Immigrant or Expatriate? How you see yourself can make a world of difference!
Studying an IB Diploma Course Online What parents should know
Help! My Child is a Social Media Expert, How Can I Keep Up?
Move It or Lose It:
The impact of exercise on brain development and academic achievement
internationalschoolparent.com
Spring 2016
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Welcome to the Spring 2016 edition of International School Parent Magazine! Dear Parents, In this edition, our featured experts make sure you are up to speed with your child’s IB Diploma Programme with ‘The IB Extended Essay: Explained” and explore the resource that is transforming the way some students learn in ‘Studying an IB Diploma Course Online: What Parents Should Know’. In support of extra-curricular activities, our article ‘Move it or Lose it!’ highlights the positive impact of exercise on brain development and academic achievement. We are also taking a fresh look at life abroad with ‘The Worst Advice You Can Give to an Unhappy Expat Spouse’ and ‘Immigrant or Expatriate? How You See Yourself Can Make the World of Difference’. We’d love to hear what you think, and any perspectives you have on making the most of family life in a foreign country. Many schools and teachers will be looking forward to participating in the Swiss Group of International Schools SGIS) Annual Conference at La Côte International School’s new campus in March. This year’s theme, ‘Mind if I Learn?’ focuses on the cognitive, environmental and developmental factors that influence how students learn. We hope you enjoy it! For those looking for a refreshing (adults-only) activity in Geneva, catch the tail end of the sauna season at Bains Des Paquis – it is a classically Swiss experience, with beautifully maintained, clean and exceptionally hot saunas. If you are really daring you can jump in the lake directly from the heat!
For the remainder of the Swiss winter sports season in the mountains, make sure you’re saving money on ski passes through the ‘Skioo’ app! – Just visit www.skioo.com for more information. We remain committed to the task of helping parents and children to make the most of the fantastic opportunities an education at an international school in Switzerland provides. All that remains to be said is that I hope you have a wonderful end to the term and a fantastic Spring break. Work hard and be the best! Best wishes Nick Gilbert Editor & Publishing Director International School Parent Magazine Tel: +41 787 10 80 91 Email: nick@internationalschoolparent.com Visit: internationalschoolparent.com Facebook: facebook.com/internationalschoolparent
Contents 07 Move It or Lose It! 10 Understanding Self-Harm in Adolescence
24 Studying an IB Diploma Course Online
45 Meet the Headteachers: Thomas Schädler
60 Summer Camp Extravaganza
28 Immigrant or Expatriate?
50 My Child Goes to an International School
66 Where Tradition Meets Innovation
56 Switzerland’s International Schools Flex Their Muscles
70 The Case for Project Based Learning in Classrooms
14 Returning to School
32 School News
20 The IB Extended Essay Explained
40 The Mentality of Reward and Punishment in Education
74 Mind if I Learn?
Why choose ISBerne? • Our ISA test scores place ISBerne in the top tier of schools around the world. • Happy students – 96% of our students enjoy school. • H appy parents – our families appreciate and contribute to a strong, supportive parent community. • New campus opening in early 2017 • E asy access – both current and future campuses are easy to get to by train, car or tram. Bussing can be made available for groups in Fribourg, Neuchâtel, or Solothurn. Visit our website at www.isberne.ch. For more information, please call us at +41(0)31 951 25 58.
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Move It or Lose It!
International School Parent Spring 2016
Beyond the Classroom: The Impact of Exercise on Brain Development and Academic Achievement BY LAURENCE VAN HANSWIJCK DE JONGE, MSC, PHD
As parents we want to see our children grow into strong, healthy, well-adjusted, happy adults, able to fulfil their abilities and flourish. We know that exercise is important to our kid’s wellness profile. It oxygenates the body and brain, releasing feelgood hormones and if we’re physically well – we feel mentally well. We know our children should exercise and many parents get wrought with guilt when they contemplate the time their child spends sedentary or on screens. There is plenty of information on media outlets about this being “bad”. But do we fully understand why? Yes it impedes on the time possibly spent in physical activity, but why is that so much more important? Would it be shocking if I added that science is showing that for brain development, time in the classroom may be less important than time spent playing? Even a formal, structured physical education class may not offer the same benefit as free-play recess. Reduced time for physical activity may be contributing to the discordant academic abilities between boys and girls; schools promoting sedentary styles of learning become a harder environment for kids, and more so for boys, to navigate successfully.
When left to their own devices, children gravitate towards unstructured free play. The brain builds new circuits in the frontal lobe to help it navigate new situations and social interactions. Sadly, some children are given less time for free, exploratory play as they are hurried to adapt into adult roles and prepare for their future at earlier ages. Parents receive carefully marketed messages that good parents encourage their children to excel at every opportunity, buy a plethora of enrichment tools, and ensure their children participate in a wide range of activities. Children are exposed to this from early infancy as well as specialized books and toys designed to ensure that they are well-rounded and adequately stimulated for excelled development. There is an abundance of afterschool enrichment activities. With clever marketing, many parents have grown to believe they are essential to good parenting and necessary for appropriate development. So much of parent-child time is spent arranging or transporting children between activities. It is unclear at what point a young person may be “overscheduled” to their developmental detriment or emotional distress. Free child-driven play is decreased, and the downtime that allows parents and children some of the most productive time for interaction and brain growth is at a premium. Let’s look at the specific brain regions widely influenced by play and crucial for academic success.
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Frontal Cortex – Executive Functions (the CEO of our brain)
Changes in the frontal lobe during childhood helps wire up the brain's Executive Function’s (EF), or CEO of the brain. It plays a critical role in regulating emotions, making plans and solving problems. Research supports the importance of EF for school success across childhood and adolescence. Moreover studies by Blair and Razza (2007) found EF skills to be more important than IQ, as EF in preschool was related to kindergarten measures of math and literacy ability. Previous research found EF to be critical to career success, making/keeping friends, and marital success. EF is called the “CEO of the brain, it enables children to plan, organize, keep track of time, remember, prioritize, pay attention, and commence, persist and finalize tasks and draw on past experience to solve current problems. The skills that are affected by difficulties in this area of the brain are: impulse control, inhibition, emotional control, flexibility, self-monitoring, working memory, planning and prioritizing, task initiation and organizing. The main conditions linked to difficulties in this area are attention deficit, hyperactivity/impulsivity, learning difficulties as well as mood disorders. Proper executive functioning is crucial for classroom learning and academic success. Play can prepare a young brain to properly and efficiently navigate schoolwork.
Strengthening the CEO
So what is the connection between executive functioning and free play? Let’s look at what happens when a child wants to use the slide in a busy playground; they can’t just shove through, they would most likely get pushed aside with a harsh scolding. A child has to stop, observe the situation, stand in line or change activity. These are all executive functions. Most play involves exploration and is, by definition, an act of investigation. It's easy to see how this applies to a budding scientist playing with magnets, but with rough and tumble play kids are testing social bonds and learning how to control their impulses, so that friendly wrestling doesn't turn into anti-social aggression. This again recruits the frontal lobe EF functions. Whether in rough-and-tumble play or two kids building a sand castle together, the kids have to negotiate “what are we going to do in this game, what are the rules we are going to follow, who’s going to go first etc?" This fully uses all the skills of the EF (inhibition, planning, set-shifting, flexibility of thought, attention to the rules, organization) and therefor strengthens this area of the brain. Furthermore, take pretend play, it has been correlated with two crucial skill sets--the ability to self-regulate (impulse, emotions, attention) and the ability to reason counterfactually. You can't pretend with another person unless you both agree about what you are pretending. Players must conform to a set of rules, and practice conforming to such rules might help kids develop better self-control (inhibition-an EF function). Additionally, when these skills are used during movement it amplifies the connections. When moving we secrete a neurotropin called brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which strengthens neural connections. If a physical game involves a cognitive task a child benefits more. Your brain is on fire because it’s being used for the aerobic part, but some parts are being asked to search and switch.
Chatter between the Right and Left Hemispheres
There is more to understand when considering academic success. Interhemispheric connectivity is a factor often overlooked. When viewed from the top, the human brain looks like a walnut: two large lobes partially separated by a split down the middle. Though physically identical, each hemisphere specializes in different things. Creative tasks—composing, conceptualizing, brainstorming—are more typically associated with the right. Logical functions—calculation, translation, data sorting—are usually done on the left. The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body, and vice versa.
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But while pop psychology would have us believe one side of your brain is “dominant” over the other, it’s not that simple. When you write a note, your right hemisphere forms the tone and considers the social repercussions. The left hemisphere translates it into language. When your right hand types, it’s controlled by the left hemisphere; meanwhile, the right hemisphere tells the left hand to stay still. Both hemispheres work together for almost everything, and the corpus callosum is their link. This is the information superhighway, carrying data between right and left through 250 million electrical connections. “Interhemispheric coordination” describes how well those connections work to form rational, appropriate action. Einstein’s brain was the same size as yours, but his corpus callosum was extraordinarily thick, allowing him to take an idea or concept and explain it in an equation better than most. The corpus callosum is the largest white matter tract and is hypothesized to play a primary role in cognition. Emerging evidence suggests that a weakened callosum directly contributes to a decline of cognitive function, whereas increased thickness in typical childhood development correlates with intelligence, processing speed and problem-solving. A growing body of literature reports that subtle structural changes may correlate with cognitive and behavioral deficits, even for individuals in the normal IQ range. Primarily, individuals with partly missing corpus callosums show deficits in problem-solving and processing speed. These two skills are imperative in academic learning and success. Preliminary evidence suggests that impairments in domains such as abstract reasoning, verbal fluency and second-order linguistic deficits as well as social cognition, may indeed be secondary to core problem-solving and processing speed deficits in individuals. Exercise improves interhemispheric coordination. For example most table-tennis players have to play equally well on both sides of their bodies, requiring a degree of interhemispheric coordination almost unmatched in other sports. These players aren’t born great; repetitive play builds up the corpus callosum like a muscle, so a lifetime of table tennis can turn it into a finely tuned instrument. Some researchers such as Dennison and his wife Hannaford created BrainGym, prescribing 26 midline-crossing exercises to enhance interhemispheric coordination. The exercises “recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life” when learning to coordinate the eyes, ears, hands and body. The theory of repeating “primal movement patterns” is becoming popular in many children’s exercise programs. Exercise can speed up this process by forming new neurons, and pruning the old ones, faster. In other words, children can rewire correct behaviors quicker and overrule negative responses.
“Children often do things they shouldn’t because their frontal lobe is underdeveloped. The more work done to thicken the fibers connecting the neurons, the better the ability to control behavior.” The importance of Equilibrium (Vestibular System/Cerebellum)
Natural play and exercises hone “the core”, all your muscles to hold you straight or keep you taut. This is directed by a part of the brain to the rear dorsal part of the brain called the cerebellum which encourages memory, learning, social skills, emotion and attention. You can train the cerebellum, which is what you’re doing when you’re working on core exercises. We used to think it was just about physical coordination, but it’s really coordinating all of our higher functions. If you are dis-coordinated physically, some things are often out of the norm intellectually/emotionally as well. The Vestibular system (located in the inner ear) is one of the systems that send information about motion, equilibrium and spatial orientation to the cerebellum, equally there is a feedback loop from the cerebellum to the vestibular system. This system is one of the pivotal mechanisms in the human body, generally recognized as a system of balance. A functioning vestibular system contributes to sensory integration and eye movement, imperative for reading and learning. In fact, delayed vestibular maturation correlates significantly with sensory integration dysfunction, slow visual processing speed, and reading disability. A well calibrated vestibular system working efficiently also promotes memory, learning, social skills and emotional adjustment. More studies are linking vestibular function to school performance.
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Franco and Panhoca (2008) showed a statistically significant association between vestibular alteration and poor academic performance. Others (e.g. smith et al, 2005) discovered people with vestibular disorders are likely to experience cognitive disorders. Therapies designed to readdress the vestibular system incorporate activities which will sound familiar. They are things that children do naturally and in play: rocking, swinging, spinning, rolling, cart-wheeling, hanging upside down, moving from side to side—challenge the vestibular system and thereby force its development. Healthy kids do all this naturally because their bodies instinctively know it is needed. That’s why young children are in constant motion, stimulating their vestibular apparatus and challenging their equilibrium and skills against the Earth’s gravity from the first time they lift their head. How many times have you seen a toddler stick its head on the ground and backside in the air? The vestibular system requires movement to develop and, if properly administered, produces amazing results.
Computer Games
When you use self-control to refrain from lashing out, doing something you shouldn’t or turn taking the frontal lobe is working. Children often do things they shouldn't because their frontal lobe is underdeveloped. The more work done to thicken the fibers connecting the neurons,
“In order to succeed academically we need executive functioning. If one cannot pay attention, organize work, inhibit responses, shift ideas, plan tasks and see them to completion, it will be difficult to get ahead. ” 10 |
the better the ability to control behavior. When stimulated, these fibers will thicken. Studies show children who played video games were halting the process of brain development and affecting inhibition and their ability to control potentially anti-social elements of their behavior. Video games are creating a generation of children far more disposed to violence than their parents, according to a new study. It shows that the tendency to lose control (lack of inhibition) is not due to children absorbing the aggression involved in the game itself as previously suggested, but rather to the damage done by stunting the developing mind, mainly the frontal lobes (executive functions). Brain-mapping expert Professor Ryuta Kawashima found these games only stimulated activity in the parts of the brain associated with vision and movement. He states: ‘There is a problem we will have with a new generation of children who play computer games that we have never seen before. The implications are very serious and these children will be doing more and more bad things if they are playing games and not doing other things like reading aloud, learning arithmetic or sports.’ His concluding advice was: 'Children need to be encouraged to learn basic reading and writing, of course, but the other thing is to ask them to play outside with other children and communicate with others as much as possible.’ Further studies show gray matter atrophy (shrinkage or loss of tissue volume) in children who play video games. White matter is equally seen to be compromised translating to a loss of brain communication, reduced cortical thickness, less efficient data processing and reduced impulse inhibition. Much of the damage occurs in the brain’s frontal lobe (housing the Executive Functions), which undergoes massive changes from puberty until the mid-twenties and largely determines success in every area of life—from sense of well-being to academic or career success and relationship skills. See Kuhn (2011); Hann (2011); Hou (2012); Dong & Devito (2013); Weng (2012); Weng (2013); Lin (2012) for reviews).
CrossFit Kids
Many sports work specific areas of development, however, in the era where so much time is spent on screens and sedentary, there is one sport that recently piqued my interest. This sport seems to have taken a lot of components of what happens naturally in child’s free play, specifically catering to the flexing of the executive functions, vestibular system, cerebellum and interhemispheric communication. One day I stood on the steps of the CrossFit gym in Terre Sainte, looking beyond the giddy, giggly kids and saw the ingredients of what they were doing. Far beyond muscle building, it was brain building. CrossFit Kids has a unique opportunity to target vestibular development through proper programming with a varied use of challenging activities in the WOD, buyins and cash-outs. They swing, roll over, do handstands, cartwheels, toes-to-bars, knees-to-elbows, wheelbarrows,
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International School Parent Spring 2016
and bar and ring work. Agility work is used to challenge the vestibular system as well as interhemispheric communication, e.g. hurdling, dot drills, agility ladders (feet and hands), lateral hops and runs. Much of these exercises are involving the executive functions, whether moving your body or an external object through space you are solving a problem. It is not your muscles doing this, it’s your brain. Take games like “une, deux, trois soleil”(a game played at CrossFit) this is pure attention, inhibition and planning a complete game to directly exercises and flex this frontal function! Consider additionally the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor which released when they move and helps make neural connections stronger. The cerebellum is activated when you activate your core. Exercises like burpees, requiring inter-hemispheric coordination and use of core musculature is one of the fundamental movements in CrossFit, teaching coordination, core strength and data transfer between right and left hemispheres. The implications of training both brain and body reach far beyond the classroom. Exercise isn’t just about heart rates and blood pressure. By getting our kids moving in this way, we are improving their odds for appropriate development and future success in multiple areas of daily functioning.
Academic Achievement
In order to succeed academically we need executive functioning. If one cannot pay attention, organize work, inhibit responses, shift ideas, plan tasks and see them to completion, it will be difficult to get ahead. We must ensure quick and effective communication between right and left hemispheres promoting proper reading, writing, speech and thought communication. A well calibrated vestibular system working efficiently promotes memory, learning, social skills and emotional adjustment. One interesting study consisting of students from King Chavez Primary Academy, San Diego studied the implementation of CrossFit Kids in school. Students participated in workouts for at 30 minutes every day, while other classes received PE once a week over six weeks. After 6 weeks, standardized test results showed that 100% of the students in the treatment group scored proficient or advanced in mathematics. This was an achievement that to date had never been accomplished at that school, and rose 15% from the previous year. In English Language 36% of the students scored proficient or advanced, a 12% rise from the previous year. This increase in the core subjects was accomplished despite the fact that students were out of the classroom and away from direct instruction for 30 minutes a day for CrossFit Kids.
