ANNUAL REPORT 2020 - 2021
DIRECTOR’S WELCOME We are now in our 46th year of educating students to gain an intercultural understanding and a respect for human rights towards the furtherance of a more tolerant, peaceful and globally responsible society. This was the vision outlined by the founders of ISB when the school was first established in 1975 and is just as relevant today. This is the very core of ISB and is what we strive to achieve each and every day as part of our school culture. ISB’s Annual Report is a unique chance to reflect and to celebrate our school as well as being an opportunity for you to learn more about us and the education we offer. This is our first edition and is an expansion of our previous Corporate Newsletter. The purpose of the new format is to give an overview of the school’s finances but also draw attention to the importance of an education that aims to open doors for ISB’s students in Norway and beyond. The last year has been like no other in the history of the school. Since March 2020, there has not been a month or an event that has not been affected by Covid. Thankfully, our community has been creative and flexible in doing their best to deal with these challenges. Students, parents and staff have continued with an indomitable spirit, managing quarantines, social distancing, following the noticeboard in the foyer, which regularly stated - ‘be wise - sanitize’. We have gone from yellow to red phases at a moment’s notice. However,our primary goal has always been to prioritise student learning. As far as possible and with great creativity, celebrations have continued to be acknowledged by decorating the school for Christmas, Holi, Chinese New Year and other festivities reflecting our community. UN day this year was in the form of a student produced movie in which every student participated and the PTO Director: Viki Stiebert supported by making individually wrapped packets of popcorn. ISB’s Talent Show was streamed as was our author for Book Week. We kept our distance for the BlimE dance, which was also shown on national TV. Christmas Craft day was organized by the PTO and was held in cohorts. Our students went on ski days, cycling days, to the aquarium, Pixel Kids, Lego League, Halloween and G8 visited Voss and went rafting. These are some of the events that happened despite the challenges of Covid. Our ECC has continued to explore the local environment through discovery walks where they are able to observe and interact with the natural aspects of our communal area. Our student councils continued to meet as did the ECO Committee. Academically our students have continued on their path to success. The results from our students particpation in the Norwegian standardized tests for Mathematics and Reading “Nasjonale Prøver” showed that our students’ results are improving each year and that ISB students are performing well above the national average. This past year has certainly pushed all of us be more creative, more resilient and more digitally savvy! This school has a strong learning ethos, and I am excited for the prospects ahead for this community of learners. I hope you enjoy reading our reflections on the year that has past, a year like no other, Viki Stiebert, Director
INDEX Board of Trustees Financial Report Early Childhood Centre Lower School Upper School Parent-Teacher Organisation (PTO) Student Councils Eco Committee Teachers’ Section Alumni Interview
BOARD OF TRUSTEES A new director and a new management structure set the bar for the past school year. All while continuing to ease into new premises at Sandsli and coping with the omnipresence of the current pandemic. This academic year’s goals went directly to the transition of a new director as well as implementing a new structure for the ISB’s Leadership team. In addition to that, and new this year, ISB now has a designated principal for the Early Childhood Centre. This was a conscious step towards the school being able to extend its offer in and opening up for 1- and 2- year olds to attend ISB. This has been a new and exciting time for our youngest group of students, giving preschool children the possibility to attend from an early age and having their whole preschool experience as well as five years at ISB has been an important strategic step for the school. Opening up for the attendance of a new age group is part of reaching the goal of increasing student numbers. Luckily, our current premises can accomodate for growth. This is again reflected in the Board’s ambition to raise the general awareness of ISB’s educational programme and how it caters to the local region. Making certain that our purpose and mission is clear and known is important.
