Contact Magazine Fall 2015 by MIS Munich International School

Munich International School - Volume 22 - Issue 1 - Fall 2015

C O N TA C T THE MAGAZINE OF MUNICH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Contents Head of School’s Introduction

Message from the Board of Directors

Feature: Evidence of Excellence in Education

Academic News

Athletics and ASA

Alumni and Friends

Community News

Giving at MIS

Upcoming Events at MIS 50th Anniversary Registration

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Munich International School Communications: Amanda Crawley Lydia Tukarski Andrew Almarza Phone: 08151 366 156 Fax: 08151 366 109 Email: publications@mis-munich.de Design: Paul Rea Photography: Graeme Fordham Photography Andrew Almarza

Contact is published by: Munich International School, Schloß Buchhof, D-82319 Starnberg www.mis-munich.de

Head of School’s Introduction

Accredited, authorised, approved and recognised Timothy Thomas, Head of School

elcome to the Fall 2015 edition of Contact magazine. In this edition, we celebrate the many recent achievements of our students and share inspiring stories from our community. Additionally, we discuss our academic programmes and, specifically, how we know whether and how much our students are learning and whether we’re making good on our promise of excellence in education.

that results in a comprehensive report. A visiting team of more than fifteen educators and educational leaders from other schools will visit MIS for a week in Autumn 2016 to gauge whether our report realistically reflects our true practice. I am confident that our report will confirm many outstanding features of our programmes and highlight the exceptional work of our teachers and staff.

Student learning, however, is not the only thing we assess at Munich International School. Our School is constantly seeking to improve and develop as a leading international school. This requires us to measure ourselves against external standards and invite specialists from outside the School to come to our campus, speak with our faculty, staff and students and observe lessons and other procedures. These visitors then give us feedback, decide whether we are meeting rigorous standards and help us understand how we can improve.

We seek accreditation, authorisation, approval and recognition both to give current and prospective families piece of mind about our work as a school and to assist us in reflecting on and continuously improving the education that we provide for our children. Our credentials help ensure that our students’ achievement at MIS will be acknowledged wherever they go next and that our programmes dovetail well with other rigorous programmes around the world. While we proudly display the logos of the organisations who confirm the quality of our work, we are also confident that our families recognise that we go well beyond the standard requirements for accreditation. In this issue of Contact you will see much evidence of the many ways that an MIS education surpasses even the most challenging standards.

We are currently engaged in the self-study phase of our accreditation and authorisation cycles. Munich International School is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Additionally, we are authorised to deliver three programmes of the International Baccalaureate Organisation: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP). Furthermore, our School has the approval of the Bavarian school authorities and our IB qualifications are recognised as equivalent to German school leaving certificates; the MYP Certificate (with appropriate courses and grades) is recognised as a mittleren Bildungsabschluss and the IB Diploma (with appropriate courses and grades) is recognised as the allgemeine Hochschulreife. Our current self-study challenges us to prove that we meet over 150 different standards and indicators of school excellence. The entire faculty and staff, as well as many students, parents and school board members participate in the selection, evaluation and synthesis of evidence

Thanks to the tireless work of the Sportverein, the Parent Teacher Verein, the MIS Foundation, our School Board and other generous parent volunteers, including Alumni and Friends of MIS, our extraordinarily engaged teachers and staff and many other partners, we are able to offer experiences and learning opportunities that truly motivate and inspire. Sincerely,

