ISA Connections Issue 05 by The International School of Amsterdam

Connections The International School of Amsterdam Magazine

Our Mission To educate for international understanding Our Vision To create a community of lifelong learners who value inquiry, critical and creative thinking, take informed risks, and act with integrity and compassion.

Contents

Connections The International School of Amsterdam Magazine Spring/Summer 2016

ISA Centre for Development, Learning & Technology CDLT Editor-in-chief

The ISA Centre for Development, Learning & Technology has

Erika Harriford-McLaren

made its mark in the world of international professional devel-

Co-editor

opment, attracting educators from around the world.

Shelly Harrison Chris McLaren

Courses & Careers â&#x20AC;&#x153;What do you want to be when you grow up? ISA Upper School

Design and layout

Counsellors help students answer this question by connecting

Wouter F. Goedkoop

them with the lastest assessment tools, and hands-on talks

with ISA parents at the annual ISA Career Day event. Connections Photographer Kerry Reinking Photography

IB Diploma VIsual Arts

www.kerryreinking.nl

The ISA IB Visual Arts programme has grown over the years, adding new elements such as lens-based art and curatorial

Publisher

responsibilites to ensure that DP Visual Arts students leave

ISA in collaboration with

with a well-rounded view of visual arts and the art world.

XPat Media, The Hague, The Netherlands

AMIS Middle School Honor Mixed Choir This Spring, ISA was honoured to host the 21st annual Associ-

Printer

ation for Music in International Schools (AMIS) Middle School

Drukkerij Damen

Honor Mixed Choir, welcoming 64 students from 12 interna-

Werkendam

tional schools around the world.

The Netherlands Sustainable Fashion Show ISA alumni, families, faculty

The phrase wash and wear took on a whole new meaning for

and friends receive

the those who attended the recent Green Team Sustainable

Connections. We welcome

Fashion Show fundraiser. Read how our Green Team raised

your comments and

awareness of the threat of plastics in our oceans while also

encourage you to submit

raising funds to support the Plastic Soup Foundation.

ideas and articles for consideration.

Retirements and Farewells Each year, ISA says goodbye to faculty and staff who are re-

Letters and inquiries may

tiring or moving on. This year, we also sadly say goodbye to a

be addressed to:

beloved member of staff who left us all far to early.

Connections Sportlaan 45

Class Notes

1185TB Amstelveen

Catch up on the latest news from former ISA classmates,

+31 20 347 1111

teachers and staff with our class notes section.

communications@isa.nl

www.isa.nl Cover The Awakening - IB Visual Art project from Rebecca Baugh, grade 12 student.

Welcome People often ask me what makes ISA different from other schools. They want to know why or how we are different from other IB World schools. After all, IB schools all run essentially the same programmes with the same guiding principle—to create a better world for the future. So, really, aren’t all IB World Schools more or less the same? Absolutely not. There are many reasons why some IB World Schools outpace others. ISA’s leadership among the best of the best can be explained in a number of ways. However, for the moment, I would like to speak to one of the oft-overlooked ‘differentiators’ that sets the International School of Amsterdam apart—our long and deep commitment to the arts for all. The arts are embedded deeply within ISA’s DNA, and we are all richer because of that. Can you imagine your life without art, theatre, music or cinema? Over the course of my career, I have witnessed time and again the dismantling of the arts in schools whenever funding became an issue. It is almost a knee-jerk reaction by schools when they face budget shortfalls, especially in the public sector. What a tragic mistake this has been for so many schools— and for so many young lives. If schools are a preparation for living well, as Aristotle teaches us, how could so many schools in good conscience push entire generations of young people through a system that offers no formal preparation in arts appreciation, let alone offer them no pathways or guidance to the discovery of the art that lives within each of us? The arts are central to life, and they are certainly central to a school that teaches for international understanding. As I welcome you to this issue of Connections, I invite 2

you to join in a brief reflection on just how fortunate we are to be part of a school that embraces the arts so completely and so well. I began thinking about this one afternoon during the recent Kindergarten art exhibit, where all of those happy youngsters had splashed their canvases with bold colours and strokes, sometimes in homage to the great Van Gogh or Matisse, other times sharing their self-portraits, offering their proud parents a keepsake for the rest of their lives. So much of their work was far beyond what one would expect from five-year olds. And how proud they were to share their creations with us. A few weeks later, the annual IB DP Visual Arts exhibit filled the ISA Gallery. Each year I find myself struggling for words to express just how moved I am by the talent, the imagination, the vision, the courage and the depth of conviction that our senior visual arts students display. Congratulations to this year’s DP Visual Arts students and their teachers, Sian Lysaght and Rika Duevel. The exhibit underscored, once more, just how enriching and powerful the visual arts are in this school.

You cannot mention the arts at this school without recognizing the remarkable work of Fabian Galli and Aideen Nolan, Lower School music educators, who have built a phenomenal foundation across the PYP in choral and instrumental music, with an increasing focus on percussion—embraced most noticeably by the high energy (and high volume) marimba groups that have emerged over the past few years. ISA’s connections through music across cultures and nations are palpable—from our decade-long engagement with the Indonesian Gamelan, to our connection with Brazilian percussion, to our recent relationship with the Nunya Academy in Ghana, ISA uses music as a vehicle through which to achieve our mission to educate for international understanding. Before this issue goes to press, ISA will celebrate the Second Gala for Nunya Academy in Ghana. The extravaganza will feature ISA’s Lower School Choir, our ever-growing orchestra, our always popular marimba group and a Ghanaian Choir, ‘Inspirational Voices.” All of this is proof positive that music continues to play a vital role in this school’s commitment to the arts—as does the long-running ISA Music Academy. The Theatre Arts programme continues to aspire and inspire across the grade levels. We have already enjoyed an Upper School Theater experience of a re-imagined Othello and were equally moved by the MYP Drama production, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, in May, under the direction of Ken Baldino. Several weeks ago, ISA had the great honour to host the AMIS (Association of Music in Internation-

Especially this school year, when we can all use some

A Whole New World

relief from the flow of disturbing news, near and far, I

IB Visual Art project by

am reminded of a quote from Voltaire, shared recently

James Knight, grade 12

by Mark Ulfers, Head of the American School of Paris, in a presentation on terrorist attacks and school security: Life is a shipwreck, Voltaire wrote, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. Here’s to singing praise to the arts and the joy and understanding they bring to our school, our students and our own lives.

al Schools) Middle School Honors Choir, celebrating the power of another dimension of our arts programme—choral music. The choir was comprised of some 80 students who had travelled from international schools in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Oman, Singapore, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Russia (as well as a dynamic group of Middle School students from ISA). A packed theatre celebrated an evening of joyful

Edward E. Greene, Ph.D. Director

music together. The young voices were powerful beyond their years. The evening was the result of much planning and coordination, of course, but most of all it was the result of several years of re-visioning and partnership between Kelly Webber and Douglas Beam, who, together with Judy Bos O’Callaghan, have brought ISA’s Upper School choral music programme to new and unprecedented heights.

In just over one year, the ISA Centre for Develop-

The European Conference on iPads in the Classroom This past February, 70 educators converged on the

This page:

ment, Learning & Technology has managed to make a

iPad conference attendees test

name for itself in the competitive world of international

new apps at the the speed-app

educational professional development.

technology professionals in Europe. Led by ISA’s new

The Centre is a dedicated learning space that offers

conference provided school tech professionals with

session. Top right photo:

engaging and inspirational workshops, seminars and

ISA teacher attendees pose

conferences taught by the best thought-leaders in

with Reading and Writing work-

the field of international education. Housed within the

shop leaders Kathy Collins and

International School of Amsterdam, it offers sessions

Georgia Heard .

throughout the school year, providing educators with the unique opportunity to take part in classroom visits

Bottom right photo:

to experience their new learnings in practice, and not

ISA librarian Farin Mendes at

just in theory.

