A-LEVELS A better choice than the IB? Flirt with some new foods this summer
Hiking in Switzerland Explore this exciting landscape on foot
ADVICE FROM IB EXPERTS Top Tips on getting the best start to the IB Diploma
A FIRST-CLASS TICKET TO A GLOBAL CAREER Bachelor’s Degree in International Hospitality Business with specializations in: Luxury Brand Management in Hospitality
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Switzerland Tourism swiss-image.ch / Gian Marco Castelberg
Contents 05 Meet the Headteacher 12 W hat makes the Inter-Community School’s Zurich (ICS) pre-school and kindergarten special? 16 Hiking in Switzerland: the national pastime done right 20 Helping Students and Parents with Big Decisions 22 P ositive Education Some Lessons for Us All in Flourishing and Well-being! 26 Help Your Teenager Learn from Failure
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30 T he war of the Superbugs – time for a change in our antibiotic behaviour! 33 U nderstanding and Supporting Gifted and Twice Exceptional Learners 36 E xtraordinary Answers to Improbable Questions about Switzerland - Part 2 39 H ow international education can serve the African continent 42 Non-employed parents 46 Flirt with some new foods this summer! 50 Retreat to Crete 2019 52 A Levels – could they be a better choice than the IB? 55 T op Tips to Help our Teens get the Best Start to the IB Diploma – Advice from IB Experts 68 The case for learning etıquette 60 Active Parents, Active Children 64 S wiss Group of International Schools – 2019 Annual Conference
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Welcome to the Summer 2019 edition of International School Parent Magazine! This time of year is a period when many students are looking forward to an exciting summer following the gruelling exam season. Equally, lots of parents may be researching how to entertain their children over the long holidays. Luckily, there are so many fantastic places to go in Switzerland, and you can see a lot of them on foot for free. There’s no better way to spend a day as a family than to head off with a picnic in your rucksacks on a long hike. In this issue, we have a super article from an excellent resource for activities, Swiss Tourism, about hiking in Switzerland - including how to prepare, and options on where to hike. Websites like www. ballades.ch for the French-speaking part and www.wanderland.ch for the German-speaking part offer some truly breath-taking walking routes to try out. There are also many wonderful routes listed on the Swiss Tourism website, so make sure you check it out. The summer camps guide on our website (www.internationalschoolparent.com) has a huge variety of suggestions for day and residential camps in Switzerland and around the world. As usual, we have some great articles from educational experts. We visited ISBerne to speak to Denise Coates at her wonderful school. Sandra Steiger looks at A-Levels when compared to the IB, and at the same time offers an excellent article on how to hit the ground running with the IB Diploma. Dr. Steve Sims is also on hand to offer his advice on how to help teenagers deal successfully with failure. We remain committed to the task of helping parents and children to make the most of the fantastic opportunities an education at an international school in Switzerland provides. I hope you have a fun and productive end to the term and a fantastic summer holiday. Work hard and be the best!
Nick Nick Gilbert Editor & Publishing Director International School Parent Magazine Mobile + 41 787 10 80 91 Email nick@internationalschoolparent.com Website www.internationalschoolparent.com Facebook facebook.com/internationalschoolparent
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Valais is like no other – a paradise between heaven and earth. The majestic four-thousand-meter peaks not only create an impressive panorama, they also provide a unique se ing in which to experience both summer and winter sports. Mouth-watering local specialties await in mountain restaurants and top hotels. And all the be er if these can be enjoyed on a sunny terrace with breathtaking views of the scenic Valais mountains. visitvalais.ch
MEET THE HEADTEACHER Denise Coates - ISBerne
Nick Gilbert, Editor of ISP Magazine, talks to Denise Coates, School Director at ISBerne and Lead Educator at the IB, who has worked in schools across the UK and Europe. What inspired you to become a teacher? I had an exceptional teacher, a Deputy Head of Primary School, who inspired me and demonstrated how education can transform people. When I went to university to study English Literature, I maintained my contact with the school, and returned to join classes and read with the students. Later, I decided I wanted to share my love of literature with secondary school students. My first job was as an English teacher in a school in Wales and from there I went to work in two different schools in Gloucestershire. I then moved to become a head of department in a school in Bristol. I joined international education when my
family and I moved to Switzerland in 1998 - I’ve been in Switzerland ever since and am proud to have Swiss citizenship. Have you applied skills and experience from teaching in British schools to international schools? I was part of a group setting up the secondary school at Haut Lac, in Switzerland. I put together the curriculum for English Language and Literature for the MYP programme and drew inspiration from my experience in the UK. However, I quickly realized that for the programme to have an international perspective I needed to review and revise the approach, the texts and the skills taught, to build intercultural understanding and multiple perspectives.
“There’s a community feel here, so the students feel very comfortable and able to connect with the teachers, who are caring, compassionate and committed.” INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 6
What have you learned from being a head teacher at an international school? What are your ambitions for students who graduate from ISBerne, and what characterises a graduating student? International schools are amazing at cultivating open-mindedness, intercultural awareness, and international mindedness. It’s incredibly important to celebrate similarities and differences in a global learning environment. I hope that our students are openminded, independent and confident learners and that they feel equipped to continue their learning journey beyond the school, in whatever shape that may take. Part of this is being able to make good choices for themselves. Other than this amazing building, what makes the learning environment here extra special? First of all, there’s a community feel here, so the students feel very comfortable and
able to connect with the teachers, who are caring, compassionate and committed. We have a very strong parent body, which puts a lot of energy into the school, organising a variety of events and welcoming new parents. We also have parent members on the board who represent the parents’ perspectives. We offer activities that build community, for example our ski and skate Fridays, which everybody looks forward to. Every Friday for eight weeks, we hire a private train and take our students, staff, and of course parents, if they want to come. Children in grades two and up go skiing, and we take our younger students ice skating locally. You can feel the atmosphere in the school really changes when the ski and skate season starts because it’s exciting for everybody! Switzerland is a beautiful country - it’s well structured, and organised, with an outstanding natural environment, which gives us the opportunity to do a lot of outdoor learning. We take advantage of host country languages and cultural possibilities, adding to the real-life learning experiences for our students in the local community. It’s also clean and safe.
activities create a great community spirit because we can support each other and it brings us all together. Being in Berne, which is very central, with lovely premises and a new gym we are well placed to invite other schools to come to our campus. We are pleased to host various activities, professional development opportunities and sports competitions. How do you encourage children to do their best academically? The IB programmes give students agency to choose the areas in which they want to inquire. This motivates our students to learn. In addition, our teachers are
Are there any other extracurricular activities that you’re developing aside from ski and skate Fridays? We run the full spectrum of after school activities and sports as you would find at any other international school. These INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 7
exceptionally well trained and get to know the students really well because the community is relatively small. This helps our teachers to support and encourage the students to focus on their strengths and specific areas for development, for example, through setting targets for growth. How many people can you have in the school and how many students are there right now? At the moment we have 330 students and we can hold around 400. About 50 per cent of our students come from families working at international companies and about 30 per cent come from those associated with embassies.
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How do you personally make the most of your free time in Switzerland? I like to enjoy the mountains, both in Summer and in the snow. I live at 750 meters in the Canton of Fribourg, so I do have a fair amount of snow at home, which means that I can step outside and snowshoe in the countryside and forest. I also love to read, go to the theatre and to art exhibitions. Tell us about your involvement in the IB programmes outside school? One of my main criteria for joining ISBerne was because it has three of the four IB programmes, so is a ‘continuum school’. The board is very supportive of the work I do in the IB arena and I think it was one of the reasons I was appointed. I am an IB Lead Educator for Africa, Europe and the Middle East, which means that I undertake projects for the IB on a regular basis. My current IB roles are training workshop leaders, site visitors and consultants as well as engaging in quality control for IB workshop events. I am also a chair for synchronized visits involving the IB, NEASC and CIS. Recently I was in the Hague for a week as I was invited to join an IB team to redevelop the IB ‘Head of School’ workshop in line with the new IB Standards and Practices. I bring all the learning from my IB activities back to my role as School Director at ISBerne. This contributes to our understanding and appreciation of the new IB Standards and Practices, enabling us to embed them into the workings of the school. What do parents particularly like about ISBerne? How do you help new parents and new families when they arrive at ISBerne to integrate them and make sure they are happy? I think that parents feel that we have a committed staff and that their children are well cared for and provided for academically. We look at the pathways for each student, as the student goes through the school, to ensure that they are making progress and achieving well. We support students in making good choices for their future. The parents also appreciate the fact that they are encouraged to be involved in the school. When they arrive as new parents, INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 9
our Parent Teacher Committee welcomes them and invites them to events. We have an induction day for new families and the chair of the PTC joins us. The children and parents meet the teachers and have a tour of the school. The children are assigned a mentor and our staff are very attentive to new children. Many of our students move often, so they perhaps find it less daunting than we think they would. The students are extremely
supportive of each other, because they remember how they felt when they arrived. It makes me happy to see how our students take care of each other. Where do you think education is going and what are the challenges for the future? How do you equip students to make good choices for themselves and continue to learn? Change is rapid, so we do not yet know the
types of jobs our students might be doing in the future. I think it is our responsibility to prepare our students to be good inquirers and researchers, with self-knowledge and self-management skills, able to identify their own areas of strengths and the areas they want to develop. We can equip them with skills and encourage them to be independent thinkers. Flexibility, resilience and a growth mindset will prepare our students for their future.
Why choose ISBerne? • IB World School offering the PYP, MYP and IB Diploma • Happy students – surveys show our students enjoy school • H appy parents – our families appreciate and contribute to a strong, supportive parent community. • New, purpose-build campus. • E asy access by train, car or tram. Bussing can be made available for groups in Fribourg, Neuchâtel, or Solothurn. For more information visit our website at www.isberne.ch For questions, please call us at +41(0)31 959 10 00
© Roland Gerth
UNESCO World Heritage in Switzerland Three outstanding natural phenomena and nine great cultural achievements in Switzerland bear the most sought-after emblem of UNESCO, as Natural and Cultural World Heritage properties. Each of them stands for authenticity, quality and diversity for many generations to come. These values are part of the identity and mentality of the Swiss population. 1 Convent of St. Gallen St. Gallen’s magnificent emblem is its sublime cathedral, which together with the Abbey District forms a historic ensemble. A visit to the Abbey Library is a must.
7 Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch Dramatic mountain ranges, valleys steeped in traditions and the largest glacier in the Alps entice, as does the region’s rich cultural heritage.
2 Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona Over millions of years the continental collision between Africa and Europe created a pile-up of peaks. The Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona reveals the extent of this phenomenon.
8 Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces are part of Switzerland’s largest wine-growing region and are a shining example of how people harness their natural environment.
Convent of St John at Müstair The monastery complex was founded by Charlemagne in the eighth century. It hides a fascinating blend of architectural styles and cultural treasures spanning 1,200 years of history.
La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle, Watchmaking Town Planning The towns are important watchmaking centres and successful symbiosis of urban and industrial planning.
Rhaetian Railway Albula / Bernina The spectacular 122 km stretch between Thusis and Tirano is a masterpiece of engineering from the early days of rail travel.
Prehistoric Pile Dwellings The site counts 111 prehistoric settlements in six countries – of which 56 are in Switzerland. The best way to experience them is to visit the Laténium near Neuchâtel.
5 Three Castles of Bellinzona The three castles of Bellinzona – Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro – are among the most significant examples of medieval defensive architecture.
11 Old City of Bern Founded in 1191, Bern features a historic Old Town quarter renowned for its medieval magic, impressive cathedral and attractive arcades.
6 Monte San Giorgio Marvel at perfectly preserved fish and marine reptile fossils at the Fossil Museum of Monte San Giorgio in Meride and be transported 240 million years back in time.
Discover Embark on a journey to these natural and cultural treasures. Take advantage of our attractive offers: www.WorldHeritageTicket.ch
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www.WorldHeritageDays.ch
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Save the date World Heritage Days on the 8th & 9th of June 2019. A weekend dedicated to the UNESCO World Heritage properties.
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Share We are eager to know about your visit in the World Heritage sites in Switzerland. Share your best moments with us using: #WorldHeritageSwitzerland
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What makes the Inter-Community School’s Zurich (ICS) pre-school and kindergarten special? Known as the Early Years (EY) Programme, the ICS pre-school programme for 3-to-6-yearolds offers a wide array of opportunities with a bilingual strand, nature activities, creative explorations, field trips and academic school preparation. This multitude of educational and creative offerings combined with the school’s holistic child-centred approach and state-of-the-art facilities make the ICS Early Years Programme unique. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 12
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“New and challenging learning experiences are custom designed for each individual student to meet their needs for growth.”
Bilingual education Many scientific studies have shown that participation in bilingual programmes at an early age gives children distinctive cognitive, social, and academic advantages throughout life. At the EY Centre children are introduced to German in age-appropriate groups, through both immersion and structured teaching. As a result the German language is meaningful and it’s embedded alongside English in each aspect, every day in class. Activities include, discussing children’s plans, projects and ideas, conversations with teachers about curricular subjects, listening to stories in German, playing games, learning German songs and attending German language theatre productions. “The idea is to make the German language a normal part of everyone’s day,” says Julian Edwards, Primary Principal. Both English and German are used throughout the day by mother-tongue English and German teachers respectively. Children flourish in this setting. The preschool teachers, experts in the field of early childhood education, challenge students by changing the environment, introducing new materials, asking questions and consistently assess
for understanding. New and challenging learning experiences are custom designed for each individual student to meet their needs for growth. Feedback from parents about the Bilingual strand has been extremely positive.
Vibrant ICS community’s advantage The EY centre is located on ICS campus and benefits from an extraordinary abundance of ICS music, sport and cultural offerings. Parents and children of all ages attend campus concerts, theatre productions, art exhibitions and inspirational workshops. All community members participate in ICS organised festivals and events, use campus libraries, sport facilities, dance studio and experiment at the ICS Research Garden. In just the last few months, the EY students have enjoyed International Mother Language Day “Drop Everything and Read” event, ICS ArtsAlive! shows, Winter Concert and a memorable performance by a visiting Irish storyteller Niall de Búrca among many exciting activities taking place on campus. The EY Centre also benefits from a weekly collaboration with students in Grade 7. The older students read books to the INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 13
younger children and participate in their learning experiences including construction, clay and gardening. The EY children enjoy those special relationships that help to build strong community bonds across grade levels.
