Voices

Spring/Summer 2010
Message from the Director

Table of contents

1 Message from the Director

2 Principals’ Page
4 ZIS Baden Expansion
5 Sporting Successes

Challenge at ZIS
6 Relevant, Challenging and Engaging Curriculum
8 Inquiry-based Learning at the Lower School
9 Enrichment Program
10 Middle School After School Activities
11 Real World Experience at the Upper School What’s a challenge? Passing a math test when you haven’t In this edition of Voices you will encounter an altogether different
12 Musical Opportunities prepared sufficiently for it – that’s a challenge. Maintaining a healthy interpretation of ‘challenge’, one which is far more aligned with the
14 Grade 9 Students Visit Ghana relationship despite differences of opinion and perspective – that’s meaning we had envisaged when we encapsulated ‘challenge’ as
16 Volunteering in a South African Safe House a challenge. Adjusting to an entirely new and unfamiliar set of one of our Mission & Philosophy’s four pillars. The students who
18 Experiencing Life in India circumstances when a volcano thousands of miles away erupts into write eloquently about their experiences in helping underprivileged
our lives – that’s a major challenge. Recognizing the magnitude children in India, working in a haven for foster children in South
20 The ZIS Annual Fund of the environmental, ideological and economic problems in our Africa, or building a new cafeteria in our sister school in Ghana are
21 An Evening on the Ball – the 2010 Gala divided world and maintaining hope in the face of terrorism, wars, not trying to prove something to others by accepting a ‘challenge’.
22 The ZIS Board of Trustees and poverty – that’s a permanent human challenge. Disputing an They have stepped out of their comfort zone, have chosen to expose
24 ZIS Administrative Assistants umpire’s call in a tennis game – that’s also a challenge, and when themselves to the unfamiliar, the un-comfortable, perhaps even
someone is not very good at something, the “politically correct” way somewhat threatening – not in a physical but in a moral and ethical
Staff news of describing this deficiency is to say that he/she is challenged. sense. And they left, not only having made a difference in the
25 Introducing the New Middle School Principal lives of others, but having irreversibly changed their own. They
26 Farewell to Mark Hemphill We consider challenges good things, except, of course, when our are implicitly disputing the maxim (there’s the older definition of
27 Farewell and Welcome to Faculty and Staff authority – whether parental, political, or institutional – is challenged ‘chalonge’ again!) that challenges exist to establish or confirm moral,
29 Baby News by people who have no business doing so! Some of us ‘thrive on economic, social or personal hierarchies.
a challenge’; most of us are expected to ‘rise to a challenge’ in our
Alumni jobs, and a few of us may ‘challenge the status quo’. Our students We can react to challenges fearfully or competitively; we can
30 Back to the Future say they are challenged by peers who speak a language other than turn away from them because we don’t feel up to the task or we can
32 In Memoriam their own and many would define the annual ritual of having to engage with them because we want to prove something to ourselves
33 The Class of 2010 say good-bye to friends who are moving on a painful personal and or to others. Either way the motive is ultimately narcissistic. We
emotional challenge. can also confront challenges selflessly because in stepping outside
  6 Challenge at ZIS The etymology of the word suggests another, darker origin:
of ourselves, in resisting the urge to look out for ‘number one’, to
possess the world before us, and to impose our own desires on it, we
challenge is derived from the Old French word chalonge which gain the power not only to make a difference to others, but, just as
14 Students Making a Difference meant as much as ‘slander, accusation, dispute’ (echoing the Latin importantly, to change ourselves permanently. This is the greatest
calumniare which meant “to accuse falsely” and which is still challenge of all, and this is what the smiles and tears in the faces of
preserved in the somewhat archaic English word calumny). Perhaps it the children our students left behind are all about.
21 The ZIS Gala reflects the gradual evolution of democratic habits of mind that the
word lost its largely negative connotation and has now assumed the

30 Back to the Future ZIS Voices is published biannually by the Zurich International School. Submissions of articles, letters and photos from faculty, administration,
status of an educational buzz word: are we sufficiently challenging
our students (i.e. providing them with academic rigor) to prepare
current and former students and their families are welcomed. For more information, please contact Rachel Ditchfield, Editor, on them for “success” in our world? I suspect that implicit in this
+41 58 750 25 42; or at rditchfield@zis.ch; or at Steinacherstrasse 140, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland. assumption is the notion that we ‘challenge’ in order to be better
than someone else, to assert ourselves against countless others who
(we hope?) can’t measure up to the challenge.

If you would prefer not to receive Voices please email development@zis.ch Peter C. Mott, Director

ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010    ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   

