CIS Footprints June 2018 Edition

FOOTPRINTS LEARNING

JUNE #14

Seesaw: Empowering Students and Engaging Families page 06

BUILDING

COMMUNITY

Lower years Primary Greenhouse

Cafe Klare, a Shelter for Women

Developing the greenhouse was one of the ideas the Early Years staff embarked upon.

CAS aims to provide a ‘counterbalance’ to the academic rigour of the educational programme. page 24

page 20

ALUMNI

Alumni Interview with Alberto Padrini, ‘79 page 34

Life as a young Muslim girl Nour is new to CIS and delighted to be in an environment which is open-minded to all races and religions. Nour happily shares her story with us here. page 12-13

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TABLE OF CONTENTS LEARNING

BUILDING

LIFE AS A YOUNG MUSLIM GIRL

LOWER YEARS PRIMARY GREENHOUSE

20-21

12-13 LEARNING LEARNING

BUILDING

Message from the director Seesaw: Empowering Students and Engaging Families My Personal Project World Religions Ships, gongs and idols: Are Hinduism and Lutheranism really so different?

Life as a young Muslim girl The Teacher-Student Relationship: Tine Balck Sørensen Education Evolution Small kids help make a big difference

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PAGE 5 PAGE 6 PAGE 7 PAGE 8 PAGE 10 PAGE 12 PAGE 14 PAGE 16 PAGE 18

Lower years Primary Greenhouse

PAGE 20

JUNE #14

COMMUNITY

ALUMNI

ALUMNI INTERVIEW WITH ALBERTO PADRINI, ‘79

CAFE KLARE, A SHELTER FOR WOMEN

34-35

24-25 COMMUNITY

Building Community with PTA Cafe Klare, a Shelter for Women Life as an Expat Mum Life as an Expat Mum Goodbye to the man with his finger on the CIS Pulse Farewell and thank you for the many years of service to CIS

ALUMNI

PAGE 22 PAGE 24 PAGE 26 PAGE 28

Alumni Interview with Alberto Padrini, ‘79 The Alumna’s Eye: Karima Ladjimi When All Is Said And Done

PAGE 34 PAGE 36 PAGE 38

PAGE 30 PAGE 32

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FOOTPRINTS LETTER FROM THE FOOTPRINTS TEAM Dear CIS Community, The 14th edition of CIS Footprints is dedicated to the following members of staff who served for over 25 years at CIS: Mr. Karsten Engelberg (1987-2018), Ms. Amy Faircloth (1989-2018), and Mr. Vincent Murphy (1992-2018). Their many years of service at CIS did not go unnoticed as each celebrated with their own farewell reception, bringing the community together for a last goodbye and allowing us all to share special moments from the past. Their presence will be missed and we wish them all the best for the future.

We also say goodbye to Shannon O´Connor who served as our Footprints editor and mentor to our junior reporters since 2016. Shannon will be missed by not only colleagues but also by the many students she mentored.

It was always a pure pleasure to work alongside Shannon and we wish her well as she returns to her homeland, Canada.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue, and if you would like to contribute an article, please do not hesitate to contact the editing team.

You can find past editions of CIS Footprints here: http://www.cis.dk/community/alumni/footprints Happy summer!

The CIS Footprints Team

“The highest result of education is tolerance” Helen Keller

JUNE 2018 Managing Editors: Suzanne O´Reilly and Shannon O´Connor Design Director: Virginia de Colombani Junior Editors: Clodagh Cunningham,Ella Hedberg and Tarang Dalela

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LEARNING

JENNIFER WEYBURN, SCHOOL DIRECTOR

Message from the director Dear CIS Community, The end of every school year is bittersweet at CIS. We are excited to have accomplished the year of learning and we look forward to the change of pace of summer, a needed time for rest and fun. And at the same time, we feel sad to say goodbye to friends who will be headed on to schools and new adventures all across the world.

One recent day made me realize that we are not really saying a final goodbye, just “vi ses”. On a bright Saturday morning in June we welcomed over one hundred CIS alumni to campus, initiating what will now be a yearly tradition.

Some came from across the city, others came from as far away as San Francisco and Russia. Former students, families, and teachers, spanning from the 1970’s to last year, explored the new campus together. They reconnected with old friends, reminisced about favorite teachers, and recalled former CIS campuses. They spoke about what they learned at CIS that has helped them in their lives since.

Our community spans time and place. Even though we are in a new home, all alumni are welcome in Nordhavn. They are an important part of our CIS community.

Best wishes for a wonderful summer, Jen

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BY TARANG DALELA, GRADE 7

LEARNING

Seesaw: Empowering Students and Engaging Families WHAT IS SEESAW? According to its website, Seesaw is a ‘Student driven digital portfolio’. 99% of teachers would recommend it to others because it’s easy use. The website also says that a lot of teachers have been able to not only communicate to parents, but also teach students about how hard work pays off.

In our school, the PYP coordinator, Karen Serritslev, introduced Seesaw to the classrooms and it completely revolutionized the way teachers communicate.

“Students can create, reflect, share and collaborate on different things, and they can show what they know using videos, photos, drawings, and can also attach files from their google drive” Karen explained.

Karen Serritslev has been working at CIS for the last 13 years, and has technologically advanced the school in many ways.

For example, she introduced Google Apps to the school while she was a IT specialist.

“Seesaw keeps everything at one place,” she said. Instead of keeping notes in backpacks, explaining the classroom situation to parents in parent-teacher conferences, Seesaw can update parents on what is happening in the class.”

99% of teachers would recommend it to others because it’s easy use.

FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY Students no longer have to come home and say ‘nothing’ when asked what they did in school that day. Parents could ask them about a write up they had done, or a picture they had made.

This also enables parents to keep up to date with what is happening in the class, so when they go for parent-teacher conferences, their time with the teacher does not focus on asking about what had been happening in the past semester, but instead it goes towards other questions related towards the child’s growth in the class. “A lot of teachers have commented that they have been able to communicate a lot of information through Seesaw, that they would otherwise be answering a lot of questions,” Karen commented.

It has been used both in the middle school and the primary school. In the primary school it is used in classrooms, and parents have full access to it, but in the middle school it is only between the teacher and the students.

Seesaw has been very useful to many parents, as I have a younger brother myself in second grade, who uses it in the classroom. “Seesaw is great, it helps me see my child’s daily routines” a parent of a second grader said. The teacher always keeps the whole family up to date with what is happening in the class. Sometimes, even me and and my brother have lengthy discussions about what is going on.

Overall, not only does Seesaw help the family, it also helps the classroom community as a whole because it keeps all of the students well connected with the teacher.

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LEARNING

BY CHLOE NASH, GRADE 10

My Personal Project The Personal Project is a requirement and the biggest graded assignment in Grade 10. Students spend 7 months researching a topic that we enjoy, which results in the creation of a product that shows what we have learnt and how we can apply that knowledge to our learning via journaling.

However, choosing what to base your project on is one of the trickiest things to decide; I was lucky enough to already have had an idea of what I wanted to do - photography.

At my last school the personal project was talked about from grade 5, so I had been thinking about what I could do for a long time, which was probably why I chose such a complexed question: “Does a photographer capture the subject, or a reflection of themselves?”

Photography is a love that I have shared with my Grandfather since childhood, thus an obvious choice to base my project upon. Like my grandfather, I too am passionate about the world behind the lense, so I knew that would hold my interest for the entire seven months. I wanted to find out who photography is for, and who actually decides what an image portrays.

I knew from the start that my project would have no definitive answer. To tell the truth, I think that made the project better for me because I didn’t have to worry about constantly trying to find an answer throughout. I knew that I could just talk about what photography means and what other people saw through the photos.

People enjoy escaping from reality; I do this through photography. If anyone were to ask me why I want to be a photographer I would say because people can find refuge in a photo. People can relate to a photo differently at different times. Whenever you watch someone look at a photograph you can see how they react to it and watch the change on their face. That is what I love about photography and one reason why I want it to be my future.

My final product was a photography exhibition called “A Splash of Community”, which showcased portraits of 15 different models all from the CIS community. Most of my models for the project were grade eight students, however, grade ten students also took part along with Frank Deehan, a father here at CIS. What I liked about having so many models was that I also had at least 12 different nationalities represented. I loved how you could tell from the photos that there was something different in the way each person carried themselves and portrayed their story to the camera.

The journaling part of the project is also heavily graded and this is the one part that I feel like no one really enjoyed as much. It is an insane process of keeping a journal throughout and then trying to compact your beautiful project down to a maximum of 3500 word project report. I was still writing mine on the day it was due. Despite this, I believe that if you choose a project you feel connected to in some way then this whole process becomes much easier and fun, because you get to write about something you are passionate about and will automatically put more energy into it. This was definitely the case for me. I had an enjoyable reason to sit with my laptop for hours editing. Another piece of advice for others is to know your limitations. Strive for that high mark but sometimes simplicity is enough.

Photography is an art form, therefore everyone has different opinions. However, to answer my own question, “Does a photographer capture the subject, or a reflection of themselves?”, I have furthered my understanding that no matter what the model and photographer are try to achieve in a photo, the only person who can decide what that portrays is the audience themselves. We all have a part to play, but ultimately photography is for the people who see it, and who take refuge in it.

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LEARNING

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE CHADBOURNE, BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

World Religions WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DO A UNIT ON RELIGION, AND HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK THIS TOPIC IS TO TEACH TO STUDENTS? Grade 7 often do a unit looking at world religions. It follows on a unit learning about government systems and how governments operate and impact those living within and outside of their borders. The religions unit gives specific details about particular religions, but also highlights for students why sociologists believe religions developed in the first place and what that value has been and still is in societies today. Studying religions has an important function in providing basic historical information about the development of peoples and states and serves as a brilliant launch pad to further understanding what makes up a system, how to recognize key aspects of those systems, and exposure to ideas about the origins and functioning of societies and the impact this has on individuals and groups.

This particular subject matter does an excellent job enabling students to pick up on the core similarities between things that appear to be starkly different to one another, raising first-hand awareness that superficial understanding and over generalizations can lead to misunderstandings and conflict.

The unit is also a fun unit in terms of its ability to reach students at multiple levels – through storytelling, through pictures, through the use of symbols and symbolism, and through analysis of politics and world power dynamics. It is a topic that enables students to take what they can from it at their own level, whether didactic instructional information or higher-level thinking about existential questions and world politics and the influences on human behaviour and interaction.

