ISF Newsletter January 2024 by ISF-Florence

ISF NEWSLETTER JAN UARY 2 024

www.isf italy.org

THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF FLORENCE NEWSLETTER, January 2024 Editor-in-Chief Tanya Bruckner Design and layout Tess Hitchcock Cover Photo Nathan Smith Printer Tipografia Color Print ISF alumni, families, faculty, and friends are welcomed and encouraged to submit ideas and articles for consideration. Inquiries may be addressed to: t.bruckner@isfitaly.org www.isfitaly.org

IN THIS ISSUE... COMMUNITY From the Head of School, Sharyn Baddeley

From the Board, Morgan Fiumi

Attributes of Learners and Leaders, Dr. Carey Killen

Making Friends, Junior School Student Sylvia Hyzer

Winter Concert Photos

JS + US Visual Arts

TEDxYouth@ISF

ISF Scholarship Program

Florence As Inspiration, Rebecca Oliver

Alumni News

ACADEMIC Senior Maths Competition, Lawrence Poles

Fall in Love With Life, Andi Nufer

Nurturing Young Hearts and Minds, Kelly Jo Dean

EVENTS Winter Concert Poem

Congraulations and Save the Dates

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CULTIVATING STUDENT LEADERSHIP SHARYN BADDELEY HEAD OF SCHOOL

I firmly believe in the pivotal role of student ambassadors and the significance of learning leadership skills through active involvement, now more than ever, especially for our high school students. In an era where universities seek students who will make meaningful contributions to their institution, the development of leadership skills holds paramount importance. Encouraging students to take up these roles not only cultivates their leadership abilities, but also nurtures a profound sense of responsibility, empathy, and personal growth. Witnessing students transform into proactive contributors and future leaders through these invaluable experiences is both gratifying and essential in shaping their holistic development.

to delve into their diverse interests. These extracurricular platforms serve as incubators for creativity, collaboration, and experiential learning, fostering a sense of community and personal growth outside the traditional classroom realm. The roles shouldered by our students as Student Ambassadors within these clubs and councils are pivotal. Beyond honing crucial leadership, teamwork, and organizational skills, these roles instill a profound sense of responsibility and empathy. By actively engaging in these roles, students metamorphose into beacons of positive change, not just within our school but also in the broader community. Moreover, these activities extend beyond mere academic and leadership growth; they cultivate a deep sense of belonging and forge lasting friendships, enriching the overall school experience. Students navigating these roles grow in confidence, resilience, and adaptability— qualities indispensable for thriving in varied environments and future pursuits. In essence, the significance of student leadership and active engagement as ambassadors cannot be overstated in shaping the holistic development of our school community.

At ISF, our commitment to nurturing student growth and fostering community engagement is evident through diverse avenues that not only encourage student involvement, but also cultivate essential leadership skills. Our Student Councils, operating across Junior and Upper School, stand as empowering platforms where budding leaders voice their ideas, spearhead positive changes, and actively influence school decisions. In addition to these platforms, students are provided with enriching opportunities to participate in impactful events like Model United Nations and TedX. These platforms don’t just showcase their leadership capabilities but also hone their critical thinking and passion for global issues. These experiences serve as transformative arenas, molding students into effective communicators and conscientious global citizens, ready to make impactful contributions to the world.

Students, as ambassadors, embody the spirit of empowerment, taking on roles that not only amplify their voices but also foster a sense of responsibility, empathy, and personal growth. The transformative power of these roles lies in their ability to nurture leadership skills, encouraging students to become proactive contributors within our school environment and beyond. These experiences extend far beyond academic boundaries, instilling qualities of resilience, adaptability, and the invaluable ability to effect positive change.

Furthermore, our school’s vibrant tapestry of lunchtime clubs, ranging from the Environmental Club to Sports and Fitness, Art, Garden Club, and beyond, provides students with avenues

At the heart of our school’s mission and vision lies a commitment to providing opportunities that empower 4

students to become leaders, ambassadors, and advocates for a better tomorrow. It is through these roles that our students not only develop as leaders but also grow as individuals, ready to embrace challenges and make meaningful contributions to our dynamic community. As we continue to champion student leadership and ambassadorship, we encourage all students to explore these invaluable opportunities, to engage, to lead, and to contribute to the vibrant tapestry of our ISF school community.

