In This Issue
1 • What is the Hallmark of FIS? – The school's excellence lies in a World of Opportunities
2 • Handling Hard Questions – Equipping our children with the skills to find answers
3 • Literacy at FIS – Creative initiatives help foster a love of reading
4 • Feel Alone? FIS Has a Group for That! – Making connections within the parent community
5 • Growing Global Citizens – A partnership program at FIS inspires action and impact
6 • ChatGPT – Bringing students' voices to the fore, again
7 • Reopening Our Homes – An FIS host family program for visiting athletes returns
8 • Building Language – Engaging approaches to English Language Acquisition
9 • Shake Out the Winter Blues Along the Celtic Trail – Discover the rich ancient history in FIS’ own backyard
10 • The Magic Place on the Hohemark – A family returns to campus
11 • Alumni Spotlight – Tom Springer, Class of 2021
12 • The Power of a Changemaker – Students prepare for the 2023 Changemaker Conference at FIS
What is the Hallmark of FIS?
The school's excellence lies in a "World of Opportunities"
When meeting with incoming business leaders or others unfamiliar with FIS, I am often asked, “What is your school’s area of specialty? What’s the hallmark of your program?” It is an understandable question given the increased focus on specialization as a trend for advancement or recognition in a variety of fields.
Indeed, there are schools that focus specifically on Performing Arts, STEAM, Linguistics or even preparing the next generation of sports stars. However, when pressed with this question, I return to the FIS maxim: We offer A World of Opportunities. We specialize in “opening doors,” allowing students to explore and develop their passions at the highest levels as they continue on a journey of self-discovery. Whereas some schools are defined and driven by a particular curricular focus, our spotlight remains on the students themselves and the development of their unique talents.
One reason FIS has been so successful in developing students’ potential is we recognize that all students are on a variety of unique continuums. We have students who are gifted in science but struggle with languages. Others are fluent in multiple languages but may struggle with the art of music. There are also those who may be challenged in math but have leadership skills far beyond the norm. The examples are endless, but they all lead to the same conclusion: school should be a place to find and develop a wide variety of talents that can lead to excellence across many fields. At FIS, we provide the fertile soil for every kind of passion to grow.
Whereas some schools are defined and driven by a particular curricular focus, our spotlight remains on the students themselves and the development of their unique talents.
I am proud of the support FIS has in place for students with unique learning needs because history is replete with examples of adults who did not allow a childhood diagnosis to prevent them from achieving renowned success. I am equally grateful that we have opportunities to support students who arrive at FIS already labeled as gifted, knowing these children also need differentiated instruction to ensure they are challenged to maximize their potential. All of us are “typical” in some ways and “different” in others, but all of us need to feel we are being treated as unique individuals.
Students should never have to learn to adapt to a rigid school environment. Great schools understand that it is the institution that must adapt to meet the ever-changing needs of a diverse group of students. I believe FIS is such a school and we are fortunate to have such a wide range of different learning styles to enrich our school.
Dr. Paul M. Fochtman, FIS Head of School
Handling Hard Questions
Equipping our children with the skills to find answers
As parents, our children regularly ask us a litany of questions. Many of them are rather harmless, or even enjoyable. Where do butterflies spend the winter? Are you trying to be funny? Did you enjoy piano lessons when you were my age?
The challenges we have all faced in recent years have forced us to respond to difficult questions. Why do I have to wear a mask when other kids don’t? Why do countries go to war? What will happen to the children who lost their homes or families in the recent earthquake? These are hard questions that make us realize that our children are growing up in a world that while full of wonder, is also fragile and divided. They are questions we may even be asking ourselves as well.
Although I am always willing to try my best to answer the difficult questions, I am also grateful that FIS has a team of fantastic counselors who have a wealth of expertise in helping our children process their fears and concerns. I know our parents share my gratitude toward these highly capable professionals who are always available in times of difficulty and support our families to create a safe environment in which our children can grow, develop resilience and build connections with people they can turn to with their tough questions.
I am grateful that my children are at a school that does not shy away from tough questions, but instead grapples with them. Doing so can not only lead to maturity and wisdom, but also gives our children the opportunity and tools to engage with difficult topics in a positive way.
Although I will not attempt to provide answers to some of the hard questions in this article, I will share how grateful I am that my children are at a school that does not shy away from tough questions, but instead grapples with them. Doing so can not only lead to maturity and wisdom, but also gives our children the opportunity and tools to engage with difficult topics in a positive way. My family is not British, but when Queen Elizabeth II passed away, we discussed why her death was so significant across the world. We are not Korean, but my children came home from school deeply concerned about the tragedy in Seoul last October that caused so many young lives to be lost. We belong to an international school that has both Russian and Ukrainian families and know the terrible suffering caused by war. And most recently, we empathize with the pain felt by those devastated by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.
When we talk about education and “hard questions,” many people may think we are talking about the IB exam or some other academic assessment. Yes, these questions are important, but given recent world events, I am grateful my children are enrolled in a school that poses questions on a deeper level as well. Sometimes these questions might be raised by one of our talented teachers, but they also arise because my children attend classes with students from all over the world. And when they see suffering in the eyes of a classmate, they begin to understand how interconnected we all are, regardless of our nationality. Maybe that’s the most important lesson they will learn at FIS.
