Munich International School - Volume 21 - Issue 3 - Summer 2015
C O N TA C T THE MAGAZINE OF MUNICH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Contents Head of School’s Introduction
01
Message from the Board of Directors
03
Feature: Building for Excellence
04
Community News
08
Alumni and Friends
11
Academic News
12
Athletics
15
Giving at MIS
16
Upcoming Events at MIS
17
04 08
Munich International School Communications: Amanda Crawley Lydia Tukarski Phone: 08151 366 156 Fax: 08151 366 109 Email: publications@mis-munich.de Design: Paul Rea Photography: Graeme Fordham Photography
Contact is published by: Munich International School, Schloß Buchhof, D-82319 Starnberg www.mis-munich.de
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Head of School’s Introduction
Teaching and learning is our core activity Simon Taylor, Head of School
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fter five years as Head of School, it seems only natural to take this opportunity, in my last Contact article, to reflect on my MIS years. I believe that the success of a school rests on three basic ideas all designed to provide the very best learning environment and support for students. First and foremost, a school needs to state what it values and in what it believes. Second, a school needs the right people and third, a school must have the right structures, systems and practices. With this in mind, I have focused on these three goals. MIS has guiding statements that characterise the School. These were formulated in my first year and have served the community well. They have provided the basis for the five-year strategic plan that has been my road map for the School Leadership Team when determining the annual operational action plans. The Board plays a major role in the setting of guiding statements, long-term planning and setting policy. In the last couple of years, the results of much hard work can be seen. Apart from the opening of a fantastic new athletics track and field and a new arts and languages building, the Board has focused on less visible yet key issues related to governance and has made important changes that will help provide stability, diversity and the necessary skills for future endeavours. However, plans fail if you do not have the right people. I cannot emphasise this enough. Whether we are talking about the Board, the leadership team, the teachers, or the staff, we need knowledgeable, well-qualified, talented and hard-working team players. However, this is not enough. We need more than just skills and experience; we need people with a particular disposition. International schools need innovative, globally-minded people who are energetic, happy and flexible life-long learners. MIS needs caring and committed people who put the education and needs of the students at the School first. I have worked hard to strengthen the team and am proud of those who work at the school. The new Professional Appraisal and Growth process not only recognises their achievements but also supports their interest in further professional development. Last but not least, you need appropriate structures, systems and practices. The education system tops this list.
In the curriculum, we are now better organised than five years ago and are fulfilling the expectations of the IB across the School. Collaborative planning, feedback to students and parents, common assessments, standardisation of assessments and the use of data have all improved. We also have important policies for language, academic honesty and globalmindedness in place, all of which steer our practice. MIS has offered the IB programmes for many years. Known for being inquiry-based, balanced and internationally focused, the School has delivered all three competently for many years. For a broadly non-selective school, the academic results have been very satisfying, particularly when one considers the participation rate of students taking the full Diploma Programme, the number passing in addition to the average Diploma score. Adjustments have been made to the DP programme to help raise standards further and to provide more choice whether through taught classes at school or online. This more personal blended learning will develop further in the future. The use of information technology at MIS to enhance learning has continued to develop with some great initiatives seen and our learning technology teachers are contributing much to this. We now see students and teachers using technology to support and improve learning. One example of this was the development of the “new� flipped classroom in the mathematics department more than four years ago. Teaching and learning is our core activity and perhaps the biggest development during my time has been in the Middle Years Programme (MYP). The implementation of the significantly revised programme has gone extremely well and there can be few schools where it has been introduced so smoothly. There is still work to be done in refining the units of work but this concept-based, globally-focussed curriculum is well-established at MIS. I should also mention one special feature of MIS and that is our use of the MYP in Grade 5. Introduced three years ago, this innovative move is bringing great results and a model for other schools considering this move. The Primary Years Programme (PYP) too is in constant review and continues to develop, pleasingly. Language development and spelling, the mathematics continuum and the delivery of science have all been in the spotlight, in addition to a full review of the Programme of Inquiry. 01 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2015