 Principals’ page
Lower School Principal
Viki Stiebert
At the beginning of this school year our teachers had the wonderful
experience of Bill Powell and Ochran Kusuma leading a whole
faculty in-service on differentiation. We were asked to read the
book ‘Making the Difference’ in which they had written about the
principles that support ‘teaching them all’, a particular challenge in
an international school and one that we value highly. This principle
is mentioned twice in our Mission and Philosophy, under ‘Learn:
We teach to multiple learning styles‘ and ‘Challenge: We challenge
ourselves to ensure the success of each student‘.
Some of the points that we found particularly pertinent during
our workshop were that all children can and will learn; diversity
enriches; and children learn most enthusiastically and most
efficiently when they are encouraged to use their strengths.
In an international environment the first challenge we have is
providing appropriately for the diversity of cultures and backgrounds
in our community, which makes our lives as educators interesting
and far more challenging than we would experience in most national
systems. The second challenge is reaching each student not only as a
person but also in extending their very individual capabilities. Whilst
a school in a national system would usually offer a certain slant to
their education, i.e. being sports, drama, IT or music focused, at ZIS
we offer a wide range of choices including all the above to the 600
children we teach in our ECC and Lower School. On top of that, this
term alone we also have over 40 after school activities.
In each of our classes we have a wide range of learners whose
successes and learning we celebrate. I think a particular strength at
ZIS is that we are prepared to cater for each child as an individual.
Our curriculum, being inquiry-based, offers the opportunity for
children to truly extend themselves, acquiring skills whilst making
learning their own.
Our world has changed, ‘digitalism’ is now a reality for our
children and every day I have the joy of seeing children truly
challenge themselves not just in the classroom but beyond. We
are now communicating regularly with classes all over the English
speaking world, with our sister school in Ghana and with experts
whose knowledge we are seeking, on almost every continent. ZIS
makes this possible for even the very youngest!
   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
Middle School Principal
Mark Hemphill
During the middle school years, between the ages of 11 and 14,
adolescents grow and change more rapidly than in any other period
of their lives. Students enter the Middle School as children and leave
as young adults. As a result the middle school years can be the most
challenging of all for students, parents and teachers.
For students the challenge is to learn to identify their strengths and
to accept their weaknesses. It is a time when adolescents often lack
self confidence and suffer from a very fragile self esteem. They may
struggle socially as friendships develop and change. Some may be
confused by the feelings and emotions they may be experiencing,
not really understanding their moods or reactions. Their relationship
with their parents and siblings is constantly changing and managing
these interactions may be stressful and challenging for all involved.
Understanding, accepting and learning to respect the adult they are
becoming can be incredibly challenging.
For parents this phase in their child’s life can be the most challenging
and stressful to cope with. Accepting your child’s growing need
for independence and their reliance on their peers can be difficult.
Seeing your child grow into a young adult who may be very different
to yourself or developing interests and strengths in areas you may
not have considered as important can be confrontational. Keeping
your adolescent child focused on their studies rather than on
socialising, their friends and a growing fixation with technology
can be particularly challenging. Most difficult to cope with can be
the mood swings, the rudeness and the sarcastic comments.
For teachers the challenge is to keep middle schoolers interested
and engaged in their work, focused on their academics and positive
about themselves and their studies. Middle schoolers can become
increasingly negative and difficult to motivate. The challenge is to
try to teach students to enjoy learning, to be self motivated, to be
organized and to always do their best. It is well recognized that
student results may decline in the middle school years as they are
more focused on their social lives and the physical, emotional and
hormonal changes their bodies are experiencing. Middle schoolers
need to understand the relevance of what they are learning to their
lives and teachers need to constantly review and evaluate what
their students are interested in. The challenge for the Middle School
Principal is to keep everyone in the Middle School happy and to
balance all of their needs. Believe me, that sometimes this can be
a real challenge!
Upper School Principal
Jon McLeod
This year we have introduced two new initiatives which we believe
provide opportunities for students to challenge themselves in
different ways. We believe their introduction is beginning to make
significant inroads into positively changing our school culture and
climate.
Firstly, this year all students, teachers and administrators have
been divided into Advisory Teams. Grade 9 students are grouped
together for one year. Grade 10-12 Advisory Teams are mixed and
students remain with the same advisor year after year.
Linked with the introduction of this Advisory Program is a change
in our student community service guidelines. Before this year, each
graduating student had to complete 50 hours of community service.
We believe this approach led to too many students simply ‘counting
hours’ rather than having a meaningful service experience. The
graduation requirement has therefore altered to ‘the completion of
one pre-approved service learning project’ each school year. It is in
the Advisory Teams where students are expected to work together
to design, implement, and reflect on a service project. Being the first
year of this program we are still learning the best way to go about
doing this, but we have seen some great progress and initiative from
the students. Some examples of activities include an Aids Awareness
Week, paper recycling scheme, Bee Awareness, and working with
groups in the local community.
The second initiative is to allow Grade 12 students, if they wish
to and with the support of their parents, to take up the opportunity
to organize their own independent Classroom Without Walls trip.
For the trip to occur it must meet certain requirements. Most
importantly, it must be related to some aspect of our Mission and
Philosophy (Learn, Care, Challenge, Lead). For example, we have a
group of students travelling to our sister school in Ghana, a group
planning to climb Mt Kilimanjaro as well as to research the impact of
climate change on and around the mountain, and a group travelling
to Venice to undertake an economic study of the impact of the
economic crisis on tourism there. All groups will report back to
the school community about their experiences in the last week of
school.
I think both of these examples are certainly evidence of
‘challenging ourselves to be open to risk, change and innovation’
– one of the descriptors of our Mission pillar ‘Challenge‘.
Baden Principal
Ji Han
The dictionary has many definitions for challenge, and each time
we see the word it calls to mind something specific to the one
reading it.
In the daily life of a ZIS student, challenge comes in a variety
of forms such as trying to master a skill, getting over the fear of
speaking in front of others, trying out something new even if it is
difficult, working with people – some you like and some you don’t
– and making mistakes and learning from them is part of that. These
are just a few examples of the daily challenges our students face.
Certainly there are some who would say that compared to many
children in the world, our students do not really have formidable
challenges. I would agree that in the physical sense this is certainly
true. However in today’s ever-changing and unpredictable society,
our students will certainly face mental, emotional and intellectual
challenges that we as adults have never encountered. Our students
have the daunting task of preparing for a future that is vague,
unknown and certainly more exciting than the world we know
today.
Challenge is certainly high on our priority list at school as it
symbolizes an important part of our beliefs and values and encourages
us to strive for more than the ordinary, push ourselves and our
students to go beyond what is expected but, most importantly,
take steps that have never or rarely been tried before. It is our
responsibility to create opportunities so our students will experience
the successes and failures associated with challenges as well as know
the difference when there is none.
The definition I found most appropriate for challenge reads
‘an undertaking that is stimulating to those engaged in it’. It is my
hope that when students at ZIS experience challenge, they do so
in a way that leads to a sense of stimulation, purpose and wonder
for what is coming next. Schools, I believe, have a duty to the
students to ensure that they are continually faced with new and
unfamiliar situations, yes, even pushed out of their comfort zones.
Only through working through such situations and finding ways to
move beyond them can our children begin to develop the resilience
and tenacity needed to really make a difference for themselves and
the world around them.
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   
 ZIS Baden
New Middle School Opening in August
Students looking around the new Middle School classrooms at ZIS Baden, which are currently under renovation
A new Middle School is being added to ZIS Baden
this summer with the creation of Grades 6 to
8. Students will benefit from the full ZIS Middle
School program in a smaller setting, says Principal
Ji Han.
Two floors of the school building are currently being renovated
to create a science room, math room, art room, IT room and drama
room, and six new teachers have been appointed. Over the next few
months, resources will be ordered, Smartboards and technology will
be installed and final preparations will take place ready for the start
of the 2010/11 school year.
“It is very exciting,” said Ji, who oversaw the opening of the
school two years ago with just 29 students. There are currently 73
students in Pre-School to Grade 6, with a potential 30 in the new
Middle School grades.
“With the addition of the Middle School, we will be able to offer
a comprehensive programme for students aged three to 14 under
one roof. The Baden community has always been open and inclusive,
and the Middle School section will be a wonderful addition to our
school. Even with increasing numbers and expansion, our aim to
keep the spirit of community and closeness a high priority,” said Ji.
“We will offer a solid Middle School-based curriculum with
core subjects as well as elective courses of drama, choir, art and IT.
Currently students will learn German as the foreign language with
the likelihood of an additional language later on when enrollment
increases.”
   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
“The kids here will get an amazing
education,” says Principal Ji Han
The Middle School students will looked after by a highly qualified
and motivated Middle School teaching team. “All the teachers are
trained in middle school years and experienced practitioners,” said Ji.
“The Baden Middle School students will follow a scheduled program,
the same as at the Kilchberg campus, which includes an advisory
program. As a 1-to-1 laptop school, each Middle School student
will have their own tablet laptop, as at Kilchberg, and there will be
Smartboards in all classes. I firmly believe that the students here
will get an amazing education.”
Planning is underway to create an after school activities
program, including competitive sports. Additionally Middle School
students will have the opportunity to take music lessons as part of
the Music Academy. The one difference to the Kilchberg Middle
School timetable is that students in Grades 6 to 8 at ZIS Baden
will have an early finish on Wednesdays, like the younger ZIS Baden
students, rather than a late start on Mondays.
“This makes it ideal and more feasible for parents who have
children in both primary and middle school levels,” said Ji.
ZIS Baden is also aiming to offer Early ZIS for two-year-olds
as at the Early Childhood Center, should there be high enough
enrollment.
For more information visit the ZIS Baden pages of the school’s
website at www.zis.ch.
Sport at ZIS
Sporting Success is not by Chance
The Middle School Boys Soccer Team are the SCIS Soccer Champions
SCIS Varsity Boys Soccer champions, SCIS MS
Boys Soccer champions, SGIS MS Girls Soccer
champions, SGIS Northern JV Girls Soccer
champions, SGIS Cross Country champions, SST
Girls Cross Country champions, SCIS Boys Cross
Country champions, SGIS Varsity Girls Basketball
champions, SCIS US Varsity Boys Basketball
champions, SGIS MS Girls Basketball champions,
SCIS US Swim champions, SGIS MS Swim
champions, SGIS US Swim champions.
These results reflect one of the best years ever for Upper
School and Middle School students and are the culmination of the
strengthening of the structure for athletics and activities at ZIS.
“These results are fantastic but are not by chance; they are
the culmination of four years’ work in the development of ATAC
(Athletics and Activities) at ZIS,” said Athletics Director Greg
Hart. “They are the consequence of putting everything under one
umbrella and vertically aligning Middle and Upper School athletics
and activities. We now have students coming to the Upper School
with a passion for sport who already know the fundamentals thanks
to the work at the Middle School. This has allowed coaches at the
Upper School to hone their art of coaching and really bring the
students on in their sport.”
A major contributing factor is the facilities available at the
Upper School. “Three years ago during a typical week we would have
gS14 teams using 37 different locations over a five day period,” said
Greg. “Of the 90 minute contact time the coach might only have
60 minutes with the students, due to all the travelling time, and
moving and setting up of equipment. Now the kids can be setting
up equipment in our own gym and warming up before the lesson
even starts. We have seen a better level of engagement in the kids
thanks to that.”
It’s not just final results which reflect the success of the
programme. “We have had a number of sportsmanships awards
too, which is fantastic,” said Greg. “I don’t care whether we win or
lose, but how we play the game.”
ZIS is a member of the SCIS (Sports Council of International
Schools), ISST (International School Sports Tournament) and SGIS
(Swiss Group of International Schools), something which is not
always the case for international schools and reflects the importance
the school places on sport.
“When the school values sport, the coaches feel valued, the
students benefit from that and the community sees the difference,”
said Greg.
ZIS is increasingly known as a great competitor and host for
tournaments for these different groups, thanks to the facilities and
the organisation when playing host. “We have great parents here
and a community behind us, to help with hosting and running a
tournament,” said Greg.
“Taking part in these tournaments gives ZIS students the
opportunity to travel throughout Europe to compete against
comparable schools and athletes, as well as enjoying a different
cultural experience and interacting with other young people. It’s a
win-win situation.”
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   
 Challenge at ZIS
A Curriculum that’s Relevant, Challenging and Engaging
Learning is not restricted to the classroom and students of all ages go on a variety of curriculum-based trips, like this Grade 6 visit
to Kerenzerberg
We live in a dynamic and exciting world, where
the only constant is change. At ZIS, our challenge
is to match the needs of our learners to this
ever-changing global environment, writes Mark
Schulz, Director of Curriculum and Professional
Development.
To meet this challenge, we need to be strategic learners ourselves,
by expanding our perspectives and updating our approaches and
strategies in order to provide effective learning opportunities for
all of our students.
As a school, our challenge is to provide a curriculum designed to
meet the needs of all ZIS learners. Therefore it needs to be relevant,
challenging and engaging in order to allow students to fully develop
their potential in terms of the skills, attitudes, values and knowledge
required to meet their current and future needs.
Content knowledge is not enough. The shift now is to promote
the development of key skills – communication and collaboration,
critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and innovation.
These skills are not new; they tend to be part of the skill set of
most of the successful people in the world. What has changed is
the increasing demand for these skills for people living in the 21st
century to enrich their lives and the lives of others and make them
more successful in their work. Therefore student-led discussions,
group activities, presentations and reflections feature prominently
in our classrooms.
Without engagement, it is unlikely that learning will take place.
Work that is too easy soon leads to boredom, while work that is too
difficult for students leads to frustration. Students can now access
   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
“We challenge our students to embrace
the opportunities provided and to push
their boundaries.”
all the information they need to know, the challenge now is to get
them to ask the right questions.
We realize that students entering the classroom today are
much different from those who have come before. To make our
connections with students we must change our strategies to fit this
new age of children and to ensure that we cater for their full range of
learning styles. While technology obviously plays a key part, its value
doesn’t lie in the tools themself. Programs and Web 2.0 applications
such as Google Apps, One Note, Google Earth, Skype, Flickr, Voice
Thread, Blogs, Wikis, Jing and Movie Maker are used as powerful tools
to support communication, collaboration and creativity during the
learning process in ways that otherwise would not be possible.
At ZIS we have adopted the ‘Understanding by Design’
curriculum development framework (Wiggins and McTighe 2005).
The central tenet is that the design of curriculum, assessment and
instruction must focus on developing and deepening understanding
of important ideas. The challenge for teachers is to first identify
what they want students to know and be able to do, then to
design assessments that allow students to clearly demonstrate
their understanding and proficiency, and then to decide upon the
most appropriate instructional and learning activities that will
lead to these desired results. Through this process, challenging and
authentic learning opportunities and assessments, designed to lead
to enduring understandings and promote discussion about essential
questions, are provided.
Challenge at ZIS
Meeting Educational Needs in an Ever-Changing World
The ZIS curriculum challenges students to develop their potential
In order to further support learning, personal growth and
development, learning opportunities cannot be restricted to the
classroom. We have the technological tools to bring the world
into the classroom, but we also want our students to physically
experience the wider world as often as possible. Initiatives at ZIS
include: grade level, curriculum and Classroom Without Walls trips,
Model United Nations, service learning, sports, outdoor education,
arts activities and performances. We challenge our students to
embrace the opportunities provided and to push their boundaries.
As parents, it can be a challenge to accept that things should
look very different in schools today, compared to when we were
students. There can be a tendency to expect or try to recreate the
same setting for our children as we had at school, because we have
been there before. Leaving the familiarity of a national education
system to move to a possibly very different international context
can add to this challenge. However, the need to prepare students
for a vastly different future than we have known means that our
understanding of the focus of education also needs to shift. The
needs of our students are very different in order for them to cope
with today’s ever changing world, let alone what they may need for
an uncertain future.
Director of Curriculum and Professional Development
Mark Schulz
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   
 Challenge at ZIS
Lower School Inquiry-Based Curriculum
David Sargeant, centre, with some students who love the challenge offered by learning at the Lower School
Challenge: how much is embedded in this word!
To be challenged, to face a challenge, to rise to
a challenge, to take on a challenge, to challenge
others. It is a concept that can sit right on the
frontier of our comfort zones bringing with it a
spectrum of feelings from excitement to fear,
writes David Sargeant, Primary Years Programme
Coordinator.
Few of us want to be so challenged that we become disabled
by fear but as comfortable as our comfort zones are, we all know
how equally disabling it is to be constantly under-challenged. For
an educator, being in tune with student ‘readiness’ for the next
challenge is in itself one of the greatest challenges of the job.
To be successful we need to really know our students and
our curriculum. With these understandings it is crucial that we
know when and how to invite students to explore the territory just
beyond their comfort zones in the spirit of adventure, excitement
and reflective risk taking.
In a Lower School inquiry-based curriculum often the teacher
accompanies the student to this frontier, encouraging them to take
the next steps beyond alone but always metaphorically in sight,
never abandoning the student.
As 21st century educators we can’t just teach curriculum,
implying that the primary focus is only curriculum coverage, we
have to teach students the skills and attitudes that will enable them
to embrace appropriate challenges and become learners way after
they have left any kind of formal education.
   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
I asked some Grade 5 and Grade 3 students to share some of
their associations with the word challenge:
“It is learning a language that is not really your own.”
“It is saying hi to people, making friends with them…and then
having to say goodbye to them; saying hi all over.”
“Living in a new country, coming to a big school.”
“A challenge for me and my family is to try and understand
what Swiss people are saying.”
“Learning to read and spell…but it is great when you do it
well.”
“Challenges are a good thing because you learn more.”
“It is a challenge beating Grade 4 students at soccer at recess,
when you are just a Grade 3 kid.”
For educators the biggest challenge at the heart of everything is
how we teach kids to become their own teachers. In The Lower School
faculty lounge there is a Professional Development information
board. Prominently displayed at the top are two extracts from the
ZIS Mission and Philosophy, one of them is this: Challenge - We
challenge ourselves to be open to risk, change and innovation.
It reminds me of the importance of constantly challenging
myself and of staying a lifelong learner.
Challenge at ZIS
Enriching Learning for Mathematically Talented Students
Jackie Langford, left, with some of the students on the Lower School Enrichment Program
An enrichment program for students with a talent for maths has
been running at the Lower School since 2008.
Jackie Langford is currently working with 13 students from
Grades 3, 4 and 5, offering them additional challenges to what is
happening in their classroom. “It’s not about stretching the children
by giving, for instance, Grade 5 students Grade 6 work, but about
stretching them sideways, extending their problem-solving and
critical thinking skills,” said Jackie. “They work on their own, in pairs
and in groups, and sometimes take things home. It is often student-
initiated because they are highly motivated.”
At the moment Jackie, who works part-time, focuses only on
maths. “This is because our class teachers say that’s the area most
difficult to differentiate for because the gap in abilities is often
quite large,” she explained. “Students may need further challenges
and I support the teachers by offering that. All students need to
be challenged but in different ways. It’s about giving equality of
opportunity, in the same way that we support students who are
struggling by providing learning support.”
Students who might be eligible for the program are identified
by teachers or, occasionally, recommended by parents. Jackie starts
by observing the child in the classroom and then gives them an
individual problem-solving challenge followed by a standardized
maths test and non-verbal reasoning test.
Once selected, students spend time with Jackie in grade-level
groups when they would be doing maths in their classroom. Students
taking part in the programme must agree to keep up with their
classroom maths work. “The students love coming and the parents
and classroom teachers are very positive about it,” said Jackie.
Help with Emotional and
Developmental Issues
School counselor Doris Benrey Venguer works with Lower
School and ECC students who have emotional difficulties
or developmental issues. She works closely with parents,
teachers and other members of the Learning Support
team to help students, but remains the child’s ambassador
throughout.
“Some things are transient, such as anxiety about going on
a field trip, but other emotional problems are more complicated
and require support for an extended period of time,” said Doris,
a clinical psychologist and child and adolescent psychotherapist
who has worked at ZIS for 12 years. “It’s important that I
understand the situation from the child’s perspective as well as
their family and cultural background. I look at their relationships
with classmates, teachers and at home. Children know that they
can talk to me about anything, it’s confidential and that I am
on their side.”
For children with such diagnoses as autism or attention-
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Doris works with parents,
teachers, tutors and external professionals to create an Individual
Education Plan in order for everyone to work together to help
the student.
While School Counselor Jill Wagner is available to work with
all children new to ZIS, Doris will become involved should any
youngster display extreme or continued transitional difficulties.
She also works with school Nurse Betsy Zimmerman to cover
the topic of puberty with the Lower School’s older students.
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   
 Challenge at ZIS Challenge at ZIS

