ISF Newsletter October 2020

I SF N E WS L ET T ER OCTOBER 2020 | WWW.ISFITALY.ORG

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF FLORENCE Our Mission A laboratory for learning where we collaborate to add meaning to a shared future.

Our Vision We aspire to build communities of creative makers and doers.

in this issue...

THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF FLORENCE NEWSLETTER October 2020 Editor-in-Chief Tanya Bruckner Design and layout Tess Hitchcock Printer Tipografia Color Print

comments Big Tent, Simon Murray

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A Message From The Board, Cathleen Compton

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features Life in the Time of COVID-19, Michael Landolfa

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A Different 2020 College Counseling, James Lee

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ISF alumni, families, faculty, and friends are welcomed and encouraged to submit ideas and articles for consideration.

US Lunch and Snack Break, Toby Dean

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Parioli Day School, 1961, Leon Erlanger

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European Day of Languages, Mathias Volkai and Lorenzo Budroni

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Inquiries may be addressed to: media@isfitaly.org

Welcoming New Staff

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Mindfulness and Breathing, Carla Benedetti, Sara Masi, and Erin Hoover

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www.isfitaly.org

Group 4 Projects, Lies Verbanck and Lorenzo Budroni

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updates Toddle at the Junior School, Nicky Shamash Corri La Vita Parent Association, Isabel Hohagen and Marleen Custers Physical Education at the Upper School, William Denley Jones Curriculum Changes, Clare Kelly IBDP Update, Jason Blackstone

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BIG T ENT HEAD OF SCHOOL, SIMON MURRAY

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hile any school day can sometimes feel like a bit of a circus, especially these days, the transformation of the school into a tented village is a very visible reminder of so much that has changed recently. In that context, I hope that it is not too much of stretch to move from thinking in big tents to ‘big tent thinking’. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, ‘big tent thinking’ describes an approach that attempts to balance diverse points of view and persuasions in the service of consensus, common goals and goods. Its inclusive character feels well adapted to our own diverse community and society at large in times such as ours.

complex society that was not of their making but is theirs to change.

In times of accelerated change it is often easy to assume that the past has little to offer by way of guidance. I am not so sure: “It is true that unity is to some extent necessary…but total unity is not. There is a point at which a polis, by advancing in unity, will cease to become a polis: there is another point, short of that at which it may still remain a polis, but will nonetheless come near to losing its essence, and will be a worse polis. It is as if you were to turn harmony into mere unison, or to reduce a theme to a single beat. The truth is that the polis is an aggregate of many members; and education is therefore the means of making it a community and giving it unity.” (The Politics, Aristotle)

While not always reflected across the globe in terms of national responses that too often seem like individualism writ large, the very nature of a pandemic requires collective rather than individual reflection, as we are obliged to modify and moderate our behaviour and perceived needs.

Our Strategic Plan asks that we “recognize the impact of our actions on our interdependent world and promote a culture of solidarity.” This is a rightly challenging and timely ambition. However, I am very proud to say that the community, including its very youngest members, has shown itself capable of demonstrating such solidarity.

Current events have produced accelerated change and while many of these changes have brought enormous damage both physically and socially, it is possible to conceive of accelerated progress too.

All the best and enjoy the break, Simon

Sustaining and constraining the demands of the one and the many is no easy job. Keeping that dynamic intact feels critical though. We have a lot still to learn and that is why education always has been and will remain political in its original and best sense insofar as it is generative of the future. I hope that at ISF we continue to engage with that dynamic recognizing that our students have inherited a

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A M E SSAGE FR O M T HE B OA R D ISF BOARD CHAIR, CATHLEEN COMPTON

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n behalf of the ISF Board* I would like to welcome those families new to our ISF community, and to say welcome back to returning families. We normally have a welcome back cocktail that we had to forego this year but it is our sincere hope to find ways to reach out and get to know many of you.

inward and outward focus as we carry on with the second year of the strategic plan.

The focus this year will move from clarifying our identity to continuing to make progress toward our goals. The Board’s institutional role is one of oversight and support to the Head of School who, together with the Senior Leadership Team, map out a path forward. There is no denying that the pandemic has made this more complicated, but it has also shown us how well-suited our Mission and Vision are to the times. Working together we find meaning and begin to see the outlines of a shared future.

The Board wishes to thank the many people who contributed to the successful reopening of school this September – a joyous moment of reunion for students and their teachers! We are grateful to the many members of ISF staff who were instrumental in assuring that the reopening would proceed smoothly. ISF staff continue to work hard to maintain a safe learning environment that inspires confidence and permits the school to carry on with the education of our children.

As many of you know, the ISF Board is made up of individuals who volunteer their time to ensure the school maintains its international accreditation, is financially sustainable and that good governance is exercised in accord with the community’s Strategic Plan. It is our task to support the administration through direct work with the Head of School as we strive to operationalize our aspirations and bring our ideas into concrete focus in the everyday lives of ISF students.

Even in a school year marked by adversity, last year saw real progress. We are especially proud of the expanded curriculum and two-week schedule with an increased focus on creativity and physical education at the Upper School and the exciting outside learning programme at the Junior School.

We will host our first Board Forum, open to all members of the ISF community, in January as an Annual General Meeting, where we will discuss this year’s priorities, as well as setting them in a context of the five-year Strategic Plan cycle.

As the seasons come and go, we learn to respect the seriousness of the pandemic while not losing sight of the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves in the Strategic Plan.