The International Schools Assessment (ISA) results for Grades 3-8 continue to be significantly above other like schools. The Extra-Curricular Programme has flourished with some notable developments. In the arts, our small strings group has now grown into an orchestra which is quite an achievement. We have seen the development of a new choral group in the Senior School that has also grown rapidly in the last year and complements the strong history of performance in the Middle and Senior Schools. When I think of athletics, I could cite many achievements. The programme offers a wide range of sports and our athletes do well. The back office systems that support the School, whether human resources, campus maintenance, relocation or transport, are all operating well. Once again, our financial audit was excellent. Our IT administration has been strengthened this year after a challenging couple of years and much has been achieved in the background to ensure greater reliability and that we meet the highest standards of data protection and security. We have also given significant attention to the admissions department and associated marketing and development work as the environment becomes more competitive. We are also conscious that our communications systems could be better. To this end we have sought to improve our contact with you regarding student and class progress, while, on a more general front, we are planning a new website which we hope will be more intuitive to use. The outsourced services including security, cleaning and food services have also received attention. The cafeteria has had a makeover that should be concluded very soon and Il Cielo has worked hard to respond to parent and student feedback, which has subsequently been well received. The MIS community benefits from an extraordinary array of special events, speakers and celebrations. Our Parent Teacher Verein, our Sport Verein and the MIS Foundation all contribute 02 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2015
profoundly to the intellectual, artistic, cultural and athletic traditions of the School. We will enjoy major events next year for MIS’ 50th anniversary that we hope will welcome back even more of our alumni community. With the 50th anniversary around the corner and an accreditation self-study beginning next year I hope the School will reflect on how to retain its position as a leading international, globally-minded school in Munich and remain competitive in an evolving environment. This will require a shared resolve among all who work at MIS to innovate and to change practices and thinking that limit the degree and speed of progress. With the will and support of teachers and staff, I am very confident that the Board and leadership team can take the School forward in this regard. I am delighted that Tim Thomas, the current Deputy Head of School, will lead that work. He is a knowledgeable, talented and understanding leader with a clear vision for MIS. I know he will do a great job and wish him all the very best. In closing, I would like thank the community for its support and for the opportunity to lead this school. As I look back I see happy and successful students enjoying an excellent education on a beautiful campus. This is will be an abiding memory. Sincerely,
Simon Taylor, Head of School
Message from the Board of Directors
Form follows function Wanching Ang, Chair of the Board
The outcome of the cooperation is a beautiful new building where design and educational purpose overlap effortlessly.
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he quality of school facilities impacts student learning. Research shows that lighting, acoustics, air quality, temperature and colour affect student moods, concentration and energy levels. Healthy buildings support good learning, help attract teachers and improve teacher morale. We can all relate to this through personal experience – how long did you stay in that job in the open plan office with bad air, artificial light and no windows? We chose the architect, Fritsch + Tschaidse, for their significant experience and award-winning work in designing schools, universities and research centres. We spent much time with them explaining the ethos of MIS, and of international education. We wanted a contemporary learning environment, which emphasizes IB values like communication, open-mindedness, balance and reflection. The mixed use by both Middle and Senior School students is intentional, in order to break down silos and ensure continuity of learning and teaching across schools. The outcome of the cooperation is a beautiful new building where design and educational purpose overlap effortlessly. The structure is star-shaped with four wings, and the large windows offer multiple views of other parts of the school, thereby integrating the building seamlessly with the rest of the campus. The ample use of wood and glass against the backdrop of natural woodland brings the outside in, and blurs the lines between natural and man-made. The light filled classrooms are variously sized, and flexible in their configuration, so as to enable interactive learning. At the centre is a generous foyer, which fosters communication and collaboration outside of the classrooms, and creates a learning community. This is a building that makes students comfortable and secure in who and where they are, so that they can be risk- takers in how they think about and engage with the world beyond. This is a building that lifts spirits and raises aspirations.
As with the building design, we have chosen to focus on function when it comes to naming the building. Did you know that our current buildings already have local place names? The Junior School building is Haus Bayern, Middle School is Haus Starnberg, Senior School is Haus Schweiz and the Senior School office annex is Haus MĂźnchen. It is not surprising that these names have fallen quickly into disuse, particularly for a community where there are many new families every year. It is much easier to fall back on functional names, like the Gym, or the PAC, aka Performing Arts Centre. The new building is called the Languages, Arts and Design Centre, or LADC, which reflects the relative size of the three departments housed in the new building. MIS can be justifiably proud of the LADC. It will contribute to further increasing the quality of education at MIS for the current and many generations to come.
Wanching Ang, Chair, MIS Board of Directors
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Building for Excellence
The School is incredibly lucky to have had a team that has, over the years, addressed and resolved a myriad of issues to deliver the wonderful new facilities now gracing the campus.