A Wide Variety of Activities on Offer Job Placements Offer Real World Experience
Upper School students have the opportunity to extend their
experience through a summer internship programme.
Having begun four years ago with IBM, the programme has
expanded recently to give students the chance to work with a variety
of businesses and organisations, including in the areas of childcare
and school administration.
“We have so many applications, so many students who really
know how important having work experience is,” said Melissa Johnson
Schnyder, Upper School University and Career Counsellor. “And
whether a student gets a placement or not, it is great experience
to go through the process of writing a resume and cover letter, and
having an interview. These are valuable skills for them to learn.”
Members of the Leadership Team and parent volunteers,
including Liz Kalmin who runs the Job Center, help with the process
and undertake the interviews. Students are then recommended to
the employer, who then interviews them before matching them to
a suitable post.
“All of these young people bring
with them a unique set of skills and
perspectives, every year they come with
a different approach of how they see
the world around them, and they bring
new ideas which we can benefit from.”
“We have similar programmes around the world and it shows
that we engage with our community.”
Manuel explained that ‘the best of the best’ were selected each
year and then teamed with an IBM ‘coach’, who assesses their skills,
experience and personality before matching them with a project.
As well as their ‘day job’ the students are set a task as a team – last
year this was an ‘Integrated Strategy Project’ through which they
developed a system to plan, manage and account for the millions
of deals with small businesses.

Activities on offer at the Middle school range from the new mountain biking club to the spectacular musical productions, like
‘Fiddler on the Roof Junior’
The Middle School after school activities
programme is challenging for students on a
variety of levels and offers the opportunity to
experience a wide range of sports, arts and music.  both on stage and behind the scenes.
Every season some 260 of the 280 students at the
Middle School participate.
New this season is mountain biking which, together with
recently added kayaking, is part of a concerted effort to make the
most of the local environment, said Assistant Athletics Director
and Middle School PE teacher Jay Haken.
“The idea is to use the local environment as much as we can
and we have bought kayaks and bikes so that a lot of students
can try these activities out,” he said.
The ethos of the programme at the Middle School is to
give everyone a chance to try out a variety of activities.
“I don’t think it’s our responsibility to provide any kind of
activity at an elite level, rather to give kids the opportunity to
participate and experience as much as they can,” said Jay. “We
never offer more than two seasons of a sport as we don‘t want
kids to become a ‘one sport student’; we encourage them to do
a variety of sports and activities.”
As well as having competitive-level sports, Jay and his
colleagues offer developmental groups.
“We aim to have A teams for the best performers and the B
teams almost always focus on the future, with skills and drills.  We
have created a strong B team programme with less fixtures and
time commitment, but which still gives students the experience
of being part of a team.  Our responsibility is to try to ensure that
everyone gets that experience.”
As well as sports, there’s the opportunity to be part of
musical and drama productions, musical groups and other arts
and technology activities.  Recent productions, including ‘Fiddler
on the Roof Junior’, have included a large number of students
But with all this on offer, students sometimes need to make
difficult choices.
“The challenge at the Middle School is for students to
have a level of responsibility for their time management,” said
Jay.  “We encourage them to be active participants in the after
school activities programme but they have to manage how much
time they commit in order not to get behind in their school
work.  They need to strike the balance between academics and
participation.”
The Middle School is where students have their first
opportunity to represent ZIS in sports or at Model United Nations
sessions which involve traveling and overnight trips.
“They are representing something larger than themselves
and that’s a massive part of the experience — there is the
camaraderie, the sense of belonging and they gain life-long
memories,” said Jay.
Again, students must maintain their academic standards in
order to participate.
“One of our advantages is that almost all of our coaches
are teachers in school, so they are educators first and coaches
second. The coach and the class teachers work together with the
student to ensure they keep on top of their school work,” said
Jay.  “These experiences are part of the Middle School philosophy
and a big reason why this is such a positive place to be.”
“I know that at IBM students are ranked in the same way as “The students organise themselves into roles, like being the
their regular employees and sometimes the company wants them project manager, or working in marketing and IT, and through this
to come back – even after college,” said Melissa. we teach them professional project management,” said Manuel.
“Last year their process management, thoughts on the flaws in the
Manuel Seybold, who has coordinated the internship program existing process and recommendations were sent to the European
for IBM in recent years, explained why the company offers places Steering Committee and we certainly made a lot of use of that. It
to students over the summer. is good to have input from people with fresh ideas.”
“It is the chance for us to get ‘top talent’ into IBM and we have Going through the school’s internship programme is not the
high hopes that, once they enter college or university, they will still only way students can get work experience, of course. In the past
remember that it’s a good place to be,” he said. “All of these young students have organised their own placements at places such as
people bring with them a unique set of skills and perspectives, myclimate – a Swiss organisation focused on carbon offsetting
every year they come with a different approach of how they see measures – and in a medical practice in the UK. “We have to
the world around them, and they bring new ideas which we can empower students, tell them to go out themselves and beat the
benefit from. pavements, because that’s what life is about,” said Melissa.
Independent Study – an Option to Extend Learning at the Upper School
Kevin Braunschweig is one of three Upper School students currently taking a course
completely independently. He decided to sign up for AP Statistics after the course was
not run as usual at ZIS due to lack of student sign ups.
Although he didn‘t need the class, with a course load of five classes he felt he had time
to do it.
“It’s something that interested me and I knew that I would be taking it sometime later in
college so thought I would do it now,” he explained. Kevin had to make his case to Principal
Jon McLeod, explaining how he was going to do the class and be assessed. He was assigned
a ZIS teacher, should he need support, and told he had to present a project at the end of the
year, to show what he had learned.
“Math is my strong point and I have a lot of support at home,” explained Kevin, who
simply got some books on the subject and created his own syllabus. “I concentrated on
stats for a couple of weeks over the winter and February holidays.”
Kevin had looked into doing the course with Virtual High School. “VHS do offer it but
at 12 hours work per week, which is more than I do on my other classes, so I looked into
Kevin Braunschweig studied AP Statistics other ways of doing it,” he said.
independently

10   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010 ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   11

