American School of Paris
the ASPect
APriL 2010
n e w S f r o m o U r C o m m U n i T y, f o r o U r C o m m U n i T y
See page 12
International Day ASP celebrated its multicultural community with music, food & games...
ASP Missy Magic! inspirational ASP parent, Missy Sternlicht. Missy was due to fly to New York to march with her family and thousands of people to raise awareness and fundraise for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. But when she found herself grounded in Paris she decided to march anyway and as the word got out in the ASP community, she was joined by more than 100 people
for Walk MS Paris. And it was all captured by CNN! Missy said: “I decided that just because we were stranded here in Paris, it did not mean that we couldn’t keep on moving forward with the National MS Society. “The National MS Society is a collective of passionate individuals who want to do something about MS, to move together to(continued on page 2)
The ASPect is kindly sponsored by
▼ ▼ ▼
T
he volcanic eruption in Iceland disrupted hundreds of ASP families’ plans over the April break including the ASP China Expedition and Upper School service trips to Romania and Portugal which have been postponed until the Fall. But in true ASP spirit the challenge became an opportunity for one group led by
▼ ▼ ▼
2/School news (continued from page 1)
ward a world free of multiple sclerosis. MS stops people from moving. We exist to make sure it doesn’t.” In just 24-hours Missy rallied support from her friends for their own WalkMS Paris complete with wristbands made by her daughter, 6-year-old Lily. And Missy raised more than $6,000 for the National MS Society to add to her New York team’s total of $45,000. As 11,000 people marched in Manhattan, Missy proudly led her new ASP team in Paris. After the walk, Missy said: “Thanks to everyone for their support and kindness today. I have had a smile on my face all day at the thought of the wonderful effort you all made this morning. I truly feel we did something worthwhile, and special. I could not have done it without the efforts of each
From the Head
ASP Curriculum Standards
R
ecently, a parent advanced the question “Which list of standards guides curriculum at the American School of Paris?” It was a fair question and one that deserves a thoughtful answer. Promoting instructional standards have long been the cornerstone for accrediting agencies. Countries with centralized educational policies have developed their own set of standards. In recent years, individual states (USA) and even curriculum organizations have taken on the same initiative. To be expected, questions soon surfaced as to whose standards should be the “accepted” standards? Recent media reports in the United States cited the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers involvement in wanting to promote a common set of instructional standards that would flow across all states. This is the report that attracted the ASP parent. In the Upper School Advance Placement and International Baccalaureate programs, the instructional standards must be aligned to enable students to be successful on external examinations. In Lower School, Middle School and in selected 9th and 10 grade courses there is use of curriculum standards taken from Project AERO (American Education Reaches Out). In mathematics, the instructional standards used are supported by the National Council of the Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). Both sets of standards are the “best-ofthe-best” of existing state standards. Project AERO is recent and strongly promoted in overseas schools. Its origins are with the Council for Basic Education’s The Aspect - April 2010
Standards for Excellence. These standards are consistent with IB preparation. ASP teachers document curriculum and instruction using Atlas Rubicon, located on the Poodle website. One click on the subject title and the standard being used is identified. Teachers refer to Atlas Rubicon to monitor sequential activity and for updating assessment criteria. For any parent asking the question, the on-going documented work by ASP teachers and administrators can quickly provide an answer to that question.
Other April Notes of Interest Speaking of standards, ASP was honored and privileged to have on campus Robert Hass, Poet Laureate 19951997. Hass was an invited presenter for the Visiting Writers Workshop. This is the eighth year for this significant event. The school is indebted to one of the ASP alumnus for sponsorship of this annual event. Robert Hass started his day at an early morning assembly with Upper School students. He then did a question and answer session with writing students and the editors of the school literary magazine, “Ink.” The day ended with a wonderful evening of poetry reading at the US Embassy hosted by Ambassador Charles Rifkin and Susan Tolson. Over 170 parents, school patrons, teachers, staff and student attended this gala event (see page 4).
