Congratulations - the International School of Amsterdam

Transcription

June 2013
Congratulations
Dear parents, teachers, and life-long learners of ISA,
I would like to share with you the words of Hector White, the student speaker for this year’s graduating class 2013.
In his speech to his peers, I believe Hector captures the very essence of what the IB and ISA strive to foster in the
young adults of the next generation. In particular, I appreciate Hector’s emphasis on the notion of passive education,
the learning that occurs outside of the classroom, when exposed to the challenges of working together as a learning
community.
The IBO is clear in its mission: to create a better world through education. The Diploma Program’s hard-earned
reputation for quality, high standards, and pedagogical leadership reinforces the IBO’s commitment to intercultural
understanding and respect, “not as an alternative to a sense of cultural and national identity, but as an essential part of
life in the 21st century.” IBO Mission Statement
(Continued on page 8)
The ISA Newsletter June 2013
Director’s Message
N
ow that the IB Exams have ended and the
Class of 2013 has walked across the stage in
a wonderful graduation ceremony, the end of
this school year is clearly within sight. To
those of you who will be leaving us at the end of the
school year, please accept my appreciation for the many
things, large and small, you, as parents, have done for our
school. The school’s strengths, as we heard from the
reaccreditation visiting team in late April, are many, but
none more so than the sense of community that binds us
all. The departure of some 15 percent of our families at
the end of the year surely dampens the celebratory spirit
that comes with summer’s arrival. But one end is another
beginning. I wish you and your families much happiness
and hope you will look back on your years at ISA with
happiness.
We also bid farewell to Head of Upper School Dave Norcott, who is also retiring in June, after three years with us.
Dave could be found most mornings greeting students
and parents as they came into the school each morning.
His warmth and friendly greetings will surely be missed.
We thank Dave Norcott for his contributions to the
school and wish him all the very best in the years ahead.
But let me turn briefly to a few comments about the ISA
Class of 2013. I believe there is no better way to highlight the many good things that took place at ISA this
past year than to recognize the achievements of this
year’s graduating class.
First, I will bet you didn’t know that of this year’s 53
graduates, thirteen have been at ISA since sixth grade or
Speaking of departures, our faculty says goodbye to two earlier. Lara Kok and Henny Keltsh joined the school in
long serving colleagues, both headed to retirement. Mike 1997 in what was then called the “Toddlers” program.
Allan, Economics teacher at ISA for twelve years, will be Shelsea Doran and Jonathan Gray both joined in Kindergarten. Thirteen others in the Class of 2013 had been at
moving with his family to sunny Brazil. John Romanowicz, science teacher at ISA since 1977 will remain ISA since Grade 3, 4, 5 or 6. For an international school,
such longevity is extremely rare.
in the Netherlands, but plans on traveling and enjoying
his many hobbies. John R as he is fondly called by all of
us, has seen it all at ISA and takes with him a living oral We all know that there have been concerns expressed this
year by some about university admissions. There is no
history of the many (unique) people who have passed
through this school’s rich history. I thank both Mike and question that, especially in the UK, the admissions procJohn for their dedication to ISA’s programs and students ess is increasingly stressful for students and parents alike.
over the years and wish them good health and great hap- Some efforts have been made by the IB to encourage UK
piness as they enter the next phase of their lives.
Click on the item in the index to go directly to that page
Inside this issue:
Director’s Message
2-3
Library News
24-25
Upper School Tutoring Survey
4-7
Gallery Opening Event in Kindergarten
26
Leor Zmigrod Receives the Dirctor’s Award
7
From the Nurse’s Desk
27
Saving Lives, ISA Making a Difference
10
Another Green Year
28
Report from the Board
11-12
Music Notes
29
Upper School News
13
SHARE Art & Wine Charity Event
30-31
Upper School Counselling Department
14-15
Water Aid 2013 Fundraising
32
Lower School News
16
ISA Served the City
33
Building Expansion
17-18
From the PE Department
34-36
Looking Back on a Year in Technology
19-20
PTA Page
37
ibooks@ISA
21
Classified
38-42
ISA’s 8th Grade Students become App Developers
22-23
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universities to take a less stringent approach to
‘minimum’ IB scores. The success of ISA’s graduates
this year, however, would seem to indicate that a strong
performance at ISA is highly regarded by admissions officers of the very best universities in the world. Here are
a few indications of what an ISA education has led to for
members of this year’s graduating class:
As we prepare for the summer holiday, with construction
equipment moving on campus to begin the exciting new
building project, we are also beginning to plan for a great
new school year starting this August. Before you know
it, we will be welcoming over a dozen highly qualified
new teachers, many new families and a new Head of Upper School, Paul Sanders—and we will begin preparing
for the celebration of our school’s Fiftieth Anniversary
during the summer of 2014. But all of that can wait
while we all step back from the hectic pace of this past
school year to breathe in the warm summer air.

Only two students in the Netherlands were accepted by Princeton University this year—and
they are both members of ISA’s Class of 2013
 Twelve members of this year’s graduating class
have been offered admission to the University of
Edinburgh.
 Four of this year’s graduating class have been
offered admission to the London School of Economics
Have a wonderful summer holiday.
Best wishes,
And, just consider this partial list of other universities
accepting this year’s graduates:
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Bard College
Brown University
Boston College
Delft University of Design
The University of Brunei
University of Amsterdam
University of Bath
Durham University
Leiden University
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Dartmouth College
Savannah College of Art and Design
University of Exeter
University of Sophia
Sarah Lawrence
University of Nottingham
King’s College London
McGill University
New York University
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
St. Andrews
Amsterdam University College
New York Film Academy
The University of Tokyo
Stanford University
EEG
Edward E. Greene, Ph.D.
Director
And the list goes on. Literally, a score of other colleges
and universities in the United States, the UK, Asia, the
Netherlands and Europe offered admission to the members of this year’s graduating class. Congratulations to
our graduates, to their families and to our faculty. Our
graduates’ success is nothing less than a tangible celebration of the partnership between the school our students
families.
Back to Index
3
Upper School Tutoring Survey
As a result of a number of parent meetings held earlier this semester, it was agreed to investigate the topic of tutoring for students in grades 6 through 12. A survey was created and reviewed several times to determine if it was 1)
relatively easy to complete and 2) able to penetrate the wide variance of subjects, grade levels and reasons for tutoring. The response rate was quite good, with just over 300 responses being submitted. Nine percent of those
responding indicated their responses were for more than one child. An undefined number of the responses were
from two parents who provided information on the same child/children.
One of the most challenging aspects was dealing with families that had several children receiving one type of tutoring or another. A further complication was that in a number of cases, both parents of a student completed a survey,
providing the same data twice, but it is not possible to identify just how often this happened. Thus, the results do
not provide precise numbers, but a good general understanding of trends does emerge from the data.
Table 1: Students Reported to Receive Tutoring as Percentage of Enrolled Total
Grade Level
Number
Grade 6
15
% of Total Grade Enrollment
20%
Grade 7
7
11%
Grade 8
10
17%
Grade 9
17
26%
Grade 10
19
30%
Grade 11
21
33%
Grade 12
18
34%
One thing the survey has made clear is that tutoring is a complicated topic and that many Upper School students do
use a tutor, at least occasionally. The reasons for tutoring, the amount of time, the subject being tutored, and the
cost per hour—are all varied.
The comparatively easy data to discern from the survey is that of the students who do receive tutorial assistance,
ten percent do so as part of an educational or psychological plan as a complement to the assistance they receive
from the Student Support Department.
The data also indicate that tutoring increases somewhat during key transition years: there are noticeable increases
when students move from grade 5 to grade six, from grade eight to grade nine and from grade 10 to grade 11.
There are several possible explanations.
First, and as a general rule, the majority of new students come to ISA during transition years. So a number of students seek out tutoring to help them adjust to the new curriculum. And, often, the curriculum that seems to present
most challenges to students in transition appears to be mathematics. This is a worldwide phenomenon, confirmed
through discussion with my colleagues at international schools across Europe, the Middle East, South America and
Asia. Furthermore, just changing schools, even if one transitions from one IB school to another, is never an easy
thing for students—academically or emotionally. The large body of research on Third Culture Kids is testimony
to that. Tutors are often employed simply to provide a bit of additional support and confidence to students as they
deal with the challenges of transitioning from one school to another.
How often?
The frequency of tutorials leans heavily to one session per week. In fact, 75 percent of respondents indicated their
child attended tutoring once per week, while 21% reported tutoring sessions twice per week and four percent re(Continued on page 5)
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(Continued from page 4)
ported three or more sessions per week.
How much does it cost?
The costs for tutoring varied greatly. From a low of ‘zero’ euros per hour (for a CAS student), to a high of 150 euros
per hour. The average hourly rate reported was 41.8 euros. If tutoring takes place at school the fee may not exceed
50 euros per hour (and this cost is for a one-hour session, no matter how many students are involved. It is not a perstudent cost). In the case of Diploma courses, an additional 50% (for a total of 75 euros per hour) is permitted. This
is due to the additional preparation and marking time that is required for DP courses.
It is important to emphasize here that all tutoring taking place on the ISA campus must be billed through the Business Office. The school cannot condone tutoring fees that are transacted ‘in the black.’ If a tutor asks you to pay
more than the school’s official rate, or if s/he asks for payment outside of the school’s business office, you should
either find another tutor or conduct the tutoring elsewhere.
Where is the tutoring taking place?
It was also reported that approximately one-half of tutorial sessions take place either at the student’s home or the tutor’s place of business, with the other half taking place at ISA.
Who is tutoring?
Sixty-nine students in grades 6 through 12 reported using a tutor who was not an ISA teacher.
Twenty-four students reported receiving tutoring from an ISA teacher or assistant teacher; 21 of these students received tutoring at the school; nine of this group reported that their tutoring session was held at ISA during the school
day.
One may wonder how an ISA teacher can tutor a student during the day. The explanation is that the school has a
large number of part-time teachers. Thus, for example, if a teacher is only employed for, say, two hours per day, she
may choose to tutor a student during school hours if the student happens to have time in her schedule to do so. This
is often the case in languages. Many of ISA’s language teachers are part-time. It is important to understand that the
school has a very strict policy prohibiting full-time teachers and assistants from tutoring during the school day. It is
simply not allowed.