 Challenge at ZIS
Opportunity to Perform at a World-Class Level
Tracy Sons conducting a group of Upper School musicians
The opportunity to perform with musicians and
singers of a similar standard is on offer to the
school’s most talented music students through
AMIS, The Association for Music in International
Schools.
From Middle School onwards students can audition to participate
in one of several festivals held at a variety of locations around the
world each year. Only the best musicians are selected to take part,
making it a wonderful experience for students.
“We have so many kids who are capable and I encourage them
to prepare and participate in these events,” said Tracy Sons, Upper
School music teacher.
“If they are selected they have the chance to work with top class
conductors. The coolest thing is that they just get to be musicians
for three days, spending time with people who really understand
how much they love music. They are in their element.”
Each year dozens of ZIS students audition for a variety of
festivals, which this year included the AMIS Middle School Honor
Mixed Choir Festival held at the Upper School in April.
To audition students must practice and perform a selected piece
of music which is recorded by Tracy and colleague Bill Gilfry, Middle
School music teacher. These are then sent to the AMIS selection
committee whose members decide who can participate. Both Tracy
and Bill have been part of those committees in the past.
If chosen, students are sent the selection of music being used
at the event in order to start to prepare for the festival.
12   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
“Just going through the audition process is great experience for
these kids and if selected the level of music they work on is super-
challenging,” said Tracy.
This year six ZIS students were selected to perform in the
Jazz Band and Choir in Rome, two in the Senior Honor Orchestra
Festival in Frankfurt, and eight in the Honor Band and Choir in
Turkey. Nine students participated in the MS Honor Mixed Choir
Festival in April.
“There is, for instance, an 80 to 100 piece orchestra which is
something they can’t experience at our school,” said Tracy, who
added that attending the AMIS festivals is a great professional
development opportunity for teachers. “There are world-class
conductors there who often hold workshops for teachers so we
come back to school with energy and new ideas.”
Grade 7 student Mandy Kessler was selected to take part in the
MS Honor Band Festival in March in Dusseldorf.
“I was so nervous in the audition,” said Mandy. “I was really
happy when I saw my name on the list, it was awesome.”
This year 11 ZIS students were selected, almost double the
number of previous years, which Bill Gilfry sees as the result in
a change to the way band is taught. Students are now grouped
according to their ability not grade, meaning that children in Grades
6, 7 and 8 play together based on their musical level rather than
their age.
“We decided to change this to keep students challenged and
interested and it’s definitely a good thing, as students are enjoying
it and we can see the progress,“ he said. “We saw it in the results
of honor band.
Challenge at ZIS
Students Selected for AMIS Festivals
Nine ZIS students were selected to join the AMIS Choir Festival hosted at the Upper School in April. Photo by Cecilia Nilsson
“If they are selected they have “For boys it’s an additional challenge as their voice may be
the chance to work with top class changing from one week to the next and suddenly they can’t make
the notes they could before, so I teach them tools to learn how to
conductors. The coolest thing is that sing at different levels.”
they just get to be musicians for three
The festival was a huge success and a wonderful experience for
days, spending time with people who the students involved, said Bill.
really understand how much they love
“It was an amazing event for everyone,” he said.
music. They are in their element.”
“In many cases the music is a little over their head and being
able to organise yourself to be able to learn it and show that you
understand it when you’re playing it is quite a challenge. The
students are very motivated and really want to achieve.”
To get to that point Bill has helped them rehearse at weekends
and lunchtimes, as well as taking part in normal lessons.
Bill organised the hosting of the recent AMIS Middle School
Honor Mixed Choir Festival, in conjunction with the ATAC office and
with support from the Parents’ Association.
Nine ZIS students, including Mandy, were chosen to participate
in what was originally planned to be an 80-strong choir (the
aftermath of the Iceland volcano eruption preventing some students
from travelling).
“Singing is very personal and so it was a challenge to audition,”
said Bill. “There were ten pieces for the festival and students sang
in languages they had never spoken or sung in before. There was a
three part texture for girls and boys, and at some points they were
singing four different parts. That’s a challenge – to sing different
parts and to be holding your own. Bill Gilfry practising with Grade 7 student Mandy Kessler
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   13
 Challenge at ZIS
The World Outside the Classroom
Catherine Hurrell, above left, teaching the children. Above right, students Eva Edwards, Chloe Munro, Charlotte Taylor and
Louis Op de Beeck, together with Steven from the village, working on the foundations of the dining hall
This February a team of Grade 9 students and
teachers visited Ghana to spend a week with
students at the Bosomtwe Community School.
Here is their story...
In 2008 ZIS sent a group of Grade 9 students to Ghana to
participate in a Model United Nations at Lincoln Community School
in Accra, writes Middle School teacher Bill Hovey.
I was the MUN director and Lower School PE teacher Ibrahim
Oubda came along as my chaperone. Accra was several hours from
Kumasi and the Bosomtwe Community School (BCS) that Ibi, Maud
de Moor and the Lower School had been sponsoring. One night
Ibi shared his dream of bringing kids from that year’s Grade 7, the
first kids to begin working on the BCS project, to the school itself
when they were in Grade 9. This year’s Team Ghana was born that
evening.
Twenty Grade 9 students and history teacher Sarah Goudy
accompanied Ibi, Maud and myself to Ghana for nine days this past
February. The trip combined cultural excursions within Accra and to
Cape Coast, visiting the Cape Coast slave castle and Kakum rainforest
canopy walk, with service learning projects at BCS school.
The main aspect of the BCS experience was rotating through
three stations: working on finishing the dining hall, a building project
supported by ZIS donations, visiting and helping in the village (water
fetching, cooking, basket weaving…), and then teaching and playing
with the school children (Pre-K to Grade 3). Wedged between all of
14   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
“The most meaningful part of this trip
was seeing the positive outlook on
life that the people of Ghana possess.
Everyone smiles and laughs. What
they lack in material possessions, they
make up through just being happy. I’ve
honestly tried to laugh and smile more
often.”
these were bus trips, visits from and with Ibi’s family, lake and ocean
swimming, market bartering, mango, pineapple and coconut eating,
a gospel service, drumming evening, bonfire, dancing, soccer match
with villagers, and getting sick!
It was an extraordinary trip and true to our Mission and
Philosophy - Learn, Care, Challenge, Lead. The level of learning was
varied and high. An ethos of care was underlying throughout the
week. Kids continually stepped up to lead as opportunities were
ever present. The most difficult aspect of the trip is the challenge
of keeping its spirit alive now we’re back to the daily stress and
demands of Zurich life.
Challenge at ZIS
Grade 9 Students Make a Difference in Ghana
Sam Bunderson, above left, and Noemi Holzleg, above right, had the experience of a lifetime in Ghana
By Noemi Holzleg and Sam Bunderson, Grade 9
As the bus drove down the red dirt road, the villagers and the
school children welcomed us with warm smiles. We walked on
towards the dilapidated school building as the children were
starting their morning prayers. Every morning we were greeted
by their humble voices before we split into our rotations, which
consisted of teaching the children, constructing work at the new
cafeteria building and befriending the villagers. Already the very
first day left us with irreplaceable and unforgettable memories
of everything we experienced.
We walked into the classroom and it was dark and stuffy. Four
grades were packed into one small building and two of those had
lessons out on the porch. The classroom supplies were extremely
basic: a box of chalk and a run-down board. The benches and walls
were cracked and worn out. Even though the conditions were
unfamiliar, we tried our best to lighten up the environment and
despite the state of their classroom the children looked forward to
learning. We spent hours entertaining the children with big group
games such as ‘What time is it Mr. Wolf?’ and teaching them with
addition cards and colourful dominos. These excited children have
taught us to not dread school, but be grateful for having the chance
of a high-standard education.
While some of us were teaching at the school, others spent time
in the village. This experience made us feel like part of a family that
had been complete strangers to us just a few minutes before. We had
the opportunity to live the life of a local child — we fetched water at
the village pump, washed clothes with soap in a big basin and made
traditional Ghanaian food. As well as then living in a family’s home,
we had the chance to practice weaving baskets out of palm fronds
with an excellent instructor who had been weaving baskets for the
past 60 years. From our time spent in the village, we became more
aware of diversity and how that makes life more interesting.
We didn’t just work with the children and in the village, we all
took turns working on the dining hall. We began by mixing cement.
First, we had to make a well of dirt and then pour in the cement
mixture along with water. After mixing all this cement we had to
carry it in wheelbarrows to the dining hall. We were supposed to
“slap” the wet cement onto the wall, but as it turned out, we could
barely do it. The village workers enjoyed watching us try and fail.
In fact, it was more a question of them helping us than us helping
them! Working side-by-side with the village workers gave us an
irreplaceable experience.
The valuable time we spent in Ghana filled our hearts with love
for every child and every smile we saw. All of us are dying to go
again and were heartbroken when the day of leaving came. A mix of
happiness and sadness dripped down our eyes and we wiped away
the tears as we were waving goodbye. We just have to remember,
it’s not like I won’t ever see them again, because we’re definitely
going back!
The lessons we learned are things everybody should know,
everybody should live with and everybody should take to their
hearts, and this message is what we want to share.
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   15
 Challenge at ZIS
The Desire to Make a Difference
by Marie Baldauf-Lenschen, Grade 11
The children crowded behind me with fearful eyes
as the intimidating woman marched towards the
door. I was never so thankful to have a padlocked
gate between me and another person.
It was my second week at the safe-house and my supervisor
was away. My responsibilities as a volunteer were turning out very
differently from what I had expected. I had never travelled by myself.
I had never been to a developing country. I had never been to Africa.
I had no idea what to do.
This winter vacation I had the opportunity to travel to South
Africa where I worked as a volunteer at a children’s safe-house in
Jeffreys Bay, home to 12 youngsters, ranging from five months to
14 years in age. It was an amazing experience.
Up until then I’d had a very sheltered and privileged life
compared to many other children from around the world. I grew
up in America, attending an international school, with door-to-door
transport, my mother driving us to sports, and my parents planning
all our trips.
I had wondered for quite some time, “How can I grow up like
this, when there are other people starving, who are no less deserving
of this life?” I had no influence on the family I was born into, or
choice concerning my family’s social or economic status. I realized
that after a certain point, you have to take your life into your own
hands, and make it something you are proud of. I hoped to explore
a less developed country and experience up close and understand
the challenges in the lives of those people who did not grow up in
such a feathered way, particularly those who also had no influence
on their situation yet: children.
I applied to a program in South Africa because one of the
country’s national languages is English, and thought I could make a
more profound impact in a country whose language I could speak.
I was lucky to gain acceptance after speaking with the head of the
small volunteer program, as the application requirements stated a
The gate which stood between Marie and the angry woman
16   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
“The visit helped me realize that
community development and working
with children is very important to me,
and that I would like to learn about
and pursue international development
projects and/or charity work in my
future career.”
minimum age of 18. Because I was volunteering over the December
holidays (South African summer holidays), the usual pre-school
to which volunteers were sent was closed, and I was posted to a
children’s safe-house to assist a single caretaker, Nelly.
Although I babysit regularly, love children, and thought I was
quite prepared by studying South Africa beforehand, I can in no way
compare my previous experiences with the one I had in those three
weeks. Upon my arrival each morning the children and I began
cleaning up the three bedroom house, vacuuming floors, sweeping
outside and returning furniture to its proper place. Only after the
house was returned to an orderly state were the children allowed to
eat their bowl of porridge in the playroom, whilst I bottle-fed Hope,
the youngest, and kept a watchful eye on two more youngsters.
Breakfast was usually followed by games like tag or ball games in
the empty garage, as Nelly and I would call one youngster after the
other to the bathroom to bathe, diaper and dress them for the day.
The children and I would spend the afternoons out of the heat, and
in the cooler house. They’d want me to read them stories, impress
them by teaching them how to memorize math times tables, and
draw pictures, whilst they jammed around me and watched, and
spent hours touching and playing with my hair, fascinated by its
texture and color. Gradually, a sort of ritual was established: the
kids would plait my entire head in the afternoons and I would take
the braids out again just before I left, only to repeat the process
again the next day.
When first arriving at the house, I had expected an introduction
