Inspiration Magazine June 2019 by International School of Prague

Inspiration

Newsletter June 2019 | International School of Prague

ISP Newsletter 2019

From the Director

Dr. Arnie Bieber

Hello and welcome to the last edition of Inspiration magazine celebrating the International School of Prague’s 70th anniversary! On a personal note it has been a special year for me and my wife Marianne, as it has marked our first year as Alumni parents of two ISP graduates! In fact, we recently returned to my native New York City where I was lucky enough to attend the graduation ceremony, at The New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, of our son Joshua (Class of ‘15). It was a fortunate coincidence my time in New York coincided with the first of what I hope are many ISP Alumni Reunion events in the city. I was glad to attend with Joshua, my daughter Emma (Class of ‘18) and Marianne. It was truly an inspiration to meet our Alumni, and to hear the great things Cover photo - Young ISP Community Members enjoy the International Food Fair

Arnie and Manguesh Dhume (Class of '97)

that they have gone on to achieve in so many different fields after graduating from ISP. It was particularly touching for me to meet such a vibrant group of diverse young people in my home city. There might have been, in some cases, as much as two decades between the graduating years of members of this group, but the themes of intercultural understanding and compassion, synonymous with ISP, ran through almost every conversation I had on the night.

I must pay tribute to my new friend (and fellow New Yorker!) Gwyther Bultman (Class of ‘98), who was instrumental in arranging the New York reunion. I had previously only met Gwyther virtually through his involvement with the ISP Alumni Council, so it was great to meet him in person, such an effervescent guy with an obvious passion for ISP. It has been another important year for the ISP Alumni community, with no fewer than three reunion events, one

ISP Newsletter 2019

The extended Bieber family celebrate Joshua's graduation from The New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York

taking place in London, one in New York and one to take place towards the end of the school year right here on the ISP campus in Prague. The February London event was highly successful due in no small measure to the stellar work in rounding up her classmates and others of Larissa Batt (Class of ‘08). My long serving colleagues Lawrence Hrubeš and Keith Richards attended and came back to ISP effusive with praise regarding the event and their former students. Thanks to Larissa for all of her hard work! On another front, the Night at the Palace returned to its ‘spiritual home’ at the Lobkowicz Palace this year. Over 300 enthusiastic and generous ISP community members attended a wonderful evening which raised funds for Scholarships at ISP. With

a few welcoming remarks, I had an opportunity to express my thanks to all donors and everyone who attended the event. As always, the International Food Fair, was a riot of colour, friendship and the sights and smells of wonderful food from around the world. Held for the first time entirely outdoors, this School Community Association (SCA) organised event, always reflects the diversity and verve of our community and also incorporated the drawing of the Student Raffle, which brings great excitement to younger students! This issue contains a great leaving interview with my friend and colleague Upper School Principal, Dr. Mark Frankel, as he embarks on a new adventure in

Japan. I will greatly miss our debates, discussions and camaraderie but mostly Mark’s unerring passion for education and for the learning journeys of his students. In his interview Mark pays tribute to ISP’s “special community”. Over the past seven years, Mark has made a significant and positive impact not only the Upper School in particular, but on our entire ISP community as well. I’m sure I speak for everyone at ISP when I wish Mark, his wife Jill and two alumni daughters, Nora and Audrey all the best in the future. Warmly,

Dr Arnie Bieber ISP Director

ISP Newsletter 2019

Night at the Palace 2019 - Back 'Home'

The ninth annual fundraiser for scholarships at the International School of Prague returned to what might be described as its ‘spiritual home’ at the magnificent Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle on Saturday March 30th.

The palace is the only private facility inside Prague Castle, and was built by Czech nobleman Jaroslav of Pernštejn and completed by his brother, Vratislav of Pernštejn, the chancellor of the Czech Kingdom in the second half of the 16th century. The Palace boasts a breathtaking panoramic view over the city of Prague. The Lobkowicz family, an ISP family now with three ISP Alumni, run the Palace primarily as a museum to house The Lobkowicz Collections, the oldest and largest private collection in the Czech Republic. The Museum offers visitors the opportunity to explore the history of Europe through the unique perspective of the Lobkowicz family. Set in 22 beautifully appointed galleries, the Museum displays a selection of some of the finest pieces from The Collections, including many of international significance. Everyone at ISP sends profound thanks to William and Sandra Lobkowicz for allowing us to once again hold the Scholarship Fundraiser at the Palace!