“Internationally-minded, uniquely Florentine” is a phrase that captures the two sides of our identity, a bit like the two ends of Galileo’s telescope. Bringing this aspirational two-directional identity into clearer focus and making it a reality was central last year, as the Florentine Studies program launched on the one hand and the parent-teacher research projects gained international recognition on the other. We are committed to holding this simultaneously

We wish you a relaxing Autumn Break and look forward to the rest of the semester. *ISF Board: Chair Cathleen Compton, Vice Chair Morgan Fiumi, we welcome Treasurer Marco Fazzini, Secretary Silvia Quiroga, David Aspin, Alessia Cheng, Eric Goulder, Kristin Krebs-Dick, Giovanni Liberatore, Ivan Mijatovic, Jacopo Monaci Naldini, and Paola Pulidori.

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LI FE I N TH E T I M E O F COV I D - 1 9 MICHAEL L ANDOLFA, ISF WORKERS’ REPRESENTATIVE FOR SAFETY

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rying to lead a normal life – does anyone remember what that is? – during the Covid-19 pandemic is challenging enough.

But how do we move forward in our formal school learning? This is a critical question that each ISF student, teacher, and parent faces on a daily basis.

Wearing masks in all indoor spaces;

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Frequent hand washing and sanitizing;

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Maintaining distancing and refraining from touching;

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Checking body temperatures every day before entering school;

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Paying extra attention to cold and flu symptoms (“better safe than sorry”);

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Sanitizing surfaces;

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Opening classroom windows and otherwise increasing air exchange with outside air;

Greatly reducing the sharing of devices, pens, paint brushes, and other materials;

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Keeping within year groups during educational activities;

And many other measures specifically intended to maintain our health and safety.

Our response so far has been to carry on with in-person teaching and learning. From the start of September to now we have been quite successful in this, although multiple challenges have certainly arisen. It’s fair to say that we have had some luck on our side, but on the other hand every member of the ISF community has been doing his or her part to ensure our collective health and safety. How have we done this? We are following the best advice coming from international and national health agencies regarding preventing the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 virus: •

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The most recent update of the ISF Safety Protocol for Covid-19 was published on 20 October; it specifies the myriad ways in which the school is working to protect the health and safety of every student and community member. While many of these measures entail significant costs, we are sure that the face-to-face teaching and learning that these expenditures allow us to accomplish is well worth the sacrifice.

The sacrifices come in other forms too – masks partly blocking our speech and our smiles, not being able to give hugs or even pats on the back, no soccer games, etc. It is here where we have to acknowledge and thank the students and staff at ISF for giving their best efforts to comply with the anti-Covid-19 protocols. There is no doubt that our continued compliance with the protocols – tiresome as these may be – is one of the keys to keeping the school open for in-person learning.

If I can make a final note, it is that altruism – taking a personal cost to provide a benefit to others – is one of the core elements of our society, of our humanity, and of ourselves as individuals. Why do I gladly wear my mask? Because I care about you. Forza ragazzi, let’s wear our masks and follow the protocol. It’s the best way to get the entire ISF community successfully past this current challenge.

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A DIFFER ENT 2020 COLLEGE CO UNS ELI NG JAMES LEE, ISF US COLLEGE COUNSELOR

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ince March this year, we are seeing hyper-accelerated shifts in college preparation. Being tech savvy has become a norm, zoom conferences and meetings a natural follow-up, and we are studying and working in ways we never thought possible only months ago. Searching for and exploring colleges and universities has changed now too – many students and parents are making the most of virtual visits and meetings with institutions which is great to see. We all know that it is the time to reflect and face the changes upon us.

But, I am very excited to tell you - the determination and motivation of ISF students have not changed one bit! The focus on the personal profile and development is continuing. After all, this is the reason ISF students choose to study at university – to develop their interests and passions at new heights, greater depth. What a response!

Now, this year’s outstanding group of seniors are preparing and submitting their applications. As always, their interests are wonderfully diverse and ambitious, from medicine to art, from the USA to Hong Kong! As we enter the period of deadlines, let’s wish them the best of luck for all their college applications.

GRADUATING CLASS OF 2020 Our graduating class of 2020 responded to an unprecedented experience in their final year of school with resilience, excellence, and overwhelmingly positive energy!

The impressive results of the hundreds of university/college applications are now transitioning into a beginning of a new exciting chapter. They are now studying at some of the best institutions in the US, the UK, Europe, and elsewhere around the world, and some have opted for a well-planned, productive gap year before commencing their studies. We look forward to welcoming them back to ISF and hearing their stories!

CLASS OF 2020 MATRICULATION LIST Warwick University (International Management) King’s College London, UK (History) – class of 2019 University College London, UK (Social Sciences with Quantitative Methods) Imperial College London, UK (Chemistry) University College London, UK (Social Sciences) Queen Mary University of London, UK (Biochemistry) Loughborough University, UK (Architecture) Imperial College London, UK (Mechanical Engineering) Goldsmiths, University of London, UK (Media and Communications) Durham University, UK (History) Exeter University. UK (Computer Science) University of Edinburgh, UK (Chemistry) Queen Mary University (Law) University of Westminster, UK (Sociology) University of Arts London, UK (Foundation Diploma) University of Arts London, UK (Foundation Diploma) University College London, UK (Mathematics/Gap year) Welsley College, USA (Political Science) Boston University, USA (Business Administration) Sarah Lawrence College, NY, USA (John Cabot University in Rome, Italy for 20-21) Suffolk University, Boston, USA (Business Management) Princeton University, USA (Liberal Arts/Gap year) Northeastern University, USA (Business and Innovation) University of Michigan, USA (Liberal Arts) Penn State University, USA (Liberal Arts) University of Maryland Global Campus, Asia Campus in South Korea Boston University, USA UTSA, Texas, USA (Fire Sciences) Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy (Economics and Management) Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy (Communication Management) Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy (Economics) Bocconi University, Milan, Italy (Economics, Management and Computer Science) Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy (Communication Management) University, Rome, Italy (Economics and Business) University of Amsterdam, NL (Sociology) Rotterdam School of Management Erasmus University, NL (Business Management) Gronigen University, NL (Medicine) Leiden University, NL (Psychology) Erasmus College or Gronigen University, NL Leiden University, NL (Arts, Media, and Society) Hotelschool the Hague (Business and Hospitality) Groningen University, NL (Economics and Business Economics) University of Amsterdam, NL (Business Management) University of Amsterdam, NL (PPLE) University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Science Brno, Czech Republic (Vet Medicine)

