International School Parent - Autumn 2017

New School Directors at two leading International Schools

Autumn 2017

Dr David Hawley (Ecolint) and Dr Frazer Cairns (ISL) talk to us about their new roles!

• Top Tips from University Guidance Counsellors Take the guess work out of your application • Sexting & Teenagers Knowledge is power!

• The Benefits of Teaching Mindfulness Mastering the art of Attention & Self-Regulation

Welcome to the Autumn 2017 edition of International School Parent Magazine!

Welcome back!

After an active summer, and no doubt a busy start to the autumn term. You and your family are probably well into the swing of things.

Lots of international schools in Switzerland have just had director changes and we are looking forward to interviewing them all in due course. For this edition, we made our way across to Ecole Internationale de Genève to interview Dr Hawley, and then off to Lausanne to speak with Frazer Cairns. The calibre of candidates selected by international schools in Switzerland never fails to impress.

We wish them well in their new roles, and hope you enjoy reading about them.

As the temperature drops and the snow starts to arrive, our minds shift to the mountain season! We have teamed up with Swiss Tourism for this edition to bring you an excellent article about the Simmen family who are growing up with the mountains on their doorstep. There are also some great recommendations for family friendly ski resorts across Switzerland. So, sharpen your edges and head out there!

The Musée Olympique on the shores of Lake Geneva reopened in August with modern interactive displays on the Olympic Games, its history, organization and athletes.

Tickets are inexpensive, and it has a beautiful view over Lac Léman and on to the French alps and Mont Blanc. I would highly recommend a visit and making a daytrip of it to spend some time in Lausanne. www.olympic.org/museum For parents in Geneva, around about now is when Bains des Paquis reopens its saunas. On the northern side of the lake near the Kempinski Hotel, Bains des Paquis offers a beautifully clean, and very hot sauna, steam rooms, and Turkish baths which leave you ready for a refreshing (freezing) dip in the lake afterwards to get the blood racing.

Eat at the restaurant after relaxing in their silent relaxation room. It is open every day, even Sundays, so find a child free moment to take some time to experience it at least once – I really recommend it.

As usual, we have some great articles and interviews from educational experts. “Top tips from university counsellors”,

written by top Swiss international school staff, gives you some advice on how to make the most of your time at school and get that University application ahead of the rest.

I would like to extend our invitation to teachers, parents, and practitioners in all fields of education to contact us about writing and interview opportunities.

We would love to discuss with you the opportunity to be featured in the magazine and on our website at www.internationalschoolparent.com.

We remain committed to the task of helping parents and children make the most of the fantastic opportunities an education at an international school in Switzerland provides. All that remains to be said is that I hope you have a wonderful start to the academic year.

Work hard and be the best!

Nick Gilbert Editor & Publishing Director International School Parent Magazine Tel: +41 787 10 80 91 Email: nick@internationalschoolparent.com Visit: internationalschoolparent.com Facebook: facebook.com/internationalschoolparent

International School Parent Autumn 2017

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Interview: Dr David Hawley, International School of Geneva (Ecolint) ISP EDITORIAL TEAM

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

hat inspired you to become an educator?

I’ve done a variety of things. I’ve always had a lot of curiosity and interests to fuel: science, cycling, nature, literature.

Fundamentally, it has been the pursuit to feed my interest in others that has really been my motivation to be in education.

A seminal moment for me came when I was cycling across Canada a couple of years after finishing secondary school.

It took a whole summer and it was so beautiful; it was an exposure that I wanted others to have. By the end of the trip I was thinking, “What am I going to do with my life professionally?” and I wanted to find ways to have young people have these kinds of experiences.

As a result, I started leading bicycle trips in Canada and Europe for high school students, as well as becoming involved in a cross-country ski programme. When I took a step back, I realised I was – in essence – a teacher.

Around the same time, a recruiter appeared on my campus to recruit teachers for the American School of Guatemala.

I interviewed and got the job, despite being very young at the time. I had a wonderful experience there, so when I returned to Boston I continued teaching. Unfortunately, I had a terrible experience in a public school, where economic pressures meant that it was a very unwelcoming environment for a young, enthusiastic teacher.

I decided to go back overseas, so I travelled to Caracas, Venezuela, where I taught sciences at the Colegio Nacional de Caracas, and had another really great experience. After a couple of years, I got involved in the administrative aspects of the school, and I found that I wanted to make a career of it. I didn’t have the background in education, so I applied to university. I was at Harvard just at the time when people were seeing the potential of technology in education. I ended up applying for the PhD programme.

With this blossoming of technology, in the early days of Silicon Valley, I was recruited to work at a computer company,

“I really want to see young people making a difference in the present, in big and small ways.”

which was a really important experience for me. I realised what corporate life was like. To some degree, it was very positive; particularly the extraordinary investment they made in professional development. Here, I was involved in the very first use of technology to train engineers using computers, using interactive video discs.

What were you like in school?

I don’t feel that I was particularly challenged in school; I didn’t find it very engaging.

However, like for many people, there was one particular teacher who took a real interest in me and challenged me.

It was sparked by my over-confidence that she couldn’t fail me because I already had enough marks to pass her course.

She conspired with my parents and the principal to ensure I failed to make a point. I was outraged, but she was one of the first teachers who actually stood up to me and said, “You need to wake up and start applying yourself.”

What was the change in you?

Upon reflection, I realised I wanted to be part of a team that doesn’t let young people go to sleep and disengage. In some ways, I’ve taken that on as a life challenge. I would love for people to retain that natural curiosity that they have when they’re a small child until their last breath. That’s what I think the role of school should be – yes, it can be challenging at times, but I want students to be engaged.

The notion (used in the IB) of “student agency” is important.

I think one of the things that happens, or certainly happened to me, is that I didn’t feel that I had a sense of agency. I spent last summer with a researcher named Hattie, and he said, “Across the world so many students by the time they’re 8 years old realise that they go to school to watch teachers work.” That is the opposite of what should be happening; teachers should go to school to watch students work and to design experiences that launch them into a flipped classroom.

What would you say is student agency?

This is a really important point.

At Ecolint, where we have some big ambitions to create a better and more peaceful world, I want to make sure that from start to finish, each student has the opportunity to do that. So that when they’re here, they’re making a difference through the roles that they have in the school and in the classroom. By the time they leave Ecolint, every child will have developed a portfolio of examples of how they have made a difference here and now, in their lives and the lives of others.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

To me, that is really exciting. I really want to see young people making a difference in the present, in big and small ways.

Let’s stop saying that we’re reading Shakespeare to get into university; let’s say we’re reading Shakespeare to understand the human condition and human nature today so that you can be a better person tonight at dinner with your family.

So the question is, how do we execute it?

What makes the International School of Geneva so special?

One of the things that attracted me to this school was its history and environment. Geneva has an incredible reputation of being the place that pioneered, incubated and solved global problems, just as Ecolint has the history of creating the international school movement and the IB Diploma. This is a highly globalized city, home to the UN, the International Labour Organisation, and the original League of Nations, which have all been closely linked to the development of Ecolint. Geneva reflects a kind of vision for humanity and a mantra for me as I work and live my life, that we can do a lot better – and it starts with schooling.

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One of the attractions is the role of Ecolint today. It still has this great international diversity. What do we do with this gift of diversity that we’ve had since the inception of the school?

I think that the job of developing the possibilities of an international mindset is unfinished. In a world full of challenges, with the refugee crisis as an example, the term is not so much international anymore; it’s more about us understanding our interconnectedness and interdependence on one another. Being in an environment like this can, as in the past, nurture the culture for solutions to emerge to problems that we ourselves are a part of creating.

We have an opportunity now to throw ourselves at some of these really challenging international problems and come up with models and exemplars that might work around the world. Reading about the history of Ecolint – which was at the centre of trying to create a different future post WWII – there was a time where refugees were among the students. We have refugees in Geneva today, and I would love to diversify the student population from the point of view of education, not charity. In this case, either socio-economically or by having students who represent some of the challenges that we face today. I certainly have a vision that we can build a population of students that helps enrich the educational experience.

There’s an opportunity to be really intentional about building a community, and in this case a diverse community, of learners and teachers at this school. Going back to technology, how interesting would it be to have the teacher in francophone Africa who is remotely teaching students at Ecolint? I really want to continue this creative spirit that has always been a part of Ecolint.

It’s still very early in your tenure, but from where you sit today, what are the changes that you might envision bringing to Ecolint?

The question is: what do we need to do to build resilient, healthy young people who are ready to face all of the challenges in our future? I see an opportunity to support the current focus on building character, key habits and competencies by inviting experts into the school in those areas. We’re already working with some of the leading educators, thinkers and bilingual educators, and I want to see that continue.

Given the experience and the quality of the faculty here, we’re in a unique position to do some experimentation in key areas and there’s quite a bit of flexibility and options within the IB curriculum. We have an opportunity for pockets of innovation with experiential learning and use of technology and I’d love to empower the staff and students who want to contribute to this experimentation.

I would also like to develop areas like mindfulness education, positive education, pro-social education, looking at big questions surrounding human nature. Young people absorb their personal qualities from their environment, so I would love to be part of creating the right community for human thriving. It’s a tough thing to do in a world where there is aggressive play on people’s attention through technology.

I want to increase the engagement with other human beings in meaningful ways as I think there is the potential to be a looming absence there.

What excites you about your new job?

The excitement as head of a school is the extraordinary complexity of the role. I can be talking about poetry in the morning and internet policy in the afternoon. The extraordinary complexity and diversity of the role is very enriching.

It’s also looking at the wider questions of human development.

Much like an architect trying to design a building to last for years into the future, it’s looking at the cognitive, emotional coat rack that you need to build in the minds and hearts of young people today. There will soon be jobs that no longer exist, and jobs that we can’t even imagine now. Even ones we think would be completely immune to technology, artificial intelligence can dance around what human cognition is able to handle. So, what’s the space we need to occupy in the future?

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What keeps you up at night?

I think what keeps me up at night are the questions “Do we have the right model, as educators and as Ecolint? What is the experience that we need to ensure young people have in order to develop?” The more we know about teaching, learning and human development, the more labour-intensive our work is.

I don’t think there’s an easy technological solution to education; technological tools are important but I’m also keeping an eye on schools which are developing more physical teaching practices.

The leading technology and focus on personalised learning translates into a cost per child which is extraordinarily high. It’s a difficult formula. You want to maximize individual attention, you want to hold the line on class sizes yet minimise tuition fees, and you want to find the very best professional package for teachers. So, another thing is how to provide a terrific educational experience, while being reasonably priced.

“We have an opportunity now to throw ourselves at some of these really challenging international problems.”

How are you going to make the most of your time here?

Tell us about your personal life aspirations.

That I think is another big challenge.

What do you think are going to be the biggest challenges in the next ten years, more generally?

I think the biggest challenge will be balancing the inevitable change in traditional subjects and preparing students to study at university with changes at the university level itself. It’s difficult to predict who will make the changes first: universities or the K-12 schools? Of course, it’s going to be a collaborative effort.

I’m already seeing these changes at some of the most progressive universities out there, like Minerva in San Francisco. So, when I consider Ecolint, I think about the wider concepts and ideas that we want to make sure young people have a deep understanding of in order to be completely equipped for the future.

For me, I just love the outdoors: it’s the playground of all playgrounds. I will miss the ocean, but Lac Léman is a good size and I might do some sailing. Luckily, I love so many of the sports that are available here – I’m a longdistance cyclist, a runner, a swimmer, a hiker and a skier.

I’ve already been in the mountains two weekends now, and I love that part of Switzerland.

I’m going to make really great use of the outdoors, but I’m also living next to the Musée Voltaire. Although it’s been closed since I’ve been here, I have this image of myself doing some of my reading and work where Voltaire and Rousseau hung out. I love the history; being from North America with only 150 years of history based on capitalism, when you come to Geneva it’s quite exciting to be in a place with deep human history.

There’s a wonderful philosophy at the Stanford University Design School, that they want to bring young people to the university where they choose missions, not majors.

Increasingly, this is the direction that all of us are going; looking at what the problem is that we want to work on and then the tools that can be applied to that problem.

I have a lot to look forward to, it’s going to be exciting!

Another challenge will be physical wellbeing. It’s one of the interesting things we’ve been working on with the OACD and their 2030 educational model. It’s going to be important that we create a truly holistically educated person. Heart, body, and mind, if you will.

Address: Route de Chêne 62, 1208 Genève, Switzerland

--The International School of Geneva, also known as Ecolint, is a private international school based in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the oldest and largest operating international school in the world.

Phone: +41 22 787 24 00 Web: www.ecolint.ch

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Interview: Dr Frazer Cairns, International School of Lausanne NICK GILBERT ISP MAGAZINE

razer Cairns started his career as a management consultant and journalist after graduating from the University of York in the UK. He retrained as a science teacher and subsequently taught in the UK, Indonesia, Singapore and Switzerland. Having worked in international schools for most of his career Frazer is particularly interested in the way language is used in multilingual educational settings.

He continues to study and contribute to research in this area, holding both Masters and Doctorate degrees in education.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

An ex-runner, Frazer enjoys sport (despite his knees not being what they once were) particularly mountain and road bike racing, open water swimming, snowboarding and mountain walking. Frazer is married to Rebecca and has two children, Matthew and Hannah, both of whom attend ISL.

From journalism into teaching, how did that happen?

I have a very specific reason for teaching. I was working as a foreign correspondent on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, I spent some time in China, a bit of time in Tibet. You end up seeing lots of things. There was one particularly difficult day in the office. I was in the very north of Pakistan and there had been some intertribal violence and some people had been killed which I found quite upsetting.

Afterwards, while talking about the day with the interpreter and there was a moment when he said “the problem is that these people are not educated, and if they were more educated then these things wouldn’t happen”.

I was young and idealistic and I went home and thought about it a lot. There is always a moment when something goes round in your brain and I thought he was probably correct. I believe that journalism is really important. Bearing witness to things and reporting the truth. But I had an almost “road to Damascus” moment where I thought “if that’s the case then I should go and teach”. So I quit my job and went back to the UK to train as a teacher.