Stimulating learning experiences and child-centred programme accredited by the International Baccalaureate ® Organisation The child-centred and inquiry-based EY Programme is focused on fostering learning and development across a range of spheres - cognitive, social, emotional and physical. The natural curiosity of children is nurtured through six transdisciplinary global themes, called Units of Inquiry. These themes expose students to big ideas about the world and themselves which are the building blocks for academic understanding. This framework is developed and accredited by the International Baccalaureate ® (IB) organisation and is used by leading international schools worldwide. The Units of Inquiry, including ‘Who We Are’, ‘How the World Works’ and ‘Where We Are in Place and Time’ among others, promote play, discovery and exploration. “As part of kindergarten’s first unit of inquiry,
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“Children write and draw their observations in journals and take iPads into the forest to film videos and take pictures.” ‘Who We Are’, initial encounters between children and educators, as well as families, began with sharing information about ourselves, developing agreements and spending time together in the spaces of our learning community. The Arts are used as a natural entry point for a range of learning. Arts are used as a natural entry point for a range of learning. Dance, drama, music and visual arts play an important role in the Early Years curriculum. At the EY Centre children learn and develop through play, music, movement, art and other creative activities. They regularly go on trips to museums, theatres, parks and farms where the teachers promote curiosity and thinking. These opportunities also lead to students generating questions and investigations into other areas such as design, science or mathematics. Such child-initiated explorations stimulate creativity, critical thinking and collaborative skills.
Forest time in any season The Waldkinder (Children’s Forest) Programme is an integral part of the EY Curriculum. Children go out into the forest every week throughout the school year. The EY Centre teachers have undertaken training in the UK to become qualified Forest School leaders. Each forest session includes discussions, inquiries and investigations. Children write and draw their observations in journals and take iPads into the forest to film videos and take pictures. Recently the young explorers felt so invigorated by their outdoor expeditions that they put together an entire “Insects & Fashion Museum” event, where budding insect scientists and fashion designers exhibited their model of insects, paintings and displayed their self-created costumes inspired by nature. Parents and older ICS students were truly impressed that these young students could produce such INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 14
an elaborate project. “Amazing that the children have been given the platform to be so creative,” commented one of the parents.
Flexible schedule for busy parents The school allows students to be dropped off as early as 7:30 at the Early Morning Care Programme. Children enjoy a nutritious breakfast before they are accompanied to the EY Centre. The popular After School Care Programme runs from 15:15 every afternoon offering additional sport, forest, learning and creative activities. Flexible and complimentary pick up arrangements are available until 18:00.
Join the ICS Pre-school/Kindergarten! The multifaceted bilingual Early Years strand greatly benefits children’s wellbeing, emotional development, academic preparation and intellectual growth, while fostering meaningful social connections and creating numerous happy moments for children and their parents. New families from all over the world are always warmly welcomed and supported! For more information, email contact@icsz.ch and see the ICS website at www.icsz.ch.
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Hiking in Switzerland: the national pastime done right Switzerland boasts some the longest, most varied and best kept hiking trails in the world. A staggering network of 65,000 km of waymarked trails winding their way into every corner of the Swiss countryside means that there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for the thrill of an alpine peak or a gentle family forest stroll, we’re giving you our top tips to make it easy to explore this exiting landscape safely on foot.
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There’s nothing more liberating than setting out into the countryside with your hiking boots and a map, but the Swiss landscape can be dangerous without the proper consideration and preparation. Plan: Hiking is physically demanding, and careful preparation can protect against any unpleasant surprises. Preparing your route and having a realistic understanding of how long it will take you is a good first step, but be sure to take unforeseen circumstances into account, like route conditions and the weather, and give yourself some extra time. It’s also important to tell someone else about your trip, particularly if you are setting off by yourself. Assess: Overstretching yourself or those you are hiking with increases the risk of an accident and reduces your enjoyment of the route. Mountain hiking trails are marked white-red-white on the trail signs, and are at times steep, narrow and exposed to the elements. Set yourself a challenge but be realistic and assess your actual abilities when you are planning your route. Do not undertake difficult trips by yourself. Equip: Mountain hiking trails can be slippery and uneven, so it’s important to wear sturdy hiking shoes with a treaded sole. Wherever you’re hiking, make sure you take protection against the sun and rain as well as warm clothing with you; the weather can quickly change. An up-to-date map will help you orient yourself or can be used as a back-up if you’re relying on an app. Consider bringing along a first-aid kit and an emergency blanket, just in case.
Evaluate: Being tired can impair your judgment. Make sure you stay hydrated and stop regularly to eat and rest. Keep an eye on the time and any changes in the weather that could affect your hike. If you get stuck and need rescuing, call 112 (emergency services) or 1414 for Rega (mountain rescue emergency).
Where to go? The choice of route is almost endless, so we’ve put together some of our favourites to suit all preferences, ages and abilities. Family-friendly trails One of the most family-friendly routes in Switzerland is the historic Water Route in Nendaz, which offers 98 km of trails following the routes of the largest network of ancient irrigation channels still in use for the growing of apricots and raspberries. The trails (or ‘bisses’) are free of long ascents or descents, as the channels were built on a level plane. Make sure you stop for local delicacies at the Auberge Les Bisses. For some magical routes, try heading north-west to Ajoie, where a charming hike leads from the village of Réclère to the magical underworld of the Réclère grottos and on to a dinosaur park situated in the Jura forest. As the weather warms up, go on the hunt for Switzerland’s oldest dwarf at the Adventure Dwarf Trail in Muggenstutz. The 5 km route is ideal for children between the ages of 4 and 10, and includes adventure stations like dwarfs’ houses, a cableway and a suspension bridge for you to enjoy along the route.
Circular routes There’s something satisfying about finding a route that takes you right back to where you started, cutting out the need to retrace your steps or organise your transport back. In Switzerland, the lakes particularly make for some logical and easy-to-follow circular routes, although these may take up more of your time than you want. If you want a manageable route, try the trail that takes in the moorland lakes hidden in the forest between St. Moritz, Silvaplana and Pontresina. Secluded hiking routes link these idyllic spots, which are popular bathing sites in summer, and there is a famous restaurant at Lej da Staz for a spot of lunch before you return along the edge of the St. Moritz Lake to St. Moritz Bad. If you’re after more of a nail-biting experience, try heading across the Trift Bridge, one of the most spectacular pedestrian suspension bridges in the Alps. At 100 meters high and 170 meters long, it is poised above the Trift Glacier and offers spectacular views. MySwitzerland.com/hiking Going long-distance If you’re looking for a challenge, the Via Alpina should be high on your list of trails to conquer. The 390km route crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine passes, running across Switzerland’s six cantons; there’s no better way to get to know the country’s diverse Alpine culture and landscape. The beauty of this route is that you can pick and choose a section, which means that it’s perfect for families and all ages and abilities. It is open to walkers from mid-March onwards. MySwitzerland.com/viaalpina Highlights along the route include experiencing traditional ‘Alpkultur’ with
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a stop at one of the many Alps, or farms, some of which offer state-of-the-art showrooms and Alphütte, to see the animals and dairy processes and get a taste of the freshly-made Alpine cheese. At l’Etivaz, the cheese capital in the Pays d’Enhaut, enjoy the local hard cheese which is produced in around 130 mountain huts and was the first Swiss cheese registered in the Swiss Federal Register of Designations of Origin and Geographical Indications (AOC) in 2000. If you’d rather limit it to two days, try the popular Ridge walk from the Bernese Emmental into Entlebuch in Lucerne canton, with an overnight stay at the highest point. The Napf ridge formation can be climbed from all directions and, while it is a challenging route, it affords some of the most spectacular views which can only be seen by those willing to make the journey on foot. Stay at the renowned Berghotel Napf at the peak point of the walk for a memorable trip. MySwitzerland.com/hiking
Safety signals en route All designated hiking routes in Switzerland adhere to a signage system, so you can be sure that you’re on the right route. Sign: Yellow sign with green information stickers Means: Most attractive hiking trails The most picturesque hiking trails in the country are marked with a green sticker;
those with a single digit are national routes, two digits are regional routes or three digits or a logo are local routes. These are designated by additional signposts with green route information. Sign: Yellow sign with diamond-shaped blazes and direction arrows Means: Safe hiking trails These hiking trails are mostly wide but may have some uneven surfaces or steep sections, but safety rails and steps are provided to cater to this. General need for care and attention, but no need for special equipment or clothing on these routes. Sign: Yellow sign with white-red-white pointers and white-red-white blazes Means: Mountain hiking trail These trails may cross some steep, narrow or rough terrain and have some exposed points, but these more challenging sections are made safe with ropes or chains. Users on these trails must be sure-footed, have a good head for heights and be in very good physical condition, as well as having an awareness of common mountain hazards, such as rocks falling and rapid changes in weather. Sign: blue sign with white-blue-white pointers and white-blue-white blazes Means: Alpine hiking trails These routes may include glaciers, scree INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2019 | 18
FUN FACTS!
• If all the trails in Switzerland were laid end-to-end, you could hike around the globe one-and-a-half times • Hiking is Switzerland’s favourite sporting activity – around 50% of the population goes for hikes on a regular basis • The country boasts some 50 000 signposts • The hiking trails are looked after by a team of 1,500 volunteers • The hiking trail network is protected by its own set of laws
slopes and snow fields, where the pathway may be unclear and there may not be any safety constructs in place. These routes require the same preconditions as mountain hiking trails; users must be sure-footed, have a good head for heights and be in very good physical condition, as well as having an awareness of common mountain hazards, such as rocks falling and rapid changes in weather. Depending on the route, they may also need some mountaineering equipment like rope, an ice pick and crampons. Sign: pink signposts and pole Means: Winter hiking trails These routes are only signposted in the winter season when the path may not be visible. While there are no particular requirements, the snowy or icy conditions may present hazards for users. You can find out more information at: MySwitzerland.com/hiking
Back to nature – in your hiking boots.
Switzerland’s hiking trail network is record-breaking in many respects – in terms of its density, variety and signposting. Choose from more than 65,000 kilometres of marked hiking trails along which to explore the whole of Switzerland in all its diversity on foot.
A hiking paradise for everybody. Switzerland’s hiking trail network boasts interconnected hiking, mountain and Alpine trails, offering hikes in keeping with every level of experience and fitness. Around 50,000 signposts along the trails tell you about their difficulty, final destination and estimated time it’ll take you to get there. The routes are readily accessible by public transport, meaning that a safe and glorious hike is guaranteed provided you do some sound planning before setting off. MySwitzerland.com/hiking
Via Alpina. The Via Alpina is a classic among the long-distance hikes in Switzerland and crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine passes. The 390-kilometre long-distance hike starts in Vaduz, takes you through six cantons and ends in Montreux. The entire route is broken down into 20 stages, which you can cover in the form of daily or multi-day hikes. Hiking along the stages takes you through a world of ever-changing fauna and flora – just what you need to relax and recharge your batteries. MySwitzerland.com/viaalpina
Typically Swiss Hotels. These hotels combine regional architecture with a genuine Swiss atmosphere and are as diverse as Switzerland itself. But all of them – from city palaces and country inns to Alpine summer houses – are characterised by their hosts, offering local specialities and an authentic Swiss experience. The perfect starting point for the next hike. MySwitzerland.com/typically
Find more inspirational experiences and tips: MySwitzerland.com/expats or contact expats@switzerland.com or phone 0800 100 200.
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s high school graduation dates loom closer and closer, many parents go into panic mode over supporting their children in their further education options. It is a big decision to make, which puts a lot of pressure on everyone involved. What if your child ends up with a “wrong” specialisation and gets disillusioned after a couple of years of study? They would have wasted time acquiring knowledge they cannot use in another field. This can be a frustrating and costly experience for both students and their parents. Hospitality management is a much safer bet in this situation, as it teaches ‘Life skills for professionals and professional skills for life’ that can be applied not only to the broad variety of career paths hospitality offers, but also to professions in alternative industries. Hospitality is a steadily growing industry accounting for 1 in 11 jobs worldwide and the career choices are vast: from event organisation to spa and wellness management, from marketing and sales to consulting, from customer relations to revenue and finance management, and much more! Swiss Education Group is comprised of 4 hospitality management schools and 1 culinary school with a total of 7 beautiful campuses in Switzerland and a student body made up of 111 nationalities and 6,000 students. Each of the 5 schools has its own unique focus: design and luxury hotel management, culinary arts, hotel operations and wellness management, hospitality
business management and hospitality and entrepreneurship. Graduates benefit not only from a well-rounded and versatile education, but also from a large network of 21,000 alumni members to help them find a job anywhere in the world. It comes as no surprise that five years after graduating, 89% of Swiss Education Group alumni hold management positions or have created their own company. Swiss Education Group’s hospitality management programmes offer both academically challenging curricula and a practical hands-on approach where students experience masterclasses, live demonstrations and up to a year’s internship within the industry. In addition, a hospitality education fosters all-important life skills such as discipline, creativity, ambition and passion. Having been exposed to these core values throughout their studies, Swiss Education Group’s graduates have a definite edge in the marketplace, with many recruiters now considering soft skills a better indicator of job success than purely technical knowledge. Take the case of Camille Lee from Mauritius, a student enrolled in a Bachelor in Hospitality Management programme with Finance specialisation. Camille has just completed a 6-month internship at Rothschild & Co in Zurich, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory groups. Hospitality education has helped Camille thrive in the workplace: “The soft skills we learn at school are useful in any industry:
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your communication and persuasion skills, being humble, really understanding your internal and external customers and the ability to work in a multicultural team” Additionally, living on campus with dozens of different nationalities and finding ways to function harmoniously as a team for various group projects develops invaluable aptitude for teamwork that is much sought-after by employers. To further prepare its graduates to successfully enter the global workforce, Swiss Education Group provides career guidance services all along a student’s journey from the first day till graduation. Students receive one-on-one coaching with career counsellors and discover valuable personal presentation tips and tricks, create their first CV and elevator pitch and have plenty of practice with mock interviews. All this preparation culminates in meeting potential employers at a twice-yearly International Recruitment Forum organised exclusively for Swiss Education Group students. The event is attended by over 300 recruiters from 100 companies, the industry’s “crème de la crème”. More than 4,000 interviews are conducted over 2 days and students are hired for internships, management trainings and permanent positions in the most prestigious organisations. Interested to know more about the exciting world of hospitality management and all the opportunities it has to offer? Swiss Education Group welcomes prospective students and their parents for school visits during Bachelor Open Day events. Two more dates are available in the spring: 15th -16th April and 20th -21st May 2019. To book your place or to learn more, please contact: Mrs Cristèle Mazza Mobile: +41 79 629 47 02 Email: cmazza@swisseducation.com www.swisseducation.com INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2019 | 21
POSITIVE EDUCATION Some Lessons for Us All in Flourishing and Well-being! Before you read this article just take a few seconds to close your eyes and bring to mind your child or children and imagine what you want for them in the future. Great so now read on!