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Feature
Opening of the new ‘Language, Arts and Design Centre’ (LADC)
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ears of deliberation and consultation, followed by a period of incredibly hard work and dedication in which plans were turned into reality, have reached a wonderful conclusion. For at Frühlingsfest on 13th. June, one year on from the opening of our impressive new Track and Field facilities, the new school building was officially opened and named the ‘Language, Arts and Design Centre’ (LADC). The Board and the School’s Administration are sincerely grateful to everyone who, over the years, has contributed to the successful realisation of both projects. These two new facilities represent a further milestone in MIS’ 50-year history. Since opening in 1966, the School has continually invested in its facilities to help ensure that the teaching and learning environment for students and all who work in the School is as up-to-date and conducive to supporting the School’s goals as possible. Attractive buildings, on a beautiful campus, in amazing surroundings, help children at MIS feel safe, comfortable and cared for as they learn and develop, and also help attract teachers and members of staff in the increasingly competitive world of international education. Today’s students, faculty and staff benefit from the foresight and generosity of previous generations, which resulted, for example, in the building of the Middle School in the 1990s and the extension of the Junior School and the establishment of the PAC in the early 2000s. These facilities continue to serve the community well, just as the new building and sports facilities will serve the community for many decades to come. This longer-term perspective is particularly gratifying given the continually fluctuating nature of the School community. Such projects take years to realise, so let’s turn the clock back to the origins of MIS’ fine new facilities. In the early 2000s the number of students attending MIS was growing and teaching space was becoming very tight. Scheduling was a nightmare and some class sizes were unreasonably high. The School’s teaching space had a utilization rate of 90%, which essentially meant all rooms were being used all of the time. There was no flexibility for additional subjects, no possibility of breaking up classes, no ability to offer smaller classes for less popular courses. The containers were brought in as a “short-term measure” in the summer of 2006 to create breathing space for the School, and a discussion began about the future of the MIS’ facilities. Some opinions were voiced that the School should aim for growth, perhaps achieving 1,500 students or more, while other people were more conservative. While some students thought it was cool to have classes in containers, complaints were also heard about their suitability and questions raised about their long-term role on campus. Then came the accreditation report. Every few years MIS, like other international schools, goes through a long process of demonstrating to independent, international assessors that we are delivering a first-rate education. Dozens of issues are addressed during such accreditation processes, and the assessors’ findings and recommendations are crucial for defining the School’s development priorities. In 2006 the accreditation bodies stated unequivocally that the presence of the containers was not fitting for a school with MIS’ standing and ambitions. They’d just arrived, yet they should go! Easier said than done! And so began the long process of defining the School’s strategic priorities, enduring lengthy approvals processes, preparing and refining plans and agreeing on financing. First and foremost any significant development of our facilities needs to be in line with the so-called Bebauungsplan which describes how MIS’ wonderful green campus can be used and what can be constructed. The existing Bebauungsplan didn’t allow for any further significant building, and so the School had to go through the lengthy process of creating and getting approval for a new plan. That took several years. Once approval was given – in 2011 – deliberations began on what exactly the School needed to build. Community input was sought, and many interesting suggestions were made. An ice rink, perhaps? Or a swimming pool? Or an extension to the gym? Undoubtedly the School would benefit from all of these ideas, but they don’t address the key objective – to deliver a first-class teaching and learning environment. 05 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2015
Considerations were also made about the type of building and what it should represent. One idea was to have it made entirely of glass, to reflect transparency and openness. Another was to create the building in the form of a quad, reflecting the learning environment seen at most Oxford and Cambridge colleges. Then there was the question of what the building is actually for. Should it be a new Senior School, or should it house disciplines used by different parts of the School, so contributing to cross-school integration? And if the latter, which disciplines – the sciences, languages or humanities – should be in the new building? Fortunately the School was able to count on the wise counsel of the architects Fritsch & Tschaidse during this period. Finances played an important role too. Given the School’s non-profit status these considerations would be important at any time, but the Board was discussing this investment shortly after the financial crisis of 2008, at a time when the economic outlook was bleak and some important companies – and friends of MIS – were reducing headcounts. Much of the Board’s time in 2010 and 2011 was spent discussing our options, based on input diligently prepared by Leonne Francot, our then Chief Operating Officer. Finally, in October 2011, after hours of constructive and robust deliberation, and consideration of many different alternatives, the Board committed the School to two new projects – the new building and the track and field facilities. This was probably the most important, long-term decision taken during the tenure of our departing Head of School, Simon Taylor. With this important decision taken, detailed planning could begin and the Buildings & Grounds Committee was tireless in its work over many, many months and years. The School is incredibly lucky to have had a team that has, over the years, addressed and resolved a myriad of issues to deliver the wonderful new facilities now gracing the campus. Questions on the layout of the building, followed by those related to furniture, colour schemes and flooring needed to be resolved. In addition, the environmental impact of the