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FROM THE BOARD MORGAN FIUMI CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Happy New Year! On behalf of the Board of Directors, I extend a warm welcome back to ISF to everyone.

to one’s community is both important and fulfilling. We warmly invite more parents to become part of the PA. Joining offers the chance to meet other parents, gain insights into student life, and understand the school’s workings, including its strengths and challenges. Your involvement would be a valuable addition to our community.

As we embark on another exciting year, I’d like to acknowledge and celebrate our diverse and vibrant ISF community. While there are different elements and groups that collectively form our community, today, I particularly want to highlight the extraordinary contributions of our Parent Association (PA). Their time, dedication, and efforts play a pivotal role in enriching our educational environment. This parent - school partnership goes beyond filling needs; it helps create a thriving community and transform our school into more than just a place of learning.

If you are interested in joining or would like more information about the Parent Association, please contact Nora Dearden or Melina Caicedo at pa@isfitaly.org. Your participation is highly valued and can significantly enrich our school community. I want to express my thanks to the PA and extend my best wishes to the entire ISF community for a wonderful 2024.

This year, the PA has been actively organizing and supporting a variety of wonderful events. A few highlights include the successful Autumn Bazaar at the Junior School, complete with Halloween celebrations, games, food, and other entertainment. They also volunteered their time and contributed food and beverages to the Fall Festival and Festival of Song. Their current efforts include the substantial undertaking of organizing our most significant fundraising event, the year-end Gala. Additionally, they are arranging an upcoming visit to the Uffizi and preparing for the Teacher Appreciation Breakfast. These activities are just a few examples of their generous involvement, which ranges from classroom support to assisting in offcampus activities. One of our strategic goals is to encourage a culture of participation, and the PA sets a powerful example for our students in service and positivity. Their involvement demonstrates that education is a priority and that contributing

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ATTRIBUTES OF LEARNERS AND LEADERS DR. CAREY KILLE N UPPER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

When we think about the intense time and energy students invest in school, we think most often of their evident dedication to becoming more knowledgeable. We also witness their development as thinkers and inquirers as they learn to pose and to ponder high level questions, to discern fact from opinion, and to examine the validity of sources and arguments. As a school with a well-established IB programme, ISF has a longstanding commitment to support students in developing these and each of the many attributes described in the IB Learner Profile.

appreciation students show for each other and for their instructors during assemblies and performances, and in small acts of kindness and daily respect. Learning to be caring, empathetic, and compassionate is the work of a lifetime, and not without missteps, yet I continue to be impressed by the thoughtfulness of young adults on our campus. Building on strong foundations provided at home, students at ISF strive to be principled in their relationships with others and in their actions. Students learn, yearly, the importance of academic integrity. They examine historical events and consider the impacts of individual and collective human behavior on the environment and on vulnerable populations. They are encouraged to be open-minded, to understand the value of diversity, and to consider multiple perspectives as they seek to be well-informed and develop global-mindedness.

When I see students lead announcements in assemblies and bring forward proposals in Student Government, I witness their willingness to be courageous and to be risk-takers. These qualities are evident as well in our students engaged in the Duke of Edinburgh award programme, which encourages students to tackle challenges, build skills, and pursue new personal goals. Indeed, from Model UN to competitive sports programs, to classrooms where students explore new academic territory that may feel daunting, students engage in challenges, build confidence, and learn that they are capable of more than they had imagined.

As we began 2024 together, students spent time school wide being reflective as they reviewed their individual academic progress and set goals for the coming months. Throughout their two years in the IB Diploma Programme, our students in grades 11 & 12 write regular reflections as they engage in Creativity, Activity, and Service, a core aspect of their education at ISF that highlights the importance of being balanced and that extends education beyond the classroom walls.