Why Positive Education? I love my work! I hope you do too in whatever capacity you invest your time, strengths and energy either as a parent or professional. As a coach my job is to help people to flourish – to feel good and function well in work, school and ultimately life! Why is this important? The answer is simple. Few people really understand the scientific evidence-base for the requirements of well-being and flourishing across the lifespan. The very idea of flourishing can sound too ‘happy clappy’ and as a result some of the simplest things we can do to
help ourselves and our families to feel good and function well are at worst dismissed or at best taken for granted! We also know that from a well-being perspective the reality is that although most adults and young people are doing ok, research tells us that only around 20% are likely to be truly flourishing. We also know that increasing numbers are experiencing higher levels of anxiety, stress and depression and there are all the associated challenges for mental health resources, the economy and society that go with that.
What is Positive Education? Positive Education is all about promoting a INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 22
focus on well-being in schools as a proactive drive to create positive mental health and flourishing communities and society rather than as simply a reactive response to increasing mental health challenges and their sometimes tragic consequences. Positive Education is about helping school leaders, teachers, support staff, students and parents understand better both the science behind well-being and what we can practically do to build it and sustain it. It’s a relatively new but fascinating area of study and over the last 10 years I’ve been taking my learning out to the world including work with over 25 international schools, to help them enhance flourishing within their
school communities. Positive Education draws on research from Positive Psychology – the ‘Science of What Makes Life Worth Living’. Positive Psychology focuses on what is right with us rather than wrong with us and it examines and studies how some people still manage to flourish in life despite facing the same, or more likely even worse, challenges that life inevitably throws our way. It is being applied all over the world including in many Fortune 500 multi-national companies, global institutions and agencies, national governments, the military and the world’s leading schools and universities. Over the last 20 years the Positive Psychology field has also produced hundreds of gold standard research studies through universities such as Cambridge, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Melbourne, Stanford, California that show that a framework called PERMAH can act as a foundation for flourishing. PERMAH stands for: • Positive Emotions – investing in feelings like joy, pride, gratitude, love, curiosity and the ability to manage and regulate other emotions that can derail us • Engagement – being active and energised by discovering and using our character strengths • Relationships – investing positively in building relationships and high quality connections with those around us at home, work and in the community • Meaning – having a sense of purpose in life, making a difference and adding real value to the world • Accomplishment – being able to set goals and strive towards them • Health – recognising the importance of diet, exercise, sleep and mindfulness Take a pause now to reflect back on what you want for your child or children in the future. From my many conversations with parents on this topic I’d wager that it’s very much in line with PERMAH! The global ‘Positive Education’ movement has over the last decade been advocating a paradigm shift in education calling for a more balanced emphasis on academic achievement alongside a greater focus on well-being, character development and PERMAH. Since it’s launch in 2013 the International Positive Education Network (IPEN) (http://www.ipen-network.
“Many people think that Positive Psychology and Positive Education is all about being happy all of the time. This couldn’t be further from the truth.” com) has been leading the global challenge and following two global Positive Education conferences in 2016 and 2018 we are now seeing a real shift. There are many instances across the world where governments, scientists and educators are coming together to strategically plan for well-being in schools in the future – Bhutan, UAE, Australia and China to name a few. Two more very recent examples of this new focus on wellbeing would be the recent report from the ISC Research (https://www.iscresearch.com/ resources/wellbeing-in-internationalschools ) on Well-being in International Schools and the latest UK OFSTED draft framework which specifically identifies wellbeing, positive mental health and character as requirements for personal and social development.
How does Positive Education Work? Longitudinal research is telling us that PERMAH is a greater predictor of INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 23
flourishing across the life span from childhood, to adolescence, to adulthood and through to older age, than our IQ , our GPA, our 1st class honours or our bank balance! Although these are all helpful, without well-being they become much less important and with well-being they become more achievable. Many people think that Positive Psychology and Positive Education is all about being happy all of the time. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Think about it – of course the ability to experience the positive emotions is good for us. But of equal importance is the engagement with our strengths and other people; the meaning we get by helping others and being stretched and challenged; working hard to overcome obstacles and set backs to reach our goals. Flourishing people still experience fear, anxiety, pain and stress – we all do and it’s normal! Hundreds of schools all over the world have been embracing PERMAH as a foundation to building flourishing in their
schools. Many are already doing some amazing things but first we have to help leaders, teachers and parents to LEARN about PERMAH and the evidence-base behind it. Then we have to give people the opportunity to LIVE it – try some of the interventions for themselves and experience the benefits. Then we need to support school to TEACH it to the students. Finally they can then EMBED it as good practice and as part of their school community and culture.
Positive Education for Parents As I have mentioned Positive Education is for parents too! You all know the rules on the plane when the oxygen mask comes down – you have to put on yours first and look after yourselves to be able to look after your children! Exactly the same applies to well-being. I regularly get to engage with parents in the schools with which I work and they love learning about well-being. Increasing research studies from scientists like Professor Lea Waters from the University of Melbourne are showing that when we support parents to understand more about their own well-being this enhances the self-esteem, confidence, school engagement and academic achievement of their children as well as buffers against anxiety stress and depression. Lea’s research on strengths use and mindfulness has been captured in her great book ‘The Strengths Switch’ (https://
www.strengthswitch.com). Here are some simple things you can do as parents: Check out what your school is doing in the Positive Education and wellbeing space and draw their attention to IPEN and the great work taking place around the world Take a look at the Values in Action Character Strengths Survey (www. viacharacter.org ) and complete the free online character strengths assessment. Think about how your strengths play out in your life, how you can use them more. Do a strengths spotting exercise with your family spot them in your children too. Think about getting a coach to support you to build and sustain your own well-being, mental toughness and capacity to flourish. It’s not selfish and can have real benefits for you and your family.
Positive Education – Lessons for Us All
Clive Leach works extensively within the corporate, public and education sectors as an executive, leadership and career coach. He applies coaching and positive psychology to enhance well-being, mental toughness and flourishing. Since 2010 Clive’s educationbased work has included interventions for leading international schools, high schools, special schools and universities, including schools in Australia, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mongolia, UAE, Switzerland, Spain & Hungary and the UK. In 2016 Clive became a Global Representative for the International Positive Education Network (IPEN). Clive is lead author on the chapter entitled ‘The Integration of Coaching & Positive Psychology in Education’ in ‘Coaching in Professional Contexts’ (Sage, 2016) and has a chapter on ‘Coaching for PERMA’ in ‘Positive Psychology Coaching’ (Routledge, 2018).
As an organisational coach I know that the principles of PERMAH and Positive Education are as applicable in workplaces as they are in schools. Work, school and life are extrinsically linked. All three life domains will inevitably continue to be challenging, stressful and exciting. However I believe there are lessons we can all learn about how to navigate and balance each successfully and build the foundations for flourishing lives.
Clive is a graduate of the Master of Organisational Coaching Program at the University of Sydney Coaching Psychology Unit which is recognised as the world-leader in evidence-based coaching research and real world application. For more information please visit coach@cliveleach.com or see Clive’s LinkedIn profile and articles at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ cliveleachconsultancy/
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Help Your Teenager Learn from Failure
“T
eenagers are far more fearful of failure by the time they leave school than they were at 14.” This was one of the findings of a survey of 1000 teenagers, conducted just over three years ago in the UK and published in The Independent1. Furthermore, the report goes on to suggest, fear of failure seems to be spread across society, seemingly unaffected by the socio-economic background of the teenagers surveyed. Fear of failure can, of course, be a crippling experience at any age. It can lead to a lack of openness to new experiences, a restricted vision of life’s possibilities and reduced hope. It can lead to a complete refusal to take on challenges in order to avoid failing in the attempt, and ultimately to reduced selfconfidence and depression. Such consequences would be serious at any stage in life, but for teenagers in the process of forming their life expectations and setting their life goals, its longer-term effects can be severely restrictive indeed and end in chronic life-long under-achievement. The prevailing culture of contemporary Western society is very much oriented around success and happiness. These are widely sought and almost universally lauded as fundamental elements of a good life experience. In this context, it is not difficult to understand how failure has developed the reputation of something to be avoided. However, success and happiness do not necessarily go together, nor does the presence of one imply the other. Furthermore, neither success nor happiness is guaranteed by the avoidance of failure, the experience and handling of which may actually make their eventual attainment more likely. A moment’s reflection will confirm that failure is a ubiquitous human experience. It is not the experience of failure in and of itself that is important, but how we respond to failure and learn from it. On one level, there is the learning from failure that enables us to do better next time. But at a deeper level, there can come the development of character, the growth of resilience and the ability truly to be empathetic with others. It is undeniable that parents often find it painful to see their teenagers experience failure. The desire to lessen the pain and to give their teenagers a wholly happy experience of life is
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understandable. However, I believe it is a mistake for parents always to rush in to try to shield their teenagers from the experience of failure. It is important to keep in mind what might be described as the fundamental purpose of parenting teenagers, namely, that of bringing the teenager safely to the point where they can take on the full responsibilities of adulthood. If our teenagers are given the false impression that life will always appear cloaked in happiness and crowned with success, then they are being fed a false picture of reality. Life is not like that. Happiness and success come bundled up with disappointment and failure, and for teenagers to be equipped to navigate a world of mixed experiences, they need to develop characteristics such as resilience and determination. When failure is faced and responded to constructively, such characteristics are allowed to develop.
PRACTICAL ADVICE
Avoid overly protective parenting. Overly protective
parenting can contribute to the development of young adults who are ill-equipped to face the modern world with its mixed experiences, including failure. Of course, nobody would suggest that teenagers should be set up to fail, but when failure comes along, responsible parents help teenagers to find a way through the experience and to find ways to learn from it, rather than seeking always to shield them from it. When a chosen course of action does not work out, or subsequent developments show a choice or decision to have been a poor one, teenagers will learn more from being helped to face the natural consequences that flow from the failure rather than seeking ever more ingenious ways to try to shift the blame onto someone else.
Resist the desire to define parental success in terms of your teenager’s success. There is a great temptation for
parents to measure the success or otherwise of their parenting by the perceived success or failure of their teenager. This is reinforced by popular culture, which seems to regard successful teenagers as the natural outcome of good parenting. However, if we wish to consider parental success, we should look to the essential purpose
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/school-leavers-fear-failure-more-than-when-they-were-14-years-old-says-study-a6693816.html INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 26
“If our teenagers are given the false impression that life will always appear cloaked in happiness and crowned with success, then they are being fed a false picture of reality.”
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of parenting as its measure, namely, the extent to which our parenting enables our teenagers to enter adulthood fully equipped to function independently and responsibly. The mistake of regarding successful teenagers as evidence of successful parenting simply increases the pressure to succeed on the teenagers, who are thereby rendered responsible not only for their own success, but also for that of their parents.
Help your teenager develop their own understanding of success. Success means different things to different people.
One of the reasons failure can become such a fearful ogre is that sometimes we accept other people’s definition of what makes for success even when their definition is inappropriate for us. Help your teenager develop the ability to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses, to see where they have genuine potential and to set targets that are realistically challenging. If they encounter setbacks or failures on the way, help them pick themselves up and learn from the experience, re-shaping their goals if necessary.
Build a family culture that applauds effort. Of course, success should be celebrated, but recognition of effort is as important. There is nothing even-handed in the way life distributes abilities, be they academic, sporting, musical or other. Consequently, success comes more easily to some than to others. Those who are not naturally gifted in a certain field, but who make progress through their effort, deserve recognition alongside those who excel. Helping teenagers appreciate the value of effort and determination in bringing about progress will help them understand that success and failure need to be understood differently for different people.
Talk about failure. If discussion of failure and what can be
learned from it becomes a normal part of family conversation, the fear of failure will be diminished. If teenagers see that their parents are not afraid of failure, be it their own or that of their children, they are more likely to face their own failures and see them as learning opportunities. Honest discussion of failure when it happens helps set this aspect of our humanity in a healthy perspective.
Regard failure as part of the normal learning process. Those who accept failure as part of the process of learning are more likely to make progress than those who regard it as a matter for shame or embarrassment. Learning from failure helps develop resilience, which is regarded increasingly as an indispensable and valuable tool for survival in today’s world2.
Recently, there has been an increased focus in Western society on the importance of mental health. This has been brought about, at least in part, by the recognition of a growth of anxiety in teenagers3. Fear of failure feeds anxiety, stripping individuals of the desire to grow and learn, taking away openness to adventure, pressuring them to opt instead for the safety of mediocrity. Parents have a vital role to play in helping their teenagers see failure as a positive opportunity. Turning failure from something to be feared into a learning experience robs it of the power to drain life of its enjoyment and challenge. As Carl Pickhardt expresses it, “… failure can either undermine effort or it can inspire determination. It’s the second response that parents need to encourage in their adolescent when failure occurs.”4
https://www.internationalschoolparent.com/articles/promoting-resilience-in-teenagers/ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/magazine/why-are-more-american-teenagers-than-ever-suffering-from-severe-anxiety.html 4 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201109/adolescence-and-failure 2 3
Dr. Steve Sims is author of the blog Regarding Teenagers and Director of the Basel Learning Hub in Switzerland. https://regardingteenagers.com/
Their future starts now From kindergarten to university entrance, Institut Florimont has been helping students find their path in the world since 1905 www.florimont.ch/2019 +41 22 879 00 00
THE WAR OF THE
SUPERBUGS – TIME FOR A CHANGE IN OUR ANTIBIOTIC BEHAVIOUR! By Dr Michelle Wright
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B
ack in 1928, Alexander Fleming made a breakthrough and discovered penicillin, the first antibiotic. But these drugs didn’t become widely available to treat bacterial infections until the 1940s. We’ve come a long way since then. Today we rely on antibiotics to save lives, using them to treat sepsis, tuberculosis, food poisoning, chest, urinary tract and many other infections. Antibiotics are also given during surgical procedures to prevent infection complications. They are used to help people having organ transplantation and to protect those with weakened immune systems due to autoimmune diseases or chemotherapy for cancer. But the world is reaching crisis point where antibiotics are concerned. The rise of bacteria capable of resisting their action is putting lives at risk. The World Health Organisation describes antibiotic resistance as one of the biggest threats to global health, food security and development.