ISB Board of Trustess: Board members 2020 - 2021
We are here to provide an internationally accredited education serving the business and Bergen community. Both local and international families have to be aware of where to find us and about the educational programmes we offer. We have always seen ourselves as a complement to the exciting educational system in the region, not as a different or a competing educational organisation. Obtaining financial stability and increasing the school’s emergency fund have equally been on the Board’s agenda. We are, as shown in the school’s financial overview in another section of this report, reaching this goal. For the coming ten years, one of the Board’s main goals is to be the international school of choice in the Bergen region. We wish to achieve this by building an excellent reputation locally, nationally and internationally. Through this we hope to maximise our role as a service provider to the Bergen region and business communities. All of these goals and ambitions tie in with the expectation of ISB continuing to provide an accredited educational service for the age of 1 to 18 year olds. We are still very much getting to know the school premises and making the space our own. By doing so, we are modeling the importance of taking ownership and creating a personal yet inclusive environment. The purpose of ISB is to foster an intercultural understanding and a respect for human rights in young people. This is something that we strive to achieve every day. Agnethe Lødøen, Chair of the ISB Board of Trustees
FINANCIAL REPORT Enrolment school year 2020/21 ISB has students from 34 different nationalities. When the school year started there were 184 students enrolled and in April 2021 there were 197 students enrolled.
Enrolment profile ISB has students from India, USA, Great Britain, Sweden, France, Egypt, Norway, Serbia, Germany, Vietnam, Uganda, Russia, Romania, Poland, Japan, Italy, Ireland, China, Australia, Nigeria, Taiwan, Philippines, Pakistan, Netherlands, Jordan, Eritrea, Denmark, Czech Republic, Venezuela, Turkey, Spain, Lithuania, Croatia, and Brazil. The majority of the students come from the following countries:
Finance oversight International School of Bergen is a non-profit organization. All income at ISB is either re-invested towards improving the school’s infrastructure, enhancing student experiences, supporting programs that enrich the learning experience or saved to guarantee financial stability for years to come. Where does ISB’s revenue come from? The School’s revenue is split between grants from Bergen kommune and tuition: grants providing 55% revenue and tuition providing 45%. For the ECC (Early Childhood Center) the revenue is also split between grants from Bergen kommune and tuition with grants providing 78% percent of the revenue and tuition 22%. Revenue school NOK 30.723.000
Revenue ECC NOK 5.050.000
How does ISB spend its money? The core of our expenses are related to salaries and associated expenses constitute 82% of all costs. The remaining 18% are costs related to IT, student equipment, cleaning, heating, marketing and professional development. School costs NOK 28.590.000
Main investments in school year 2020/21 New fitted furniture for students in the cafeteria. Some of these tables are now placed in the open space on the second floor to give students a place to withdraw when they work in groups. Grade 4 and 5 classrooms now have fitted furniture, cabinets and shelving, and this has given more space in the classrooms. 8 completely new canoes which Upper School can use at Skranevatnet for PE. A third of the employees’ laptops have been replaced. Financially 2020 was a positive year for ISB, and made it possible to increase the school’s emergency fund. It is important to have enough savings to be able to run the school for 1 year if there were to be a financial recession in the future. As of now there is enough funding to run the school for 3 - 4 months. Auditor’s report revenue
Auditor’s report balance
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRE This school year we started off as a new team, where Ingebjørg Rensvik came in as the new ECC principal We spent parts of the in-service week in August getting to know each other and working on ensuring that we had a common understanding of what our core values look like in practice - in other words starting the work of building a strong foundation together, for our students to grow and develop from. As we work in line with the IB PYP programme and the Norwegian Framework Plan, we want to lift up and visualize the Learner profile in our learning and play environment. Parallel to this we have also started the work process of making sure that the Norwegian Kindergarten act is followed in line with the requirements from the Norwegian authorities. In line with the above we focused on spending more time in our outdoor classroom, both on and outside the ECC playgrounds., We brought our focus on the Units of Inquiry and other important subject areas outside - to learn, play and explore in the nature and community that surrounds us. Since September all our classes have had field trips/community walks as a part of their weekly schedule.
Happy faces: ECC students exploring the local outdoors.
