International School Parent Magazine - Spring 2022

felt most comfortable. When I first came
to SIS, it was quite a small and intimate
environment. I was immediately attracted
to the international-mindedness of the staff
and the strong network of schools that were
growing under the SIS flag.
I began as the Head of the College so
had always been part of the management
team and was fortunate to have a say in the
direction that the school was headed. It’s
really been an incredible experience to be
part of the growth of the SIS and to see
the continuity from kindergarten to college
evolve and take shape.
Seeing the true potential of bilingual
education was my catalyst and inspiration
for wanting to become the Principal at
the school. The concept of international
education through local insight became
even more important as I realized that I
was going to stay in Switzerland and raise
my children here. It is certainly a wonderful
place to live, grow, learn and mature, all
attributes that I enjoy sharing with our
school community.
What have you learnt from your time as
the Principal of an International School?
Our education never stops. It’s a continuing
process and we are learning all the time. I
have also gained so much insight from the
different nationalities and cultures present
at our school. We have built our strength
through our diversity and it has helped us
perform and stay connected as a larger
group of schools. There is definitely the
feeling of being part of a team.
We are continuously looking at current
events and the state of the world to make
decisions that are best for our community.
Nothing is perhaps more prevalent than
what’s happened over the last two years
with COVID-19. It’s forced me into very a
different understanding of what it means
to be a Principal because it’s no longer just
about the normal workload of a Principal,
but also about becoming a facilitator of
well-being to the staff and students.
Do you think COVID will have a lasting
impact on teaching methods?
I do. We clearly see it with the inroads
we’ve made with learning enhanced by
technology. I never thought that we would
become so reliant on technology, not just
as a tool, but for traditional day to day
teaching.
We were forced into a position where
suddenly we were facing teachers and
saying, “Everything that you’ve been doing
in the classroom you’re now going to do
online.” It was a challenge, but I think we’ve
gained a lot of know-how.
Tell us a bit about the bilingual program
at SIS, and the type of students you
attract – what’s your typical SIS Basel
student like?
In the Primary school, a student is fully
immersed in one language for one full day
and then the other language for the next
day always alternating between German
and English.
In the College, it’s different. Here it’s
the subject that dictates the language. In
other words, it might be that mathematics
is taught in German in year 7 but the
following year it’s taught in English. We are
always seeking a balance between the two
languages.
Over the years, I’ve clearly seen our
immersion method lead to success, not just
in terms of a student’s linguistic awareness
but also in their creativity and overall
cognitive development.
As far as our students go, it’s very difficult
to pigeonhole them say, “All of our students
are like this ...” They come from so many
different backgrounds, and have so many
different nationalities that it’s impossible to
stereotype.
We like to promote the IB Learner Profile
at the school, though, and feel that our
students embody it well: Open-minded,
balanced, caring and knowledgeable to
name a few of the attributes.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2022 | 7