Cis footprints december 2013 by Copenhagen International School

CIS FOOTPRINTS N. 04 DECEMBER 2013

The Spirit Club CIS Numbers & Stories: The Importance of Both The School that Shapes Futures

Editor in Chief: Suzanne O Reilly Art Director: Virginia de Colombani Reporters: Helene Rønde, Maitri Chavan, Marie Rønde, Melissa Gonzalez, Gilad Chen-Zion and Kris Gayoung, Adelaide Powell, Magnus Solberg Photographer: Sancia Glover Printed by: Hellerup Lyskopi We wish to thank the following people for their role in this issue of CIS Footprints. Felicity Glover: A journalist at Saxo Bank, who relocated to Copenhagen in February 2013. Felicity has mentored our CIS Student Reporters and enabled them to produce some wonderful articles for the CIS Footprints magazine. Andrea Worobel: A marketing professional who relocated to Copenhagen last spring when her husband joined Mærsk Line. Andrea has significant experience in communications planning and digital marketing and helped edit this edition. Liz Woodhour: PTA co-chair and Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) mentor. Liz mentored our high school students with the organization and planning of the PTA Trick or Treat Event this year.

“TELL ME AND I FORGET, TEACH ME AND I MAY REMEMBER, INVOLVE ME AND I LEARN.” BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Hellerupvej 26 2900 Hellerup, Denmark

E: http://www.cis-edu.dk/

P: +45 39 46 33 00

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CIS FOOTNOTES DECEMBER 2013 EDITION

It Takes A Community To A New School in the Build A School Making

CIS Numbers & Stories: The Importance of Both

Learning Assistance Program: A Helping Hand

The School that Shapes Futures

CIS Alumnus Returns as an Intern

Circle of Friends

The Spirit Club

The Power of Respect

Giving Peace a Chance

The Cellist

A Week in the Life of Middle School

Trick Or Treat? CIS Halloween Celebration

Out and About

IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO BUILD A SCHOOL Walter Plotkin School Director

“The project that has been in the works for many years is well on its way to becoming a reality for the CIS and wider Copenhagen community in August 2016” Building a school is a privilege that few educators have in the course of their careers. Building a school of the scale and complexity that CIS is planning is a remarkable challenge and opportunity. With internal floor space approximately equal to five full-size football pitches; rooms and facilities enough for 1,200 students ranging in age from 3 to 19; and 200 staff members ranging in age - well, just ranging in age - designing the new CIS Nordhavn Campus is like conceptualizing a small town. Trying to give voice to the many eager and willing contributors to the planning of the project is akin to having all of the town’s residents trying to make a mural with the single directive to paint “something that everyone will like.” That said, the project that has been in the works for many years is well on its way to becoming a reality for the CIS and wider Copenhagen community in August 2016. When I joined the school in 2010 and was introduced to the project, it had already been several years in the making. The CIS community, led by the previous board and administration, had begun to consider ways to remedy the scarcity of places and spaces on the Hellerup Campus. The potential solutions included expansion of the existing site, the purchase of another existing building or the construction of a new campus. Throughout the process, the school had been in touch with and assisted by businesses in the community, not the least of which

was the Maersk Company. To borrow from the oft-quoted African proverb, we learned first-hand that it literally takes a community to raise (build) a school. There is no way that we could have gotten to this point without the support of the Consortium for Global Talent (the sponsors who guaranteed our move to the City Campus by purchasing a number of seats for the children of their employees), successive CIS School Boards and the dedication of the Ejendomsfonden Copenhagen International School (ECIS) to name but a few. Certainly we would not be in the position that we are today without the wonderfully generous contributions of the A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller’s Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Villum Foundation, Dampskibsselskabet NORDEN A/S, D/S Orient’s Foundation, the Hempel Foundation and the Augustinus Foundation. Why did these varied groups choose to support CIS’ continued development? Why did the CIS Board decide to take the bold step to build a new school for the future? There are many ways that these questions might be answered. I believe that quite simply it is to give the people who reside permanently or temporarily in Copenhagen a school that is befitting them and their city. It will also better enable the school to fulfill its mission and vision to educate champions of a just and sustainable world in the service of learning to build community. CIS has grown significantly in the 50 years since it opened its doors to a handful of students studying a correspondence course in a rented room. What hasn’t changed, however, is the commitment to a personalized experience for all of our students that is at once international in scope and Danish in practice. When we talk of community membership we refer to our local roots and global outlook. We look forward to the next 50 years in our new school/community center on the waterfront in Nordhavn.