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US LU NCH + S NAC K B R EA K TOBY DEAN, US VICE PRINCIPAL OF WELLBEING

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n the last 4 weeks we have been working to improve our lunchtime provision whilst ensuring we adhere to the protocols recommended by the ISF COVID task force in response to the ASL guidelines.

KEY POINTS Activities will be provided each day for all Middle School students during snack and lunchtimes.

It’s firstly important to recognise the patience and understanding of all our students who have maturely, conscientiously and consistently identified the importance of these changes to lunchtime to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all, and to maintain learning on campus for as long as possible . Yes there are occasions when students need prompts about masks, distancing and one way systems but don’t we all when these have not been the norm.

The guidelines state that students have to be separated into grade levels and have to be restricted to designated areas. This logistical conundrum was quickly and effectively resolved with the efforts of our Facilities Team and in fact the lunch experience for our students where they were able to eat ‘al fresco’ dotted around the beautiful Villa Gattaia under the Tuscan Sun was actually a change for the better compared to our previous lunchtime provision.

Unfortunately it soon became apparent that with students restricted to designated areas the opportunities for them to be active and social were limited and whilst we encourage them to make healthy choices and have balance, our MS students can often find it very challenging to resist the temptation of using their devices. It was quickly identified there was a need for change...

What type of activities are provided?

An ISF Upper School ICT task force has been looking at solutions. In collaboration with our ever-proactive MS council students the Upper School leadership has also been discussing and commenting on particular models of what best suits the needs of ISF students. Furthermore a number of parents have also offered their experience and expertise.

We are fortunate to have this high level of student, teacher and parental engagement.

Where can the students do these activities?

So here we are with the help of this input from all areas of our community we are rolling out a new look lunch provision from 4th November. We will review this with our students after four weeks on the 4th December.

In these areas the students will be able to play a number of activities such as; dodgeball, newcombe, spikeball, volleyball rallies, and soccer keepy ups all under safe supervision of an activity coordinator.

Each grade will be provided with 2 sets of UNO cards, 2 packs of playing cards, 2 chess boards, 2 sets of spikeball, 2 sets of table-top table tennis (a net, 2 bats and a ball).

These can be used in their assigned designated areas AND in their leisure zones (the cage and the lowerfield).

Two leisure zones will be made available for Middle School students during lunchtimes. These leisure zones will either be: the Upper Field, which includes the Caged area, a foosball table, a table tennis table, and a number of benches; or the Lower Field, which includes two goals and a number of benches.

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When can students go to these areas?

school phone to contact a parent or guardian. If there is an important message the student may need to see or send then they can ask their lunch supervisor for a phone pass card which entitles the student to use their phone.

At lunchtimes, students will stay at their designated areas from 12.10 to 12.30 to eat their lunch. At 12.30 those who have finished their lunch will go to their assigned leisure area for that day and begin any of the chosen activities or of course just sit and relax with friends. Those students who need a little longer to eat their lunch can go to the leisure area when they are ready. For snack breaks students must stay at their designated areas.

When can students use their devices on Tuesday and Thursday?

All Middle School students can use their devices at snack and lunch times as they wish. They must first eat their snack or lunch. No devices should be used during the eating of food.

Can students still attend Extra Curricular Activities (ECAs) during these lunchtimes?

How are students being supported with device free days?

Yes, our ECA timetable offers a wide range of activities for all our students, and students who have signed up can continue to attend any of the following ECAs: LGBTQ Club, Literary Cafe, Film Clubs, Lettering and Handwriting, Activate Drama club, Chess Club, Book Club. The Library is also available for each Middle School Form Tutor group on one lunchtime during the two week timetable.

We recognise that as students reduce the time spent on their devices, they may face some challenges. During the week beginning 19th October, our Middle School students, in Wellbeing classes, began their next topic from the Positive Education Curriculum, which was Resilience. This topic will continue for another two weeks and will give opportunity for students to discuss resilience and also provide them with opportunities to develop strategies and techniques to help build their resilience. Grade level assemblies/workshops offered and delivered by ISF parent Annalisa Ferrari in her role as a psychotherapist will also be provided during the week of the 9th November.

What happens if there is wet weather during snack and lunchtimes?

Each designated area has seating areas within a minimum of three weatherproof gazebos where students can sit safely and be protected from any rain. Many of the provided activities can be safely played inside these gazebo areas.

Snack and Lunch Breaks on Monday, Wednesday and Friday will be device-free. This will be softly rolled out to the students during the 4th, 5th and 6th November through Grade level assemblies and will begin on the 9th November.