projects needed to be assessed. And much, much, more. Initially the Committee comprised Leonne Francot, Annabel von Boetticher, Marta Montal-Loescher and Raimund Diederichs, together with Miriam and Günter Wagmann as co-opted Board Members. As the project progressed, the burden was borne by Roman Friemel, Michael Ehret, Natacha Camerier-van Duffel, Hubert Kustermann and Simon Taylor. Ground was broken on 24 June 2013 and the building was topped out on 9 April 2014, exactly on schedule. Throughout the execution phase the Buildings & Grounds Committee demonstrated remarkable energy, enthusiasm and dedication, and the Board extends its deep appreciation and gratitude to everyone concerned, as well as to all of the outside companies and organisations without which the projects would not have been realised. The School’s investment plans were more conservative than originally conceived in order not to create an unnecessarily risky financial exposure. Even so, the two projects are the largest ever undertaken by the School, with a total budget of €14m. The School has always taken a relatively conservative approach to financing such projects, and, unlike some other international schools, has never had significant debt. MIS is lucky not to be a School that has suffered from high debt levels. That being said, the Board agreed that the new projects would be financed through a combination of higher entry fees, which are traditionally used to finance strategic projects, a limited amount of debt, and a community fundraising campaign. As it turned out, MIS was able to avoid long-term debt entirely. The Board set a goal of €1M for community fundraising, and we are close to achieving this. Never before has the community contributed so generously to a School project, and the Board is deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed. Particularly significant was the gala dinner in May 2012, which in 06 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2015
many ways initiated the fundraising campaign and raised a substantial portion of the overall goal. More recently, donations for bricks, trees and seats have helped round out the overall project. Some individuals have contributed “in kind”, others through monetary donations. The names of the most significant donors are recognised on plaques in the new building. It would be inappropriate to compare our fundraising achievements with those of, say, the leading US schools and universities, some of which have endowments amounting to billions of dollars. Frequently alumni make significant contributions to their almae matres, as they “give something back” to the institutions where they spent their formative years. The principle behind these endowments and our fundraising, campaign is the same – a prosperous and successful school requires financial support going beyond income from tuition fees, entry fees, and government grants. Tuition fees at MIS essentially cover the School’s biggest single expense, personnel costs. Government support is valuable, but there are restrictions on its use, and its future is uncertain. In other words, if the community wishes to MIS to continue to be one of Europe’s leading international schools, contributions of one kind or another from corporate donors and individual sponsors, including of course alumni, will be crucial. Otherwise it will not be possible to make the strategic investments necessary to guarantee a truly exceptional educational experience. These investments don’t just have to be in buildings, or course. The creation of the MIS Foundation in 1999 through a charitable endowment in the name of Dr. Stefan Engelhorn is particularly noteworthy in this regard. The MIS Foundation is dedicated to financially supporting the holistic education of young people, especially in the fields of Art and Culture and is a very special, indeed quite unique, part of the School. The Board also considers provision of financial support to families who wouldn’t otherwise be able to send their children to MIS a strategic investment, and created the Tuition Fee Reduction Program as a strategic initiative at the same time that the building projects were approved. Doing more – such as providing scholarships for exceptionally talented students, or bursaries for children requiring support for other reasons – will require appropriate financing. Indeed, at some US and UK schools, fees are set so that parents paying the full amount are essentially financing up to one and a half children, allowing for extensive scholarship programs and other forms of support. MIS is far from that situation. As the Board together with the new Head of School, Timothy Thomas, embarks on a strategic review of our priorities for the coming years, institutionalising fundraising and identification of alternative sources of income will undoubtedly play important roles in financing the School’s ambitions. In the meantime, there are still many opportunities to donate to support specific outstanding needs of the new building. For example, the School would welcome donors willing to support the installation of 120 solar panels as part of our initiative to reduce our energy bills and take a giant step towards sustainability. Beyond this, the two drama rooms in the new building still need equipping, and furniture is needed for the building’s lobby and hallways. Dr. David Dean Dr. David Dean is currently Vice Chair of the MIS Board of Directors and was Chair from December 2009 until June 2012 For more information about these and other opportunities to make a gift to Munich International School, please see the Giving at MIS pages in this magazine or contact giving@mis-munich.de.
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Frühlingsfest 2015
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unich International Schools’ annual Frühlingsfest was held on Saturday 13 June, 2015, and included the official opening of our magnificent new teaching and learning building, the ‘Languages, Arts and Design Centre’ (LADC). Starnberg Mayor Eva John officially opened the LADC at a short ceremony at 11am that was followed by tours of the new building throughout the day. Families and other visitors also enjoyed sport competitions, games, international food & drink, live music, a talent show and raffles as part of our annual Frühlingsfest. The Parent Teacher Verein (PTV) was once again tireless in its efforts to enable to School community to celebrate together in this way and the School sincerely thanks all parent volunteers. Frühlingsfest is also a time of year when MIS Alumni and Friends often travel back and visit the School, and it was wonderful to welcome so many Alumni and Friends again this year, not least on the eve of the School’s 50th Anniversary in 2016.
