International School Parent Magazine - Spring 2020

University Choice Guide Top tips for a stress free university entry

Single Use Plastic Read about one teacher’s journey towards a plastic free campus

Swiss Boarding Schools

Look behind the curtain at the reality of boarding school life

Broaden your horizons.

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Welcome to a New Year and a brand new Spring edition of International School Parent magazine.

After a long few weeks packed with festivities, too much food and cold winter nights, we’re looking to blow off the cobwebs and hit the ground running in 2020!

Spring brings with it potential and optimism in abundance. We start looking forward to summer, and the thought of exams and university choices starts to rear its head. However, fret not! This Spring, we have a comprehensive guide to university choices, with advice and words of comfort from key members of the Careers teams and Principals of schools such as the Zurich International School.

Now, if you’re anything like me, the Christmas period brings a lot of joy and family time. However, after a few too many roast potatoes and mince pies, we thought a few wholesome, fresh and healthy recipes might not go amiss. On page 46, Beth takes us through her new year recipe highlights to kick off some new culinary horizons, a particular favourite being the pea, burrata and lemon oil salad. Delicious!

An unfortunate side effect of being part of an international family is the unwanted strain that comes hand in hand with moving to a new country. On page 24, Carolina Porto takes us through the prospect of transitioning to a new international school, with aims to make it as smooth and stress-free as it’s possible to be. Moving to a new country can be tricky, but the benefits are immeasurable.

On our mind quite frequently over at International School Parent HQ is recycling and the effect it can have on the environment. It can be so hard to know where to start, which is why we sought the advice of Jan Dijkstra, who on page 50 gives us some new perspectives on single-use plastics. Jan set out to create a ‘Plastic-free campus’ and took great strides building a green environment at his school, while also helping to spearhead a student-led action group called ‘EcoCREW” and a website dedicated to the cause at www.freeplasticcampus.org.

International School Parent magazine remains committed to the cause of helping families make the most of the opportunities an education at an international school, and the community that surrounds it can provide. We hope you take this new year in both hands and achieve your potential!

Work hard and be the best.

Nick

Nick Gilbert Editor & Publishing Director International School Parent Magazine Mobile + 41 787 10 80 91 | Email nick@internationalschoolparent.com Website www.internationalschoolparent.com | Facebook facebook.com/internationalschoolparent

Success starts outside the comfort zone!

There are no secrets to success.

It is a result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.

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Contents 06 Meet the Headteacher 10 Guide to Choosing A University 14 A Hospitality Degree Is Much More Than Just A Career In The Hotel Industry 16 Noha Benani 19 A Peek Inside Swiss Boarding Schools 24 How To Support A Gifted Child 28 School Transition 30 Home From Home 32 What Makes an Outstanding Preschool?

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34 2 0-20 Vision: A Focus On The Changing Face Of Education 36 My School Gate Gang 38 Gardens Switzerland Spring 42 Expat Parenting: The Good And The Bad 44 A Person Is Choking – Would You Know What To Do? 46 P hilosophy For Children: Raising the Level of Student Thought 50 Spring Picnic Ideas 54 What’s SUP? 58 Finding The Right Vacuum Cleaner For You! 60 B uilding Mental Toughness – Learning How To Boldly Go! 64 Step into Swiss Springtime 66 A n Invitation To Unplug Your Family And Get ‘Bored’ Outdoors

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 5

MEET THE HEADTEACHER

Bradley Roberts – Director at International School Basel

B

radley Roberts is the recently appointed Director at the International School Basel. Bradley is South African and has spent the last 20 years teaching at international schools in South Africa, Japan, Switzerland, Qatar and most recently a seven-year stint at St Joseph’s Institution International in Singapore. He is married with two boys, and has extensive boarding school experience, having been a Housemaster for almost 13 years.

International School Parent Editor Nick Gilbert talks to Bradley about his experiences in education, his vision for INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 6

the school, challenges in the future of education, and what makes him tick.

International School Basel (ISB), currently celebrating 40 years of history, is uniquely situated on the border of three countries. With its Swiss address, Basel also draws families from the suburbs of both France and Germany - thus adding to the diversity of this IB World School, home to over 1,400 students.

What initially inspired you to pursue a career in education?

I started teaching friends and tutoring when I was at school as a teenager to help other

people pass their exams. I grew up in South Africa under apartheid, and I come from a very humble background. I was the first to go to university in my household. Luckily this was made possible because I won a teaching scholarship for the University of Witwatersrand. In return for the scholarship deal, I had to work for a couple of years at a state school in South Africa.

I met my wife, and we married in 1992.

Part of my reason for moving onto the international teaching circuit was to allow my children opportunities to go to schools that showed them a different way of life.

Teaching brought with it some fantastic opportunities to travel, and a different life approach that wasn’t available in South Africa.

How do your own life/work experiences inform your approach to your work?

I am a big advocate of a holistic approach to education. A one size fits all approach is not ideal. Rather, students need individual treatment, and this is a vital part of helping children feel included, empowered, and that they’re a part of the community. In turn, this helps breed success in other areas.

While supporting students to achieve the best possible academic results is important, it’s more important that we develop good human beings.

I am also a big believer in outdoor education. Although already offered at ISB, it’s something I would also like to develop by adding more activities and opportunities for our students.

What characterises the students graduating from Basel?

Developing a high-quality school is a careful balancing act. Unlike my previous schools, ISB has an inclusive admissions policy, accepting all students regardless of academic ability.

We want to develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills required of students to live, learn and work in the rapidly changing world of tomorrow.

Our students are also well prepared to transition to other schools around the globe when family circumstances necessitate a move to another city or country.

You can’t keep on doing the same thing if you want to be successful as a school, you have to remain open-minded, innovative and look out at the world to find out what

the children need to be successful.

Our students are entering an extremely competitive world. Our students need to be well prepared for and aware of the competition, which increases every year.

The other big challenge is technology – it has changed the way we think, the way we work, the way we do business, and I want our students to be able to embrace this technology and use it to their advantage.

What would you say makes the learning environment extra special?

Well obviously, it’s still early days so of course, I am busy understanding what makes ISB truly special. However, ISB is a pretty large school which gives students a lot of choices. Both academically, and in terms of extracurricular activities.

We have an excellent sports programme, with students participating in four different interschool competitive leagues, including the SGIS league. More generally, and due to our size, we can cater for a wide range of needs which offsets the need to concentrate on academic entry requirements.

One other thing I think any school should be proud of is low staff turnover. We have a very stable team here, and I think that reflects well on the school. It’s a lovely environment to work in and as a result, a beautiful place to learn.

What are the main principles and philosophies you promote at the school?

We want to instil in our students a sense of what it means to be part of a community INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 7

and to engage with purpose to effect decisive action in that community. We believe that as a place of learning, we have a responsibility to create open-minded thinkers that have a genuine desire to excel and to seize every opportunity with confidence and excitement.

How do you get children to do their best academically?

My outlook is that academic success is a byproduct of the environment that you create.

If you can create an environment where academic achievement and independent study is encouraged and welcomed, then it can only create success as an outcome.

How do you encourage understanding between cultures and nationalities?

We find that on a personal level, intercultural understanding comes quite naturally. Students are incredibly understanding and mature about the differences that make us unique and accept whoever they come across with warmth. The situation makes it even more comfortable because they have all been there themselves.

What is the best thing about leading an international school in Switzerland?

One thing you immediately notice is that Switzerland is excellently resourced. Things and systems work very well in Switzerland so you can guarantee that issues like visas and permits are ready when they say they

will be. Well organised systems bring with them the advantage that finding people to work here is relatively easy. You can attract the very best teachers.

How do you make the most of everything Switzerland has to offer?

Well quite honestly because I am new to the school my hobbies have taken a back seat at the moment! We do have a dog, though, and one of the fantastic things about having a dog is that it forces you to get out and into nature. My wife decided that she would not start working just yet,

so while I work during the week, then the weekends are very much for her. She has been planning some beautiful trips. We were in the black forest; we have done some lovely walks and visits to swiss lakes.

Another thing that is a nice change is living somewhere, which has defined seasons. After seven years of living in Singapore where every day is 30-32 degrees year-round, with high humidity, that is a significant change. The weather has been a big benefit to me personally of moving to Switzerland. It just makes you want to go outside!

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 8

Basel is also lovely as a place to live. It isn’t huge, but it has everything that you need. It also has the advantage of being surrounded by France and Germany.

Although it doesn’t happen very often, we have shopped in France in the morning, come back for lunch in Switzerland and then had dinner in the evening in Germany.

That novelty hasn’t yet worn off!

How do you help international students settle in when they first arrive?

Every top tier international school will have some form of arrival programme for students, but also for the parents. Our welcome programme here is no different and allows students to arrive and feel comfortable as quickly as possible, at any point during the school year.

We have so many cultures, and nationalities group represents many cultures and year levels and reflect the international, inclusive nature of ISB. We have an induction program for the new parents as well. The parent community is an essential part of our school. Through a host of informal and enjoyable opportunities organised throughout the year – such as day trips, coffee gatherings and receptions – they reach out to families to ease their transition and create opportunities for more significant

interaction and communication within the school community.

When it comes to leaving ISB, I would obviously love it if every family stayed with us until the end, but due to the nature of international schools that is unlikely to apply to everyone. So, when families leave, we help parents with references, guidance, and help with those next steps after leaving.

It’s vital that we get those following steps sorted so the students can continue their education with confi-dence.

What are the main trends in the school that you see at the moment?

Well locally, we are seeing a marked increase in the number of students going into our Reinach campus, which houses Grades 8 -12. This situation is in direct contrast to the student enrolment at Aesch, which encompasses Early Childhood 1 Grade 5, where numbers have dropped.

From our research, we are seeing that this is a notable trend across international schools in Switzerland, with fewer pupils taking up places at international schools in the early years.

What are the main challenges for education as a whole in the future?

Merely providing a standard education is not enough to help a child achieve their potential. In the information age, learning has never been more accessible to inquiring minds, and we run the risk of the basic model of education becoming redundant as children master skills and explore subjects before the curriculum deems it time for them to learn. With this in mind, I think that the way forward is to create more bespoke timetables and to discover patterns that provide the students with the tools to advance their learning in the most efficient way possible.

Of course, the darker side of this technological surge is that our students have never been more exposed and vulnerable to bullying. I believe a primary challenge for education moving forward is going to be how we tackle this head-on and continue to make school a safe and welcoming environment.

The main thing we want to instil in our students is the desire to become an openminded, independent thinker and learner.

A student who can take these skills and confidence, and apply them in the broader world after school, but remain an expansive thinker. If a person can retain these attributes, we believe that it can provide for them the building blocks for a successful life.

Further to this, a benefit of an international school is that it can provide an environment where a student can grow to value their own culture and values while developing a keen appreciation and knowledge of other cultures and ways of life. In doing this, we help to foster students with a desire to be an agent for positivity in the world.

ISB is the only not-for-profit, English language, three programme International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in the region providing students aged 3-18 with the education, support and inspiration they

How are you equipping your students for future success?

need to become global citizens. For more information please visit www.isbasel.ch

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 10

PART 1: Year 9 and up

Guide to Choosing a University Y

our reaction to this article’s title might well be, “Do I really already need to be thinking about my child’s university in Year 9?!”. While it’s not yet the time that students need to be deciding exactly what they want to do after school, it’s definitely already a good moment to be thinking about what type of learner they are and their passions, as well as which countries you might be considering and family finances. We talked to school Career Counsellors and Heads of international schools across Switzerland to compile their advice at this stage of your child’s education.

Students should know themselves as learners and choose a study programme that suits them best.

The majority of students actually don’t know what they want to do, only a lucky few. So, the way I work with the students is based around the ICS mission: how to achieve their individual potential, pursue their passion, and fulfil their responsibilities.

It’s not so much about researching what’s out there available to them themselves, but researching themselves, as early as possible, how they like to learn, what environment they like to live in, what excites them, what doesn’t excite them. So, start early but not too early, because obviously grade four you grow up and change a lot, but by grade nine I really want them to be starting to think about themselves.

Rachel Dole, University and Career Counsellor, InterCommunity School Zurich.

Thinking “Which is better: the AP or IB?” is not the right approach. Even if you’re going to a U.S. university, it’s a huge myth that the AP is best, as in the USA there are more IB schools in any other country in the world, so they definitely know about and value the IB. But you do need to understand how they interpret the credential of an IB diploma or AP course to be able to get into university. I think this is a big difference with the UK universities, where if you have an IB diploma, and you have this particular score, and perhaps these three higher level subject scores, you’re in. That’s all they need. In the US they probably need your SAT, a personal statement written the way they like it, and a transcript with GPA. All of those are factors that lead into the decision of what to study in your final years of schooling.

John Switzer, Upper School Principal & Lee Underwood, Head of Counselling, Zurich International School.

Keep an open mind from the very beginning.

We spend a lot of time helping the students understand that a fixed mindset is not the way to get ahead. You have to have a growth mindset, or a creative mindset. And if parents come with a fixed mindset about university choices and locations, it can be at odds with what we’re trying to work with the kids on. This can lead to a disconnect between what the parents’ expectations are, and what the student’s aspirations are. Sometimes these discussions are really difficult to have because a parent will already have made up their mind, rather than keeping it open, especially to the opinions of the most important person, their son or daughter.

We had an example here this year. One young man was set on the U.S. That’s where his sights were, and one university in particular.

That was his top choice. However, I managed to match him up with a rep that came here. The rep encouraged him to come and visit the campus in France. Now that is his number one choice, and it’s something he had never heard of, would never have considered, but he had an open mind. He and his parents went, and they just said, “This has totally changed our opinion.”

John Switzer, Upper School Principal, Zurich International School.

It’s important that students and parents go beyond the narrow view of aiming for Harvard or Cambridge as the world is broader now in terms of excellent alternative avenues. And university’s not the only option anymore, nor necessarily the best choice. In today’s world, many universities are also not keeping up with what are the needs of a labour market in any one country. School counsellors have contacts with companies that do internship programmes and apprenticeships. Because at the end of the day it’s all about the individual. We want them to have options where they can be employed in the future and have an interesting career pathway, rather than go to a brand university where their particular choice of degree doesn’t lead to employment.

