HORIZONS April 2009 Issue

Horizons

Issue 1 April 2009

What a song and dance!

ISW’s first big Winter Performance

About the Programmes The PYP and MYP Coordinators discuss the programmes

Fitness for Kids

Building healthy attitudes for life

Googler for a Day

How ISW Middle Years Students won the competition that gave them the opportunity to spend an amazing day at Google

Show me what you know

Learn more about the English as an Additional Language Programme

Design and Layout by: Candice Leong

Message from the Director

Welcome to the first edition of our bi-annual publication that features International School Winterthur in light of what we believe makes us a unique educational experience for our students. This edition focuses on the breadth and depth of our curriculum and programs now in 2009, however, this also begs us to consider just what is looming on the “Horizon” for our future educational aspirations. To do this, we must consider the ever evolving use of information technology, most recently brought to our attention following my visit with the MYP students and staff to the Zurich Google center. The result of this experience is that, to anticipate the future, we must look for the signals of impending paradigm shifts in education.

What are some of the signals that foreshadow a shift in secondary education? Consider the following: •

Satellite teaching is increasingly viewed as a solution to productivity problems;

•

Economic global competition is increasing along with a corresponding concern among business leaders that high

school and college graduates are not well prepared for the workplace; •

The magnitude of population shifts in age and ethnic identification is increasing, with a corresponding increasingly

diverse student population; and •

The Internet is “doubling in size every year, and the web is doubling in size every 90 days, therefore, there is need for a complete rethinking of education”, says David Thornburg, author of Reading the Future: “Here’s what’s on hand for technology and education. He suggests the need for “technological fluency [so that students] can sit down at a computer and use it as easily as [they] can pick up and read a book in [their] native language.”

These signals imply a dramatic shift in the way we should plan and deliver schooling in the next decade. It may well be that up to 80 percent of instructional delivery may be conducted via computer, interactive multimedia, and satellite technologies. But relatively few teachers who currently rely on classroom practices are prepared to design instruction using these technologies. If indeed the rules change to prepare and implement instruction via these means, most teachers will be challenged. However, there can be a balance between the use of technology and the art of pedagogical inquiry.

What do our teachers do to assist students in acquiring the skills, reasoning abilities, knowledge, and attitudes that will help them function in the 21st century? To name a few, we provide for the integration of science with mathematics and other disciplines; more time is devoted to inquiry and long-term projects; more time is given to group work and cooperative learning; more effort is given to the effective application of existing technological tools; and realistic assessment is tied to non-academic outcomes. This results in classrooms that are more exciting places to learn and apply knowledge.

Does the Internet represent forward progress for education, or is this yet another instance of technology that promises far more than it will ever be able to deliver? Will the core of school missions in curriculum and instruction ever be impacted in a substantial way? Is this progress and good education? The answers to these questions are a function of one’s point of view.

One thing, though, is certain at least. To stay in touch with today’s technology, indeed to even see it, one has to move as fast as it does. Key information resources with a vast potential impact on the future of our schools are changing and growing at the speed of light. We will need to move quickly and this requires us to always be mindful to look toward the Horizon to keep abreast of such development. I hope you enjoy reading the following accounts that speak to the core of just what we do here at International School Winterthur.

Rhonda Mott-Hill Director

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Googler for a Day

By Jonathan Bradley

How an International School won a Swiss School Competition At the beginning of the school year, Google announced a unique contest designed to inspire young students to explore the world of computer science.

The contest was called ‘Googler for a Day’, and its overall aim was to encourage young men and women to pursue computing and technology fields for their university studies. The winners would receive a day’s experience at Google’s European engineering center in Zurich. Out of all the entries submitted, only four schools would be chosen to tour their center, and each school was only allotted one class of 26 students that could attend. The lucky classes would participate in activities designed to stimulate and engage young people through the exploration of technology.

The contest rules clearly stated that the contest was only open to Swiss public schools, but I still pleaded our case to Google by email, “….while we are not a Swiss school, I have Swiss students, in addition to children repre-

senting thirty-four other countries. As an international school, we are always looking for opportunities to take our students to visit organizations with multi-national employees to show them how internationalism isn’t simply a school construct but a real life embodiment of our core values: people with different backgrounds, faiths, and beliefs working together towards a common goal-despite their differences.” After a bit of deliberation the folks at Google gave us a bit of hope. “Although the competition is predominantly aimed at Swiss children in schools, with the aim of encouraging the selection of informatics studies in Switzerland, your class can still make an entry and I will make a decision based on all of the applications.” If we had any chance of winning this contest we would really have to put together a fantastic entry to capture their attention, so now it was time to get down to work.

In the Middle Years Program (MYP) at ISW we are fortunate to have a staff who

embrace new technologies and enjoy incorporating emerging technologies in the classroom. All MYP students are required to take a computer technology course and they have the option to participate in our newly created robotics program. The topics covered in the computer technology class range from using graphic programs, creating educational posters, and working on basic programming of mobile robots. MYP teacher Colin Chapman, who leads the robotics group, has brought the school a new skills set along with valuable experience that would help the students gain important insight on emerging technologies in robotics and possibly the added expertise to help us win the contest!

The MYP program at ISW is a young, growing program and every class was half the size of the 26-student limit set

by Google. How could our small school compete against larger schools with much larger class sizes? This dilemma required some creative thinking, so

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Education, and Approaches to Learning.

These AOI’s provide a context or lens to view different subjects. The students were then placed into five groups using the context of the Areas of Interaction to answer the question. Now I had five different ways that the students could answer the Google contest question; it was now up to them.

Mr. Bradley enjoying his Google coffee. we decided to draw on the talents of several grades at ISW. I enlisted the help of grades eight, nine and ten to work on the application form, collaboratively.

Since these different grades never meet together, I needed to develop a strategy to give these classes the opportunity to work together despite their different schedules.

The application form for Google consisted of an essay question and a scenario. The essay question asked students to write about how technology could make a positive impact on the world. In the scenario, the students were asked what would they do if they were given 2,000 CHF to plan an event or project that would engage young people to enter the computer science, computer engineering, infomatics, or a closely related technical field. I knew what we needed to do but one problem remained; how could three different grades with different times schedules write and develop a unifying theme for the essay?

To create a central theme for the essay I decided to use the MYP Areas of Interaction (AOI) to help the students create focused topics for the submission. The Areas of Interaction give the MYP its distinctive core. These areas are common to all disciplines and are incorporated into the MYP so that students will become increasingly aware of the connections between subject content and the real world, rather than considering subjects as isolated areas unrelated to each other and to the world. There are five AOI’s: Human Ingenuity, Environments, Community and Service, Health and Social

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However, one last problem remained before the students could begin writing.

How could three different grades with different time schedules write an essay collaboratively? Oddly enough, a Google product would provide the solution to this final hurdle. The students used Google Docs, a free web-based word processor and spreadsheet-which allows you share and collaborate online. The students wrote their submissions using Google Docs at school and when they went home, they used other forms of technology to communicate with one another; chat clients, email or other forms of telephony that allowed them to discuss different ideas with their peers while they were writing.

