CIS FOOTPRINTS COPENHAGEN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
DIRECTOR’S REPORT CIS will offer educational excellence in a stimulating environment of cultural diversity and mutual respect p1
PASSING THE TORCH
CIS STUDENTS GO TO GHANA
It’s encouraging for CIS to create and maintain an environment where alumni wish for their own children to have the same experience they themselves had p5
Students could see the concrete results of these efforts by being active in lives of the women p15
OCTOBER 2014 - EDITION N.6
Dear Readers, Welcome to this autumn edition of Footprints. As a newcomer to the editing team, I’m delighted to be part of the CIS community. Originally from Canada, I taught in two international schools in Switzerland for the last twelve years before moving to Copenhagen this summer. Having visited Copenhagen a few times just over a year ago, I fell in love with the city, the quality of day-to-day life I sensed, and, well, I just went for it. No one believes me that I came here for just the city, but it’s true. The move is a chance to broaden my personal and professional experiences, recharge, and focus on the PhD in Education I am pursuing, part-time, with the University of Edinburgh (as its first online PhD research student). My research revolves around spatial theory and learning space design (sociomaterialism), with a focus on the implications for gender, technology and Third Culture Kids. Thank you to all the contributors to this edition. We hope you enjoy their writing and we look forward to your feedback. Best wishes, Chris Hambley
CO-EDITORS INTRODUCTION
A heartfelt welcome to CIS Footprints, and a special warm welcome to those students and parents who are new to the school this year. CIS Footprints focuses on community; “community” being the key word because it represents us all— students, parents and staff. We hope that you will enjoy reading about the people who have shared their lives with us in this October edition. Human interest stories are a powerful way to communicate, so we would love to hear your story and share in your adventure. Please mail cisfootprints@cis.dk if you wish to inspire others. Best wishes, Suzanne, Chris & Virginia
“The essence of community, its heart and soul, is the non-monetary exchange of value; things we do and share because we care for others, and for the good of the place.” Dee Hock
Editor in Chief: Suzanne O Reilly Managing Editor: Chris Hambley Graphic Designer: Virginia de Colombani Hellerupvej 26 2900 Hellerup, Denmark
E: http://www.cis-edu.dk/
P: +45 39 46 33 00
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
CIS BOARD OF TRUSTEES
THE GIVING TREE
Offering educational excellence in a stimulating environment p1
Starting the academic year with a mix of “old” hands and fresh recruits p2
Raising money to offer our first CIS Community Scholarship in 2016 p3
PTA NEWCOMER´S COMMITTEE
PASSING THE TORCH
ALUMNUS & DANISH ASTRONAUT
Committee members and Team Peru students created a hygge atmosphere p4
At CIS we care about our students and our former students p5
The mission will be first ever space mission for a Danish astronaut p6
CIS ATHLETES
CUSTODIAL ASSISTANT
FINDING COMFORT
We all wonder how they both deal with school and sports p7
In Black Basketball Club it was discovered I had a talent for the sport p8
Setting goals has contributed greatly to my academic success p9
INTERNSHIP AT CIS
SPORT IS LIFE
PEACE ONE DAY
Learning about other cultures and being in international surroundings p10
Watching students training reinforces my belief that sport develops character p11
Peace One Day work hard to raise awareness about this day p12
TEAM PERU
MOVING TO DENMARK
CIS STUDENTS GO TO GHANA
Biannual trips to Peru allow students to experience the impact of their support p13
Developing and growing up in an environment supportive of the family p14
Seeing the concrete results of these efforts by being active in lives of the women p15
DIRECTOR’S REPORT Walter Plotkin School Director
their lives and their worlds carefully and personally. This began on the opening of school, the first day we were together. At the time, and perhaps now as well, the school day began with staff and students rising, with hands over their hearts to recite the United States Pledge of Allegiance. I can still remember the reactions (eye rolls and shrugs) from the students when I told them that before we voiced the pledge, as we were obliged by the school administration to do, we would examine what it was that we would say together each school day morning from September to June. We then proceeded to spend the next hour or so examining, clarifying and questioning the words and phrases written by Francis Bellamy in 1892. I’m not sure now, nor was I then, that the exercise for the students was meaningful or the learning long lasting. I hoped that it would highlight the importance I placed on living “examined” lives. It is in that vein that I will risk a new round of facial expressions and body language to take a paragraph or two to deconstruct and appreciate the CIS mission and vision statements. A reasonable place to start is with the first phrase in the mission, Learning to Build Community, which conveys both the process and goal for our work with students. We are attempting to give them the skills and understanding necessary to form a community, and at the same time holding out the ideal of “community” as an essential goal for our lives and learning. The body of the mission statement suggests that we will create an open and respectful environment that thoughtfully nurtures each and every student that passes through our doors and lives.