on how to deal with and approach situations, and guidance as to my
role as a volunteer. The house was run by the caring but overworked
supervisor, Nelly, who had received inadequate training herself,
and who was naturally running out of energy when looking after
the children alone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Although
I was initially overwhelmed to find myself thrown in the middle, I
came up with some activities I could do with the children, such as
writing Christmas cards or making decorations to hang up around
the haven.
As the time progressed and I had moments to reflect, I realized
how naive it was to think that I could just fly somewhere with
absolutely no specialized skills and only the strong desire to ‘do
something’, and expect to make a difference.
In the past, the safe-house had received donations, such as huge
chalk-boards or coloring books. However, these were of no use, since
chalk and crayons were missing. To us, it may seem an effortless
thing to go out and buy something so simple, yet when I gave some
Marie, with hair braided by the children at the safe-house in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
bags of crayons and chalk to the children, they were magnetized with
wide eyes and huge smiles on their faces, almost overwhelmed, as
they unpacked the gifts.
Broken shards of glass from passers-by who threw their bottles
over the wall lay scattered across the outside play areas, so that
many of the children cut their feet numerous times. We created
“projects”, cleaned up all of the broken glass and set a schedule to
free the areas from these shards before the children went outside
to play. Nelly looked at the schedule dismissively and informed me
that I could continue implementing the plan while I was there, but
that she would not follow through with it, since their lease was up
and they would soon be moving.
With no training or prior experience, the most unsettling
moments were those in which I had no idea how to act. In my
second week, for example, Nelly left me with sole responsibility for
all 12 children every day. Although I did not mind working longer
hours, I was worried about having full responsibility, as a foreign girl
only two years older than the oldest girl of the house.
I was involuntarily put to the test when an angry mother
appeared one afternoon, demanding that I release her daughter. I
hadn’t been aware that some of the kids at the safe-house were foster
children with mothers and fathers, who had been removed from their
homes by the Department of Social Development, when the children
suddenly came running, crowding around me one afternoon with
worried looks on their faces. On the other side of the gate was the
mother of one of the children, Angel. It was immediately clear that
she was very determined to get her way. Upon seeing very worried
looks and frantic headshaking from the older girls while I searched
for the keys (the padlock on the gate always remained locked),
I decided to hold the ground against this increasingly aggressive
woman. After initially asking some aloof questions, she became
agitated, demanding that I release her daughter.
I tried to calm Angel’s mom, who could see her daughter and
was calling to her, while Angel herself was clinging to my hand, in
no way wanting to approach her mother. My feeling that something
wasn’t right increased as the smell of alcohol came through the gate.
The woman loudly protested that she had agreed with Nelly that
Angel was to come back to her home for a sleepover. I responded as
calmly as I could that I had heard of no such agreement, and was not
allowed to let any children leave the premises. The woman became
more and more angry and began shouting at me, accusing me of
being a racist for not letting her take her daughter home. I took the
children and retreated back into the house after apologizing to her
for the inconvenience of the situation. I was grateful that nothing
more happened, but was in a state of shock for most of the rest of the
day. I was later informed that Angel’s mom had tried unsuccessfully
to take Angel back twice before, and was now no longer allowed
inside the haven.
Volunteering at the safe-house showed me that the local
structures were very fragile, and sometimes too weak to handle well-
meant donations if not closely coordinated. It made me realize that
such donations have to be very much thought through, to maximize
effectiveness for the intended people. Furthermore, I realized that
this kind of trip is not very beneficial as a one-time only thing.
Making a lasting difference takes a sustained commitment of time
and effort. The visit helped me realize that community development
and working with children is very important to me, and that I would
like to learn about and pursue international development projects
and/or charity work in my future career.
I returned to the same South African safe-house during the
March break, and together with the manager and her support
organization, made an inventory of the most important needs of
the new site. I now want to raise funds for, and come up with a plan
on how to acquire these items. Then, I will hopefully once again
be able to see the gleaming eyes and smiling faces of the children
when they hear the story of the many people in Switzerland who
care to help them.
If you would like to support Marie in her efforts please contact
her at mbaldauf@zis.ch.
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   17
 Challenge at ZIS
Grade 12 Students in India
Virginia serving food to some residents of a home for the elderly
Grade 12 students Virginia Hasenmeyer and
Laura Gambineri raised money, including holding
a raffle at WorldFest in October, to fund a life-
changing trip to India over the winter break. Here
Virginia thanks everyone for their support and
writes about the experience:
Virginia and Laura raised some of the funds for the trip through
a raffle at World Fest last October
18   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
We would like to thank all those ZIS members who contributed
to raising money for Kochi, India. We used the money wisely and
hope that we could help the underprivileged children by giving them
some new textbooks, pens, crayons and for the small ones some
drawing books and paint.
Here is a short summary about how we got to the idea of going
to Kochi, and how it changed our life.
During an assembly in school, our Principal Mr. McLeod,
announced the Classrooms Without Walls trips. We were super
excited and wanted to do something similar and so we got to work.
We started writing emails to big organisations such as UNICEF,
Worldvision, KinderForKinder and many more. We wrote about 20
emails, and got replies from almost all.
One organization, KinderForKinder, forwarded our email to
an Indian college named Rajagiri College of Social Science. When
we got the first email from the core leader, Mr. Antoni, we were
astonished:
First of all I congratulate and appreciate both of you for your great
decision to serve the underprivileged children in a meaningful way.
May the Almighty bless you to make your efforts fruitful and thus you
may become a model to others all over the world.
The way we were welcomed, convinced us and we were ready
to go to Kochi, Kerala!
After making the last arrangements concerning flight and
accommodation, we wanted to collect as much money as possible
to take to India, so that we would be able to help the children in
Challenge at ZIS
Thanking the ZIS Community for the Support
Virginia and Laura spending time with children at a creche
“This trip has made us better people
and made us think of things we didn’t
consider before. We have the feeling
that we made a small but effective
change!”
a different way. We wrote letters to family and friends asking for
donations, and were surprised by the amount of people who were
willing to give us money and trust us with it. During ZIS annual World
Fest we collected over CHF 700 by selling raffle tickets for an Indian
spa in Zurich. At this point, we would like to thank the people who
bought raffle tickets again, and say that you caused smiles on the
faces of many children. Just before leaving for the trip, we had a
total of CHF 2,021!
Flying to India caused butterflies in our stomachs and a mixture
of feelings. The first step onto foreign ground caused an arousing
feeling and then humid air blew us away the second we got out of
the plane.
We were welcomed by Mr. Antoni at the airport with an A4 piece
of paper where “Virginia” was written in red coloring pencil. After a
long drive, we arrived at the college, and went to our guestroom. We
had everything we needed: a bed, a toilet and a bucket of water.
During the 12 days of work which we were going to accomplish
in Kochi all my expectations were fulfilled and even more. Already
after the first day we went out for a “shopping day” where we got
everything we needed for the children. We purchased over 250
boxes of colorful crayons, the same amount of math textbooks for
the children in school, and over 50 paint sets with paintbrushes
and color-in books for the smaller children, and money itself for
other programs we attended. Over 300 pens were purchased and
we ourselves added pens, clothes, shoes and handbags that we had
brought from Switzerland.
Throughout the 12 days we visited all age ranges of children
from nine months old to 16-year-olds, and even a elderly home of
with people of an average age of 75 years. Together with the children
and elderly we had programs planned which included them singing
and acting to us, as well as us singing, playing and interacting with
them. Although the language sometimes hindered us from telling
longer stories in English, the personal guides helped us to have a
smooth language transition.
On the faces of the children we saw a stream of happiness as
never before when handing out the presents to all individuals. It
gave us a feeling of showing care towards the less benefitted and
how small changes can be a great, delightful surprise in the eyes
of a child.
We will repeat a trip like this, but looking back we want to
change some things. For example, on the next trip we will want to
go to one place and see how we affect one place throughout two
weeks, instead of traveling around areas and always seeing different
lines of poverty but not being able to help in the long run.
This trip has made us better people and made us think of things
we didn’t consider before and we have the feeling that we made a
small but effective change! Thank you!
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   19
 The 2009/10 ZIS Annual Fund
Enhancing Educational Excellence
The Annual Fund is a year-long
fundraising effort to support
the school’s annual operating
budget and enhance educational
excellence at ZIS.
A strong Annual Fund strengthens the
school’s financial position, gives ZIS more
flexibility in planning, and helps to keep
tuition fees as low as possible.
As each donation is put back to work
immediately in the school to benefit this
year’s students, each donation is important.
Donors can designate gifts to this year’s
Annual Fund to benefit Student Life
(Athletics & Activities), Student Support
(Language & Learning Support), Libraries,
IT, and the Arts, or allow ZIS to designate
where the donation can best be used.
As with all income, Annual Fund
donations are included in the operating
budget to ensure that they are best used.
Donations enhance educational excellence
for each ZIS student, whether in the libraries,
on the sports field, in the language lab, on
stage, or in front of a laptop.
20   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
“To date over 250 donations have been
received – thank you to everyone who has
participated,” said Robin Pola, ZIS Head
of Development. “Every gift makes a
difference to our students,”
There is still time to donate to this year’s
Annula Fund. For more information or
questions, please contact 2009/10 Annual
Fund Co-Chairs Luitgard Holzleg (Parent,
Middle and Upper Schools) and Lily Quinn
(Parent, Lower and Middle Schools) or
Robin Pola.
Luitgard Holzleg
T +41 (0)43 377 85 57
luitgard@holzleg.com
Lily Quinn
T +41 (0)43 844 69 77
lily.quinn@bluewin.ch
Robin Pola
ZIS Head of Development
T +41 (0)58 750 25 43
rpola@zis.ch
The 2009/10 ZIS Annual Fund
ZIS Gala: An Evening...on the Ball
Did you know?
— The 08/09 Annual Fund raised over
CHF 155,000, with families from more
than 30 countries making a donation.
Of this, CHF 45,000 was raised by
the 2009 Gala to enhance visual and
performing arts at ZIS. The balance
benefited all students by being
disbursed among the campuses or, at
a donor’s request, being designated
to Student Life, Student Support,
Libraries, IT, or the Arts.
— Every member of the Board of
Trustees and Leadership Team has
already given to the 09/10 Annual
Fund.
— Donations to ZIS are tax-deductible
for Swiss and U.S. taxpayers.
— Participation by our families
demonstrates to outside donors like Photos clockwise from top: the organisers – Sophie Danner, ZIS Development Office; Chantal Hackett, auction and raffle; Monita
corporations and foundations that our Singh, decorations; Regina Roos, auction and raffle; Karin Edstam, Gala Committee Chair; Robin Pola, ZIS Development Office;
community supports ZIS’ fundraising guests enjoyed a three course dinner; MetroGnome provided the music; Christie’s auctioneer Andreas Rumbler in action
efforts. Gifts of any size make a
difference! “An Evening...on the Ball” was the theme for the
sixth annual ZIS Gala which took place on April
— All information regarding gift
24.
amounts is kept strictly confidential.
The evening consisted of an apero, dinner, dancing to the
live beats of ‘MetroGnome’, a raffle with over 70 prizes, a silent
wine auction, and a luxury live auction conducted by a Christie’s
auctioneer.
Around CHF 60‚000 was raised and will be benefitting ZIS
Student Life (Athletics and Activities) through the Annual Fund.
ZIS thanks Karin Edstam, Gala Chair, and her team of volunteers,
including Chantal Hackett, Alicia Lindgren, Regina Roos and Monita
Singh, and the Development Office for their tremendous work in
making the evening such a success. ZIS would also like to thank the
corporate and individual sponsors and donors for their generosity.
The sporting theme was reflected in the decorations Photos by Deirdre Flynn, Regina Roos and Sophie Danner
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   21
 The ZIS Board of Trustees
A Strategic Direction with Two New Board Members
Strategic marketing expert
Martha Braide Kurth, left,
wants to ensure that ZIS’
unique Mission and Philosophy
remain at the heart of the
school and all its decisions.
“‘Learn, Care, Challenge,
Lead’ needs to be reflected
throughout the organisation
and in the choices we make at
the Board level,” said Martha,
who is a marketing executive at
UBS.
Martha, whose son Jason is in Grade 3 at ZIS, first became
involved with the school at a strategic off-site meeting in 2006. “I
was asked to attend as a parent and was really impressed. It was
a great day spent asking all the right questions and looking at the
most important issues,” said Martha, who subsequently acted as an
advisor in the work to update the school’s logo and image.
“I‘ve done a lot of strategic planning in my career and it’s an