Over 300 ISP Community members and friends descended upon the magnificent 16th Century venue and enjoyed the opulent setting and friendly and relaxed atmosphere, all while raising funds for Scholarships, which add so much to the unique community at ISP. The evening kicked off with ISP Director of Advancement Clive Watkins welcoming guests before ISP Director Arnie Bieber spoke passionately about the vitality, excellence and energy that scholarship students bring to the ISP. Guests were entertained by a combo led one of ISP’s own magnificent musicians, the Jeremy Chapman Jazz Quartet. Jeremy, who when not inspiring a love of music across the genres in ISP, is a fixture of Prague’s jazz scene and played saxophone alongside three of Prague’s foremost jazz musicians; Kiril Yakovlev on guitar, Tasas Volos on double bass and Petr Nohavica on drums. The Sunny Swing Orchestra, led by the indomitable Adéla Zejfartová, fitted in

ISP Newsletter 2019

perfectly both with the magnificent setting and with the theme of 70 years of ISP. The Orchestra played their wonderful brand of “Sunny Music” and many of the guests took advantage of the marvellous instructors being present to learn some inter-war era fancy footsteps. In between two energetic performances from the Sunny Swing Orchestra, two extremely gifted dancers took to the floor. Current ISP student Natalie Chadzivasilis (Class of ‘24) and her partner An Nguyen dazzled with their combination of waltz, tango, quickstep and Latin dance. The pair, who have

danced together since 2017, showed exactly why they have been successful in a number of competitions under the auspices of the Czech Dance Sports Association. As with last year’s Night at the Tower, the very popular DJ Javo kept the party late into the night, playing a great mix of new (and not so new!) music to what was a very packed and boisterous dance floor! Like previous years, the welcome champagne was generously supplied by La Finnestra in Cucina. All beer was equally generously supplied once again

by Pilsner Urquell. The area outside the Main Hall showcased a marvellous array of silent auction gifts, donated by committed supporters of Scholarships at ISP. There was a supercar on display outside the venue, generating a lot of interest from guests. Tickets for the raffle were enthusiastically sold by the team of Upper School Students present at the event. Weary feet were given some relief by the team of masseurs from Carlo IV Prague Hotel Spa. A memorable evening befitting of ISP’s 70th school year back at the Palace!

ISP Newsletter 2019

Thanks to Our Major Supporters Some of the most prestigious companies with a presence in the Czech Republic support ISP’s Scholarship. The school is delighted to communicate the commitment of those donors to the ISP constituent base. This year, we are proud to announce that our corporate donors contributed

1,249,000 Czk out of the total of 1,956,000 Czk that will be given to support the Scholarship Program. A profound word of thanks goes to all our corporate donors for the life-changing influence that they have on the lives of ISP students.

The Scholarship Program at ISP Since its formation in 1948, The International School of Prague has been committed to providing an exceptional education in a truly global environment. The success of ISP Alumni is a tribute to the work not only of those who have worked at the School, but to those who have helped to ensure its firm financial foundation. For 20 years, many students from the Czech Republic have been the deserving recipients of generous scholarships provided by the ISP community. The goal of the Scholarship program is to make the ISP educational experience available to a diverse range of students. These Scholarships are based not only on financial need, but also on merit. In addition to fulfilling the normal requirements for admission to ISP, a student who wishes to be considered for a Scholarship must demonstrate an excellent academic record, a strong command of the English language, a desire to obtain an education in a multicultural

environment, and an intention to enroll in the full International Baccalaureate program. These students have enriched our community as much as their horizons have widened. Their involvement in ISP is another way in which our school can connect with and give back to the local community. In order to ensure the long-term viability of this program, the School holds its annual fundraiser for scholarships, Night at the Palace. The event is a chance for the whole community to celebrate the success of the program and those donors who so generously support it. Thank you also to our volunteer committee, without whom this evening could not have happened! Thank you also to our donors, without whom the Scholarship program could not thrive, and thank you to you, without whom the evening could not be as successful!

ISP Newsletter 2019

“ISP has really transformed me into an international citizen keen to tackle global challenges”

Tereza addresses Night at the Palace guests via video

Audience members watch Tereza’s video in the magnificent Imperial Hall

As reported in a previous Inspiration magazine, ISP Alumna and scholarship recipient Tereza Kaplanová (Class of ‘10) took something of an epic journey after leaving ISP which led her to London via Cambridge University and ultimately to South Sudan. Tereza was travelling in South America and could not address the Night at the Palace attendees in person. She did, however, share her gratitude for her ISP Scholarship via video. Below is a transcript of her moving speech.