Lots of people say that the unplanned things are most interesting. It’s true. I have never really planned my life in stages, but it is one of the few times I can point at which was a change in direction.

I guess that flavours a lot about why I think education is important and the type of education that is very important to me. I am convinced that education is the way to make the world a more peaceful place, and I think it is probably the only way to make the world a more peaceful place.

How would you say that these experiences shape your approach to education?

In lots of ways. Tomorrow, I will make an assembly to the high schoolers and I will make the point that the opportunity to choose your path in life is an extraordinary gift, and not one that is given to everyone.

In that line that is misquoted to Superman, “With great privilege comes great responsibility”. The idea of actively trying to make choice is a fundamental obligation and so that comes into my idea of education. Education is preparing people to try and make choices which are best for themselves but also, and more importantly, best for society more generally.

What have you learnt from your time as a head teacher of an international school?

First and foremost, I have learnt that the job is not what you think it is. Like all teaching jobs, it involves a great deal of picking up rubbish and moving chairs, and that’s an important part!

More seriously though, I have seen that there are a very large number of very good schools in the world. Children can all go to a very good school in any number of places. However, the difference between a a good school and a great school actually comes down to a sense of purpose. Great schools have a really clear vision about what education is, and what the school is for.

Every time I see a good school, I recognise that there is a tangible clarity of purpose to the organisation. If that purpose infuses the school then it usually makes it an exceptional place to learn. If it doesn’t have that, then there is normally something missing.

Is that normally something you can change?

Yes, of course. A school’s culture has to be constructed, and collectively I think you can articulate a purpose. It’s not possible to just impose a purpose on something so must be genuine. It has to come from the community. There is no use saying, “we are the school that does XYZ” if you don’t offer that, because lying doesn’t get you anywhere. However, if you can get people to understand what their purpose is, and what the purpose of the organisation is, then I think that is an enormously unifying asset which gives a school clarity and focus. This sense of purpose comes from conversation with all the stakeholders in order to draw out what the fundamental aspects are that make the school special. When a school has clarity and focus, the children respond to that.

Everybody wants to be a part of an organisation that has a place in the world.

What makes this school special?

That’s another good question for someone who just arrived and of course I have come here for a reason.

The nature of the relationships at ISL are really quite special.

The school has worked very hard to construct a close family feel and there is a reason why that is important. It matters because in a multi-cultural, multilingual setting like ours, people have to feel safe in order to have proper serious conversations. I don’t agree with the idea of cultural tolerance.

By that, what I mean is, if you have groups of people and you just tolerate them and you live alongside them and you never question them and you never question yourself, that gets us nowhere.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

More than that, you end up marginalising people, and marginalised people retaliate. We can’t have a school in which it is not ok to ask questions. Sometimes these may be difficult questions. To be able to ask someone a difficult question, you need to feel safe with them. Therefore, the closeness of the community at ISL is really important. Without that you get these surface level conversations, or worse, people sticking to party line without really believing it, which gets us nowhere.

I think that is really quite special and unusual.

The second aspect here is that there is a genuine commitment to what is sometimes called a holistic education. By holistic, I mean an education that goes beyond a basic academic education, which I think is necessary but not sufficient on its own. What we aim for is to help students think about their place in the world, encourage them to try and think about the nature of their decisions, to encourage them to take a moral stance on particular things. So, within the school here there is a wider view of what education is about. It is not just about getting to university. It is about wanting to create better people in the roundest possible sense.

In that case, a student graduating from here is characterised as?

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I would like a child coming from here to have a very broad set of tools so that they have a very wide range of choices open to them.

One aspect is to prepare them academically very well to end up with well-educated child. The other aspect that we want our students to be aware of, is their place in the world. That there are things in life on which you should take a position, issues you should engage in, and things which you should just not be happy about, things that you should get up and do something about.

I hope that our students go away feeling that they have the confidence and the tools necessary to do something if they feel something is not right. It sounds odd, but I would hope they come away with faith. I don’t mean religious faith, but I would hope they would come away with a view that “good govt” with a small G is possible. That they have faith in the potential of people to live together in a peaceful way and they don’t see the world as doomed, but rather that they see it in a positive light.

I hope that our students leave here seeing life for what it is, an enormous adventure.

What do you think the parents of ISL really value?

Openness, honesty and trust are very important within the school and I think they value highly the closeness of the school. They value the fact that the child is known as an individual and they are not kind of a toothless cog in a massive wheel. There’s none of that. They value that the school tries very hard to deal with everybody.

I think that the reality is that there are only so many variables in a school. I think that different schools put emphasis on different bits of these variables. I think the way ISL works is by making the young people feel so close to each other, it’s so familial. I think the intangible that the school looks for, is that being open, living with and in other cultures rather than living next to them is really valued, and parents value that too.

Inter-culturalism is one of the guiding principles at ISL. The reality of today is that my children were born in Geneva, they’ve lived in France, Singapore, and Switzerland. They are not British, even though they describe themselves as this. I think the complexity of many people’s sense of identity is really different now than it was in the 1960’s when the school was opened so I think this is a really fascinating part of the school. Again, the school wants children to have a conversation with the person next to them and try to understand it.

Within that intercultural environment, how do you get children to do their best academically?

The research on academic performance is clear. The fundamental factor that makes the biggest difference is good teachers. When all is said and done, if you put good teachers in front of children and you encourage them, you make sure they carry on learning, and that they are connected to the institution, then children will learn.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

The second thing is about having high expectations. Alan McLean, an education write, wrote a book called “The motivated school”. He talked about lessons being based on two axis. One axis is whether children feel isolated or part of the group. The second axis is whether the classroom is teacher controlled or wither you give the children real responsibility.

The aspect that is important in performance is that you absolutely set very high expectations. At the same time, you make people feel part of the group, that they are affirmed in their own identity, and you give them genuine responsibility. You allow them the space to learn.

It isn’t about hot housing kids to repeat stuff that you’ve told them. You need to make them genuinely love learning.

So, I think there is that aspect of trying to get them to take responsibility inside the classroom. I don’t think it is about just spending lots of time on maths and science.

Have you got any plans for develop academically or outside the classroom?

Like everyone when they arrive, my primary job is to try to understand what people think makes it special. So that’s my first job. My second job is to help the school understand it’s mission and aims.

ISL has expanded and has done so incredibly successfully. It’s gone from quite a small school to quite a large school. When you have been through a period of expansion, you have to reimagine yourself and say, “now we are bigger, is it enough to just be bigger?”.

So, I have something to do there in terms of redefining the direction and the vision of the school which I think is important. I am really interested in looking at the nature of pedagogy in the classrooms, it’s my passion. Research is clear about what are good approaches.

I am genuinely interested in what makes a good lesson tick.

We have all been in good ones, and we have all experienced bad ones which never seem to end!

Is there anything we haven’t covered about getting people to understand each other’s cultures?

It’s easy to get a surface understanding of culture, and often organisations content themselves with that. I think that understanding of cultures only really comes from close interaction and having the courage to ask people why. Why is it like that? And the same time to reflect on your own culture and to ask yourself why you believe that something is true.

What is the best thing about being in an international school in Switzerland?

One of the best things about being in Switzerland is that it is so beautiful to be outside. The connection with nature that is possible within Switzerland is astounding. So that’s lovely.

The setting is fantastic, the opportunity that young people have here. You can go skiing, visit Cern, you can go to the UN. There is a whole variety of things. So many of the things that I want my children to be able to do are possible here, and easily accessible.

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There is enormous accessibility to different cultures. You can go to Italy and speak to Italians and be back the same afternoon. The multilingualism of it is incredibly attractive.

Research on multilingualism is interesting and it gives children many advantages when they are growing up. There are so many facets to the country, that there is so much one can do within the school, and with young people.

Also, the standard of Swiss education is good, very good.

The Swiss Matura is an excellent education, and generally, education in Switzerland is held in high regard. Amongst local teachers, education is important. I think that it makes it a nice place to work.

The PTA has a welcome brunch during the first weekend so as a parent coming in there are lots of opportunities to talk and to meet. There are also family buddy systems so parents can go for a barbecue together or meet up. Lots of them end up being long term friends.

There is also a mindset that says because everyone is more or less transient there is a natural inclination to try and be welcoming and help people. International schools in many situations form a hub that doesn’t normally materialise in a national school. Certainly, here is a place that parents will come to socialise, they construct their lives around the school to some extent.

You love cycling, what else do you occupy yourself with outside of school?

Well yes, I cycle. I love cycling, I love cross country skiing, downhill I tend to snowboard though rather than ski because I have a sore knee. I love open water swimming. I did the race from Lausanne to Evian last weekend which was a good swim!

I also sea kayak, so I have brought those with me, and I am sure there are some lovely tours to do around lakes and rivers in the region. So yes, lots of sports.

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Lausanne is quite different to Geneva so it is quite nice to discover Lausanne. I like sport, I read a lot, I like art, and all sorts of things. I also like dance, and of course you have the Béjart Balet here which is very good, so there is a whole variety of stuff I can pick up here.

Is there a program for new arrivals at the school?

I can talk about that quite easily actually because we also arrived as a family this year. A lot of information goes out to new arrivals! The most important thing for my kids was that they had a buddy. During the summer holidays both of my children got emails from their buddies explaining the school, how great it is, etc.

The thing about young people is that they often don’t want to stand out, they want to be part of the group. So, it was really nice for them to feel like they had friends and knew some names already. At the end of the first day when I asked them how it was they both said it was lovely. Both my kids said that they felt very welcome and well looked after.

One of the things about being international is that we have all arrived. And so everyone knows what it’s like to arrive. I think this school has a community that is used to welcoming people.

What are the challenges that children graduating in the future will face?

I think there are a lot of soundbites that are trotted out about the challenges of the future. Yes, absolutely the rate of technological change in the world is very fast. It is also the case that we are not exactly sure of the kind of work that people are going to be doing in the future, and there are also a whole range of challenges I think that people are going to have to face up to in the short term. Problems which have been with us for a long time but are coming to a bit of a head now. Our children are the lucky ones who are going to have to solve those problems, whether they like it or not is another question!

There is a great quote by a man called Eric Hoffer. “In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

I think the point about that is that what you need people to be is extremely flexible and capable of learning and that also comes down to confidence. I think it will be really important to continue helping young people to understand that they can learn, and that it is not to be feared.

Frazer Cairns, thank you so much for your time!

--The International School of Lausanne is an English-language day school located in the small village of Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, just north of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Address: Chemin de la Grangette 2, 1052 Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland Phone: +41 21 560 02 02 Web: www.isl.ch

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A Curriculum for a Changing World ISP EDITORIAL TEAM WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ECOLE INTERNATIONALE DE GENÈVE, AND COLLÈGE DU LÉMAN internationalschoolparent.com

International School Parent Autumn 2017

Students entering the competitive, 21st century workplace are facing an increasingly complex set of expectations from employers, which traditional academic routes are leaving them unequipped to meet. With rapid digitisation creating both opportunity and uncertainty, schools and universities are required to produce graduates who can adapt to the changing world and understand how to apply the skills they’ve learnt to realworld, work-related challenges.

Educators are waking up to this discrepancy, and with the launch of the International Baccalaureate Career-related programme (IBCP) in January 2016, students are welcoming a more holistic educational experience which aims to create well-rounded, career-ready learners. More than 141 schools in 23 countries now offer the IBCP – so what makes this course so desirable?

What is the IBCP? Designed as a two-year programme for students between the ages of 16-19, the IBCP draws on the academic rigour of the core IB model in combination with career-related study and real-world experience. The programme comes in three parts: courses from the IB’s Diploma Programme (DP), the CP core and career-related study.

Students are required to take a minimum of two courses from the IB’s traditional Diploma Programme (DP). The idea behind this is to provide a theoretical basis to the CP, giving a solid grounding in the IB’s core academic subjects including sciences, mathematics and the arts, among others.

To complement and provide context to students’ DP courses, the CP core emphasises experiential learning to develop their personal and professional skills. It aims to equip students with the necessary interpersonal and problem-solving abilities which are not only desirable in the workplace, but also ensure their adaptability to an ever-evolving world. This is achieved through four interconnected areas of study: •

• •

•

Personal and professional skills: This focuses on developing students’ attitudes and interpersonal skills in readiness for the workplace.

Service learning: A research-based module where students apply what they’ve learnt to a community need.

Reflective project: This is an in-depth piece of work which is designed as a reflective analysis of students’ career-based learning, based around identifying and analysing an ethical issue which has arisen during the course.

Language development: In keeping with the IB’s international status, this module demands that students develop their communication skills in a second language.

The third part is the vocational career-related study, in conjunction with an external study provider. At Ecolint, students can choose their stream of study based on the broad, overarching BTEC options of Business or Art and Design.

Students have the freedom to explore industries which they may already have an interest in, and gain practical, insightful exposure to the working environment.

This varies considerably from school-to-school, as bespoke IB-accredited courses are developed in collaboration with local institutions. At the Collège du Léman in Geneva, for example, students are offered a choice of Hospitality, taught in collaboration with Les Roches School of Hospitality Management in Valais, or Sustainability Management, taught in collaboration with the Sustainability Management School (SUMAS) in Gland, Vaud. For both career-related courses, students spend a total of five weeks during the two-year programme at the partner institution. At Les Roches, students study and practice the basics of hospitality, including working on the service desk, catering and banqueting and hotel services, as well as visiting local businesses which supply the luxury hospitality industry. At SUMAS, students follow lectures around sustainability, including eco-tourism, conservation and management of wetlands, international business and biodiversity, alongside participating in nature conservation projects around the Suisse Romande area.

The programme is assessed internally over the two years, predominantly through project-based coursework, as well as traditional IB-assessed examinations.

Why choose the IBCP? The IBCP offers students a plethora of advantages through its personalised, interdisciplinary approach to learning. The course is tailored to students’ interests and strengths, encouraging self-confidence and fostering an enjoyment in learning. “It really gives students the opportunity to play to their strengths, to focus on the things that they are good at and really access success,” explains Alexandra Juniper, DP and CP coordinator at the International School of Geneva’s Campus des Nations (Ecolint). The course teachers play an active role in guiding students in their course selection based on their interests and objectives, believing that when students choose subjects they love, they are more likely to excel.