aspect of my job I love. Using my business experience to contribute to
the future of ZIS will be a great way for me to give back. I believe that
being a Board member is a serious commitment and an important
role, and I’m looking forward to making a real difference.”
Martha, a member of the Community Relations Committee,
is Canadian, British and Swiss. With UBS for the last eight years,
she has held responsibilities in the areas of international marketing
and branding. Prior to that, she worked for Swiss Life, responsible
for market development in China, as well as global branding and
marketing.
Farewell and Thanks to Departing Members
Kate Telford’s time on the Board included the historic decision to
build the new Upper School.
“It was a privilege to serve on the ZIS Board for five years,
especially at such an exciting, if sometimes nerve-racking, time as
we approved the CHF 34 million investment in the Upper School
building and saw the dream become reality,” said Kate. “I am proud
to have played a small part in the growth of our school. Today we
are truly world class. Thank goodness parents no longer have to
serve ‘hot lunches’ and our children no longer play in converted
office block car parks – yet no one seemed to mind, we were a fine
school even back then.”
Kate’s two sons, Alex, Class of 2009, and Oliver, Grade 11,
started at school in 1994.
Chairman of the Board Douglas O. Marston praised Kate’s work
on the Board, particularly her involvement in the decision to build the
new Upper School. “She was very involved in looking at economic
scenarios, to ensure it made sense, which was a very important part
of our decision,” he said.
Kate and husband Ian were due to move to Amsterdam but have
now returned to Zurich.
22   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
With extensive experience in
the fields of education and
strategic management, Lucy
Küng, left, brings many skills
to the Board of Trustees.
Lucy is a professor of
strategic management and
is currently associated with
universities in the USA, UK,
Switzerland and Sweden. She is
also on the supervisory board of
Swiss national broadcaster SRG.
Her expertise includes helping
with strategy and culture in
non-profit organisations and she is looking forward to helping ZIS
build on its success as the organisation matures.
“I am very impressed with ZIS’ forward-thinking philosophy,
and its goal to help students fulfil their potential, and be world
citizens and life-long learners. It is a tremendous school,” said Lucy,
a member of the Education Committee.
“ZIS is an organisation that has been through a very heavy
growth period, and I can offer input on how to take it forward into
the next stage of its development through my experience with
organizations, like ZIS, where intellectual capital, motivation and
creativity are so important. Another way I want to help is through
my knowledge of what universities all over the world are looking
for.”
Lucy, who is British/Swiss, is married with an 11-year-old
daughter who attends a bilingual school.
Catherine Vogel enjoyed an ‘interesting and challenging’ three
years on the Board of Trustees. During that time she served
on the Governance Committee and was Chair of the Education
Committee.
With previous experience of serving on Boards for non-profit
organisations and a career in marketing and brand strategy, Catherine
wanted to use her skills to the benefit of the school, having already
served on the PA Executive Committee.
“It is important to see how the school works in terms of long-
term strategy, how it manages itself financially and the governance,”
said Catherine. “It was a really positive experience – interesting and
challenging.”
Douglas O. Marston said: “Catherine wrote one of the most
detailed marketing presentations for the future of the school, for
which we are very grateful. We wish her and her family well in
Singapore.”
Catherine and her family – husband Roelof, daughter Julia,
Grade 10, and son Eliot, Grade 6 – are leaving this summer after a
‘very happy’ six years here.
The ZIS Board of Trustees
A Thank You from the Chairman
Every member of the ZIS community deserves a
big thank you for their commitment to the school,
says Chairman of the Board Douglas O. Marston.
This year faculty and staff have been very committed to the
reaccreditation process.
“This is really important to the school and everyone has been
working very hard, on top of their normal workload,” he said. “It is a
good opportunity to be contemplative and thoughtful, a chance to
assess how we are doing as a school. I’m not sure if people realise
how much time and energy it takes, and faculty and staff deserve a
big thank you for all that they are doing.
“This is a process that spans almost an entire school year, with
each and every department and on each campus; it has involved
committees made up of faculty, staff, trustees, administrators and
students. It really is a big deal since the process occurs only every
ten years with an interim review every five.
“We do it as a combined accreditation for the Council of
International Schools and the New England Association of Schools
and Colleges, the leading organisations in the world of international
education.”
In turn, Douglas also thanked the huge number of members of
the ZIS community who volunteer at school.
“There is a great spirit of volunteerism at our school and I would
like to thank everyone for their commitment to that – parents,
teachers, faculty and staff, and Board members. Without this level
of commitment and ethos of giving, our school would not be the
wonderful place it is,” he said.
Reaccreditation Process
Final Report to be Written in June
Reports have now been written by each of the
21 committees as work continues towards
ZIS being reaccredited by the Council of
International Schools (CIS) and New England
Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Committees, made up of faculty, staff, students, parents
and trustees, have been reviewing all parts of the school in the
areas of philosophy and objectives; curriculum; governance and
management; staff; student support services; resources; and
student and community life.
Their reports will be reviewed by the Steering Committee
which will produce the final report in June. Any areas for
improvement will help form a plan of action for the school.
“There is a great spirit of
volunteerism at our school and
I would like to thank everyone
for that. Without this level of
commitment and ethos of giving,
our school would not be the
wonderful place it is.”
“Parents volunteer to work on projects and issues related to
their own children’s activities in the school – that I would expect
to be the norm – but many also volunteer in the much wider
school community, which is what really helps make our school so
special.
“Teachers and staff devote untold amounts of time to the
school, above and beyond their normal working schedules. This we
see in their involvement in school trips, coaching and chaperoning
sport teams, on a variety of projects, and with InnovateZIS.
“Behind the scenes, of course, there is also a lot of work done
to prepare for the school day, and for projects, presentations and
performances. We are truly grateful that our faculty and staff show
their commitment to our children and the school community in
this way.”
“To have had this focused time to
look at all aspects of the school has
been really worthwhile”
The next big step takes place in the week of November 1
when the accreditation team, made up of about 16 educators,
visit ZIS to review the whole school. During this time they will
meet with members of the ZIS community and review survey
results. At the end of that visit the team then writes a report for
CIS and NEASC and their decision is expected in December.
“It has been a lot of work, particularly for committee chairs,
but the feedback from committee members has been really
positive,” said ZIS Accreditation Coordinator Elly Dilworth. “To
have had this focused time to look at all aspects of the school
has been really worthwhile.”
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   23
 ZIS Administrative Assistants
Helping the School to Run Smoothly
Lower School
Deborah Cotorceanu (left) and Claudia
Hohl at the Lower School Front Desk
assist with the daily needs of our younger
students and their families – helping them
to feel secure and familiar with their new
surroundings. They provide logistical,
administrative support to the staff,
overseeing daily attendance, buses, and
dismissal, as well as coordinating school
field trips and teacher conferences.
Early Childhood Center
Rita Brodbeck has been working at the
school since 1996 at the beautiful lakeside
ECC villa.
“I still enjoy seeing our tiniest members
growing and developing into independent
little individuals,” said Rita. “I so enjoy the
daily contact with the parents, students and
staff and help them in any way.”
As well as normal everyday duties and
supporting the Assistant Principal Laurel
Sutcliffe, Rita helps with the children
and teachers, organises hot lunches and
absences.
24   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
Middle School
Helen Falcomer (left) and Ivana Horyna
are the Middle School team. As well as
dealing with the stream of phone calls, mail
and emails, Helen and Ivana take student
attendance. Helen is also responsible for
the production of student reports and
controlling student files. Ivana coordinates
travel for school trips and faculty
professional development, the booking of
external facilities and ordering of various
supplies. Both Helen and Ivana also help
the MS faculty and staff with a variety of
other tasks.
ZIS Baden
Monika Ingold has worked at ZIS Baden
since the opening in August 2008. Her duties
include the administrative support for the
teachers and the Principal (ordering supplies,
reports, fieldtrips, travel arrangements...),
coordinating the bus service, ordering
and serving school lunches, attendance,
managing the petty cash, responding to
various parent inquiries, finding apartments
for the new teachers and helping them
getting settled in Baden and many other
miscellaneous tasks, small or big, that come
up during a school day.
Upper School
Cornelia Lachenmeier (left) and Romy
Backus work together at the Upper School.
Cornelia’s role includes the organisation of
Graduation and arrangements for all school
trips. She also coordinates workshops for
faculty, the booking of sports facilities and
outside venues. Romy’s responsibilities
include attendance, petty cash, reports, IB/
AP assistance, and bringing children their
forgotten lunch! They both also deal with
the numerous phone calls and emails that
come in each day, as well as helping to keep
the school running smoothly.
Executive Assistant to the Director
Beatrice Thomann supports Director Peter
Mott as well as the school’s five departmental
directors. She is the secretary to the Board
of Trustees and coordinates school-wide
faculty and staff travel needs.
Having built up the Human Resources
function and relocation organisation for new
faculty and staff, Beatrice now coordinates
the initial welcome for new employees and
any housing needs. She previously worked
for a major travel company both on location
and running a team at the headquarters, as
well as in marketing.
Welcome to ZIS
A Great Fit for the new Middle School Principal
David Wood with his wife Leanda and sons Connor, left, and Joel, right
David Wood is excited to be
coming to ZIS, a move he
describes as a ‘great fit’ for him
and his family.
“I am very excited to be coming, for
personal and professional reasons – it’s a
dream job,” said David, who will be joined
by his wife Leanda and son Connor, who will
go into Grade 9. Older son Joel is studying
at university in Germany.
“I have had my eye on ZIS for a while
– it has an excellent international reputation
– and I thought it would be a good school
for our younger son, which is top of our
priorities.”
David’s impressions were confirmed
during his visit in March for the recruitment
process. “I was so impressed when I met the
students, faculty, staff and parents during
my visit. One of my first interviews was with
the students, which was a great way to start
– I really enjoyed their company,” he said.
“The Middle School teachers are really
passionate about middle school education
and want to preserve the integrity of
the school. And I love the Mission and
Philosophy of the school and can really
relate to it. I came back from my visit on
such a high – I loved the school, the people,
the city – it felt like a great fit.”
David is now looking forward to getting
to know ZIS better. “My first goal is to learn
all about the school, build relationships
with students, faculty, staff and parents
and continue the good work that has been
done by Mark, Mike, the Curriculum Area
and Grade Level leaders,” he said.
He is keen to build on service learning at
the Middle School and support the work that
comes out of the reaccreditation process.
“I saw a lot of desire to build on the
way students and the school community
can make a difference. I’m interested to talk
more about how the Middle School fits into
the local community, and to look at ways
for students to continue to be active, busy,
engaged and productive,” he said. “I am
sure there will be some goals to come out
of the reaccreditation and it’s important to
support those.”
Currently Assistant High School
Principal of the Western Academy of Beijing,
David is looking forward to returning to the
middle school age group. His background
is in guidance and counselling, and he
has previously worked in his homeland of
Australia as well as at two schools in Saudi
Arabia.
With family and a home in Germany,
not far from Schaffhausen, the Wood family
is delighted to be moving to Switzerland.
“We spend summer and winter vacations
at our house in Germany, so it feels a bit
like coming home. We have also spent a
lot of time in the area, hiking and skiing, and
Zurich is a beautiful city. This is somewhere
we will definitely be for a while,” he said.
Leanda is an IB and AP English teacher
and will become a part-time Upper School
University and Careers Counsellor in August.
A keen musician, David enjoys playing the
guitar and is currently in two bands in
Beijing.
Peter Mott is looking forward to David
joining ZIS in August.
“He impressed us from the start with his
ability to articulate a vision for our Middle
School, understanding of middle school, the
kids, the academic needs, and vision for the
school as a whole,” he said.
“When he came here I think he
impressed all of the constituencies with
his caring approach. He has considerable
experience, comes from a well recognised
school and was highly recommended.
He has a strong technology background
and understanding of the role it plays in
education.
“I believe that one of the things he will
continue is the positive relationship with
students and adults and be very good at
living the four pillars of our Mission and
Philosophy – Learn, Care, Challenge, Lead
– as he brings great strength in all of them.
“He will be an important voice on the
Leadership Team and will contribute in the
school’s development in the future. We very
much look forward to having David and his
family here.”
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   25
 Farewell