the Follet Destiny workshop

Centre for its inaugural conference for educational Director of Technology, Michael McGlade, the two-day hands-on training with the newest iPad apps and tech teaching methodologies for Kindergarten to Grade 5 classrooms. Ed-tech gurus Warren Apel, Sean Walmsley and Joe Moretti led the participants through sessions covering Spark iLearning, alternatives to coding, and robots and programming, while ISA staff members hosted sessions on iPads in Early Reading, iBooks Author, Aurasma, Visible Thinking, WeVideo and more. Dedicated sessions inside ISA classrooms allowed the teachers to experience how the students learn as they were guided through the various apps, projects and personal portfolios by ISA grade 4-and-5 students. “This conference truly showcased ISA’s integrated technology programme in our Lower School. Through the open house sessions, students had a voice in sharing with delegates how the iPads, apps and other technologies support their learning everyday.” noted McGlade. “In other sessions, we were able to share how the iPads were implemented and how we built our programme over several years to ensure that they enhanced the school’s inquiry-based curriculum, helped students demonstrate their thinking and fostered individual student independence. Attendees and our own teachers

and students found the conference to be a rewarding learning experience.” Reading and Writing in International Classrooms Developing and implementing a literacy programme that is balanced is key to helping children achieve success in reading, allowing them to gain a stronger and more confident view of learning. Led by two powerhouses in the world of children’s literacy, Kathy Collins and Georgia Heard, the workshop connected educators with hands-on expert advice on how to structure literacy programmes in a school and within various grade levels to ensure a continuity of learning and a richer understanding of literacy goals for teachers and administrators. Follett Destiny – School Library Management System Software Following on the literacy workshop, the CDLT collaborated with Follett Destiny, a global leader in educational materials, technology and professional development, to bring together 40 library professionals from across the globe to share tips and tricks on Follet’s Destiny system, eBooks, eTextbooks and more. Farin Mendes, ISA Lower School Librarian, felt the workshop brought true benefit to the attendees. “Hearing about innovative practices that are happening in other international school libraries gave me ideas for programmes that I would like to start at ISA. Plus, the opportunity to network with other school librarians in the region was incredibly appreciated.” Michelle Andis, ISA Upper School Librarian, agrees. “The fact that the entire ISA library team was afforded the opportunity to attend the Follett conference and provided real-time training on new Follett initiatives was a wonderful experience that we certainly appreciate. An added value came when our IT representatives were able to collaborate with Larry ‘The Follett Doctor‘ in the hopes of integrating our systems. “Ultimately, it is always nice to have the camaraderie of librarians from all four corners of the world, as we did at this particular conference, and all 40 attendees commented on the wonderful libraries, librarians/assistants and learning environments offered at ISA.”

Assessing What Matters Most: Developing Authentic Performance Tasks – Jay McTighe How does one assess students in a way that allows for meaningful and authentic learning? The CDLT was

pate in group discussions, to analyse scoring tools and assessments and to dive into peer feedback sessions. Lisa Verkerk, ISA’s PYP Curriculum Coordinator and ISA

fortunate to bring in famed educational researcher

Project Zero Coordinator, attended the event and found

and author Jay McTighe to provide hands-on training

the workshop to be inspirational.

employing practical and proven tools to ensure that teachers embody the most important goals of their

“Jay McTighe has a wonderfully calm way of leading

standards, while engaging students in a meaningful

participants through the planning process. The work-

way of learning them.

shop design allowed us to learn new ideas and to apply them within our own context.”

Structured as a “design workshop”, the 2-day event allowed participants to work in role-alike teams, partici-

“He combined the theory of teaching for understanding with tools which teachers could use. We even had time to take these ideas and put them into practice planning of our own upcoming units, so we all left with a valuable resource.”

Upcoming events The Fall calendar for the CDLT is now available online. Be sure to visit 6

the website at https://cdlt.isa.nl for more information

Courses & Careers A goal without a plan is just a wish

Guidance Programmes

Antoine de Saint-ExupĂŠry

In grade 9, students become adjusted to being high

The ISA Upper School Counsellors are often the first

pectations from their curriculum, including obtaining

to gain real insight into what direction a student might choose when looking for a professional career in the future. While course selection can be a factor in helping a student decide what career path he or she will pursue, there are other avenues that the Counselling team employs in order to help students analyse their likes and interests and to learn more about just what opportunities are out there in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast-changing employment context.

school students and learn to balance the various exCreativity, Activity and Service (CAS) experience. At the start of the year, they are introduced to their grade level counsellor and at this point begin to start to explore what their interests are and how they can begin to build upon their strengths to reach their goals. It is in grade 10 that students first begin to really examine how their interests may translate into the broader world, and one method used by the counselling team to assist them is the Interquest educational and career assessment tool. The resulting report from this tool helps students to gain a better understanding of their abilities,

Building a career is really an exploration...

academic strengths and interests, and what potential study and career choices may best suit them. Additionally, students in grade 11 are given a chance to take the Centigrade assessment, a more targeted tool which tries to connect students with courses in

Vikki Keulers 8

Grade 9 Counsellor

higher education that may best match their academic strengths and interests.

notes Shelly Tuttle, Upper School Counsellor.

2016 Career Day Topics

“They come to the campus and do individual interviews with students who sign up for

Advertising

‘We work with Step 1, a professional company that serves many international schools”

these assessments, as well as talk through the results of the reports with the students and their parents. This really helps students to create a frame for their course selection

Aerospace

for the Diploma Programme and for potential post-secondary courses as well.”. ISA Career Day In addition to the more formalised approach to career assessment, the Counselling

Chemical Engineering Commercial Business/General Management

department also takes advantage of the rich depth of professional experience within the ISA community by hosting an annual Career Day for grade 9 and 10 students. This

Communications

event is designed to offer students the opportunity to gain more insight on employment and to ask questions to professionals within career fields that are of particular interest to them – at a time when they are beginning to seriously consider professional life. Vikki Keulers, grade 9 and 10 Counsellor and coordinator of the ISA Career Day, re-

Corporate Communications Diplomacy

cruits parents, staff and alumni to take part.

Finance

“I want students to see variety and that there are mulitple pathways to a successful

Information Technology

and gratifying career.” For this year’s edition, 18 ISA parents volunteered to give employment advice and presentations on their career paths in a wide variety of fields. Each presenter hosted two sessions, allowing students to attend more than one area that they may have had

International Business Law

an interest in.

Marketing

One speaker, Sophie Worth, remembers what it was like to be a teenager trying to un-

Media Management

derstand just what the future could hold in terms of a professional career. “When I was a teenager, I always thought it was weird we were asked to know what we wanted to do later, and yet, we had no idea what kinds of jobs were out there. I am always happy to talk to high school kids, open their minds to all the different skill sets that live inside an advertising agency. If my presentation can lead to one little seed being planted in one student’s head, then it’s worth it and more!” The students seem to agree. “It was really well organised and interesting to hear their stories” noted Pelle van

Medical Science Technology News & Media Psychology Social Work Renewable Energy

Ommen, grade 9.

Veterinary Medicine

Jake Raben, a grade 9 classmate, also found the sessions useful.

A sincere thank you to the parents who volunteered their

“It was a great opportunity to learn about the different paths out there that we could

Jones, Vishwanath Kamath, Telma Kremer, Richard

choose from.”

time and advice: Adrian Herzovich, Mark Richard C. Kozel, Fulya Massizzo, Pedro Leal, Alison Ochs, John Paul, Julie Payne, Shi Ping Yao, Gorur Ranganath Prashanth, Tim Russolo, Sergey Tagashov, Angela Tweedie, Valerie Vass, Sophie Worth and Erika Harriford-McLaren. 9

Design Thinking A Chat with ISA MYP Design Teacher Sarah Woods

Why do you feel that design is an important component of the

Design is a subject that is often spoken about, but how

that you teach?

many of us actually know what that term means in the

Design thinking is a part of so many processes students

scope of an IB MYP education?

will experience in life; our course is based around solv-

Design in the IB

ing our students opportunities to figure out solutions to

The IB offers design in the Middle Years Programme (MYP) as a way to encourage students to take a holistic approach to problem solving through the application of practical and creative thinking skills. The programme allows students in grades 6 –10 to explore the concepts of design “in both historical and contemporary contexts” and urges them to take into account how their own designs will affect the world around them, focusing more

ing problems, and life is full of chances to do that. Givauthentic problems gives them a structure to approach problem–solving in the future. I teach MYP Year 4 and 5 Design (grades 9 and 10). In year 4, we focus on product design, where students solve a problem with a 3D-printed object. In year 5, students have a very open project where they create engaging learning experiences – usually games – on

on the process than the projects themselves.

topics covered in any subject in grade 10. They can build

At ISA, design covers a wide range of areas, encom-

engaging learning experience.

passing digital and product design. ISA Design teacher Sarah Woods focuses on design thinking and uses innovative ways to encourage her students to develop products and solutions that will strengthen their ability to approach and solve problems in all aspects of their lives – not just within the class. Here are her perspectives on why the design courses at ISA are important for preparing our students for the future. 10

ISA curriculum in general and specifically the type of design

computer games, board games, or any other type of

Do you feel that design courses offer students a chance to see the world in a different way? At the very heart of design we focus on the iterative nature of solving problems. We research, we ideate, we make, and we test. This allows students to see problems as something that can be solved by coming at them from different perspectives and trying different things to solve them.