HOW DID YOU ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO IDENTIFY AND EXPLORE DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS? We looked first at the idea of why we should (or should not) study religion in schools and from there got an overview of what kind of diversity we are talking about in the world.

Where are different religions practiced? What are the names of those religions and the adherents of those faiths? When did these faiths emerge and do they still have followers today? What are the key elements of a religious system and how can we recognize something more ‘organized’ than just an individual’s ideas or beliefs about something spiritual?

Why does this distinction matter?

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Because we are living in Protestant Denmark, we then examined the origins and beliefs of Christianity and Protestantism in depth as a way of modelling the research required to really explore what makes up a religion and how it impacts upon believers’ lives, individually, within religious communities, and across societies. After working as a class to understand this example religion, students undertook their own research projects on a religion of their choice.

Their aim was to analyse how the two religions (our model one and their area of focus) impacted upon adherents’ lives and to make this link or understanding of the differences and similarities in religious beliefs visibly apparent in terms of the actual societal impact on persons, believers and nonbelievers, religion can and does have in many parts of the world.

DID STUDENTS FIND ANY COMMON TRAITS IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE DIFFERENT RELIGIONS/BELIEFS? Absolutely. We had some dynamic discussions about how different religions can seem very diverse, even at odds with each other, but that in the end they all boil down to the same ideals and goals of community creation and streamlined social predictability for the most part and that typically religious beliefs or ideals work towards encouraging particular behaviour or attitudes in life through the promise or hope for a better afterlife. One of the most interesting outcomes

of the unit was a wall display showing visual depiction of the various religions from students’ perspectives. Taken collectively, the patterns of colours and symbols or imagery in the display of student work leant an interesting cohesive quality to religion as a whole, whether from the perspective of Islam, Christianity, or Jainism. Each student was also tasked with explaining why those visual reminders of the religion represented the religion to them, which gave further food for thought about what the ‘essence’ of world religions are from multiple perspectives.

“...the unit led to a better understanding of the diversity of cultures and religious beliefs. More importantly, and on a personal level for students, the unit expands into an analysis of stereotypes.”

DID THE UNIT ON LEARNING ABOUT THESE RELIGIONS LEAD STUDENTS TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ONE ANOTHER’S CULTURE? AND WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE UNIT? I do think that the unit led to a better understanding of the diversity of cultures and religious beliefs. More importantly, and on a personal level for students, the unit expands into an analysis of stereotypes. This focuses on religious stereotypes as an example that takes place and its impact on individuals, communities, and society as a whole, enabling our students to share their own experiences of being perceived as ‘different’ in a variety of contexts and how this has impacted them on their own personal journey.

The whole unit was rich, but I think the work students did on the use of symbols to further explain or expand upon religious ideas was particularly special. After some good discussions about how symbols help to further understanding of religions and adherents’ beliefs, students were tasked to analyse their own beliefs about religion or spirituality and to turn those ideas into their own ‘personal symbol’. They worked with their design teacher to create a design cycle for this miniproject and then chose a symbol and carved it into an eraser, creating their own personal stamp. We paired these stamps (pressed into salt dough ornaments) with descriptions of why they created the symbols they did, resulting in a truly heartwarming display of genuine understanding of the power that symbols can have in communicating deeply personal and complex understandings or ‘histories’.

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LEARNING

BY JOSHUA WEBER, GRADE 7

Ships, gongs and idols: Are Hinduism and Lutheranism really so different?

Have you ever wondered if different religions are actually that different?

What about for example Den Danske Folkekirke (The Danish Church, Lutheranism) compared to Hinduism, which has origins in India. Even though these religions may at first seem really different, this article will explore ways in which they are actually quite alike. They are alike in the way they pray and in their place of worship. In both religions, adherents have different time periods and places for prayer and have to decide how much devotion they put into it. This impacts their lifestyle and their families and what they do every day.

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The place of worship for the Hindus and Lutherans impacts its adherents (people who worship a certain religion) because it is what helps the person to feel like they are part of the religion and to remember the important parts of their religion and stories (or ‘sanskrit’ for the Hindus). In the Hindu religion people have temples. Temples tell the story of the religion in a non-sanskrit way. If you have ever seen a temple, you will see that temples have statues of the people and gods of the religion, and carvings of the events in the religion all around it. This tells a very interesting view of the Hindu religion for the adherents and also other visitors, and it reminds them that they can have more than one faith or they can pray to more gods. This shows that the Hindus are somewhat different than the Lutherans in the temple fact because it shows different stories and beliefs about their higher power and why they are there and so what’s their purpose in life.

Lutherans believe that the function of church it to provide a place to pray to the one and only god because they are monotheistic. So, they don’t need to put statues all over the church because it would be unnecessary. Churches show the story through stained glass that has the same purpose as the statues on the Hindu temples, but in a church you can only experience the story from the inside. Lutherans build their churches like upside down boats because it symbolizes the journey through life to Earth and heaven. This is important because it reminds the congregation (church community) that they have to follow the rules or else they will not make it to heaven. So in the end, both places of worship are about worshiping the gods and understanding the religion, even if they look different.

“Churches and temples remind adherents what they believe in by showing important parts of the religion.”

Hindu and Lutheran prayers also have a certain impact on the lives of adherents, their families, and their homes. The Lutherans use prayer to talk to god. To help them, they can use a special necklace (rosary) that has a cross with beads that symbolizes the father, the son and the holy spirit (the Holy Trinity). This trinity is symbolized when they make the cross with their hand on their chest. Using these tools they can separate part of their mind so they are all talking to god or freeing their mind from other thought. This is similar in Hinduism, which also touches on separating or clearing your mind of thought to pray to god. But in Hinduism you don’t use a rosary, you pray using physical meditation like yoga.

Tools to help include a yoga mat with some flowers, some incense, maybe an idol or picture, and a gong to make your mind concentrate on the resonating sound. The gong is also used to call people to prayer. Clearing your mind is important in both religions because it helps adherents focus on the religion and get rid of evil thoughts or bad influences. There is a difference in that Hindus must pray more often than the Lutherans. When the gong is rung Hindus should pray. This happens five times a day (breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and bedtime). On the other hand, the Lutherans pray when they decide, usually when they have free time or at bedtime or when they might be especially grateful, or in times of need or want. Lutheran prayer is about connecting yourself to be with god to get to heaven. Hindi prayer is about freeing your mind through physical meditation to become another being or get higher in the spiritual league (reincarnation). To summarise, my point is that their families have to adapt to be what the religion asks of them. This is seen in how they pray, which also can be seen in their culture.

Both Hinduism and Lutheranism have a sacred text and the essentials of a sturdy religion that communities can gather around and believe in. This can be seen through their churches and temples and the way they pray and come together as a community. Even though the people from those communities look different, they all want the same thing -- to have a good life in order to secure a good afterlife. Next time you are tempted to judge a book by its cover, think twice.

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LEARNING

INTERVIEW WITH NOUR MAKHLOF, GRADE 8 BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

Life as a young Muslim girl Nour is new to CIS and delighted to be in an environment which is open-minded to all races and religions. Nour happily shares her story with us here.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE AS A YOUNG MUSLIM GIRL IN 2018.

Being a Muslim, in general, is a big responsibility since you have to represent your religion in a good way because these days there are lots of people who are racist or don’t accept Muslims. But being in an international school makes it somehow easier because of all the other students who also have different religions, beliefs, cultures, and traditions. In This school, you are freer to be yourself and people accept you very easily for who you are and don’t judge you by your religion, which is amazing considering there are lots of other schools which makes it hard to show who you are and your religion because you could be afraid that people won’t accept you or welcome you.

Wearing the hijab to me means to represent my religion without being afraid of others and it lets people know that I am Muslim and that I am proud of it. To other people, it might have a different meaning such as covering your beauty because the hijab protects you, and makes people respect you more since you are covering your hair, which makes up a big part of beauty, and people will start to look at your personality rather than your looks as these days people think too much about body image and how others see them.

The Quran is an Islamic book that teaches us about Islam and how to behave, it also tells the stories of the prophets. And yes the Quran also talks about Jesus, as well as Mosaic, since we believe in the same God as the Christians and Jews, the only difference is that the Quran has exactly the same text

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and words ever since it was written and not a single word has been changed; the Bible and the Torah’s text and writings have been changed over time by humankind, we believe the reason why the Quran was actually written was because the earlier texts and writings have been changed and Allah (God) sent the last text-writing down and said it should not ever be changed since it’s perfect the way it is We are all different in our own ways whether it’s our religion, color, intelligence or beauty, which is amazing. But those differences should not make a difference in how we see others because in the end we are all humans who deserve to be treated equally, so let’s make that happen!

I have always been interested in religion, like learning about other religions while also sharing some things about mine. At my old school we didn’t talk much about religions; although it did come up a few times in class, some people were afraid, or not confident enough, to talk about their religions; they said it makes them feel uncomfortable, so we didn’t dig deep into that topic. While here in CIS I realized that students are more open and speak freely about their religion, culture, traditions, and family, which is great. I also love knowing more about other religions since religion is a huge part of our life now (even if you don’t have a religion or do not believe in anything, it’s still something big in your life). I think it’s important to at least have a basic knowledge about different religions so that it’s easier to understand people and also to make sure not to offend them in any way. When I saw the hallway display I was so happy to know that students in CIS had the opportunity to study about religions. I loved all of the pieces displayed.

Being a Muslim isn’t just what you wear but also what you eat; there are two strictly forbidden things that are called Haraam, which means forbidden in Arabic, that Muslims should avoid eating or drinking: pork and alcohol. Pork is mainly forbidden because we believe that pigs are not clean animals, and Allah forbade us from eating it, alcohol is mainly forbidden because when you drink you can get out of control and drunk, so while being drunk you might do more Haraam things. The way you act is also a huge part of being a Muslim, like in many religions lying, stealing, swearing and so on are forbidden and they are important part of the religion too.

I love being recognized as a Muslim and that is mainly because I love my religion and Islam is actually a very nice, peaceful religion, but there are people out there who are representing it in a bad way so I always like to show that Islam is good and make sure people recognize that I am a Muslim.

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LEARNING

BY ELLA HEDBERG, GRADE 8

The Teacher-Student Relationship: Tine Balck Sørensen The importance of the relationship between a teacher and their student is one that holds indisputable significance to a child’s learning experience; this is a quality that has always been strongly considered when hiring school faculty members, a quality that has been described by parents as “a remarkable feature that sets CIS apart from other schools across any demographic”.