Mary-Lyn Campbell, Head of the Inter-Community School Zurich & Rachel Dole, University and Career Counsellor.

Value and prepare your child’s languages.

If the idea is that you are going to take your child back to their country of origin, and they’re going into a local-language programme, then we need to ensure that they have the academic skills to transition into that environment. Are they capable academically of making that transition into another cultural environment that is not International, and not English? Usually it’s about a seven-year period before you have that academic level of language acquisition, especially written language. So, if you’ve only got a social level of language acquisition, it’s not enough to

“It’s not so much about researching what’s out there available to them themselves, but researching themselves, as early as possible, how they like to learn, what environment they like to live in, what excites them, what doesn’t excite them.” study with ease at a university level. We work with families on that possibility, and begin preparing for it.

Mary-Lyn Campbell, Head of the Inter-Community School Zurich.

Preparation for the most prestigious universities begins way earlier than you might think.

It’s important students and parents realise you can’t start in September of the International Baccalaureate Diploma and by May, manage to turn yourself into a grade A pianist, with sevens in all IB areas plus a wonderful Core. The process starts earlier than that, generally a good five years before. It’s important to realise that the type of preparation has changed. 10 years ago, elite universities would say, “Get your children into everything. Get them climbing a mountain. Get them going on the lake. Do all these things.” And then about three years ago, they had a complete shift and said, “If they want to do Chemistry at Oxford, they’ve got to be right for the mould. They’ve got to be the Chemistry lead in your school.

We don’t want them to climb a mountain, unless there’s Chemistry involved. We want them to eat, sleep, breathe Chemistry.” Why? Because they’re a business. And if you’re going to be doing real, pure, organic, inorganic chemistry every day of your life at this university, but you turn around in October and say, “This is not for me-” that’s 120,000 pounds that’s walked out of the building. So,

it’s not only about the best grades. It’s also about people that are best placed to be on that course and that programme. Are you a good investment for them? Can you pass? Will you stay the course?

Will you do wonders for this university?

Kate Bradley, Head of Secondary, & Andrew McLachlan, Deputy Head of Curriculum, La Côte International School.

Preparation for scholarships also starts very early on.

In American films and TV series, you hear the word scholarships all the time. But there are in fact very limited scholarships in the U.S.A for international students because the financial aid is tied to the taxes that somebody pays. So, for non-taxpaying, truly international students who’ve never lived in the U.S. or don’t have a green card, scholarship opportunities are very limited. This is also true of sporting scholarships. The fact is that there are so many athletes at such an amazing level in the United States, if you’re playing on a school team, and you’re not already at the world level, or being considered to represent the country that you’re in, then you’re probably not at the level where you can get the scholarship you are hoping for. That’s a disappointment for many kids wanting to apply to U.S. with a scholarship. Then of course beware that it’s a big process that you have to start really early. If you want a sport scholarship to the U.S., that would start in grade six, because you need to start going to the U.S. to be seen in the different camps, the

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 12

equipment camps. You need to be contacting coaches. You need to have the right subjects that are NCAA approved. You need to have been planning that since before grade 12 for sure.

Lee Underwood, Head of Counselling, Zurich International School.

Keep finances in mind, especially if dreaming of studying in the USA. We encourage parents to have frank and honest discussions early on with their children about the financial perimeters, because not everybody can afford the United States. If you’re from Europe, or from Australia, where you maybe haven’t been saving for university to that same level, you don’t want to spring it on your child in the counsellor’s office that you can’t afford it. That can be really destroying for a student. Many international parents don’t understand that proof of funding is required for many U.S. applications. You often can’t apply and worry about the cost later.

The financial realities of some of these places, particularly the United States, can be overwhelming.

Lee Underwood, Head of Counselling, Zurich International School.

Know the power and drawbacks of your child’s passport.

We emphasise already in grade 10, as part of the academic planning, that students consider which country they might want to go to university. This isn’t a question that we had as kids, and I think that’s the big difference today. The world has changed, and for international parents, and international kids, it’s a really

big difference. The world is their oyster. So, our first question is, tell us where you might want to study. Unfortunately, however, for many of our students, the passport that they hold can dictate what fees they will have to pay, because there are different fees based on local fees, and home fees or overseas fees. If a student holds a non-national passport, the chances of getting in might be better to be honest, but that’s because they’re going to be paying full fee. If you have a kid sitting here with a U.K. passport, and a kid sitting here with a U.S. passport and only a U.S. passport and they both apply to St. Andrews, the U.S. kid might get in with a lower score than the U.K. kid because there’s a fee. I think that’s unfair in many ways, from our perspective, but that’s just the reality.

John Switzer, Upper School Principal & Lee Underwood, Head of Counselling, Zurich International School.

Sandra Steiger has over 10 years’ experience teaching English at various schools in Switzerland. She now works as Academic Support Manager at TutorsPlus. During her 6 years at the International School of Geneva, she was also the Service Learning programme Coordinator, International Award Supervisor, a Homeroom Mentor and Head of Year 8.

If your child needs a helping hand with revision, TutorsPlus provide specialist private revision tutors, as well as regular revision courses throughout the year. If you feel your child has any gaps in their knowledge or exam technique, we’d be happy to match them with an experienced tutor who will ensure they move forward with confidence and solid foundations. You can reach TutorsPlus at 022 731 8148 or info@tutorsplus.com

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For more than 100 years Switzerland has been famous for its tradition in hospitality education The reason for this is straightforward: at the beginning of this tradition Switzerland was more or less the only option to pursue an educational programme in the hotel industry and therefore a diploma from a Swiss School was a guarantee to a successful career.

In the meantime, options for training have been developed and are now available all over the world. However, a Swiss branded education is still unique and highly respected worldwide. The combination of theoretical input and practical experience ensures that students not only gain a strong business education, but also develop highly valuable transferable skills.

As a result of this unique combination, studying hospitality management leads to a range of career opportunities outside of the hotel sector: wherever customers are essential and particularly in the ever-growing service sector. Many of our alumni are an excellent case in point!

Studying in Switzerland has the added benefit of living in one of the safest and cleanest countries in the world. With a fabulous natural environment in and around for example the city of Lucerne, the central city location of a school means there is something for everyone: from shops, bars, restaurants and events to endless running trails and woodland BBQ areas. The reliable Swiss train system makes it easy, affordable and safe for students to travel around whole of Switzerland and also Europe.

Education not only in the classroom Besides the already mentioned combination of theoretical and practical experience at B.H.M.S., we see it as our mission to guide and accompany the students on their way to their degree. A contemporary teaching approach combines traditional instruction with student-led learning and coaching.

With lots of nationalities studying at B.H.M.S. at any one time on campus, we as an international school can support multi-

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 14

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cultural integration and respect through an applied approach to understanding business and hospitality concepts. Case studies, industry excursions, practical training labs and mandatory internships all ensure that students have a variety of learning environments in which to hone their skills and abilities.

Both the academic and residential staff teams also promote and support students in their personal and professional development by emphasizing core Swiss values of reliability, punctuality and quality in daily school operations. Leaving the comfort zone and going the extra mile makes the young adults ready to take responsibility for a great career. There are no secrets to success – It’s a result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.

Gaining practical experience Understanding that the career prospects and internship opportunities are of central concern to both students and their parents, the B.H.M.S. Internship Department, as an example, works with 1’500 partner companies in Switzerland and around the world. With this strong network, it is possible to guarantee an internship to all students and ensure they are guided and supported also in this area of their studies.

Upon graduation, the service is not over in a modern school. Graduate placement service connects graduates to job opportunities in the country and around the whole globe. An active and global alumni association helps herewith also, as a useful platform for the young managers to foster a strong network of successful people.

Beat R. Wicki is the director of B.H.M.S. Business Hotel & Management School in Lucerne. He has more than 30 years of experience in the educational industry, especially in Switzerland but also in Europe, Asia, Africa and America.

Noha Benani

IB Diploma Coordinator & Responsible for the International Section at Institut Florimont, talks to Nick Gilbert, Editor and Publishing Director of International School Parent Magazine about how to flourish throughout the IB Diploma Programme.

What skills and qualities does the IB aim to bring out in students?

The IB programme is aimed at developing the whole person, not just the academic qualities. It aims to help young people develop socially, aesthetically, athletically and emotionally. Developing both the academic side and the personal side means preparing young people for their life and career ahead of them.

The students are exposed to five main domains of learning and a lot of personal experiences, which help them grow in the areas of Creativity, Activities, and Service (CAS) and also in building international mindedness, theory of knowledge, and more. From a personal and professional standpoint, these act as the cement that holds the programme together.

Florimont is unique in offering students the French Baccalaureate, the Swiss Maturité, and the IB diploma. What would you say is different about what the IB brings out in students at Florimont?

The IB gives students the chance to express themselves, both academically and personally. Students can push themselves beyond a taught syllabus by questioning teachers and people in the community or the rest of the world through their own research.

We like to guide youngsters to more

intellectual curiosity and more interest in the world around them, whether that starts in their local community, in Geneva, Switzerland, or the rest of the world.

We also encourage self-motivation and autonomy, especially when they come through early secondary, as they have generally been cocooned. We want them to become themselves, explore their own interests, and things that in some academic settings might not be possible.

What advice would you give to a student who’s just about to embark on the IB diploma programme?

The IB Diploma programme doesn’t demand Einsteinian intelligence; the key is to be motivated. The beauty of it is that students can succeed with 24 points as well as 42 points. The idea is for students to challenge themselves and measure themselves against the progress they are making.

I would also advise that students realise that it’s a very demanding programme and there are great expectations and a large volume of work in the classroom, and outside, independent, autonomous work.

We expect students to be able to work in groups as well, collectively, as well as being a self-starter.

If there is a parent reading that and thinking, “that is not how I would INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 16

describe my child”, what can they do to prepare their child for the IB Diploma?

They can ask their child questions until they’re blue in the face, and encourage and give them the possibility to converse, to work with others, to make contacts in a community. It’s important that parents help us draw them out of their cocoon. Parents can also help make students realise that there’s a lot of work, so time management skills are very important.

What are the most challenging aspects of the IB Diploma programme that students don’t necessarily expect?

As we’ve been discussing, time management is one of them. However, there are other

skills that are required for the Diploma programme that might not be in the other secondary programmes around the world.

Firstly, communication skills because students come out with a facility for communication in at least two languages, in written and verbal form and almost 100% of students have a bilingual diploma.

Second, analytical skills, including scientific methods, across different fields. Third, academic honesty is very important because ongoing revision is so key to success.

Whatever the profile of the student, if they are prepared to make an effort, we can draw those skills out of them in the Programme and equip them for their life ahead.

Diploma Programme students are very attractive to firms, especially in the tertiary sector, because they come out with knowledge to a certain level in a lot of different fields and subjects, but mainly because they can be trained in a professional sense.

Students are told to revise regularly throughout their diploma, but many go through most of the Diploma Programme without touching on the things they did in year one. What should revision look like in practice and what tips do you give to parents to help them facilitate that?

Parents can’t expect to help their sons and daughters with all the content of the INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 17

course, but they can keep an eye on how and when they use their computer, and establish a dialogue with them. Asking even the question, “what did you do at school today?” gets the kids thinking about it.

Here are a few ideas on how to help them: 1 Help them prepare a review plan.

2 Identify an environment conducive to work (alone in their bedroom is not always the right solution; the dining room table while you are present may be a better option in many cases).

3 Remove distractions. For example, prompt them to set electronic “notifications” to “do not disturb” so that they can concentrate on their work.

get the most out of it for what they are going to do next?

“It’s very important that students take time off. Even during a school year, they have to balance study time and downtime.”

4 Establish a healthy balance between rest, relaxation or sport and dedicated study time.

5 Maintain a proper sleep pattern. For example, they could read or listen to music, rather than study or watch a movie, the hour before bedtime.

6 Maintain a balanced diet.

7 Encourage your child to define his or her ambitions and set personal goals.

8 Try to offer your support while still encouraging autonomy.

9 Observe how your child is dealing with their stress.

Actively listening can often be enough to support them.

Keeping up with their work is very important. They can ask their teachers before they start a lesson, to go

over very quickly, what they’ve done in a previous lesson, so that there’s more fluidity established. Then, expect at least two hours of homework every night for day-to-day work, and put aside a lot of time, the right amount of time for internal assessment in each of their courses and the extended essay.

Sometimes students spend too much time on internal assessment and the extended essay. It’s good to get caught up in it, be interested in it, but it’s got to be given gradual time.

It’s not something that can be done overnight or even in two days of concentrated work.

What can these students do to not just survive the IB Diploma Programme, but thrive and enjoy it, and INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 2019 | 18

We hope that they’re going to take advantage of the people who are teaching the programme. We want them to feel comfortable and they might need a little encouragement to let themselves get into it. Supposedly, they’ve chosen their subjects and their options in line with their interests, their university objectives, and their career goals. So there should be subjects for which they are enthusiastic.

I think the visual arts are an absolutely fantastic way for students to express themselves outside of the classic classroom.

But they can do it in a lab if they’re a scientist or through their extended essay.

I think they have to have confidence in the school and make sure they reach a certain comfort level with the teachers. It boils down to trust and confidence, and establishing a good, consistent routine and rhythm of working.

It’s also important that they break up the intensity of work with holidays, outside events, visits, excursions, and also having people from the real world come to school and talk to them.

It’s very important that students take time off. Even during a school year, they have to balance study time and downtime.

They’ll have to use the summer vacation for finishing up their extended essay, but that doesn’t mean they can’t go off on holiday.

They have to take advantage of holidays to revise but that doesn’t mean they can’t meet up with friends or do enjoyable activities as well. Again, it’s a question of using one’s time wisely.

There is not much spare time but by working back from the end, and setting deadlines, we try to help them to realise that it’s really 18 months and that if they do their planning and keep up the good regular working, it’s manageable.

How do you manage internal deadlines and mock exams for the IB Diploma Programme?

What we’ve done this year in fact, is for the Terminale students to cancel their December exams and give them the class time, and then we’ll have mocks next March. We’ll have the Premières go through a first session this year, in December, but not the Terminales. Then after the mock exams, when they get the feedback from the exams, they’ll have four or five weeks for revision.