Why is antibiotic resistance a big problem? As with any evolutionary process, it is survival of the fittest where bacteria are concerned. Over time, they adapt, change and mutate in order to protect themselves from dying at the hands of an antibiotic. These resistant bacteria ‘go forth and multiply’ and can pass their skills on to others. This means that strains of bacteria are developing that are resistant to many of the antibiotics that we use today. And humans and animals can transmit these socalled ‘superbugs’ to each other. Implications include prolonged, or even impossible to treat, infections which can lead to longer hospital stays, increased healthcare costs and even death. For example, multi-antibiotic drug resistant typhoid, tuberculosis and gonorrhoea are already causing major problems worldwide. Towards the end of last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimated that resistant infections could kill 2.4 million people in Europe, North America and Australia by 2050 if we don’t start to tackle the problem. Looking very specifically at Swiss statistics, 270 people died in 2015 because of antibiotic resistance.
“We need to increase public awareness that antibiotics work against bacterial infections only and don’t kill viruses like the flu, the common cold virus and most causes of gastroenteritis.” What causes antibiotic resistance?
How do we tackle antibiotic resistance?
In order to think about solutions to the problem, we need to look at the reasons why this surge in antibiotic resistance has developed. It isn’t a new phenomenon but a fact of science that when exposed to antibiotics, bacteria will evolve and develop resistance over time. However, not using antibiotics correctly in humans and in animals is accelerating this process. To start with, over-prescription and over-use of antibiotics is a practice which needs to be stopped. Taking antibiotics unnecessarily won’t make you feel better more quickly but will destroy the ‘good’ bacteria in your body needed for digestion, defence against infection and healthy living, encouraging antibiotic-resistant bacteria to survive and thrive. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in May 2016 found that during 20102011, almost a third of all antibiotic prescriptions in the United States may have been inappropriate. And a Public Health England study found that this figure was as high as 23% in England between 2013-2015 with unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for sore throat, cough, sinus and ear infections the worst offenders. Adding to this over-prescription of antibiotics, in 62% of countries globally, antibiotics are still available without prescription. International travel and mobility also increase the problem. A person can bring antibiotic resistant bacteria into the country, particularly if they were hospitalized during their stay abroad.
Medical professionals need to take responsibility and only prescribe antibiotics when they are really needed. Further development and availability of rapid, nearpatient tests to check for bacterial infections during a consultation may help. Also, rather than prescribing antibiotics to begin straight away, perhaps increasing the use of ‘standby’ prescriptions to start if symptoms are not improving could be another tool. We also need to increase public awareness that antibiotics work against bacterial infections only and don’t kill viruses like the flu, the common cold virus and most causes of gastroenteritis. They also don’t kill fungal or parasitic infections. Most sore throats and ear infections are usually viral but occasionally bacterial. Even if they are bacterial, they tend to get better by themselves within 7 days. Antibiotics usually make no difference in the duration of symptoms and have the potential to cause side effects such as diarrhoea. The overuse of antibiotics in agriculture since the 1940s is also a contributing factor to the resistance problem that we face today. In the past, antibiotics were given to livestock to prevent disease and promote growth - a practice which has been forbidden in Switzerland since 1999 and since 2006 in the European Union. Poor food hygiene practices, infection control and sanitation are also contributing to the rise of superbugs globally. The Swiss Antibiotic Resistance Report published in 2018 showed that the message was starting to get across in this country. In 2017, there were 29 prescriptions of
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antibiotics per 1000 medical consultations compared to 34-40 per 1000 in the years 2006-2013. The use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine also halved in the 10 years since 2008. This has partly been an effect of the StAR National Antibiotic Resistance Strategy, first launched in 2015. A new facet to the campaign, “Antibiotics: use wisely, take precisely”, was launched in November 2018 to raise public awareness and includes TV spots, posters, on-line publicity and a dedicated website, also available in English: www.correctuse-of-antibiotics.ch
The key messages from the ‘Antibiotics: use wisely, take precisely’ campaign If you are given antibiotics:
• Take them as prescribed – complete the course, even if you feel better. • Don’t skip doses. • Don’t share your antibiotics with others. • Return packs that are partially used to your pharmacist. Don’t throw them out with your household waste as they may get into the environment causing contamination. • Never use leftover antibiotics. And if you are not given antibiotics, important things to remember include: • This is for a reason. Antibiotics won’t fight viral infections and even if they are bacterial, many infections clear of their own accord. • If you take antibiotics when they’re not needed, this can lead to antibiotic resistance and make it difficult to treat infections when
really needed. • Some of the existing antibiotics have already lost their efficiency to fight certain bacteria. • Antibiotics have side effects and if used when not needed, these can outweigh the benefits – they can weaken essential bacteria in the body and support the development of antibiotic resistance. There is no doubt that antibiotics save lives, but we need to get to a point where we depend less on them. If we don’t act now, in the future, what start out as essentially minor infections or minor injuries will undoubtedly lead to many deaths.
Dr Michelle Wright is a British-trained General Practitioner and Director of HealthFirst, providing dynamic First Aid Training and Health Education in English throughout Switzerland (www. healthfirst.ch). She also has a regular radio show about health on World Radio Switzerland (www.worldradio.ch/ healthmatters).
Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. All reasonable care has been taken in compiling the information but there is no legal warranty made to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Dr Michelle Wright or HealthFirst is not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any form of damages whatsoever resulting from the use of the information contained or implied in this article. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 32
Understanding and Supporting Gifted and Twice Exceptional Learners There are many misconceptions about giftedness making identification difficult and misdiagnosis relatively common among gifted children (and adults). Identifying strong learners seems easy enough, but this usually only captures those students who fit the popular stereotype of being gifted; namely the high achievers. High achievers are, however, not necessarily gifted and underachievement is actually quite common among gifted students. So what is giftedness, really?
By Stephanie Walmsley & Dr. Raphaela Carrière Characterisitics
Formal definitions of giftedness vary to some extent but in general it is held that having a full scale IQ of 130 and above qualifies students for giftedness. This definition is limited because any number of factors can influence performance on an intelligence test. Leading researchers and gifted associations worldwide strongly
recommend that thorough investigation of personality characteristics and educational background be considered as well. Giftedness is characterized by asynchronous development, which means that children develop unevenly in different domains. This can mean differences in cognitive vs. motor skills vs. emotional development, or it can mean differences INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 33
in e.g. math vs. language development. Where on the one hand gifted students may discuss the origins of the universe, on the other they may still hold their parent’s hand to cross the street. They may be able to calculate difficult equations but barely be able to write a complete sentence. Further, gifted students have advanced cognitive abilities, for example they may
be able to reason well, have an extensive vocabulary or a wide range of interests, and often have an excellent memory. Moreover, gifted students have heightened intensity, often being very sensitive and easily hurt, but also compassionate and concerned with moral issues, fairness and justice. Taken together, these create inner experiences that are qualitatively different to the norm. They often have mature judgment for their age and are no stranger to questioning authority. Often having high energy, additionally, they can have a vivid imagination and be highly creative.
Challenges
But gifted students face real challenges. Some of the common characteristics of giftedness, when not understood in the context of giftedness, can easily lead to referrals to (mental) health care professionals, usually for behavioral problems instead of for identification and understanding of their giftedness. They are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed, for example with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADD/ ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Existential Depression, ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder (OCD), and Bipolar Disorder. Moreover, learning impairments may also influence proper identification and needed support. These children are called
twice exceptional. The term twice-exceptional (2e) learners, refers to those learners who are both gifted as well as having another ‘exceptionality’. This can be a learning disability (e.g. dyslexia), a learning difficulty (e.g. different learning style such as visual-spatial vs. audio-sequential), another developmental diagnosis (e.g. ADHD), and/or a large discrepancy between different domains in the intelligence profile (e.g. high fluid reasoning– low verbal comprehension or high fluid reasoning – low processing speed). The greatest problem by far with 2e students is that they often go unrecognized because their strengths obscure their weaknesses and their weaknesses obscure their strengths. Even in intelligence testing 2e students’ advanced cognitive ability can go undetected.
Risks
The uniqueness of the gifted leaves them vulnerable. Particularly in the context of school, they require modifications. Underachievement is prevalent among the gifted all over the world and can have serious implications for personal development, self-esteem, performance and more. When insufficiently challenged, gifted students often fail to develop good learning habits, because a lot of what they learn seems effortless. As they grow INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 34
older, however, and school becomes more demanding, they find themselves insufficiently equipped to meet expectations. Furthermore, gifted students rarely feel successful, as a sense of accomplishment is dependent on their achievement actually having been challenging to them. Perfectionism is also frequently seen among the gifted, building on their keen sense of how something could be and not wanting to settle for less. Socially, gifted students also often feel out of sync because they experience the world differently to their peers, and because they are more advanced than their classmates in important ways, their interactions can seem awkward. Moreover, their advanced cognitive ability may expose them to knowledge that they are emotionally less equipped to deal with. Psychological distress, rumination, anxiety and depression are all concerns for this population. Clearly, these issues also have implications for parenting and counseling. For the twice exceptional learner, these issues are exacerbated by their special learning needs, making them even more vulnerable. Going un(der)recognized in schools, they don’t receive all the support that they need. Apart from implications for academic achievement, this can also have deep implications for their long-term psychological well-being, their confidence, and their sense of self. Even if learning disabilities are recognized, the lack of attention for the gifted side seriously underaddresses the special needs of 2e learners. They suffer with inner confusion about their own abilities, being aware of their internal inconsistencies.
Screening
Screening for giftedness is not common in schools, and usually little is known among teachers about identifying characteristics. Many possible factors can obscure the gifted child in the classroom (and at home) but this has much to do with expectations from the environment and lack of knowledge and understanding about giftedness. Often, children present more challenging behaviour as well as emotional and learning issues, thus requiring appropriate support in school and outside. Early identification is crucial to facilitate the timely support necessary to prevent issues in emotional well-being, psychological distress, (further) learning difficulties, behavioural challenges.
Inclusive School Support Systems
High Learning Potential or Twice Exceptional is the term used to describe those individuals who have one or more special educational needs or disabilities and who also have high learning potential (or high ability). This is a sub-section of the SEND community that does not always receive the attention it deserves and that can be easily misunderstood. Although in the past there has been less known about students who fell under this umbrella and in addition students who were identified as ‘gifted’ also had to deal with the elitist stigmatisation. There is much evidence in recent years that many children present areas of additional need learning needs which contain identified/ unidentified special educational needs (SEN) alongside identified/unidentified High Learning Potential (HLP), as reflected in their educational experiences. Students who have high learning ability can often mask a learning difficulty and in contrast those who have been identified as having a learning difficulty can often have their high learning ability unrecognized because of a learning disability. Therefore, in schools it is imperative that inclusion departments have the ability to screen, identify and support students who may have a learning disability but also have
a high learning ability in one or more areas. Failing to do so results in students going under represented in the school community and without adequate academic and emotional support. Good programmes of inclusion should include a combination of equal support for strengths and difficulties. At GEMS we continue to build and develop strong support systems that are holistic in their approach to supporting high potential and twice exceptional learners by having
solid educational plans that reflect a child’s academic needs as well as emotional support needs. It is important to have education plans that are well balanced in terms of building strengths and difficulties for the learner. We also collaborate with the outer learning community to provide additional experiences for high potential and twice exceptional learners, including offering workshops and experiences for learners to develop their capabilities whether in academics, music, sport or the arts.
About the authors Dr. Raphaela Carrière is a developmental psychologist who supports smart, sensitive and intense people to navigate all the challenges associated with being gifted. Teaching gifted students is a frequently under-recognised challenge. She is a developmental psychologist and consultant, specialized in giftedness throughout the life span and in Early Childhood Development (ECD), President of the Executive Board of Directors for SENG Europe (NGO Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted). http://raphaelacarriere.com/ Stephanie Walmsley is the Director of Student Support Services at GEMS World Academy, Etoy. Stephanie joined GEMS in August 2018, having worked in the Leman and Geneva region for 15 years developing inclusive education practices alongside wellbeing services. Stephanie has a Master’s degree in equality and diversity and is passionate about developing support services that incorporate both well-being and education. For more information about giftedness, high potential or twice exceptionality support please contact Dr Raphaela Carriere and Stephanie Walmsley at Gems World Academy Etoy. Web: www.GemsWorldAcademy-Switzerland.com Email: Registrar GWE registrar_gwe@gemsedu.com
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Extraordinary Answers to Improbable Questions about Switzerland 2 PART
My latest book, Why Do the Swiss Have Such Great Sex? provides, as its subtitle suggests, Extraordinary Answers to 66 Improbable Questions about Switzerland. . In the Spring issue of the International School Parent Magazine I asked and answered two of these questions: How Many Toblerones Would It Take to Make a Matterhorn and Could a Tsunami Strike Switzerland? The answers, if you missed them, were 20,000 years worth of Swiss chocolate production and a resounding Yes. (For explanations, dig out the Spring issue and have a look!)