Julia Heraeus-Rinnert, Chair, Board of Trustees
Literacy at FIS
Creative initiatives help foster a love of reading
One recent morning, I walked across the Oberursel campus to visit the Elementary School (ES) Library. A student returning a book offered to escort me there. As we neared the entrance, my helper declared “I think they must have 100 books in there!” While their estimation was approximately 16,000 books short, their delight was proof that FIS is fostering joy in reading.
ES Librarian Lara Ingham said, “I’ve never been in a school that had this many approaches for reading.” Approximately 430 students visit the ES Library weekly to choose books for enjoyment at home. Each week, students also have free choice within a curated book collection to select titles they are capable of reading independently. Similarly, Primary School (PS) students visit their library weekly where they can choose from more than 12,000 titles. The main lobby of the school also has book bins that students and parents can enjoy together. Easy access and free choice are also emphasized in the Upper School (US) and at FISW. It is challenging for US students to accommodate free choice reading within their coursework, but the school offers opportunities when practical; some classrooms have books that students can borrow and enjoy at home, and some International Baccalaureate (IB) reading choices are possible, too.
One of the more unique reading activities at FIS was the ES “Snowball Slam” in January; for every 30 minutes of reading, students earned a paper snowball they could “slam” on another classroom’s door and attempt to earn prizes. The same morning I was escorted to the library, I witnessed four students giggling as they scurried to deliver their hard-won snowballs to another classroom’s door; their joy was apparent.
"It is a shared responsibility to ensure that our students can read, write and speak clearly so that they are effective communicators and capable of reading or interpreting text appropriately.” - Louise Wade
Reading connects with the other components of literacy: writing, speaking and listening. Award-winning author Andrea Wang talked about “how books touch us” during her visit to the PS and ES as part of the school’s Literacy Month celebration in January, and she shared with the students how personal experiences shape stories. My ES child came home the day of his school’s visit and declared, “I got to meet a real author!” He and others in the community were energized by the visit. In both the US and at FISW, author and poet Naomi Shihab Nye also met with students and parents in February, hosting a series of poetry workshops and readings during her two-week author-in-residence visit to the school.
Outside of Literacy Month, FIS offers a multitude of opportunities for students to share their stories and grow in literacy. As part of the Elementary School’s work surrounding Responsive Classroom, Morning Meetings and Closing Circles in the classrooms allow students to speak their own contributions and listen to those of their classmates and teacher. Writers Workshops allow them to write and create their own stories and speak to others about them. In my October 2022 article for FIS World, I explored the importance of partnerships between parents and principals. My research for this article has underscored even wider partnerships: in order to be successful, students need principals to select and support balanced literacy teachers – which, according to ES Principal Dr. Jean-Marie Kahn, “is the hardest kind of teacher to be.” The Upper School’s Curriculum Area Leader for English, Louise Wade, stated: “It is a shared responsibility to ensure that our students can read, write and speak clearly so that they are effective communicators and capable of reading or interpreting text appropriately.”
Within the classroom, students also need the support of classmates with whom they can exchange ideas. At home, they need to read books and converse with their families to normalize these activities within our increasingly digital world. During a visit to FISW in January, literacy consultant Tonya Gilchrest hosted a parent workshop titled “Being a partner in your child’s literacy life.” At FIS, we are all blessed with this responsibility.
Susan Robbins, FIS Parent
Feel Alone? FIS has a Group for That!
Making connections within the parent community
When moving far from home to a new and foreign country with the family in tow, the number of choices to make to ensure a safe and happy transition for all can be overwhelming and honestly, quite scary.
Soon after landing, when the initial excitement has settled and reality sinks in, the actual extent of the repercussions of one’s decision to enter the circle of expats hits: copious amounts of administrative paperwork and tasks to complete, language barriers, hidden expenses, and perhaps most daunting of all – choosing a school that best fits the very different needs of our next generation of children.
Very often, however, amidst all the stress and confusion that the initial culture shock and fear of isolation may bring, a beacon of hope suddenly shines bright and one feels at home once again. The FIS community acts as that light in the fog for so many. It is a family-oriented community that fosters a strong sense of belonging and with its positive outlook, encourages its members to come forward to connect and avoid feeling distant, lost and lonely.
There are a multitude of social groups formed by FIS parents with the common aim of bringing people together. The groups are just as wonderfully diverse as the school community itself. Paul Glace, an Upper School parent and new leader of the FIS Hiking Group, which has been getting people outdoors since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, is an example of parents stepping forward to support the community. During the pandemic, cooped up and isolated parents were eager to exercise and interact in a setting that didn’t violate COVID-19 restrictions.
FIS enjoys a lively, diverse and genuinely inclusive international environment. Despite a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, demanding professions, hectic schedules and varied interests, there is so much in common.
Parent social groups provide a range of benefits for both parents and their children. Not only do parents have the opportunity to engage with others who share their interests, or to stay fit and healthy, but they also stay informed on school happenings and discuss ways to support students’ educational and extracurricular endeavors. From the “FIShermen”, a group of fathers coordinated by FIS parent and faculty member Anthony Winch that meet regularly for conversation at a local brew pub, or book clubs at both the Oberursel and Wiesbaden Campus, to the multiple smaller neighborhood groups, no one needs to be alone.