What does device-free mean?

Middle School Students will not be permitted to use any technological devices (chromebooks, laptops, smart phones) during during MS Snack (9:50am to 10.10am) and MS Lunch (12.10 to 1pm) on the device-free days.

What if a student needs to contact a parent or guardian?

Middle School students can ask Krystal or Olivia to use the

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LE ON ER LA NG E R

PAR I OLI DAY S C H O O L - 1 9 6 1

LEFT: LEON ABOARD THE LEONARDO DA VINCI SHIP, DURING PASSAGE TO ITALY, 1961 RIGHT: LEON AND FATHER IN FRONT OF THE SPANISH STEPS IN ROME, 1961

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was only five years old when I spent seven months as a kindergarten student at the Parioli Day School—the predecessor to the International School of Florence.

My father, a microbiology professor at Columbia University Medical School, had decided to do a sabbatical in Rome.

My memories are a collection of short, dream-like movie scenes. I remember the months of anticipation leading up to December 9, 1961, the day we’d leave for Europe.

People didn’t travel internationally very much in those days and passenger jets were brand new, so traveling across the ocean to Europe was a huge deal and made me famous in my NYC kindergarten class.

That day, we drove downtown in a taxi and boarded the Leonardo da Vinci, a small passenger ship by today’s standards—immense looking to me—and took the eightor ten-day voyage across the ocean. Many friends and relatives came to wish us a Bon Voyage and there were lots of noise and confetti as the ship pulled out.

I remember the playful Italian waiters, who all seemed to love children, and the incredible feeling of floating on the ocean hundreds of miles from anywhere, the only one in my family not to get seasick. After days on the quiet, gray, empty seas, we suddenly pulled into noisy, colorful, crowded Naples, where women seemed to be shouting and hanging laundry from every balcony. Then it was on to Rome by car, where on the first freezing Winter night my father showed me how to toss coins into the Trevi Fountain.

Every weekday morning my dad would seat me in our Volvo bug and announce that we were driving to Israel.

Inevitably, we’d end up at the Parioli School, at which

time he would exclaim, “I must have made a wrong turn!”

Eventually we did spend a week in Israel during the Easter break.

The Parioli School was very different from my NYC public school. I had to wear a uniform consisting of a blue wool blazer with a Parioli logo patch, and either shorts or pants. The kids were a mix of nationalities, including Italian, and the teacher, Miss Di Gilio, of mixed Australian/Aboriginal descent. Unlike in NYC kindergartens, we learned some reading and writing, which was very exciting for me, and had nap time on small cots in the afternoon—very luxurious. The whole atmosphere was gentler and quieter than that of my NYC public school.

I should have felt some culture shock I guess, but I remember falling right into it and feeling comfortable almost immediately. Miss Di Gilio was a very kind, gentle woman who did her best to make me feel at home. She was young, dark skinned, and attractive, with an “exotic” Australian accent and I instantly developed a wild crush on her that lasted the entire year. One day, my mother went out for coffee with Miss Di Gilio and me after class.

She later told me that I completely lost my mind, running around the café, talking non-stop, and knocking things over. Miss Di Gilio used to shake each child’s hand at the end of the day. Looking up at her smiling face and shaking her hand was the high point of my five-year-old life.

My class was an interesting collection of students. The movie Cleopatra was filming in Rome at the time, so the class consisted in part of the offspring of famous Hollywood stars, including the daughters of Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Guy Madison, who is unknown today, but was a big star of TV Westerns at the time. On my sixth birthday, my parents threw me a birthday party filled with

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Hollywood children in the Borghese Gardens.

course, he never thought to look for.

Elizabeth Taylor’s daughter was very quiet, kept to herself, and was picked up every day by a chauffeured limousine.

Guy Madison’s daughter was gregarious and older, and often took care of me like a mother. Also in my class was a descendant of Abraham Lincoln. Her father was the tallest person I’d ever met and bore a striking resemblance to the former president. Elizabeth Taylor donated a golden asp armband from Cleopatra to the school carnival auction and all the fathers enjoyed laughing about bidding for Elizabeth Taylor’s golden asp.

The whole experience was a great adventure, and I was a little disappointed to return to my sleepy suburban New York neighborhood. When I entered first grade, already reading and writing, I had to take a matching test to determine if I were ready to learn to read and, incredibly, I failed it. Fortunately, the teacher was observant enough to notice that I answered the difficult questions correctly and many of the easy ones incorrectly. Together, she and my mother figured out that the test was very culturally biased and that my seven months in Italy had altered my perception of many things that Americans took for granted. Among the matches were traffic lights, which I had rarely seen, and blimps, which were everywhere in the U.S. at the time, but nowhere to be seen in Rome.

I remember playing with the other children in the small yard at recess every day, including Fabrizio, a rambunctious kid who was the official class troublemaker. My mother told me I once scolded him for being nasty to Miss Di Gilio.

Of course, I went on to read and write, eventually becoming executive editor at PC Magazine. Today I live in Manhattan with my wife Lynne. Our twin daughters Amy and Iris just graduated college.

Rome had no traffic lights in 1962, just occasional traffic cops. My father found driving stressful and there were frequent fender benders. Amazingly, he got a traffic ticket for driving through Rome’s very first traffic light, which, of

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ISF’S 70 TH ANNIVERSARY Since ISF opened in 1952, we have spent 7 decades educating children from all over the world. Mark your calendars for a Spring 2022 Alumni Reunion with graduates spanning all 70 years!

