Munich International School - Volume 24 - Issue 2 - Summer 2017
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
02
Feature: The role of Middle School education
03
Academic News
06
Community News
13
Alumni & Friends
16
PTV
17
Athletics
18
ASA
19
Giving at MIS
20
Important Calendar events
21
Munich International School Advancement
03 07
Director of Advancement Amanda Crawley Email: acrawley@mis-munich.de Admissions Susanne Hemke Denise Hitchen
Phone: 08151 366 120/121 Fax: 08151 366 129 Email: admissions@mis-munich.de
Communications Lydia Tukarski Andrew Almarza
Phone: 08151 366 156 Fax: 08151 366 109 Email: publications@mis-munich.de
Development Debbie Caudera
Phone: 08151 366 156/127 Fax: 08151 366 129 Email: advancement@mis-munich.de
Photography Andrew Almarza Graeme Fordham Photography Charlotte Starup-Hansen Lydia Tukarski Design Paul Rea
10
16
Head of School’s Introduction
A New Middle School Principal; Enduring Middle School Principles Timothy Thomas, Head of School
W
e are approaching a major milestone in the life of the MIS Middle School. The only Middle School Principal whom MIS has ever known, the highly revered Mr. Eifion Phillips, is retiring after 31 years of dedicated service to the School and community. Taking up the reins of this critical division of the School will be Ms. Michelle Juhasz, currently the Middle School Assistant Principal at Colegio Roosevelt in Lima, Peru. The transition will almost certainly entail change, adjustment, adaptation and compromise by everyone involved. Like all excellent school administrators, both Eif and Michelle have their own priorities, goals and ways of working. And there’s little likelihood that they are identical. Despite these changes, however, there is much that will stay the same at MIS. What endures are our shared principles that guide our educational practices.
So what can you expect to stay the same, as leadership of the MIS Middle School changes? We believe that teaching and learning is most successful when teachers take the time to get to know their students. Respectful, caring and appropriate relationships between students and teachers facilitate learning. Teachers who know their students are empowered to craft challenges that meet the needs of those students. They know what students are ready to attempt. They anticipate what could produce frustration. They know where the sweet spot is in terms of challenges that will stretch students without confounding them. Teachers who know their students can take advantage of prior learning and can also appeal to students’ interests, personal histories and individual ambitions. Eif has always valued teachers who understand the power of relationships, and I know that Michelle does, too. Communication with parents is a high priority. Did you know that it was Eif Phillips who initiated the practice of Parent Principal Forums (PPFs) at MIS over twenty years ago? While PPFs represented a revolution when they were introduced, they have developed into a staple of communication across all three sections of MIS today. Together with the weekly Bulletin, the Community Portal and Eif’s high accessibility for individual meetings, the PPFs represent one of the ways that Eif has prioritised clear and frequent communication with families. During Michelle’s interviews at MIS, it was particularly the parent participants who appreciated her clarity, forthrightness and focus on schoolfamily partnership. I have great confidence that Michelle will continue, and even extend, Eif’s practice of prioritising communications with our Middle School families. Teachers of every subject are committed to teaching Approaches to Learning skills. Strong learning skills empower people to take control of their own learning, adapt to evolving demands and thrive in a competitive and changing world. MIS is committed to supporting all students to develop the metacognitive skills and the habits of mind that lead to effective, sophisticated and enduring learning. This includes critical thinking skills, creative thinking skills, organisation skills, information and media
literacy, awareness of one’s own strengths and areas for improvement, and effective collaboration skills. It is a bit like the proverb, Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. By enabling our students to take control of their own learning, we are preparing them to master challenges they will encounter throughout their lives. Students at MIS are provided with opportunities to inquire, speculate, investigate and make mistakes. Learning is most enduring and meaningful when it is the product of genuine student interest. Teachers at MIS strive to provide students with diverse, stimulating contexts through which students are motivated to ask questions, seek answers and drive their own learning. Teachers link the concepts and skills that comprise our curricula with real-world issues, dilemmas and perspectives. And they attempt to inspire students to transform theoretical learning into action. We support our students to develop confidence and to progress from learning, inquiring and thinking to making, creating and doing. Our School Values – modelled on the IB Learner Profile – form an essential, unifying thread throughout our programmes. Teachers at MIS model the attributes of the Learner Profile, and they guide students in understanding the true meaning of the characteristics. They help students to understand how forethought and courage can enable them to be responsible risk-takers. They help them to recognise the value of intellectual, physical and emotional balance. They strive to inculcate empathy, compassion and respect toward the needs and feelings of others. And they practice applying a range of thinking skills to recognise and address complex problems and issues. The ten attributes in our School Values contribute to the development of students and graduates who will be well-positioned to realise the vision encapsulated in our Mission Statement: academically successful, lifelong learners; creative and innovative thinkers; ethical, globally-minded contributors; and healthy, well balanced individuals. Ultimately, these are just a few of the things that will endure as core commitments of Munich International School. One of the primary reasons that our community selected Michelle Juhasz as our next Middle School Principal is because she demonstrated that her beliefs about learning are consistent with our core values and our mission and vision for learning. While she will certainly bring many new ideas and fresh perspectives to our Middle School, we are confident that she will also continue to champion the essential characteristics that Eif Phillips, Sue Macdonald and the rest of the team in the Middle School have successfully cultivated. Michelle’s arrival brings to MIS a new Middle School Principal, and the continuation of essential Middle School principles.
Timothy Thomas, Head of School 01 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Message from the Board of Directors
Be Kind We build community and provide bonding opportunities through grade, language and sports trips, which are a highlight of the Middle School years.