Aiglon student racing through the mountains

A peek inside

SWISS BOARDING SCHOOLS P

rivate Swiss boarding schools are often known for providing extraordinary facilities and a world class education to the children of the privileged elite. Unlike international day schools, these organisations provide a full-time home for students from around the globe. For many children, this can mean living hundreds or even thousands of miles away from their families, so the schools play a hugely important role in their upbringing. Not many students or parents ever see behind the closed doors of these prestigious institutions. So what are they really like? What is the profile of their average student? Are they hidebound by tradition and looking to their past, or evolving for the future? What kind of education do they provide for their students, and what kind of INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 19

Taking in the scenery at Aiglon

Art class at Beau Soleil

life are they preparing their alumni for? Alex Marable and Nick Gilbert go behind the scenes and talks to the heads and pupils of a few such schools, to provide a snapshot into their approach to raising the students entrusted to them.

One of the most visible aspects of Swiss boarding schools that sets them apart is the facilities and the surroundings.

Students at Institut Le Rosey split the academic year between a manorial estate in Rolle and chalets in Gstaad ski resort in the winter. They play football and rugby on the school’s own pitches, train on its athletics track, play basketball, beach volleyball and tennis, swim in its two pools, ride at the stables, and even row and sail - not to mention the art and music facilities. At Aiglon, nestled in the mountains in Chesières in Vaud, children of all ages are required to conduct a certain number of expeditions each year and will ski multiple times a week in the winter months. Nicola Sparrow, the school’s head says that students can look out at the peaks around the school and count the ones they’ve climbed. She emphasises the value of these adventures, saying “These expeditions are about leadership, teamwork, connections, and about relationships… The students come out very different people. It’s about getting outside and breathing in the air and thinking, reflecting”.

The state-of-the-art facilities and beautiful environs are undeniably defining features of attending these schools, but the teachers focus firmly on the spirit, atmosphere, and learning that these activities inspire and the vital life skills they teach. Students are equipped with a sense of independence, self-reliance and thirst for adventure that hopefully never leaves them. College Alpin Beau Soleil,

Students at Beau Soleil celebrating a succesful year

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 20

situated in the Swiss Alps of Villars-sur-Ollon, offers year-round outdoor education including expeditions, camping, mountain biking, and a full winter ski programme. Given the students are at the school permanently for three full terms per year, Stuart White, the school’s principal, sees the huge range of extra-curricular activities as a unique and necessary aspect of the all-round education these schools provide. He says, “although parts of the day are of course spent in classrooms, that’s a relatively small part of the education here, the great thing about being a boarding school is that the learning process never stops.”

The students seem genuinely to value their experiences outside the classroom as part of what makes growing up in these schools so special. A recent graduate of The American School in Switzerland (TASIS) looks back and reflects, “I have gone rock climbing and glacier-walking in St. Moritz, had an exchange programme with TASIS England, studied Dante in Florence, attended the Spanish homestay in Seville, visited CERN, prepared for my IB exams in a monastery in Siena—and these are not even all of my TASIS trips.

The amount of enriching experiences is surreal, but the moments that stand out are the bonding and sheer fun of the numerous Ski Adventures.” Undoubtedly, all of these memories and opportunities leave an even more profound impression on the students as their studies.

Those we spoke to are highly conscious of the fact that Swiss boarding schools are often viewed as a network of well connected and fortunate children from around the world. There is much speculation about the atmosphere of elitism that could develop among students as they are closeted away in often remote and beautiful settings, away from the challenges of ‘real’ life. While to outsiders these organisations may look like a mini training ground for the World Economic Forum, in reality, the schools’ approach in relation to this melting pot is intended to achieve a more progressive outcome. Across the board, teachers mention wanting to encourage these children to be outward looking, open minded, and able to find common ground with people who may be from different cultures, look foreign to them, and hail from diverse backgrounds and abilities. About the internationalism of the Beau Soleil’s students Stuart says, “From being here they have exposure to people from lots of different countries and therefore a sense that people are people… You can’t really imagine that until you’ve lived it, and you’ve discovered that the person you’re sharing a room with who’s turned up from a country on the other side of the world to you also supports Barcelona or Japanese pop or whatever it happens to be... The key thing that we’re trying to develop in students is a sense of globalism and for them to be comfortable anywhere.”

TASIS defines itself by the unity that can be found in the diversity of its student body, which represents over 60 nationalities and speaks more than 30 mother tongues. By coming together in this one location, students make a global network of friends and “leave TASIS with links to a vibrant worldwide community that celebrates the unique nature of this remarkable place.” Aiglon’s Head of School recognises a similar dynamic, “For me [what sets us apart is] the diversity of students - not just in terms of nationalities, but also in different academic abilities, interests, personality types all living together harmoniously, and making lifelong connections.

With us, a student will share a bedroom with a different person each term until they get to year 13, and then some will receive their

own bedroom, so they learn to adapt to living together. They grow through understanding one another better.”

In today’s hyper digital world, young people’s mental health is rightly a hot topic for educators everywhere. By and large the schools have strictly enforced policies regarding mobile phone usage that relates to the age and academic performance of the student, and takes into account the need to be in touch with parents, as well as their need for good rest. Adding to the usual concerns about the impact of social networking, cyber bullying, the challenges of always being contactable and connected, these schools have the additional issues of students being miles away from their families.

As a result, the pastoral care systems and processes are hugely important.

Beau Soleil director Stuart sees boarding school as a provider of stability and support for globally mobile families. “Boarding schools can change the relationships parents have with children in terms of the arguments about homework and so on. We promise to have those arguments on your behalf and work through them.

This means that when children are at home in the holidays, the relationship you have with parents can be a positive one.”

Much of how mental health is managed is also rooted in the fundamental philosophies of the school. For example, at Aiglon, Nicola Sparrow espouses “the guiding principles are balancing the development of the mind, body and spirit. For us, that’s all about that word balance - that’s the most important thing… When we look at our real top performers with the top scores, invariably, they’re the ones that go on expedition every weekend, represent the school at the model United Nations, in debating, sports clubs, and on the ski team.”

Good communication is encouraged between students to help address issues that the staff may not yet be aware of, and to create a culture that promotes openness and sharing. Staff at TASIS view the dormitory as “a student’s temporary home”, meaning “consideration for others and community spirit are vital.” They see that “when co-operation and understanding prevail, residential life becomes the source of meaningful and lasting friendships.”

The close teacher-student relationship is as important as the peer to peer relationships between students as a great source of pastoral care. At Le Rosey, Rob Gray highlights that “the teachers live in the same boarding houses as the students”, which means that there’s “constant, daily contact between teachers and students. And that creates a very special understanding between the two.” Christophe Gudin goes on to emphasise that this creates a “deeper and more respectful link with the teachers, and the teachers get to know them better. There’s a more genuine community that extends to the class”.

Just as important in developing the minds of these students is the emphasis that the schools place on instilling a sense of service to others less fortunate than themselves. TASIS has a pioneering Global Service Program that aims to connect high school students across geographic, economic, and social borders through experiences that are designed to build empathy, encourage personal responsibility, and awaken them to humanitarian needs. The end goal is to lead them to a life of active and committed service. Each spring, a small group of TASIS students undertakes a two-week trip with the school hiking through the mountains of Nepal to serve in a Tibetan refugee camp. One student acknowledged, “All of the clichés of these sort of trips being ‘life-changing’ came true, and I

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Students from TASIS on an expedition to Nepal

The view from TASIS

realised that while the service that we offer will never create enough of an impact, the trip was an opportunity for our group to change our view on our lives and the opportunities we have.”

As well as the focus on service, schools such as Aiglon are acknowledging the need to look at the environmental impact of their activities and reducing their footprint. Sparrow says, “As a school, increasing environmentalism has come into the forefront.

Not only do we donate money to offset our carbon footprint, but we also know where that money’s going, and how that’s used.

Fundamentally, we have started to think, do we really need to go?.” To this end, students also work with local elderly people and refugees in the area. As well as helping people less fortunate than themselves further afield, local charity causes and awareness about the organisations’ carbon footprint are sure to be a large focus for these institutions in the future.

The international aspect is only heightened by the fact that students are all boarding during term time and travel back home for the holidays. Institut Le Rosey, which among 420 students counts 70 countries in its student body, admits only 10% of the intake from any linguistic region and cultural background to maintain cultural diversity. Director General Christophe Gudin says that in comparison to international schools, where students all live in the same area as the school and attend daily, the students at Swiss international boarding schools “live in their home country. They are profoundly Japanese. They are profoundly Colombian. They

are profoundly American... They get something from the Swiss atmosphere of the school but they keep their culture.” This impacts the number of languages spoken at the school, and means the school offers over 20 mother tongue foreign language programmes, including English, French, German, Italian, Bulgarian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Hindu. In this way and many others, the education is designed to keep the links with the home countries.

This multiculturalism is woven into the teaching methods too, meaning students take lessons in both French and English, and are taught using a range of cultural approaches. For example, they can learn Maths or Geography in English or in French and sometimes in both.

At Beau Soleil, which offers around 12 languages, many of the languages are not only offered as a foreign language, but also as a langue maternelle. They teach French and English curricula, as they are an international school with their origins in the French language tradition.

While the racial and linguistic diversity is impressive, the schools acknowledge they have a continued obligation to reach out and provide opportunities to those from more varied backgrounds. The schools are ambitious in this area. The Le Rosey Foundation has provided scholarships for outstanding students since 2000, while Aiglon has 17 students currently full funded by the generosity of its parents and alumni. TASIS maintains an annual CHF 2,000,000 scholarship and financial aid fund to support students who need it.

To cater for the wide range of students under their care, the Swiss boarding schools provide a wide range of curricula between them: Aiglon, for example, offers IGCSE and the IB Diploma; Le Rosey offers Bilingual IB Diploma in English and French, and the French Baccalaureate; TASIS offer the IB Diploma and Advanced Programme; Beau Soleil offers the High School Diploma, IGCSE, International Middle Years Curriculum and the IB Diploma. Class

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Le Rosey student rowing towards success

sizes are small and the teachers feel they can devote time and resources to students as individuals rather than purely teach the curriculum. This means that while the schools do look for certain attributes and academic prowess in the admissions process, they admit students with a range of interests and abilities. The breadth of curricula and extra-curricular activities offered means that there is scope for a student to really find what works for them. The approach across the board seems to be that, given the resources, programmes, and facilities available, the teachers aim to have personal and honest conversations with parents about individual students, in order to enable them to excel. For example, if a student is not particularly academic, but they have the advantage of having lived in many countries and have picked up multiple languages, they may be able to triple the languages they take. There is also ample opportunity to focus on music and art too. If the student struggles with humanities and is focused on science, maths and technology, they can go deep into these subjects. These schools look at a broader picture in terms of admissions criteria, given they are trying to create a very specific style of international community, so often the cultural angle and social skills the student brings to the school will also be taken into account.

The results of this multicultural and multilingual approach is reflected in where alumni go on to study, live, and work. White says, “It speaks to the hugely varied nature of a Beau Soleil cohort that our students go all over the place. Very roughly 30% to North America (US and Canada), 40% to the UK and 30% to Europe and one or two other parts of the world.� They will also go to a range of academic universities and specialist schools in subjects such as design and art. Aiglon students may even have a spell of military service first if they are Swiss, in which case they can work with the school before or after that to secure a place. Around 45% of Aiglon graduates go to the states and that is increasing. 30%

go to the UK, and the rest all around the world. All of the schools have a significant cohort accepted to top schools including Yale, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, and LSE, which is impressive.

However, the theme seems to be that finding the right fit for a student who has experienced challenges or taken a non-linear or non-traditional path is viewed as an equal success.

The variety and abundance of opportunity that these boarding schools provide is almost unrivalled around the world. The students are often from families whose parents’ careers take them around the world, but they are just as attractive to children of international and Swiss families based in Switzerland either permanently or even for a few years. Having spoken to these educators and their students, one thing is for certain, you would be hard pressed to provide such an engaging and unforgettable educational anywhere else.

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Le Rosey

How to support a gifted child The second and final article of our gifted child series, here, Dr Laurence van Hanswijck looks at how to deal with a gifted child.

Dr Laurence van Hanswijck de Jonge Misdiagnosis of the gifted child

Poor attention, boredom, daydreaming in specific situations, low tolerance for persistence on tasks that seem irrelevant, judgment lags behind the development of intellect, and intensity – these may lead to power struggles with authorities, high activity levels, and questioning rules, customs and traditions.

In the classroom, a gifted child’s perceived inability to stay on task is likely to be related to boredom, curriculum, a mismatched learning style, or other environmental factors. Gifted children may spend from one-fourth to one-half of their regular classroom time waiting for others to catch up -- even more if they are in a heterogeneously grouped class.

Their specific level of academic achievement is often two to four grade levels above their actual grade placement. Such children usually respond to non-challenging or slow-moving classroom situations by “off-task” behaviour, disruptions, or other attempts at self-amusement. It is easy to understand how this can be misinterpreted as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Disorder (ADHD).

It’s well known among researchers of the gifted that these individuals exhibit higher intensity and increased levels of emotional, imaginational, intellectual, sensual and psychomotor excitability and that this is a typical pattern of development.

These characteristics, however, are frequently perceived by psychotherapists and others as evidence of a mental disturbance.

Since the gifted function with relatively high levels of intensity and sensitivity, when they seek therapy, they are frequently misdiagnosed because therapists receive no specialised training in the identification and treatment of persons who have advanced and

“I’ve never seen giftedness expire. I’ve seen it get worse - the sensitivity deepens, the perfectionism gets more intense, all this energy erupts, makes more of itself.” complex patterns of development.

Therapeutic assessment of gifted persons with asynchronous development heightened levels of awareness, energy and emotional response, and an intense level of inner turmoil. Often this results in a mislabeling of their developmental transition as a personality or attentional disorder. Histrionic, dysthymic, cyclothymic, borderline, narcissistic, ADHD are a few of the diagnostic labels mistakenly used.

The results of this type of misdiagnosis can range from benign neglect to misguided counselling strategies that invalidate and attempt to ‘normalise’ the complex inner process of the gifted.

