eISF
The Newsletter of the International School of Florence
September 2017 - Welcome Back Edition
HEAD OF SCHOOL MESSAGE Dear Parents, The long dry stretch of summer has made way for cooler, wetter weather and renewed energy! This year, we will continue our focus on inspiring every student to reach their personal potential through our Strategic Plan. The autumn areas of focus will include continued work on the place of Digital Literacy in student learning and review of our curricular documentation and classroom practices to ensure a continuum of skill development throughout the school. New guidelines for learning outside the classroom, with a particular focus on reading in the Junior School are being implemented. More focused use of data to inform the development of skills in the Upper School is planned, as well as a renewed emphasis on the importance of assessment and using feedback in all areas of learning. Collaboration is at the heart of school improvement, and we can look forward to a new year of working together as a team to further our goals for our students. We are off to a great start, welcoming your children each morning as they continue on their paths of growth! Welcome back, and I look forward to an exciting year. Warm wishes, Debra Williams
Welcome to ISF! We are happy to have welcomed just over 90 new families from all over the world in both the Junior and the Upper School. The students come mainly from the US, Germany, Holland, Russia and China.
Dear ISF community, We at the Tuskan Times wish everyone a warm welcome back to school. We look forward to building from last year's successes to reach new heights. This year, keep an eye out for our ever-incisive reportage on current affairs, witty commentary on school issues, and thought-provoking opinions on cultural questions, not to mention wicked cartoons. As ever, we're always looking for new participants, be it as journalists, columnists, artists or photographers, so make sure to sign up when after-school activities begin. If you would like to continue to receive the online copy of the newest issue of the Tuskan Times every month, and other updates, please fill in this Google Form: https://goo.gl/forms/ FpgmoOYtu2hkT68r2. We're eagerly anticipating another successful year for the Times. Best wishes, The Tuskan Times P.S. If you simply cannot wait, reminisce over past Times (pun intended) by looking at our previous work from our ISSUU page: https://issuu.com/tuskantimes.
BACK TO SCHOOL INTERVIEW Why did you choose ISF?
Interview by Emily Volpe and Sophie Yap, Grade 12
IB Programme
IB program Dream to live in Florence
An adventure, Florence was key
It was the only place
Fantastic multicultural community
Dual-Language School in Florence
The academics and the nurturing atmosphere
The only game in town. It’s a good game!
There was no where else to go
IB Programme No other option
Because of Florence
Because it’s the best!
The dual-language education
The only school there was
Volevamo qualcosa divertente
ISF New Staff Profiles 2017/2018 Praxedes Rivera •
Na#ve of: Puerto Rico
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Joining us from: Interna#onal School of Kenya
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Earned: Master of Science in Library Science, PraB Ins#tute
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Assignment: US Librarian
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Personal Interests: Travel, People, Sports
Francis McIvor • Na#ve of: Born in London, Irish Na#onal • Joining us from: Bri#sh School, Jakarta • Earned: MPhil in Classics, Cambridge - UCLA College Counseling Cer#ficate - Leighigh Gradua#on Cer#ficate Interna#onal Counseling • Assignment: US Counselor • Personal Interests: Music, Opera, Cycling, Rowing
Chandler Dayton •
Na#ve of: USA
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Joining us from: Shanghai, China
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Earned: Master of Fine Arts, Montana State University
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Assignment: US Visual Arts
• Personal Interests: Art, Gardening, Hiking
Amanda Brown •
Na#ve of: USA
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Joining us from: Horace Greeley Elementary School and GiRed Center in Chicago Public Schools
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Earned: Master in Educa#on in Elementary Educa#ons, Endorsements in Math, Science, Social Studies, Music, Italian, University of Chicago
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Assignment: Middle School Science, Social Studies, Well-Being
• Personal Interests: Scuba Diving, Hiking (Dog Samantha), Baking
Linda Mishkin
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Na#ve of: Venezuela
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Joining us from: Interna#onal School of Kenya
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Earned: Masters of Art in Teaching English, Bard College
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Assignment: US Spanish & English
• Personal Interests: Direc#ng Theater, Wri#ng Songs and Poetry, Crea#ng Art Pieces
Irene Lodone •
Na#ve of: Florence
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Joining us from: Scuola Statale Firenze
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Earned: Laurea Magistrale Matema#ca
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Assignment: US Italian Mathema#cs
• Personal Interests: Music, Cycling, Nature
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Sandra DeSissing •
Na#ve of: South Africa
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Joining us from: Bilkent Interna#onal School, Turkey
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Earned: Bachelor of Educa#on - specializing in Founda#on Stage - University of South Africa
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Assignment: Preschool
• Personal Interests: Tennis, Cooking, Swimming
Jeremy Ellis •
Na#ve of: USA
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Joining us from: Lithuania American Interna#onal School
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Earned: Master of Art in Teaching, Sacred Heart University
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Assignment: Grade 5
• Personal Interests: Desserts, Outdoors, A Good Story
AUTUMN BAZAAR SAVE THE DATE -
Saturday, October 28th
All parents are invited to our PARENT ASSOCIATION meeting on Wednesday, 13 September at 13:30 at the ASSI Cafe. Joining the PA is a wonderful way to get involved in our community and to meet new friends.
