CIS Footprints July 2019 by Copenhagen International School

FOOTPRINTS LEARNING

BUILDING

The CIS girls Accreditation football ‘Dream team visit 2019 Team’ JULY #16

Selected as most supporting team and received the 2019 sportsmanship prize. page 17

Every five years, the accreditation team sends ten learning principles to teachers to be used for selfevaluation at the beginning of the school year... page 20

COMMUNITY

1969 graduate Niels Jensen Niels R. Jensen graduated from CIS in 1969, and went to the USA to pursue a university education... page 30

The CIS girls football ‘Dream Team’ page 17

Design Artist Filippa Brabrand Grade 6

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FOOTPRINTS LETTER FROM THE FOOTPRINTS TEAM

TABLE OF CONTENTS LEARNING

Dear CIS Community, The 2018/19 school year will mostly be remembered for the school’s first synchronized accreditation visit by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and International Baccalaureate Organization. Copenhagen International School was once again recognized for its teaching practices and great community spirit. A very special thanks must go to Karen Rohrs, Middle School Principal, for all her hard work over the 18 months prior to the visit.

IBDP1: WHAT’S THE STORY?

We wish you a happy summer. We look forward to sharing more stories in the next edition of ‘CIS Footprints’ in December 2019. The CIS Footprints Team

Goodbye to Jennifer Weyburn, Director 2016-2019 Our first female director, Jennifer Weyburn has departed for New York City where she will start her new position in a private school there. Jennifer will be remembered for being the director who moved CIS from Hellerup to Nordhavn, a big milestone in the history of CIS. We wish Jennifer and her family the best of luck. You can find past editions of CIS Footprints here: http://www.cis.dk/community/alumni/footprints JULY 2019 Editor in Chief: Suzanne O´Reilly Editor: Jack Ream Designer: Virginia de Colombani Reporters: Tarang Dalela, Clodagh Cunningham

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16-17 LEARNING LEARNING

Introducing our new Head of School PAGE 04 The journey from Kindergarten to Grade 12 PAGE 06 Teacher training at CIS PAGE 10 Celebrating CIS via Chloe Nash PAGE 12 Red Cross Fundraiser CAS Project PAGE 14 The key that unlocks the Personal Project PAGE 15 IBDP1: What’s the story? PAGE 16 Danish in an International School setting PAGE 18 The CIS Girls Football ‘Dream Team’ PAGE 19

JULY #16

BUILDING

COMMUNITY

ACCREDITATION TEAM VISIT 2019

BECOMING PARENTS

24-25 BUILDING

Accreditation team visit 2019 Accreditation process Best of luck to our 2019 graduates Roots & Shoots

COMMUNITY

PAGE 20 PAGE 21 PAGE 22 PAGE 24

Becoming parents Alumni - 1969 graduate Niels Jensen Changing career paths Reflections on my time at CIS

PAGE 28 PAGE 30 PAGE 33 PAGE 34

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INTERVIEW WITH SANDY MACKENZIE, BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

LEARNING

Introducing our new Head of School - Sandy MacKenzie Head of Secondary, Atlanta International School; Head of Senior School, Dulwich College Shanghai; Depute Rector, Morrison´s Academy; IB Coordinator CIS. With over 20 years of educational experience, Sandy MacKenzie returns to his former school to take on the role of Director for Copenhagen International School. As well as returning to CIS, Sandy is by no means a stranger to Denmark, as his childhood summers were spent with family friends who lived in Brøndby, Denmark. These summer experiences presented Sandy with an opportunity for him to learn some Danish, and while not fluent yet, he has enough understanding of the language to give him a jump start as Head of CIS starting in August 2019. Read further to find out more about the man behind the future of CIS. What inspired you to become an educator? The inspiration for me to become an educator was really my mother who was initially an English teacher and then became a Primary School teacher. In the 1960s, she taught English on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean; her wanderlust may well have rubbed off on me. I had a few jobs before teaching: behind the bar in a nightclub, working in a five star hotel and portering in a psychiatric hospital – the skills from which may be applicable at times to my current role! When I became a Mathematics teacher in Scotland, I knew that I had found my true vocation. What made you want to be a Head of School? My leadership career really began at Copenhagen International School. I was fortunate enough to become

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Head of Mathematics and then IB Coordinator in the short time that I was at the school (2002-2004). Although my previous stay at CIS was brief, it was a seminal moment in my career – being part of the community of this diverse, international school and having the opportunity to lead teachers in providing fantastic learning for students was the springboard for leading in schools. Since then, I have been a Depute Rector in an family-oriented Scottish independent school, Head of Senior School in an academically-selective international school in China and Head of Secondary in Atlanta for the past five years, in a school with many similarities to CIS. After 12 years in senior leadership, I feel ready to lead CIS in its next phase. You have an impressive leadership background. How will you role model leadership to the students and staff at CIS? The talents of the people that I work with continually impress me. As an educational leader, it is my role to ensure that the environment and conditions exist for others to be able to make the most of those talents. I have been fortunate to have mentors in my career (people like Jim Keson) who

As you already have a fair knowledge of the culture of Denmark and the culture of CIS, do you think this will enable you to be more successful in your new role? Copenhagen and CIS have not stood still in the past 15 years in any way and I am sure there is much for me to learn in my first few months as Director. Yes, I am very fortunate to have an insight into the school and our happy host country. I hope to dust off my Danish language skills and learn more, while finding old Østerbro haunts and discovering new ones. They say most school communities live in an international bubble, however through our sports and academic programs CIS has competed against other international and Danish schools. (Math competition, football, History of Denmark – Danish Class) How important do you think it is to continue to be involved with the surrounding communities? I believe that CIS is a unique school and I can not think of anywhere I would rather be. As one of the founding schools of the International Baccalaureate, we have a rich history of delivering the continuum of curricular experience that (in my view) is unrivalled by any national system. We are deeply embedded and intertwined in the success of this amazing city – internationally focused families know that they can have confidence in the education of their children at CIS. The community partnerships add value to our students’ experiences and I would like to see us develop even more relationships with schools and organizations in the city and beyond. Our identity at CIS is most clearly international, with over 70 nationalities represented in our community at last count, and also heavily influenced by all that make Denmark such a great place in which to live. What do you hope for the future of CIS? empowered me to step into new situations and develop as a leader. I hope to help people remember why we have all chosen to be a part of this wonderful school and that we can all be champions of a just and sustainable world. What in your mind makes for a good international School? How do alumni fit into the community once they have left a school? A great international school is one that is clear about its mission and values; one that is inclusive of its community where each and every student, parent and member of staff feels seen, heard and valued as an individual. It is a school where everyone can be themselves with a genuine focus on students developing as learners and as contributors to something much bigger than themselves. The beauty of our 55 year history is that we now have alumni all over the world making a positive impact. It is vital that we remain connected with those alumni and they are a part of the CIS family; while they may not recognize the classrooms in Nordhavn, they will always feel at home because the heart of the school beats as it always has.

I feel so fortunate to become the next Director of CIS and look forward to many happy years at the school. In recent years, CIS has grown in so many respects – now with a student body of over 950 students in a purpose built, sustainable campus overlooking the Øresund. Having come together again from two campuses, we will work on confirming our values and sense of community as one school. I look forward to CIS continuing to be a jewel in the crown of Copenhagen and enjoying the reputation as one of the very best schools in Denmark and Europe.