A NEW SCHOOL IN THE MAKING Thomas Martin Nielsen Director of Communications and Advancement

“This will be a unique opportunity for new families, Danish as well as international, to join the multi-cultural CIS community.” Thanks to the generosity of some of the major foundations in the Danish business world, the Moller Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Villum Foundation, the Dampskibsselskabet NORDEN A/S // D/S Orients Foundation, as well as the Hempel and Augustinus Foundations, the school has received donations in excess of DKK 355 million, allowing the foundation work of the new school to begin early next year. The CIS community has been, and is continually involved with the new design of the school as they work with the architects to articulate the needs for each section of the school and for the school as a whole. The opening of the new school, which will house 1,200 students, is set for August 2016. This will be a unique opportunity for new families, Danish as well as international, to join the multi-cultural CIS community. As newly appointed Director of Communications and Advancement, I have had many recent conversations with key stakeholders to learn why they like CIS and understand what we can do even better in order to attract more students to the school. It has been very reassuring to hear their comments. CIS, in the words of one business leader, is “universally known and highly regarded.” A human resources manager at one of Denmark’s

biggest companies reports that “not least from parents whose kids have special educational needs are we getting very positive feedback.” This reaffirms what we experience on a daily basis, namely that CIS parents consistently speak very highly of the school, both while they are here and after they have left. The school will continue to work on maintaining strong relationships with our donors and friends of CIS while also seeking new donors and connections. We are committed to continuing to create a positive image for CIS while representing the school at the Association of Private School in Denmark, American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), the Ministry of Education, Københavns Kommune as well as visiting the many companies and organizations that rely on CIS when recruiting highly skilled expats into Denmark. We look forward to keeping you updated on the happenings of the school via our website, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

CONTACT INFO. Thomas Martin Nielsen tmn@cis.dk Mobile: 2724 4899 http://www.cis.dk/

CIS NUMBERS & STORIES: THE IMPORTANCE OF BOTH CIS Teachers Teachers Countries represented

IB Diploma Program Certified Teachers

145 24

33 CIS Students Students Nations represented Average student growth since 1998 Growth from 2011/12 to 2012/13

Christiane Louise Majgaard Head of Admissions

John Steinbeck wrote “If a story is not about the hearer he [or she] will not listen . . . A great lasting story is about everyone or it will not last. The strange and foreign is not interesting--only the deeply personal and familiar.” To spend a day in the life of the CIS admissions office would be to listen to stories. There’s the story about CIS – its history, its mission, its future. There’s the story of the numbers – our community, our accomplishments, our goals. And of course there’s the story that new families bring – their background, their values, their dreams. But the stories that connect us – the great, lasting stories – are the real stories: the deeply personal and familiar stories that make CIS a unique community. It’s the stories of friendship and bonds, of challenge and growth, of diversity and enrichment, of a global experience made personal. It’s the stories that go beyond the smiling images reflected on our web site or brochures. So when a prospective parent asks that crucial question (and they all do) “Will CIS take good care of my child?” it’s the stories that help us answer the question. When a prospective family visits the Admissions Office, it may be based on factual need – a new job and a new country – or it may be due to challenging circumstances – an unhappy