In acknowledgement of these consistent standards, Danish teacher, Tine Sørensen, is one member of the community who has shown a clear extension of this standard; giving each of her classrooms a unanimous atmosphere of acceptance and welcome, Tine maintains a personal friendship with each of her pupils. Despite possessing a teaching style of broadlyappraised proportions, Ms. Sørensen has only been a member of the CIS faculty for just over two and a half years.

“I started working at CIS in August 2015 in a maternity cover and ended up as a permanent contract. I was intrigued by the high academic standards and the fact that CIS has students from all over the world.”

This high academic standard, is something that Ms. Sørensen’s applies liberally in each of her classes, while also continuing to maintain an appropriate balance with creating an inviting atmosphere; this is a concept that is taken to heart for each class.

“It is always important to try to do your best - regardless of the subject. I like saying ‘Hej, hvordan går det?’ to everyone no matter where they are from, but I don’t expect an answer back in fluent Danish.”

Upon reflecting on the difference between an International school and a Danish school, she replied with a statement that not only further exemplifies the observations that can be made as a teacher of foreign languages, but implies a degree of anticipation to engage in discussions with each member.

Even upon observation in between classes, the relaxed and enjoyable conversations, which both parties initiate, and the joy which follows as a result, is conspicuous.

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“The world becomes bigger and the possibilities greater when your child has friends from all over the world.”

“Well, I have always been lucky to have “the best class” at the school, no matter where I am. When I enter a classroom I feel lucky to be the teacher of these exact students. Teaching 3 different classes a day - whether in a Danish school or here at CIS - means teaching the sweetest students at the school 3 times on a single day.”

Being a teacher of advanced level Danish, the multiple levels that Tine teaches holds the potential to be composed of many backgrounds. Tine elaborated: “All my students have some sort of Danish background. On top of that many of them have lived abroad. Most of my students have at least one Danish parent, and Danish is normally spoken at home, but it’s not always the case. Some of my students have a gift or talent for languages, with no Danish family members at all. The only prerequisite is the fact that they have lived in Denmark for several years.”

Of course, a large portion of learning a language entitles one to learning about and immersing oneself in the national and local and customs of the area they reside. Replying with an answer of unique sorts, Ms. Sørensen’s favorited element of Danish customs was described to be an attitude.

“The Danish edge. I have been told that Danes have a Danish edge of being ‘very outspoken and very direct’. Before I came to CIS I had never thought of that as something special, or annoying; but being here at CIS I want to make sure that my students don’t hide their opinions and thoughts behind phrases full of politically correct language or hot air.”

Denmark was voted as being the happiest place on Earth three times consecutively, for numerous reasons. Many have attributed this to the hygge, freedom and equality here, which combined make Denmark an ideal place for people. As a Dane, Ms. Sørensen’s opinion on the best parts of Denmark, show a similar pattern of ideals.

“The sun - when it’s out. The candle lights - when it’s dark.

The bikes and all the bike lanes. The gender equality - and the fact that since 1997 it has been prohibited by law to hit your child.”

Noting finally towards the closing of the interview, a message was stated with simplistic meaning for parents who are looking to obtain an international school’s education for their child.

Not only should the relationship that teacher Tine Sørensen has with each of her students be seen as a praised model of the friendship that can be built between different school members, it should also be viewed as a goal that educators from around the world can work to build with their students.

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LEARNING

BY TARANG DALELA, GRADE 7

Education Evolution “The essences of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.” S. Gudder

This quote is exactly what math teachers around the world are trying to achieve, every time they teach math to their students.

Mrs. Faber has been teaching math for 41 years now - since February of 1977. She says that math is difficult for many but easy for some. According to her, people are scared of numbers, because they do not have proper guidance in their early school years, and therefore find it challenging later.

She emphasized that some people find it difficult to perceive the abstract ideas of numbers whereas Others are able to embrace this abstractness naturally. She has seen all sorts of students in her teaching career, and she has been able to help most of them understand math by showcasing that mathematics makes complicated things simple.

The change in technology over the years has also affected her teaching style a lot. “Back in ‘77, … in the very beginning, there was this black chalkboard, and you had the front, and these two sideboards, and when I had a test for example, what I did was I wrote it in, and then I closed the lid, and when the kids came in, I would open it and they could copy it from the boardm,” Mrs. Faber explains as she described her time teaching in Botswana. This shows how basic the education was back then - students would have to copy the test questions from the board into their notebooks. They had to wait for the next class to ask questions and were expected to copy the solutions to the questions from the blackboard during the class. But now, the technology has changed the learning significantly. For example, the teachers can post solutions to questions on the portal, such as Google classroom and Edmodo, and can also post videos about

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different topics in order to help students more. The students can ask questions on these virtual classroom and can get immediate help from the teacher. They can also use the other online resources, to understand math concepts better.

Although this new modern teaching style has many advantages, it also has some drawbacks. For example, when the students are working on the portal or searching for an answer to a question on the internet, they can easily get distracted by different social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat etc. and find it hard to concentrate properly on their work at hand. Therefore, Mrs. Faber recommended that teachers should evolve their teaching methods, to keep the attention of the students in the new technical set up.

Listening to Mrs Faber talk about her teaching over the last four decades, it is clear that education since the 1970s has changed both for the good and the bad. The type of tools used over 40 years ago were very limited. They used books, as there was no internet at that time, and the information was very limited. “... the instantaneous, ‘oh I don’t know’ we look it up on google, that is a whole different story than when I just started teaching,” said Mrs. Faber. The internet now allows the student to search for answers to their questions, and they would not have to wait for the next day for the teacher to answer them. This also allows the student to have multiple perspectives on their question, and they can then produce their own answers on that. If they are not able to understand a concept in the class, they can go to Khan Academy, or Coursera, or Udemy, to learn about it from there.

This is one change in the teaching style, but, some things have still stayed the same. Mrs. Faber recalls one of her earliest teaching experiences in Botswana, “When I first started teaching in Botswana, in 1983, … I couldn’t distinguish one from the other, and at first I found it really hard, because I was used to having contact with the students, but if you have a class of 45, there is very little opportunity to get a personal relationship with your students, but slowly I got the hang of it, and I learned the names, and to see the difference between everyone… ”. In order to give them the best experience, Mrs. Faber learned the names of her students, so that she could give constructive feedback about their work.

Even today, this sort of one-to-one relationship is there between the teacher and the student, and it helps the students improve on their work. For example, in all of my subjects, the teachers personally know me, so they are able to give me constructive feedback, which helps me improve.

Another thing that has stayed the same, was a constant teaching worry. Only, the topic of the worry changed. For

example, according to Mrs. Faber, back when she used to teach in Botswana, the worry she had was that the parents would do the homework, and the students would not be able to learn things themselves. But now, she has to see whether the work turned in by the student is in fact their own work, and is not plagiarized from the internet. “You have to be very careful, if it’s actually the student’s own work that they hand in. In the beginning, you could be worried that the parents would help them, but not that they could just download it from somewhere else.”

Mrs. Faber was able to make her lessons enjoyable, and even those who struggled, could develop a love for math because she truly believed in making the complicated things simple.

As a word of wisdom for CIS students, Mrs. Faber says “Never give up and enjoy math!”

After working six years in CIS, she is embarking a new journey in Hong-Kong, taking the experience of Danish hygge and a good work-home balance with her at the end of this academic year. We all at CIS wish her good luck in this new endeavor.

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LEARNING

BY DANIEL D´ANDREA, ROOTS & SHOOTS COORDINATOR

Small kids help make a big difference In September 2017 a Roots & Shoots (R&S) After School Activity was offered to students in the PYP. R&S was founded by Dr. Jane Goodall in 1991 with the goal of bringing together youth from preschool age to university, to work as a team on environmental, conservation and humanitarian issues. In addition to learning about why it’s important to care for the health of our planet, the students got straight to work taking action.

TAKING CARE OF THE PLANET STARTS AT HOME . . . , AND AT SCHOOL

PAPER IS A VALUABLE RESOURCE WHICH MUST BE USED WISELY

The R&S Team’s first initiative was to remove the litter from our school gardens and play areas. Afterwards they sorted the litter into different types of material (paper, glass, plastic, etc.) and attempted to determine where it came from. They found that most of the litter on our school grounds is blown here by the wind. “We have to pick up the litter before it blows into the sea, because once it’s in the water animals could eat it. Then they get sick and die,” explained Helena, a Grade 2 student. Presenting their findings at a PYP weekly assembly, the R&S Team inspired more students to get involved. Soon a monthly, litter pick-up program began!

Another R&S Team initiative involved the creation of GOOS Boxes (GOOS means: Good on One Side). “We want everyone at CIS to understand that paper should be recycled only after both sides are used,” stated Carleigh, a Grade 4 student. “If a sheet of paper is still ‘Good on One Side’ then it should be placed in a GOOS Box.” When a student or teacher needs a piece of paper to write a note, draw a picture, solve a math problem, or even make a paper airplane, they’re welcome to take a sheet from a GOOS Box. Initially GOOS Boxes were placed beside all printer/copiers. Later the students created enough GOOS Boxes to distribute to all classrooms and offices around the school.

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SPONSORING THE PLANTING OF 1000 TREES Yet another R&S initiative involves the sponsorship of a 1000-tree forest in the name of Copenhagen International School. The trees will be planted in Inner Mongolia via Shanghai - Roots & Shoots. In its lifetime, each tree can absorb approximately one ton of carbon-dioxide, so planting more trees is an effective way to help reduce this greenhouse gas. Last winter to help earn the funds required to sponsor the planting of 1000 trees, the R&S Team sold small, tree ornaments made of bamboo. At 35 kroner each, the ornaments are a special gift for any occasion, and the sale of each one sponsors a real tree in the CIS Forest! It’s a win-win for us all!

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW WITH JUDETH CHRISTENSEN, BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

Lower Years Primary Greenhouse The idea of an Early Years Primary greenhouse began when a group of Early Years Staff attended the European Council of International Schools Early Childhood Conference in Brussels. Feeling inspired by some of the speakers at the conference who spoke about learning environments and the importance of encouraging communication, collaboration and creativity, the group returned to CIS and brainstormed ideas that could be used in our new school building in both the common areas and the greenhouse.

Developing the greenhouse was one of the ideas the Early Years staff embarked upon. A committee was formed to create a vision and brainstorm ideas for developing the Greenhouse. A tentative plan was made and funds were sought. Early Years staff began collecting natural resources and requests were made to the school community. Once the go ahead was given to use this space and sufficient funds and resources were available to begin the project, work began in the Greenhouse in the autumn. An inauguration of the Greenhouse was held in February 2018.

