International School Parent Magazine - Autumn 2022
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Nendaz:<br />
Winter in the<br />
4 Vallées<br />
Is my Child<br />
Gifted? <br />
Supporting<br />
LGBTIQ+<br />
Children
Nendaz, in the heart<br />
of the largest ski area<br />
in Switzerland<br />
And you, what are you doing this winter?<br />
Yverdon<br />
Besançon (F)<br />
Fribourg<br />
Berne<br />
Zurich<br />
A12<br />
France<br />
Vaud<br />
Morges<br />
A1<br />
A1<br />
LAUSANNE<br />
Fribourg<br />
Berne<br />
Nyon<br />
LAKE OF GENEVA<br />
VEVEY<br />
MONTREUX<br />
Villeneuve<br />
Tunnel du<br />
Lötschberg<br />
BRIG<br />
A9<br />
A9<br />
SION<br />
SIERRE<br />
Gampel<br />
VISP<br />
GENEVA<br />
France<br />
MONTHEY<br />
MARTIGNY<br />
Riddes<br />
La Tzoumaz<br />
Verbier<br />
Veysonnaz<br />
Nendaz<br />
Valais<br />
Zermatt<br />
Saas-Fee<br />
Si<br />
Chamonix<br />
Annecy<br />
Col, Hospice et tunnel<br />
du Grand St-Bernard<br />
Italy<br />
www.nendaz.ch<br />
Grenoble<br />
Italy<br />
Aosta<br />
Torino<br />
Milano
FINALLY<br />
LEARNING<br />
TO SKI<br />
www.swiss-ski-school.ch
mplon
Welcome to the <strong>Autumn</strong><br />
Edition of <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>Parent</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
Contents<br />
07 Universities Across The World: How To Choose The<br />
Right Experience For You<br />
09 Meet The Head – Interview With Dr Hugh Mccormick,<br />
Copperfield <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> – Verbier<br />
14 Risk Prevention For Globally Mobile Children<br />
16 Meet The Head – Interview With Inter-Community<br />
<strong>School</strong> Zurich, Head Of <strong>School</strong> – Lucy Gowdie<br />
20 Enjoy Being A Trailing Spouse<br />
22 How to Choose the Best <strong>School</strong> for your Child<br />
24 Is My Child Gifted?<br />
26 Feels Good! A Checklist To Support Young People’s<br />
Mental Health<br />
28 5 Reasons To Choose Swiss Education Group<br />
30 Iberia. A New Top Destination For Boarding Students<br />
Worldwide<br />
32 Touring The Canton Of Vaud On Two Wheels<br />
34 An Unforgettable Stay At The Art Deco Hotel Montana<br />
36 <strong>Autumn</strong> In Switzerland<br />
38 Your Winter In The Heart Of The 4 Vallées<br />
40 London. The Best City In The World To Be A Student?<br />
42 Why Zurich Is A Great Place To Live, Work And<br />
Educate Your Children<br />
46 Careers Of The Future: Which Bachelor’s Degree<br />
Should You Study?<br />
48 5 Hospitality Business Management Graduate<br />
Characteristics You Might Not Be Aware Of<br />
52 The Mirror Lies<br />
56 My Child Has Just Told Me That They’re Trans.<br />
Now What?<br />
60 Supporting LGBTIQ+ Children<br />
60 How To Win An Argument<br />
65 How To Support Your Child’s Language Learning<br />
COVER PHOTOGRAPH: ©Etienne Bornet<br />
The first leaves have fallen, and the days are getting shorter – time<br />
really does zip by. After a long, hot summer the cooler temperatures are<br />
certainly welcome as we settle into the new school year.<br />
This academic year is set to be a great one, with lots of exciting<br />
developments in the international school sector and beyond. The<br />
autumn edition of <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>Parent</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> <strong>2022</strong> looks at<br />
the latest happenings, and at important socio-cultural issues and how<br />
parents, teachers and other caregivers can support young people.<br />
We are pleased to continue our ‘Meet the Headteacher’ interviews. In this<br />
edition we spoke to Dr Hugh McCormick from Copperfield <strong>International</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> and Lucy Gowdie from Inter-Community <strong>School</strong> Zurich. These<br />
interviews provide insightful behind-the-scenes commentary on what<br />
can be expected from an education at these fantastic schools.<br />
Many families will be settling back into their school routines after the<br />
break. This may mean new teachers, subjects or even a new school for<br />
some students. In this edition we explore how to support our children’s<br />
mental health, take a look at eating disorders, how to support LGBTIQ+<br />
and trans children, and offer a range of articles spanning the trailing<br />
spouse experience, working out if your child is gifted and many more!<br />
We also look at Zurich and why it is a great place to live. We<br />
spotlight Zurich schools and profile each of these amazing<br />
educational institutions. Make sure you visit our school guide (www.<br />
internationalschoolparent.com) for further information on these, and<br />