l
l On another front, the 2009-10 school year started with justifiable concern about the spreading H1N1 virus and the impact it was
and every one of you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We have truly made an impact - our voices were heard - and if we can just raise a little awareness for this great cause, we have done something special.” l
Watch the CNN report: http://cnn.com/video/?/video/ world/2010/04/18/church.paris.ms.walk.cnn Find out more about the National MS Society and their work: www.nationalmssociety.org
Advancing ASP
W
going to have on the school. An emergency response plan was drafted. There was close monitoring of events associated with H1N1, both locally and internationally. None of the dire predictions took place. This past week, ASP’s H1N1 Emergency Response Committee officially disbanded. The comfortable silver lining is that ASP stood ready to quickly respond to the emergency and that a plan was in place to guide necessary actions. l Larry Love, the appointed Director of Information Technology was on campus April 7-9 meeting with teachers, administrators and staff. Kathy Miner, appointed Middle School Director made a similar visit May 3-7. Michael McNiell has been appointed Director of Advancement and will be at ASP the week of May 31 (see opposite).
The April school calendar ended with a welcom two week holiday break. Mini weekend holidays continue throughout the month of May, during a period of crowded schedule for IB testing and for Lower School extended field trips. Suddenly, it will be June and the 2009/10 School Year will have come to an abrupt end.
Daryle D Russell Head of School
e are pleased to announce that Dr Michael McNeill has accepted the Director of Advancement appointment effective August 1, 2010. Michael McNeill is currently Director of Development at the Kent Denver School in Englewood, Colorado where he has led several multi-million dollar capital campaigns. During his Kent Denver tenure, he has increased the annual fund each year as well as improved participation of Alumni, current families, faculty and staff. He has redesigned and aligned all of the schools publications and communication tools. In addition to his development responsibilities at Kent Denver, Michael teaches a French or Latin class each year. Michael McNeill is fluent in French and has already embraced the French culture. He holds Doctor of Philosophy in French Literature and Master of Arts degree in French Literature both from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Colgate University. Michael was Fulbright Teaching Scholar at the Lycee Montesquieu in Bordeaux in 1988/99. Since then, he has led many student trips to France. Advancement involves more than fundraising. Communication, marketing and community building are also critical areas of advancing any institution. The search for a Director of Advancement who could best support and serve ASP in this important area was an extensive and exciting one. Over 45 applications were received from all over the world. A screening committee including ourselves, Trustees, parents and staff thoroughly reviewed and researched these applicants over the last months. Last week, the three top candidates were invited to ASP to have the opportunity to meet with the various school constituencies and be formally interviewed by Mark Ulfers, administration, Trustees, faculty, staff and parents. Michael McNeill’s qualities and attributes are simply outstanding. Please join me in extending a warm school community to him. Thank you to all the members of the screening committee and the interview teams who dedicated so much time and energy to ensure the success of this search.
Daryle D Russell Head of School
Elisabeth Seeley
President, Board of Trustees The Aspect - April 2010
4/school news
Visiting Writer Program Enjoy these reports by both ASP Teacher, Virginia Larner and Student, Sietse Goffard from this prestigious annual program. By Sietse Goffard (Gr11) “Rarely do high school students get to meet an A-list celebrity in the world of English literature. What is even rarer, though, is being able to engage in an intelligent and intimate conversation with the celebrity about the meaning of poetry. “That is exactly what made Pulitzer Prize winner and US Poet Laureate Robert Hass’ visit to ASP so special. On Monday, March 29, ASP was proud to welcome him for a full and unforgettable day of poetry talks. He began with an address to the Upper School, introducing himself and his works. Most of us were already familiar with his poetry, as students had been given free copies of Time and Materials, one of Hass’ most well known publications. “The prominent poet followed up with a 45-minute question-and-answer session with about 25 juniors and seniors. Hass responded to our endless questions, described his writing process, and expounded the sources of his poetic inspiration. Several questions centered on his attachment to nature, a recurring theme in many of his poems. Hass, an environmentalist on the side, replied by stating that he has become increasingly concerned with ecological awareness while living in his native California. Later, we asked for his insight on what it meant to be a poet. “Some say poets are just writers who can stand the first draft of their work!” Hass told us, chuckling warmly. “Don’t be afraid to write freely. Let yourselves revise your work as many times as it takes for it to be just right.” This message stirred confidence in us all, especially for those who held reading and writing poetry to be dear passions. “At the end of the session, most of us were fortunate enough to have our own poetry book signed – a definite keepsake to remember this unique and exciting day!” l The Aspect - April 2010