When misdiagnosed gifted clients can be prescribed medication to suppress the “symptoms”, there is the danger that the incredible inner fury of the gifted process will be neutralised, thus minimising the potential for a life of accomplishment and fulfilment. As a result, those who have a lot to offer society are the least likely to get their therapeutic needs met.

I had the luck to meet an exceptional 8-year-old boy. His school

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didn’t know what to do with him anymore, as his sense of justice was so strong that he would talk back to teachers if he thought they were incorrect and continuously question them. He endured frequent visits to the principal’s office. He would often lie on the carpet, rolling around, joking around with other kids and interfering when he thought he knew better.

The school and parents filled out questionnaires which indicated that he met criteria for ADHD combined type at a severe level.

We did his assessment, and it turned out that his ability to sustain attention was very highly developed as was his IQ; he scored at the exceptionally gifted range. Had the assessment not been done, the path might have been very different.

Understanding and adequately diagnosing these children is pertinent.

How to support a gifted child

• When working with the gifted, therapists must address the following intrapersonal issues: The internal stress of being gifted;

The emotional trauma of rapid development; The effects of introversion, intensity, perfectionism and extraordinary sensitivity on self and others; The recognition of the symptoms of insufficient mental engagement; The importance of interacting with other gifted persons, as well as channelling and focusing an abundance of physical, sensual, intellectual and emotional energy.

• These children gravitate to other gifted children or children who are several years older. These children are seeking not only intellectual compatibility but also a similar conception and expectation of friendship. It is crucial for parents, teachers and other adults to recognise that gifted children who have few friends within their same-age peer group do not necessarily have social difficulties. Instead, these children may be gravitating towards others who match their developmental age.

• Parents should focus on creating a secure and supportive family environment that allows for autonomy and independence as well as

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“Recognise that gifted children tend to be more private, prefer time alone, and often rely on several close friendships.”

space for psychological and emotional growth. Parents and others should evaluate their expectations of gifted children and alter them according to development. It is easy to expect an intellectually talented child to excel in all areas. However, in some areas a child may perform above average, but in others appear to be completely average. Therefore, expectations of gifted children should vary based upon their development level across various activities and academic areas.

• Remember that these children can be introverts. It is essential to recognise the positive characteristics of introversion and accept these children for who they are rather than attempt to change them into extroverts. Recognise that gifted children tend to be more private, prefer time alone, and often rely on several close friendships. Provide gifted children with opportunities for selfexpression and encourage participation in small group activities.

• To help and support gifted children’s challenges with emotional sensitivity, parents and teachers should normalise these experiences.

It is vital to teach gifted children that their heightened response to their surroundings is a unique and healthy part of who they are. If we frame emotional intensity as a positive attribute, gifted children can begin to understand and value their emotions. With such understanding, gifted children can recognise and accept the

differences between themselves and their non-gifted peers, rather than feeling that they are odd or strange or that their peers are oblivious or noncaring. Such understanding is also essential for nongifted children for the same reasons.

• Gifted children need to have space where they feel comfortable discussing their emotional responses. Perhaps this is through discussion with parents, adults, or other gifted children. Or, it may be through writing, art or music. Discussing or expressing such thoughts and feelings helps gifted children to accept their emotions valuing them as opposed to rejecting them.

• A highly sensitive gifted child may benefit from volunteering or in some way giving back to others and their community. Through involvement with faith communities, charitable organisations, or scouting, they can help relieve some suffering within their communities, learn empathy and gain the satisfaction of being part of the solution.

• Given that attributes such as perfectionism, introversion and emotional intensity can impact the social development of gifted children in both positive and negative ways, how we understand gifted children can significantly influence both how they see themselves and the perception of others. It is of utmost importance

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 26

for these children to understand their profile: that leads to normalcy, something they often do not feel.

• Another way to help gifted children feel secure, supported, and accepted is through proper classroom or subject placement.

Academic acceleration enables gifted children to be themselves, to feel accepted by peers and teachers and to develop genuine friendships. By skipping a grade or becoming involved in advanced study programmes, gifted children find peers with whom they can relate. Such an environment provided gifted children with muchneeded interactions with intellectual, artistic, or musically inclined peers of various ages with whom they share common interests and skills. Doing this allows gifted children to develop deep friendships that may not be possible with their same-age peers. At the same time, remaining with their same-age, peers enable gifted children to enhance social skills in general, such as problem-solving and developing realistic expectations of others.

More than academics, what most people need to understand is that some of these children will not necessarily visibly excel in school or one particular area. Dr Michael Piechowski best states the most important message I can give anyone about gifted children: “Giftedness is not a matter of degree but of a different quality of experiencing: vivid, absorbing, penetrating, encompassing, complex, commanding -- a way of being quaveringly alive.”

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What needs to be understood more than anything else is that for these children it is not about their academic potential, it is about their innate difference in thinking, honing this and treating it with all the respect that it deserves. These children, more so than the ones on the other side of the infamous bell curve, if left unsupported, can quickly spiral towards mental health issues. This series can by no means capture the full extent of the intricacies of a gifted child; however, what it should highlight is a better understanding of what gifted means as well as highlight the uttermost importance of support in this group of children.

Dr. Laurence van Hanswijck de Jonge, PhD Child Development https://www.laurencevanhanswijck.com/ Laurence van Hanswijck de Jonge is a Developmental Clinical Psychologist with a background in Neuropsychology who provides developmental and psychological assessments for English speaking children between the ages of 3 and 18 at KidsAbility in the Cayman Islands. Her practice is rooted in Positive Psychology and her belief in the importance of letting our children flourish through building on their innate strengths.

She is certified by the University of Pennsylvania, USA, to run the cutting edge resilience building programme for children.

She is also a CogMed coach, an evidence-based Computer Training programme which sustainably improves attention by training working memory.

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School Transition International schools are known for having a high degree of turnover and transitions affect everyone involved: students and their families, staff and teachers. If you are the one moving or staying, the chances are you will be affected by the characteristics of transitions. By transitioning between schools we are talking about students moving from different countries, changing schools systems and/or moving from public to private schooling (and vice-versa).

W

e need more schools willing to understand the profound impact mobility has on their educational mission and how to better support students and their families, staff and teachers. Research already shows that mobility is affecting our students not only emotionally but also academically. Schools dealing well with transition will have a step forward on keeping their students happy, attracting new families and maintaining their academic results high.

As a transition professional and a parent of two third culture kids (TCK), I am fully aware about the need of a comprehensive transition programme in schools. This need is more clear and urgent for all kinds of professionals involved in transitions, being counsellors, coaches or school advisors. As John Hattie’s work and research on Visible Learning says: “Well-managed transition can add significant value to a life and to a learning journey.” On the other end, a badly managed transition can harm both emotionally and academically our students. In other words, it is important to say a proper goodbye to be able to say a clear hello and schools should be the supporting stone for that to happen.

While we do not have a functioning INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 28

transition department inside each school, it is my opinion that all schools can benefit from a full time school counsellor and a psychologist that understand the matter at hand - especially International schools.

If you can have one of each of these professionals, you will be increasing even further your chances to succeed in the role of supporting your community. Everybody has to know that this or these professionals are available at all times and their office location should be, ideally, central and known by all. Students, parents, teachers and staff should feel welcome and this/ these professionals should be heard during internal meetings. They, together with academic results, are the ones that will feedback to head of schools and directors their school community’s well-being.

Make sure you include the parents to your programme, they do not always notice - or know - that they are also part of the transition their children are going through.

Parents might underestimate the impact a big move can have on themselves. It is important to note that, when a parent is struggling, like with finding a community or a sense of belonging, a child may be able to sense this shift. This can make a difference on how a child views and lives a transition even from a young age. By extending your services to be able to listen to their families, you increase the chances that your students and staff will settle well.

Equally, as some people in transition are likely to isolate themselves and see their surroundings as a threat, one of the roles for the school is to include them, and extend that helping hand. At times, this can be done by creating a safe space in which all parties involved can feel heard, whilst at others, it is by creating school events that welcome everyone, and making sure to have staff that speak different languages and understand different cultures.

Create space and designate staff to listen. When stories are listened to from an empathetic point of view, we are not only welcoming them to our community, but we are also opening our hearts to the joy of learning new things and embracing multiculturalism. That is the essential beauty of an international school!

Understanding and accepting the difficulties of moving is part of the homework these families have to do.

Accepting that schools have students sitting in their classroom who need a space to find

“It is my opinion that all schools can benefit from a full time school counsellor and a psychologist that understand the matter at hand - especially International schools.” out who they are – sometimes not for the first time – before they are ready to learn, is an international school’s job. The size of your school doesn’t matter, the feeling should be the same: warm and welcoming, as if it was a small family school.

Everyone needs that little bit of extra support while in transition. Our main goal, as transition and school professionals, is to support students and families to both stay, leave and settle in well. Every transition starts with saying goodbye for the ones leaving and prepares for the ones arriving.

And, as Doug Otta says in his book: “Without ‘stayers’ who are emotionally ready and willing to connect, the ‘arrivers’ have nobody to connect with!”

I am aware, through experience, of how lengthy this process can be, and I know I look for schools that have a team ready to make sure my family transition goes as smoothly as possible. I believe attachments and relationships are the two strongest pillars people cling to, that help them relate to their new reality - this is the most important lesson I have learned.

To be able to support families and students, schools have to create a safe environment for every single student staying, leaving or arriving in their communities.

How can we do this? By uniting forces – students, teachers, admin staff and families work together to keep the school running smoothly and our students happy and emotionally stable, so that they are able to learn and achieve their goals. We show them that they matter.

The first step is to find out as a school where you are with your transition programmes, doing a realistic evaluation of your actions and politics in place. There are a few tools off the shelf for schools willing to improve their transition programmes:

books, training programmes, consultants in this area, and I can suggest two worldwide not-for profit that connect like-minded people: SPAN (Safe Passage Network) and FIGT (Families in Global Transition). If you need motivation to start this kind of programme at your school, remember that finding the right educational options for your child can be a challenge for families living internationally and more of these families are looking further to transition and social-emotional learning to be able to choose the right school for their children.

This would also mean more clients choosing your school.

As challenging as it is, it is even more fascinating and there are many professionals who are like me: passionate about school transitions. If you are going through a transition yourself, or if you work in a school that wants to set up a transition programme, come and talk to me, let’s create that unified force that will be able to support our community to grow healthy and happy. Collaboration between the different professionals involved in the process and between international schools will help us all to thrive and to better deliver our mission.

My hope is that the obvious benefits of creating a school transition programme motivates all of us to work together and make it happen. The population that constantly relocate needs our help. I am encouraged by people I meet every day in my practice and it is their messages that I am pushing forward to us, as a group.

They deserve to see their values and needs being met. Their voices are getting more significant today and it is time we listen to them.

Let’s make our school transition a rewarding and enriching journey!

Carolina Porto is an International Transition Coach specialized in school transitions and international mobility. Using a mixture of her multicultural understanding of emotional behaviour during a transition and coaching techniques, she offers online coaching and counseling for mobile and high-mobile families. https://www.carolinaporto.net/

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Home from home K

ayaking in winter might sound like a recipe for frostbite, but with the right gear it’s well worth venturing onto Switzerland’s icy waters. Warming drysuits offer next-level comfort on the wintry Lake Brienz – something that local kayak instructor Dave Storey discovered for himself. His guests experience steep rock faces, mystical views and the power of nature.

Kayaking is a way of life Dave was born and bred in Manchester.

Kayaking has been his passion since childhood, and he fulfilled his lifelong dream in Switzerland, founding his own kayak school on Lake Brienz. For Dave,

helping his guests to experience the magic of kayaking is as fulfilling as paddling out himself. “The moment when newbies are gripped by enthusiasm is amazing.”

“It doesn’t matter what the weather is doing. It is always a unique experience.” - Dave Storey In the frozen morning, Dave heaves his kayak out of its frame and removes the snow and ice. Before meeting his guests, he likes to take a little time to paddle out onto the lake alone. The snow doesn’t faze him: “Winter is the best time to go kayaking,” he insists. “There is a unique atmosphere out on the lake.” And he’s right; the tranquil INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 30

lake seems mystical with a surface as smooth as glass.

Out onto icy waters The guests are huddled together, laughing as they force excess air out of their drysuits.

These will keep them warm without limiting movement. After some exercises on dry land, it’s time to hit the icy water. For most, a few practice strokes suffice before they get the hang of it, and there are always helpful tips from the coach. “The boat is an extension of your body,” explains Dave, as he demonstrates how to make turns.

Paddle paradise The water is clear and turquoise; paddling

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near a vertical rock face, you almost feel like you are floating. “Lake Brienz is simply unique,” enthuses Dave. Lying between two mountain chains with mostly unspoiled surroundings, the lake is an extraordinary testament to all that nature can offer. It’s a hidden paradise.

In love with Switzerland Dave had originally intended to come to Switzerland for a two-week ski instructor training course – and that was over ten years ago. He met the woman of his dreams and it was love at first sight. The gregarious Englishman soon settled in, and it wasn’t long until he got a job in the winter sport industry. Yet there was one thing that Dave

missed: “I really wanted to spend more time outdoors again and get back into paddling.”

During an excursion to Lake Brienz, he fell for the place. “It was so tranquil and just the perfect spot for paddling,” remembers Dave. “I couldn’t believe that there weren’t any kayak tours here yet.” This gave Dave the impetus to build something of his own, an idea that he had already been entertaining for a while.

“In very calm moments, you can see reflections of the mountains on the water.” - Dave Storey

From a parking space to a lifelong dream It began with five boats in a single parking

space behind Hotel Oberländerhof in Bönigen. Today, Hightide Kayak School has a more permanent location by the lido in Bönigen and offers tours and courses throughout the year. “Making a living from outdoor sport is not easy,” explains Dave.

“I owe lot to my team.” This is no everyday job; it’s a passion for nature.

Bönigen by Lake Brienz Bönigen sits between the impressive slopes of the Bernese Oberland Alps on the southern bank of Lake Brienz, in the Interlaken holiday region.

More information: https://www. myswitzerland.com/en-ch/destinations/ boenigen/

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What Makes an Outstanding Preschool?

At the international school of first choice in Zurich, the Inter-Community School Zurich (ICS), the components that make up an outstanding preschool are in place.

The programme offers preschool and kindergarten children a superior starting point for their educational journeys.