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n this issue we look at a crucial question for the (very long term) future of Swiss tourism: Are the Swiss Alps Growing or Shrinking? It turns out that the answer is, Both. Here’s why and how: The Alps shrink because of erosion. Wind, water, glaciers and rockfall are constantly removing material from the tops of the mountains and sending it down
to the valleys. In 1871 Edward Whymper, one of the two men to first set foot on the summit of the Matterhorn, described the forces of erosion on that mountain. He was responding to John Ruskin, the English art critic and mountain lover, who had called the Matterhorn “indestructible.” “There is no aspect of destruction about the INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 36
Matterhorn cliffs,” says Professor Ruskin. Granted—when they are seen from afar. But approach, and sit down by the side of the Z’Muttgletscher, and you will hear that their piecemeal destruction is proceeding ceaselessly—incessantly. You will hear, but, probably, you will not see; for even when the descending masses thunder as loudly as heavy guns, and the echoes roll back from
SWITZERLAND TOURISM
the Ebihorn opposite, they will still be pinpoints against the grand old face, so vast is its scale! So much for erosion. But why are the Alp simultaneously growing? You might think that the collision of tectonic plates that gave rise (literally) to these mountains millions of years ago is still ongoing, but you’d be wrong—while the Alps are a young mountain range, the Alpine area has been “dead” tectonically for some time now. And yet they grow. To picture the surprising cause, imagine you have a suitcase full of rocks sitting on a trampoline. The suitcase rises above the surface of the trampoline, but at the same time presses down on it. If you were now to take the rocks out of the suitcase, but place them on the trampoline right near it, you wouldn’t see much difference in the height of the top of the suitcase, because the rocks would still be pressing down the trampoline. If, however, instead of filling the suitcase with rocks, you were to place a large block of ice on top of it, things would start to happen. Imagine that the ice is in a lightweight plastic tub with a hose running out of it and off the trampoline. As the ice melts, the weight on the trampoline decreases because the water flows down the hose and out onto the ground. 1
Gradually, the trampoline will be become less and less compressed, and the top of the suitcase will rise. Now you have to imagine a very, very slowly rebounding trampoline, by which I mean one that holds the impression of a weight on it for a long time after that weight has actually disappeared. And since there are no very slow trampolines, think instead of a carpet that has had a table sitting on it for years. When you take away the table, the impressions of the table’s feet remain. Eventually these compressed spots will rise up and the carpet will level out, but those dents in the carpet will often remain long after the table has been carried away. 24,000 years ago, at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, the Alps were like a suitcase full of rocks with a block of ice on top. The rocks in this metaphor simply represent rocks, while the block of ice stands in for the huge glacial dome that partly covered them. The trampoline itself represents the earth’s crust, which got compressed under all of that weight. When the mountains erode, the rocks they lose end up in the valleys. From there they continue to compress the earth’s crust as much as they did when they were at the top of the peaks—just as the rocks that were placed around the suitcase compressed the trampoline as much as when they were in it. But the massive amounts of ice—62,000 gigatons3
That’s 62,000,000,000,000,000 kilos, or close to 10 million kilos for every person alive today. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 37
—that covered the mountains 24,000 years ago, melted and didn’t stick around, but flowed out to the oceans—like the water in the hose. The earth’s crust reacts VERY SLOWLY to this loss of weight, and is still decompressing today—like the carpet that had the foot of the table imprinted in it. This decompression of the crust lifts up the Alps just as the decompression of the trampoline lifted up the suitcase. The decompression of the earth’s crust, which “grows” the Alps, and the work of erosion, which “shrinks” them, almost completely balance each other out. Overall, the rising crust is slightly winning out over the falling boulders, and the Alps are gaining in height very slowly, to the tune of about a millimeter a year. Despite this, however, they still aren’t as high as they were several million years ago. Their current growth is, geologically speaking, a short-term reaction to the glacial melting since the Last Glacial Maximum, rather than the continuation of a longterm trend. Now that we know the Swiss Alps are both growing and shrinking, we might want to know how they compare to other countries’ mountains. This leads to the next question: Is Switzerland the Most Mountainous Country in Europe? As you will see, there’s
Development’s 2004 report entitled Mountain Areas in Europe—which also leaves out both Andorra and Georgia, lending credibility to our judges’ tough decisions. • For highest average altitude, the new winner is: Switzerland! With an average altitude of 1,350 meters, it handily beats out Austria (910), Macedonia (741) and Spain (660). • For greatest percent of mountain area, the new winner is: Switzerland! According to the report’s criterion for “mountainousness,” Switzerland’s percentage of mountain area just edges out Norway’s, 94% to 93%—with Greece a distant third at 78%4. • For greatest percent of mountain population, the new winner is: Switzerland! With a mountain population of 84%, Switzerland easily beats out Slovenia (65%) and Norway (63%), with Austria (50%) a distant fourth.
a lot of competition for this title, but with a little shuffling and without any outright bribery of the judges, Switzerland comes out all right in the end. • Europe’s highest mountain is in Russia. The next two highest are in Georgia. • The European country with the greatest mountainous area is Norway, followed by Spain and Sweden. • The European country with the highest average elevation is Georgia, followed by Andorra. • The Alps are shared by eight countries, with the largest shares held by Austria (28.7%), Italy (27.2%) and France (21,4%). • Europe’s longest glacier is in Norway. • The highest mountain in the Alps is on the Italian/French border. • The European country with the largest mountain population is Italy, followed by Spain and France. • The country with the greatest percentage of its territory in mountainous terrain is Andorra. • The country with the greatest percentage of its population in mountainous terrain is Andorra. It looks like Switzerland is getting creamed. In many people’s eyes, it started out as the favorite
in this competition. After nine rounds, however, there hasn’t been a single Swiss victory. The other contestants are neck and neck, with Andorra and Norway in the lead, and Russia, Italy, Austria and Georgia packed together just behind them. But what’s this? It looks like Switzerland is making a move! • Of the eighty-two 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps, 48 are in Switzerland. Italy comes in second (35) with France a distant third (26). And see now! Georgia has been disqualified! The judges are ruling that the border between Europe and Asia is formed by the Caucasus, which places Georgia firmly in Asia. This will make for some hard feelings, since many Georgians think of themselves as Europeans, and want to join the EU. But the judges are sticking by their ruling. And see again! Andorra has also been disqualified! The judges have learned that Andorra is ruled by two Co-Princes, and one of those princes is the president of France. This means Emmanuel Macron is competing with a double entry, which is completely against the rules. So we need to reconsider the points that Georgia and Andorra won—highest average elevation, greatest percentage of mountain area, and greatest percentage of mountain population. The judges are furiously reviewing the Nordic Center for Spatial
THE FINAL RESULT: With the greatest number of 4,000-meter Alpine peaks, the highest average elevation, the greatest percentage of mountain area, and the greatest percentage of mountain population, the winner is: SWITZERLAND! What a comeback! What a match! Switzerland now reigns as the most mountainous country in Europe. Join us for the next version of this competition, scheduled for March 5 in the year 10,002,018—at which, given the pace of geological change, Switzerland will be the overwhelming favorite to retain the title. And join us in the next issue for a look at William Hill’s odds that Geneva will disappear into a black hole.
Ashley Curtis is the author of four books recently or soon to be published by Swiss presses, as well as numerous articles and short stories. He works part-time as a freelance editor based in Switzerland. As well as “Why Do the Swiss Have Such Great Sex?”, his Swiss works include “Error and Loss”, “O, Switzerland!”, and the upcoming “Hexeneinmaleins”. https://ashleycurtis.net/
4 The analysis uses the following fairly liberal definition of “mountainous” (read on at your own risk): For altitudes less than 300 meters, an area is “mountainous” if the standard deviation of the 8 cardinal points surrounding it on a one-kilometer grid is greater than 50 meters. From 300 to 1,000 meters, “mountainous” means that altitudes within a 7 kilometer radius vary by 300 meters or more. From 1,000 to 1.500 meters, if the slope to the 8 cardinal points surrounding it on the grid is 5 degrees or more, a point is considered to be in a mountainous area. From 1,500 to 2,500 meters, this slope only needs to be 2 degrees. Finally, any terrain over 2,500 meters is considered mountainous.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 38
HOW international education CAN SERVE THE
African continent
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o matter how we define international education1, it is a fast-growing phenomenon in Asia and in Africa. In a thought-provoking article entitled, ‘International elite, or global citizens? Equity, distinction and power: the International Baccalaureate and the rise of the South’, researcher GardnerMcTaggart explains: ‘The 2013 UN Human Development report predicts the middle classes of ‘The South’ a five-fold increase by 2030. Globalisation has resulted in national conceptions of business: education and identity being in flux. Emerging middle classes of the South are already embracing international forms of education for instrumental reasons of advantage and distinction.’ I am particularly interested in the impact of international education in Africa, my continent of origin, where economic growth and the thirst for new global opportunities make a new brand of private international schools the first choice of ambitious parents and students. There is an increasing number of African children in international schools in Africa due to the rise of an African middle class. One of the main incentives for these families is no doubt the opportunity to study abroad, possibly in a renowned university, thanks to recognized certifications like the International Baccalaureate Diploma or A Levels.
How do we ensure Africans come back after studying abroad? This increase of international education schooling in Africa is
certainly leading to a slow but steady rise in the number of African students in world class universities around the globe. It is difficult to argue against access to quality tertiary education and more visibility for African talents. The question remains, however, how much this will benefit Africa. Will the students come back? Will they invest in their continent? Can they readapt as repats (returning expats)? I believe the key to this is meaningfully acknowledging and honouring African heritages in international schools in Africa. This goes hand-in-hand with the international school system avoiding perpetuating destructive hierarchies that affect the selfesteem and identity of young Africans. Creating international school environments where everybody learns to know, love and work in Africa is for me the main condition for this type of school to be a genuine blessing for the mother continent. Key to this is valuing what the continent has to offer, instilling pride in its unique offerings and not allowing the stereotypes of a poor and helpless Africa to perpetuate. So how can international schools positively impact Africa and make the most of their experience there?
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Reflecting carefully on charity work.
The way international schools on the continent, and those visiting from abroad, interact with the community is worthy of deep reflection. Charity work is one way international schools engage with local communities. Through service projects, schools often strive to impact their surroundings in a positive way. The
1 Today international schools come in all shapes and forms. They might or might not be attached to international organisations. As private schools, they can cater for expats or the local middle class. They can call themselves international because of the number of nationalities in their student or staff body. The programmes taught do play a crucial part in the attractiveness of an international school. International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) for instance are highly regarded by universities worldwide so teaching these programmes also gives schools access to an international badge. (Gardner-McTaggart 2014)
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 39
number of companies who support international schools in the planning of field trips and service experiences is also on the rise. Africa is a dream land for its landscapes and people. It seems ideal to conduct life changing experiences on this rich environment. Who would say no to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro while raising funds for impoverished children, building classes in West Africa together with local children or teaching for a week in an isolated village? However, we should be wary of such a trip design reinforcing the idea that Africa needs “saving”.
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Scaffolding positive and constructive interactions with the community.
During Service-learning trips, the quality of the learning and action on the ground strongly relies on scaffolding, reflection and the degree of genuine engagement of the companies, schools and teachers involved. I recommend for international schools in Africa in particular, to be extremely careful about the hierarchies that can be surreptitiously established between foreign helpers and the local communities that are visited and supported. The expression, “teach to fish instead of giving a fish” is often used by those working within Africa. However, to be truly constructive, I propose going one step further. Instead of trying to teach Africans how to fish, students learn how to fish from the local fishermen, discover how to cook from an African mama, understand the effectiveness of African medicinal plants with a traditional doctor, learn from Africa! The service trip would then become be a genuine journey of inner discovery and outreach. For the African students and all the other nationalities present in the school, it would be a journey into exciting territories, much more stimulating than building latrines for people who could very well do this for themselves. Walking in African nature and enjoying the beauty of it, maybe together with friends from the nearest village is a treat many international schools in Africa already enjoy. We need to see more of this, and scaffolded collaborations, and mutual friendships. But we also need less unilaterally planned help that can wind up scratching where there is no itch.
3
Avoiding “bunker syndrome”.
The risk of the “bunker syndrome” – whereby international schools isolate themselves from the local context they exist in – is particularly high in Africa. This is a feature that may be found in international schools all over the globe. However, on a continent that may be seen as dangerous and unpredictable, the walls can grow even higher. While there is no compromise possible when the security of students is at stake, there are many ways of letting Africa in, many ways of opening the door. Let’s start with the visibility of African role models as teachers and members of the school leadership. If all the Africans seen in a school are cleaners and gardeners, then it is time to wonder what picture of Africa is given to the students.
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Being aware of the “hidden curriculum”.
Visibility also happens through the curriculum. What are the main concepts inculcated about Africa in the classrooms of international schools? What does the hidden curriculum say? Absence and irrelevance of Africa or African diversity and promise? When African students leave the continent, never to look back even to invest or stay informed, it is a book of hope that is burned to ashes. Such attitudes are caused by self-hatred and the feeling that there is nothing worthwhile in Africa. Such ideas, whether they are kept unspoken or tactlessly articulated, can send the poorest of the continent to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea and the richest to a place of personal struggle. And Africa’s wealth might then continue to be enjoyed exclusively by a smaller number of people who have understood the economic, environmental and social promises of the continent. Therefore, it’s essential that African students and those of other nationalities attending International Schools in Africa have experiences that leave them with a sense of pride and optimism. The young generation who grow up in and know Africa are best placed to move Africa forward. The quality of the connection they build with local communities will play an enormous role in determining their future, and their desire to return.
5
Instilling pride, honour, and respect for Africa.
There are so many reasons why African families join international schools: the need for a rigorous education, the desire to travel, dreams of future prosperity, preference for child centred education and more. A host of reasons also drive a foreign child to an international school in Africa: continuity of programmes followed in other countries, emotional safety, main language of education. I believe that for local and foreign pupils, it is the duty of the school to make Africa visible, respected and understood in its complexity. Enriching children with a sense of pride, shared humanity, and adaptability to new cultures is an invaluable gift in a 21st century of accelerated global changes. Through respectful ties with the local community and a curriculum where Africa is honoured, international schools in Africa can reach further than the pragmatic considerations that might have governed the enrolment of their students. There are opportunities here for reflection, professional development and celebration! References: Gardner-Mc-Taggart, A. (2014) ‘International elite, or global citizens? Equity, distinction and power: the International Baccalaureate and the rise of the South’. Routledge.
Estelle Hughes, MAed, is from Cameroon and Head of Talent Development at Enko Education, a network of African international schools, present in 7 countries (www.enkoeducation.com). Estelle has taught Languages and Literature in renowned international schools (including the International School of Geneva, The Mahindra United World College of India, and Gems World Academy). Estelle is also a consultant for international education and teacher training on the African continent.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 42
NON-EMPLOYED PARENTS
Make sure you protect both yourself and the family unit.