The Design classroom was created to spark creativity within the students. The classroom features walls and tables that are magnetic How do your students react to your design classes? Do you think it is what they expected? My students engage with the topics with enthusiasm. They also face challenges and frustrations when the ideas in their heads are more difficult than they thought they would be to turn into physical objects. But it’s a good kind of struggle, and they’re always really excited

and writable, movable furniture stations and

with their end products.

multiple 3D

What do you think is the most interesting part of your course –

printers.

for yourself and for your students? Without a doubt, seeing ideas emerge from the minds of my students into physical objects that can be used by someone else. Do you think the importance of learning design is understood by students, families or higher education? Some people get it, some don’t. I don’t think it’s a subject that’s generally well understood to be as useful as it really is. Design permeates every aspect of our lives, and these students will be better prepared to meet future challenges and to find solutions to problems because of courses like these. To get a better understanding of what it is that we do, we have created an Instagram account, chronicling our journey and the designs that we have made. Please feel free to follow our account: @isamypdesign910.

Kindergarten Art Gallery Each Spring, ISA’s Kindergarten students are given the opportunity to showcase the work that they have done throughout the year in their art classes. For many of ISA’s younger children, English is their second language. Art class allows them to express themselves fully and creatively without the worries of crossing a language barrier. Lower School Art teacher, Frankie Rees, keeps the children engaged by teaching them about a variety of styles and movements in the art world, such as Chinese Willow painting and Impressionism, as well as about Dutch artists such as Piet Mondrian and, of course, Vincent van Gogh. The gallery is held in the ISA foyer so that the entire ISA community can experience our children’s love of art. It’s an event that the community looks forward to each year.

Macbeth How do you encourage a grade 5 student to enthusiastically take on Shakespeare in a drama class? You help him or her to create a version that allows them to embrace the greatness of the story - the elements of loyalty, betrayal and power – while also giving them the chance to express themselves with movement in addition to words. ISA Lower School Drama teacher Victoria Pope has been a long-time fan of Shakespeare and has been integral in getting the children involved in learning about the Bard and experiencing the magic of his words. For Macbeth, Pope and fellow Lower School Drama teacher Annie Bartley used materials from the Royal Shakespeare Company in the United Kingdom, John Doona’s book, A Practical Guide to Shakespeare for the Primary School, to help them with the structure of the unit, and Laban’s movement techniques for the Battle Scene. “We put together the unit using lots of different elements, and the students contributed ideas for the presentation. We also used a mixture of Shakespeare’s language and modern language so that the story was understood by all.” In the end, the audience experienced a mesmerising performance, with the actors’ bodies twisting and turning to highlight the flow of emotions that run throughout the play. The battle scene was simple yet epic, with both sides slowly drawing out their movements – a sword descending, a lunge to the left, a body falling – to simulate the chaos and carnage that occurs in the heat of battle. It was a play and a performance to be proud of. “We wanted them to gain an interest of Shakespeare and a love of the stories, says Pope. “This was a very successful project, because the students really enjoyed performing in front of their parents. Students chose whether to speak or not and which characters they would like to be. Everyone was involved

whether they spoke or not, allowing us to create an ensemble piece. They gained confidence in their acting skills and learned to work together with the whole class in this project. For many of the students, they said it was a highlight of their drama experiences in Lower School.” 13

IB Diploma Programme Visual Arts

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and anyone who has ever taken time to stroll through a museum or art gallery would likely agree, as there is something about the visual arts that sparks the human mind – triggering a free flow of thought, bringing about discussion, and often, stimulating debate. Visual Arts at ISA The International Baccalaureate programme recognises that “the visual arts are an integral part of everyday life, permeating all levels of human creativity, expression, communication and understanding”. At ISA, Visual Arts in the Diploma Programme (DP) plays a key role in the development of grade 11 and 12 students who choose the course by encourging them to use the skillsets they have gained from other classes – humanities, sciences, maths, music and more – to analyse the creative process and in turn develop art which

provokes thought, challenges assumptions and allows

On the left:

for critical reflection of oneself and society at large.

Stressed Out

While each IB school must meet the core requirements

Roseline Meijer

of the DP Arts programme, the schools are given the

Top

the freedom to allow students to explore their creativity

The Awakening

within the stated curriculum.

Rebecca Baugh

ISA DP Art teachers Sian Lysaght and Rika Duevel have created an art department that not only meets the needs of the IB, but also goes beyond that by preparing their students for a future where art can always play a part in their lives. They have taken the components, qualities and measurements of the Diploma curriculum, whilst also instilling their own philosophies and bedrock intentions on visual art to build a curriculum based on the ISA mission “to educate for international understanding”. 15

ISA’s programme framework is like a scafolding within which students can play and grow over the two years of the Diploma Programme. The first year allows them to focus on learning the fundamentals of the three required mediums of the IB: Two-dimensional, three-dimensional and lens-based art. The final year, they are given the freedom to explore these areas and to showcase what-

One only has to look at the art that has been developed by the students in the ISA programme to realise that this is true. Rarely does one get to experience art from high school students that is at this level. Recent ISA graduate Rebecca Baugh agrees. Having been admitted into Delft University to study architec-

they have learned.

ture (the programme is ranked 3rd in the world), Baugh

“In Grade 12 students have to write a comparative

only honing her design skills for her future but also for

study, which is somewhat like an art history version of the IB’s extended essay. They also have to create a process portfolio, which is where they curate out pieces and create their own exhibition with 11 pieces from any of the materials that they have produced”

has used her DP Arts course as a springboard for not curating her own work. She has several pieces which she has curated into artshows outside of ISA, including 5 pieces which have been accepted at the African & African-Caribbean

explains Duevel.

Design Diaspora, an official partner of the London De-

“The last component for completing the IB Visual Arts

London, from 18-21 September.

programme is the documentation of their processes, which includes our ISA museum visits to London that we do every other year, as well as anything that they did

sign Festival, at the Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf in

“The DP arts programme at ISA is thorough, intensive and extensive, qualities which helped me immensely in

not include in their show selection.”

preparing my art portfolio for universities. This is largely

The last two components allow the students to become

those in the art department, namely the hard-working

curators, in addition to artists, providing them with a well-rounded view of how themes can unite their pieces and how the “art business” functions in the real world. “We are completely compliant with the DP arts programme, but also offer something meta – something above that even – meaning that the learnings that they take with them are even above the details of the IB DP

due to the support and encouragement I received from and fantastic Rika Duevel and the facilities that were made available for me to create” says Baugh. “For me, the curatorial aspect of the course has been extremely beneficial and a unique attribute of the programme, albeit challenging. It was my first time learning to curate art, but has proven helpful for my upcoming exhibition and, hopefully, for others in the future.”

arts programme. Within alll of this, the curatorial aspects are key,” notes Lysaght.

Core areas The visual arts core syllabus at Standard and Higher Levels consists of three equal interrelated areas.