This school year our focus on internationalism and supporting our students to become global citizens of the world, has also been an important part of the learning activities. Celebrating Diwali, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chinese New Year and Holi have been great contributions and positive experiences for our students and staff. We are also grateful for contributions from our families, who have supported our work to lift up and celebrate the different cultures and mother tongues that are represented in our community. During Book Week our children really enjoyed having parents come in and read for them in different mother tongues.
This has also been a historical year in the ECC as we have expanded and added a class for 1 and 2 year olds. Never before have we admitted and provided a learning and play environment for children under the age of 3. On February the 4th we welcomed six 1 and 2 year olds, and a seventh child started in March. I’m happy to say that this has been a success, where we have been able to create a safe, warm and inspiring environment for our toddlers, where they can explore, learn, develop and grow. Our young students received a warm welcome from the ECC and ISB community and are thriving alongside our students in Preschool 3, 4 and Kindergarten. So far this school year has been giving, inspiring and challenging in a way that most of all contributes to further development. As the ECC principal I’m already looking forward to the next school year Ingebjørg Rensvik, ECC Principal
LOWER SCHOOL Despite the restrictions in place for much of this year the Lower School has continued to celebrate learning and adapt our programme to offer a wide range of experiences for our students. As the incoming principal I had big shoes to fill when Zac Gagnon, or Mr G as the lower school students fondly called him, left to join his family in Drammen. As the other members of the leadership team mentioned, this was no ordinary year and we in the Lower School have had to deal with periods of quarantine and hybrid teaching, but through it all we have shown our adaptability and creativity in maintaining a high quality learning environment for all our students. One of the many highlights in the Lower School was our participation in the Blime dance, a firm favourite at ISB, and this year we made it onto national television. In October students in Grade 5 participated in the National testing for Norwegian and Mathematics and our results were a cause for much celebration as we achieved above average in both subject areas. With the prospect of many families not being able to return home or celebrate Christmas with their families this year, there was a big drive from the PTO and the whole school community to make ISB as festive as possible. Our students had great fun making decorations on Christmas Craft Day and the foyer and classrooms were decorated beautifully. We had a Christmas Door decorating competition and it was wonderful to walk the corridors and see the Grade 5 Exhibition: Speaking in front of an audience. creativity of our students. Another highlight of our year was Book Week and students in the Lower school got into the spirit by dressing up as their favourite book characters. Another initiative that we have introduced this year in the Lower School is a Makerspace. Under the guidance of our tech support students in the lower school have been exploring computer hardware. Our plan is to grow this space and offer more opportunities for students to develop their creative thinking and problem solving skills in the weeks and months to come. In May we launched our Outdoor Education Week in an effort to address learning objectives laid out in the Norwegian LK 20 Education plan. Students in Grades 1-5 were engaged in a variety of outdoor pursuits like, kayaking, nature walks, orienteering and planting. Tied in with this was a focus on learning to prepare and cook different foods and each Grade mastered some age appropriate cooking skills cooking both outdoors over a fire and indoors using more traditional methods. Our week ended with a Lower School barbecue which was a real team effort. Leanne Hagen, Lower School Principal
UPPER SCHOOL
The Covid 19 pandemic has not surprisingly dictated much of our time during the school year 2020/21. However we took the approach that in the best interests of all the children we would tackle the challenges posed with the aim of making school as normal as possible for all students. Being located in Norway has certainly helped in this regard and with the Government objective of keeping schools open wherever possible this has made our job of creating a feeling of normality that much more doable. Clear guidelines and recommendations were published before the summer break 2020 outlining the traffic light system rules of operation for schools. The school was therefore well prepared for each scenario and so we were able to implement all the recommendations in a way that minimised as much as