An ‘Invaluable’ Four Years at ZIS for Mark Hemphill
Mark, Lachie and Barb with their dog Molly
Coming here was the best thing he ever did, and
a challenging and rewarding experience, says
Middle School Principal Mark Hemphill who is
leaving this summer after four years at ZIS.
Mark will be taking his ‘dream job’ at a leading school in Sydney
when he returns to Australia with his wife Barb, the ZIS Webmaster,
and their son Lachie, Grade 6. The move also means that they can
be close to their family again.
It’s clear that the students have been paramount for Mark. “I
love working with the kids here and being able to help them,” he
said. “The kids have always come first for me in any decision. I hope
I have been able to make a difference here and to have had a positive
impact. My role has been very much about the family and not just
about school, I’ve also given advice to parents, looking at the whole
picture, and I have really enjoyed that.”
Mark has also valued the chance of meeting people from around
the world. “I have enjoyed working with the different cultural groups,
it’s been interesting to see that a particular response is because of
cultural experiences and that the way people react is because this
is the way they do things in their country,” he said.
“I have really enjoyed learning about different styles of education
around the world. Bringing that all together with everyone’s different
experiences and perspectives, trying to keep everyone happy – that’s
definitely been rewarding. I feel far worldlier for having been at ZIS
26   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
“I hope I have been able to make a
difference here and to have had a
positive impact.”
and it has certainly broadened my horizons. I am so much more
aware of the world, the people, and the differences.”
Amongst the initiatives Mark has developed during his four years
as Principal are the expansion of electives, the advisory program and
the after school activities offerings; the change in the schedule;
and changes in course content. He also introduced curriculum area
leaders (CAL) and created the post of guidance counsellor.
He implemented a very smooth and successful move to the villa
two years ago at the same time as the introduction of the 1-to-1
laptop program. “I have had a lot of autonomy and a lot of scope
to have an impact, as Peter is very good about letting you run with
things, which is fantastic,” he said.
Mark will become Head of Knox Grammar Preparatory School,
at which they registered Lachie many years ago. “It has always been
my dream school for him and I have always thought I would love to
work there, so it’s a wonderful opportunity,” he said.
But there is a lot he will miss about being here. “I will miss the
outdoor lifestyle – running in the hills, going skiing so easily, hiking,
the beauty of the country, and the ease of travel. I will miss making
friends from all over the world and the different conversations you
have with people,” he said
“These four years have been invaluable – the best thing we have
ever done, we have absolutely loved it but it is just too far from our
family as they get older.”
ZIS Director Peter Mott praised Mark’s student-centred
leadership. “In these four years Mark has developed, together with
the faculty and administration, what could be called the happiest
and most ‘together’ division in the school, by having brought the
Middle School philosophy to full fruition,” he said.
“He created a division that’s very proud of its accomplishments.
It has a solid academic program and an excellent co-curricular
program. I really believe that the Mission and Philosophy is very
much alive at the Middle School.
“Mark is so incredibly student-oriented. He always puts the
kids’ interests first and will not compromise when it comes to their
learning experience. The faculty, I believe, feel led by him and, at the
same time, have the opportunity to give input into decision-making
at the Middle School.
“He has been a great member of the Leadership Team; he’s a
very clear and sequential thinker and brings us back down to the
ground – he’s very good at forcing us to think of practical issues
around visionary ideas. Finding a worthy successor has been a huge
challenge.”
Faculty and Staff News
Community Relations Director who Created Closer Partnerships
have a very integrated team with a strong sense of purpose who work
together on issues that affect the school as a whole.
“I have really appreciated being accepted onto the PA Executive
Committee! Before this position was created the PA ExCom and the
school didn’t work as closely together. It was an honour to work
with them, and a ‘win-win’ situation as it helped enable the school
to better support the work of the PA and vice versa.”
With demand on international schooling in the Zurich area
so high, developing stronger and more open relationships with
businesses was another priority. “I have worked closely with the
corporations who do so much to support ZIS,” said Christine. “I saw
an opportunity to be more transparent – keeping them abreast of
all developments at ZIS.”
Christine has enjoyed working at ZIS. “Every day was always
very varied – allowing me to work with people from different facets
of life. I will never forget my time here and will always feel very
connected to the school and the community,” she said. “I have made
Christine with her husband Guy and their children Caroline and wonderful friendships and thoroughly enjoyed working here. ZIS is
Thomas a very special place.”
Director of Community Relations Christine Ross, who is leaving Director Peter C. Mott said: “Christine did an outstanding job
ZIS after 2.5 years, helped bring different parts of the school of creating the Community Relations team, creating strategic goals
community together to create closer partnerships. for those areas, and of building our relationships with corporate
partners. Her diplomacy, tact and ability to negotiate has resulted
As the first person in the role, Christine created a team consisting in some very beneficial arrangements for the school.
of the Admissions, Development, marketing, Adult Education and
PR functions. She also worked closely with the Parents’ Association “On the Leadership Team she was able to understand whole
and corporate partners to improve relationships both within and school needs with a clear view point. We will miss her all-school
outside the school. perspective, her personality and sense of humour.”
“I put the Community Relations team together – taking people Former Board member Michaela Seeger, who co-chaired the
doing very distinct functions with different ideas and creating one Campaign for Building for International Education, has been appointed
team with a common purpose,” said Christine. “Two years later we as the new Director of Community Relations.
First Learning Support New Head of
Teacher Retires Business Office
Mary Baur, who is retiring this summer after 22 years, was the first
ever Learning Support teacher at ZIS predecessor school IPSZ.
A primary school teacher in the UK, Mary took additional
training in learning support after moving to Switzerland and being
asked by friends for advice about their own children. She originally
worked just a few hours per week but this quickly developed into
a busier role. “It was great, you knew everybody and the teachers
could sit and talk as whole body in the staff room in the the eaves
of the building,” said Mary. “You knew every child in the school, it
was really like a family.”
Béatrice Pleban is the new
Mary is now part of a team of teachers working with children at the Lower School. “The team is Head of Business Office
absolutely wonderful and I’m really going to miss them,” said Mary. “They are extremely professional, responsible for finance and
we also laugh a lot together and support each other a lot. I will also miss the children - when you see control at the school. She is
how well some of them have done, it’s fabulous.” Swiss and has previously worked
for international companies.
Mary is looking forward to having more time with her two sons and grandchildren as well as Béatrice replaced Edgar Suppiger
renovating a home in the mountains. She may still be seen around the ‘green school’ in the future as who joined ZIS in March 2003
a tutor. and left earlier this year.
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   27
 Farewell
Faculty and Staff Leaving ZIS
Romy Backus has been an Upper
School Administrative Assistant
for four years. She has enjoyed
seeing the Upper School through
the transition to the new
building in Adliswil, and working
with such wonderful and warm
colleagues. “I will miss being
asked for the craziest things
by students – like batteries,
extension cords, balloons,
flashlights, carbon paper,
water bottles, extra shoelaces,
confiscated cigarettes, ice,
rope, salt, matches, shoehorns,
various world currencies, and
pasta!” Romy starts a new
position for an executive search
firm in June.
Stephen Castledine, who is
leaving the Upper School after
three years as a science teacher,
will miss ‘the quality of student
exchange and the professionalism
of colleagues’
“I have enjoyed every day with
the students as well as coaching
the football team and working
with Greg Hart, Edith Stirnimann,
Steve Burnham and my science
colleagues,” he said.
Stephen is taking up a post in
Stockholm, Sweden, working
as curriculum coordinator for a
group of schools.
28   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010
Emma Bladen leaves ZIS after
two years as a Grade 2 Homeroom
Teacher and EC-G2 Language
Coordinator. Her highlights have
included ‘teaching the incredible
students in Grade 2 and learning
from them everyday, the bright
smiles and conversations with
students, the humor and support
from colleagues and partnerships
with parents’.
Emma is returning to working
in Asia where she will assume
a teaching position at the
New International School of
Thailand.
Grade 5 homeroom teacher
Aaron Downey is leaving ZIS
after two years to move back to
his home of Toronto and be near
family and friends.
“The highlights have been
the students, and my travels
throughout Switzerland,” he
said. “I will miss the view from
the train on my ride to work,
watching the sunrise over the
mountains but am looking
forward to being in a big city
again!”
ECC German teacher Christine
Boeni has enjoyed working for
such a ‘professional and open-
minded school’ for the past
seven years.
“The diversity of the students,
their straightforward and eager
way of learning German has
always fascinated me and has
been one of the most motivating
highlights!” said Christine. “I’m
going to miss the lively and
cheerful atmosphere of the
villa, the beautiful location
and of course the friendliness
of my colleagues.” Christine
will continue to work in local
schools and study for additional
teaching qualifications.
Middle School Learning Support
teacher Devon Hehl will miss ‘the
beautiful country, great people
to work with, caring teachers,
and fun and caring atmosphere
at the Middle School’ when she
leaves ZIS this summer after
three years.
She is moving to Zambia to
become a Learning Support
teacher at the International
School of Lusaka.
Ann Carshult‘s highlights at ZIS
include ‘coaching volleyball,
school trips, friendly students,
and professional book studies
with well educated colleagues’.
After six years as a Learning
Support teacher at the Upper
School she is moving to Thailand
to teach at the New International
School of Thailand, Bangkok.
Having enjoyed winter sports, the
Alps, swimming in Lake Zurich
and last minute European travel
opportunities she is looking
forward to island hopping,
improving her golf and exploring
Asia.
University and Careers Counselor
Melissa Johnson Schnyder is
moving to a similar role at a
small international school in
Thailand after three years at
ZIS. Amongst her highlights
Melissa includes the wonderful
moments when students are
accepted to universities after
a long wait. “I’ve also really
enjoyed the professional
development opportunities I’ve
had, the kind and supportive
colleagues here and helping
coach track and cross-country,”
said Melissa, adding that she
will miss the supportive parent
community, advisory time and
the yakalele orchestra!
Farewell
Faculty and Staff Leaving ZIS
Cornelia Meintrup, Middle
School German teacher, is
leaving ZIS for a second time!
“The first time my kids (Lena and
Lennart both at Michigan State
University now) and I stayed for
eight years and this time it was
just one short year, but I enjoyed
it very much,” she said. “What I
love and will miss very, very much
are my students. Middle school is
my favorite place to be!”
Cornelia and her husband Niklas
are moving to Shanghai, China.
Jennifer Walls has been at ZIS
for two years - the first as a
substitute teacher and classroom
volunteer, and this year as a
Grade 3 homeroom teacher.
“I have enjoyed working with
my third grade team, sharing
learning and new experiences
with my third graders including
the incredible field trips, having
the opportunity to get PYP
training and apply best practices
in teaching, and meeting students
and families from all over the
world,” she said.
Jennifer and her family are
moving back to the USA.
Yanina Miguel, Admissions
Assistant, is leaving ZIS after
three years but will still be
connected, through her daughter
Marian in Kindergarten.
“I will miss working with the ZIS
team and the school families,”
said Yanina. “All their support,
interactions and exchange of
ideas were very rewarding and
enriching. Of course I’ll miss the
happy atmosphere of working
around children and friends.
Now I’m looking forward to my
personal ventures.”
Also leaving this summer are:
Lower School: Melissa
Dubzih, Grit Jassmann, Kathy
Lancaster.
Middle School: Monica Dulcic,
Sergio Ferrer, Gail Matheson,
Annemarie MacLean.
Upper School: Ron Bell,
Dan Davis, Stephen Doubt,
Cathleen Drilling, Sarah Goudy,
Patrick Holmes, Asha Lynch.
ZIS Baden: Sarah Bielmann,
Mary Egloff-Woodrow, Stefan
Van Staveren.
Celina Richters is staying at
home with her newborn son
Bogislav after leaving ZIS
following 18 months as a Lower
School German teacher.
“I have loved working in a
community with so many
nationalities, and seeing the
possibilities of teaching if
someone has ideas and has the
motivation to work to make them
come true,” said Celina. “I have
enjoyed the openess of colleagues
and principals and working with
the many wonderful, interesting,
motivated, challenging and
diverse children.”
Baby News
US Assistant Principal Amy
Greene and husband Rob
Pfeiffer, MS math teacher,
welcomed son Bobby in
November.
MS math and science teacher
Stephen Boyd and wife
Rosangela welcomed Oliver
in March.
ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   29
Lower School Learning Support
teacher Kristin Simmers is
moving to London after after
three years at ZIS.
“I continue to be amazed and
inspired by the students, and
will truly miss them and my
colleagues at ZIS,” she said.
A keen runner, Kristin has
enjoyed the nature and sporting
opportunities in Switzerland.
Elly Dilworth, Accreditation
Coordinator, and husband
Mark, US IT Curriculum
Coordinator, welcomed
daughter Charlotte in
February, a sister for Jack.
LS IT Technician Eduardo
Milhomem and wife Silke
Andresen welcomed son
Fernando in March.
 Alumni news Alumni news