other schools around the world.<br />
The autumn/winter season provides wonderful opportunities to enjoy<br />
the great outdoors, albeit wrapped up warmly! Check out autumn<br />
cycling in Vaud and skiing in Nendaz. Articles on both of these amazing<br />
locations, as well as Switzerland as an autumn destination can be found<br />
in this edition.<br />
We remain committed to helping parents and children make the most of<br />
the opportunities that international schools provide. Have a wonderful<br />
autumn/winter and we look forward to the spring edition in early 2023.<br />
Work hard and be the best!<br />
Nick<br />
Nick Gilbert<br />
Editor & Publishing Director<br />
<strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>Parent</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong><br />
Mobile + 41 787 10 80 91<br />
Email nick@internationalschoolparent.com<br />
Website www.internationalschoolparent.com<br />
@isparentmag<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 5
Contributors<br />
Peter Kakucska<br />
Peter Kakucska is a former United Nations diplomat<br />
who has developed global ethical and sustainable<br />
standards. Peter has coordinated ethical policy and strategic<br />
LGBTIQ+ partnership engagement with national education<br />
ministries, academic associations, learning institutions and<br />
research think-tanks. He is a well-established D&I expert, speaker,<br />
consultant, mentor, author and certified trainer.<br />
Cath Brew<br />
Cath is an artist, podcaster, and LGBTQ+ consultant<br />
who illustrates and educates about marginalised<br />
experiences for positive change. She works with international<br />
schools on whole-school LGBTQ+ inclusion, together with<br />
empowering LGBTQ+ students to be proud. Her podcast ‘Drawn<br />
to a Deeper Story’, explores the ‘lives that challenge us and the<br />
difficult conversations around them’.<br />
Dr. Laurence van Hanswijck de Jonge<br />
Dr. Laurence van Hanswijck de Jonge, Msc, PhD,<br />
is a Developmental Psychologist with a background<br />
in Biopsychology and Neuropsychology. She provides therapy<br />
and psychological assessments for children and adolescents<br />
at KidsAbility in the Cayman Islands. Her practice is rooted<br />
in Positive Psychology, and she is certified in Neurolinguistic<br />
Programming (NLP) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)<br />
amongst others.<br />
Lauren Wells<br />
Lauren Wells is Founder and CEO of TCK Training<br />
and author of three books on preventive TCK care,<br />
a methodology she spearheaded and on which TCK Training is<br />
founded. She spent her teenage years living in Tanzania, and her<br />
education is in Child Development. She has worked with over<br />
1,000 parents and caregivers and has trained staff from over 80<br />
organisations.<br />
Tanya Crossman<br />
Tanya Crossman is Director of Research and<br />
Education services at TCK Training. She has lived in<br />
four countries on three continents, first as a child and then as an<br />
adult. Tanya has 17 years’ experience working with TCKs, their<br />
families, and other cross-cultured populations. She is the author of<br />
Misunderstood: The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st<br />
Century.<br />
Korinne Algie<br />
Korinne Algie is the founder KAIE Marketing, an<br />
international education marketing consultancy and<br />
Co-founder of the Education Marketing Collective, a membership<br />
platform providing digital skills training and support to education<br />
professionals.<br />
Sandra Passalacqua<br />
Sandra Passalacqua is an ACC - ICF certified Cross-<br />
Cultural and Personal Development Coach. She<br />
has lived in Zurich since 2017 and is a trilingual world citizen -<br />
speaking English, French and Spanish.<br />
Joyce Aernouts, TEFL<br />
Joyce Aernouts is a blogger from Belgium.<br />
Her love of writing started with books. The art of<br />
storytelling intrigued her, and in 2017 she picked up her pen<br />
(keyboard) to try it for herself. Thanks to her travels, Joyce now<br />
has a broad range of topics she can write about from personal<br />
experience.<br />
Fiona McKenzie<br />
Fiona McKenzie is Head of Education at Carfax<br />
Education, leading a team of consultants who expertly<br />
navigate the education landscape, guiding families through the<br />
complexities and demystifying the process to help every child to<br />
achieve their ambitions. With over 30 years’ experience, Fiona has<br />
helped hundreds of families access the very best education for their<br />
children.<br />
Moon Huang<br />
Moon is a graduate of Elite Journey - a Chinese-UK<br />
