CIS Footprints December 2018 Edition

FOOTPRINTS LEARNING

BUILDING

Danish National Making it green History Competition The versatility of the

DECEMBER #14

17 students in the Danish A Grade 6/7 class took part in the final of the Museum of National History page 18

greenhouse will benefit everyone, and give people a feeling of hygge. page 20

COMMUNITY

50 years of IB When words express our past, by Bodil Ă˜stergaard. page 32

Our digital beings

Digital media, with both its positive and negative influences, is here to stay. Only time will tell how our digital beings will continue to adapt and respond. page 06

Design Artist Filippa Brabrand Grade 6

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FOOTPRINTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS LEARNING

LETTER FROM THE FOOTPRINTS TEAM Dear CIS Community, This edition of CIS Footprints is dedicated to Mr. John Jacobsen who passed away suddenly this summer. John was Chair of the ECIS (Ejendomsfonden Copenhagen International School) which was established in 2012 to carry out the new school building project at Nordhavn.

John´s many contacts and expertise helped secure several donations for the Nordhavn building. CIS is more than grateful and thankful for John´s many years of dedication to CIS and his presence is sadly missed around the school.

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

“We are very happy for all the kind words about the building project. It’s easy, now that it stands finished, to forget the journey we’ve been on to get here, which sometimes felt like a rollercoaster they would love over in Tivoli.” John Jacobsen, Opening of CIS Nordhavn March 2017

LEARNING LEARNING

DECEMBER 2018 Editor in Chief: Suzanne O´Reilly Editor: Jack Ream Designer: Virginia de Colombani Reporters: Tarang Dalela, Clodagh Cunningham

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CIS IB Number 0004 Warm Thanks to Lars Krogsgaard Our Digital Beings Different Forms of Bullying CIMUN - Looking at the World Differently CIS 1000-tree The Global Issues Network Conference Going back in time Gammel Dansk - Kindergarten to IB Danish classes Learning Danish Danish National History Competition 2018

PAGE 04 PAGE 05 PAGE 06 PAGE 07 PAGE 08 PAGE 10 PAGE 12 PAGE 13 PAGE 14 PAGE 16 PAGE 17 PAGE 18

DECEMBER #14

BUILDING

COMMUNITY

MAKING IT GREEN

THE GLOBAL NOMAD FAMILY

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20 BUILDING

Making it Green The Middle School Greenhouse En Route to a Carbon Neutral Community Our new School Campus in Nordhavn Our Sports Facilities Aim High and Succeed

COMMUNITY

PAGE 20 PAGE 22 PAGE 24 PAGE 26 PAGE 28 PAGE 30

50 Years of the Internaational Baccalaureate PAGE 32 Baccalaureate at CIS PAGE 34 CIS and Facebook PAGE 36 Phasing out Facebook PAGE 38 Life is a Journey PAGE 40 Another one bites the dust PAGE 41 Returning Home to DK PAGE 42 The Global Nomad Family PAGE 44 Third Culture Kids PAGE 47 Graduate to Graduate PAGE 48 You make the school PAGE 50 How I became a CIS student PAGE 51 FOOTPRINTS

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LEARNING

DIRECTOR, JENNIFER WEYBURN

CIS IB Number 0004 Dear CIS Community, In many ways CIS is about being new: we are new to Nordhavn; every semester we welcome new community members; every day is filled with new learning experiences; and we are embarking on a new journey about what it means to be a sustainable community.

However, CIS is also steeped in tradition. For an international school, we are old! Our roots are entwined with the history of the International Baccalaureate programme. We were one of the first schools in the world to offer the IB Diploma; our faculty were involved in its creation. This year, we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the IB Diploma program, just as the IB organization and IB schools (virtually all of them newer to the IB than us!) around the world celebrated as well.

In late October we celebrated our special IB history, and our first IB Graduate, Pavel Pisa (1968 CIS Alum) and Charles Geller (CIS headmaster and IB developer) joined us. They spoke with grade 11 and 12 students and they participated in a concert celebrating IB’s 50th Anniversary. Speakers included: CIS Board Chair Susanne Rumohr Hækkerup, US Ambassador Carla Sands; Bodil Østergaard Glyberg, daughter of Rektor Østergaard of Søborg Gymnasium in Gladsaxe; Inez Venning Sullivan, first Head of Copenhagen International Junior School, and widow of Godfrey Sullivan, the first Head of CIS; and Jim Keson, 36 year CIS staff member and Head from 1978-96.

From its start, the International Baccalaureate has been about educational innovation and the future-focussed aim of fostering global citizens who thrive and contribute in communities around the world. And while CIS, like the IB, is now a very established organization, we keep one foot routed in this strong tradition while working every day to evaluate and incorporate new ideas and technologies that can best serve our students.

All best wishes for a wonderful new year, Jen

CIS Board 2018

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LEARNING

CIS BOARD CHAIR, SUSANNE RUMOHR

Warm Thanks to Lars Krogsgaard My name is Susanne Rumohr HĂŚkkerup and since 1 October, I have had the honour to serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees of CIS. On behalf of myself and my colleagues at the Board, I would like to extend our warm thanks to Lars Krogsgaard for all the efforts, time, ideas, and hard work he has invested in CIS during his more than six years as Member and Chair of the Board. Lars has been instrumental in attaining the financial backing that made the move to our Nordhavn campus possible, in securing a more fair conversion of IB grades to the Danish national grading system, and in shaping the framework for continued growth at the school. I am also grateful to Lars that he has agreed to continue to assist the school in managing any remaining issues related to our new building.

We wish Lars the very best and thankful for his commitment to CIS.

Lars Krogsgaard

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ALISON BLACK-STORM, MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR

LEARNING

Our Digital Beings It was almost 30 years ago that the World Wide Web was invented and little did we know that this invention would lead to our children being labelled as “Digital Beings”.

Children of today seem to have an innate sense of navigation when it comes to technology and digital media. Where adults might feel clumsy and challenged around technology, they seem fast, nimble and always excited; they just can’t get enough of it. In fact, when it comes to adolescence, digital media is quite frankly an integrated part of their life.

So how is life as a Digital Being?

As a school counselor, I see how digital media has found its place amongst our students. It allows students to connect with their families and classmates from afar. It allows them to express themselves freely, learn new things and access information. I see how playing Fortnite with their new classmates gives them a place in the social circle and how the internet and social media chats can provide support and hours of entertainment. Yet, I worry about adolescents and digital media. I know how much they seek acceptance during this period and I worry how much rejection, judgement and disappointment takes place online. Indeed, brain research related to adolescence reminds us of the intense structural changes that are taking place in the brain during this time. It tells us how the adolescent brain’s combination of heightened emotional sensitivity and protracted development of their reflective and decision making ability can make digital media challenging to manage.

So yes, while the many benefits are enjoyed, they must be managed and this can be the where the challenge lies for our young digital beings. Consider the online chats on social media. The constant “bzzz bzzz” of instant messenger that brings about the smiles, the laughs and the tears. It is fun, but also it is time-consuming and a definite pressure to keep up. Yes, this is 24/7, and if the device is in the bedroom there goes the sleep. Then there’s the additional distractions online as a message arrives when you are trying to focus in class or on homework (oops), and the pressure to constantly post pictures and stories on Snapchat or Instagram (and not always of the real you, maybe more the older, sexier, funnier you). Then don’t forget the constant check up afterwards (how many Likes?). Consider the emotions, part of the adolescent journey which can be heightened by the intensity of online behaviours. We know that many digital beings are making the choice to go online rather than interact in person.

Socialising online is reducing the opportunity for students to

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learn the key skill of empathy. And let us not forget the video game that is so much fun that it just can’t be switched off, not until the next level is achieved and then... the dark eyes the day after, when no sleep has been had.

Schools, parents and society must however support our digital beings in their use of digital media. The truth is, you do not have to look far to see the headlines in all manners of educational journals, health and wellness publications, newspapers and parenting blogs. There are strong connections (many of which are research-based) being made between the use of digital media and mental health and not all of these are positive. Increased rates of depression, self-harm and anxiety are noted. In our school community, we see these impacts to various degrees as social media, gaming and other media takes its toll on our students social, emotional and personal wellbeing. Specifically in the middle school, we might see students suffering from lack of sleep, less developed interpersonal skills, negative body image, low self-esteem and cyberbullying.

Digital media, with both its positive and negative influences, is here to stay. Only time will tell how our digital beings will continue to adapt and respond. I personally believe that when schools partner with parents to provide support for our digital beings through education, positive role-modeling and boundaries then we increase the chances of our digital beings being happy beings.

“Digital media, with both its positive and negative influences, is here to stay.

Only time will tell how our digital beings will continue to adapt and respond.”

LEARNING

BY GRADE 6 STUDENTS, ROOS LLEP, RHIA BANERJEE AND ARYAN BHARDWAJ

Different Forms of Bullying In our most recent unit of study in Danish class we learnt about bullying. Miss Sika Hansen taught us about the different forms of bullying, and then we made a presentation demonstrating our understanding of this. Within that presentation, we also explored what we are supposed to do if someone gets antagonized or we ourselves experience being hurt. Here is an overview of our learning.

There are different types of bullying: • Verbal bullying; • Cyberbullying; • Physical bullying.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE DANISH KEYWORDS AS PART OF THE UNIT. skolekammerat- school friend mobing - bullying venner - friends drille - tease offer - victim rollemodel - role model lav tolerance - low tolerance udelukkelse - exclusive omsorg - caring

Verbal bullying is when a person says something to upset you - for example they may make a comment on your appearance or character. If someone only says this to you once, then that’s not bullying, but if they repeat the comments, then that becomes bullying.

Physical bullying is when someone comes up to you and then torments you physically, for example they may start to punch and kick you.

Cyberbullying is when people bully you online. It’s almost the same as verbal bullying, but with cyberbullying a lot of the time it is on social media. For example people may make hurtful comments about a photo that you post. Bullying online is sometimes harder to stop because adults may not know what is going on between students over the internet.

In Denmark there is a helpline called Børnetelefonen. You can call this helpline if you are having some problems with people in school, and also if you are having difficulties with your parents and/or people outside of school. The number is +45 116 111.