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INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA GONZALAZ, BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

LEARNING

The journey from Kindergarten to Grade 12 You started in Kindergarten 12 years ago and will graduate in June this year. Can you remember anything about your time in Primary school? What was your best time in Middle School and the one thing you will miss from High School? Primary school: Primary school memories are preserved in my heart like timeless treasures. I remember waking up every morning with an overwhelming desire to go to school. I remember walking through the front doors, hand in hand with my dad, eager to be greeted with the beautiful smile of the Directors’ Secretary, Helle Holst (who I call ‘grandma’). I remember the newly-built playground -- others climbed trees or swung around on the monkey bars but my friends and I always ran for the bikes and the big-wheeled scooters. Even now the aroma of a garden transports me back to those days, to the laughter we shared. I remember the library -- row after row of neatly lined up books with their spines facing outward, colour coded with dots, arranged in alphabetical order. I remember our school field trips. I particularly loved the Experimentarium. There, my mind would bubble with curiosity and wonder. I remember Culture Day and dressing up in layers of bright, and vibrantly colorful Peruvian clothing and I remember racing my friends to be the first in line for a henna tattoo. I remember the twelfth-grade truck rides and bursting with excitement during the water fights knowing that someday that would be me. Middle school: My best time in middle school was probably eighth grade. That was when I began to learn with enthusiasm, nurture my curiosity and develop skills for inquiry and research. I sought for knowledge expansion and did so by engaging in activities that stretched far from my comfort zone. I entered my first math competition, for example, and went on a science trip to the Bayer Labs in Germany. Eighth grade was just a beautiful time in my life. High school: The one thing I will miss most from high school is the people -- their geniality, benignity and loving nature. I never felt alone or mistreated. My daily life was filled with kindness and laughter … and that is a blessing, truly. I will particularly miss my teachers and not just those from high school, but anyone who has ever taught me. They are committed professionals who gave themselves fully to my growth and development. They weren’t just filling whiteboards with numbers and letters, they were teaching things like character, compassion, resilience and imagination.

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They were filling my young mind with virtues and values, and teaching me to cooperate and triumph in the face of adversity. And to that I am forever grateful. What will be your best memory of CIS when you look back in time? I have thought about this question with utmost struggle-it’s like asking a parent to pick their favorite child. I think my best memory of CIS is the Hellerup campus… the place where I grew up. My first home. It was where I met my first friends, had my first slow dance, rode my first bike. Thinking about it gives me a bittersweet feeling: mostly happy and comforting, but with a tinge of sadness knowing that I’ve lost it in some way. To me, it was the most magical place on earth. How was it to be of a student of mixed nationality living in Denmark and going to an International school? I consider myself a third culture kid which is defined as, “a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture” (David Pollock, 1989). My dad is Cuban, my mom is Peruvian, and I was born in São Paulo, Brazil. We moved to Denmark on the 2nd of June 2002 (I was 1, about to turn 2). As a third culture kid I have been exposed to a variety of perceptions and lifestyles that have allowed me to monitor my emotions, and register societal norms and cues more adeptly so as to produce higher sensitivity to other cultures and ways of life. One of the challenges of being a third culture kid, however, is developing a sense of belonging, commitment, and attachment to a culture. When I was young, I used to think I looked too foreign to be Danish but I felt too Danish to be foreign. It was a difficult concept to grasp onto. But I am proud to feel, above all, like a citizen of the world. The sense of being at home anywhere, yet feeling that home is nowhere, is part of who I am. Going to an international school as a third culture kid was not only comforting but also eye opening. At CIS, I’ve been exposed to students who are different from myself. The novel ideas and challenges that such exposure brings has improved my cognitive skills, including my critical thinking and problem solving ability. Going to CIS has also encouraged me to question my assumptions, to understand that wisdom may be found in unexpected voices, and to gain an

Any words of wisdom for 2020 Graduates?

“At CIS, I’ve been exposed to students who are different from myself. The novel ideas and challenges that such exposure brings has improved my cognitive skills, including my critical thinking and problem solving ability.”

appreciation of the complexity of today’s world. As the forces of globalization gather speed and strength, an international education (such as the one I’ve received) will be the primary means by which we are able to bridge the cultural and linguistic divides that exist globally. I am grateful for CIS for having given me a broad-minded spirit and a multicultural attitude of acceptance. What professional goals have you set for yourself? I will actually be taking a gap year in order to refine my academic and career goals. At the moment, I am interested in too many fields of study. My goals for my gap year are to:

1. Lead with love. Be kind, be vulnerable, give of yourself to others, and don’t do the expedient thing just because it’s more convenient for you. Make the effort to put others first. Find work that makes you proud and adopt a service mindset. Touching the life of just a single person is a powerful legacy to leave behind. 2. Be open to change. It’s traditional at school to offer neat, packaged stories of triumph over challenges. But life isn’t always like that -- it’s open-ended, subject to a million contingencies and constant change. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make plans. It just means that you should be alert to all the changes in the world that could render your plans suddenly obsolete, unattractive, or perverse. 3. Give yourself time. I constantly found myself setting all sorts of unrealistic goals with arbitrary deadlines and chasing them until I’d drop from fatigue. Prioritize your health. You can have it all -- but not all at once. 4. Don’t be afraid of failure. Failure is inevitable and not something to be ashamed of. Rather, it’s something to be powered by. Failure is the highest octane fuel your life can run on. The beauty is that through failure you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes strength and true originality. 5. Be better than your heroes. The highest form of respect that we can pay to those who sacrificed for us and gave us everything is to be better than them. And finally to quote Oprah: “Become so skilled, so vigilant, so flat-out fantastic at whatever you do that your talent cannot be dismissed.” -- Oprah

• Re-ignite a sense of curiosity for learning, through real life situations and exploring possible careers through hands on field-work. • Gain immersed linguistic experience, and possible fluency in five languages. • Develop cross-cultural understanding and competence through cultural immersion. • Create my own version of “success” rather than acquiesce to that offered by society. • Advocate for climate change adaptation and mitigation policies and understand how disadvantaged groups suffer disproportionately from it, resulting in greater subsequent inequality. All in all, I hope to become a better thinker and a better scholar, filled with passion, purpose and perspective.

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LEARNING

INTERVIEW WITH ANNA SMITH, BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

The journey from Kindergarten to Grade 12 You started in Kindergarten 12 years ago and will graduate in June this year. Can you remember anything about your time in Primary school? What was your best time in Middle School and the one thing you will miss from High School? One thing that I have reflected upon a lot in recent weeks, is the incredible friendships I have that started in primary school and have remained and strengthened throughout middle and high school. Some of the people I met before the age of 10 are some of my best friends right now, and are friends I know I will have for the rest of my life. That is an incredible gift and something I am very grateful for. One other thing I remember from primary school was the excitement of the first day of school. The beginning of the school year at CIS both contains all of the happiness of reuniting with you best friends that you would expect, as well as the exhilaration and curiosity of meeting new people. Every year, there were always a lot of new students, and this was exciting. Moreover, the immense diversity of my classes and my friends meant that I very early on had the gift of being able to travel the world from the confines of little Copenhagen. Visiting my friends houses was a culturally enlightening experience in itself, and through this I gained a deep appreciation - and understanding - for diversity and all it has to offer. This is a lesson that I will absolutely carry with me in the future. Middle school was definitely a period of change, of coming into my own, and of getting to know myself. But even more than that, middle school was where my love of learning blossomed. I recall the joy surrounding being creative and critical at the same time, as well as learning in very interactive and imaginative ways. Gaining this love of learning is something that has been a definite asset for me going into high school and especially the Diploma Programme. One thing I will miss from high school is the excitement surrounding having the whole world ahead of you and seemingly endless possibilities following graduation, while still having the structure and stability of being at CIS and going to classes every day. This was a balance that made the future seem thrilling but not scary, and is something that I kind of miss right now.

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“One thing I will miss from high school is the excitement surrounding having the whole world ahead of you and seemingly endless possibilities following graduation, while still having the structure and stability of being at CIS and going to classes every day.”