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E U RO P EA N DAY OF L ANG UAG ES: CEL E B RAT I NG OU R M U LTI CU LTU RA LI S M WRITTEN AND TRANSL ATED BY MATHIAS VOLKAI AND LORENZO BUDRONI

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he week between the 26th of September and the 2nd of October, our school celebrated the European Language Day – maybe the language teachers forgot their mathematical abilities and thought a day was a week, or they just got confused with all the languages they speak.

For our school language department, including English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish this week represented a chance to spread the multiculturalism and multilingualism present in both the school and Europe.

more approachable, and more cooperative with other people, and this holds true for our governments and leaders as well. When governments recognize a variety of languages, it gives people from those different cultures a voice and representation in their respective countries. Furthermore, by having an open mind to diverse cultures, this gives a greater value to minorities’ cultures and languages, some of which might be on their way to extinction.

Talking about Europe in particular, due to its complex and extensive history, its languages give an overview of the cultures, especially in cases where they are not limited by countries’ borders. For example, German is the most spoken language in Europe, with around 16% of the population speaking it, followed closely by other languages like Italian, French, Spanish, and English. As a matter of fact, these five languages are the institutional languages of the European Union, and they are all taught at ISF. We are all so lucky to experience such a diverse environment, and we should use all the tools available, and also online apps such as Duolingo, to work on it and become a part of it.

Our International School of Florence is famously a hub for different cultures and nationalities. If you have ever taken the time to gaze up at the facade of our school building, you may have noticed the array of national flags, where each flag is representative of the individual countries and cultural backgrounds that ISF students originate from. This is further shown by the multitude of languages spoken by our classmates and ourselves, for example: I, Lorenzo Budroni, was born in Italy, lived in Turkey for 15 years, speak four languages (If you count Australian), and have Italian and Australian nationalities. While I, Mathias Volkai, was born in Switzerland, speak four languages, and have Italian and Hungarian nationalities.

But why is it good to be multilingual? By being multilingual and multicultural we open ourselves to the experiences of others. On a personal level, we become more invested,

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L A JO U R NÉE EUR OP ÉENNE D ES L ANG UE S: CÉLÉ B R E R NOTRE M U LTI CU LTU RA LI TE ÉCRIT ET TRADUIT PAR MATHIAS VOLKAI ET LORENZO BUDRONI

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a semaine entre le 26 septembre et le 2 octobre, notre école a célébré La Journée Européenne des Langues – peut-être que les professeurs de langues ont oublié leurs capacités en mathématiques et ont pensé qu’une journée était une semaine, ou ils ont simplement été confus avec toutes les langues qu’ils parlent. Pour notre département des langues scolaire, y compris l’anglais, le français, l’allemand, l’italien, et l’espagnol, cette semaine a représenté la possibilité de partager les idées de multiculturalisme et plurilinguisme qui sont présent dans l’école et l’Europe.

Mais pourquoi est-il bon d’être multilingue? En étant multilingue et multiculturel, nous nous ouvrons aux expériences des autres. Personnellement, nous devenons plus investis, plus approchable, et plus coopératifs avec les autres, et cela vaut également pour nos gouvernements et nos dirigeants. Lorsque les gouvernements reconnaissent une variété des langues, cela donne aux personnes de ces différentes cultures une voix et une représentation dans leurs pays respectifs. De plus, en ayant l’esprit ouvert aux cultures diverses, cela donne une plus grande valeur aux cultures et aux langues des minorités, dont certaines pourraient être en voie de disparition.

Notre École Internationale de Florence est fameusement un hub pour beaucoup des divers cultures et nationalités. Si vous avez déjà pris le temps de regarder la façade de notre bâtiment scolaire, vous avez peut-être remarqué la panoplie des drapeaux nationaux, ou chaque drapeau représente les différents pays et cultures dont les étudiants de l’ISF sont originaires. Ceci est en plus démontré par la multitude des langues parlées par nos camarades de classe et nousmêmes, par exemple: Moi, Lorenzo Budroni, je suis né en Italie, j’habitais en Turquie pour quinze ans, et je parle quatre langues (Si vous autorisez l’Australien), et j’ai une nationalité italienne et australienne. Alors que moi, Mathias Volkai, je suis né en Suisse, je parle quatre langues, et j’ai une nationalité italienne et hongrois.

Parlant de l’Europe en particulier, grâce à son histoire complexe et étendue, ses langues donnent un aperçu des cultures, surtout dans les cas où elles ne sont pas limitées par les frontières des pays. Par exemple, l’allemand est la langue la plus parlée en Europe, avec autour le 16% de la population qui le parle, suivi de près par d’autres langues comme l’italien, le français, l’espagnol et l’anglais. En effet, ces cinq langues sont les langues institutionnelles de l’Union Européenne, et elles sont toutes enseignées à l’ISF. Nous avons tous beaucoup de chance de vivre dans un environnement aussi diversifié, et nous devons utiliser tous les outils dont nous disposons pour lutter pour la multiculturalité et en faire partie.

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WELCOMING NEW STAFF

KA R I M H O SSE INI Karim Hosseini is joining us from Bedford, United Kingdom and is ISF’s ne w Director of Finance and Human Relations. He pre viously worked for the Ministr y of Defence in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Hosseini loves all kinds of comics, is a keen and lousy Sindo martial artist , and just bought and electric scooter for his daily commute.