possible the impact on students and so reduce student anxiety. During the school year ISB moved between the yellow and red levels at various times. When moving into a red period it was necessary to close the school for a day to set up the physical environment to meet the requirements. During certain periods of quarantine Distance Learning or Hybrid Learning automatically kicked in. Indeed it also did so on the days when school needed to be prepared for a period in the red zone. This smooth transition was very much due to the dedication and flexibility of the staff and the adaptability of the students. Student well being during the pandemic has always been our focus.This remained so during the periods of red zone and quarantine. We now have in place mechanisms to ensure that we preempt possible reactions from students to new developments,and respond before a crisis occurs, again to optimise student well being. Peter Ledger, Upper School Principal Despite restriction due to Covid, we made these events happen:
PARENT-TEACHER ORGANISATION Despite the Covid restrictions limiting our ability to host parent coffees and family events like the Welcome Back Barbecue and International Food Night, the PTO found Covid-safe ways to continue to support learning and enrich the community at ISB during this unusual school year. In the fall, PTO hosted a virtual New Parent Coffee providing families new to the school with information about ISB and tips for life in Bergen. When UN night moved from a family event to a pre-recorded film, the PTO provided popcorn for students to enjoy with their movie. As winter approached, in addition to the usual Christmas decor, PTO initiated a school-wide Christmas Door Decorating contest. Classes from all grade levels participated in creating funny, heart-felt, cozy, or eco conscious door designs which were judged by a committee of PTO elves. Designers of winning doors received bragging rights, an award, and ice creams. We also kicked off the Christmas season with the ISB Pepperkakebyen. PTO provided gingerbread houses for the classes to decorate, and families in the ISB community were invited to add their own gingerbread structures to our international gingerbread village. With more than 30 gingerbread structures and the additional touches added by PTO volunteers, the results were an enchanting winter wonderland display welcoming all to the building during December. In place of the traditional ISB Christmas Craft Fair, PTO coordinated a school-wide Christmas Craft Day during school hours on December 11. PTO designed a variety of age-appropriate crafts, purchased and prepared materials, and coordinated classroom volunteers for the event. All students created at least two class selected crafts and enjoyed hot cocoa and pepperkake. Again this year, in the spirit of giving, ISB families donated many bags of Christmas gifts for children and teens through the PTO’s cooperation with Familiestøtten i Bergen. This spring PTO hosted Stake Your Claim, this year’s fundraising event. Participants were invited to try their luck at finding one of the more than 50 prizes hidden on the school grounds. On the afternoon of April 23, students and teachers had the chance to walk the school grounds and stake their claims before the hidden location of the prizes were revealed. More than ## stakes were sold, raising more than 19.273 kroner. The funds raised by the PTO go back into hosting family and community events, supporting student field trips, purchasing outdoor equipment, and providing other student enrichment that is not included in the regular school budget. Funds raised during the 2019-2020 school year were used to purchase gardening tools for the ISB gardens and new outdoor play equipment for students, including: chalk; basketballs and footballs; sledges; and table tennis paddles and balls. As everyone in the school community is a member of the PTO, we encourage you to actively participate as a member of the planning committee, as a volunteer, or by supporting PTO events. Thank you to the volunteers who committed their time to make this year a success. Jennifer Weatherwax PTO Chair
CHRISTMAS CRAFT DAY
DOOR DECORATIONS
STUDENT COUNCIL
Student Council: Student representatives from grades 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
This school year’s Student Council for Upper School has aimed to work towards fulfilling student requests and needs for the school year to ensure an appropriate environment here at ISB. Throughout the school year, Student Council has worked towards getting new outdoor equipment for student use in school time outdoors. We have also reviewed old playground rules and formed new ones that apply to our current building and rules. Along with this, we have reviewed other parts of the Code of Conduct and Student Handbook at ISB, to replace old information and rules with new ones that the school requires for an appropriate learning environment. We have recognized the dress code for what to wear to school in an appropriate manner, identifying areas needed for improvement and what students would like to wear in order to express themselves as people, simultaneously being in a school environment. Lately, we have worked towards allowing students to wear headgear such as caps, hats and hoods, after listening to the students’ perspectives, too. The Student Council was also involved in organizing a costume competition on Halloween, showing we haven’t only worked towards academic advancement at school, but also towards student bonding activities. Susan Lonnberg, School Counselor