What will be your best memory of CIS when you look back in time? My best memory of CIS will not be a specific moment in time, but rather the lessons I learned, experiences I had, and friendships I gained as a result of attending this school. My time here as a whole is what I will remember and cherish the most, as it is the accumulation of all of the smaller memories that has taught me the most. But to be more specific, one of the memories that stands out the most, is the time I spent with the student council and the debate club. Both of these extracurriculars taught me so much about what it means to be a leader and to stand up for others - two incredibly crucial skills. The debate club was definitely one of the places that I challenged myself and pushed myself out of my comfort zone the most which has absolutely benefited me in a multitude of ways, some of which I am not even aware of yet.

How was it to be a Danish student going to an International school? This is a very multifaceted question for me. Attending CIS as a Danish student has been a gift. CIS has really made me the person I am today and I don’t know if I would be the person I am had I not attended CIS. CIS has also given me the boon of being able to meet many people from very diverse backgrounds with wildly different life experiences, which is something I may not have been able to get had I attended a Danish school. On the other hand, it has also come with its fair share of difficulties. My parents are not expats, meaning I didn’t move around much as a kid, which is why I have been at CIS for 13 years. This was tricky for me because most families here are expats and that meant I had to get used to my best friends leaving me every couple of years which has been difficult. However, while this was hard, it has also taught me the durability of friendship and how living far away from each other doesn’t mean you can’t stay in touch. What professional goals have you set for yourself?

politics and activism, and teach them that they really can do anything with hard work and passion. People of minorities are so often told they are incapable, not smart enough, not strong enough, not powerful enough by society to make a change or do what they love. I want to stop that cycle, and teach them that all voices are equal and should be valued as such. I want to teach these minorities (and especially girls) to use their voice, speak loudly, and keep speaking loudly until someone listens. I want to teach girls that no one has the right to silence them, and that no voice is more valid, justified or powerful than their own. On top of this, I want to work in politics to eradicate the underlying biases and laws that discriminate because of sex. Any words of wisdom for 2020 Graduates? You can do it. I know that the end seems really far away right now, but trust me, before you know it, it will all be over and you’ll wonder where all of that time went. So hang on, you’re almost there. Also, a very small but also very important note, is to do your EE over the summer. Trust me, just do it (then thank me later)

My plans are to work in politics and as an activist - advocating for gender equality specifically. I would love to start an organization that works to empower and motivate young girls and other minorities in underprivileged areas to get into

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LEARNING

INTERVIEW WITH LUCY TAYLOR-GEE CIS ALUM, BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

Teacher training at CIS As a CIS Alum how was your experience during your time here? I went to school at CIS from January 1996 to June 1999 (710th grade). It was definitely a hard move - I told my parents they were ruining my life. Repeatedly. But everyone was so friendly and warm here, and it was much easier to make friends here than London. I just loved it. I loved how much there was to do after school too. I was on the NECIS teams for volleyball and basketball (you should have seen the size of the gyms then: TINY.) And I was part of MUN and drama club and choir…I know it’s a bit sickening but I really loved every aspect of school. So I guess it’s not that surprising I’m back here. Plus I made such good friends! My best friends from CIS are still my best friends and I’m in close contact with a lot of classmates. That’s pretty special. You are by profession a Lawyer and worked in London until you moved to DK with your own family in 2017. Was it possible to use your professional background in DK? Yes, I passed the Bar (exams to become a barrister, a specialist lawyer who represents clients in court in England and Wales) in 2006, worked as a legal advisor and paralegal for a few years on behalf of immigrants and refugees in London, and then qualified as a barrister in 2012. We moved to CPH in 2016 because we were a bit tired of hectic lifestyles in London and wanted a more chilled, child-friendly environment. I thought I would be able to easily find a job here with my qualifications and experience. Wrong! So I started subbing at international schools and fell in love with the job. Quite unexpectedly. But there’s actually quite a few similarities between standing up in court and standing up in front of a class of teenagers, and I loved the immediacy of teaching. Just like nailing a good point in court where the judge nods in agreement, you know pretty quickly when a teaching moment lands with and the class goes ‘Ohhhh!’. It’s the best feeling. Hence why I’m switching careers to become a qualified teacher.

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“I feel very lucky to have the privilege to re-train as a teacher and to do it in such a supportive environment.”

You decided to re-train as a gymnasium teacher and are now doing teacher training at CIS. How does it feel to leave as a student and return to CIS now teaching students the IB curriculum? To come back as a teacher here is special. It feels very different to how it was when I was a student, but in a way that’s quite nice as it’s not like I’m going back in time. Some of my teachers are still here (plus you!) so it’s rather lovely. I feel very lucky to have the privilege to re-train as a teacher and to do it in such a supportive environment. I think it shocks the students that I used to go here though! But it’s useful: I know what it’s like to be exhausted from NECIS trips and the unique stress of the IB etc. I think it helps me to know and understand my students better.

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LEARNING

BY TARANG DALELA, STUDENT JOURNALIST

Celebrating CIS via Chloe Nash, Grade 11 “We are somehow like a patchwork quilt. We are scraps and pieces from all over the world. Each of us with our own stories and experiences. But somehow, we remain an entity. We take pride in standing out, being different, being noticed… yet, we manage to fit in. And I think maintaining one’s individuality and taking pride in it while still being a member of a larger group is the most unique thing about our school.” Amalia Christina Vadmand, Class of 2013, Valedictorian This quotation comes from the 2013 graduation valedictorian speech, in the year CIS celebrated 50 years. The school had reached its half-century point, and this idea of the patchwork quilt-nature of the school is currently being captured by Chloe Nash, a grade 11 student, who decided to work on the history of CIS for her CAS project. Her interest in this project blossomed when she was asked by Suzanne O’Reilly, the administrative coordinator, to write an article about the history of CIS. “CIS has such a strong history, it kind of came up naturally. I was asked to do this article by Suzanne and I was like, this is something that I want to get into.” Hence, she decided to do this for her CAS project, and contribute her part in building our strong community at CIS. As we all know, student-life revolves around school, and students make strong connections with their school. So much so, that after a point it becomes their second home. “When you are an expat in an international school, your international school is your home. It is the one place you always are, when you land...” Chloe expressed in the interview. She reached

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You can follow Chloe Nash’s journey on mapping the history of CIS on twitter: @shoot_with_you

out to former teachers, staff and alumni, and explored their connection with the school in terms of their strongest memories, the atmosphere in which they worked and how the community was at their time. There was a lot of nostalgia involved, and many old memories resurfaced, “I found old pictures, and I recreated them with new students. The very first one I did, I found a student who was here, and there was an old teacher Dr. Karsten Engelberg, and I found a picture of this student, and she was identical to a student in my grade, she was by the lockers, and I said, ‘Can you stand by the lockers and use them, and

“CIS being a home was a recurring theme throughout all of her interviews, and that truly emphasizes that patchworkquilt nature of the school -- once your patch gets sewn into it, it will stay there forever.”

that he considered CIS as ‘home’, and “the fact that he got to come back over 50 years later, and sit down, and still be welcomed-in like he was always here.” CIS being a home was a recurring theme throughout all of her interviews, and that truly emphasizes that patchworkquilt nature of the school -- once your patch gets sewn into it, it will stay there forever. When asked, “How do you see the school in 5 years time and do you think the legacy of CIS will be important?”, she emphasized that she would like to feel that connection with CIS community so that when she comes here for her 50 years reunion, she feels that CIS is still a home. Before Chloe started her project, however, the 50 years of CIS project was already conceptualized. Suzanne had connected with former staff and alumni and had assembled experiences and memories at CIS into a slideshow showcasing the stepby-step process of how CIS developed into what it is today. In my conversations with Chloe and looking at the 50-yearsof-CIS project, it is very clear to me that even though I may feel that my presence in CIS is insignificant, and that I am just one of the many, the reality is that I do have my own patch in the huge, ever-growing patchwork quilt of CIS. And when I come back to CIS after some years, I will be able to see the mark I left and proudly say, “Oh, look! I had done that when I was younger. I’m back at home now.”