>820 70 4% 32%

or unchallenged student. A prospective family’s story can be wrapped in layers of emotion. I’ve had children sit (perhaps unwillingly) in my office and declare their eternal and exclusive love to their current school. I’ve had teary mothers at wit’s end because her child refuses to go to school, wondering how CIS may help change her student’s mind. It’s the resolution of these stories – our CIS stories – that give me confidence to answer that mother or that child. Like how I have seen angst-ridden children just a few weeks after enrollment running into school smiling or walking home with a new best friend. How I’ve witnessed amazing connections made – like seeing the sudden light of recognition as a student and teacher engaged in lunchtime conversation both realize they’ve actually been at the same school in South America - but at different times - and how I’ve silently celebrated with them as they reminisce about the national dish. How I’ve watched with pride the student who graduated with an IB Diploma from CIS after having been told in her past student years that this was not likely to happen. Although the facts are interesting, as I look to the future, I am excited by the new stories. As we look forward to moving from two campuses re-joining to one campus again and opening our doors to 1,000 students, there are so many more stories to tell and even so many more beautiful stories to experience. And as Steinbeck asserted, these stories are about everyone – because CIS is a story that will last.

LEARNING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: A HELPING HAND Cindie Juul-Larsen LAP Coordinator

For some kids, school can be a challenging and scary environment, which can make learning difficult. In those cases, having a trusted friend whispering, “You can do it!” can help make all the difference. That’s exactly the goal of the Learning Assistance Program (LAP). The LAP is a student-centered, volunteer-based tutoring and mentoring program that provides students who need it with extra learning support in a safe and comfortable environment. Its oneon-one or small-group setting helps students until they know they can do it. Originally developed in Australia in the 1970s and launched at CIS in 2000, the program provides a structured framework that harnesses the power of our school’s rich parent and volunteer community to provide learning support, enrichment and care for students of all ages. HOW DOES IT WORK? Each student in the program is entitled to one or a maximum of two sessions per week (one session is 40 or 60 minutes, depending on the age of the student). If a student is struggling in all areas of a subject, or in more than one subject then LAP is not the place for them. LAP volunteers normally work with one student, but exceptions are also be made, so one volunteer can work with a group of two or three students. This works well in the language subjects for example where they can use each other for conversation. LAP volunteers are not qualified teachers! But they are competent to teach the requested subject to the student. The referring teacher is responsible for being in academic contact with the LAP volunteer, and the teacher provides work for the LAP sessions. The LAP Coordinator works closely with the Student Support Services’ department throughout the school. LAP IN ACTION LAP helps in many ways, depending on the student and the situation. Here are examples of how LAP volunteers may help students:

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! • read with a student • review things that have been covered in class • practice German, French, Spanish or Danish with a native speaker • solve problems in math, biology, chemistry etc., STUDY SKILLS, TRANSITIONS & MENTORING • help students organize themselves • provide general homework assistance • listen and emotional support unbiased friend or a mentor • native language speaker (if, for example, the student just arrived) HOW CAN I LEARN MORE? If you are interested in more information about the LAP program or if you would like to be a LAP volunteer, please contact: Cindie Juul-Larsen, LAP Coordinator Office D12, Hellerup Campus Tel. 39463392 – Cell 31725550 cjl@cis.dk

THE SCHOOL THAT SHAPES FUTURES still thankful today for the high standard of education I was exposed to at CIS, which gave me a strong platform in pursuing my career. My career path post MSc completion: • Freelance environmental consultant (1 year) • Owner and Managing Director of Wave Ecology Ltd • Environmental Consultancy (5 years) • QHSE Project Manager at EPI Ltd (2 years) • Senior HSE Advisor at Maersk Oil (< 1 year) • Lead Environmental Advisor at Maersk Oil (Present)