The Lower School Student Council is structured in such a way that allows all students in Grades 1-5 who wish to participate, the opportunity to represent their class on the council. Student Council members change every 5 to 6 weeks to allow all students to participate. We meet once a week to discuss different issues that pertain to the Lower school and ISB and students then take ideas and questions back to their classes for further discussion. The student council reps also bring any ideas or requests to our meetings from their homeroom classes. For a large part of this year, our focus was on reviewing Chapter 4 of the handbook which covers rules and expectations at ISB. Students were tasked with reviewing the current playground rules and bringing forward suggestions of what wording needed to be changed to frame the rules in a more positive way that reflects our core values and Learner Profile. Their suggestions were then shared with the Upper School student council for further consideration. Playground equipment and playground toys are a recurring request and another student council task, focussed on what other playground apparatus and toys students in the Lower School would like to see. There was a united request for a set of monkey bars in one of the playgrounds and we are now looking at ways to turn that into reality. Lower School student council is a wonderful opportunity for our students to explore their leadership and communication skills and many great initiatives have been borne out of suggestions brought to the student council meetings. Agency is the buzzword in the PYP and Lower School student council is a wonderful example of Agency in action- giving our students VOICE, CHOICE and OWNERSHIP. Leanne Hagen Principal of the Lower School
ECO COMMITTEE What is the Eco Committee? Started in the early months of the 2019-2020 school year, the committee has focused on turning ISB into a more sustainable school, being mostly student-led and encouraging student voice and volunteers to take part as well. Promoting the committee and learning about the importance of sustainability has become a strong part of what we do and what we base our actions around. Eco Schools In the Eco Committee, we have been working on trying to become a part of the Eco Schools program, a global programme followed by schools to organize things such as an action plan so we can properly make schools around the world greener and more environmentally friendly. We have been working consistently on following this program so that we can keep the school green over a longer period of time. The program calls for doing this, giving us a more structured overview of our time at the school we aim to make greener. As part of the Eco Schools programme we have chosen three steps/goals to work towards. Choosing these goals is part of the Eco Schools accreditation. • • •
Increase biodiversity Recycling Raise awareness of ecological issues
Earth Day and Earth Hour Some of our larger projects have included Earth Day and Earth Hour. Earth Hour was us taking part in a worldwide event where minimal electricity is used, ideally turning the lights off, and not using any electronics for one whole hour. This was to make everyone consider how much we really depend on electricity, also giving us an opportunity to incorporate the outdoor spaces into our education. We were able to organize Earth Hour in March of this year. In addition to this, we have also been organising Earth Day, which took place on April 22nd. This was a day where we focused on biodiversity in our school environment! It was an entire school event and all the different classes did different activities. We made a list of activities, where classes chose a few activities to participate in. An example of this is that grades 9 and 10 went canoeing and Grade 9 worked on planting different types of plants around the school. Changes we’ve made So far, we have worked on Earth Day and Earth Hour. We are trying to make people more aware of what biodiversity is and what we can do to improve it at our school. Earth Day will be a very beneficial activity for many students and will hopefully teach many people about what they can do to help individually. We have also been working on improving recycling and making the school aware of using less paper. As part of this we are showcasing how much paper ISB used each month (it’s a lot, by the way) to try and reduce our usage of paper!