I’ll take your picture’ … Karsten Engelberg remembered this student and that kind of what got it into getting the teachers involved.” I had the opportunity to sit down with Chloe for some time and talk to her about her project. One of the questions that I asked was, “What did you learn from your interviews with former and present staff, and alumni?”. A major thing that stood out to her was that they all had made deep connections with CIS and still cherished those connections and memories. During Chloe’s interview with the first IB diploma graduate from CIS, one major thing that caught her attention was

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STUDENT PROJECT LEADERS: ALEXANDRA CHRISTIANSEN AND TINDRA SODERBERG – GRADE 11 - FEBRUARY 2019

LEARNING

Red Cross Fundraiser CAS Project

(Creativity, Activity, Service)

Focus of project

How we followed the CAS stages:

The focus of the project was to gather people with different strengths and talents to work together as a team. The people involved were either musicians or dancers, volunteers who helped with props, or parents who supplied the food which was sold during intermittence by the volunteers.

1. Creativity: Initially, the performers decided what they wanted to perform, and came back to us with their decisions.

The project was initiated to help people in need and so we choose the Red Cross to donate the proceeds too. We also focused on how to best create joy and “hygge” for the audience who supported the event and donated via entrance fees and purchases from the bake sale during the intermittence. Beyond all that, for us, we learnt how to organize a Charity Event, which included all the components of organizing an event: venue management; speakers; entertainment; publicity; and volunteer management. We learnt new skills which we felt would be of help to us in our future. The project definitely allowed us to practice and learn while giving back to others.

Creativity was used with the positioning of the lighting for all the performers, going through colours and what would suit the performance and the positions best. For dancers, it matters that the lights match the music, the movements or the rhythm of the beat. To musicians, the lights match the music and the way the performers stand and wish to present themselves on stage. Overall, lights are a very important component in setting the mood. Creativity was also used in choreographing with the Spahi Dance Studio who performed and as Alexander is part of the education program they run, she helped with the choreography and the setting up of the lights. In addition, we both hosted the event that day which required not only the skill of being prepared but also skills in improvising – you go with the flow of the audience. 2. Activity: Dance is active and Alexandra danced and choreographed with her dance crew Spahi Dance Studio. Tindra and Alexandra choreographed a dance together which was full of changing parts of a dance put together by Spahi Dance Studio. 3. Service: The event was a non-profit event and all the money we earned from this event (totalling 4000 kr.) went to the Red Cross.

Performers:

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Spahi dance studio Shahid - Dance Mr Hindrichsen & Mr Boulton Leilei - Violin Saloni - singing Eva - piano Annika - singing John Treadgold -singing and guitar Benny - singing and guitar

LEARNING

BY CLÓDAGH CUNNINGHAM, GRADE 10

The key that unlocks the Personal Project The Personal Project is in preparation for the Extended Essay in the IB, which is part of the development to a possible university thesis, and then a PhD. My point is, it all has to start somewhere and for Copenhagen International School, it starts in Grade 10, with the Personal Project. The amazing thing about this project is you can pick any subject that you are interested in and present your final product in any way you want. The purpose of this project is for you, as a student, to develop your interests and apply skills you have accumulated over the course of the Middle Years Programme (MYP). It is a chance for you to show your teachers and peers just how well you can work on your own, as this is essential in the Diploma Programme (DP). The Personal Project consists of a journal to record your process, a product that you create, and a final report to explain what you have done and what you have learned. You are assessed through the same four criteria as the rest of the MYP: Criterion A (Investigating), Criterion B (Planning), Criterion C (Taking action) and Criterion D (Reflecting). For myself, and many others, this was an opportunity to discover something I am passionate about and in my case, it was ‘the history of DNA testing in forensics.’ I chose to look at how DNA testing in forensics had developed throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, and what this could mean for the future. I knew from the start I wanted to choose a topic based around forensics but I couldn’t investigate all of forensics as this is too large a topic; instead I chose DNA. As my product, I chose to convey my learning and knowledge through a presentation to my peers.

taking action, is where the magic happens. Where you go from lines of muddled research to a completed ukulele or a pair of shoes made entirely of recycled materials, or a one man performance. It is where everything you have worked so hard to do, comes together. The beautiful aspect of this project, is how different everyone’s products are. In creating something you are proud of, you get to showcase it to other students, teachers and parents and show them what you made. The final part of this project is reflecting. It is the part where you write an essay informing the markers of why you deserve the highest possible mark. It’s the final chance for you to show them what you can do, and what you are made of. As I stated in the beginning, this project is preparation for the IB and although that may sound terrifying, it is the next step towards the rest of your life. It teaches you life skills such as organisational skills, time management and most of all, it encourages students to find their passion in life. Before this project, I would never have considered that it would be possible for me to partake in a scientific project, and enjoy it, but taking that risk opened up a whole new avenue for the future. Although I have mentioned grades, never forget that the point of these assignments is to push you to be the best you can be. So, what is the key to the Personal Project? My advice is choose a topic you love. At the end of the project, if you discover your passion, that will take you further in life than any grade ever could.

This was one of the greatest learning experiences of my life because, aside from a supervisor to guide me through the process, I had to complete this project on my own. I began my investigating part of the project with research. Most of my project was research based, but this is not always the case. Many people only have minimal research to do, while a large portion of their time is spent taking action, and creating their product. I chose five research questions to answer and once I had completed this, I moved onto the planning side of the project. This included creating a timeline for my project which proved quite difficult as this was something most students have never had to do before, as many of our deadlines are set by teachers. The third part of the project,

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LEARNING

BY CHLOE NASH, GRADE 11

IBDP1: What’s the story? There is so much I could tell you about the IBDP1 that would scare you. So much I could rant about that would make you question if it was even worth it. Let me tell you, it so is! I can go on and on about all of that. Thing is, that’s not what you want to hear. You want me to tell you it’s fine. It’ll be fun, no stress. Just breathe. It will be fun and yes, you will be able to breathe and have a life outside of these solar panelled towers we call a school. Trust me, you will. Just with the stress and the strangely phrased exam questions. If you are reading this it’s most likely because no one knows what to tell you when you ask “What’s the story?”. Its true, there’s no way for me to prepare you; everyone has their own relationship with the programme. From day one you’ll get told that it is worth it. That after those two years you will look back and be so glad you took the IBDP. Ask anyone and that is what they will tell you. Ask them again? They’ll spill out how glad they are that it is over. How glad they are that they no longer have those deadlines or the teachers running after them screaming rubric requirements. There are students who are so glad they are taking the IBDP and have been getting 7 out of 7 since day one, there are others who have switched to the High School Diploma Programme. Then you have the inbetweeners, who are figuring it out but who are stubborn and unwilling to give up just yet. Myself, I was one of the inbetweeners. I love the core aspects of the IBDP. I love TOK2 and the EE3 and honestly, IA’s4 are fine. What I don’t like is that I can only take one Arts subject, that I have to take a foreign language. That it has taken me two semesters to figure out higher level biology or how to keep on top of deadlines; and to actually be in class. Others, hate that they can’t take all the sciences, or that dance isn’t taught at CIS *cough cough*. 1. International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme 2. Theory of Knowledge 3. Extended Essay 4. Internal Assessments

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Photo by Isa Schulting

I got the best of the best; I got the teachers I work well with and the supervisors who I agree with. I am extremely grateful for that, but, it doesn’t mean that it has been easy. The IBDP is set up to test you, it will take the best of you and make you question it. It will take the worst of you and improve it beyond what you think it was ever capable of. If you can take one thing from this article let this be it: THE IBDP IS GOING TO MAKE YOU QUESTION EVERYTHING; LET IT. Now, I said I wouldn’t ramble on about academics so here it is - the truth: what you really remember from your first year as a IBDP student. No, it’s not the assignments, or the grades.