Timothy Thomas, Head of School 01 | CONTACT | FALL 2015

Message from the Board of Directors

Fuzzy wuzzy education Wanching Ang, Chair of the Board

team from a small international school in Germany visited MIS recently. Their shareholder proudly explained that the school’s curriculum, which is franchised from an international provider, is particularly strong in Maths and Science. In any classroom in any school around the world using this standardized curriculum, the students do exactly the same lesson on the same day. He was horrified when he learned that MIS does not have a similarly structured curriculum with predetermined content. Rather, learning at MIS is organized around concepts and approaches to learning skills, and content is selected flexibly to allow exploration of the concepts and practice of the target skills. “That’s fuzzy wuzzy”, he blurted. Yes, MIS is different. Many parents realize this when they compare MIS to their own schooling, or to other systems their children have transferred from. I am not an educator, and I struggle with much of the pedagogic jargon. But over time I have come to better understand the MIS education, by watching my four children and through Board work. What follows are my personal observations on what I value about teaching and learning at MIS. When I was at school I studied and was tested on many niche topics in much detail, organized by subjects, most of which I never encountered again in my adult life. Conventional education delves deep into individual disciplines. An MIS education embeds learning in a broader context, by looking outward from these disciplines to inform students’ lives. Think of the PYP Units of Inquiry (e.g. “How We Organise Ourselves”, “Sharing the Planet”, “Where We are in Time and Place”), which are explored across Maths, Literacy, German, Music, Art, PE and Library. The MYP One World essays require that students apply scientific concepts to a real world problem and its solution, including an assessment of the usefulness or limitations of the science (e.g. “How Can Microbes Help Humanity?“). For her Maths Exploration in the Diploma Programme, my daughter analysed The Rule of 72 (a shortcut to estimate when a variable will double in time), and she tested its predictions against data on population and cell phone growth. Another student analysed the chemistry underlying making a perfect cup of tea for her Extended Essay. Underpinning this concept-based curriculum are the Approaches to Learning skills. Ten essential skills address communication, collaboration, self-management, reflection, information and media literacy, critical and creative thinking. At MIS teachers explicitly teach these skills within the framework of their disciplines. Students assess their own skill levels, set goals for improvement and reflect on their progress in becoming more independent learners. It is difficult to predict what knowledge our children will need for their future lives. But it is clear that the Approaches to Learning skills will set them apart as able problem-solvers, good communicators, team players and self-motivated learners. This type of learning (and its corollary, teaching) is much harder than solving quadratic equations or defining photosynthesis perfectly in a test. It requires students to become good at asking questions, at defining the scope of a problem they are trying to address, at employing higher level thinking skills and to pursue further learning based on what they know so far. MIS wants students to engage in learning activities that are relevant to them and help them make sense of their world, which enable them to evaluate alternatives for decision-making and action, and which open up further possibilities

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for building on their knowledge and understanding. The teacher is not an imparter of knowledge, but a facilitator of learning. His/her job is not to teach subjects; it is to teach students. Learning outside of the classroom is an essential part of MIS, whether through Athletics, After School Activities or Community and Service. My son did well in his most recent Design Technology unit, and he remarked that Lego League taught him all he knows about design. He had signed up to play with bricks after school, but instead, the group took part in a Lego competition with the theme, Nature’s Fury. The MIS team submitted a design proposal for storm shelters at a golf course, and he learnt how to plan, investigate, design and evaluate, with the group, and under strict deadlines. My daughter has played soccer for many years. When she was younger, her team was regularly humiliated, but they kept on going. This year, the Varsity Girls were champions at SCIS (Sports Council of International Schools). She’s learnt the importance of perseverance, teamwork and commitment. She’s learnt to manage her time and work to accommodate the frequent training and away trips. She’s learnt the pleasure of physical exertion, tasted defeat and celebrated success. I wish my children would sign up for Model United Nations, or Debating, or Drama, or Tree climbing, but there are only so many days in the week and too many fabulous activities on offer. The MIS Foundation funds proposals from teachers, students and staff for activities in the area of arts and culture. My Junior Schooler keeps asking for the author Chris White to come again. My Middle Schooler was excited about the visit from adventure filmmaker, Anthony Bonello. At Arts Day, I facilitated a Grade 11 class to choreograph a small dance performance. When I met this motley crew of fidgeting teenagers for the first time that morning, I was skeptical. But the class proved amazingly effective at working together on the task. Our theme was Sky, and they brainstormed its properties, created corresponding movements, integrated these into a group piece and danced for the camera. Later, the whole school gathered on the field to perform together. The energy of moving in synchronicity with 1,300 people was electric and unforgettable. These are the visits and events which inspire and are remembered as highlights. The recently created Science Innovation Fund will help do the same in the area of the Sciences. I could go on about the importance the School lays on digital competence, the centrality of the MIS values/IB learner profile, cite numerous examples of how global-mindedness is promoted and wax lyrical about the stunning campus. And by the way, we also support our students to excel in the Diploma exams and get into their universities of choice, worldwide. Beyond this, our students are as well-prepared as they can be for their future lives. It maybe fuzzy wuzzy to some, but I have every confidence that my children are well-served at MIS.

Wanching Ang, Chair, MIS Board of Directors

Feature

Evidence of excellence in education O

ur Mission Statement at Munich International School starts with a bold goal: Excellence in Education. Like all mission statements, ours attempts to reduce a complex set of objectives down to a simple phrase that can be easily remembered and used as a broad guiding principle. If we unpack that statement a little bit, we find that excellence in education represents a number of important areas of student growth and achievement, including: intellectual, creative and aesthetic, physical and psycho-motor, ethical, and global-mindedness, to name just a few. Naturally, when one sets a goal, it is necessary to find ways to assess oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress toward achieving that goal. Are we delivering excellence in education at MIS? How do we know? Assessing this is more difficult than it seems on the surface. Even if we take only a single facet of excellence in education, namely academic achievement, determining success is a complex undertaking.

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Assessing academic achievement

Despite all this complexity, then, how can we know if we are achieving our goal of excellence?

In some ways, it may seem like academic development is the easiest dimension of educational excellence to measure. Schools have traditionally expended great effort in attempting to measure academic growth. Many of the classroom, grade-level and standardised tests that we administer focus on measuring students’ academic attainment. It is a task that has been at the core of the work of schools for centuries.