The natural outcome of this is that students feel more engaged and in tune with their studies. Students can emerge from the course having created their own brand of sunglasses, or having created art in Augmented Reality (AR). Clara, who is currently half-way through her CP programme, enjoys the wider variety of options on offer under the BTEC course umbrellas: “You have more freedom with the IBCP, with only having Business or Art and Design you can choose what you actually like doing.”

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

This focus on student-centric learning is embodied through the programme assessment, which is mostly in the form of project-based coursework. This, again, gives students the opportunity to tailor their own studies to issues and areas that they enjoy, rather than pigeon-holing them into learning subjects by rote for examinations. The course takes a progressive step in recognising that not all pupils respond well to traditional exams; many are more likely to excel through project work. Students welcome the flexibility this offers: “The advantages of the IBCP are definitely having more coursework and the length of time given to complete a project,” says Freya, a former student at Ecolint who has recently completed the programme with a distinction in BTEC Business. “The way it was taught and the way that we were assessed was so much more open to interpretation. A lot more personal input can be put into your work and I really liked that.”

The exposure of students to real-world situations develops an understanding and appreciation of the work-place, and their chosen industry more generally. Linking academic-based classes with practical examples means that students see their learning as relevant to the problems and issues of the outside world and their future life, helping to broaden their horizons.

It also exposes them to areas of work that they may realise they have a talent for. “It has helped me to explore and develop my skills in relation to art,” says Clara. “I’ve discovered many things that I didn’t know I was good at and skills I didn’t know I had. I now know that I want to do something related to art.”

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The beauty of the IBCP course is that it can prepare students for a wide variety of options after high school. The programme is designed to develop a transferable and life-long skillset which prepares students to go on to further education, apprenticeships, or straight into employment. According to Julie Hutchins, CP Coordinator at Collège du Léman, the duality of the course and the breadth of experience offered will be an advantage for students seeking to go on to university: “Students who have already decided that they would like to go on to further education in their field will have a broad experience in both the practical and theoretical side,” she says.

What are the options after the IBCP? As a result of the IBCP programme, graduates have found that universities and higher education institutions value the skills, experience and qualifications gained during the course.

Universities recognise the academic rigour of the DP aspect of the programme, while the international outlook and vocational teaching give students a portfolio of relevant skills which they can continue to grow.

In keeping with the aims of the course, most graduates of the IBCP go on to continue in an area that they were exposed to (and inspired by) during their studies. Examples of graduate paths from Ecolint include further education in a diverse, international mix of practical, artistic and academic courses,

including Film at the Met Film School London, Fine Art at Ecole Condé Lyon, Hospitality Management at IHTTI Neuchâtel, Business and Management at the University of Reading and Cyber Security at Highline College Des Moines (WA).

Sam, who has been offered a place to study at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design, saw the IBCP as the first stepping stone in the journey towards his dream job. “My next step is to further develop my skills in graphic design and film and hopefully get a job in the film industry,” he says. It also allowed him to access financial help to study: “When I was applying to university, I found out that the IBCP programme can be awarded for scholarships – just by attending the classes.”

A strong focus on building relationships with world-class local institutions as qualification providers, has meant that many IBCP students have gone on to study further with the organisations that they undertook their career-related studies with. These institutions have already invested in producing high-quality high-school graduates, meaning that they can be sure of the student’s calibre, experience and skillset for ongoing education. While Sam will go on to study at Ecolint’s partner organisation in providing BTEC Art and Design qualifications, other graduates have been offered places by Les Roches School of Hospitality Management and SUMAS. Graduates from the IBCP also find that they are well-equipped for further learning. Nat, who is currently studying at the College of Art in Plymouth after studying BTEC Art and Design, says: “The BTEC and IBCP course really prepared me for university; I’ve got a 2:1 in my first year and I’m hoping to continue learning and improving – maybe even go on to do a master’s degree.” On the more practical side, graduates have found that they are confident in understanding work-related requirements. “The BTEC really was the right choice, it really prepared me in the business aspect including CVs,” says Nat. It is too early to give a full picture of how these graduates will fare in later life, but the fact that the course is creating more engaged students, with an enthusiasm for learning and an eagerness to develop themselves, is already a huge step forward in addressing the challenges of modern education. Narrow specialities are being disregarded in favour of broader, more adaptable skills, and this will surely equip graduates to address future problems from a broader, more imaginative perspective.

It’s a bold, progressive step, and it’s encouraging to see worldclass schools, universities and employers leading the way.

More information: www.ibo.org/programmes/career-related-programme

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

YOU GET AHEAD WHEN YOU START FROM TWO PLACES For a truly international career, look no further than Glion.

We are ranked in the top-three hospitality schools worldwide and, with our new London campus, we just got even better.

Our multicampus bachelor and postgraduate programs in event or hospitality management enable you to study both in Switzerland and London. It is a uniquely international degree which combines tradition and excellence with big-city opportunities.

www.glion.edu

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Contact Gregoire Pittet for more information about our campuses, programs and scholarships at swissrecruitment@glion.edu or +41 (0)21 989 2685. Visit us during one of our next Open Days in Switzerland or in London: Glion, Switzerland: February 18th, March 18th, April 22nd 2017 London, United internationalschoolparent.com Kingdom: February 11th, March 11th, April 28th 2017

International School Parent Autumn 2017

Top Tips From University Counsellors

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SARAH NORRIS STEP INTO MY SHOES

SALLY WALKER ECOLINT

BEN COLLIARD ECOLINT

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ELLYN LEWIS ECOLINT

KRISTIA DESPOTOVICJACOBSON ECOLINT

International School Parent Autumn 2017

Sarah Norris

you might demonstrate your own intellectual curiosity outside of the classroom. Can you back your desire to study a subject with concrete evidence?

Which course?

ail to plan, plan to fail. Benjamin Franklin’s advice is not new but it is crucially important. Students rightly focus on attaining the right grades but these days that is not enough.

Students need to carve out the time to prepare their application. Leaving it to the last minute will likely diminish their chances of a successful outcome. Remember that universities are dynamic. New courses appear every year and entrance requirements can be reviewed. Recent educational reforms have also impacted admissions with an increasing number of universities are opting for entrance tests, interviewing candidates and/or including additional writing assessments. None of these benefit from last minute cramming.

Get it “Write” The Personal Statement is a student’s most compelling chance of getting an offer at most UK universities once entry requirements have been met. Too often students misunderstand what is being asked of them. The statement has a two fold purpose – it allows students the opportunity to craft their case for joining a particular course while also demonstrating academic prowess. We recommend an average of 8 drafts.

Are you a hungry mind?

Intellectual curiosity, often referred to as “the hungry mind”, is very much valued by UK universities. Academics like to teach students who are genuinely engaged in a subject and have a strong desire to learn. Think carefully about how

Spend the time to think and research what you want to study. One of the most wonderful opportunities available to students studying in the UK is the wealth of courses on offer and yet too often, students choose the most popular courses crowding themselves out of potential university offers. Think carefully about courses that will be intellectually satisfying which also speak to your strengths and interests. Stay abreast of new courses that are being designed and launched to develop skills required by an increasingly complex labour market and ever-changing, fast paced world. Design Engineering at Imperial College and Management Science at UCL are two recent favourite picks!

You are the customer I always encourage students to visit campuses and get a better feel for where they plan to study. Tuition fees in the UK have increased and universities are under pressure to deliver beyond academic excellence. Don’t forget you are the customer and that there are options. Make sure campuses and facilities are in line with your expectations. London universities, such as UCL, Kings and Imperial for example, are all currently pushing forward with the construction of new campuses and facilities to meet increasing demand and student expectations.

Talk to your School University/ College/Guidance Counselor!

This is the person who will write your letter of recommendation and submit your documents. It is vital that you have a good working relationship with this person and that they understand your passions, your interests, your strengths and your limitations.

Visit, visit, visit!

Don’t forget you are picking a place where you will spend three or four years of your life. Visiting the campus will give you an idea of the campus culture, surroundings and, very often, a feeling of whether it is a good fit for you. Plan ahead and go during a vacation – there’s no need to need to wait for an Open Day! When you arrive, ask if an International Admissions Officer is present. They may just come out and speak to you!

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Be realistic!

Ben Colliard

Where do you stand in relation to others in your class cohort?

Do you have test scores already? Do your test scores put you into the correct range for the colleges are thinking about?

Remember that universities don’t often make mistakes in their admission decisions, and as interesting as students from an international school environment might be, there are over 7,000 international schools around the world educating over 3.5 million students. That means there are many other students with similar profiles applying to the same universities.

Meet as many admissions representatives as you can!

Look beyond brand names!

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When choosing universities it is important to look beyond the “name”. Look at all the factors that may matter to you such as size, location, range of possible majors, as well as extra-curricular clubs and activities, the background of other students, the expertise of the faculty etc. Look for universities that have a reputation for excellence in the majors you are considering. Just because you know the name of a specific institution does not mean that it excels in what you want to study. Remember, you are initially studying for an undergraduate degree. Many of the “big” names are known for their graduate teaching and programs, not undergraduate.

Research the course carefully!

Read through the contents of courses carefully. You may like the sound of history at such and such university, but on closer inspection you may find the module choices are limited, that they don’t offer topics which really interest you, or that you will be obliged to study subject areas that you already know you don’t like. Liking your subject is a big advantage when you need to motivate yourself to study!

Meet the visiting admissions representatives. Even if you have already visited the campus and met the representative from your region, always go to the visits taking place locally. There is no such thing as expressing too much interest and many universities will keep track of the interest a student expresses beyond just submitting an application. This might be the difference between being offered a place or not!

Go to admissions fairs!

If there is an admissions fair in your area, make sure you attend. Admissions Officers attend these events and are eager to meet international students. The largest one in Switzerland is the CIS fair, hosted by the International School of Geneva La Châtaigneraie campus on Tuesday October 3rd 2017 from 18:00 – 20:30.

Be yourself – and be special!

Be genuine in your application and essays. University admissions counselors can easily determine if a student is just saying what they think the university wants to hear or, in worst case scenarios, submitting an essay written by someone else!

They really do want to know who you are. This does require a lot of self-reflection which is difficult for many international students, but is a good exercise to identify your personal strengths and qualities.

Reflect on what sets you apart from your peers. What qualities do you have that make you stand out from the crowd? Write about it, make your essays reflect who you are and make them come alive with descriptive narrative so the reader can visualize the story.

The average admissions counselor is reading hundreds of essays a week, make them want to read yours and find out the rest of the story!

Kristia Despotovic-Jacobson

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Don’t leave things until the last minute!

Sally Walker

Plan your application process. Know your deadlines for applications, standardized testing registration and leave yourself plenty of time for application completion and essay writing. Reflect, edit and revise until you feel you have done your best work. If you are applying for the US, do take a test prep course! Even the best student needs to prepare for the ACT or SAT. Don’t delay this! Ideally it should be taken early in the year before Graduation.

Don’t stop working as soon as you’ve been accepted!

US universities usually expect final grades to be sent even after you have committed yourself to a university. The expectation remains that you will end the year with grades similar to those you had at the time of the application. The universities can withdraw their offer of a place if your final grades show a large dip. Even if you are not applying to the US, keeping up a good work ethic will stand you in good stead for University, where you will need even more discipline than when you have parents and teachers to keep you on track!

Help your teachers write good references!

Choose teachers for your recommendation based on your relationship with them. Who really knows you well, in which classes are you an active participant, in which classes do you really shine? In most cases, recommenders do not need to be tied into a student’s intended major.

Make sure to remind your teachers in a written note about the excellent work you have prepared in that class.

She works with students across multiple secondary schools in the U.K. and abroad as a consultant and expert in British higher education. Her signature workshop is a Personal Statement retreat for small groups of students applying to the UK which she delivers several times a year. She is engaged by like-minded multinational corporations such as Allen & Overy to teach students about UK University Admissions. Sarah also runs an annual advanced enrichment scheme in collaboration with London Business School, Europe’s highest ranked Business School, to talented students in Year 12 across four London based day schools.

Sarah holds a BSc Econ from the London School of Economics & MBA from the London Business School & Stern School of Business. For more information, please visit: www.stepintomyshoes.co.uk The International School of Geneva, also known as Ecolint, is a private international school based in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the oldest and largest operating international school in the world. www.ecolint.ch

Have a Plan-B! Do look at the statistics for the admitted population at a university. If you do not have the grades and test scores that put you within range for admission, make sure you have other institutions on your list to which you are almost certain of being admitted.

--Sarah Norris is the founder of Step Into My Shoes, a UK higher educational consultancy. She is an expert in UK Higher Education with a special interest in the Personal Statement. Improving student performance through motivation, lateral thinking and skill based training is key.

Ellyn Lewis

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

University Applications: a Brief, Encouraging Approach HAUT LAC INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

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The time most high school students try to overlook as they attempt to make the most of their last year in school is approaching fast; in fact it is already here! It is time for students to decide on where and what to study after high school. Of course this process has started quite some time before.

For some, it starts a year prior to their graduation, but for others it may start two or more years before the application submission deadline depending on the chosen university.

So, what can one do to avoid the imminent anxiety attack when thinking about this long and complicated process?

The quick answer is typical: ask your parents, discuss it with teachers and perhaps also seek advice from professionals.

However, this seemingly easy to follow process requires some sincere and careful introspection by the candidate, as well as a few careful and constructive discussions with parents and/ or counselors. Of course, let us not forget the need for timely and careful submission of the necessary application(s). Because the candidate is not limited to how many different countries he/she wishes to apply to (the number of universities in some countries is limited), the candidate must plan his/her time carefully and evaluate how this will affect their study time.

The first crucial question is perhaps whether you really want to study at university at all! This search and discussion may have already started one or two years ago, around the family dinner table, and if university is a definite ‘yes’ then a great step forward in the decision making has already been made.

Once this is has been decided, the next thing to do is to choose a field of study that you would like to pursue. The next step is to explore where in the world your dream degree course is offered, and naturally, whether your probable qualifications match the ones required by that university.For those of you who have already decided upon the where and when, here is a list of useful dates for a for the September/October 2018 intake in a few selected countries.

Please remember, early applications are always possible and often advisable and advantageous.