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Community News
Author and Illustrator Petr Horacek Visits School
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etr Horacek, author and illustrator for young children, visited campus to speak with students on 15 and 16 April 2015. During his visit, Junior School students had the chance to hear from Mr. Horacek and parents were welcomed to attend. Through a series of workshops, students worked together to produce a mural based on Mr. Horacek’s illustrations. This event was made possible by the support of the MIS Foundation and organized through Speaking of Books.
After School Activities: a record year for new students engaging in new activities
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he spring season is wrapping up with a round of performances and festivities that highlight an excellent year for the ASA Programme. End of year shows and open classes from Ceramics, Dance, Drama, Illustration, Photography, Gymnastics and more showcase the impressive variety of activities and the high level of accomplishment among our students. A flurry of concerts from the choirs, orchestras, bands and instrumental programme highlight the students’ commitment and hard work, as well as the contributions of our talented Arts Coordinator, Ms. Pamela Stout, and our truly outstanding music teachers.
Arts Day 50th Anniversary Celebration
Walk With Me - Snow Lake Mountain Sky
This year the School offered more than 80 activities with approximately 500 students taking part each season. Many students participated in more than one activity, which means that students occupied between 700 and 800 activity places per season. A number of new activities have taken off this year. Junior School Badminton has been a huge success with Coach Birgitta Hagenfeldt bringing her skills and enthusiasm to a younger group. Coach Maja Visser has established the Track & Field Clubs as firm favourites within the programme. Other successful new activities include Tree Climbing, Math Lab, Aero Engineering Club, Indoor EC Football, Emma Gorman’s Photography Club, SrS Ballroom Dance, Winter Nature Skills Club and Arts & Crafts from Waapiti - Wildnis(er)leben, most of which were extremely well received and will continue next year. The schedule for the 2015/16 School Year is coming together nicely, with even more new activities joining those already on offer. Sewing Club for the Junior and Middle Schools, Early Childhood Rhythm and Dance, Beat Makers and Kindermusik are a few that we have to look forward to. Girls on the Move, based on the tremendously popular Girls on the Run program from the United States, will also begin in the fall season. This club offers a unique combination of self-confidence-building and physical challenge, exploring how girls positively connect with and shape the world.
dance pedagogue Alan Brooks, choreographer and
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he Arts, IT and PE Departments are delighted to announce the ‘Walk With Me’, Arts Day 50th Anniversary Celebration. The theme of the day’s event will be ‘community in beautiful Bavaria’. From September 2015, choreographer and dance pedagogue Alan Brooks will work with faculty and parent volunteers teaching them how to lead a movement workshop with young people. Alan is a British choreographer who trained at the Ballet Rambert before performing in Munich at the Gärtnerplatz. He currently works with The University of Augsburg and various schools in Bavaria empowering young people to express themselves kinetically. More information about Alan Brooks can be found at www.alanbrooks.de. On 21 October 2015, the morning will be given over to devising and developing individual group movement pieces to start at the tunnel, snaking through the School campus and the new LADC building to perform together in a mass movement piece on the Sports Track from 14:00-15:00. The Film students will photograph and film the whole event from every angle – also by using a drone – and cut it together as an art dance short to put out to the world on our website and show our sense of the Munich International School community.
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Community News
MIS Hosts 2015 ECIS PE Conference
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rom 7 - 11 April 2015, Munich International School had the honour of hosting the Annual ECIS (European Council of International Schools) PE Conference. This year’s theme, “Game On!” inspired attendees to learn a variety of different games and activities from ‘teachers teaching teachers’ that would help them in their everyday teaching of Physical Education. With the financial support of both the MIS Foundation and Sport Verein, the Munich International School PE Team planned, liaised and coordinated this event, which, in total, was attended by circa 120 physical education teachers from around the globe. More than 50 workshops were on offer throughout the event, covering topics such as, ‘Physical literacy & movement riddles’, ‘Using the web to support physical education’ and ‘Crossfit for kids’, to name just a few. Munich International School was extremely proud to have the opportunity to host this valuable professional development and to invite fellow educators to the School.
As well as excellent professional development for our faculty, the Conference has resulted in a plethora of PE materials and apparatus now available to Munich International school students. Following the Conference, Grade 5 students were also lucky enough to work with George Kubu from Skipping 4 Schools. George stayed on after the Conference to work with MIS students and shared with them the reason for his passion for skipping and how it helped him rebuild his life. If you look at the website, you can read all about him. He taught our 5th graders some cool skipping tricks and many of them have been skipping ever since!
Thank you, Mr. Taylor and much success in Oman!