By Virginia LaRNer Chair of the Upper School English Department Thanks to everyone who contributed to making our 2010 Visiting Writer Program such a meaningful and joy-filled event in March. Of course, without the generous sponsor of this annual and prestigious gala, alumnus Steven Barclay, we would not have had the opportunity to welcome the list of inspiring writers for the last eight years. This spring our guest poet Robert Hass delighted student and parent and teacher audiences alike with his reading from Time and Materials and other anthologies and his equally appreciated thoughts on environmental and human issues. The Residence of the American ambassador Charles Rivkin was the lovely setting of his evening address and book signing. ASP biology and Green Team students, led by Anne Bayley and Matt Duaime, had gaily decked posters about the environment on hand in the ASP foyer to greet poet Hass. After the readings, they sent him an anthology of their original poems entitled Ode to a Worm. Likewise, INK, the school’s literary magazine, interviewed Hass following the animated Q and A morning session, and its editors will feature their dialogue in its spring issue. Much gratitude to Daryle Russell for his obvious enthusiasm and expressed pride in greeting the poet, to Aaron Hubbard for his continuing support of the program, and especially Amanda Nagele for her untiring efforts and superb organizational skills in making everything run so smoothly. Finally, without the actual classroom teaching prior to this event each year, there would be little student insight into the joys of discovering a new author and his/her world of ideas. A debt of gratitude goes to the unfailing prowess and wisdom of English teachers Maryama Antoine, Brian Brazeau, John Kim, Duncan Mc Eachern, and Jeanne Salvato. l
Special report
/5
Happy Birthday! By Julie Cutelli, Extension PRogram
A
l Director and founder of the Extension Program, Laurence Feniou at the celebrations
SP’s Extension Program is growing up and out! The program has gone from quiet beginnings with only three teachers and eight students, to a now thriving English Language program, with over 1900 students and a dedicated international staff of almost thirty. For achievements like this, a celebration was in order! Extension celebrated fifteen years of excellence with parents, students, and staff on Wednesday March 17th and Saturday March
20th! Teachers and staff were celebrated for their efforts, their contributions and their ideas! The smiling faces of teachers and staff past and present adorned the walls in a tribute to the team that makes English learning at Extension possible. Parents and students were celebrated for their dedication and commitment to the program through the years. Parents could see how the program grew and not only in members but in ideas through a special timeline dedicated to the last fifteen years. Laurence Feniou, director, kicked off the festivities at both celebrations by welcoming all the members of the Extension community and letting them know how much their support and enthusiasm helped in the creation of Extension. Laurence has been
at Extension since the beginning and her creative energy and drive have been a real life force to the program. Families and staff were treated to a delicious breakfast complete with chocolate fountains and marshmallows on skewers! Extension families also participated in a raffle winning all sorts of Extension Prizes including one week at summer camp, or a semester’s worth of lunches in the school cafeteria. The best part was that Extension staff was able to celebrate being together not once but twice! Extension’s festivities closed with a family show on March 20th in the Theatre. Almost one hundred people were in attendance at “UBUNTU: Tales of Good Hope,” a bilingual storytelling show, by Naomi Canard, a South African storyteller. Students sang and danced, as Naomi told them about her nation and the many different people who live there. All proceeds from the show went to the Extension Programs’ chosen charity La Clairiere, a place for parents of hospitalized children to stay so that they can stay together as a family during the hospitalization process. Here’s hoping in another fifteen years that the program’s families and staff will have continued to grow and prosper! l The Aspect - April 2010
6/Special report
Global Engagement O
n March 21st to 23rd, Science teachers Anne Bayley and Matthew Du Aime brought a group of Upper school students to the Global Issues Network conference in Geneva, Switzerland. In addition to the environmental issues our world is facing, the students also got to learn and reflect about sociological problems like human exploitation and famine. Embarking on a small over-the-weekend trip served not only as a fun way for us to learn
The Aspect - April 2010
By Maria Lekander (Gr 11)
about serious matters, but also marking the beginning of a long-term journey in the hope of one day getting a better, cleaner and fairer world. Nine Green Team members and one Environmental Science student woke up early on a Sunday morning to go and catch the train to Geneva. While at the conference we were able to meet up with students from all over Europe, as well as the United Sates and China. With a busy schedule, the team was able to listen to inspiring lectures and participate in a number of workshops.