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f you are a non-employed parent do not underestimate your value to the family unit. Probably, you have given up a good career to look after your children and the family home. Perhaps, you may no longer bring an income into the unit, but how much would you cost to replace! How do you put a price on it? Imagine, the position of a highly paid executive, working long hours during the day, including many overseas trips lasting several days at a time. On the other hand, the partner does not work and looks after their 3 children aged 12, 9 and 4. The stay at home parent undertakes many, many roles, which include getting the children ready in the morning, transporting them to various schools, collecting them in the evening, taking them to after-school clubs, feeding them and looking after them during long holidays, periods of sickness and many more house chores. Imagine, something unexpected happens to the partner and they are no longer able to carry out the above. How would the situation be managed? How would the surviving partner be able to continue working? Alternatively, who would look after the children and accommodate all their needs and at what cost! The pension scheme of an employed person will provide some protection in the event of their death, but what about the non-employed party. You also need to provide for your own retirement. Do not rely on your partner to support you in retirement. Separation, divorce, illness and outliving their partner results in many people struggling in retirement. Start planning for your own retirement sooner rather than later! There are more than 15.000 divorces every year in
Switzerland1, with an average duration of 15 years at the moment of the divorce. In addition, many statistics confirm that on average women earn less than men. This can be as the result of taking career breaks to bring up children or care for elderly relatives. When returning to work they are often forced to take lower paid jobs. This results in their pension pots being smaller… up to 40%. In addition to this, women also have a longer life expectancy, so they have to manage for longer on a smaller savings pot. Do not get caught out! Do not just rely on your partner to sort out your finances, it often creates unpleasant situations in the future. Become financially independent! Take action, protect your family unit and guarantee a financially independent retirement. Procrastinating on your pension planning can have dramatic consequences, not only in the case of divorce or death. Arrange a meeting with a Financial Planner and review your Financial Position. What are your current circumstances? What are your plans and aspirations? Are you on track to achieve them? Complete a Cashflow Forecast to understand your future financial position. Calculate how much you spend on essentials and luxuries and how much you are likely to spend when retired. This will show you the amount of retirement pot you will require and how much you should be saving now. Do not delay, every month will increase the required contribution. A financial planner will work with you to identify your investment goals and how to manage your savings to maximise the return. Taking action now could save you a lot of problems (and money) in the future.
Richard has over 40 years of experience within the Financial industry. His extensive knowledge of underlying financial services and products made him one of the most recognized financial planners in in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, where he advises clients on investments, retirement planning, estate planning and many more financial milestones. He would be delighted to undertake a confidential review and assessment of your individual circumstances. For more advice please contact Richard Heath, Financial Planner at Blackden Financial based in Geneva. Telephone +41 22 755 08 00 | Email rheath@blackdenfinancial.com | Website: www.blackdenfinancial.com 1
Situation économique et sociale de la population - Office fédéral de la statistique, 14.12.2017
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Flirt with some
NEW FOODS this summer! INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 46
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just love trying new foods. I largely have my parents to thank for constantly introducing us to different flavours. Growing up in rural Australia, we certainly had our fair share of lamb steak and three-veg. But with Bircher-müsli for breakfast (or sometimes dinner as used to be the tradition!), “Biscuits de Noël” at Christmas and fondue in winter, my father kept a little taste of Switzerland - his country of origin - alive in our kitchen. I can still hear the neighbours exclaiming: “Cheese soup is all we’re havin’? Where’s the steak?!”. As for my mum, she bonded with people over food. She learnt to cook a range of Indian, Indonesian, and Thai dishes from colleagues in Switzerland and Australia who soon became fast friends. The effect on my life was clear as I moved around and met people from different cultures who were amazed and delighted that I knew and enjoyed lesser-known favourites from their homes. I’d usually reply, “Well, my mum had a friend from…”. Invitations for dinner quickly followed, often developing into firm friendships - and the opportunity to add more recipes to my favourites! Living abroad often means letting go of edible family favourites from “home”, or they become a rare treat. What are you missing? Reese’s, Yorkshire tea, vegemite, peanut butter, unique tropical fruits, special herbs, spices and sauces? Leaving behind those familiar flavours can be difficult to digest, for you let alone your children. But a huge part of making a new country home is discovering what its food culture has to offer. What’s more, the international school environment is definitely a great place to share and learn new recipes! You may be surprised how quickly this can lead to new friends too.
Learn your new home’s culture and history through its food. When settling into a new country, food is key to connecting with the culture and it also gives fascinating insight into its history. Have you ever considered that, while Switzerland is today a very rich country, its lack of food variety indicates a very humble past? With cheese, cured meats and potato the basic ingredients of most Swiss specialties, it’s clear that a majority of Switzerland historically interchanged very little with other cultures, nor did the geography allow them to experiment much with different fruits and vegetables. In October in Fully, there is a fascinating festival about the history of chestnuts in the area: the Fête de la Châtaigne. The trees were planted around 1200 C.E. before potatoes or grains were introduced. Today, the 17 hectares that remain protect the community from rock and mud slides. I never would have thought to take a tour about chestnut trees, but honestly, it is one of my most memorable in Switzerland. The guide was charming and passionate and the history remarkably interesting. I see why the community fought hard to keep their chestnut trees! For those in German-speaking Switzerland, why not try a Food Trail this summer? The trails combine a scavenger hunt with tasting of a half dozen or so local specialties – a family activity guaranteed to be fun and delicious! Don’t think you speak enough German yet? The beautiful city of Saint-Gallen is holding tours in English.
Be open-minded at the market. When you move to a new country the supermarket, and even the local market, is an adventure in itself. Before going to the open-air markets in Europe I never knew there were so many varieties of tomato, or that strawberries could truly taste so sweet. Find out where and when a fresh-food market takes place near you and make a point of going as a family. Take advantage of your foreigner’s ignorance to ask questions about how to cook a vegetable you’ve never seen before. Modelling this curiosity to your children is a powerful way to invite them to overcome timidity when faced with newness. The market is also a great setting to discuss where the food is coming from. Is it locally grown, or imported from within Europe or abroad. Are the prices higher or lower at the market as compared to the supermarket? Is it worth paying a little more for locally grown produce? Make the experience into a little assignment for your kids – especially if you’ve recently moved and you’re still getting your heads around a new currency!
Try some new recipes. In fact, this holiday, why not try aim for one new recipe per week. If your children are old enough, send them out on a challenge to find the ingredients. Reading the recipe, pondering the quantities, daring to ask for a product they can’t find and dealing with the cash are all life skills that will serve them well in the future. For the littler ones, simply involve them in the recipe-choosing and preparing certain ingredients. In the last Spring edition of the International School Magazine, Andie Pilot shared “5 Swiss recipes you probably haven’t tried yet”. The Papet Vaudois is a particularly easy dish to prepare. Quick,
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 47
filling and tasty, this might be a good one to try! You can find the recipe on the International School Parent website. Otherwise, what international recipes are your children raving about? What do their friends eat that they’d like to try? I’m sure that at every Kermesse or other school festival there have been international foods you and your children have particularly enjoyed. Some dishes definitely take some time to prepare. But don’t let that put you off. Make an event of the more elaborate dishes. Prepare them together on weekends or special occasions and they might even become a family tradition. A fun way to get everyone introduced to the cooking process is to take a cooking class together. One of my highlights in Geneva was a patisserie class at “Les Ateliers”, and the establishment has since grown to offer a wide variety of sweet, savoury and kid-friendly classes.
Foster friendships through food. Being open to at least trying something new has opened so many doors for me into people’s homes, for fresh goat “Nyama Choma” in Kenya, “Mansaf ” in Jordan, and a special Romanian soup made from rooster’s… well I’ll leave that to your imagination! Clearly not all of these have made their way into my own list of go-to recipes, but some like Borscht (a to-die-for Eastern European beetroot soup) or Okonomiyaki (a Japanese omelette/frittata that’s an ultimate comfort-food) are now easy-to-make staples I turn to regularly. I’ve met a lot of people on my travels, but those I’ve shared a special meal with are faces I haven’t forgotten, and moments I look back on with particular fondness. Modelling an appreciation for trying new and different foods will teach your children this simple key to unforgettable experiences and relationships as they grow up to travel and study and work abroad. And in the short-term, it’s also a great way to make new friends in as you settle into your new home. So, who have you been dying to ask for a recipe? What “weird” food has your child come home talking about that maybe you could all give a go? Has someone expressed a curiosity for your native dish that you could invite them over to try? Or maybe even help cook?
Develop curiosity and confidence in cooking this summer! A curiosity for cooking and eating good food – as well as learning where food comes from - should be considered an essential part of growing up. The summer holidays are a great time to take a next step in getting your children involved in recipe planning, shopping and cooking. You’re probably still working, but they have a little more time on their hands. What better opportunity to take those next steps towards food independence! We can all hope that by the time the next academic year starts, the younger ones will be able to help out and the older ones might even be cooking a dish or two. So use these summer holidays to build your list of go-to recipes and get your kids familiar with them. After a hard day at work, cooking dinner is not everyone’s favourite activity. But resist the temptation to rely on pre-prepared meals. With a little bit of planning, there are plenty of fresh and nutritious dishes that take very little time at all, especially with a few helping hands. And on a deeper level, this curiosity and appreciation of food will be nurturing an open-mindedness and sense of human interconnectedness that I’m sure will bring many beautiful experiences to your child in the future.
A simplified Okonomiyaki Recipe
When I’m short of time in the evenings, my go-to dish is “Okonomiyaki”. I have my Japanese room-mate from university to thank for what is now a family favourite. Okonomiyaki’s basic ingredients are eggs, flour, water and cabbage. But it’s actually a very versatile dish since “okonomi” means “what you like” and “yaki” meaning grilled. You can add meat or seafood or other vegetables. You can top it with bonito flakes or bacon, spring onion or seaweed. Okonomiyaki sauce can be found in most Japanese/Asian stores but if not, topping with a only little mayonnaise still does the trick on its own. Definitely buy a couple of big cabbages and they’ll stay fresh for weeks in the fridge so you can always have the ingredients on hand ready for a lazy evening or when you get home late. Ingredients for 1 person: 1 egg ~50g plain flour ~50ml water a handful of shredded cabbage a dash of soy sauce (to replace salt and the special Japanese stock) chopped spring onions 4-6 slices of bacon okonomiyaki sauce mayonnaise Method: 1. In a large bowl mix the flour, water, cabbage, soy sauce, spring onions and lastly the egg. The mix should be quite wet, but excess liquid shouldn’t be obvious if you tilt the bowel. 2. Add the mixture to a lightly greased frying pan, on medium heat, shaping it into a circle. 3. Criss-cross the slices of bacon on top. 4. When the edge seems to be cooked, flip the okonomiyaki and leave to cook for 5-7 minutes – usually if the bacon is ready, the okonomiyaki is ready! 5. Put onto a plate, and criss-cross okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise over the top.
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Crete 2019 Retreat to
We’re delighted to welcome you to Villa Delfini on the Cretan Akrotiri for a yoga and cookery retreat! Join us for blissful yoga, meditation, massages, Mediterranean cookery classes, wine tasting, sunset hikes and dips in crystal clear waters. THE VILLA Villa Delfini lies nestled on the rugged Akrotiri peninsular of western Crete overlooking the turquoise Sea of Crete, and is perfectly secluded yet easily accessible (20 minutes from Chania airport). Think beautiful swimming pool, sprawling terraces, outdoor BBQ , cooling sea breezes, magnificent sunsets and Egyptian cotton towels!
THE YOGA Caroline’s classes will begin under the Cretan sunrise with an optional guided meditation, followed by a dynamic, creative and energising vinyasa flow practice. The evening sessions will provide a chance to relax and restore with a more nourishing practice incorporating balancing yin yoga, pranayama breath work and yoga nidra. The yoga sessions will be under the shade on the terrace or if slightly cooler on the grass, beneath the sky, with views of the natural surrounding landscape.
THE COOKING Leiths-trained Betty will guide you through her cooking classes incorporating fresh island produce and her passion for Mediterranean cuisine. Examples of what you might make are stuffed Cretan courgette flowers, marinated sardines, baked filled local vegetables, wild greens & cheese pies and traditional dakos. She will offer one to one guidance and summarise everything you learn in a recipe pack with a few key ingredients used to take home with you. TH
All abilities welcome
Early bird tickets from £700. See our website for details: http://www. carolinedruitt.co.uk/retreat-to-crete Email: caroline@druitt.com Follow us on instagram @retreattocrete INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2019 | 51
12-17 MAY 2019 30TH SEPTEMBER - 5TH OCTOBER 2019
A
A Levels – could they be a better choice than the IB?
Levels are increasingly being chosen by international and Swiss families for their children’s final years of schooling. Highly-regarded by universities in the UK, Switzerland, and globally, they are considered by international school students as a serious alternative to the IB Diploma. A key decision for parents and students heading into the final school years is which route to take. While the IB Diploma is often the most popular option, an alternative is A Levels. So what makes them better for some students? Both qualifications are widely respected routes into university. However, the A Level qualification has its fans, largely because they offer the opportunity for students to continue studying only the subjects where their most passionate interests and talents lie. This can make the final two years of school a lot more motivating for some students and even give students a tactical advantage allowing them to score better in their final exams by dropping their weaker subjects. For students who are all-rounders, or for those who don’t have a very clear idea yet what they’d like to do after school, specialising in only a few subjects might limit their choices later on. However, for students who have a clear idea what studies they wish to pursue after school, A Levels allow them to focus their time on achieving the highest possible grades in the 3 or 4 most relevant subjects. As a result, the Swiss International Schools offering the A Level including Hull School Zurich, Geneva English School, Brillantmont
International School, and the British School of Geneva - all agree that they are an excellent choice for many students. So, let’s take a closer look at A Levels – a programme available to students of all nationalities and educational backgrounds who meet the entrance requirements.
What are a levels? The A Level, or “Advanced Level”, programme is the two-year course designed to follow the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in the UK. However, it isn’t compulsory to have studied the GCSE to enter the A Level programme. It is open to students aged 16 and above of all nationalities and educational backgrounds. For those who have studied GCSE’s it’s generally necessary that a student has achieved a C or above grade in five subjects, especially in the subjects that they wish to study for A Level. The International A Level is a similar format, but framed in an international context rather than a UK one. International schools can run either the UK format or the International format. Universities do not view International A Levels any differently to A Levels.
How is the programme structured & assessed? A Levels are composed of 2 years of study: 1st year AS level and 2nd year A2. You need to complete an AS level in a subject before you can move on to A2 and complete your full A Level. The A2
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course builds on what has been learnt in the AS and many A2 exams also test content from the AS course. It used to be that the exams after studying the AS level contributed 50% towards your A Level grade, but this is no longer the case. We’ll explain some more recent changes a bit further on. The recent changes also mean that the final A Level exams are more heavily weighted, which can be advantageous for students whose strengths lie in recall. A Level students are not asked to complete any significant piece of coursework - such as the IB Extended Essay - outside of their normal courses, which means they can fully focus their time on the subjects they’ve chosen.
university. Students need to exercise self-discipline as there is a high emphasis on independent study, much like at university. Lessons are often much more lecture-style also, which offers great practice for students to learn note-taking and revision techniques that work for them. We are often asked by parents if universities value the IB as a more competitive diploma. In reality, universities know that each pre-University programme has its strengths and weaknesses and they are unbiased toward any particular qualification. It’s much more important to make sure that the programme you choose is the right one for your child.
What type of student is the a level best suited for?
What do i need to know about the recent changes to a levels?