Over the next several weeks, the students wrote a unified piece that answered how technology could help the world emerge, and the Areas of Interaction were instrumental in providing the context to answer the same question, albeit with five different viewpoints. One group of students wrote an environmental themed section discussing how

technology could be used to create a more sustainable existence for mankind.

Another portion of the essay examined how technology in health and social education could help to fight disease worldwide; another segment discussed how human ingenuity and technology could be a powerful, creative force in the world allowing artists to inventors to inspire and aid future generations. Finally, a group of students wrote a community and service section that examined how technology could bring global community together to work towards common goals. This section is put into practice by both students and staff at ISW; the MYP teachers use collaborative tools across the curriculum to work more effectively and facilitate communication between both students and their instructors.

The last submission answered the Google scenario - a group idea inspired youth to enter the Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Informatics fields. In the scenario, students were also asked to describe their motivation for choosing the event or project, what they would do, and what impact it would have. The students decided that writing, staging, and producing an animation piece would be a great way to get kids involved in the technology field, and their finished piece would be uploaded to YouTube, an online video site that is also a Google product, available for the world to view and hopefully become inspired.

On 8 October, 2008, I sent our submission off to Google. Two anxious weeks passed and I hadn’t heard anything. I feared the worst; we were competing against large schools with even larger populations. Could little David defeat the Goliaths of the world one more time?

One of the students trying out the “Quick Connection” fireman pole, from the offices on the 2nd floor to the Games’ Room.

On October 22, I got an email from Google, “Thank you for your class application for the ‘Googler for a Day ‘competition. We were very impressed with your application and would like to invite you and your class to Google on Thursday 27 November.” We just had received fantastic news! The kids had worked hard for weeks putting together their application form and now their hard work and efforts had paid off. We were going to Google.

The Visit to Google Village If you haven’t been to the Google campus before in Zurich, you would definitely leave the building surprised if not confused about how any actual work ever happens there: this is a job site unlike any other. If the goal was to create a playground for adults, then the Google design team that put together this worksite succeeded.

Before we arrived at Google, we were informed that the students would have the opportunity to attend four different seminars: robot programming, life of a query, algorithms - recipes for computers, and web design. Each of the seminars was led by two ‘Googlers’ and each student had the opportunity to attend two different seminars: one in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Along with the seminars, the children would have a scavenger hunt around the building, and hold a Q&A session with Google engineers before departing, sadly I may add, home.

When we arrived at Google, we at least had some idea about what to expect. Prior to our visit, I showed grades 8-10 a video about the Google campus.

We knew we would find aquariums, video games, massage rooms, free snacks and drinks, children’s’ slides linking different floors together and that we would get to sample the famous Google lunch, but we were truly unprepared for the other surprises in store.

When we arrived, we received security badges and headed towards one of the many small micro-kitchens throughout the Google complex. The micro-kitchens are strategically located to ensure that no Google employee was further than 100 feet from food or drink. The students were encouraged to load up on free soft drinks and snacks

In the robot programming seminar, students of the International School Winterthur were given the opportunity to experiment with robotic control.

Coached by two of the organisation’s software engineers, the students were able to experiment with the problem solving strategies, processes and habits that computer technologists employ to solve complex problems.

The students learnt to break prob-

Students attending a presentation by a Googler in one of their many microkitchens throughout the whole day, sadly the Googler’s had obviously never done a Google search on teenagers and sugar consumption. Our group met with the Google engineers who gave us an overview of the day and answered some questions from the students and staff.

One answer that surprised many of the students was that all the Google engineers work on different operating systems on their computers of their choice. Some choose Linux, others Windows, while some use Macs. This flexible, multi-platform environment is precisely the type of flexible computing environment that the MYP teachers had been advocating to our students.

Why just become familiar or partial with one operating system? We want our students to see an operating system as a tool; the choice of the tool would depend on what was required for the job.

Students learning how to programme a robot at the robotics seminar lems up into smaller units, solve one part at a time and then stitch it together at the end, to keep solutions simple and to use the principles of the design cycle to inform their debugging efforts.

The students enjoyed the program and the programming, coming away from the experience with important insights into engineering.

The four seminars allowed the students glimpses into different aspects of information technology.

In the life of a query seminar, the students got a first hand look how a search starts with a user and how that query literally travels the world in a fraction of a second before coming back to the user as page results. Later in the seminar, the students had to complete a query as a team. During this session, the ISW student team finished their query request just over the student record of fifteen minutes. Everyone in the session came away with a greater appreciation of how involved it was to perform a query.

Learning how to draw on a graphic tablet at the web design seminar The web design conference gave the students a glimpse into how web pages are designed at Google, and the emphasis on testing and iterations that are required before a product goes ‘live’ and made available to custom--

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-ers worldwide. Every MYP student is required to take both design and computer technology courses at ISW. The design cycle that we use in the courses closely mimicked what the engineers at Google use to bring a product from the drawing board to fruition. It was fantastic to see that the same things we taught in the classroom were being used in a real world environment.

Later in the afternoon, the students took part in a scavenger hunt where they raced around the building with the Googlers’ learning more about the building itself and the different jobs that engineers performed in different parts of the campus.

One of the favorite activities for students and staff alike was lunch. After riding down the slide to the canteen from the floor above, everyone was faced with a bewildering number of meal choices: all of them delicious.

The corporate chefs were busy preparing vegetarian and meat entrees that rivaled some of the best restaurants in Zurich. After a sumptuous meal, the students ate ice cream to top up their sugar intake yet again, and we were back to work and fun.

station was, “I want to work at Google.”

It may have been the vast amount of sugar or the amount of snacks that the students consumed that spurred these confessions, but it was truly a unique experience. After spending the day with the ‘Googlers’, I could completely understand their excitement.

The Google Scavenger Hunt

At the Tech Stop asking questions as part of the hunt

One of the many different types of Google Meeting Pods Asking a Googler what qualifications you need to get a job there.

Looking for the next answer ... standing at yet another Meeting Pod Area

The “Quick Connection” slide leading from the 2nd floor to the Google canteen The students had another seminar to attend before we finished the day with a Q&A session with the ‘Googlers’.

The students asked the Googlers’ some tough questions, then we took a group photo, received a free t-shirt, and then it was time to head back to ISW. The statement that I heard repeatedly from my students as we walked to the train

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One of the Scavenger Hunt challenges was to video conference with a Googler in Paris

Playing Guitar Hero with Googlers in the Games Room

The Water Lounge, a place for Googlers to relax

Students in one of the cablecar Meeting Pods

Show me what you know

By: Verena Hawlitschek

Verena Hawlitschek discusses the English as an Additional Language (EAL) Programme at ISW.

their course work does. For this reason, time spent on cultural interaction is as fundamental to EAL content as are syntax or grammar. We practice how to use register and talk about how the language changes in different situations. EAL offers a platform where academic content is balanced with personal expression. Show me what you know says, I’m interested in what you’re thinking, I want to share your ideas and I value your opinions.