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LEARNING

BY PHOEBE KAMARA, GRADE 12

CIMUN - Looking at the World Differently Copenhagen International School Model United Nations (CIMUN) was a student-led Model United Nations conference held at CIS, from the 27th-29th of September 2018. It was attended by approximately 80 participants, including delegates, staff and chairs.

Model United Nations is a simulation of the UN, where delegates take on the role of countries and adopt their positions on real life issues, such as Arctic mining or modern day slavery. I believe that being engaged in MUN is an extremely powerful experience, as you not only gain confidence in public speaking and learn a new way to form your ideas, but you also broaden your worldviews and gain a deeper understanding of how and why countries take legislative measures. Firstly, being able to adopt a country’s position on a certain issue is a very difficult task: you may not personally agree with what the country stands for, which challenges each MUN delegate to set aside one’s own opinions and perceptions of situations, and work towards solving issues from a point of view other to one’s own. Secondly, delegates following a strict set of rules of procedure helps to control the flow of the debate and ensures professional, respectful and fruitful discussions. In turn, participants garner successful and realistic resolutions.

The format of CIMUN was inspired by TOMUN (Turin Model United Nations), a student-led MUN conference hosted by The International School of Turin. A group of CIS students attended this conference in Turin, and then subsequently formed the CIMUN team. The students were Marco Zanoni, Clara Strømsted, Melissa Gonzalez, Lucia Carai, Adriana Wan Jasmin, Alexander Gjerde, Dániel Kovács, Ayesh Kumar and Phoebe Kamara. The conference would not have been possible and successful without the help and guidance of our remarkable MUN coordinator, Erin Yakiwchuk and the hardworking PTA chair, Jennifer Nash.

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The success of the conference was due to a great many hours of hard work from the whole team, from March to September.

Every single aspect of the conference needed to be devised and arranged from the ground up. In September, we were delighted to welcome numerous schools to our first ever conference. In attendance were delegates from Rygaards International School, Birkerød Gymnasium, The International School of Turin and Copenhagen International School. The feedback received from the participating delegates has been overwhelmingly positive, which is an honour, as this is the first time CIS has ever hosted an MUN conference.

Personally, being able to step out of my comfort zone and gain the confidence to express my ideas in the MUN forum, as well as learning about real life global issues affecting our world today, has sparked my interest in learning more beyond what we discuss in committees. I am now keeping up to date with what changes are being made to those issues and the experience has made me more aware of the gravity of the issues at hand. I think that participating in MUN will definitely influence my future career path as it encompasses many issues that affect our world in different ways, which will motivate me to make a difference no matter what career I pursue Overall, we are eternally grateful for the opportunity to be a part of CIS that fully supported our idea to host CIMUN at the school and for all the delegates from their various schools who participated.

“Being engaged in MUN is an extremely powerful experience, as you not only gain confidence in public speaking and learn a new way to form your ideas, but you also broaden your worldviews and gain a deeper understanding of how and why countries take legislative measures�

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LEARNING

INTERVIEW WITH DANEIAL D´ANDREA, BY SUZANNE O ´REILLY

CIS Sponsors its first 1000-tree forest After months of tireless effort, last June our school’s Roots & Shoots Team proudly sponsored our first, CIS 1000-tree Forest via the Million Tree Project!

After decades of ‘unscientific exploitation’, the forests of Inner Mongolia in northern China were almost wiped out. Strong, Arctic winds blew desert sands over fertile farmland and created dust storms, causing extreme air pollution across much of the country. The Shanghai - Roots & Shoots Million Tree Project aims to raise community awareness of the Earth’s precious environment while focusing on steps individuals can take to lessen their negative impact on the natural world. By planting trees in Inner Mongolia, the Million Tree Project designed an opportunity to improve both ecological and humanitarian conditions there. Since 2007, more than two and half million trees have been planted! The Million Tree Project is living proof of how positive change can happen when people are determined to make things better.

An initiative of Shanghai - Roots & Shoots (R&S), the Million Tree Project (MTP) was founded in 2007 with an ambitious aim to plant one million trees. To help reach this goal Shanghai - R&S issued a Thousand Tree Challenge, inviting international schools to sponsor a “1000-tree forest” (with a donation of 25,000 Chinese yuan). When members of the CIS R&S Team first learned of this challenge they wholeheartedly embraced it.

Last winter their initial fundraiser involved the sale of small, tree-shaped ornaments made of bamboo. (Bamboo, being a grass which grows abundantly, is therefore a renewable resource.) Ornaments were sold at the school’s Holiday Market and after school in December. At 35 Danish crowns, the ornaments are a special gift for any occasion, and the sale of each one generates funds to sponsor a real tree in the CIS Forest! With 426 tree ornaments sold, the R&S Team was well on the way toward their own goal... But they had to find another way to generate the remaining funds for more than half of their 1000-tree forest.

In December 2017, an unfortunate bicycle accident resulted in a broken ankle and left the CIS R&S Team leader, Mr. D’Andrea (aka Mr. D.), hobbling on crutches for nearly two months.

(Who would’ve known that this unwelcomed incident would result in the formation of a new, dynamic duo?) Katie Smith, the mother of one of the R&S student-members, offered Mr. D. a lift from the Hellerup Station to school, and the two of them began talking about how to raise additional funds for the CIS 1000-tree Forest.

Katie, a CIS parent of three children and a very active member of the school’s PTA, suggested selling tickets for a raffle.

But what could the prize(s) be? At this point Mr. D. did not hesitate to offer up his long, gray ponytail. The lucky, raffle winner would have the opportunity to cut off Mr. D.’s threeyear-old ponytail! Katie spoke with the owner of Airtrix and secured an additional prize: a Family Pass to the climbing and trampoline park.

Young Children Help Make a BIG Difference

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Throughout the spring, R&S Team members sold raffle tickets to members of our CIS community. By May 2018, with enough money to sponsor nearly 800 trees, the R&S Team began to wonder if they could earn enough funds to sponsor an entire, 1000-tree forest before the end of the school year.

This is when the Grade 2 members of the R&S Team played a pivotal role. These young, ECO-Activists persuaded their classmates and teachers to donate all of the earnings from the annual, Grade 2, Market Day fundraiser to the CIS 1000tree Forest.

The CIS R&S Team is ‘tree-mendously’ grateful to the Grade 2 students and teachers for their generous donation. It was this contribution that guaranteed the realization of a dream.

The R&S Team could cheerfully announce, “WE DID IT!”; they had sponsored the first ever CIS 1000-tree Forest! The raffle winners were chosen, and at the final Primary School Assembly on the very last day of the school year, Noah Davies nervously cut off Mr. D.’s ponytail in front of 450 astonished students and teachers!

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LEARNING

ORGANISED BY CIS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF KASEY KOZARA, GEOGRAPHY TEACHER

The Global Issues Network Conference The Global Issues Network (GIN) club in the high school were busy this semester preparing to host the first-ever GlN conference at CIS. On November 8-10th, eight visiting schools from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, and Spain joined CIS GIN members to address the conference theme, Putting the Human in Humanitarian, which draws from the UN Sustainable Development Goal no.10: “Reducing Inequalities.”

our city, Copenhagen, with these students, having a look at sustainable architecture and even take a visit to the UN city.

8 months in the making and all over in 3 days; I would gladly do it again with this same fantastic team. With this being my last year of school, this conference was certainly a highlight.

Hopefully GIN is able to host another regional conference in the future.

The program included eight guest speakers from various local organizations who addressed human trafficking, refugees, gender disparity, youth voices, power, and development. Added to this, visiting students delivered their own presentations on a range of human rights topics and CIS parent Sasja Van Vechgel exhibited photography from her work, “Transcending Gender; an Intimate Encounter,” confronting gender issues in Jakarta, Indonesia.

A PTA-sponsored potluck dinner and documentary viewing of “Even When We Fall,” a visit to the United Nations complex next door, and an iconic Copenhagen boat tour from nearby Murmanskgade to Nyhavn rounded-out the conference experience for our CIS students and lovely guests.

Thank you to the following student organizers who did an amazing job representing not only CIS but also GIN. Kvitka Perehinets, Haley Seikaly, Kiara Roque Tani , Abigael Kiambi, Petrina Danardatu Laura Baelum, Renee White, Gerda Kazakeviciene, Skyler Cook, Isa Schulting, Samantha Jones, Nour Makhlof and Maria Dadu

Haley: Upon deciding in March that we would host the November GIN Regional Forum, I had not anticipated how much work would go in to this project, but we had an extremely hardworking team. Our supervisor, Ms. Kozara, motivated us to have fun with the planning, and was dedicated to ensuring that everything was running smoothly, and, ultimately, on those 3 days, everything ran to almost perfection. The speakers were engaged, the dialogues between these NGO speakers and the youth from all over Europe were extremely thought provoking, and we were privileged enough to share

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Sustainable Procurement Analyst UNOPS

LEARNING

BY MARY BANDA, PRIMARY ART TEACHER

Going back in time

Grade 3 has been inquiring into 4 ancient civilizations, each of the four grade 3 classes had their own civilization to learn about. The four civilizations were: Incan, Greek, Roman and Egyptian. In the classroom, students learned about the elements of what makes a civilization and why civilizations came to be in our human history. In the Art room, students learned about the Art and culture from that Ancient time.

The student Art exhibition which was displayed in the library for the CIS community to enjoy, was also a kind of Archeological museum showing visual connections between the civilizations.

“It was fun and we got to get creative.”

Jessica Kroll “It was cool and fantastic that we could do something with the ancient times.”

Elin DeGraf “I thought it was a lot of fun and I loved making the Llamas.”

Ana Lassen “For this ancient civilization unit, it was interesting and fun to do the Art because we all got very creative and we all had warm smiles. Because of that smile it seemed like everyone got a very good outcome.”

Neel Dalela

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LEARNING

BY TESS KAUFMANN, IB2

Gammel Dansk The journey from Kindergarten to IB In 2006 I joined the CIS community in kindergarten with only my Danish language and crazy hyperactive attitude. It didn’t take me long to adjust to the international environment. I was learning something new everyday and inhabiting cultural concepts all around me. Most importantly, I was making friends for life who now live and migrate all around the world.

Although I went to school in an international environment, I made my Danish friends through dedication to club football in my free-time. I realized how differently I viewed my future to them. For my Danish friends, their futures were set to be constantly and ongoingly sustained in Denmark.