We have some empirical-sounding numbers that do provide some evidence of excellence. MIS participates in a number of externally benchmarked assessments, including: • IB Diploma Examinations • ISA (International Schools Assessment – comparable to PISA tests) • MYP eAssessments (new in Spring 2016) • MAP (Measures of Academic Progress)

In truth, though, the concept of academic and intellectual achievement is one that is currently in flux. Traditionally, academic success was achieved when a student could reproduce facts and knowledge modeled by teachers. Do you remember taking spelling quizzes, solving isolated math problems and writing expository essays? They checked whether you could reproduce facts, patterns and responses dictated by your teacher. A student who could accurately and efficiently reproduce strings of facts and patterns of responses was lauded as a high academic achiever. In a diminishing number of places in the world, this type of assessment is still the rule. Throughout the world, however, there is growing recognition that true intellectual development looks different than the reproduction of facts. With the International Baccalaureate Organisation at the vanguard, a number of pedagogically focused institutions have proposed that intellectual development is a much richer and much less easily quantifiable issue than we used to think. While reproducing facts and formulas may still be necessary at some level, one’s ability to use knowledge and apply skills to undertake complex cognitive tasks is more important. Today, our assessments do not stop at checking on students’ ability to remember and understand. Instead, our teachers strive to promote students’ ability to analyse and evaluate concepts, then apply and create with them and, finally, to reflect in an honest and sophisticated way on the process and outcomes (inquiry - action - reflection). This places much higher intellectual demands on both students and teachers. Students must now demonstrate (and teachers must find meaningful ways to assess): • inquiring • inferring • comparing • explaining • planning • implementing • generating • critiquing • reflecting

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IB Diploma results 2015 (IB Exams) 141,831 candidates wrote the IB Diploma examinations in May 2015. 107 of those candidates were members of the MIS Class of 2015. A few quick comparisons between global averages and the performance of our students give us some indication of our success: MIS Students

IB Average Results

Average Diploma Score

33.8

29.9

Diploma Pass Rate

93%

80%

% Perfect Scores

1.86%

0.11%

Bonus Point Avg

1.7

1.2

International Schools Assessment (ISA)

Because our understanding of intellectual growth has become so much more complex, easily summarising a student’s progress in a single grade and, similarly, comparing the growth of one student or a group of students to another has become, if not impossible, at least very challenging. With that said, it is vitally important that we not succumb to the temptation to measure and grade only those areas of intellectual development that are easy to assess.

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Some of our students also elect to participate in additional assessments, like the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and the ACT (American College Test) as well as some specific tests for admission to British, Japanese and other university systems.

Munich International School participates in the International Schools Assessment programme (ISA), which is intentionally designed to allow comparisons with the assessments used in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). We administer the ISAs in Grades 3 through 8. Traditionally, the exams were written in September, which meant that they were really assessing the previous year’s attainment. Beginning in school year 2015/16, the ISAs will be conducted in February. When one reads about rankings arising from the PISA study, the particular examination that is used to generate the scores used for comparison is the Grade 7 mathematics examination (taken at the outset of Grade 8). In 2014, MIS performed very well in comparison to national systems across the globe:

ISA/PISA Mathematics Grade 7/8 573 571 561 560 554 536 535 523 519 514

500

494 494

450

482 481 478 466 453 488

400

423

391 388 376 375 368

350

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300

Feature

Excellence in Education represents a number of important areas of student growth and achievement, including: intellectual, creative and aesthetic, physical and psycho-motor, ethical, and global-mindedness, to name just a few.

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Of course, using a single examination to rank entire educational systems is not without controversy. At Munich International School we recognise that such comparisons represent only a tiny sliver of the educational experience of our students. We view the results of such assessments as merely a single piece of evidence in a very complex system.

MYP eAssessment Middle Years Programme (MYP) eAssessment will commence in May 2016. Students finishing the MYP in Grade 10 will have the opportunity to participate in external assessments that allow benchmarking against other international, private and public school students participating in the MYP.

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) are computer-based reading and mathematics assessments that we administer to students in Grades 3 and 4 in September and June each year. These assessments are ‘dynamic and adaptive’ and create a personalised assessment experience by adapting to each student’s learning level – measuring student progress and growth. We use these assessments at the beginning of the year to provide teachers with an external measure of students’ skills in reading and maths. Teachers use this data along with in-class assessments to determine proper instructional levels. MAP testing is administered again at the end of the school year to determine students’ growth. This external measure of development also provides valuable feedback to the school on its curriculum and teaching methods. 06 | CONTACT | FALL 2015

Beyond tests Tests can tell us only so much. Many of the understandings, skills and attitudes that contribute to overall academic success cannot be measured during an hour-long examination. In terms of assessing our students’ progress toward goals that we hold to be vital, we ask students to consolidate and apply their learning through complex tasks related to an area of personal interest. The most prominent examples include: • Grade 4 PYP Exhibition • Grade 10 MYP Personal Project • Grade 12 Extended Essay The outcomes of these performances of academic attainment are not so easy to benchmark, but they do provide meaningful insights into the developing capacities of our students to apply learning to the real world.