Communicating visual arts

These core areas, which have been designed to fully interlink with the assessment tasks, must be central to the planning of the taught course that is designed and delivered by the teacher. Students are required to understand the relationships between these areas and how each area informs and impacts their work in visual arts. - International Baccalaureate 16

Visual arts in context

Visual arts methods

AMIS

allows a singer to get insight into his or her own musical practice and to come into their own. AMIS festivals provide students and teachers with an amazing opportunity to do that.” The Road to ISA

This Spring, ISA was given the honour of hosting the 21st annual AMIS Middle School Honor Mixed Choir, an event which brings six to nine students from international schools throughout the world to participate in a threepart repertoire (Soprano, Alto and Baritone). The festival provides a unique opportunity for male and female middle school students to train and practice together alongside other international middle school students

(AMIS)

is an international, non-profit, non-sectarian, politically neutral organisation dedicated to the promotion of excellence at all levels of music education.

returned and discussed the possibility of bringing the Middle School Honor Mixed Choir to ISA with his Upper School music colleague, Kelly Webber. As it turned out Webber, who had already been very active in introduc-

some time about trying to host a Middle School event

School of Rome. ISA Upper School music teachers, Kelly Webber and Douglas Beam, served as hosts for the event, which was live-streamed so that families from the

national music festivals, had already been thinking for at the school. After some discussions and planning, the two pitched the idea to administrators as a unique opportunity that would not only build a middle school music presence at ISA but would also connect the ISA community with the wide range of international music talent from schools around the globe. Once the green

participating schools could watch their children.

light was given, the fun (and hard work) began.

“It’s so nice to bring teachers together from different

It Takes a Village

schools and to get different perspectives, and for our students to get to work with different teaching styles and to sing with other students,” explained Beam. “It

in Aberdeen in 2014 and talking with AMIS officials, he

The three-day event involved vocal training and learning

Paige Short, Director of Music at Ambrit International Schools

After attending the AMIS Music Educators conference

ing ISA high school students to AMIS and other inter-

mance for the local community, led by guest conductor

International

not actually hosted an event until he came to ISA.

and teachers.

a full repertoire of songs, culminating in a gala perfor-

The Association for Music in

Beam was familiar with working with AMIS, but had

Although the venue was set, both Webber and Beam needed to organise local housing for the participating students. Like with NECIS sporting events, the AMIS

Middle School Mixed Honor Choir festival has students stay with local families to extend their experience and provide a sense of home for the many who travel thou-

through lunch periods and after school, the Trebletones (as the girls named themselves) trained weekly to prepare for ISA performances and ultimately for the AMIS

sands of kilometres to the event.

festival.

They recruited assistance from Bethann McCafferty and

However, the AMIS Mixed Honor Choir requires both

Francesca Cinelli, parents of two High School music students who have been active in AMIS festivals and music competitions, to help locate homes. Within a few short months, they found several ISA families, who happily opened their homes to host the 60 student guests. “We had a group of parents and teachers who really showed an increased level of support for the arts in a very caring and sharing way,” noted Beam. “It was real-

male and female voices, and Beam found that recruiting boys was a bit more difficult. “In the end, we had four, and they all came to the group from us recruiting in our grade 8 music classes. It was a new experience for them, but they did great!” New Opportunities Beam and Webber would like to continue building the

ly amazing to see such community support for the arts.”

Middle School Choir presence in the school.

If you build it, they will come…

“We’ve got some options next year for Middle School

In addition to housing, Webber and Beam faced a some-

students. There are three festivals - there’s a Boys Choir

what larger obstacle – building a Middle School choir from scratch. There had already been a need to build a Middle School performing presence, and hosting the festival provided the perfect opportunity to do so, allowing the two to create a bridge of continuity from the Lower School to the High School choirs. Having worked with young female voices, Webber decided to start with an all-girls choir. She recruited at the beginning of the school year and was successful in bringing on board more than a dozen girls. Working

festival (Germany), a Girls Choir Festival (Switzerland) and then, of course, the Mixed Choir (United Arab Emirates). For the Boys Choir, any male student who wanted to participate could go. There really is no limit on who we could take, because unlike the high school AMIS festivals, these Middle School festivals are not based on auditions to be able to attend and participate. “If there is interest next year amongst our male students, we would be happy to start and train an ISA Boys Choir. Unfortunately, due to our schedules, we can’t

do all three. We can either do the Mixed Choir and the Boys Choir or the Girls Choir and the Boys Choir. Student interest will be a big determining factor in what we choose.” “There’s just something cathartic about the shared experience of singing in a choir. AMIS is a way to get students excited about being in music and performance ensembles and being a musician. It exposes them to music making, and that shows them what they are capable of doing. It gives them a challenge, and it’s our job to equip them with the skills necessary to meet that challenge.” Beyond Middle School The hope is that by participating in the Middle School AMIS festivals, younger students will gain a love for music and want to pursue it further during their IB education, which in turn might guide them into the Diploma Programme and the greater music world. In the Diploma Music Programme, students are asked to do some composing, performance (mostly solo), to submit a comparative paper between musical cultures and then sit for an exam. While students learn under the tutelage of their school’s music department, AMIS also offers IB music students an opportunity for connecting to other diploma students outside of festivals. “At my previous school, in New Delhi, we participated by sending students to honour festivals but also by sending them to the AMIS IB Diploma workshops, where they came together to share their work and receive feedback from other students and teachers from schools around the world, which was really nice,” explained Beam. Webber believes that participating in AMIS provides a tremendous benefit to MYP students – even those who are new to the subject and just trying to get a feel for it. “AMIS provides a wonderful opportunity for performance for the MYP. It allows students to be exposed to different styles, different conducting methodologies and different kinds of singers. It takes a certain kind of focus to do music, and by exposing them to this, they see what their own strengths and weaknesses are and are able to see how music brings music together from around the world.”

Nunya

One of the great aspects of the ISA music programme is its ability to attract visiting musicians from around the world to come and train with our students and staff. The richness of experience that it provides to young minds is immeasurable and is something that ISA families laud

Raise the Roof With the foundation set, Galli decided to host another fundraising concert to help complete the school’s construction. On Saturday 30 April, the Upper School Ensemble, Lower School Choir and Lower School Per-

when talking about our school.

cussion Group came together again to help Gbolonyo’s

Visiting musicians help to broaden the ISA music

Band, an advanced group of marimba-playing students

curriculum by giving students first-hand exposure to the passion behind a given culture’s music and traditions. They allow students to connect with the human element behind the sound, which in turn makes the experience

cause. They were joined by the ISA Kufara Marimba and Marimba Mania, a new performing group comprised of ISA staff and parents. They were, as in the year before, joined by a local Ghani-

more “real” and authentic during their lessons.

an Choir, ‘Inspirational Voices’, who sang several gospel

The musicians themselves often become inspired by

workshop for the audience during intermission.

seeing the enthusiasm of our students and take this inspiration back with them to their home countries. One musician in particular, Dr. Kofi Gbolonyo from Ghana, became so inspired that he invited ISA Lower School Music teacher Fabian Galli to visit his own music academy in his hometown of Dzodze, in the Volta Region

songs and also provided a Ghanian song and dance

Gbolonyo was unable to attend the concert due to prior academic commitments in Asia, but he did send a video message and a warm thank you to Galli, the school and the ISA children and families who have been so committed to the Nunya Music Academy project.

of the country. Gbolonyo is an Assistant Professor of Music (Ethnomusicology) and the Director of the UBC African Ensemble at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada ,and has devoted himself to making his dream of a local music academy come true for his community. Galli was struck by the fervor that the local children had for learning in general, and for music in particular, and he returned to ISA with an idea in mind: to support Gbolonyo in his quest to build a real music academy for his community. A Foundation In the Fall of 2015, Galli contacted several of his music colleagues in ISA to help him organise a Spring concert that would not only raise funds for Gbolonyo’s school, but that would also allow the school community to experience the same musical magic that inspires our visiting musicians. The inaugural Ghana Charity event was a huge success, raising over 5000 euros from ticket sales and donations. With these funds, Gbolonyo was able to break ground and begin building the foundation and walls to bring his community’s dream of a music school a few steps closer to reality.