Hello, my name is Tereza Kaplanová. Unfortunately I cannot be with you in person today as I am currently in remote Patagonia but through this video I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about my experience of being a scholar at ISP. I applied for the scholarship back in 2006 because I was amazed by the educational framework that ISP follows, particularly the focus on deep learning approaches and the development of students’ critical thinking. My time at ISP was a tough journey, because I spoke little English and at first I was a bit overwhelmed by the cultural dynamics of the international community that I had suddenly became part of. However, eventually ISP has encouraged me to look beyond the boundaries of the Czech Republic. Not only did I study abroad in the UK, I also had the opportunity to complete a degree at the University of Cambridge but then I sought a career in an organisation within the humanitarian sector. ISP has really transformed me into an international citizen keen to tackle

Tereza pictured in South Sudan with Médecins Sans Frontières

global challenges. For example, most recently, I returned from a nine month long mission in South Sudan. Therefore, I would say that studying at ISP has enabled me to fully develop my potential and also made me realise two important things. First of all, besides my Czech identity, I developed an international one which was making me more and more curious and also connected to the world around. And second, I was grateful to ISP for the scholarship opportunity, and this strengthened my will to give back to society. These two points are the foundation of my career and of who I am as a person today, and for this I am very grateful to ISP and to all scholarship sponsors. I am confident that an ISP journey will be an equally life-changing experience for future Czech students, for future Czech scholars, presented with this opportunity. Thank you! Tereza Kaplanová (Class of ‘10) Former ISP Scholarship Student March 2019

ISP Newsletter 2019

A Message from the Night at the Palace Co-chairs, Sheridan Barnett and Vera Newbold

Our Team of Upper School ticket sellers

Dear ISP Community and All Attendees and Supporters of Night at the Palace, After a few years of being involved in the planning of ISP’s premier social event and key fundraiser for Scholarships, we were delighted to this year be organising Night at the Palace! In doing so we were bringing the event ‘home’ to Prague Castle and to the majestic Lobkowicz Palace.

From being involved in organising previous fundraisers, we have learned a lot about Scholarships at ISP and the vitality and excellence that these students bring to our community. In the case of this year’s event, it was profoundly inspiring to hear the story of Tereza Kaplanová (Class of ‘10), and hear her speak so eloquently about the life-changing effect an ISP Scholarship. We would like to thank Tereza Kaplanová for taking the time to put together and send us her video. Our only regret was that she couldn’t join us in person. We are sure that we speak for many in attendance when we say that we found the video incredibly moving.

This year we worked with something of a slimmed down organising committee, with primarily both of us taking the lead in organising the event, ably assisted by the tireless Tereza Třešňáková from the Advancement Office. We were, however, lucky to receive the help of a veritable army of supporters and influencers who supported us with their time and energy in a whole host of ways and helping create such a buzz around the event. We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who helped us to put together such a fantastic event. While we have enjoyed exploring some other fantastic Prague venues

ISP Newsletter 2019

Guests check out the fabulous Auction Items

Guests chat at the ISP social event of the year

for the fundraiser in recent years; namely Manes Gallery, Sacre Coeur and Novoměstské radnice, there was a palpable desire for the Community to take the event back to the Palace for this year. The beautiful venue that it is, the Lobkowicz Palace provided a stunning background to a special night. It was truly the perfect venue to mark 70 years of ISP. We would like to pay tribute to our corporate sponsors; Doosan Bobcat, Nova, ADP, UPS, Avast, 24 Safe and Engel & Volkers for their steadfast support of Night at the Palace. Sincere gratitude also goes to all companies and individuals who helped change lives by

The Night at the Palace Committee

donating items to the Silent Auction. Thanks also goes to Advantage Cars for donating the day with a supercar, tickets for which were so enthusiastically sold by our team of Upper School students! Thanks also to Sváťa Soukup for his hard work and patience in transporting so many items to the Palace, ISP security staff, and to the Lobkowicz family and all the staff at the Palace for helping us put on such a great event. Finally, thanks once more to everyone who attended or supported Night at the Palace in any way, not just this year, we have together contributed to the success of a Scholarship Program which brings so much

to our Community. Anyone who contributed to the event in any way should be assured that you have made a contribution to the success of the event and in making a real difference in the lives of young people! Thank you! Sheridan Barnett Vera Newbold Night at the Palace Committee Co-chairs

ISP Newsletter 2019

Thank you to Night at the Palace Auction Donors The Supercar Weekend Raffle and the magnificent array of items donated by our generous donors to the Silent Auction raised the fantastic figure of 637,500 CZK to support Scholarships at ISP! We express our sincere thanks to all donors, both new donors and also those who have shown steadfast support for education at ISP over a number of years.