•

•

•

UK: Application submission deadlines, 15 October 2017 for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine and veterinary degrees, 15 January 2018 for the majority of degree courses, and 24 March for some art and design courses.

USA: Early application submission deadlines either 1 or 15 November 2017; Regular applications 1 January 2018 and 1 February 2018; Rolling applications 1 May 2018.

Switzerland: Each Swiss university and polytechnic has its own individual admissions deadline, which generally runs from 1January to 30 April, details are given on each university website.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

• • •

Ireland: Regular applications submission deadline 1 February 2018 and late applications 1 May 2018.

Germany: application deadline is before 15 July 2018.

Netherlands: depends on the course of study.

Australia: for March 2019 intake, the application deadline is anywhere between mid-November 2018 and the end of December 2018 depending on the course and the university.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list, but thanks to the abundance of information on the Internet there is no need to expand it here. Most academic questions have already been answered by the application time and should already be in their final stretch. Language proficiency qualifications may be required by certain universities, but these can usually be taken care of by taking several well-known external examinations or sending proof of high school acquired language skills. After the question of academic qualifications and language proficiency there also extracurricular activities to be presented in their most strategic light. Nowadays, extracurricular activities help to define the overall personality of a candidate so universities are giving them more and more importance. In addition, most universities require the candidate to portray himself/ herself and to give examples of their talents, drive, enthusiasm, academically relevant competencies and experiences. This last part is one of the most difficult parts of the whole application

Congratulations to Haut-Lac students on your I.B. diploma results!

process for most people. It is important to remind the applicant that it is fine to clearly state his/her true dream on paper when such a presentation is required.

Those students who have not managed to conclusively decide where and what to study may very well take a year off to either enrich their qualifications, gain work experience or engage in volunteer work. My experience has shown that this is one of the typical reactions for those who, for one reason or another, have been unable to decide on an attainable goal by application time.

It seems that the candidate has plenty to do, taking into consideration a great many, often contradictory factors, and discussing them in detail so the decision is exhaustively thought out. Indeed, the decisions are demanding and time consuming but it is not an unattainable task. So, students and parents, arm yourselves with patience, perform systematic and careful searches, listen to various pieces of advice, but critically, decide what is best suited for the candidate. Please remember that each student may be unique and precious to his/her parents, but for the candidate to leave the university admissions officers with the best possible positive impression, this uniqueness must shine through during the university application process.

Félicitations aux élèves de Haut-Lac pour vos résultats au diplôme du I.B. !

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The I.B. diploma opens the door to your future - in Switzerland, Europe and the World.

Le diplôme du I.B. est la clef d’entrée de votre avenir - en Suisse, en Europe et dans le monde.

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www.haut-lac.ch St-Légier

International School Parent Autumn 2017

Planning for IB Success

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SANDRA STEIGER, ACADEMIC SUPPORT MANAGER TUTORSPLUS internationalschoolparent.com

International School Parent Autumn 2017

So, your teen is in their first or second year of the IB and will be starting or continuing the climb towards those final exams. There’s been time to rest over the summer, and reflect on what was learnt the previous year.

Now is the ideal time to use the momentum of getting back to school to get organised and make a solid plan for handling what is to come.

For those in the second year, it is particularly important to get the academic year off to a good start. If the first diploma year was particularly difficult, it’s the opportunity for a fresh start to prepare for making this a successful year.

So, what should your child be thinking about to get the best out of the year? At TutorsPlus we have worked with our team of expert IB teachers to create some top tips that you can share with your son or daughter.

Prepare your body and mind to stay the course It’s easy at the beginning to think about keeping healthy.

But when the pressure starts to hit, the fruit gets replaces with crisps and those 30 minutes you had planned to get some fresh air and exercise are used for an intense cramming session.

However, your body and mind will thank you if you continue looking after them. So, plan ahead: join a class or a club of your preferred sport or activity to give you extra incentive, and use the support of your friends and family to make sure you keep eating well and staying active to have plenty of reserve for the final push.

Organise yourself from the start Get into a study routine. Take the time to reflect what time of the day you are at your best, and capitalise on this to tackle those more challenging tasks. Ideally, once you are aware of all the important deadlines, plan backwards so that you don’t find yourself working on 3 assignments and studying for 4 tests all at once because the due dates are not very far apart. Finally, don’t leave getting extra support until the end. Unfortunately, as tutors, we often start seeing students a few months before the end when there’s little time left to explore and consolidate a particular concept or skill. If there’s an area of your studies that you’re really struggling with, approach your teacher for guidance and if need be, seek out a tutor early on.

As soon as you get an assignment, make a start on it!

This helps to get an idea of how long it’s going to take and whether you truly understand what you are being asked to do.

In this way, if anything is unclear, you can ask your teachers straight away. Often there are different stages to an assignment.

Getting a head start helps you to identify these and break the task into smaller, achievable chunks, rendering the task less overwhelming. Sometimes you receive a new task when you’re in the midst of finishing other assignments or studying for a test, so it is low on your list of priorities. However, taking an hour or so to make an initial start while the instructions are fresh in your mind helps you re-activate your thinking about the task when you have more time to work on it.

Build revision into your study plan.

Don’t leave revision until the last minute! Revising cyclically will help you recognise where your strengths and weaknesses lie so you can prioritise and practise those problem areas as the year progresses and in the lead up to exams. Like in a marathon, the runners know their pace and place themselves behind a particular pacing balloon to keep time. Pay attention to the types of tasks and concepts you struggle with, and plan time in to revise them regularly until you can tackle them with confidence. Then you’ll be truly ready for that final sprint towards the finish line!

“Tutors can be especially helpful in keeping you focused, reassured and on track – designing their session very specifically around you and your needs.”

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Ask for help from your teachers.

Do this as soon as you feel you need extra guidance – don’t wait! You are their top priority during these two years. Also, don’t hesitate to ask another teacher than your class teacher to explain something so you get a different perspective. Teachers recognise that they all have different approaches and they won’t be offended if you ask someone else. They’ll probably be impressed that you’re taking initiative and responsibility for your learning! If you feel you need more one-on-one time than your teacher or school can offer, you could also consider contacting a tutor. Tutors can be especially helpful in keeping you focused, reassured and on track – designing their session very specifically around you and your needs.

Attend a revision course to put the finishing touches to your revision.

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Not only is it a refreshing change of scene, but the opportunity to immerse yourself in the subject for some deep learning.

A revision course will give you access to an experienced, dedicated expert to help you tie everything together at the end. And after hours of studying on your own, you’ll benefit from insights from your peers. Just be careful not to rely on a revision course to plug deep gaps in your knowledge. Think of it more as the cherry on the revision cake. TutorsPlus offers revisions courses around Easter time. For information on the TutorsPlus revision courses held in Geneva, see below.

Take regular time for you.

TutorsPlus offers 2 day IB Easter revision courses in Geneva, 10am – 5pm, between 30th March to 6th April 2018, at 520 CHF per course. International School Parent Magazine readers can get a 10% discount on bookings before 31st January by quoting “ISPM Revision.”

Maths Studies 30th- 31st March Maths SL

26th – 27th March

Maths HL

28th – 29th March

Economics SL 1st – 2nd April Economics HL 30th – 31st March Biology SL

3rd – 4th April

Biology HL

5th – 6th April

Chemistry SL 7th – 8th April Chemistry HL 7th – 8th April Physics SL Physics HL

3 – 4th April 5th – 6th April

For more information: TutorsPlus academic advisors are always happy to give parents advice or help answer specific questions you have about literacy.

With teachers experienced in all international programmes across Switzerland, there is always an expert on hand to help.

You can reach them on 022 731 8148 or info@tutorsplus.com

Make sure to keep doing the things you love, and regularly.

There are going to be parts of your studies that, while enriching, rewarding and important, are simply not your favourite things to do in the world. There will also be times where there is so much to do that it will be tempting to lose yourself in the work. Remember that you are not the sum total of your studies but that you are also a friend, a part of a family and a unique individual who has lots of interests and ways of enjoying and contributing to the world. So don’t forget to relax, have a laugh, and keep doing at least one hobby that gives you a boost because you love it!

From all of us at TutorsPlus, we wish your son or daughter a positive, inspiring and productive start to this very important IB year!

--Sandra Steiger Academic Support Manager Sandra Steiger has over 10 years’ experience teaching English at various schools in Switzerland. During her 6 years at the International School of Geneva, she was also the Service Learning programme Coordinator, Homeroom Mentor and Head of Year 8.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Building your academic future today

QUALITY TUITION ACROSS SWITZERLAND

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Tuition Across Switzerland

Education Consultancy

One to one tuition in all subjects and all international and Swiss curricula

Helping parents choose the right education system and school for their child

Special Needs Support

SAT & ACT Test Preparation

Assessments and tutoring to help students with special needs realise their potential

Convenient and flexible options for face to face prep through individual or group courses

www.tutorsplus.com

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+41 22 731 81 48

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info@tutorsplus.com

Discovering Hospitality on Your Doorstep

SWISS EDUCATION GROUP

Montreux has many iconic associations and Switzerland’s love affair with hospitality has contributed to the appeal of the region over the years. Queen were based here, Deep Purple wrote Smoke on the Water after the Casino caught fire and the Montreux Jazz Festival has been running for over 50 years.

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For high school students however, hospitality is not always an obvious choice, as it can be misperceived as a rather narrow field of study. On the contrary, it offers a global career and a wide variety of transferable skills. To demystify preconceived notions, Swiss Education Academy, a branch of Swiss Education Group, has teamed up with Hotel Institute Montreux (another member school) to offer 16 to 20-year-olds the chance to spend two weeks on campus over the summer months. High school students can attend classes, visit local attractions and luxury hotels, all while learning more about the industry and the life of a hospitality student. The two weeks are capped off with a student-run banquet to showcase their newly acquired knowledge.

A recent attendee of this summer camp is Mathilde, a current student at Collège du Léman. She won her place as part of a high school Instagram competition, wearing her best “hospitality” outfit and explaining why she thought hospitality was important. While Mathilde knew she was interested in business, and studying in an English-speaking environment, she explains, “It’s really important to understand what hospitality offers, because before this I didn’t. I had always thought of hospitality as just hotels and I thought it would close too many doors. I already attend an international school, but this was more diverse, with so many cultures and nationalities. The Sales and Marketing classes were amazing and the teachers were fantastic!”

Hotel Institute Montreux offers the perfect location to host this introduction to hospitality. Partnered with the American institution Northwood University, a private university based in Michigan, students benefit from an original offering – study for an American Business degree in the heart of Switzerland, all while learning the hospitality skills that are so revered, in the birthplace of hospitality. To supplement this, the school has forged strong relationships with local industry, to offer students a chance to truly integrate into local life. Annual fundraising campaigns, such as Freddie For A Day, based on the legendary mustached singer, has helped raise over 223,000 CHF for Queen’s charity over the last few years to increase awareness about HIV and Aids.

Important professional partnerships lend strength and support to the variety of specialisations the school offers to both its Bachelor and Master students. Banque Privee Edmond de Rothschild endorses the finance specialisation and the Human Resources specialisation is in partnership with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, one of the largest hotel chains in the world and experts in personnel management. The Luxury Marketing and Business Management specialisation is supported by three separate heavyweights, Montreux Jazz Festival, John Paul and Hublot, the luxury watchmakers and the creators of Usain Bolt’s most recent favourite timepiece.

With over 50 nationalities attending Swiss Education Academy’s hospitality summer camp (Swiss Hospitality Club), the short course provide a perfect opportunity to learn more about hospitality before committing to a longer programme.

For more information, please contact: Rebecca Mars (rmars@swisseducation.com).

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

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WHICH SCHOOL IS RIGHT FOR YOU? Choose from our 5 schools to study undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in hospitality management combined with:

› International Business › Hotel & Design › Event Planning › Resort & Spa

› Hotel Operations › Food & Beverage › Culinary Arts &

Contact us today to discover our campuses, our programmes, and meet our students at open house days!

16th - 17th October 2017 | 13th - 14th November 2017 4th - 5th December 2017

Entrepreneurship internationalschoolparent.com

Mrs Rebecca Mars E rmars@swisseducation.com T +41 21 966 47 28

International School Parent Autumn 2017

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

“Florin always says his goal is to learn to hand plant. For me, I want to one day take part in contests and jump as high as my dad does.”

ith a father famous for half-pipe Olympic gold, it’s only natural that brothers Niculin and Florin Simmen are growing up with the snowpark as their playground. Drawn to the adventure and variety of the White Elements Snowpark in Grindelwald, nine-year-old Niculin describes an ideal day on the slopes.

Winding up the Oberjoch chairlift, there is a clear view of the freshly shaped beginners’ snowpark; a learner’s paradise of kickers, rails, jibs and boxes. For the brothers, the early mornings bring excited anticipation of taking to the piste to learn new tricks: Florin and I are always up early in the holidays; we can’t wait to get out of bed and onto the slopes. Snowboard lessons begin at 9am with our instructor, Sam, who is teaching us loads of cool tricks.

We are improving every day; Florian has already slid over a box.

We whirl across the piste, land jumps and even ride the half-pipe.

Across the valley at the Bärgelegg ski lift, the advanced snowpark tempts more confident visitors with its 650 meters of freestyle jumps, including the newly integrated 130-metre long half-pipe. With a morning of practice under their belts, the boys are keen to show off their new tricks to their father, Gian: In the afternoon, we put what we’ve learnt into practice with dad in the snowpark. I had an amazing run where I managed a 180 over a jump, landing backwards and carrying on down the slope.

I righted myself and did a nose slide over a box on the tip of my board. I finished off with my favourite trick which is a method jump, grabbing the back edge of my board with my front hand while in mid-air.

We went to the Bärgelegg Hut which has the best nut croissants in the world. After a snack, our last stop was the half-pipe where we practised jumping in the transition to get our technique right.

The day is over too quickly and we leave the park to make our way back down to the valley – luckily we can look forward to dad’s Pizokel for dinner!

Famous since the nineties as a snowboarding mecca, Grindelwald has challenged and delighted competitors. Do the boys see themselves following in the footsteps of their father and joining the freestyle elite?