Walking up the hill each morning, it is common to hear student voices shifting back and forth between any number of languages from their households. We’re proud that our ISF students continue to expand their skills year by year as communicators, building proficiency in Italian, English, and either French or Spanish while honing their ability to express themselves effectively and persuasively.

Clearly, many of the characteristics in the profile are hallmarks of life-long learners and represent sought-after qualities essential in future leaders. Recognizing this, our work with students at the Upper School to expand students’ horizons as learners and leaders is both a collective responsibility and a source of joy. We appreciate the partnership of families in helping students develop attributes that will serve them well far into the future.

We see daily examples of students becoming caring and thoughtful members of a global community. We see it in thoughtful interactions between peers, in the applause and 9

IB Middle Years Programme (Grades 6-10) In addition to offering the IB Primary Years Programme at the Junior School and IB Diploma Programme for grades 11 and 12 at the Upper School, ISF is well on the path to implementing the IB Middle Years Programme for Grades 6-10. Students who have attended the Junior School will be familiar with the IB’s emphasis on inquiry and the development of positive personal attributes and academic skills. Students who are relatively new to ISF will appreciate the inquiry-based nature of the MYP and the continuity provided by the MYP as students prepare for IB Diploma Programme courses coming up later in their high school years. The IB Middle Years Programme provides a framework that guides authorized schools across the globe to provide high quality, well-rounded, and internationally-minded education. Students at ISF in Grades 6-8 focus on key required subjects, including Math, Science, Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Arts, Individuals & Societies, and Physical and Health Education. Furthermore, once MYP is implemented at ISF, the required inclusion of Design will be integrated across multiple subject areas. Students in Grades 9 and 10 continue their required focus on six key subjects, Math, Science, Language & Literature, Language Acquisition, the Arts, and Individuals & Societies. Given ISF’s existing status as an IB school and the extensive groundwork already laid, many of the elements of the MYP will be familiar. Teachers in all subject areas have outlined units in ManageBac and are making use of MYP criteria in evaluating student work throughout the year. By emphasizing specific Approaches to Learning and Approaches to Teaching, the IB Middle Years Programme helps ensure that students build transferable skills in communicating, researching, organizing, reflecting, and more. As MYP is implemented, teachers will not be making drastic changes to content in their subject areas, but will be focusing on ensuring that Global Concepts and Questions of Inquiry will be addressed in lesson planning and lesson delivery. As ISF looks forward to implementing the IB Middle Years Programme in addition to the existing PYP and DP, we look forward to the continuous emphasis on inquiry, internationalmindedness, and reflection which can inspire personal and academic development for students at every grade level.

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MAKING FRIENDS SYLVIA HYZER GRADE 4, MS. RUNGE’S CLASS

Once, my life was perfect. Once, I lived in France. Once, I would walk to school with my friends. Once, I didn’t care what people thought of me. Once, I never knew my dad would say ‘‘Jöelle dear we’re moving to San Francisco.” Once, I never knew I could scream that… LOUD!!!

When I got to school I found a map and navigated where my classroom was. I was terrified but reassured myself that everything was alright. I heard through the door the teacher tell the class ‘‘There’s a new student. Now, we all have to be nice.’’

Hi my name is Joëlle Beauchene, I’m 9 years old and I’m moving to San Francisco.

I took a deep breath and opened the door. When I entered the classroom my cheeks felt as if they were on fire, and everyone was looking at me.

When I got on the airplane I remembered when I found out I was moving and how I had screamed.

There was only one empty seat I assumed it was for me.

I had looked my dad straight in the eyes and said, ‘‘You’re kidding, right?’’

Then my new teacher - Ms. Applebloom annouced, ‘‘Class, this is Jöelle Beauchene. She’s a new student and will be joining us in grade 4.”

He looked at me and closed his eyes and replied ‘‘No, I do joke a lot but I’m serious ma cherie.’’

She placed her hand on my shoulder and gave me a pat on the top of my head.

When he said those words I felt a lump in my throat, and I knew the truth that I would never see my friends again.