The previously cited argument that participation in daily fitness classes takes away from academic performance had no place in this research project. However, in a day and age where our kid’s activities are so highly organized and electronics have taken a large chunk of free time, there is little time left for activities that flex the muscles for academic success. There are many sports that will target some of the areas discussed, however, CrossFit Kids has taken steps to re-introduce what kids so naturally gravitate towards and which works all these areas in harmony, in a fun environment. Every child can benefit, kids with learning and social/emotional difficulties can particularly reap benefits from this “brain multivitamin”. It is vital that children go beyond the classroom. Free play and sports are crucial, we need to understand the brain needs these to grow, strengthen and gain speed. Only with this basis can our children truly flourish.
About the Author:
Laurence van Hanswijck de Jonge, MSc, PhD, is a Developmental Neuropsychologist and Coach who provides educational and neuropsychological assessments for English speaking children between the ages of 3 and 18. Her practice is rooted in Positive Psychology and her belief in the importance of letting our children flourish through building on their innate strengths. She is certified by the University of Pennsylvania, USA, to run the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy based resilience building programme for children. She is also a CogMed coach, an evidence-based Working Memory Training program (computer-based) which sustainably improves attention by training working memory. www.laurencevanhanswijck.com l.vanhanswijck@gmail.com
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Understanding SelfHarm in Adolescence BY GEORGIE BREMNER
Society is used to the idea of ‘teenage rebellion’: the expectation that adolescents engage in risky behaviours such as binge drinking, substance misuse and unprotected sex. We are less accustomed to noticing the more ‘hidden’ problems, such as depression and self-harm. In fact, whilst teens are turning away from alcohol and drugs, it appears that they are increasingly turning to self-harm as a way of coping with and expressing their distress. Amongst professionals working with young people, selfharming behaviours are eliciting increased attention and concern, with recent estimates suggesting that 27.6% of European adolescents self-harm (Brunner et al., 2014),
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As many countries continue to feel the squeeze of the global economic crisis, spending cuts to public services mean that schools will often be the first port of call for many young people who are self-harming. Increasing awareness amongst parents and school staff about which children might be most at risk, and understanding why young people engage in these behaviours, is a crucial step in tackling this growing problem.
What is self-harm?
Self-harm refers to any behaviour that is intended to cause deliberate hurt to your own body, with cutting being the most common method, although others include burning, stabbing, banging heads and other body parts against walls, hair-pulling and biting. ‘Self-poisoning’ refers to overdosing on prescription medication, or swallowing a poisonous substance.
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European countries tend to use the term ‘deliberate selfharm’ (DSH) to include any such behaviours both with and without suicidal intent. Canada and the United States, on the other hand, employ the term ‘non-suicidal selfinjury’ (NSSI) to explicitly exclude behaviours with any level of suicidal intention. Whatever the definition being used, it can be helpful to take the view of self-harm as a continuum of behaviours, ranging from those which have a strong suicidal intent (e.g. some types of over-dose), to behaviour which is a coping strategy intended to help the person stay alive (e.g. cutting).
Myths about self-harm
Unfortunately many people working with young people have unhelpful misconceptions about those who self-harm and why. Many see self-harm as a problem of teenage girls who do it to get attention, and even enjoy doing it. This fosters a blaming and unsympathetic stance, which is unlikely to be helpful for the young person in question, who is in need of help. Another damaging misconception is the belief that by asking a young person about self-harm or suicidal thoughts, you can put the idea in their head. This means that the problem is ignored, and may worsen, when it could have been addressed and dealt with. Understandably, self-harm is a difficult topic, and it can elicit a great amount of fear in those close to the person. Whilst self-harm is a serious issue, it is also important not to jump to conclusions about the person being a great danger to themselves and therefore in urgent need of hospitalisation. Although some forms of self-harm do carry a serious risk, this doesn’t mean that someone who self-harms is always intending to cause serious injury. Equally, just because a wound that isn’t “that bad” doesn’t mean that the underlying problem is not serious. Clearly a balanced and individualised approach is needed, as the motivations and methods for self-harm will differ from one person to another.
So who self-harms?
The short answer is that anyone can self-harm. This behaviour is not limited by gender, race, education, age, sexual orientation, socio-economics, or religion. However, there are certain factors that can increase a person’s risk of engaging in self-harm. Vulnerable groups include female adolescents, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, young people with a friend who selfharms, and young people who have experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse during childhood. Figures suggest that female adolescents are four times more likely to have self-harmed in the previous year than males (Madge et al., 2008).
However, it is also likely that boys engage in behaviours such as punching a wall rather than cutting, which others are less likely to recognise as self-harm. Interestingly the issue of self-harm appears to be a growing concern amongst students from middle and upper class backgrounds. The Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), which represents 275 private schools in the UK, reported a 57 % increase in schools reporting incidents of self-harm between 2010 and 2015. Increases in exam pressures and the influence of social media have been thought to play a role. Despite these trends, stereotyping must be avoided, as in reality self-harm doesn’t happen to one type of person, and it is difficult to get accurate prevalence estimates.
Why do people selfharm?
“This behaviour is not limited by gender, race, education, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomics, or religion.”
Most young people selfharm as a way of coping with overwhelming painful and difficult feelings, as they don’t know how else to deal with them. Reasons cited by young people for their self-harm include daily stresses such as feeling isolated, academic pressures, family breakdown, suicide or self-harm by someone close to them, and low self-esteem or poor body image (Mental Health Foundation). Self-harm in the majority of cases brings about “relief from a terrible state of mind” (Madge et al., 2008), although other common reasons include “I wanted to punish myself” or “I wanted to die”. Less common reasons are “I wanted to get back at someone” or “I wanted to frighten someone”. Common precipitants of any individual act of self-harm include arguments with a partner or close friend, family arguments, intoxication, or an incidence of bullying or abuse.
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“Given the known environmental and psychological risk factors, special attention should be paid to individuals who are experiencing bullying, family breakdown, or showing signs of depression, social isolation or low self-esteem.”
in activities that would mean exposing affected parts of the body, such as swimwear or sports kit. Frequent unexplained bruises, scars, cuts or burns may also be evidence of self-harm. Given the known environmental and psychological risk factors, special attention should be paid to individuals who are experiencing bullying, family breakdown, or showing signs of depression, social isolation or low self-esteem.
What to do if you think someone is self-harming?
Whoever suspects that a young person is self-harming should be able to talk and listen to him or her, in an open and non-judgemental manner. This is unlikely to be an easy conversation to have, and it’s important that teachers and other relevant persons know the “do’s and don’t’s” of how to handle such situations:
Do’s: • • • • • •
Approach the student in a calm and caring way Understand that this is a means of coping with difficult feelings Accept him or her, though you may not accept the behaviour Refer the student to the school based professional Listen and be available Help the student discover and use their personal strengths
Don’t’s: • • •
Say anything to cause the student to feel guilt or shame (e.g. “why would you do this to yourself?”) Act shocked or appalled by the behaviour Talk about the self-harm in front of the student’s peers Try and teach the student what you think he or she should do Judge the student Tell the student that you won’t tell anyone if he or she shares information about the self-harm to you, as it’s your duty to inform relevant others to protect the child from harm
Because young people often find release in self-harm, it can be difficult for them to envisage coping with life without it. However, self-harm is clearly not a good way of dealing with problems, as (beyond the obvious physical damage) the relief very short lived, which causes individuals to do it many times, and it does not deal with the underlying issues.
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How can you know if someone is self-harming?
(Adapted from Lieberman et al., 2009)
Self-harm can be difficult to spot as it rarely occurs in a public setting, and individuals usually make an effort to conceal any wounds that they may have inflicted on themselves. Staff working with young people should pay attention to any secretive behaviours, such as spending unusual amounts of time in toilet facilities or other isolated areas. Additionally, looking out for any student who consistently wears clothing designed to conceal wounds that often appear on the arms, thighs or abdomen is recommended. For example, consistently wearing long sleeved clothing in hot weather, or refusing to engage
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Teachers and other staff working with adolescents should know that they are unlikely to stop a student from selfharming, and understand that their primary role is to ensure that the young person is seen by an appropriate professional (e.g. the school counsellor).
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Interventions for self-harm
Although there are no specific guidelines for the psychological treatment of self-harm in adolescents, best practice is for the young person to have a detailed individual assessment by an appropriate professional within a mental health setting. The aim of this would be to gain an understanding of the self-harming behaviour, including the intention of the behaviour and the expected consequences. Details such as the individual triggers, the method used, whether it happens alone or with others, can be helpful for informing the intervention. Additionally, ascertaining the young person’s individual circumstances (such as areas of stress and worry) are important. Given the personal nature of self-harm, and the reasons for it, it is best practice for a young person to be seen alone. Depending on the outcome of the assessment, the young person can then be referred for therapy to address their particular needs, which may be the self-harm itself, or other underlying mental health difficulties such as depression. The psychological therapies with the largest evidence bases for the treatment of self-harm and related difficulties are Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). Both types of treatment would aim to increase the individual’s ability to manage difficult emotions, by helping them to make sense of their difficulties, drawing upon their individual strengths and reinforcing more positive coping strategies. These therapies would also aim to enhance particular coping skills with respect to tolerating distress and problem solving. It is often possible for carers to be involved in the therapy to a varying degree, so they can understand how best to support the young person.
Parents and teachers should therefore be aware that sites where teenagers are connecting with others who share what they are going through can be a very powerful influence, and unfortunately not always for the good. Thankfully, with increasing understanding and awareness, more young people are able to access the help they need. The many pressures of adolescence require effective and flexible coping strategies. If you think someone might be using self-harm to deal with difficulties, please don’t ignore it. With the right support, many young people successfully manage to adopt more positive and constructive means of coping, paving the way for a bright and balanced life.
About the author
Georgie Bremner is a Clinical Psychologist in training in London, who has worked with adults diagnosed with ASD who have mental health difficulties, using adapted Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Georgie’s first degree was in Psychology, Physiology and Philosophy at Oxford University, where she was awarded the British Psychology Society undergraduate award for obtaining the highest mark in an accredited Psychology programme. Georgie’s main research interests are in the development and treatment of anxiety disorders, notably social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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A word of warning about social media websites
One explanation for the growing numbers of self-harming adolescents has been social media websites. Not only has social media recently been connected to symptoms of anxiety and depression (risk factors for self-harm) but many sites have been associated with the promotion of selfharming behaviour. Even though sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr work hard to remove such content, they are unable to prevent some of their users temporarily sharing pictures of their self-harm and sometimes even giving instructions to others about how to do it. Colleagues who work with adolescents who self-harm have found that for some young people, seeing such images or posts can indeed trigger them to self-harm. Unfortunately, even forums that are intended to provide peer support, such as recovery blogs, can have this effect.
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Brunner, R., Kaess, M., Parzer, P., Fischer, G., Carli, V., Hoven, C. W., … & Wasserman, D. (2014). Life‐time prevalence and psychosocial correlates of adolescent direct self‐injurious behavior: A comparative study of findings in 11 European countries. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(4), 337-348. Lieberman, R., Toste, J. R., & Heath, N. L. (2009). Nonsuicidal self-injury in the schools: Prevention and intervention. In M. K. Nixon & N. L. Heath (Eds.), Self-injury in youth: The essential guide to assessment and intervention (pp. 195–215). New York, NY: Routledge Press. Madge, N., Hewitt, A., Hawton, K., Wilde, E. J. D., Corcoran, P., Fekete, S., … & Ystgaard, M. (2008). Deliberate self‐harm within an international community sample of young people: comparative findings from the Child & Adolescent Self‐harm in Europe (CASE) Study. Journal of child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(6), 667-677. Muehlenkamp, J. J., Claes, L., Havertape, L., & Plener, P. L. (2012). International prevalence of adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury and deliberate self-harm. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 6(10), 1-9. Truth Hurts (2006) The final report by the National Inquiry into self-harm www.selfharmuk.org http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/helpinformation/mental-health-a-z/s/self-harm/
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Help! My child is a social media expert, how can I keep up? BY NICOLA WHITE, EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY COACH, INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF ZUG AND LUZERN
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International School Parent Spring 2016
I recently held a technology workshop for parents on social media. Social media is a very popular topic among parents of tweens and teens. From my conversations with parents, they feel that their knowledge and experience of social media is far inferior to their children’s and it worries them because they are not part of their children’s online lives. Parents have a natural instinct to protect their children and this is one area where they feel they cannot do as good a job as they want. Parents are aware of the potential dangers and pitfalls of an online presence while their children seem to be somewhat naïve and unaware of how their digital footprint will affect them in later years. While parents want to be a part of this world and help guide their children, a lot of parents are completely baffled as to where to start. The title of the workshop was “Help! My child is a social media expert, how can I keep up?” and the aim of this workshop was to demonstrate to parents what exactly their children do on social media and how they can become more involved. So, I wasn’t too surprised when we had huge interest and attendance that day.
Social media study among teens
Before the workshop, I conducted a social media survey among our middle school students from Grade six to eight. I will refer to them as Teens. This survey captured information such as students’ grade, if they were a member of a social media website, whether they managed their own profile, what “real” information they include on their social networking profile, the main social media platforms they use, how often they use social media, what do they use it for, who do they connect with and if they accept friend requests from strangers. The results were interesting but not in the way we thought! Out of the 200 students who took the survey, 91% are members of social media websites, and 64% have their own profile while 23% share their profile with their parents. When asked what “real” information they provide on their profiles 68% said they provide their real name, 69% said they provide photos of themselves, their family and friends, 36% post videos of themselves, their family and friends while 37% provide their real email address. The main reason for this is because their “friends/followers” on their social media accounts are actual friends. The main social media platforms used among the children were WhatsApp, Skype, Instagram, YouTube and SnapChat.
“The children spoke of social media like it was a vital part of them. It was very clear that social media enhances their social connections, it is an extension of their face-to-face friendships.” The children don’t use Facebook as that’s seen as uncool and something that the adults and older people use! It belongs to the past! The majority of the students surveyed said that they access their social media sites seven days per week but only use social media for about one hour per day. As expected, social media performs a very important social function in teens lives, it is an important extension of their face to face friendships, 91% stated that they use social media to primarily connect and chat with friends. Other important uses were to share experiences (57%) and photos (53%) with friends as well as find out information (32%). Following on from that, 89% of the students said that they only connect with friends and family and people they know. A mere 8% said that their profile is public and they connect with everyone, however the majority of students said that they don’t accept friend requests from strangers. This was encouraging to the parents. On the basis of the information stemming from the survey, my team and I thought it would be a good idea to have the kids come to the workshop and speak to the parents directly so they could understand better the results of the survey and pose questions that their own children wouldn’t answer!
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International School Parent Spring 2016
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The social media workshop
Instead of me talking to the parents about various apps that Teens use and why they use them, I asked four Middle School students if they would attend the workshop and co-present with me. They jumped at the chance to be in the hot seat! After all, they are the expert users of social media, so who better to talk on this subject than the kids themselves! After introductions were made they took the lead and what happened in that workshop was wonderful to see! The students were amazing. They took the lead effortlessly and confidently and gave the parents their own expert advice on why they use the apps, how they use them, how they deal with derogatory or nasty comments online, what to look out for and the importance of setting boundaries and rules at home. The parents were completely engaged and visibly disappointed when it was time for the students to go back to class. They were definitely a hard act to follow afterwards!
The most popular messaging apps
Two seventh graders and two sixth graders talked specifically about the most popular messaging apps that they and the school community us such as WhatsApp and SnapChat as well as the most popular photo/ video sharing app such as Instagram. The children spoke of social media like it was a vital part of them. It was very clear that social media enhances their social connections, it is an extension of their face-toface friendships.
SnapChat
SnapChat is a text and video messaging app that allows the students to take quick pictures or videos and send them to their friends. The students said it is ideal for sharing funny moments, activities or even food with friends. They can add a caption or doodle to photos or videos or even create their own “Story” which involves a series of un-posed, natural photos taken throughout the day. The photos and videos disappear automatically after ten seconds once opened by their friends. The students advised the parents that although the photos and videos disappear, they are aware that they are stored on servers and they never go away. While the parents worry about disappearing photos being saved on servers somewhere, the kids didn’t seem too bothered. After all, they are just sending random selfies and goofy photos to their friends, what’s the problem with that?
Instagram is probably the most used photo and video app among the children. They love it because they don’t have to write too much text – a picture tells a thousand words so they spend time taking photos and videos of random things that they and their friends or they and their family are doing and will post to their Instagram account. They only follow people they want to so they only see things in their feed that they want to see. According to the children, the best thing about Instagram is the fact that there are very few adults on it! It is mainly a site for young people, a social place to share experiences with friends and family. There are no advertisements or spam articles to take the children off task as is the case with Facebook, everything in their feed is focused on content that they are interested in.