C L A I R E A NG E L E TTI Claire hails from the United Kingdom but has spent the last se veral years teaching at St . George’s British International School in Rome. A s the ne w ISF Upper School Learning Lead for Creativity and Innovation, as well as our ne w Drama teacher, she will be spreading her fantastic energ y all over campus.

Mrs. Angeletti has toured worldwide as a performer, singer, and theater director with various theater companies. While touring in Colombia, she was once invited to become a nun and join the local conve nt because the y wanted her in the choir. She belie ves we can all achie ve the impossi ble if we set our minds to it , but tr ying to teach her dog yoga this summer proved to be a challenge.

J U L I O P UE NTE GA R C IA Julio Puente Garcia joins us in the ISF Librar y this year, having most re cently worked at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valle y, California. Orig inally from Mexico/California, he earned his Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Puente is a huge baseball fan, enjoys cooking with his two boys (Ales sandro, 4, and Cosimo, 2), and writes short stories.

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K E LS E Y H O O D Kelse y Hood joins us from the Pacific Northwest of the USA to teach Sci ence. She pre viously studied abroad in Florence, which is where she met her husband. She has a Masters in Teaching Adolescent Biolog y at Fordham University in Ne w York City.

Mrs. Hood loves to travel and experience ne w cultures. She i s one of 16 siblings, many of whom were adopted internationally from places like South Korea, India, and Ethiopia, as well as through a local foster care system.

GI A N F RA NCO MA R L E TTA Gianfranco Marletta is originally Scottish but is joining ISF from his last post in Berlin. He completed his PGCE studies from the University of Sus sex and w ill be in the classroom this year teaching mathematics.

Mr. Marletta is particularly fond of elephants and birds, enjoys running as often as his legs will permit , and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith is one of the fe w books he has read twice.

A L L I S O N P E R KIN Allison Perkin is joining ISF from her last teaching position in Berlin, but is originally from the UK. She has a PGCE degree from Sussex University.

A s a teacher of English, she’ll be in the classroom with her nose in a good book , as she is happiest when she is reading.

She once ran a full marathon and remembers, “It was awful.” She also loves music, from The Clash to Johnny Cash.

K RYSTAL SH USKE Y Kr ystal Shuske y will be the ne w face you see in the ISF Upper School Reception. She is a native of Italy, having recently relocated from Milan.

Kr ystal has a BSBA in Marketing and International Business from the University of Missouri - St . Louis.

She has a yellow labrador named Denali that moved with her to Italy from the USA. She loves salsa music and salsa dancing, and sh e definitely takes advantage of alone time in the car to sing karaoke.

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L I S E - LOTT (L ISA ) G R IMM Lisa Grimm will be joining us this year as one of our ne w Physical Education Teacher. Originally from Sweden, she received her Bachelors in Education from Karlstad University.

Mrs. Grimm has played soccer in the highest league in Sweden and on the U19 National Team. She’s also lived in China, and has a black belt in karate .

J U L I E TTE GAUTH IE R Juliette Gauthier is joining ISF as our ne w French Teacher, coming most recently from Clermont-Ferrand. She loves to travel, eat food, and go to the cinema.

M E GA N JO NE S Megan Jones has joined the ISF Faculty as one of our ne w Physical Education teachers. She has a degree in Physical Education from Canterbur y University in Christchurch, Ne w Zealand.

Mrs. Jones took up a ne w sport when she turned 40 (surf canoe) and won a silver medal at the World Masters Games in 2017. She loves cooking, knitting, and embroider y. She was also once a counselor at a summer camp in Vermont , USA.

M A R Í A MA E STR E FE R NA NDE Z Maria Maestre Fernande z is a local to Florence but ne w to our community as ISF’s ne west Spanish teacher. Originally from Spain, she completed her schooling at the Italian School of Madrid, and also recei ved her MA degree in Secondar y Education at the International University of Valencia.

Señora Fernande z has also worked and studied in Spain, Argentina, the UK, and Italy. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Latin American Studies.

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MIND F UL NE SS + B R EAT HING CARL A BENEDETTI, SARA MASI, AND ERIN HOOVER

ABOVE: JS STUDENTS PRACTICE PEBBLE BREATHING AND DRAWING THEIR BREATH BELOW: THE FINAL ‘DRAW YOUR BREATH’ ARTWORKS

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n the first week of Early Years 2 the children began discussing and learning about their breath. They were introduced to a mindful practice called Pebble Breathing. This practice is adapted from Thich Nhat Hanh’s Planting Seeds book. During Pebble Breathing the children are encouraged to sit tall and strong like a mountain and to focus on their in-breath as well as their out-breath. They focus on their pebbles or close their eyes while music is played. Pebble breathing can help children cultivate greater freshness, solidity, stillness and freedom.

In order to focus the children’s attention even more on their breath/body connections the teachers invited them to a ‘Draw your Breath’ learning engagement. They were asked the questions: What body parts do we use to breathe? How do we breathe mindfully? What kind of posture should we use when we are focusing on our breath? Afterwards they used a crayon to draw their breath on a piece of paper. They noticed how their lines changed when they really paid attention to their breath!

In the IBPYP curriculum, the children in the early years are introduced to the Approaches to Learning Skills: Self-Management Skills. In this category one of the focus subskills is States of Mind – Mindfulness. The children are given opportunities to learn strategies that they can use to take responsibility for their own well-being and how they can be aware of body-mind connections. The EY2 children will continue to develop these skills in a variety of ways throughout the school year.