However, my future has never been solely pictured in one place. CIS has made me want to explore the world more and inhabit qualities from other cultures in order to continuously improve as a person — and this school has given me endless opportunities to do so.

CIS has always made an effort to challenge me academically, and with my personal engagement to football and volleyball, I learned the necessary tool of time management. Only recently in my last year of high school, have I come to the conclusion that constantly having a busy schedule has helped me perform better. The CIS sports teams and tournaments have always motivated me to excel in my academics so that I would have the time to participate in the games and tournaments. I think that it is important to stay occupied with other activities, and to maintain a social life during study for the International Baccalaureate, in order to stay

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“Although I went to school in an international environment, I made my Danish friends through dedication to club football in my free-time”

healthy and motivated during the most stressful periods.

I will forever remember the NECIS (Northwest European Council of International Schools) tournaments, whether that be the moments of receiving gold trophies or coming absolute last place. The sense of a team and the concept of constantly maintaining our positivity was vital, but in contrast, we always had the willingness and competitiveness to win. Our communication with each other — not only on the court/field, but in our free time — is a factor that has shaped me as an interactive person.

In 2016, along with our school charity club “Team Peru”, I travelled to Peru where we journeyed to two drastically diverse locations (Mancoura and Urubamba) in order to help out at handicapped centers (in collaboration with the organization ‘Kiya Survivors’). I had the privilege to not only hear about the struggles of a third-world country, but to see it with my own eyes. Furthermore, I had the privilege to not only state my willingness to make a difference, but to truly physically enforce a positive change. From this, CIS made me realize how lucky we are to live in this cultural and accepting community. Hence, in my academic future, I plan to study macroeconomics with the pursuit of enforcing these positive values into the future society.

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LEARNING

INTERVIEW WITH CIS DAD, ADRIAN BATY (BRITISH)

Danish classes Parents at CIS are taking up the challenge of learning Danish. The classes are taught by Michael Halskov, director for Study Danish.

FOR WHAT REASON DID YOU RELOCATE TO DENMARK? For my wife’s work… She sells toothpaste and toothbrushes!

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO LEARN DANISH? To understand the Danish culture a little better, to be able to (eventually) hold a conversation with the locals, and generally to understand more of what is going on around us.

HOW EASY DO YOU FIND LEARNING A LANGUAGE ONLY 5 MILLION PEOPLE USE? It’s a pretty tough language to learn for three reasons. 1.

Everyone speaks brilliant English and immediately switches straight into English as soon as they realise you can’t speak Danish (or are not local in dialect!). 2. To my ears, Danish is a language that sounds like everyone has their mouth full of food whilst they are talking… with so many different vowel sounds! 3. It is not written as you would read it, so reading and speaking are two very separate things to learn.

DO YOU HOPE TO MASTER THE LANGUAGE WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME FRAME? I don’t think I will ever manage to master the language, but within the next 12 months or so I’d like to be able to fool a Danish person for 10-20 seconds that I am not a foreigner!

DO YOU FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT TO LEARN DANISH IN ORDER TO INTEGRATE WITHIN THE DANISH COMMUNITY? I really believe that living in other communities is a huge privilege, and whilst you don’t need to learn Danish to be able to fit in, it’s great to be able to absorb a little of the culture and understand a bit more of what’s going on. Just understanding the connotations of det er frisk (‘that’s fresh’) or having a familiarity with Danish festive holiday traditions is an incredibly enriching experience.

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DO YOU ATTEMPT TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE TO OTHERS NOW THAT YOU ARE TAKING CLASSES? I always try to speak a little Danish to whomever I meet, even if it is just in shops and restaurants. There’s always a positive smile and usually some laughter (when I say something wrong), but you can tell the Danish really appreciate someone making the effort.

THEY SAY THAT ‘DENMARK IS THE HAPPIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD’. DO YOU AGREE? This is a tricky one: I suspect it depends on when you ask the question. Ask it on a sunny May or June day… and it probably is! Ask it in December or January when it is windy, rainy, dark and -10 degrees, then maybe not! Seriously though, it’s a country that values family, the outdoors and living well; it has great work-life balance and a state-led social system that works brilliantly (just look at transport, healthcare and education). For me it’s an amazing place to live — you just need to ignore the weather and get on with enjoying the country!

LEARNING

LISA GARIPIAN LUCAS, OCTOBER 26, 2018

Learning Danish My name is Lisa Garipian Lucas. My Australian husband and I moved to Copenhagen in June of 2012 from New York City, NY, where I am originally from. We are both of Armenian heritage, but from opposite sides of the Earth! We moved to the “Happiest Country in the World” for my husband’s job in the United Nations. We were supposed to move back to NYC after 2 years; however, we fell in love with Copenhagen and kept on staying!

We raised our two small children here, and found it to be the perfect place to raise a family due to the work-life balance and the child-friendly atmosphere of the city. One of the biggest challenges we faced was dealing with the dark winters. We have adapted to the long, dark days by making sure we get outdoors every day, and by scheduling getaways to warmer, sunnier destinations during the long winter.

After living here for 6 years, I chose to take Danish language courses with Michael for several reasons. First, after living here for so long, I felt that it was important to finally understand the local community, and really engage with Danish friends. Secondly, our two children are fluent in Danish, thus I would love to be able to converse with them and their little Danish friends who don’t know English yet.

Finally, the convenience factor of having classes at CIS made the decision that much easier.

Fortunately for English speaking expats, almost everyone in Copenhagen speaks English fluently. This is both a blessing and a curse: it makes daily life much easier; however, it is more difficult to learn the language. Although I am fluent in three languages and have a working knowledge of a fourth, learning Danish has been challenging for me.

However, Michael, as well as my classmates make it easier, manageable, and dare I say FUN! The class has also given me the confidence to try to speak Danish in public... or at least try to order a cup of coffee!

“We were supposed to move back to NYC after 2 years; however, we fell in love with Copenhagen and kept on staying!”

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LEARNING

BY TINE BALCK-SØRENSEN, MIDDLE SCHOOL DANISH TEACHER

Danish National History Competition 2018 On Thursday, October 11, 2018 the 17 students in the Danish A Grade 6/7 class travelled to Frederiksborg Slot, Hillerød to take part in the final of the Museum of National History (Det Nationalhistoriske Museum) competition.

The competition focused on the historical significance of the Danish Prince and King, Frederik IV. At the start of the competition there were 1600 class entries. However after two rounds, our students’ historical knowledge and creative talents had landed them one of the three places in the finals.

After a long and exciting day of activities, our students ended their day in second place, narrowly missing the winning spot by one point! It was a great battle right until the end and a truly enjoyable experience for the class. Congratulations to the students for their collaborative efforts!

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“Min klasse har været med til en historie konkurrence der hedder Historie Dysten. Vi har lært en masse om Frederik 6., hvem han var, hvad han lavede og hvordan der var at leve i hans tid. Det var rigtig sjovt at være med. Der var 1,600 klasser der kom med i starten og kun 3 der kom med i finalen. Vi var en af de 3. Min klasse kom på anden pladsen og det er rigitg sejt fordi vi er en international skole der taler mest engelsk. Vi var heldig at være med og vi var heldige at lære mere om vores kultur.”

Eva Gregersen “It was a really great experience to witness all of the cultural and historical pieces of Frederik VI. It was a pleasing moment coming 2nd place in the whole of Denmark and I’m really proud us our team.”

Tyler Hansen “It was a very interesting experience to be in “Historie Dysten” . I think that I am lucky to be able to learn about my home country’s history and be part of the team to came 2nd out of 1,600 school in Denmark. In the finals it was very nerve racking, and a few tears fell but the results and adventure was very rewarding.”

Anna Clara Schutzmann Steuch “We fought through several rounds against 1600 schools which was a fun and exciting experience. I feel lucky to be one the few to hold the title of 2nd best in Denmark for this competition while learning more about my culture.”

Jennifer Phimtawond Høi Jensen

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BUILDING

BY TARANG DALELA, STUDENT JOURNALIST

Making it Green LEADERSHIP SKILLS

“If building becomes architecture, then it is art.”

Arne Jacobsen, 1902-1971

This quotation really describes the Copenhagen International School. The building has been awarded the Civic Trust Award, and has been listed as a place to see Copenhagen’s innovative architecture. This building has carried on the concept of being sustainable and innovative into the school system.

THE HIGH SCHOOL GREENHOUSE MAKEOVER In June 2018, Jo Britton, Events and Fundraising Manager together with Design teacher David Ferguson created a new plan for the greenhouse. The greenhouse was no longer to become a usual “greenhouse” - that is, one that is used for growing plants. This greenhouse would be used as an event space to host community events. It will also be a place to house ‘green items’. These ‘green items’ will be sustainable furniture, which will be made of reused materials. Using reused materials is not only cost effective, but it also helps the environment.

Currently, the High School greenhouse looks like a barren, grey desert. The terrace’s ash-colored ground dampens the mood further, reflecting the often boring, cold sky. This is what Jo Britton would like to fix. She plans to have an event space with sustainable furniture, comprising of a counter, shelves, coffee tables, etc., along with colored lights to brighten up the overall mood, making it a more appealing place to be. The furniture in the greenhouse will be made with mostly reused materials, and will be styled into a “rustic boho” look. The furniture designs have been carefully chosen

by Jo, from a selection created by Grade 8 CIS students. The versatility of the space will benefit everyone, and give people a feeling of hygge. The greenhouse will be available for hire by the CIS community and by different organizations in Copenhagen who may want to use it for hosting their events.

The view from the top of the building is exquisite!

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The school encouraged the involvement of students in this new project, to help them learn the concept of sustainability in a creative manner. Under the guidance of David Ferguson, the Grade 8 design classes are creating the furniture for the greenhouse. Each of the four design classes is creating a different piece of furniture. One of the classes is making a counter, another class is making the shelves, and the other two are designing the coffee tables and the seating.

Each class has made a range of designs for their piece of furniture, from which Jo has chosen one. The student whose design has been chosen will be the lead designer in their respective class. My class is creating the counter for the event space, and I got the opportunity to be the lead designer!

The role of the lead designer is a difficult one. I need to make sure that the design of the counter meets the client’s needs, the project is submitted on time, and everybody is cooperating and coordinating properly. This will be of immense value to me as it will not only help me hone my leadership skills, but I also will be able to oversee the complete life-cycle of a design project - from ideation to installation - which will give me an appreciation of challenges and constraints that a design team has to address while planning downstream activities.