Developing a Love of Learning The excellent teaching team of preschool and kindergarten teachers, assistants and specialists are well-qualified experts in child development who are committed to their belief that children are eager to learn from a very early age. The curriculum they teach is based on the world-renowned Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organisation. The programme is designed to inspire and encourage eager and inquisitive 3 to 6-year-old children to inquire, explore, discover, reflect and succeed as problem solvers. After following this curriculum students are extremely well-prepared for their future educational pathways.

And, the heart of this outstanding programme is its ability to instil a lifetime love of learning!

Personalising Learning Programme An individualised learning programme to assess, track and

subsequently inform parents of each child’s progress is prepared by the preschool and kindergarten teaching team. Activities for each child are designed and shared with parents through various channels such as student learning portfolios, classroom newsletters and other forms of communication. Each day a range of stimulating activities and resources supports the children as they build their foundation of academic skills and knowledge.

Engaging Curriculum Activities Children’s natural capacity to learn, their curiosity, and their eagerness to share new experiences are recognised and further developed with careful teacher observation and record-keeping.

Carefully planned learning activities with accompanying individualised assessments and reports ensure that each child progresses. The development of literacy, numeracy, German language, social & emotional well-being, science & technology,

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 32

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creative arts and design technology skills is achieved with teacher guided but studentled inquiry and discovery activities.

Bilingual Strand – German & English

“Children benefit from carefully constructed spaces and resourceful materials designed to facilitate and maximize their learning.”

Each class has a highly-qualified teaching assistant to support the children’s German language acquisition throughout the school day. The teaching staff aim high as they challenge and inspire preschoolers to collaborate and carry out rigorous inquiries in both languages.

In addition, librarians, musicians and other specialists support the children’s programme of studies.

Engaging Learning Spaces The preschool and kindergarten classrooms at ICS are exciting learning spaces where children discover letters, words, pictures and stories to spark their imaginations and make learning fun. Children benefit from carefully constructed spaces and resourceful materials designed to facilitate and maximize their learning. A wealth of wellbalanced reading materials to support their current and ongoing learning needs as well as connect to their individual interests is provided. Optimal and developmentally appropriate indoor and outdoor learning spaces are carefully constructed to complement the delivery of the curriculum.

Exploring the Neighbourhood Studies have shown that feeling connected to nature is beneficial to well-being and encourages pro-environmental behaviour. The Waldkinder (Forest) programme encourages the students to connect with areas surrounding the campus. Locations in and around the ICS campus to further investigations and understanding are explored as children visit the gated, on-campus pond or spend time in the ICS Research Garden or in the enclosed courtyards directly adjacent to their ground-floor classrooms.

Belonging to the Community Parents visiting the preschool and kindergarten classrooms at ICS witness how the youngest students are encouraged to build positive and respectful relationships with each other and their teachers.

From the first day they step through the door of one of our preschool or kindergarten classrooms, the preschoolers become part of the warm and welcoming ICS preschool or kindergarten family as well as the wider ICS school community.

Come and Visit Us! The services and facilities include a dedicated school bus with door to door service, a cafeteria offering a nutritious hot lunch menu, a full-time school nurse, before and after school care, a library, gymnasium and dance studio. A range of exciting extracurricular activities as well as holiday camps during the first three weeks of the summer holidays is offered. And, an active Parents’ Association offers a range of clubs and family activities throughout the school year.

We would be pleased to arrange a personalised tour of our campus for you and your family. www.icsz.ch INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 33

SGIS Conference March 20-21st, 2020 ‘20-20 Vision: A focus on the changing face of education’

T

he Swiss Group of International Schools’ annual conference promises to offer something for everyone – classroom practitioners, school leaders and managers, counsellors, foreign language teachers and early years staff, amongst others.

Parents, who are keen to keep up to date with the latest theory and practice in education, are also warmly welcomed!

The conference will showcase internationally renowned speakers and educators, including Fred Genesee, Karen Ardley, Michael Thompson, Jean-Marc Dewaele, Rosan Bosch and Liz Free. The conference will also schedule more than 20 workshops, in our ‘Peerto-Peer Presentations’, offered by educators currently working in our international schools.

The themes are rich, varied and topical, and encourage delegates to reflect on their own practice whilst encouraging further

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 34

Heads of schools can register free for the conference!

discussion during the conference and back in school.

The SGIS Conference is hosted by the Institut Florimont in Geneva workshops and keynote sessions will be offered in both French and English.

The School Suppliers Exhibition runs throughout the conference and offers delegates an opportunity to watch demonstrations, to order and purchase, or simply talk to leading school supply company representatives from all over the world. At the same time, the conference also provides exhibitors with the chance to engage with educators, make new contacts, renew old acquaintances and update existing customers with Every 4th their developments! delegate For the Registration Form and full Conference per school click on: http://www.sgischools.com/cms/ is free!

We look forward to seeing you in March!

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 35

My School Gate Gang M

y school gate gang – what would I do without you?

You have been there when my daughter has come out of school in tears, when I’m in tears, when my 2-year-old has run in one direction while my 5-year-old has gone in another. We’ve shared giggles as we’ve pretended to like the bizarre biscuits our children have proudly produced, shared those magic moments when our children’s faces light up as they see us waiting for them. We’ve supported each other through those difficult moments – when the teacher wants to speak to

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 36

us about our child’s behaviour, when there’s a comment in the communication book in French that we don’t understand. We’ve pored over the strange lists of items we are required to produce, and together acquired a whole new set of French vocabulary. We squeeze in coffees when we can, and sometimes even a cheeky glass of wine (not after morning drop off rest assured). We’ve stood together in that playground in the blazing heat and the freezing cold. On beautiful sunny days that lift our spirits, and damp gloomy days when it’s hard to raise a smile.

In my daughter’s playground, we chat away before the bell and often linger afterwards while the kids play. It’s what we do. It helps us feel better, make sense of an unfamiliar school system, we support each other, our friendship connects us on lonely days when we need adult interaction. But I can’t help but notice that we seem to be the only ones. The other parents will exchange a friendly word, a smile and a quick chat, but they don’t seem to have their school gate gang as I do.

I noticed it much more keenly when we lived in a very small Swiss village and my daughter attended the local nursery. I was the only non-Swiss parent but I was in a phase of going full on integration and that didn’t bother me one bit. I was excited to meet my ‘nursery gate gang.’ 2 years later, I still hadn’t got beyond a polite smile and a ‘bonjour.’

We then moved to a much more international area. It was never my intention to hang out only with the other anglophone mums but in the end, that’s what seems to have happened. What I’ve realised is that as expats, we need our school gate gang. We don’t

have extended family around to help with pick ups and drops offs, it’s just us. Day in and day out.

Of course, some parents have working schedules that don’t afford the luxury of leisurely chats after drop off or before pick up.

A good friend of mine and working mum comments ‘I miss doing drop off and pick up as that was when I got to see my friends, catch up and share problems and news.’And of course, a school gate gang is not everyone’s cup of tea. ‘I actively avoid the school gate mums’ a friend of mine based near Zurich tells me. ‘I’m just not a morning person and need headspace after dropping off, not chatting.’ Fair enough. And a quick bit of research brings up quite frankly terrifying stories. Headlines such as ‘Middle-class mums are judgmental, competitive and cliquey ’and even ‘school gate chic’ which is a thing according to the Telegraph (not in my world it isn’t and thank goodness). There is even a help page on the website of British charity Family Lives on what to do if you are a parent experiencing school gate bullying. Gulp.

For me, it is nothing but a positive in my life. My bracing walks to school on these cold November mornings where I know I will see a friendly face, exchange a few words of support, sympathy, or motivation are precious to me.

So here’s to us, my school gate gang. And talking of which….. it’s nearly 4pm again. Time to go…..

Liz is based in Geneva and enjoys combining her work as a Client Manager with TutorsPlus and writing on expat life and parenting.

This is ISBerne Did you know that ISBerne accepts new students year-round? If you are searching for school options, we invite you to visit us, see our new campus and discover the family-based community that makes our school unique. Combine this community with a continuous International Baccalaureate curriculum and a wide choice of extra-curricular activities, and you will quickly see why ISBerne students are happy and engaged! Contact us at: www.isberne.ch or call 031 951 2358

Gardens Switzerland Spring S

eeds are little parcels of magic.

They can survive droughts, fire, freezing temperatures or being eaten by animals and birds. Some of them can float for thousands of kilometres, like coconuts, and can weigh up to 18kg. Some of them are so small that they can’t be seen by the human eye, and weigh in at 0.81 micrograms! These are the seeds of epiphytic orchids that live on branches in the rainforest, and release millions of seeds, which are carried away on the wind, to settle high in the canopy elsewhere.

In your school garden, or in containers at home, it’s possible to explore and experience lots of different shapes and sizes of seeds, and even do some basic experiments to find out what conditions the seeds need to germinate and thrive.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 38

INDOOR PROJECTS FOR HOME OR SCHOOL In the early spring, it’s not too early to be planning and growing some crops from seeds. Microgreens are perfect for the impatient gardener, as they only take a couple of weeks from planting to harvest.

They are also ideal if you’re short of space, as they can be grown indoors in small containers, or even on cottonwool (think old style growing cress seeds on cottonwool in egg shells.) These immature plants are larger than sprouted seeds and smaller than baby greens. They need a growing medium, like soil, or inert rock like perlite, water and light.

You can grow almost anything as a “microgreen”, the most popular to try are mustard, broccoli and radishes, but basil,

coriander and spinach also give great results. The ones to avoid are tomatoes, hot peppers, aubergines and beans. One of the surprising things about microgreens is the flavour punch they pack, with a much stronger and more interesting taste than their grown up brothers and sisters.

No wonder they are so popular in top restaurants, sprinkled on salads or soups.

They can also contain up to 6 times more antioxidants, vitamins and minerals than the mature forms!

What you will need A container with drainage holes Potting soil A mister Seeds Fill the container will soil and firm it down.

Water it really well and let it drain. Sprinkle on the seeds and cover the container with a piece of damp paper towel. Leave the container, plus the paper towel in a sunny position. Check the seeds daily, mist them to keep the soil damp, and as soon as you see little shoots, remove the paper towel.

Once the seedlings have a proper pair of leaves, you can start to harvest them.

For older kids, you can experiment. Does it make a difference if the seedlings are watered? How about if you plant them deeper in the soil? What if they are kept in the dark? Is there a difference between different plant varieties – cabbage vs spinach, for example? Why?

SEEDS FOR OUTDOORS AND SCHOOL GARDENS All school gardens suffer from the challenge of what can be grown, and harvested, before the summer holidays? Or what will survive the summer holidays with the minimum of maintenance and still be edible after the return to school?

Early croppers Mini veg Almost all vegetables can be harvested at the “baby” stage, but there are a few varieties that have been bred to be harvested smaller, and so more quickly, than the regular-size varieties. Look out for round carrots like “Little Heart of Paris” (also called “Paris Market”) that are almost spherical, They are ready to eat in 65 days, and can be planted outdoors or in pots on a balcony from March.

To make Seed Balls you will need Pottery Clay Mix Potting Soil Wildflower or Bee or Insect-Friendly seed mix Water Measure out 2 parts soil to 5 parts pottery clay, plus 1 part water and 1 part seeds. Mix the ingredients together to form a sticky “dough” and knead it so that you can form marble-sized balls.

Set the balls to one side and let them dry for at least a day. You can now store them in cardboard boxes or cloth bags, or you can sow them straight away. They also make great products for Young Entrepreneurs to sell, or as a fundraiser for the PTA. When it comes to sowing, they can be placed on the soil in pots, or thrown onto an empty space of tilled soil. Perhaps you could re-green a neglected part of a car park in school, or the edges of a field?

AFTER THE HOLIDAYS

Speedy veg Radish, rocket and spinach are all fast-cropping vegetables that can be planted, harvested and enjoyed before the summer holidays.

Radishes are particularly easy, as you can mix them in with other plants, between the rows, and you can get two crops – one planted in March and one in late August.

There are lots of heritage peas and beans here in Switzerland.

The wonderfully named pea variety, the “Sprinter from Marbach” was bred in the 1950s by Mr Loher, in St Gall, and was saved by his daughter, who has given the variety to Zollinger to sell. The peas are very sweet and crop heavily in June, from a March-April sowing. If you will be here over the summer, then you could try the yellow “post hörnli” bean, which looks just like a curved post horn. It crops for several weeks in July, August and into September, from a late May sowing.

Plants for other creatures to enjoy Sunflowers are not only one of the easiest plants to grow from seed, but are also one of the most reliable. The seeds are large, making them easy for small fingers to manipulate and plant, and need little to persuade them to germinate other than water and soil, you should see seedlings in 7 to 10 days. They can be started off in pots indoors in April, or planted outside directly where they are to grow from mid May after the last frosts. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, including giant forms, which are about 3m tall, to those with rich red and orange coloured petals or “fluffy” ones, like the variety “Teddy Bear.” The flowers provide pollen for bees and other insects, and the seed heads can be left outdoors for wild birds in winter.

Bug magnets Planting for beneficial insects is easy from seed, and you will be able to watch the creatures enjoying the plants from a few weeks after sowing. There are dozens of bee and insect-friendly mixes and they can be a good option for low maintenance cover crops.

You can also make your own Seed Balls, and learn about why the seed balls give the seeds the best chance to grow.

Squash and pumpkins are perfect for planting out in late May, once all risk of frost is passed, and then harvesting in October. They just need a bit of watering, during dry spells, over the holidays. They like really rich soil, so you can plant them at the base of a compost heap, or in raised beds with lots of compost. There are hundreds of fun varieties, like the spaghetti squash which has string flesh that looks just like spaghetti. For huge pumpkins, then Rouge vif d’Etampes is a good bet, weighing in at about 10kg. They look attractive, taste delicious in soups or roasted, and keep well over the winter. If you would like every student to be able to take home their own pumpkin, then the much smaller Hokkaido Red, which weigh about 2kg, is a great choice.

GARDENS TO VISIT IN SPRING Pro Specie Rara garden in the Merian Garten, Basel The ProSpecie Rara charity helps to save plant seeds and heritage animal breeds, and you’ll find lots of them in this beautiful, colourful and well-organised garden. The Merian Garten itself is always worth a visit, particular in spring to see the peonies and the apple blossom, so leave plenty of time to walk round the much bigger garden that houses the ProSpecieRara garden inside it.