The companies and individual donors have, through their generosity, demonstrated support to the deserving young people who benefit from ISP scholarships. The ISP Community is encouraged to frequent these businesses, and when they do, to make them aware that you know of their commitment to the School and how much you appreciate their support.

MERLIN JAHODOVÁ MERLIN MERLIN JAHODOVÁ JAHODOVÁ MERLIN JAHODOVÁ MERLIN JAHODOVÁ

RADEK ŠTĚPÁNEK RADEK ŠTĚPÁNEK RADEK ŠTĚPÁNEK RADEK ŠTĚPÁNEK RADEK ŠTĚPÁNEK TEREZA MAXOVÁ TEREZA MAXOVÁ TEREZA MAXOVÁ TEREZA MAXOVÁ TEREZA MAXOVÁ

THOMAS & VĚRA & VĚRA THOMAS & THOMAS VĚRA THOMASTHOMAS & VĚRA & VĚRA NEWBOLD NEWBOLD NEWBOLD NEWBOLD NEWBOLD

THE SYROVÁTKO  THE SYROVÁTKO  THE SYROVÁTKO  THE SYROVÁTKO  THE SYROVÁTKO  FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY

RONY PLESL RONY PLESL RONY PLESL RONY PLESL RONY PLESL

MISLAV & YVETTA MISLAV MISLAV & YVETTA & YVETTA MISLAV & MISLAV YVETTA & YVETTA LIZATOVIĆ LIZATOVIĆ LIZATOVIĆ LIZATOVIĆ LIZATOVIĆ

MICHAEL MICHAEL DEL NIN MICHAEL DEL NIN DEL MICHAEL NIN MICHAEL DEL NIN DEL NIN PAUL & SHERIDAN PAUL & SHERIDAN PAUL & SHERIDAN PAUL & SHERIDAN PAUL & SHERIDAN BARNETT BARNETTBARNETT BARNETTBARNETT & SEAN KREBS & SEAN&KREBS SEAN KREBS SEAN KREBS & SEAN&KREBS

RADEK KUBINA RADEK KUBINA RADEK KUBINA RADEK KUBINA RADEK KUBINA

JAN & ERICKA JAN & ERICKA JAN & ERICKA JAN & ERICKA JAN & ERICKA SYKORA SYKORA SYKORA SYKORA SYKORA

THE JALLOUL THE JALLOUL THE JALLOUL THE JALLOUL THE JALLOUL FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY REBECCAREBECCA WOOD WOOD REBECCA WOOD REBECCA REBECCA WOOD WOOD

PETRA FAITOVÁ PETRA FAITOVÁ PETRA FAITOVÁ PETRA FAITOVÁ PETRA FAITOVÁ

ISP Newsletterâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 2019

Thanks to all Night at the Palace Guests!

ISP Newsletter 2019

The International Food Fair - Al Fresco! The ISP International Food Fair is a long-standing tradition and is one of the best loved events in the school calendar, which always attracts hundreds of people drawn from the ISP Community and beyond. The event is arguably the event that best celebrates the diversity and friendliness of the Community.

This year’s event was particularly special as it was the first ever to be held outdoors as every International Food Fair until now, had been held in the Cafeteria. This year, due to the inspirational leadership of Co-organisers Heleen Heestra and Anu Holter, the elementary parking lot was transformed into what resembled and had the atmosphere of a street food festival! The whole area was an amazing melting pot of the smells and sights of foods from around the world. Over 20 stands representing even more countries were part of this year’s Food Fair. This diversity presented the hundreds of ISP community members with a huge range of familiar and perhaps not so familiar culinary experiences! Everyone was kept entertained by a dazzling array of music and other performances organised by ISP Music Teacher Dale Etheridge, supported by his colleagues Jeremy Chapman, Lindsay

Simondet and Kelly Wormann. Thanks to all the teachers and special thanks to everyone who performed! The organisers had been closely monitoring weather forecasts throughout the lead-up to the event. Thankfully, despite some April showers even on the morning of the event the weather remained dry throughout the afternoon, with even the sun making a few brief appearances. The event (as you can tell from images on these pages!) was a huge success, and there was general agreement about making the Food Fair an outdoor annual event. Thank you to all who participated, particularly those who brought such delicious flavours of their own countries to share with the community. Thanks once more to Heleen Heestra and Anu Holter for their inspired ideas and for their tireless work. We already can’t wait until next year!