“As a parent, it is essential to know who your children are friends with, both online and face-to-face. ”
WhatsApp is an extremely popular texting app among the students. They create group lists, whole grade lists, best friend lists, any type of list to connect and communicate with each other. These group lists form a very important social function for the children. Even though they may not be part of the conversation they can see what’s happening and feel part of the social fabric of school and other friendship groups. The students themselves said that being part of all these group chats can be tiresome, its good to be in the loop and know what’s going on but they admitted that keeping in the loop can become very time consuming and so they will ignore some messages so they can concentrate on more important things. So parents, you don’t have to worry too much, your teens can decipher which conversation threads are important and which ones are not.
Group chats and friendship using social media
Teens like to try out new apps that their friends talk about. If you don’t have the app, you’re not going to be part of group chats and won’t know what’s going on in friendship circles. And this is where you lose credibility and coolness at a time in your life when it’s important to be part of social circles.
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Dealing with problems on social media
When asked by parents how they deal with nasty comments or taunts on social media all of the students said that they would deal with the problem themselves, by blocking the offender. If the comments were threatening they would take screen shots and show this to their parents or a trusted teacher. This piece of information was encouraging to the parents, as it showed that their children are not quite as naïve as they think.
Ensuring your child is safe online
As a parent, it is essential to know who your children are friends with, both online and face-to-face. Get to know them and their parents. If they mention “new’ friends names, don’t be afraid to ask questions about these new friends, find out all you can about them and try to meet them. I always tell parents that the best thing you can do is have a good, open and honest relationship with your child. Encourage constant conversations, ask them open ended questions about school, their friends, their after school clubs. Talk about different scenarios such as someone sending them a nasty comment or texting something that makes them feel uncomfortable. Work through how best to deal with these potential scenarios together.
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Know where your children are and what they are doing all the time. Be vigilant for sudden changes in behaviour, for example if your child suddenly becomes withdrawn and sullen or you feel they have suddenly become secretive about their life and friends, this is when it’s time to take action. Talk to your child, if your child refuses to share what is going on, the next step is to talk to your child’s teachers. It could be bullying in school and teachers can get to the bottom of it. If it is more sinister, such as grooming, its imperative that you talk with your child and let them know that if any online conversations make them feel uncomfortable they should tell you or show you so you can block this “friend” and inform the police. Instil the need for keeping themselves, their personal information and location private at all times. They should only “friend” people they know. Your child should always be able to confide in you. A workshop on social media usage among teenagers wouldn’t be complete without an understanding of the workings of the teenage brain. Knowing what’s going on with their children’s development during the teenage years can help parents understand their children’s obsession with social media and wanting their own mobile device.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
The teenage brain is still under construction. The prefrontal cortex is still developing. This is responsible for goal setting, attention, making executive decisions, understanding consequences and self-control. This explains why teens often engage in risky behaviour and are responsive to emotionally charged situations. Teens have no sense of consequences – this doesn’t happen until the age of 25! Teens are also super sensitive to rewards (i.e. “likes”). Peer acceptance and social acceptance are of paramount importance, which is why they will do silly things to impress their friends and will post silly pictures to make their friends laugh. They want to be accepted and liked. Teens strive for as many likes as they can get, the amount of “likes” increases their sense of self worth and value to their friends/peers.
The main advice from the students? “Parents, don’t stress!”
At the end of their presentation, the main advice the students gave parents was don’t get stressed about us being on social media. It’s our space to connect with our friends and to stay in the loop with what’s going on. This is important to us. Our social lives are vital and we are able to ignore group chats if they are silly and not immediately important to us. However, we do need to check our texts just to make sure! We are also able to handle nasty comments, we prefer to deal with them ourselves first before bothering you. Trust us, we will come to you if there is a problem. It is good to have rules at home, we need them. At the end of the day it is sometimes a relief when its time to turn off the phone and go to bed, we can have a break before it all starts again tomorrow!
Final remarks
Finally, my advice to parents is don’t be afraid to set boundaries and rules at home. Rules are important to children. They provide a sense of security. Some rules that I have suggested to parents include: 1.
2.
Drawing up the contract together encourages some meaningful conversations between you. Having your child involved in setting the rules gives them a sense of responsibility and ownership.
3.
You should have access to your child’s social media accounts until a certain age (again, you can decide this together in your contract). Know who your child’s “friends” are!
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Phones/ mobile devices switched off and left in a family room when your child goes to bed. No electronic devices allowed in the bedroom after bedtime.
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No texting/chatting while eating at the dinner table (that includes breakfast and dinner). Family meals are for face-to-face conversations
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Don’t ban or forbid social media sites because you are scared. Children are curious and will only want what you forbid even more! This will encourage them to go behind your back. Its far better to openly explore and talk about these sites together. You lose the fear and they may lose interest!
7.
As a parent you must lead by example. If your child sees you constantly texting and answering emails, even during family meals, they will emulate this behaviour and think it perfectly normal.
The International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) is an independent co-educational, non-profit day school, from Pre-School to Grade 12 serving the international community of Central Switzerland. The school contributes towards creating additional learning space for students from different nationalities.
Drawing up a contract at home between you and your child. Set out expectations for using of social media. Homework first then social time for a set amount of time in the evening.
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The IB Extended Essay Explained BARBARA MACARIO, CALLA INTERNATIONAL.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
What is the Extended Essay?
The Extended Essay (known as the ‘EE’), together with CAS and TOK, is a core component of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, and is mandatory for all students, regardless of the subjects they are taking. The aim of the EE is to provide students with the opportunity to research a topic of their interest, and showcase their knowledge and reading beyond the classroom syllabus. The essay also enables students to acquire some of the skills that are essential for researching and writing university Bachelor and Master theses. Students usually start working on their essay in the second term of the first year of their IB Diploma Programme, around January time. They will need a supervisor (one of the teachers at their school), who will meet regularly with them to help structure their research questions and guide them in writing the paper. The programme allows for one draft to be handed in to the supervisor for feedback, and then the second version is the final version. The Essay should be no longer than 4000 words, with a short viva voce at the end The process takes around a year.
Approaching the IB Extended Essay: How to choose a topic for the Extended Essay
It is generally best for students to choose a topic that they are passionate about, not least because they will have to work on it for a year! One way to choose is to take something that they recently questioned. For example, a Physics student watching the film ‘The Martian’, which was filmed in the Namibia desert, might have found it very surprising that Earth bears such a resemblance to Mars, and they could set about researching certain communalities and differences between these two planets. An English student might want to take a couple of poems and compare how the writers use a particular literary style. In Economics, a student might analyse the dynamics of a specific market (such as shoes, cars, finance, a food-type), against a particular theory. A History student might look at how the rules of two different dictators can be viewed through a certain ideology.
“It is normal to be overwhelmed by having too much choice for the topic. Brainstorming about the subject they most enjoy or are good at, and thinking more specifically about why they enjoy it can help generate ideas.”
The topic must be related to one of the six topics that the student is taking for their Diploma, or they can take an interdisciplinary ‘world studies’ issue that relates to two of their subjects. This requires that a global issue to be looked at through a local lens, for example how wider climate change, cultural, terrorism, technology or health trends are manifested in a specific context or place.
It is normal to be overwhelmed by having too much choice for the topic. Brainstorming about the subject they most enjoy or are good at, and thinking more specifically about why they enjoy it can help generate ideas. Taking two related things they are interested in (historic events, technologies, inventions, books, poems, geographies, markets, planets, experiments and so on) and comparing them against a related concept can also be a good model to start with. The topic needs to be approved by the IBO, which the school will help with.
How to choose a research question for the Extended Essay
Once students have chosen their topic, they need to decide on a research question. A wrongly formulated research question will turn this learning experience into a stressful one.
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but it is good to state why. If thinking around the question has started early enough, if there are too many barriers to collecting the data, it may be best to alter the question with the supervisor’s help before getting stuck in.
The body of the essay: investigating, analysing and writing
Once the research question has been set and tested, it’s time to start collecting primary and secondary data. Keeping a log of the data is a good idea. The results of the research can be put in an appendix and, where appropriate, referred to in the text. In the essay itself the data can be summarised in charts and tables. Once all the data has been collected, it can be analysed. The outcomes of this should be evaluated against relevant concepts and reading in the chosen subject. It’s a good idea to write out the arguments, structure, and headings before beginning writing so the essay is presented clearly and logically, using any terminology correctly. It is essential that the question is relevant, focused, that the answer is not a simple yes or no, but also that it is actually answerable. It is not necessary to prove the research question right - disagreeing with the initial hypothesis is perfectly fine. Questions will fall broadly into two categories: either they will be aimed at solving a problem, for example, through conducting an experiment; or they will lead to a research or study around the topic.
The introduction and conclusion
The question should not necessarily start with words like, ‘Does’, ‘Will’ or ‘Is’. To come to a meaningful conclusion, simply stating that ‘yes, it is true’ or ‘no, it is not true’ is insufficient. For this reason the highest scoring essays usually have a research question that start with, ‘To what extent’, ‘A study of’, ‘An analysis of’, or ‘How far’, or could even just be a statement to analyse.
The conclusion should be written at the end, and should not include any additional research or analysis. It should summarise what has already been stated. Examiners carefully look at this.
Students often set a question without contemplating if they are capable of answering it. It is important to evaluate how the relevant data can be collected, as an essay that includes both primary and secondary research will be well supported. However, it should be noted that in some cases it is only possible to use secondary data, which is fine,
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A rough draft of the introduction can be written at an early stage. After having collected, analysed and evaluated the data, the introduction can be adjusted to fit the essay. The introduction should explain why the research question is worth investigating, and how it relates to the subject, in other words, it should set the academic context for the essay.
The abstract and final sections of the Extended Essay
Abstracts were invented so that people who wanted to further research the topic could quickly learn if this essay would be valuable for their research. At the end of writing, the student needs to write the abstract, which is a 300word summary of the essay. It should include the research question, a very short summary of the analysis and the answer to the research question.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
Students also need a title page, contents page, references and bibliography, and any appendices (for example, containing any data). All of these things must be included in the word limit.
Deadlines for the essay
The official IB deadline is different for every school, and schools will let students know. 4000 words cannot all be written the weekend before the deadline, so careful planning is needed to avoid a last minute crunch. After all, it would be a shame to waste the amazing research and ideas by running out of writing time. Schools tend to set their own internal deadlines for their students to have completed different sections of the project, so it is good to be in constant communication with supervisors and relevant subject teachers to make sure each section is completed along the way.
The viva voce interview
The viva voce is essentially a short interview with the supervisor, in which they ask students to reflect on the strengths and successes of their findings, as well as looking at any areas that caused unexpected problems, and what can be learned from the research report. It’s nothing to worry about - it’s just something that can be greatly enhanced with preparation and thinking beforehand. They are also making sure that the report hasn’t been plagiarised!
A word of advice
Students often make the mistake of deciding on an easier, less interesting field of research, rather than taking on a more complex topic that fascinates them. If there is a subject that they are considering studying at university, now is a good time to really get into that subject – the finished product could help with the university application and interview. As long as the question can be tested with data and the student and supervisor think it is plausible, it is best to go for the more exciting option. The disciplines learnt during the EE are useful for approaching real-life problems, and knowing this can help keep motivation up. Learning to ask, “Do I have enough data about a given situation?”, or “What does this data allow me to conclude for the moment?” is never a bad thing! Calla International is an organisation that creates educational events for IB students to enhance their learning outside the classroom. Calla International also offers free opportunities for students to discuss their Extended Essay research question, proposed topic and research methodology with professional academics, such as Umberto Cannella.
ary d n o Sec ool Sch ng i Open
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From 3-11 years old Where life-long learning begins Geneva English School | Route de Malagny 36 | 1294 Genthod | Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 775 04 40 | admin@geschool.ch | www.geschool.ch
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Studying an IB Diploma Course Online – What Parents Should Know BY ANNE KEELING – ISC: THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL CONSULTANCY
This year over 3,000 16 to 19 year olds are studying one or more of their International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme subjects online. Instead of having their lessons delivered by a teacher from their school in a traditional classroom setting, these students are studying the course in a virtual global classroom, with an online teacher and with online classmates who are based in different schools and countries around the world. The Inter-Community School Zurich has been offering online courses to its students for several years. Here the IB Diploma Programme coordinator at the school and an online IBDP student share their experiences of learning in this way and offer some advice to parents whose teenagers might be considering the IB and online courses.
Studying what and how I wanted to learn
Hollie Smith studied one of her IBDP courses online. She explains why: “I wanted to do Psychology but there was no teacher at our school. There were people who
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wanted to do Business Management and Economics too but the school couldn’t have all the staff for all the subjects. Offering the online courses gave us a much greater choice of subjects,” she says. “My online classmates were from all over the world including Namibia, New York, Brazil and Copenhagen. This was really valuable as it gave me such different points of view. In Psychology you cover some quite ethical issues and it was fascinating to hear the different perspectives because of cultural influences. It opened my mind up to the fact that people see the world in different ways; there’s not just one right way.” Hollie says she particularly enjoyed the flexibility of learning online: “I loved the fact that I could do my learning whenever and wherever I wanted.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
“You can learn online anywhere in the world, when and where it is right for you.”
School timetabled two hours each week for online learning but it was up to us how we used that time. Outside school, I’d schedule about three hours each week, but that varied. Sometimes I’d do my online learning in bed, at the kitchen table, and on the plane when I was travelling. You can learn online anywhere in the world, when and where it is right for you. It gives you more flexibility and I really liked that, rather than being in a classroom having to do the learning at a very set time, in a very set place, when you’re stressed, or just not in the best mood to learn.” Hollie, who is now studying Psychology with American Studies at the University of Sussex in the UK, says her online learning experience taught her skills that prepared her well for higher education: “It definitely taught me self-
motivation and developed my time management skills and that really helped prepare me well for university. It made me feel confident that I could cope with the university way of learning. And I think it did help me stand out in my applications; I got all five offers from my university choices. I made a point in my personal statement to say that I had taken an online course. I think that definitely sets you apart.”
Supporting online learners
As the coordinator for the International Baccalaureate Diploma at Inter-Community School Zurich, Philomena Marchetti currently has 34 students who are studying at least one of their Diploma subjects online. Much of this learning takes place at home.
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“The school allocates periods within the timetable for online learning but it’s not mandated that this is what the students must do at this time,” she explains. “Online learning is very much about learning when it best suits the student and many of them choose to do it at home. As a result, the students sometimes equate the online learning hours to homework time and forget that they’ve had no classes during school hours. I often hear students say ‘I didn’t realise it would be so much work!’ They need to look at the learning hours and be very clear that a standard level online course will require four hours each week and six hours for a higher level course and if they don’t use the hours timetabled within school, then all that learning will have to take place at home.”
The challenges of online learning
Philomena says that knowing the challenges that will be faced as an online learner helps students to decide whether it’s a learning approach that they are prepared to handle. “Some kids want face-to-face time with their teacher, some kids want to be able to see someone straight away if they have a question, and some kids struggle to prioritise their learning and their assignments. Students really do need to be good at time management, self-motivation and engagement, or so passionate about their subject that they are prepared to improve these skills.” Philomena says that for those students who do approach the online learning in the right way and become familiar with the expectations, then the experience benefits them. “They broaden their skill base,” she explains. “They learn to gather information from different places, they learn to collaborate in a digital environment, there’s also the opportunity to learn from the experiences and beliefs of others, although not all students at this stage actually appreciate the value of this. It definitely helps them to become more able, independent learners which is good preparation for the learning style of university,” she says. “The online learners really do need to have good discipline and self-motivation, but these are important skills for higher education so if they practice them early, when they have the support of teachers and parents around them, then they will be better prepared for the next stage of their learning.”
“The Diploma Programme is a major commitment and online learning is an added challenge. Make sure they are making the choice for the right reasons.”
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International School Parent Spring 2016
Advice for parents
Philomena offers advice for parents to support their child with online learning: •
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Research the online course with your child really well. Is it a subject they are passionate about? The Diploma Programme is a major commitment and online learning is an added challenge. Make sure they are making the choice for the right reasons. Having said that, those who complete it are usually really pleased that they’ve taken their online course. Show them that you are interested in their online learning; ask them where they’re at with their assignment, and what they have to complete this week. Make sure your child is doing everything way in advance of their work deadlines; they will get tied in knots if they leave it to the last minute and then find they need help or collaboration and can’t access it immediately. Help them to allocate their time effectively. They should be setting short term goals for their online learning for each day and each week. Remember that during the mid-term holidays the online learning doesn’t close. So in February, if you’re up on the mountain skiing, your child might need access to the internet. The expectation will be that online learning is still going on, so help your child to make sure that happens.
Some parents go along with what their teenager wants to do and some worry, particularly as it’s a way of learning that they are not familiar with. As the school’s Site-based Coordinator (SBC) for the online learners, I am the one who feeds back to the parents and so I need to keep them informed. Parents need to know that if there are any concerns or if they want to understand more, they should work with the school’s SBC.
About the Author:
Anne Keeling specialises in international school media relations and has been writing about the international schools market for 10 years.