Luzerner Garten, Ebikon This is a garden centre with a difference; thousands of spring bulbs planted for visitors to enjoy. The spectacle starts in mid March and carries on until the end of May. Book ahead for one of their special Tulip lunches around Mothers’ Day. Seleger Moor, Rifferswil This is one of the best-known rhododendron gardens in Switzerland, and for a good reason, the garden is packed with these beauties, in flower from early March onwards. The garden has plenty of other plants to enjoy and several play areas for children as well as a café.

Hester Macdonald is a garden designer, broadcaster, founder of the Swiss Gardening School and author of “Gardens Schweiz Suisse Switzerland”, a guide to the best Swiss gardens open to the public.

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Your Swiss winter

Winter, but not as you know it Skiing on perfect slopes, sledging with friends and family, having a delicious fondue – that’s Swiss winter.

But there are so many more winter activities you might have never heard of. Or you have, but you’ve never tried? Here are some hints.

Come and see for yourself.

Husky sled ride.

There is no need to travel far to experience the unique delight of dog sledding. Col de Mosses offers perfect terrain and conditions. The dogs are running easily on trails specially prepared for the sleds. The snow-covered landscape that rushes by and the power of these four-legged friends are sure to impress: it’s no wonder that the guided dog-sled rides on the Col de Mosses are extremely popular, offering an unforgettable experience for young and old alike.

MySwitzerland.com/husky-sled

Sleep amid the ice.

Spending a night in an igloo is a real bucket-list experience. While you tuck into a traditional cheese fondue in the igloo restaurant, the beds are warmed with hot water bottles to ensure that all can enjoy a warm and cosy sleep amid the ice. Before you crawl under the warm sheepskins, why not go for a snowshoe walk and then relax in the sauna? Be it a romantic weekend, an escape from the hustle of everyday life, or to experience something new – this is an adventure to remember.

MySwitzerland.com/igloo-hotel

Winter Hideaways.

High up in the mountains, where the moon and stars shine more brightly, by a peaceful lake or on the edge of the forest, where foxes and hares bid each other good night: hideaways are hotels in locations that promise guests both pure relaxation and a unique winter experience. For unforgettable moments: stay at a hideaway and have the Swiss winter at your feet.

MySwitzerland.com/winter-hideaways

Find more inspirational experiences and tips: MySwitzerland.com/expats or contact expats@switzerland.com or phone 0800 100 200.

EXPAT PARENTING:

The good and the bad….

If you’re reading this article, you are most likely an expat parent.

Perhaps you feel, like me, that because of all the wonderful things about bringing up kids wherever in the world you are, you aren’t allowed to have a little moan from time to time.

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T

he thing is, whilst there are a multitude of positive aspects to living abroad, it does come with its challenges and sometimes it can help to share these more difficult parts of the expat experience. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved and all that….

world of parenthood in said second language. There are times when you just want to speak your mother tongue– you’re tired, you’re sick of google translate and you just want the paediatrician to give you some Calpol and not some strange French equivalent.

Lack of family support

There are so many things I love about the Swiss and French culture – what’s not to love about the fact that it is acceptable to drink wine at 10am? However, I am and always will be British. My ‘Britishness’ is ingrained in me and no matter how much I love my Swiss / French life, embrace the local traditions and befriend the local people, this will always feel like a second home, and a second culture. A friend of mine describes this as the ‘invisible barrier’ which I reckon is spot on. That’s exactly what it can feel like and it can be alienating and lonely. Sometimes, it’s only when you visit your home country and feel inexplicably ‘right’, that you realise you have been battling this. Then again, you may also find yourself experiencing ‘reverse culture shock’ which can feel equally disorientating (and I could write a whole other article on that …. In fact maybe I will…)

Let’s get the biggie out of the way first. If you’re lucky, the grandparents are a short haul flight away, but for a lot of people it’s even further. That means that when you get stuck in traffic on the way to pick up, there’s no grandma to swoop in and save the day, and when you realise that you are 6 months overdue a date night & you are starting to forget what your other half looks like, there is no aunty or uncle to watch the kids so you can go out for dinner…..

It might sound trivial, but as the saying goes, ‘it takes a village’ and when there is no village, it can sometimes seem lonely and tiring. I have so often found myself gazing wistfully skywards and imagining an alternative life when I didn’t choose to explore the world, and rather stayed in my home town and bought a house next to my mum and dad….

Then again…. That does sound just a tad boring….and there are up sides to not having extended family close by. You can do things your way, with no interfering from well-meaning relatives. And when you do get together, all the fun comes at once (and if you’re lucky, the grandparents are so happy to see the kids that you can get some hard-earned time off.)

The other positive of being an expat parent is that the friends you make wherever you live often become your second family. There is a solidarity and a support from friends you make as an expat which can be very unique and special. Talking of friendships…..

Long distance friendships

The cultural disconnect

The choices Extra English lessons? Extra French lessons? A school system that follows the English system? One that follows the American system?

Dutch school on a Wednesday? Spanish club?

Anglophone drama classes? Francophone singing classes? Judo? Immerse in local community?

Retreat into your expat community?

Of course, whether you are parenting abroad or your home country, the choices can be overwhelming. However, I have observed that when ‘expat parenting’ this can be even more intense. You will likely have a number of overlapping social groups –local parents, the neighbours, your expat friends, – and everyone will be making different choices (and often wanting to tell you about / justify these choices.) It can be hard not to feel overwhelmed by what you feel you ‘should’ be doing for your children when there are just so many options. After 10 years of living in Switzerland and 6 years of parenting here, I have gone through this a number of times and now feel I am out the other side and in a position to offer some words of wisdom: Everyone is doing their best, everyone is doing what they feel is right for them. Indeed, what is right for one family, won’t necessarily be right for another. I have now reached a point whereby my friends literally ALL make different choices to me and to each other. And do you know what – it’s fine. In fact, it’s more than fine.

Our children learn from each other, become inspired by each other (my daughter would definitely never have wanted to join the local gym class if she hadn’t heard from a friend how much fun it is.)

My family, my friends’ families, your families -we represent what it is to be an expat parents. It’s rich, it’s interesting, it’s fun, and yes it can be hard and overwhelming, but we’re all in it together….

“Of course, whether you are parenting abroad or your home country, the choices can be overwhelming.”

Skype friendships. Facetime friendships. Whatsapp friendships.

They’re all well and good, but we all know that nothing beats a real hug. If, like me, you’ve done a fair bit of travelling and living abroad, you probably have a trail of school friends, home town friends and university friends scattered all over the world. And thank goodness for technology for allowing us to keep in touch. However it can be sad when it involves a military operation to organise seeing these good old friends in the flesh. (Again I find myself looking wistful as I imagine that parallel world whereby we all live in the same village - you know, the one that’s next to our families - meet up for weekly coffees and Tuesday pub nights… )

The language barrier After 6 years of expat parenting, I have acquired a very niche vocabulary set: I know the French for nappy rash, gym shoes, snack time, and all the education lingo (prior to becoming a parent I had no idea what ‘maternelle’ ‘cycle’ ‘lycée’ etc referred to.) ………….

On the negative side, the frantic googling of ‘what is French for high temperature’ at 3am was not a highlight of my parenting journey. Neither was the time I told the doctor that my daughter was covered in chickens (note to self: chicken pox is not boutons de poulet in French). Yes, it can be a great advantage learn a second language, but it can also be extremely stressful and disorientating when you find yourself having to navigate the already overwhelming

Liz is originally from the U.K and has been living in Switzerland for 10 years. She combines her role as a Client Manager for TutorsPlus with her teaching and writing work, and not forgetting the biggest job of all: parenting her 2 young energetic children.

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A person is choking – would you know what to do?

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C

hoking happens when food or another object gets stuck in the throat or the windpipe (trachea), preventing enough oxygen from getting into the lungs. If the obstructing object is not rapidly removed, the oxygen levels in the body will soon drop too low. As a result, the person will lose consciousness, stop breathing, and ultimately their heart will stop (cardiac arrest).

Anybody, of any age, can choke. Most choking episodes occur whilst eating, so choking is commonly witnessed. This means that there is often the potential to help a choking person before they lose consciousness.

Applying the right First Aid for choking is one of the situations where a First Aider can make a real difference and can save a life. Here we will discuss how to help a choking child over the age of 1 and an adult.

What does a choking person look like?

Choking can cause mild or severe airway obstruction.

The person may be eating; they may clutch at their neck with their hands. Ask them: “Are you choking?”

If there is mild airway obstruction, they will respond with a “Yes”; they are able to speak. They will be coughing and still breathing. In this situation, encourage the person to cough. Coughing generates high pressures in the chest and airway and helps to dislodge the object.

But you should watch for signs of severe airway obstruction. In this situation, the person cannot cough effectively. They are unable to speak and may nod instead when you ask them if they’re choking. Their breathing will be difficult, or they may be unable to breathe. They will be extremely scared and if they are not given First Aid, they will lose consciousness.

Even if the obstruction is successfully relieved, anyone who has received abdominal thrusts should be checked over by a doctor. This is to make sure that the forces involved in giving these have not caused any internal injuries.

It is important to know that babies under the age of 1 should not be given abdominal thrusts. Choking First Aid measures for them include giving back blows and chest thrusts. This great video from the ‘Chokeables campaign’ launched by St John’s Ambulance in the UK explains how: https://www.sja.org.uk/presscentre/campaigns/baby-choking-the-chokeables/ Also, attending a First Aid course can give you the opportunity to practice the techniques for choking First Aid in a relaxed, calm environment to build your confidence should these skills ever be needed.

Dr Michelle Wright is a British-trained General Practitioner and Director of HealthFirst, providing First Aid training, Mental Health First Aid training and health education in English throughout Switzerland (www.healthfirst.ch). She also has a regular radio show about health on World Radio Switzerland (www.worldradio.ch/healthmatters).

HOW CAN I HELP A CHOKING PERSON? If a person is choking, their cough is ineffective, and they are showing signs of severe airway obstruction: 1. SHOUT FOR HELP: · Stay with the person, don’t leave them to get help. · Try to remain calm yourself.

2. GIVE ABDOMINAL THRUSTS: · Stand behind the person with them leaning slightly forwards. · Put your arms under their arms and around their middle. · Make a fist with your dominant hand. · Put your fist just above their belly button, in the space between their belly button and their ribcage.

· Wrap your second hand around the fist and pull firmly inwards and upwards to give an abdominal thrust.

· Continue with abdominal thrusts until the obstruction is relieved.

3. IF ABDOMINAL THRUSTS AREN’T WORKING: · Ask a second person to call an ambulance (144 in Switzerland; 112 being the Europe-wide emergency services number). · As long as the person is conscious, continue giving abdominal thrusts without any interruption. · If they lose consciousness, you need to start Basic Life Support. Call for an ambulance now if you are alone and start Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 45

PHILOSOPHY FOR CHILDREN:

Raising the Level of Student Thought V

isitors to the Primary School at Ecolint’s La Grande Boissière campus are almost always impressed by the quality of teachers, our impressive facilities, and the range of opportunities both within and beyond the classroom. One standout feature which never fails to stop visitors in their tracks is our innovative Philosophy for Children programme, which sees students as young as three years old engage in the development of philosophical thinking skills, which are later applied across all disciplines.

Developed by Matthew Lipman, a Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University and Montclair University in New York in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, Philosophy for Children (P4C) is now integrated into schools in over 60 countries.

It is recognised by UNESCO as an excellent way to teach citizenship in democratic societies. The aim of the programme is not to develop young philosophers with deep knowledge of the great thinkers, but to give students a time and place to develop their own questioning; to provide them with agency.

With the teacher acting as a facilitator, students’ questions are probed, and the teacher introduces philosophical thinking skills, exposes students to multiple perspectives, develops listening skills as well as empathy, critical thinking and reasoning. The philosophical branches of ethics, epistemology, logic, aesthetics and metaphysics are also introduced, giving students a thorough grounding in the foundations of philosophical thought. Lipman and one of his research partners, Ann Margaret Sharp, initially achieved this by reading from fictional stories and having students choose to address a question among many that the story elicits. Meanwhile the teacher facilitated the discussion, encouraging learners to define sources, presuppositions, hypotheses, distinctions, reasonings, associations, analogies and comparisons (general and specific philosophical thinking skills).

Teacher practitioners were, and still are, amazed at the levels to which young children can raise a discussion when done with this support, particularly as a culture of respectful questioning is developed. It is in the development of this culture that the real power of the programme emerges; with periodic practice, like periodic physical exercise, participants feel good afterwards, but do not really advance towards objectives. Real progress, especially school-wide, comes when it is done frequently and in different classes, contexts and through time. It is integration into all classes in a school that gives the programme real power, and provides the greatest challenge.

To ensure P4C is fully embedded in our pedagogical approach, we have made it a priority to train all teachers and support the practice in all classes over the last five years. This has not been without significant difficulties. Some teachers justifiably ask how this programme can leave time for reading, writing and mathematics. They also question a very significant change of emphasis from being sources of content transmission, to facilitators in discussions with an uncertain itinerary and finality. This need to deal with uncertainty, and worry of completing curricula that are already very full are justifiable and important concerns that need to be responded to in the integration of the programme.

It became immediately clear to us that we would need frequent and continuing professional development for teachers, regular peer observations and discussions, and proof of the leadership team’s belief that this programme adds skills as well as depth and comprehension to all areas of learning.

We were very fortunate to collaborate directly with some of the world’s leading practitioners, including Professor Michel Sasseville at Québec’s Université Laval and Dr Nathalie Fletcher, at the University of Montreal. They have translated the programme into French, which has been essential for our English/French bilingual

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 46

“ The aim of the programme is not to develop young philosophers with deep knowledge of the great thinkers, but to give students a time and place to develop their own questioning; to provide them with agency.”

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 47

“ It is integration into all classes in a school that gives the programme real power, and provides the greatest challenge.” school, and they provide excellent training, feedback and follow-up, worldwide. We have also received excellent advice on analysis of the attainment of our objectives from Professor Eric Hamilton of UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education.

P4C is a major programme investment for any and all schools.