English language learners are special students who embody the essence of our mission statement. They are the poster children for internationalism and the ambassadors of communication.

EAL students and staff work hard to make English a language in which the whole student can flourish. Show me what you know means, show me where you started, show me where you’ve been, show me where you want to be and I will help you get there.

Did you know...

English as an additional language (EAL) has the privilege of working with English language learners of many ages, at various stages of development. These students find themselves faced with the challenge of showing what they know in a language they may hardly speak. Non-native English speakers come to us from a previous background that has equipped them with volumes of knowledge. Unlocking this resource not only makes new learning, new friendships and new experiences possible, but more memorable and even enjoyable!

Learning in a language other than one’s mother tongue can be as exciting as it is exhausting. This is why EAL considers the heart as much as the mind. Show me what you know is a holistic philosophy that invites students to share how they feel, share what they wish and share what they wonder. It acknowledges the magnitude of their task and celebrates their achievements at every step. It’s a place where mother tongue is welcome, communication is creative and the cup is always half full.

Creative communication is about

making sure information has been transferred. This is why EAL questions are open-ended, checking for a starting point of understanding. When no starting point exists, show me what you know uses as many varied approaches as needed. This repetitive and often amusing process for both student and teacher is not only passive language learning but emphasizes the principle that understanding is what counts, not how quickly it happens.

Show me what you know helps students find the path of least resistance for mainstream demands. Knowledge, connections and inquiry are equally high as those of their native-speaking peers, but achieved through alternative routes. Research and preparation in the mother tongue, one-to-one support, peer assistance, adaptation and advance planning all provide these students with the head start they need to show what they know. It is important that student work be judged on the quality of its content rather than on the limitations of its English.

Matthew Hall, Kindergarten Teacher, has a PHD in History.

Shane Peters, Physical Education Teacher, is writing a novel and plays rugby for the Swiss National Team.

Candice Leong, Marketing and Fundraising Coordinator, is the British Salsa Champion of 2003/2004 and still works as a professional dancer to this day.

Colin Chapman, Math and Robotics Teacher, leaves his house every school morning at 04:15 to ride 35 km to school. It takes him over 2 hours!

Christin Gysi, Administrative Assistant, is a member of the Zurich Caledonian Pipe Band.

Charles McCammon, IT Support, is a Professional Calligrapher and a graduate of the Zurich American International School (now ZIS).

Rhonda Mott-Hill, Director of School, likes to play golf in her free time.

EAL acknowledges that student social life depends as strongly on English as

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Developing a Unit of Inquiry

By: Greg Andrews

There is much jargon used in the Primary Years Program (PYP) that can make it difficult to gain a clear understanding of the curriculum. This is especially true in grasping all that is involved in developing a Unit of Inquiry. This article attempts to explain the process of the development of a Unit of Inquiry in a way that is more user friendly for everyone.

The only thing that is really imposed by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) is that the units fall under the six transdisciplinary themes which represent the globally significant issues students should understand. Transdisciplinary meaning that each unit is developed to bridge several traditional curriculum areas, such as math, science, or language arts. These themes are: Who We Are, Where We Are in Place and Time, How We Express Ourselves, How the World Works, How We Organize Ourselves, and Sharing the Planet. Each is developed with particular consideration for the specific knowledge, concepts and skills that are presented through the traditional subject areas, which are acknowledged throughout the PYP. PYP Transdisciplinary Themes Š International Baccalaureate Organization 2007 Who we are An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rightsand responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Where we are in place and time An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

How we express ourselves An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

How the world works An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

How we organize ourselves An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact onhumankind and the environment.

Sharing the planet An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

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Students inquire into, and learn about, these globally significant issues in the context of the Units of Inquiry, which usually range in duration from five to seven weeks. Each unit is developed around and addresses a central idea that is relevant to the particular transdisciplinary theme. For example, the central idea for the unit on the healthy human body might be: A balance between factors such as nutrition, exercise and recreation contribute to human health. This enduring understanding may not be understood by the students at the beginning of the unit but it will be made clearer for them as the unit develops. In order to explore the scope of this central idea we identify three or four lines of inquiry. Each line of inquiry will target one of the components which make up the central idea, such as: what it means to have a healthy and balanced lifestyle. These lines of inquiry provide the specific focus for the unit. Activities for the unit are then developed to fulfill these requirements.

The starting point for teachers in the development of a new unit is to complete what is called the bubble planner.

This is very similar to a brainstorming exercise we would do with students at the beginning of a writing assignment. It helps us organize our initial ideas for the Unit of Inquiry. It gives us an overview of what the unit will look like and lets us focus on the transdisciplinary theme, the central idea, the lines of inquiry, and the types of activities that will help the students gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and concepts. It also highlights the attitudes and student profile traits we will be focusing on in the unit (see list below). At the same time, it allows us to consider the necessary forms of assessment we will need to include to ensure the students are meeting the expectations of the unit. There is also space to consider the resources that we think will help us deliver this program. Basically, the bubble planner gives us a planning tool that provides us with an overview of the unit of inquiry.

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IB Learner Profile

IB learners strive to be: Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire indepth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

Open-minded They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

Reflective They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

IBO Attitudes

appreciation creativity independence

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commitment curiosity integrity

confidence empathy respect

cooperation enthusiasm tolerance

Having completed these bubble planners we then present them to our colleagues in a collaborative sharing meeting. We each get a turn to explain our initial thinking about the unit we will be teaching. Following this, members of the PYP staff add any ideas or information that they have which they feel will aid in the development and enhancement of the unit. This is a great opportunity for the specialist teachers, such as German, art, music, and PE, to gain an understanding of the units covered and present how they will help support the unit in their section of the transdisciplinary curriculum. Another key factor addressed in this sharing session is the possibility for field trips relating to the unit. Being new to the community, it is not always easy to know what is available or possible. We use this collaborative process with our students on a regular basis.

The combination of independent and collaborative effort provides us with a wonderful foundation upon which we can effectively build a Unit of Inquiry that addresses the transdisciplinary theme and the central idea of the unit. Yet, while it provides the framework for the unit, it still allows room for student driven inquiry, which is at the heart of the PYP program.

What if…?

Curious and Creative Minds

By: Beril Almousa

How can we further develop and nourish the naturally curious and inquisitive minds of children in our classrooms?

This is a question that we ponder about all the time as teachers at International School of Winterthur.

Children never get tired of listening to stories that we read to them. While reading we frequently pause to ask questions about the stories. For example, we might ask “why do you think Goldilocks never came back to the bear’s cottage again?” We make our questions open ended so children come up with endless and creative answers. They do not give us only a simple “yes” or “no” answer.

This allows for children’s imaginations to grow further. Also often I ask children to share their guesses before reading or while reading is completed. They predict what will happen next. For example, Baby Duck could not eat her breakfast.