Addy Powell Grade 11 Sebastian von Lüeders is a distinguished alumnus of Copenhagen International School. He graduated in 1997 and now works as the Lead Environmental Advisor at Maersk Oil. Mr von Lüeders, who hails from Sweden, says his time at CIS impacted his career path and that it was the first school where he was accepted by his expat peers without judgement. When did you graduate from CIS? I graduated with a full IB Diploma in the IB class of 1997. Where did you go to university? Based on wanting to study in my best technical language (English), I decided to test the university scene in the UK. I had an option between three universities in Scotland, England and Wales and opted to accept the offer from the University of Wales, Swansea, which, at that time, had the best combination of academic excellence, extracurricular activities and social scene for my needs. I completed my BSc in Marine Biology in Swansea and continued with my MSc in Applied Biology from Linköping University in Sweden. What career path did you take and did your time at CIS influence what you did later in life? From a very young age, I always knew I wanted to study marine biology as my childhood allowed me to explore hobbies and interests associated to the ocean environment. My time at CIS only heightened this need as we were exposed to many field trips through the biology class and during our activity weeks, which confirmed my enjoyment for field-based work. My chosen career path in Environmental Management was a natural step based on the combination of my passion for the marine environment and my academic strategy. I am

What are your favorite memories from CIS? I could share several stories from my time at CIS, which are better placed in the category of “life as a teenager in Copenhagen”. What I want to share is how the culture of CIS during my time there allowed me and my fellow students to grow and mature. We were given a healthy amount of freedom and independence to manage our lives and take responsibility for our decisions. As you will come to realize, being a teenager does not always allow for sound judgment to be applied in all situations. However, learning from your decisions and actions will allow you to manage the challenges of your future and form a strategic thought process. Another important impact was the exposure to the dynamic cultural environment (friends, parents and teachers), which still benefits me today in maneuvering through my career. The experiences I had at CIS definitely formed part of the building blocks of my personal values. These values have helped guide my decisions and behaviors ,which have led to my successes. Did you form any strong friendships? I formed many strong friendships (students, parents and faculty) during my time at CIS, including people who are still an important part of my social life 15 years after graduation. I spent my early childhood as an expat student in a local school system in the USA. My first exposure to students with a similar background to mine was during my first day at CIS, where I was approached and welcomed to the school by fellow students. This was the first time I remember being accepted into a group without judgment. Coming to CIS and being genuinely accepted by my peers with similar experiences allowed me to gain the confidence and maturity to tackle future challenges.

CIS ALUMNUS RETURNS AS AN INTERN the library, managing and creating access to culture and knowledge for all groups of society, was an attractive alternative.

“Libraries offer a space to learn, produce, relax, and socialize; they combine latest technology with direct, personalized services that help the learner in mastering his journey and his everyday challenges”

Stefan Volkmann 2010 CIS graduate

I always felt having a somewhat different relation to CIS, being the first and only international school I attended in my lifetime, as opposed to my fellow classmates, who have been living in numerous countries throughout their childhood and who are most likely used to such an environment. Growing up with a more or less uninspiring German school system, the contrast of being taught and guided by teachers that were actually interested in my person could not have been more impactful. My appreciation for their engagement continues beyond my graduation in 2010. Hence, I am both thankful and excited to return to Hellerup once more to learn – as a library intern. Yes, until February, I’ll be working in the library. After beginning my academic career studying art, I eventually switched to ‘library and information management’ at Media University Stuttgart, Germany – a course which strongly values practical experience. Consequently, I have already collected work experience in archives, public, and university libraries. The only missing aspect is the school library. But before going into details, let’s elaborate on the question that will most likely go through your head right now: Why did I give up on art and what in the world is library management? First of all, I did not give up on art itself, but rather on the ‘cultureindustry’ behind it. I felt unsatisfied contributing to an ever growing mass of artistic production that simply did not reach the right people. True artistic communication appeared impossible to me, as every artist would eventually have to reveal their intensions verbally and ‘explain’ the piece, instead of having it speak and stand for itself. Consequently,