I
am a fan of the Middle Years Programme (MYP) that is taught at MIS in Grades 5-10, of which the first four years are in Middle School. It encapsulates the best of what the IB programmes have to offer, being inquiry and concept-based, focused on big, relevant themes, fostering broad, interdisciplinary connections and the explicit development of skills. The Diploma Programme is consistent with this, but the final years tend to be coloured by the pressures of preparation for college admissions and the reduction of one’s entire school education to a single DP examination score. In comparison in the MYP, and especially during Middle School, there is time and space to truly explore and extend learning. Parents aren’t always comfortable with the MYP, because it is so different from traditional education systems with content-based curricula. Many schools also don’t offer the MYP, because it’s hard to teach it well, it requires significant planning and collaboration and it’s costly to implement. But today’s kids are growing up into a different world, where it is important to learn how to find, evaluate and process information that will not come neatly packaged in a textbook; where it is more important to ask the right questions than to have learnt the answers for a test; where problems do not occur within single subject categories and creative solutions may require a multi-disciplinary approach. In a rapidly changing environment, we teach our students to learn how to learn, through focusing on skills, broadly grouped into critical thinking, communication, research, social and self-management. The newly introduced MYP eAssessments in Grade 10 are also a truly innovative form of examination. Not because they are done online, because technology is only a tool. Each year the global context of the examinations is made known in advance, and this year it is Scientific and Technical Innovation. During the examination, the students have access to rich media background resources such as interactive text, images, video and animations. They have to demonstrate their achievement through creative writing, investigation and analysis of a wide range of sources. The assessment focuses on conceptual thinking, the ability to synthesize information and apply knowledge and understanding to unfamiliar contexts and real world situations. In short, it’s not unlike tasks and challenges that our students will face in their real lives. MIS was only one of two international schools in Germany which signed up for the examinations last year; beyond the significant resources involved in piloting the eAssessments, there was a natural concern from other schools of teething problems and putting students through an unfamiliar examination (e.g. no past test papers to guide teaching and for practice). Gratifyingly, our students did really well, and they even enjoyed the examination. “It wasn’t like an exam at all, it was just like what we normally study!” This gives us validation that our teaching and learning practices starting in the Middle School are preparing our students well. Over time the Diploma examination will also migrate to this format. In reality, however, for Middle School students academic goals are secondary to the physical, social, emotional and psychological changes they are experiencing during puberty. A good Middle School understands this, and is sensitive to the unique concerns and developmental needs of this age group. It starts with the first verb of our mission, being to Nurture (followed by Challenge and Inspire), which is to create a caring and safe environment. We build community and provide bonding opportunities through grade, language and sports trips, which are a highlight of the Middle School years. (Another enduring memory for most is sex education.) We emphasise the MIS values, and set consistent expectations for behaviour. The Principals and good teachers also provide guidance and support for students as they transition from children into young adults. For those with excess energy, we provide an outlet through competitive sports. We give students a voice and leadership opportunities, particularly through extracurricular activities. 02 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Wanching Ang, Chair of the Board
Notwithstanding our best efforts, the Middle School years can remain difficult for some students, as they grapple with self-consciousness about awkward physical changes, experience emotional swings, have anxieties about peer acceptance and search for their own identity. One of my sons was unhappy for the first few years of Middle School, until he got a new haircut, suddenly felt “cool” overnight and thereafter enjoyed School, at least socially (the pleasure of learning came much later with him). Another son recounts how one year some students desperately wanted to belong to the “in” group, who dictated the terms of membership arbitrarily. “They forget that there are another 95 kids to hang out with.”The next year the group constellations shifted and the influence of the “in” group dissipated. These accounts seem trivial in hindsight, but that does not make it less real for these teenagers. My daughter regrets being sometimes mean to a girl who was slightly overweight and weaker academically, although now they are good friends and all is well. “Kids can be cruel, and they don’t realise the impact their words and actions can have on other people.”“I was nice to everyone, but I admit I could have tried harder to make some people feel more included.”Their advice for getting through Middle School: Be Kind. The good news is, despite the ups and downs of going through adolescence, teenagers have a basically optimistic and hopeful disposition. Some grades in Middle School have been reading the book, “It Ain’t so Awful, Falafel”, in preparation for the author visit by Firoozeh Dumas. The book is about a new immigrant kid in a Middle School and her struggle to fit in and find friends. The book’s dedication reads “To all the kids who don’t belong, for whatever reason. This one’s for you.” Firoozeh’s broader intent is to spread the message of simple acts of kindness. “Let’s face it – everyone feels like an outsider at some point.” Let’s create a kind, safe environment that diffuses bullying. Let’s make sure no one eats alone, unless they want to. Let’s make sure new kids have someone to hang out with that dreaded first week of school. If you see a kid being teased, for whatever reason, befriend that kid!.... Be that friend who cares!” Firoozeh’s visit has been kindly sponsored by the MIS Foundation.