joint venture helping young people become role models.<br />
Moon strives to help younger students understand and enjoy the<br />
benefits of debate. This autumn Moon will join University College<br />
London, where she will continue her competitive debate career.<br />
Dr Michelle Wright<br />
Dr Michelle Wright is a British-qualified General<br />
Practitioner. Before moving to Switzerland in 2004,<br />
she saw patients with physical and psychological problems and<br />
worked in community psychiatry. She continues to practice at the<br />
<strong>International</strong> Labour Organisation, Geneva.<br />
Michelle helped bring the ensa Mental Health First Aid training<br />
in English to Switzerland, delivered by HealthFirst to companies,<br />
schools, and organisations.She broadcasts a weekly show, Health<br />
Matters, for World Radio Switzerland.<br />
Dr Mecky McNeil<br />
Dr Mecky McNeil is a British-qualified General<br />
Practitioner, experienced in looking after people with<br />
psychiatric illnesses, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders<br />
and schizophrenia, and caring for suicidal and acutely psychotic<br />
patients.<br />
She is a qualified health coach and helped to develop the ensa<br />
Mental Health First Aid English courses in Switzerland. Mecky<br />
currently collaborates with UNICEF and Z Zurich Foundation on<br />
a global project to support young people’s mental health.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 6
UNIVERSITIES ACROSS<br />
THE WORLD:<br />
How to choose the right experience for you<br />
WRITTEN BY FIONA MCKENZIE<br />
University opens up numerous<br />
opportunities for students, but<br />
there are lots of things to consider<br />
when it comes to choosing the right path.<br />
Not only the course and the institution but<br />
the type of university experience you want,<br />
which will have a unique impact on the<br />
direction in which life takes you.<br />
For international students, being more<br />
open to exploring a different path can throw<br />
even more options into the mix.<br />
Historically, UK universities were top<br />
choice for students across the world, but<br />
school leavers are now exploring options<br />
further afield, across the rest of Europe and<br />
the US.<br />
UK<br />
Despite becoming increasingly competitive,<br />
UK universities remain a popular choice.<br />
Home to the world’s top institutions, the<br />
UK represents a more traditional route,<br />
offering a high-quality undergraduate<br />
experience.<br />
For students who have studied a UK<br />
curriculum, this option offers a familiar<br />
path yet also has a long history of<br />
welcoming international students. Each<br />
university offers great support systems for<br />
welfare and practical support for students<br />
from abroad.<br />
One of the benefits of UK study is the<br />
variety of subjects on offer. Students can<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 7<br />
specialise from an early stage or combine<br />
subjects to form a joint degree. With a<br />
strong teaching history in traditional<br />
subjects, the UK also offers globally<br />
recognised courses for vocational subjects<br />
like medicine, veterinary science and<br />
engineering, as well as more niche courses<br />
such as Entrepreneurship and Innovation,<br />
Festival Event Management or even<br />
Contemporary Circus!<br />
Most degrees in England and Wales<br />
are three years and four in Scotland. It<br />
is worth considering a study abroad or a<br />
work placement as the opportunity to gain<br />
relevant professional qualifications can fast<br />
track a career post-graduation.
“It is worth considering a study abroad or a<br />
work placement as the opportunity to gain<br />
relevant professional qualifications can fast<br />
track a career post-graduation.”<br />
The alternative route is ‘early action’<br />
applications, submitted any time between<br />
November and January, depending on the<br />
college. Offers are made in March or April,<br />
however these are not binding. In addition<br />
there are rolling admissions, where schools<br />
evaluate applications as and when they<br />
receive them with no hard deadline.<br />
It is worth noting that exact deadlines will<br />
vary from college to college.<br />
‘Best fit’ goes beyond academics as<br />
the environment will have a significant<br />
impact on your overall experience. For<br />
some students a campus university, where<br />
everything is located on one site, provides a<br />
fully immersive experience. Others will fare<br />
better where the university is part of a town<br />