Back to the Future Letter Writing Project

Alex Telford, above left, graduated from ZIS in 2009. He is pictured, above right, in Grade 5 with his friend Lennart Meintrup Former teacher Steve Carber pictured in his classroom

Imagine receiving a letter,
Dear Alex, written by yourself when you
were 10, on your graduation
I am writing to you at the end of the 5th grade year. My best friends were Brady, Luca, Davis
and Lennart remember to keep in touch with them. Also my favorite school subjects are from school, with advice and
homeroom and library. In this year Steve Carber was my teacher and he was a very good ambitions for your future.
one. The films I like are Pokemon and the Matrix. I have read a lot of books my current
favorites are Artemis Fowl and I hope to finish the Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein. That’s what happens to many students
of former teacher Steve Carber, who set his
My hobbies include playing imaginary games with my friends, talking about recent affairs, Grade 3 and 5 classes a letter-writing project
painting warhammer and occasionally playing video games. Here is some of what I have during his four years at ZIS predecessor
achieved so far when we went to Cortona we had groups and out of eight ours won. I school IPSZ. Despite leaving Zurich and
have read most of the books in our house. Also I have good imagination and very good returning to the USA, Steve has kept the
general knowledge. letters and posts them back to the students
when they graduate from school.
These are my memories of 5th grade, when we went on the skitrip skiing all day long was
rather tedious but some of it was really fun especially when we skied down moguls. For One recipient was Alex Telford, Class
some of our units of inquiry were a Celtic trip to Neuchatel where we visited an old Celtic of 2009, who wrote to his future self at the
house and some cool looking bits of different celtic objects and we also went to a flight end of Grade 5. As well as listing his closest
museum where we looked at different kinds of airplanes and tried all these different friends at that time and his hobbies, Alex
“pretend to ride plane cockpits”. There were bits of fire behind the planes. wrote: “When I grow up I want to be a
scientist who studies medicines for diseases
Here is some advice I personally would like to follow. First off don’t do drugs, secondly and have a degree in medical science and
don’t smoke, thirdly always be nice and lastly don’t swear. When I grow up I want to be microbiology.”
a scientist who studies medicines for diseases and have a degree in medical science and
micro biology. I would also like to play the trombone well. Also I would like to draw manga Alex is now studying Biochemistry at
and read books about how the universe works. Remember to always wash your face and Bristol University, in the UK.
bits of your body with sweat glands.
Alex Telford “Alex is one of the coolest examples of
someone doing what he said he would do,”
Alex in 2010 says: It was a nice surprise to receive the letter and it did spark some said Steve.
nostalgia. In a way it’s quite odd to think that the letter represents myself all those years
ago, when I had little concept of what my future would be like. Most of the contents of “In some cases I never hear from the
the letter weren’t surprising except for my desire to study microbiology. I had thought student again, and always wonder how it
I was more interested in astronomy and engineering when I was younger. turned out, but those I do hear from all
speak very highly of that project. I have been
contacted by some parents and students
who said they cried together when they
read the letter. There is probably no other
instance in life when someone is going to get
such direct communication from the person
that they once were.
“I got the idea from my 7th grade Public
Speaking teacher who did the same for us
back in the 80s. It was such a meaningful
and memorable thing for me to get my own
letter that I decided to do this with all of my
students over my 11 or so years of teaching
in K-8 classrooms.”
Students responded differently to the
idea, said Steve.
“It was challenging to get some of the
kids to write more than one or two sentences
– I think they couldn’t really imagine the
notion of getting this as an adult, yet
somehow still as themselves. Others wrote
quite a bit, ranging from how much they
liked Pokemon to deeper ideas about what
they wanted to do for a future career,” he
explained.
“To me, the letters carry a deeper
significance aside from just being kind of
cool. Most of us who have lived in Zurich
have at least heard of the nearby Jung
Institute, and in those circles they speak
often of notions like inner child. Such ideas
are rather abstract, but this letter is a fairly
incredible reminder of where we all came
from and what we were like back then. To
individuate as adults it is helpful to remain
aware of that younger version of ourselves.
That person is still with us, in some ways
unchanged, yet we have also changed.”
Of course, some of the letters don’t
reach their author.
“I suggested that the students use an
address of someone in their family who was
not likely to ever move house – so some
of the letters went “care of” an auntie in
Yorkshire or whatever. Others over the
years have bounced back, since the Swiss
postal service is real good about returning
undeliverable mail. This is just part of it – a
few people will never get their letters,” he
said.
“In some cases the letters weren’t
sealed, so I read them again before posting
them – and it feels like I’m back in time as
I can recognise the writing without reading
the name,” said Steve, who now teaches on
an MEd in International Education program
and has recently published a book about the
IB Primary Years Programme.
Many students have used the letter as
an opportunity to get back in touch with
their former teacher.
“I’m always curious to know how they
are getting on, and some have added me to
their social networking sites. I think they
find it very interesting to remember what
they were like then,” said Steve.
Remembering his days in Switzerland,
Steve said: “The primary school was a very
different place back then, in an office building
in Gattkikon. The school logo on all of our
blue sweatshirts was a student centered
rendition of William Tell’s apple, and rather
non-corporate-looking. My memories are of
a very happy, close-knit place. In the winter I
always miss those Klosters ski trips, too. One
of the famous teachers back then was Bertil
Bergagård who took students on weekly
Alpamare trips!”
Steve Carber now teaches an MEd in
International Education program visit www.
endicott.edu/internationalmasters.
He is also the co-author of ‘Taking the PYP
Forward’, available from www.amazon.co.uk
Contact Steve at stevecarber@yahoo.com

30   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010 ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   31

 Alumni Class of 2010

Holiday Reunion Congratulations to the Class of 2010

Stephan Blank, Joshua Crouse, Jenny Day and Ingrid Höfstrom, Rick Lawrence, ZIS Faculty, and Roger Kaufmann, Class of 1984
all Class of 2004

More than 20 alumni braved harsh weather in December to
attend the annual alumni holiday apéro, which took place this
year at The Lion Pub in Zurich.
ZIS, AISZ, and IPSZ alumni gathered to celebrate the holidays
and catch up with old friends and teachers. A good time was had
by all!
Former Faculty
Around a dozen alumni were due to meet up in New York in early
May for the annual Alumni of International Schools Reunion, which
is also attended by former students of other European schools. See
the next edition of Voices for a report and photos.
Do You Have a Story?
What have you been doing since leaving school? Contact Voices
editor Rachel Ditchfield at rditchfield@zis.ch to share your news in From back row to front row, left to right:
the magazine.
Jabbo Gehring, Urs Weber, Sebastian Rainer, Dominic McNamee, Maxime Huijgen, Nicholas Burnham, Daniel Drummer, Gabriel Martin,
Bastien Vogt, Michael Hale, Finlay Small, Jonathan Langford, Rohan Rajiv, Simon Strong, Severin Knaub, Christian Evertz, Oliver Broks,
Lisa Der Weduwe, Russell Du Peza

In memoriam
The ZIS community was saddened to learn of the deaths of “Watching her work helped me a great deal: she always put
two former faculty members - Randi Pregnetter, who died the students first, trying to find out what they needed at which
last year, and Fred Alexander, who died in March. level, in which form. She was always looking for ways to make
the library more user-friendly and more up-to-date.”
Randi, left, was the Upper Fred, left, came to AISZ in
School librarian for 12 years. 1982 as a physics and chemistry
Colleague and friend Mary Ann teacher and later taught
Canzanella remembers hers as geography, Middle School
an exceptional librarian and math, AP Biology, and computer
faithful friend. science. He ran a computer club,
led the Middle School ski week,
“Randi was one of the and coached MS Girls Basketball.
finest instructional librarians He left in 1995 to return to
I have ever known,“ she said. Canada with his family.
“She loved working with young
people and was confident and ultra-competent with technology “Fred was a wonderful person, a great teacher, and a good
and all the resources it affords. Many of us ‘old-timers’ lost a friend,” said Upper School science teacher Rick Lawrence. “He
bright, giving, faithful friend who never told an untruth and contributed much to the school as a teacher, coach, computer
who always acted with integrity. We miss her terribly and will coordinator, and active member of the community. He was an
remember her always.” early adopter and enthusiastic proponent of using computers in
education and his work as one of our first computer ‘experts’.
Upper School librarian Edel Sturcke learned a lot from
Randi. “I remember her as a very generous person, willingly “I remember class trips Fred organized, especially ones on
sharing her expertise with newcomers like me,” said Edel. “She which we hiked to the Rosenlaui Glacier, stayed in a mountain
encouraged me to start on post grad work and also to apply for hut, and students prepared their own meals. A real mountain
her position once she had decided to go back to the States to experience! Fred taught students to ski on school trips, sharing
be closer to her daughters. his love of the mountains and elegance in the sport.”
Deniz Lorenzini, Marc Lemann, Alex Han, Jonathan Ranstrand, Robert Schenck, Bjoern Borgers, Alexander Svensson, Ultan Whelan,
Kevin Braunschweig, Benjamin Rosen, Michael Truninger, Emil Mawad, Joanna Jourdan, Arthur Paquier, Mish Aleisa, Christian Clausen,
Gavin Steinhubl, Felix Baldauf-Lenschen, Karol Remin
Daniel Edmonds, Raymond Remmert, Guillaume Dubois, Thibault de Keersmaecker, Nicholas Hetherington, Imogen Roscoe,
Laura Brendle, Ben Pidduck, Greg Herren, Bjorn Kvaale, Vladimir Taratynkin, John Remmert, Stefan Bloch, Dimitri Da Ponte,
Michael Schenck, Felipe Rigaudeau Lopez, Niklas Spaniol, Venla Aho
Juhani Meurman, Rohan Bhanot, Yuval Grossmann, Haran Grossmann, Skerdilajd Dizdari, Matthew Davis, William Lawrence,
Maximilian Spielbichler, Jordan Reid, Kai Dieter, Maren Rackebrandt, Melissa John, Anna-Theresa Mehl, Eleonora Spanudakis,
Rachel Kearney, Milja Takala,Younes Huber, Timotheus Baldauf-Lenschen
Moritz Reithmayr, Alison Sienkiewicz, Jessica Luedi, Michael Wilkes, Elliot Young, Amit Zaidenberg, Sarah Engler, Sangeetha Maxwell,
Rocio Perez, Christina Haupt, Helene Gleitz, Virginia Hasenmeyer, Laura Gambineri, Helen Poxon, Jamie Oosterbaan, Fabiola Kaiser,
Geneve Anderson, Sarah Collins
Andrea Eggli, Cristina Leopoldi, Julia Peter, Yael Burla, Hannah Zundel, Hannah Barkan, Livia Kriech, Cassandra Stutz, Sara Ullman,
Alessandra Veenendaal, Abigail Waddington, Georgina Sutcliffe, Katherine Walwyn Brown, Alexandra Boedtker, Stephanie Illy,
Laila Brenninkmeijer, Aleya Thakur-Weigold, Luisa Freiin von Wangenheim, Laura Perez
Not in picture: Turman Askar
Photo: Foto TEVY Wädenswil
ZIS cares about the environment.
This paper consists of 70% recycled paper and is FSC certified.
In der Vorstufe und der Druckplattenherstellung verzichten wir gänzlich auf chemische Mittel.

32   ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010 ZIS Voices · Spring/Summer 2010   33

Zurich International School
Main Office · Steinacherstrasse 140 · CH-8820 Wädenswil · T +41 58 750 25 00 · F +41 58 750 25 01 info@zis.ch · www.zis.ch
Campuses in Wädenswil (Main Office), Adliswil, Baden, Kilchberg