ISP Newsletterâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 2019

ISP Newsletter 2019

Student Raffle 2019 The Student Raffle of 2019 was once again an event which excited our youngest (and some perhaps not so young!) students. While tickets for the raffle were on sale in the cafeteria as in previous years, a key difference was that the draw, which is always a noisy affair, was held at the International Food Fair!

Student Raffle Donors:

While the Raffle is always an exciting event for all involved, it is important to remember its purpose. By buying tickets, students are not just getting the opportunity to win some marvellous prizes, but they are also participating in raising funds for the Scholarship Program at ISP. A massive thank you goes to Alejandra De Maria Campos Orrico and her dedicated team of ticket sellers; Sheridan Barnett, Erika Sykora, Margarita Aldecoa, Sonia Pedreira Felpeto, Julia Paniagua, Ana María Garces, Noemi Criado, Aurelia Benitez

and Vera Newbold! The majority of the team are pictured above . The group worked extremely hard helping with ticket sales, decoration, and clean-up of the raffle display, as well as even donating some of the prizes! The Student Raffle raised the impressive sum of 68,351 CZK, in doing so making a very significant contribution to Scholarships at ISP. Our sincere thanks go to all of the prize donors listed below. Through their support, they have made a real commitment to education and to making positive change on the lives of young people - Thank you!

24U Software Bakeshop Bang and Olufsen Candy Store Chocotopia Cinestar Cloetta Da Ezio Dolce Villa Hotel The Eriksson de Maria Campos Family Foto Škoda Fresh and Tasty ISP Julia Paniagua K-Servis Max Laser Game Mega Books Mind Maze - Escape Mr. Hot Dog Muzeum of senses Nerf Arena The Newbold family Paintballgame.cz The Sykora family Teribear The Room Tomáš Česálek Waf Waf

ISP Newsletter 2019

ISP ARTS DEPARTMENT THE ERIKSSON DE MARIA  CAMPOS  FAMILY THE   SYKORA  FAMILY

THE   NEWBOLD  FAMILY

ISP ACTIVITY OFFICE

ISP Newsletter 2019

The Seven Year Itch Upper School Principal Dr. Mark Frankel is sailing off to the Land of the Rising Sun after seven happy years at ISP Inspiration Magazine caught up with him to reflect on his tenure at ISP. Dr. Frankel addresses the ISP Graduation ceremony at Žofín Palace

So first impressions of ISP, Prague and the Czech Republic. Casting your mind back, what were they? ISP just immediately felt like home, it felt like a good fit. There was a certain openness, an openness to explore things. I remember saying at one of the early meetings; “You know, its ok if we are arguing as long as we are having the same goals in mind”. I felt immediately like we all had the same things in mind. We may debate how we are going to do something but no one ever said, “That’s not how we do things here; we have this tradition” that type of thing. Pretty much as soon as I came here, I felt that it was a collegial place, I felt that from the start. In fact, I just met with a student 15 minutes ago and she was saying how different ISP was from her previous school. When I asked what the difference was she said that the teachers and students are just more friendly to each other, that it's a really friendly environment. You feel that. What about wider impressions, what about Prague as a city? I’d been to Prague once before as a tourist, and it is one of the greatest cities on earth! I feel utterly privileged to have spent seven years in the city. Everytime we go downtown we are just

startled by how amazing it is, I feel like I’ll never quite have what I have here. I suppose that begs the question why are you leaving? That’s a good question, and I don’t have a good answer. I suppose the simple answer is, I’ve loved it here and I do love it here, but with both of my kids out of the house, we decided to wait a year to see where our kids were going to be, but it just felt like it was time for a new adventure. I just feel like maybe it’s best to go before people start to hate me! That leads to another question - both of your daughters have recently graduated from ISP - which are significant life events - for you as a parent and of course for your daughters themselves. How do they feel about you leaving ISP? One is in Scotland and one is in the Netherlands now, and I think they are both cautiously excited. In spite of Facebook and Skype, Japan is still far away in terms of timezones. They are, however, very excited about coming to visit. They are doing really well, and what I can say is that they both had a really amazing education at ISP. They were both allowed to pursue very different things. I think they found their passions here and they were allowed to blossom.