“CIS will develop the potential of each student by offering educational excellence in a stimulating environment of cultural diversity and mutual respect.” In the spring of 2013 the CIS School Board adopted a revised mission statement and introduced a vision statement as part of a strategic planning exercise. The “new” mission statement remained virtually the same as the previous version, which is understandable given that an organization’s purpose or raison d’etre generally does not change much over time. Ours confirms that in the pursuit of Learning to Build Community, CIS will develop the potential of each student by offering educational excellence in a stimulating environment of cultural diversity and mutual respect. Our vision statement, Educating champions of a just and sustainable world, specifies the long-term goals we have for our students, in the context of our school mission.
Our vision of educating champions of a just and sustainable world implies that if we have done our jobs well, we will have contributed to the development of independent adults that will assume stewardship for an equitable world that is sustainable environmentally, politically, economically and socially. This is a mighty responsibility indeed, but one worthy of an excellent school and community like ours, that sets challenging and admirable goals for itself. Hopefully by examining our collective intentions as well as our cumulative actions we will contribute to a world in which we want our children and grandchildren to live. As a school we will do our best to stay true to our core values and beliefs. That has been true for the over fifty years that CIS has been providing an excellent education to an international community in Copenhagen.
Before coming back to the school’s philosophy, please indulge me as I take a brief stroll with you down memory lane. In the fall of 1979 I began my professional career in education as a grade six teacher in a school district in suburban Washington, D.C. Like most new teachers, then and now, I was long on enthusiasm, idealism and optimism, while not surprisingly short on skills, strategy and practicalities. One of many examples of this was my determination to have the students I taught examine 1
CIS BOARD OF TRUSTEES: FULL SPEED AHEAD Pictured from L to R: Heiko Henkel, Olga Insua, Nienke Vermeer, Brit van Ooijen, Kees- Jan de Vries, Cecile della Torre, Kat Dumez, Brian Sidle and CIS Director Walter Plotkin. Not pictured: Andy Reynolds, Sylvia Scharf, Lars Krogsgaard and Jason Evans
The CIS Board 2014-2015
The CIS Board has started the academic year with a mix of “old” (ahem) hands and fresh recruits. We waved goodbye to Jeneva Patterson, John Schoonmaker, Isabella Smith and Maria Robinson; their expertise and dedication to the school will be missed. Fortunately for us, equally committed parent volunteers were at hand and so we were able to bid a warm welcome to Sylvia Scharf, Olga Insua, Nienke Vermeer, Kat Dumez and our coopted US Embassy representative Jason Evans. Four committees were formed: Finance, Governance, Communication and New School. The first three have an advisory and supporting role regarding the school’s health and projected growth strategy. The latter liaises with ECIS: the Board that was formed specifically to manage the execution of the building project. This is now gathering momentum with a project office firmly in place just across from the building site at Nordhavn, a prime waterfront location. Exciting times for an exciting school that aims to grow confidently whilst safeguarding the unique blend of academic excellence and strong community building that made it grow in the first place. 2
THE GIVING TREE IS GROWING LEAVES Thomas M. Nielsen Director of Communications and Advancement tmn@cis.dk / 2724 4899 / www.cis.dk
In May we planted our CIS “Giving Tree” and thanks to the many dedicated gardeners in the CIS community whose steady supply of water and fertilizer have given the tree the best possible start; we have raised almost DKK 110,000 in just five months!
Jeannette Bødker Jensen, and Jo Earl, as well as our generous sponsors for the raffle, Alfa Relocation, Harbirk Bus Company, Books & Co, Laudrup Wine, The Irish Community, Wellness Fitness, and many more.
Our goal is to raise DKK 250,000 which will enable us to offer our first CIS Community Scholarship in August 2016. CIS has a long tradition of offering scholarships to both international and Danish students who would not otherwise be able to join the school. These scholars enrich the school academically and culturally – and more importantly, they contribute to the diversity of the CIS community.