“The IBDP is set up to test you, it will take the best of you and make you question it.”

It’s not even the strangely phrased exam questions. It’s the people, the laughter. The moments when you break down in tears; happy or not. You will get dropped into the IBDP, you get work thrown at you from all angles. You get stressed, you will get annoyed. You will find that one class you hate more than life itself but in the end, it won’t matter. After months of studying I remember the moments when everyone was relaxed, sitting on the couches on the 5th floor. I remember the reactions when the craic was more important than the actual work they were trying to teach you. I remember when the entire class would just get up and go to the greenhouse because everyone (including the teacher)was just done; done with the week, the class, all of it. The IBDP is not all about the work, honestly it’s not. You won’t remember any of it. Yes the deadlines are there. Yes you will have a test, a lab and a written commentary due the week before your Christmas exams. You will, but it’s fine. You will get through it. Those moments will help you through it. The people you have around you will help you through it. The most important thing you can learn from your first year is that who you have around you is more important than what you’re actually doing. They are going through it too (most of them) and they understand. You will figure out who you are in this year, you will figure out who you are around other people. Who you are when it comes to how you write, or present, or sit on a couch. (We seem to do that a lot..!) So…“What’s the story?” The IBDP is stressful, but it’s fun. The people you meet, the opportunities you get. Like I said, you won’t remember every assessment, but you will remember the big ones. The ones that you love… like your EE. Which by the way, is not as bad as it seems; honestly. Ask me again on January 19th 2020 though! The most important thing that the IBDP teaches you is who you are. You are put through so much and there is a lot asked of you as a student but the support, aka. Ms Donnellan and the daily bowl of biscuits, is there the entire time. The laughs are in full supply and honestly...I don’t regret it. No one does. Remember, just breathe.

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LEARNING

BY EVA GREGERSEN, GRADE 7

Danish in an International School setting I am a bilingual student: my mother is from the UK and my father is Danish. For me, being Danish at CIS is fun because you almost feel important. You are the native of the country, you are the one asked to translate Danish for non-Danish students. Sometimes however, I wonder what it would be like if was in a Danish school and how different it would be to CIS, as I am twelve years old and in grade 7 but in the Danish system because of my age I would be in grade 6. I don’t get to practise as much Danish as I would like to because the curriculum at CIS is in English, so I am not as fluent as I could be or how I was before starting at CIS. However a lot of what I learn in English - analysing, organising, producing text and using language - is very useful in my Danish classes as well.

When speaking to Danes about CIS, they are always surprised to hear that I am in grade 7 so sometimes I feel like an outsider. My cousin, for example, is a year below me even though we are in the same age and it is quite weird. These are my own perceptions about age and will differ from other Danish students here at CIS. I have recently tried for an audition for a famous Danish theatre called Det Nye Teater. It was for a play called ‘Fiddler On the Roof’. I was most likely the only girl with dual nationality there (audition was for girls only) and I was worried if that might make a difference in the way I sing or interact with the other Danish girls. However, I feel like I was able to show them the best of my abilities and I had no problems communicating in Danish. Unfortunately I didn’t advance further, but it was a great experience where I got to practice my Danish and it makes me happy to know that I was good enough to be with all the other girls. I think these experiences will help me later in life. As far as friendships go, I try my best to make friends outside of CIS but it is hard to keep the friendship going because I almost never see them, and sometimes I don’t know what to say because I don’t have the necessary vocabulary to keep the conversation going in Danish - yet. Those friendships I have tried my best to nurture are slowly starting to blossom but in a way I do not know how to really get to know them. Most of the time I would like to invite them to my house but sometimes then I feel it would be very awkward because I wouldn’t know how to comfortably act around them. Some of my friends at CIS are Danish; we go to Danish class together and we talk Danish together in class but in free time it is naturally English that we would speak to each other. Getting Danish friends is a good way to practise Danish and get the feel of a Danish lifestyle. It is good to join some Danish courses or activities where you can practise Danish or integrate more in the Danish society. Finally, it’s even good to introduce your Danish friends to your English friends! Just trying things out or getting to know the different people can lead you on your way.

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LEARNING

A CONVERSATION WITH BJØRN KAUFFMANN, NECIS TRAINER

The CIS girls football ‘Dream Team’ Bjørn Kauffmann is a former Danish semi-professional footballer, CIS dad and the football coach for the past many years for the CIS football teams, both boys and girls.

players to have fun, participate as a team-player and that each does his or her best for the team. This is exactly the ethos of the ‘Dream Team’.

Bjørn is at the moment coaching the girls’ varsity team, whom he calls the ‘Dream Team’. This title is so well-deserved as the girls have played together for the past two years and have won the following tournaments:

Over the years, Bjørn has enjoyed sharing his football skills that he learnt as a semi-pro, but mostly he has many great memories of both losing and winning and will always best remember the students:

• The Nordic Cup 2017 and 2018; NECIS Gold 2018

“Never thought I would do it so long, and always found it hard to coach my own children — Marcus (Boys Team 2012) and Tess (who is part of the current ‘Dream Team’), as I had to take on the trainer role, not the parent, which could be challenging at times! Thankfully there are many successes to celebrate together.”

• DBU Winter Tournament 2018 and are now playing DBU Spring Tournament • Two friendly games against Hamburg International School Bjørn has coached the NECIS Soccer Boys’ Team alongside the NECIS Soccer Girls’ Team which started in 2014 (both his children, Marcus and Tess were players on Varsity teams). The girls’ team loved the sport so much that they continued to play all year round while competing against Danish teams in the DBU tournaments, held in the Spring and Winter months. (DBU Copenhagen is a member of the Union of Local Football Associations in Denmark (FLU) under the Danish Football Association (DBU) and National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF).

Congrats to Bjørn Kauffmann and his ‘Dream Team’ Girls who not only won the NECIS Football Cup but were also selected as most supporting team and received the sportsmanship prize - this almost never happens when a team wins a NECIS tournament.

Talking to Bjørn about the ‘Dream Team’ he says that the most impressive part of the girls’ team is their dedication to practice which included every Sunday afternoon (17-18:30 hrs) through hail, rain and snow. Their positive energy is contagious and their motto is “Let’s Have Fun”. Bjørn points out that we all like to win, but for the ‘Dream Team’ it’s more important to be a happy team. His coaching goes beyond teaching new skills; he also likes to remind the girls about the importance of teamwork, having fun and making friends for life. Looking back at their winning track record, it’s fair to say that this advice obviously works! Bjørn also points out that the rewards for being the coach for NECIS teams is that he feels he gets back more than he gives. This enriches his life on many levels. His advice for students wanting to play football is that you should join because you like football and enjoy hanging out with friends. The sport is as much about making friendships that last forever as it is about winning. He also states that it is important to teach

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BUILDING

BY TARANG DALELA, STUDENT JOURNALIST

Accreditation team visit 2019 “The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.” - Rabindranath Tagore

This year, however, two organizations came to CIS to conduct the accreditation process -- the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and IB. These two teams synchronised their visit together. This was beneficial not only for the schools, but also for both the accreditation teams, as they could bring their own perspectives. “[The IB] is all about learning. We are also all about learning, so it is really beneficial for them to be looking at it through one set of lenses, and for us to be looking at it through another set of lenses, and then bringing that learning together,” Ms. Teresa Dupre, the head of NEASC said. According to her, this synchronised visit with the IB has helped provide more value and detailed feedback. This makes it easier for the school to achieve the goals of the action plans that the teachers had developed in the beginning of the year. The highlight for the NEASC team was when they visited the different classrooms, and saw the students engage with their learning. They could see the students absorbing the new information that they were learning, due to the improved action plan of the teachers from the beginning of the year. This accreditation visit has given CIS staff many valuable experiences. For example, the skill of being able to listen to other people’s opinions. This skill helps the staff not only in being heard, but also being represented within a large school community.