In the open-ended questions, several parents questioned why an ISA teacher would be permitted to tutor an ISA student under any circumstances. The question is understood. In an ideal situation, if tutoring were needed at all, high
quality tutors from outside the school would be available in abundance. However, there are times when the best tutor
may in fact be someone who teaches at the school, a person who knows the IB curriculum and assessment processes.
This is often the case, especially in international school settings. Therefore, we may cause more harm than good if
we were to simply prohibit all ISA employees from tutoring an ISA student. Again, tutoring one’s own students for
a fee of any kind is prohibited by policy.
General Trends
The survey generated many interesting perspectives on the topic of tutoring. The general trends shifted from grade
level to grade level. However, in the majority of cases, parents indicated that the reason for tutoring was to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
reinforce language skills (Dutch, English, French) or
study a language not offered in the curriculum (Mother Tongue)
provide assistance in organization and time management; homework
support a new student in the transition to ISA’s curriculum
help the student with Extended/Advanced Mathematics
prepare for Higher Level IB language
obtain the required IB grade for university admission
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An analysis of the comments, which included the focus and reasons for tutoring by grade level, is presented in the
table below. Please note: the percentages in Table 2 refer to the percentage of responses in the comments from parents from a specific grade level. The percentage as a proportion of the total number of students in the grade level
will be significantly lower.
Table 2: Number of Respondents Receiving Tutoring and % by Subject
Grade
Math
Languages
Science
Study Skills
Economics
Num
%
Num
%
Num
%
Num
%
Num
%
Grade 6
5
38%
8
62%
0
0
0
0
0
0
Grade 7
2
22%
5
55%
0
0
2
22%
0
0
Grade 8
5
62%
1
13%
0
0
2
25%
0
0
Grade 9
11
55%
7
35%
2
10%
0
0
0
0
Grade 10
12
63%
6
32%
0
0
1
5%
0
0
Grade 11
4
16%
13
52%
4
16%
0
0
4
16%
Grade 12
12
63%
4
21%
3
16%
0
0
0
0
Next Steps:
In a perfect world (perhaps in Garrison Keeler’s Lake Wobegon, ‘where all the women are strong, all the men are
good looking, and all the children are above average’) no one would ever need a tutor. But ours is an imperfect
world. Most of us excel in some areas and falter in others. Because, as parents, we wish to give our children every
advantage we possibly can, many will, of course, seek out tutors when our children struggle. Thus, tutoring will continue to be something our parents and students choose to do. It is our hope, though, that additional time and support
can be provided through structures currently in place, at the school.
First, it is important to remember that ISA teachers are available to provide help right after school and, in so many
cases, even during their free periods and lunch breaks—if students let them know ahead of time that they need to see
them. Furthermore, our math department established a free after hours math ‘drop-in’ center for upper school students this past year. This has been a great opportunity for our students and something very well worth continuing in
the years ahead.
Next school year, the time allocated for X Block will be used, in grades eleven and twelve, to provide additional time
for the IB HL courses. In grades nine and ten, more X Block time will be available for students to complete assignments and research and obtain help from teachers.
Clearly, another dimension of the tutoring question is just how incredibly busy our students are. The term ‘overextended’ came up time and time again. As one of our external math tutors told the school administration last week,
the students coming to her are not able to take advantage of the school’s free after school math tutorial program.
Why? Because they are busy with extracurricular activities right after school, every afternoon.
There is another phenomenon impacting the amount of tutoring that is taking place—and this is not unique to ISA.
There can be a disconnect between the admissions requirements at some universities (especially, in recent years, in
the UK) and the IB Diploma scores. Some universities inaccurately equate the IB with A-Levels. Thus, for example,
there are cases when students who may wish to study pre-medicine at a university, an IB Diploma student must earn
at least two sixes and one seven in their Higher Level subjects just to be considered. This places an unreasonable
and unnecessary amount of pressure on all but the most exceptionally bright and talented 16 or 17 year old. Life is
about so much more than high grades. And, it bears repeating that you don’t have to attend the most highly selective
universities in the world to succeed in the world. As the President of the College Board in Princeton said to me last
year, “International schools need to help their families understand that there are more than 12 universities in the
United States!” The world is rich with universities that can offer our students every opportunity to move ahead brilliantly in their careers and lives.
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Somehow that message seems not to be getting to a number of our highly pressured students and their stressed parents. Our students should, absolutely, reach for the stars, just as have scores of graduating classes from ISA over the
past five decades. But don’t forget to enjoy the deep and genuine pleasures of inquiry. Help your children learn to
enrich their inner lives—learning is not memorizing for exams in order to hit arbitrary cutoff scores. Learning is a
life-long journey, a habit of mind. That is what an ISA education strives to offer each of our students.
I am grateful to the parents who came forward this year and who took time to share their questions and concerns
about tutoring and other related topics. The survey on tutoring that resulted from those meetings has helped us recognize the challenges we face together as we strive to help each ISA student reach his or her maximum potential.
With best wishes for the upcoming summer holidays,
Back to Index
Edward E. Greene, Ph.D.
Director
Leor Zmigrod Receives The Director’s Award
Following are comments from ISA Director as he recognized Leor Zmigrod for her
extraordinary achievement during the commencement on June 1.
Good afternoon. The Director’s Award is presented only occasionally, for academic
achievements beyond the norm.
The award is given to a student who completes the IB Diploma’s two-year program with
a 7.0 GPA—that means the student has completed two years of intensive study earning
the absolutely highest grade possible in all IB Diploma courses.
The student must also be a person who exemplifies the values and mission of the International School of Amsterdam. This year’s recipient has been editor of the school newspaper, a member of the speech and debate club, a Model UN Delegate, one of our first Student Ambassadors and a member of Operation Smile.
The recipient has received awards in Technology, Mathematics, English, Spanish, Humanities, Community Service,
Biology and Dance. She has, in her free time, completed training in CPR and Basic First Aid and worked as a lab
assistant at the University of Leiden Brain and Cognition Institute.
Let me share just a couple of comments about this year’s recipient of the Director’s Award:
I have been teaching for 30 years and can tell you that she is one of the most outstanding students and human beings
I have ever encountered. She will change the world because of her deep and profound nature, her peaceful and serene way of being, her commitment to intellectual excellence, her passion for learning and life, and her kindness and
compassion.
She has the heart and mind of a global citizen. She always considers multiple viewpoints and multiple cultural contexts. I consider myself extremely fortunate and privileged to have had her as a student.
It is my honor this afternoon to present the 2013 Director’s Award for Extraordinary Achievement, and a scholarship
check for 1,000 euros, to Leor Zmigrod. Leor—congratulations!
Back to Index
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ISA is truly a unique learning environment and this year’s graduating class truly embodies ISA’s and the IBO’s commitment to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful
world through intercultural understanding and respect.
I hope you enjoy Hector’s insights into his learning experiences at ISA. It has been a real privilege to be part of his
journey. I wish him and his peers great adventures ahead in their future lives beyond the pink castle. May they always remember the important dispositions learnt here at ISA.
Kind regards,
Matt Lynch
IB Diploma Coordinator
TOK and Theatre Arts Teacher
International School of Amsterdam
Speech by Hector White—Student Speaker
For those of you who don’t already know, I am actually Scottish. I’d like to begin with a few statistics that will introduce our class of 2013.
In Grade 12, there are 53 students,
27 girls and 26 boys,
There are 19 nationalities,
Collectively, we have lived in almost 30 different countries,
With the average person having lived in 3 countries,
There are 14 languages spoken fluently in the grade,
And our places of birth are spread across 14 countries,
On average, a student of our grade has been at ISA for 5.19 years,
(A statistic that doesn’t quite reflect the contrast between Lara’s 16 years here and Marie-Claire’s 1 and a half).
At the end of the year we will move to 7 countries around the world,
to study 35 different courses,
From where we will probably end up in an even wider variety of places than where we all started,
What I’m trying to highlight is that this is no ordinary group of individuals and in fact 50 years ago it would have
been almost impossible to find a collection of people like us. What is more phenomenal is that my grade, our grade,
has becomes a team. We have come to the school with all of our own experiences, opinions, languages, our own expressions and understanding of art, sport, music, celebration and everything else. What we have learned is that first
of all it’s football not soccer, but these differences also forced us to understand our lives in the context of the entire
world rather than just the small bubble of our own culture or our own country.
No one single nationality or culture in Grade 12 is in the majority. It was almost impossible to surround yourself with
people who agree with you and reinforce what you are comfortable in thinking. It was pretty much the opposite most
of the time. And yet, no one crumbled and hid away. Though we did not necessarily realise it, we became accustomed to being in such an environment, We were taught to examine ourselves properly and realized that being
closed-minded really doesn’t get you very far. A clear example of this is of a fellow student, Jordan Finger, who
joined us in grade 9, came to the ISA from his previous local school. He spent most of first year trying to convince
everyone how “ignorant” we are at ISA. When he moved back to his home country a year ago, he was a different
person.
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This changed perspective is one we have all had during our time at ISA, We all realised that everyone is entitled to
enjoy different things, but learning to appreciate these differences, would lead to a fuller, friendlier atmosphere and
has, bonded us into a stronger, more harmonious group. While the learning that happens in the classroom is important, I think a big part of our “education” we’ve had at ISA has happened because of each other and the fact that we
differ in so many ways. It’s kind of a passive education, the challenge of working together, learning together, spending hours in the same room together, when we all seem so different. We manage to do all of that in relative harmony…most of the time.
It wasn’t always easy of course, and our difference sometimes started little disputes or competitions. For example in
the sport, we had the dominance of the girls NECIS volleyball and basketball teams coming 1st place 7 years in a
row, but who could never compete with the Boys and their supremacy over fifth, sixth and seventh place. Senior
Prank was also something that started quite a debate as we argued over what would be the most spectacular way to
deface the school. And of course there were moments where jokes seemed hilarious to some and not completely appropriate to others.
Through all of these disagreements, we always remained a unified grade. There are far more examples of our unity.
The way you could always rely on finding someone else on Skype or Facebook, also up at 2am to finish the Maths
IA, the way bus rides for school trips ended up being the best part if the day but also the way so many of us turned up
for the IB Art Exhibition and to the Drama production, to celebrate the talent that is so prevalent in our grade.