Please also join our Facebook group for ISF parents to safely connect and to share information and resources. Look for INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF FLORENCE PARENTS and ask to join! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/153458048476547/)
2017 EXAM RESULTS The end of the school year is a time of reckoning for some of the students! External examinations are on important way of measuring the impact of our teaching. In the case of many of our seniors, they are also the means to another end, entrance into a university of choice. We are pleased to report that: 5th Grade Italian Program: all students successfully completed the written and oral components of the Quinta exam. 8th Grade Italian Program: all students successfully completed the written and oral components of the Terza Media exam. In the case of both exams, which are admininstered by an external Italian public school commission, we saw evidence of excellent skills in a number of our students. The groups received compliments for their preparation and performances. Of our 36 full IB Diploma students, 89% passed, with 44 scoring at or above 34 total points. The results attest to the hard work of our teachers and students, and are cause for celebration!
TEDx Youth @ ISF This year’s TEDx event is happening November 25th from 4:00 to 6:30 pm at the Auditorium Al Duomo. All students are encouraged to participate. For more information, please visit our website http://www.tedxyouthisf.com/ or contact Dean Boger at d.bogner@students.isfitaly.org. You may alsos end us an email at tedxyouthisf@gmail.com or talk to Mr. Pitonzo. We will be holding auditions soon and can offer assistance in the idea finding and writing process
Trailer @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVC_eT_liqI
Class of 2017
Congratulations to the Class of 2017! The students of this class have been accepted to or received offers from the following colleges and universities: Acceptances: Art Academy (UK) Adelphi University (USA) Auburn State U. (USA) Bocconi University (Italia) University of British Columbia (Canada) Brown University (USA) Georgetown University (McDonough School of Business (USA) Duke University (USA) Elon University (USA) Fordham University (USA) Johns Hopkins University (USA) University of California, Berkeley (USA) University of California, Los Angeles (USA) University of Chicago (USA) Lynn University (USA)
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (USA) North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA) Northeastern University (USA) Northwestern University (USA) Pacific University (USA) Parsons School of Art and Design (New School) (USA) Parsons Paris (France) University of Pennsylvania/Wharton School of Business (USA) Princeton University (USA) Skidmore College USA) University of Southern California (World Bachelor in Business) (USA) University of Tilburg (Netherlands) University of Virginia (USA) Yale NUS (Singapore)
Offers from Universities: Offers fromU.K. U.K. Universities: University of the Arts, London University of Bath Bangor University University College Birmingham Bournemouth University University of Brighton Coventry University Bristol, University of the West of England City, University of London University College London University of Dundee University of Exeter Goldsmith, University of London University of Glasgow Kent University King's College London London School of Economics University of Manchester Manchester Metropolitan University Oxford Brookes University Plumpton College Marangoni Insitute London Queen Margaret University Queen Mary, University of London University of Reading Regent's University Royal Holloway University SOAS, University of London Southampton University University of Surrey University of Sussex University of Warwick
ISF SUMMER CAMP FUN This summer, ISF hosted its first successful Summer Camp at the Junior School campus, open to both ISF and non ISF students. A total of 43 children, aged 6 to 12, joined the camp during the two last weeks of June and the first two weeks of July. The playful activities included PE, art, music, computer, and other activities. The highlights were the daily outdoor PE games and excursions to the horse riding center I Noccioli behind the school and the tree climbing park Parco Avventura in Vincigliata. The children sang, competeted in Karoke, enjoyed film making and computer activities, personalized their t-shirts with art expressions and watched movies. Everyone had a blast!
