just a matter of egotistical ambition. Such recognition raises our profile and therefore facilitates the recruitment of the very highest quality educators to the ISZL faculty. They are who genuinely make us the school we are’.

In addition, Dominic is responsible, with the Director of Community Relations Laura Schoepfer, for the establishment and management of ISZL’s key international corporate relationships. Together, through regular meetings, presentations and round-table events they ensure that ISZL’s achievements and goals are shared with these important stakeholders as they continually endeavour to find ways in which ISZL can extend these symbiotic relationships to the benefit of our whole school community.

As Laura remarks ’ISZL has the complete confidence of its corporate partners and ensuring that it remains the first choice school for the children of international assignees moving to the area is critical to the school’s long term success’.

In recent years the interest from our Swiss business community and local Swiss community in general has grown significantly in line with the growth of the school. ISZL has recently been named as the canton’s 20th biggest employer with over 300 employees. With this comes a sense of responsibility to the community and the desire to ensure that ISZL continues to be well regarded as a major economic and service provider within the canton.

Taking the lead in meeting this responsibility within our local community is Urs Kappeler, the Business Director. Urs grew up in the canton of Zug and for many local residents and business owners he is the ’gateway into the school.’ Being Swiss, speaking the language and knowing the Zug community as well as he does instantly puts our local partners at ease. Urs sees part of this role as ’explaining and helping people understand who we are and creating positive goodwill.’

As a member of The Economic Advisory Board for Zug West, which counts 400 companies among its members and meets to work for the interests of the surrounding community, Urs is both well informed and well connected. These connections and goodwill are highly beneficial to the ISZL community in general. A good example of this and one that probably impacts parents the most is his excellent relationship with the local bus company. At a recent meeting Urs was able to negotiate an extra twice-daily bus specifically for ISZL students. He works to impart ’a wider and deeper picture of the school’ thus helping the community to understand and value the pivotal role ISZL plays in the success of the canton.

Although their areas of responsibility vary greatly, promoting the reputation of ISZL as a beacon of excellence within the local and international communities in which it operates, is a shared goal to which Dominic, Laura and Urs are fully committed. It is thanks to their ongoing efforts that ISZL has become highly respected within the business community, recognised for its integrity as an employer and educational institution.

| 35

Beyond

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

CONTRIBUTOR: COLIN WALKER, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT LIFE

The after school clubs and sports at ISZL provide an important part of the student life programme, offering optional activities that will greatly enhance the social and educational experience for our children. Many of these activities are fairly high profile, receiving a lot of attention due to their visibility or large audience. I’m sure most of you have read or heard of the many successful sports teams in our Athletics Programme that have won tournaments in our Swiss and European consortium events. We are also at the stage where our theatre and drama activities are being noticed for their quality and success, with students travelling across Europe for ISTA festivals (International Schools Theatre Association), students performing in major shows at all ISZL divisions, and our youngest students becoming familiar with dramatic performance in clubs like the Story Telling Club at Luzern Campus and the Drama and Dance Club at Zug Campus.

Our musicians are accustomed to performing to large audiences, with opportunities for group and orchestral participation as well as individual performance. The strings and wind orchestras at Zug Campus provide wonderful social experiences, as well as opportunities for musical development, with rehearsal trips to Chalet Bergheim in Wengen and performances at many community events. On progressing to the High School our students have the option to join the High School Symphonia and the Jazz Band, as well as performing in smaller groups at the many community musical events. The choirs at all of our divisions are also well known to many of us, as we see them performing at school as well as local events and even performing on European tours.

The activities with which our students are involved are far wider ranging, however, than the description given above. To mention some will run the risk of seeming to ignore the great value of others but it will, hopefully, highlight the range of options. We’re always amazed by the quality of the artwork that students at ISZL produce. It’s a credit to the art teachers that they motivate the students to produce such outstanding work and the work of the students is recognised at the various art shows, both divisional and whole-school. It’s certainly an area of activity that has a lower profile than some other areas though, and I’m sure you’d be interested to know more. In the Art and Design Club at Zug Campus, the Season and Nature Club, the Art Club, and the Ocean World Photography and Collage Art Club at Luzern Campus, our children are exposed to a variety of aspects of art that will, hopefully, spark an artistic flame to start burning within them.

theClassroom

36 |

On moving to Middle School, the students find a place to further develop their artistic interests in the Art Factory Club, then at the High School the Fine Art Photography Club and the Drawing and Life Drawing Club provide opportunities for those with a true love of art to develop their skills further. It would be wonderful for our artistic students to be recognised to the extent they deserve so please note that the whole-school ISZL Arts Show will take place on 27 May in which student art from all grade levels of ISZL will be displayed.

Our children have wide ranging talents and interests and the clubs mentioned so far are quite extensive. However, the sporting aspect mentioned at the start of this article was the athletic component, in other words the competitive sporting options.