to do it, rather than worrying about whether we’re going to get everything right. I think I’m focused on getting it ‘righter’ rather than right. I had a slide that once for faculty that said; "Our goal is to be the best at getting better". I suppose what I’m saying is that I’ve got more comfortable with the “mess” - that is as long as you are going in the right direction and continually getting better, all will be ok. Some things you can’t fix until the next year, and those aren’t the things I sweat as much about. In terms of what I’ve learned in my time here about myself, I suppose for me I don’t think that at a certain age you discover huge revelations about yourself. However, what I do know is that I’ve been lucky to have a great team up here. Amazing people with a good sense of humor, which is to me really important. If we can’t joke around, I find it a little difficult to get along, so I think I’ve been really lucky overall to have people I can joke with. I think there is a vibe that my door is open and people can come and see me, and that makes

So looking at your personal journey here, what have you learned about yourself both as an educator and as a person at ISP? I think I’m more comfortable now with chaos and failure! There are a lot of things about this job that are stressful, but I’m less stressed about it than I was ten years ago. I often say to faculty that each year we fix two problems and create a new one. I suppose I’m more comfortable with saying we’re just going

The “embarrassing” Dr. Frankel wears a Minion suit with aplomb

ISP Newsletter 2019

The Frankel/Colley family at Audrey’s graduation in 2018

me feel good. And I do feel that I listen, with such great colleagues and students, why wouldn’t I? On the subject of human relationships, what was it like having two daughters in Upper School? Is it difficult to be Principal and not be “Embarrassing Dad”? How did they feel when you stood up at a gathering?

as a minion! So I would say that they were embarrassed by me multiple times. But them being embarrassed was a plus for me! What will you miss about Prague and ISP? In terms of Prague, I suppose it is just the overwhelming beauty. Even after seven years, we are still finding new places. My wife talks about Prague as being a place of “nooks and crannies”, You’re always discovering new places, new courtyards and other amazing places.

My daughters would say that I was “Embarrassing Dad” pretty much every second day. I recall when my very first assembly was coming up, one of my daughters, Audrey, I think, said; “Don’t be yourself!” That was her advice! Pretty much any time I spoke, or walked down the hallways, was embarrassing to my children. We got to the point where we would just nod at each other and, unless there was a need for money to be put on a lunch card, that was pretty much how we kept it from 8.30 to 3!

I also like the Czech attitude. Overall the Czechs are pretty mellow - maybe it's a thing about the history that has left people with something of a healthy scepticism of rules. I’ve loved the Czech Republic, it's a country with a fascinating history and I love the way that they are so proud of their artists and philosophers.

I’ve always been close with my kids, although I obviously embarrass them, I mean I play ukulele, which is objectively embarrassing. No one wants to see their dad play the ukulele, no one wants to see their dad dressed

In terms of ISP, I’ll miss everything, particularly the people. The faculty here are absolutely top-notch. We often don’t realise it because we take it for granted, but the faculty here are stellar, they are stellar teachers! This is an incredibly

engaged group of people, who spend their weekends working with kids, who don’t say no to kids with whatever challenges they have. They just really, really care - not just about their subject, but about the students as people. It’s been a privilege to work with them. So to the future - obviously you are off to Japan - how do you feel about that? I’m excited, I’m nervous, it’s a new adventure in every way. It’s exciting to be going to Asia and Japan although obviously it's a little far away from the kids. I’m excited, but I’m sad too, it’s bittersweet. When you’re leaving a place, you’re saying goodbye to a place you love and you don’t really yet see the things in the new place that are good; you tend more to focus on the things that you don’t yet know or understand or think are going to be hard. I’m excited and sad - it’s all mixed up. Everyone at ISP would like to wish Dr. Frankel and his family all the best for the future and profoundly thanks him for his contribution over the last seven years!

ISP Newsletter 2019

An ISP State of Mind - New York Alumni Gathering 2019

‘An Empire State of Mind’ is of course Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ ode to the Big Apple, but the idea of being of a certain mindset is also a hallmark of ISP Alumni. Of the first North American ISP Alumni Event, held in May, ISP Director, Arnie Bieber wrote: “My wife and I travelled to New York City to join our son as he graduated from university. We were lucky enough to meet many of his friends at his recital and graduation. We also met a group of ISP alumni at an ISP reunion in the city later that week... What strikes me every time I meet our graduates, is how thoughtful and solid these young people are, how menschlike, if you will. It was so encouraging to hear them speak of their dreams for the future, and their thoughts about their place in the world”.

It was a happy coincidence that Dr. Bieber and family happened to be in New York at the time of the reunion, but it isn’t so much of a coincidence that the ISP graduates present had a mindset of international understanding and thoughtfulness.