so the accommodation, teaching blocks and<br />
university facilities mingle with normal life.<br />
Accommodation choices are also an<br />
important factor, whether living on campus<br />
in halls or renting accommodation in the<br />
city. You also need to weigh up the pros and<br />
cons of being in catered or self-catered halls<br />
in the UK and decide which will work best<br />
for you.<br />
Applications to all UK universities are<br />
managed through the University Central<br />
Admissions System, known as UCAS. You<br />
can apply to five universities and will pick a<br />
first and second choice based on your offers<br />
and predicted grades. Every application<br />
requires you to submit a personal statement,<br />
highlighting why you want to study this<br />
subject, what you have done to demonstrate<br />
your interest and other qualities you will<br />
bring to the university. Some courses<br />
and universities may also require you to<br />
take some additional tests and attend an<br />
interview.<br />
Key application deadlines for 2023:<br />
• 15th October <strong>2022</strong> for Oxford University<br />
and Cambridge University<br />
• 15th October <strong>2022</strong> for Medicine,<br />
Dentistry and Veterinary courses<br />
• 26th January 2023 for all other subjects<br />
US<br />
The US is also home to some of the<br />
world’s most respected academic<br />
institutions. As well as better-known Ivy<br />
League universities, there are several top<br />
ranked colleges for specialist subjects<br />
offering world-class facilities and research<br />
institutions.<br />
One of the appeals of US study is<br />
the breadth of choice and flexibility of<br />
programmes. Most degrees last four years<br />
and some even extend to six. In your<br />
Freshman (first) year, you study a range<br />
of subjects set out as ‘core curriculum’, to<br />
help you make an informed decision on<br />
your choice of Major in your Sophomore<br />
(second) year. In Junior (third) and Senior<br />
(fourth) years, you still have the option<br />
combine subjects of interest and take<br />
modules in other subjects outside of your<br />
Major.<br />
For students with big sporting ambitions,<br />
US universities offer top coaching and<br />
career opportunities, not to mention<br />
scholarships. The sporting culture is unique<br />
to American universities and encourages all<br />
students to get involved as supporters, which<br />
contributes to a sense of campus culture.<br />
With US applications, there are several<br />
different timelines to consider. ‘Early<br />
decision’ (ED) applications are due in<br />
November with decisions announced in<br />
December. ED II applications are due in<br />
January and a decision needs to be made by<br />
February. ED and ED II are both binding,<br />
meaning students must enrol if offered a<br />
place.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 8<br />
Key application deadlines for 2023:<br />
• November <strong>2022</strong> – ED application<br />
deadlines<br />
• January 2023 – ED II application<br />
deadlines and Early Application deadlines<br />
Europe<br />
European universities are home to some<br />
of the world’s leading research institutes<br />
and with many internationally ranked<br />
universities offering degrees taught<br />
in English, students are increasingly<br />
considering Europe as a higher education<br />
destination. The comparatively lower fees<br />
and the opportunity to experience a new<br />
culture are strong pulls.<br />
It is important to do your research and<br />
consider the pros and cons of studying in<br />
an environment where the cultures and<br />
language could be quite different. You need<br />
to consider the different structures of the<br />
courses, the facilities available and as with<br />
the UK and US, think about which city and<br />
lifestyle appeals to you.<br />
Most European countries do not offer a<br />
centralised application system, so you need<br />
to do your due diligence to find out how<br />
to apply in particular countries. Some just<br />
require predicted grades, but others request<br />
a personal statement or entrance exam.<br />
Deadlines vary significantly depending on<br />
the course and university, so it is important<br />
to research carefully.<br />
There is no right or wrong choice when<br />
it comes to choosing a university. It all<br />
depends on your subject interests, career<br />
aspirations and the experience you are<br />
looking for. University is a formative time<br />
for many students, so it is important to<br />
explore your options, with a focus on the<br />
learning experience and the social life that<br />
appeals to you.