More information
All online International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme courses are available through the IB’s only approved provider, Pamoja. You can find out more and read about other student experiences at www.pamojaeducation.com
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Immigrant or Expatriate? How you see yourself can make a world of difference BY DEAN A W MARRIOTT, DIRECTOR OF THE WORLD LANGUAGE LEARNING CENTRE AT GEMS WORLD ACADEMY, ETOY
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International School Parent Spring 2016
A decision to relocate to another country is one that demands careful consideration.The excitement of starting a new life abroad could soon become an uncomfortable reality if your ability to integrate locally isn’t as straightforward as expected. The integration of migrants is a major challenge to countries and has been high on political agendas for many years, especially more recently. The Swiss Mass Immigration Referendum of 9th February 2014 highlighted this all too clearly. The fourth edition of the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) was published in 2015 and is a tool which measures policies to integrate migrants in all EU Member States, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA. It is a collaboration between CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs), MPG (Migration Policy Group) and the national partners with co-funding from the European Commission.
Some targeted support exists to ensure that immigrants have equal rights and opportunities to access jobs and improve their skills. However, this varies from canton to canton. Initiatives aimed at increasing work-related language courses have been established to help immigrants find jobs. In addition, basic language courses aimed at helping immigrants better integrate in their daily lives are also plentiful for the most vulnerable. Organisations in Vaud such as Français en Jeu, Lire et Ecrire and Caritas offer free French classes to adults finding themselves in situations of economic and/or social hardship. These organisations work predominantly on the basis of volunteer teachers, who not only equip students with the necessary linguistic skills to gain autonomy in their daily or professional lives, but also give an insight into the local Swiss culture and customs.
“When looking at factors which explain whether immigrants find skilled and wellpaid jobs in Switzerland, language was a key consideration”
In MIPEX 2015, Switzerland was ranked 21 out of 38 countries, Sweden was placed in first position, the USA 9th and the UK 15th. The study focuses on eight policy areas: Labour Market Mobility, Family Reunion, Education, Political Participation, Longterm Residence, Access to Nationality, Anti-discrimination and Health. Unsurprisingly, language competency is mentioned on numerous occasions throughout this report. When looking at factors which explain whether immigrants find skilled and well-paid jobs in Switzerland, language was a key consideration: 23% of non-EU men and women, both low- and high-educated, do not speak one of the national languages (and few speak 2-3).
One of my adult English students, Monique Polla, who is a Swiss national, has been a volunteer at Français en Jeu since May 2015. She works with a variety of immigrants from diverse backgrounds in small groups. She explained to me, “The classes are tailored to the needs of the students, who can select the most relevant topics from a menu of scenarios which extend from making a doctor’s appointment to applying for a job”. These organisations aim to encourage cultural exchanges and promote integration through linguistic independence and mutual understanding.
The Swiss education system is also very accommodating to immigrant children. Compulsory pre-primary education is available for all children from age 4, irrespective of their parents’ immigration status. MIPEX 2015 highlights that often this ‘includes targeted family outreach and support to learn the local and family's languages. Since 2010, cantons get financial support for projects increasing immigrant pupils' national and mother tongue language skills (e.g. teacher materials, training and extra courses)’. The study concludes with policy recommendations from the Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
One of these relates directly to education ‘Increase uptake of adult education and training for all groups, including migrants’. I would personally like to see languages playing a key role here. Before continuing, I’d like to pose a question: how do you refer to yourself in your new country of residence? According to the Oxford English dictionary, an immigrant is one who lives permanently in a foreign country, whereas an expatriate is simply a person who lives outside their native country. The inference being that expatriate signifies a less permanent status. Attitudes towards integration may, therefore, differ significantly as a result. Having looked at the approach to integration and the importance of languages for immigrants, I want to redirect my focus somewhat by looking at the more transient expatriate. Between March and May 2015, research company YouGov questioned nearly 22,000 expats based in over 100 countries for the eighth Expat Explorer survey commissioned by HSBC Expat, which is one of the largest global expat surveys.
“So, why do children apparently integrate more easily than adults when living abroad?”
The report states that a minimum sample of 100 expat respondents, including at least 30 expat parents, is required for a country to be included in the league tables. As a result, 39 countries qualified for inclusion in the report.
look beyond the economic appeal of living in Switzerland, the ranking drops significantly. In the Experience league table, Switzerland ranked 26th out of 39, with little difference in the Family league table, where it took the 25th position.
So what is dragging Switzerland down in the ranking?
By dissecting these results further, it becomes evident that integration is a major issue. In the Experience league table lifestyle is examined. Although physical health and quality of life fares well, ranking 13th out of 39, when expats were questioned about the ease of integrating with the local people and forming friendships the results are radically different, with a ranking of 29th out of 39. The situation deteriorates further when looking at the Family league table where Switzerland secures its lowest ranking of 37th out of 39 in response to questions concerning social life, relationships and how welcoming the country is from a diversity point of view. It is curious to note, however, that the situation does seem much more positive for the children of expats. In the Family league table, the impact of raising children abroad was considered: their health and wellbeing, ease of making friends and overall quality of life, which resulted in Switzerland being positioned 10th out of 39. So, why do children apparently integrate more easily than adults when living abroad? It’s at this point that I would like to come back to the issue of languages. Language is not only in economic terms a barrier to entry, but also in a social context. For children, when put into a new environment and surrounded by a new language, they instinctively observe, listen, repeat and, more often than not, embrace their new environment. Naturally, some support is necessary, and, fortunately, the many educational systems in Switzerland facilitate this, whether state, private or international.
The survey examined 3 keys areas: economic, experience and family. In each of these areas 9 issues were questioned and an average score calculated. Switzerland’s overall ranking was 10th out of 39 countries.
However, for the expat community, often relocating as a result of work opportunities where English is widely spoken, the desire to leave the expat bubble and acquire a local language is limited. Unlike their children, who often immediately encounter a need to do so, whether at school or as part of extra-curricular activities, and are able to see the direct benefits of this, the same need is not as apparent for adults. It’s a strange reality to see expat parents who don’t find time or effort to learn the language themselves, often acting as a major force to encourage their children to do so.
It is interesting to break this down further and examine the rankings in the 3 key areas. Switzerland came top in the Economic league table, which looks at personal finances, the local economy and working life. However, once you
So, what is preventing these adults from learning a language when the opportunities are plentiful and the advantages abundant? Running a language centre gives me an insight into attitudes and the ability of being
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International School Parent Spring 2016
able to observe trends with regards to language learning. This is where it is necessary to revert to the early question about how you see yourself in your new country – expat or immigrant, as this appears to be a key motivational factor. Those who have relocated and see their residency as more permanent show a greater willingness to throw themselves into the local language and culture. It does require effort and is a long-term investment, but the benefits are there. And the more they learn, the more involved they become locally, the easier it gets and the faster the integration process develops. For many expats, the effort of integration is too much. It is a long-term investment, and this is often in conflict with their short-term plans. Therefore, at an early stage, they determine that the initial costs of investment outweigh the benefits. The appeal, and comfort, of the expat bubble may prove too hard to resist. However, even a basic knowledge of the local language, customs and culture can go a long way and open many doors. Language learning itself can be fun and help you to meet like-minded people from a variety of backgrounds. Learning a language is not simply learning lists of vocabulary. There are many avenues to acquire language skills: whether you learn through song, drama or sport, with languages, a little can go a long way.
Despite some knowledge of French, however, I have found it difficult to integrate into Swiss society. I don't blame local Swiss people for not wanting to invest time befriending someone who might leave within a few years. Fortunately, I find the large expat community here to be friendly and welcoming. I have met people with very exotic and varied backgrounds and such interesting stories to tell. I am quite happy in this social milieu. Perhaps if I had a different personality, I would be able to befriend more locals. I know some people who are fortunate enough to be able to make friends with anyone wherever they go. I am regretfully not one of these people, being shy and a bit introverted. Having children does force you to be more social, and I have always made an effort more for my children's sake than my own! Personally, I would advise anyone moving to another country to begin studying the language before they go. Even just mastering the very basics would give you a head start and make the transition easier. It's the difference between not understanding a single word, which can be very intimidating and stressful, and being able to understand the general gist of what someone is saying to you. A willingness to communicate is key, as is respect for the local culture.
Case study: Shinri Furuzawa’s story
I was born and brought up in England. My parents were Japanese, so I didn't learn English until I started school when I was 5. At school, I studied French as my second language and did an A level in French literature. I also studied a language and civilisation course at the Sorbonne, and did a Paris Chamber of Commerce certificate in business French, when I lived in Paris. Having said that, my French has never been more than "passable"! I would hesitate to call myself fluent, but I get by in my daily life here in Switzerland. I would say the knowledge of French I have has been very useful. It helped me get part-time work in Switzerland, as a volunteer at the local ludotheque, and at an Italian international school. I also have been able to handle the logistics of settling in here, dealing with doctors' offices, insurance companies, banks, schools, garages etc. without great difficulty.
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The latest news from Switzerland’s top International Schools.
SCHOOL NEWS: The British School of Geneva iver! On stage with Ol s put on an BSG Primary classe n of Oliver! excellent productio lous Pupils showed marve thusiasm, commitment and en
one had a and each and every d result was role on stage. The en some future fantastic…perhaps in the making. actors and actresses
www.britishschoolgeneva.ch
Valais Research This year’s AS Geography field trip took
students to the Valais. They undertook research into the caus es, impacts and increasing risks of floods and how they are man aged within Switzerland. This exposure to data collection technique s will be a great resource to the class in their final exam.
ITU Trip
history at the ITU to learn about the fascinating Year 4 went to the Discovery Centre e exhibitions technologies (ICT). Through interactiv of information and communication ate us on very’s mission is to entertain and educ and educational programmes, ICT Disco in connecting ology alongside the role of the ITU the evolution and future of the techn in which students’ “Software Design” project, our world. The trip coincided with the g and required in designing, creating, testin they have been learning about the steps reviewing a basic educational game.
Escalade Our teachers were extremely proud of the determination and enthusiasm shown by BSG students running in this year’s Escalade race.
ium Visit to the Tropiquar Zoo & Project, Year 3 visited the As part of their Rainforest to get up ne. The pupils were able Tropiquarium near Lausan had been ny of the creatures they close and personal to ma temperatures were a nice studying, and the warm conditions outside. change from the snowy
Hundertwasser Exhibition The Year 9s were treated to a cross-curricular visit of the Hundertwasser exhibition in December at Quartier Libre SIG. The colourful work by the Austrian artist was a perfect opportunity to learn about Art as a medium to campaign for ecological issues, but also to practice French vocabulary in the context of the environment and urban versus natural settings. The students will follow in the artist’s footsteps by adapting his style of architecture to depictions of buildings and streets from their country of origin. We love to celebrate our diversity!
SCHOOL NEWS: Collège Champittet Pully Students discover fencing For the last month, students have been able to discover fencing a sport that allows them to develop flexibility and speed in all movements and acquisition of reflexes.
www.nordangliaeducation.com/our-schools/champittet
Boarding students travel to Vietnam During the autumn break our boarders spent 10
days in the North of Vietnam. They disco vered Vietnamese culture and its history by visitin g the first Vietnamese University dedicated to Confucius, the literature Temple and the Hanoi Jail an important place during the country’s occup ancy. Vietnam is also well-known for its delicious cuisine and our students not only had a chanc e to discover it but also took cooking classes. The group then visited Halong Bay which is part of the 7 Wonders of the World and famous for its beauty and tranquility. The main purpose of the trip was the proje ct in the Mai Chau region where students helped build a house for a family in need. The sense of effort, an important value of the boarding school, was strongly emphasised by students’ contributio n in the project. The contact with the family and the children of the village was precious and rewar ding. The group left Vietnam filled with emot ions and great memories!
owns the Arctic tion 2015 – Who Model United Na took place on Nation (MUN) day The Model United ools around thered 6 private sch 2nd October and ga CAS, ten 14th IB tic. As part of their the theme of the Arc . The students in this day of debates students participated Council, The uncils: The Security were split up in 3 Co ramme) and ns Environment Prog UNEP (United Natio Nation Animal The UNAC (United a fictitious Council a United Nations student represented Council) and every discussed and ey wrote resolutions, delegate country. Th rules. The MUN ict public speaking voted respecting str eaking skills and to practice public sp day allows students nts. allenge for the stude represents a great ch
Humanitarian trip to Madagascar Last October, a group of 11 students and 2 teachers travelled to Madagascar to take part in a humanitarian project. The schedule of the students’ trip was very busy. The aim of the trip was to help children in need and to work on a small health centre which was being built. The students also spent time with the children, taught them and played with them and discovered the rich culture of Madagascar. They also had a chance to explore the Madagascan wildlife through an initiation day of snorkelling during which they spotted turtles. Then it was time to go say goodbye and take
Travel diaries In autumn, our 7th grade students sent away a travel book
which is due to travel throughout
the world. Each student prepared a little notebook in which the people who will read it. The book was sent to a person
they wrote a little message to
of the students’ entourage (family
or friend) living in another country. This person will then write send it to another person in another country. The notebooks are off to very different destinations: France, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, Senegal and give you news of our books at the end of the school year,
a message in the book and
South Africa, Colombia, the the United States. We will
when we receive them back!
home all those good memories. «The scenery was amazing, everything I saw was astonishing, everyone was friendly and welcoming» says Inès (13th grade). The students truly enjoyed the experience and valued the learning they received from taking part in the trip.
SCHOOL NEWS: Geneva English School
Our New Campus e characteristics to lops to extend uniqu ve de ol ho Sc sh Geneva Engli . secondary students 16 on the current from September 20 gin be l wil e ak int 7 A Year er 2017. mpus for Septemb a new secondary ca h wit , us mp ca ry prima with an rriculum of England low the National Cu The school will fol Es. xt, and offer IGCS international conte
www.geneva-english-school.ch
Watercolours Club Some beautiful creations from the members of the ‘Watercolours Club ’. A Christmas Cracker Performing Arts Club ‘A Christmas Cracker’ was a massive hit with all the children! (Oh yes it was!)
Bananas in Pyjamas How exciting to roll out of bed and come to school in your pyjamas - just what everyone has done at GES today as part of our Escalade celebrations!!! Wake-up music ‘Bananas in Pyjamas’ in the playground, accompanied by the real thing (aka the Headmaster), sent the children buzzing to their classes…
SCHOOL NEWS: ISBerne
Our New P.E Teacher ISBerne students and swim team are r quite fortunate this year to be unde the instruction of our new P.E Teacher, Ivan Tcherepov, a national swim champion and record holder from Bulgaria. The swim programme and SGIS swim team are doing very well
http://www.isberne.ch/
under his lively instruction!
Winter Concert Just before the winter break, ISBerne
students held their annual Winter Concert. Weeks of prep aration went into not only the musical performances but also the dĂŠcor. The PYP created large shimmering pane ls that transformed
the hall into a warm, wonderful com munity event!
The ISBerne Ski & Skate Fridays The ISBerne Ski & Skate Fridays programme is off to a great start this year. The snow arrived just in time, and the sun shone two Fridays in a row! During our Ski & Skate Fridays, all students in Grades 2-12 enjoy a chartered train to Zweisimmen where they spend the day under the tutorage of expert ski instructors. While the big kids are away, our younger students, ELC 2- Grade 1, spend the morning learning to ice skate, then spend the afternoon enjoying collaborative activities. According to our alumni, these seven winter Fridays, have a way of etching wonderful memories that last a lifetime!
A D V ERT O RI A L
SCHOOL NEWS: All Special Kids (ASK)
ask
All Special Kids (ASK) Workshop: Teaching social skills to children with learning differences and special educational needs
all special kids
Here at ASK-All Special Kids, we are all too aware that many children with rich learning differences and special educational needs often miss out on a ng. and rewarding social life as interaction with their peers can be challengi Some of our children just find it hard to mix in with others and to learn the social skills that are so often taken for granted. Social skills include knowing to how to take turns in a conversation, how to express one’s emotions, how to understand what is appropriate behaviour in a social situation and how of recognise non-verbal communication through facial expressions and tone voice. As part of our children’s programmes, ASK offers a Bilingual Summer daily Day Camp at Collège du Léman, where social skills are the basis of the in programme. ASK also runs an after-school Social Skills Group at its offices Run the Ecumenical Centre (1 Route des Morillons, 1218 Grand-Saconnex). basic by trained professionals, these sessions welcome all children, offering and moderate/advanced social skills sessions in a small group of no more than 10 students. The aim is to help children make and keep friends, help them express their emotions appropriately and help them resolve conflicts and handle stressful situations. Each session is themed and below are some examples of what we have taught at recent groups.
www.allspecialkids.org
Making and Being a Friend It can be difficult to make and keep friends, so we learnt ways we could do this. Starting a friendship may involve finding out what you have in common with another person, so we played a game that helped us discover what we had in common with each another. We then played a compliments game to help us see how making someone else feel good can help build friendships. We were reminded that compliments must be positive and true. We considered the characteristics of good friendships and not-sogood friendships and learnt that good friends
romise ise. Sharing isn’t Sharing and Comp aring and comprom sh lls: ski l cia so nt o very importa k time: We worked on tw we did during snac ich is exactly what wh , ce cti pra of s takes lot the snacks. an easy skill and it se who did enjoy n’t care for with tho did we ks ac sn the s us and others we shared some of ise and how it make aring and comprom sh of ns itio ns fin de sharing expectatio We talked about the d about setting up an ng ari sh of ys wa out the different lpful and feel. We talked ab means, how it’s he mpromise: what it co t ou ab d ke tal ng. We also es we before actually shari adults!). Sometim lly difficult (even for rea be n ca it w ho ships, and mpromise, necessary in friend fun; if we never co ments and to have ree ag dis oid av to mething en we had to have to give up so ng into practice wh s. We put our learni nd frie ut ho wit s lve up mascot, group we might find ourse a group name, a gro order to agree on in !) lot a s es tim re proud of ourselve compromise (some ky number. We we luc up gro a d an , d, a group song em fair. colours, group foo d didn’t always se sn’t always easy an wa ich wh g, isin at comprom for working so hard
help us, include us and make decisions with us, whilst not-so-good friends hurt us, exclude us and boss us around. We made stress balls with flour and balloons for when we become frustrated or fidgety and need something to squeeze!