ISP Newsletter 2019

This was despite there being some cases more than two decades between the graduating classes as there were graduates from the Class of ‘97 all the way to the Class of ‘18. The inaugural New York event was held in Manhattan, in the Flatiron Beer Hall and Restaurant on West 26th Street. This venue was chosen by a member of the ISP Alumni Council, Gwyther Bultman (Class of ‘98). Gwyther put in a lot of work into making the event happen. He said: “On Friday May 17th, 2019, the ISP Alumni Council had the absolute pleasure of hosting 25 members of the ISP Community in NYC for an all-years

reunion. It was such a treat to see familiar faces as well as meet some of the more recent ISPers; we had over 20 years of alumni in the house. Special shout out to Dr. Arnie Bieber, his family and all those who travelled from far and wide to celebrate.” Everyone at ISP would like to thank Gwyther for all his efforts and indeed everyone who attended the reunion, especially to Petra Vaiglova (Class of ‘06) who travelled all the way from the University of Connecticut to be part of it. As Trent Falco (Class of ‘02) said in his Instagram post (see above right), we are all looking forward to the next bigger and better New York ISP Alumni event!

ISP Newsletter 2019

London Calling! - ISP Alumni Reunion in the United Kingdom The second ISP London Reunion, held in February, attracted a great turnout of ISP Alumni based locally and from in some cases much further afield! Special mention goes to Abi Saifi (Class of ‘08) who travelled all the way from Arizona, USA to be part of the event!

The event was held in Patch St. Paul’s, which is a bar/restaurant in the shadow of the iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral in Central London. The Reunion was attended by two of ISP’s longestserving faculty, Lawrence Hrubeš and Keith Richards, who were both delighted to catch up with their old students (and two former colleagues in Rod Anderson and Karen Field!) and enjoy what Lawrence described as a “super atmosphere”. Larissa Batt (Class of ‘08) has been involved in the ISP Alumni Council and is an enthusiastic supporter of her Alma Mater and rightly takes great pride in both her Czech heritage

and all things Prague! Larissa was instrumental in both setting up the London Reunion and rounding up classmates and other Alumni to attend the event. Larissa said: “It was so great to have another fantastic turnout at the London reunion. Just like last time we had people fly in from different countries because they didn’t want to miss the opportunity to catch-up with old friends, and you could definitely feel the love in the room! There were about 8 of us from my year group, with noticeably more engagements, weddings and babies since the last reunion! It made me feel rather old

talking to the 2013 year group, but whenever I go to these events it always strikes me how easy it is to ‘click’ with fellow international school alumni, largely because we immediately have something in common – a great fondness and respect for our old school”. Larissa and others have already held discussions with the ISP Advancement Office regarding the next London reunion so watch this space for a bigger and better London event! Everyone at ISP would like to thank Larissa for her enthusiasm and energy in arranging the reunion.

ISP Newsletterâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 2019

ISP Newsletter 2019

Class Notes Class of 2008

Carter Janzen

Lucy Hawkins

and treatment. Due to not being able to control the speed of my recovery, I´ve decided to focus my energy on the things that are the most important to me, such as spending time with my family and friends; writing more songs, writing my blog and of course photography.

Class of 2018

Lucy Hawkins is embarking on exciting times. Lucie has secured a teaching job at the Green School in Bali starting in August. Understandably, Lucie is super excited, as is her mum, Elementary Counsellor Corky, who is super proud and excited too for future trips to Bali!

Class of 2014 Inna-Maria Eerikäinen Inna representing her University at a higher education fair in Lithuania.

I reside in Birmingham, UK. I am just a few months away from finishing my Masters in Design Management, and I am still working for the International Office at my University. As part of my job I travel abroad to represent and market my University. During my free time, I work as a freelance designer and as an artist for a range of clients from all over the world.

For the last 4 and ½ years I have been at University studying to be an elementary school teacher. It´s been a long journey, but I finally get to ”walk” in May! After graduation, I´m planning on living in Spokane, Washington and doing some substitute teaching leading up to my career as a full-time teacher. On my time off, I love to hang out with friends and family. We sometimes do spontaneous activities, which is probably what I love most. When I´m on my own, I especially love to watch movies. I can be an introvert so that´s my time to refuel and wind down. Though it´s a bit of a transition time, I love where I am in life right now.