Wanching Ang, Chair, MIS Board of Directors
Feature
The role of Middle School education T
he transition from primary school to secondary school is a rite of passage: promising a step in the direction of adulthood but tinged with uncertainty about more work and more teachers, as one of the youngest students in an unfamiliar environment. At MIS, this transition is facilitated by locating the traditional US/ UK final year of primary school (Grade 5/6) in the Middle School building: beginning the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in a homeroom style teaching environment. Whilst all requirements of the MYP are met, intentional effort is focused upon maintaining the supportive classroom culture of a primary school. This year is known as MYP Transition (MYPT). In May 2016, we conducted mixed-methods (a survey followed by focus group discussion) action research on MYPT. The research looks at how well MYPT takes Primary Years Programme (PYP) students from Grade 4 and prepares them for success in the MYP in Grade 6. Grade 8 students and parents helped us to refine the survey and focus group questions. Students and parents in Grades 6 and 7 were the participants. The survey will be repeated with this year’s Grade 6. As we review our Middle School purpose and organizational implications, it is apparent that there is much that is a continuation of the good work done in the Junior School. Students are required to practise tolerance and celebrate differences, and thereby benefit from the multicultural nature of the school; to develop confidence in and respect for themselves and thus respect for others; and to become increasingly aware that what they say and do can affect the quality of life of others. Middle School is symbolized by change. Hopefully, Judith Baenen (author of H.E.L.P. How to Enjoy Living with a Preadolescent) will forgive me for paraphrasing a few lines from a speech she gave at a middle
level conference. She spoke of how Grade 6 students are so enthusiastic and do whatever you ask of them. She said that they could conquer the world but then they become seventh graders, who are less inclined to be enthusiastic and more Eifion Phillips, Middle School Principal inclined to question why they have to do something. She averred that parents wonder what the school is doing to them but it isn’t the school, it’s puberty! Perhaps your child started before Grade 7, maybe they’ll start later. On average, girls mature sooner than boys: do we ever catch-up? To help students through this time, Middle School must have a safe, stable, quiet and purposeful environment with clear, fair, enforceable and enforced rules. Fair is a very important word for early adolescents, another important word is resilience but not all are fully aware of this yet. Lance King calls this failing well: making mistakes, learning from them and doing better next time. Lance suggests that, as difficult as it sometimes is, we, as parents, need to let our kids fall down and then encourage them to get up again. The MYPT research results indicate that students and parents perceive (and appreciate) MYPT as a time when students are expected to take more responsibility for their learning and their behavior. Safe – Responsible – Respectful is our Middle School mantra. Will what I am contemplating put anyone at risk? What would my parents/ teachers think? Would it show self-respect and respect for others? 03 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
The ethics programme – a feature of Grades 6-8 – is now firmly established in Grade 5, and continues to develop across the Middle School. This vulnerable age-group is a target audience for a wide range of pressure from people trying to influence their lifestyles and/ or sell them stuff. Children haven’t suddenly become materialistic or prone to manipulation but the access that they have could only have been dreamed of/ worried about, a generation ago. Never has it been more important to give students the tools and the confidence to make the right choices. Smart people learn from their mistakes, really smart people learn from other people’s mistakes! We implement learning strategies appropriate to individuals and groups undergoing rapid and irregular physical, social and emotional development. Teaching is organized to maximise learning by doing rather than listening. As well as developing a working knowledge of more than one language, students develop communication skills characteristic of each subject, including those which specifically involve reading, writing, speaking and listening; those which involve the non-verbal expressions of the visual and performing arts, and physical education; and those which involve the symbolic languages of mathematics and science. Students learn the design cycle in design lessons and apply it across other disciplines. The transdisciplinary nature of the PYP becomes interdisciplinary learning in the MYP: students make connections and apply learning in one subject to situations in another. Whilst we value the work done in the Junior School, we must look forward and prepare students for what awaits them. An essential element of our three International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes is learning how to learn. This was referred to as the Transdisciplinary Skills in the PYP, Approaches To Learning (ATL) in the MYP. ATL consists of five skill clusters: communication, research, self-management, social and thinking. We focus on ATL to ensure that when students transfer to the Senior School, when they have the learning skills and attitudes necessary to benefit from the depth and breadth of courses offered. There is also life after MIS! A lot is said and written about 21st century skills: knowing stuff is no longer enough. What better way to prepare students for tertiary education and the uncertainties of the future world of work, than to give them a skill-set that enables them to take new challenges in their stride? The phasing-in of MYPT over three years was an immense effort and since last year ATL has been given priority. The powerhouse of ATL is Grade 6. The team pioneered work on the essential elements of ATL in the MYP assessment criteria and this task has been completed across all subjects in Grades 5-8. We have completed an overview of a students ATL experience in the Middle School and the grade level teams are now working on the horizontal articulation of the ATL skills. Lance King, Mr. ATL for the MYP, 04 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
visited in Fall 2016. He presented to parents, worked with all PYP, MYP and DP teachers, and worked intensively with students in Grades 6 and 8. All constituencies valued his work and he will be returning, next year. The student ATL ambassadors, trained in Grade 6 but now in Grade 7, have been working with younger students during ethics sessions. Grade 6 students have ATL portfolios to keep a record of their skill development. Part of this is goal-setting documentation for use at parent-teacher-student conferences. Grades 7 and 8 also set ATL goals prior to the March conferences, whilst Grade 5 core teachers continued with the well-established method of using the effort profile for two extra sessions: one prior to each set of conferences. The smart money is on the updating of the effort profile, using ATL terminology, and the continued focus on ATL at conferences School/home communication is an essential element of middle school organization and a key feature is the bi-monthly Parent Principal Forms (PPFs). This is an opportunity to discuss parents’ ideas or concerns, as well as share developments and get feedback from parents. One of these developments is our work on ATL. It is important that we have students, teachers and parents speaking the same language. The MYP command terms provide key terminology for ATL development. Some of the other features of the PPFs have been the results of the student life and annual surveys, interdisciplinary learning