Any student who studies A Levels needs to be prepared to be self-motivated to study independently and manage their workload. They should also have a very keen interest in the subjects they choose as the courses go deeply into concepts and skills related to these. We often explain to parents that one of the great drawcards of A Levels is that students can study as few as 3 or 4 subjects and go much more deeply into these. TutorsPlus tutors enjoy teaching A Levels as the courses often go deeper in to the subject matter. By contrast, the number of subjects in the IB, French Baccalaureate or Swiss Maturité can be much broader, anywhere from 6 to 11 subjects. When advising parents of students who have had interruptions to their studies due to illness or professional participation in sports or the arts, we find A Levels are an option that provides the flexibility they’re looking for. A Levels can even be completed by home-schoolers with the help of professional tutors. Many parents find themselves weighing the IB against A Levels so it’s important to understand the main difference between these two programmes. While the IB is designed for developing an all-rounded student, those studying A Levels can specialise. For example, the IB normally wouldn’t allow for students to study more than two sciences to give space for other subjects in the programme. However, students choosing the A Level route would have no problem studying three sciences - Physics, Biology and Chemistry, for example – especially if it would prepare them well for a particular course at university they have their heart set on. This route would prepare them well to have a very deep knowledge of these complementary areas of Science. So, for students whose strengths lie in a very particular academic area, A Levels give the opportunity to specialise earlier.
In 2015 the UK government began phasing in changes to A Levels. Exams for the last of the “old-structure” A Level subjects will be taken this May/June 2019. So if your child is entering A Levels in September 2019 they’ll be fully entering the new system. Your school will be completely up-to-date with the changes, but just be careful if you’re reading about A Levels online to check the publication date of the article/blog as there is still a lot out there about the old system. Under the new system that has been introduced, all A Level exams will take place at the end of Year 13, with no marks from AS-levels (if you take these) contributing to the overall final grade. Instead the AS, if your school chooses to run the exam, will be a separate stand-alone qualification. This change does not, however, apply to International A Levels, which is a separate system. In general, there will also be less coursework and fewer practical assessments under the new system. This means having a solid revision plan in place to make sure learning stays fresh is of paramount importance. The grading system remains unchanged. Grades will continue to be awarded on an A*-E scale. The A* grade in A Levels differentiates the highest performing students and gives university admissions a better appreciation of a student’s academic achievement.
Access to universities worldwide It is often assumed that A Levels are the best option only if you intend to study in the UK. However, you should certainly not feel that you will be limited to the UK by studying A Levels. A Levels are truly a globally recognised qualification. Universities typically require students to pass three subjects at A Level, and generally publish the letter grades necessary for admission (for example, one A and two Bs). However, it’s always recommended that you check the entry requirements of the universities that you are considering just to be sure of their expectations. In order for students to maximise their chances of achieving the standards sought by the universities of their choice, many A Level candidates will undertake four courses (perhaps even more in the first year) and apply to university based on their top three scores. A Levels are a great course of study to prepare students for
Want to be best prepared for a levels? TutorsPlus can provide specialist A Level tutors, experienced with the curriculum and exam preparation. If you feel your child has any gaps ahead of moving into A Levels, we’d be happy to match them with an experienced tutor who will ensure they move forward with confidence and solid foundations. Additionally, if you have questions regarding school choice or the best curriculum to suit your child, TutorsPlus’ Education Consultants would be happy to guide you. You can reach TutorsPlus at 022 731 8148 or info@tutorsplus.com By Sandra Steiger - Academic Support Manager at TutorsPlus
Sandra Steiger has over 10 years’ experience teaching English at various schools in Switzerland. She now works as Academic Support Manager at TutorsPlus. During her 6 years at the International School of Geneva, she was also the Service Learning programme Coordinator, International Award Supervisor, a Homeroom Mentor and Head of Year 8.
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PERSPECTIVES FROM SWISS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS OFFERING A LEVELS “Our school, Brillantmont International School, has been teaching A Levels for over 60 years. We strongly believe that A Levels give students flexibility and freedom in their learning choices. Rather than having a fixed programme imposed upon them, students choose three or four A Level subjects, about which they are passionate. This freedom of choice allows them to develop depth of knowledge in their chosen subject, building critical thinking and academic skills. Students can focus on the subjects they love and are not held back by having to study subjects they do not enjoy. Similarly, service learning and extra-curricular activities are chosen by the students, rather than being imposed upon them, as is the case with other programmes. Students effectively take ownership for their learning. Furthermore, the fact that A Levels are recognised and held in high regard by universities worldwide is of utmost importance, since our students continue their higher education across the globe.” Sarah Frei, Head of External Relations, Brillantmont International School.
“A-levels have become popular in Switzerland, a highly competitive private school market. One of the fastest growing private schools in Switzerland, Hull’s School Zürich, uses the UK system and teaches mostly Swiss adolescents. It opened its doors in 2004 and now counts 300 students, making it probably Zürich’s largest private sixth form college. Swiss students appreciate an alternative to the very broadly-based Swiss university entrance examination (Matura). They find the idea of an all-English high school appealing as they expect to do further studies and pursue careers in English. Many of them feel that their chances of getting into a Russell Group university are better with A-levels, because they are able to concentrate more on their best subjects. As Swiss universities also recognize A-levels, they get the best of both worlds.” Robin Hull, Principal, Hull’s School Zürich.
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TOP TIPS
to Help our Teens get the Best Start to the IB Diploma – Advice from IB Experts
I
f your child is starting the IB Diploma Programme next academic year, here is all the advice you need to help them get the best start possible. We often hear from DP Coordinators that parents and students alike can worry as the start of the IB approaches. It doesn’t matter whether students are coming from the MYP, IGCSE, or national curricula, there is always an adjustment period that students need to be prepared for. We’ve gone to the experts and spoken to IB DP Coordinators at top international schools in Switzerland to gather their advice on how your child can be better prepared to hit the ground running in their first Semester of the IB Diploma.
What advice would you give those who are about to enter the DP programme?
“Once students have selected their courses, it’s about being organised and being able to work within a schedule in terms of getting the work done. I try to emphasise that you don’t need to be a genius to be successful at the Diploma. You just really need to be organised and have chosen the right classes. Students need to have thought through what they’re interested in studying at university, what countries they are thinking of studying in, and what their passions are. Their programme should have been put together from that.” Joseph Amato – IB DP Coordinator, Zurich International School. “They need to look at it as a really positive, exciting two years ahead. It’s a bridge between school and the next step, whether it be university or another road. Don’t listen too much to comments like, “Oh, it’s really hard. The DP programme is a lot of work”. Students need to experience the Diploma for themselves and a negative or fearful mindset can hinder their ability to enjoy the next two years. It’s a very personal
experience. Parents can help by guiding their child to refocus on themselves and their particular educational journey, as opposed to comparing themselves to others. At this stage of your life path and career path and journey, comparing yourself to others doesn’t mean anything. Parents need to give students the space to follow their own. It’s far more likely that students will enjoy the Diploma and succeed if they’ve chosen options that they’re happy with, that they’re interested in and passionate about. If students find they’re not enjoying a subject, it’s better to talk with the DP Coordinator earlier rather than later and we will try to work with to find a way forward. Ideally, students will have been having these conversations before they start and will have chosen their subjects well. Lastly, we want students to understand INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 55
that the DP is a collaborative endeavour, where they are immersed in a network of people who are very willing to support them and who they can learn from and should communicate with. We encourage students to be very open, to discuss their learning with their parents, to be open minded about discussion with staff within the school, but also with their peers. One of the best enrichments the IB can do is to allow a sense of shared learning as well as ind ependence. So, talking to one another avoids ending up feeling that you’re in a vacuum, that you’re working through things on your own.” Ann Lautrette – IB DP Coordinator, InterCommunity School Zurich. “I take a very IB mission statement kind of approach to starting the Diploma. The workload is a little less intense at
about setting good foundations and work habits in place.” Dr. Zoe Badcock - AP and IB DP Coordinator, International School of Zug & Luzern. “At TutorsPlus we echo many of the sentiments of the IB Coordinators we have spoken to. It’s really important the student has chosen the subjects carefully and not been overly influenced by peers or what they feel they should be studying. No matter which school, we find that students who’ve chosen their subjects carefully are able to keep motivated and stay applied, even when it gets challenging. Our tutors say this is especially true with the Extended Essay and Internal Assessments where it’s so important to have a personal interest in the topic to inspire independent research”. Sandra Steiger - Academic Support Manager at TutorsPlus So, add these points to your pre-first semester checklist: • Remind your child that the IB DP experience is a personal one, that it will be a foundation for finding their place in the world and achieving their goals for the future. That’s exciting! • Make sure they’re truly happy with their subject choices. If they have any doubts, they should speak to their DP coordinator sooner rather than later. • Ensure your teen knows that they have the support of the school and their families, and shouldn’t hesitate to reach out for help or advice at any stage.
What would you say are the most challenging aspects of the DP that maybe parents and students don’t fully appreciate at the beginning?
“I try to emphasise that you don’t need to be a genius to be successful at the Diploma. You just really need to be organised and have chosen the right classes.” the beginning and I think that there’s an opportunity to dream a little bit, to explore and be critical about what you want to get out of the next two years. So, I encourage
students to think beyond their subjects and imagine what they want the world to be like and their place in it. How would they achieve that? In the first weeks it’s also all INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 56
“It’s different for all students. They come in with diverse amounts of talents and abilities. Some students like the Extended Essay, if they were lucky enough to get to work on their passion then it’s easy. For others the struggle is very real. It really depends on the student. Overall the biggest challenge I would say is going from ninth and tenth grade curriculum and having to ratchet it up two or three degrees in order to cope with the six courses, the Extended Essay, and doing CAS. It’s a big jump and certainly when we’re counselling tenth graders I try and emphasize that again and again. Some people listen and some people
get scared, which they shouldn’t. But some students don’t pay attention and they suffer the consequences.” Joseph Amato – IB DP Coordinator, Zurich International School. “They don’t anticipate how organised they will need to be, and how structured in their time they’ll need to be. That is a huge challenge for students. They often start the programme feeling like, “Oh, this is okay… what were they talking about saying it’s so hard and there’s so much work?” And then, often, there’s quite a steep increase, and they find themselves wondering, “How can I manage this?!” We always try at school to prepare students for that. We put in place a core curriculum programme that supports those organizational skills. But then they go from a really structured programme to one where they have study periods, where they have to learn independently. So, part of our job is to prepare them throughout school for that independent learning that we know they’re going to have to deal with in the DP and beyond. Because after these two years that’s it, they’re completely independent in terms of their own learning.” Ann Lautrette – IB DP Coordinator, InterCommunity School Zurich. “Every year, the start of the 2nd year is a surprise in terms of how challenging it is for the students, even if you prepare them. At that time there’s a convergence of deadlines and expectations. There’s the pressure of university applications while simultaneously completing Internal Assessments, and feeling like they need to show that they’re performing in tests in order to get good predicted grades for university. I think that the first semester of the 2nd year of the DP, any Diploma coordinator will tell you, is the most challenging. And I think that it still catches parents and students out.” Dr. Zoe Badcock - AP and IB DP Coordinator, International School of Zug & Luzern. “There are certainly times of the year where we at TutorsPlus are inundated with requests for assistance for revision or getting started on essays with deadlines just around the corner. So the best advice we can give is that it is really important that students take their DP coordinators’ advice on timelines and schedules seriously to avoid very stressful moments for parents, students, teachers and tutors alike!”
Sandra Steiger - Academic Support Manager at TutorsPlus If your child is struggling with ideas to get started or needs to revise structuring their coursework, encourage them to sit down with their teacher, a friend, you, or a tutor to help set their ideas out. While IAs and the EE are to be done independently, there’s no limit to how much students can talk their ideas through and receive advice how to move forward if they’re stuck. We recommend that: • Your child spends time over the summer reflecting on all the learning and feedback they’ve ever received on organisational skills. Put an action plan in place that works for them to be organised. Ask your teen how they organise themselves – and explore different methods if they haven’t yet found what works for them. • Stay in touch with the deadlines. If their teacher warns them of a “crunch time” where many deadlines will converge, mark it in red in the family calendar. Help your child get started extra early on any preparation needed for these tasks to avoid unnecessary panic and stress”.
When students are thinking about organization and maintaining a healthy schedule, what should they bear in mind?
“There isn’t a one size fits all formula. Some students would not do well if they didn’t have sports as an outlet, although physical activity is part of the IB programme. Some need the rush from playing on a very competitive football team and I would never want to take that away from them. If I see someone who seems to be overextended, I would talk to the family and advise them, especially in year two, to think about curtailing a little bit. However, most students do this on their own. As a school, we try to have an overview of what else students are doing, outside of academics. How many clubs they belong to, what sport teams they belong to. Many of our students belong to teams in their local communities, which the school may
not know about. Overseeing all the students and getting the full picture of what’s going on in their lives helps us better understand when some students aren’t doing as well as they would like to do.” Joseph Amato – IB DP Coordinator, Zurich International School. “We’ve always said that the IB Diploma is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s really important that students pace themselves well. Towards the end, they need to be prepared to focus their remaining time and energy on the task at hand, while still eating well, and being active and social as this is well known to combat stress.” Sandra Steiger - Academic Support Manager at TutorsPlus Some final things to add to your pre-first semester checklist! • If your child has a very active life outside of school, make sure the school knows so they better understand your child’s situation and can help balance demands on their time. • Students should definitely keep active and involved in sports, theatre, music, and clubs that make them happy. It’s important to have these non-academic outlets. Just prepare them already for the idea that by 2nd year of the IB DP they may need to cut down on these to be able to manage the workload. TutorsPlus can provide specialist IB tutors, experienced with all areas of the curriculum, exam preparation, as well as organisation and time management. If you feel your child has any gaps ahead of moving into the IB Diploma, we’d be happy to match them with an experienced tutor who will ensure they move forward with confidence and solid foundations. The summer break can be a great time to review and prepare ahead of the IB Diploma journey. You can reach TutorsPlus at 022 731 8148 or info@tutorsplus.com By Sandra Steiger - Academic Support Manager at TutorsPlus
Sandra Steiger has over 10 years’ experience teaching English at various schools in Switzerland. She now works as Academic Support Manager at TutorsPlus. During her 6 years at the International School of Geneva, she was also the Service Learning programme Coordinator, International Award Supervisor, a Homeroom Mentor and Head of Year 8.