Whether a person was into sports, arts, maths, languages…we all had different strengths and interests. While differences can lead to tension, the relationship of our grade never really got any worse than respectful tolerance. And I
think this is more important than we realize. When you consider how we come from all over the world to this one
small area of the Netherlands, and for just a moment, for just two years, we’ve created an understanding environment, and then now we will then leave to go all over the world again, it made me think, that the IB is at least moving
towards a generation of open-minded people who can live together and tolerate each other, globally.
This being an International School, there were of course, other students from the grade that left ISA to graduate elsewhere but they we’re all part of our experience at this school. Some even left at the end of 11th grade… half way
through IB; Thomas, Roxane, Yechan, James Loewenthal, Hiroki, Emma, Reece Smith and Jordan Finger.
And I’m going to abuse my power for a moment and mention my good friend Lucas Gade, a member of our grade
that left us before we even started the IB but whom I think we all miss.
Two weeks ago Steve Smith, informally known as Spaceman Steve, gave a speech at the Award Scheme ceremony
where quite a few of us received our Gold Award, and one of his main messages was to be grateful for everything
that we are lucky enough to get, to always remain grateful to those who have helped and guided us so that they feel
valued and continue to help others. On behalf of our grade I’d like to thank everyone who has helped us on our way,
the Teachers, the Parents, the Administration, Matt our coordinator, for all their work and time and patience with our
rather liberal take on dead-lines.
And now I’d just like to say to all the students, it’s interesting to think about everything we’ve accomplished;
Extended Essay,
Those sneaky holiday homework packets,
TOK essay and presentation
IA after hateful IA,
CAS,
Final Exams,
And of course, most dreaded of all, the Personal Project.
But I think in 10 years time, when we’re looking back at our IB, we won’t remember any of that… nonsense. I think
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we will remember each other and fun that we undoubtedly had, and the firm friendships that I know will last longer
than our understanding of Trigonometry.
I’d like to end on a poem called The Farewell by Robert Burns, but before I start I’d like to apologize to Ms Hasbach
for Burns’ 18th century troglodyte gender descriptor.
Adieu! A heart-warm fond adieu
Dear Brothers of the Mystic Tie!
Ye favoure’d, enlighten’d few,
Companions of my social joy,
Tho’ I to foreign lands must hie,
Perusing Fortune’s slidd’ry ba’
With melting heart, and brimful eye,
I’ll mind you still, tho’ far awa.
Back to Index
Thank you.
Saving Lives, ISA Making A Difference
One of the main objectives at ISA is to produce students who are caring and show empathy towards others. They
develop a deep understanding of the global issues and become active members of society; contributing to a better
world. On the 15th of May 2013, ISA demonstrated these attributes when they presented a CD4 count machine to the
staff of Musinami clinic, Mhondoro, Zimbabwe. THE CD4 count machine enables medical staff to screen and prepare patients for the HIV treatment. This is particularly crucial for pregnant patients, as the treatment prevents the
transmission of the HIV from mother to the unborn baby. Before the ISA donation, patients needed to travel a long
distance to Chegutu, the district hospital. Following the donation of the machine, the patients can now receive all the
services they require from the clinic within their own community. The Musinami community is grateful for this life
saving and generous donation. Without it, the risk of hundreds of babies contracting the virus would increase exponentially. Once again, the generosity of ISA has contributed to the development and the preservation of thousands of
lives.
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10
A look back on the past six months …
I was asked to write about my first impressions as a Board Member of ISA. I joined the Board officially in January 2013. Given the importance of the decision on expansion, however, I was invited to the December board
meeting as an observer. That Board meeting, in fact, would characterize my very first impressions. I realized that
the decision on whether or not to expand had been a lengthy one, but the level of consideration that had been given
and the extensive preparation that had been done by the school administration was impressive. All of my concerns
about this project were addressed and it was clear that much time, thought, and consideration had been given to
this important step in the school’s history.
I will now regress slightly to offer some of my personal background, which may help in providing context to the
remainder of this article. I am Canadian and came to the Netherlands on a two-year secondment to Price Waterhouse Coopers 12 years ago. Two years became four, which turned to six, and the rest is history. As a partner in
our audit practice at PwC, I predominantly deal with foreign multi-nationals with European headquarters in the
Netherlands. I therefore see, on an almost daily basis, the crucial role that the school brings to the Amsterdam investment community. Indeed, experienced and specialized knowledge migrants would not move to the Netherlands without a top-rated school to support their children’s education. It is one of the most important considerations when someone re-locates. If your family is happy, so you will be. Despite the fact that I came to the Netherlands before I had children (my eldest, Bianca, is almost 7 and my son, Mateo, is 5), the reputation of ISA was a
significant consideration in my husband’s and my decision to stay in the Netherlands once Bianca started in
school.
Returning to my impressions about the Board during the past half-year, there are a several areas that have impressed me and I have also learned to appreciate some of the challenges that we encounter. To begin with, the level
of Board involvement is laudatory. This is a volunteer position and you never quite know what level of commitment people are making. It is commendable that each Board member comes to the meetings well prepared. It is
an asset that they all come from different backgrounds and bring different perspectives to the table. Additionally,
the level of commitment given to the individual committees is also commendable. Commitment is further evident
in the level of continuity of Board members, as well as the knowledge of the local business and political environments that they share. The presentations by the school administrators are equally thoughtful, professional, and
well-prepared.
As a parent, and as a Board member, I continue to be impressed by the community environment that has been established within the school. Credit goes to the parent community, the teachers, and the administration, for creating
and continuing to perpetuate such an environment. We are fortunate to have a broad base of intelligent and engaged parents whose interest in all our children’s education makes the school a better place.
On the other hand, there are a variety of challenges that I continue to grapple with. Probably the biggest is trying
to reconcile the role of the Board (as it has been established) with the expectations of the parent community. As a
non-profit institution, the Board is established to support and maintain the long-term viability of the school and
also to plan for its future. The Board must ensure that the school’s mission and vision are met. The focus of discussion, therefore, is on strategy, financial stability, governance structure, etc. rather than on issues such as the curriculum, class scheduling and teacher allocations, which are operational. While one of the Board’s goals over the
past year has been to improve communication directly with the parent community, many of the topics that are
raised are related to the regular operations of the school, which are not a prime focus for the Board but which are
11
clearly within the purview of the Parent Advisory Committee. Nevertheless, the Board of Governors needs to be
aware of concerns in the school and it also has a responsibility to ensure, with the Director, that these issues are addressed timely and appropriately.
The second challenge is to reconcile the varying expectations of the stakeholders. The school’s purpose is to offer a
top quality international education for the children of expats living and working in Amsterdam. Our vision is “to be
the foremost educator preparing students to become enlightened world citizens”. Our mission statement is: “ISA
exists to provide education for international understanding”. ISA is an inclusive environment. The school offers a
full International Baccalaureate program, and is the first in the world to have been approved to do this. Parents want
the best academic education for their children. Given the number of countries and cultures that attend our school,
accommodating everyone is not an easy task.
To offer an inclusive environment with an appreciation for the global community through exposure to different languages, cultures and geography is of vital importance in today’s shrinking world. I remain committed to the school
and I hope that my time on the Board will not only serve the school but will be a legacy for my children in the years
to come. Supporting this institution is dear to my heart, and, I believe is fundamental to the economic environment
in the Netherlands.
Shana Laurie de Hernandez
Board Parent Member
Back to Index
12
Upper School News
Dear Parents,
As this very busy 2012-2013 school year wraps up it is time to look ahead to the summer and allow yourself time to
find time for all of the important people in your life.
While we have gone through a number of structural and organizational changes this year the core of what ISA stands
for has remained constant. This school is rooted in the International Baccalaureate philosophy and embraces a holistic approach to education. During this school year students were involved in dynamic academic challenges, experienced multiple opportunities to creatively solve problems in collaborative groups and consistently were provided
with opportunities to develop as individuals.
The 2012/2013 school year offered many new and exciting programing options. The school’s music program was
enhanced by the formation of an Upper School Ensemble who worked hard all year and created beautiful music to be
shared with the entire ISA community. This year the Upper School Choir took on a new look and created the foundation for a new choral experience. These additions, along with an already dynamic Drama and Visual Arts program,
rounded out a very solid Upper School arts program.
The creativity and skill-building activities were not limited to the arts programs. Through the Exploratory Program
the Middle School offered challenges and exposure to a wide range of new experiences for all students in Grade 6, 7
and 8. Our work with Community and Service and the CAS program expanded the learning boundaries for students
and encouraged them to engage in our community. Through these activities students and staff alike were able to see
and understand differences and in many cases ‘make a difference in someone’s life’. The Duke of Edinburgh Awards
Scheme continued to be a dominant program in the Upper School with over 130 students in Grades 9 through 11 actively involved. The number of quality Language Exchange opportunities continues to grow and our athletics teams
represented the school exceptionally well in every season. The list of achievements and activities is extensive and
covers every aspect of school life at ISA.
In closing I would like to wish a number of staff members who will be leaving ISA at the end of this year all the best
in their future endeavours. Each and every one of them has worked very hard at ISA contributing to student learning,
the culture of the school and the ISA community. Thank you all for everything you have done and good luck with all
of the new challenges next year will bring: Mr Romanowicz, Mr Allan, Mrs Hansberry, Ms Jin, Mr Luceno, Mrs de
la Rie Toms, Ms Sliman, Ms Wissot, Mr York and Mrs Cornelius. I would also like to thank and wish the best of
luck to Mr Bailey, Mr Thanner and Ms Lewis for taking over classes at Christmas to cover in several emergency
situations.
I would like to finish off by extending a special thank you to the ISA staff, students and community for all of their
support over the past three years. With retirement just around the corner I leave the school and the profession with
mixed emotions. On one hand I am excited about the time and freedom to travel when I please, while on the other
hand I feel a huge sense of loss after 43 years of wonderful experiences. To everyone thank you for everything.
Good luck everyone and have a wonderful summer.
Best wishes,
Dave Norcott
Head of Upper School
[email protected]
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13
Grade 9-12 Counselling Department
Elizabeth Mohr
Grades 9-10
Grades 11-12
(Surnames A-Ch)
[email protected]
Shelly Tuttle
Grades 11-12
(Surnames Ci-Z)
[email protected]
Working with Your Child to Say Good-Bye
One aspect of being part of an international school is the
process of saying farewell to graduates and families that
move. An excellent website for tips in saying good-bye is
here:
www.examiner.com/article/saying-goodbye-by-buildinga-raft
fore, careful planning in scheduling test dates is urged.