News from the School Board
Dear Members of the ISF Community, The Board of Directors wishes to welcome the ISF Community to the 2017-2018 school year. This year promises to be stimulating and intense from the Board’s perspective. Supervision of the new Strategic Plan, campus relocation and the search for a new Head of School to replace Debra Williams starting in August 2018 are but some of the activities which the Board will be involved in. The search for a new Head of School is underway, and is being performed through a professional service agreement for expert consultancy in educational recruitment with the Council of International Schools (CIS). An announcement for the position of Head of School at ISF was posted on the CIS website in late June. At the deadline for the submission of candidacies on August 30, over 110 applications coming from all over the world were submitted, testifying to the prestige of ISF in the international education community. The next steps of the process will comprise the progressive shortlisting of candidates and the identification of a restricted number of finalists who will be invited to Florence. With the aim of involving all Members of the ISF Community from the early stages of the search process, the Board has invited Mrs. Pauline O’Brien, Director of Career & Recruitment Services at CIS, to visit the School and hold sessions with the different constituents of our School from September 11 to 14. The interactive sessions will be very important in allowing us to help Mrs. O’Brien gain a thorough understanding of our School, for the purpose of assisting the Community in identifying the strongest candidates among the vast pool of applicants. The Board, the Administration and the Parents’ Association are working together for the purpose of ensuring the success of Mrs. O’Brien’s visit. Junior School and Upper School parents will be able to meet Mrs. O’Brien from 8:45am to 9:30am on Tuesday, September 12 at the Junior School campus (Mensa – Canteen). Interactive sessions will also be held during the visits of the finalists in mid-October. Details will be provided in the near future. Three Board Forums will be conducted in the course of the school year. Each Forum will focus on one or more themes, including campus relocation, financial management of ISF and strategic planning. Question & answer sessions are central elements of Forums. The Autumn Forum will be held on October 2, 2017; the Winter Forum will take place on February 12, 2018 while the Spring Forum is planned for May 14, 2018. We look forward to seeing you on many occasions this year. Marco Uzielli, Chairman, Board of Directors
CAS - CREATIVITY, ACTION, SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS 2016-2017 Angeli del Bello: ISF adopted Piazza Poggi, and spent a morning working together with other volunteers from the Angeli, cleaning the water features, pruning shrubs and generally making the piazza clean and attractive. Students were interviewed by RAI TV. This is an ongoing project, and we will be working in the piazza this year. Angelo per un Giorno: Students in both CAS and PreCAS helped with this Experience, entertaining underprivileged children at events held during the year. ANT Debutantes Ball: A small group of girls took part in this Experience, and took ballroom dancing lessons in order to participate in the elegant ball as a fundraiser for the ANT Association. Comunità di Sant’Egidio: Students organized a food drive at Thanksgiving to provide meals for homeless people Florence.
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ISF Autumn Bazaar: Students and Teachers took part in a soccer tournament during the day, and students helped run the various booths. Proceeds from this event were given to the earthquake disaster fund.
ISF Community: There are many CAS opportunities at school; these are some of the experiences carried out by students last year: •
MUN
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ISF Website
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Music Drama Club (JS)
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FLOMUN
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Entrepeneur Club
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Chinese Club (JS)
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Yearbook
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Photography / Fliming
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Pergola Project
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Tuskan Times
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Choir
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Extra Curricular assistant
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Student Council
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Orchestra
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Peer Tutoring
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Pergola Project
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Art Club
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Ski Trip
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ASIL League
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ISF Cats
Quotations from former CAS students: “… made me feel really involved in the activity as I felt part of a big community of people who dedicate their time to these children. It was a long day filled with fun activities and the beautiful fact is that the volunteers are both adults and teenagers.” Erica Berlot. Angeli per un Giorno “…I'm pleased to be a part of a huge community, working together to make a great yearbook.” Kathryn Randene. Yearbook Class. “…A clean and healthy area for students would definitely help them to improve their concentration and to be more relaxed having to deal with the challenging school routine.” Sky Bonan. Pergola Gardening project “…I love to do it because when I go there I feel like I belong to something, as I am not the only one who's doing a good action.” William Chen. Angeli del Bello “…The journey created a strong bond between 9, 10, 11 and 12th graders, to the extent that we felt like we had known each other forever.” Ginevra Lapi. ISF Girls’ Volleyball Team.
IB learner profile IB learner profile IB learn IB learner prof IB learner profile IB lear IB learner profile IB learner profile IB learner profile IB lear IB learner profil IB learner profile IB learner pro
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The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. As IB learners we strive to be: We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups. We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live. We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
The IB learner profile represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools. We believe these attributes, and others like them, can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national and global communities. 3
ISF aims to provide a caring learning environment that promotes personal, social and academic growth through challenging and engaging programs, in order to develop respectful, responsible students who strive to have a positive impact on others and the world around them.