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Simon Taylor, Head of School, 2010-2015
ou’ve accompanied and led Munich International School for five years. Now, along with the class of 2015, you’re graduating and moving on to new challenges. You’ve seen the School through some enormous changes, including the inception of the MYP Transition Year, the recognition of our Early Years programme by the Landratsamt, the construction and opening of our new track-and-field facility and, just before you depart, the opening of our new Languages, Arts and Design Centre. We wish to express our gratitude for five years of hard work and your unwavering commitment to our School’s mission and to our focus on global-mindedness. We wish you all the best for your next post in Muscat, Oman.
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Alumni Alumni & Friends
Welcoming back Yvonne Weisbarth, Class of ’89
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n November 2014, Munich International School Alumna and current parent Yvonne Weisbarth (class of 1989) visited campus to work with Senior School students on their Design projects. Yvonne is currently the Design Manager for Personal Care and Water Treatment at Bosch in Munich Germany. Upon graduating from Munich International School, Yvonne studied Industrial Design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Prior to Bosch, Yvonne worked for BMW Designworks in California USA, Yellow Design in Pforzheim Germany and Busse Design in Ulm Germany. Paul Murphy, Head of the Munich International School Design Department invited Yvonne to come to campus and speak with Grade 10 and 11 students. At the time, Grade 10 students were beginning work on a project to design a learning aid for young children, which came to completion in May 2015. Yvonne was able to join students in their classrooms for a day to assist with their project designs and give them some perspective and advice from her practical and professional knowledge in industrial design. Yvonne helped them develop their ideas, and then gave feedback about their annotation and design. This was an engaging experience for Senior School students to obtain a fresh perspective and ‘real-world’ context for their coursework. “I find it very inspiring to work with students at Munich International School and it was a great pleasure to help them implement their ideas”, commented Yvonne.
Yvonne Wiesbarth, Class of ’89’ with MIS Senior School Design students
Alumni News & Announcements
MIS Path of Memories
MIS’ new ‘Path of Memories’ was officially opened at Frühlingsfest on 13 June 2015. Located outside the entrance to the Schloss, the start of the new path was opened by the Stephenson family who won an MIS Board-sponsored brick as part of a raffle at the School’s Winterfest celebrations in December 2014. Since then, more than 60 bricks have been donated as part of the first laying of the ‘Buy a Brick, Build Your Legacy’ initiative. It is anticipated that many more bricks will be pledged in due course, including as the School prepares to celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2016. For more information about how to participate in this on-going heritage initiative, please visit the MIS website or contact giving@mis-munich.de.
‘The first 50 Years of MIS`
The writing of the ‘The first 50 Years of MIS` book has been assigned to Dan Glover who has 48 years of experience as a teacher at MIS. He has had 3 children (lifers) pass through the School and now a grandchild attending. This enables him to focus on the past, present and future of our school. The accounts of alumni, teachers, board members parents and students will be invaluable in tracing how MIS has evolved into one of the leading international schools in Europe. Please support Dan with providing accounts of your experiences and involvement in the School. Dan will also be interviewing some individuals who have been responsible for the development of the many aspects of MIS as a very special educational institution. We hope that the book will be available during the 50th Anniversary celebrations in spring 2016.
50th Anniversary Planning We are currently seeking contributors for the four major 50th Anniversary working committees: • Alumni Organisation/Relations Committee • Spring Events (Spring 2016) Committee • Winter Events (Winter 2016) Committee • Marketing & Public Relations Committee We warmly invite all interested members of the community to join these committees. For more information about all of these initiatives, please contact Amanda Crawley at: acrawley@mis-munich.de or visit the MIS Alumni & Friends Facebook page: www.facebook.com/misalumniandfriends
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Graduation 2015
Congratulations, Class of 2015 On Sunday 31 May, the Class of 2015 celebrated their graduation from Munich International School with friends, family and teachers at the Prinzregententheatre in Munich.
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Academic News
PYP Exhibition
How We Express Ourselves Beliefs and passion inspire creativity, learning and action
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f you happened to walk through the Grade 4 corridor between March and May, you would have been amazed by what you saw and heard as students inquired into how beliefs and passions inspire creativity, learning and action. You might have seen students interviewing the Senior School counselor to learn how to help stop bullying. There might have been students working in small groups debating how to take action to raise awareness about factory farming, or you might have seen students designing and painting clay tiles to represent the impact of technology on children. What you would have experienced was the beauty of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) Exhibition. The PYP Exhibition represents a significant event in the life of a PYP school and student, synthesizing the essential elements of the PYP and sharing them with the whole MIS community. Students are required to engage in an in-depth collaborative, transdisciplinary inquiry process that involves them in identifying, investigating and offering solutions to real-life issues or problems (Making the PYP Happen, 53). For eight weeks, students interviewed members of the community, conducted surveys, created questionnaires, researched from books and the Internet. Students integrated their single subjects of music, visual arts, drama, as well as German and their Mother Tongues into their inquiries. Using a wide range of technology from blogs to iPads they documented and reflected upon the process. They analyzed data, sorted out information, and found interesting and creative ways to share their understanding. Finally, students took action through advocacy and awareness to improve the world around them. The exhibition culminated in a presentation of the students’ work on May 12th and 13th. This celebration of learning represented the journey they have been on since they arrived at MIS.