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ADVERTORIAL
etıquette The case for learning
S
ince the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, a number of news pieces have emerged on how the American is expected to behave now that she is a member of the British royal family. Commentators have drawn attention to royal traditions that guide what to eat (no garlic), how a female member of the royal family should dress while in public with the Queen (favouring pastels and neutral colours) and how she should sit (preferably by crossing legs at the ankles or practising the “duchess slant”).
Etiquette as a shared language As the above example show, etiquette matters. What’s more, etiquette spans a broad range of behaviours, choices and actions. It includes body language, manners, appearance, interpersonal skills and official protocol. In the public eye, following etiquette and protocol is key to both demonstrating and earning respect. But etiquette is needed not only by royals, politicians and diplomats. It is a universal language that facilitates daily interactions in business and in society. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2019 | 58
ADVERTORIAL
“Etiquette spans a broad range of behaviours, choices and actions. It includes body language, manners, appearance, interpersonal skills and official protocol.”
After all, it’s harder to negotiate over a meal if you’re worried about which fork to use. Meanwhile, in today’s globalised world, knowledge of international etiquette is crucial to avoid miscommunication or committing a cultural faux pas. Greetings, punctuality and table manners are all examples of customs that vary across cultures. But how does one learn etiquette?
Understanding the value of etiquette Etiquette — that combination of manners, emotional intelligence and soft skills, or savoir-vivre and savoir-être, as the French say — is not learned through books, but by practice. At Glion Institute of Higher Education, our hospitality management students internalise etiquette through practical experience, including service roles on campus and professional internships completed abroad. Certain guidelines also help: Anthony Durand, Senior Lecturer and Manager Banqueting, Events and Boutiques, identifies the following six habits as prerequisites to business protocol:
• Be on time • Be discreet • Be courteous, pleasant and positive • Be concerned with others • Dress appropriately • Use proper written and spoken language Practice makes perfect “I strongly believe in learning by doing,”
Mr Durand says. “At Glion, students develop their sense of etiquette naturally as they take on responsibilities such as welcoming visitors in our lobby or serving guests in our gastronomic restaurant. They learn to look their best as they follow our business dress code daily. They are mentored by our faculty, but ultimately, it is through experience that they come to understand l’art de recevoir, the art of welcoming, and how to act appropriately in a variety of contexts.” In the business world, first impressions are particularly important. For this reason, Glion’s dedicated careers department arranges mock interviews and advises students on business etiquette ranging from appearance to body language and communication.
A process of continuous learning Of course, etiquette is also constantly evolving, influenced by shifts in technology and culture. “The paper invitations sent to announce social events in the past are today often replaced by social media invites or mobile messages, and ‘netiquette’ now has its own set of rules,” Mr Durand observes. “Meanwhile, globalisation has led to a wider appreciation of etiquette across cultures — for example, nowadays many business professionals in Europe know that in East Asian culture, they should use both hands when presenting business cards, but that awareness was less common just a decade ago.” INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2019 | 59
International exposure is key to understanding cultural differences in business and social etiquette. At Glion, students learn alongside classmates who represent around 90 different nationalities, enabling them to exchange experiences of protocol and etiquette around the world and constantly learn from each other. The importance of etiquette is particularly evident in multilingual, multicultural Switzerland, which is home to many of the world’s international organisations. At global forums such as the United Nations, etiquette plays a vital role in preventing misunderstandings and ensuring that all feel welcome. From meetings to the dining table, protocol and manners pave the way for conversations to be had and decisions to be made. Far from old-fashioned, etiquette is a shared code of respect, an attitude and a lifelong skill – one from which we can all benefit. About the author Georgette Davey serves as Managing Director of Glion Institute of Higher Education, a leading hospitality management institution with campuses in Switzerland and the UK. She has more than two decades of experience in academic leadership and hospitality management.
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a P ive INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2019 | 60
ADVERTORIAL
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INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2019 | 61
“Bouldering is ideal for parents and children because you don’t need any equipment apart from the climbing shoes, and it is very accessible for everyone.”
T
he amount of time children spend playing sport often means parents have less time to commit to their own physical activity. The higher your daughter or son climbs up the competitive ladder of hockey, horse riding, tennis or gymnastics, the more time you spend ferrying them to local or regional competitions, and cheering them on. While taking on all of these logistics is an inevitable part of bringing up sporty kids, there is something else that can have a dramatic impact on whether or not they are active enough: their parents’ own participation in sport and exercise. A growing body of research is demonstrating that in addition to the personal physical and mental health benefits for adults themselves of remaining active, creating an active family life gives kids a model for a healthy lifestyle they can emulate. In particular, a Portuguese study last year found that children who have two physically active parents are significantly more likely to be involved in sport. Girls who have an active mother, and boys who have an active father are especially likely to be engaged in more sports, and to practise more times each week. The
study authors specifically recommend that projects to promote children being active should involve the whole family, promoting parents to be more active. Similarly, a 2017 Canadian study found that a “child’s level of physical activity rises by five to ten minutes for every 20-minute increase in the physical activity of a parent”. Children involved in the study walked an extra 200 to 350 steps a day for every 1,000 extra steps a parent walked. Policy makers are also speaking publicly about how active education involves parents as well as schools. As part of the European PACTE project, the think tank Sport and Citizenship recently organised a workshop on Active Education. EU Affairs Director Maxime Leblanc said: “Parents need to be behind this idea of being more physically active at all times, especially mothers. In general research has shown that any big changes in society happen through women and a change in women’s behaviour. It’s good to target kids directly but parents should also be educated to include more physical activity in their own lives and as a consequence in their kids’ lives. We tend to focus more on schools as an institution, and what we can provide in schools and around INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2019 | 62
schools, rather than going at this micro level of parents, but it’s an absolute must if we want to go further in this.” The World Health Organization recommends that children aged five to 17 should be doing at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day and adults aged 18-64 a minimum of 150 minutes a week. So what type of activities can you do as a family that also work around full-time jobs, a commute, and weekends spent ferrying your young athletes to their matchdates?
Family skiing in Switzerland One of the few sports that international families routinely and frequently practise together, skiing is a perfect activity for parents and children because it’s fun, it offers a complete day out with friends, and – unlike with running, walking or swimming – it is usually the adults who have to make the effort to keep up. Ski instructor Dave Burrows, founder of SnowPros Ski School in Valais and Vaud, said: “I can’t think of many sports you can do between generations. Skiing gives you a really good opportunity to do that, if you can get all family members to a similar level
– that is the biggest challenge. “Certainly it is possible. There is a guy here who is one of the best skiers on the mountain. I remember seeing him with a backpack with his 12-month-old in, and his young daughter and his wife. He was there in Telemark skis teaching his daughter how to ski. I thought that was lovely. I use that as inspiration for how I’d like my family to go forward. “My little one is hopefully going to be on skis next year. I can’t think of anything nicer than tootling around the mountains with her.”
Bouldering and indoor climbing in Switzerland The popularity of climbing without ropes or harnesses, usually at much lower heights than traditional climbing, has a natural appeal to families. There are fewer technical skills to master before you can start, and of course there is far less distance to fall if someone does get into trouble. In any of the many indoor bouldering centres across the world, you will find a wide variety of difficulty levels on the same wall, which suit experienced - and taller - climbers as well as novice/shorter ones. Daniel Braillard, co-owner of Le Cube indoor bouldering centre in Lausanne, said: “Bouldering is ideal for parents and children because you don’t need any equipment apart from the climbing shoes, and it is very accessible for everyone. We have lots of parents who come for their children and realise that they can also do it because it’s easy, so they get the climbing shoes too. As a result, parents and children are active together, which is nice.” He added that bouldering particularly suits families because it is a communal activity. “Whether outdoors or indoors, bouldering by definition is done as a group because one person climbs while the others look out for the climber, so everyone takes part.”
Walking and running in Switzerland While the ubiquitous family-friendly ParkRun has inexplicably yet to penetrate Switzerland, there are hundreds of organised races that accommodate children. One of the oldest is Geneva’s Course de l’Escalade, the biggest race in Switzerland, attracting nearly 50,000 participants in early December each year. As well as the adult-only races, there are special categories for youngsters from the
ages of six to 17. Older family groups (18 upwards) are encouraged to enter teams into one of the main runs allowing for men and women to run together (Mix2 and Mix3). On the Saturday evening, there is a fancy dress “Marmite” race for families with children over the age of six, and parents and children over the age of ten can take part in the 8-kilometre walking event from Veyrier to the centre of Geneva. Starting seven weeks before the race, there are organised trainings on Sunday mornings attracting up to 2,500
people at a time, in different municipalities of the Geneva region. Michael Kleiner, head of media relations, said the Course de l’Escalade is popular with families because the course is compact, and runs in Geneva old town, with running distances of between 1.7 and 7.3 kilometres. “It’s a good way of bringing families together,” he explained. “Sport activities are very popular in Switzerland and everywhere; cities and countryside alike. There’s a lot of fun, there’s room for everyone and families really enjoy coming together.”
Rachel Beacher @rachelbeacher is a freelance writer and editor who is a passionate advocate of active parenting. She is also Marketing and Communications Manager for InterSoccer, which runs bilingual football courses and Easter and Summer camps for two to 13-year-olds across Switzerland. intersoccer.ch Hayley Hay Hayley Hay is a lifestyle family and portrait photographer living in Lausanne. Although her work covers a diverse range of subjects, a lot of her focus is on photographing people, and children in particular. She is a true believer in capturing life’s most authentic moments in an unobtrusive manner, so she can create natural images that stand the test of time. info@hayleyhayphotography.com www.hayleyhayphotography.com www.facebook.com/hayleyhayphotography INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 63
SWISS GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS – 2019 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
In early March of this year, the International School of Basel hosted the SGIS twoday Annual Conference. This represented both an opportunity for rich and thought-provoking professional development for schools and school staff, and also an important occasion for teachers working in international schools across Switzerland and beyond to meet, network, discuss and share ideas.
“C
an we walk the talk?” was this year’s theme. Keynote speakers and workshop leaders were all very inspirational. It was a privilege to welcome Andy Hargreaves, Danny Brassell, Kendall Koller, Alison Schofield and Jennifer Wathall, who spoke and shared their ideas on a range of important topics such as collaboration,
multilingualism, well-being in schools, authentic communication, inquiry-based learning, maths and school leadership. The conference also included workshops on new accreditation protocols, which are hugely relevant to most SGIS schools given the recent changes in internationally recognised teaching and learning standards, offered by organisations such as NEASC INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SUMMER 2019 | 64
and CIS. Thanks to these many excellent workshops and speakers, no doubt delegates are invigorated to “walk the talk” back at their home schools.
SGIS – 50 Years This year’s conference also marks the 50th anniversary of SGIS, which now counts
VIEWS FROM THE SGIS BOARD 49 international schools in its organisation. Thanks to the work of Geoff Tomlinson, Honorary Board Member and Jackie ChanKam, Executive Secretary, the Association has a beautiful book ‘Chalk and Cheese’ on the history of its member schools, past and present. SGIS member schools were each presented with a copy of ‘Chalk and Cheese’ at this year’s conference. This important anniversary is not only an opportunity to celebrate past achievements but also to look to the future. How does SGIS continue to provide and support relevant and stimulating professional development to teachers and administrators? As the world is in constant change, SGIS like its schools must continuously adapt to best meet the needs of its member schools, their students and staff. Finally, a special ‘thank you’ to IS Basel for all their hard work in hosting a very successful conference and also to their student ambassadors, who over the two days supported delegates, introduced keynote speakers and entertained us with a musical interlude. http://www.sgischools.com
The International Baccalaureate’s IB World Schools Manager, Rémy Lamon was also at the conference and provided reassuring information concerning the IB Evaluation process, which can often appear daunting. With high energy and a positive outlook, Remy outlined a clear and inclusive process to ensure a thorough self-study, enabling a school to both meet IB requirements and focus on continuous improvement. There was a strong emphasis on international mindedness, multiple perspectives and the celebration of strengths at the school. Student action and agency were highlighted, as in other conference sessions. With the new IB Standards and Practices on the horizon, Remy’s enthusiasm was encouraging and created a sense of eager anticipation. This session proved to be both inspirational and practical, a balance appreciated by all attendees. Denise Coates (Director of ISBerne) Kendall Zoller’s Keynote Address on Saturday 2nd March balanced wit, insight and relevance in inviting his audience to reflect on the significance of non-verbal communication, particularly in the context of meetings between professionals where a cognitive dissonance may exist between verbal messaging and unverbalised emotional cues. He provided practical and easily applicable tactics for recognising these dissonances and mitigating them in socially adept ways. Richard McDonald (Head Master, Aiglon College) Thirty-two educational companies from across Europe attended the conference and had a busy and productive two days interacting with teachers and other staff from a broad range of SGIS member schools. They left with a great deal of positivity about the new and renewed relationships they had forged and are already looking forward to joining next year’s conference at the Institut Florimont in Geneva. Exhibitors, delegates and other staff from ISB met after a busy day for a lively and stimulating gala dinner at the Radisson Blu Hotel. A Jazz Quartet provided high-quality entertainment, offering a relaxed atmosphere for networking and future collaborations. Andy Croft – SGIS Treasurer
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WINDOW TO THE SWISS ALPS A must for your bucket list: The Glacier Express, the most famous Swiss panoramic train. From Zermatt and the famous Matterhorn the journey takes you across 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels, along unspoilt landscapes, deep ravines up to an altitude of 2033 m a.s.l on the Oberalppass and through the Rhine Gorge, Switzerlands Grand Canyon to St. Moritz. Thanks to the large panoramic windows, a clear view of numerous summits, deep gorges and “Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch” and “Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscapes” is guaranteed. Delicious food will be prepared freshly in the on-board kitchen and will be served directly at your seat. www.glacierexpress.ch
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Excellence Class: the most sought-after seats in Switzerland A rail journey through the Swiss Alps has never been so luxurious. With exclusive and guaranteed window seats, the exclusive Glacier bar, on-board entertainment and a personal concierge service, the Excellence Class is setting new standards and offers a feast for the senses: while the spectacular landscape passes by outside, guests are served champagne and amuse-bouches – followed by an exquisite five-course meal with accompanying wine. The new Excellence Class: one of the most exclusive tourist highlights in Switzerland. www.glacierexpress.ch/excellence-class
Potential Passion Responsibility Exceptional academic results and top university admissions Inspirational teachers committed to students’ success Internationally accredited IB school for ages 3 to 18 Pre-school and kindergarten programmes include German lessons approved by Bildungsdirektion Kanton Zßrich
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