On behalf of the Nunya Family and Team, I say thank you again for your devotion, love, and all efforts put into making these things happen and for the money raised. I believe that the best thank you we can give is to make sure that every penny raised and donated to the Academy is put to the ultimate use and goal for which Nunya Academy is established—education of the young and less privileged in Dzodze, in the Volta Region, in Ghana and beyond. I therefore promise that the money and all others raised from elsewhere will go into the school building for which preparations are at advance stage for sod cutting hopefully this June. Thank you and to everyone who helped you in organising this event, particularly to your school, the International School of Amsterdam. Later, I wish to write separate letters of appreciation to the various groups that performed and those who helped organise it. Best, Kofi Gbolonyo 23

Taiko Drummers

This Spring, ISA Lower School Music students were given the experience of a lifetime, when the internationally acclaimed Yamato Taiko drumming group visited the school to perform and train the students in the Japanese art of Taiko drumming. A Historical Perspective Taiko literally means “fat drum”, and the word is often used to represent a large range of Japanese un-pitched percussion instruments. While the origin of the drums is not known, there is evidence that the drums have existed in Japanese culture as early as the 6th or 7th century, likely introduced from Korean or Chinese influences. It has been suggested that Taiko drums were used in battle to frighten the enemy, and historical records have shown that they were used to issue battle commands and coordinate movement as early as the 1500s. They were also used in a more noble fashion, played in royal courts as part of the traditional Gagaku court music. Taiko drums can also be found throughout Buddhist and Shinto temples and shrines, and are often used in celebrations. Taiko at ISA The Yamato Taiko drummers perform around the world and are known for their energy and power. They brought that same energy to the school, chanelling their own passion for the instruments to the students. They began each session with a 10-minute demonstration, showing students from kindergarten to grade 5 the impressive sounds that the various Taiko drums can make. They then held warm-up sessions with each class to introduce them to the sounds and rhythms of the drums, before leading them into the jumps, dances and chants that accompany the Taiko beats. “We want to ensure that our students get exposure to a wide range of musical cultures. We have recently been successful integrating the marimba into their lives, and now we have Taiko drumming. It’s wonderful to see how much they loved it,” says Fabian Galli, one of ISA’s Lower School Music teachers. “The Yamato drummers were amazing and helped our students experience how powerful Taiko drumming can be. It was truly a success, and we hope that they return”. 25

Photos by Simon Elwell

Caucasian Chalk Circle “Who has what and why”?

designs from the period, with the caveat that the design

With these words, the Middle School drama production

as the students took on multiple characters throughout

of Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle opened, investigating the ethical, moral and social aspects of our

had to allow for multiple and public costume changes the production.

society.

The final act – the chalk circle scene – served as a

Written by Brecht in 1948, while in exile from Germany,

cal and economic struggle.

the play is an illustration of class warfare and Brecht’s condemnation of the bourgeoise. The story follows the plight of a child, abandoned by his wealthy mother in a time of war and later rescued and lovingly raised by a servant girl. The struggle for custody pits the classes against one another – forcing the court to use a “King Soloman” solution to decide the child’s fate.

powerful metaphor of these challenging times of politi-

“Chalk Circle is about selflessness and justice. It takes aim at greed and inequality,” explains Ken Baldino, MYP Drama teacher and Director of the play. “These timeless themes challenged our middle school theatre artists and merit all of our consideration.”

True to Brecht The ISA production rang true to Brecht, with the illusion of theatre removed. The stage was bare – curtains removed to reveal all costume and set changes. As one audience member remarked, “The theatre makes no apology. It demands the make-believe be suspended in order that the truth is better found.” The use of professional lighting and simple yet majestic staging allowed the audience to be a direct participant in the staging movements – their minds following each twist and turn until they settled into another scene, another emotion, another dilemma. A small grade-7 student band (Daniel Parvanov, Noa Kremer and Aaron Lencz) provided the background music for the scene changes, and the spoken and beautifully sung narrative by ISA grade-6 student Helena Haldane allowed for a seamless transition for each of the five parts. The costuming, created by ISA parent Clare Lenterman, was hand-made and created using authentic Georgian 27

The Giving Tree Save the trees

I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues. The Lorax - Dr. Seuss

In 1964, a book was published that stirred controversy in the literary world. The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein, was a story about a young boy and his life-long relationship with a tree – from sapling to stump. Many saw it as a parable (not necessarily suited for children) on man’s reckless attitude towards the destruction of trees, which in turn has led to the mass-scale deforestation we experience today. Others saw it as a story of hope that would positively influence children by allowing them to see how necessary it is to protect trees in a growing, globalised world. Five years later, Dr. Suess followed suit, with the publication of The Lorax, underscoring the belief that children could indeed make a difference in preserving our ecology. The PYP in Action A child’s voice can be a powerful force for change, and at ISA student voices often serve as a catalyst for improvement and discissions on how to make ISA, and our world, a better place. Several grade-2 students were inspired to launch a Nature Club, after learning about habitats in their class. Three club members grew par-

ticularly concerned over the removal of trees from the school grounds. They decided to draft a letter to Director Greene voicing their concerns. Dr. Greene readily responded, calling a meeting with the students and listening to their concerns. He then ensured them that ISA takes protection of the environment very seriously and, as a green-certified eco-school, it was and would remain committed to protecting the environment and promoting sustainability both inside the school and around the world. The Tree of Life As a thank you to Dr. Greene, the students sent him a gift. They drafted a letter and enclosed a leaf of a tree sapling with a request to plant the tree in the school’s garden. Dr. Greene did just that. Fast forward fours years and the little seedling has grown and blossomed into a tree. And while only one of the three students who wrote the letter remains at ISA (as is the way with international schools), the tree will remain as a symbol that children can make a difference in protecting our planet – even if it is one tree at a time. “It will remember you forever....”

ISA Grade 5 student Valentia Linais poses with Dr. Greene in front of the blossoming tree.

When one thinks of the leading causes of ocean pollution, the fashion industry is likely not top of mind. However, ongoing research has shown that clothing (specifically the plastics involved in making them) are fast becoming the leading pollutant of our water

scious event featuring the latest recycled and sustainable fashion designs from top local and international brands, which were worn by over 30 volunteer Lower and Upper School student models. The 45-minute show ended with a speech from the Director of the Plastic Soup Foundation, Maria Westerbos, and a live auction

A single article of clothing can release up to 1900 tiny

including items from the catwalk, backstage passes to a

synthetic fibres, also known as microplastics, per wash

designer’s show at Dutch Fashion Week and the chance

according to research by the Plastic Soup Foundation.

to drive a Tesla for a day.

And it is these microplastics that are fast becoming the leading contributor to plastic pollution within our oceans,

The Circular Economy and Fashion Each year, the ISA Green Team adopts a charity to guide the Lower and Upper School in their annual eco-

Use a fabric softener Some ingredients in fabric softeners reduce friction between fibres so the release decreases.

and sustainability campaigns. For the 2015-16 year, a decision was made to work with a charity that had both a local and global impact and that would support the Green Team’s theme for the year - The Circular Economy. After some discussion, they decided to support

Wash at a low temperature When clothes are washed at a high temperature some fabrics are damaged, leading to the release of fibres.

The Plastic Soup Foundation, an Amsterdam-based non-profit committed to halting “the increasing plastic contamination of our oceans”.

Avoid long washings Long periods of washing cause more friction between fabrics, which supposes more tearing of the fibres.

According to research from the organisation, “by 2025, there will be 1 ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish in the oceans, and by 2050 the weight of plastic will overtake that of fish. The cause of this future scenario partly lies in our clothing and the plastic microfibers it sheds

Dry spin clothes at low revs Higher revolutions increase the friction between the clothes, resulting in higher chances of fibres loosening.

in every wash.” Fashion Forward Spurred on by this new-found knowledge, the ISA Green

Avoid buying synthetic clothes Look for wool, cotton, linen, silk, cashmere or other natural fabrics.