FROM THE TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE SPORTS BROUGHT ME TO WHERE I AM TODAY While it was kayaking that brought him to Norway, Mark Basso finds balance in combining spending a lot of time outdoors with teaching mathematics in Upper School. “I really enjoy the whole process of learning and the age group of the students I teach,” Mark says. “I feel that I am given a lot of autonomy based on my skill sets”. He believes his keen interests in math and sports and the outdoors environment assist him in teaching these subjects. “Math is more abstract and allows me to get some variety and I like this balance.” “At ISB I get to be the PE teacher for the whole of upper school and this is an opportunity to see kids develop over time. The local environment and different seasons provide unique opportunity to develop a wide variety of Spending time outdoors: Biking in the Selkirk Mountain skills,” he says. in Canada. Mark, who is Canadian, loves travelling and now lives in Western Norway after visting the area. The accessibility of different types of outdoors activities made the difference. In the winter he skis and in the summer he rides his bike and goes kayaking. “I strive to lead by example and I hope that I can inspire others by sharing my fondness and the endless possibilities of outdoor recreation”. Through this he wants to inspire students by taking them skiing, kayaking and bicycling, showing them the Norwegian outdoors. “I hope they recognise that an active lifestyle is important for a healthy life,” he says. “Outdoor sports have allowed me to see the world”.
Watersports: Mark kayaking in Brandsethelva in Voss, Norway.
WRITING IS MY THERAPY It took Grade 3 homeroom teacher Ila Moldehauer almost 15 years to admit to herself and to others that she is a writer. After having the same recurring dream for years, she wrote it down and contacted the International Women’s Writers Guild based in New York City who welcomed her with open arms. “I have learned so much. They have helped me build a new confidence”, she says. “I hope that I can inspire others to believe in themselves and that they feel like they can achieve whatever they put their minds to.” Ila has taught at ISB for 36 years. Beside teaching, Ila reads. She loves to read: “I read whenever I get the chance. But I also write. Writing is a sort of therapy to me,” she says. “I hope my love of reading and writing has influenced my students.” She is Lakota (Native American) from South Dakota and moved to Bergen after meeting her Norwegian husband. Deciding on what her favourite part of being a teacher is difficult: “There are so many different aspects that I really enjoy about teaching. If I have to narrow it down it has to be seeing the excitement on a child’s face every time he or she has mastered something new”. Identifying her favourite part of being a teacher at ISB is, however, Sharing her love for books: Ila reading for her students during their lunch break. easy: “The diversity,” she says. “My experience is that I learn as much from the children as they learn from me. My colleagues are pretty cool too”.
HOW HARD CAN IT REALLY BE? Making each day count is Preschool 3 teacher Torill Stenseth’s mantra. Whether it is the joy of hearing bird song on the way to work or climbing Kilimanjaro, Torill tries to remind herself of the importance of experiencing life in all its forms. She describes how much she enjoys witnessing her class of 3-years olds grow and develop as the year goes along. To be part of their world, discover their interests and how they think. “There’s a lot of variation and each day is different. I feel privileged to be working in an international setting,” she says. Torill has always liked running and in 2012 she challenged herself to complete a half-marathon. Two years later, she ran her first full marathon at the age of 51. She has always enjoyed pushing herself and setting new challenges. Her go-to phrase is: “How hard can it be? I think it’s important not to take oneself too seriously.” Her bucket list is very long: “There are still many things I would like to do and places I want to visit.”
I TRY TO LIGHT THAT SPARK When Joe Cook is not teaching science and maths at ISB, he plays the tuba. And while he enjoys his subject areas, music is his other big passion. The Brit has been involved with brass bands for about 25 years, both as a tuba player and a conductor. He has played as a solist at venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Sidney Opera House, Symphonie Hall Birmingham and Grieghallen. Originally from Durham in the North of England, he explains his motivation: “I try to light that spark whether it is being in a classroom or playing with other musicians. It about being part of a bigger picture,” he says. “I enjoy being instrumental in the learning process and watch young people develop.”
Tuba Solist: Joe playing at concert in Korskirken, Bergen.
Dealing with people, especially young people, is his favourite part about being a teacher. He strongly believes in continuing to develop his teaching practice. “After all, we are all life-long learners” he says. “In both education and in music there are always new and exciting concepts to learn and develop further. This, in addition to being part of a team, is a big motivation to me”. He sees the importance of focusing on the big picture, both as a muscian and as a teacher: “It’s always about working together to achieve the best possible outcome,” he says. Joe admits to being part of a very musical home. His hope for the future is to continue providing “interesting and enriching experiences and seeing my students, as well as my own children, thrive and feel supported in reaching their own goals”.