Read more about the Giving Tree campaign or make a donation by visiting http://www.cis.dk/page.cfm?p=4214
“Our goal is to raise DKK 250,000 which will enable us to offer our first CIS Community Scholarship in August 2016”
To celebrate the early success of the Giving Tree campaign, we shall be having our first Annual Giving Tree Gala Dinner & Ball for the entire CIS community on November 1st 2014. There will be lovely food, live music and entertainment, as well as a Surprise Raffle. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our tireless Gala Ball organizers, Maridith Woodward, Shouka Pelaseyed,
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PTA NEWCOMERS COMMITTEE 2014 “Parents mingled and enjoyed a lovely piano player and good company. One parent asked if we could do this every month! ”
Liz Woodhour Chair of the PTA Committee While every year brings new faces to CIS, this year seemed to have an especially large group of new families. Thank goodness for the Newcomers Committee! Jo Burt and Jo Britten—and their committee—spent a tremendous amount of time last spring speaking with families that had recently joined our community to see what they felt was missing from their welcome, what they could do better, and, of course, what they did well. Through this invaluable feedback from families, the committe expanded their welcome. They updated our brochures, started a “host” family program and began enlisting help.
Taking that spirit into account, the Newcomer’s continue to organise monthly Men’s and Ladies´ evenings out. The first for each group was held at Apoteket in Hellerup and, as both evenings were well attended, the committee will continue to host a Thursday evening each month, one for the ladies and one for the gents. These are very casual, but a great way to meet some new people or meet up with old friends. Next up, Halloween! Looking forward to seeing all the scary costumes and smiling faces.
I think that those who hosted and those who were hosted benefited greatly from the service. Having a familiar face on the first day of school for kids and parents is a relief--and everyone likes to be helpful. The Newcomer’s Committee also continued to work hard this fall with supermarket tours, coffees and the ever popular Wine and Cheese, which this year was renamed Vin, Ol og Ost to reflect our borrowed culture. Committee members and Team Peru students created a hygge atmosphere with nibbles and wine and beer while parents from the Primary, Middle and Senior school mingled and enjoyed a lovely piano player and good company. One parent asked if we could do this every month! 4
CIS HERITAGE – PASSING THE TORCH “We may come from different cultures and backgrounds, but we have more in common as humans than we have differences.”
By Christiane Conradt-Eberlin, Admissions Department Reflections from Alumna Margot Brabrand (‘86)
and backgrounds, but we have more in common as humans than we have differences. Friendships have no boundaries. CIS also provided me with an international network. Wherever I go today, there is always a former CIS classmate nearby. At the 50th Anniversary of CIS, I was lucky to gather old classmates from many different parts of the globe to a predinner drink before attending the anniversary celebration at CIS. Even though many years had passed since CIS, it was like we had only been apart for a few years. I want to pass on to my daughters all the good values mentioned above combined with the exceptional learning environment that CIS offers. Giving my daughters the opportunity to be taught by passionate and competent teachers who truly care about each and every child, I guess is the quintessential meaning of CIS to me. Each child is treated as a unique individual – and at the same time as part of a community.
At CIS we care about our students AND our former students. Whether they go on to become chemists, priests, or teachers just like the ones who inspired them at CIS, we want them to remember their days in our classrooms fondly, reflecting their accomplishments with pride to their own children. And if we at CIS have done a superb job, these students will wish to enroll their children here one day. It’s encouraging for CIS to create and maintain an environment where alumni wish for their own children to have the same educational experience they themselves had. But not often does it happen that an alumna will be living in Copenhagen at the time her children are school-aged.
So the day came when my own daughter was starting school. My husband and I were not sure what was right for her, but decided to start her out in the Danish system. And we met all of what that involves; friends nearby school that (in general) don’t move away, same classmates and teachers for the next six years, and of course no language barrier, as we are Danish. But we also met the Law of Jante (a sociological term to negatively describe a condescending attitude towards individuality and success). In short, a system that de-emphasizes individual effort and places all emphasis on the collective, while discouraging those who stand out as achievers. So, my husband and I, discouraged by what we had experienced, started to discuss what other options we could offer our daughter.
At CIS we are fortunate that Margot Brabrand, in the summer of 2013, decided that our school was the right match for her daughter, Filippa. Margot was born and raised in Denmark by a single parent. Her mother worked full-time as a doctor and decided that CIS was the best school choice for her and her sister. Margot attended CIS in her primary and middle school years, starting in grade one and finishing grade nine in 1986.