Here we interview Judeth regarding the startup and the impact that the greenhouse has on students: WHAT DROVE YOU TO START WORKING ON THE GREENHOUSE? Marie Barholm Hansen (Library Assistant) and I are both passionate about gardening and creating inspiring environments for children. While our Nordhavn Campus is surrounded by lovely water, we miss the wonderful green outdoor area we had at our former school residence in Hellerup, so we tried to bring back a feeling of green nature into the greenhouse.

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Marie´s husband Claus and son Alexander, together with my husband Max and son Tobias, helped to build the mud kitchen and play houses, which are placed in different areas of the greenhouse. Fleming Lindquist, our custodian, built the planting boxes on wheels allowing students to easily move them around. We have not done much work with the gardening side yet, as we need to wait for warmer weather.

The Pre-K Butterfly Class has, however, planted bulbs and are excited to see the flowers bloom.

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT DO YOU THINK GREENHOUSES CAN HAVE ON SCHOOLS? We believe that the impact will be on students’ perceptions regarding climate change as they learn more about how plants and food grow in a greenhouse environment. Our Early Years greenhouse is a combination of a traditional greenhouse, but it is also a place for the children to play and learn about natural materials. It is a place where you can integrate nature and natural materials into your teaching.

HOW HAVE THE STUDENTS REACTED TO BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING CARE OF PLANTS AT SUCH AN EARLY AGE? They are not really doing this as yet, but are following the bulbs growing with great interest. During the next few months the Early Years classes will be using the environment to connect to the units of inquiry i.e. Food from the Earth, Senses and Cycles.

HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE GREENHOUSE IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME? We hope to develop a roof garden and the outside area, growing vegetables, attracting insects and outdoor play activities. We hope to acquire more plants and small trees both in the greenhouse and out on the rooftop, along with more planting boxes. We hope to see all teachers using the greenhouse classroom regularly and connecting it to their units of inquiry as well as other areas of the curriculum.

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COMMUNITY

BY TARANG DALELA, GRADE 7

Building Community with PTA The PTA chair, Jennifer O’Brien, is trying to achieve this, by bringing together the community at CIS through different events that she organizes with other members on the board..

Even though it is her first year acting as chairperson, she has conducted many events, such as the Parent-Staff Welcome Social, The Emerald Ball etc. These events have seen incredible participation from the parents of primary, middle and high school, as well as the faculty. Through these events Jennifer’s goal is to generate enough resources to host future events in the school and also to bring comradery to the school community, as she truly believes that togetherness can help you achieve great heights.

The togetherness of the community, helps lay a very strong foundation for the future generations of CIS and the students learn to appreciate the idea of working together.

For example, when the school had moved to the new campus in January 2017, many parents and teachers stood outside near the crossing in the bleak and cold weather in the early mornings, and afternoons after school, helping the children safely cross the busy and dangerous road, Sundkrogsgade.

This road had a lot a of speeding trucks and cars, as the area was still under construction. The PTA came forward to support the school and asked the parents to assist the school in this endeavor. In my interview with Jennifer, she emphasized this involvement of parents by saying “one of the things I love about international schools is that parents can be involved.” This action of the PTA showed a tremendous feeling of ‘community building’ and gave a strong message of ‘togetherness’ to the students of CIS. Similarly, the PTA has a strong focus on giving back to the teachers who they recognize as the building blocks of student life. Jennifer referred to them as “second parents”.

That is why one of her favorite events is teacher appreciation day. “I love teacher appreciation day. All year as a parent, we constantly ask teachers to do their best, every day. To mind our kids, to help them grow, to look out for signs that the

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“Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller

kids might be in trouble … and they do take really, really good care of our kids,” explained Jennifer. On teacher appreciation day, a special hot lunch is hosted by the parents to show their gratitude towards the teachers. Jennifer reflected how they like the diversity in the food and this gives them the opportunity “to not be like a teacher” that day.

William Shakespeare famously said “what’s in a name?”, and I strongly feel that a name is everything: it is an identity, and a way of associating with things. Likewise, Jennifer feels that the PTA should have some more student involvement, but the name should reflect that as well. “I would really, really like to see more student involvement … we wouldn’t be parents, and we wouldn’t be teachers unless we had students,” says Jennifer. Therefore, Jennifer feels that the name of the association should be changed so that the students can feel an association with it and have an inclination to join. Their inputs will bring a new view to the events in school. Also, having students on the board the committee will give them the student perspective directly.

CIS is a very diverse community. It has 96 nationalities, and the cultures from all those nationalities are different.

Jennifer has also focused this year on making the board of the PTA more diverse, and multicultural: “one of my goals last year, was to get a more diverse committee members… so it’s not always the same people running the same event … we need people from everywhere.” she said. If there are more diverse nationalities on the board, then the events that are organized become even better because of the new ideas.

The international festival is a good example of that. It clearly shows how diverse the food, and activities, and cultures are.

We are happy to know that Jennifer will continue as PTA Chair next school year, and would like to wish the committee all the best for yet another productive year ahead.

Harbirk’s Bustrafik ApS / Laurentsvej 18-20 / DK-2880 Bagsvaerd / Copenhagen, Denmark / Tel: +45 44443266 / www.harbirk.dk

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COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW WITH AMYTIS BAHMANYAR, GRADE 12

BY SUZANNE O´ REILLY

Cafe Klare, a Shelter for Women Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) is a mandatory core component of the IB Diploma Programme. It aims to provide a ‘counterbalance’ to the academic rigour of the educational programme. Helene Abildgaard and Amytis Bahmanyar, grade 12 students found a worthwhile project which they devoted their time too.

1. HOW DID YOU BOTH BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS CAS PROJECT? My friend Helene Abildgaard was searching for CAS project ideas when she found Cafe Klare online. We looked into it and found that we liked how it was local, and gave long term help to homeless women. These were the two characteristics that set it apart from other charities or shelters. The local aspect not only facilitates helping the shelter, but also assures that any positive impact we manage to induce will be directly for the Danish community. The fact that it gives shelter at night to women, and long term counseling and aid during the day shows how Cafe Klare’s goal is specific, and makes sure these women will be able to come out of poverty, find a job, a home and sustain themselves. After deciding we wanted to help Cafe Klare, Helene called the shelter to see how we could help. Sadly, in order to volunteer, we had to be 18 and preferably specialize in, for example, dentistry or counseling.

We were, however, informed that we could collect certain products to help those taking shelter at Cafe Klare, and since we knew CIS is a big community we decided we had a good chance of being able to make a considerable donation.

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2. HOW HAVE YOU SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT THE SHELTER AT CIS? We posted about the shelter in the CIS weekly announcements, briefly explaining the role and aim of Cafe Klare. We also made (painted) two boxes asking for donations and specifying the type of items needed. The boxes were out in the high school building for about a month before we decided it would be more efficient to place them in front of the school, and stand behind them in case anyone had any additional queries. We made posters, and thanks to the announcement many people brought items on the first day. What was most impactful, however, was that people were able to come up and talk to us and ask questions about Cafe Klare.

3. HOW DID THE CIS COMMUNITY SUPPORT THE PROJECT? We received so much more support than we could have imagined! We had a great number of donations that were made. I would like to thank Louise Chamberlain, and anyone else who had the idea, for the contribution of making joy bags! This idea came to us from the community, because homeless people often lack a bag to put their more personal belongings or toiletries in. In addition to being useful, the bags are equally pretty, and have personal input and value!

We received a lot of support, both with people bringing in products, or simply voicing their approval of the project. We couldn’t be happier with the turnout!

4. WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS WITH THIS PROJECT? Although the project started as a CAS initiative, it gained so much more momentum that I really hope it can be continued next year. Unfortunately, we are all in our last academic year, and probably won’t be in Copenhagen next year. But I hope younger students can carry out the project to make collections next year. While we are planning to bring the donations to the shelter soon (we have to sort through them first), there is still an elementary class who are planning to make more joy bags, which we can bring at a later date. We are happy to accommodate any donations past the limit date!

5. WHAT DID YOU GAIN PERSONALLY FROM WORKING ON THIS PROJECT?

“This idea came to us from the community, because homeless people often lack a bag to put their more personal belongings or toiletries in.”

It honestly brought me so much joy! I was already happy with the amount of donations after the first day, and was pleasantly surprised when we received ideas such as the joy bags. When we started the project, I was simply hoping to be able to help Cafe Klare to a little extent. Now I feel like we have made a sizable impact, something we are extremely proud of. Additionally, we personally gained experience from organizing a project of this size. But the best gain is definitely the satisfaction in knowing we’ve made an impact on the lives of more than a dozen women.

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COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW WITH DINA HONOR, CIS MUM AND PROFESSIONAL WRITER, BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

Life as an Expat Mum YOUR FAMILY LEFT THE STATES IN 2008 THINKING IT WAS A 3 YEAR CONTRACT WITH WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION IN 2008; TEN YEARS ON, YOU ARE STILL ON THE EXPAT TRAIL. WHERE DID YOUR PATH TAKE YOU OVER THE YEARS? We left NYC in 2008 to take a job with UNDP in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was easier for some of us to leave NYC than others… Our original intention was to stay away about 2-3 years. We were in Cyprus for a little over three years and then an opportunity opened up at the World Health Organization here in Copenhagen. The plan was always to go back to New York. But you know what they say about the best laid plans.

We just started our 10th year abroad.

YOU ARRIVED IN COPENHAGEN IN JANUARY, 2012 AND ENROLLED ROWAN AND REED AT CIS. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE CIS OVER OTHER INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN COPENHAGEN AND HAS THE EXPERIENCE TO DATE BEEN GOOD FOR YOUR FAMILY? As an expat family, an international school is more than just a school; it’s your neighborhood, your village, and sometimes even your place of business. It’s where you meet others who are experiencing the ups and downs and sideways of expat life. There is a special bond when you share a specific time and place with someone, and a friendly school atmosphere encourages and enriches those bonds. When we were researching schools from Cyprus, we were immediately drawn to CIS, for many reasons. The IB program, from early years through graduation, as well as the arts on offer and the diversity of both the teaching staff and the student body. We’ve remained impressed with all of that, but CIS will always hold a special place in our heart because of the way the community comes together. It’s truly something special.