Florin always says his goal is to learn to hand plant, which is where you do a handstand on the edge of the half-pipe. For me, I want to one day take part in contests and jump as high as my dad does.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

S FOR TIP 5 YLE T ES AMILI E F ES

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1 Leysin, Lake Geneva Region: Size is everything

In Leysin, there is a choice: the ‘small park’ has little kickers and simple rails for beginners, children and families. The ‘medium park’ has boxes and kickers up to ten metres flat, and in the ‘large park’ even the pros won’t get bored.

2 Crans-Montana, Valais: Pure adrenaline

The name of the Adrenaline Snowpark says it all: on an area spanning 100,000 square metres, there is a half-pipe as well as three runs with boxes, rails and kickers – jointly designed by Pat Burgener, the first snowboarder to do a switch backside triple cork 1440.

3 Nendaz, Valais:

Back to nature

The 4 Vallées ski region not only includes six resorts, but also has three snowparks and even a small snow skate park. At the Woodpark in Nendaz, tree trunks, branches and benches have been used to make obstacles. The park has been perfectly tailored to riders.

4 Davos, Graubünden: All that Jatz

In the extended JatzPark on the Jakobshorn, freestylers will find a compact, varied and perfectly prepared snowpark. Four lines have been built next to the lift for short, intensive runs: each a combined line with rails and kickers for beginners and medium, plus one medium rail and a pro-kicker line.

5 Laax, Graubünden:

Freestyle at its finest

It’s no surprise that LAAX is the leading freestyle resort in the Alps. It has the longest continuous halfpipe in the world, an Olympic-size kicker pro-line and a total of over 90 obstacles, all spread across four snow parks. In LAAX, around Crap Sogn Gion, freestyle has a real tradition. Whether you’re making your first attempts on the rail or performing spectacular runs in the halfpipe, one thing is certain – your freestyle heart will be racing.

internationalschoolparent.com

International School Parent Autumn 2017 Your Swiss winter

Upgrade your winter.

Looking for an unforgettable family holiday in the snow? Switzerland offers custom-made experiences for all family members.

MySwitzerland.com/winter

Learn to ski: blue ski slope after three days.

The Swiss Ski Schools guarantee: we’ll make you a highflyer! Their guest promise packs a punch: Learn to ski in three days – regardless of whether you’re a total beginner or making a cautious comeback! Come to the Swiss Ski Schools and experience it for yourselves. If this promise is not kept, then a repeat course is offered free of charge.

Check out all offers on: swiss-ski-school.ch/en/special-offers

Try to ski: First Ski Experience.

With the First Ski Experience, guests can discover the fascination of skiing and snowboarding at an all-inclusive price. Includes equipment, ski pass and instructor, as well as guaranteed fun after the first successful run.

MySwitzerland.com/skiexperience

Family destinations

Family accommodation

Swiss Snow Academy

Enthralling experiences for unforgettable family holidays.

Book your holiday in a certified Swiss family destination and you can be sure your family will receive the warmest of welcomes.

With everything from excellent infrastructure to exciting activities, they are tailor-made for perfect family holidays for kids, parents and grandparents.

The “Swiss Family Hotels & Lodgings” accommodation label stands for stress-free family holidays. Whether it’s a simple mountain guesthouse, a comfortable holiday apartment or a luxurious hotel – all have one thing in common, namely family-friendly appeal and an approach that makes both children and their parents feel instantly at ease.

Your father isn’t a halfpipe champion? No problem. In the Swiss Snow Academy, you can learn the best turns, tricks and airs from experienced riders on and off the piste. You will be challenged at your level, so it’s great fun. At the end, you will get your own Swiss Snow Academy Card. Upload your ticket to enjoy some top special offers.

MySwitzerland.com/family

MySwitzerland.com/ familyhotels

swiss-ski-school.ch

You can find more information at MySwitzerland.com/winter or 0800 100 200 (freephone). internationalschoolparent.com

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Sexting & Teenagers LAURENCE VAN HANSWIJCK DE JONGE, MSC, PH.D PSYCHOLOGIST FSP / CHILD DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST

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internationalschoolparent.com

International School Parent Autumn 2017

ou will read the below excerpts from real life events, and parents, you will want to skip over this article, possibly choosing to not know, or think, “surely my child knows better”.

We all know these issues are going on and facing them is difficult. However, as always, knowledge is power and understanding the underlying reasoning behind certain behavior will help us protect and steer our children as best we can through yet another hurdle of the modern day teenage child.

TW (17 years old) ““Most girls of my generation do it for attention, to try and find love out of it, but it usually is the wrong way.”

DZ (19 years old) ““I’ve been sent a picture before, when I was at school, this girl [and me] had an argument the next day – not about the picture but about something else. I got so angry, I was sending that picture everywhere. It was mean.

I felt bad after. To this day she hates me, but that’s not the point. I shouldn’t have done it in the first place.”

JT (15 years old) took a picture of a friend at a sleepover while he was changing. He sent it around to a group of friends as a joke, it went viral around school. When asked why he said “ I thought it would make them laugh and me popular.”

Little J is 9 years old. His best friend is a tomboy girl who he innocently plays with, as is usual at his age. He is a very bright kid and has skipped a grade. He will be going into Year 6. His parents have been warned that kids in that class are from 10 to 12 years old and some have phones. It is known that porn is being passed around on the older kid’s phones and therefore there is an importance of bringing Little J up to date about sex and what this brings with it so he is not caught off guard.

Little J will, earlier than warranted, change the way he looks at girls and his best friend forever.

G (12 years old) is snapping pouty pics of herself in a bra and sending it to her friends. When asked why she does this she simply says, “everyone does”. When questioned she has no idea of the possible implications, socially or legally.

A photo was taken of a 14 year old girl in a sexual act and it was passed around on social media with the boys from her school one-upping each other in Alpha male style on how “easy” she is and who would “xx her next”.

What is Sexting?

According to the latest research, sexting is now more of a concern for parents of teenagers than smoking or alcohol abuse. A survey of parents by YouGov found 78 percent were concerned about the trend. Alarmingly, the communication on this topic between child and parents seems to be extremely low, 1 in 5 teens is reported to go online on cellphones and their parents don’t know where they go online.

Sexting is sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photographs or images, primarily between mobile phones. It may also include the use of a computer or any digital device.

When you think about it there is nothing necessarily new about sexting. Back in the day one could just snap a Polaroid and hand it over! However, the chances of many people seeing the photo were low. Now, within seconds, thousands of people can see your sext (depending on which app or website it is uploaded to).

“When asked why she does this she simply says, “everyone does”. When questioned she has no idea of the possible implications, socially or legally.”

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Sexting has been promoted further by several direct messaging applications that are available on smartphones. Among the most popular applications for this use, when polled, were Kik, Snapchat, and WhatsApp. The difference between using these applications and traditional texting is that content is transmitted over the Internet or a data plan, allowing anyone with Internet access to participate. Kik and WhatsApp appeal to teens because of the anonymity of the applications.

Snapchat appeals to teens because it allows users to send photos for a maximum of ten seconds before they selfdestruct. Those sending photos over Snapchat believe they will disappear without consequence so they feel more secure about sending them. There have been many cases where teens have sent photos using these applications, expecting them to disappear or be seen by the recipient only, yet they are saved and distributed. It is easy to save sexts through third party applications, or simple screenshots.

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A 2009 study reports 4 percent of teens ages 14–17 years old claimed to have sent sexually explicit photos of themselves.

15 percent of these teens also claimed to have received sexually explicit photos. Although sexting through Snapchat is popular, “joke sexting” is more prevalent among users. Sending sexual images as a joke makes up approximately a quarter of the subjects in the study. Similarly, other studies indicated only 3% of all teen cellphone users reported having sent “sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photo or video”. However, 16% of all teen cellphone users said they had received a sexually suggestive photo or video of someone they knew.

This suggests a consent issue with people receiving photos without asking for them.

A widely cited 2011 study indicated the reported prevalence in some studies was exaggerated, e.g. some sites quote “Nearly 40% of all teenagers have posted or sent sexually suggestive messages, but this practice is more common among boys than girls”. Researchers at the University of New Hampshire surveyed 1,560 children and caregivers, reporting that only 2.5 percent of respondents had sent, received or created sexual pictures distributed via cell phone in the previous year.

However, researchers found the figure rose to 9.6% when the definition was broadened from images prosecutable as child pornography to any suggestive image, not necessarily nude ones. This explains some of the discrepancies between numbers found in studies.

Law! A study posted in Journal of Sexuality Research reveals that of those sexting, 61% did not know that sending nude photos via text could be considered child pornography.

The law on sending indecent or sexually explicit photographs of an under 18 year old is clear: it is an offence to possess or distribute a prohibited image (an image intended for sexual arousal), or incite another to do so, even if that image is of yourself. A girl “innocently” sending a picture to her boyfriend, with no coercion, is still committing an offence. A boy asking a girl to send the image commits an offence.

A friend egging another on to send the picture commits an offence and of course the person who sends the picture around the school also commits an offence.

“A study posted in Journal of Sexuality Research reveals that of those sexting, 61% did not know that sending nude photos via text could be considered child pornography.” internationalschoolparent.com

In the United States, anyone involved in the electronic distribution of sexual photos of minors can face state and federal charges of child pornography. The laws disregard the consent of parties involved.”...regardless of one’s age or consent to sexting, it is unlawful to produce, possess, or distribute explicit sexual images of anyone under 18 years of age.” The University of New Hampshire’s Crimes Against Children Research Center estimates that 7 percent of people arrested on suspicion of child pornography production in 2009 were teenagers who shared images with peers consensually.

The news lines read on 17 June 2016 read “Switzerland to ban SEXTING, making it a criminal offence to send sexually explicit photos or videos by mobile phone.” The country has seen people convicted for exchanging explicit material. In 2014, a 22-year-old man from Basel was jailed for four and half years for sexting. However, following these headlines MPs and cabinet members say existing laws on pornography and coercion are sufficient.

International School Parent Autumn 2017

The justice minister, Simonetta Sommaruga, said the answer doesn’t lie with new laws but rather with heightened awareness of the damage sexting can cause.

If we take the approach that education is the best policy, are we then in danger of sexting becoming as commonplace as bullying – an epidemic we seem unable to quell? Bullying is often assault, yet when it is called “bullying” it is less likely to be reported as a crime. Sending sexual explicit image is an offence; call it “sexting” and somehow it is not as serious, giving a potentially dangerous message to youth that indecent images of them are fair game, and passing them around for others to see is acceptable too.

However, much like the discourse surrounding “abstinenceonly” education, the prevailing attitude towards sexting is how to prevent it from occurring rather than accepting its inevitability and channeling it in healthier ways. According to one study, instead of criminalizing teens who participate in sexting, the law should account for whether the images are shared consensually. This would mean adopting an “ethics” approach, one that teaches and guides teens on how to respect bodily autonomy and privacy.

Why Sext?

The much followed Urban Dictionary states sexting very bluntly: “Sexting is usually done by attention seeking high school and even middle school girls that think passing out nudes and porn will somehow make them popular or cool.

Most are too dumb to realize that most guys will treat them like s*** and take advantage of them and the rest of the school will think of them as wh**s and s***s. Most have no idea that most of the pics will end up all over school or the town and follow them forever.”

This is easily stated and seems logical yet the incidences of sexting are still high. In order for us to address sexting in a realistic way with teens, we must first understand the culture they live in. You don’t want your teen to sext?

Try telling them not to do it. That probably didn’t work too well. They think everyone is sexting. If sexting is the norm in a teen’s social circle, they will likely sext.

Boys and girls engage in sexting for different reasons. Girls feel pressure to send sexts and are more likely to do so than boys. Boys feel more pressure than girls to collect sexts and re more likely to receive sexts and share them with friends or post them online.

Sexting can be a sign of self-objectification. In the context of a digital world where boys can objectify girls by watching pornography on their mobile phones in class, what is a girl to do? Well, some unconsciously decide “If I can’t beat ‘em, I can join ‘em.” Then they begin the process of selfobjectification. Self-objectification is the act of treating yourself as an object instead of a subject.

Meaning, you break yourself down into physical pieces to scrutinize instead of not worrying about your thighs because they are just as much ‘you’ as your sense of humor is. Now, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the feeling of ‘wantedness’ or sexual attractiveness, but the need for it can cross a line.

Low self-esteem. It’s not that it is bad for teen girls to express sexuality, it’s that we don’t want their only dose of daily selfesteem boost to come from a sexy selfie because her sexual worth is her only worth.

We need to support girls, to foster their talents and abilities in multiple areas of life, and to encourage boys to support them too. It’s important for parents of boys to acknowledge the pressure girls feel to prove they are sexy and to encourage them to recognize girls’ interests, talents and knowledge above their looks whenever possible. For parents of girls, from a young age, it’s important to focus on their abilities and not only their looks or their dress.

No idea of legal, or any, consequences. Boys and girls are capable of not acting on their sexual impulses! Parents and schools should be telling boys that asking a girl for nude photos is sexual harassment, and that sexual harassment should have consequences under Code X and School Code Y. This is where our focus should be. We need to hold boys and men accountable for their actions. They are capable of not acting on sexual impulses.

Three clear factors are highlighted that increase the incidence of sexting: Low self-esteem. The first point is especially crucial. A 2016 study indicated that high self-esteem was associated with reduced odds of sending nude photos/videos, while high sensation seeking was associated with increased odds of sending suggestive texts and texts propositioning sex. Finally, high self-esteem was associated with decreased odds, and high sensation seeking with increased odds, of forwarding sexts which were meant to be kept private. Further studies have shown that sexting appears to be associated with being sexually active and with engaging in risky sexual behavior. Teens who sext also appear to be more likely to use alcohol or marijuana and are less likely to have high self-esteem. According to a study done by the health journal Pediatrics, those individuals who have reported sexting in the past six months were four to seven times more likely to engage in other sexual activities.