And though the topics might have seemed daunting to simple high school students, “It was exhilarating to be involved with projects of such magnitude and importance as those at the GIN conference” as Senior Chris Austin says. The conference ended with every school presenting their ‘action plan’. As a conclusion to the conference, all representatives were asked to brainstorm and then present what their intentions for their school in the future. Tungesh Kapil (Gr 12) was designated ASP’s representative. Concerning the action plan,
School news
/7
Film 2010 the team focused on the energy consumption of school, already an important point on the school’s schedule. Other than actions already taken, the team planned on raising money so that they one day might be able to invest in solar panals and to cooperate with NGO’s focusing on renewable energies. Just as guest speaker Jessica Burkeybyle, having inspired hundreds of people to sponsor children, explained: it can be hard believing that only one person can make a difference, but it is possible. Together, we’ll make the world of tomorrow better.
What the other students had to say… “Sometimes we have trouble being inspired in our everyday life, I find I lose motivation on solving problems, whereas being at this conference, surrounded by interested people was inspiring and brought a lot to my desire to change things” Clara Duaime (11th grade) “I knew that child soldiers existed, but at one school’s presentation I learned that it is an urgent, desperate situation at this moment” Hannah Namgung (11th grade) “The presentation on the UN was full of information on the challenges of running large organizations. Students from all over the world had a lively discussion about it.” Jeanette Hardiman (12th grade)
A
group of ASP student film makers have returned from an international film festival with prized new equipment! The European Student Film Festival (ESFF) was a three‐day event in March for Upper School students who are attending a school that offers film as a course subject or supports and embraces film making within the school environment. Over this period, approximately 70 students and 20 teachers, from mainly international schools in Europe, came together in Switzerland to take part in a number of exhilarating and enlightening events organized for them by the ESFF committee. All students participated in a 12 hour movie challenge, the theme was about having the word move in the title. All 11
movies are available to be watched on the festival website: http://www.esff.org Upper School IB Film Making teacher, Laura Schupack said: “We have returned from another really successful film festival. I was so impressed with the ASP delegation. They played an active role in all of their workshops. They produced really successful film challenges. Though sleep deprived I have returned with such admiration for the talent of ASP students. “One aspect of the festival is a competition of submitted films. Rami Ezzat directed the film “Sound” which was awarded the prize for most original concept. Thanks to his film our school was awarded an impressive RODE boom mic worth over 1200 euros. This is to encourage film production at ASP.” Get a taste for the creative energy of the festival by visiting the site: http://www. esff.org. l
“I went to a presentation on water and in 5 minutes I finally became aware and thankful of what helps us exist” Myung-Jae Lee (12th grade) “What I found was interesting about some of the workshops was the topic of water. We heard statistics about water conservation that were fascinating.” Sarah Lundberg (12th grade) The Aspect - April 2010
8/Special report
Bringing Middle together from Five years ago, the ASP Middle School established a Model United Nations club, inspired by the MUN club in the Upper School. Starting with just four students, the club has grown to 52 active members. In March, ASP hosted the 5th annual AMIMUN Conference. AMI stands for the partnership between the American School of Paris, Marymount School and the International School of Paris. Thanks to outstanding leadership from eighth grade student chairs and the support of many parents, teachers and Upper School students, this year’s conference was a resounding success. Enjoy this joint report by our own Middle School MUN students.