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GR O U P 4 PR OJ ECT LIES VERBANCK ‘21 AND LORENZO BUDRONI ‘21

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HAT IS THE SCIENCE INTERNAL ASSESS MENT? While it may seem that the science Internal Assessment (IA) is just one more necessary task in a long list of obstacles that the IB Diploma Program throws at us, once we took a closer look and became more invested in the project, it became something much greater. The IAs give students the chance to take control of our learning – to find something unique within the syllabus of our subjects and subsequently to expand on that. And while we, as 17 year-olds, didn’t expect to “innovate” or make new discoveries in science, the IA gave us the chance to freely explore and arrive at a more profound understanding in our academic interests.

This did not come easily, as we were expected to devise our own experiments using our own conditions and variables. We had the ability to investigate almost any topic of our choosing – within physics, chemistry, and biology – in order to get a better understanding of our interests. That is, for two days we became real scientists.

This taught us not only how to work independently but to cope under pressure with stress. For most of us this was the main emotion, as on the first day of the IA many things went wrong. However, these lessons were valuable, as through facing and eventually overcoming challenges you learn that there are many factors that affect scientific experiments. Furthermore, we each needed to be able to come to a logical conclusion from our processed results, analyzing how the trends in our data compare with theory, giving plausible explanations for our outcomes, and trying to critically evaluate our results. All in all, not such easy tasks.

Even though the IAs may seem difficult and complicated, we were surrounded by our classmates and teachers who could always give a helping hand, whether it was in setting up the experiment or giving advice on ways to improve the method. We believe that because we were surrounded by people we knew, we felt a certain calm that helped us cope with the stress. In sum, we both enjoyed the four days that were dedicated to our IAs for each of our science classes. It was a great opportunity to learn and get a feel of how life will be like in university, especially in science-oriented settings.

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How do different concentrations of a m etallic enzyme inhibitor (cop p e r s ulfate) affect the rate of cell re s p iration by yeast? Invest igat ing t he act iva t io n energy of t he decomposit ion re a ct io n of hydrogen peroxide in t he p re s e n ce of manganese (IV) oxide by me a s u rin g t he t ime taken to produce 50 m L o f oxygen gas at different tempe ra tu re s ?

Whic h fr uit juice gives the high e st con centration of vitam in C (ascorb ic a c id ) per euro? How do factors like a g e a nd sex (male or female) affect hu m a n re act ion t ime? How does the sub je ct a ge in hum ans influence hear t rate d ur ing and after per for m ing a standa rd e xe rc ise regim e?

How do different concent ra t io n s o f a metallic enzy me inhibito r ( co p p e r sulfate) affect t he rate of ce l l re s pirat ion by yeast ? How doe s c h a ng ing the lemon juice conce ntration of a solution, affect the rate of th e polyphenol oxidase catalys e d oxidation reaction of pheno lic com pounds in a fr uit? What is th e e f fe ct of acid rain on seed germ ina t io n ?

How do different c leaning p rod ucts affect bacter ial growth? Wh a t e f fe ct does light of var y ing wave l e ng t h s have on t he rate of photosynt h e s is on water weeds (Elodea ca n a d e n sis)?

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TODD LE AT T H E J U N I O R S C H OO L

P H YSIC A L E DUC ATIO N AT THE US

NICKY SHAMASH, JS VICE PRINCIPAL OF LEARNING

WILLIAM DENLEY JONES, PE LEARNING LEADER

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his year, ISF has invested in a new curriculum tool called Toddle. Toddle is a collaboration platform for the IB PYP through which teachers can plan together, encourage student agency, personalize learning, and involve families - all from one intuitive interface.

In the short span of about a year since its launch, Toddle is already being used by over 1500+ PYP schools and 18000+ educators all across the world. It supports planning, portfolios, assessments, reports, & family community.

There are 4 parts of Toddle: •

Real-Time Collaborative Planning – Allows teachers to collaborate in real-time and access all their current and past work from one place.

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Student Portfolios & Reports - Meaningfully engages students, tracks individual learning journeys, and enables the creation of visual progress reports.

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Evidence Collection – Allows collecting of authentic evidence in line with IB requirements for evaluation visits.

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Family Communication - Strengthens homeschool relationships by giving parents a window into student learning and happenings at school.

Whether in-school or remote, Toddle is ISF’s partner for all things PYP. Over the course of the year we are upskilling staff and students to use this platform which will be opened up to families over the course of the year.

Here are some short promotional videos provided by Toddle which explain more: Toddle Your PYP Superpower Toddle Remote Learning Toddle Community

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he new timetable structure has enabled the Physical Education department to offer a revised Curriculum with a greater range of activities at a new offsite facility at the Olympus complex. New resources have been purchased which have enabled us to offer adventure based learning, badminton and padel this academic year. Our Curriculum focuses on developing the IB learner profile qualities through physical activity and movement. Adopting an inquiry approach to learning prepares students systematically for the IB programme.

At the start of the month as part of the International School of Florence Creative partners project we hosted Roy Thomas for specialist football coaching for grades 4 to 12. Roy is an A licence coach and has formerly worked as the Director of Coaching at the highly regarded Swansea City academy. Roy is helping the school establish a football Curriculum and an improved player development pathway over the coming months. Roy worked with the grade 7’s as part of their invasion games unit and developed their skills, knowledge and understanding in this sport. It is intended to build on identified themes with each grade level. Students learnt about movement off the ball and linking play to create scoring opportunities.

Roy thoroughly enjoyed the visit and is planning on returning to help us develop our player development pathway further in the coming months.