and the future of assessment. The latter has become a major focus in Grade 8, this year. With students having 1-1 laptops as learning tools, starting in Grade 7, these tools are also being used to prepare them for what lies ahead. All Grade 10 students will submit for external MYP certification, this year. This entails e-Assessment (online tests of conceptual understanding and the ability to apply it) in some subjects and the submission of e-Portfolios in others. These activities have been scaled-down for use in Grade 8, where they will replace the end of year exams. The importance of this development is underlined by a statement from the IB, that DP exams will be online from 2018. MYP is a broad-based curriculum and time and choice are limited. That said, the curriculum is augmented by a plethora of co-curricular and extracurricular activities. We want students to develop physically, socially, emotionally and aesthetically through a variety of activities. Lunchtime wouldn’t be the same without Student Councils, Roots & Shoots, Fit Club, drop-in learning support, supervised computer use, inter-class dodge ball, inter-class soccer or the Unofficial Underground Orchestra. The main inter-class event on the calendar is the Middle School Olympics (aka Sports Day). Across the five teams, students are grouped for events and the winner of the fastest group gets the same number of points as the winners of the other groups. I highly recommend that you attend, if at all possible. It is a remarkable outpouring of school spirit and a shining example of how sport can bring us together, as well as celebrate individual achievement. At MIS, the Performing Arts events provide the same opportunity to amazing effect. We have a long tradition of high quality musical theatre and this is alive and well! A new tradition is also providing a platform for bringing the whole Middle
Feature
School together to celebrate as a group and recognize individuals: MIS Has Got Talent. As part of their Service as Action (SA) group activity, a Grade 6 homeroom puts a lot of energy into organising this annual event. SA is not a subject but is an MYP requirement. It starts with homeroom group activities in grade five. These continue in the subsequent grades, with the addition of an individual SA requirement, as of Grade 6. The SA programme is not about counting hours: it is about helping people, making a difference and reflecting on your actions. If I wrote about all of the extra-curricular activities available to Middle School students, I’d have a problem with the word count. We have teams participating in events run by the following organisations: AMIS (music), ISMFT (mathematics), ISTA (theatre), and ISST & SCIS (sports). We have twenty-one teams in ten different competitive sports. There are thirty-four different non-competitive activities that allow students to follow their artistic, linguistic, pastime, sporting and technological passions. On top of this, we have the good fortune to have the MIS Foundation that sponsors prominent authors, environmentalists, journalists, musicians, etc. to visit MIS and work with our students. At MIS, the Middle School encompasses both a high morale and a sense of belonging. We learn a lot and have fun doing it. It has been a privilege to be part of this and I look forward to seeing it go from strength to strength. Eif Phillips, Middle School Principal
05 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
MIS celebrates ‘Fasching’ Junior School took part in the German tradition known as Faschings Dienstag. Traditionally known as a time of celebration before the beginning of Lent, it is also more popularly known as a time to scare away the “winter blues”. Junior School students and teachers took-up the challenge and wore a variety of fun and entertaining costumes to celebrate Fasching this year. From Harry Potter to princesses, children dressed in costume, played games and created artwork with each other.
Movement artist, Jerry Falek, visits MIS Thanks to a generous donation by the MIS Foundation, Jerry Falek, a movement artist who specializes in incorporating movement in education, came to campus in January 2017 to work with all the students in the Junior School. During his time at MIS, he engaged with our students and teachers, focusing on topics such as incorporating movement in the classroom, promoting storytelling and performance skills, developing approaches to learning with students, providing strategies for teachers to work with storytelling, and working with parents to support art in the curriculum. The School was thrilled to welcome Jerry back for the second year in a row and sincerely thanks him for bringing such inspiration and movement to our community.
06 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Academic News
PYP Exhibition
In May 2017, Junior School students participated in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) Exhibition – an event that represents a significant moment 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. After 8 weeks of learning, students put all of their work into presentations. They organized display boards and tables and brought their research to life by giving their audiences unique experiences.
“The Exhibition is a long journey where we grow, succeed and have fun as learners.” Aarya Padhye, Elena Laubenthal, Gavin Braun, and Sofia Sasse
After School Care Programme New for school year 2017-2018 is the Junior School After School Care (ASC) Programme. This is a 5 day a week programme for students in Grades 1-4 (with the exception of Early Release Days and Half Days) for the entire school year which can be combined with Junior School ASA and Athletics programmes and which has the added advantage of allowing parents to register their child(ren) for the 16:15 bus service. ASC offers families supervised time for children to work on homework, as well as play, movement and socialisation activities. Students will have time for a snack (either something brought from home or a small snack provided by the School). As stated above, the ASC can also be combined with ASA and Athletics activities in the Junior School and also allows participants to be able to register for the 16:15 buses. For more information, please contact the Admissions Office by email, admissions@mis-munich.de.
07 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
International Food Experience in Middle School Mandarin, French and Spanish students had the opportunity to enjoy the gastronomy connected to the languages they are currently studying in MIS. The students in their first year of language instruction prepared, during their regular classes, some snacks following recipes in the target languages. All Grade 7 students were invited to taste the tortilla de patatas (potato omelette) from Spain, guacamole from Mexico, salsa criolla from Argentina, quiche Lorraine and crêpes from France, chūn juăn (springrolls) and cóng yóu bing (pancake) from China. It was an event to appreciate and celebrate cultural diversity and we look forward to repeating this excellent experience every year. Organised by Jennifer Chen, Ana Brenes, Ana Casado, Gema Quintanilla and David Lemoigne.
The Enigma machine at MIS
In June, Dr. James Grime visited MIS and discussed with Grade 7 students the Mathematics of Code breaking. Dr. Grime started with a one hour presentation, which provided the students with a history of codes and how code breaking had recently been used in World War II. At the end of his presentation he unveiled one of the few remaining Enigma machines and demonstrated how it works, and explained how the German forces in World War II felt it was unbreakable, yet the British were able to decipher it. Students then broke up into separate groups for the morning and worked with Dr. Grime to break various codes he had created for each group. During classroom time, the Mathematics Department then followed-up with lessons in which students put together a coded message of their own.