YOU ARE A WRITER BY PROFESSION (HTTPS:// DINAHONOUR.COM) AND HAVE HAD A BOOK RECENTLY PUBLISHED, 1001 NIGHTS. HAS YOUR EXPAT EXPERIENCES HAD ANY INFLUENCE ON YOUR WRITING? My background and degree is in writing, but it was only when we moved to Copenhagen that I began writing in earnest again. I started a blog, “Wine and Cheese (Doodles)” to get myself into the habit of writing again. Five years and hundreds of thousands of views and a few viral posts later,

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it’s still going. Much of the blog is dedicated to living life outside your own culture, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Parenting as an expat is also a unique experience, as are friendships. The idea of “home”, and who and what makes a home is always a big part of my writing as well. Because it’s my husband’s career that brought us here, it’s also afforded me the opportunity to have a “room of one’s own”: in my case, the time and space to dedicate to writing. Because of that I was able to finally tackle a life long goal, a full-length novel. The result, All the Spaces in Between, is currently being shopped around to publishers in the US. YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AS AN EXPAT WIFE HAVE LED TO MANY INTERESTING CONNECTIONS WORLD-WIDE. HOW DO YOU KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THOSE YOU HAVE MET ALONG THE WAY? As I mentioned, I think expat friendships are a special type of bond. I often say that expat friendships happen in dogyears, there’s an intensity that comes from being thrown together in a new situation that can be overwhelming, scary, and wonderful. Those friendships often deepen much more quickly than they would under ‘normal’ circumstances. You find yourself best buddies with someone you never would have run in the same circles with back home. Sometimes they’re temporary friendships, which don’t last beyond your time, but many times they last a lifetime. With social media it’s easy to stay in touch, and the friendships I’ve formed have outlasted moves and relocations. We get together, we travel to see one another, and at any given time I’ve got six different message groups going where people can just pop in to say hello. These are friends who, for many of us, we’ve spent more time with than our families. We’ve seen each other through illnesses and deaths, and job loss and the stress of moving. We’ve met each other’s extended families and our kids have grown up together. Those friendships are stronger than time zones and countries.

CIS HAS GREATLY GAINED BY HAVING YOUR CREATIVE IMAGINATION COMPOSE WONDERFUL LEAVING SONGS AT THE END OF YEAR LEAVING ASSEMBLY - THIS WILL DEFINITELY BE YOUR LEGACY AT CIS. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO WRITE A SONG, AND DOES IT ALLOW YOU TO EXPRESS YOURSELF AND THE LIFE OF OTHER EXPATS THROUGH MUSIC?

Ha! It’s a bit of vanity, really, that the school allows me and my fellow Wicked Women the chance to get up and sing and dance and make fools of ourselves in the name of having a good time and saying goodbye to friends and families who are leaving the school. The longest part of the process is coming up with what songs to use! Once that happens, I usually have a springboard of one or two ideas that blossom into something. Usually I will try to wrap in what Denmark, Copenhagen and CIS mean to me and to us as a community.

But the best part is getting together with a group of incredibly smart, talented, and fun women to rehearse. I think that’s why I keep doing it. Just to get more time in with these women. And of course I enjoy giving the parents a little bit of fun at a time that can be very sad. There’s a Dr. Seuss quote, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” If I can help spread that, and sing and dance? Win-win!

THE CHILDREN OF TODAY ARE BROUGHT UP KNOWING THAT THERE IS NO JOB SECURITY ANYMORE. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU DISCUSS AT HOME? IF YES, ARE CHILDREN TODAY MORE ACCEPTING ABOUT HOW LIFE WILL BE WHEN THEY REACH THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT? Poor Reed has lost his best friend every year since we’ve been here. Every year he makes a new best friend and every June, he has to say goodbye. It’s tough. Some of those families moved on due to jobs, others were on fixed assignments. But we’ve all ‘lost’ dear friends. Our situation is a little different because it’s up to us when we leave, but the kids know that eventually it will be our turn. I’m not sure you’re ever really ready for it. I think the up and coming generation looks at work and careers completely differently than we did growing up. We were always told you find a job, you stay, put in your 30 years and retire with a gold watch and a pension.

The working world isn’t like that any more. It’s much more acceptable to hop from job to job, even career to career, to work remotely, etc. So many more possibilities than when we were growing up. So yes, I think they sense that, but a lot of it is just a generational culture shift. But having the benefit of watching families they know pick up and move and make a life somewhere else, I think it teaches them a resilience, that perhaps the door was closed but the window was open.

HOW DO YOUR CHILDREN FEEL ABOUT BEING GLOBAL NOMADS? I think they just accept it as part of their lives. They really don’t know any differently. They are growing up completely differently than my husband and I did. We both grew up in small towns, same friend group from grade school through college. They’ve moved around (not as much as some!) and are constantly making new friends and saying goodbye to old ones. There are times I think we are giving them a massive gift in life, exposure to new cultures and diversity, and there are other times I’m sure we are screwing them up and they’ll sock us with a giant bill for therapy down the road. There was one time Rowan asked me where my best friend growing up was from. “Down the street,” I said. “Yeah, but where was she from??” He simply couldn’t understand that I didn’t have friends who came from different countries.

There are times when I wish they could have all the good things I remember from growing up in one place, and there are times I think the skills and education they are getting just from growing up in another culture are invaluable. Only time will tell how they turn out!

DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR NEW FAMILIES THINKING ABOUT TAKING THE EXPAT PLUNGE? The first year can be a roller coaster. Seriously, the first year abroad I cried almost every day. But I don’t think I’ve met a single person who has given the expat thing a whirl who has regretted it. In fact, most people I’ve met have trouble thinking about giving it up and going “home”. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, making new friends, traveling to new places, and just being able to look at your own life and country from a different viewpoint, they are all worth it. There are things that are tough: being away from family, giving up the ease of what you know, the familiar, trying to navigate a new culture. But the benefits almost always outweigh the downside by a significant margin.

Also, kids are more resilient than you think. Kids move, walk into a classroom, and leave with a best friend. It’s harder on the adults, I think, especially the ones who aren’t working.

But, that’s why you need to find a good community. Like CIS.

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COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW WITH KATE DOSSA, BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

Life as an Expat Mum Kate Dossa, Mum and parent volunteer, arrived in Copenhagen in 2014 with her family. Kate explains why she chose CIS to educate her son Louis and how having her 4th child in Copenhagen was a memorable experience.

WHY CIS ?

We have been expats in Copenhagen for just over 4 years now.

We chose CIS for Louis because we liked the atmosphere and ethos of the school and the British system school did not have a place for him. We have been really happy with CIS. The style of teaching has really suited Louis and he has thrived at the school. I have also found CIS very sociable and supportive for parents.

WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND? WAS IT A HARD FAMILY DECISION TO PRIORITIZE THE LIFE OF AN EXPAT TO A LIFE STAYING IN THE UK? I was a GP (Family Doctor) in the UK. I have not worked since we moved abroad. We moved to Copenhagen for my Husband’s career and I was very reluctant to go. It was very difficult to leave friends, family, and the children’s school when we were settled and happy at home. However, Dan was keen to take the role in Copenhagen and I was persuaded to go.

YOU HAD YOUR 4TH CHILD, LARA BELL, IN DENMARK. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF GOING THROUGH A PREGNANCY IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE/ COUNTRY/HOSPITAL. I had Lara Bell in Herlev Hospital in Copenhagen in October 2017. I would describe it as an overall positive experience. I was happy with the care I received at Herlev Hospital and the birth was an easy one.

I had wanted to be booked at Rigshospitalet as it was close and has an excellent reputation. We were unable to get in

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as we were out of area. I was very nervous about having a baby in a foreign country, and one in which I did not speak the language. I had also previously had quite fast, difficult labours and was worried about going through this again. I was also very keen to have an epidural and had heard that these were very difficult to get in Denmark. We did look into private obstetric care in Denmark but this did not seem to be available, and it did not logistically make sense to go home to the UK. My antenatal care schedule in Denmark was very similar to the UK. The clinical staff were very kind and professional and I found the level of care to be very good . The Hospital seemed clean and modern, and everyone spoke excellent English. I was referred to a specialist Midwife who I saw at each visit, but did not have at the birth. I was also able to discuss the birth with an Obstetrician who wrote me a birth plan (this is not standard). They wrote me a birth plan saying that I should be admitted early in labour, and that I would get an epidural. I relaxed about the birth. The appointments did not seem rushed and I was always seen on time. I had a scan at 12 and 20 weeks, the sonographer seemed really thorough and really took the time to show me what they were doing.

I ended up being induced and had to attend the labour ward as an outpatient for this. The labour ward was very busy and we did have to wait quite a while to be seen. I was sent home with tablets to take. I could call the labour ward if I was worried or had any pains, but I was nervous about only being reviewed on a daily basis. After about 48 hours I started getting some painful contractions. We drove into hospital and I saw a midwife who said it was too early for me to be admitted - I asked her if she had looked at my birth plan, she said she had and that it was still too early.

I was sent home with some painkillers. I went to sleep and woke two hours later with stronger pains. It took about twenty minutes in the car to get back into Herlev Hospital (fortunately it was a Saturday as it would have been longer on a week day), and Lara was born about 5 minutes after we arrived - very nearly in the car park! I was a bit annoyed that I hadn’t been admitted when I had first went in, especially given my birth plan, but ultimately the birth went well. The midwife who delivered my baby spoke excellent English and was very nice. We were discharged 2 hours after Lara was born, as we asked if I could leave as I was feeling absolutely fine. After the birth I was sent an email survey asking me to

review my experience, which I thought was good practice.

Unfortunately, it was quite long winded and in Danish, and not something I felt like tackling with a new baby!

For the first two weeks after Lara was born we were given a number we could call at Herlev Hospital for advice, and to get a review if we were concerned. Lara was jaundiced so we ended up using this service, which was easy to access, and there was a very relaxed atmosphere in the mother and baby unit. We also had a review phone call 48 hours after Lara was born, and a home visit by the health visitor within a week of her birth. This focussed much more on Lara (and not at all on me) compared to the UK, but it was a similar service to that I had experienced in London.

“We have been really happy with CIS. The style of teaching has really suited Louis and he has thrived at the school.”

YOU ARE LEAVING FOR YOUR NEXT EXPAT ADVENTURE SOON, HOW DOES THE FAMILY FEEL ABOUT THIS AND WILL YOU MISS DENMARK? We are all very sad to be leaving Denmark. It has been a wonderful experience and we have made lots of lovely friends and have some fantastic memories to take with us.

ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT EMBARKING UPON AN EXPAT LIFE? We have really enjoyed living in Denmark and this has definitely inspired us to want to travel more (Brexit has also had a bit to do with this!). I would encourage other families to consider Copenhagen/expat life. We feel that living in a different country has really enriched the children’s experiences, and has given them greater confidence. It has also enabled me to be a stay at home mum relatively guilt free, which I think has been good for the whole family.

It does come at a price, my children were very sad to leave the UK and it took about six months to settle in when we moved. It is also hard to be constantly making and losing friends. Denmark is an easy transition as a first move away from the UK as it is close and relatively easy to get back ”home”. The proportion of Danes who speak excellent English is extremely high, which is a definite advantage. Copenhagen is also a very child friendly city - once you have got over the weather!

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COMMUNITY

A TRIBUTE TO JAY WATKINS, 2014-2018 STUDS

Goodbye to the man with his finger on the CIS Pulse WHAT THE CIS STUDS DADS HAD TO SAY ABOUT JAY:

“Jay was the grade parent coordinator, as well as the middle school coordinator. He revamped how we used our parent liaisons as we moved from a small school mentality to a big school. There were lots of unique challenges and he worked in a very interesting way. He never pushed. He was always very calm, but always got the job done.

While there were many more “trailing” male partners when Jay arrived than I can recall, Jay rallied them to form the men’s group: “S.T.U.D.S – Spouses Trailing Under Duress Successfully”, which went on outings, sporting trips and lunches. It became quite popular and started having evening events.

Before Jay did this, many of the traveling partners felt very isolated.

Now they have a place to meet other stay at home partners like the ladies do. This is a significant achievement.”

Liz Woodhour, Former PTA Chair

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“If you ever need to know anything relating to the school, the Dad’s club, MAERSK, or just need some advice, Jay is the person to turn to. Jay also has a different perspective on a situation and will tell you what he thinks and not what you want to hear.”

“Not only has Jay been involved socially with all the CIS events, but he’s also been heavily involved organizationally with the CIS faculty and board - influencing initiatives that provide a safe and healthy learning environment for our children. I think more than anything Jay is sincerely interested in people and their differences and opinions. He knows more about what’s up with the individuals in the CIS community than anyone else because he takes the time to ask and listen.”

“I’ve known Jay for three and a half years. Jay was the very first Dad I met on our first day at the old campus back in January of 2015. When Jay spotted me he immediately introduced himself and told me about the Trailing Spouse (Under Duress) group. For most of us, the group is especially valuable when you’ve arrived. It is a unique initiative that does not exist in all international schools and differentiates the CIS community from the other school communities in the Copenhagen area. Lifelong friendships are made at the social events and there is a robust sharing of ideas and opportunities that we bring home to our families. This initiative allows the father’s to get out and socialise with other dads that are in the same social situation. It is also a great venue to welcome new dads into the CIS family. Other than our once or twice a month lunches, and dinner nights, the men’s group will be called upon to volunteer for numerous events throughout the school year for help, i.e the set-up and breaking-down of tables and chairs, the operation of the bar, and of course, my favorite, clean-up!”

Overall, Jay’s departure will be a huge loss for the CIS community. His kids’ new school in Houston Texas will be very lucky to have him. Fair winds Jay, all the best from STUDS.

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COMMUNITY

Farewell and thank you for the many years of service to CIS ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Amy Faircloth

(1989-2018)

Amy has taught Anthropology at CIS since the good ole days on Gammel Kongevej. Hundreds of students have benefited from her love for teaching about our cultural world: making the strange familiar and the familiar strange. She served for many years as Deputy Chief Examiner and in other key IB roles as well, leading workshops, and developing curriculum and exams. But always central to her efforts was her warm relationship with the students at CIS. Many will remember the trips she organized. Amy felt it important to make ideas and ethnographies come alive by actually doing fieldwork. Classes guested the Sami people in trips to Karasjok, Kautokeino, and Utsjoki (sometimes it was 40 below!), where students gained invaluable insight into indigenous rights and ethnicity. Icelandic national identity was the focus of a trip to Reykjavik, and humanism and the

social sciences was the focus in Florence, and most recently Belfast. Anthropological works show the lengths folks in Northern Ireland go to live with conflict. Students were able to experience that first hand, especially in interviews with Sein Féin and the Orange Order.

The co-curricular activity closest to Amy’s heart is the Charity Club, which supports families living in poverty, in a slum in Ghana. There was also a trip to Ghana! Students could clearly see how funds raised at CIS helped members of The Talented Women’s Club improve their lives through micro credit.

They saw, too, results of the collaboration with Metropolitan University’s Global Nutrition and Health, where Amy served on the Educational Committee for many years. Inspired by the work of GNH bachelor students in the slum in Ghana, the Charity Club has raised funds for a farm for the production of crops, chicken and rabbit. Amy will continue to work with the Charity Club and the women in Ghana in the years to come, including fundraising events next school year: the Champagne Classical Concert on September 28th and the fun Trivia Night on February 1st. She invites you all!

Amy has been loved and respected by students, parents, and colleagues for so many years. She will be sorely missed.

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Vincent Murphy (1992-2018) When I came to CIS 15 years ago, I entered the IB world for the first time. You were there with more than a decade of experience in the Science Department and you quickly became a mentor to me. Not an appointed mentor but a mentor out of empathy and professionalism. Together with a whole bunch of wonderful professional educators, I was guided through a shaky start in a caring community. Because that is what we do at CIS; we care for each other.

Vincent, you have constantly been an inexhaustible source of inspiration. You are probably the most knowledgeable science person I have ever met. The way you can bring scientific issues like for example genetics into a broader perspective using not only Chemistry but also History and Literature has been immensely inspiring.

There is maybe one topic where you couldn’t capture my attention; -and that’s football. God knows you have tried hard, but I admit, that I have been a poor student. Vincent, I simply don’t have that football gene in me. It has either disappeared through evolution or through a spontaneous mutation due to too much drinking in my teenage years. But thank you for trying and thank you for bearing over with me.

You have taught Chemistry and Biochemistry in Lorraine’s and my Bio classes whenever we felt that our students needed an extra boost (and we felt less competent), and you never ever said no when we asked. Thank you so much for that. The years we shared in the TOK Department were needless to say equally inspiring. Thank you for the book titles, newspaper articles, video clips, super exciting knowledge issues and not least the critical thinking you shared with the TOK team.

This takes me to the important job as the elected Safety Representative that you have possessed for countless number of years at CIS. Tirelessly you have fought for your colleague’s wellbeing. Like a diplomat when appropriate, like a terrier and bulldozer when necessary, but always with the purpose of raising justice and an understanding of what is essential and of utmost importance to create a good work environment at CIS. You always stood up for us. We owe you a million thanks for that.

I wish you “god vind” on your journey.

Werner Reidel, Science Teacher

Karsten Engelberg (1987-2018) Teachers at the International school come into contact with hundreds of students every academic year. And not just casual passing-in-the-corridor contact. For 200 days those adolescent minds sit there behind their desks watching every move we make, hearing every joke we tell, soaking up our persona so thoroughly that they can do a wicked imitation of us on the stage at a variety show.

Now in 2018, all over the world there are literally thousands of alumni, some of them who just graduated last week and some three decades ago, who have been affected by Karsten Engelberg’s vast knowledge, his gentle wisdom, and passion for literature that he modeled for them. His influence has indeed gone around the planet and influenced generations.

When I reflect on the specific qualities have made him such an effective teacher and administrator at CIS, there are three that immediately spring to mind.

He has a great deal of empathy. He understand all kinds of different people and can set himself into their situation – an essential quality for a teacher and for a human being.

He shows a sincere respect for the people he meets, even the ones he might disagree with.

His courage and stubborness has been of great benefit to CIS at key points in the development of the school.

To my mind, there is no way that CIS can hire a replacement for Karsten Engelberg; they will have to grow one themselves.

It will probably take another 30 years.

Jim Keson CIS Headmaster 1978-93

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ALUMNI

BY CLÓDAGH CUNNINGHAM, CIS STUDENT JOURNALIST

Alumni Interview with Alberto Padrini, ‘79 Alberto Padrini was born in Southern Germany, to an Italian father and a German mother; the family stayed there during the first twelve years of his life before moving to Turin, in Northern Italy. It was during his time in Italy that Alberto and his family began spending a lot more of their weekends and holidays in the mountains, in the village whose Waldensian inhabitants would later become the subject of his IB extended essay.

In the summer of 1976, Alberto’s family moved to Copenhagen, where he spent the summer “swimming off Klampenborg, and discovering smørrebrød, pølser and delicious beer.” Although Alberto’s career path has led him into finance, he originally dreamt of being a pilot.

He had learnt to glide during a summer holiday back in Germany, and when he moved to Copenhagen he joined the Nordsjælland Gliding Club. Unfortunately, poor eyesight eliminated the possibility of a professional career as a pilot.

However, he feels that “in retrospect, I have been fortunate in the way my career has played out: I have been able to get the optimal benefit from what I learned and experienced during my time at CIS.” During my correspondence with Alberto, I asked him about his three years at CIS, where he graduated with both his high school diploma and IB diploma. He told me he remembered walking into the Høje Gladsaxe building to ‘explore’, a few days ahead of term, and how he was immediately made to feel “welcome and at ease.”

He went on to say that, after the strict single-sex Catholic schools he had attended in Italy, “it was incredibly liberating to be in a mixed multicultural environment, where the faculty encouraged students to take responsibility for their choices and actions.” I believe that this is something CIS has held true to, even over forty years later.

In life there are always people that inspire us. For Alberto, this was Anthony Vadala, who taught at CIS. Alberto says that ‘Mr V.’, as he was known, “instilled my interest FOOTPRINTS

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in Social Anthropology among other things - when he wasn’t organising competitive sessions of the board game “Diplomacy” or hosting Poker evenings.” Alberto still regrets that he never managed to go back to CIS while ‘Mr. V.’ was alive “to thank him for all that he taught us.”

Alberto worked hard at school, earning his extended essay a place as an example to upcoming IB students on how to write an extended essay. I was intrigued and wanted to know what spark had lit up Alberto’s essay for this to happen, and the answer I got was rewarding. Alberto was inspired by Anthony Vadala’s Social Anthropology course, where the class had covered a study of Vasilika - a rural village in Greece. Alberto “recognised parallels between contemporary rural societies” and thought that “I could produce a case study of the Waldensian mountain community in Italy, which I knew because my family have had a house in the area over a number of generations.” He explained to me that “the Waldensians are a Protestant sect that had been in conflict with the Catholic church from the 12th century onwards, and were violently persecuted.”