This greenhouse event space really accentuates the school’s intent on staying sustainable, and shows that the school actively promotes sustainability. We look forward to following the make-over of the High School greenhouse; it will no doubt be another huge asset to the school!

“The school encouraged the involvement of students in this new project, to help them learn the concept of sustainability in a creative manner.�

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BUILDING

BY BRYNNA VOGT AND COLIN LAFORET

The Middle School Greenhouse With the funds raised at the 2018 Emerald Gala, the Middle School greenhouse was ready to spring to life. The greenhouse was intended first and foremost to be a learning space, so different ways of growing plants were explored and set up. Seeds were planted in small grow boxes, with the intention to move the seedlings to one of three areas: hydroponics, aquaponics, or soil. This will allow students to run various experiments, such as which medium works best for each type of plant, what the best chemical ratio is for plants grown using hydroponics, and how to create the best ecosystem for plants and fish in aquaponics. As they look at questions such as these they will explore what “best” means, looking at factors such as finances, health of plants, and biomass.

In addition, the greenhouse features an area for students to learn about composting, shelves for unhealthy plants to be nursed back to health, and an area for orchids to await reblooming. There is also a classroom area, furnished with student camping stools and a whiteboard, allowing lessons to be held in the greenhouse. As the greenhouse continues to expand, there will be planter boxes built around the ball cages for vines to grow and provide shade. Picnic tables and a rain barrel round off the outdoor area.

Electricity is required to continually run the hydroponics and aquaponics pumps, as well as heat and light the greenhouse in the winter. Options relating to this are still being explored, but there was enough lettuce produced during the fall to pass on to the canteen before the October Break. The talented chefs of Simply Cooking were then able to use this greenhouse lettuce to make the day’s salad. The hope is that in the future, the greenhouse will produce enough for students and parents to harvest every week, in turn providing a range of delicious, healthy and local ingredients towards our community’s meals.

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“The talented chefs of Simply Cooking were then able to use this greenhouse lettuce to make the day’s salad.”

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

BY CLODAGH CUNNINGHAM, CIS STUDENT JOURNALIST

En Route to a Carbon Neutral Community

The immense rain in Copenhagen can mean that it becomes difficult to stay as active as this city is perceived, with the volume of cyclists that bring Copenhagen to life in all weathers. With this rain, comes the opportunity of using a car to assist your daily needs. For members of Copenhagen International school, this includes getting to school.

For parents of younger children alone, it would be imperative to find a parking spot, and not have to shepard unpredictable, young children all the way to school. There has been a growing sense of irritation at the parking here at Copenhagen International school, due to fees and spacing, however, as I am not a parent or able to drive to school, I spoke to some people who would have a better answers to these questions. I got in touch with Thomas Nielsen, Director of Communications and Advancement at Copenhagen International School, and asked him some of these questions, to which he kindly responded.

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When asked about if he feels the parking at Nordhavn has changed the culture of CIS, he replied with the fact that, parent parking in Hellerup was extremely limited, with only around 15 parking slots. He believes that parking conditions have improved immensely since the move to Nordhavn.

However, it is also worth noting that as the school is located much further out of common living areas and train stations, more people choose to take the car as an easier mode of transport. I formulated a similar question to the Head of PTA (Parent Teacher Association), Jennifer O’Brien, as she spends much time at the school organising fundraising events, and contributing to the community, bridging the gap between home and school. I asked her if she feels the parking at the school is efficient or if she perhaps finds herself waiting for parking to become available, or finds herself having to park further away. Her response was similar to Mr Nielsen’s. She stated that her time at school varies from week to week, and she finds the car park at school “adequate for the current community.” She feels that locating parking spaces in the

lot is easy and she has never had to wait until one becomes available. However, similar to many, Ms O’Brien feels that exiting the school at the time school finishes - between 15:00 and 15:30 - can be inconvenient due to the fact that there is only one road out, and turning onto the main road can take longer than anticipated. Although, this can be easily avoided by possibly staying at school longer, as Ms O’Brien sometimes does, and catching up with some friends.

The most commonly inquired question is about the cost of parking at the school. All 137 parking spaces are available for free for 30 minutes every day, however, a ticket is still needed. After 30 minutes, you can buy a ticket, or use the EasyPark app, which many people do. This app requires an area code displayed on a sign at the parking meters at CIS, which can record the amount of time spent parked at the school, and charge you for that length of time.

“The reason why the fees are so high is that By & Havn are free to set their own fees, regardless of the rules that apply to Copenhagen municipality.”

Many parents and staff find this a very expensive trip to school in the morning and have requested that it be less expensive, however, Thomas Nielsen explains the reasoning behind the high prices. “Parking fees are set by By & Havn and CIS has no influence on the price. We have made several attempts to get By & Havn to lower the fees but all we were able to achieve was the 30 minute free parking which applies to the entire parking lot. The reason why the fees are so high is that By & Havn are free to set their own fees, regardless of the rules that apply to Copenhagen municipality.” Mr Nielsen was kind enough to point out that the goal for Nordhavn is to become carbon neutral, and instead its focus is on the appeal of bikes and public transport, eliminating the use of cars. “However, via contacts with politicians at Copenhagen municipality, we have appealed to the authorities to make exceptions for CIS until the Metro starts operating. Results of these contacts are still pending.”

My final question to Mr Nielsen was regarding the future, and how he feels Nordhavn will appear in 50 years. He answered, “in 50 years’ time I am convinced that people will be smiling at the concept of private cars running on fossil fuel and needing to be parked and sitting idle in a parking lot most of the time rather than being used by somebody else.” We cannot be certain of the likelihood of Mr Nielsen’s vision for the future, nevertheless, parking can still become a frustrating proposition early in the morning. Yet, if we do set our eyes on the future, as Mr Nielsen has done, we will achieve our goal of a brighter Nordhavn.

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

BY LEONIE WECHSLER AND ANNA ZASKE, GRADE 12

Our new School Campus in Nordhavn CIS has won many architectural awards placing the school on the map as an iconic building in Copenhagen to visit.

There are a variety of visitors requesting campus tours at CIS. These range from prospective families, as well as other educators, members of foundations, interested architects and sustainability professionals, as well as Danish and international government officials, and the Danish and international media. With this wide ranging interest in mind Anna and Leonie, two highschool students at CIS, have demonstrated leadership in organising student-led campus tours to raise money for the charity organisation ‘Team Peru’.

On these tours, they share their personal insights relating to their studies in this sustainable architectural school.

Living in a constantly globalising world, Anna and Leonie have become intrigued by the idea of sustainable urban planning in order to manage population growth in the coming years. This has led them to become fascinated by the new school building in Nordhavn. Being part of CIS’s ‘Team Peru’ charity organisation (which raises money for an orphanage for disabled children in Peru) they had the idea of connecting their interest in sustainability and urban planning with desire to help communities and social groups in need, making this project even more meaningful.

“CIS has won many architectural awards placing the school on the map as an iconic building in Copenhagen to visit.”

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In order to prepare, Anne and Leonie held discussion with Thomas Nielsen, Director of Communications & Advancement at Copenhagen International School to educate ourselves on the sustainable and architectural milestones of the building.

After a thorough briefing on the building of the school, the two students welcomed the first visitors to the school building and, after tremendous positive feedback from the visitors and no interferences with the school community, they were able to continue their quest in giving tours to many more visitors. Developing a script and preparation for the tours has allowed the development of organisational skills.

In addition, leading these tours has enabled Anna and Leonie to become more confident public speakers, a significant competence for future career paths and studies.

Besides the personal development as guides, the main driver and motivation behind doing these tours is the significant funding that they have generated for the ‘Team Peru’ charity organisation. Receiving a sum of approximately 1000 DKK per tour conducted, and having done 10 last year, ‘Team Peru’ gained a total sum of approximately 10,000 DKK at the end of last year. Given that the amount of money ‘Team Peru’ is raising for Mama Cocha per quarter is 20,000DKK, the tours have thus already contributed to half of this funded money. This highlights the importance of giving the tours in order to sustain Mama Cocha in the future and enable a safe and pleasant environment for the disabled and abandoned children to grow up in. Giving these tours to other institutions and educations allows the sharing of knowledge on sustainable urban planning which is crucial in order for cities themselves to develop sustainably with the increasing pressures of population growth and rapid globalisation. Thus, the tours at the school campus enable the support of children in Peru, whilst simultaneously raising awareness on the importance of sustainable urban planning for city growth.

indeed, the tours are responsible for a significant share of the charity’s funds. Secondly, it is Anna and Leonie’s hope that they have been able to make clear the regulations and policies that have been created for the safety and wellbeing of the CIS community. It is their aim that the school continues to thrive as it continues to welcome interested visitors.

Should you have any further concerns regarding the tours offered at CIS, please do not hesitate to contact either Anna (19az@cis.dk) or Leonie (19lw@cis.dk). We are happy to talk to you about any issues you may be facing.

While conducting these tours is beneficial for the image and representation of CIS to the outside world, Anna and Leonie are concerned about the fact that CIS is a school building and thus they place a high value on the safety of their fellow students, as well as making sure that the learning environment is not influenced. As a response to concerns from parents about the safety of their children, new policies and regulations have been implemented. From now on guided tours at CIS will be limited to 12 people per tour guide, minimizing stragglers. In addition, photography is not allowed around the school building to protect the privacy of students and staff. Furthermore, interaction with students, and any disruption to learning, is naturally prohibited.

It is a sincerely hope that this piece outlines the importance and significance of these tours in support of ‘Team Peru’;

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

BY TODOR KUBURA, ATHLETIC COORDINATOR

Our Sports Facilities With our move from Hellerup to Nordhavn, the new facilities have had a very positive impact on the Athletics Program.

The three gyms, fitness studio and dance room are being used seven days a week, and CIS is privileged to host various sporting competitions. Students from Grades 1-12 participate in many different sports throughout the school year, but the most enjoyable and unique moments happen when the athletes are on their home court, proudly wearing their Hawks jerseys.