Students must remember to enter ISA’s test center number and CEEB school code when registering in order for
us to receive a copy of their scores. They should also decide if they will opt to use Score Choice. ISA Test Center
Number: 58-805 and CEEB School Code is 759120. Register online at www.collegeboard.org
Grade 12 Students Who Applied to UK Universities
Students will await their IB exam results in July for confirmation of admission.
UCAS Clearing
Clearing is a service that operates between mid-July and
September for students who are in one of the following
categories:
1. Have not received any offers or declined all offers (or
not responded by the due date) 2. Your exam results weren't as expected, and you didn't
meet the conditions of your offers If you originally only applied for one course (for the reduced fee of £12) you'll have to pay an additional £11 to
enable you to apply for multiple courses. Eligible students will be informed through UCAS Track
and must contact individual universities after they receive
their IB exam results. http://www.ucas.com/how-it-allworks/undergraduate/results/if-you-have-no-offers
SAT Test Dates 2013-2014
October 5: ISA is not a test center for the October date.
Students should register to test at the American School of
the Hague in Wassenaar.
November 2
December 7
January 25
May 3
June 7
Summer
Accomplishing more during the summer eases the burden
of what can be a stressful final year. As students embark
on year 12 they will be faced with many deadlines. Here
are some:
Work on Extended Essay and drafts of Personal statement/College essay
Visit universities – integral part of the decision-making
process, check websites for open days—make appointGrade 11 Students
Grade 11 students should have met with their Counselor ments at universities if you cannot attend open days.
Consider an internship or work-experience – can be parto explore aspects of the college admission process, as
ticularly helpful when writing personal statements.
well as complete forms for requesting letters of recomResearch-university courses, entrance requirements,
mendation, ISA activity sheets, and research university
entrance requirements. Students should have a list of pro- deadlines, scholarship opportunities, etc.
spective universities by the end of the school year, and
US & UK University Tours/Courses:
then have narrowed this list to the FINAL universities
they will apply to in early Fall. Students should take the For students interested in touring North American univerTOEFL if they are not native English speakers and plan- sities, these companies offer tours led by college counselors and allow students to meet with admissions represenning on applying to the US or Japan.
tatives: www.tscollegetours.com; www.collegevisits.com
Spaces are limited!
SAT Testing 2013-2014
Grade 11 students interested in applying to the United
Univisits --- www.univisits.com/suggested-tours itinerarStates and Japan should have taken the SAT Reasoning
ies
for creating your own UK university tour
exam. Virtually all U.S. colleges and universities will
require the SAT and many will not accept test scores after Omnibus includes a comprehensive list of worldwide enthe December administration. Depending on the university (many top universities/colleges), up to 2 -3 SAT Sub(Continued on page 15)
ject tests may also be required in different areas. There14
richment, volunteer and internship opportunities.
www.internationalcounselor.org/summer2/
Summer_Omnibus/Omnibus.html
Grade 11 may consider a UK Taster Course in London
from Feb. – July. http://www.london.ac.uk/tasters
Courses run from half-a-day to a week and are free. Apply a.s.a.p. they fill quickly. Students age 16 and older may consider UK Workshop
Conferences to help select university courses for competitive places. Courses run a couple days and have reasonable fees. There are spring courses at the University of
Nottingham in Law, Medisex, Journalism, Psychology,
Physics and Forensics. Summer courses in Medsim, vetsim and nursing are available. http://www.workshopuk.net/
Dates to Remember
Aug. 31 - Sept. 1 and Sept. 7-8 SAT Prep Course
(Registration materials to follow)
October 15 – Deadline to apply to Oxford or Cambridge
and to Medical, Dental and Veterinary programs in the
UK
October 16 – PSAT (Grades 10-11)
November 1- 15 - Deadline for Early Admissions to the
US
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15
Lower School News
Dear all,
It is super that summer seems to have finally arrived and
stayed with us for more than one day. But this also
brings with it some sadness as we approach the end of
the school year. In these last weeks of school we will
have an opportunity to say goodbye to those families and
staff who are leaving the school. Students will receive
their copy of the Yearbook which showcases many of the
events and activities they have been engaged in during
the year. The last pages of the book are blank and students can collect signatures and comments from students
and staff if they wish. These are often treasured items in
the years to come. Students who are leaving ISA will
also receive a clog as a memory of ISA.
I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge some
staff members who are leaving. Thank you to all of you
for your hard work and dedication to the students at ISA.
I’d like to thank Nadine York, who has been working as
an assistant for us for a number of years. We wish you
Nadine, all the best together with Stephen, Anna and
Joshua as you return to England.
Deborah Roukema, one of our Lower School Art teachers and part-time grade 5 assistant, has only been with us
for such as short time, but is also moving to England.
Homeroom teachers Anouk Cronly-Dillon and Erin
Dowd will be leaving ISA. We wish them both luck in
the next step in their careers.
Reps, the PAC committee, the Lower School Events
Committee, the Green Team, the parents who helped at
the Winter and Spring Fairs and other events. I’d like to
give a special mention to Christine Baijings-McMillan
as PTA President, Claire Lenterman as PTA Vicepresident, Pam MacGregor as National Rep Coordinator,
Michelle Steele as Newcomers Coordinator, Pascale
Marsh, Anita Fast and Francesca Allori for running the
school store, Susan Schnurr and Peggy Brannigan for the
Green Team, Kristy Bernath for PTA liaison, Marianne
Heemskerk for organizing both the Winter and Spring
Fairs, Claire Egan, Deborah Laikin, Mo Saxby, Margot
Clarenbeek, Tanya Gunn and Alina Dorner for their
work with LS Events and of course Heike Cornelius, our
clog lady! As Susan Schnurr is leaving ISA I’d like to
particularly thank her for her energy and enthusiasm over
the years in all the Art auctions and Green Team projects
she has been so actively involved in. What will we do
without you next year Susan?!
There are often different ways to get involved in school
life, through the PTA, extra-curricular events and in the
classroom. The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is a
different forum which helps parents to share their perspective with the administration. PAC parents take an
active role in helping communication with families as
well. There are still a few spaces available on next
year’s PAC Committee for interested parents. We like to
involve parents from a range of cultural backgrounds and
representing parents across the age-groups. If you’d like
to join us please contact me at [email protected]
The last day of school is Thursday 20th June. School
Laura Doolittle, who has been on maternity leave since ends at 13:00 on that day – so please don’t forget we
March, will not be returning in August. We wish Laura, have an early dismissal. The Lower School students still
her husband Mark, and their daughter Maggie all the best have lunch that day, but it will be scheduled for an earlier
time so that all students can get back to their homerooms
in their next adventure.
before dismissal time.
Pamela Atkinson, our Lower School Counsellor, is also
leaving ISA to join her husband due to his own career The next school year starts on Wednesday 21st August.
move. Thank you Pamela, for your support of our stu- Please don’t forget that the first five days of school are
dents, parents and staff over the last four years, espe- only half-days for students in Nursery, Pre-school, Precially in helping students transition into and away from kindergarten and Kindergarten. We look forward to seeing you back in August and hope you have a fabulous
ISA.
summer holiday. If you are leaving ISA and moving on
Joyce van Ruiten and Rika Deuvel are moving into Up- we wish you and your family a great summer and a
per School roles next year. Whilst we will miss them happy, easy transition to your new home and school.
and thank them so much for all they have done in Lower Thank you for your ongoing support.
School, we are delighted that they are remaining on staff!
Have a great summer!
Of course we need to thank so many people at this time
of year, including our wonderful staff and our curious,
caring, open-minded students. It is most appropriate here
to thank many parents who have been so supportive of
the school throughout the year. Thank you to all PTA Sarah Grace
executive members and sub-committees, to the National [email protected]
Back to Index
16
Building Expansion
Dear Parents,
On Monday, 3 June, the contractor Kondor Wessels started the building work for the new building/extension at the
back of the school.
The building traffic will use the new entrance to drive, in a straight line, to the building preparation site beyond
the sports hall.
To accommodate the ISA community, the builders will not drive in during our mornings and afternoons between
08.00-09.00 and 15.00-16.00 or during recess and lunch times when our students are using the soccer field. We will
use the soccer field for these periods since the tennis courts and artificial field will no longer be available during the
construction period.
Before
After
Before
After
To make sure there will be absolutely no building traffic during recess and at lunch times we will close Gates 1
and 2 during these periods.
17
We would also like to ask for your help to keep the parking area as safe as possible for our students and to facilitate
the building traffic. Please do not park in the parking area behind the sports hall if you plan to leave during the
day. Cars that leave from that area will have to cut the line where our students are crossing to the soccer field. Anywhere else on our parking area is of course not a problem. If you leave before 09.00, or if you plan to have your car
parked all day, it is also not a problem. In that case I would like to ask you not to park in front of Gate 2, so building
traffic can get to and from the preparation site.
Kondor Wessels have been very helpful with their traffic logistics to support ISA, and they have also taken all measures possible to keep the noise levels to a minimum during the building process. Most of the noisy work will be done
during the holidays. The piling will take place during the summer holiday and most of the sheet piling will also take
place during the summer. Since putting in the sheet pile wall has to happen first, it has to be done before school ends.
Kondor Wessels was able to move it to the very last week of school, starting on June 17th, after the Upper School
exams. Taking the sheets out, which will generate the same amount of noise, will happen during the October
break. Making the connection openings to our current building will also take place during the October break.
The crane which will be used runs on electricity instead of diesel to reduce the noise level.
Despite all these measures, it is inevitable that building 7,500 m2 will make some noise, but we have taken every
precaution possible to keep this to an absolute minimum and expect that it will not interfere with our education programme. We have formed a special building team consisting of teachers from Lower and Upper school, administrators and a Works Council member to oversee the whole construction project and to focus on safety and noise levels.
To provide a comprehensive overview we have created a special page on the community webpage dedicated to the
new building. To see this, please log on to the community webpage and click on the building icon. There you can
also find a video about the building to see how the building process will develop and to get an idea of the appearance
of the new building.
If you need further information, which is not available on the website, please contact me at [email protected]
Kind regards,
Rob Boos
Operations Manager
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18
Looking Back on a Year in Technology
A year ago, when we first published our 2012-2015
technology plan, it seemed very ambitious. In fact, in
2010 when we first started writing it, the changes we
planned seemed almost too ambitious. And yet, looking
back over the year, we have successfully completed the
entire first year of the tech plan on time and within
budget. It’s almost hard to believe!