MIS Alumni: The real proof of excellence I suppose that what we really mean by excellence in education is that an MIS education should prepare our students for a complex, rapidly changing and interconnected world. So a very real indicator of success in achieving our goal is the happiness, satisfaction and achievement of our alumni. Examples of high achieving and profoundly successful MIS alumni are numerous, diverse and inspiring. But that is the topic of an article for another day. Timothy Thomas, Head of School

MYP eAssessment

Leading the way in cutting edge assessment

s a longstanding IB World School, Munich International School (MIS) is a leader in the area of assessment for learning within the Middle Years Programme (MYP). An IB education is deliberately designed as a learning continuum, and assessment is a fundamental part of this continuum. As such, one area in which MIS is at the forefront is the adoption of the MYP eAssessments. In May 2015, 40 MIS students in Grade 10 submitted summative assessments in each of the eight MYP subject areas for IB external moderation. This moderation involves the verification of the School’s internal grades by IB examiners. In September 2015, the students and the School received the results of this process, which demonstrated our successful implementation of the programme. Teachers in each of the subject areas analysed the corresponding reports from the IBO and continue to implement the challenging requirements of the new programme.

ePortfolios that demonstrate student achievement in specific coursework in language acquisition, arts, design and physical and health education. These are externally moderated to give students standardised feedback on achievement in these subject areas. MIS requires ePortfolio submission for Arts, Design and Physical and Health Education. Language Acquisition students must also submit an ePortfolio and there is an option for students to earn a bilingual certificate. The personal project is an extended project required in the final year of the MYP that allows students to inquire into a topic of personal interest and to demonstrate development of their Approaches to Learning skills. All MYP grade 10 students must take part in personal project eAssessment. In addition to the three components of the eAssessment, students must meet the learning outcomes for service as action as set by the School.

To prepare students for the eAssessments, our faculty This year, over 70 MIS students have registered for the IB have reviewed the sample examinations and the external MYP Certificate, which they will receive in August, 2016 moderation results to understand the mark scheme and to upon successful completion of all requirements. Munich ensure that the taught curriculum aligns with the onscreen International School has assessments and been integrally involved MIS is fortunate to have several faculty ePortfolio expectations. in the development Thus far the feedback members who are IB examiners and of the eAssessments have been involved with the IBO in the from faculty has been since 2013, when 100 as teachers development of both the onscreen positive MIS students took pilot analyse the exemplars onscreen assessments examination and the ePortfolios. offered by the IBO. in both Language and Departments are Literature: English and History. Students trialed the onscreen taking a proactive approach to preparing students for the assessment for the IBO and gave feedback to modify and new format by developing innovative internal onscreen improve the assessment for the implementation of the full assessments. scale release of the eAssessment. Teachers have also worked Though not a prerequisite for the Diploma Programme, with the IBO to ensure that the assessments that are aligned by completing the eAssessments in the MYP, our students with the curriculum and reflect the aims of the programme. are required to demonstrate learning in a wide breadth MIS is fortunate to have several faculty members who are of subject areas that will prepare them for success in the IB examiners and have been involved with the IBO in the Diploma Programme. The eAssessments are clear evidence development of both the onscreen examination and the of the IBOs commitment to developing a continuum of ePortfolios. learning throughout the three programmes to best prepare We are excited about the new eAssessment because it students for the Diploma Programme. Recent research of provides our students with the opportunity to demonstrate international school curricula concluded that, “Students with their understanding through the application of skills and an MYP background were found to outperform students concepts. The eAssessment was designed by IB examiners who participated in other middle years curriculums in total to provide students with a comprehensive summative diploma points and specific DP subjects…” (Australian assessment that requires a deep understanding of the Council for Educational Research. 2015: 4). MIS’ participation learning experienced throughout the students’ time in the in the development and adoption of eAssessments MYP. Students will learn equally from the eAssessment exemplifies our commitment to preparing our students for components as they do for them. success in the Diploma Programme and beyond.

The eAssessment consists of three components: On-screen examinations are two-hour long computerbased examination for courses in language and literature, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, and interdisciplinary learning. These examinations are designed to assess students’ level of conceptual understanding within the subject area. The onscreen examinations will be held over a two-week period beginning in May 2016.

Kristen DiMatteo, Deputy Head of School Citations Australian Council for Educational Research (2015). International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP): Comparing IB Diploma Programme outcomes of students who complete the MYP and other middle years courses of study. Bethesda, MD, USA. International Baccalaureate Organization.