In less than two years at our new home, more than 1500 visiting athletes have come to participate in different events hosted by CIS. Our sports teams participate in three different international sports organizations: NECIS, NISSL and DISNAC. Both CIS Basketball and Volleyball teams continue to play their home matches in Nordhavn, and in addition the school has organised different educational training opportunities for coaches. Our cooperation with the local community is strengthening, and we are collaboratively working with various Danish Sports Organizations including DGI, DBBF, DBU and DIF and CIS is happy to host local basketball and volleyball tournaments. What’s more, for the first time in CIS history, NECIS U12 Volleyball and Football Tournaments, DISNAC and NORDIC Basketball Tournaments all took place in the Nordhavn gyms.

In the last 6 years we have developed strong relationships with local sporting organisations and clubs. Our extensive cooperation with Football Club Skjold has had a great impact on the football program and also led to us hosting NECIS tournaments in Copenhagen. In the years to come, we are looking to develop more partnerships, including ours with Football Club B93 located in Østerbro, which has been supporting CIS Girls football teams.

These challenging undertakings show how the school’s community connects and supports young athletes in their achievements. But it does not end with the students. In many ways, the wider CIS community is engaged with sport on and off the courts in Nordhavn. Adult sport, including yoga groups, provide local opportunities for parents and staff members to become part of our sports community, and these all truly comply with the CIS Sports Mission - to provide sports for everyone.

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“With our move from Hellerup to Nordhavn, the new facilities have had a very positive impact on the Athletics Program.”

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BUILDING COMMUNITY

BY MARIUS KRISTIANS DE CAMPOS FLORES, GRADE 7

Aim High and Succeed Beginning in the fall of 2017, CIS middle schoolers have been engaging in casual, yet competitive, table tennis play. What started simply as a healthier alternative from the computer gameplay students were engaged in before school, has turned into a highly intense and socially rewarding experience that now occurs before, after and even in-between classes.

Every day, the unmistakable sound of kids cheering wildly can be heard echoing through the stairwell of the middle school building, much to the chagrin of those less interested colleagues.

With self-imposed rules and self-regulating policies, middle schoolers take it upon themselves to care to play is fair and that there are few disputes. Teachers normally only get involved to remind students of the remaining time before the next class. After a very successful singles tournament that saw our first 7th and 8th grade winners, we are now eager to continue to grow our program into more established competitions and the formation of a school team.

A special thanks goes to Mr. Eddie Zevallos and Mr. Jim McCall for arranging to have the tables set up in Middle School and for supervising many of the breaktime challenges.

Aim High and Succeed By Marius Kristians De Campos Flores - Grade 7 (Winner of the CIS Table Tennis Competition 2018) How did I end up here? Well it’s very simple: I am a normal kid who once picked up a table tennis bat not knowing how to play table tennis and said “Let’s try it!”. Now, 5 years later, I’m standing tall having won a table tennis tournament at CIS, beating the competition but still learning. You’re probably asking: “What kind of expensive table did you practice on in order to beat your opponent?” or “What table tennis bat do I need to win like you?” The answer is, you don’t need these

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things; it’s that simple. I didn’t become good at table tennis because of the brand of the racket or because of the size and quality of the table. I just put my time into practising, and grinded every single day... hours and hours... days and days... years and years.

A bad basketball player will always blame the grip of the ball when not playing well. But in fact, it’s not about the quality of your props - it’s about the quantity of time you put into your work. Some people think I’m skilled; other people think I’m lucky; some even say I’m bad. I ignore the comments because no matter what others say, I still keep advancing.

Not a lot of people believed I could ever win the competition and predicted that I’d get destroyed…

Now look at me. I am the CIS table tennis champion 2018, and all the ones that doubted me, I proved them wrong, and the ones that still were not convinced as I played towards my victory, I proved them wrong as well.

So, if you’re out there, wanting to start doing something new that you like, just go ahead. Adversary will always be part of life. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “No pain, No gain”.

You have to keep fighting and be humble. Some people out there say “I want to be just like him/her” when talking about their idol. You shouldn’t say that, you should aim higher.

Always aim higher. Don’t say you want to be “like” someone, be “better” than someone because that is the only way you will prove yourself to your critics and opponents out there, and that is the only way you will prove yourself to yourself.

While the competition was a great moment for me this year, it is also a lot of fun playing and practicing the game with my classmates during lunch break. We have two tables for over 180 students, but are respectful in taking turns while cheering each other on. We learn how to improve our skills by watching others, but most importantly, we learn how to aim high.

“But in fact, it’s not about the quality of your props - it’s about the quantity of time you put into your work.”

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WHEN WORDS EXPRESS OUR PAST, BY BODIL ØSTERGAARD

COMMUNITY

50 Years of the International Baccalaureate

Ufe Østergaard

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CIS was one of the International Baccalaureate founding schools, so it was fitting that we celebrated 50 years of IB on 25th October 2018. The evening was a student-led event of musical performances and material from the past. We had several distinguished guests including Bodil Østergaard, daughter of Ulf Østergaard, who was a key person in starting up the CIS High School in the 60s and bringing the IB to Denmark. Here is the text of Bodil´s speech.

Hello everybody!

Thank you for bringing Godfrey Sullivan’s words about my father and his “doing something about it” to my attention. It touched me and reminded me of many aspects of my father’s life.

I promised to be brief, although it seems almost impossible, given that my father got to be 88 years old, and dedicated a large part of his life to international understanding and fought, not aggressively, but persistently to bring the IB to Denmark.

Already way back in the 1930s, as a very young man, my father held guided tours for Danes to Germany. A few years later, asking for my mother’s hand in marriage, he first had her promise that she would go with him when he went to live abroad, as was his dream. Unfortunately the German occupation got in the way of that dream.

After the fall of Hitler’s regime, Holland was in a greater need of subsidies, than we were here in Denmark. Food supplies became increasingly scarce in the Netherlands and my father gave a helping hand, working for “Holland Aid”. He and my mother also parented a young Dutch boy for about six months. In that time, my father got to learn quite a bit of Dutch, including a streak of swear words — I think 17 in a row!

He was quite proud of that...

My father’s last effort at taking an international position was to be in Iran. I think my mother thought that she had fulfilled her promise of going abroad with him, so she put her foot down against his wishes.

Maybe we all here should be grateful to her for that, since my father instead concentrated his efforts in developing international understanding through his struggle to bring the IB to Denmark. He strongly believed it would be for the greater good. And luckily he succeeded.

Thanks to everyone who helped in making sure the 50th Anniversary could be celebrated with the CIS Community.

“...my father instead concentrated his efforts in developing international understanding through his struggle to bring the IB to Denmark.”

Being active within Holland Aid led to my father getting an opportunity to participate in a conference in Paris, with the organization that had founded the League of Nations (The League of Nations was later replaced by the United Nations, after the Second World War).

He was fascinated.

His involvement with the UN brought our family to live in the USA and The Philippines, where his work took him. At his last post abroad, which was a two year post as head of the international school in New York, he left us, his family, behind with my mother — of course visiting for extended periods of time.

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COMMUNITY

CIS ALUMNI

The Beginning Years of the International Baccalaureate at CIS Peter Levine, History Teacher 1968 - 1972

Peter Madsen, 1970 Graduate

In 1970 the international schools were attempting to create a set of standardized tests. They needed to address the problem that was concerning all the schools no matter where they were located. That issue was the diverse natures of the student bodies in each school.

There were three of us in our class that wanted to go to European universities: Ulla Svendsen, Susse Georg and me. We had all done the American “College Boards” at the American Embassy. That was how you got into American universities. As you know, the Danes had “Studenter Eksamen” and the British had A levels. It was as if Mrs. Metz who was the English teacher/college counselor at the time, went away and thought about it. She came back with this International Baccalaureate thing. She explained that it was still experimental, but she would write to the universities about it. In the end they accepted it and I seem to remember taking an exam. What I remember the most though were the two English examiners coming into the school giving us oral exams about Shakespeare and their last question: “Do you like Shakespeare?” “Oh yes!” we all said enthusiastically.

While many of the students were from North America, there were significant student populations that included people from Asia, the Middle Eastern, Africa, Europe and South America. That meant that the pre-college curriculum geared for entry to North American universities might not be fit for admission to higher education institutions in other countries.

The Copenhagen International School was selected to take part in a conference to set standards for the history curriculum. Charles Gellar, the headmaster of CIS at that time, agreed that it was of paramount importance for CIS to be included, and so he sent me to Paris as the representative for our school.The Paris conference was well attended by history teachers from schools all over Europe and as far away as Tehran.

A wide range of subjects were discussed but we all agreed that it was important for the students to get basic historic and cultural knowledge about the nation in which the schools were located, and also to teach how nations interacted over the centuries, emphasizing that no country’s history operates in a vacuum. The recommendations were adopted by the conference and also accepted by the various schools.

This meant that non-North American students who passed the exams would be eligible for acceptance at universities in their respective nations. CIS adopted the history exam and it was given the following year. The CIS students did well, and those who chose to apply for higher education were successfully accepted. The Copenhagen International School should be proud of its role in this academic achievement.

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I got accepted at the University of Kent, Ulla to Sussex and Susse to Copenhagen University.

Helen Gallagher, 1972 Graduate IB trial exams. I was that soldier, but really don’t remember anything about the 1971 subsidiary level trial exams.

Post traumatic amnesia? The 1972 exams were far more memorable, and the masochistic - but enjoyable - stress of combining IB and school exams wiped the 1971 exams from my memory.

While about seven of us did the first official IB Higher Level exams in 1972, CIS didn’t offer courses in all IB exam areas at the time. Though the teaching was excellent, the options in a school of just 60-65 students were limited, and we were not offered the option of IB courses in higher level mathematics or in science subjects, which were taught for only one year for each science field. One very gifted classmate, studying more intensive courses for exams in his home country at the same time as doing the IB, would have had a grasp of science which CIS courses did not offer at the time, and completed the full IB.

Quote from the IBO Community Blog

“There is no other genuinely international education like it, not on this scale” says Peter Stoye Here you can read more about Peter´s Stoye´s journey with the IB Programme: https://bit.ly/2B3HFdZ

I think we all felt ourselves to be a privileged, but stretched, cadre within 12th grade, able to choose from a wide range in the topics we covered in the IB, and supported in following our interests for extended essays. In the pioneering days, those essays were pounded out on a manual (no, not even electric) typewriter. Reconsidering, editing, adding text or graphics, making it look any different from a paper from 1900, were not even on our horizon. We thought that photocopying was the stuff of dreams, a technology we treated with awe. Cut, copy and paste would have been a gift of the gods.