It was the first day of school, and her stomach was all jitters! When she met her teacher she felt much better. How did you feel on your first day? If we read similar books and want them to make a connection, I ask them to compare the books. How are the Three Little Pigs and the Three Little Fish alike? After some time children become more curious about the way stories work. They are able to relate what they learned from stories to real life, feelings, experiences and how things work in general. They have fun because they are encouraged and allowed to use their creativity to express themselves.

tions when we interact with children.

Where do butterflies hide when it rains? How do birds know when to fly south? While we ask these questions of children, we also learn. We go searching, find out the answers to these fun and never ending questions and share the answers with the children.

actively participate in children’s games.

When we do an experiment we ask leading questions to nourish their inquisitive and creative minds.

What if we asked one more question? Or, read one more story? What if....?

Generally, creativity in education has been associated with the expressive and performing arts such as music, drama, dance, crafts and writing. Creative activities are not only occurring in music or drama but also in social relations or the exploration of the mathematical and technological world around us. Instead of accepting only one answer we keep asking “what if…?” questions. We

As teachers, we constantly ask ques-

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A Multilingual Classroom

By: Jenny Rosenberg By: Jenny Rosenberg

a teacher the communication between people always comes first. As long as we understand and learn from each other I think we have reached the goal of communication.

I would like to share some of my language observations from my teaching.

A girl said to me one day, when we were working with mathematics:

I work as the second grade teacher at ISW. I come from Sweden and I have a background as a language teacher. I moved to Switzerland, not because of the great skiing or the beautiful mountains, but because of the language diversity. It is a great opportunity for a language teacher to work and live in one country where you can practise and study how people communicate in four or more languages.

Every day I use my languages, Swedish, English, French and German. For me it is very natural to communicate in the languages on a daily basis together with the students I meet in school and in my classroom. Many of the school’s students share this experience and that makes it an exciting environment to work and learn in. I would like to quote the great German philosopher Goethe “The person who knows only one language does not truly know that language”. It is when you know two or more languages that you start to understand the meaning and the use of words for communication.

When people from different countries and cultural backgrounds come together they develop their thinking and start questioning the way they express themselves. In my class we talk about different languages, we compare and contrast between English and the languages we speak at home. Children are encouraged to read in their mother tongues

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and explore new languages together with their classmates. Every week they write in their Mother Tongue Journals for homework to continue the development of the language they speak with their family. The homework should be meaningful to children and invite parents to a discussion with their child.

The point is not to correct mistakes but to encourage children to express themselves both orally and in writing.

Through the development of English, the language of instruction, and their mother tongues, children gain a much stronger language awareness. For me as

“I know how to tell the time in French but is it the same in English?” Through that question the girl showed her language awareness. In different languages we might express the same thing differently. A Japanese boy made me and the rest of the class aware of different types of writing: “This is actually not the way we write in Japanese. I need to start from the back of the book and write vertically.”

All languages don’t have letters, some have signs or the writing goes from the right to the left. Earlier this year we went on a field trip to St. Gallen to explore different types of architecture and a Dutch boy said “There are two different words for shutter in Dutch, which one do you mean?” In one language there might be two or more words for a word in English or that word may not exist in a third language… That makes the language learning so fun!

I worked in a Kindergarten class a couple of years ago. I was reading a book about Springtime to the children. One very quiet Brazilian boy in the class didn’t speak any English yet. But he listened to

the story and looked carefully at the pictures. In the book the word Spring was repeated through the story and when I turned the last page the boy jumped up and exclaimed “Primavera!” in Portuguese. That was the first word I heard from him and I celebrated his understanding with the class.

The students know they are coteachers and I am a co-learner in my multilingual classroom. We appreciate language diversity and we celebrate our language learning together.

Children are curious and open-minded by nature and if we as teachers and parents support their language curiosity and development in early childhood the children will develop much more both in English and in their mother tongues. I prefer including instead of excluding languages in my teaching.

Celebrating internationalism and language diversity through flags, festivals and food from different countries is a first step towards increasing intercultural awareness but it must not stop there. A real intercultural understanding goes much deeper. Language awareness needs to be taught every day and in every subject.

Many of our students come to the school for a period of time with the intention of returning to their home countries. When they return they are not only stronger in English but they have maintained and developed their own mother tongues or learned a totally new language.

We are all life-long learners and the students in Primary years especially have the future before them to learn and explore a second, third or even a fourth or….. Language!

The German Programme at ISW

By: Yvonne Millen, Gisela Fearns

The German programme at ISW is an integral part of the curriculum for all students from Kindergarten to Grade 10.

Teaching German is mandated by the Zurich cantonal authorities but this is of course not the primary reason we place a lot of emphasis on the German lessons.

We feel that knowing the language of the host country is vital for our students so that they have a chance to integrate into Swiss society, taking part in everyday life here and becoming knowledgeable about life in Switzerland.

Many students who join our school do not have any knowledge of German, other students are of German mother tongue and of course we have a large group of students who have been studying German for a number of years. It is our challenge to create a programme that takes these differing needs into account.

The framework that guides us in our planning is the PYP Programme for students in Kindergarten through grade 5 and the MYP Programme for the Grade 6 to 10 students.

It is important for the German teachers to work together with the class teachers so that a coherent philosophy is evident for all students.

The learner profiles are a central element of our programme for the PYP students. To learn German, we want our students to be Inquirers showing their

interest in learning a new language and culture. Being good Communicators is of course paramount to learning a language and we emphasize communicative skills in all our lessons, oral communication being stressed in the younger years and then expanded to written communiction. To be able to communicate in a new language you need to be a Risk-taker and we strive to foster an environment where students are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. Open-mindedness is a prerequisite for getting to know a new culture and during the German lessons we not only teach the language but also learn about and experience Swiss cultural customs. Being Knowledgeable and a Thinker are attitudes that are needed for all learning. We also want our students to be Caring and Principled and foster these attitudes through group activities or discussions of literary works. Our students are also encouraged to be Reflective as this helps them to improve their learning.

The classroom Units of Inquiry also guide us in designing the German curriculum. We discuss the units with the class teachers and decide which elements of the units are suitable for either language learning or studying cultural aspects of the topic. Often, the students study a Swiss aspect of the unit because the supporting materials can only be found in German, motivating students to use as much of their language skills as possible. Local field trips are often undertaken and guided tours in High German also emphasize to the students the need for learning German. Interviewing local experts or any other form of “real” communication in German is encouraged.

The MYP Programme also integrates the German lessons into their framework. Their three fundamental concepts, holistic learning, intercultural awareness and communication, are also

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paramount to learning a language, be that Language A for the native speakers or advanced students or Language B for learners of German as an additional language. The MYP students also work on projects that are arranged according to themes. These may be literary or historical or center on the circumstances of young people in their stage of development.

The challenge of teaching German at ISW is interesting and rewarding because of the variety of students, teaching styles and topics. An important prerequisite of the success of the German programme is the cooperation between all members of the school community.