Feature

Perfect scores for two MIS students Munich International School is proud to announce some outstanding results of its 2015 graduating class. Cara Reiter-Brennan and Paul Aurel Diederichs achieved perfect International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma scores of 45 points. Only 160 students in 2015 out of 140,000+ who sat the IB examinations world-wide achieved this distinction. Paul Aurel Diederichs Paul Aurel Diederichs, Class of 2015, is currently a Mechanical Engineering student, focusing on Robotics at the ETH Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule). During his time at Munich International School, his coursework involved HL Math, HL Physics, HL English Language and Literature, SL German Literature, SL Chemistry and SL Economics. He says that HL Math has helped him with his studies so far. Diederichs was also a member of the MIS Math Club during his time at MIS. He says that he does not take the relationship he had with his teachers at MIS for granted; ‘The teachers at MIS were extremely supportive and engaging. It was Mr. Kurbis who helped spark my interest for mathematics.’ Paul Aurel Diederichs notes that he has many lasting memories from Munich International School, such as travelling to London with Mr. Kurbis for a Math competition, going climbing with Mr. O’Leary and Jules, making jokes with Mr. Briffa, and going to the theatre with his German class. Cara Reiter-Brennan Cara Reiter-Brennan, Class of 2015, is currently studying Medicine at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin. As a student at MIS, she took Higher Level courses in Chemistry, Biology and Economics, and Standard Level courses in Math, German Literature, English Literature. In addition, she was also a member of the Volleyball team, Track and Field team and Amnesty International. ‘I feel that the large assortment of extracurricular activities that are offered at MIS helped to create a relaxed and friendly environment, which helped me feel comfortable in the School and flourish as a student,’ comments Reiter-Brennen. ‘I definitely would not have achieved my IB score without the help of my teachers. I am very thankful that I went to a school where the teachers were not only excellent at explaining the material but were also unbelievably supportive and helpful throughout my entire time at MIS.’ Reiter-Brennan notes that, thanks to the IB, she developed very efficient study skills. ‘I am also more confident about handling pressure and managing my time effectively. MIS is a fantastic place with a welcoming and supportive environment. This tight knit community is truly unique. Not only will MIS provide you with an outstanding education but it offers so many other extracurricular activities with something for everyone.’

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Arts Day 2015

rom Junior, Middle and Senior School students to teachers and staff, all members of the School community were engaged in Arts Day activities on Wednesday 21 October. For this year’s celebration of cross-curricular, whole-school art and learning, MIS hosted professional dancer and choreographer Alan Brooks, who worked with MIS students and adults to guide, engage and build community through the art of movement. The Arts, IT and PE Departments, with support from the MIS Foundation, were eager to collaborate on this year’s event, ‘Walk with Me’, Arts Day, which had a community theme and celebrated the beautiful Bavarian snow, lakes, mountains and skies that surround our stunning rural campus. In preparation for Arts Day, professional dancer and choreographer Alan Brooks (www.alanbrooks. de), who has worked on school dance projects for more than 15 years, has been invited to campus to share his knowledge and passion with the students and community. On the morning of Arts Day, time was set aside to develop small group movement pieces starting at the MIS tunnel, moving through campus and then heading towards the brand new Languages, Arts and Design Centre (LADC). In the afternoon, more than 1400 students, teachers and staff members came together to perform a movement piece at the School’s recently opened Track & Field. The event was filmed from as many perspectives as possible with the aim of showing our sense of community at MIS, which included aerial shots from a student-driven drone. Munich International School would like to genuinely express its gratitude to the MIS Foundation for their continued support, as well as Erin Belefski, Dr. Jo Riley and the Arts, IT and PE Departments who collaborated in making ‘Walk With Me’ and all aspects of Arts Day a fun, engaging and successful day of cross-curricular learning.

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Academic News

‘Annie Oakley’ comes to Munich International School

n the month of November, the Munich International School community welcomed the Senior School winter production of Annie Oakley. Fighting for women’s equal rights and First Nation’s peoples in the United States of the 1880s, this production of Annie Oakley set the stage for many other productions to come. Infusing a variety of artistic elements from singers, instrumental music – including guitar, ukulele and fiddle – to stage lighting, helped support and convey the characters’ expressions. As a result, the atmosphere in the PAC had a more realistic feel to it than a typical musical. One could believe that the villagers were singing and dancing and by interacting with the audience, Annie Oakley became a great way to involve the community with our performers. The singing was pure, lovely and artistic. Dr. Riley’s staging and choreography was wonderfully expressive. We thank all those involved, as well as our performers whose confidence and dramatic skills grew tremendously since the beginning of rehearsals.