What we did have was irreplaceable. We had tiny IB classes, with one to six students, taught by teachers who seemed to love their jobs, and who made every class fulfilling.

First IB exams 1971

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COMMUNITY

BY FORMER PTA CHAIR, ELIZABETH WOODHOUR

CIS and Facebook “Social media gained prominence in the early 2000s and since then schools have been encouraged to go where the parents are; more parents are apt to be on Facebook or Twitter every day, whereas they might check the class webpage only once in a while or when reminded. However, with the new GDPR rules social media of these kinds are becoming extinct, as schools find safer and more reliable ways to correspond with their community.”

Cis has now moved to a new platform called Classlist https:// classlist.com The Beginning Years at CIS by Former PTA Chair Elizabeth Woodhour Facebook is such a huge part of all our lives, that it’s hard to remember a time when we didn’t just take a peek every day.

When Suzanne asked me to recollect when the PTA started using Facebook and how it changed our communication, I really had to sit and think about it. The PTA was and is always collaboration, so of course, I asked my collaborators!

Facebook had its humble beginnings before my tenure in Copenhagen. It was created to answer basic questions for new families, such as where to shop, how to convert metric, and where to go for Kartoffelferie. It was an extension of the “Old-timers” session that took place in the fall each year.

Flore Bacchelorie recalls that Jill Lasky started the page and it was very general in scope, but very quickly it was changing how people communicated at CIS. Soon the page become overwhelmed with items for sale, so Flore and Jill split out the groups to General Information and the ever-popular Loppemarket.

When I arrived at CIS in 2012, I hardly used Facebook. I had just joined to keep in touch with my family in the USA. It quickly became apparent that if I wanted to know what was going on at school, I needed to join the Facebook pages.

In addition to the General Information page and Loppemarket, there was now the Newcomer’s group. Shortly thereafter, each grade started having their own pages to keep families in the loop on what was going on in and out of the classroom.

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“It quickly became apparent that if I wanted to know what was going on at school, I needed to join the Facebook pages.”

Whilst email was still used, more and more information about the school was coming from Facebook. The school began to notice and needed to get involved in what was being put out under the banner of CIS. The PTA chairs and the then director of CIS, Walter Plotkin, met together to come up with guidelines that were acceptable to both the school and the community. Members of staff joined, and the administration began to take a role in what was posted on the pages.

Like the size of the school itself, the impact of the Facebook pages had grown. What began as a way to help people get started on their Copenhagen experience became one of the primary sources of communication for every aspect of the school.

A very small, personal start had turned into something bigger and for everyone. Parallels can be drawn to Facebook itself.

I asked those that I worked with during those years in Copenhagen (Flore Bacchelorie, Maridith Woodward, Andrea Worobel, Taryn Hansen, Jo Burt, Lucy Moore, Jill Nagel, and Dina Honour) for their recollections. I know there were many, many more who had a part in how Facebook grew, just as I know each one of us that lived there during that time can remember how quickly it became the first place we looked for news, pictures, people’s travels, homework, tournaments and even recipes.

While no longer on the CIS Facebook page, I am still Facebook friends with many of the people from CIS, and I enjoy watching your adventures. I understand that the school Facebook page can no longer exist due to GDPR regulations, and I am sad about that. But, I know that I will still see you all in my feeds and I am grateful to call you friends!

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COMMUNITY

AUGUST 2018, BY JENNIFER O´BRIEN, PTA CHAIR

Phasing out Facebook Facebook pages were already in place (The Family Page; Loppemarket; Grade Pages) when Jennifer O´Brien took over the role as PTA Chair in 2017.

Jennifer explains the advantages and disadvantages of using these platforms and how she is now in a position to assist with finding a new way to interact with the community without losing the sense of community.

When I first arrived at CIS in 2016, I found these pages extremely useful. I could ask questions on CIS Families on where to purchase items on the school lists - questions that as newcomers we all have. CIS was the first school my children attended where Facebook was used as a communication platform by the PTA. My views changed slightly over this last year when I became a moderator for these pages and realised that as a community we were hoping people would be respectful and considerate of the diverse community we have at CIS. Then I started to learn about GDPR and quickly realised that expecting our community - with its many ESL speakers to be aware of all the new regulations was ambitious. The new regulations, which I fully embrace, are seen by some in enclosed communities such as ours as excessive, but in an ever-changing world where everyday people are becoming more aware of how much information about them exists online, I feel we need to be extremely vigilant.

A discussion group was formed and we shared concerns and ideas with the school administration and the IT Director, Brian Lockwood, and together we discussed how best to move forward. A decision was made to source a new platform that was secure and GDPR compliant.

Along the way we tested Classlist (classlist.com) and the group were amazed by how easy it was to use and the features it had. We had a lot of fun testing it! After a few weeks of testing, we decided to jump right in and make the switch.

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“Then I started to learn about GDPR and quickly realised that expecting our community - with its many ESL speakers - to be aware of all the new regulations was ambitious”

Classlist is available to use on your laptop or home computer and as an app for your phone or iPad making it extremely user-friendly and convenient. There are a few features missing that we were used to on Facebook (tagging people in posts is an example) but Classlist’s developers are open to suggestions and encourage feedback - they are constantly making tweaks and improvements. There is also a healthy admin forum full of people just like us trying to make the systems we use effective and safe.

One feature I like is that there are no advertisements popping up or friends sending videos, so whilst on Classlist you don’t get sidetracked, making it a time efficient way to keep up with PTA news.

We have figured out that it is best for us to post Announcements for PTA news; when parents and staff have a few minutes, they can just look in that group and see what is going on.

Change is always difficult, however as we are a community of mostly expats I expected people to be more responsive to change. In fact, I found that in a world where lots of changes happen every few years having a consistent platform such as Facebook can be comforting. Nevertheless, I think given time our community will fully embrace Classlist and I am happy to be a part of the team who brought it to CIS.

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COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW WITH SCIENCE TEACHER BENJAMIN WOOD BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

Life is a Journey CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND IN NEW ZEALAND AND WHY YOU CHOSE THE TEACHING PROFESSION? I trained in Ecology and Zoology at University of Otago, and then worked in eco-tourism for 5 years. I had a period of thinking, where I decided that I wanted to do something more meaningful with my life - something that contributed to improving people’s lives. I actually enrolled in medical school at first, but later changed my mind. I toyed with several ideas before settling on teaching. I decided to study my master’s degree in Sustainability Education (EfS) part time while working and I have become a massive proponent of the holistic approach to education recommended by EfS. Once I started teaching, I knew that it was the right avenue for me. It is both the most challenging and rewarding job I’ve ever had.

IS IT CHALLENGING TO INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY INTO THE CLASSROOM THESE DAYS? I started teaching six years ago, so technology has always formed a big part of my pedagogy. For that reason, I don’t find it particularly challenging to integrate technology - it’s so useful, particularly in the sciences. I’m trialling a new digital formative assessment tool at the moment which I’ll roll out after my school’s current break. In my personal life, I’m somewhat of a technophobe. I like to have a break from the screens and go outside.

YOU HAVE AN IMPRESSIVE ATHLETIC BACKGROUND WHICH INCLUDES COMPLETING IN TWO TRIATHLONS. DO YOU REACH YOUR STUDENTS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A BALANCED LIFESTYLE? I don’t necessarily teach lifestyle choices to students explicitly, but I suppose that my influence would come from telling them stories, showing pictures, coaching and encouraging them to join Outdoor Pursuits excursions that I’ve run in the past. In my experience, it’s fairly difficult for people to change unhealthy habits by being told what to do - it’s something that they have to realise by themselves with a bit of encouragement. My plan is to get a school few trips going once I find my feet.

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AND FINALLY, HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR WAY TO COPENHAGEN FROM NEW ZEALAND? I was living back in New Zealand in a cabin in the woods, writing my master’s thesis. It was getting cold and I was nearly finished. I reached out to some friends in the northern hemisphere to see if I could come and stay while I finished off my thesis. A friend in Copenhagen suggested I come here and help him sail his new boat to Copenhagen from Struer (in North Jutland). So I did, and I managed to finish off the thesis in the Black Diamond library while enjoying an amazing summer. I used Copenhagen as my home base and did a few trips around Europe, and then this job came up. It was my ideal job, at a school that has sustainability in its core values. I researched the school, liked what I saw, applied, and thankfully landed the job. Now I’ve moved off the boat for a while and put some shoes back on. I’m happy to be working here and enjoying Denmark.

“I’m trialling a new digital formative assessment tool at the moment which I’ll roll out after my school’s current break.”

COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW WITH CIS MUM ERNA VAN ZATEN BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

Another one bites the dust YOU JOINED CIS IN AUGUST 2012 AND SINCE YOUR ARRIVAL YOU HAVE PERSONALLY TAKEN A VERY KEEN INTEREST IN VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME AT MANY EVENTS AT THE SCHOOL. CAN YOU LET US KNOW THE KIND OF EVENTS YOU HELPED ORGANIZED AND THE WORK IT ENTAILED? When we joined the school in 2012, I didn’t had a job, something what is unusual for me. My job as pediatric/school nurse was always helping children and parents. Not working was making me crazy and so I took the decision to volunteer at school. First it was assisting with small tasks, however the longer I was volunteering, the bigger the tasks became. Over the years I did many things, in many positions and always with pleasure - helping out is what I wanted. Volunteering made me a happy person and looking back now I wouldn’t have done anything differently. I got to be part of this nice community which resulted in good friendships.

YOUR FAMILY HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF THE SCHOOL AND YOU WILL BE SORELY MISSED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. HOW DO YOU PERSONALLY FEEL ABOUT LEAVING CIS AND DENMARK. HOW DO YOUR CHILDREN FEEL? We love Denmark and have embraced this country with all of our hearts. Coming from a part of the Netherlands where it is so busy, like an ant nest, we got the opportunity to relax here and enjoy life in a different way. Every day felt like a holiday celebration with the most lovely people. The group of lovely people has extended over the years and we are so thankful for that.