It’s very important to remember that competitive participation is not what all people seek. Recreational offerings in sporting and physical activity are a vital component of our programme and many children choose to participate in this way. A significant number of these offerings are of the outdoor pursuits type of activities, offered from primary grade levels through to High School. Interest in outdoor activity is encouraged in Primary School through clubs such as the Outdoor Activities Club and the Environment and Science Club at

Luzern Campus, as well as the Rainbows and

Brownies at the Zug Campus. At Middle

School the students have the options of the Climbing Club and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International

Award. At High School these students then have a range of recreational outdoor options to choose from, including Sailing Club, Canoe and Kayak Club, Climbing Club and International Award. Our outdoor pursuits clubs are led by instructors who are fully qualified and certified leaders of the activity involved, this indicating the love of the teachers for their chosen sport and the resulting enjoyment experienced by the children.

I hope this article will increase awareness of the range of activities available to students at ISZL, and that our children will make the most of all that’s on offer to them.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM | 37

Anne-Marie Muller Class of 2009

What have you done since graduat-ing from ISZL? University? Worked? Volunteered? Travelled? All the above?I’ve pretty much done all of the above except volunteering (I now feel like a horrible person!). My main focus is still my studies. I have since completed a Bachelor’s Degree in European Law and have now moved on to a Master’s in Criminology and Forensic Psychology. I have also worked as a mediator in a dispute between the Province’s police force, Municipality and Public Prosecutor’s Office for 6 months as an intern and work as an English tutor for local middle and high school kids.

When it comes to travelling, my main path leads me back home to Switzerland, but I have also been able to fulfill a lifelong dream by travelling to South Africa with my family and driving along the coast for a month. It’s a gorgeous country and I loved every moment of it. So needless to say, I’ve kept busy.

What is a lifelong dream that you have? I have been lucky enough to be able to fulfill quite a lot of my dreams already, like travelling to South Africa or getting my Open Water Diver’s license. One of the ones that I have left is the dream to one day be able to work for the United Nations.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?I don’t really have a “plan” as such, but I am aiming for a job in the criminology section of the police force or at the Public Prosecution Office. Whether or not that particular plan will indeed work out remains to be seen, but I am not too worried about it at the moment. Finishing my Master’s degree is my current priority.

Tell us a story from your time at ISZL. It could be funny, touching, memorable or inspiring. There are so many good memories from my time at ISZL, it’s hard to pick just one. However some of my favorite memories are from my time in Mr. Smith’s choir. I always enjoyed the practices in the gym on Thursday afternoons as well as the Christmas concerts in the chapel at the Zug Campus. I still have many of the songs we sang on my iPod to this day (though they are sung by the original artists).

Share a favourite quote and why you like it / what it means to you. “Pursue what you want, and ability will follow.” I happened to stumble across this quote during one of my Internet procrastination sessions (admit it, we all procrastinate!) and to me, it hits the nail on the head. The transition from high school to law school had quite a few

rough patches for me, and I struggled to get to grips with the examination style of the university as well as the type of literature I was given (legalese … ugh). This eventually led even some of the advisors to doubt whether I was suitable for law and they advised me to quit and start a different programme at another faculty. Stubborn as I am, added to the fact that I have wanted to study law since I was a little girl, I refused to take their advice and struggled on. After a year or so, I noticed that things were getting easier and more logical and that my skills were adapting. I became so efficient that I was chosen to settle a dispute between the Police, Municipality and Public Prosecutor’s Office. When I began, I can honestly say I had no idea what I was doing, but during those six months I became more confident and managed to come up with solutions that satisfied all parties.

We are not born as all-capable beings, we learn the skills we need by doing. Why not learn those by doing what we want most?

Keeping in Touch

Attended university at: Maastricht University

Career / plans: I would love to work at the Criminology or Forensic Department of the local Police or Public Prosecution Office. A bigger dream is being able to work for the UN.

Originally from: The Netherlands (Born in the Netherlands Antilles)

Favourite food: Schnitzel with fries :)

Favourite place in the world: Hoyo Hoyo Tsonga Lodge, Krugerpark, South Africa.

an Alumna Interview

Stay in TouchIf you were a student, parent or faculty member of The International School of Zug (founded 1961), The Riverside School (founded 1990), The International School of Luzern (founded 2006), or the merged ISZL, then you are a member of the ISZL alumni community regardless of how long or when you were part of our school’s history.

Reconnect with ISZL at www.iszl.ch/alumni

KEEPING IN TOUCH, AN ALUMNA INTERVIEW38 |

ISZL GALA – THE ROARING TWENTIES

More information available at www.iszl.ch/gala2015

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ZUG CAMPUS (MAIN OFFICE)Walterswil6340 Baar | SwitzerlandPhone +41 41 768 2900 Fax +41 41 768 2901 office.zug@iszl.ch

FFE – ENHANCING EDUCATION AT ISZL

RIVERSIDE CAMPUSRothusstrasse 4b6331 Hünenberg | SwitzerlandPhone +41 41 768 2950 Fax +41 41 768 2951 office.riverside@iszl.ch

LUZERN CAMPUSVilla Krämerstein | St. Niklausenstrasse 596047 Kastanienbaum | SwitzerlandPhone +41 41 342 0090 Fax +41 41 342 0091 office.luzern@iszl.ch