Another study, by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, found that while students who admitted sexting were 32% more likely to report having sex the next year, sexting by teenagers was not linked to risky sexual behavior over time.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Normalization – Peer Pressure. The second point indicates the level of normalization. This is often influenced by peer pressure, not only felt by what others are doing around them but also what is implicitly portrayed in the media. Look at the world of celebrity and the number of famous people who’ve publicly admitted to sexting; we have music stars that repeatedly take pictures of themselves in various states of undress and share it to their social media profiles. If these celebrities are doing it, surely it is “normal” and surely, I should be doing it too if I want to be popular. Who are the positive female role models for our young girls?

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A study on peer pressure in youth aged 11-20 years showed that for boys sexting was associated with higher (self-perceived) popularity among both boys and girls, while girls who reported having sent a sext indicated perceiving themselves as more popular among boys, but less popular among girls. A second interesting result is that mobile porn use was reported almost exclusively by male respondents, particularly by boys who experienced greater peer pressure. This aligns with findings from earlier work on the consumption of magazine and video pornography in male peer groups, and suggests that downloading and exchanging mobile porn may be at least as much about proving one’s ‘manliness’ to others as it is about achieving sexual arousal. These results suggest that in the eyes of teenagers, sexting and mobile porn use do bring short-term benefits in terms of enhancing popularity in the peer group that may in fact outweigh potential long-term risks associated with these behaviors.

No clear understanding of consequences and a lack of inhibition. It is stated that 61% of those sexting did not know about the legal implications of sexting. A teacher of cybercivics (Diana Graber) stated that when discussing sexting, none of the 28 students she taught knew the penalties for sexting. It occurred to her that no one had told the children that they were not legally allowed to do this.

However, even if teenagers learn the consequences, we must consider the following. We have never had a generation who have had such easy access to sexual material at such a young age before. Some studies suggest the adolescent brain, which is still forming, is more prone to certain behaviour as areas like the prefrontal cortex, responsible for critical thinking and impulse control, aren’t “fully formed”. New research shows that these areas aren’t fully formed till the mid 20’s! However, this lack of impulse control in adolescents isn’t a flaw, it evolved for a reason. Risk taking behaviour rises markedly during adolescence, and decreases again into mature adulthood.

While this obviously has dangerous implications, it can also lead to positive experiences like meeting more people, establishing relationships (asking someone out is always a big risk), achieving new experiences and knowledge, and many other traits that make you a better person and improves long term prospects. However, mixed in with prefrontal feebleness there’s the adolescent sex drive.

Teenagers are going through an intense and confusing hormonal onslaught. Testosterone and estrogen induce the physical sexual changes experienced by men and women respectively, but these also increase the sex drive in the brain.

Sex is an extremely powerful motivator and people often overlook its complexity. You have the basic, animal “urges” that lead to sex drives, but also the more sophisticated aspects. Finally, there is the intimacy aspect (sex is a big part of relationships and physical closeness, something else our brains seek out), the social aspect (men who have a lot of sex are praised for their virility and prowess, women… not really), and countless other influences. All this sex drive power, the power of let’s say a Ferrari engine, is under the control of an inexperienced teenage driver with no driving license (inhibitory and decision making controlled by the underdeveloped prefrontal cortex). It is no wonder that the consequences are not thought through and they impulsively jump into the act of taking a pic or sending it or letting it go viral under sudden anger impulses. The part of the brain to withhold an impulse under anger or to think through the fact that they could be detonating someone’s life by one click, so to speak, is still under construction. This explains why the legislative aspect of sexting or the detrimental results are not strong motivators to stop the behavior.

Assisting the Teenage Driver!

So, what do we do to help our youth stay safe in this highly digital world? How do we stop them from being the one doing the sending? Short of locking them in cages with no wifi connection, there is no technical “solution” that will prevent kids from sexting any more than you could deter a teenager from being pulled towards smut magazines in the days preinternet. What’s more is that “stopping kids from sexting” is a misguided goal in the first place.

We shouldn’t be treating sex like it’s a monster, it’s a very common aspect of life, and bans are a poor alternative to proper education and guidance. We need to understand that just as teens might not consider how smoking now can lead to long-term health problems, they can also be reluctant to curb their “share everything” tendencies now for the sake of their reputations later. Again, we are dealing with an underdeveloped capacity in that end.

internationalschoolparent.com

International School Parent Autumn 2017

So how do I help my teenage driver navigate the sexting highway?

Who are you influencing in the way you dress, behave, and talk? What can you do today to bring your actions more into alignment with your words?

Education. Even though their own understanding of consequences is marginal and the drive to act now rather than think of the consequence is quite high, it is still crucial to educate our children and do so early on. One of the primary responsibilities of parents is to teach their kids how to take responsibility for their own safety and their own actions.

It’s important to teach that message about the virtual world as well. Even if a teen’s intentions are playful or harmless, if messages or pictures become public, the outcome can be anything but. One ill-considered picture sent to a crush’s phone can easily be forwarded to the recipient’s friends, posted online, or printed and distributed. Even an image sent to a boyfriend or girlfriend can lead to problems if someone else sees it or if it is distributed after a break-up. Intense peer pressure to take or send nude pictures will pale in comparison with the public humiliation that follows when the images land on Facebook or the cellphones of hundreds of other kids and even adults.

There is a website, thatsnotcool.com, which educates teens about common problems in healthy relationships using interactive games, videos, and callout cards. The site brazenly asks the question “WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR DIGITAL LINE?” It also tells teens that: “Your mobile, IM and online accounts are all part of you. When someone you’re dating is controlling, disrespecting, or pressuring you in those places, THAT’S NOT COOL.” Walking kids through the possible scenarios and letting them come up with the possible consequences is important. Talk to them about healthy relationships and the boundaries. You can find more info on www.loveisrespect.org.

The website www.athinline.org prompts teenagers to ask themselves three questions a. was this my idea? b. Where will this picture end up? and c. What was going on when this picture was taken? It follows on to ask, “what could happen” and finally to “draw your line”.

These are good websites to share and to sit and discuss with your teen, to get them really thinking about consequences and peer pressure and to consequently reduce the sense of “normalcy”. If you have a hard time knowing how to start these conversations the following website offers tips on discussion starters: www.netsmartz.org/sexting Self Esteem. All the warnings and education in the world may not be enough if teenagers don’t have the healthy self-esteem that is required to simply say “NO” to outside pressures.

There are many ways to help a child’s self-esteem but the most important one does not start with the child, but with the parent. You must create the space for them to grow. The best way to teach, is to model that behavior.

Walk like you talk. Show, don’t tell. Your teenage daughters, sisters, nieces, and mentees are paying attention. This not only instills self-esteem but also aligns morals and values.

At the end of a talk on sexting, given by Professor Andy Phippen at an assembly, a teacher asked, “what did you learn?”.

One girl put her hand up and said, “to have more self-respect” and that’s exactly what it’s about. Not technology or apps, but self-respect.

Many discussions on the prevalence of sexting have focused on the technology used to send photos as well as the legal implications. However, many studies are observing that sending nude or semi-nude photos of oneself is more about what is going on in the teenager’s life than about the law, devices or the technology used. We can’t realistically stick our children in a convent/nunnery as they grow, we can’t strip them of modern day technology, we cannot have their brain evolve faster (and be fully constructed) than is naturally possible, we cannot hover over them and suffocate them to the point that they will be pushed in the opposite direction of what we intended.

What we can do and what is in our power is, from a young age, build self-esteem, instill strong and consistent morals and values, keep communication open and accessible, and educate our children as best as possible so they make informed decisions when the time comes. The formative years are crucial for this and these building blocks become their rudder. We have to believe that when they head into the teenage years, we have equipped them with this rudder, and as messy as it can get, they will come out of it heading for their “true north” -their internal compass– a fixed point in a spinning world.

--About the Author: Laurence van Hanswijck de Jonge, MSc, PhD, is a Developmental Neuropsychologist and Coach who provides educational and neuropsychological assessments for English speaking children between the ages of 3 and 18. Her practice is rooted in Positive Psychology and her belief in the importance of letting our children flourish through building on their innate strengths. She is certified by the University of Pennsylvania, USA, to run the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy based resilience building programme for children. She is also a CogMed coach, an evidence-based Working Memory Training program (computer-based) which sustainably improves attention by training working memory.

Website: www.laurencevanhanswijck.com Email: l.vanhanswijck@gmail.com

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

The Benefits of Teaching Mindfulness

MICHELA MANTANI LA CÔTE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

ANNETTE EBBINGHAUS TRULYBALANCE.COM

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internationalschoolparent.com

JENNY EBERMANN JENNYEBERMANN.COM

International School Parent Autumn 2017

In recent years, a growing number of scientific studies have underlined the benefits of mindfulness exercises for students. Harvard University research scientists showed that practicing mindfulness for at least 8 weeks grew the volume of grey matter in the brain, according to the study published in «Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging».

By helping students increase their awareness of the here-andnow, we enable them to develop a set of tools that they can call upon to manage not only their emotions and relations with others, but also their learning journey.

La Côte International School in Aubonne (Switzerland) has been teaching Mindfulness to its primary school students since 2016 as part of their Personal and Social Health Education programme.

The positive effects of the Mindfulness programme were evident: “I felt a bit stressed when our teacher told us we were going to do a test” observes Giacomo, a student in Year 6 “but then I closed my eyes and did some ‘Pause and Be’ exercises we had learnt and I felt more calm”.

It is a skill that can be learned by practices, akin to meditations, that focus on the immediate felt experience in the breath, body and mind.”

Conclusions about the benefits of mindfulness within schools are based on solid evidence of the impact of mindfulness on adults, and a growing and promising evidence base relating to the impact on children and young people. As far as children and adolescents are concerned we identify the following “two wings” effects of mindfulness: 1) Attention (and related constructs such as concentration) 2) Self-Regulation (and related constructs such as impulse control and emotion regulation) “On top of attention and self-regulation,” Jenny Ebermann continues “positive qualities that can develop in students as a result of mindfulness programmes in schools are: empathy (care for others), kindness, wellbeing, generosity and compassion.”

“We acknowledge that children lead increasingly busy, stressful lives” says Alison Piguet, Head of Primary at La Côte International School “and we are working proactively to support them in their social, academic and emotional development. Studies reveal that students are more motivated to learn in a caring environment and, as a school, we are committed to offer an integrated approach to their social and emotional development.”

Following these positive results, the Mindfulness programme at La Côte International School Aubonne will be rolled out to secondary students starting from September 2017.

As Jenny Ebermann, Morges-based Mindfulness Teacher, Trainer and Coach at Brainbreak.ch, points out: “Mindfulness involves learning to direct our attention to our experience as it is unfolding, moment by moment, with open-minded curiosity and acceptance.

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This summer put your heart and soul into being present when you play and engage with your children. Put down the phone, turn off the computer, stop “doing” and start “being”. Really enjoy one-to-one time with your children by being present. Notice how your full presence changes the atmosphere and changes how you experience your time with your children.

Case Study from Jenny Ebermann There was an 8 year-old boy on one of my courses once who was hyperactive and could never sit still. He was always doing his own thing and I often wondered if he was following what was going on or not. When we started talking about dealing with our own emotions, I realized that he could not express what he felt but could draw very well what was going on inside him. I was happy that he’d found the best way for him to express his difficult emotions. Not only that, but at the end of the course he was the only one in class who was able to sit still for 5 minutes and concentrate on his breathing as he had been practicing this little exercise at home and found that it also helped him in class.

Mindfulness teacher, Sophrologist, Reflexologist, Hypnosis Therapy, Reiki and Massage, Annette specializes in working with families and students to improve their resilience, confidence and capabilities in life.

Mindfulness Tips for Parents of Children aged 3 to 12 SLOW THINGS DOWN. Being mindful is about being present with your heart. Have you ever heard the expression “put your heart and soul into it”?

EAT YOUR MEALS IN A MINDFUL MANNER. Mindful eating is one of the exercises that ALL children enjoy. When you sit for dinner have each member of the family take a turn at activating one of the five senses before you begin to eat. Look at the food, the colours, the shapes, notice what is in the salad. Smell the food and notice how the body reacts to the smells. Notice the texture of the food as you place it on your tongue (try not to bite into it until you stop and notice the texture and how the body reacts to delicious food on your tongue).

Finally bite into the food and notice the flavour. Notice the sound you hear as you eat slowly, really enjoying the flavour. You could eat one meal a week being present and mindful for 5 minutes at the beginning, or try this every day. You can also practice eating mindfully when you eat a summer treat, like ice-cream. Generally we rush into the food we love without even thinking about the pleasure this food brings to our mind and body. This is all about turning off the automatic pilot that is built into the brain and turning on the awareness.

BREATHING BREAK. If tensions run high over the holidays (which can happen often for many reasons!) practice the simple act of breathing to bring yourself, and everyone else involved, back to centre. Our breath is always with us and it is the easiest and quickest way to turn a highly charged situation back to equilibrium. Give yourself and your child the practice of closing the eyes and noticing how many breaths are taken in 1 to 2 minutes. This simple practice is proven to reduce the heart rate and calm the amygdala, the part of the brain that is working in overdrive when emotions run high. Follow this “breathing break” with an open, even-toned discussion about the situation. Our brain cannot listen to reason when the amygdala is fired up. I suggest you integrate the “Breathing Break” into your routine so that your children know how to do it, when you need it most.

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Mindfulness Tips for Parents of Teens You can practice all of the above tips with your teens as well. Generally speaking, in order to be mindful with your teenagers, you need to learn to be non-judgemental, present and grateful.

PLAN A PROJECT OR SET TIME ASIDE TO BE TOGETHER. Teens need space to be themselves and to grow into a new community outside of the family. I do find that during the summer teens have more time to be with the family and my advice is to take advantage of this. Taking a day outdoors to do an activity together, or a creative project.

Whatever the activity, do it with presence and include your teenager in the planning of events. Leave your phones behind to be fully present or limit phone use to photographs only.

When you are in the moment, be sure to express gratitude for the time you have together and for your surroundings.

Being able to express gratitude for small and big moments in life is a great gift we can give our teens.

GIVE YOUR TEEN RESPONSIBILITY. This is a time in life when helping out around the house gives your child a sense of belonging to something more than themselves and a way to stay connected and grounded with the family, while building responsibility. How is this mindful?

Ask them to do the work in a mindful manner. Focusing on the task will help build their concentration and pride in themselves. Again, keep electronic devices out of the picture.