Another social group, Work’n’Mums@FIS, emerged from a common struggle that quite a few mothers cope with – juggling several roles and schedules but still wanting to engage with their child’s school community. FIS parent Louise Føgstrup decided to step up to find a viable solution. She began by sending out a few invitations to friends, also working mothers of children with busy schedules, to casually meet once a month for dinner. The intent was to find a way to align the demands of a full-time profession with the responsibilities that come with being a mother and the desire to make connections and participate in joyful conversations with like-minded members of the school community.
Louise shared that she started the group by opening it up to working moms she knew. She then asked them to invite their friends who were in the same situation. “There is no pressure to join the group every time and there is a tacit understanding when you just can’t make it,” said Louise. “The group is meant to be a free space where you can just ‘be’ and all of your different personalities and roles can blend together at once. You are not just the spouse, the mom, and the professional, but you are able to be all these things at once. It’s an open group and anyone can join.”
FIS enjoys a lively, diverse and genuinely inclusive international environment. Despite a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, demanding professions, hectic schedules and varied interests, there is so much in common. All community members strive to build partnerships through which they connect, network and support each other. Furthermore, by forming social groups, expat parents can model the importance of international-mindedness for their children. This can include valuing diversity, respecting different cultures and embracing new experiences. Through their interactions with others, parents can help their children develop a global perspective and a sense of empathy and understanding.
The initial anxiety caused by the many challenges and scary unknowns that expat families attempt to navigate soon enough dissipates thanks to the resourceful, open-minded and friendly members of FIS. These partners act as perfect models for students, fellow parents and faculty within a school community that strives to build strong and meaningful relationships. Learning is fundamentally a social activity. We all learn from one another, from the world around us, and from the relationships that we form in our communities. At FIS, every family, whether newcomers or established gurus, can be a part of a social group in which they find a support system that will ease them into life abroad all while positively influencing their children.
Adriana Ardolino, FIS Parent
Growing Global Citizens
A partnership program at FIS inspires action and impact
Individuals, organizations and particularly academic institutions have long strived to predict and emphasize the knowledge, tools, and skills needed for success in the future. There is growing agreement that with advancements in technologies, degradation of the environment, and growing injustice and poverty in the world, that the future will favor the “Global Citizen.”
According to Oxfam (Oxford Committee for Famine Relief), “A global citizen is someone who is aware of and understands the wider world – and their place in it. They take an active role in their community and work with others to make our planet more peaceful, sustainable and fairer.”
FIS leadership believes in the importance of preparing global citizens, both teachers and students, for a peaceful, sustainable and fairer future planet. The school currently has 16 faculty and administrators enrolled in a Global Citizenship Certificate Course taught by Inspire Citizens. Inspire Citizens (IC) is a small organization that teams with international schools across the globe to train and educate teachers and current K-12 students to contribute to a better world through emphasizing compassion, connection, understanding and action.
According to Aaron Moniz, a Canadian citizen now living in Seoul, South Korea and COO & Co-Founder of Inspire Citizens, “The Inspire Citizens Global Citizenship Certificate is a program that encourages educators to connect deeply with self and the world. The course engages educators in best practice approaches to developing global citizens in our schools.”
The Inspire Citizens’ Global Citizenship Certificate is a hybrid, 21-module, three-course deep dive with weekly online-classes hosted on the OpenLearning platform and monthly Zoom sessions with three to four Inspire Citizens facilitators.
Scott Jamieson, a Canadian citizen now living in Singapore, is an IC facilitator and said, “It is our hope that this course challenges long-held ideas and beliefs about education and allows us to build programs on the foundation of SDG Target 4-7.” Target 4-7 is one of 169 targets set by the United Nations under the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Specifically, the target is “Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship.”
Ivy Yan, a Chinese citizen now living in Shanghai, is also a class facilitator and said, “We help students to become inquiring and balanced, innovative, free-thinkers and leaders who make a difference in society and the world.”
The current certificate course began in October of 2022, with a look at future trends and reimagining schools and classrooms with regards to technology, globalization, and civil discourse and social cohesion. Since January, the course has focused on four themes: strengthening community partnerships; a deeper dive into SDGs; building capacity to face climate change and eco-anxiety; and becoming a 21st century economist. The third and final course, which starts in April, will focus on civic readiness and engagement, and strategies to put all course learnings to work.
Mariko Jungnitsch, an FIS CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) Coordinator and ELA (English Language Acquisition) teacher explained her reasons for taking the course. “The Global Citizenship Certificate (GCC) acknowledges both my personal and professional inquiries. Personally, it has helped me re-orient and recast my purpose as an educator while finding ways to stay grounded.” Mariko is using tools learned in the course including an Inspire Citizens Empathy to Impact podcast with a grade 6 FIS student, Caity. The Global Citizenship course presented the podcast with Caity as an example of a successful changemaker in a Middle School. According to Mariko, she played the podcast in her classroom and “…we continued with a listening and note-taking activity using Empathy to Impact’s podcast episode ‘Tackling SDG Target 6.2 One Toilet At A Time’. Hearing our very own grade 6 student Caity being interviewed for how she started taking action for Toilet Twinning was quite inspiring.”