It requires continual training and peer collaboration, observation and feedback in order to be successful. The result is students who think by, and for, themselves, together. Few programmes could be better at providing students with the critical thinking, questioning and reasoning skills that are clearly, and increasingly, necessary for citizens in a democracy. The structure of the programme has been used to help resolve conflicts in countries such as Somalia and Rwanda, with serious, entrenched concerns. Similar structures have helped North American Native cultures, in their talking circles, for millennia. With our oldest classes we have taken the programme much further, by integrating retirees from a local retirement home.

In this situation we have adults from 70 to 104 (the oldest so far) sharing, developing thinking skills and discussing beauty, truth and multiple perspectives, together.

Schools, or individuals, interested in speaking to us about the integration of the programme can contact me (duff.gyr@ecolint. ch) directly, or come to be a part of a presentation on the subject, by my leadership team and myself, at the ECIS Leadership Conference, in Madrid, in April.

Duff Gyr was raised and educated in the state of Michigan in the United States. Descended from a Swiss father and American mother, Duff also has family in Canada. The holder of a BSc degree in biology and a teaching certification from Michigan Technological University, and a Masters degree in Education from Michigan State University, Duff has done some graduate studies in physiological psychology at the University of Wyoming and completed the course work for a Masters in pluri-lingual education with the University of Aberdeen. He is currently undertaking significant training in Philosophy for Children which is being integrated into the Primary School, and is very useful in the teaching of TOK classes in the Secondary School. Before being appointed Principal of the Primary School at La Grande Boissière in 2003, Duff taught science and maths in primary, secondary and post-secondary schools in Switzerland and Canada, and also had responsibilities as an IB Coordinator and as a Primary School Principal. Duff is passionate about pedagogical innovation, Philosophy for Children, science teaching and the development of critical thinking. Duff is a qualified CIS accreditation visitor and Chair and has published articles in International Schools magazine on various topics. Actively involved in humanitarian work supporting teaching in Africa, Duff is also a keen mountaineer, skier and cyclist, and enjoys literature and writing.

Duff and his wife have two adult sons and are proud grandparents to their granddaughter, Aminata.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 48

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Spring picnic ideas Spring is when you can relax in the kitchen and let the ingredients do the work, as the produce tends to be young and fresh. Grab fistfuls of bright green young asparagus and fresh broad beans while they last, make yourself some zesty dressings and celebrate the arrival of deliciously crisp salads. I’ve put together some simple recipes to take with you on a spring picnic, or to have up your sleeve for last minute lunch guests.

Avocado dip Serves 4

1 x 400g tin chickpeas or cannellini beans, drained 2 x ripe avocado, skin off Olive oil 2 tablespoons Juice of 1 lemon 2 pinches sea salt Blitz the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Delicious as part of a sharing style buffet with crudites, nuts and crudites for dipping!

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 50

Taleggio, truffle & asparagus tarts Serves 4-6

1 sheet rolled puff pastry Cream cheese x 100g Taleggio x 200g, sliced Truffle oil x 1 tablespoon Asparagus spears x 12 Black pepper Roast the asparagus spears with a little olive oil and salt at 180 celsius for 10 minutes then set aside. Add the truffle oil to the cream cheese and spread over the pastry sheet leaving a 1cm border. Dot the taleggio and cooked asparagus over on top of the cream cheese covered sheet and bake in the oven at 180 for 15 minutes or until the pastry border is golden brown.

Slice into triangles and serve.

Pea, burrata & lemon oil salad Serves 4

Fresh peas 350g Burrata 200g ball Lemon oil x 3 tablespoons Sea salt flakes Black pepper Handful mint leaves Shell the peas (or use defrosted frozen peas) and dress with the lemon oil, shredded mint & black pepper. Tear the burrata roughly and scatter over the top. Serve with warm focaccia.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 51

Figs with mascarpone & ‘Nduja Serves 6

6 x ripe figs Mascarpone x 250g Jar of ‘Nduja or (sundried tomato paste for a vegetarian option!)

Roast the figs in the oven on 180 celsius for 15 minutes or grill until starting to char. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Dot the mascarpone on top and drizzle the ‘Nduja on the top. Serve on a large platter or on top of ciabatta for a delicious bruschetta!

FICO By Betty is a London based catering company, serving delicious Mediterranean food around the UK and Europe. Betty also runs cookery and yoga retreats in Crete and her custom made ceramics from Puglia are available to buy through her website www.ficobybetty.com

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 52

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Welcome drink - 3 nights in a comfort double room - Ticino Gusto breakfast buffet & dinner buffet - kids activities - family vespa ride - 1 family excursion - use of entire infrastructure with heated pool - outdoor sauna - miniature golf - covered trampolin - playgrounds & indoor playrooms Transfer from/to train station S.Nazzaro or free parking and free Wi-Fi. Starting at CHF 999.00. Book online on www.campagnola.ch/family-fun or call +41 91 785 2500.

Ask for our 3-Generation-Special with halfboard during off season and let the GRANDPARENTS stay for FREE including breakfast!

What SUP?

We live in interesting times, where, as the banner during one of the recent climate strikes claimed, ‘leaders behave like children and children behave like leaders’.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 54

M

ore seriously, how do we, schools and educators, respond to growing concern among our students? How do we respond to the criticism that the education students receive is no longer relevant when the IPCC estimates we only have eight years to avert irreversible climate change? At a recent education conference I attended in Abu Dhabi, it seemed that many educators and school leaders were asking themselves the same question. I hope that the message I was at the conference to convey - that real, student-led change IS possible, as we have proven at Ecolint by eliminating Single Use Plastic (SUP) - can serve as a beacon

of optimism and as an example for other schools.

Our “plastic-free campus” journey started in September 2017, when myself and a colleague met up with a recent alumna, Alexis McGivern, who works in the field of sustainability, to discuss how we could engage the school in a more ambitious project to deal with plastics on campus. After some discussion, a bold plan was born. To eliminate Single Use Plastic across the entire campus - and a kind of “manifesto” was written and shared with our Campus Principal, David Woods, and Director General, Dr David Hawley. Whilst they were immediately supportive, we

underestimated the scale of the challenge to achieve this stretching goal. We were in for quite a rocky ride!

The first step in our journey was to announce the objective to the whole community. Using our weekly campus newsletter, we outlined what we had in scope: total elimination within six months of unnecessary plastic items like straws, disposable plastic cups, single-use bottles, plastic lids and disposable cutlery, that were made from plastic and designed only to be used once. Whilst we are lucky to have a knowledgeable and engaged community, we reminded them of the serious impact of plastic pollution on marine life, and INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 55

the knock-on effects for our own health as micro-plastics infiltrate our water supply and food chain. We pointed out the dissonance with our school’s charter, which highlights our belief in the equal value of all human beings, and the fact that these impacts are most acutely felt by people in the developing world. We also pointed out that the school itself needed to lead the change and act as a role-model, and committed to audit our own use of SUP and to replace it all before asking others to make changes in their habits.

The key next step was to form the team required to make this happen. We quickly identified that in addition to myself as

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“Total elimination within six months of unnecessary plastic items like straws, disposable plastic cups, single-use bottles, plastic lids and disposable cutlery, that were made from plastic and designed only to be used once.”

Sustainability Coordinator, we needed to include the Campus Principal, the campus facilities manager, the aforementioned alumna, and most importantly students and their parents. We quickly fielded two surveys and identified that the biggest opportunities to make meaningful change were in rethinking the approach taken at the cafeteria and at the big school events organised by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Meetings with both parties quickly led to the commitment to far-reaching measures to eliminate SUP, even though this meant some major changes compared to how things had been done previously.

Some of the steps were relatively easy.

Some of the examples are banning the sale of drinks in PET bottles in the cafeteria and vending machines, which incentivised students and staff to bring their own, durable water bottle to school and drink water from the fountains. Others were significantly harder, including finding replacements for the snacks, ice-creams, yoghurts and many other products which arrived at school already wrapped in plastic. With the support of our catering supplier, Novae, we determined that

the only solution was to eliminate these products from the range, and replace them with alternatives that come in either biodegradable or compostable packaging.

This had implications for the catering team, such as having to decant large containers of yoghurt into smaller compostable dishes, rather than sell ready-portioned “single serve” yoghurts, but the kitchen team embraced the project with enthusiasm, and found solutions where many people were sceptical one could be found.

One of the key things we discovered along the journey is that while many suppliers offer “biodegradable” packaging, in practice this is not the best solution, as disposal still requires special conditions, most notably a temperature above 40°C, which is rarely met in the disposal chain.

Instead we opted, wherever possible, for compostable materials, which break down on their own, similar to food waste, and whilst naturally decomposing also deliver additional nutrients to the soil, which biodegradables do not. The catering team, led by catering manager Philippe Musset, proved to be formidable allies and great supporters of the initiative, and thanks to their unstinting support, we managed to INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 56

make the deadline and proudly announced the plastic-free campus to be “the new normal” in April 2018, as planned.

Enabling the PTA to be plastic free proved to be one of the biggest challenges.

Despite all sharing the vision and wanting to eliminate SUP, the (entirely volunteer) team feared a dramatic increase in their workload as a result of the proposed measures. How, for example, were they going to manage the washing up after the annual kermesse which generates thousands of plates, cups and sets of cutlery? Taking one problem at a time, and engaging students and PTA members in brainstorming ideas, led to a common vision and shared commitment. The PTA ordered reusable cups, similar to those used at music festivals in Switzerland, which are now sold to guests when they arrive, and which they are encouraged to take home to wash, and to bring back for future events.

Individual bottles of soft drinks have been replaced by cans, which are easy to recycle and have less negative impact. Cutlery and plates are now all made from compostable or biodegradable materials. A studentcomposed “EcoCREW” has been set up which helps out at events, separating waste at an “EcoPoint” (and gaining valuable CAS points towards their IB in the process).

Alexis McGivern, our alumna and muse of the project, took extensive notes and, with the support of “venture philanthropists” the Gallifrey foundation, has built a website, www.plasticfreecampus. org. As well as detailing our journey, this website provides a free and pragmatic tool all schools can use to eradicate SUP. It is our hope that hundreds of schools will follow our example, empowering their students to make a positive change in today’s world. Not only is this good for the planet in the long term, but in our experience has also been enormously positive to build the school community in the here and now, making future sustainability initiatives easier and more likely to succeed.

Jan Dijkstra is a teacher of mathematics and Sustainability Coordinator at the La Châtaigneraie campus of the Ecole Internationale de Genève. A Dutch national, he has over twenty years experience teaching in international schools in the Netherlands and Geneva.

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Finding the right Vacuum Cleaner for YOU! It can be hard these days to imagine life without a vacuum cleaner.

Going back to sweeping floors and using a dustpan and brush seems unthinkable. However, as a result of this widespread availability, it’s much more difficult to choose a vacuum cleaner when purchasing today. Today we have vacuums with bags, bagless, cordless, the Roomba. Even hand held vacuum cleaners!

M

iele has been the market leader in floor vacuum cleaners for many years and recently launched its first cordless vacuum cleaner.

As it produces all types of

vacuum cleaners, Miele provides advice on which one is best suited to your particular needs.

Triflex HX 1 – the flexible cordless vacuum cleaner Due to its nature as a cordless vacuum cleaner, spontaneous cleaning of areas can be carried out easily and quickly. However, that’s not to say that it doesn’t hold up to INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 58

bigger jobs. Longer operation is a dream thanks to the powerful battery that comes with the model. A particular advantage is the 3-in-1 concept, which offers a lot of flexibility. The PowerUnit forms the core, consisting of a motor unit, battery and dust box and can be converted and attached in different ways in just a few seconds. This makes vacuuming under the furniture or on the ceiling effortless. The PowerUnit

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can also be used independently, making the appliance a practical hand-held vacuum cleaner.

The “HX1 Cat&Dog” model is especially suitable for a household with animals. This model has an electric brush equipped with LED light (BrilliantLight) and detects every animal hair, even in the darkest corners.

In addition, the integrated HEPA Lifetime Filter removes even the finest allergens as the vacuum cleans the carpet.

The Triflex HX1 is therefore ideally suited to short cleaning sessions in between, for effortless removal of animal hair, and for vacuuming blankets or furniture, thanks to the flexible PowerUnit.

Scout RX2 – the independent vacuum cleaner The suction robot takes all of the work out of vacuuming. I hear you ask however, “Does it struggle to clean corners and get stuck on furniture?” To this I say, no! This is because the Scout RX2 has swivelling side brushes that make it easy to get into even the smallest corner. With its “3D Smart Navigation”, the suction robot finds its way through every room without a hitch.

The core elements are two front cameras that generate a stereo image that captures rooms and objects in three dimensions. This makes it easier to detect obstacles, calculate distances more precisely and detect and correct course deviations more accurately.

In addition, the Scout RX2 is networked and can be controlled via an app that is available to download for free – giving you live control of your own four walls from anywhere.

The Scout RX2 is therefore particularly suitable for people who would like to leave the vacuuming to someone else, but still want to be able to keep control over it.

Classic C3 – the good old bag vacuum cleaner Many people still rely on classic models of vacuum cleaners, and this is a prime example of a modern take on a classic.

What is particularly important to most people is being able to change the bag without coming into contact with dirt.

Miele’s unique “Silence System plus” with additional sound insulation ensures quiet and relaxed vacuuming. In addition, this series comes with a full range of accessories from Miele which can also be

“Imagine life without a vacuum cleaner. Going back to sweeping floors and using a dustpan and brush seems unthinkable.” used to clean dust from upholstery or joints.

The telescopic tube can also be pulled out intuitively to the desired operating height, making the vacuum ergonomic and comfortable for all users. Finally, a big added bonus is that often this kind of vacuum is a little cheaper!

The bag vacuum cleaner is therefore INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 59

particularly suitable for people who want a specific operating height, don’t wish to come into contact with dust at all and also want to spend a little less on a vacuum cleaner.

For all models and further information, please visit: www.miele.ch

Building Mental Toughness – Learning how to boldly go!

by Clive Leach, Organisational Coach

Y

ou may recall the famous phrase at the beginning of Star Trek where the mission of the USS Enterprise is loudly proclaimed “to boldly go where no man (or woman) has gone before!”