Manners We learnt that we need manners
Being a Good Sport We learnt that being a good sport means being a good loser and a good winner, and we brainstormed various ways we could be both. We practised being good sports, which wasn’t always easy, during the games we played. our Some of us practised dealing with our anger when the game didn’t go way, and others practised winning without gloating. We saw that winning be one game didn’t mean we’d win the next game (sometimes we need to a good loser and sometimes a good winner).
because manners help everyone get along. We learnt when it’s appropriate to say “Please” and when it’s appropriate to say “Thank you.” Sometimes we forget to give these responses in everyday life, so we need to practise them to get them right.
SCHOOL NEWS: GEMS World Academy
www.gemsworldacademy-switzerland.com
The role of parents at GEMS Wor ld Academy Switzerland? Parents play an essential role in the education of their children and at GEM S we believe that parents who take an active and consistent interest in their child’s educ ation at home will contribute to the child’s success in school. A study by Professor John Hatte from Melbourne Universtiy shows that “consistent engagement can add 2-3 years of formal education, result in high er grades, improve attitude, attendance, life choic es, social skills, behavior and effort.” At GEMS, we proud ourselves in prop osing an active programme for pare nts including coffee mornings, a varie ty of workshops, conference opportunities with teach ers, sports, whole school events as well as having a point of contact for pare nts to give any feedback and comments. Our work shops cover topics related to the learn ing that is happening in the classroom s as well as subjects particular to an international commun ity. What makes us even more proud is the active programme that volunteer parents have established for the scho ol community. The GEMS Parent Group organise 2 even ts per Term for the whole school and these have included a Winter Market, a fund-raising Gala, a family BBQ, bake-sales and a Halloween party. In addition, they have created parent sports clubs, Fren ch and German conversation clubs, parent social ski days and winetasting evenings, and they have designed a dedicated webs ite for all parents.
SCHOOL NEWS: GEMS World Academy
A better understanding of the International Baccalaureate® hosted an evening conference with special guest speakers Jeffrey On Thursday 24th November 2015, GEMS World Academy Switzerland Petty, Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at HEC Lausanne and A. Beard, Former Director General of the IB organization and Jeffrey S.
Academic Director of the EMBA programme.
the Diploma Programme benefits children through school The topic of the evening was the International Baccalaureate® and how tive project between the University of Geneva (Switzerland), and into University. The IB started its development in 1960 as a collabora d international curriculum. The IB is now offered at over Cambridge (UK) and Harvard (USA) with the aim of developing a recognize the final Diploma Programme. It is the fastest growing 5000 schools worldwide and every year more than 150,000 students take educational program in the world, but maybe the least understood. d, opened the evening and welcomed the speakers. Mr Dan Mrs Audrey Peverelli, Head of School at GEMS World Academy Switzerlan the IB programme contains and what makes it unique. The two Pearcy, the IB DP coordinator at the school spoke passionately about what an overview of the changing nature of the university sector. Mr guest speakers then shared their insights as experts in the field and gave working very well and have their limitations. In an increasingly Beard emphasised that most education systems around the world are not educated in one country and work in another is what the future “flat world” where borders are transnational, the ability of citizens to be global citizenship skills to understand different cultures. These is all about. It is therefore important to emphasize open-mindedness and The IB programmes are already doing this and have a “learner skills are amongst several that schools should focus on to prepare students. is rigorous assessment that all IB DP students pass at the same profile” which is embedded in the school’s philosophy. In addition, there getting into top ranking universities and finishing their time across the world. Research shows that IB DP students have more success There are less than 200 schools around the world that offer degree sooner. They tend to have better grades and go on to better careers. -Switzerland is quite unique. all 3 IB Programmes (PYP, MYP and DP) and therefore GEMS World Academy universities and colleges around the world are changing their Mr Petty focused on how higher education views the IB. He explained how prepares students to “fit” many more universities. Accreditation way of teaching and accepting students based on the right “fit”. The IB ding in students of their capabilities and values. IB students are boards around the globe are asking that universities look for an understan e approach to learning. An IB classroom has a teacher who able to articulate this. They are also taught to engage and have an innovativ way and on their chosen topic within the unit of enquiry in order shares knowledge and engages with the students who work in their own is developing now too. to experience and embrace the learning. This is how higher education e of the IB DP Programme and her life as a student at GEMS World To finish the evening’s talks, Danielle Oberman presented her experienc to Switzerland with her family at a very young age and went Academy Switzerland. As a South-African/Austrian/Slovakian, Danielle moved GEMS. She started her schooling at GEMS as a shy, scared girl to a Swiss public school for 9 years after which her parents moved her to IB programme and the school community. A quote that she not knowing what to expect but quickly adapted and came to love the to us a bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.” She was amazed explains symbolises her experience is from Oscar Wilde: “What seems and the caring environment. Today, Danielle loves learning and at the way of teaching, the support she has received from the teachers ng but embracing knowledge to grow. enquiring and her perspective has changed in that learning is not just memorisi
International School Parent Spring 2016
The Mentality of Reward and Punishment in Education BY SABINE HUTCHESON, EDUCATION CONSULTANT AT TUTORSPLUS
“Once upon a schooltime He did Something Very Wrong (I forget what it was). And She said he’d done Something Very Wrong, and must Stay in the school-room till half past two. (Being cross, she’d forgotten She hadn’t taught him Time. He was too scared at being wicked to remind her.)” Extract from “Half Past Two” by U.A. Fanthorpe
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International School Parent Spring 2016
Our memories of school are tinted with anecdotes which, hopefully for the most part, would bring a nostalgic smile to our faces. Dark memories, though, always seem more vivid and punishments we received are sometimes hard to forget. Is it because we learnt a valuable lesson and can now see how effective that was or is it that marks to our pride are indelible? Do we remember praise as easily? The debate on reward versus punishment as the most effective way to educate children is ongoing. It reflects the global mentality of a given education system.
The case for Action-Reaction
Punishing children for bad behaviour is present in all schools. It reflects how society works and teaches them that for every action there is a consequence. You can’t hit your classmate in the same way as you can’t later attack someone in the street. However, children are still developing and must first understand what is or isn’t acceptable behaviour before they can be punished for it. Prevention works wonders. Imagine you have already told a group of children they will only have 2 sweets each so that it is fair. If one child takes someone else’s too, you can refer back to your initial statement, then punish that child if you deem it necessary. The important thing is to give a clear explanation for the punishment, so that the child can associate it with the bad behaviour. Teachers work to understand what causes bad behaviour in an individual child because it is sometimes symptomatic of a deeper issue which requires attention rather than punishment. These days, we have obviously moved away from corporal punishment. The old-fashioned writing a hundred times what one must not do is rare and doesn’t teach students anything. Sanctions more often than not take the form of detention. In cases of bad behaviour, time alone at break or after school serves as an opportunity for reflection and a cooling off period; detention given for missed homework will eventually help the student take responsibility for their own learning.
Praising boosts self-esteem and a confident individual is more likely to be tolerant of others, calm and willing to comply. Bad behaviour does, indeed, often stem from frustration and a feeling of social inadequacy. Punishment works by instilling fear and aims to force students to conform and obey, but it does not necessarily help educate them. Punishment and negative feedback demotivate people. Surely, the role of schools is to help students find their own motivation to learn and behave in a socially acceptable manner. Too much punishment breeds bitterness and resentment, which in turn prevent learning from taking place effectively.
“Praising children for good behaviour has been proven to reverse bad behaviour.”
Discipline can be enforced without punishment
Catch them being good. This is the motto in progressive education, promoted in Switzerland’s International, British and American schools. Praising children for good behaviour has been proven to reverse bad behaviour.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
Most schools will find a balance between positive and punishing discipline. This is most obvious in the common point system, where points are taken away for bad behaviour (very much like driving licences) but also added to reward good behaviour. This leaves the door open for children to redeem themselves and so, rather than feeling discouraged by a definite punishment, they seek to put things right all the time. Some schools, especially British ones, only use the point system for rewards, whereas others, often more traditional French ones, use points solely as penalty.
The cultural factor
Rewarding or punishing isn’t just about discipline. It is a philosophy that will seep into all aspects of the school life, including assessment methods. The local Swiss and French marking methods fall into the punishing category. Students are expected to match certain criteria in their assignments and marks are taken away where errors are made. Pages riddled with their work crossed out and only their mistakes highlighted in red can only demotivate a child. The IB programme and English curriculum, on the other hand, base the assessment criteria on awarding marks for good work. Students’ answers will be marked against a set of criteria which builds up the number of points.
In such a system, feedback will mainly be given on what has been done correctly, so that the student can reproduce what he has done right, and will be given advice on how to boost his marks in future assignments. Ultimately, what works for one child may not work for another, and the success of an education system will depend on the quality of the balance between reward and punishment, which most teachers naturally provide, regardless of culture. Punishment suits children who seek firm guidance, reward helps fragile individuals blossom. The role of parents, teachers and schools is to find the right approach for each particular situation. When children grow up, they go out in life as the product of their education. As the late poet U. A. Fanthorpe illustrates in her poem, the way we were disciplined at school marks us deeply and the puzzled child we were remains within us, wide-eyed and seeking answers.
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Universität Bern
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ADVERTORIAL: International School Parent Spring 2016
The Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality The Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality(SSTH) has been a frontrunner in Swiss hospitality management education for 50 years, and as a member of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne Group and a part of the Swiss Hotel Association family, with 3,000 hotels, their degree programs enjoy the highest recognition in the industry worldwide. Switzerland’s world-renowned dual education system, based on two key pillars, offers both academic and specialist professional education. Both the Swiss Professional Degree and the Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management are accredited by the Swiss federal government. The BSc degree is legally protected in Europe in compliance with the Bologna Declaration and is recognized as a HES-SO (University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland) degree. SSTH (College of Applied Sciences) and EHL (University of Applied Sciences) are the only hospitality management institutions federally recognized for their English language degree programs in Switzerland. Since 1966, more than 5’100 students from over 100 countries have graduated from SSTH and are now internationally respected hospitality leaders. As we continue to strengthen our global Alumni Community, our close bond to the EHL Alumni Network - the world’s largest hospitality network with over 25’000 members around the world - represents an exceptional opportunity in terms of knowledge exchange and career prospects. The student body at SSTH is a unique composition of both international and Swiss students, to keep the community as diverse as possible. With students, staff and alumni from over 100 different countries, students study in a truly international environment, whilst experiencing real Swissness with our location in Graubünden, Switzerland’s #1 tourism region.
SSTH’s picturesque campus in Passugg, a former spa hotel, is 5 minutes from the city of Chur. It is surrounded by famous destinations such as Arosa, Davos, Flims, Laax, Lenzerheide, and St Moritz which open up many opportunities for students not only to experience international luxury hotels but the endless outdoor activities, from skiing to snowboarding and mountain biking to river rafting. For the more cosmopolitan experience, a selection of international restaurants and bars, designer shopping outlets and spa and wellness can be found in the city of Chur and surrounding cities like Zurich, Lucerne, Basel, Bern and Lugano. Contact SSTH for further information and/or to arrange a personal visit. Tel: +41 81 255 11 11 Email: admissions@ssth.ch
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International School Parent Spring 2016
Bilingual Summer Camp July and August
ask all special kids
A Fun, Friendly Inclusive Day Camp
ASK Summer Camp offers children the chance to develop social and study skills in a relaxed, encouraging environment, where creativity and learning go hand in hand. 46 |
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International School Parent Spring 2016
Meet Thomas Schädler, Director General, Collège du Léman | 47
International School Parent Spring 2016
Nick Gilbert, Editor of ISP Magazine, interviews Thomas Schädler, the new Director General of Collège du Léman (CDL) at their beautiful campus nestled between the Jura Mountains and Lac Léman, on the outskirts of Geneva. Thomas, it’s great to see you and we are very excited to be here at CDL – it’s such a fantastic location. Firstly, I’d like to go back to the beginning of your career, because you’ve been all over the world and led a very international life. Where are you from originally?
I’m Swiss, originally from Zurich. I trained as a teacher in Switzerland and after a few years of teaching, I went to Singapore, where I became the director of a school at the early age of 29. I spent 5 years at the Swiss School of Singapore (now the Swiss International School in Singapore). Then when Switzerland was voting on EU Membership in 1992, I was called back to Zurich to start an international bilingual school, as a group of proEuropeans wanted to create an EU School of Zurich. The school still exists, but I think it is called something like Bilingual Lakeside School, as of course they gave up on the European aspect! That was a great experience because it was the first bilingual school that I started up and headed. Before this I had a lot of teaching experience in an area of Zurich where there were a lot of immigrants. In 25 students, there was only one Swiss child, so I was confronted with very multicultural education right from the beginning of my career. In a way this kind of opened my mind, if you like, and followed me throughout my career.
How have these international experiences shaped your outlook on education?
After my time in Zurich, I spent many years in Asia, in Indonesia, going back and forth to Europe, the USA, the Caribbean, Berlin, as well as studying in the UK and doing another Masters in the USA. This opened my mind to a huge variety of views, value systems and expectations that different cultures have with regard to education. At the same time it has made me realise that in any country, wherever you are in the world, parents want the same thing. As a head of school, the best thing for me to learn was that the parental interest and care is the same whether you are in Indonesia, the Bahamas or Germany.
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Based on this reflection, have you developed a magic formula for international education? If I had a magic formula I wouldn’t tell! It was eye-opening however, to see that the common interest amongst parents is the same and this is really what makes it possible for international schools to function. If the basic interest of different families in different parts of the world was not the same, we could not have international schools, because you would have too many different beliefs and value systems. But the fundamental, shared core is all about love and care for your child, and wanting the best possible development for them. Parents usually want some traditional values in a school, but also for us to promote open-mindedness and a desire to explore the world. This is the same across Asia, the Caribbean, Germany and so on.
The formula that I have found is related to being Swiss. Despite the fact that I have spent more years abroad than in Switzerland, I have always had very strong roots in this culture and country. My personal formula that I try to promote at CDL is for the education to be of Swiss quality (just like the Swiss watch), with traditional Swiss roots, and take advantage of being in the mountains in the heart of Europe, but always to have a very open mind for other influences and views. It’s a little bit like Switzerland as a country – we have to open our hearts and eyes and minds to the world, because otherwise we can’t survive, but on the other hand, we want to preserve our very strong identity as a beautiful and successful country. So my personal formula for success is really to combine the best of everything.
What is the best thing for you about leading CDL?
For me, the very nice thing about leading CDL is that all the different parts of my career come together in one school. CDL is a bilingual school, offering the Swiss Maturité, the IB, a boarding section, with many different nationalities.
“We don’t have a high turnover of teachers because I believe people here are happy and it truly is a good working environment.” internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Spring 2016
Everything comes together in one beautiful school, so for me this is heaven – I am very happy here. This is also the biggest school I have taught in, which is also nice to come to later on in my teaching career. I’ve always swayed between big schools and small schools, very modern schools and then schools in need of real development. I left Berlin after 7 years at an extremely high-end school and went to Rome, where there was a lot of basic groundwork to be done. Doing a mix keeps you humble! So mine has not been a career which has always gone in an upward trajectory, but one which has posed different challenges along the way. Partly, my career has been driven by my interests as a teacher and what I wanted to do with my life. My dream was to go through the world and see a lot of different countries.
What have you learnt about your international students during your career?
Again, a very interesting experience for me has been coming to the understanding that most students across the world have very similar needs and interests. What varies tremendously is the type of respect they have for the school, teacher and the director, which is a lot to do with their value system. In Asia you find a lot of respect for older people, whereas in Europe this is less pronounced, but these things are not necessarily related to what the students need.
Every student all over the world wants to learn, to explore, and to be successful. In no other business do you have a market which is so even. It is more about how you deliver the education which varies from country to country. This is very important for us at CDL where we have so many nationalities and cultures represented – we have to find different ways of talking to the students and parents about the same thing. Same message and content, but personalised delivery.