Christopher Thompson, Grade 4 Teacher on the Wiesbaden campus, said: “The work of Inspire Citizens has had a transformative effect on my classroom. Students are challenged to think about just who they are as learners, what impact they can have on the world around them and how they can use their talents and skills to create real change.” Chris said he is implementing tools learned in the course during forest walks with his class and added, “Students now engage in forest walks in a way they never have before, or see something they have never noticed.” Chris emphasized the impact of the course on himself. “As a whole, Inspire Citizens and the Global Citizenship Course have inspired me as an educator to be purposeful in my teaching with the bigger picture in mind. The course helps me focus on what’s important to develop real global citizenship skills in the 21st century for an ever changing world.”
Donny Hansen, Technology, Arts and Outdoor Teacher on the Wiesbaden campus, said the course has been very impactful on campus. “The frameworks from Inspire Citizens, if embedded in the curriculum, bring action and global citizenship to the forefront of student learning. They are not ‘just another thing to do,’ but rather a lens to look at all learning.” Donny added that the course has contributed to the creation of a Global Citizenship Task Force at the school.
This writer is also privileged to be taking the course. As Scott Jamieson suggested about the course, the content has definitely challenged some of my long-held beliefs and ideas. I underestimated how challenging the course would be for me both professionally and personally. Topics including Buddhist-inspired meditation are definitely outside my comfort zone for writing, and deep introspection and slowing down continue to be personal challenges. As IC Co-founder Steve Sostak explained to me: “The course is often ‘heavy lifting’ for people. Slowing down, self-reflection and changing behaviors are typically difficult.” Dr. Michael Johnston, FIS Assistant Head of School, added: “Global citizenship is not a typical Professional Development undertaking. I expect every person who takes this course will learn and develop not only professionally, but personally.”
FIS has partnered with Inspire Citizens for two years and will continue to embed global citizenship across all grade levels to ensure not only amazing learning, but authentic action toward a positive future by all age groups. There is such potential for widespread impact and I for one, am honored to be a part of this important work.
Emmett Kelly, FIS Parent
Note: It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of our friend and mentor Steve Sostak (pictured below), who passed away in February 2023.The impact of his work will live on for generations in students, teachers, and all who he interacted with across his amazing career. Whether it was his work with our cohort of teachers, the FIS Changemaker student leaders, the Grade 5 exhibition, our CAS and service learning groups, or other stakeholders, his work lives on and we are all better people for learning to apply empathy to impact with Steve. Here’s to generations of students learning, loving, growing, acting and believing that all is possible.
A Conversation on ChatGPT
Bringing students' voices to the fore, again
On 2 February 2023, FIS hosted a student-led symposium on “The Promises and Pitfalls of AI in Education” in the school’s Auditorium. The event came hot on the heels of the ChatGPT sensation, the OpenAI chatbot that broke the 100 million user mark within two months of launching on 30 November 2022.
Over 600 people from 52 countries tuned into the live webinar to hear the perspectives of students who will lead in a future where generative AI is commonplace. As Upper School Principal John Switzer introduced the event and the decision to let the students lead, I had an Einstein wormhole moment. His words echoed those of FIS Primary School Principal Dr. Caroline Joslin-Callahan whom I’d interviewed for an article on children’s leadership eight years prior.
Throwback to Fall/Winter 2014/15
Validating children as agents in their own world has long been one of the key FIS Primary School strategies to support their leadership traits. Fondly known as “Ms. JC,” Dr. Joslin-Callahan cited the example of six-year-old Yazan who’d approached her one cold November morning during recess with a suggestion about the playground. She took it seriously and validated the child as an agent of change. “We give them a voice by listening to them, giving them the chance to formulate opinions, and supporting their suggestions. This means validating them as leaders.” Eight years on, in the FIS Auditorium, Mr. Switzer’s words showed the same strategy, and the symposium showcased it.
Fast Forward to Fall/Winter 2022/23
IB Visual Arts teacher and Theory of Knowledge (TOK) coordinator Jessica Russo-Scherr was pivotal in bringing the student voice on ChatGPT to the fore from the get-go. “The day after ChatGPT launched I threw away my TOK lesson plans,” she said. She engaged in debates with her students, observed them using the tool, and produced ethical use guidelines. “We talked about what it can and should do, where to place those tools in a continuum ranging from your voice and your words to full on cheating – not your voice, not your ideas and not your words.”
As TOK coordinator, Ms. Russo-Scherr regularly meets with Mr. Switzer. Following several TOK class discussions in December 2022, they met and zoomed in on a student-led symposium as the way to kickstart a broader conversation on the role of generative AI in education. During the two and a half weeks leading up to the event, the number of people interested in the symposium and who signed up for its live webinar ballooned beyond belief. Ms. Russo-Scherr interviewed Dr. Matt Glanville, Head of Assessment at the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB), and got first dibs on the IB stance on ChatGPT and similar AI models. It became the symposium’s conversation opener.
The Student-Led Conversation
The students on stage are older but, as Dr. Joslin-Callahan noted back in 2014, “children will display leadership at any age. Age and context affect how it is displayed, not that it is displayed.” Presently, the five student panelists are IB students, the two moderators are from the Middle and High School, and the context is ChatGPT: the foretaste of a future of AI gone mainstream.