Leaving them behind will leave a gap in our lives, but equally we will get the chance to meet new people and make new memories. Our kids are so sad to leave their “home country”.

Guido came here as a 6 year old, and couldn’t speak English, but was determined to learn it and make friends. For him, leaving the country means leaving his dearest friends and his “home” CIS behind.

Merthe literally grew up here. She is one of the CIS babies who crawled around the carpet when she was 6 months old and now at 6 years old, walks now around CIS like she owns the place. She knows everyone, and I am almost sure everyone knows her. CIS is the extension of our house and leaving a part of your house here (the people and building) means that we have to make a lot more memories in the next few weeks to bring with us.

WHERE IS YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE TAKING YOU TO, AND DO YOU HAVE ANY ANXIOUS FEELINGS ABOUT RELOCATING AND FITTING IN TO YOUR NEW ENVIRONMENT? Our next adventure will bring us to Switzerland, close to the mountains — a place we love so much. Every summer, we camp off in the mountains, so from that perspective I am not afraid of moving. Of course the question will always be: “Will I find a nice community again?” I hope that with an open mind and our kindness we will find it again. I can’t sit still, as many of you know, so I will find my way again in the new school.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEMORY OF CIS? HOW DID YOU NETWORK WHILST HERE? AND HAVE YOU MADE FRIENDS FOR A LIFETIME? There are so many good memories related to CIS. The nicest memories are also the saddest memories as every year, at the end of the year, we have the goodbye parties and the goodbye coffee at school. At this time, you look back at another school year with your lovely friends and all the nice memories you made together. For me, the most special part is when “The Pink Ladies” a group of mums who take the spotlight at the end of year coffee morning, sing about Denmark, about CIS and about Expat life! The joy of doing this and seeing all the happy faces makes me smile and feel thankful. Special thanks goes to Dina Honour, CIS mum who writes the lyrics for the songs and makes it all possible! I really have made friends for a lifetime. I still meet up with friends who have already left, and I know that in their hearts CIS and the time they spent here has a special place. This will also happen to me.

DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR NEWCOMERS TO CIS AND DENMARK? What I would love to say to all new people is that coming to CIS is a new adventure and you are in charge of making it all happen! There is a nice, lovely and enthusiastic group of people out there waiting for you!

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COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW WITH CIS PARENT SANNE PEDERSEN BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

Returning Home to DK CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW YOU FOUND YOUR WAY TO AUSTRALIA? I was born in Struer, a small town on the west coast of Jylland, Denmark. Struer is famous for the rather cool TV and stereo brand called Bang & Olufsen (often known as B&O)… and for ME! My professional background started with a two year apprenticeship working for Matas Denmark where I learnt about brand products (Lancôme, Clinique etc.), garden and household chemicals and Matas brand owned products.

But I always wanted to travel, something that was passed on from my parents who camped all around Scandinavia and Germany on a very well equipped Vespa Scooter (before having children themselves).

My Australian husband Barrie and I met while holidaying in Tenerife in 1989. We were good friends to begin with until we met again in 1991 in Sydney, where we married and had two children - Aiya who is in grade 6 at CIS, and Charlie who attends a Danish school.

We lived in Australia until 2013 where I spent most of my working life designing kitchens and later all built-in interiors for a Danish company in Sydney. We then relocated to Barcelona, Spain for three years before returning to Copenhagen in 2016.

Settling in Australia for me was easy, although to begin with I did bring back suitcase after suitcase filled with candles (which would mostly melt without ever being lit), napkins, Christmas decorations and salted licorice, but soon I made a pact with myself to enjoy what was loved by the locals instead (APART FROM VEGEMITE!!). This attitude is something I have continued to live by over the years.

Life in Sydney was lovely, fun, exciting and featured A LOT of driving! Like most Australian cities, Sydney is a huge place and very multicultural with a brilliant mix of cuisine (yep, had to mention food!) so our daily meals were inspired by Thai, Indian, Japanese, Indonesian... which was great (but hard work to keep the waistline and wardrobe matching!). I never felt like a foreigner in Sydney because everybody is a foreigner and Sydney especially is a wonderful melting pot.

After 23 years I did miss experiencing different cultures and as we were lucky enough to see most of the countries surrounding Australia, we decided to move to Europe “for a few years”. Barcelona was AWESOME, we loved living there!

The locals made us feel very welcome and many of them still

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come to visit us in Denmark. We did have to rely on friends A LOT in Barcelona as not many people speak English, but we became very good at communicating and soon learned both some local Catalan and some Spanish. Apparently, the local chemist still remembers me as the woman with the sore “horse”! (I had a little trouble with the words for ‘throat’ and ‘horse’!)

In 2016 we decided to move to Denmark to allow our kids the experience of living in the county they were connected to through me. Both kids had visited many times ( Aiya we calculated, had been on over 50 international flights before turning 10, but we wanted the full package of school, home, and my family on tap for 6 months ......but turned out we loved it so we stayed.

For me living in Copenhagen and Denmark is a little strange as it could be any capital city really - I just happen to speak the language really well (the Danes, especially my Danish childhood friends, would disagree on the “really well” part)

but I don’t know much about Copenhagen, Danish politics, celebrities (I only recognise the really old or deceased ones), schooling, banking, or systems generally as I left as a 17-yearold to travel for a few years. So yes, it has probably been a little bit of a culture shock, but mostly a lot of laughs - both with me, and at me, but you live and learn.

I found that adapting back to my own culture happened quite quickly (once I worked out how to use “NemID”) and it helped that my kids and Barrie love it here too (although easy access to the rugby league and Aussie beer would be good).

I am actually a lot less tolerant and very critical of the Danish culture than I would be towards a “foreign “ culture and since I am NOT known for my filter or diplomacy, the poor Danes that have crossed me have found out about it! This is something I would never do in other countries.

We have never worried much about anything other than the weather, so on the contrary we were all very excited to live here. Neither Copenhagen nor Struer feels like home to me anymore, so ‘fitting in’ was really just treating it like another city. My Danish friends are from my first year of school so I don’t think they would ever allow me to change too much before putting me in line again! They are true friends. So as long as I have my friends and my family, I am all good.

YOU PLACED YOUR DAUGHTER AIYA (NOW GR.6) INTO CIS AND YOUR SON CHARLIE INTO THE DANISH SYSTEM. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY YOU CHOSE TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AND HAS IT WORKED OUT FOR THE CHILDREN? Although Aiya speaks and understands Danish, she has never been taught in Danish and since her first language is English (and after a less than average schooling experience in Barcelona) she really needed to feel 100% comfortable to improve. Therefore, we chose the international school.

Charlie, however, did not speak much Danish (although he understood almost everything). Charlie went to a great public school (kids start school at 3 years of age in Spain) when we lived in Barcelona, so he spoke more Catalan than Danish. Therefore, we decided to send Charlie to a public school to really learn Danish (which he most definitely has!).

DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE CONTEMPLATING MOVING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY FOR A FEW YEARS WITH THE INTENT TO MOVE BACK HOME AGAIN? REALLY live in the chosen country, don’t waste your time comparing or missing non-important items, foods, services etc. Do/eat/drink/party/holiday like the locals! Ask loads of questions - join an expat web groups to help you with any questions you may have. And don’t forget to bring back at least one item from there, a long-lasting memory piece.

WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM LEAVING DENMARK – ANY REGRETS? NO regrets at all! Just approximately 30 years of brilliant experiences, lovely people, great food, awesome chocolates, and a better appreciation of my roots and my safe, free, (mostly) well-balanced and beautiful county.

“In 2016 we decided to move to Denmark to allow our kids the experience of living in the county they were connected to through me.”

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COMMUNITY

BY CIS MUM NATHALIE VAN DER STEUR

The Global Nomad Family As a global nomad, I find it so complicated to answer this very simple question “Where are you from?” Such an easy and simple question… right? How to answer in a quick way? I just can’t… and if I try, I just feel rude!

I would love to say “I’m European”; I said it once while I was living in the London (UK) but my interlocutor said “Well… we are Europeans too!” Since then, I don’t dare to give that answer anymore… BUT I really do feel European.

Being a global nomad started with my ancestors. My grandparents (on my mother’s side), were living in Congo (Africa). My mother was born in Johannesburg (South Africa) and lived in Congo until the Independence in 1960. My dad moved to Kenya as soon as he graduated from university. He had his best 10 years of his life there! My parents met in Ibiza (Balearic Island, Spain) and lived there for 15 years.

So… here is my story: My father was Dutch, and my mum was Belgian (French speaking). Their common language when they met each other was English. I was born in Barcelona, Spain living 9 years in Ibiza. Then my family moved back to Belgium, where I lived for 25 years. During this time I met and and married my husband David. With David´s work we left Belgium in 2005, relocating back to my birth city, Barcelona for 6 years.

Then, 3 years in the French Riviera. 2 years in London (UK).

And finally since summer 2016… here in Copenhagen.

I have a Dutch passport but I don’t feel Dutch - shame on me, I know! David and our 2 children, Clara and Maxim are Belgian citizens.

David and I never really decided to become global nomads, it was work opportunities that have given us the chance to move to these beautiful countries.

For a while we felt home was Belgium but as time passed, we were returning less and less to Belgium, until we only returned for Christmas. Now 13 years later, I don’t feel like I have a home anymore; we have fewer and fewer connections with Belgium.

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Home is where our core family is...

Clara only lived in Belgium for two and a half years and Maxim was born in Barcelona, and never lived in Belgium.

We don’t feel “homeless” though, as our core family is what matters to us. We are fortunate to embrace the environment, the culture, the tradition, the way of life of every country that has become our temporary home.

This is so rich! It makes us happy and grateful - and happiness is the the greatest form of success! All over Europe, we have been able to meet great people who in turn have become friends therefore, we feel we are members of a family called Europe!

Moving to Denmark and embracing Danish society Moving to Denmark was not easy, not because of Denmark, more because we moved too many times in a short period of time. Clara does not cope well with moving at all. She is a very sensitive teenager. She makes strong bonds with her friends, so leaving them breaks her heart each time. When we moved to London we decided to settle there but after only one year, David’s work situation changed and was offered an

opportunity to follow his boss to Denmark. He refused the offer at first because he knew it would be difficult for Clara.