This ideal of harmony is what CIS has at its core, and it tries to impart different experiences to the students, which will help them later on in life. But in order to achieve this, its way of teaching and its content needs to be reviewed by an external authority, according to a rubric, so that it can easily make changes, and give the students the life skills they will need later on in life. This is where accreditation comes into play. Every five years, the accreditation team sends ten learning principles to teachers to be used for self-evaluation at the beginning of the school year. The teachers evaluate themselves against these principles, then create an action plan for the rest of the school year. The accreditation team then visits the school in spring, and does an external evaluation of the teachers’ action plan. They give feedback for further improvements.

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These learning communities are in some ways similar and in other ways all very different across the world: all the schools have different ways of conducting their learning. For example in China, more than half of the school’s students have at least one Chinese parent, so that they get a good mix of the Chinese culture in school. Another example is a boarding school in India, which has a goal that the school’s population was 50% local, and 50% international. This sort of set-up makes sure that the Indian students could get an idea of what international students are like, and international students could get an idea of what the Indian students are like. One way that schools all over the world are similar is that they all have one goal -- to educate their students so that they are able to live their lives in the best way possible. I’m sure that this is what Rabindranath Tagore had in mind when he envisioned his ideal of harmony in education.

BUILDING

INTERVIEW WITH TIM FORD, HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER

Accreditation process Can you explain your role as group leader for the Community Section for the 2019 School Accreditation? What did it entail? Over a number of different meetings I facilitated a group of staff from across the sections of the school in a process of reflection about the CIS community. We were asked to evaluate ourselves. We gathered information from different sections, from community surveys as well as from the Director. The report focused on the importance of CIS traditions. Can you elaborate more on this topic? There are many other traditions in each section that serve to mark important community events and celebrations in recognition of significant transitions in the lives of students. These include Primary School Graduation, Middle School Celebration of Learning, the DP water fight, truck ride and their graduation.There are whole school assemblies with specific traditions. For example, we have established a new tradition in which the oldest and youngest students at the year start shake hands to ‘connecting the circle’. We also have the winter festival of lights assembly as well as sectional assemblies that celebrate student achievement and community engagement and events. Such event serve as specific ‘icons’ that give students a tangible connection to CIS as a way to make them part of, and see their place in the wider ‘story’ of CIS. CIS traditions mark significant points in students’ school journey. Departing students (and staff) are honoured on leaving with a Danish flag with a CIS pin to represent them always being a part of the CIS community. When former students return to Denmark for a visit they are welcome to visit CIS for a day and to join their friends in classes.

You interviewed Nicolai Hækkerup (who graduated in 2017) asking for his view of how the learning goals at CIS make an impact on students. What was the response? I had the pleasure of speaking with Nicolai. This was his response:

“CIS has formulated a very ambitious goal in its Mission Statement, Educating champions of a just and sustainable world. I actually think CIS is very good at creating a sustainable mindset in its students: we need to create a just and sustainable world in order to function as a global community. Particularly through the history course that I have taken I have come to realize that we need to work actively for the world to become a better place. It won’t happen automatically. And we can’t just sit back and let somebody else take care of it - because then it won’t happen! It will be exciting to see, some years down the line, how CIS graduates implement these values in their professional lives.”

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BUILDING

Best of luck to our 2019 graduates

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BUILDING

BY TARANG DALELA, STUDENT JOURNALIST

Roots & Shoots: helping to make a world of difference Roots & Shoots (R&S) was founded by Dr. Jane Goodall in 1991, with the goal of bringing together youth from preschool to university age to work on environmental, conservation and humanitarian issues. Today the organization has local chapters in over 140 countries with over 8000 local groups worldwide that involve nearly 150,000 young people. At Copenhagen International School R&S is sponsored as an After School Activity that has involved dozens of Primary School students. Though young and small, these students are working hard to bring big, positive change to the world around them. Initially the CIS R&S students learned the importance of the 3 R’s - reduce, reuse, recycle - for the health of our planet. They sang ECO songs while creating posters to promote the 3 R’s both at school and at home. Occasionally they share ECOfriendly news at the weekly Primary assemblies. As budding scientists the students have raised silkworms, recording their observations in writing and in drawings. And in spring they planted a small, vegetable garden in the greenhouse on top of the Early Years Tower. The enthusiastic, R&S students also promote the litter collection activities that happen regularly in the gardens and around the soccer pitches at school. So it was only natural that they spearheaded Copenhagen International School’s participation in Denmark’s annual ‘Litter Collection’ (affaldsindsamling) Week sponsored by Denmark’s Nature Protection Association (Danmarks Naturfredningsforening).

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“CIS R&S students learned the importance of the 3 R’s - reduce, reuse, recycle - for the health of our planet.” This year more than 80 CIS Primary School students collected over 50 kilograms of litter from parks and streets near their homes! Yet the accomplishment that brings most pride to the R&S Team results from their tireless effort to promote the planting of more trees. In fact, through a variety of fundraising activities, the R&S Team was able to generate enough funding to sponsor the first CIS 1000-tree forest in July 2018! Planting trees via the R&S Million Tree Project is living proof of how positive change can happen when people are determined to make things better.

Trees are more important than we often realize, playing a vital role in many natural processes. Trees reverse the impact of land degradation, preventing soil erosion, which reduces the loss of topsoil and widening desertification. Trees provide food, energy and income, which helps communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability. Trees also filter the air. Each tree can sequester a ton of carbon dioxide in its lifetime, which reduces the amount of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, helping to stave off the effects of Climate Change. In just one year, a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen as ten of us need to inhale!

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“PLANTING TREES is one of the BEST WAYS to help fight Climate Change!”

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The CIS Roots & Shoots Team encourages readers to learn more about the Million Tree Project at http://srschina.org/ en/project/mtp/ The CIS Roots & Shoots Team offers its most sincere THANKS to everyone who supported this community effort!