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Students benefit from inspirational MIS Foundation guests

ach School Year, teachers, community members and interested parties from beyond the school engage in projects and initiatives to enhance the educational and cultural experiences of young people at Munich International School through the generous support of the MIS Foundation. During the fall season, the School hosted a wide variety

of guests on campus, who worked across departments and grades to interact and inspire students. The School expresses its gratitude to the MIS Foundation and to all Foundation guests for sharing their experience and work with students.

Exonerated death row survivor and activitst

Shujaa Graham E

xonerated death row survivor Shujaa Graham and his wife Phyllis Prentice, visited the campus in early November. During their time at MIS, they worked with Middle and Senior School students, leading discussions, answering questions and building awareness for the issues and debates surrounding the death penalty. Shujaa Graham is an exonerated death row survivor, an anti-death penalty activist, a youth advocate and the board vice chair of the NGO “Witness to Innocence”. In 1973, Shujaa was framed for the murder of a prison guard and he was sent to death row for several years. After multiple appeals, in 1981, he was found to be innocent and was released from prison. Since that time, he has worked to raise awareness of issues related to the death penalty, the criminal justice system and how to help the exonerated death row inmates. For more information and to learn more about Shujaa’s story, please visit his website shujaa.org.

Photographer & filmmaker

Samar Singh Jodha

unich International School was pleased to host professional photographer and filmmaker Samar Singh Jodha on campus during the week of 21 September. Samar is best known for his work with large organisations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and the BBC World Service Trust to build awareness for a variety of social issues. Samar spent his visit engaging with student groups and leading conversations with students on a variety of topics including human rights issues and how to use the power of visual imagery in photography and film to send social messages. In his discussions with students about his Bhopal project – a 40-foot installation that illustrates an industrial disaster in India – Samar exemplified corporate social responsibility, sustainability and his experiences with poverty in developing countries. For more information on Bhopal and other projects by Samar, please visit www.samarsinghjodha.com.

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Academic News

Adventure filmmaker

Anthony Bonello

dventure filmmaker Anthony Bonello of Salomon Free Ski TV visited campus from 19 – 20 November2015, engaging with Middle School students and presenting a special screening of his new film ‘Eclipse’, which recently won the 2015 Bamf Mountain Film Festival for Best Snow Film. After the screening, Anothy led a question and answer session, as well as showing some never before seen deleted scenes. This was a wonderful opportunity for the MIS community to not only view the film but speak with the filmmaker to get an inside perspective of what it is like to find and share your voice with the world through visual media. To learn more about Anthony’s work, please visit anthonybonello.com.

Professional artist

Janina Tukarski Ellis

anina Tukarski Ellis is a professional artist, specializing in impressionist acrylic and oil painting. Janina joined the Visual Arts Department from 23 - 27 November 2015 as a visiting artist, working with students across Grades 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12. During her classes, Janina shared her experience and path to becoming a professional painter and then guided students through a hands-on acrylic painting project. The students greatly enjoyed learning painting techniques and methods, and gaining insight into the career path of a professional artist. To learn more about Janina Tukarski Ellis and see her paintings, please visit www.janinaellis.com. 11 | CONTACT | FALL 2015

Athletics and ASA

Fall athletics season roundup

s the fall season of athletics came to a close, Munich International School’s younger student athletes led the Wildcats to victory. The Middle School SCIS Tennis team placed first in their tournament in Zurich. In addition, the D-Boys Football team, comprised of Grade 5 and 6 students, demonstrated their prowess against the local German football clubs, finishing their fall season at the top of their league with an undefeated record of games. Eleven other athletic teams traveled to various international schools for their end of season tournaments. The Varsity Boys Football team remained at home, where Munich International School hosted the ISST Division 1 Boys Football Championships. With ideal autumn conditions, the School hosted seven top teams for a showcase event on the School’s state of the art facilities. All played outstanding football, making this championship one to remember. The MIS Boys won all three of their pool play matches,

ASA Updates T

he ASA programme plays an essential role in achieving the MIS Mission – excellence in education for globally minded students – and provides a uniquely suitable path for intercultural communication, community and understanding. Learning through the cocurriculum is a valuable and enriching aspect of growing up, helping students to develop new skills, as well as resilience, adaptability, self-confidence and a sense of identity. WINTER SEASON The After School Activities (ASA) winter season started Monday 30 November 2015 with several exciting new activities. Thanks to generous support from the Science Inspiration Fund, Robotics LEGO Mindstorm and Raspberry Pi Club are now on offer, which build on the programming and robotics aspects of the ASA programme. World Jump Rope Champion and Cirque du Soleil performer, Adrienn Banhegyi, has joined MIS to lead the Jump Rope Club offering both Junior and Middle School students an introduction to the astonishing, athletic and creative world of jump rope. Finally, Ms Vanessa Westermann, MIS alumna and writer, will offer a Creative Writing Club for Middle and Senior School Students – a new activity supported by MIS’ English Department. FALL SEASON Highlights: In Sewing Club, students created beautiful and useful things each week, sparking even more interest for the winter season. Girls on the Move offered an inspiring combination of confidence building and physical activities for Junior and Middle School girls. Contemporary Dance & Hip Hop was also very well received, with both boys and girls learning movement phrases as well as improvisation skills. Dance, Illustration and Photography groups also displayed their works from the season, inviting parents, teachers and friends to the open classes. Parents also had the opportunity to attend Science Labs to learn about the experiments their children conducted over the season.