Learning Support and Counselling By: Joan Bouvard Some children need help outside of the classroom either for learning or counseling. Ms. Mott the School Counselor and Mrs. Bouvard the Learning Support Teacher provide for these services.

We give specialized instruction for those who can focus better when they’re alone or in a very small group of two or three. Some children also have difficulty conceptualizing abstract knowledge, and our department tries to help them by allowing them to work in the most convenient set-up, at their pace, and with a variety of activities, such as crafts, games, listening to calming music, or expressing themselves by doing some physical movements. Referrals are also given in case a child would be needing help from specialists outside of the school such as speech or occupational therapists, tutors or psychologists.

For example, if a child has dyslexia, we allow them to have more multi-sensory

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Joan Bouvard working with some of the Kindergarten students on their Unit of Inquiry, “Going Places”. experiences such as using the flexi-table for learning multiplication, or writing in different textures or working on games that improve their laterality. They can work with computers and other educational devices. They work in a room that has less distraction that provides them the stimulation which will enhance their learning.

confidentiality.

Most of all, our office is a place where all of the children feel secure not only about learning, but about themselves. They’re happy just to drop by and say hello or have a little chat.

One child actually said, “I’m just so happy to be here in your room.”

Learning Support also provides certain activities for classes to give them a better understanding of the Unit of Inquiry. In the Kindergarten class, the boys worked on a Pinata in line with the “Celebrations” unit of inquiry, and the girls constructed a rocket ship in connection with “Going Places” which was a unit about different types of transportation. The children had fun, used a lot of creativity, and learned more about the unit.

Mrs. Bouvard and Ms. Mott also drop by in the classrooms to observe and support the children who need it in that setting, whether it be to help them in group activities or doing some form of assessment.

Aside from academic support, our department offers counseling to all students provided for by a certified psychologist. They can speak about issues that bother them without having to face embarrassment and treated with utmost

Katie Mott is the School Councellor and Psychologist. She obtained her degree in Psychology from the University of Zürich, majoring in Child and Youth Psychology. Katie’s main area of interest and research was: Forgiveness culture and its effects on behavior later in life.

The Kindergarten Experience

The Kindergarten year sees some of the most important learning building blocks put in place. The students begin to develop a deeper, more complex view of the world, they begin to start thinking about their place in the world and develop more complex friendships, all whilst acquiring a wide range of academic skills.

Students in the Kindergarten class are typically five and six years old. We currently have 13 students in the Kindergarten class with a combined total of 9 nationalities. This eclectic mixture of cultures and outlooks allows us expand all of our horizons by tapping such a deep vein of cultural and personal experiences. An example of this was the unit “Celebrate”, in which we experienced the many variations in the Anglo-American, Dutch, German and Swiss-German traditions of Christmas celebrations.

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) Primary Years Program (PYP) allows the faculty to develop the curriculum to suit the students’ individual understandings and development. Whilst the PYP’s foundations are constructed upon strong aims and achievable goals, the program allows teachers a much greater freedom to provide hands on practical activities and to spend time revisiting problematic areas. Without heavily prescribed daily and weekly targets it is possible to react to the needs of the students. I can spend as much time as is necessary revisiting any given topic and even allow the students’ own questions to determine which course our studies will take.

This is in direct contrast to other educational systems. Certain national curriculums have a high degree of imposed governmental standards and goals. Even at five and six years old students in the UK system are expected to meet basic levels of attainment, which are often beyond many students’ abilities. This results in high levels of personal pressure and tight time constraints. Combined with the rigorous approach to standardized testing and formulaic methods of delivery, teachers simply cannot interact with students in the manner they would like to. Students are not truly allowed to develop at their own level and find their own paths to the answers in such environments. Likewise, in other systems, the Kindergarten age range concentrate almost entirely upon the development of social skills. Some educational systems do little to activate and stimulate the budding minds, which are hungry to learn.

A real difference that teachers have to grow into upon their arrival in a PYP school is the role of the teacher. The role of the PYP teacher differs from other systems. A PYP teacher is not a teacher in the traditional sense but rather a facilitator. It is true that some facts simply have to be taught but beyond this PYP teachers spend much of their time modeling and teaching a variety of skills to allow students to find their own answers; the creation of independent thinkers and independent learners is at the core of the PYP philosophy. Within the Kindergarten environment it is not possible to expect children to be wholly independent learners, rather it is my role to scaffold the learning and inquiry process, to direct student questions and help students to

By: Matthew Hall

answer as many of their own questions as possible. It does take time for such young children to start to develop such skills but when they do come it is rewarding and the feedback and student questions often drive our work in unexpected directions. For instance, when studying the POI unit “Going Places”, which is intended as a wholly reality based unit of study working upon different aspects of transportation and networks, a student made a convincing argument for moving into the realms of travel through fantasy by using Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

The skills of the Kindergarten students are developed through a series of inquiry based programs. English language instruction is based largely on the THRASS phonics program. The THRASS program uses music, visual aids and colourful, user-friendly charts, to hone skills and allow students to find their own answers whilst gaining in confidence. The mathematics program is based on the Investigations series, which successfully provides a hands on practical approach to learning and deepening mathematical knowledge and skills. The Program of Inquiry (POI) is, as its name suggests, an inquiry based program, which explores six transdisciplinary fields. These fields allow the students to explore many areas of learning, all of which combine to help create world citizens with a deep understanding of the way in which the world works. Other programs that we run in Kindergarten include the Philosophy 4 Children (P4C) program and Brain Gym. The P4C program brings the ideas of philosophical debate, of supporting and disagreeing with points of view, to

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young children. It teaches children how to respect others’ opinions as valid, even when their own are diametrically opposed. It also provides the opportunity for students to develop familiarity with more complex terminology and incorporate it into their natural vocabulary.

These programs are balanced in a semi-academic program, which responds to the emotional and daily needs of the students. Children go through such a rapid period of emotional growth at this point in their lives.

In order to help them come to terms with these changes we work on the students’ social skills as a core part of our daily routines. This work incorporates a variety of methods, including using circle time discussions, the P4C sessions, drama activities, charitable activities and through the implementation of the PYP curriculum. The PYP curriculum is not just an academic program; it has high aims to develop internationally minded people. To this end the IBO has highlighted a series of learner profiles and attributes, which develop students’ social skills and humanitarian values.

Throughout each of our six annual POIs the Kindergarten students typically work through a series of four to six such values.

Play remains crucially important to the Kindergarten program. Whilst we have so far spent much time talking about academic and social development we must not lose sight of the fact that free-play time is as important as any lesson. The process of playing, especially for young children, has long been recognized as a crucial aspect in the learning process. Play forms an important part of the Kindergarten curriculum and this time allows for relaxation and contemplation, for cementing and developing understandings, for building competency with languages and for developing friendships, social skills and motor skills. Every day is a play day in Kindergarten.