Team decided to host a sustainable fashion show fundraiser to educate the the school community on ocean and eco-friendly fashion while raising funds for the Plastic Soup Foundation. Lower School Green Team Parent Advisor, Emma Langin the UK including work with Prince Charles’ charities took on the task of making the event happen. Upper School Green Team Student Advisor, Julius Kleipool, Grade 11 Green Team members Chiara Messum and Matt Anderson and parent Green Team supporter, Vicki Davison, rounded out the team. What they created was a true eco- and socially con-

Fill up your washing machine to the max Washing a full load results in less friction between the clothes and, therefore, less fibres are released. Use washing liquid instead of powder The ‘scrub’ function of the grains of the powder result in loosening the fibres of clothes more than with liquid.

creatring a phenonmenon known as Plastic Soup.

bridge, who had experience working with non-profits

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

“Many in our audience were shocked to hear about the

- The Plastic Soup Foundation and Mermaids Ocean Clean Wash Campaign www.plasticsoupfoundation.org

microplastic waste that comes off our clothes when we wash them. Our hope is there will be many people shopping and caring for their clothes in a different way from now on” exlplained Langbridge. “Overall the event was a huge success and raised just over 5500 Euros for the Plastic Soup Foundation and their fight to save our oceans.” 31

I think both the students and the guests were surprised at how beautiful the clothes were. I’m not sure what people were expecting (maybe hemp sacks!) but we had everything from sportswear to smart casual to evening wear. - Emma Langbridge

The Green Team would like to thank the following organisations for their support in donating clothing, raffle and auction prizes, welcome reception catering, lighting, and green programme printing. Staples, IKEA, Philips Lighting, Orangina, Ahold, L’Oreal, Tesla and Pureology. Please be sure to “Go Green” and support our featured designers Charlie + Mary, Ethletic, Girls Love Eco, Ink Inklusive, Koda, I’some, Lena the Fashion Library, Loenatix, Monique Collignon, MUD Jeans, Nike, Orta Anadolu,Imps & Elfs, People’s Avenue, Rag Bag, The Next Closet and Patagonia. 32

Photos by Simon Elwell 33

WWII History Field Trip Written by Chiara Messum, Grade 11

I have always had a passion for history. Something about the lives and lifestyles of those that came before us has always fascinated me. However, one subject that I have found particularly interesting is the Second World War. Therefore, when I was told about our WWII-based history trip, I was naturally excited. Overloon War Cemetary and Museum The trip began at the Overloon War Cemetery, where we were told about the number of soldiers buried there, as well as all their different nationalities. The cemetery has a book listing the names, in alphabetical order, of all the soldiers buried there. As there were so many different nationalities amongst the students on the trip, we thought it would be interesting to see if any of us had relatives buried there. We found only a couple of identical surnames, one of which was Jones, and since Jones is such a common name, we concluded that it was unlikely that he was a relative. Although we had no listed family, one of the things that really touched us was the inscriptions written on the gravestones by the soldiers’ families. The messages were often so personal and heartfelt that we could truly imagine the pain and grief felt by the soldiers’ relatives, and in our minds they became more like real people rather than just a list of names. The views amongst us were rather mixed regarding the cemetery itself. Some students used words like “elegant,” “beautiful” or “powerful” to describe it, while one student thought it was “dehumanising” in its vastness. Personally, I found it to be an emotionally peaceful place. Our next stop was a museum where we saw a variety of different photographs and simulations depicting the war, which gave us a better understanding of what it must have been like to live during that time. The first simulation we saw was from the inside of a plane, where we watched bombs being dropped on a city. We then stepped out of the plane and suddenly it 34

was if we were on the ground while bombs were falling all around us. This was accompanied by sounds of exploding bombs, sirens and screaming, which made it all seem so much more real and frightening. Following this, we saw the inside of an air-raid shelter and the layout of a room showing how people managed to hide Jews during the war. The next stop was my favourite part of the day – a real army base, where we were given exclusive access to the Crimes Scene Investigation unit (CSI), which was still actively recovering bodies of soldiers that fought in the war in the local area. It was such an eye-opener seeing the actual skeletons of the men as well as some of the possessions they were found with, such as boots, tags, guns, money and other small personal items. Once again it hit home that these were once real people like us – with dreams and families.

It was fascinating learning about how the CSI team manages to discover the names and families of the soldiers. We were also surprised to learn that the Dutch government funds the funerals for each and every soldier found, no matter their nationality, showing just how far countries have come since the war ended. Our final stop was Kamp Amersfoort, a Police transit camp. There is near to nothing left of the original camp however using symbolism, they were able to give us an idea of what it must have been like. One thing that moved me a lot was when we walked down â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the shooting laneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The prisoners would be dragged along to the end of the lane, where they would be shot. There were high banks on either side of the lane, which meant that all the men could see was the end of the long dirt path in front of them. Sometimes the men would be allowed to run down the path, so they would think they could escape. But they were just running to their death. It was so surreal to think that this view of the track was the last thing that those men saw before they died.

Throughout the day, we saw many monuments and hidden symbols that beautifully represented the men and the lives that were lost at the camp, as well as throughout the war. This was a really educational and enjoyable trip for my classmates and myself. It was fascinating and gave us a real insight into life during the Second World War. 35

ISMTF Math Competition In April, several of ISAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Middle School students competed in the International Schools Mathematics Teachers Foundation (ISMTF) Middle School Math Competition at the International School of Zug and Lucerne in Switzerland. ISA joined 41 teams, mostly from Europe, but some from as far away as Mumbai, in the picturesuqe town of Wengen for the three-day event. ISA competed with two teams. Team A (Anna Economon, Mamie Wilson and Sylvia Liu) placed 4th and Team B (Daniel Duncanson, Pranjal Ray and Vivienne Shi) placed 30th overall. On the first day, the teams spent their time building rockets, launching them, and using clinometers to measure the angle to measure the height. Awards were given to the team that achieved the maximum height, with the winning launch reaching 47 meters. Day 2 was divided into two parts. The students spent the morning competing in teams of three, with nine rounds of multiple choice and free response questions and a tie-breaker round. In the afternoon, a Math Chase through the village was done using QR codes at eight different stations throughout the village. Students used a map and then answered the questions they found with the QR codes, with prizes given to the winners. The next morning, students were placed in teams of 20 to collaborate and use teamwork to create Geodesic domes in patterns of pentagons and hexagons, creating a hemisphere that would fit all 20 students inside of it. After the hemisphere was completed, the students spent the rest of their time trying to combine two of the hemispheres into a full sphere. The ISA team arrived home happy with their improvement over their performance from the previous year, when ISA came in 10th out of 50 teams. 36

Runners, take your marks.... On a surprisingly beautiful and sunny spring Sunday afternoon (this is the Netherlands, mind you), ISAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parent charity group, SHARE, hosted itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2nd-annual Run to SHARE family fun run at the Startbaan Athletics field close to the school. Over 200 community members participated in the various running events, which allowed even the youngest ISA students to take part. From start to finish, the runners smiled as they completed their races, and some even discovered a hidden running talent! Going along with tradition, several

faculty and staff

also participated in the sponsored Staff Speed Walk Challenge - which offered a bit more humour this year as they manoevered through obstacles in costume. The 19 staff members brought in just over 2000 Euro from sponsorships. In total, the event raised over 4800 Euro to help assist ISA student-sponsored charities. SHARE would like to thank RunnersWorld Amsterdamse Bos for sponsoring the start numbers and bids; TomTom for donating 5 TomTom sports watches for the raffle and 1 TomTom Bandit Action Cam for the runner with the most individual sponsors (Carlos Carrasco); Footlocker for providing 200 Euro worth of vouchers and; NIKE for a wide variety of fun raffle prizes. 38

Special Olympics By Eli Arenas Thomas A group of dedicated ISA Upper School students again worked tirelessly to organise this year’s 20th edition of ISA’s Special Olympics for children who attend the Van Koetsveld school in Amsterdam. For two decades now, this event has served as a bridge between ISA and the community and has grown from a small student-run club to having 20 student committee members and over 90 “buddies” from grades 9-12 onsite to organise a day of play, relaxation and friendship for their new young

children who have disabilities or learn differently. Planning this event from the first to last stage and spending this time with them provides a new perspective on life and how we can really help others.” Knight and fellow grade 12 student Hugh Huyton did a fabulous job leading the Upper School students through the planning process from the design of appropriate

friends.

games and activities to organising and making the

ISA Special Olympics

orating the lunch and reception area, setting up the gym

Every spring, the children from the Van Koetsveld school spend a Saturday at ISA with Upper School students, participating in a circuit of around 10 activities and enjoying a lunch. It is a highlight of the year for students from both schools, and many of the ISA students who participated this year did so because their older siblings who have graduated recalled this event as being one of

lunches, choreographing a special dance session, decand, finally, running the event on the day. A Warm Welcome ISA bus drivers volunteer their time on the Saturday to drive to each child’s house to pick-up and drop them off so that they can attend the event. Once having been brought to the school, each child was warmly greeted at

the highlights of their high school years.

the reception desk by Knight, in Dutch, as very few of

Grade 12 student Jim Knight, who followed in his sister

arrived gingerly and others running in looking forward

Gerogia’s (’14) footsteps in leading the club, is one of those students who saw how the club made an lasting

the children speak English as a second language. Some to the day.

impression.