I often use this theme when I talk to international school students and parents as I am introducing the idea of Mental Toughness.

I ask them what it means to go boldly? They tell me it is about being brave, confident, unique, proactive, energetic and sometimes, fearless.

I always challenge this and ask “Do you think people who are bold are unafraid?” And of course when they think about it the answer is no. They agree that the idea of ‘going boldly’ often means being stretched, challenged and venturing way outside our usual comfort zone which can often be painful, very stressful and downright scary! Going boldly therefore means we feel the fear, but manage it and go there anyway!

Defining Mental Toughness We hear so much today about the need to be resilient. That capacity we all have to some degree to help navigate and overcome life’s inevitable setbacks, be they big, small, regular or rare. To bounce back from adversity. There are many programmes in schools and workplaces that focus on building resilience. However I see resilience as a reactive concept. Life will throw difficult things at us and of course we need to have the resources to help overcome them.

Mental Toughness on the other hand is a much more pro-active approach. It is about looking for, stepping into and embracing challenge and opportunity. It is about thriving in life, not just surviving whatever it throws at us.

But Mental Toughness isn’t about being macho or uncaring or self-centred. Mental sensitivity, particularly in relation to the feelings of others and ego management, is very important and has

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 60

a place too. But it is about being tough in the sense of not giving up and being confident that you can prevail in reaching your aspirations even in hard times and if the odds seem stacked against you.

In my work in International Schools I always think a great example of Mental Toughness is the students’ aspirations to get to a good University, often in a different country from where their family is living. Will that be easy I ask? No they say! Will it be daunting? Yes! But in the same way their parents often choose to live and work internationally, the students choose to go for it anyway! They are not simply waiting for a challenge to overcome, they are seeking opportunities that they know are likely to be challenging.

Pioneers in the Mental Toughness field Peter Clough and Doug Strycharczyk define it as : ‘a trait which determines, in large part, how people respond to challenge, stress and pressure and continue to perform at their best irrespective of their circumstances’ And the great news is that we can now both measure and build it.

Measuring & Building Mental Toughness The Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ48) is a validated assessment available for both young people and adults that measures Mental Toughness in line with the 4 C model. It provides a baseline report from which individual and group interventions can be delivered and designed. It is used as a measure of mindset and change in mindset. This can be an outcome as well as an enabler in terms of improving performance, wellbeing and positive behaviour.

For example the MTQ 48 was used by the UK Independent Schools Council (ISC) in 2017 to examine life skills development in 10,000 pupils in 58 schools across the UK. Overall the study showed higher levels of mental toughness in students than in the state sector but a similar significant dip at years 8 & 9 sometimes called the ‘lost years’ as students enter adolescence. A challenge therefore is how do schools prepare for and minimise this dip and to determine what interventions work best to build mental toughness.

Following on from this study, in 2018 Austin Friars School were able to evidence across all year groups that their existing life skills programmes were successful in both preventing the dip and increasing Mental Toughness year on year as students progressed through school. This means they were better prepared for and equipped to manage the stressors and pressure of examination times which correlates with their high academic results. By then aligning further their life skills programme with the 4Cs they are seeking to improve on the initial baseline assessment and evidence building Mental Toughness further within their school community.

Many international schools invest heavily in terms of time and resources in life skills and pastoral support programmes which are increasingly being strategically developed as part of whole school Wellbeing or Positive Education Strategies. What tools like the MTQ48 do is provide a snapshot of where individual students may already have strengths and resources they can draw upon and where through coaching support they can focus on building their Mental Toughness and learn how to use it wisely through access to appropriate interventions.

One other interesting finding from one study was that teachers who were involved in the development and delivery of a

Mental Toughness 4 C Model

Developed by Peter Clough this Model identifies the 4 key components – the 4Cs required for Mental Toughness. They are: Control – Control means having a sense of self-worth and describes the extent to which a young person feels in control of their life and their circumstances. Importantly it also describes the extent to which they can control or regulate their emotions and associated behaviours.

Commitment – Commitment is about being able to set goals and make promises along with ‘stickability’ which is about the extent to which a young person is prepared to manage setbacks and distractions and deliver on their commitments whatever gets in the way.

Challenge – Challenge describes the extent to which a young person will expand their boundaries, embrace change and take risks. But it’s also about the ability to learn from their mistakes, pick themselves up if it goes wrong and try again. Mentally Tough people view challenges, change and adversity as opportunities rather than threats and will relish the chance to learn and grow Confidence – Confidence describes the self-belief an individual has in their own strengths and abilities along with the interpersonal confidence they have to influence others and deal with conflict and challenge. They stand their ground but importantly being mindful of their strengths and weaknesses they can also ask for help when it is needed.

As you can see from the model Control and Commitment are more in line with bounce back and resilience and the capacity to survive. Challenge and Confidence on the other hand are more proactive and relate to the idea of seizing opportunity and thriving. All together they make a powerful force for being successful whatever the circumstances

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 61

Clive presenting at Bangkok Prep International School in Thailand

programme designed to build Mental Toughness saw increases in their own Mental Toughness as well as students!

Go Boldly!

Why Build Mental Toughness?

1

With levels of anxiety, stress and depression on the increase in schools, universities and workplaces, equipping young people with the knowledge and understanding of what Mental Toughness is and the skills to build and sustain it has never been more crucial.

Building Mental Toughness in schools should be an important aim of any life skills programme as it equips young people not just to do better at school but beyond into the worlds of higher education and work. Research and case studies are showing Mental Toughness is strongly correlated with: Hardiness - Proactively seeking and embracing challenge & opportunity ●

●

Performance - Improved academic attainment

Positive Pro-social Behaviours - ‘Can do’ approach, perspective, engagement & altruism ●

●

Aspirations - Life & career goal setting, striving & achievement

Transitions - Supports transition in to higher education and work resulting in higher retention and reduced risk of dropout ●

Employability - Competitive edge, strengths awareness & emotional intelligence ●

●

Well-being - Improved physical, mental & social health\

Going forwards as parents here are some things you might be able to do: Talk to your children’s school about what they are doing to build mental toughness in students and staff as part of their wellbeing or Positive Education programmes

2

Access the MTQPlus (Adult) Mental Toughness assessment yourselves and through coaching better understand it and what it means for you and your family (link https://aqrinternational. co.uk/product/mtqplus-assessment)

3

Learn more about how interventions that focus on attention training, visualisation, goal setting, strengths awareness, emotional regulation and coaching can help build mental toughness and have a go yourselves Check out this book: https://aqrinternational.co.uk/product/developing-mentaltoughness-in-young-people-book Used well and developed properly Mental Toughness is a great attribute for parents and children alike. Without doubt it contributes to our capacity to flourish – to feel good and function well in a world of change, challenge and above all opportunity.

Go boldly and reach for the stars!

Clive Leach link. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliveleachconsultancy/

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WINDOW TO THE SWISS ALPS

Step into Swiss Springtime We are coming out of hibernation!

I

love the winter, I really do. I’m one of those strange people who enjoy the rain, the short grey days and don’t even get me started on the snow!

What I don’t like is the seemingly constant bundling and unbundling of children. The pressure to remember so many pieces of clothing for every outing. I feel like I spend four months of the year shouting, “where’s your hat?” after children and explaining why we still need sun cream in the cold weather. It’s such a relief to be able to think about shedding a few inches of padding, retiring the bulky ski wear to the cave, and lightening the load a little.

We all really love the spring time with splashes of colour breaking through in the garden and the prospect of warmer weather just around the corner. For us, it’s a time to start planning more outdoor activities, dusting off the picnic bag and enjoying the first signs of nature waking up.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2020 | 64

This year, we have an extra reason to be excited as we have been appointed the official ambassadors of expat tourism for Switzerland’s Tourist board and we’ll be doing a little tour of Switzerland, visiting roughly one new place per month. This really is a dream come true for us and we can’t wait to be able to share even more exciting family activities around this beautiful country with our followers.

We ease into outdoor activities gently so that the kids aren’t too traumatised with long hikes and day long outings. Since our favourite destinations often involve animals, we like to visit places like the Zoo Garenne which is not far from us in Vaud. It’s nice to see the baby animals appearing and it’s a very educational place for children. Another great animal adventure is Ferme La Gavotte in Lancy where you can get in with the goats and enjoy watching them scampering around.

If you are looking for a stunning location to visit nature at it’s best, you can’t beat Blausee in the Interlaken area, which is a breathtaking place at any time of the year, but especially nice in the spring when you can enjoy the beautiful blue water of the lake teeming with trout. It’s really picturesque and you can choose various routes to get there to suit all levels of hiking ability. The children really loved it.

The good thing about spring is that you can take advantage of the milder weather to do some great activities outdoors without too much heat, and one of my all-time favourite trips was our tour of the lake in Murten which we did over the Easter weekend last year.

We hired electric bikes with trailers for the children and set off with a picnic to explore this beautiful area. The children were so excited by the novelty of riding in the trailers (this was mainly expressed through shouting giggled directions at us!) and it was a really memorable experience for all of us.

Another visit which sticks in my mind is the treetop walk Baumwipfelpfad Neckertal which we did last August. If you haven’t been, it should definitely be added to your list for this year.

It’s a unique experience, as well as being very educational and there is a huge play area underneath. When you have finished with all that, you can eat a sausage which has been cooked over a fire pit.

I’d have to say that one of my ultimate favourite outings of last year was the llama trekking we did in the hills above Lugano, and thinking about it always makes me smile as I remember how much we laughed, the beautiful views and little Alba shouting orders at her headstrong llama as she lead him around.

When we weren’t bothering llamas, we found lots of exciting ways to see the country from different vantage points including the CabriO Stanserhorn which is an open topped telecabin (pick a warm day for that one) and the Hammetschwand Lift at the Bürgenstock Resort. This trip to visit Europe’s highest lift included a boat to the resort from Luzern then a really lovely walk to reach the lift. We always say that we are good with heights but even we found our tummies lurching as the lift gathered speed. The view from the top was well worth it and it was an incredible experience.

One of our top tips for novice hikers (we still include ourselves in this category) is to take a cable car or chair lift up and walk down. This avoids a bit of grumbling from the children as their legs get tired quickly and spares us from hauling ourselves uphill with a child on our backs. We can highly recommend the Sentier de Marmottes in Vercorin for this approach where we followed an adventure trail for the children and enjoyed the glorious scenery.

Although some of our outings have seemed daunting even to us at the time, these kind of memories are priceless and we try to squeeze in enough sun-filled memories to tide us over the winter months. We are far from experts but we’ve become much better at organising our outings to cover all eventualities and we don’t leave home without squeezing in some extra snacks and a packet of plasters along with some fold-up waterproofs. The weather can change so quickly and especially in the spring, that you will thank yourself if you can pull out an extra covering if the weather suddenly turns chilly.

You can learn more about these destinations and many more on our blog www.thefamilyof5.com and don’t forget to check out our Instagram @familyof5.swiss.

Camilla runs the blog, The Family of 5. Originally from the U.K, she now lives in Switzerland with her French husband and 3 children.

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An Invitation to Unplug your Family and Get ‘Bored’ Outdoors You’re probably wondering if you read that right.

Unplugging so we can get bored? Why?

U

nless you’ve been successfully unplugged for the last couple of years, you’ve probably come across numerous articles and reports explaining the physical and mental health risks overuse of “smart” devices has on our children and us adults too. You may have been surprised to learn how detrimental “connectivity” is to the imagination, creativity and socialising. And this is where good old fashion time outdoors and boredom can be powerful antidotes.

My invitation to get bored really should be understood as an invitation to rely on what kids nowadays can view as boring, time outdoors without any devices. Because in reality, this «boring» scenario is the opportunity to be creative, be self-reliant, de-stress, increase energy levels, build confidence, reduce depression, and improve physical fitness. And yes, we adults benefit in the same ways from getting «bored» outside.

But I get it. It can seem daunting to unplug and such a struggle to introduce this to your family. So here are a few ideas to make getting «bored» outdoors doable and yes, even fun:

Close the house Simple and effective. On a chosen day close the house, as in get everyone out the door and lock it up, for 2 hours. No other plans. Some initial resistance is to be expected but just let the experiment take its course. Let the kids lead and see where their imaginations take them and you.

Plant the seed Not wanting boredom to turn into a whining fest it can be judicious to provide a little inspiration. I love a “boredom” jar for that. All you need is some paper, a pen and a jar. On each paper write down a word. It can really be anything: a colour, a size, a shape, a feeling… Fold the papers up and place them into the jar. Next time you want to have some outdoor time and are met with eye rolling, get one of you to pick one paper from the jar and head outdoors with the mission to find 10 things outdoors that are the given colour, or is the size of, or has the shape of, or makes you feel like…

Other than the initial instruction just let them explore and invent add-ons.

Tap into what they already like Do you have an amateur photographer? An artist? A musician? Or a bookworm? Have them take part in their favourite activity but outdoors. Head off to a local park, a nearby forest or mountain trail not for outdoor time per say but rather framing it within their interest: to take nature pictures; to create nature art; to experiment how sounds echoes in the open with their instrument; or why not to create a cozy reading place under a tree.

Use the magic of the forest A walk through the forest can turn into so much more with a little preparation or a simple prompt. It can be a treasure hunt or an already made obstacle course, a competition to build the highest stick tower, a blank canvas to draw on with a stick, a log house building project or an already made jungle gym.

Make it a challenge Set up a month challenge for some daily outdoor time and see who can have the longest consecutive daily run. Get everyone involved to establish the basic rules such as how long the outdoor time needs to be for it to count towards the challenge. Taking a little time each day around the dinner table to check in on everyone’s progress keeps the challenge fresh in the mind. A simple challenge winner prize like a personalised t-shirt for your “annual” family Outdoor Challenge can easily turn this little healthy competition into an outdoor family tradition.

To get you started on this outdoor unplugging time, head over to our website where I’ve created a bundle of free print outs to use with the ideas above: www.jurapeaks.com/ freebies Charlaine Jannerfeldt is the founder of the Jura Peaks brand and SHEzone outdoor community for women. An advocate for unplugging and an outdoor enthusiast to the core, she has created over 100 outdoor sport outings and runs unplugged retreats in the Jura mountains sharing these with hundreds of women.

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