My mind was in motion, pictures running through my head. Just thinking of making one mistake made me petrified with fear as I pictured that moment.

My face was drenched in tears, I tried to blink back my tears but they came running down again like a waterfall. When we arrived at our new house - it was fully furnished, I got my own room and everything was my favorite color - PINK! It made me happy and my parents told me I could invite anyone, anytime. Maybe it would be okay.

Ms. Applebloom showed me my desk and she announced, ‘‘Jöelle is going to say a few words about herself.’’ So I looked at my hands they were sweating a lot I mumbled under my breath, ‘‘Hi, I’m Jöelle Beauchene and I’m from Paris.’’

The day I started at my new school.

Then Ms. Applebloom questioned, ‘‘What was that, dear?’’

I was a mix between nervous and excited because it was a new place and I hated and still hate first impressions but on the other hand it was a new place, a fresh new start.

So I turned and wrote on the whiteboard ‘Hi, I’m Jöelle Beauchene, and I’m from Paris.’ I was worried I spelled something wrong.

It was like a new planet, new species, a new atmosphere; scary but exciting, deadly but fun, new but rare experience.

When I finished Ms. Applebloom read it out to the class.

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My new class did nothing, half of them were drawing on their hand, while the other half were passing notes to each other.

I started the conversation by saying ‘‘Bonjour means Good morning in French.’’

At lunch I scouted the area I saw an open seat and approached the table. As soon as I pulled out the chair to sit down, a girl at the table turned to me, looked me up and down and scowled. ‘‘Find your own table,” she hissed.

So Alessia replied ‘‘Buongiorno means Good morning in Italian.’’ I was about to leave when she said ‘‘Can you keep a secret?’’ I replied ‘‘Yes’’

I pulled up a seat at an empty table and laid out my lunch.

Alessia turned to me and answered ‘‘My whole world is just falling apart I’m just so busy I have school work and on top of all that people have teased me ever since I moved here!’’

I heard people whispering, I knew it was about me, I felt as if I was sweating so much that the red in my hair would wash out. (My hair is naturally red)

I also said ‘‘Will this feeling ever go away? This feeling of… I can’t explain it’’

After lunch we went to recess and I was all alone again. I just sat upon the top of the monkey bars and imagined as if I was in Paris: the gentle breeze through my crisp red hair, the silence and the warm loving language of French in the distance.

She turned to me and answered ‘‘How does it feel describe it’’ So I tried to explain it I just replied ‘‘ It just feels like something made bullet holes in my heart’’

After recess in class we were learning about French agriculture. Luckily I knew all about it. When we started learning about French foods all the kids looked in disgust when they heard that some people in France eat SNAILS!

Alessia looked surprised and told me ‘‘ I know how that feels it happens when you move it also happened to me but trust me bandages will come and wrap it up’’

Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere all the kids in the class crowded around me and started chanting ‘‘Jöelle eats Snails, Jöelle eats Snails!!!!!!!!’’

We sat there for a moment in silence then we continued talking. I moved from Paris, France and Alessia moved from Rome, Italy. (Both capitals)

I was wishing with all my might that a hole would come and swallow me up.

The next day I wore my favorite outfit. When I got to school I heard kids whispering as I passed through the halls.

Then Ms.Applebloom cut in ‘‘Class, Class settle down.’’ At recess a big… no wait , a HUMONGOUS group of girls came up to me.

When I got to my classroom I saw Alessia. Then Mary came up to us and she reported ‘‘Aww little snail girl finally made a friend. But with tomato girl’’

I thought it was my chance to make friends, but instead the girl in the front just reported ‘‘Hi, my name is Mary and who the heck are you? What hold on a second you’re snail girl’’

Alessia was so mad that if she was in a cartoon red smoke would be coming out of her ears.

Then I just sighed and replied, ‘‘Hi, my name is Jöelle and by the way snails are délicieux wait sorry delicious.’’

I saw other kids turn around, they knew I saw them and covered their mouth with their hands so I didn’t see them laughing, but I already knew.