Outstanding ISA Results for MIS students Despite the fact that PISA participants have more than a year of additional schooling under their belts, MIS students performed significantly better in all areas tested. Please see the graphs below for a comparison of MIS’ students with those in the PISA study. In February 2017, students in Grades 3 through 8 participated in the International Schools Assessment (ISA) examinations. Munich International School is excited to announce that our students have achieved outstanding results. MIS students have set new records for academic performance this year at multiple grade levels, surpassing previous levels and ranking MIS students’ performance in Grade 8 above those of all national systems, including famed Singapore and Finland.
08 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
ISA examinations test students’ level of academic achievement in the areas of mathematical literacy, reading, and two forms of academic writing. ISA scores allow comparison of student performance in international schools to the performance of students in national systems, thanks to the compatibility of ISA tests with the tests of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Data from Grade 8 students at MIS, who are normally 13 or 14 years of age, is compared with scores from 15-year old students who take the PISA tests.
Academic News
Junior and Middle School Olympics With perfect weather to set the stage, the PE department hosted the Junior and Middle School Olympics on campus in the beginning of June. With the sun shining through, providing perfect weather for activities, Junior and Middle School students participated and demonstrated energy and enthusiasm for each and every activity. There were a variety of highlights of the day, including a Tug-of-War between MIS Junior School Parents that ended in a tie. Congratulations to everyone who participated.
09 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Grade 6 Ethics In February, Grade 6 students were encouraged by their teachers to take part in activities that encouraged them to understand the importance of dealing well with more challenging tasks and to encourage each other when times are difficult.
Grade 7 Robotics The Robotics programme is part of the Design curriculum, allowing all Middle School students to take part in a Robotics/Programming unit. Grades 6-8 use Lego Mindstorm with Grade 5 students using an interesting robot called Sphero. This encourages all students to participate in coding, programming, computer science and computational thinking in the Middle School curriculum. Although many schools include programmes such as these in their After School Activities, MIS also includes it as part of our compulsory curriculum. The Design curriculum at MIS Lessons help students learn programming in real world settings, making it much more inquiry based and contextual. As there is a large push world-wide for STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths), the lessons offered at MIS address STEAM directly with the possibility to pursue an area like this later on in life as a career. A large portion of the robotics and programming kits have generously been donated by the Science Inspiration Fund and MIS is extremely thankful for this support.
ISMTF Mathematics Competition Thanks to the MIS Science Inspiration Fund, six students (accompanied by two MIS teachers) participated in the ISMTF Junior Mathematics Competition in Bremen. This year’s competition was organized by the International School Bremen on Saturday and Sunday 18-19 February 2017. Twenty-nine schools and in total almost 200 students from Europe and Asia competed in rigorous and challenging problem-solving activities. All participants completed eight rounds of individual question sets and five rounds of team question sets. It was inspiring and uplifting to see so many different nationalities participating and striving to do their best. MIS student, Yusuke Kibakura, placed fifth in the individual competition, while the MIS team consisting of Rachel DelRosso, Ekaterina Lopatina and Yusuke Kibakura placed fourth in the team competition. One MIS parent commented that her child “was extremely happy about her experience and enjoyed every part of it, should it be social, cultural or intellectual”. The competition is organized every year and we hope that there is continuation in students’ participation next year.
10 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Academic News
Grade 12 Extended Essay Presentations
The fifth annual Extended Essay (EE) Poster Presentation took place in the Cafeteria extension on 18 January 2017. This is the only event where the entire Grade 11 and Grade 12 classes meet and engage in discussions about an IBDP issue – the extended essay. Grade 12 students completed the 4000 word academic essays in December 2016 and presented their abstract to the Grade 11 students. Each Grade 11 student considered the subjects to investigate then sought out students who had written an essay in those subjects. The interviews consisted of questions such as: • What are some good reasons for doing the EE in this subject area? • What excited the Grade 12 students in doing this EE?
• What difficulties did the Grade 12 students know about in advance of starting the EE? • What hidden problems developed in the course of the process of the EE? • What advice would the Grade 12 students give the Grade 11 student to be successful with the EE? • Would the Grade 11 students consider doing EE in this subject area? For what reasons? The tradition has been that the Grade 11 students bring finger food snacks for the Grade 12 students as a sign of appreciation. The Grade 11 cohort will have new EE assessment criteria and a slightly different format but the poster presentations will continue in the future.
News from the Buchhof Bulletin
Tanja Connemann, Tanvi Joshi, Penelope Piraino, Isabel Raab (all three judges and Buchhof Bulletin Editorial Team), 1st place: Priscilla Piraino (Grade 8), 2nd place: Lena Hansen (Grade 10), Timothy Thomas, Sonja Hertenberger. Missing: Chief Editor Bea Sasse
The student newspaper Buchhof Bulletin organised a spring writing competition in March. Students were given three weeks to get creative and think about a short story they could write in no more than 500. The competition brought forward short stories both from Middle and Senior School students. An exclusive panel of judges comprised of both students and teachers read through all the submissions and
compared them to an extensive set of criteria. On 15 March 2017, the two winners were announced with Grade 8 student, Priscilla Piraino, winning first place and Grade 10 student, Lena Hansen, coming in second. Congratulations to the winners.
11 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Academic News
Visual Arts Exhibition 2017 The DP Visual Arts Exhibition 2017 was an opportunity to view the best of Munich International School’s Diploma students’ artwork. Following the Vernissage on Monday 27 March, the exhibition was open for public viewing from Tuesday 28 March through Friday 31 March in the Languages, Arts and Design Centre on the MIS Campus.
A farewell from the graduating Class of 2017
The Class of 2017 participated in the traditional “prank day” celebrations in April. “Pranks” were limited to the Senior School building and included “decorating” classrooms and hallways. The graduating class demonstrated significant thought and planning into their farewell act with celebrations seen across Senior School and in particular the Imbiß – a space dedicated for Senior School students –where a remarkable mural was created as a farewell from this year’s class to the School. Munich International School wishes the Class of 2017 a fond farewell and continued success.