On a sunny spring day when Filippa was close to finishing Pre-K, my husband and I drove by CIS, without actually having an appointment. Nonetheless, we were given a full tour of the school. And we were blown away! Sure, the school is very different from when I was a student, but many of the core elements are the same. In many ways it felt like coming home. Not just because my first grade teacher—Mrs. Amdi— still teaches primary school, but because the entire atmosphere of what I knew from my years as a student so evidently has transcended through the generations up until today. I am truly grateful for having the opportunity to pass on what my mother passed on to me, and for opening the eyes of my daughter to the world.
We asked Margot what she took with her from CIS that she wants to pass on to her daughters? CIS opened my horizons. Every day brought on new crosscultural experiences. To this day, I still cherish the fond memories of experiencing a multitude of traditions, religions and ways of life that I could never have met in a traditional Danish school. I remember being taught to always try my best, and make an effort. I learned being aware that as a person, you have an impact on your surroundings, and to always be caring and respectful to others. We may come from different cultures 5
CIS ALUMNUS AND DANISH ASTRONAUT VISITS GRADE 3 Dan Palomares, Primary and Middle School IT Facilitator Thomas Nielsen, Director of Communications & Advancement
Andres Mogensen, CIS graduate 1995 and European Space Agency astronaut, has been selected for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2015. The planned mission will see him travel with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The 10-day mission will be Andreas’ first voyage into space and the first ever space mission for a Danish astronaut. He will be working as a flight engineer during the mission. Andreas kindly accepted the invitaton on 10th October 2014 to come back to CIS, and talk to Grade 3 about “Life AS an Astronaut”. His enthusiastic audience had many fun questions to ask about his training and about his fears and expectations of going into space. An enjoyable assembly was had by all, and Andreas plans to return with the CIS tee shirt given to him by the students to take with him on his journey. The visit was arranged by Dan Palomares and Thomas Nielsen.
“The 10-day mission will be Andreas’ first voyage into space and the first ever space mission for a Danish astronaut. ” Photos by Maja Giannoccaro
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CIS ATHLETES Interview with Olivia Tuokila
Interview with Larissa Gronow
By Jordan Walter, grade 6
By Jordan Walter, grade 6
COMPETITIVE RUNNER 8th grader Olivia Tuokila is a talented athlete, running since the age of eight and still going strong. 2014 has been a particularly active and successful year for Olivia. Most recently, she took part in the girls’ under-15 relay team (4x100m) that won the Danish Championship. Earlier in July she participated in the Finnish Team National Championships where she won gold in the 4x300m relay (girls under 17 years) and silver in the 4x100m relay (girls under 15 years), making her a national relay champion in both Finland and Denmark. Olivia also runs for the CIS NECIS Team, so we all wonder how she deals with school and sport. Winner of over 100 medals in her years on the track, she has one word to explain it all: “hard.”
COMPETITIVE SAILOR Arriving at CIS in the school year of 2013-14, 6th grader Larissa Gronow has been a competitive sailor for over five years, starting out at the age of seven with her Finnish friend. She has since been a successful sailor at the Danish Royal Yacht Club, competing in the Danish ranking Optimist competition in Kolding. During Larissa’s last competition, in Finland, the sail on her Fin 981 broke, thereby disqualifying her, but that didn’t discourage her from getting right back into competitions. Some would wonder how she deals with a full-time sport, one involving an enormous amount of hard training—virtually everyday—in addition to her academic commitments and daily homework. How does she do that? Larissa Gronow has a clear answer to those who wonder how; as she says herself, “It’s hard doing both sailing and completing my homework, but I really love to sail, and because of that I have found a way to balance it out.”
Late nights and extra study form hard challenges, but if you’re an amazing runner like Olivia, nothing gets in your way. As Olivia says herself, “Just run!”
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CUSTODIAL ASSISTANT Interview with Todor Kubura By Magnus Solberg, grade 6 How did you develop your passion for basketball? Watching the Yugoslavian national basketball team inspired me. I had my hero in the national team, Dejan Bodiroga, who became my role model. My first club was Black Basketball Club where it was discovered I had a talent for the sport. I played in Serbia for eight years with youth basketball teams and we competed at international tournaments. I then moved to Hungry for a year at the age of 15 without my family, who nevertheless continued to support me during my time away from home. While playing basketball, I began my first year of high school education and work with Bogdan Karaicic, coach for the Hungarian Team. Bogdan was a mentor who taught me many skills about basketball and life, and is still doing this. In 2010 I then moved to Spain to play with a Spanish club, Pineda de Mar. Here I did my second year of highschool and learned Spanish, which was a pretty easy language to pick up. I returned to Belgrade in 2011, finished high school, and continued playing basketball for clubs in Belgrade. How did you wind up at CIS? What brought you to DK?