The Aspect - April 2010
Special report
/9
School Students
around Europe Largest conference in Europe by Evans Levy (Gr8) AMIMUN is currently the largest Middle School MUN conference in Europe. We had over 150 students participating from school as far away as Warsaw, Poland and Izmer, Turkey. The schools that attended were; the International School of Paris (ISP), Marymount School Paris, the Institut de la Tour, a French school located in Paris; the International School of Luxembourg, the American School of Madrid, the American School of Warsaw, Izmir SEV Elementary School who came all the way from Turkey, and last but not least the hosting school the American School of Paris. By the end of the conference a lot of people had made friends with students from other schools.
Preparations for the Conference In the months leading up to the conference, over a dozen eighth graders put in long hours to make the weekend possible. A designated committee chairs, these students helped to pick debate topics, write research papers, prepare conference logistics and protocol, and helped to set up for the conference itself. In the final days, their jobs changed to stuffing folders and name badges, folding placards, choosing rooms for their committees, and helping with all the other little things that made the conference so enjoyable. As a club, we picked committee and country assignments, and all the delegates wrote policy statements and operative clauses. All the diligent working paid off, and we had a wonderful conference, the biggest middle school MUN conference in all of Europe.
(continued on page 10)
▼ ▼ ▼
by Michael Carden (Gr8)
The Aspect - April 2010
10/Special report Parliamentary Procedure and Pizza! by Tunir Kapil (Gr8) The conference started off with an icebreaker called Parliamentary Procedure and Pizza. Delegates from different schools had to work together to figure out what type of pizza should be ordered for dinner. Delegates had to represent pizza toppings and go with their toppings view like the normal UN. They had a lot of fun yet a serious and fruitful debate. Many delegates got to know one and another and get a hang of Parliamentary and Procedure in a fun way. Students started up by splitting up into three different committee rooms. Then they were put in groups of two to three people and first started off by getting to know each other and choose their pizza topping. Then they were given time to make their policy statements which were quite interesting. Then they had time to lobby and come up with clauses to convince their allies to side with them and get their pizza topping in the clause. After that they started to debate the clauses according to their pizza topping view until they got to a final agreement which later on was taken to the General Assembly for all the committees to debate.
Evening at the Residence of the Danish Ambassador by Max Sternlicht (Gr8) On the second night with our visitors from Luxembourg, Turkey, and parts of France, we had a very special at the residence of the Danish Ambassador. The entire MUN club would like to thank Ambassador Rigglesen and Hans Ruge for welcoming us to their home. All conference delegates were offered a full taste of Danish heritage and Scandinavian culture. After everyone was settled, she said a couple facts about Denmark, and played a trivia game afterwards. Then it was time to eat. With food ranging from exquisitely dressed fish to pigs in a blanket, it was a delicious meal. The Ruges then gave out books of Hans Christian Anderson stories, and after a huge thankyou, we continued to the next event of the night.
Finishing off with a Bang! AMIMUN General Assembly by Adhish Srivastava (Gr8) During the final hours of the conference, all delegates met in the PAC for a General Assembly session. The surprise topic dealt with terrorism in Yemen brought on by a fictitious hostage crisis at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom. The crisis was based entirely on real statistics and organizations. The delegates created enthusiastic debates on this pressing issue, and were constantly aware of the urgency of the conflict. They presented unique solutions, and enjoyed themselves while debating this final topic. We all enjoyed the creativity and enthusiasm shown by the delegates while having a fruitful debate in the general assembly. In the end, all of the conference chairs were thanked, as were admin members, parents and teacher. As a group, we banged the gavel for the final time, bringing closure to the 5th Annual AMIMUN Conference. The Aspect - April 2010
advancing ASP
/11
The Excellence Fund
Gathering momentum
K
ey supporters of The Excellence Fund gathered at the home of Maria and Alexandre Bosoni, an ASP alumnus and now parents at ASP, to celebrate our fundraising success to date. More than 109,000¢ in donations have been received to date and an additional 120,000¢ in multi-year pledges have
been made by parents, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the school. Although members of The Excellence Fund committee are thrilled with the current success, chairs Betsy Blackwell and Hege Nolop encourage parents who have not yet made their gift to pledge their support today. As explained by Head of School 10-11, Mark Ulfers, "Children cannot wait. They are growing and learning every minute, and the absence of an annual fund means the normal cycle for funding major innovations becomes aloof to the more immediate needs of the learner. When donors act now, our current students benefit now. Our pledge is to be thoughtful, responsible and always in motion to place in children’s hands the highest quality conditions for learning." "The ASP administrative team has identified some exciting projects to be funded by The Excellence Fund," explains Excellence Fund
co-chair Betsy Blackwell. "Each dollar or euro donated is invested directly into school programs so making a gift now can help our students and teachers in this academic year. We have had some very generous early gifts, but the best way to ensure educational excellence is through continued philanthropic support. We hope that everyone in the ASP community will consider making a gift to The Excellence Fund this year."