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making it into the semi final against the International School of the Hague on Friday afternoon. Despite a huge crowd of around 400 students and teachers who cheered on the MIS team, ISH won the game 1-0 after an early game free kick. A very disheartened MIS team went on to lose their Saturday game against the American School of London, finishing in 4th place. This was a wonderful event that would not have been possible without the support of the MIS community who housed 105 athletes for the three nights, as well as the MIS Sportverein who organized the Imbiss and Middle School ‘ball boys’ who helped make the event one to remember. The MIS Wildcats are to be congratulated for all successes this weekend and throughout the season. More importantly they have demonstrated a high level of team spirit and great sportsmanship.

Alumni Alumni & Friends

‘MIS Mums’ group celebrates 20-year reunion with trip to Munich and visit to campus

unich International School was delighted to welcome back a group of former parents and board members in early fall whose connection to the School goes back circa 20 years. Since the mid-90’s, the ‘MIS Mums’ group has continued to meet once a year in various locations around the globe, this year back here in Munich. The ‘MIS Mums’ were led on a tour of campus which particularly focused on showing them the School’s newest facilities including the track and field, as well as the recently opened Languages, Arts and Design Centre (LADC). Exchanging stories and memories from Munich International School’s former days was a heart-warming experience for the ‘Mums’ and current MIS staff alike. Former Board Member and trip organizer Eva Andersson commented, ‘Thank you so much for the warm welcome back to MIS after 20 years. We were very impressed by the new premises and how MIS has developed! We were also happy to even run into some familiar faces!’

(Left to right) Marie Boyd, Catharina Glanzmann, Anita Bergstrand, Nancy Likens, Katherine Hooven, Gail Priest, Eva Andersson, Janice Fries, Louise Sinclair.

The passing of a long-term teacher, friend and contributor:

Mr. Bruce Schultz I

t is with sadness that the School shares the passing of long-time MIS teacher, Mr. Bruce Schultz with our community. Bruce passed away in October 2015. Bruce served at MIS as a teacher and activities leader from September 1977 until June 2014. He first joined the MIS community as a Junior School homeroom teacher and then transferred to the Middle School where he taught mathematics and contributed to the School’s co-curricular drama programme. Bruce initiated the long-standing collaboration between MIS and the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA), an international arts organisation committed to developing creative learning and internationalism through theatre. Bruce participated in hosting the first ever ISTA festival at MIS and continued his support for the programme for many years.

Bruce is remembered fondly by many for numerous contributions to the community’s special spirit. Here are remembrances from a few MIS faculty who worked with Bruce: Bruce’s fascination with Egypt was quite infectious! He set up a number of projects and lessons based on the Egyptian number systems and Egyptian architecture. Having spent many holidays in Egypt he was able to describe the scenery and culture first hand. As well as that, he found various examples of geometry in other cultures, such as Islamic temples. He really enjoyed teaching students (and colleagues) how to construct beautiful designs with just a pencil, ruler and compass. Frances Hughes, Teacher of Mathematics My first memories of Bruce are as long ago as 1985 when I was in 6th Grade at MIS and he was teaching with Heidi Schmidt. He was much beloved by students for his humour, patience and kindness. Later as a colleague I had the honour of getting to know Bruce as a wise, loyal friend. Bruce always exuded calmness, and I much admired his willingness to listen to others. Bruce had a remarkable enthusiasm for learning: be it Arabic or Eastern philosophy. He was something of an adventurous traveller and a keen amateur Egyptologist, recently travelling to Ethiopia on a journey he described as life changing. Sanna Myrttinen, Teacher of Art and German Bruce was famous for his Christmas decorations, especially his beautiful paper snowflakes. When the Middle School was in the Schloss, he and Ellie Schwartz used to decorate the whole interior for Christmas. We always joked about the amazing display, because Ellie is Jewish and Bruce was Buddhist and yet they invested more effort and creativity than anyone else in making the Schloss a magical Christmas paradise. Ann Garcia, Teacher of Humanities (Individuals and Societies)