A major part of our technology plan was a network upgrade. It’s not the glamorous part of a technology improvement - new wires and cables; it’s hardware that’s
hidden in the walls and easy to overlook. But when a
classroom full of students wants to access the same website at the same time, you quickly realize that the boring
infrastructure projects are actually the most critical. If
we hadn’t been able to upgrade the network, none of the
other improvements would have been possible. As it
stands, we have a beautiful, fast, reliable, efficient network. Best of all, we have data about it - we know how
fast the network is and how much bandwidth we are using. If there’s a problem, the tech support crew can see
it on a dashboard and respond right away. They no
longer need to wait for phone calls before they know
there’s a problem. That’s the sort of pro-active response
that the classrooms of tomorrow require.
Having data is important, whether it’s for network efficiency, college admissions statistics, or visits to the
nurse’s office. It’s great that we can analyze traffic to
our WiFi access points, but what we really need is data
that helps improve learning. That’s going to be one of
the main goals next year. We completed our self-study
in April and many of the improvement targets are centered around the use of data. We collect data all the
time, but the problem is we store it in separate places
and in different formats. Because of this, we’re never
really able to collect and analyze the data in a meaningful way. Over the next two years, we’ll be improving
the way we collect, store, and use data. This is not just a
new suggestion that came out of the self-study - this is
an important part of the technology plan.
the upper school schedule this year. For years, we’ve
agreed that we need to teach digital citizenship to students, but there was never enough time in the regular
classroom schedule to accomplish this. This year, I was
able to work with every grade in upper school through
the X Block program to help kids with skills ranging
from improving their digital footprint to understanding
facebook privacy settings. Digital citizenship is an important part of a modern school curriculum - I am glad
that ISA is able to teach students these critical life skills.
The new cafeteria extension was another added bonus
this year. Having such a great meeting space made it
easy to arrange technology information sessions with
parents. If you missed them, the slides are posted on the
technology blog on the ISA community website. I really
enjoy conducting those sessions, so I’ll happily do them
again next school year, and freshen up the content to
keep it up to date. This year, we had sessions on responsible digital citizenship, video games, internet safety,
and use of the community website. We also had a great
session showcasing the use of iPads in the lower
school. Where possible, I like to offer separate sessions
for lower school and upper school parents, so that the
details can be tailored to the audience. If you have suggestions for topics you’d like to see presented on next
year, please let me know.
From the parent’s perspective, I’m sure that one of the
biggest improvements this year was the easier-toremember username. One of the database enhancements
we have been working on ties together our various databases of parent records so that the information can flow
from one to the other automatically. This has allowed us
Personally, one of my highlights of the year was the
amount of time I was able to spend directly with students. This wouldn’t have been possible without the XBlock, the new homeroom meeting time that was part of
19
with state-of-the-art hardware and projection systems. And we’ll have a major project and committee
looking at ways to improve communication - including
many improvements to the community website.
to change from a horrible username like F0152738B
(which no one could remember) to an easier username
based on the parent’s actual first and last name. The
work paid off, as well - when we analyze the usage statistics on the website we can see a huge spike in traffic right Best of all, I’m confident that we’ll do it like we did this
after the new usernames came out. When we compare
year - on time and within budget!
visitors to the Parent Portal we have almost three times as
many visits now as we had at the same time last year.
So what’s next? You’ve probably heard about the iPads
in lower school. We’ve had such success with them this
year that we are going to make sure every student in
grades K through 5 has one assigned to them next
Warren Apel
year. We’re going to continue increasing the internet
speed and the network reliability. We have some excel- Technology Director
lent improvements planned for the classroom projection
hardware. Next year, we will have far less cable clutter,
since our projectors and computers are increasingly wireless and mobile. We’ll be outfitting the new building
Back to Index
Lower School Sports Day
It was a super Sports Day this year, and we couldn’t have wished for better weather. Thanks to Jeroen van Eeken, Pepijn van
den Toorn for the organization as well as the entire PE team, Lower School teachers, assistants, parents, coaches and grades 7
students who all helped to run the events. Our students really enjoyed the afternoon! For more photos look at the LS News Blog
on the community website.
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20
This semester saw the launch of a brand new educational ibooks company
called Children’s Dream, inc. Students in Grade 10 MYP Technology were
challenged to create an informational or educational ibook that would help
support our program here at ISA.
Next school year all lower school students will have an ipad to enhance
their learning and there is a need for interactive content that is specific to
ISA.
The grade 10 students were split into management and production staff
and the ISA faculty were given the opportunity to ‘hire’ the company to
create a bespoke ibook to complement their program.
Using the design cycle, students
worked with a teacher or department to create an interactive
ibook for the ipad. They designed, planned and created
ibooks for a range of subjects and teachers:
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
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Grade 4 mathematics
a commemorative book for Global Village Day
yearbooks for the Fireflies, the Rainbow class and for Grade 10
pre school drama productions
PE @ ISA
The Solar System
Music in the Lower School
Smartboard and Mac help for teachers
Community Service
3D Shapes
Materials in our World
Grade 3 EAL
‘how to’ book for Grade 5 PYPX
The students constructed the ibooks with Apple’s iBooks Author but also used a variety of other software to make
their galleries and widgets, including SketchUp (3D modelling), iMovie (video editing), Dreamweaver (web design),
Photoshop (photo editing), Keynote (presentation), MS Office and Google Docs .
The books are free to download from our purpose built distribution web site, also created by the students.
You will need an ipad and the free ibooks app to properly view them.
Navigate to the following link using Safari on your ipad.
http://www.isa.nl/community/usit/ibooks_spring/
(username community, password atlas)
Browse the web site for the book you
would like and click on the download
link. Then select ‘open in ibooks’.
Some of the books are rather large.
Please be patient as the download
process can take a few minutes.
The students should be very proud of
the useful products they have created.
As the school year has come to a close, the company in its current
form has ceased production for the summer. Keep your eyes open
for similar companies in the future! 
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Our proud ibooks production staff
Back to Index
ISA’s 8th Grade Students become App Developers
Students taking 8th Grade MYP Computer Technology learned to design, code and create mobile apps for the iOS
(Apple) and Android. Recently, computer and technology leaders have led a campaign to empower students through
learning to code as part of their essential education. ISA students had a unique opportunity, as there was no other
middle school in the world attempting to teach all students how to develop applications and content for mobile devices. Students were taught several different media creators (animation, video and audio) and how to use these in
Apple’s development environment xCode. While xCode requires some coding, students were able to be successful
with a small amount of code and many relied on their 7th grade Flash/Scripts skills to help them finalize their projects.
ISA students developed their apps to meet the IBMYP design cycle requirements while answering the question,
“Can Mobile Apps Change the World?”. Students investigated topics and explored ways to solve or raise awareness of problems they believed to be important. Once they researched and became better aware of their issue, students then aligned their potential solution to one of the IB’s Areas of Interaction (AoI).
The AoI of Approaches to Learning became the foundation for apps designed to help
explain IB Programme requirements like CAS as well as apps that offer recommendations and advice on being a successful student at ISA. Miyu Haraguchi and Sophie
van der Linden created an app that lists and details the many current CAS opportunities offered at ISA. The AoI of Environment set the stage for the creation of apps to
measure carbon footprints, explain the lifecycle of plastic bottles and encourage recycling through games.
ISA's CAS Opportunities While most students used Apple’s xCode for development, some students explored the
use of Adobe’s Flash and Air to create an app. Luca Bertacca created a multi-leveled
game for students to drag different “trash” items into ISA’s new recycle bins to better
understand when an item is trash or when it can be recycled. For example, dragging a
paper airplane into the plastics bin will result in a warning in the game, as it should go in
paper. The user can move to the next level when the item is dragged into the correct bin.
Jella Jessurun also focused on recycling but with more information about the specifics of
Luca’s game in development
why we should recycle.
Health and social education played a role in Mariana
Velasquez Sosa’s guide to good hygiene, which also includes animations that should appeal to Lower School students. Her project started from a request from José de Silva Rocha and Susan Loban, who wanted a fun, new and interactive way to promote health and cleanliness among the
youngest students in the school. Mariana also chose to explore a different mobile environment and used the new
22
iBooks Author to create her interactive guide and the size and ease of use of the iPad is more appropriate for younger
students. The only set back for this type of publication is that it only works on iPads.
Farida Badran’s app shared her love and knowledge of song writing while exploring the AoI
of Community and Service. She detailed and explained 12 steps of song writing and is working on a function of the app to let you practice writing within the app. Being a new student to
ISA last year, Ellen Walsh created her project to help ease the practical and technical learning
curve of new students. She created an app to organize all the different websites we use, as
well as maps and other information that is useful for navigating ISA physically and virtually.
Elen’s Useful ISA Sites
As mobile devices become the standard for many people to receive and interact with information, students need to
become creators in addition to being consumers of mobile apps. The opportunity of developing a mobile application
or an epub while keeping in mind the end users’ needs and experience helps ISA’s 8th grade demystify current technology and better understand why good design is paramount for effective presentation and usability.
Derek Harwell
MYPCT Teacher
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23
Library News
Here we are at the end of the school year. In the Lower School library, we need
to pack everything up as there will be a new carpet laid over the summer, and
that will complete the refurbishment and extension development for the LS Library - and what a change the extension has made compared to this time last
year; it has transformed the space.
In both LS and US Libraries, we offer returning families the option of borrowing extra books for the summer holidays. We tell the children that it is a good idea for them to return books they
have had on loan for a while, and borrow fresh books for the summer holidays, and they can take more than they
usually borrow, to cover the holiday period. Parents are also welcome to borrow books for the summer period, too.
Because of the recarpeting of the LS Library, please make sure you and your children borrow for the holidays by
Friday 14 June. After this date, the library is closed to clear the room for the recarpeting. For the US Library, borrowing for the summer holidays continues until the school closes on Thursday 20 June.
It has been a busy year, and we wanted to review it and identify some highlights, so here are the thoughts from the
library team.