I came to CIS in August 2014, where I took up the position as custodial assistant. I am working closely with Zlatko and Lars where we enjoy a good working relationship and I am learning a lot under their leadership. And it’s been an amazing experience for me to work with so many different nationalities, hearing so many different languages under one roof. I then met with Robert Reynolds, NECIS Coach, and as we spoke about basketball and my background. He asked if I was interested in coaching U10 boys basketball. This was an exciting offer and opportunity to be able to teach the sport to younger children. We train every Saturday at 11:30 here at CIS and expect to play with Danish clubs starting in October.
I was a semi-professional basketball player in Spain, Hungary and Serbia, where I got a call from my ex-coach in Hungary to be part of a summer project in Team Fog Næstved Basketball club as a coach. What can you tell us about your home country? I was born in Montenegro and moved to Serbia when I was a little older. Growing up in Serbia it was a peaceful time, except for the situation in 1999 where our country was bombed by NATO, when I had just started school. The country was built up again and I began playing basketball at the age of seven. The most beautiful place in Serbia is Uzice due to its beautiful surroundings and rich cultural traditions. Serbian people are very welcoming to visitors of other countries. The food is also exceptional—a mix of Hungarian, Turkish and Balkan ingredients.
My impression of Tador was one of a really nice guy with a very interesting background. We had one thing in common and that is our passion for basketball, which I, too, started at an early age. Tador fits into the CIS environment so well that one would think he has been here for years and not only a few months. I enjoyed talking to him and learning about his culture. 8
FINDING COMFORT Frederik Petersen 2012 Graduate had to maintain a GPA of higher than 3.5. I have found that setting goals has contributed greatly to my academic success (such as landing on the dean’s list for two consecutive semesters, I’m proud to say). In the Northeastern Engineering Department, the first year is a general academic one in which all aspiring engineers take the same courses, from physics to calculus to religion (my elective within humanities). It is only in the following semester that I will be attending any courses specific to Electrical Engineering such as Circuits and Signals: Biomedical Applications, Embedded Design: Enabling Robotics, and Intro to Co-op. My excitement is tempered only by the potential stress of an additional three labs per week. But university is not just about academics. In my spare time I played one semester of rugby and then transitioned--as one naturally does--into yoga and salsa for the second semester. On top of that, I had my morning workouts everyday when the gym opened around 5/5:30, the best time to workout! I’ve found that faithfully scheduling my time has assured that I get the most out of college. For example, next semester I have promised a friend to run a marathon and a Tough Mudder (again), so I’ll be busy training for that.
2012 I graduated from CIS with the class of 2012. It’s now been a year since I threw my hat into sky, celebrating my time at CIS and the beginning of something new. At the time not knowing exactly what I planned to do after the summer, I began searching for what my life should be like after IB. Having discussed my options thoroughly with my family, I decided to take a gap year in order to come to terms with where I wanted my life to go. My gap year began with three months working at a factory, assembling car filters. It was dusty, painful, and incredibly exhausting. I entered the factory in the dark...
The social life at Northeastern is great and I’ve met mostly kind and interesting people. Currently I live off-campus with my brother, Oliver Petersen, and my old CIS mate, Nicolas Wittrup. Nic’s lovely girlfriend has joined us for a year, coming all the way from Australia, and she fits in perfectly with us. It is difficult to put a freshman year into just 500 words, as so very much happens during this fun and crazy time. The only advice I would give about first year university is: enjoy every minute of it because it doesn’t last long; and, say yes to trying new things. College is for experimenting and you could lose out on a lot of adventures by staying in your comfort zone.
2014 The first year of college is over and...so far so good. I find that with each passing year I’m a little closer to where I want to be and what I want to do. I mentioned in the previous article that I was pursuing a double major in electrical and computer engineering. This is no longer the case. Instead I discovered that, in the same amount of time, I could take a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering. To do this I have 9
INTERNSHIP AT CIS Interview with Anne-Sophie Kernwein September 25, 2014
“The common denominator throughout my educational history is my passion for meeting people from different countries, speaking foreign languages, learning about other cultures and being in international surroundings. ”
Can you elaborate on your course of study - High School, CBS, why you chose this field of study? The common-denominator throughout my educational history is my passion for meeting people from different countries, speaking foreign languages, learning about other cultures and being in international surroundings. Throughout Folkeskolen, I was eager to learn English, French and German. In addition to this, I went to an international Efterskole where I started learning Spanish and went on an exchange to Barcelona. In High School there were two directions at the time; one was math and the other was language. I chose language and took courses in English, German and Spanish. After high school I spent six months in London, six months in Berlin, and I worked full time at Europe’s largest hostel in Copenhagen for one year before I knew what I wanted to study.