The five adult panelists hold back their voices. The students have moved past the initial ChatGPT wow moment and acknowledge ChatGPT as one in a landscape of software and online tools they regularly use, like Grammarly, Google Docs and Stack Overflow. They agree on its productivity pluses – fast, focused and friendly – and highlight its shortcomings – a lack of source citations, convincing untruths, potential for deep fakery, and a bonanza for cheaters. There will always be cheaters, they reckon, and are quick to point out that the tool could help one pass a test but not achieve human-grade excellence. “AI can help your grammar but not when you speak to people,” offers Grade 11 panelist, Yuna S. ChatGPT doesn’t spew out a bunch of websites of varying degree of relevance when conducting an online search. Instead it sifts through data and synthesizes it into an easy-to-digest paragraph in a snap, and can help with grammar and self-assessment and even critical thinking. But beware: “to repeatedly use it limits your own ability to assess and analyze issues,” says Grade 12 panelist Woojun L.
Efe Ü., another Grade 12 panelist agrees: “When I use full reliance on ChatGPT I’m not using my skills, I’m deteriorating.” That goes for both fact and fiction. Panelist Brad Philpot, FIS English teacher, shares his experience using ChatGPT to rewrite a story in the style of author David Sedaris, “and it did!” But you will never develop your own writer’s voice if you let a GPT do the work for you.
The Bigger Conversation
ChatGPT is just the tip of the generative AI iceberg. Soon, today’s large generative AI language models will get video capabilities. The models’ “voices” will get harder to tell from humans’, and biases and confident falsehoods will remain big issues. “I asked it to rewrite my dream and it added a storm that hadn’t happened,” confides Ms. Russo-Scherr. The false filler could just as well be scientific or political. ChatGPT has no concept of human truth, morality or emotion. It writes based on statistical patterns and likelihoods to predict what should come next in a text. It can offer human-like responses that seem true but are purely based on mathematics and probabilities. “At the end of the day, AI is just data, made of 0s and 1s,” says Yuna.
For now, ChatGPT is not connected to the internet and doesn’t learn its biases. It learns from vast libraries of data and humans, including what over 100 million users have added to it since its launch. Our biases become its biases. The student-led symposium concluded with acknowledging the importance of continuing the ethical conversation about AI use. Afterwards, I asked Yuna her views on this. “We, as people and users of the next generation of AI, are the catalyst of AI bias. Humans don’t follow strict rules, but neither do we throw pre-existing laws set by society out the window. We’ve been taught a strict right from wrong, but also look for gray areas. This ambivalence is problematic in AI.” Yuna believes that the greater and more diverse the collaboration in the design, training, use and monitoring of the AI, the less the bias.
Tomorrow's Leaders
Friend or foe, for betterment or laziness, one thing is certain: ChatGPT and similar AI are here to stay and evolve. Dr. Joslin-Callahan’s 2014 first graders are now in Grade 8, the same age as Ted H., one of the symposium’s student moderators. To prepare tomorrow’s leaders for an AI future, educators must empower students to explore AI now to leverage a unique opportunity in generative AI’s early days, to validate their voices and agency in three key sets of questions: Of humanity - what sets humans apart from AI? Of purpose - what can we do, live for, be passionate about that won’t be snatched by AI? And of ethics - how can we enforce equitable, unbiased and fair use of and by AI?
In the opening video of the symposium, Dr. Glanville said “Be excited, not afraid. We shouldn’t be trying to fight it; we should be trying to embrace it.” Or like little Finn told “Ms. JC” back in 2014: “Leaders aren’t scared to try new things.”
Maria Monteiro, FIS writer
To view a recording from the FIS Symposium and learn more about ChatGPT, please click the button below.
Reopening Our Homes
An FIS host family program for visiting athletes returns
It seemed like an eternity, but slowly we are seeing a comeback of those fun and unique exchanges that students and parents alike at FIS enjoy and remember for a lifetime. After a two-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hosting visiting athletes is back at FIS. During January JV and Varsity basketball games at FIS, parents of athletes once again opened their homes to visiting players. The athletic department at FIS worked hard to reopen talks with partnering schools to get the program back on its feet.
“Athletes from the International School of Brussels were our first guests for home stays in two years,” said FIS Athletic Director, William Moncrief. “It was such a great experience that we are going to slowly try to expand the program by maintaining a hybrid format. In the near future, there will tentatively be a combination of family hosting and hotel stays with schools that reciprocate.”
“The feedback from parents and athletes has been very positive and this has encouraged us to further our efforts. The program not only fosters building strong relationships, but it also lowers the costs for travel and lodging, which have increased significantly after COVID,” said Athletic Department administrative assistant, Liza Kamstra.
Support from families of athletes is an important component in the success of the athletic program at FIS. When an athlete engages in a school sport, families embrace the responsibilities and experiences that come with this choice. While housed with at least one other student athlete from their own school, host families take care of visiting athletes by providing them with a place to sleep, food, and transport to and from the sporting venue.
Those basic provisions, although crucial, are secondary to the experience of spending time with members of a host family. While staying with another international family can seem daunting at first, the comfort of having the company of a teammate together with the warm hospitality of the host family quickly make visiting athletes feel at home. On the other hand, host parents can offer a glimpse into their lifestyles and provide a safe space for visiting athletes and their own children to experience an authentic exchange of cultures.
“Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded; friends gather no dust.” - Jesse Owens
Scott Knauss, an FIS athlete host parent shared, “It was so comforting to see these girls from three different countries, two different schools and competing teams talk for hours while sharing a homemade meal at our kitchen table. The conversation was initially shy but ended with lots of laughter and the realization that they had so much in common.” Natalie Van Dijk, another FIS athlete host parent added, “At school the students have exposure to so many different nationalities. The sports hosting program goes one step further where they are enriched with a home view of different families and their culture.”
While competing against each other may lead one to believe that these athletes may not be inclined to socialize or connect, thanks to the opportunity to share their homes and welcome their opponents into their daily lives, players gain new friends instead. In fact, many students remain friends for a lot longer than the duration of the sporting tournaments. Some stay connected and continue to meet long after sporting events are over. Others travel to watch their once opponents’ games and cheer them on.
Other than fortifying fundamental good sportsmanship skills, these experiences support international mindedness and help athletes develop important life skills, such as teamwork, adaptability and empathy.
As Olympian Jesse Owens once said, “Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded; friends gather no dust.”
Adriana Ardolino, FIS Parent
Building Language
Engaging approaches to English Language Acquisition
In the English Language Acquisition (ELA) department at the Upper School, we continue to develop units that not only give our students language skills, but also give them a voice no matter the level of language, as shaping identity and finding their place in the world is such a big part of teenage life.
In one Grade 8 class this has resulted in a unit called Overcoming Obstacles. Students choose a cause close to their heart and present in the form of a root cause tree, where symptoms, causes and solutions are at the center. Students from two classes listen to each other's presentations on issues such as air pollution, social media addiction and forest fires.
The goal of this unit is to build language while giving students the tools to engage with an issue they find relevant and come up with solutions. It was inspired by the Changemaker Conference held at FIS last year. With aid from FIS Assistant Head of School Dr. Mike Johnston, the conference was organized by and for students. Both the conference and our unit have drawn on tools provided by Inspire Citizens, as well as using their podcast in our lessons. You can read more about the Changemakers Conference and Inspire Citizens within this issue of FIS World.
“Our approach is more holistic,” explains Mariko Jungnitsch, an Upper School ELA teacher. “We don’t learn language separate from content in real life, but we learn by doing and immersing ourselves. Because it is related to their identity, we always ask what resonates with the students, so the ownership gets stronger. The students might investigate an issue in their own country, applying critical thinking, but then they come back to us, using English to express themselves. They can translate, using translanguaging, but they can immediately understand the issue and focus on communicating the content.” As they grow as language learners they can access more and more content in English.
Back in the classroom students ask each other questions about what they have presented. Personal, local and global solutions are being discussed and the audience wants the speaker to give more detail to connecting causes and symptoms. All listeners have their own note cards they are asked to fill out, so the task of listening and taking notes also weighs in on the evaluation of their work. Sentence starters are written on the board allowing students to structure their questions, to focus on the content and engage in the discussions.
Transferring skills are important and Science teacher Nichole Foster says, “ELA students work incredibly well in cooperative settings and quickly find working structures that help them reach an enviable level of completion.”
“Even if there are students who have never learned English, they do not need to worry, because they can build up their English with ELA and learn to communicate about anything they want,” says one former ELA student, Jungmin A., who is now in Grade 11. It resonates with Ms. Foster, who says, “Most ELA students have an incredible drive to be successful. They have a growth mindset and believe that they can get better with practice. They want feedback on how to get better.”
In the ELA department we want to give all students a voice while simultaneously focusing on the school’s mission in using English as the principal language of instruction to educate independent and internationally minded citizens. If the students have the opportunity to engage with content and use their voice, then the grammar and vocabulary will develop. Air pollution, inflation, social media addiction and war are real world issues, and in the ELA lessons students get language and structure to make an impact.
Mette Sarstedt, FIS Parent and Teacher
What is ELA?
ELA stands for English Language Acquisition and offers classes to support students’ academic English to ensure their success across all subjects.
- ELA classes are offered at different levels to support and challenge students at their appropriate level. Students also receive subject support across all subjects to ease the burden of both learning language and content.
- The ELA program at FIS is based on the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR), an international standard for describing language ability used for all language classes, such as French, Spanish and German.
How to support your children’s learning at home without English.
- Build a strong primary language. The stronger the student’s primary language is, the easier it is to transfer the skills to another language.
- Have your child read every day – 15 minutes in their first language and 15 minutes in English. Read with them or have them read on their own, depending on their age. When reading for a language purpose, make sure they choose something they enjoy to read.
- Have your child explain in your first language what they study at school. Explaining in a language they are strong in helps them to understand concepts and allows them to focus more on developing language when they are back at school.
Shake Out the Winter Blues Along the Celtic Trail
Discover the rich ancient history in FIS’ own backyard
Exploring the wonders of the Taunus is an assured antidote to combat the winter blues during a season when light is scarce, dark looms upon us and the damp weather seeps into our bones, tempting us to run under the covers to keep warm. But winter is also a perfect time of the year to bundle up, meet with a friend and take on many kilometers of forest trails at Naturpark Taunus. On your walk you might discover an amazing treasure in the “backyard” of FIS – the Celtic Trail. With every step taken along this trail the unraveling of layers of ancient history will come to light, warming your body and imagination.