As a result, “the Waldensians took refuge in the mountains because the environment was more easily defended, harsh and inhospitable and therefore not attractive to Catholic settlers. Formal oppression of the Waldensians by the Catholic establishment ceased only comparatively recently, in the mid-19th century.” Alberto’s essay analysed this particular Waldensian village in the anthropological context of a “small-scale society”. Alberto aimed “to set out the historical and cultural background of the community, as well as describing the lifestyles of some of the residents.”

His analysis concluded that persecution and oppression by the Catholic majority was probably “the glue” that held the Waldensian faith and communities together; they defined themselves not necessarily through beliefs that were fundamentally alien, but through their opposition to “injustices” stemming from the Catholic persecutions, and their resistance fights through the centuries. Waldensians were fiercely “against” something, but not necessarily

“it was incredibly liberating to be in a mixed multicultural environment, where the faculty encouraged students to take responsibility for their choices and actions.”

strongly “for” something else. “When the Catholic oppression ceased, so did the cohesion of the Waldensian faith and of their mountain communities.”

As interesting as the explanation of his essay was, I also wondered how he must have felt, knowing that his essay was chosen as an exemplary of an IB extended essay, and I was surprised by his response. He believed that his essay was not the best he could have done, and there were several factors which affected this ….. he had “struggled to organise my thoughts and data - what to include, what to leave out - into cohesive narrative” and had battled to meet the deadline for a typed-up essay, as “in the 70’s we didn’t have the luxury of PC’s and of word-processing programs…”

Nevertheless, he was still pleasantly surprised by this decision.

After school, many of us are unsure as to what we want to do next, so we follow what we love. Alberto went through this particular stage too, leading him to take on a Bachelor of Science, in Social Anthropology at the London School of Economics (LSE), inspired by his studies at CIS. At one point in time, Alberto “toyed with the idea of an academic career”, but says that he was ‘cured’ of this aspiration after finishing a Master of Science in Logic and Scientific Method at the LSE. He believes that “I learned an awful lot, but I was also able to observe how academics and their interests can become insular, inward looking and detached from reality.”

His ‘work life’ has taken Alberto from qualifying as a Chartered Accountant to moving into investment banking and finally private equity, where he spent the majority of his time. When I inquired about any life goals Alberto had thought of during his time at university, he explained that he didn’t have any specific plan for an “ideal career” in mind when he left the LSE. Alberto says “I tend to think of my career choices as taking opportunities when they presented themselves. Looking back, I can see that my time at CIS has had a key influence on the path that I followed.

The international education opened doors to many more

and varied opportunities than a conventional upbringing.

The multi-cultural context helped to develop the flexibility necessary to make sound life decisions and to thrive in a changing society.”

My final question to Alberto was about any advice he could give to the current students, battling the IB, to which he responded “you are incredibly privileged to be able to spend some of your formative years at CIS. Use your time wisely, participate in student life and take advantage of the chance to explore a variety of school subjects and extra-curricular activities. This will help you to find and follow interests in life that you enjoy - whether in further study, as a career, or as a hobby.” He stated that “if you find a subject that you are good at, or a sport you have a talent for, then pursue it - but do not walk away from something just because it is your weaker subject or because you think that you are ‘bad’ at it; have the courage to focus and do your best to improve, you will find that this attitude brings immense benefits all-round and will lift your performance, even in the fields where you are already strong.” Finally, he declared that students should utilise every opportunity to form friendships with fellow students from different cultural backgrounds, and “develop a healthy curiosity in each other’s lives and aspirations, and in the values that unite you.” He furthered this by saying “when your opinions differ, identify the reasons why, try and develop an understanding of alternative ways of viewing and analysing facts and events. This will put you in good stead to become true citizens of the world, without abandoning your own roots or losing your own values.”

Following my correspondence with Alberto, I believe that the advice and information he has provided for us as students should be taken to heart, because I do not think that it could be said any better. We need to follow what we love, be inspired and inspire others, because at the end of the day that person or passion could be what leads you to success, happiness, or both.

In memory of Mr. Tony Vadala CIS 1975-2000

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ALUMNI

WRITTEN BY ELLA HEDBERG, GRADE 8

The Alumna’s Eye: Karima Ladjimi The pursuit of career, and the CIS experience Copenhagen International School is one that has an abundance of versatile alumni, many of whom have moved on to graduate top-ranked universities, such as MIT, Harvard, Oxford and Copenhagen Business School. Held as a definitive exemplification of the multiple career paths students have taken since 1963, CIS has held a reoccuring theme of encouragement to help students develop the interests they hold at heart. Karima Ladjimi, is a CIS graduate from the class of 1978, who is currently using her immense passion and definitive determination to work in the film industry.

“I was lucky enough to be able to choose CIS because I no longer wanted to attend the French school, as a result of a bad math teacher who had taken it upon himself to punish me for speaking out against his method of teaching. The only other international option at the time was CIS.” Ms. Ladjimi’s outspoken and resolute personality immediately began to resonate, each answer whimsical with an increased sense of palpability. As alluded to in a competitive spirit, her fondest memory from school was: “Beating everyone in math!”

Being the graduate of a class that recently celebrated its forty-year reunion, Karima has had the opportunity to observe how CIS has progressed since her graduation. This, being one of the reasons for which her take on academia, and the essence of her career, is profoundly intriguing.

In response to a question regarding the relationship she still holds with her high school friends, she replied that the best attempts are made to try to see one another occasionally - but due to long distances it is often made hard to find themselves in the same area at a time.

“Yep... In touch with most. See them occasionally. Hard when you’re spread around the world. That’s life as a TCK (third culture kid), that’s what we were called back then.”

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This quote, and in the full retrospect of many modern academic curriculums, there are not many vocalised actions being taken to support third culture individuals. Being at an international school, as Ms. Ladjimi elaborates, it is important to improve the future: “CIS should help TCKs understand their situation in order to better prepare them for their future.”

Not only would this serve as a metaphorical ‘step into the future’, but it would also support the international community’s motto of embracing every culture. A concept that has not developed as rapidly among other elements of technology since her graduation.

“I went through an identity crisis at the end of my college years. The fear of not knowing where to settle, I was told.

Another TCK challenge.”

However, this challenge that was faced shortly after graduating from CIS was short-lived, having little impact on the career path she chose. Initially, Karima studied business at university and graduated with a Masters in International Management. Little was it known though, that a trip to Tunisia would ignite what would blossom into a love for a completely different career.

“I discovered my love of filmmaking when, for the very first time, I visited a film set in Tunisia in 1983. My plan was to export arts and crafts things to the U.S. One day, I went to visit a film set that a friend was working on. Not so much to visit the set but rather because the location was this old palace that I and my best friend, as little girls aged eight, used to sneak into the gardens of and run away scared when the gardener appeared! As a little girl, you can imagine, the fantasy one has about palaces. I never saw the inside of it, until… fast forward fifteen years later. That was the location of the film! So, of course, I wanted to visit the set only to finally see the palace from inside! But once I got to the set and saw all the work and running around, etc., to just film what are a few seconds of screen time. I was hooked! I decided to get into that business. That was it! I had found what I wanted to do: be part of this big team involved in making films.”

Acting as Production Manager for the 2010, sixty-one awardwinning, movie, “The Hurt Locker”, Karima’s success in the filmmaking industry has been made evident by her initial

plunge into the occupation and the wide range of genres she has covered since. While being a very competitive and unpredictable job, there are also a few perks. One of these being the ability to take care of her family when necessary.

“I stumbled onto the film world by chance; and when I did I knew that THIS was what I wanted to do… I have been working on films on and off all my life since. Except for the past eight years. I went back to Tunisia to take care of my ailing father, and ended up with lawsuits against people who had abused him financially. He suffered from Alzheimer’s.”

An interesting piece of information regarding Karima’s relationship with film is the recurring role that it has played for previous members of her family. Her great-grandmother, Tilly von Kaulbach, is considered to be a pioneer of the early Danish film industry. Yet despite this, her grandmother’s love for film did not have a responsive influence on the career path she chose to pursue. She replied to a question on whether or

not her family’s history had any significance to her choices, replying with an edge of admirable respect: “Not at all...

Although I do have a great grandmother who established one of the first film production companies in Denmark at the beginning of last century! Kaulbach Films. That’s just an odd and wonderful coincidence.”

In a final withdrawal of the interview, she left one last ‘word of wisdom’ to the graduating class of 2018: “Just get out there and follow your dreams and ambitions! And retain what you have, hopefully, learned at CIS: tolerance and respect for the OTHER. And don’t forget our planet, please!”

Ms. Ladjimi’s story is one that holds a significant underlying meaning. As education further progresses and blossoms, the fact remains unchanging that the student is the one who can make any decision they want regarding career - all that is necessary is the support of their educators and the drive to succeed.

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ALUMNI

INTERVIEW WITH KALEB FRY, 2013 GRADUATE

BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

When All Is Said And Done I had the pleasure to interview Kaleb who moved to Denmark with his family in 2008. Kaleb gives an honest account about his time at CIS and how his future was created through trial and error.

AFTER EIGHT YEARS AT CIS WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR SCHOOL EXPERIENCE? My favourite part of my CIS experience was the freedom I was given. In terms of physical freedom and freedom of learning. We were allowed to explore multiple avenues to get to a destination. That approach has helped me in my life after CIS IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE? If I could change anything, I’d have worked harder (laughs).

I could have done a lot better in the IB if I worked at it and gone to a much better university for my undergraduate degree. I had to work twice as hard as an undergrad to get the grades I needed to get me into a good university for my postgraduate work. Unfortunately, I had to be allowed to fail in order to succeed and change my habits. It links back to that freedom CIS offered.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU’VE OVERCOME SINCE LEAVING CIS? The biggest challenge was probably university. I was at a university that wasn’t aligned with what I wanted. I knew I could have been somewhere better if I tried. I was in a city I didn’t like, with people I didn’t connect with. But I used that to motivate myself to put in the work and achieve. I graduated in the top 2% of the class, with first class honours, and was even awarded a dean’s list scholarship. Something that will probably surprise anyone who knew me while I was at CIS. WHAT FIELD DID YOU PURSUE A CAREER IN? I currently work as an enterprise account manager at an electronics and software firm in London. It isn’t what I want to do long term. I want to get into consulting, banking, or

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corporate strategy. But I’m working towards doing a masters this September. So I’ll career change after that.