Kindergarten on a field trip to Technorama

Students tried Henna tattoos for Eid and bindis for Diwali

Students learning about Eid with Hanaa Malik, Early Years 1 Teacher Students learning about Sinterklaas

The student celebrating Samichlaus with a big Gritibänz

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Dunking for apples on Halloween

Middle Years’ Programme (MYP) at International School Winterthur

By Douglas Teter, MYP Coordinator The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) is designed for students aged 11 to 16 in grades six through ten. It is a programme of international education designed to help students develop the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills necessary to participate actively and responsibly in a changing world.

come an IB authorized MYP school and will be be able to take part in such things as external moderation of our assessments and may issue an official IB MYP completion certificate.

I have been involved as the ISW MYP coordinator and math and science teacher for three of those years. If there has been one constant during those three years, it has been one of growth and change. I have seen the MYP programme grow from an enrollment of 23 students with two full time and two part time teachers to an enrollment of 58 students with four full time and eight part time teachers. And it is anticipated that we will continue to grow in both enrollment of students and number of teaching staff for next year.

I have also seen an increased separation from the Primary Years Programme, allowing the MYP the space to develop into its own independent fully thriving programme. An example of this was our first MYP Arts Exhibition that was held in January this year. Instead of participating in a joint event called the Winter Event with the PYP as was done in years past, the MYP held a semester culminating Arts exhibition that had a more academic and curricular related focus that allowed the students to demonstrate the skills they had learned in their arts classes (either drama, art, music, or animation) during the semester to the school community.

We are currently in our fourth year offering an MYP inspired programme at ISW. We were designated an IB MYP candidate school in September 2007 and began teaching the MYP programme on a trial basis for a required one to three years. In March of this year, we had our pre-authorization visit with an IB consultant who has reviewed the progress we have made and offered assistance in any areas that have been identified as needing support. This visit will be followed by an official authorization visit in October 2009 after which ISW will be-

I have also seen the school move in a direction that gives the students more of an active role both in their own learning as well as being members of the school community. This June will see our second year of intensives, which allows the students to study one theme intensively for a week in a way that cannot normally be done in the regular weekly timetable in the classroom. Last year’s intensives involved a bike trip, an exploration of the various museums of Switzerland, and a play writing and performance intensive. This year’s intensives will be announced soon.

The students have also been given opportunities within the weekly timetable to play an important role within the school community. Some students have chosen to participate in Student Council, others in environmental club, some in drama community performance, and still others as technology assistants. A few students prefer to develop their own roles and have read to the younger students or helped out in designing and leading activities during special school wide events.

These are just a few of the items happening on a day to day basis in the MYP programme at ISW. As we continue to grow, we hope to offer more and more creative ways to meet the needs of our students and make these formative years the best possible for them.

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The ISW Robotics Programme By: Colin Chapman

Sumo robots (shown above) are programmed to find other robots and push them out of the ring.

The robotics program at the International School Winterthur has been developed as an exploration of the science and engineering of robots within the context of human – machine interaction.

The robotic systems that are being used at the moment include Parallax BOEbot, Parallax Sumobot, Parallax Scribbler, Solarbotics Sumovore, PICaxe CHAPbot, Leog RCX, Lego NXT and the Propeller microprocessor.

Participants in the program have programmed robots to make art, measure temperature, control traffic, orient a solar panel to maximize light collection, and explore a table mesa without falling off a cliff. The approach that the programme has pursued is a combined white box / black box exploration where robots are not simply programmed but also built from scratch so that participants can appreciate the many interactions between mechanics, software, the environment and users.

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In a white box exploration the programme participants built a temperature sensor that could display regular readings on a computer screen and then initiate a decision based on the readings as they were logged. The sensor was built using discrete components and embedded in a voltage divider network designed and constructed to respond to thermister resistance as a function of temperature. The output from the sensor was fed into an analogue to digital converter so that output voltage could be converted into an 8 bit binary number, ranging from 0 to 255.

The raw data did not have any meaning except as a measure of change, so the participants calibrated the sensor against an ice and boiling water standard. An algorithm was developed to convert the 8 bit binary value into a metric measure.

Through this inquiry the participants recognized that robotic systems are not simply plug and play affairs, software needs to be written to collect, condition

Students are exploring geometry through programming activities that require them to perform angle calculations and ratios . and make sense of data, particularly when the sensor has a non linear response to linear stimulus.

The International School Winterthur is actively seeking competitions through which to test their electronics and robotic skills, particularly in Sumo Wrestling and robotic Fire Fighting. At present we are preparing for a solar car challenge in Baden scheduled for June 2009.

Meaningful Experiences in the Early Years

Did you know...

Yvonne Millen, German Teacher, plays violin in an Orchestra.

By: Hanaa Malik

Children learn best when engaged in meaningful classroom learning experiences that help them discover and develop their strengths and talents. In the Early Years 1 classroom (ages 3 – 4), we strive to create such an environment and facilitate experiences that motivate young students to learn and to develop their strengths! These experiences may look and feel like “playing”, but each activity is related to a learning objective. For example, when students are building with blocks, they are exploring mathematical concepts. And when drawing a picture, they are practicing their writing skills. It is through these meaningful, learning experiences that teachers in the Early Years not only motivate the children’s quest to learn, but also foster the development of persistence and effort that is necessary for acquiring skills, knowledge, and attitudes in sufficient depth for the students to be able to apply them in other settings. The prior knowledge that students bring with them to a new learning situation exerts a tremendous influence on how we interpret this new experience. In order to successfully learn new information, we must be able to construct meaning actively and relate it to our own lives in a meaningful way.

we learned first-hand about the job of the baker. We had the great privilege not just to get a thorough tour of the whole bakery, but also got to bake bread from scratch! Since then, we have interviewed many of the staff members around the school asking them two questions the children helped brainstorm, 1) What is your job? and 2) Where did you learn it?

These personal interviews have been a great source of information. We know that the caretaker is in charge of maintaining the school, we know that the computer technician is responsible for all the computers, we know the office workers help organize the school, and we know the teachers teach the children!

In addition, we have been fortunate to have the opportunity to visit one of the student’s father’s workplace. The children learned so much from experiencing a workplace in action! In the Early Years 1 classroom, children learn through interaction with others, including parents, staff and peers in a friendly learning environment.

To see examples of the Unit of Inquiry “Jobs people do” Turn to the next page...

Jonathan Bradley,MYP Humanities Teacher, has a black belt in Judo and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Catherine Mott, School Psychologist/ Councellor, volunteers at the Zurich Lighthouse Hospice.

Greg Andrews, Grade 3 Teacher, completed the 2003 Vancouver Marathon in 3 hours and 27 minutes.

The route was 42.6 km!

René Bill, Head of Maintenance, is an Actor and a Professional Speaker.

Jo Simpson, Grade 4 Teacher, used to be a professional dancer in the UK, dancing for such companies as the Rambert Dance Company.

Hanaa Malik, like the students in our school, went through the IB Programme.

In the Early Years, the new information that the students are engaged in learning focuses on "real life" or "authentic" tasks that require problem solving, creative thinking, and critical thinking.