Then the bell rang to go to class. When I got home I started complaining, ‘‘Dad, everyone at school thinks I’m gross, weird, and they all call me snail girl.’’

My stomach was all queasy and in knots I was so embarrassed. And so she told Mary ‘‘ Mary, call us those names again at your own cost’’

So my dad looked up from his book and replied ‘‘Oh Petite Chatte, it will all be alright. You just need some time to adjust. You can’t just run away from your problems.’’

Mary went right up in Alessia’s face and said slowly ‘‘Tomato girl and Snail girl. But don’t worry I have a nickname too: Ms.Knowit-all, people call me that because I know it all’’

I complained to my mom too. She just answered ‘‘Ma chérie, it’s fine the kids are just trying to get a reaction from you. Just ignore them and they’ll stop.”

Alessia huffed ‘‘Well listen up Ms.Know-it-all you don’t know it all Snails and Tomatoes are Delicious, Délicieux or even Deliziosi. And you only know English not French or Italian’.’

The next day as I walked through the halls I ignored all the whispering and kept thinking ‘This is for mom and dad’

Mary just walked away in shock.

However, something different happened during recess. A girl named Alessia came up to me when I was on the monkey bars and asked ‘‘Can I join you?’’

Over the days me and Alessia grew fond of each other. I just realized after a week I don’t need a big group of friends, all I need is one loyal friend like Alessia.

I nodded and she climbed up.

The dictionary defines perfect as having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be. I define perfect as nothing, my life was never perfect, I was never perfect. Me and Alessia shared the adventures and pains of moving, she has my back and I will always have hers. French Glossary 1.

Ma Chérie - My Darling

Petite Chatte - Little Cat

Délicieux - Delicious

Bonjour - Good Morning

Italian Glossary 1.

Deliziosi - Delicious

Buongiorno - Good Morning

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JS WINTER CONCERT

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US WINTER CONCERT

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JS VISUAL ARTS

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US VISUAL ARTS

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TEDXISF YOUTH

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ISF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

We are now accepting applications through January 20th. For detailed information please see our school website. Successful candidates will be invited to an assessment day in February followed by interviews with the academic team.

The new ISF Academic Excellence Scholarship is now available for exceptional young minds at The International School of Florence!

We are very excited to be able to support two bright students from our local area and look forward to welcoming them into our vibrant international learning community.

We now offer two four-year scholarships (100% fee remission) for entry into Grade 9 in 2024, with yearly renewal subject to academic performance review. This is a unique opportunity for academically high-achieving students in the Metropolitan area of Florence in cases where there is genuine financial need, to join the International Baccalaureate Programme. As we are an English-speaking school, candidates must have strong academic English skills and demonstrate a real passion for learning.

*Application is not open to current ISF students

The criteria for applications are below: • Current Grade 8 student* • Academic excellence - shown through report cards and three recommendation letters from •

Head of School

•

English Teacher

•

A Science or Mathematics teacher

• Financial need - parents will be asked for annual tax filing or a similar document (ISEE) • High level of academic English

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FLORENCE AS INSPIRATION REBECCA OLIVER ADVANCEMENT MANAGER

The International School of Florence is a community deeply connected to its city. The magnificence of Florence is the product of more than six centuries of artistic development and creative growth. At ISF there is a strong effort to engage Florence as a source of inspiration, to develop a deeper relationship with the city and apply that in its curriculum. As an international school, ISF students and staff come from all over the world, but in profound ways, they are also Florentine.

time. In a more contemporary approach, Upper School teacher Tess Hitchcock brought Grade 11 and 12 students to visit the Anish Kapoor exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi, where students learned about the unusual materials used and the artist’s intentions. Kapoor’s merge of past and present is an important aspect of his work, and students were given the opportunity to reflect on their own relationship to contemporary Florence. This connects to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at ISF, where students have to consider their own artistic development for a personal exhibition at the end of the course. Tess states, “We are so fortunate to have the city of Florence as an extension of our classroom, providing endless opportunities for inspiration and cultural enrichment. It’s living in an open-air museum.”