ARE YOU STILL IN TOUCH WITH YOUR HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS? The guys I went to CIS with are still my closest friends. We all live here in London and see each other a few times a week.

We’ve all lived with each other over the last few years too.

Erland Linna is moving to London in September and he and I are planning to share accommodation!

ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR OUR 2018 GRADUATES? To the 2018 graduates: it’s ok if you don’t know what you want to do. You’re in an environment surrounded by high achievers and people who know exactly what they want to do. It’s ok if you don’t. It’s not the be all and end all. You will find your path. But work hard; delay the easy, and take the path of most resistance. Even if it seems pointless at the time, the person you’ll be when you emerge will have made it worth it. But don’t do things by halves. Life is too short to half-ass something. A quote I wish to share: “Every morning, when the sun rises over the savanna, a gazelle wakes up.

It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will die. Every morning, when the sun rises over the savanna, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn’t matter if you’re a gazelle or a lion, when the sun comes up, you’d better be running. And don’t forget to thank your parents!”

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THE 60’S

THE 70’S

1962

1970

A group of 12 students were offered a High School correspondence course with the University of Nebraska. The course was arranged by Mrs Frank Gallagher who was employed at the US Embassy.

1963

Mrs. Gallagher and a group of international parents rented a room at Bagsværd Kostskole og Gymnasium for correspondence students. One teacher was hired to supervise the program.

1964

Parents organized into an association which incorporated the Copenhagen International High School (CIHS). John Therman was the first student to receive an American High School Diploma from CIHS.

1964

Colonel William Bailey, Chairman of the CIHS board secured permission for office space at the US Embassy from Her Excellency Katherine E. White, U.S. Ambassador and devoted worker for the school. Mission: To administer final examinations to departing students and to keep registrations going or the coming school year 1965-66, our first year as a formal, classroom instruction, college-preparatory institution.

Members of the CIHS Board: Colonel W. Bailey, Mr. Randall Jesse, Mrs. Donald E Guy and Mr. Reginald Palmer, World Health Organization and first non-American Board member.

1964/65

Due to high operating costs and insufficient funds, the school soon found itself on the brink of bankruptcy, and the Board, chaired by Mr. Randall Jessee, then US Press Attaché, reluctantly but realistically decided to move the school from Bagsværd to less expensive headquarters – The Thomas P. Hejles Ungdomshus at Nørre Voldgade 23.

1966

Lord Mayor Jakobsen suggest that Rektor Ulf Østergaard, a former principal of the United Nations School in New York, participate in the planning of the school. Rektør Østergaard agreed wholeheartedly and it was through his efforts that Mr. Godfrey D. Sullivan accepted the post as first Principal of CIHS. The school moved to John F. Kennedy Skole (later called Søborg Gymnasium)

1968

The school name changed from Copenhagen International High School (CIHS) to Copenhagen International School (CIS). This was to avoid confusion with the Danish “højskole” which denotes an institution of further education. That same year, Godfrey Sullivan left Denmark to complete a doctorate in the States. Charles A. Gellar, Physics/Chemistry teacher was invited to become Headmaster of CIS

1969

CIS students took International Baccalaureate examinations on an experimental basis. A group of CIS students participated in the Model United Nations at The Hague. The infant problems of the school eased as enrollment increased. Charles Gellar was heard to say, “If we can just get this school over 60 students, we´ve got it made”.

Due to overcrowding at Søborg gymnasium, a four room barracks was designed for the CIS language classes in 1970.

1972

the first International Baccalaureate Diploma was earned by a CIS student, Pavel Pisa, Czechoslovakia.

During this year, CIS carried out a critical self-study and was visited by a team of accreditors from the European Council of International Schools. Accreditation was granted in April 1973 – the second school in Europe to receive this honor.

1973

In September 1973, Charles Gellar started the Copenhagen International Junior School, with Mrs Inez Sullivan as the first principal. 16 students were enrolled on the first day. Six months later there were 38 students were enrolled.

1975

In May 1975 the Junior School was recognized for a subsidy from the Danish State as a Danish Free school. The High School had a record of 121 students enrolled. A thirteenth grade was started as the final year of the IB program. Due to overcrowding at the High School, the 9th grade was transferred to CIJS Middle School.

1976

The extra-curricular program was expanded with basketball, Model United Nations, drama, yearbook, student council and newspaper as the most popular options.

1978

At the sabbatical of Charles Gellar, James Keson, teacher of Mathematics at CIS, became acting Headmaster. That same year, CIS moved from Søborg Gymnasium to Gammel Kongevej, right beside CIJS. Due to shortage of space at Stenosgade, CIJS opened an annex in Hemmingsen´s Alle in Hellerup for the school year 1978/79.

1979

Denmark’s capital city was receiving more and more international families in the business world, and they needed international education. A number of influential Danes recognized that need and together with both CIJS and CIS, they formed FRIENDS OF THE COPENHAGEN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS FOUNDATION, which became part of the fundraising structure.

THE 80’S

THE 90’S

1980

1990

1981

1993

An Extended Essay of a CIS student, Alberto Padrini, was chosen as a model by the International Baccalaureate Organization After a thorough self-study which included a rewriting of the school constitution, CIS was accredited by ECIS and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

1982

Largely through the efforts of Board Member Jørgen Olsen, CIS was put on the list of recognised schools in Denmark.

Because of this, students were able to get transportation fees reimbursed and Danish state grants.

1983

The 20th anniversary of CIS and the 10th anniversary of CIJS were celebrated with guests from ECIS, free hamburgers for the students, a short-film festival, an invitation to Town Hall pancakes by Lord Mayor Egon Weidekamp, and an open house and reception with Minister of Culture, Mimi Stilling Jakobsen.

1984

The Drama club invited 100 students from all over Europe to the International Schools Theatre Association Festival at the school. With the help of the PTA, the weekend was a busy success.

1987

A Pre Kindergarten group for 4 year olds is officially opened.

This step had been under consideration for some time, and in 1997 the circumstances seemed right to go ahead. Especially important is the fact that international families seem to feel the need for it. That same year CIJS joins the Danmarks Realskoleforeing.

1988

CIS celebrates its 25th anniversary and CIJS its 15th anniversary with Princess Benedikte. Inez Venning returned to the United States and Susan Stengel became the CIJS Principal. Susan Stengel was part of a team of administrators who formed the International Schools Curriculum Project (ISCP) which was later handed over to the IBO for management and continuing development. After School Program: An afterschool program is instituted in the Junior School.

The High School is included in the 1990/91 gymnasium law.

This law allows the Minister of Education to make special dispensations for CIS. The merger of CIS and CIJS takes place and the school moves to Hellerup and under one name CIS. Princess Benedikte was once again a special guest at the inauguration.

1996

Introduction of the IB Middle Years Program

1997

Waiting lists still occurred at CIS as schooling for international students was still high in demand in Denmark. A new Primary school building was built between December 1996 and August 1997. Princess Benedikte inaugurated the building on 4th September 1997.

1998

The First of 3 phases starts in order to change from a 13 year to a 12 year academic program. The class of 1998 were the last class to be called Grade 13

THE 2000’S 2000

Introduction of the IB Primary Years Program

2001

Inauguration of the new sports hall by Princess Benedikte

2007

CIS explores possibilities to expand the Hellerup Campus. On 6th June 2007 A.P. Møller and Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation donated 25 million kroner to CIS to help expand the Hellerup campus. CF Moller, the architects, developed a masterplan for the Hellerup campus, the main focus of which was an large expansion on top of the Sports Hall, as it was going to be impossible to expand and renovate the Primary School without closing the building for a year at least. This was not practicable and the funding was returned to the foundation.

2008

Director Peter Wellby and the CIS Board started focusing on renting a school for five years, while numbers were built up and money raised for an entirely new school for 1200 students.

2010

CIS Board secure a plot of land in Nordhavn and an agreement was reached to work with CF Møller Architects on a pro-bono basis.

2011

Enrollment increases and the High School move to City Campus in Østerport. Dialog with foundations and banks begin regarding financial support for the building project 2012: Ejendomsfonden Copenhagen International School (ECIS) established to carry out new school building project: Ejendomsfonden Copenhagen International School Board and management: Chair, John Bo Jacobsen, Vice-Chair Anders Smith, Board Member, Jeanette Mouritsen. Project Director Per Anker Hansen, Vice Project Director Peter Asmus Adamsen

2013

Donations from A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal (the A.P. Møller Foundation), the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Villum Foundation, Dampskibsselskabet NORDEN A/S // D/S Orients Foundation, the Hempel Foundation and the Augustinus Foundation

2013

CIS Celebrates 50 years of international education in Denmark. More than 200 alumni returned to celebrate the anniversary weekend held 19/20 April. Princess Benedikte also visited the school to mark this great milestone.

2014

Land filling from April to September. Foundation work starts November.

2015

Main construction starts January and roof raising in November 2015. Mounting of facade elements began in July.

The formation of the Cultural Advisory Group: The focus was on identifying the elements of CIS culture that are valued and that the community would like to see transitioned to Nordhavn.

2016

August: Ms.Jennifer Weyburn becomes the first female Director of CIS. The introduction of “Responsive Classroom”, a new social and emotional program introduced to Primary Years Program Middle School MMUN is established by Caoimhe Giolla-Møller, MS English Teacher.

Hellerup and City Campus close their doors for the last time on 15th December 2016.

2017

• January: CIS moves to Nordhavn with record enrolment 922 students • March: Official opening of CIS Nordhavn. Dignitaries included Princess Benedikte, the Minister of Education and the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen. First NECIS tournament held at Nordhavn

2018

Inauguration of Primary Years Greenhouse. This project was under the supervision of Judeth Christensen and Marie Bornholm-Hansen and the ceremony took place on Friday, 9 February 2018

1963 NORRE VOLDGADE 23 CIS is launched, school moves to Ungdomshus (youth center)

1966 SOBORG GYMNASIUM 1969, 4 room barrack is added to Søborg Gymnasium to house CIS

1977 GAMMEL KONGEVEJ CIS moves to Gammel Kongevej next to the Junior School

1993 HELLERUPVEJ Merge of CIS and CIJS 2011 OSTERBRO Grades 9-12 move to City Campus

2017 NORDHAVN CIS opens its doors to a brand new campus designed by C.F. Moller Architects

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