Teach them how to do the task well and let them know how important their contribution to the family is. This could be cooking, cleaning, mowing the lawn, cleaning the pool, taking care of outdoor plants and of course being responsible for the state of their own bedroom and laundry.

Practice non-judgement which requires you to be mindful of the words you use when interacting with your child. Often we criticize efforts without noticing as we are not really listening to what and how we say things.

ENGAGE IN “SURFING THE WAVES” PRACTICE. If there are moments of negative thinking teach your teen to sit still and tune into their belly breathing with the eyes closed to help them tune into the internal world of the mind and body.

Have them notice their breath as it rolls in and out of the lungs and belly like waves on a beach. Then have them tune into the thoughts that are at the surface. Let the thoughts come and go without engaging in them, practicing non-judgement, just observe them and pay attention to the breathing. Notice how the body feels when there is no engagement in the thought.

Remind them to remember that thoughts are just thoughts: we do not have to believe everything we think.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Back-to-School Health Checklist for Parents DR MICHELLE WRIGHT HEALTHFIRST

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New shoes, new school clothes, new pencil cases, new friends and new learning opportunities: the new school year is full of excitement! Perhaps your family has just arrived in Switzerland, or maybe you’ve been here for a while. Whichever the case, “La Rentrée” as we call it in the French-speaking parts, is a great opportunity to tick off the following checklist and make sure that you are prepared for what the new academic year has in store for your family’s health.

Keep the school in the know Does your child’s school know about any health problems they may have? These could include allergies, asthma, diabetes, seizures or other chronic illnesses, or perhaps physical restrictions affecting their participation in sports activities. It is important that staff members are well informed so your child can be helped should they become unwell during the school day. Most schools will have questionnaires to be completed at the beginning of each school year where a child’s health problems can be listed. Make sure you give full details.

Medication matters Perhaps your child needs to take medication every day, for example, for asthma or for diabetes. Or it may be that medication needs to be available for an emergency situation only – for example an EpiPen® during a severe allergic reaction, or medication for a child who has seizures.

Whatever the situation, you should make sure that the school is informed, that you provide the medication, that expiry dates have been checked, and that there are school staff members trained in how to administer it. An individualized care plan should be completed for your child by their doctor, you as their parent, and also the school so that everyone agrees and is aware of when and how medication should be given.

For medication that is only needed for short periods, for example eye drops or antibiotics for minor infections, again, ask your child’s school for their specific policy on this. Make sure that you complete any paperwork in full and provide the medication, in its original container, with specific instructions.

Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate It can be easy to miss your child’s vaccination boosters, especially for families moving internationally on a regular basis.

Vaccination schedules may also vary a little between countries. The end of the summer holidays is a great time to make sure everyone in your family is up-to-date.

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“Even if you’re Switzerland-savvy, take the opportunity to remind everyone in the family what number to call in an emergency in this country – medical or other.

It’s 144 that gets you straight through to an ambulance.”

The recommended Swiss vaccination schedule can be found here in French, German and Italian: www.bag.admin.ch/bag/fr/home/themen/menschgesundheit/uebertragbare-krankheiten/impfungenprophylaxe/informationen-rund-ums-impfen/ schweizerischer-impfplan.html 48 |

Unwell at school: what’s your plan?

Does the school know how to reach you if your child feels unwell, or in case of an emergency during the course of the school day? For working parents, it can cause disruption if they receive a call from school saying their child is ill. Do you need a back-up plan in place: an extended family member, nanny, neighbour or friend for example? Keep the school informed and make sure phone numbers are up-to-date. And also make sure that your child knows the plan.

Time for a check-up?

Again, it’s a great opportunity to include a routine check-up for your child with your family doctor or paediatrician in preparation for the new school year. When was the last time their eyes, hearing, weight and growth were checked? And what about a trip to the dentist? If you’ve just moved to a new country or new area, ask other parents for advice about good local doctors and dentists. Asking for recommendations from others is usually fruitful.

Emergency preparedness Even if you’re Switzerland-savvy, take the opportunity to remind everyone in the family what number to call in an emergency in this country – medical or other. It’s 144 that gets you straight through to an ambulance. But what if you’re over the border in France or Italy, or you pop to London for the weekend? The Europe-wide emergency services phone number is 112. In many cases, this will connect you to the Police (including in Switzerland) but they should then be able to patch you through to the emergency service that you need.

A great way to teach young children the Europe-wide emergency services number is for them to think about the fact that they have 1 mouth, 1 nose and 2 eyes, pointing to these as they move up their face and arriving at 112!

For families with smartphones, make sure everyone downloads the free Echo112 Pocket Lifesaver App www.echo112.com.

This doesn’t just work in Switzerland but also in many other countries throughout the world. Once you launch the App, it uses GPS coordinates from your mobile phone to detect what country you are in. The emergency service numbers for that country are displayed on your screen, you can choose which service you require and can then make your call through the App. Tell the operator that you can be located using Echo112 and your exact GPS coordinates can be transmitted to the ambulance, fire, police or mountain rescue services.

For those medical situations that are less of an ‘emergency’, use your school parents’ network to learn how to contact a doctor out-of-hours in your local area. Preparing for the worst in advance helps to reduce stress if and when the need ever arises.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Back-breaking backpacks With all the books, a packed lunch, pencil cases, sports kit and other stuff, it’s easy for kid’s backpacks to fill up. They can lead to back pain and injury if they’re too heavy and/or are worn for too long. Advice is that a child’s backpack should not weigh more than 10-15% of their body weight. Choose wisely: a lightweight backpack with broad, padded shoulder straps, a padded back and a waist strap is recommended.

With these health-related tips in mind, good luck with the new school year everyone!

Dr Michelle Wright is a British-trained General Practitioner and Executive 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).

The dreaded head lice!

One thing that most parents hope to avoid is head lice in the family as a ‘back to school’ gift. Two myths that should be busted: they actually like clean hair just as much as dirty hair and you should only use treatment if live lice are found.

A great brochure has been developed by the Children and Young People’s Health Service in Geneva all about head lice, how and when to look for them, and how to treat them.

It’s available in English and a number of other languages and is definitely worth a read: http://ge.ch/enfancejeunesse/media/site_enfance-jeunesse/files/imce/doc/ publications/les-poux-sont-de-retour-en.pdf

Why choose ISBerne?

• O ur ISA test scores place ISBerne in the top tier of schools around the world.

• Happy students – 96% of our students enjoy school.

• H appy parents – our families appreciate and contribute to a strong, supportive parent community.

• A new purpose-built 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)31 951 25 58. internationalschoolparent.com

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Ask Dr Michelle: Should my children get the HPV vaccine?

DR MICHELLE WRIGHT HEALTHFIRST internationalschoolparent.com

International School Parent Autumn 2017

In my many years working as a General Practitioner, I have spent time looking after all members of the family – parents, babies, toddlers and teenagers alike – listening to their worries about health, safety and happiness, both for today and for the future.

I have found that the subject of vaccinations is often a sensitive one and can provoke strong opinions – especially when there is a ‘new kid on the block’.

HPV stands for the Human Papilloma Virus, so the HPV vaccine helps to protect against this virus. The vaccine was first rolled out as part of the Swiss national vaccination schedule in 2007, initially just being offered to girls and young women.

Since 2015, it has also been offered to boys and young men.

But why is this vaccine and protection from HPV needed?

There are over 100 different types of HPV that can infect different parts of the body. Some HPV types cause skin warts, others cause verrucae on the feet and 40 or so types of HPV can infect the genital skin and can be passed on through sexual contact.

In fact, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. Around 70% of sexually active people will contract HPV at some point in their lives, most between the ages of 16 and 25. The majority don’t know that they’ve had it. They don’t have any genital warts or specific symptoms but they are still contagious and can pass the virus on to others.

In 90% of people, the infection will clear spontaneously over the course of 2 years. However, in some, ‘high risk’ types of HPV persist in the body and, over time, can be responsible for pre-cancerous changes in the cells of the cervix (neck of the womb), the anus, the penis, the vagina, the vulva and the mouth. Untreated, cancer may eventually develop from these cells.

In Switzerland, it is recommended as a basic vaccination for girls between the ages of 11 and 14. The idea is that girls are protected before they become sexually active. However, ‘catch up’ vaccination may also be useful for young women between the ages of 15 and 26, even if they are already sexually active.

Men are less likely than women to develop HPV-associated cancers but are just as likely as women to develop genital warts. The HPV vaccine is now also offered to all males in Switzerland between the ages of 11 and 26 wishing to have optimal protection against important types of HPV. There are two different vaccines available. Both protect against the cervical and anal cancers caused by HPV types 16 and 18.

One also protects against genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11. For boys and young men, it is the latter that is recommended.

Both vaccines are generally very well tolerated with little in the way of side effects: mild swelling and redness at the injection site being the most common. Other side effects including headache and fever are less likely and allergic reactions very rare.

Each canton in Switzerland is responsible for organising its own HPV vaccination programme. Provided it is done through this programme, vaccination is reimbursed through the obligatory health insurance. The vaccine is usually offered by the school health doctors and nurses in Swiss state schools.

In Swiss international schools, speak to the School Nurse, or if there is no School Nurse, your doctor or paediatrician. In that way, you can find out more about how the vaccination programme works in your area.

Dr Michelle Wright is a British-trained General Practitioner and Executive 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).

Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women in Switzerland behind breast cancer.

It is estimated that 6% of women will develop pre-cancerous changes in the cells of their cervix over the course of their lifetime and 1% will develop cancer.

There are two particular HPV types that are responsible for around 70% of cervical cancers: HPV types 16 and 18.

These same two HPV types are also responsible for 80% of all anal cancers.

Cancers aside, around 10% of people will develop genital warts in their lifetime. Two other types of HPV – types 6 and 11 – cause around 90% of genital warts.

It is because of this causal relationship between HPV and various cancers, particularly cervical cancer, as well as the link with genital warts, that HPV vaccination is so important.

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Challenging the Swiss Stereotypes

CLARE O’DEA © Elaine Pringle Photography

National clichés take a long time to become established and do not reach critical mass without a significant kernel of truth. But once these labels are fixed in place, the full picture is obscured and the real people are no longer knowable under all the layers of partly-false assumptions. The stereotypes become a shortcut for judging people on one side, and a code for how to behave on the other side. These stereotypes should not be left unchallenged.

As a foreigner for the past fourteen years in Switzerland, married to a Swiss and now with Swiss children, I have gained a certain insight into how the Swiss are perceived by foreign residents, and how the Swiss relate to the outsiders in their midst. It isn’t all rosy. Many of the labels attached to the Swiss are less than complimentary – cold, boring, xenophobic.

But no progress will be made by taking the lazy route of dismissing people on the basis of preconceived ideas.

In my book, The Naked Swiss: A Nation Behind 10 Myths, I stress-test the most widely-held assumptions about the Swiss by examining the facts, along with people’s words and actions.

When it comes to making judgments, context is everything.

I cover important historical and economic background and introduce the reader to a diverse cast of Swiss people, from president to street sweeper, from banker to suffragette.

Buffeted by empires on all sides, Switzerland began its existence as a club of cantons that (mostly) freely joined together to determine their own future. But once that process of joining forces was complete, the country pulled up the gangplank and embarked on a course of holding itself apart from all the rest, a decision that saved countless Swiss lives and became a deeply-ingrained reflex.

The Swiss consider their country a job well done, and not without reason. They have what everyone wishes for – health, wealth and happiness. The Swiss have the lowest obesity rates in Western Europe and the second-longest life expectancy in the world (after Japan). The quality of life in Swiss cities is ranked among the best worldwide. Swiss residents enjoy financial security, low crime and an excellent public transport system.

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Year after year Switzerland secures a place at or near the top of global surveys in all sorts of categories, from innovation to wellbeing to prosperity. They also manage to achieve all this within a bottom-heavy democratic system which grants the people more power than the politicians.

But who are the Swiss? With four national language groups, the Swiss are a multicultural nation, even before recent migration comes into play. Historically, the country’s location at the crossroads of Europe surrounded by a hinterland of fellow French-, German- and Italian-speakers produced a lot of moving and mixing over the generations. To go further back into the mists of time, the early settlers of Swiss territory were Celts, the most important tribe being the Helvetians, whose name lives on in the Latin name of the country – Confoederatio Helvetica. The Celts gave way to the Romans, who in turn ceded to the Germanic tribes.

Today half of Swiss nationals have at least one foreign grandparent, while one in four of the resident population is foreign-born. The 26 cantons each have their own cultural identity. All this diversity makes any generalisation about the Swiss character or the behaviour of Swiss residents difficult or even pointless, and yet, the Swiss have chosen to be together and have created a society that inevitably reflects something about them. So, what can we discover in their handiwork?

To me, equality is a key word in Switzerland. While other nationalities accept extreme inequalities in a fatalistic way, stepping around these troubling facts almost without noticing them, equal access to excellent education, healthcare and public amenities is taken for granted by the Swiss. As a group, they have high expectations of themselves and of the broader community.

So where does that leave foreigners trying to fit into present day Swiss society? Can we join the group too? There is no doubt that immigration has become one of the most contentious issues of our times in richer, destination countries.

When immigration is portrayed a national emergency, a threat that is out of control and urgently needs to be controlled, xenophobia rears its ugly head.

xenophobic political campaigns. This is reflected in some of their decisions at the ballot box. However, in their everyday lives – in homes, workplaces, schools and universities – diversity is the norm and functions well. There is no social unrest. The Swiss know they need foreigners for their highlyadvanced economy to thrive. One in three marriages in Switzerland is between a Swiss and a foreigner. Take away the foreign-foreign marriages and almost half of Swiss people getting married in a given year choose a foreign spouse.

So much for the attitudes of the Swiss population. Let’s look at it from another perspective: the outcomes for foreigners in Switzerland. Work is a good indicator of integration, and here the news is good. Switzerland is unusual in having relatively few foreigners working in jobs for which they are overqualified, according to OECD indicators of immigrant integration.

The rate in 2015 was 17 per cent as opposed to an OECD average of 32 per cent. Having the right job is a fast forward to integration. When you have the salary and social status you expect, you’re less likely to feel excluded. Also in the survey, only 5 per cent of Swiss-born children of immigrants stated that they had been discriminated against. The EU average was above 20 per cent.