Right next to one of FIS parents’ favorite local hangouts, the Waldtraut Restaurant, is the start of the Celtic Trail. In all the years of walking forest trails with friends and meeting up with other parents for doggie walks, never had I walked the Celtic Trail. Not far from the Primary School’s parking lot lay the vestiges of the buzzing Celtic town known as the Heidetränk-Oppidum. Forget about end-of-semester deadlines and academic calendar timelines, the Keltoi, as the early Greek called them, lived in our vicinity 2,400 years ago! The Heidetränk-Oppidum (from the word Oppida, coined by Caius Julius Caesar during the Gallic Wars and meaning a large fortified town), was of great significance. According to archeologists Jürgen and Angelika Gawend, the town was 130 hectares protected by a double wall that included the hills of the Altkönig. Due to large iron ore, bronze and gold deposits, the ancient fortified town was a major center of on-site production of work tools and weapons; even coins used in trade “were embossed here, which emphasize the central importance of this settlement.”
Today, as an open air museum, the Heidetränk-Oppidum is rediscovered through the findings in the Celtic Trail. You must follow the stamp of a Celtic face, illustrated from a coin unearthed in the Oberursel hills. The full trail takes about two hours with 16 stations with interpretive display boards placed along the four kilometer circular walk to discover. To your surprise you will not need to use Google translate to learn about the Celts in the Taunus. The signage is in German of course, but also in English and French! As I walked, I also learned. The word Taunus is originally Greek from the word Artaunon, but it was the Romans who referred to the forested hills north of the Rhine as “in monte Tauno.” Where we see forests now along the trail, the Celts had open spaces and crop land. According to one of the signs at the height of the Heidetränk-Oppidum, the Celts had depleted the nearby forest, using them to fire up the production of iron tools and objects, and to melt metal for coins. Is your imagination sparking fire as mine did?
Stories of gold buried by the Celts with their dead still spark the Oberursel forest-loving locals' imagination. It was FIS parent and Celt aficionado Marina Vidal de Ritter. who took a group of parents on our very first Celtic Trail discovery walk. She kept her walking group fascinated with a rich narrative of the ancient Celts peppered with tales of hidden treasure. Also known as author MVR, Marina delved into the Celtic world in her very first epic fantasy, The Lost Kingdom: Tales from the Realm of the Golden Tree. The main characters of this fantastic story came alive here in Oberursel during her many walks along our Taunus trails. Indeed, the magic of the Celtic Trail seems to capture all of those who travel its paths. My husband, a long distance runner with many marathons under his belt, came home one chilly afternoon blown away by the discovery of the Celtic Trail. It was on a wintery walk along with FIS Board of Trustees parents when he first learned of the ancient Celtic people living and thriving for centuries in our local hills.
For all those FISers who want to shake out the winter blues or welcome in the spring, take on our local hills and walk the circular Celtic Trail. Dig deep into our rich local heritage while sparking up your circulation and imagination!
Deirdre Harriet-Boettcher, FIS Parent
Those interested in learning more about the Celts can visit the permanent exhibition at our local Oberursel Vortaunusmuseum. Now through 26 March, there is also a special display of artifacts found in our region. More on the Celtic Trail and other towns around the Frankfurt area with Celtic museums can be found in the links below:
The Magic Place on the Hohemark
A family returns to campus
In the early 20th century, Frankfurt industrialist Eugen Klimsch became enchanted with a pristine piece of land on the Hohemark in Oberursel. He purchased it and transformed it into a beautiful park with ponds and rare plants, adding a country house, Haus Waldeck (now Old Main), as a weekend retreat between 1907-1909.
Amazingly enough, over 100 years later, the descendants of the family Klimsch still pilgrimage to the site now known as Frankfurt International School. During the school’s Fall Break 2022, more than 30 members of the extended family were given a tour of the campus and the buildings, with some of the younger ones visiting for the very first time.
How is such a long-term interest in a place maintained? The answer lies in part in the compelling stories passed down to the grandchildren and great grandchildren of Eugen Klimsch, but also of their own experiences as children at Haus Waldeck. The most famous story tells the tale of the incognito visit by the Dutch Queen Wilhelmine in 1913 to Haus Waldeck in order to visit her husband, Prince Heinrich, who was being treated at the Klinik Hohemark, located up the road from the FIS Primary School. Lotti Klimsch, daughter of Eugen and a child at time, recalls how the visit became public, which resulted in the appearance at and near the Hohemark property of lots of nobility and famous personages – and even the German Emperor himself – who were “taking the cure” in Bad Homburg at the time. The thrilling experience of carriages, festivities and crowds throwing flowers were among Lotti’s dearest memories.
During World War II, new memories of Haus Waldeck and the grounds were etched into the hearts of Lotti’s children, Erika, Helmut and Hermann Holz. Deemed safer than downtown Frankfurt, the family moved to Oberursel for the latter years of the war. Here part of the botanical garden gave way to pastures for livestock, chicken coops, a kitchen garden and fish-filled ponds. The children remember rambling walks, visiting the Redwood giants in the forest and sledding down the hill in front of what is now Old Main.
The Holz family returned to Frankfurt after the war, but continued to spend some weeks out in Oberursel. Even after FIS purchased part of their property in 1961, the Holz siblings still brought their children – the fourth generation after Eugen – to the property in the 1960s and 1970s. Most vivid are the recollections of the two ponds, one full of carp and the other a splendid place to swim. This area was incorporated into the growing school with the ponds giving way for the Stroth Center in 2016.