But what’s so great about being a librarian? After all, it’s just about putting books back on the shelves, and with the advent of the e-book, there’s no need for libraries any more, right? Well, yes, someone has to put the books back, but just because some of them are available electronically, the library is not out of business. E-books still cost money, and so do the devices they ought to be read on. It is the job of the library to provide access for those that cannot afford it otherwise. The space that is gained by digitalizing physical shelves is not left vacant either: As more and more young people take part in academic education, and as lifelong learning becomes an integral part of adult education, there is a massive demand for physical places for learning. Hence, the library is transformed into a ‘learning space’ – a flexible environment for every type of learner, meeting the requirements of the individual. ‘Information commons’, ‘learning grids’, ‘tech hubs’, ‘maker-‘ or ‘hacker spaces’ are only a handful of brands and emanations that appeared during the last years. They offer a space to learn, produce, relax, and socialize; they combine latest technology with direct, personalized services that help the learner in mastering his journey and his everyday challenges. This includes information research as well: Just because everything is digital these days, it doesn’t make it easier finding the right information – but for the librarians it does. They are the experts of information retrieval. Spending more than five minutes googling for something? – ask a librarian; that’s what we are there for! A field of exciting changes and challenges, as one might conclude; and what an exciting coincidence that CIS is about to undergo the exact same transition with the new campus at Nordhavn. I envision the library not as a simple hoard of literature, but as a one-stop student service center and a mobile learning landscape; as a place that reflects the flexibility and creativity that we want the students to acquire. In combination with the excellent support of the CIS staff, such a library provides, as I believe, the capacities to inspire others in becoming a self-initiated learner. The above mentioned traits are the ones I am most grateful for having acquired during my time as a student, and I wish everyone after me to have an education and experience of equal quality.

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Helene Rønde Grade 5

There’s something amazing going on in the kindergarten classes at Copenhagen International School. What is it? It’s the value of friendship. For the past six weeks, the kindergarten students have been learning about how to be a good friend and how to work well with each other. And if you head down to the Early Years building at the Hellerup Campus, you will also see that they have created a Friendship Wall, which will be on display for the whole school year! The friendship wall is to show who has been “caught” being a friend. The children can either draw or have a picture taken of them being a good friend. Their teacher will then write what they did and it will be put on the friendship wall for all to see. Kindergarten teacher Ms. Jennifer says: “We are very happy to see the Kindergarten students being caring and respectful friends. They are learning to communicate in friendly ways and play well with each other!”

THE SPIRIT CLUB Magnus Solberg Grade 6 Lori Petty is a CIS mum, a former professional cheerleader and the founder of the new CIS´ Cheerleading Club. I interviewed Lori on 25th October about the concept of this new group. What gave you the idea to name the cheerleading club the Spirit Club? Well there is an age difference between a cheerleading club and the Sprit Club. The Spirit Club is for younger students (kindergarten to grade 3) who have expressed interest in learning more about cheerleading. We also wanted to include the boys so we started this club and called it “The Spirit Club”.

“I believe we evoke a good school spirit during sports games with our songs and bannersr” What experience do you have of cheerleading? I started cheerleading in grade 6 and continued all the way through college. I then became an instructor for the Indiana Cheer Camps, where I taught students the “Art of Cheerleading”. How does the Spirit Club contribute to our schools image? I believe we evoke a good school spirit during sports games with our songs and banners. The banners are designed by our

younger students and the energy we create at events is always positive and fun. Our aim is to promote more school spirit over the year. Do you think that cheerleading is an American concept or can it be used worldwide? I do believe that cheerleading is an American concept however, while living in Puerto Rico I had an overwhelming interest from students at the international school who wanted to know more about cheerleading. And while not many private schools in Europe actually have a cheerleading club per say, we can see at CIS that the initiative has been really well received by our primary school students and parents. I am also talking to the afterschool activity coordinator about opening up a club for middle school students. The Spirit Club will be there to cheer at the next basketball event in Hellerup on 5th and 6th December. We are all looking forward to it.