Why did you apply for an internship at CIS? Why CIS? I’ve always loved being in international and multicultural environments, and I love to meet people from all over the world! Therefore, I started thinking about international environments in Copenhagen, and I came to think about international schools and CIS. Firstly, it seemed like a very dynamic workplace and I love that. Secondly, I’m planning on working abroad for a period of time, and the qualifications I expect to develop at CIS are qualifications that I can benefit from in all types of jobs all around the world.
I chose Copenhagen Business School because I knew they offered a wide variety of English-taught programs and great exchange opportunities. I’ve always been a very outgoing type of person and loved interaction, so I thought about communications. Although CBS offered various communications programs, I chose to study English and Organizational Communication, which centers on multicultural and socio-cultural communication. Basically, during the program I learned how to communicate across cultures in international organizations with English as the lingua franca and I went to Cork, Ireland on exchange. For my Master’s I want to study social science; therefore, I chose American Studies, where I get to evaluate and analyze American politics, societies and cultures. I’m confident my studies will prepare me for a variety of exciting and challenging jobs in the global workforce.
What do you expect at the end of your experience? I’m hoping to get a lot of working experience in international and multi-cultural settings, as I could see myself working in these types of environments after I finish my Master’s degree next year. I really hope to develop some new learning skills and test the qualifications I’ve developed through my studies on a daily basis. I’ve had many different student jobs, but with this internship I am striving to complement my educational skills with real-life working experience in order to make my resume broader and more flexible. 10
SPORT IS LIFE Robert Reynolds Athletics Director
Watching CIS students training in the pool at Kildeskovshallen from 06:30-to 07:45 reinforces my belief that sport is central in developing character. Who in their right mind gets up at 5:30 in the morning to swim 2 kilometers and then off to school for seven hours of work: girls and boys who are dedicated, disciplined and passionate! This sounds like qualities that many employers would seek when hiring‌ Sport is life!
And the journey, of course, has not been an easy one, given that the boys have been playing against teams that have been together for a year or two. We have lost more than we have won, and sometimes the losses have been great; however, the boys (and, of course, their parents) have persevered, learning what it means to suffer and accept defeat. But along the way, and steadily, the teams have won games. And thus the learning continues as the boys reap the benefits of being dedicated, disciplined and passionate.
This belief is further mirrored in the recent Denmark International Schools Cup, hosted by NGG International School. Our grade 2-4 boys took on the fierce competition and dominated, bringing home two first places and one second. At last year’s tournament, CIS did not do so well. So what has happened?
Now we look forward to the winter and spring soccer seasons because the primary school girls will be joining the teams which will only result in even more success on the pitch as our girls and boys strive for excellence beyond the classroom.
A primary imitative in 2014 has been to offer organized sports with practices and games to our primary years students. To achieve this, we have forged a relationship with Skjold, a local Danish football club. Starting up this program last April, our boys learned what it means again to be dedicated, disciplined and passionate. 11
PEACE ONE DAY
“Their aim was not only to learn more about Peace but also to encourage the younger students to consider how making a change, even if it’s a small change like helping your mom with the dishes can make a difference. ”
Jeremy Gilley’s non-profit organization ‘Peace One Day’ has started to make a successful contribution to global peace. He has a strong belief and determination in global peace and established the United Nation’s International Day of Peace and Global Ceasefire on the 21st September. His organisation Peace One Day work hard to raise awareness around the globe about this day. This day has become such a huge inspiration to many. At Copenhagen International School, we celebrated ‘Peace Day’ on the 24th of September, 2014 to raise awareness amongst our community about peace and peaceful contributions that can be made to the community and the world.
When the workshops were over the whole middle school went on a peace march around the school campus, in Hellerup. The purpose was to raise awareness and we carried banners both advertising peace one day and peace. Luckily some people came and asked about peace day. Then the whole middle school reunited at the assembly, where everyone was given a paper crane. On this paper crane, everyone wrote an action that they would do that would make an impact on someone in their life e.g family/community. Our paper cranes are currently hanging in different places around the school. In the afternoon, we were very lucky to have a special guest speaker come visit us, and explain how he has impacted peace. Jakob Silas Lund, creator of Play31 held an extraordinary speech, and shared his vision and action project where he works with youths and makes it possible for them to “play” sports in Sierra Leone, pointing out how playing can bring together a torn community. I think he inspired a lot of people. To conclude, CIS managed to spread awareness about this day to several people, the day was a success.
