W E LCO M E to the winter issue of Voices magazine

Michaela Seeger Director of Community Relations.

Welcome to the winter issue of Voices magazine. What do you – our alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff – say about ZIS? You describe us as a close-knit family. You talk about our community. And I am delighted to say that the introduction of ZISMeets has given that community another opportunity to come together. This year, ZIS friends have convened for a walking tour in Chicago, a discussion of design and graphic art in Boston and an evening with past parent and principal conductor of the MET, Fabio Luisi, in New York. At the heart of ZISMeets is the chance to connect, learn and grow together. We hope to see you there – to renew bonds of friendship and forge new ones.

In this issue, we examine the many ways in which the ZIS community is built on friendship, from our earliest days to the present. In 1963, parents, faculty, staff and students came together to paint and assemble a new school that would become AISZ. It was an amazing expression of friendship –we tell their story on page 24.

Everyone remembers their first week in Switzerland – the half-unpacked boxes, the new language and a new school system to navigate. On page 34, parents recall their first days – and the friends who helped them get through those first months by becoming their ‘Swiss family’. On page 14 we examine why public speaking has become an essential twenty-first century skill, and on page 28 we discuss why international teachers are often a breed apart.

Your thoughts and memories prompted by the last issue of Voices have been enjoyed online by our community around the world and we hope you will be inspired to connect and share again. So please do write, email, call and meet us. We are here to help you get in touch with each other and your school – and we look forward to hearing from you.