Junior School Sports Days
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he cheering and laughter from this year’s Junior School Sports Days could be heard across the entire School campus. During three half-day sessions, students came together in mixed teams to show their spirit, to demonstrate their athletic and cooperative skills, and to have a great time together. These friendly competitions, organized each spring by the Physical Education Department and supported by Junior School staff and parents, bring the whole school community together. This year’s events took place on the new track- an ideal location for wet sponge relays, pool noodle dueling, parachute games, and scaling an obstacle course bouncy house. Middle and Senior School students also provided loads of enthusiastic support and supervision at the different stations. Collecting ‘spirit points’ was the priority as teams developed cheers and chants to encourage each other.
Middle School Student Council ‘Spirit Weeks’
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his year, the Middle School Student Council organised two ‘spirit weeks’. Each day with a different fancy dress theme, voted for by the Middle School students, and designed as an opportunity for the students to show their individuality, creativity and most importantly, Middle School community spirit. Middle School can certainly be wacky and colourful.
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Academic & School News
Student success at European Student Film Festival 2015
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our Munich International School students brought home prizes from the 2015 European Student Film Festival, with another six earning spots in the top ten.
The International Jury awarded Max Weis Best Editor for his film Sinuosity. The Audience Vote for Best Film Award went to Max Weis, Luca Von Lintel and Lisa Tombulca for their film Sinuosity. Four out of five films submitted won a place in the top ten: Nadine Aderhold, Hannah Bastow, Pascal Bode for their film Silent, Martin Crasborn for his film Interpretation, Jenny He for her film Bright Moonlight, and Anuschka Ried for It’s On You. These films were exhibited at the annual film festival ‘Zoom 2015’ on Wednesday 15 April at the Breitwand Kino in Starnberg. For more information about the European Student Film Festival, please visit www.esff.org.
Grade 6 Individuals & Societies Trip to Rothenburg ob der Tauber
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tudents visited the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber at the end of April. They were able to visit the Criminal Museum where they learnt all about the medieval justice system. The Craftman’s House allowed them to see what life was really like in the Middle Ages. During the Town Tour they found out about the defence systems used in medieval towns. The highlight of the trip for everyone was the Nightwatchman’s Tour – it was informative but also very humorous! The students extensive learning during this trip was then utilised to write wonderfully entertaining and informative travel journals.
IB Laterna Revision Course
Middle School Commemoration of the Dachau Liberation
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n April 24th students in Grades 5, 6, 7 & 8 commemorated the Liberation of Dachau 70 years ago. The students remembered the ‘Death March’ of many inmates through Percha by looking at photos from that time and by reading a personal story. Each student then made a peace dove to create a memorial outside the Middle School to mark the anniversary.
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n IB revision course was offered to Grade 12 students at Munich International School over six days during the Easter break. This provided even more in-depth preparation for students as they readied themselves for final exams taking place in May 2015. A significantly large group of 60 students from Munich International School participated in this course. The tutors for this course comprised previous IB students with top IB grades who are currently studying at university.
Grade 9 French and Spanish Trips
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s part of the Language Acquisition Program in MIS, at the end of every school year the French and Spanish students from 9th Grade have a chance to take part in a five-day immersion trip. This year, 23 boys and girls travelled with Mrs. Cluever and Mr. Lemoigne to the French Riviera. They all participated in a 16-hour language course at the Centre Mediterranéen d’Etudes Françaises in Cap d’Ail. The focus of this trip was to improve language skills. Classes took place in the morning with a tour of the region in the afternoon. Some of the areas explored were: the Palace of Monaco, Old Nice, the Fort Carré in Antibes and the Film Festival in Cannes. At the end of the course, MIS students received a certificate showing their language proficiency–according to the Common European Framework of References for Languages. At the same time, Mr. González, Mrs. Alcántara and Dr. Brenes flew with 29 students to Andalucía, southern Spain: a region between two continents, a mosaic of religions and cultures. They visited the famous Mosque and Synagogue in Córdoba, the Alcázar in Sevilla, the Horse Fair in Jerez, the Torre Tavira in Cádiz and the beach in Conil de la Frontera. Students were encouraged to practice Spanish daily. These trips are integrated into our curriculum. We explored various aspects of the target cultures before departure and during the trip students shared their knowledge by doing oral presentations in situ. As a reflection on the intercultural differences observed, an ethnographic journal was also required and graded. Upon return, we shared these unforgettable learning experiences with 7th Grade students in an assembly. On both trips MIS students experienced the Mediterranean French and Spanish way of life.