ISA security team member Martin Tellecamp, who has

“It is important that ISA offers this opportunity to our

proved invaluable as he calmly and patiently convinced

students to help children who often do not have the 40

same opportunities in life, because society still excludes

experience working with children with special needs, one child to come and join the fun. It was a great exam-

ple of how empathy radiates throughout our ISA community and leads to new friendships as well. Once inside, Huyton led the students in a dance to start the day with fun and a happy step, before diving into the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities. Working under the theme, the Jungle, the students from ISA and Van Koetsveld were grouped into eight colour-coded animal groups to move around the activity circuits. A special thanks to grade 2 teacher and Lower School Green Team leader Martha van der Meer, who lent many Green Team and second grade resources for decorating. The effect was amazing. As in previous years, we also had a group of student helpers from the city of Maribor, in Slovenia, who visited with their Diploma Programme coordinator from the II Gimnazija Maribor school. They arrived on the Friday before the event to help set up and were partnered on Saturday with ISA students to help the children move around the activities. ISA has had this collaboration running with the II Gimnazija Maribor school for three years now and looks forward to continuing it in the future. It Takes a Village While the students organise most of the events themselves, there are always those behind the scenes who help make the magic happen. A sincere thank you to Dr. Greene, for kindly donating ISA teddy bears, water bottles and ISA lunch bags for the children of the Van Koetsveld school as a memento of the day and to NIKE for donating sport t-shirts over the years for all involved. Additionally, thank you to the maintenance team, who were there to help with setting up various areas and the music system; to the ISA bus drivers for giving their free time on a Saturday to drive the children and to Jackie van Teijlingen for organising this with the bus company; to the PTA, who donates funding to make this event happen year after year; to Loretta Isherwood and Anita Lieftinik for onsite nurse supervision and to ISA parent Michelle Goller for coordinating a wonderful group of parents to help facilitate the lunch for the day. Lastly, a huge thank you to fellow co-organiser, Rosa Middendorf for her hard work and dedication.

NECIS The Winter NECIS teams for ISA once again had a spectacular season, with personal bests and team medals all around. More importantly though, the 2015-2016 Basketball and Swim teams once again created lasting bonds of friendship and learned the value of teamwork and support from oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s peers. Basketball The ISA U12, U14, Junior Varsity and Varsity Basketball teams competed in NECIS tournaments in Rotterdam and Antwerp, rounding out a great season of training and international competitions. The results of the four tournaments are below. U12 and U14 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rotterdam The U12 and U14 girls and boys teams competed in Rotterdam, with exciting games featuring everything you expect to see in a tournament; joy, disappointments, determination, teamwork and sportsmanship. With support from friends and families, the ISA teams achieved the following results: U12 Girls: 6th place U12 Boys: 2nd place U14 Girls: 2nd place U14 Boys: 7th place Junior Varsity and Varsity The Junior Varsity and Varsity teams competed March 11-12 in Antwerp. The tournament, which was also livestreamed, had a great crowd turnout, with families from all competing schools in attendance. The ISA teams fought hard and were successful in achieving the following results: JV Girls: 3rd place JV Boys: 1st place Varsity Girls: 4th place Varsity Boys: 2nd place

The ISA swim team travelled to Luxembourg to compete in the NECIS Swimming tournament, with students participating in the Under 10 to Over 16 categories. The meet allowed ISA students to see the full range of swim capabilities within a competition, with over 43 new NECIS records set during the two days. ISA swimmers won several medals, withÂ many winning multiple in both individual and team events. Gold Medals Girls O16 LC 100m Freestyle - Elin Jones Girls O16 LC 100m Backstroke - Elin Jones Girls O16 LC 200m Freestyle Relay- Anna Maria Economon, Jillian Schwartz, Frederika Friberg, Elin Jones Girls U16 LC 50m Backstroke - Jillian Schwartz Girls U14 LC 50m Freestyle - Anna Maria Economon Girls U14 LC 50m Breaststroke - Anna Maria Economon Girls U14 LC 100m Freestyle - Anna Maria Economon Girls 11 and Under SC 25m Breaststroke - Francesca Coppa Boys 9 and Under SC 25m Breaststroke - Jaiden Sreenivasan Silver Medals Girls O16 LC 50m Freestyle - Elin Jones Girls U16 LC 100m Backstroke - Jillian Schwartz Girls U16 LC 200m Medley Relay - Yi Mao (Megan) Fan, Evie Portier, Frederika Friberg, Hannah Boyle Girls U14 LC 100m Backstroke - Anna Maria Economon Boys U14 LC 200m Medley Relay - Alexei Arandelovic, Finn Portier, Vrishin Mehta, Joe Lessen Boys U14 LC 200m Freestyle Relay - Alexei Arandelovic, Trent Bohan, Vrishin Mehta, Joe Lessen Girls U12 LC 50m Freestyle - Athina Economon Girls U11 SC 25m Freestyle - Athina Economon Girls U11 SC 100m Individual Medley - Athina Economon Boys 9 and Under SC 25m Butterfly - Jaiden Sreenivasan Bronze Medals Boys O16 LC 100m Breaststroke - Luca Mustert Boys O16 LC 100m Backstroke - Luca Mustert Boys U16 LC 100m Breaststroke - Kohei Kinugawa Boys U12 LC 50m Breaststroke - Rover Brinke Girls U11 SC 25m Butterfly - Maya Harriford-McLaren Boys U11 SC 25 Butterfly - Taisei Kinugawa Boys 9 and Under 25 Freestyle - Jaiden Sreenivasan Boys 9 and Under 25 100 Individual Medley - Jaiden Sreenivasan

Retirements Admissions Officer, Joy Gilliard, leaves ISA after 15 years. Joyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dedication to the school was palpable as she guided hundreds of prospective families on visits to campus. In her tenure at the school, Joy has assisted in welcoming almost 5000 new students and their families to ISA and has helped to develop admissions processes, served on the Works Council, the Green Team and been an active member of the Social Committee. Her warm and caring nature will be truly missed. Machiko Okemoto has been a member of the ISA Japanese language programme and community since 1999 She has quietly, but so warmly, helped her students master Japanese language, culture and literature to stregthen their mother tongue language skills while also preparing them for the transition from ISA to leading schools and universities in her native country of Japan. She will be missed by many in both the Japanese and ISA community. Yaeko Hashimoto has served as ISAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Japanese Language Department Chair, the Japanese Community Liaison, and as a teacher of Japanese for 20 years. She approached every task with great energy and dedication and her commitment has been a key reason why the ISA Japanese program me is considered a model to many international schools across the continent. Yaeko has also been instrumental in helping our school establish and maintain a dynamic alumni program with former students and parents now residing in Japan. Virginia Weegenaar has just completed her 36th year as a teacher of English and EAL at ISA. Across four decades, she has opened the gates of English to so many students who entered ISA speaking little or no English at all and within a year (or two) she had them ready to study a full IB Diploma programme in English. She has also guided her own three children through ISA as they prepared for what would be successful university studies and sparkling careers. Virginia has made a strong impact on this school as a teacher, department chair and as chair of the Works Councils some years ago. 44

Staff Farewells Tricia Apel

Jonica Asteros

Grade 8

Grades 9-10

MYP Mathematics

MYP Student

Grade Level Coordi-

Support

nator

Ken Baldino

Pepita Franke

Grades 6 and 7

Lower School

MYP Drama

Dutch

Sandra Gray

Johana Johami

Upper School

Lower School

Science Lab

Floating Substitute

Assistant

Angela Maragh

Ronaldo Rohana

Lower School

Security Team

Floating Substitute

One memory that stands out in my mind is Mr. Charters standing by his desk, smiling and gently sipping at tea from his mug. His mug had a chart to determine what kind of tea he was drinking, and his tea always matched the last one on the

John Charters

chart. Everyday he would do this standing there smiling with his tea. Happy about the day ahead, or the day that had passed, passionate about his students and teaching. This is how I will remember him, more than my physics teacher. I looked forward to being in his class, his passion for the sciences and physics rubbed off on me, and many others in the class. He taught us more than physics, occasionally correcting our grammar on our

John Charters, Head of the ISA Science Department, passed away peacefully on a beautiful Saturday morning, after working in his community garden allottment. For those acquainted with John, there is a beauty in knowing that he spent his last

labs, and in class. He taught us about life in New Zealand as well as helping us to improve as both scientists and human beings. Every few classes we

moments doing something that he loved and was so passionate about.