These results indicate a fair and tolerant climate for foreigners but this coexists with the attitude that Swiss citizenship is a great privilege that has to be earned. Swiss naturalisation requirements are among the strictest in Europe, actively excluding low-income applicants. It was only this year that voters accepted facilitated naturalisation (still an onerous procedure) for third generation foreigners. This defensive stance reveals a people willing to share their space – up to a point – but not necessarily their power over that space.

Meanwhile, the best thing foreigners can do in Switzerland is to branch out from their own communities and get to know the locals. Whether it’s a motorbike club, a running group or a baroque choir, there is a Swiss tribe waiting for you.

This is happening in a context where many people have a wildly distorted view of the real level of immigration. In a recent IPSOS Mori poll of perceptions in 14 countries, UK citizens believed 24 per cent of their population were immigrants when in fact the real rate is 13 per cent. And the US respondents in this survey estimated the level was 32 per cent when the actual figure is 11 per cent.

But in Switzerland, we really do have one quarter of the population foreign-born or one quarter living here who do not have Swiss nationality (taking two different definitions of foreign). So, the phantom fear that other countries have is actually the reality in Switzerland. Does that mean that Switzerland is a hot bed of xenophobia because they are actually living ‘the nightmare’? I would say the Swiss are a little weary and wary of foreigners in the abstract, encouraged by

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A Tale of Two Communities:

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Building a Bridge Between Locals & Expats ASHLEIGH ARMSTRONG internationalschoolparent.com

International School Parent Autumn 2017

When I arrived, living in Geneva was beyond difficult. I was limited by my lack of language skills and forced into a dependency on my husband, which was not in line with my independent personality or values. I had nothing familiar to ground me – no family and worse, no friends.

When I finally opened up to the possibility of making friends, I did what people do when they’re in a new place: I went online and joined every group I could find so that I could meet new and interesting people. I was able to make some friends within these groups, which was great at first.These friends were going through similar experiences as my own, spoke the same language as me, and often were just as lonely as I was. It was nice to finally find people to share with and I blogged my way through it all on my labor of love, Natural Girl, Unnatural World.

There came a point in my immigration experience when another friend of mine mentioned that she had never met anyone from Geneva. My ex-husband is from Geneva and because I was surrounded by people that he’d known forever when I arrived, it hadn’t occurred to me that the two groupsexpats and locals- don’t regularly interact with each other.

Once I started asking questions though, I could see that there were some unhappy feelings between the two groups about each other.

Many people that I spoke with attributed my dissatisfaction to the culture within the city of Geneva. I was told (by locals and expats alike) that people here are naturally cold, which can be hard for someone who has only ever known U.S. culture.

I was told that the Genevois are distant and that because it is a city filled with expats, few locals would be willing to make the effort to befriend an English speaker – the assumption being that I’d be leaving in just a few short years. I’ve also heard concerns from locals that foreigners, particularly expats, rarely make an effort to integrate into the local community. The perception is often that expats have no interest in learning or participating in Swiss culture, make very few or no attempts to speak the local language (French), yet, complain about living here. In response, some of the Swiss have shared a very strong opinion: if you don’t like it (in Geneva), then leave.

“The Genevois are understandably irritated by what is perceived as arrogance on the part of the expat community.

However, if we evaluate this perception more closely, what we can see is that at the core, are feelings of rejection.” internationalschoolparent.com

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“Once a foreigner and now a local, Olga had the same questions as I did: how cool would it be if locals could introduce newcomers to their new homes? Could we help to foster greater understanding between the two? Could we actually help people to find new friendships?”

The Genevois are understandably irritated by what is perceived as arrogance on the part of the expat community. However, if we evaluate this perception more closely, what we can see is that at the core, are feelings of rejection.

The expat community however, often complains of feeling unwelcome in Geneva because of the difficulty to find and make friends. In my case, this unwelcome feeling made it even more difficult to learn and speak French, which only further segregated me from the French-speaking community as my self-esteem plummeted. I also became anxious about going out and began staying in my apartment for days (sometimes a week or longer) at a time.

As an English speaker married to a Genevois, I was living between 2 worlds that were coexisting, but rarely interacting.

I used my blog as a way to meet new people and as I met more and more people I began connecting them to each other. This behavior is natural to me and that was when I began to feel my best. Through my blog, I met someone who introduced me to my friend Olga Baranova.

Once a foreigner and now a local, Olga had the same questions as I did: how cool would it be if locals could introduce newcomers to their new homes? Could we help to foster greater understanding between the two? Could we actually help people to find new friendships? Could we ultimately help to ease the integration process for everyone? How can we have a positive impact on the community? How could we help people to discover, then, appreciate their differences?

From these questions, www.adoptanexpat.ch was born. We launched the first version of our platform in September 2016 and are working to connect people in real and direct ways.

The concept is simple: create a free profile which includes your status as a local or someone who wants to become a local, a picture of yourself, the languages you speak, your hobbies and interests, anything else you would like to share about yourself and that’s it- start messaging potential friends!

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

I have experienced first-hand the benefits of adoptanexpat.ch. When we kicked off this project, I was another lonely wife without a job (I didn’t speak enough French to work in communications) searching for anything that would make me feel like I was a part of Geneva. Using the platform, I was able to meet some wonderful locals who were enthusiastic about spending time with me and teaching me about this beautiful city. I went on tours of new neighborhoods, shared meals where I was able to try new foods and exchange stories and some people even showed me museums, libraries and other cultural hubs.

Throughout, I was able to practice more and more French and gave others the opportunity to practice speaking English with a native speaker who is also an English teacher. I was truly exchanging with people, as they were just as curious about me: where I come from, cultural differences between my first home in the U.S. and my adopted home in Geneva and my life experiences.

Olga and I are striving to build a bridge, which connects two communities that exist in the same space without intermingling. We read every single email, consider every suggestion and make improvements as best and quickly as we can.

Now that the platform has been live for more than 6 months, we are working behind the scenes to implement the suggestions we received and we’ve seen membership growth as a result.

We are also currently working to build a team to continue enhancing the experience for participants. We are exploring ways to improve the website, create engaging content and host events both online and in neighborhoods around Geneva.

While we have started this journey, we don’t want to go on it alone. We sincerely enjoy and encourage participation from the adoptanexpat.ch community. We are taking every opportunity to learn as we grow in Geneva and we hope that we will eventually be able to expand our network to other cities. We believe that this platform can be beneficial to far more cities than just Geneva and we’ve been told so. It is a goal that we are working towards and hope that you’ll join us on the journey.

If you would like to join our growing community of several hundred locals and foreigners seeking to ease the integration process, we invite you to register on the website at www.adoptanexpat.ch and like our Facebook group for event and community updates.

“Olga and I are striving to build a bridge, which connects two communities that exist in the same space without intermingling. We read every single email, consider every suggestion and make improvements as best and quickly as we can.”

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Does my child need a tutor?

SANDRA STEIGER, ACADEMIC SUPPORT MANAGER TUTORSPLUS internationalschoolparent.com

International School Parent Autumn 2017

You’ve heard the absolutisms at home, I’m sure: “I hate Maths”; “I can’t spell hard words”; “I’m bad at drawing”; “There’s no point studying, I’m going to fail this French test… like always”.

You’d like to tackle these beliefs before they get entrenched. But you don’t think a small dip in grades or confidence is enough to get too concerned about either, right? Learning doesn’t happen in a straight line and we all hit plateaus.

So, how do you know when you’ve crossed into “We need to look for a tutor” territory?

Indeed, a tutor need not be your first port of call.

Schools often have many systems in place to give extra support. But it’s also important to catch and tackle academic issues early on and in some cases, a professional tutor might be the best solution. Additionally, if the academic problems are creeping into the home and causing a rift between you and your child – a tutor can be a valuable neutral party.

So let’s first take a look at some common situations and the types of support that you could seek.

My child’s grades dropped this term A drop in grades can certainly be an indicator of needing a tutor. However, it might just be a very particular topic that was studied that term. After excelling at story-writing last term, your child might not have as much flair for a news article or report. They’re experts at trigonometry, but circle geometry is a foreign language to them (which was certainly my case!). So, first, make sure to check in with your child whether they’re having trouble with just a couple of topics and, if need be, reassure them that this doesn’t mean they’re “terrible” at the subject as a whole. Instead building the selfawareness to distinguish their challenge areas from the rest helps them to be able to seek targeted help.

Encourage your child to ask their teacher if they could spend a moment working through the particular concept or skill that’s blocking them. You could also encourage them to ask the help of a friend or classmate whose strengths are in those concepts or skills.

“Where a professional tutor could help is in providing additional “stretching” in the subject area so the student doesn’t lose interest, as well as helping hone the skills of independent learning and revision beyond what the school can provide.”

Peer-to-peer learning is a great tool to harness in these situations. Sometimes peers have a way of explaining concepts to each other in a way that is easier to understand.

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

“Our first instinct is to assume that the student is finding the task too difficult. This is certainly often the case. However, it might also be that your child simply needs a more structured approach.�

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International School Parent Autumn 2017

Additionally, there are often students in higher grades or university students who offer tutoring to younger students, and some are very natural teachers.

If, however, the drop in grades is persistent and/or widespread, it’s important to arrange a meeting with the class teacher, and even your child’s class mentor. It may be that getting a professional tutor at this point is a good idea.

My child is increasingly late with homework and assignments, or isn’t completing them at all.

Our first instinct is to assume that the student is finding the task too difficult. This is certainly often the case. However, it might also be that your child simply needs a more structured approach. In my own experience as a teacher, it is very rare that homework or an assignment is beyond the student’s abilities.

The issue is more sitting still for long enough to get started, and persisting as soon as the first doubts and questions come to mind. They’re simply still developing the skills they need to become independent learners. My first advice to parents is to look into a homework club. Sometimes there are even subjectspecific homework clubs. These can provide the structure and environment to make a head start, as well as someone on hand to clarify information and help brainstorm ideas.

Another lesser talked-about reason a child might not be completing homework or assignments is that they’re finding the topic too easy and they deem that the homework or assignment is thus not worth their time. In this case it’s important to talk with the class teacher to find a solution.

Perhaps enrichment classes exist in the school, or more challenging exercises can be offered during class and for homework. In these situations, I would nonetheless always encourage the student to identify their areas of weakness and practice those since, often, very gifted students sail through the earlier years of their schooling without developing techniques for revision, persistence and self-awareness that are so necessary when their academic learning gets more demanding in the higher years and beyond.

Where a professional tutor could help is in providing additional “stretching” in the subject area so the student doesn’t lose interest, as well as helping hone the skills of independent learning and revision beyond what the school can provide. You may even be able to discuss the possibility of the tutor and teacher coordinating to ensure the student has extra exercises and projects on hand to work on in class if they finish too quickly.

My child has a very specific need (or I suspect they might!)

While teachers and schools try very hard to differentiate for all types of learners, it’s not always easy to provide the best possible support for students who, for example, don’t master the language of instruction, are particularly gifted, or have been diagnosed with a learning need such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, Autism Spectrum Disorder or ADHD. Additionally, at younger ages, it is not always immediately clear what the causes of the learning challenges are and a lot of patience and exploration can be required before finding the best solution.

Depending what support structures are in place in your school or community, in these cases a professional tutor can be very helpful. A professional tutor experienced in special education needs, who spends one-on-one time with your child, will gain special insights and observations that help them develop tailored approaches to enhance your child’s learning. In the case a diagnosis has not yet been made, these observations can also add to the pool of information you’re collecting.

So, you’ve decided it’s time for a tutor – what to look for?

A tutor is an investment of your (and your child’s) time and financial resources, and the thought of searching for one that is going to make a lasting difference can be daunting. However, what you gain from a professional tutor is someone neutral – outside the family, and outside the school system – who can bring a different perspective and approach. Sometimes tuition can be brief and turn around a child’s performance. Sometimes they become part of a trusted long-term support network for your child through the most challenging phases of their academic journey. Whatever the case, if your child is beginning to encounter academic challenges at school, getting support earlier rather than later will certainly reduce the time needed to regain confidence in the subject and “unlearn” erroneous ways of thinking.

Here’s a helpful checklist for you to keep in mind when choosing a tutor: Background checks. The tutor should show you a recent Criminal Records check. In some countries (eg. Switzerland), there is now a Special Excerpt required for those working with minors so make sure you ask to see a copy of this one if necessary.

Evidence of training credentials and experience in the subjects they tutor. Additionally, it is ideal that the tutor has experience in the particular programme of study that your child follows, whether it be the IB or the IGCSE, for example. Each programme has its own requirements and objectives and your tutor’s knowledge of these will make a difference.

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Obligations. If employing a tutor directly, make sure they have the correct permit to work in Switzerland. Ensure that both parties sign a contract stipulating the terms and conditions of employment (pay rate, lesson cancellation procedure, termination of contract, etc), and make sure you have their tax and social security deductions in hand as legally required.

Personality & teaching style. On a more personal level, you’d like to make sure the tutor is a good match for your child. Will they respond better to someone calm or energetic, methodical or unorthodox? Apart from the obvious question of experience in the subject and their availability, one of the most important aspects when looking for a tutor is the fit between student and teacher.

If you’d like the peace of mind that all these elements are taken care of for you, contact a reputable tutoring agency.

The best tutoring agencies pay great attention to getting to know their tutor’s background, specialties and teaching styles, as well as collecting detailed information about your child and their learning experience, in order to place a student with the best possible tutor.

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But if there are two really important things to remember when trying to decide what support is best for your child, they are: 1) don’t wait too long to seek support, and 2) don’t feel you need to make the decision on your own. Talk with your child, go to parent/teacher conferences, make an appointment with the class teacher or year mentor and gain a wider understanding of the situation. Temporary dips in grades, emotional interference, a drop in confidence, the need for structure and special learning needs will all require a different type of support.

--Sandra Steiger has over 10 years’ experience teaching English at various schools in Switzerland. During her 6 years at the International School of Geneva, she was also the Service Learning programme Coordinator, Homeroom Mentor and Head of Year 8.

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