Each year the 8th graders are the lucky ones who get to organize and arrange ‘Peace One Day’ at our school. So this year, 2014, 8th grade got separated into different groups. Every group had a task to organize a workshop or activity, which was mainly focused around spreading awareness. We started the day with a morning assembly with the whole of middle school. During this assembly, the 8th Grade hopefully taught younger students about peace, and the organisation peace one day. Their aim was not only to learn more about Peace but also to encourage the younger students to consider how making a change, even if it’s a small change like helping your mom with the dishes can make a difference. After the assembly, the students were separated in to workshops. The younger students got to choose which workshops they wanted to go learn from. 12
TEAM PERU David Larr Team Peru
Team Peru is an extra-curricular program at Copenhagen International School, which is based on the idea of “young people helping young people”. The program was founded in 2005 and one of the aims since then has been to raise awareness about the plight of neglected, abused and abandoned children in Peru. In 2008, Mama Cocha’s Children’s Home in Los Organos was built with Team Peru’s funding and support, and it now provides a permanent home for nine children. One event that brings together the CIS community and highlights the impact of our cause is the annual Fun Run set in Dyrehave, Klampenborg. David Larr, DP1, a member of Team Peru and Fun Run participant, describes his account of the day:
• For the Primary School “step count,” Georgina Wilkes from Pre-K with 9130 steps, and Angus Black-Storm from grade 3 with 8219 steps. • From the Secondary School we have Maya Desmond from grade 9 with 21 km in the half marathon and Camilla Jenson from grade 11 with 20 km on the day. From the adult section we have Lydia Rodriguez with 21 km in a close tie with Suzanne O’Reilly with 21km, both in the half marathon. Their rematch will take place next week. Honorable mention should also go to Lene Raassina for her 11.5 km. • Finally, in the family section, the winners are the Woodwards with 72 km and the Ten-Haves with 42.78 km. With all of these fantastic walkers in action we also managed to raise 11,750 DKK which will go towards the running costs of Mama Cocha. Thank you all for participating; it was a great success and we hope to see you next year.
When I looked out of the window at 8am on Sunday and saw the grey clouds, I thought, “oh no,” and would rather have stayed in bed; however, I joined the 180 others to take part in the annual fun run hosted by Team Peru and the PTA. Throughout the day, children, teachers, families and dogs came out to walk as many kilometers as they could – a step on the way to the 11,800km to Peru. In total, all of our combined efforts got us a whopping 1254 km, or from Copenhagen to just south of Madrid. This was a massive effort--only 10,546 km to go! Some participants’ steps counted for more than others and the recipients of the totally hypothetical “Most distance travelled award” are:
Biannual trips to Peru allow students to experience the impact of their support and this year is a travelling one. Over the course of the next few months, fifteen students will be chosen, through an interview process, to form the team that will go to Peru next April and, amongst other things, do physical work to maintain Mama Cocha. Events such as the Fun Run are crucial in order to continue our funding of Mama Cocha and all the people under its care. 13
MOVING TO DENMARK The Banerjee Family Interview with Rup Banerjee
“We are seeing our children develop and grow up in an environment that is very supportive of the family ” Was it difficult to go back to work? I started working again in September 2012 after about 6 months “off”. During that period, we had moved countries, moved houses, settled children into daycare and school. It was a great opportunity to spend time with our children at a time in our lives when it would probably be very unusual to do so as a working parent. As for being difficult to go back to work; I have always worked and been focused on building my own career and actually the break was a great opportunity for me to re-focus and be re-energised. I worked with an outplacement consultant who offered insights into Danish working culture as well as spending time networking with professionals across a variety of sectors. I don’t speak Danish and this can be a problem when looking for work, but there are many Danish and international firms in Denmark which will accommodate limited local language skills.
Why did you move? I moved to Copenhagen from London in April 2012 with my wife and our two children, after my wife was offered a role here with her company. The opportunity to move here when the British papers were full of stories about “quality of life” and the “happiest people in the world” seemed too good to pass up. So you became a “stay at home dad”: We took the decision that in moving with my wife’s job, I would “stay at home” and look after the children whilst my wife focused on establishing herself here in her new role. I would then look for a position once we had settled in.