Flexible resources Some of the projects identified include bringing in an international education specialist to work closely with our faculty to refine their skills in differentiated instruction in the international school environment. Another proposal focuses on the gradual integration of Smartboard technology in the classroom along with the necessary support for faculty training with this new equipment. The first Smartboard has already been installed in a Lower School classroom to help demonstrate the multifunctionality of this educational tool. This flexibility of resources is a direct result of the support that the ASP community has given to The Excellence Fund appeal. If you have not yet made your gift, it is not too late. Every euro and dollar is put to work to support our students and teachers. Every contribution will make a difference. Please visit the Development Office or The Excellence Fund website for more information on how to donate: www.asparis.org/ excellencefund. l
l Appointed Head
of School, Mark Ulfers addresses the audience.
The Aspect - April 2010
12/picture special
Celebrating (continued on page 14)
The Aspect - April 2010
▼ ▼ ▼
The annual ASP International Day was a huge success thanks to the hard work of scores of parent volunteers, students and teachers.
picture special
Diversity
The Aspect - April 2010
/13
14/picture special
T
he day was a celebration of the multicultural mosaic that makes up ASP with our more than 50 nationalities! The sun shone and hundreds of our community joined to share and celebrate traditional foods, music and games. Thanks to Terry Bachmann, Chantal Uildriks, Gabriela Giorgi and all the parents who cooked and organized the country booths. Thanks also to Elisabeth Babin in charge of the bouncies, Katherine Ormson and Darla Pape in the ticket sale tables, Sherry Steiner who organized the entertainment, the Schott family who provided us with the passport game prize (free tickets to Eurodisney), to the Goncharenko’s family who provided us with an enchanting Russian balalaika player and to Patricia Alborez who made us dance through Latin American music at the end of the day! And thanks to ASP staff Amanda Nagele and Jerome Aubin who assisted in building the day. l
The Aspect - April 2010
arts news
/15
Visual Excellence C
ongratulations to our IB Visual Arts students for a wonderful exam exhibition this month! The IB visual arts program is a rigorous course that requires a great amount of self-discipline. The students are required to do investigative research into the different art movements of the past to the present, in order to create a series of artworks which have developed directly from this research. Crossing borders and entering visual and written information into their investigation
work books is a vital part of the program. The true goal of the IB Art Course is to train students to become self learners and to develop educated personal opinions of the visual arts through visiting exhibitions, and hands on visual and technical experimentation. After the visit from the external examiner, teacher Frank Vescio said: “The examiner mentioned to me after during our time for debriefing that it was the first time he came across such a globally aware body of students. This for me was a very encouraging point which is also a
reflection of the school’s positive educational philosophy. “I personally want to thank all my students who prepared and worked extremely hard and coped very well with me! Their artwork is beautiful and I congratulate all my students for their dedication and hard work.” The IB exhibitors were seniors, Tamsin Gordon, Latifah Khalfan, Sarah Lundberg, Dani Nicodemus, Neta Ravel, Carlota Ruiz, Alice Jean, Yasmeen Safadi and Alexandra Stergiotis. l
The Aspect - April 2010
16/school news
Poetry Anywhere, Anytime, Everywhere!