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Athletics
Tennis Team wins gold at spring season ISST championships
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he final season of Athletics finished in style with a tennis spectacular. Not only did Munich International School host the three-day Division 2 International School Sports Tournament (ISST) tennis championships in Taufkirchen, the MIS team battled through every game to finish the matches as ISST Division 2 champions. This result guarantees their promotion into Division 1 next school year.
Congratulations to the Boys’ Singles Champion, Alexander Mittendorfer, and Boys’ Doubles champions Jannik Harting and Angel Munoz-Miranda. Munich International School expresses its deepest gratitude to the Raschke Tennis School for making their wonderful tennis facility available to our students and for supporting all of the players in such a professional manner.
This is a remarkable achievement given that the team only moved from Division 3 last year. The eight boys and eight girls involved should be commended for their great play and team spirit.
Softball, Volleyball, Golf and Track medals… T his same weekend the Munich International School Softball, Volleyball, Golf and Track & Field teams were also on the road for their final SCIS and ISST tournaments.
The Softball programme at MIS is developing nicely with the younger of the two teams, the Middle School Girls, finishing as clear champions with a 15 to 8 final game against Zurich International School and winning all five tournament games in Vienna. The older Varsity Girls Softball team travelled to London for their ISST and finished in a very close third place, unfortunately losing by only one run to tournament champions, Cobham, London. A younger, less experienced Track and Field team travelled to Brussels for the 12-team ISST championships. The MIS throwers led the team points table with five ISST medals, two of them ‘Gold’, with Viktoria-May Sinanovic winning the Varsity Girls Discus and Rachel Del Rosso winning the Junior Varsity Discus. The fourth team to finish with a medal this season was the MIS Golf Team, who travelled to Vienna for their ISST. The Golf Team came in third out of eight teams.
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Giving at MIS
Building for Excellence Capital Campaign Update
Thank you to all those who have made donations towards the School’s Capital Campaign. Total donations since 2012 have now reached €920K.
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he School is extremely grateful to all donors, and the names of major donors now grace the plaque list in our magnificent new ‘Languages, Arts and Design Centre’ (LADC) that was officially opened on 13 June 2015. We warmly welcome even more families to join their ranks as significant supporters of our ‘Building for Excellence’ project. There are still many opportunities to donate to support specific outstanding needs of the new building. For example, the School would welcome donors willing to support the installation of 120 solar panels as part of our initiative to reduce our energy bills and take a giant step towards sustainability. Beyond this, the two drama rooms in the new building still need equipping, and furniture is needed for the building’s lobby and hallways. Other design technology equipment and interior features designed to emphasise the School’s commitment to global-mindedness are also available for sponsorship, as are a variety of landscape legacy items such as trees and outdoor seating. For more information about these outstanding needs or to discuss any ideas that you might have for making a gift to the School, please contact us via giving@mis-munich.de.
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Upcoming Events at MIS More details can be found online by visiting www.mis-munich.de/calendar AUGUST New Students & Families Orientation First Day of Class First Half Day for EC 4/5 & EC 5/6 Students Start of Fall Athletics Season Welcome Back BBQ SEPTEMBER First Full Day for EC 5/6 Students First Full Day for EC 4/5 Students Junior School Back to School Night Senior School Back to School Night Middle School Back to School Night Parent Teacher Verein Back to School ‘Welcome Coffee’ International College Day OCTOBER No Classes Sportverein Ski Swap Arts Day Fall Break
21 24 26 30 1 2 2 3 4 7 24 5 10 21 26 - 30
Arts Day 2015 Giving at Munich International School
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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 School’s history, cannot be underestimated. While income from fees covers running costs, and volunteers and other in-kind support enrich so many facets of the School, the generosity of financial donors enables the School to do so much more. Donations help further our mission of providing an excellent learning environment for our students and some gifts have the ability to transform lives. For more information about Giving at Munich International School or to discuss any ideas that you might have for making a gift to the School, please contact us via giving@mis-munich.de.
Day of Light T
he International Year of Light was the 2015 campaign for the United Nations. The light inspired topic was chosen to raise awareness around the accomplishments of light science and its readily used applications. The Arts Department envisioned the use of light for this year’s Art Day on 26 March 2015. In an effort to create interdisciplinary workshops, the Arts, Science and Design Technologies Departments teamed together in creating unique light based lessons. Students came off timetable for the morning and worked in mixed aged groups (Grades 12 - 4/5 EC) to create their project. The images help reflect this unique opportunity for our students to integrate into the other grade levels but their comments solidify their opinions about working across the MIS campus.
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
www.mis-munich.de