Library colleagues wish to share their highlights and reading recommendations with you:
Paula Morris, LS Librarian, writes:
My highlight for this year was teaching in the new extension of the Lower School Library. It was so bright and
roomy and it is a space the whole ISA community can enjoy. It was lovely to have a new colleague too! Farin has
been a wonderful addition to our team with her enthusiasm and her ability to engage students.
My recommendations are Katherine Appelgate’s The one and only Ivan which has won the Newbery prize this year
for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The words are easy, the content is somewhat more challenging! Another favourite I love to share is Nederland/Holland, a beautifully illustrated wordless
book, by Charlotte Demanton. It is now accompanied by a second book which contains so much information
about this country as well as guide you back through the beautiful pictures. It is now available in English as well as
Dutch!
Farin Mendis, LS Librarian, writes:
My highlight of the year was getting to know the ISA community. I appreciated the warm welcome that I received
from students, parents, and my colleagues. ISA is such a dynamic place that it is hard to pick one favorite event
from the year, but I especially enjoyed Book Week. Yangsook Choi, Ali Sparkes, and Mies van Hout were all
highly entertaining and informative presenters. Participating in the Book Week play during the assembly was a
riot! And I had a blast on Character Dress-up Day as Winnie the Witch.
This year I used Overdrive [an online service we subscribe to - the link is on the ISA Community website - US Library main page http://community.isa.nl/page.cfm?p=386] to access e-books on my iPad. Some of the titles that I
read (or re-read) that could be enjoyed by lower school students were: Al Capone Does My Shirts, Hoot, The BFG,
The Graveyard Book, Holes, and Star Girl. If you are traveling this summer and want to keep your bags light, I
would recommend that you check out the e-book and audiobook titles available through the ISA Overdrive account!
Nathalie Morrissey, who works in the US Library, says: My highlight of the year was meeting the author Ali
Sparkes during Book Week. She was an amazing guest with lots of humour and energy!
I really enjoyed Unleashed written by one of our Book Week authors, Ali Sparkes for its fast-paced adventure story
with a touch of the supernatural. A great read for Middle School students! My recommendation for High School
students is The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, a semi-autobiographical account of
the author's adolescence in a modern day American Indian reservation. This book had me in tears of laughter and
sadness often in the same sentence.
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Sabrina Rossi, who works in the LS Library, says: This year the LS Library benefited from the new extension that
was built in summer 2012 and it has been a pleasure to see that all our users, students, parents and teachers, simply
loved it. It has made the LS Library atmosphere even more welcoming and enjoyable.
I normally ride my bike to school and this year I decided to use my commuting time to listen to audiobooks instead
of music. I have been downloading books from our Overdrive service and I could finally catch up with my reading!
I highly recommend it to anyone who feels they don't have time to read anymore.
Anthony Tilke, who works mostly in US Library and sometimes in LS Library, says: it has been great again seeing
students I knew in grades 4 and 5 when I first arrived at ISA, and who are now in the Middle School. Also working
with older students doing the Diploma Programme, and developing new ways of helping them, such as the creation
of a quiet study room in the library, focused collections for TOK, Extended Essays and Careers, and various information pages on the ISA Community website, such as providing an information sheet about university libraries, which
DP students can access for their Extended Essay needs.
For middle school students, I’d like to recommend two series: one The Young Samurai series by Chris Bradford and
the Stravaganza sequence by Mary Hoffmann. These are gripping adventure/mystery stories. Young Samurai is set in
17th century Japan, about a shipwrecked boy from Europe who becomes a samurai. The Stravaganza books are set in
a time-slip country called Talia, which is really 16th century Italy, and the author very cleverly mixes real locations,
fantasy places and plots, and provides a new protagonist in each book in the sequence. Both series have elements of
fantasy in the story-lines.
For US students - and in complete contrast - I’d like to recommend a non-fiction book, looking at the work of the
artist Tony Cragg. Cragg, based in Wuppertal, Germany, is known for his sculpture and this book shows how innovative his work is, not least acknowledging his chemistry background. The book is called Tony Cragg: sculptures
and drawings, author Patrick Elliot [call no. 730.92 CRA], and you can see an example of his sculpture, as one is
included in the ARTZUID outside sculpture festival (http://www.artzuid.nl/artzuid-2013/ - Cragg’s sculpture is on
Appollolaan).
Finally, at ISA we’re really lucky to have wonderful parent volunteers to help in the LS Library. In the US Library,
we offer opportunities for students to help with Community and Service in the MYP, and we have had a great team,
this year. To all those who have helped the ISA Library Service this year, thank you very much from the ISA Library
Team, and happy vacation.
Best wishes for the summer, and happy reading!
The ISA Library Team
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Gallery Opening Event in Kindergarten
The annual ‘Kindergarten Gallery’ opening, which took place on April 22, was, yet again, a huge success! Our
young artists had their artwork on display for an afternoon as they guided their parents, Lower School students and
staff through the gallery displays.
The children in Kindergarten completed a unit of inquiry entitled “Communication
Through Art”. During this unit, the students inquired into the life and work of the Dutch
artist, Vincent van Gogh. In addition, they learned about how artists use colour and line to
communicate emotions in their artwork. The students created original works of art and
shared their reflections on their artwork with the gallery visitors.
The official gallery opening started with a ribbon cutting ceremony and included a tour through the students’ computer artwork, canvas paintings, classroom projects and a stop at the gallery café, where cupcakes decorated with
sunflowers were served. Each student also wore a self-designed t-shirt for the event.
The children feel very proud of their accomplishments and the visitors to the gallery
opening raved about the amazing works of art to which they were treated. We appreciate all of the feedback we received from visitors to the gallery event and the comments
added to our guest book while the canvas paintings were on display in the school’s
main foyer.`
Some comments from the gallery visitors include:
“What a wonderful art gallery! There are true talents amongst these children. Thank you for a wonderful
afternoon!”
“Congratulations! You guys did so good. Even better than me last year! It is fantastic and you did a great
effort in your drawings.”
“I still can’t believe that he made this amazing artwork. It is fantastic! Thank you so much for your work
and for helping the inner artist to come out.”
“Beautiful artwork! I love all the bright colours you used! I can’t wait to have her paintings hanging in our
house!”
“What beautiful paintings! It was such a treat and privilege to come to your grand opening!”
Thank you to the Lower School IT and Art Department staff, and our Kindergarten Classroom Assistants, who all
helped make this event possible.
Thank you, Kindergarten students, for bringing us such colourful and thoughtful pieces of art to admire!
The Kindergarten Team
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From the Nurse’s Desk
Dear Parents,
Another school year is coming to an end unbelievably; it seems these last weeks are rolling over us faster than ever
before. For several reasons, such as change in structure, the school-accreditation, high figures of illness and last but
not least the continuous lack of sunshine, this year has been so different from others, requiring extra self-discipline,
patience and sacrifices. But no self-pity: we made it and the flag is still on top!
Last week we celebrated the graduation of the 12th graders, one of the best I ever attended. As always it was beautiful, very emotional, saying farewell to students and families. Three of the students had been with us since pre-school,
now flying away, on their way to further success, in good health and happiness. Many speakers gave them much
advice, one of them, the one from Dr Greene impressed me most, short and firm, ”be happy”! Food for thought, as
happiness does not just cross your road, it is created by the way we live, think, feel and act in this precious life, given
to us.
Now, for the last time this year, here are some important facts to be aware of.
Fortunately the flu wave came to an end, but, as we overcame the H1N1 epidemic a few years ago, the A/H7N9 virus
now threatens us. At the moment this type is only transferred from birds to humans, at least for now it is not transferred from human to human. Scientists (Animal Health Laboratory, Australia) are desperately working on analyzing
the characteristics of the virus to develop effective antibodies. The WHO still thinks this virus will not develop into a
worldwide epidemic, but things might change. I will keep you updated as soon as the holidays are ended.
All students born in 2007 and in 2011 had their physical assessments (if parents subscribed for it). The results have
been sent home (last ones will be performed next week). In case your child hasn’t been invited, please let me know.
Unfortunately, due to lack of time, (my office was also struck by illness, so understaffed for quite a while), I have not
been able to perform the vision tests on students born in 1999, as planned at the beginning of the school year. I sincerely apologize and promise it will be my first task in the coming school year.
Next school year the girls born in 2000, who started their HPV vaccinations, will get their third one in October 2013.
Those of you, leaving ISA, please be aware that we used the type Cervarix, not to be mixed with the type Gardasil,
given in some other countries.
Last week I gave a lecture for all 10th graders regarding the importance of using sun protection. For all of you, now
so happy the sun finally came out, although the sun seems to be our friend, PLEASE recognize the dark side of the
sun! Using sun blocks, wearing hats/caps and sunglasses is an absolute must! If not, skin cancer may occur, in the
beginning without any complaints, but potentially developing into melanoma.
Last but not least, please let me know if you have any special wishes regarding ISA Health and/or my clinic for next
year.
All of you have a wonderful time during the upcoming weeks, so-called quality time, enjoying life without the ISA
clock ticking, reading, travelling, sporting (for some of you, including me, the best to lose some weight!), visiting
friends and family, whatever you like best in life, do it!
My warmest thoughts will accompany you,
Anit Lieftinck
ISA School Nurse
020-3471280, in case of REAL emergency: +31 6 53514467
email: [email protected]
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Another Green Year
Once a month, a majestic white polar bear pops up on a display board in ISA’s foyer,
greeting everyone who enters the school building. The bear looks worried, because
the ice he stands on is melting away. The display board’s message is that while climate change is happening, we do have some power to slow it down. How? ISA’s
cafeteria is now serving “Power Lunch,” a monthly non-meat menu that makes our
carbon footprint smaller and slows global warming. Power Lunch is a creation of
Green Team, Nutrition Committee and George’s cafeteria. Two professional chefs
from Amsterdam were hired this year to give the cafeteria some delicious non-meat
recipes. The Power Lunch program kicked off in January with an all-upper-school assembly, and some students got to climb on-stage to try out new cooking techniques.
Some people were skeptical initially, but the response from students and adults has
been so positive that George will increase the program from monthly to twice-permonth next school year.
The Power Lunch program is just one of dozens of green activities that happened at ISA
this year. LOTS of people in the school community had a chance to do something good for
the environment and to have fun in the process. LS green students took home birdfeeder
kits to make with their families. They also made the school grounds more beautiful by
planting flower bulbs around the building, and did several litter clean-up patrols on the
playground. Plastic recycling bins and thermometers were placed in all LS classrooms to
promote more plastic recycling and energy savings.