Enjoying the view: At home in Målselv.
Memory for life: Climbing Kilimanjaro in 2015.
ALUMNI
Robert Rastad, Director at University of Bergen (UiB) has had close ties to ISB ever since he attended Grade 5, at what was then called the Bergen American School. After having lived in the USA and in Tanzania, his parents and himself wanted to continue his education in English. Robert was, as the first local student, to attend the school. He later studied political history in Strasbourg and in Bergen. Before starting in his new job in January of this year, he was Director General of the City of Bergen. His current position makes him the highest administrative leader at UiB, leading a central administration of 500 employees, reporting directly to the University’s board. What memories do you have from your time at ISB? I have many great memories from my time at the school and I felt safe and included. However, there is one memory that stands out. The solar system was drawn up on one of the walls in the classroom, doubling as a reward system. This motivated me immensely and showed me how big projects can be translated into something tangible. ISB Alumni: Robert Rastad
Photo: UiB
How has an international education influenced your life? It has given me a framework and shaped me in a fundamental way on the need to be able to adapt and see things from different perspectives. My conceptual understanding of the world around me is a result of having experienced different cultures and point of views. I would say that my biggest strength is my ability to change perspective.
Being in education yourself, what do you think students need to be successful at in later life and in pursuing further education? We are in the middle of a transition in examining what we wish to solve physically as opposed to digitally. The current pandemic has shown us that the digital cannot replace the need for physical contact and face to face meetings. At the university, we see that students need a physical framework, yet we should explore what we can solve digitally. I am very optimistic.
UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN Established in: 1946 Number of faculties: 7 Employes: 4500 Students: 20 000
We need to approach education in a new way and consider learning as a continuous life-long experience. Follow-up studying has become more common and I think this is needed in order to gain an understanding of the options and solutions created through digitalization. Creativity requires knowledge. How does ISB contribute to Bergen and the business community in the region? We need to have a structure that attracts exciting families. Internationally accredited schools are an important part of this as it allows for seamless global transitions and mobility. Bergen has many opportunities to develop on a global scale and I believe we will recruit on an even bigger scale within science and technology than we do today, but then we need to have the necessary framework in place.
How do you find balance in your everyday life? I have always held demanding positions that required a lot of my time, but I see this as something positive. It allows me to adapt and bring my work with me. However, craving time out for my family is crucial and having time to exercise is necessary. Reading, both fiction and academic literature, is also important to me. I enjoy having a balanced everyday life. Running and especially running Horseriding: With his daughter in New Zealand. Photo: Private ultramarathons, is something I am particularly fond of and have been doing for the past 5 years. I have always enjoyed running and spending time in the mountains. The thing that fascinates and motivates me is the commitment of doing something that is entirely dependent on my own effort. It is motivating to do something very goal-orientated and it helps to remind myself of the importance of the steps needed to cross the finishing-line. I’m planning on participating in a ultra marathon this summer and I’m really hoping I’ll be successful. The only one who can do it is myself. I’m competing against myself and I thrive in knowing that I am responsible for my own performance. Do you have a word of wisdom for ISB students? I encourage today’s young people to set themselves high goals and not let themselves become discouraged. Divide your goals into smaller steps and take a detour if necessary. Treat people with respect and remember that we are all in this together.
On the top of a mountain: Robert Rastad enjoys hiking and running, here with the view of Bergen.
Photo: Private
#learningforlife #shapingthefuture International School of Bergen, Sandslihaugen 36, 5254 Sandsli, Norway Telephone: +47 55 30 63 30 | Email: post@isbergen.no www.isbergen.no | www.facebook.com/InternationalSchoolBergen