Anna-Rosa Eerikäinen

Rosie in Turku

I have been going through a transition time for the past 1 and ½ years, due to being seriously ill, but I remain hopeful with the support of my family and friends. While living with my parents in Turku, Finland, the doctors are working hard to find any possible diagnosis

Filip Ságl

Right now I am on a medical brigade with a medical brigade chapter at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio). We were recently in Honduras for 5 days and during this trip we ran a 3-day clinic where we helped local doctors to give medical consultation, assisted in dental procedures, assisted in distributing medication at a local pharmacy, did triage, helped educate children about proper dental hygiene as well as filling out online medical records. The other two days we built a water system here. All of it was done in San Bernardo community in Choluteca, Honduras. Get in Touch! - Almost every class has a correspondent to collect stories of what Alumni are up to around the world! Please contact the ISP Advancement Office and we will put you in contact or you can tell us where you are and what you are doing directly! advancement@isp.cz.

ISP Newsletter 2019

Going Beyond our Programs A Conversation with Dr. Bieber about the ISP Annual Fund's Importance Inspiration: How important is the Annual Fund? Arnie: The Annual Fund is an important way to support ISP in achieving its mission. In fact, a generous ISP parent is currently doubling whatever others will donate before the end of June, to encourage other ISP community members to learn about the importance of the Annual Fund themselves. Inspiration: It’s already expensive to attend ISP; why should parents consider further financial support of the school? Arnie: While tuition already covers more than what you might expect from a superb school such as ISP (ISP has no owners who take money from the school; as a non-profit, all income goes towards improving the education that we provide), the Annual Fund allows the community to go beyond what tuition alone can provide. Almost every day, I hear from members of our community (teachers, students, parents, Alumni) about their ideas for programs that go beyond what the school currently offers; the more we raise from the Annual Fund, the more of these ideas we are able to implement. Inspiration: Why not just increase the cost of tuition to fund new programs? Arnie: We would love to include many of these “beyond” programs. But if we just add them, the cost of tuition would quickly become prohibitive for many ISP families. The solution, then, is to do our very best with what a competitive tuition level can provide, and then ask every member of our community to support to the best of their ability these “beyond” ideas through further financial support. Inspiration: What exactly does the Annual Fund support?

Arnie: Ideally, the Annual Fund provides reliable, long-term support that allows us to invest in the “beyond” specialists and programs that we would like to offer. At the moment, the expectations for the Annual Fund are small (but not insignificant), perhaps 2.5m Kč, or 0,6% of the total budget. This is helping us to continue funding what we might consider already existing “beyond” items like mountain biking, robotics, and so many things that other international schools simply can’t match. But we would like the amount to grow to 5% of the total budget, or 20m Kč. If you can think of "beyond" ideas that you would like the school to be doing (I certainly can!), then that is what an Annual Fund of 20m Kč each year could one day support. Achieving and exceeding each year’s Annual Fund goal gives us confidence to add each year more of those special enhancements that go beyond what tuition alone provides. Inspiration: Why not identify a tangible item and fundraise for it? Arnie: Quite often we do have supporters who say that they would rather donate for a specific item. However, one-off items (such as a piano, for example) are not part of the Annual Fund (which, again, supports long-term commitments to “beyond” programs), so while we always gladly consider donations of any kind, I would ask Annual Fund donors to realize that their support allows us to maintain and increase funding of current programs, and to initiate new programs, while keeping tuition competitive and as affordable as possible. As I mentioned earlier, the current income from the Annual Fund is modest, so if we stopped the Annual Fund and added it to tuition, the increase might not be terribly impactful. But imagine again the positive impact that a 5% Annual Fund would have, and the dilemma

of cutting 5% if that Annual Fund ever ceased. Inspiration: What does, “support to the best of our ability” mean? Arnie: Our hope is that all ISP community members will support the Annual Fund at a level that is meaningful to them. For those who might be thinking that their donation wouldn't be "significant"... if it is significant to you, then that is what counts - even the smallest donation works - many drops will fill the bucket. Also, our goal of building a culture of philanthropy at ISP isn’t just about how much we raise, but how many in our community contribute to the annual fund. Please consider a gift of any amount which, if made by June 30th, thanks to our donor, will double in value (up to a total of 650.000 Kč); information on how to make your donation can be found below. And if you have questions or comments, or if you would like to learn more about ISP's fundraising efforts, please contact Arnie or anyone in the school’s Advancement Office.

For members of our community who would like to make a donation in Czech Krona. Please make your CZK transfer to 1387361963/2700 (our public collection bank account, registered under public collection number S-MHMP/515652/2018).