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COMMUNITY

ASHLYN SAILSBURY, CIS KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

Becoming parents When I found out I was pregnant, my husband and I had been living as expats in Denmark for nearly 4 years. Up until the moment we found out we were going to be parents, we were living unbelievably selfish lives. Please don’t misunderstand my use of the word ‘selfish’ here. We were selfish and extremely happy about it. We traveled constantly, and were always in search of some hidden and magical corner of Europe. When we traveled, we essentially considered two things: local food and the nearest beach. When we weren’t traveling, we were sleeping late on the weekends, cooking indulgent meals at home, drinking wine every night, laughing together and giving every ounce of affection we had to one another. We were completely reveling in the glorious lifestyle we found ourselves enjoying as expats in Copenhagen. When I found out I was pregnant, I experienced, as I am sure most women do, a jumble of varying emotions. I was excited for a new adventure and sad to say goodbye to our existing one. As an American, my sole exposure to pregnancy and labor had been via TV and media. I had not even known many pregnant woman, so the world of ‘babydom’ felt very foreign to me. There was one thing I knew for certain - I would deliver my baby in a sterile hospital room with the aid of a male, blue-gloved doctor, and a very strong epidural. When my husband and I went to our first Jordmor (directly translated to Earth Mother, but more widely known as a midwife) consultation, we were shocked. I had never had a medical appointment quite like this one. Our midwife had the voice and disposition of an angel, and was an avid fan of the female body and its capabilities. She spoke perfect English, and communicated with us plainly and openly. I left the consultation feeling empowered. Each follow-up meeting with the midwife taught me something new; something new about the Danish healthcare system, and something new about myself. It seemed to me that this system was set up in a way that cared for pregnant women thoroughly, and uninvasively. My immersion into the Danish healthcare system evolved my thinking about birth in the most gentle and organic way. My pregnancy was a normal and healthy one, and my husband and I together decided that a natural birth at home was a perfect option for us. Before our baby was born, an unbelievable amount of people wanted to tell us how much our lives were about to change. And to us, it didn’t seem like these people meant for the better. “Forget sleep. Forget traveling. Forget quiet meals. Forget any time to yourself at all.” We weren’t content to

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“When I found out I was pregnant, I experienced, as I am sure most women do, a jumble of varying emotions. I was excited for a new adventure and sad to say goodbye to our existing one.”

I was saying, “Oh gosh. You guys have it really bad here. It’s way better in Denmark.” But the reality is, healthcare and maternity leave in America IS really bad, and it IS way better in Denmark. It’s important to talk about it, and for people to know that there are other parts of the world caring for and valuing families differently.

accept that reality, and I think some part in both of us wanted to rebel against that future completely. I was looking at a full year of paid maternity leave. Austin had a flexible job and could work from most anywhere. We ignored the naysayers and planned to continue on with our less-than-conventional lifestyle. We wanted to travel the entire first year of our baby’s life. Since we had seen a lot of Europe, we decided to travel around the USA and visit family, friends, and see as many national parks as we could. A few months after Owen was born, we boarded a plane and landed in the USA. We immediately bought a car, visited 21 states and explored 7 national parks. We saw every single person we care about that resides in the USA, discovered new cities, and ate good food. Part of me felt like I should keep my maternity leave and my use of the Danish healthcare system a secret while I was back in America, for fear of sounding like

The year of travel was, of course, filled with unexpected obstacles. Owen was high-maintenance, hated his carseat, and never really adapted to any sort of natural eating and sleeping schedule. The naysayers would probably love to tell me it’s because of overstimulation, lack of routine, lack of familiarity. They’re probably right. But we went for it anyway, and now have an extremely curious and verbal three year old. Is his constant demand for adventure and activity a result of that over-stimulated first year? Or is that just Owen? Who knows. Who cares? We learned together and made new memories as a family, explored new places, and spent time with people we love. Immediately after our return back to Copenhagen, people would ask if we would do it again knowing now what we did not know then. We would laugh and reply, ‘probably not.’ But, time is a sneaky minx, and once rosy retrospect started to kick in, our answer to the same question was back to an emphatic ‘yes!’ We have a baby girl due in June and a few months in New Zealand and Australia are looking pretty tempting...

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COMMUNITY

INTERVIEW ALUMNI - 1969 GRADUATE NIELS JENSEN, BY SUZANNE O´REILLY

Alumni - 1969 graduate Niels Jensen Niels R. Jensen graduated from CIS in 1969, and went to the USA to pursue a university education, where he earned a B.A. in Journalism and later an M.A. in Mass Communication. He worked extensively as a writer, photographer, and film/video producer, and has also been a college IT director. His military service was in the Danish Air Force. For fun, Niels does long distance cruising in sailboats, and is a certified ski instructor. At the time Niels attended CIS, he was the school’s only “real” Danish student, but is now a citizen of USA. He assisted with the school magazine “The International” and here he tells us a bit more about life at CIS in the late 60s early 70s. What brought you to CIS? I was interested in getting a high school diploma from a school that could facilitate admission into an American university, and I found that CIS would. It was part of a halfbaked plan to go out in the world for adventure. The halfbaked plan worked.

which is probably one of the reasons I’m so comfortable living in the US, which has an incredibly future focused culture. It’s really a fluke my file of “The International” was saved, and I could donate it to CIS. My dad purged many of my other files over the years, including my old classic collection of firstedition Danish comic books. I’m glad he didn’t dispose of this one, and the surviving copies of the “The International” are amusing and/or educational to a new generation of students and others. I believe the name of the newsletter might have come from the faculty/administration, but am not 100 percent sure. What were your goals for the magazine at the time? I really don’t remember any “goals.” Making a student newsletter was just one of the things you did at the time, and just another fun school activity. We didn’t overthink it. It seems that free speech was more allowed back in the late 60s, early 70s. Do you think how we communicate in today’s world has stopped the true meaning of “free speech”. Everyone has an opinion, which they share on social media, but is this really free speech? You are asking an old-time journalist about free speech? Oh, boy! I could write a book on the subject, but will try to be brief.

You were part of the team who created “The International” which was the title of the first CIS school magazine. Who came up with the title name, and did you foresee that it would be read by CIS students 50 years later?

The ‘60s were the ‘60s, and an extremely turbulent time. The student uprisings of the decade are legendary. To some extent, the unrest meant young people and students were largely able to have a little fun or blow off some minor steam without much interference and consequence — but that doesn’t mean the exercise of speech was without limits or what was said had merit. (I vaguely seem to remember some of the copy for the CIS newsletter was run by faculty in some form or the other, before it went into the publication, but I could be wrong).

I mainly helped with the printing, and no, I did not expect copies of it to survive. At the time of production, I viewed the newsletter like any “newspaper,” meaning just a temporary item. But then, I’ve have always been very future oriented,

But the community standards were vastly different. Free speech and the free exchange of ideas seemed to be far more valued than today. We could agree to disagree. People were also less concerned about offending others; people were less

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“...the community standards were vastly different. Free speech and the free exchange of ideas seemed to be far more valued than today.”

likely to take overt offense; and media content was much more temporary in nature. What happened last week was old news, and easily forgotten. In my opinion, today’s digital media environment is fundamentally different from the old media in its permanency and its vast, worldwide distribution. While the old media was largely transitory, anything posted on the Internet never goes away. That means you should be cautious about anything you say online. Your opinions may change as you grow more mature, wiser, and (maybe) less passionate about a cause, etc., and you can be attacked decades later for something that used to be acceptable in its time, but not longer is. Most often, irate letters were previously tossed in wastepaper baskets, and harsh, inflammatory verbal statements just blew away in the wind. Some people did rabble-rousing speeches in front of crowds without them ever being recorded or noticed. Today, if you say something on social media (or in an email/text) or if someone else posts what you said, your employers, the authorities, or even your great-grandchildren may eventually see it. It can be detrimental and/or embarrassing to you. Basically, you no longer have the ability to take back what you once said or believed in at the time. That perceived inability could have a detrimental effect on the full discussion of important issues, because some people may choose not to publicly disclose their opinions — or choose to deliberately misrepresent their views. The inability to control the distribution of your views is equally daunting. For instance, your views may be mainstream in your educational, political, religious, and/or regional community, but looked upon with utter disdain by another. The moment members of the other groups — whoever and wherever they are — become aware of your opinions, ideas, and beliefs, you may feel the wrath from your opposition — and that wrath is sometimes expressed by name-calling, bullying, and threats. Such emotional responses make the postings of opinions less likely to be open and frank, and therefore chill traditional free speech and exchange of ideas. But by now, I’ve likely glazed over the eyes of most readers, so let that suffice.