You’ve just arrived at CDL. Do you have any plans for change? What will a student who graduates under your leadership be like?
You can’t keep on doing the same thing if you want to be successful as a school. I think that story ended a long time ago, so you have to remain open-minded, innovative and look out at the world to find out what the children need to be successful. We have a variety of challenges that we need to work with and prepare our students for. Our students are entering a world which is extremely competitive, so I want my students to be well prepared for and aware of the competition, which increases every year. The other big challenge is technology – it has changed the way we think, the way we work, the way we do business, and I want our students to be able to embrace this technology and use it to their advantage.
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www.carlbenzschool.com
International School Parent Spring 2016
Do you have a technology integration in the school?
Yes absolutely, we are one of the few schools with a complete iPad programme – every student in the school from Grade 3 to Grade 12 has one. They are encouraged to use it, and it is also a symbol of how we value technology. It is a fantastic learning tool, but you have to learn what to do with it and how to use it, and make sure that the students don’t just use it for games. We are now part of a group of 42 schools, Nord Anglia, which is a huge advantage because our students and classes can connect. Right now we are in the process of giving all our students individual email addresses, which will allow them to access a global portal to connect with other schools, classes, and students. For example, if a class is studying climate change and industrial pollution, they can now easily call another class in Beijing or Singapore where the pollution is terrible and ask them how it is, and they can have a joint lesson.
On top of the advantages that Nord Anglia brings, what is it that makes people come to CDL?
What do you think the parents of CDL students value most about the school?
It’s the bilingual aspect – we do programmes in both French and English. We are not a purely international school so we have very pure Swiss and French roots. Another reason would be that we have a fabulous mixture of children from many different backgrounds, providing them with a connection to real life and the real world. Many of our parents work very hard to be able to send their children to a school like CDL, which also makes it much easier for us as teachers.
“Sports, drama, and science all lend themselves very well to immersive learning because it’s not a huge issue if you get it wrong and you learn without noticing it.”
I don’t think it is one single thing, rather a combination of many different things. It is a school that has been here for a long time, with strong local roots and a welcoming attitude towards the expat community. The beauty of the location, the view of the lake and our open, village-like campus are hugely valued. If you walk into other schools you often have one big block with a fence around it, and we don’t have that. Then I think that the fact that we have students from age 2 to 18 on one campus adds to the happy atmosphere. And we are very international with over 100 nationalities.
We don’t have a high turnover of teachers because I believe people here are happy and it truly is a good working environment. It is an environment that challenges them to try new things, improve their practice, whilst sharing and growing as a teacher.
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That is one of the advantages of a big school because we can provide career progression and professional development and now being part of Nord Anglia we can offer even more to our teachers. Nord Anglia has its own university programme where teachers can do a Masters degree, in conjunction with Kings College London, which is extremely interesting for our teachers of course.
What are the principles and philosophies that CDL promotes?
We provide a highly individualised education which is the key to success now, and will continue to be the key to success in the future. We have now realised that the learning styles and needs of each child differs greatly. Schools have realised that the world is moving in this direction, towards catering for diverse learning styles. Some children learn best if you give them a project and leave them alone, others need a classroom environment with the teacher at the front telling them what to do, a third child works best in a team, and a fourth will absorb information best in a visual way. So these diverse learning styles are being recognised more and more in schools and in a school like CDL with the resources that we have, and the broad curriculum offering, we are able to cater for all of them.
internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Spring 2016
Switzerland in Europe and the world. The easy access to all the other cities – I can be in Rome in 1.5 hours for CHF50. Then you have London, Berlin, Barcelona and so on.
When you go sailing with the students, do you do that to help them get into it or because you like it or a combination of the two?
You’ve just built and opened an amazing gym and boarding house. You’ve bought and launched some new sailing boats. You run around 195 extra curricula activity sessions per week, what other areas are you looking to develop?
I was on the boats yesterday! Excellent wind conditions! We need to promote sailing at CDL, it is fantastic. We need more boats! Separate to this, what is really exciting now that we have joined Nord Anglia is that we are benefitting from a collaboration with The Julliard School in New York, one of the most famous performing arts schools in the world. This means that CDL students will learn from an innovative music curriculum developed by experts at Juilliard. We’re also excited that CDL will be hosting the first Juilliard performing arts summer school in July next year! The power of these 42 international schools combined gives us enormous opportunities at CDL.
For the parents, and being Swiss yourself, how do you make the most out of Switzerland?
For me it is slightly different because I am coming home after 30 years abroad, so I have always had the question, “how do I ever go back?”, on my mind. I really enjoy Switzerland to its fullest extent, with all the advantages it has in comparison to other countries that I have lived in. The key to Switzerland is the beauty of the country and the easy access to it. I can tell you from my experience of living in Rome, that the countryside there is very beautiful but you cannot go on a hike because there are no hiking paths anywhere. Even if there is one, it is never described in any guides. I have just bought a lovely bicycle, and here I can use it, whereas in other countries I have lived in, you cannot use a bicycle because they have only main roads. So the beauty of the country and the easy access to fun and activities is the secret to enjoying Switzerland to me. At the moment, whenever I have time, I am on the lake, and on bikes. Another thing of course, is the central position of
Both! I love sailing, it is a passion of mine. And of course I want to see what our children do, what the programme needs in order to be better promoted. Yesterday the children came up to me and said that if they could find a better, stiffer genoa sail, they could go faster. They asked me who they should approach for some money to buy a new sail so I told them they were speaking to the right guy! So I do it for the direct contact with students, the activity itself, and to understand what is going on.
What are the future trends for the future of education?
Place-based learning, and hyper-blended learning are both terms you will hear in the future, as well as immersive language learning. Sports, drama, and science all lend themselves very well to immersive learning because it’s not a huge issue if you get it wrong and you learn without noticing it.
Are there any challenges that education faces?
Our biggest challenges are really the things I have mentioned. Market pressures inside and outside. Technology and how to make the best use of it in the schools. I feel like we are just at the beginning – we call children born after 1996 digital natives. My youngest daughter is like that and I have seen that with her. She is 19 and studying at the arts university here. She was Whatsapping me when I was very busy during my first working week and she asked me how to send a letter by normal mail. You wouldn’t believe it, she eventually called me and said “and now I am standing in front of this yellow box on the street, are you sure I have to put it in this box?”. It sounds ridiculous, but from her point of view I can understand it because to her, you send mail via the internet! I have to stop here because I have another meeting, but it was really fantastic to chat!
Thank you so much for your time, Thomas, it was great to chat to you. Hope to see you again soon!
Collège du Léman is a private international school founded in 1960 in Versoix, of the Swiss Canton of Genève. CdL is part of Nord Anglia Education. For more information: www.cdl.ch
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International School Parent Spring 2016
My Child Goes to an International School BY CHRISTINE KNIGHT AND SARA DUBLER – HAUT-LAC INTERNATIONAL BILINGUAL SCHOOL
The definition of what it is to be an international school, or more precisely, a school providing an internationally minded education, has been debated for years if not decades and covers a wide spectrum. When deciding on an international school for their child(ren), parents should be aware of this fact, and establish where on the continuum the best choice for their particular family situation lies.
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internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Spring 2016
The first international schools were defined by their curriculum – the American School of X and the British School of Y – and frequently had embassy links, providing a “home from home” for expats on assignments abroad. At best, such schools demonstrated their lipservice to an international outlook by a “flags, foods and festivals” approach of fun activities rather than weaving internationalism into the fabric of what students learned and experienced on a day to day basis, a philosophy which took some time to evolve.[1]Their mission was to prepare students for the same school-leaving qualifications as their peers in the country of origin, on the assumption that they would be returning there to pursue higher education. They also attracted varying numbers of local nationals, whose ambition it was to eventually study in the UK or the USA, for example.
“Interestingly, the monopoly of the USA and the UK as the geographical hubs of the most desirable further education centres in the world has been broken over the years by institutions spread across the globe.”
The inception of the International Baccalaureate[2] in 1968 gave new meaning and purpose to the delivery of an international education : learning one or more additional languages, having an understanding of other cultures, and aware of one’s social responsibility as a global citizen, as defined in the criteria for the ECIS Award for International Understanding.[3] Add to this a diversity of nationalities in the student body, interaction with the host country community, and university destinations around the world, and internationalism becomes less of a label and more of a way of life. Even so, it is a question of degree, and a precise definition is elusive. At a conference in Italy in 2009 the International Association of School Librarianship established a list of criteria that a truly international school should fulfil which included, in addition to the above, ease of transferability, international accreditation and non-selective enrollment.
Some of the older ‘overseas’ schools adapted to the growing trend and introduced the IB, many more new ones were established. They ranged from relatively small individual institutions, founded and overseen by families or trusts, to worldwide networks run on a corporate scale. The IB not only found favour with so-called expat schools, but was also adopted in many countries instead of or alongside the national curriculum in state schools. The quality of the IB is ensured by a centralised approach to curriculum, training, examinations and assessment, and regular authorization visits to schools. In addition, there are also a number of accreditation services such as the Council of International Schools[4] or the New England Association of Schools and Colleges[5] , that ensure that the physical, professional and financial framework within which the education is delivered provides students with the best possible environment and opportunities both academically and in terms of their personal well-being.
The International Baccalaureate is not only a means to an end. Behind the elements of its Learner Profile lies the intention that these should evolve into lifelong guiding principles, fulfilling the aim of the pioneers at the heart of the IB, that of creating global citizens truly aware of the world around them and the opportunities for interacting with it in the interests of peace and understanding.[6] It seems surprising that some colleges and universities are still reticent about accepting the International Baccalaureate qualification.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
They misguidedly attempt to interpret the individual subject results of the IB Diploma by seeking to equate them with grade levels of systems that they are more familiar with, thus depriving themselves (and their potential students) of the full appreciation of its intrinsic value which lies in the work that was invested to achieve the sum of all its parts. They are outnumbered by those institutions that recognize the rigour of the IB programme which also promotes the skills of research, critical thinking and perseverance. IB students are known to have a lesser drop-out or failure rate early on in their tertiary studies. Interestingly, the monopoly of the USA and the UK as the geographical hubs of the most desirable further education centres in the world has been broken over the years by institutions spread across the globe. Rankings no longer just take into account ‘the best’ in terms of results, research and publications, but recognize that there are other qualities that merit consideration. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings data, for example, includes ‘international outlook’ as an important indicator[7] The IB is currently no longer the only academic programme designed to be used by an international or internationally-minded student population, but it remains the ‘gold standard’ the world over. Alternatives, all UK based, include the International General Certificate of Education (a variant of the British GCSE qualification) and the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), offered by Cambridge International Examinations[8]; the International Diploma and other qualifications awarded by Edexel[9]; and the newer International Primary and Middle Years Curricula (IPC and IMYC) [10]. Accordingly, it must not be forgotten that the values and outlook of most “International” schools are rooted in the “western tradition”, and that their language of instruction is generally English or bilingual (integrating the host country language). There is still scope to explore further avenues in the development of what can be considered the ideal of a widely applicable international education! In conclusion it is also worth mentioning that parents interested in looking at the educational offerings available to their children in Switzerland as an alternative to the ‘public’ state system need to be clear that although an international school is generally private, a private school is not necessarily international, terms which tend to get confused here. Browsing the websites of bodies such as the Swiss Federation of Private Schools[11] or the regionally more restricted Association Vaudoise des Ecoles Privées[12] , both of which also provide advisory services, demonstrates the rich variety of schools that consider themselves ‘private’ by definition. Some have their origins in times when such establishments were founded to meet the needs of (Swiss) parents who wanted something more ‘specialised’ or
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‘different’ for their offspring and could afford to pay for it. As such, they were regarded as elitist and, often incorrectly, had the reputation of being places where you might send a ‘difficult’ child. Thankfully, this perception has now changed, and the schools that have survived, or have been more recently set up, voluntarily submit to the quality criteria of the Swiss Private School Register[13]. They still serve a predominantly Swiss clientele but can equally be a valid choice for an expat family. It is important for parents to examine more closely which of the listed schools are actually also international – or to refer to websites of organisations whose membership is specifically comprised of international schools, such as the Swiss Group of International Schools[14] or, on a larger scale, the Council of International Schools[4]. These are the best sources of information both for the mobile expat community as well as interested local families who have may have spent a part of their life abroad, or who simply want to give their children the opportunity to broaden their horizons. It takes some time and effort do the necessary research to discover the various types of education available and learn about the differences before making an informed decision – but it is certainly worth the investment before one starts paying the fees!
internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Spring 2016
Haut-Lac International Bilingual School successfully combines the benefits of a close-knit community with the demands of 21st century learning. A private ‘local’ school by virtue of its origins and location – it was founded in 1993 by two families who had decided to make their home in the Vevey area - it is decidedly international in character. From the start, the emphasis was on providing a bilingual English/French education with a global outlook, thus allowing expat and Swiss families to benefit equally. As the school grew, and a pre-university programme was introduced, the curriculum choice could be no other than the International Baccalaureate. In addition, the option for students to follow a predominantly English-speaking programme (with French as a Foreign Language) was made available in parallel to the bilingual classes. Twenty years on, and several times its original size in physical campus and student enrolment, the same formula is still applied with great success. Many of the students leaving Haut-Lac go on to further education in Switzerland and mainland Europe, but the UK, and increasingly the USA, are equally popular destinations.
[1] ASCD publications, Educational Leadership series, The World in the Classroom, October 2002, Volume 60, Number 2 [2] www.ibo.org [3] www.ecis.org [4] www.cois.org [5] www.neasc.org [6] Marie-Thérèse Maurette, Pioneer of International Education, by Georges Walker (Director General of the Ecolint from 1991 to 1999) [7] www.timeshighereducation.com/ world-university-rankings [8] www.cie.org.uk [9] www.qualifications.pearson.com [10] www.greatlearning.com [11] www.swiss-schools.ch [12] www.avdep.ch [13] www.swissprivateschoolregister [14] www.sgischools.com Co-authored by Christine Knight and Sara Dubler of Haut-Lac International Bilingual School. Christine, herself a TCK, has been a teacher and administrator in schools in the UK, Spain and Kuwait before coming to Switzerland to take up her current post of Head of Administration. Sara completed her schooling at Haut-Lac, and after studies in the UK and France, has returned to the school as Communications and Alumni Coordinator.
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ADVERTORIAL: International School Parent Spring 2016
International Gastronomy World-renowned chef, Anton Mosimann, signs exclusive partnership with Swiss Education Group in the presence of Stanislas Wawrinka Montreux, 7th December 2015 – Swiss Education Group, the leading Swiss provider of hotel management and culinary education, has announced the signing of an exclusive partnership with the world-renowned Swiss Chef, Anton Mosimann OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). As part of this partnership, the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland in Le Bouveret, in the Swiss Canton of Valais, will open a three-storey wing of its campus in June 2016, dedicated to preserving and displaying The Mosimann Collection on a permanent basis. “I feel deeply connected to this region, so I am particularly pleased to be able to place this important piece of Swiss heritage in a dedicated area belonging to one of the most prestigious culinary schools in the world. Swiss Education Group and I share the same values and requirements for excellence, so it is to my partner of choice that I am entrusting a large part of my collection, which I have built up over the course of my career,” explained Anton Mosimann.
A unique private collection
The Mosimann Collection includes thousands of items related to the culinary passion and professional career of Anton Mosimann. This unique private collection will be made available to students and professionals in his country of origin next year. Born in Solothurn, Switzerland, Chef Anton Mosimann, who often sports a bow tie, is able to look back on a brilliant career. His guests include members of royal families, politicians, heads of state and numerous personalities from the world of show business, hailing from all four corners of the globe. He has led the culinary teams serving five British Prime Ministers, from Margaret Thatcher to David Cameron, as well as four generations of the British Royal Family. In 2011, he was entrusted with providing the food for the evening reception following the
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“The programmes furnish students with a blend of skills and knowledge in gastronomy and the culinary arts”
internationalschoolparent.com
ADVERTORIAL: International School Parent Spring 2016
wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton. He also manages the prestigious Mosimann’s dining club in London. “It is a great honour to be able to count on the collaboration of one of the best chefs in the world. We are constantly striving to achieve excellence in teaching, and through this partnership we are demonstrating our commitment to encouraging creativity amongst the young students at the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland, while also providing them with inspiration for their future careers,” commented Florent Rondez, CEO of Swiss Education Group. This partnership with Anton Mosimann is also involved in the future investments of the group, which will extend the campuses of the César Ritz Colleges Switzerland in Le Bouveret, Luzern and Brig, beginning in 2016 with an investment of over 40 million Swiss Francs in the next three years.