12 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Community News
T
30 CHALLENGE MONTH OF MOVEMENT
DAY
30 Day Month of Movement (MOM) Challenge
SUNDAY
MONDAY
WEDNESDAY
MARCH 2017
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
20 Squats 2 sets
1
THURSDAY
50 Mountain climbers
2
3 Elbow plank 2 sets (30 seconds)
40 Slow calf raises
4
9
20 Lunges 3 sets
10
25 Squats 2 sets
11
START!
20 Push-ups
5
6 10 Burpees (push-up and jump)
30 Reverse angels
7
30 Bridges
8
20 Side hip-raises
60 Mountain climbers
12
Elbow plank 13 (45 seconds / 2 sets)
50 Slow calf raises
14
25 push-ups
15
15 Burpees 16 (push-up and jump)
40 Reverse angels 17
40 Bridges
18
25 Side hip-raises 19
25 Lunges 3 sets
20
30 Squats 2 sets
21
70 Mountain climbers
22
Elbow plank 23 (60 seconds / 2 sets)
60 Slow calf raises
30 Push-ups
25
26 20 Burpees (push-up and jump)
50 Reverse angels 27
50 Bridges
28
30 Side hip-raises
29
30 Lunges 3 sets
he MIS MOM aimed to encourage all members of the MIS community moving more during the month of March!
Exercise is an essential part of a healthy, active lifestyle and the MIS PE Department aimed to inspire and challenge everyone involved to make movement a part of their day-to-day life. The community was presented with a 30-Day Challenge card, which contained three levels of difficulty: Ninja, Jedi and Wildcat. All members of the community, including faculty and staff, were seen doing a variety of exercises on campus, which made the Month of Movement a healthy success in March. More information can be found at blogs.mis-munich.de/mom/.
TUESDAY
30
24
Congratulations! REPEAT!
w w w. m i s - m u n i c h . d e
Post your results to blogs.mis-munich.de/
13 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Welcome MIS’ new Middle School Principal: Ms. Michelle Juhasz Currently, the Middle School Assistant Principal at Colegio Roosevelt in Lima, Peru, Munich International School is excited to announce Ms. Michelle Juhasz as the next Middle School Principal. Dear MIS Community, I am honored and delighted to join the MIS community in August as Middle School Principal. Currently, I am an Associate Principal in the Middle School at Colegio Roosevelt, The American School in Lima, Peru. In my twenty-one year career in Middle School education, I have worked in Guatemala City, Frankfurt, and Tokyo as a science, health, physical education and outdoor leadership teacher. I am Canadian, love the outdoors, and share the adventure of living overseas with my husband, Dan, who is an elementary teacher, daughter Isabel (11) and Zackary (14). I was inspired to join this community for many reasons. When I visited MIS in November, I felt immediately welcomed by dedicated faculty, involved parents and energetic students. Secondly, the Strategic Plan of the School is progressive in honoring the emotional needs of each child along with innovative practice. Finally, Munich International School has a solid reputation and I plan to continue supporting the great work that has been part of building an exceptional Middle School.
My professional experience has involved serving students with diverse cultural backgrounds, learning needs and linguistic capabilities within the Middle Years Programme. I believe that the goal of the Middle School is to foster curiosity, build confidence and expose students to a variety of intentional, rigorous, innovative learning experiences during a time of massive physical, social and emotional change. I empower students to act on their ideas, explore their passions and reach outside their comfort zones to engage in their learning and move confidently into high school. When I arrive in August, please come by the Middle School to introduce yourself and share the story of your family and experiences at MIS. These stories are the fabric of our community and I look forward to knowing you and learning with you in the coming school year. Warm regards, Michelle Juhasz
Munich International School sends well-wishes to Mr. Eifion Phillips after more than 31 years of leadership.
All MIS alumni & friends, parents, students and faculty and staff were warmly invited to celebrate Eif’s retirement with a “Bier und Brezen” evening on Friday 19 May 2017 in the LADC. The evening included student-led performances, a “thank you” video produced by the School, performances by the parent choir, as well as speeches from the Head of School, Tim Thomas, and from members of the PTV. The School will continue to celebrate Eif’s three decades of commitment and hard work with additional end-of-year celebrations in June 2017. MIS thanks Mr. Eifion Phillips for 31 years of outstanding service to the School and wishes Eif a sincere farewell into retirement.
14 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Community News
The MIS Foundation proudly presents guest visitor,
Mohamed Ba
Generously sponsored by the MIS Foundation, Munich International School was honoured to host writer, actor and musician Mohamed Ba on campus in March 2017. Mohamed originally comes from Senegal and has lived in Italy for the past 17 years. He is published in Italian and has performed in many roles throughout the Italian theatre. A variety of workshops were held throughout his visit on campus, including music and writing to speaking with students about personal experiences relating to violence and racism and how he overcame these obstacles in his life. To learn more about Mohamed Ba and his work, please visit: http://www.annaconti.com/de/portfolio/lebenslauf-von-mohamed-ba/.
World Slam Poetry Champion Harry Baker visits MIS World Slam Poetry Champion Harry Baker visited MIS this past June to work with our Middle and Senior students. Mr Baker is the author of ‘The Sunshine Kid’, as well as the youngest World Slam Poetry Champion. He was awarded the 2010 London Slam Champion, 2011 UK and European Slam Champion and 2012 World Slam Champion titles. A former medicine student, Mr Baker changed his studies to mathematics in order to allow for more time to write poetry. He has studied and lived in Germany in recent years and continues to compete in local and international competitions. His visit to the MIS campus was sponsored by the MIS Foundation and gave students the opportunity to inquire further into Mr Baker’s success in the creative arts, while receiving personal instruction and inspiration through his series of workshops and performances.