This fall at the Junior School, Art teacher Vanessa Regnier developed a cross-grade art project dedicated to the city of Florence. The project, titled FLO-ZEN, transformed a range of local historical monuments into large-scale zentangles which each grade designed and coloured with intricate pattern repetitions. Zentangle art is a meditative process which promotes calm and relaxation, particularly beneficial in teaching children mindfulness and concentration.

Teachers at ISF are always eager to find ways to deepen the ties between the school and the surrounding community This adds immeasurable value to the ISF experience, and the development of its students as described in the school logo, ‘Independently minded, uniquely Florentine’.

Another project at the Junior School takes a different approach to developing this relationship. As a part of a year-long ‘Where We Are in Place and Time’ unit ‘Uniquely Florentine’ Grade 2 students with the guidance of teachers Amy Leatherman and Silvia Caniglia began the year celebrating the Florentine festival, Festa della Rificolona. Students learned about the history of this delightful Florentine tradition and then created their own beautiful hand-made lanterns. On a visit to the city centre, they went back in time on a tour of Palazzo Davanzati, a historical home. They then searched the city for important symbols that make Florence unique, such as the ‘Giglio’ and the porcellino, and looked at the 3D map in Piazza della Repubblica to see which landmarks they recognized. Back at school, they learned about ‘Pippo the Fool,’ Filippo Brunelleschi, whose courage and ‘out of the box’ thinking created the greatest dome of its

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ALUMNI NEWS The Alumni community is vital to ISF’s institutional identity and there are exciting plans underway for greater Alumni engagement in the future. This effort is essential to deepen ISF ties and community networks. ISF Alumni have gone into the world to achieve a diverse array of outstanding accomplishments and serve as a source of inspiration for our current students. We look forward to Alumni career days, the implementation of overseas Alumni Chapters and Alumni reunions. Alumni art gallery owner Eduardo Secci generously hosted our most recent event in November which was a creative way to gather local and visiting Alumni. For more information and to share any ideas about Alumni engagement, please contact Rebecca Oliver at r.oliver@isfitaly.org! THE JOY OF GIVING We are seeking to strengthen the culture of giving at ISF. Gifts, donations of (m)any kinds, volunteer hours and community support are wonderful ways of participating in the ISF experience that have a profound impact on the school’s ability to thrive and evolve. A hearty round of applause to those who invest in ISF! You ensure our students are nurtured and inspired as they grow into the future changemakers and caretakers of the world. To those who haven’t yet joined us, we invite you to participate in any way that feels right to you. Your participation is a deeply powerful message of belief in ISF and its future generations.

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SENIOR MATH COMPETITION LAURENCE POLES GRADE 12

On Saturday 18th of November, ISF hosted a Senior math competition, challenging 16 other teams from 8 international schools based throughout Italy, to undergo 3 comprehensive rounds of questioning, in order to determine the best 4 mathematicians at the event. There were also opportunities for the mathematical students to discuss their mathematical ideas with students from other mathematical schools in order to use their mathematical abilities in new ways and for all to see the mathematics that is around us at our campus.

At the end of the day, students were put into different interscholastic groups and participated in three invigorating activities, exploring the math present in our campus and the world around us.

On the day of the competition, each student was given 3 souvenirs from our school which included: a math notebook, a pencil, and different humorous math stickers. They used and enjoyed these throughout the day, including during the delicious lunch break which was fully catered for by Mr Iacovitti. The organizers also brought pastries and drinks for the different schools as snacks and breakfast. This, and the rest of the competition was organized by Dr. Poles alongside Ms. Clapp from St. George’s school and the aibswi organization, as well as five grade 12 students who worked together since the start of the school year to prepare the event. These CAS students waited for the different schools to arrive on the campus early Saturday morning and welcomed them to the upper school campus. As stated, the competition consisted of three main scoring rounds: the short questions, the infamous crossnumber, and lastly the longer questions - during which the students found themselves begging for more time! These culminated in revealing that St. George’s Team 1 came in first place, and St. George’s Team 2 came in second, with ISF’s very own Team 1 bringing home the bronze medal.