This year, US Green Team reached out to partner with many different school groups:
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with IT Dept., to set up E-waste collection for responsible recycling of unused old
phones, appliances and computers.
with SHARE, to raise money for the ISA Tanzania project. US green students made recycled artwork and gifts; their funds were used to install a water tower and pipeline for
the Tanzanian school.
with Food Tech, to expand the outdoor herb garden
with Ops and Sound & Light, to produce a Youtube video about the right way to use our
recycle bins
with Sports Boosters, to set up tap water stations at NECIS
with Design Tech and Ops, to experiment with alternative energy. US green students
created a Pedal Powered Smoothie Maker and a Pedal Powered Spin Art Machine. Students ride the Smoothie Maker to mix up free healthy drinks for each Power Lunch, and
ISA’s staff pedaled to serve up delicious drinks at their TGIF party. The Spin Art machine was incredibly popular with children at the Spring Fair.
Over 100 students are members of ISA’s LS and US green teams and a dedicated group of teachers and parents serve
as coaches. In addition, many other people in the school community are making their own green initiatives and
spreading a “culture” of caring for the planet. The building expansion done this past year shows a concern for ecoimpact, with a green wall, sedum roof, sunshade awnings, new water fountains and additional bike parking spaces.
ISA is now spreading the message beyond our own school. In 2013, members of ISA’s green team made a presentation on “How to Build a Green Team” to the Marymount International School in Paris. Later this year, they will
share green ideas with SHAPE international school in Belgium.
In a recent green team survey about eco-issues, several ISA staff members noted that environmental awareness has
grown significantly at ISA over the past several years. But of course there is much more that we all can do. If you
have ideas or questions about eco-friendly opportunities at ISA, of if you’d like to volunteer, please contact
[email protected].
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Malick N’Diaye Rose – 1951- 2013
Malick first appeared at ISA in 2002 – recommended as a wonderful exponent of his own country’s music
(Senegal) by the music department at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam.
For almost 10 years he has been a familiar and well-loved figure in the school, and taught many classes, encompassing many subjects, all linked together through the playing of the Senegalese traditional drums called sabars.
The Sabars are an increasingly rare example of hand made ethnic drums belonging only to the area now known as
Senegal. The drumming traditions are embedded into the whole way of life. Malick, together with many members
of his family have been playing outside their home country since the late 1990’s – giving concerts and workshops,
and bringing centuries of their unbroken tradition to more people, mostly in the Netherlands, but also in France.
Not only was his drumming exciting to hear, the experience of playing together under his leadership was thrilling,
and unforgettable for all the students who experienced it. His lessons enhanced students’ awareness of the interrelated nature of music, daily life, education, ritual, tradition, as well as the ways in which tradition evolves while
remaining accepted and revered in contemporary life.
At ISA - as well as being a regular visitor to the Music Department - he also gave workshops to the French Department, and to the Humanities classes.
Within the sphere of Music he often discussed many issues with the students, way beyond the normally accepted
realms of ‘’music lessons’’ - and talked in his inimitable and captivating way about the use of music as one of the
oldest means of communication, as therapy, and as an educational tool. With older students he also addressed such
challenging topics as slavery, its history in Senegal, and the effects of slavery on the evolution of music.
During this current year his visits were less frequent, but the plans were already laid for his continuing work in the
coming year - and so it was with great sadness that we learned this week that he had passed away on Sunday May
13, after a year’s illness.
All the students and teachers who spent time during their life at ISA in the presence of this huge personality, will
remember not only the drumming experience, but the man himself: a kind, wise, patient multi-lingual teacher who
taught us so much.
Ruth Andrews
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On the evening of Saturday 20th April, the International School of Amsterdam hosted it’s SHARE Art Wine &
Cheese fundraising event. The School was magically transformed into a spectacular art gallery. Over 200 original
works of art created by ISA students, staff and parents, were beautifully displayed and lit, ready for auction to the
highest bidder. With delicious wines to taste and fantastic food to enjoy, the atmosphere was buzzing and many
pieces of art were snapped up immediately by eager buyers.
In the creative spirit of the evening, guests were able to participate in some fabulous activities including pedal-power
spin art and our “Let’s paint for Tanzania” collective artwork.
The event was the culmination of months of hard work from a vast group of people who generously gave their time
and energy to make this event such an enormous success.
We must thank all our sponsors, without whom this evening would not have been possible. Our wines, soft drinks,
chocolates, Sushi, brownies, framing services, and fabulous raffle and door prizes were all generously sponsored by
local companies, and were integral to the success of the event.
We would also like to extend our thanks to the wonderful ISA staff, from the art department to Adminstration, from
Maintenance to Technology, and the many teachers who created and donated art. They all played a critical role in
bringing this project to fruition, and transforming our ideas into reality.
Special thanks to the amazing team of Japanese ladies who framed (and re-framed on occasion!) our eclectic artwork,
handling all different shapes, sizes and materials with breathtaking precision and dedication, to ensure it was shown
off to its full potential.
Behind the scenes, many parents gave their time to create the wonderful details which added to the overall effect on
the night. From wine glass charms to the Tanzania girls aprons, from providing assistance in art classes to the supervision of the painting of the fabulous Taxi- E. We could not have done this without so many people helping.
Our National Communities generously provided the ever-popular “International Baskets” for our raffle. We must
thank them for sourcing and donating delicious international goodies for all our winners to enjoy.
On the day, a vast team of helpers worked tirelessly to make the event a huge success.
 Our decoration team worked their magic, to set the scene for the evening. Their creativity and attention to
the smallest detail are truly appreciated.
 Thanks go to all who helped with the preparation of the delicious food on the evening. This includes you!! It
was greatly enjoyed by all our guests.
 A few parents were kind enough to act as official photographers for the evening: thank you!
 Thank you also to those who helped with the logistics of the silent auction, to ensure everything ran
smoothly.
 A huge thank you to the wonderful musicians of the ISA community who entertained us so delightfully
throughout the evening.
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Finally, a big thank you to the students from the Tanzania Girls team and the Habitat for Humanity team, who helped
out so graciously on a vast array of different tasks. We wish them all the best as they travel out to their projects in
Tanzania and India this summer.
Thanks to our combined efforts we are delighted and proud to announce that we raised in excess of €28,000
for our SHARE charities!
These funds will be distributed to the following charities:
MASSAE GIRLS LUTHERAN SCHOOL OF TANZANIA
SHARE has been supporting this school since 1997 through a yearly financial commitment. Girls from ISA have the
opportunity to travel to Tanzania and take part in summer teaching programs, which has proved to be a life changing
experience for the participants.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY – India
A true world leader in addressing the issues of poverty, housing and homelessness. A Habitat for Humanity project
will enable ISA students to travel to India this summer to work with the Indian community to build homes for deserving low income families.
HEIFER NEDERLAND
SHARE supports their efforts through annual financial donations.
ISA STUDENT CHARITIES – projects that meet appropriate criteria
Our sincere thanks to everyone for helping to make this event such an outstanding success.
The Art Wine Cheese Committee
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WATER AID 2013 FUNDRAISING
With World Water Day just having taken place (March 22nd), the Water Aid team (consisting of Kate Beerkens,
Demi de Boer, Lili Melvin, Emi Morton, Alisa Storchak, Josje Rovers and Ellen Steele) worked hard in order to
raise funds for their cause. During the week of March 18th-March 22nd, the team organized various fundraising
events including; the water well in the foyer, awareness presentations as well as a very successful bake sale! In
total, we managed to raise €878.91!
Our efforts were put into perspective when Frans de
Munk and his son Mark from the charity East African
Care came to present to us about the cause that the ISA
Water Aid team is supporting. Over previous years,
ISA has contributed to funding latrines and water wells
for communities in East Africa. This year, they introduced a new concept to us called a Flo-Flo. This was
invented by a Dutch man called Floris de Vos and involves drilling into the ground which provides a larger
community with healthy drinking water. In 2012, East
African Care used ISA’s funding event to buy a Flo-Flo
and trained 7 unemployed boys to work with it. By
funding for a Flo-Flo, it would enable us to provide
more sustainable water to a greater number of people.
However, the Flo-Flo costs 3000 euros and we had not raised enough yet.
This incentive of achieving a Flo-Flo inspired us to
continue working as the Water Aid team, even though
previously the group has stopped in March. With our
enthusiasm, the Water Aid team 2013 is now a studentled CAS group with Ms Bone supervising our efforts.
Meeting every Thursday, we have been organizing
more fundraising events including various bake sales.
So far, we have managed to raise €150 alongside our
previous total.
The hard-working Water Aid team 2013 is determined to raise the money to provide a community with a Flo-Flo
and we are already on our way to our target of €3000! Please help us by supporting our various fundraising efforts
organized throughout the school year!
Lili Melvin
On behalf of the Water Aid Team 2013
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ISA Served the City: May 4
On Saturday 4th May, ISA held its second “ISA SERVES THE CITY”.
51 students, parents and teachers were involved in a number of projects dotted around
Amsterdam.
Cleaning up parks
Painting homes
Simple acts of kindness
Marjorie Bone
C & S and CAS Coordinator
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In the Spring, ISA participated in 5 different NECIS sports with 7 teams and 138 athletes.
ISA TENNIS TEAM 2013
The ISA Tennis team (Natalie, Anna-Clair, Felix, PB, Marta, Monica, Daito, Ran and Henk) practiced this year for
the first time on the gravel pitches of LTC Startbaan with coach Yvonne. It was a mixture of experienced and inexperienced players that travelled to Anwerp, for practice games, and to Hamburg for the final NECIS tournament.
Although tennis is an individual sport, this team demonstrated how to support each other and get the best out of
themselves and their teammates. Marta Perezagua, received the “Most Outstanding Player” award; the individual
who best exhibits qualities for outstanding sportsmanship and tennis ability as well as being an excellent representative of her school and the NECIS organization!!
Coach Yvonne.