How do you cope with both being working parents? It can be difficult at times and we’ve only had 1 occasion when we’ve both been travelling on business at the same time! But, most importantly we regularly compare diaries to ensure we have a clear idea of what’s going on and who’s going to be around when with the children. Since we miss having family available to help, we have help most days from a flexible babysitter who takes the pressure off racing home from work, although the “work-life balance” offered by the Danish working culture is the biggest help.
How old are your children? We have 2 children, our elder daughter is in Grade 2 at CIS. Our younger is 3 and attends a Danish børnehave near our home. Why did you choose CIS: When we came to visit the schools in Copenhagen, CIS stood out for us as a school with a welcoming, vibrant and supportive environment where we felt our daughter would thrive.
Has Denmark met your expectations? Yes. We are thoroughly enjoying our time here. We are seeing our children develop and grow up in an environment that is very supportive of the family. I particularly enjoy the fact they can cycle to / from school and børnehave already.
Will your son attend CIS? Our son could have started Pre-K1 at CIS this year, but we have chosen to keep him in the Danish børnehave system for the time being as it provides better flexibility in terms of childcare as we are both once again working parents – he also enjoys it! So you’re no longer a “stay at home dad”: No. I now work for a Danish company.
What advice would you have for “stay at home dads”? In my opinion, there is no right or wrong answer of what to do. It is whatever works for you and your family. What I am enjoying, is the opportunity to experience living and working in a different country, but most of all, being able to spend a lot more time together as a family compared to when we lived in London. 14
CIS STUDENTS GO TO GHANA Amy Faircloth, Ute Reichert Charity Club supervisors
THE TALENTED WOMEN’S CLUB In 2005, the CIS Charity Club established a micro credit and nutrition initiative for women living in a slum area in Amanfro, Ghana. The group in Ghana call themselves The Talented Women’s Club. CIS students saw how the club has flourished by giving loans to forty-five women so they can further develop their businesses. CIS students participated in the democratically run weekly meetings to see just how this works. The Charity Club also collaborates with Metropolitan University in developing health and nutrition programs for the women and their families. Students could see the concrete results of these efforts by being active in lives of the women: in the collectively owned food production, poultry and farming, playing with them in a football game, and even doing plenty of dancing! Staying healthy can be fun.
“Students could see the concrete results of these efforts by being active in lives of the women”
The Talented Women use profits from their businesses to assist the lives of their families by serving healthy food, buying shoes and school uniforms so that their children can get an education, and keeping up their share of the family expenses. Micro credit loans help empower them in so many aspects of their lives. 15
ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS, KRISTHY, HAD THESE COMMENTS ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES: The Ghana trip had a huge impact on me, not just for reconsolidating my emotional commitment and loyalty to Charity Club, but also for transforming my outlook on life. Every day I am grateful for small things that many of us take for granted; having water, electricity, enough food and access and education to make the right food choices, a very good education, and, above all, the tools and opportunities to choose our own path in life. It is, of course, also imperative that with all of this ‘power’ I supposedly yield, that I actually do something with it and help someone else who does not have the same resources and opportunities. I am proud to be a member of Charity Club. The money we raise helps to stabilize the lives and communities in Amanfro, as the women learn how to become both financially self-sufficient and independent in general. I am even prouder that I stepped out of my comfort zone and went on this trip. I am a completely different person.
“happiness is like an extension of your soul. Like any other body part, it requires care; happiness is something you constantly work to maintain and keep in good condition” Something that perhaps truly struck me while I was on this trip was how lucky not just I was, but we all were. Suddenly, again, I felt a profound sense of anger and sadness at how unfair life seemed. I did nothing to deserve my life. I won a in a circumstantial, existential lottery. Another thing that we realized was that people in Ghana have a very different, but actually very healthy and admirable outlook on the notion of happiness. They believe that happiness is something you are already born with, not, as many in the West believe, something you can buy, or spend your entire life chasing after. Rather, happiness is like an extension of your soul. Like any other body part, it requires care; happiness is something you constantly work to maintain and keep in good condition. This really changed my outlook on happiness.
NEWS: Two members of the CIS leadership program are organizing a benefit concert October 23, 2014 at 7 o’clock. Tickets 100 kr. All proceeds go directly to the Talented Women in Ghana. Unitarian Church, Dag Hammarskjölds Alle 30, 2100 København. Please join us! CONTACT: for more information contact the Charity Club supervisors: Amy Faircloth amyfairlcoth@cis.dk or Ute Reichert utereichert@cis.dk
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