We recognize and nurture all of the varied human intelligences, and all of the combinations of intelligences in our students. We celebrate our similarities and our differences.

The units of inquiry drive our daily curriculum. In addition, we strengthen our math and language skills through various learning centers and teacherdirected activities. Currently, we are conducting a unit study on Jobs People Do. We dived into this study with an eye-opening trip to the bakery, where

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Early Years 1 Trip to the Bakery: During our unit about community helpers, we went to the local bakery in Wiesendangen. Herr Meier, the owner, was very nice and showed us all around the bakery. He took us through the whole process of bread-making. He started by measuring out the flour. He mixed in some salt, yeast, and butter. The mixing machine was huge! He checked the dough every few minutes to see if it was ready. Afterwards, he rolled out the dough and used another machine to divide it into small pieces. When the dough had been had been divided, Hr. Meier used another machine to make them into rolls. He showed us how to roll them out into two long snakes and twist them together to make a Zopf bread. We each got our rolls from the machine, came over to our work areas, rolled & rolled, and made the bread. We made 2 Zopf breads each. Hr. Meier helped us! There was still some dough left so Hr. Meier used the cutting machine to make more small pieces. Then he showed us how to make bread that looks like a turtle. It was easy! Roll 2 pieces to look like bones, and roll 1 piece so it is thicker on one side.

Arrange them, and stick a big ball of dough on top! Ta Da! Even after we all made our turtles, there was still some dough so Hr. Meier made a gigantic Zopf with 6 strands! Then he showed us a warm room where we had to put the bread, so it could rise. In the meantime, he gave us a tour of the rest of the bakery. On our tour, we saw the ovens, a giant refrigerator, the cellar full of materials needed to bake so many things, other parts of the kitchen where the chocolate and the cakes are made. Then, Hr. Meier was very kind to invite us to a small kitchen where we could have a little snack. We all had a piece of bread from the bakery and some juice!

Computer Man: Mr. M (Charles McCammon, IT Coordinator) visited us. We asked him our two student questions to find out about his job: 1) What is your job, 2) Where did you learn it? He set up a computer with a big monitor and speakers in our room. He taught us about all the parts of the computer called the peripherals (mouse, keypad, etc). Then we all took turns playing games that familiarized us with the usage of the computer. It was so exciting. Later, Mr. M took us to the computer lab, where he has an office set up. He explained how he supports the students up there. He also took us to the cold server room. He explained that because the machines in there work all day, they get warm and need to be in a cool room. We learned two important things about computers: 1) computers don’t like being warm, 2) computers don’t like liquids. After the tour of the server room, we got to play some more games on the computer. It was difficult to stop. But finally we said thank you to Mr. M for his time.

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Fitness for Kids Buidling healthy attitudes for life with Franco Carlotto By: Candice Leong attitudes towards food and exercise.

Key Concepts of Fitness for Kids (FFK)

Fitness for Kids 2007, at the end of the follow up event. The students had a great time with Mr. Carlotto, and learned a lot about improving their health and well being.

Nothing can wake you up faster in the morning than 120 seven to eleven year olds laughing and running around energetically. It may be something normally saved for the playground, but on this particular day, it was nothing short of educational.

ISW started with their Fitness for Kids initiative in 2008, inviting Mr. Carlotto, the Founder of Fitness for Kids, to begin the program. Franco Carlotto has won the prestigious Mr. World Fitness competition six times in a row. In addition, he was number one on the World Ranking List for 8 years from 1996-2004, a record that has made him a successful and recognized fitness athlete.

Although the program aimed towards children aged 6 to 12, we were able to get Mr. Carlotto to give a little introduction to the 3 to 5 year olds as well, because it is never too early to start learning about eating healthy and exercising.

This year was the second Fitness for Kids event that we have held and we were able to invite another area International School to join us. The event comes in two stages. The first is the Kick-Off Event, where Mr. Carlotto introduces students to the idea of what it means to be healthy, and how we have to respect our bodies, as we only

have one of them in our lifetime. He then discusses with the students how they can change little habits they have to make their lifestyle healthier and talks to them about the five-a-day rule. The five-a-day was created to encourage children and adults alike to eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day for a better diet, and Mr. Carlotto uses this rule with the students as well as discussing the importance of drinking water as opposed to sugar-filled soft drinks. After a short break where the kids were given water bottles to fill and apples, they were made to made to warm up by jogging to music (cue the 120 laughing running kids…), and then Mr. Carlotto shows them various exercises (using fun elements to keep them engaged) that they can do to improve their fitness. The students are then given information booklets to take home to read with their parents and workbooks to track their eating and exercise intake and progress, which they fill out with the help of Shane Peters, our Physical Education Teacher.

At the end of March, Mr. Carlotto comes back to our school to complete the second phase of the event that is the Follow-up event. This is where he checks up on the progress of the kids before handing them a certificate. Fitness for Kids is a great experience for the students and helps them develop healthier

Activity: Sports and other exercise activities have become a less important part of our children’s lives. The introduction of common electronics has enabled kids to experience adventures without physical activity. Not only do these children lose out on the obvious health benefits of activity, but their communication skills, goal setting, and general attitudes are sacrificed as well.

Nutrition: Packaged and fast foods are often the staple of a young person’s diet. These foods lack essential nutrients, which may have several detrimental effects. By teaching children that an optimal Fitness Lifestyle starts with proper nutrition, they will learn to feed their bodies and minds at the same time. Positive results are seen in eating habits, weight, mental clarity, and attitude. Even negative aggressive behavior is better controlled.

Attitude: Early on, we want to promote the fact that a positive mental attitude coupled with hard work is the most effective way to achieve any significant goal in life. Mental stress has proven to be a killer among adults. We feel that a person cannot be fit and healthy unless their attitude is complimentary to our values. As the world continuous to lose ideals, Fitness for Kids’ goal is to inspire children to redevelop them and live with respect, tolerance, integrity, compassion, and dignity. Through FFK they will become positive future members of society; Better kids for a better future!

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What a song and dance!

By: Joanna Simpson & Hannah Rowley to perform. For weeks, at break and lunch times, “Louder!”, “More expression!”, “Will you please stand still!” and “Nooo, turn the other way” could be heard from the gym and the music room. Some of the older students also helped make props and sets, others worked backstage and front of house on the day itself.

Staging such an ambitious programme requires practice, practice and more practice and to this end a certain amount of disruption to everyday lessons is to be expected.

Take a beautiful princess, a delightful fairy godmother, the love of a handsome prince and a single gleaming glass slipper and you have a stunning atmospheric romance, but alas in this instance there is a twist! With a swish of her bent magic wand, the rather absent minded, ditzy fairy godmother manages to get Cinders to the ball, to meet a somewhat arrogant Prince Charming, but a pogo stick replaces the gleaming carriage and a piggy back has to suffice in place of glorious gold- bedecked horses. And so it is, that this original and well-loved fairy tale is transformed into a more modern alternative version.