Results NECIS Tennis 2013
Girls singles
Level 1
1st: Marta Perezagua Sanchez-Beato
Level 3
6th: Natalie Creighton
Level 4
4th: Monica Perezagua Sanchez-Beato
Level 5
2nd : Anna-Claire Spepherd
Boys singles
Level 1
8th: Daito Kase (injured)
Level 2
4th: Ran Zmigrod
Level 3
2nd: Henk van Rooijen
Level 4
3rd: Felix Knight
Level 5
5th: PB
Girls doubles
Level 1
1st: Marta and Monica Perezagua Sanchez-Beato
Level 2
7th: Natalie Creighton and Luisa Conen (Antwerp)
Boys doubles
Level 1
4th: Daito Kase and Ran Zmigrod
Level 2
4th: Felix Knight and PB
Mixed doubles
Level 1
3rd: Anna-Claire Spepherd and Henk van Rooijen
SOFTBALL TEAMS 2013
ISA was represented by JV & Varsity Softball teams at
the NECIS tournament in Dusseldorf. Nail biting
games with hits and misses in the cold weather conditions demonstrated once again the dedication and determined attitude of the players throughout the season.
ISA’s Varsity team was strong, and earned a well deserved Silver (2nd) place. By playing very solid
games, JV took home the Bronze (3rd) place.
JV was acknowledged for their conduct and they won the sportsmanship award. A special mention should also be
made to Mizuho Hashimoto for earning the MVP Award.
Coaches Marta and Jeroen
GIRLS SOCCER 2013
Two ISA U15 Girls soccer teams played in Bonn in a 12 team tournament. The
younger team (non experienced 6th graders) played an amazing tournament. The girls
improved a lot on their skill level and played well together with a strong fighting
mentality. After an exciting game they lost on penalties for 7/8th place. The other
ISA U15 team finally showed their potential. Everything came together at the right
moment; a solid defense, with Julia everywhere on midfield, and finally the team
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scored goals. Together with the quick hands of Daantje, the team made it to the final. ISA were the only team to
score against Dusseldorf, but unfortunately just not enough, so ISA won Silver (2nd) place.As coaches we are very
proud of the girls, both on and off the field.
We do hope to see more of the older girls next year, so we can play with a 11 a side Varsity team and a 7 a side U15
team.
Coach Tim and Edwin
ISA U19 RUGBY TEAM
ISA’s U19 Rugby team was made up of a mixture of highly motivated lads;
experienced rugby players, natural talents and hard workers that melted into a
fine oiled unstoppable machine under the supervision of coach Mr York.
The team was on a mission at the NECIS tournament in Bonn as they played
with strength, skill, “brains and ticker” throughout. Hector, Reece and Oliver
came straight from IB exams and set an example of how academics and sports
go very well together. Oliver Baijings was awarded MVP for ISA.
You are NECIS U19 Rugby Sevens Champions and no one can ever take that away from you. WELL DONE
LADS!!!!!!!!
Coach Stephen York
ISA BEARS CAPTURE NATIONAL ROWING CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!
The ISA rowing team, launched as a student initiative only two months ago, won the National
Dutch School Rowing Competition in the Mixed C4 class under beautiful skies on Friday 07 June
at the Amsterdam Bos. About 50 Dutch schools competed in the race before cheering crowds on
the course built for the 1928 Olympics. The team consisted of grade nine students Izzy Brooks,
Virginia de Lange, Eleanor Lansner, Frits van Vlissingen and Robby Novakov. The team prepared for the race in several hard training sessions with a Dutch coach from the rowing club, The
Amstel.
The team did not know what to expect, as this was the first time ISA participated in any rowing
competition… and this was the biggest of the year. Their first heat was a truly fantastic performance. To its atonishment, the team won that race by a great distance in a very fast time, leaving the competition far
behind, and made it straight to the finals. Between races, Frits van Vlissingen displayed prowess on a rowing machine ashore, winning individual honours—and a cake—with the best age group performance.
The finals were thrilling The ISA crew won by a 20cm gap between them and the pursuing boat. Robby (who was
steering) screamed his head off to stimulate/motivate them to give it that last little push: “Don’t give up! Go, go, go,
you haven’t won yet! Give it that last push!” And the team gave all the muscles they had and WON!! (and also beat
the British School).
Izzy, Virginia, Eleanor, Frits and Robby , were each awarded their National Champion's medal at the closing ceremony, and ISA received a trophy it will proudly display as its first rowing prize. So... anyone else ready to get out on
the water? Team members will be glad to tell you about their rowing clubs.
A narrow victory!
Chanpions!
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TRACK & FIELD 2013
The ISA track team consisted of 68 athletes who trained 3 days a week throughout a very,
very, cold spring season. A delegation of 51 travelled to the NECIS tournament by bus to
Copenhagen. The results were more than successful and the amount of medals and personal
bests (PB’s) earned by ISA’s athletes seems infinite. One achievement stands out in particular; Brian Smith earned a sixth gold medal and one silver medal and also broke another
NECIS record in the 800 meter race.
Medals may be the only materialized proof of success but all athletes who pushed themselves
to come out to the track and train in order to improve themselves have proven to be successful. You are great and your coaches love you!
Coaches Pepijn, Margreet, Edwin, Simon and Marianne
A Cause to Celebrate
Sporting events can bring out the best in children as they learn teamwork, get the chance to exercise, feel the accomplishment of playing their best and just have fun. In many ways, this is what the IB program is all about.
Every year we look forward to joining the track and field team at the annual NECIS tournament and just because we
want to support Hugh and Brian and the school team. We must admit that as part of the travelling parents supporters
club, it has become a tradition that we as parents have as much fun as the students! This year was particularly enjoyable with some great performances on the track and in the field and for once it was combined with excellent
weather! In past years, we have had faced rain, wind and even snow and despite being there to support our children,
it is hard to stand for hours on end in a biting wind! Thus it was a real pleasure to be in Copenhagen for this year’s
tournament. Not only did the school team do well, but also the parents attending the meet had probably their best
dinner out! If you have never been to one of the NECIS events we would encourage you to sign up next year, whatever the location or indeed the weather, we go determined to enjoy both the event and ourselves. So far as Copenhagen is concerned, we have already made our plans for next year and have warned the restaurant that we will be back!
Part of the Cheerleading Team
As parents, we are of course very proud of the achievements of our students. Our school constantly punches above
its weight at track and field, despite the conflicts with other school events. Hopefully this will improve next year.
Thus as we finish another successful school year, let’s celebrate the excellence of our teams performance and say a
big thanks to Marianne and all the coaching staff for all their work they do, not only at the track and field tournament but through all their coaching they do throughout the school year to get all our sports teams to such a high
level. A job very well done- thank you.
Stephen Huyton and Steve Smith
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If you are looking for a babysitter in Amstelveen or surrounding areas please give me a call
at 06-28260103. My name is Naomi van
Teijlingen. I used to attend ISA and mom still
works there. I am 17 and graduated from a
Dutch High School.
I am available to babysit most days except on
Tuesdays & Thursday evenings or Saturday
daytime because I play hockey on those days.
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40
Bright and Spacious Family Apartment for Rent in Amsterdam
Our gracious and light-filled 4-bedroom family apartment is available for rent for a period of 2 to 3 years, beginning in August or September. The apartment is in Amsterdam's choicest neighborhood, one block from the Concertgebouw and Museumplein. It has high ceilings, private street entrance, lots of period details, and an inviting
terrace.
The 190 m2 apartment covers the top 3 floors of a townhouse built in 1903. It has a stylish yet informal atmosphere. Its initial floor includes a spacious living room and dining room complete with ceiling moldings, wood detailing and French radiators, as well as a new kitchen. The second floor features 2 large bedrooms (one with builtin bookshelves) and a full bathroom. The third floor has 2 bedrooms, a full bathroom, a laundry/storage space, and
terrace with views across to the Rijksmuseum. Rent €3200/month. Call 065 213 4759 or email [email protected].
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41
Welcome.
Dear ISA parent or staff member, Family or friends coming over to visit you? Not enough space in your home in Amstelveen or Amsterdam? Hotels too expensive for a longer stay (7 plus nights) and no cooking facilities? As of 2012 Htel is proud to present special friends and family rates to ISA parents and staff members. On the next page you will find our special offer and all included services. To be able to use these rates, please quote ISA 2012 upon reservation in order to get the special rate of € 90,00 per night (incl. VAT), with a minimum stay of 7 consequtive nights.
Besides the apartments and the facilities we also offer several other services. On the next page you will find an overview of all possibilities and options we have for you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have matters we can help you with.
Enjoy your stay at Htel Serviced Apartments!
With warm regards,
Business Development
Htel Serviced Apartments
@: [email protected] / T: +31 (0)20 4266400 option 1
Special ISA Friends & Family rates.
Features
‐ Free High‐Speed internet connection
‐ Black‐out curtains
‐ Fully equipped kitchen
‐ Coffee machine
‐ Seating area
‐ Bathroom with bath tub
‐ Vacuum cleaner
‐ Iron & ironing board
‐ Spacious wardrobes
‐ Videophone installation
‐ Music system
‐ DECT telephone with personal number
‐ Flat screen TV’s with satellite reception
‐ Launderette
Apartments Htel Amstelveen
Included services
‐ Bi‐weekly cleaning
‐ Fresh linen and towels (weekly)
‐ Pillow menu ‘a la carte’
‐ Tourist information
‐ Game room
On‐site facilities
‐ Parking behind the building
‐ Fitness center
‐ Bicycle usage and storage
‐ Meeting room
Optional services
‐ Indoor jet‐stream swimming pool
‐ Breakfast service ‐ Turkish steam bath
‐ Meal service ‐ Sauna
‐ Grocery delivery service ‐ Business Lounge
‐ Dry‐cleaning service ‐ Taxi service ‐ Vending machines
‐ Relocation service ‐ Necessities showcase
‐ Welcome package
*Pets are allowed, however a possible surcharge of € 10,00 per pet per night is applicable
Special friends & family rate of € 90,00 per apartment
per night. Minimum length of stay is 7 consequtive
nights. Maximum occupancy is 2 adults and 1 (one) baby (must sleep in a baby cot). This is including:
Weekly cleaning, Utilities (water, gas and electricity), Internet (wired in the apartment and wireless in the Business Lounge), Use of swimming pool, fitness, sauna and steam room and Final cleaning.
For reservations: Htel Amstelveen
Laan van de Helende Meesters 421
1186 AL Amstelveen
T: +31 (0) 20 4266400, option 1 for reservations
F: +31 (0) 20 4266426
E: [email protected]
Quote: ISA2012 (in order to get this special rate)
42
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Congratulations - the International School of Amsterdam

Transcription

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