Culinary creativity at the top of its game
This exclusive partnership was officially unveiled in the presence of world number 4 tennis player, Stanislas Wawrinka, who acts as an Ambassador for Swiss Education Group, and who chose this occasion to reveal his favourite dish: “Wawrinka-style” Rösti, a popular Anton Mosimann dish, which was reproduced by the students of the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland as part of a competition. Equally passionate about cuisine, Stanislas Wawrinka enthused: “I am truly honoured that such a personality in the culinary world has created my favourite dish, and I am extremely impressed by the magnificent way in which the recipe has been reinterpreted by the students at the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland.”
About the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland
The Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland is located within the campuses of the world-renowned César Ritz Colleges Switzerland in Lucerne and Le Bouveret, in both Germanand French-speaking Switzerland, offering students a unique exchange with hospitality management students.
About Swiss Education Group
With around 7,000 students per year on seven campuses, Swiss Education Group is Switzerland’s leading hospitality educator. With the establishment of its first school in 1992, the group stays true to tradition and training excellence, focusing on the practical aspects of hotel management in order to meet the requirements of the principle operators in the business. All courses are offered in English. A wide variety of programmes are offered with qualifications ranging from Diploma to Master level. Partnerships with the University of Derby (UK), Northwood University (USA) and Washington State University (USA) ensure that students’ qualifications are internationally transferable. As a worldwide ambassador of best practices in Switzerland, Swiss Education Group enjoys the benefit of being highly esteemed by tourism and hospitality industry professionals. Locally, the group is an appreciated economic player bringing many international students and visitors into the regions where the schools operate. The group employs more than 700 staff. Swiss Education Group is a member of ASEH, the Swiss Hotel Schools Association, meeting the required quality criteria.
For media contact: •
Cabinet Privé de Conseils SA Yvonna Schindler – schindler@cpc-pr.ch – +41 (0)31 519 10 00
•
Swiss Education Group Cristina Zogg, Director of Brand, Marketing and Communication +41 (0)21 966 47 64 czogg@swisseducation.com www.swisseducation.com
Established in 2006 as part of César Ritz Colleges Switzerland and member of Swiss Education Group since 2012, the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland is an internationally renowned institute for culinary education based on the quality and excellence of Swiss hospitality traditions. Its programmes focus on the skills required in both operations and management, and seek to foster teamwork and creativity. The programmes furnish students with a blend of skills and knowledge in gastronomy and the culinary arts and prepare them thoroughly to lead restaurant or kitchen teams, while also offering a specialisation in pastry and chocolate arts. Partnerships with world-leading academic institutions as well as with the hotel industry, such as The Ritz Paris and The Ritz Escoffier School, ensure that students’ qualifications are internationally transferable.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
Switzerland’s International Schools Flex Their Muscles BY ANNE KEELING – ISC: THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL CONSULTANCY
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internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Spring 2016
Switzerland has experienced very few new international school developments in recent years. According to data by The International School Consultancy (including ISC Research) which tracks what is happening within the world’s international schools market, between the academic years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 enrolment in English-medium international schools in Switzerland rose by over 2,000 students despite the fact that just one new school opened in that time. This means there are now 105 English-medium international schools in Switzerland, teaching a total of 73,631 students. Some international school closures in Switzerland last year caused expatriate parents as well as educators and mobility professionals some concerns. However Marc Ott, a committee member within the Swiss Group of International Schools (SGIS) and Head at the Leysin American School, gives families reassurance: “Parents of school age children coming in to Switzerland and those looking for schools shouldn’t be concerned about a lack of availability of international schools,” he says. “The government initiative proposing quotas on the number of immigrants entering Switzerland remains an uncertainty and that is why some businesses right now are not investing in Switzerland. As a result, the natural outflow of expatriates is higher than inflow which is why some international schools have been hurting.”
A new secondary for Geneva
One of the most populated areas for international schools in Switzerland is Geneva which will be seeing the expansion of the Geneva English School in 2016. After more than fifty years as a school for primary and early years children, the Geneva English School will be accepting a year 7 intake from this September (2016). It will open a brand new secondary campus for years 7, 8 and 9 in September 2017, growing year on year from that point. The school insists that its small community ethos, which has allowed it to focus on the academic and personal development of each individual learner and which has helped it to forge a considerable reputation, will continue with this expansion. “It is certainly our deliberate objective to be a smaller educational establishment,” says Headteacher of Geneva English School, Stephen Baird. “We believe it allows us to do things that would not be easily possible in schools where there are several thousand pupils, such as focusing on the personal development of every child. All of our staff know most of our pupils and vice versa. This makes everyone feel very secure and part of a supportive community.” The small school ethos will provide an alternative secondary choice for expatriate families amidst the many expansive international schools within the Geneva area, several of which have student populations well over 1,000 students.
However, three of Switzerland’s international schools are showing their confidence in the demand for student places with new school buildings and expansions.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
According to Stephen, for many years families involved in the school have wanted a secondary school reflecting the primary school ethos and orientation. “What our parents particularly like is the fact that, because of our size, we can provide a wide range of experiences to encourage every student to become an ‘all-rounder’ within a school community that’s the right size for confidence-building,” he explains. “I believe the addition of a secondary school will allow us to continue this and make us stronger.” Geneva English Secondary School will offer IGCSEs at Year 11 and will make a decision about whether to offer A-Levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Sixth Form level at a later stage pending more investigation.
New learning environment for the International School of Berne
Also preparing for a new opening is the International School of Berne (ISBerne). The school which has, until now, adapted its original building space as it has expanded, is investing in a new purpose-built campus designed to bring all years within the school together. The new campus will officially open in March 2017.
Richard Swart, the Director of the International School of Berne says “Schools work much better when they are coordinated and things work from Kindergarten to Grade 12. So the new building is a single space with all our grade levels on one floor separated by dedicated corridors and coming together in an open atrium where everyone meets.” Richard says the single space will be beneficial to both students and staff. “Students react better to each other in mixed age groups,” he explains. “Older students are more aware when they are around younger students about the responsibility that they carry as young adults. This opportunity for a social message is at the heart of our school.” As for benefitting the staff, Richard says the chance to share teaching and learning experiences and best practice will be a focus in the purpose-designed space. ISBerne’s new school building will include adaptive learning spaces to allow for all possible learning opportunities. Science labs, for example, will include mobile science benches and retractable utility pods so that teachers can create the best learning environments for demonstrations, practical experiments and collaborative sessions. Achieving the highest standards for sustainability, the new building will boast such features as smart lighting and solar energy.
Three reasons to enrol at our language centre Practical language learning for adults and children
Our World Language Learning Centre is open to the whole community and offers: • Intensive and individual courses in English, French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic and Dutch • Evening courses for adults • After-school classes for children • Language support and revision classes for the IB, French BAC, A Levels, Maturité and Abitur • Bespoke language and presentation courses for companies • Examination and non-examination courses
Summer “Language in Action” programmes
• Learn French or English using theatre techniques as well as our TV and radio studios • For children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years
Wednesday afternoon language through drama classes • For children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years
For further information or to reserve a place in person, contact us at GWA-Etoy, La Tuilière 18, 1163 Etoy by email at: language_gwe@gemsedu.com by telephone on: +41 (0)21 964 18 18 Places are limited so please register well in advance. www.gemsworldacademy-etoy.com/wllc
International School Parent Spring 2016
The school is also investing in additional expertise to respond to the new learning environment, including a technology coach. “His sole role will be to teach our staff how to teach in this new world of technology,” explains Richard. “We believe that’s really important. Schools now have access to technologies that allow collaboration 24/7, that allow teachers to differentiate for every student’s need , that enable students to learn anywhere and anytime, so freeing up classroom time for more learning interaction between students and their peers, or between subjects; between maths and science for example, or between different grades. As a school with the right technologies in place, we will be able to take advantage of these opportunities if we have the right expert support available to us.” The new campus, which will continue to be located in Gümligen, will allow for expansion from 300 to 400 students with land space for possible future boarding facilities. Buses will be added to allow easier access to families in surrounding Neuchâtel and Solothurn. As the only internationally accredited English language school in the canton, and the only one to offer all three International Baccalaureate programmes (Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme), school leadership is confident the additional capacity will be filled quickly. “Our accreditation is hugely important for us,” says Richard. “The school is accredited by three different accreditation programmes; the International Baccalaureate (IB), the Council of International Schools (CIS) and by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Our accreditation gives parents the guarantee that we do what we say we do and that we are continually striving to do even better!”
State of the art learning at new Lausanne campus
This academic year has already seen the opening of a new campus for the International School of Lausanne (ISL). Director Lyn Cheetham explains the motivation behind ISL’s new school building: “We thought carefully about what a world-class education would look like for our students who learn, study and who will eventually work in an ever-changing global society,” she says. “After working with parents, students, staff and the Board, it became evident that in order to achieve this, we would have to broaden the curriculum and choice of subjects, improve the facilities, and increase and diversify the student cohort.”
As a result, two years after the ground-breaking for the CHF 46 million school expansion, ISL began its 20152016 year in the state-of-the-art campus, offering five new International Baccalaureate Diploma subjects, and delivering learning to 820 students from 66 different nationalities. The custom-designed campus has open and nontraditional learning spaces to facilitate the development of such skills as collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication. The school now boasts a 400 seat auditorium, high-tech science, technology and math labs, a multimedia broadcasting and recording studio, drama studios, sound-proofed music spaces, specialist art and science exploratory rooms and labs, a triple-sized Olympic gym, expansive playground and outdoor sports facilities, and an early childhood centre designed to give three to four year olds a range of multi-sensory learning environments, both inside and out.
Demand for international school education
Unlike the majority of the world where international school intake is now dominated by local children, demand for places at Switzerland’s international schools comes mostly from the expatriate population. However, the high quality, English-medium learning offered at many of the international schools in Switzerland is attracting an increasing number of local families. At the inauguration ceremony for the new International School of Lausanne campus, the State Councilor and Head of the Education Department, Youth and Culture of the canton of Vaud, Anne-Catherine Lyon said “Switzerland is home to some of the best international schools in the world. An IB education in English language is increasingly of interest to local students who want to have the flexibility to choose to further their education in Switzerland or abroad.” Although this is possible to Swiss nationals in the Vaud canton, this option is not accessible to all local families throughout Switzerland. Each canton has its own education policy and its own relationship with international schools. In Zurich, one of the leading cantons for international schools, a ruling put in motion in the 2012 academic year restricted local children from attending international schools in preference to the state school system.
About the Author:
Anne Keeling specialises in international school media relations and has been writing about the international schools market for 10 years. More information about the world’s English-medium international schools market is available from ISC Research: www.iscresearch.com
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International School Parent Spring 2016
OUR PICK OF TH I SUMM S ER’S BEST CAMP S
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International School Parent Spring 2016
GEMS World Academy-Etoy International School
e n t is E n ro lm W ! NO open o o k in g b E a r ly il nt unt d is c o u ! y a 1st M
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2016 Language in Action Summer Programmes for Children
Our programme teachers are not only experienced language
The GEMS World Academy-Etoy International School 2016
Monday 4th—Friday 8th July
Language in Action Summer programmes for children are
and/or Monday 11th—Friday 15th July
now open for enrolment.
teachers but also professionally trained actors or musicians. This summer, the programmes are available in both French and English. The dates:
Programme 1: English in Action
Language in Action is about building confidence and
Programme 2: French in Action
developing language competency by full immersion in the
Programme 3: Bilingual English/French Early Years activities
target language. Whether the purpose is to facilitate better
(for students aged 4—6)
integration for non-native speakers into the French-speaking Swiss school system, preparation for an English-speaking international school or simply the acquisition of a foreign
Monday 8th—Friday 12th August and/or Monday 15th—Friday 19th August
language, this will be a fun and entertaining way to break
Programme 1: English in Action
down inhibitions and allow children to explore and practice
Programme 2: French in Action
language skills without the pressure associated with traditional
Programme 3: Bilingual English/French Early Years activities
language learning.
(for students aged 4—6)
International School Parent Spring 2016
Important information: •
The programmes begin at the start of the Vaud school holidays on Monday 4th July
•
Open to students aged 4—16 years
•
Programmes are structured over one week
•
Classes are held Monday—Friday from 9h—16h
•
Half-day options available: Morning 9h-12h or 9h-13h
Cost per week: DISCOUNT!! Book and pay BEFORE 1st May 2016 •
Full day: CHF 550, including lunch & lunchtime supervision SAVE CHF75!!
•
Half day: CHF 225 (3 hours without lunch) or CHF 325 (4 hours with lunch & lunchtime supervision)
Cost per week: Book and pay on or
(including lunch)
AFTER 1st May 2016
•
Afternoon 13h-16h or 12h-16h (including lunch)
•
Extended hours supervision is available from 8h-9h and
•
16h until 18h, charged hourly at CHF 10/hour •
The minimum class size is 5 students and maximum class size is 12 students
Full day: CHF 625, including lunch & lunchtime supervision
•
Half day: CHF 262.50 (3 hours without lunch) or CHF 362.50 (4 hours with lunch & lunchtime supervision)
•
Fees are non-refundable.
How do I register? You can enrol online at any time. Alternatively, please email your request to language_gwe@gemsedu.com and the GEMS World Language Learning Centre will then contact you. As places are limited, please register well in advance to avoid disappointment. Visit www.gemsworldacademy-etoy.com/ summer2016 to register on the Online Enrolment Form
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FOR FURT HER D E TA ILS C O N TA CT
Email: languag e_gwe@ gemsed u.com Telepho ne: 021 964 1818 Websit e: www.ge msworl dacade my-eto y.com /summe r2016
International School Parent Spring 2016
Haut-Lac Camps
M o re a t io n in f o r m : b le a t a v a il a cla t hau w w w. ch camp.
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Haut-Lac Camps offers amazing day camps for adventurous kids from 5 to 17 years old!
•
Climbing wall
•
Kitchen and dining hall for day campers.
•
Extra classrooms all fully equipped including interactive whiteboards
Activities: Our camps can be personalized for each child and the following activities are on offer: •
Languages
•
Computer Camps
Based out of the Haut-Lac Bilingual Primary School which
•
Sailing
opened in September 2014, this campus along with the
•
Golf
secondary campus at Roches Grise have been made available
•
Horse Riding
exclusively to Haut-Lac Camps.
•
Cookery
•
Adventure
•
Multi-Activity
Location:
Situated just 10 minutes from Les Paccots with beautiful views over Vevey and Lake Geneva this campus provides us with numerous options:
We also provide a residential camp in Les Paccots – more information on http://haut-lac-camp.ch/residential-camps/
•
Playing fields
•
Computer suite
Our day camp students will have the opportunity to meet
•
Indoor gym - the biggest in the region which can be
students from further afield and enjoy a truly international
separated into 3 smaller halls and is fully equipped.
experience during their summer holidays.
International School Parent Spring 2016
Extra services: •
Hot Lunch: 100 CHF per week
•
Extra Morning Supervision 08h00 - 09h00: 50 CHF per week
•
Extra Afternoon Supervision 16h30 - 18h00: 50 CHF per week
•
Transfer Vevey to St Légier 09h00 - 16h30: Free
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FOR FURT HER D E TA ILS C O N TA CT
Julie an d Stevie Haut-La McShan c Intern e ational Bilingua l Schoo Addres l s: Ch. de Pangire s 26 1806 Sa int Légie r Switzerl and Telepho ne: +41 (0) 21 555 5005 E-mail: camp@ haut-lac .ch Websit e: www.ha ut-lac-c amp.ch
FANTASTIC FACILITIES, BRILLIANT BONDING AND A JAM-PACKED SCHEDULE. I CAN’T WAIT TO COME BACK.
We provide multi-activity holidays for children and teens (7-17 years) from all over the world. Every day is action-packed with a range of outdoor pursuits, cultural excursions, language courses and sporting activities. It’s about helping our campers to grow as people – giving them the time of their lives in a secure, safe, purpose-built resort in the spectacular Swiss Alps. There really is no other camp like it. Individual camps (one and two weeks) run from June to August – we also welcome school and group trips throughout the year.
TO FIND OUT MORE
call +44 (0) 845 5191 031 or email info@campsuisse.com WWW.CAMPSUISSE.COM
International School Parent Spring 2016
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internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Spring 2016
Where Tradition Meets Innovation: TechnologyEnabled Learning at Collège Champittet, Lausanne, Switzerland BY MATTHEW ROBERTS – IB GEOGRAPHY AND SECONDARY TECHNOLOGY FOR LEARNING COORDINATOR – COLLÈGE CHAMPITTET
Technology is a divisive subject. Its influence over life in the 21st century raises important questions that have significant implications for education. At one end of the spectrum, technoenthusiasts are quick to embrace the latest tools while defending the vital role that technology plays in our lives. At the other end of the spectrum, techno-dissenters will highlight the disadvantages of technology, approaching its use with caution. One thing that we can all agree on is that new technologies bring both advantages and disadvantages, and they are here to stay.