Clara, Maxim and I were happy with our lives in London BUT as one of the four elements of our core family was not doing well, we were not functioning well either. The kids were getting used to not seeing their dad, began making plans without him and telling only me about what had happened during their day. Their dad they felt was unfortunately not part of their life anymore.

We reconsidered the offer in Denmark. David and I made sure that life would be just as good, if not better than in London.

We took the leap, and we set out to discover a new country…

Denmark. And we, as a family, don’t regret it.

Denmark has managed to seduce us by bringing together the best aspects of all the countries where we have lived. As a result we do not plan to move, certainly not before the kids go to university.

I often hear that Danes are cold and distant ... I do not agree at all. Denmark is the ONLY country where we have been welcomed. Usually, when we settle in, we invite our new neighbors home to get to know each other. Here it was the opposite: just 30 minutes after arriving at the house we had rented, a neighbor came to bring me a jar of homemade jam with the fruits from his garden, and welcomed me to the Denmark. Another example? We bought a house last winter and after a few months of renovation we finally moved into it. Neighbors living down the road came one day with a plant to welcome us on the street. We had never seen them before… What a welcome! We love it!

To be accepted by Danes you need to make the effort to integrate yourself into their society. Trying to learn Danish is very much appreciated by them. Even if you don’t speak

“We never really decided to become global nomads, it was work opportunities that have given us the chance to move to these beautiful countries..”

it fluently, it doesn’t matter because at least you are making the effort. ‘Effort’ is the correct word: I spent one and a half years learning Danish and I must admit, it is a difficult language! Now I am able to have a basic conversation and also read and understand what is written around me.

Sometimes Danes will just not understand you if you do not speak 100% as a Dane. Do not be discouraged — it’s worth it.

The Danes will welcome you with open arms if you make the effort. They will even tell you that you speak good Danish!

I have a nice tip to give you... always start your sentence with “Jeg prøve på dansk...”. In doing so, you show Danes that you are trying to speak Danish. You might make mistakes, but at least they are listening to you and their level of patience starts way higher!

I love being a global nomad...

It has not always been easy but when you decide to see the bright side of life, being a global nomad is very interesting, rich and exciting. Being able to learn new things, a new way of living, and that what is acceptable for one may not be for others, you become more understanding about others. You better accept differences.

As a global nomad you are being asked to get out of your comfort zone, and that might be challenging but it is so rewarding when you decide to take on that challenge.

The downside is that you start everything from scratch each time you move. You don’t know your environment, you don’t know anyone… you need to settle once more. This is especially true if your kids are not in an international school which was our case until Copenhagen. The CIS community is doing an amazing job at helping us settle! CIS makes you feel so welcome from the first day. Thank you for that!

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COMMUNITY

BY LUCY FRY, GRADE 10

Third Culture Kids

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Puzzle i can fit in everywhere but unlike a puzzle piece i have more than one place. i am not a corner piece nor a middle piece i am the puzzle.

I have always had a feeling that I belong to various cultures without belonging completely to a single one. I was not aware that this made me fall under the category of being a ‘third culture kid’ (TCK). According to David C. Pollocks’ definition (from ‘The TCK Profile’ seminar material, Interaction, Inc., 1989, 1.) a TCK is “a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture.

The TCK frequently builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture may be assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background.” This definition hit close to home and the label of TCK evoked my curiosity and made me keen on further investigation into what it means to be a TCK. I have written the following two poems as a way of exploring my own identity as a TCK, especially in response to emotions which emerge from the term.

The Sub “where are you from?”asked the P.E. Sub as if it was a simple question for the dozen international students sitting cross-legged before him. a slight panic pumped through my veins and a cool sensation ran up my spine. i shiver. the sub looks at one student then the next each student giving the same one-word answer. i whisper to my friend “what should I say?

Canada, Germany or Denmark?” “you pick” she shrugs and gives me a look that says “sorry, i don’t know”. the boy, sitting two students over has just given his answer. i need to think fast. so i settle on the easiest answer the one that won’t lead to a long discussion on my family history with the P.E. Sub as the whole class watches. finally he looks at me with a smile. a friendly smile but it doesn’t comfort me.

“Denmark” i say quietly and feel my cheeks getting hot. he swiftly moves onto my friend seated on my left. i breathe a sigh of relief. that wasn’t so painful. and yet, i did not give the true answer. i let a half-truth slip from my lips. i feel slightly ashamed, as if i have neglected my family. as if i have let down hundreds of worthy ancestors. as if i have let down myself.

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COMMUNITY

MEETING DENMARK’S FIRST MAN IN SPACE BY ROSS MCPHERSON

Graduate to Graduate

Ross McPherson (Graduate of 2017) returns to CIS to interview Danish astronaut and CIS Graduate of 1995, Andreas Mogensen for the Copenhagen Post. This article appeared in the Post’s October 2018 edition.

Andreas Mogensen, who officially took Denmark into the space age, recently splashed down at his old school to tell the pupils all about it Up to now, when it comes to conversations about space travel it has been rare that Denmark’s name has come up, but this could soon change.

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In recent years the world has been engaged in international efforts to improve our understanding of the cosmos. The European Space Agency (ESA) has been at the forefront of this endeavour and on 2 September 2015, Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen blasted off from Kazakhstan in a Soyuz rocket to join the International Space Station (ISS) for an intense, research-filled 10-day trip, orbiting the earth 400 km away.

This week, Denmark’s one and only spaceman was on a tour around Denmark and one of his stops was his old school, Copenhagen International School (CIS), where he gave an extensive talk to third and seventh grade pupils about ESA, his trip and the future of space travel. On a previous visit in 2013, CIS gave him a t-shirt that he took into space with him.

Mogensen, a native-born Dane, attended Rygåards International School and CIS. This was the beginning of

“The difficulties of life in space are always evolving and growing in number.”

his lifelong path towards the stars, giving him a unique international background well suited to the stressful and diverse environment of the ISS. The right stuff When the call for applicants for potential astronauts went out from ESA to anyone who had the qualifications, Mogensen answered. He was selected from a pool of thousands to undergo the rigorous preliminary training, which he finished in November 2010. After a further five years training, his journey to the ISS began on the IRIS mission.

The mission was organised to promote education and stoke interest in space around Europe, while also conducting important experiments for the future of interplanetary travel. Amongst the tasks and experiments assigned to Mogensen were taking groundbreaking photographs of rare ‘red sprite’ and ‘blue jet’ lightning and using modern exercise equipment.

helps filter water molecules from dirty liquids, thus making the water clean to drink. This was one of the many Danish technologies he tested in space. “The coffee we drank today was the same coffee we drank yesterday and last week,” he added.

When astronauts spend long periods of time in space their muscles and bones lose density, leading to unforeseeable long-term consequences. To counteract the physical effects Mogensen tested a skinsuit with interwoven fibres that helped compress his spine and fight these adverse effects.

Another technological aid was a bicycle designed by Danish Aerospace to help keep up an astronaut’s muscle tone.

And on to Mars…

The experiments were in preparation for trips to both the Moon and Mars. Mogensen explained that a new space station is planned that will orbit the moon. “I am almost certain that in our lifetime we will be able to say with close to certainty that there is life on another planet,” Mogensen said.

But if you thought it was little green men he was talking about – then you may be right but with modification. This final comment from Denmark’s astronaut garnered an audible gasp from the children, but he brought them down to earth by adding that “it will probably be bacteria”.

The visit ended with a lively Q&A session and who knows: maybe one of the pupils in the audience listening so intently could be the one to take the next giant leap into the unknown.

Another aspect of his trip focused on how to stop muscle and bone density deterioration, in the hope that new technologies can help astronauts on longer trips to and from Mars or in the upcoming new space station around the Moon.

Hanging on every word The room was mesmerised by Mogensen as he explained the details of the mission. He described moving through the ISS’s interlocked compartments as being like “moving through a series of deep dark holes that your body just doesn’t want to go down”.

The difficulties of life in space are always evolving and growing in number. One barrier to long stays on Mars or the Moon is water filtration. Mogensen explained that all the water on board is recycled – meaning it’s condensed from the air (their sweat) and extracted from their urine. During his short stay, he tested a new protein membrane that

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COMMUNITY

BY MARTY ROLLEFSON, 1968

You make the school Marty Rollefson’s comment in this article from the 1968 edition of The Copenhagen Internationalist student magazine that “You make the school. You are the school” has certainly stood the test of time. This year, Grade 6 student Madeleine Reuther Pedersen happily shares her experiences of being new to CIS. You cannot help but see that the two articles strike a similar tone, showing that students are just as proud to be part of the CIS Community in 2018 as they were in 1968.

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COMMUNITY

BY MADELEINE REUTHER PEDERSEN, GRADE 6

How I became a CIS student I was only 8 years old that summer when I was standing in the schoolyard on the old campus in Hellerup. I was very nervous, this was my first time alone in a school where I couldn’t communicate with people. My English was limited, because I was a Danish student. The weather was really nice, the sun was shining, and I didnt know how to survive the next two weeks of summer school, with new kids and teachers. Actually, it was my own decision to spend the first two weeks of my summer vacation at CIS. I wanted to try something new.

The first year in summer school was amazing. I didn’t have to be nervous at all: the teachers were friendly, and the kids were really nice too. After the summer school, I made a decision with myself that I wanted to come back to CIS, because I had had so much fun.

For 3 years in a row, I was a summer school student and I loved it. Every year when the summer school was finished, I asked my parents when could I start as a student at the school. My parents could feel that this school was something special for me. They got curious and wondered about CIS as a school; my mom and dad spoke with Christiane and Lena who were responsible for the summer school. What was really a turning point, was that CIS offered learning that integrated you as a person with your environment in a global world. It was an approach that was not a part of the learning that I was coming from.

Today, CIS gives me so much, so I haven’t felt the transition to be hard. I think it’s because with an open-minded and involved view, you give and in turn receive back the good spirit of your school community. I have many friends of different cultures, religions and backgrounds. We respect each other, and we all have fun and it is such a privilege to be a part of this social group. I started at CIS in grade 5, and today I’m in Middle School. I like doing sports: I do volleyball, and gymnastics then I also get a chance to talk to my Danish friends. We have long days here at CIS, but it’s okay, because it is always fun to be with your friends, and learn new things with knowledgeable teachers.

“CIS offered learning that integrated you as a person with your environment in a global world.”

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