THE POWER OF RESPECT Maitri Vishuas Chavan

Copenhagen International School is a breathtaking place to be. This magnificent school opened in 1962 and has continued to create a safe, loving and happy environment for the CIS community. We are an inclusive school, which means no student is excluded from studying here and because our teachers are highly skilled, they know how to teach and be there for each individual student. From as early as pre-K, we learn how important it is to be respectful to one another inside and outside of the school. FIRST NAME Gregersen, who teaches Grade 1, says her students have been learning more about community and how behavior reflects on the atmosphere of the classroom and, indeed, the school environment. “The most important part of learning at CIS is knowing that no person in the community is more important than anyone else,” she says. “There is a place for everyone to succeed and learn to accept the importance of others. Learning to value others is an important part of valuing oneself. At CIS, we explore the process of

positive thinking and recognize the individual contributions that all members can make. It is a powerful way to teach self-esteem and self-respect. ” Over the years, CIS has developed and moved to different campuses and we look forward to moving to our new school building in Nordhavn in 2016. We look forward to being in a place that will allow for more creative play and better learning equipment for students – and this building, too, will become a school that all will cherish.

GIVING PEACE A CHANCE Gayoung Kris Jeong Grade 8

“This year, the students took on the role of news reporters and creatively went on site to areas of conflict to report on the status of the conflict and on a peace initiative” It might seem like a while away, but the countdown to 2014 Peace Day has already begun and it is never too early to start thinking about ideas to raise awareness of global peace. Founded by the British filmmaker Jeremy Gilley, Peace One Day is a non-government organization that campaigns for global peace for one day of the year. The day that was chosen was September 21, and it was ratified by the United Nations in 2001 as the world’s international day of peace. Peace Day is already making a difference. In 2012, it was reported that 4 percent of the world’s population was aware of Peace Day and that, as a result, 2 percent behaved more peacefully. Peace One Day says that 2012 has been a “benchmark year”. Not only were many people aware of it, but health teams have also been able to go into usually restricted areas and vaccinate numerous people on Peace Day, such as in Afghanistan, where they received approval from the Taliban. The Peace One Day organization hopes that Peace Day will become self-sustainable and celebrated without any promotion, reducing violence and thus making more peace. It considers raising awareness about the day key to that aim. And to raise awareness, it has made coalitions with many different kinds of organizations, including schools. Copenhagen International School is one of those schools and actively participates in raising awareness about Peace Day. Grade 8 students have created videos for their Humanities and English classes, investigating different conflicts around the world with the 2013 Peace Day theme question: “Who will you make peace with?” Led by Alison Black-Storm and Allison White, the Grade 8 Humanities teachers, Grade 8 students researched and presented peace initiatives that may contribute to solving the problem. And on October 10, 2013, Grade 8 organized a documentary viewing for Middle School students. “For a number of years at CIS, we have been exploring the concept of Peace and Conflict as a unit of study,” says Ms Black-Storm.

“However, in the last couple of years we have introduced an action component to this unit of study. Through group research projects, the students are responsible for raising awareness about peace and conflict amongst their community. “This year, the students took on the role of news reporters and creatively went on site to areas of conflict to report on the status of the conflict and on a peace initiative. These reports were merged together and presented at a documentary viewing in Middle School Assembly. ” Ms Black-Storm says she would like to see more action on International Peace Day at CIS. “Of course, the best option would be to hold our Peace Day Assembly on International Peace Day itself. However, this can be complicated with timetable scheduling and also depends on the day of the week. This year, Peace Day was on Saturday, next year’s Peace Day’s on a Sunday.” It has also been suggested that we could work together with other service project initiatives at CIS, such as the Team Peru Fund Run. This could be a great opportunity to not only raise money and awareness for our project in Peru, but also to highlight the importance of peace in all aspects of our lives, both locally and globally.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Go to http://peaceoneday.org for more information about Peace Day. And if you have any ideas on how to raise awareness of peace, please contact me at krisjeong00@ gmail.com.