C
ollaboration was central to the success of this year’s annual Lower School Poetry Walk which involved all students in a day of orienteering and poetry with a grand finale closure assembly. Teachers and students alike were involved in the build up to the day, with 2nd graders choosing poems for the K1 walk, fifth graders choosing poems for the Grade 3-5 walk, and all students furiously and joyously creating poems in French and in the homerooms.
The Aspect - April 2010
Meg Seaver reports: “Our K1 class were the first to take the plunge, guided by students from 4th grade(4F) and armed with a map and question sheet. In the afternoon it was the turn of K2-5th grade, mixed in multi-age groupings. With a Lower School teacher in charge they took a longer walk with question sheet to answer, stopping in the hallways to also read the many student poems posted on class bulletin boards. The day ended with an assembly in the PAC with short poems presented by our K1, K2, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade (with voice thread technology as they were off campus for their circus camp!), 3rd Grade and a collective recipe poem by our 3rd grade Francophones and ending with our 4th grade Intermediate French with a choral reading of Jacques
Prevert’s “En Sortant de’L’Ecole”. “We saw so many positive aspects to this year’s Poetry Walk. The highlights were the children taking time to read the poems, contemplating how one can play with and arrange words to convey a feeling and seeing kids from different grade levels sharing poetry, and finishing up with an assembly where so many children had a chance to shine.” l
school news
/17
Teachers at the forefront of their field
I
By Linda Franco, Lower School Support Services
t was a great honor to represent the American School of Paris at the first World Dyslexia Forum at UNESCO, Paris. This very important event was prepared by Dyslexia International in collaboration with UNESCO and the European Commission. Dyslexia International‘s objective is to make free and fair education to all individuals with dyslexia. A second objective is to ensure opportunities for people who struggle with reading and writing. UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador, Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, made the opening remarks. Leading experts from around the world shared their research. The forum focused on the science of dyslexia, good practices from countries implementing successful programs, and information and communications technologies to support learning. I had the opportunity to meet Amol Gupta and Deepa Bhatia, the Indian stars, at the reception of Aamir Khan’s film “Little Stars on Earth” the first evening. They researched the issue of dyslexia in their country and decided to make a film about a boy who meets a teacher that understands his problems in learning to read. The movie’s theme is every child is special. I have ordered three copies for our libraries and I encourage you to see this wonderful family movie. After the end of the third day, the delegates’ awareness of dyslexia was raised and why teacher training was an important factor in identifying and handling specific learning disabilities. In addition, I left with a professional network of support from the experts in the field, other colleagues, and local support groups. It was truly an amazing experience. l
Refined education!
l Frédéric Pouly from Total leads the exclusive opportunity for ASP chemistry students
L
ast month Upper School science teachers Anne Bayley and Anne Diss took the IB Chemistry Higher Level students on an exciting field trip to the Total Refinery at Grandpuits, just an hour outside of Paris. Thanks to the help of senior parent and Total Mayotte President Philippe Goron, we were able to have a close look at the works and analytical laboratory, with excellent explanations from onsite staff. The trip was an invaluable educational experience as these seniors prepare the organic chemistry portion of their upcoming IB exam, plus it was great fun! Special thanks to the extremely welcoming staff at the Grandpuits Refinery. l The Aspect - April 2010
18/school news
Special report/17
Big Hearts for Haiti
L
ower School students have undertaken a program of events this year to help raise funds for the people of Haiti affected by January’s devastating earthquake. And they have raised an astounding ¢4128.20. CONGRATULATIONS! Parent coordinator Kristin Walton said, “We couldn’t have done it without the help of the fifth grade student council who have been amazing, guided by Barbara Trudeau. “I am so proud of all the students and the ASP community for joining together with such success and enthusiasm.” And this is what the children themselves had to say about the experience: “What I’ve enjoyed the most during my experience with the Student Council was to organize the fundraisers. I helped selling things and made sure that everything went the way it should go.” Kayo “I really loved student council from the start and thought that it is fun to organize events as well as to participate. I also believe it is good to help poor people. It makes me realize my luck. I feel like I am saving people and learning things at the same time.” Timour
“I have enjoyed being in the student council by preparing sales, concerts or bake sales. It was also good knowing that all our time wasn’t just wasted but given to people from Haiti certainly helping injured children.” François “It is great that we, who are so lucky to be in good health, to have shelter, and to have plenty of food, to give back to lesser fortunate people, in Haiti, who are, right now, facing their hardest times.” Freddy
The art of Chinese As part of their study of ancient China, 6th Graders participated in a Chinese calligraphy workshop this month. Helene Ho, artist and calligrapher, visited the ASP and taught 6th Graders about the evolution of Chinese characters and methods of calligraphy. Using brushes, ink and rice paper, students then worked to create their own calligraphy.