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ART LEAF INSTALLATION ANDI NUFER CREATIVITY & INNOVATION

As part of the celebration of this season of Thanksgiving, the whole school community came together to make an immense art installation, one individually hand-made leaf at a time, to help us practice gratitude to become more aware of and fully receive the abundance, big and small, in our everyday lives. The resulting art installation Fall (in love with life), plays on the name of the season and its falling leaves to invite us to slow down and notice so that we indeed grow in our experience of being in a love affair with the ordinary, everyday gifts of beauty, kindness, joy, wellbeing, and small graces that we might otherwise overlook. Each student in homeroom, supported by homeroom advisors, was invited to create their own beautiful, unique leaf out of paper and then write a thankfulness message on it. Huge gratitude to the CAS student leaf crew who helped organize and then distribute and collect the art materials, who were supported by a wonderful team of Parent Association volunteers and generous help from the Maintenance Staff that all put hands together to assemble and hang the hundreds of resulting leaf artworks into one beautiful immersive environment in reception. Special thanks also to every student and staff leaf-making artist and supporter of this project whose every leaf makes it more stunning! Our gratitude practice via the artwork is continuing through “sticky” notes written with stick pens to help us continue saying “thank you” and paying attention to the small “love notes” left for us every day moments. As we walk by the reception bulletin board, students’, staff’s, and visitors’ sticky note thank you messages will continue to collect each day as we Fall/fall in love with life together.

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NUTURING YOUNG HEARTS AND MINDS KELLY JO DEAN JUNIOR SCHOOL DEAN OF STUDENTS

Join us in getting to know our Elementary School SocialEmotional Counselor, Paula Bernal, who plays a vital role in creating a supportive and positive school community.

with any concerns or questions regarding their child’s social and emotional well-being. She can be contacted via email at p.bernal@isfitaly.org or by scheduling a meeting through the school office.

Paula wears many hats as our Social-Emotional Counselor. Her primary focus is on the emotional and social development of our students, ensuring that each child feels valued, understood, and supported in their journey through elementary school.

We are fortunate to have Paula as an integral part of our elementary school community. Their dedication to fostering a positive and emotionally supportive environment ensures that each child at ISF can thrive academically and personally.

One of the key aspects of Paula’s role is to provide a safe and welcoming space for students to express their thoughts and feelings. Through individual or group counseling sessions, she helps children navigate the ups and downs of growing up, fostering resilience and self-confidence. In collaboration with teachers, Paula implements programs that promote positive social interactions and cooperation. Through interactive activities and discussions, students learn valuable social skills, including communication, empathy, and conflict resolution. Paula equips students with tools for emotional regulation and coping strategies. Whether it’s dealing with friendship issues, classroom challenges, or personal concerns, she empowers our young learners to navigate their emotions in a healthy and constructive manner. Collaboration is key! Paula works closely with teachers and the learning services team to create a harmonious learning environment. Additionally, she provides resources and support for parents, ensuring a collaborative effort in promoting the well-being of our students both at home and in school. Offering whole class workshops and supporting students at recess. Parents and guardians are encouraged to reach out to Paula

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WHEN GIVING IS ALL WE HAVE READ BY JAMEY SNIPES POEM BY ALBERTO RIOS

One river gives Its journey to the next. We give because someone gave to us. We give because nobody gave to us. We give because giving has changed us. We give because giving could have changed us. 10 We have been better for it, We have been wounded by it— Giving has many faces: It is loud and quiet, Big, though small, diamond in wood-nails. Its story is old, the plot worn and the pages too, 15 But we read this book, anyway, over and again: Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand, Mine to yours, yours to mine. You gave me blue and I gave you yellow. Together we are simple green. You gave me 20 What you did not have, and I gave you What I had to give—together, we made Something greater from the difference.

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CONGRATULATIONS!

Alessandra Bocciero (Upper School Receptionist) gave birth to Andrea on December 9th, 2023 at 8:46am at 3.290kg.

SAVE THE DATE!