THE CELLIST Gillad Chen-Zion Grade 8

“I was really excited to play for Princess Benedikte. I mean, you don’t often get the opportunity of playing in front of royalty.” Andrew Raymond Shinn is one of CIS’ top young musicians. Although only in eighth grade, Andrew is a cellist at the Danish Royal Academy of Music, Junior String Program led by Alexander Zapolski and has also performed in front of Danish royalty. Andrew was born in Topeka, Kansas on October 11, 1999, but he spent most of his life in Madison, New Jersey. Andrew went to Torey J. Sabatini School and in third grade had to choose an instrument to play for either the school band or orchestra. Andrew tried a few instruments before picking “his” instrument, the cello, which he thought was pretty cool and began playing in the school orchestra. The Torey J. Sabatini School gave the students nearly full sized instruments so they could “grow” into them. Andrew started playing seriously and practicing at the age of nine. In New Jersey, Andrew played as the 1st chair cellist in the New Jersey Youth Symphony. The symphony played several concerts for the parents and families of the school, but gave one huge fundraising concert for both the public and the school community and raised approximately $100,000 for funding for the arts. For the past two summers Andrew attended the Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan, and enjoys it every time. “The weather in Michigan is much nicer, compared to Danish summer; almost every day it’s around 94˚ F. As for the camp and its activities, there are a few fun activities. Last year the camp organized a canoe trip which was really fun, and the rope courses, they were really fun too. The staff is great too, but I think that just playing in the chamber group and the orchestra is lots of fun by itself.” The camp directors of the summer camp say that Andrew has great potential. Andrew moved to Copenhagen in August 2012 when his mother Kristen, was offered a job contract in Copenhagen with a multiinternational pharmaceutical corporation called Pfizer. Andrew is now in his 2nd year at CIS and twice a week takes cello lessons from a Hungarian cello teacher named Suzanne Solzinoki. So far Andrew has played multiple concerts with the CIS band and string group members who include Liam Webster (8th grade cellist), Bila Djamaoeddin (8th grade cellist), Andrea

Leoni (7th grade violinist) and myself Gilad Chen-Zion (8th grade violinist). Each year at Christmas time, CIS has the pleasure of performing for the sick at Rigshospital here in Copenhagen. And last but not least, Andrew has performed in front of Princess Benedikte, the Queen of Denmarks sister. “Looking back on the event, Andrew says “I was really excited to play for her. I mean, you don’t often get the opportunity of playing in front of royalty.” Andrew also got to meet the princess in person, which he described as “cool experience.” Many think that today’s teenagers are all glued to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so forth. Andrew has to manage his time carefully considering all the extra-curricular activities that he has. He manages soccer twice a week; cello lessons two times a week, and has to practice cello an hour every day; and homework for a minimum of an hour and thirty minutes. Andrew only manages 15-30 minutes of social media time a day because he is simply so busy. I asked Andrew where he thinks he will be in five years time. He thinks that the conservatory is an appropriate answer with his rate of progress on the cello. Andrew says that if he fulfills his dream in becoming a world-class musician and travel around the world, he will one day return back to CIS and play for the students.

A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF MIDDLE SCHOOL Melissa Gonzalez and Marie Rønde Grade 7

It’s an action-packed week for Middle School students at Copenhagen International School – and it’s not all about reading, writing and arithmetic. From Student Council to choir, Book Lunch and Ukulele Club, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Every Monday, a group of students head to the library with their lunches and sit at a table at the very back for what we call Book Lunch. One of the librarians, Diana Lloret or Urania Beyer, read to them from Star Girl, a book about an odd girl who finds her way into the heart of the main character. “Book Lunch is an initiative for promoting reading among the students,” Diana says. “It’s a great idea to enjoy your break. You get to listen to a story while eating and getting a different perspective from other students. “We enjoy everything. We enjoy that you, as a student, participate – to see you guys taking part in such a great activity. And to see your will to read books and that you take advantage of this beautiful library. The most important thing for us is that you love the library.” If Book Lunch isn’t your type of thing, then you can give choir a try on Tuesdays. So far, only girls have been singing this year. But choir at CIS isn’t about men and women singing church songs dressed in long blue robes. Our choir at CIS is much more fun! The singing group gets to sing some great songs. The choir has been learning and practicing Some Nights by Fun – and they also get to choose and vote on which songs they want to sing. “Singing is fun. End of story,” says Alison Brown, the choir teacher. “Singing is a good physical workout and mental workout, but it’s also very relaxing. I find myself as a teacher that I might be really stressed … but then when I sing at lunchtime, I feel very relaxed and energized.” On Wednesdays, a large group of students venture up the stairs to the D floor for the weekly Student Council meeting. The Student Council arranges activities such as parties for Middle School students. And the money they raise goes to a select group of charities including Team Peru, the Danish charity Børn i Nød and the BRAP Burmese Program, among others.