History has taught us that, with every new wave of technology, there have been fears over its impact on society. When Gutenberg introduced the printing press in the 15th century, there was widespread fear that writing by hand would be banished to the annals of history. When novels were first written and printed for the mass market, the church lamented the loss of religious readings and questioned the need to read non-religious texts. When blackboards were introduced in schools at the beginning of the 19th Century, it was feared that students would have reduced contact with their teachers as they would have their backs turned to the class. In all of these cases, the overwhelming advantages presented by new forms of technology led to their rapid and sweeping integration within education. Looking at these examples, we can draw many interesting parallels with the role of new technologies in education today. What is clear is that new technologies present huge potential for student learning. Research from the past decade has shown that the effective integration of technology in the learning process can not only enhance literacy development, but also provide greater access to information and encourage student-centred instructional approaches, as well as increase student motivation and self-esteem. Digital tools allow access to a wider range of multimedia teaching resources in the form of images, video, audio files and web pages which can also be shared more easily. There are now hundreds of different ways to explain complex concepts to students. Information and data are often more recent and relevant than any that might be found in printed class textbooks. Mobile devices are in their very nature designed to improve communication and access to information, goals which are clearly aligned with those of education. Recognising this potential for learning, Collège Champittet in Lausanne took the decision to provide continuous access to technology, becoming the first school in Canton Vaud to provide mobile devices to all of its students and teachers. In the summer of 2013, each student from Year 4 to Year 14; as well as over 120 teaching staff at its campuses in Pully and Nyon, were provided with a personal iPad to support and enhance learning. As well as giving access to the world’s largest source of knowledge, the Internet, the focus of the 1:1 iPad initiative at College Champittet has aimed to provide tools and resources to the 21st century learner, making learning more engaging, personalised and efficient. Before the empty iPad boxes had even been cleared away, the impacts were immediately visible in the classrooms and corridors of our school. Groups of students could be seen huddled around their devices working on class projects: learning had immediately become less formalised and restricted by the walls of the classroom.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
“The constantly evolving nature of new technologies forces us to reflect on our practice to find different ways of leveraging its potential for the benefit of our students’ learning.” Effective technology integration increases student motivation and engagement. When students are motivated to learn and engaged with educational content there are significant improvements for learning. Perfecting a video report on the problems of urbanisation in the developing world, for example, requires students to complete multiple review and revision cycles, exposing them more frequently to learning material, which is a key factor in knowledge acquisition. Technology tools therefore offer new opportunities for learning which were previously inconceivable. Technology tools also allow greater collaboration and extend learning beyond the classroom. Classroom walls become less significant in the technology-enabled classroom as students can meet online, share files, images and documents more easily. Students can no longer use the excuse that their project is not finished because John is still on holiday or has returned to his home country. Students have the tools at their disposal to address issues such as these from different sides of the planet. A Swiss school open to the world, Collège Champittet has a strong heritage and reputation for academic excellence spanning over 112 years. Located on the banks of Lac Leman, its leafy campus welcomes day students from local and international families, as well as providing a home to 90 international boarding students from over 30 different countries. Offering the International Baccalaureate,
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Swiss Maturity and French Bac, Collège Champittet offers a bilingual approach to education that draws upon the strengths of a wide and diverse range of pedagogical experience and cultural diversity among its students and staff. However, the transition to a 1:1 school has not been without its challenges. Providing students with continuous access to technology raises important questions concerning the role of the teacher. With instant access to an almost limitless source of information, can teachers continue to be viewed as masters of knowledge? At the turn of the century it would take one hundred years to double the collective total of human knowledge. Today, it has been estimated that the same doubling of human knowledge occurs every twelve months. Ninety percent of all online content has been created within the last two years. In light of this, it is increasingly difficult to be a master of knowledge in our respective subjects, however, the role of the teacher has never been more important to student learning in technology-enabled classrooms. Michael Fullan, a Canadian educational researcher, once said that “the more powerful technology becomes, the more indispensable good teachers are.” Indeed, technology immersion does not diminish the role of the teacher, to the contrary, it transforms the teacher from a director of learning to a facilitator of learning. Mobile technologies lend themselves to socio-constructivist instructional approaches. These approaches, introduced and developed by the Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget and the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky during the 20th Century, focus on the development of higher order cognitive function in children through practical activities in a social environment. The availability of technology tools enables students to participate in technology-supported collaborative learning, providing them with the opportunity to practise and develop skills in communication, knowledge sharing, critical thinking, evaluation and use of modern technologies, all vital 21st century skills commonly found in the modern workplace. Now in its third year since becoming a 1:1 school, students and staff at Collège Champittet have evolved to live, work and learn in an environment and school system where, traditionally, technology was not available. The constantly evolving nature of new technologies forces us to reflect on our practice to find different ways of leveraging its potential for the benefit of our students’ learning. The key is finding the correct balance, ensuring that technology is employed only when it offers pedagogical added value. As educators we must be aware of and act upon the advantages when they are presented to us, while simultaneously managing the inevitable challenges that arise with such a paradigm shift.
internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Spring 2016
You would be forgiven for assuming that in a 1:1 school students and staff are constantly glued to screens. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The creation of effective learning opportunities demands the application of a diverse range of instructional strategies, both teacher and studentcentred, while at the same time ensuring access to both traditional and modern tools. As with all forms of modern technology in society, providing our students and teachers continual access in the form of personal devices has brought out the best in us, as well as highlighting our areas for development. With these in sight, students and teachers at Collège Champittet are in a better position to move towards the same goal that has united us for over a century: the provision of high quality education and academic excellence.
The cognitive processes of learning remain much the same as when Collège Champittet first opened its doors in 1903, however, the tools available to us for achieving these goals have changed considerably. It is therefore imperative that as educators we provide the students of today with the necessary tools to prepare them as globally-minded citizens for life and work in the rapidly evolving, interconnected world of tomorrow. Matthew Roberts is a teacher of IB Geography and Secondary Technology for Learning Coordinator at Collège Champittet in Lausanne, Switzerland. For more information about Collège Champittet and their Technology for Learning programme, please consult the following websites: • •
School Site: www.champittet.ch Technology for Learning Site: www.champitech.ch
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International School Parent Spring 2016
The Case for Project Based Learning in Classrooms: Learning 21st Century Skills BY SARAH LI CAIN – FREELANCE WRITER AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATOR
Jobs in the information age require skills such as communicating clearly in different forms of media, the ability to work in teams, and helping to solve problems creatively. There’s no doubt that providing your children with the right kinds of education will help them excel in their life. 72 |
internationalschoolparent.com
“There are many unique ingredients that can help students reach their potential using this learning approach.” Project-based learning was created as a result of the need to develop deeper learning connections that are necessary for success in higher education, career, and participation in society. It is a style of teaching that focuses on the types of skills and tools that will deepen the connections between what students learn in the classroom and apply it in real world settings. More specifically, PBL helps students to learn relevant skills by investigating and responding to a complex and engaging problem or challenge. Students are held to the highest standards by their teachers (and each other) because completing a project is so rigorous. It is not simply just being able to complete a project. Rather students need to apply what they already know and identify the skills they need to learn to be able to succeed in a real world context. These skills include critical thinking and problem solving, creativity, collaboration, authenticity and the appropriate use of tools and technology.
However are schools today providing the children with the right skills and tools to be able to succeed? And what can parents do to help support children in their learning and develop the skills to be successful well into the 21st century and beyond?
“Using projects is an all encompassing tactic that involves collaboration, creativity and a lot of hard work to be able to solve a problem”, says Kyle Wagner, Futures Academy Coordinator of the International School of Beijing. “Students need to be able to not only understand the content of what teachers are presenting, but to be able to combine content knowledge with creating a product that solves a problem by themselves. It’s really demanding, for both the teacher and students. Everyone works really hard, but they are enjoying what they are doing.”
The heart of Project Based Learning (PBL) helps students to acquire these skills by putting the focus on deeper understanding. In fact, many IB schools use PBL by placing inquiry as the heart of the learning process.
The Futures Academy was created to help students develop problem solving skills and facilitate learning opportunities to empower students to take ownership of their learning. Their goal, like so many other Project Based Learning
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International School Parent Spring 2016
“There are many ways that parents can foster creativity in children. Something as simple as giving time for students to draw, doodle or find alternative ways to solve a simple problem can help.”
schools, is to help students cultivate transferable skills so that students can apply their creativity in innovative ways. These schools want to help students be able to do more than just memorize math equations or to be able to write well. What they want to do is to be able to help the students see why learning these skills (such as the ability to write well) will help them beyond the classroom.
For example, a project that students are working on with Wagner and other teachers at the Futures Academy deals with the food crisis. “There are predictions that, say, in ten to twenty years, at our rate of consumption, our food supply might be completely exhausted.” Wagner says. “Our project is a response to this, basically how to create systems that help to feed society given that society is in this crisis situation.” Teachers in social studies, English and Math have collaborated together to be able to create this project. Students are working on sample of realistic food production models to help solve the food crisis. They are working on irrigation systems to help farmers grow more food efficiently. First, they created prototypes of what they thought would work, and testing them and refining their designs. They then will create a proposal about their
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systems to be able to present to the public on suggestions on where these systems can be used, and why they should be produced. Another advantage to PBL is that students are intrinsically motivated because projects are usually based on students interests or a relevant issue in their lives. They work together with teachers to make decisions about a project, which can include what direction the project can take and the what the final product would be. They also are able to take ownership of their learning because they are given the opportunity to see how effective their work is, face obstacles themselves and find their own ways to overcome them. In this sense, teachers are not only content delivered, but collaborators as well. Wagner believes that international schools are at a unique position to be able to implement Project Based Learning effectively. There are many unique ingredients that can help students reach their potential using this learning approach. “An international school doesn’t necessarily have the bureaucracy that, a public school does. I find that I have a bit more freedom to plan projects and lessons that can best benefit my students without needing to ask permission all the time. I’m still able to achieve the high standards that other types of school do.” Wagner says. “As well, schools can afford to be able to implement these programs, so teachers are able to ask for money to get supplies. They are well connected also so there are a ton of resources for us.” Perhaps Wagner’s favorite aspect of Project Based Learning in an international school setting is that there is so much support. “You have students that are highly motivated. You have families that are very supportive,” he says. “These are all the necessary ingredients to make for a very good project based learning environment.”
What Parents Can Do
There are many ways that parents can help. Since there isn’t technically any homework in the traditional sense for PBL, parents can help by getting more educated on what Project Based Learning is. First, parents can communicate with teacher about current projects students are working on to get a better sense of the content and skills their child is working on. If schools hold information sessions about PBL, this would be a great time for parents to connect with the school. Parents can also help their children to practice 21st century skills at home. There are many ways that parents can foster creativity in children. Something as simple as giving time for students to draw, doodle or find alternative ways to solve a simple problem can help.
internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Spring 2016
If possible, parents can bring their child into work to observe the many ways that employees work together to solve problems. They can also show them how work environments can be similar to the skills they learn in school to further help them make the connections between what they learn and how to be successful in the real world. Living in a foreign country also requires you to be able to communicate in the local language. If this is the case, find opportunities to solve communication problems such as learning the dialogue or figuring out other solutions (such as pointing to objects or drawing images) to be able to communicate effectively with locals. Finally, find opportunities whenever you can for your child to enjoy learning. Take the time to talk with them about subjects they find interesting, such as current events or general topics.
When possible, find museums or cultural events to take them to. If there is a problem in current events they are interested in, you and your child can always brainstorm ways to solve them. The more you can encourage and motivate your child to enjoy the learning process, as well as develop 21st century skills, the more opportunities they will have to be successful children and adults in society.
About the author
Sarah Li Cain is a freelance writer and international educator. She has taught in three different countries, including South Korea, China and Australia. She currently specializes in helping schools and educational companies develop curriculum and teaching materials that uses knowledge and skills that are necessary for teachers and students to succeed on the 21st century.
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International School Parent Spring 2016
Mind if I Learn?
This year the Swiss Group of International School (SGIS) Annual Conference will be organised by La Côte International School. This two-day event will see a wealth of international keynote speakers take the stage and address exciting subjects revolving around the power of the brain, the benefits of mindfulness or strategies to shift mindsets. We asked this year’s hosts, Wendy Ellis, Principal, and Alison Piguet, Director of Primary to share their thoughts as they put the final preparation touches. 76 |
Can you tell us what role La Côte International School plays within the SGIS and how you came to host this year’s conference?
Alison Piguet (AP): La Côte International School is an active members of the SGIS. I personally joined the SGIS committee in 2013 and together with my colleagues from other International Schools we strive to support International Education in Switzerland and provide professional development opportunities for teachers. The SGIS committee has been able to secure a number of leading experts in the field of education for this year’s conference. The line-up reflects how much more we can achieve collectively. Wendy Ellis (WE): We are honoured to be hosting this great event here for the first time and we look forward to connecting again and sharing views with colleagues and delegates coming from all over Switzerland and beyond.
internationalschoolparent.com
International School Parent Spring 2016
We value our being part of a fruitful network such as SGIS. As a fast growing school, part of fast growing group (there are now 42 schools part of the Nord Anglia Education family) we are keen to work with our fellow International School colleagues to keep raising the standards of our sector and tackle the challenges of international education together.
What do you think educators will get out of those 2 days? WE: This year’s superb conference embraces the best of what research have brought to bear on educational practice around the topic of the brain. Educators will be exposed to a rich array of pedagogical strategies that will enhance their everyday.
AP: The conference is a great opportunity to collect in a relatively short span of time a lot of actionable insights. It will not only highlight innovative teaching methods in theory, it will also tackle some practical hands-on approaches. Consequently we will have a better understanding of how children learn and we will be equipped with practical tools to use immediately in the classroom. Networking is the other important component of this meeting. There is no better place to meet your peers, exchange views and share best practices and theories with colleagues from different establishments facing the same challenges and changes.
There is something for every educator at this conference. What excites you the most about this year’s line up? WE: This year’s conference revolves around topics related to the mind: mindset, mindfulness and more generally how the brain can influence learning. Over the last 20 years we have learnt more about the brain than we had in the previous 200 years and that research continues. Educators and neuroscientists have been using and updating this knowledge to understand the learning capacity and skills of young people and improve classroom practice. I think those 2 days are going to be mindopening. Pun unintended. AP: Ten leading experts will share their views on how to best support students on their learning journey. It is going to be very intense and I look forward to listening to the latest findings, possibly hear some competing views that will challenge us all and come out of it inspired.
The topic of “mindfulness” was considered mystic not so long ago. Do you think mindfulness has a place at school?
with laic modern-day relevance. Students are immersed in a multifaceted and fast paced world where gaining their attention and keeping them engaged can be tough. As educators, it is our mission to challenge the status quo and use every knowledge available to help students grow and make sense of the world around them. Numerous studies have shown mindfulness to be beneficial and help focus attention. As a matter of fact, we are offering our students to explore the benefits of mindfulness for themselves this year. AP: We have been practicing yoga with both Primary and Secondary students for some time, involving breathing exercises and body stretching. After a yoga session we see the students refreshed, full of positive energy ready to be channelled into their next task. We have now a dedicated mindfulness room within our facilities. A bright, airy and welcoming space where students have a chance to practice mindfulness and take it further if they want to. It’s also worth pointing out that teachers and students go through this hand in hand. Before we can expect children to be mindful, it is important that we ourselves are mindful.
This year SGIS conference in a nutshell
The SGIS conference this year entitled ‘Mind if I Learn’, is intended to offer practical strategies and tools that will allow educators to improve the teaching and learning process. Central to this, is understanding the connection between the brain, cognitive development, learning experiences and the environment, in the development of the mind of the future. It is important for teachers to know how students learn, and what they can do improve their learning, so SGIS has tried to focus the programme on issues that have a direct impact on the student in the classroom whatever their age, ability and background. Our experienced educators and speakers will challenge your thinking in a variety of ways, and offer tools and strategies for curriculum and lesson design.
Practical Information • •
• •
What: SGIS Annual Conference Where: La Côte International School, Chemin de Clamogne 8, 1170 Aubonne When: 11-12 March 2016 Who: All schools are welcome. SGIS members enjoy a special discount. Information and registration: www.sgischools.com
WE: Mindfulness has gained a lot of momentum in the recent years. The technique of mastering “living in the moment” is believed to help combat distractions in a busy world. In that sense, it is an ancient spiritual technique
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Tuition Across Switzerland
Education Consultancy
One to one tuition in all subjects and all international and Swiss curricula
Helping parents choose the right education system and school for their child
Special Needs Support
SAT & ACT Test Preparation
Assessments and tutoring to help students with special needs realise their potential
Convenient and flexible options for face to face prep through individual or group courses
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+41 22 731 81 48
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info@tutorsplus.com
TAKE YOUR DEGREE GLOBAL IN LONDON OR SAN FRANCISCO
Bachelor of Business Administration The Global Business School
• Become a business leader of tomorrow, today • Learn from leading industry professors • Take classes in management, marketing, entrepreneurship, accounting and finance • Connect with students from 118 countries at campuses in San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai and Ashridge Estate UK
Contact our Hult Enrollment Advisor in Switzerland for more information: EF Education, Rue Centrale 15, 1003 Lausanne bachelor.ch@ef.com +41 21 321 23 83 www.hult.edu/undergraduate