The Holz family has nurtured a strong sense of family over the generations. Their forebears go back to the 18th century. Every year the extended family meets for a reunion when again the old stories are told. Now a new story has been added to the story of Haus Waldeck and the Hohemark, incorporated into the ongoing story of FIS, and one that the fifth generation can pass on. These youngest members of the family explored the libraries, played the instruments in the band room, sang a quick song in the music department, and ran a sprint in the Stroth Center. It is fair to say they too will remember some of the magic of the place on the Hohemark.
Vera Thiers, FIS Alumni Staff Member
Alumni Profile - Tom Springer (FIS Class of ‘21)
When choosing between the wide range of Service Learning Groups at FIS, Tom Springer (FIS Class of ‘21) did not hesitate. Attracted by the chance to engage directly with the community it was serving, Tom’s commitment to the Kalahari Experience and the people of South Africa’s Moshaweng Valley was evident from the start.
In 2019, as a Grade 10 student, Tom made his first of three trips to the Kalahari Desert where he taught physical sciences under the mentorship of Upper School Assistant Principal and long-time Kalahari Experience leader, Pete Sinclair, whose guidance, experience, knowledge and encouragement Tom says, has been the “source of substantial personal growth.”
While the pandemic stopped FIS trips to the Moshaweng Valley in their tracks, it also created the space to ask “what next?” As Tom says, “the pandemic compelled us to question established dependencies, build local leadership and engage a South African support network.”
From his original fascination with the question of how to access digital learning resources without the need for the internet or a steady electricity supply, his current work with a South African non-profit organization (Kalagola Education Youth) supports computer literacy, matriculation and vocational training, and is underpinned by his understanding of the incredibly important shift to local leadership.
Now at the University of California, Berkeley, Tom’s passion for the Kalahari Experience and the people of the Moshaweng Valley remains strong and he continues to support the evolving nature of educational needs and youth empowerment in the area. Through the creation of a website dedicated to the Kalahari Project, and the behind-the-scenes tasks of marketing, strategy and governance, Tom’s involvement continues to keep the project evolving. The end goal? “Eventually we hope our support will no longer be needed,” he says. “Many of our projects can and need to continue without international support in the long term. But until then we still have much to accomplish.”
An ambitious intention but “the Kalahari has captured a piece of my heart,” says Tom. “I would never want to walk away from the strong relationships I have formed within FIS and the Moshaweng Valley.” Something says we should watch this space.
Hilary Polomsky, Development and Alumni Relations Manager
About the Kalahari Experience: From the first FIS trip in 1991 with former FIS teacher and Kalahari Experience founder Ambrose Kelly, generations of FIS students have directly engaged in creating positive change in the region. From the earliest construction work, building of schools and community facilities, the needs of the people of the Moshaweng Valley have evolved over the last three decades and with it, so has the FIS Kalahari Experience.
Power of a Changemaker
Positive change can transform lives and communities.
In a world that promises equality and fairness, it can be heart-wrenching to see the daily hardships and injustices many face. From poverty to a lack of access to basic resources, these issues paint a bleak picture of the world in which we live. For us, it is easy to become complacent in a more privileged everyday routine and believe that we are merely going through the motions of daily life. However, it is within our reach to inspire resilience and strength for those who must continue to fight for a better life. When presented with an opportunity to change the world, a changemaker is born.
A changemaker's story begins with a deep sense of empathy and a desire to make a difference. Changemakers may come from diverse backgrounds and employ various strategies to effect change. Whether working at the local, national, or global level, changemakers are making a difference in the lives of people and communities worldwide. Some make an impact within already-existing systems by using their influence and knowledge. Others challenge the status quo and create novel solutions to pressing issues. Regardless, they are passionate about making the world a better place. Their experiences serve as examples of the strength of the human mind and the influence one can have when motivated by passion and purpose.
Although we may sometimes feel that the world is terrible, this is not the case. Our world faces many issues, but it's equally important to acknowledge its progress and many great qualities. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) is a commitment to 17 goals for the betterment of society. Changemakers around the world play a crucial role in achieving these UNSDGs. Although only seven years remain before the target date to reach the goals (2030), there remains a hope that individuals and organizations can take innovative and bold steps to address the world's most pressing challenges and create positive change.
For the chance of a generous and humane tomorrow, a changemaker is needed now more than ever before. It is for this reason that FIS is creating the Changemakers Conference 2023. Having done so in the previous year, FIS will host this year's conference to motivate everyone around the world to take action. For people of all ages and backgrounds, a small change now can spark a mighty later.
2023 FIS Changemakers
Editorial:
Editorial Team and Contributors: Adriana Ardolino, Martha Boston-Majetić, Deirdre Harriet-Boettcher, Emmett Kelly, Maria Monteiro, Hilary Polomsky, Susan Robbins, Mette Sarstedt, Vera Thiers
Photo Credits: Betina Awtani, Bethany Fields, FIS Community, Tonya Gilchrist, Donny Hansen, Deirdre Harriet-Boettcher, Emmett Kelly, Manatsu McCluskey, Cedric Michiels, Susan Robbins, Mette Sarstedt, Pete Sinclair, Vera Thiers, Christopher Thompson, Evelyn Torrealba, Liam Tucker
Editor in Chief: Ryan Karr
Production: BT Zimpel