The Aspect - April 2010
School news
/19
Vive la francophonie!
Middle School celebrated the 40th anniversary of La Journée Internationale de la Francophonie - a celebration of the French language and the diverse countries where it is spoken.
D
uring an entire week, the Middle School became a Frenchspeaking world quarter with colorful flags, posters, objects, and other decorations. And on March 19, students and teachers engaged in a range of activities: A professional storyteller from Congo presented a special MS assembly. A number of ASP staff, faculty members and parents (natives of Belgium, Togo, Tunisia, Switzerland, Quebec, Senegal, France and Haiti) ran workshops with our students to
present their country and culture. Students visited each other’s French classes and shared information about French-speaking places. This year students explored Mauritius, Reunion, Louisiana, Congo, Cambodia, Benin, Polynesia, Algeria, Madagascar, Cameroon, Guadeloupe and Martinique. A student band performed songs in French. Philippe Simon, our Cafeteria manager, organized a special menu that included: Canadian pies, Belgian waffles, Polynesian banana tarts and other tasty surprises. Middle School teacher Lara Bailly said: “The Francophonie celebration was a true success in engaging students to reflect beyond cultural stereotypes.” l The Aspect - April 2010
20/School news
Special report/17
Electrical experience
T
hird graders enjoyed an exclusive tour of Schneider Electrics as part of their scientific studies of energy. ASP Parent JeanPascal Tricoire, Chariman of the Management Board of Schneider Electrics (a global specialist in Energy management) invited Barbara Hoegen’s class to visit following a
basketball court conversation! The young scientists set out to discover how progressive companies like Schneider are tackling the future and present demands for energy. Mr Tricoire said: “Schneider Electrics has a global objective to improve energy production, make it available to all and satisfactorily manage climate change. This is what sustainable development means. It is the challenge that our group has taken up.” And the curious third graders had plenty of questions. Enjoy this Q&A session from the students and their conclusions. Q: What is the demand for electricity in the world today and what is the demand going to like in the future when we know that the world population will rise from 6 billion in 20 years to 8 billion. (Christian Doherty) A: Our world is at a turning point. The demand for energy is set toexplode, particularly in the booming new economies. Q: Is there electricity all over the world? (Deepak Sarangi) A: Today, electricity is not readily available to 1.6 billion people. Q: Do we have enough fossil fuels for everyone? (Emma Sarteur) A: The continued exploitation of fossil fuels remains a threat to the planet.
The Aspect - April 2010
Q: What should we use instead of fossil fuels?(Noa Elfassy & Sofia Duarte) A: You could use solar panel or wind power. Making a building use a computer to make the buildings save energy was a good idea. Q: What does a company like Schneider do to help the planet? (Katy Montgomery) A: Schneider tries to find energy solutions that are energy efficient. Conclusion: “It was a great trip. I thought it was outstanding. I learned a lot about how in the future they will have computers in eye glasses and how in Antarctica they have a building completely made out of solar panels for its energy. We are studying about renewable and non renewable energy resources and how does the way people use energy affect the environment so I thought the trip was wonderful” (by Sebastien Dufour)