would draw a photo of Mr Charters on the board,

John was a native of New Zealand, a land lauded for its natural beauty. So it is of no

He called us wicked children, and pretended to be

surprise that he devoted his life to unearthing the intrinsic principles of nature and

and surround it in quotes that he had made in class. embarrassed, but his smile said otherwise. Many of

exploring the matter and energy that create it.

these quotes were funny, occasionally poking fun

For over 30 years, John delved into the “how” and “why” behind what makes our

would tell us you all have problems, problems to

world what it is, and eagerly and selflessly shared that knowledge, and his wisdom, with thousands of young minds in New Zealand, the U.K., Germany and, lastly, here

at other sciences, mainly biology and geology. He do, and that some of us have more problems than others. But, Mr Charters without you here we now

in Amsterdam.

have the toughest problem of them all, and I don’t

His sense of curiosity was contagious, inspiring students, colleagues and teachers

mendous impact on anyone that you met, including

around the world to dive deep into the unknown (and sometimes known) and to ques-

even know how to begin to solve it. You had a tremyself, and there will now always be a hole that

tion – to always question.

cannot be filled. But surrounding this hole are many

In the few days since he has left us, there have been numerous tributes paid, stories

you have given me, and many others. With these,

told and tears shed over the loss of someone so integral to our community. There is much that will be missed about John - his deep sense of committment to his students and his colleagues, his ability to challenge and bring out the best in those around him

experiences, lessons, memories and stories that the hole does not seem so large, but I will miss you desperately.

and of course, his wit and dry sense of humour.

As taught in Physics, newton’s first law states that

John – you have made a fundamental difference in so many of the lives you touched,

to you too Mr Charters. Thank you for all you have

and ISA is proud to have been a part of your life and your legacy.

a body at rest will stay at rest, I hope this applies done for me, the school and any student who has been lucky enough to have you as their teacher or know you. Going to miss you. Sam Freeman Grade 11

Leor Zmigrod (‘13) was recently selected by Cambridge University as one of fifty-five scholars from 30 countries to become a Gates Cambridge Scholar. The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is awarded to academically outstanding students who “are likely to be transformative leaders for the benefit of others in all fields of endeavour.” The 55 new Scholars come from 30 countries. Leor will do a Ph.D. in Psychology. She will combine Neuroscience and experimental psychology to research the psychological processes behind radicalisation to an ideology or group.

Class Notes 1960 - 1970s

Be sure to stay in touch and keep us posted on what’s going on in your life. You can always send updates and photos to alumni@isa.nl.

John Brown went to ISA from the middle of the 5th grade to the end of the 7th grade in the early 1970’s. He will always remember taking the bus going past the Hilton Hotel where John Lennon and Yoko Ono had their bedin, and where they hosted the US 4th of July extravaganza. He still has the promotional poster for that at his parent’s house in Virginia. During his time at ISA, the school was across from another Dutch school, where the local kids wrote “de dierentuin” (“the zoo”) on the side of the ISA wall. “Good times!” Melaney Taylor Auxier lives on a small farm in Idaho with her husband, four of her six children, and an assortment of animals. Thanks to Face-

book, she has been able to reconnect with many ISA’ers and makes sure to visit with anyone she’s near when she travels. “ISA was an amazing experience!”

1980s - 1990s Sacha Boegem is an attorney at Fox Rothschild in West Palm Beach, Florida. He lives in Fort Lauderdale with his wife Stacy, their 8-yearold son Jay, dog Beaux and cat Vincent. Michal Cohen (nee Minitzer) spent six years at ISA beforemoving to South Africa and then London. She then completed both her degrees in Israel (BSc Biology and MBA) and has worked in Business Development/Marketing in the high tech industry for over 20 years. She currently

lives in Israel and is the marketing and events director for an American Law Firm in Israel. She has three children and still visits Holland often. She is also still in touch with a lot of her school friends (thank you, Facebook). Clare Cowan is currently working at Nestle Purina in the UK. Ainslie Croney (nee Morrison) lives and works in Woodstock, NB, Canada, with her husband, Derek, and son, Drew, and teaches at the New Brunswick Community College. Her brother, Andrew, is also living in New Brunswick with his wife Karen and two sons Willie and Ian. Marta Guirao is a lecturer in Translation at Universidad Complutense in Madrid, and an English-Spanish translator. Kate Hannaby decided to give up her full-time job, after a spot of ill health, to work for herself so she could have the time to study for a degree in Forensic Psychology. She’s not far along with her studies, but so far so good! Toshiya Hari graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2001. Since then he has been working for an American investment bank and is now based in New York City. Talita Lofthouse is currently working as a Marketing Manager for a teaching institution. She has been living in South-Africa ever since she graduated in 1989. Jennifer Olson is history and English teacher at a small rural school in Eastern Washington and is married with four children. “I believe my time at ISA made a deep impact on my ability to welcome and interact with people of different backgrounds and ideas.”

Gideon Richheimer was married in Las Vegas last year and is the founder of two companies. The first company, Savision-enterprise software, visualises data flows and the second company, Grow-online, motivates people to act and unlock their potential. Neeltje Schoen has been working as a flight attendant for KLM since 1998 and still lives in Amsterdam with Thijs, their beautiful daughter, Annebelle, and Barrie the cat! After spending nine wonderful years of teaching Drama and IB Theater at ISA, Michael Westberg followed former IT teacher, Greg De Rosa to Santiago, Chile. From there they moved to Zurich, Switzerland where they lived for five years before moving to Jakarta, Indonesia where they have lived for the past 9 years.

2000s - 2010s Rajan Bhasin graduated with a degree in Music Technology and currently works for a small firm training as a financial adviser. Johanna Cosgrave went on to build a career in marketing communications in a global marine equipment company after graduating from ISA in 2004. She left that position to start a family and is now a mother to 1-year-old son Noah. Since then, she has decided to work as a freelancer while pursuing a Masters degree in Corporate Communications. Arohan Dutt lives in Chicago and works on the digital marketing team for car2go North America. Alicia Gatius is located in Barcelona and currently working for Swiss company Lindt & Sprüngli as Brand Manager for Spain. She recently gave birth to her first son, Jan.

met mijn strijdâ&#x20AC;? (Go on with my fight) campaign featuring photos of men and women who have lost their fight against the disease. Melanie would like to invite the ISA community to join this fun event on 11 September to support a great cause. Registration is open for individuals or as a business team and can be done by visiting https://www.amsterdamcityswim.nl/inschrijven/.

Melanie Haak went on to study international business after graduating from ISA, landing a position within sports marketing agency, House of Sports, which runs the Amsterdam City Swim, a well known event where people jump into the Amsterdam canals to raise money for ALS. They are the creative minds behind the popular â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ga door

Class of 2016

Mike Grimes married in October 2012, to an amazing woman named Amanda, a behavior therapist for children with autism and developmental delays. He is a territory sales manager for the Altria Group Distribution Co. The couple just moved to the Columbus, Ohio, area and are excited to start this

new chapter of their lives. They have two great dogs, Boston Terriers, Kennedy and Monroe. Morgan Mider (nee Walker) and her new husband recently moved from New York to Hanoi, Vietnam, where he took a job working for law firm Baker & McKenzie in business development and she is working with a U.S.based wellness company to help launch their products in Vietnam. Brendan Miller has taught in Singapore, Vietnam and Egypt since leaving ISA. He will be moving to Beijing over the summer to work at the Western Academy of Beijing. Pierre-Emmanuel Ott is a Programme Manager for transportation optimisation, at

Amazon, based in Seattle. He joined the company in 2010 where he was based in Luxembourg and later transferred to Seattle in August 2015. Juha Virtanen received his PhD in 2013, and now works as a Lecturer in Contemporary Literature at the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK. A collection of poetry, titled Backchannel Apraxia was published by Contraband Books in 2014. A new chapbook, -LAND is due out in late 2016 or early 2017 from Oystercatcher Press. Noam Yahav is currently enrolled in a Law & Government dual bachelor at the Interdisciplinary Centre (IDC) in Israel. In his free time he teaches beer brewing for a living.

Congratulations to the Class of 2016. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors and hope that you stay in touch with us in the future!

We Will Burn - IB Visual Art project from Natasha Vohra, grade 12 student.

The International School of Amsterdam

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