15 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Community News
Order your MIS 50th Anniversary History Long serving faculty member, Dan Glover, has researched, collected and composed many stories contained in the 50th Anniversary History of MIS and is the primary author of the
manuscript. We are very happy to announce that the 50th Anniversary History is now available for purchase. For more information please visit www.mis-munich.de/history.
Alumni
Alumni & Friends
Pathways 2017
In February 2017, Grade 10 and 12 students took part in MIS’ annual Pathways Day – MIS’ version of a ‘career day’.
Munich International School believes that Senior School students make better IB course and university selections when they are provided with information and resources from a variety of professionals within the MIS community who are willing to speak with students about their careers and the decisions they made to meet their goals. The School sincerely thanks the following guests who volunteered their time to speak with our students: Hassan Sharaf, Jonathan Weber and Julia Mandel, Nico Gerstmeyr, Dr. Michael Kunst, Natalie Propp, Dr. Kip Sturgill and Steve DelRosso, Ken Willett, Julia Seidl, Tobias Hübner, Dr. Anette Meidert, Dr.Mehmet Faith Gülecyüz, Jena Moore, Susan DzieduszyckaSuinat, Lana Tannir, Moritz von der Heyden, Matt Robertson.
Alumna, Debbie Caudera, joins MIS Munich International School is pleased to announce Alumna, Ms. Deborah (née Lawson) Caudera (’86) as the new Development Coordinator. As an Alumna, Debbie has extensive knowledge of the School and the community, and is looking forward to connecting and developing relationships with Munich International School’s outstanding group of Alumni and Friends. Please join MIS in welcoming Debbie back to the School. From left to right: Danielle Monticone, Heike Kohlhass, Debbie Caudera
16 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
PTV News
Thank you!
The PTV Staff Appreciation Lunch
The annual Parent Teacher Verein’s Staff Appreciation Lunch was held in March and was once again very well-received by all members of faculty and staff. MIS faculty and staff sincerely thank the PTV again for providing the delicious selection of international foods, especially the wide variety of desserts, but also for the organising and creating an inviting atmosphere for all who were able to attend.
Frühlingsfest 2017 Current families, faculty and staff, as well as MIS Alumni & Friends enjoyed wonderful weather at Frühlingsfest 2017. This year’s festivities took place on Saturday 20 May with a range of activities being on offer, including a Talent Show, Raffles, Alumni and Friends Soccer Tournament, and much more. MIS thanks the Parent Teacher Verein for providing such a welcoming event to all community members and for ensuring such a variety of fun activities and goodies to eat and drink were available for all to participate in.
17 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Athletics
Winter & Spring Season Highlights
MIS Athletes travelled throughout Europe to compete in ISST competitions this past Winter season, displaying a high-level of play, sportsmanship and results.
Heinrich Harrer Cup At home in the nearby Austrian alps, the MIS Ski Team hosted the 43rd annual Heinrich Harrer Cup. There was fierce competition from MIS’ rival team from International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) who won the tournament, but MIS team members skied strong and took second, just points behind ISZL. The younger Ski Team members won the Junior Division, placing second overall.
Season Highlights • The Middle School Boys Basketball Team won their SCIS Championships at the American International School of Vienna • The Middle School Girls Basketball Team was runner up at the International School of Zug and Luzern • The Junior Varsity Boys Basketball Team was the runner up at Vienna International School • The Junior Varsity Girls Basketball Team was runner up in Geneva International School
T
he final season of the Athletics programme finished in May with a variety of SCIS and ISST tournaments in various locations around Europe.
Munich, Taufkirchen, was the setting for Grade 8 student, Alysa Richter, who, together with 15 other tennis players, represented the School at the Division 1 ISST Tennis Championships hosted by MIS. Alysa finished the girl’s singles competition as overall girls champion, winning all her games over the three-day event. Other great results in girls’ singles included Sharma Raghaven-2nd, as well as doubles and mixed doubles teams who earned valuable team points for the girls’ team who finished in 2nd place. The boys and girls combined finished in fourth. Many thanks to Alex Raschke for the use of his tennis facility, enabling MIS to host this prestigious event. While our tennis players competed at home other MIS teams travelled around Europe for their end of season championships. Our Track and Field team travelled with 24 athletes to Paris to compete against 13 other International schools at their ISST. Sigi Einarsson Mantayla, and Cole Ronnau were commended for their double ISST Gold’s; Sigi in 800m/High jump and Cole in 400m Hurdles and Discus. All other athletes competed to a high standard with plenty of personal bests with the overall team finishing in 6th place.
18 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
• The Varsity Girls Basketball Team remained strong in their first Division 1 Championship The Team came in 10th out of 12 teams, ensuring their Division 1 standing for next year • The Varsity Boys Basketball finished 7th out of 12 teams in their Division 1 ISST Championship • The Junior Varsity Girls and Varsity Girls Swim Teams both came in 7th at the ISSTs in London • The MIS Swim Team placed 7th overall at the ISSTs in London
Individual Mentions • Emilia Wendelstadt: C Girls Basketball Division Overall Champion • Alejandro Regidor: D Boys Basketball Overall Champion • Max Barendregt: C Boys Basketball Overall Champion • Emily Gallow: Bronze medal in 100m butterfly, resulting in a new school record for MIS • Xander Gallow: 4th place in 200m Free breaking MIS’ school record • Szymon Korski: 4th in 100m Breast and 50 & 100m Free, breaking an MIS school record in the 100m breast
Two of our younger teams, the Middle School Girls Softball in Zurich and Middle School Boys Volleyball in Vienna both returned home with the Sportsmanship trophy as well as a respectable 4th place with all games played in great sporting fashion. The Middle School Girls Volleyball travelled to Geneva for the nine team SCIS tournament. They comfortably won all their pool games to earn a place in the final against Zurich International School. The very strong team from Switzerland were a real challenge for our Wildcats and they returned home in a very proud 2nd place. It was a similar story for our Varsity Girls Softball team who competed in their ISST in Vienna. A chance of promotion into Division 1 was closely missed with a tight loss in the final game against the American School of Paris. Our young Golf team with 4 out of the 6 players being Middle School students also returned from London with a trophy, finishing in 3rd place in their ISST event. Congratulations to all athletes who have represented the School throughout all seasons.