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PARE N T A SS O C I AT I O N ISABEL HOHAGEN AND MARLEEN CUSTERS

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he Parent Association welcomed new families with special on-campus Coffee Morning events in September for Junior School, Middle School and High School. It was an opportunity for new parents to meet fellow parents, ask questions to school Leadership and for some to visit the campus for the first time.

The Parent Association also re-activated the online Parent Chats to facilitate inter-grade communication and community engagement.

All parents are encouraged to participate.

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CU RRI CU LU M C H A N GE S

IBDP UP DATE

CL ARE KELLY, US VICE PRINCIPAL OF LEARNING

JASON BL ACKSTONE, IBDP COORDINATOR

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his year we have implemented a number of curriculum changes in order to provide a more broad and balanced curriculum for our students. We now offer a greater variety of subjects to students in grades 6-10 and also have given these subjects enough space on the timetable to deliver an effective programme of study.

The key changes are as follows: •

We have a 2-week timetable, with only a few minor changes between the schedule of each week. This allows for a more flexible approach so we can include more subjects as is common practice in many schools across the world.

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Lessons are now all 40 minutes in length. We have included double lessons at the request of subject teachers. For example, Arts and Sciences prefer double lessons due to the practical nature of these subjects whereas languages prefer single lessons.

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We have a brand new curriculum for English Language, Mathematics, Science and Individuals & Societies which is fully compatible with online learning should we need to use it. The platform is called Realize and it comes in hard copy, which is mirrored in an online version. The publisher is SAVVAS (previously Pearson Publishing owned the programme - they are the largest educational publisher in the world). Realize follows the Common Core/AERO United States curriculum for Grades 6-10, which is used by most schools in the States, with the AERO version used in international schools. This gives us consistency around expected learning outcomes by age/grade level. The Common Core and AERO learning outcomes apply to English, Maths, Science, History/Social Studies, art, music and drama. Italian, Spanish and French follow the European Framework for language teaching; PE draws upon the best of international approaches from the IB MYP to the English National Curriculum.

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MAP is aligned to the Savvas curriculum so when students complete MAP two times a year we can relate the outcomes to plans for teaching.

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Grades 9 &10 now have the opportunity to study both a 3rd language (French or Spanish) in addition to all three creative subjects of Art, Music and Drama

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We have implemented a Tutor group system for G610. Each student has their own tutor who they meet with 4 mornings a week, students in Grades 11&12 have a personal tutor who they will meet with every fortnight.

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hen I wrote to last year’s graduates in their final report cards that “Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement, are roads of Genius,” to be sure they had recently and involuntarily traversed many “crooked roads.” At the same time, it would be quite a stretch to say that last spring’s significant difficulties were the cause of their truly excellent -- even “Genius” -- IB results. In fact, the average grade for the class was 37 points, with a pass rate of 98% (significantly higher than the world average of 29.5 points and 79%, respectively) and I would argue that these numbers are a testament to the outstanding dedication and effort of both our students and faculty over the full two years of the program, including, of course, during a time of real uncertainty.

That said, last year’s graduates were far from the only class affected by the lockdown. I am particularly impressed with the resilience that our current 12th grade class demonstrated last spring during lockdown and it could easily be said that they were more affected by the period of virtual learning. As an acknowledgement of these difficulties, it is important to note that the IB has made some significant adjustments to the final assessments for the class of 2021. These include the elimination of some exam components as well as the modification of others. Some courses, however, have not had their final assessments changed in any way, but the IB assures schools that they will apply appropriate mitigations during the evaluation of these courses’ final exams. IB teachers have spoken with their 12th grade students about these changes and have made suitable adjustments to the curriculum and its delivery. Naturally, if further modifications are announced, I will keep you updated.

As we move forward, I know that our students will continue to demonstrate their considerable commitment and resilience as we navigate these somewhat surreal times.

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I N S P I RAT IO NA L Q UOTE CO R NE R A SELECTION OF FAVORITE QUOTES FROM OUR TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF

“PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU SAID, PEOPLE WILL FORGET WHAT YOU DID, BUT PEOPLE WILL NEVER FORGET HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.”

“IF YOU HAVE GOOD THOUGHTS THEY WILL SHINE OUT OF YOUR FACE LIKE SUNBEAMS AND YOU WI LL ALWAYS LOOK LOVELY.”

- MAYA ANGELOU

- ROALD DAHL

“Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertil ized by education: they grow there, firm as weeds among stones.”

- C harlotte Brontë “EDUCATION IS A POWERFUL WEAPON WHICH YOU CAN USE TO CHANGE THE WORLD.”

“A DAY WITHOUT A FRIEND IS LIKE A POT WITHOUT A SINGLE DROP OF HONEY LEFT INSIDE.”

- NELSON MANDEL A

- WINNIE THE POOH

“Altruism is the most effective means of self-realization and self-perfection. Doing good for others is the best way to develop one’s own character and find greater happiness for oneself.”

- Daisaku Ikeda “ WHAT LIES BEHIND US AND WHAT LIES BEFORE US ARE TINY MATTERS COMPARED TO WHAT LIES WITHIN US.”

“A CHAMPION IS DEFINED NOT BY THEIR WINS, BUT BY HOW THEY CAN RECOVER WHEN THEY FALL.”

- RALPH WALDO EMERSON

- SERENA WILLIAMS

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”

- Brené Brown “THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES EVEN IN THE MOST DIFFICULT MOMENTS.”

“ YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, SO MAKE THE MOST OF IT.”

- WANGARI MAATHAI

- DHAWAN PAUL

HAP PY H A L LOWEEN!