“Cinders” was one of the highlights of the PYP calendar in 2008. The musical was the biggest production ever undertaken by ISW and involved every PYP student -110 in all.

The suggestion to produce such an event came from Hannah Rowley, who is passionate about music. Fortunately for her, Jo Simpson is a dancer who loves staging productions; she’s had previous experience and was very keen for Cinders to go ahead. Alongside the rest of the staff and some parent helpers, they rehearsed, painted, costumed,

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and cajoled the students. The entire process from inception to fruition took just 8 weeks.

Despite what many believe, it is perfectly possible to get primary aged children to put on a professional looking performance – too many rely on the “Oh it’s only a school production, people won’t expect much,” or “They’ll look sweet anyway” approach. Whilst this may indeed be true for the smallest children, it is not so much the case as they move out of the Early Years. If you have high expectations of the students they will strive to do their very best - you may not achieve perfection, but at least you will have achieved the very best from everybody.

From the outset children were encouraged to act in a professional manner, with formal auditions being advertised and held; anyone could audition and on the designated day a very nervous group of children queued up to say their lines.

Inevitably not everyone succeeded, but that didn’t mean they weren’t to have an important role in the show. Whilst Ms. Rowley held singing rehearsals for groups of students, Ms. Simpson choreographed a separate dance for each class

So why stage such a production?

School is not just a place for learning facts and figures and how to use and manipulate them – it’s a place for learning for and about life. For young children an important part of this is developing confidence, learning how to present oneself, working equably with others, developing creativity and sometimes taking risks.

Whilst many children are lucky to be able to learn in traditional ways and can store information, some of us do not excel when faced with this academic approach to learning –but that’s not to say that we shouldn’t try! The primary school is a ‘training ground’ for young minds and bodies. Many will go into artistic professions and these children, who often don’t do well in academic subjects are provided with the opportunities to excel in more creative outlets.

As the performance date drew near Jo and Hannah persuaded Rhonda Mott-Hill that extra rehearsals in the Mülisaal were essential and despite the extra cost, these were granted. Even professional artistes need to practice in the actual space; with small children this is far more important because they panic more easily and are usually unable to adapt if things do not go quite as they expect!

Professionalism needs to be both taught and practised and to this end most students were drilled in the art

of standing silent and still at the side of the stage – all whispers can be seen and heard – walking sensibly on and off the stage and not waving to one’s parents! They were reassured over and over again that their parents would have eyes only for them, and that it is much better to know this and show just how professional you can be, by concentrating on what you are supposed to be doing, rather than being distracted and constantly checking to see who’s watching you! On the actual day necks were craned backwards until students were certain that their parent/s had arrived, then they settled down to concentrate on their role in the production.

Mr. Andrews, a great artist, helping with the ballroom set.

Things like this are what the PYP is all about – co-operation, inquiry, communication, problem solving, creativity, enthusiasm, risk taking…the list goes on.

Was it worth it? Well, those of you who saw it should be the judges of that. We certainly think so, the children thought so and we hope you did.

The Making of Cinders

Ms. Rowley at work painting the backdrop of Cinders.

Mrs. Maricel Spycher painting the sets during her break. She was a great contributer to the set designs.

All costumes were made by a group of dedicated parents.

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Primary Years’ Programme (PYP) at International School Winterthur By: Alex Cardona, PYP Coordinator

The International School Winterthur offers a well-established International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Since its adoption six years ago we have continuously evolved and developed systems, policies and action plans that support the successful implementation of a programme that recognises the diversity, individual talents and interests of the students, and seeks to help them become international-minded, life-long learners.

The continual discussion and revision of the PYP systems and approaches have had a huge impact on the success of the programme within our school.

Our aims for the 2009-2010 academic year cater for a whole range of developments, but with a primary focus on educating the parents in the PYP, as a way to achieve a more pervasive programme understanding and philosophy, which will benefit the learning processes of the student body. Below is an overview of some of the things we already do and of what we hope to achieve in the coming year.

Currently the PYP staff attend regular collaborative meetings that allow them to discuss programme related innovations and issues. Classroom and specialist teachers frequently meet to share good practice and to plan the Units of Inquiry in a cooperative manner, therefore avoiding topic overlap and repetition. The results of these planning sessions are then reflected in their classes, through the implementation of the Programme of Inquiry.

The latter is periodically reviewed to ensure that a cohesive curriculum, incorporating all subjects and concepts is being offered to students across the school.

The PYP requires ongoing professional development for all teaching staff.

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There is an induction and mentoring programme in place for teachers who are new to the school and the PYP, which enables them to understand essential aspects of the PYP and its approaches to learning. When possible, staff are also encouraged to attend IBPYP workshops; this coming summer several teachers will be participating in courses in Zurich.

The 2009-2010 academic year will also have us visiting other Zurich area schools and classrooms, as another way to share good practice and resources. The development of an in-school assessment workshop for the teaching staff is an additional goal specified in the school’s action plan.

Parents and non-teaching professionals will be encouraged to take part in the planning and execution of a PYP education programme that aims to reinforce the understanding of the IB PYP philosophy, the curriculum and its teaching practices across the school community. Parent evenings will focus on the school’s teaching approaches to the Units of Inquiry, their essential components and their impact on the learning of the students, and especially the understanding of a transdisciplinary curriculum that encourages students to make connections to real life situations, acquire new knowledge through meaningful learning experiences and develop fundamental skills and attitudes.

The presence of a library-media specialist has had an extremely positive impact on the delivery of the programme.

Teachers and students now have

frequent access to a more organised library and media centre that increasingly supports the teaching and learning of the units of inquiry. The library media specialist works with teachers to develop electronic and other media specifically suited to our students and classroom needs. An information literacy curriculum is being introduced to ensure that research and other information skills are developed and practiced within the curriculum. Plans to catalogue existing resources electronically and create an information skills curriculum for the PYP have already been discussed and agreed upon.

Strengthening the school’s connections with the local community is one of the main goals for the next academic year. In this important aspect, the school’s library-media centre and the local primary school library have already discussed the possibility of expanding students’ exposure to a greater collection of resources. Initially, ISW PYP staff and students will visit and take advantage of the local library’s resources, and it is expected that the participating Swiss school classes can, at a later stage, visit the ISW library-media centre as a way to offer them more exposure to English language literature.

All the above mentioned goals, among others, continue to strengthen a process that started six years ago. Our open door policy invites you to visit, so that you can see for yourself how an evolving programme prepares the student community for life.

Spirit Day 2008- A celebration like Halloween where students and staff dress in costumes and fun activities are set for the day

Sami Chlaus 2008 ISW Disco 2009- Created by the Parents’ Association

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School Life 2009

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International School Winterthur, Zum Park 5, CH-8404 Winterthur Tel: +41(0) 52 269 59 00 Fax: +41 (0) 52 269 59 02 Email: administration@iswinterthur.ch Web: www.iswinterthur.ch