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Winterfest 2015

Celebrating the season at Munich International School

interfest 2015 at MIS is one of the highlights on the community social calendar and a perfect way to see out 2015! This year was no different with many friends and families attending. There were plenty of activities for the young and young-at-heart and lots of hearty and delicious food from across the world to enjoy. In the Junior School auditorium, charities were present, which are officially represented by those from within the MIS community. In the spirit of this goodwill, we also opened our doors to vendors - local businesses and business with MIS connections - to purchase great Winter gifts at the Winter Wonderland Weihnachtsmarkt. Children were on their best behavior as Santa Claus made an appearance, taking photos with friends and families. In the afternoon, the 29th Annual Winterfest Concert and Carol Sing-A-Long was performed in the PAC featuring music from the Swedish Santa Lucia Ensemble, World Choir, Anima Vocal Ensemble, Flute Ensemble, JS, MS and Honors Strings, and the Winterfest Instrumental Ensemble. Everyone enjoyed the festive atmosphere and took in the magical decorations and beautifully decorated Christmas trees and we thank all those involved for making this annual event happen.

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Community News

You are warmly invited to visit the ‘new’ Schloss

he German word “Schloss” means palace or castle. Our Schloss and its view are protected heritage sites by the government of Bavaria. In the book „Monuments in Bavaria“ („Denkmäler in Bayern“) and within the administrative district of Starnberg by the author Gerhard Schober, you will find some amazing details about Munich International School’s Schloss: GUT BUCHHOF, mansion, stately three-story neo-renaissance building, with a bay tower, gabels and belvedere, north subsequent residential and commercial tract with mansard roofs. 1875 built by Georg Hauberrisser for the Maffei family. Park in the English style, with walling, late 19th century. The house is well preserved in its outer appearance except for small details. In 1986 the four stone pillars and portico, which had been added to the villa in the 1920s, were all removed and the main entrance was restored on the Eastern side ... Impressively, the domed ceiling and arched windows at the pinnacle of the grande inner staircase have been preserved over the many years in near original condition. Until last year some students still visited the Schloss for math and art lessons. A few of them were lucky enough to have math lessons in room 308 on the ground floor. What they could

not know at the time was that under their tables and chairs and under the linoleum floor there was a hidden, solid oak parquet floor from the villa’s original construction in the 1870s. During the refurbishment, we found out that the Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna shares a similar solid oak parquet floor. This parquet from this UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site was probably the inspiration for our now newly refurbished oak parquet in the Schloss. The architect of our Schloss Buchhof, Georg von Hauberisser, was known during his time for incorporating historical designs, especially those inspired by royal and noble locations. From August 2015 our Schloss Buchhof is no longer a mixed-use building for students and staff. The refreshed and refurbished building and visitors’ room in the Admissions & Communications department welcomes prospective students and parents, guests of all kinds and special social events for faculty and staff. We encourage everyone to take the time to stop in and visit the Schloss during one of your visits to our campus. Together with the newly completed Languages, Arts and Design Centre (LADC) and other updates around campus, our Schloss helps to provide a welcoming, joyful and community atmosphere at Munich International School. You are warmly invited to take a look!

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Annual Giving 2015 - 2016 at Munich International School

unich International School is an ambitious and independent non-profit organization, and the importance of donations to the School today, as has been the case right throughout the Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, cannot be underestimated.

Donations help further our mission of providing an excellent learning environment for our students and some gifts have the ability to transform lives. To be part of Munich International Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Giving programme, please visit our website and download forms from the Giving section of the MIS website. Please note that all gifts are tax deductible.

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Upcoming Events at MIS More details can be found online by visiting www.mis-munich.de/calendar DECEMBER World Choir â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Let Us Sing, Too! Winter Break

17 22 Dec - 7 Jan 2016

JANUARY Students return from Winter Break Open Day Brooke Williams Visit & Workshop Winter Varsity SCIS January

7 12 19 28 - 30

FEBRUARY Open Day 4 Mosaic of Cultures Day 11 Swim SCIS February 11 - 13 Ski Break 15 - 19 ASA Winter Season Ends 26 Parent Association Meeting and launch of 50th anniversary celebration 26 MARCH Heinrich Harrer Cup March ASA Spring Seasons Begins Winter Athletics Recognition Evening Good Friday (School Closed) Easter Monday (School Closed) Spring Break

3-5 14 22 25 28 29 Mar - 8 Apr

50th Anniversary Celebrations - register now

hanks to the support of many alumni and friends volunteers, planning for our 50th anniversary year is well underway and we look forward to welcoming as many alumni and friends from all around the world to join us in Munich in 2016.

We also hope that those who cannot travel back to Munich in 2016 may wish to arrange reunion events in their current locations. Please visit www.mis-munich.de to register now for key events in 2016.

How do I become a part of the Munich International School Community?

How do I stay in touch with Munich International School?

Student Admissions: admissions@mis-munich.de

Munich International School Alumni & Friends: alumni@mis-munich.de

Employment Opportunities: employment@mis-munich.de

Giving at Munich International School: giving@mis-munich.de