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You have kept in touch with many of your classmates over the years. How is it to reunite with them again? Do you still feel the same as you were in High School? It’s always fun to meet up with friends. We sometimes talk about the “old times,” but more often catch up on what has recently happened — and the conversation usually flows as it always did. People really don’t change. I should also say that my friends are not boring. They all have stories to tell. You are Danish but now live in the USA. Can you compare the two countries; is there a common link?

Also, I have several times been asked how I deal with being a Dane, but live in the US (especially since I’m often telling stories about Danish history, as my CIS classmates well know). After nearly a half-century in the US, my halfjoking answer is that my identity may be somewhere out in the middle of the Atlantic. I belong to both places and then again neither. The real, but cryptic, answer is you have to be yourself. By the way, it’s my observation that Danes are usually flexible, common sense people, who quickly blend in wherever they go in the world. There are huge numbers of us out there. More than you know — so be careful about saying something derogatory in Danish in some far away part of the world. There might be “locals,” who understand every word you say.

The US has regional differences (although not as extreme as the EU), so you have to be careful when you talk about a comparison with Denmark. The US is a big place. I live in Minnesota, which very much has a Scandinavian flair. The presence of a huge number of Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, Finns, and Icelanders has greatly influenced Minnesota’s identity, and to a large extent the state functions along Scandinavian lines. In fact, one of the reasons I originally came to Minnesota/Wisconsin is than my CIS friend Marty R. (who was from Minnesota) advised me that as a Dane I would fit well into the local community. He was absolutely right. There are many other common links. I suppose, I should also point out the American system is largely based on the English system, which was strongly influenced by the old Danish system. They do have common heritage, although they obviously have diverged. Do you still feel part of the CIS community even after all these years? Absolutely. CIS was a positive part of my formative years, and I gained a lot from attending and the friends I made. I can’t turn my back on that. Any words of wisdom for future CIS students? I could write another book about being an international student and an emigrant. Being a CIS student means you have already taken major steps — voluntarily or involuntarily —on the path to chase the horizon, meaning going out for adventure in the wider world. If you are from another country, you are already living someone else’s dream. You should know it is not for everyone, and not without serious risks — but if such a life suits you, there are many rewards.

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“...the American system is largely based on the English system, which was strongly influenced by the old Danish system.”

COMMUNITY

BY TARANG DALELA, STUDENT JOURNALIST

Changing career paths “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” Rumi, Persian poet, 13th century “I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying”. Jeff Bezos, CEO - Amazon, the richest man in the world, 21st century Over eight centuries, the idea of following your passion has not changed. Rumi, a poet, expressed this in his own poetic way. Jeff Bezos expressed this by leaving a steady job as a Wall Street banker, and starting Amazon. A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to sit down with Ms Shikha Gupta, an ex-CIS student, and discuss her journey on a similar theme, wherein she left her steady job in the Danish social system as a social counselor and moved on to the role of centre leader in the Danish Refugee centre. Today, Shikha is a life and mindfulness counsellor and has her own jewelry company.

When Shikha was a student at CIS, she appreciated the nondiscriminatory atmosphere which encouraged her to be open minded, and which lay a robust foundation for learning. The right balance between the academic environment and the extracurricular activities at CIS gave her the initial thoughts of choosing a career in Law. “I really liked drama, and actually, I loved debate club, so I think that I thought I would become a lawyer,” said Shikha. But as the time went on, she realised that her true passion lay in helping others. This enabled her to become a counselor for people with social, physical, or mental disabilities in the Danish social system. Later, she shifted her focus towards helping refugees out of their traumatic experiences, and assimilating them into in the mainstream Danish society. Due to health issues, Shikha has to change her career path once again, and now, she guides the children and adults in transforming their dreams into reality, and helps them create a life they truly love living. Shikha’s story reminds me of many people who have gone through career changes, such as Jeff Bezos, who changed from a Wall Street banker to the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world, Amazon, and especially Giorgio Armani. He started his career in medicine and served in the military hospital in Verona, but later he decided to change his career path and pursue his passion for fashion-design. He started anew as a window dresser in a departmental store in Milan to learn about fashion designing and marketing. Later on, he founded his own company, Armani, and very soon became the center of the fashion world. Armani’s shift from being a doctor, to a designer, was a big risk for him. He could have had a career as a doctor, yet he still chose to be a designer. “Daring to do what you want to do on the inside, will give you a much bigger result in life,” Shikha said. This is very true, as it can be seen in the Armani brand. Giorgio Armani wanted to be fashion designer, so he followed that dream, and is now world famous. After changing her career from social counselor, to center leader for a refugee center, to a life and mindfulness coach and jewelry designer, Shikha is very happy and content with her life, and would like to give this advice to the current IB students: “Live life through your heart, not through your ego, or what other people think you should do. So, you need to live up to what you really want to do, and not other people’s expectations, and make choices that seem right to you.”

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COMMUNITY

DEBBIE SMITH, CIS TEACHER 1984 - RETIRING 2019

Reflections on my time at CIS Through these 35 years, I have witnessed so many changes at our school. I have been at 3 locations starting at Gammel Kongevej in a real mix-match of buildings put together to make the Copenhagen International Primary School. Part of the main building was connected to The Catholic Church, using their hall for staff meetings. Other backyard buildings were turned into classrooms and eventually a brand new gym was built (which since has been turned into a showroom for car rentals, parked on our beautiful gym floor.) Later I was part of the move to Hellerup, as a member of the moving committee. An important aspect of the move was checking for numbers of classrooms and figuring out the placement of teachers’ offices. We were able to fit three teachers into an old toilet room and, luckily with needed renovations, its previous function was indiscernible. With our latest move to Nordhavn, in this purpose-built school, most of the major moving-in concerns are behind us. One of my roles as a Work Environment Group member is presently dealing with concerns for shades in classroom and office windows and consistent temperatures inside the building. A view of the water has been an extra perk in my job. At Gammel Kongevej we enjoyed a great view of Sankt Jørgens Lake just across the road. Then in Hellerup, although we were only one kilometer from the ocean, there was definitely a land-locked feeling, with few opportunities to make it to the beach. Coming here to Nordhavn and our maritime address is full circle, the view of so much more than a little lake, as we can keep up with the loading of ships from all over the world. Another full circle is our playgrounds. In Gammel Kongevej we had some backyard limited playgrounds on the ground level. The unforgettable playground was on the rooftop outside of the grades 5 & 6 classrooms with a 3-meter high fence to keep the balls from escaping down on the side street - there were balls for 4-square games, but no footballs. In Hellerup there was lots of playground space on ground level. And now in Nordhavn, we have made it full circle back to rooftop playgrounds, although with no balls allowed. There have been some exciting times with special visitors. I have been fortunate to share hors d’œuvres with Bertel Haarder, the Danish politician and several ambassadors. For the grand opening of Hellerup’s primary building Princess

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Benedikte came into my classroom to visit with the children. The proof is hanging on our wall of memories outside the library with a younger me smiling in the background. It can be a little tricky meeting an alumni and getting the name correct, as I have taught at least 1000 students from Kindergarten to grade 6, functioning as classroom teacher, EAL and beginner Danish teacher. We started out in Gammel Kongevej with 2 classes per grade level and now the norm is 3-4 classes per grade level for the primary school. Such a growing school! With children from all over the world at CIS and a turnover of perhaps a quarter of the primary students some summers, there has always been plenty of change. We say goodbye to so many students each year and start afresh with so many excited students ready to leap into a new school year in August. This coming August will probably feel very strange for me when I am not the one leaping into the next school year here at CIS. They say, “Once a teacher, always a teacher.” As I pursue my hobbies of traveling, hiking, reading, taking care of my grandson and helping in my community, I presume I will keep on teaching, but in a different way.

“For the grand opening of Hellerup’s primary building Princess Benedikte came into my classroom to visit with the children.”

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