Highlights from ASA
Highlights from ASA ASA classes and clubs for 2016-2017 were exciting and well attended with approximately 800 students from Junior School, Middle School and Senior School participating. Additions to the activities this year included 3D CAD Design, Gaelic Football, JS Coding Club, Sewing & Felting, Intermediate Fencing and the Student Newspaper. Each activity brings opportunities for growth in creative, physical, and academic skills in a fun filled environment.
Co-curricular Arts in ASA Festival of Sound Gratefully supported by the MIS Foundation, the MIS Community Symphony Orchestra came together in its third year with over 90 musicians. This included students from MIS, BIS, St Georges, International School of Stuttgart, International School of Augsburg, Maria Ward Gymnasium and Gymnasium bei St Stephan, Augsburg. The orchestra rehearsed on three Saturday mornings and then played on Tuesday 13 December 2016. With a full PAC, the concert highlighted the talents of over 90 MIS students involved in the ASA Choirs, String Ensembles, the MIS Jazz Rock Band, several special chamber ensembles, and the MIS Community Symphony Orchestra. Performances were held for the Junior School and for some Middle School classes, and then once again at the Festival of Sound Concert.
and workshopped scenes before the final script was written based on their ideas. Scene rehearsing took place over the next few months, which included choreographing fight sequences, blocking their scenes and learning songs. In January 2017, an additional 10 students joined the Dracula family, working behind the scenes and as extras onstage. Many thanks go to the Grade 11 theatre class who happily assisted on a variety of production aspects, including lighting, sound, costume, projection and props (with the help of Ms Hoit and Ms Somers). The show was a success and was very well received by the MIS community because of the involvement across all aspects of the production – both on stage and behind the scenes. Students are already excited about their next project next year and hope to make the next production even bigger and better. ISTA Trip to Prague
The concert also supported the Room to Read charity this year. Organised by Grade 12 student, Karmelle Yin, a total of 1034 Euros were raised from donations and refreshments at the reception of the concert.
In March, ten students and two faculty members from MIS traveled to Terezin High School, in Prague for the annual ISTA Theatre Festival. There, they participated in workshops and training, collaborating with several schools, which culminated with a well-received performance.
MIS thanks conductor, Dr Ulrich Graba from Gymnaisum bei St Stephan Augsburg, orchestra manager, Ms Suzanna Magyarosy, concert master, Catherine Manwaring and all participating Grade 12 students and supporters for their successful performances.”
ANIMA
Dracula The production of Dracula started in August 2016 and shortly after 20 students were assigned a variety of roles. Students then developed characters based on a general storyline they were given
The ANIMA Jazz Concert was a rip-roaring wave of music, including jazz standards of Fly Me To The Moon, You Can’t Take That Away From Me, I’ve Got Rhythm, Feeling Good, and many more. ANIMA singers were excited to have guests’ artists to perform who are professional MIS instrumental teachers on bass, drums, guitar and piano. Highlights included several solos, trios and quartets, and a few instrumental pieces. This concert also helped to support the Room to Read charity.
19 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Giving
MIS hosts event for donors and supporters Munich International School is fortunate to have always enjoyed the generous support of parent and alumni and friends volunteers as well as generous donors and other supporters throughout its 50 years. Even in this year of evaluation and reflection, MIS has been the beneficiary of extremely generous donations and other contributions from a wide range of supporters as part of our Annual Giving programme, the Buy a Brick, Build Your Legacy initiative, the new Nurture, Challenge, Inspire Fund and additional voluntary contributions, all of which have enriched the teaching and learning experiences for our students and our community as a whole. MIS sincerely thanks all those who have made donations and provided other support to the School this year.
A thank you event for MIS donors and supports was held on 13 June 2017, which also coincided with the two year anniversary of the opening of the new Languages, Arts and Design Centre (LADC).
20 | CONTACT | SUMMER 2017
Important Calendar Events More details can be found online by visiting www.mis-munich.de/calendar APRIL Anima Jazz Concert 4 Grade 12: last regular school day 7 Last Day of Classes before Spring Break (School-wide) 7 Spring Break (no classes) 8-23 Classes Resume 24 Track & Field Invitational 28-29 MAY Grade 12 IB Exams (including on public holidays) 1 May Day (School Closed) 1 Piano Recital, Students of Ai Lian Chen 5 Early Release 12 Grade 12 IB Exams (including on public holidays) 13 Grade 12 IB Exams (including on public holidays) 14 Parent Association Meeting 17 Grade 12 Check-out Procedure 19 Frühlingsfest 20 ISST Varsity Tennis 22-25 Ascension Day (School Closed) 25 Bridge Day (School Closed) 26 Graduation Rehearsal 30 JUNE ASA Music Ensemble Concert Graduation Ceremony Pentecost Monday (School Closed) Athletics Recognition Evening JS Sports Day Early Release Day Corpus Christi (School Closed) MS Sports Day Half Day Last Day of Classes
1 3 5 6 6-7 9 15 16 30 30
JULY & AUGUST Summer Break (School Closed) ASA Fall Season Request Period begins Classes Begin
1 July–20 August 16 August 21 August
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