The Student Council also sponsors the HAWKS program for students and teachers. This is an important activity for CIS students because it helps us to make a difference in our community. “Student Council is here to promote leadership, responsibility, independence and bring a sense of ownership among the students,” says Paul Donald, a math teacher who helps the Student Council, along with Robert Reynolds. Thursdays round out the week for lunchtime activities – and what better way to end it than with Ukulele Club. It’s a fun and easy instrument for students to learn. It’s also a great way to sing some songs and relax together, particularly when it’s too cold to go outside during the winter. “You get to see your teachers learning at the same time as you and see them make fools of themselves,” says Miss Brown, who runs the Ukulele Club. “The Ukulele Club is here every Thursday to inspire us to learn how to play an instrument – and who doesn’t want to play a ukulele?” As you can see, every day at CIS is not only educational, but also a fun time for the kids because we have a variety of choices and events going on all the time.

TRICK OR TREAT? CIS HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION There were only treats from CIS’ annual Trick or Treat event held November 2nd. Not only did the celebration provide fantastic fun, it also provided senior school students the opportunity to organize and run the event under the mentorship of the PTA. This year’s celebration was set to raise approximately DKK 10,000 which will go back to the school and the students by way of the CIS Endowment. “We are so pleased to be part of the effort of teaching the kids and giving back to the kids!” said Liz Woodhour The PTAwas lucky enough to have found a street in Charlottenlund whose residents were again willing to host 450 kids between the ages of 3-10 dressed in costumes. Vasehojvej residents tell us that they have come to love the tradition of having Trick or Treating at their homes and look forward to the costumes and decorations each year! This year two senior school students, Mihika Deb and Rebecca Flowers, spearheaded the Trick or Treat event. It is the first time that students have played such an important role in the event and they brought such enthusiasm to the planning.

“It is the PTA’s intention of having the students play leadership roles in many of the upcoming events” The students started off by writing to the Vasehojvej families and companies that have sponsored our event in the past. We are happy to say that Colgate once again donated toothbrushes and Mars donated a good portion of the chocolates. Our pumpkins

added festive color to the neighborhood thanks to SuperBest at the Rotunden. The girls went to Vasehojvej and met some of the neighbors while distributing letters to describe the event proceedings. They continued their leadership training by getting volunteers and organizing the night. We did a fantastic job and we are so proud of them! It is the PTA’s intention of having the students play leadership roles in many of the upcoming events. We have great parents with lots of knowledge to share and students who are eager to learn new skills, so it is really working well for everyone!

OUT AND ABOUT

Newcomers Wine and Cheese â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20th September

Varsity NECIS girls and boys

We are excited to say that the Halloween Trick or Treat Event raised over 16,000 Kr. which will go towards the CIS Alumni

Endowment. The endowment was established last year by alumni and the PTA to commemorate 50 years of CIS (1963-2013).

By Katherine Sublet, PYP IT Dept. CIS held a professional development day for all three divisions at the Hellerup campus. A Technology Expo was held as part of the day where students and teachers were presenting their

work in technology. Pictured are PYP students from grades K-5 sharing their work with teachers from CIS. They were poised and articulate as they talked about their work in PYP ICT and how it connected to their units of inquiry. Bravo, students!

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