MEET THE HEAD<br />
Interview with Dr Hugh McCormick,<br />
Copperfield <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> – Verbier<br />
Described as the ‘world’s only skion,<br />
ski-out international school’,<br />
the Copperfield campus is situated<br />
at the foot of the mountain slopes in<br />
Verbier and offers a global gold-standard in<br />
curricula. With staff having graduated from<br />
and taught at the world’s best universities<br />
and music schools, and a co-curricular<br />
program that nurtures creative passions and<br />
sporting talents, Copperfield is dedicated<br />
to providing an education that opens<br />
opportunities to a wider world, a broader<br />
mind, and a happier life.<br />
We sat down with Founder and Head<br />
Teacher, Dr Hugh McCormick, to talk<br />
about the school, his approach to education,<br />
and where Copperfield <strong>International</strong> will be<br />
taking its students in the future.<br />
Let’s start with a little bit about you –<br />
what’s your background and what made<br />
you choose education as a career?<br />
I love explaining things – my dad was<br />
an academic (a Professor of Economics),<br />
and my mum helped people as a Child<br />
Psychologist, so our family culture was<br />
about helping people and explaining things,<br />
and these two paths just merged for me into<br />
teaching.<br />
I’ve loved teaching since I was young,<br />
even as early as secondary school; and when<br />
I went on to Oxford University for my<br />
master’s and PhD, I taught undergraduates<br />
and sixth formers – and really loved it.<br />
I spent four years away from teaching as<br />
an Investment Banker, then came back to<br />
teaching – it’s what I really want to do, and<br />
I feel that it’s more than a career. Great<br />
teachers live education, it comes out of<br />
their pores – and you can tell that being<br />
an educator is more than a career, it’s a<br />
mission.<br />
How do your experiences and<br />
philosophies inform your approach as<br />
Founder and Head Teacher at Copperfield<br />
in Verbier?<br />
Experiences and philosophies are at the<br />
core of our mission – which is small group<br />
learning (we have a maximum class size<br />
of 10 young people), in an incredibly safe<br />
environment, with international pluralism.<br />
The reason I chose to pursue this as the<br />
Founder, is because I’m more than the<br />
Head of <strong>School</strong>; and it’s more of a startup<br />
/ founder type model. I experienced<br />
for myself what Sevenoaks, Winchester,<br />
Harrow and Oxford were like – they’re<br />
really big schools that are world class at<br />
being big schools; but in any big school,<br />
apart from the median student, everyone<br />
else isn’t adequately addressed – they’re not<br />
focused on.<br />
What have you learnt from your time as<br />
the Head of an international school?<br />
<strong>International</strong> families really want to to know<br />
that they’ve made a good choice for their<br />
children’s education: that their children are<br />
happy at school, getting great lessons in the<br />
classroom, and rich and varied experiences<br />
outside the classroom. Often these families<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 9
have relocated for non-educational reasons,<br />
so they want to be sure that their children’s<br />
education is not compromised. Each<br />
family is different, but they are united by<br />
this common passion: having the courage<br />
to move around the world to new places,<br />
and wanting their children to grow wiser<br />
from this international movement, without<br />
sacrificing other dimensions of their<br />
educational journey.<br />
As a newly opened school, can you tell us<br />
a bit about the programs and the type of<br />
students you are hoping to attract?<br />
We launched in January 2021, and we have<br />
students coming in from all over the world –<br />
we even had three students who just walked<br />
in one day with their parents (they were<br />
here on a ski holiday), and two days later<br />
they’d paid the deposit and will be joining<br />
us in August 2024. We offer Cambridge<br />
iGCSE, A-level, and are at verification visit<br />
stage with the IB for both Diploma and<br />
Primary Years Programmes.<br />
How do you encourage a love of<br />
learning?<br />
You’ve got to have high-grade teachers. If a<br />
teacher is burned out, or doesn’t have that<br />
joy of interacting with a student, then it’s<br />
not going to work.<br />
We hire people who love their subject,<br />
and attract teachers that love learning<br />
moments, and spotting learning moments:<br />
this is the name we give to those interactions<br />
where the teacher passes to the student a joy<br />
for learning. Most people can recall those<br />
moments in their own education decades<br />
later.<br />
What is your favourite thing about<br />
the learning environment that makes<br />
Copperfield stand out?<br />
I’ve made a few strategic decisions that<br />
emphasise the need for students, parents<br />
and teachers to collaborate – and this is the<br />
essence of my educational philosophy; you<br />
can’t do it without the parent.<br />
I think a lot of schools don’t take this<br />
route because it’s seriously hard work, and<br />
can be stressful, and you’re going to be<br />
inserting yourself into many families – and<br />
every family has their own quirks. You’ve<br />
got to be brave and courageous to take<br />
the risk because it can backfire – but that<br />
is where the work is. You won’t find me<br />
inaccessible behind a full schedule – parents<br />
know they can walk right into my office,<br />
and I like it that way. It’s a way to show how<br />
different we are, how much more open and<br />
democratic.<br />
What do parents of Copperfield students<br />
value about the school?<br />
We’re really well supported, and well<br />
financed with strong, stable shareholders.<br />
We’re transparent about who’s helping<br />
us, and we make sure the parents know<br />
who is involved, and the reputations of<br />
those people, so we can build trust and<br />
confidence.<br />
The number one thing that stands out for<br />
parents in regard to the schooling, is that<br />
when they read the reports we write, it’s<br />
clear that we know their children incredibly<br />
well.<br />
We also encourage going back to the<br />
start. In our school, the families have been<br />
doing parenting seminars, they know each<br />
other’s families really well – and as a result,<br />
there’s a huge camaraderie amongst them,<br />
they can talk openly about the tools they’ve<br />
learned in the classes. There is trust among<br />
the school and the families.<br />
Instead of having only classrooms around<br />
our beautiful courtyard, we chose to use<br />
one of the spaces as a café – and the café<br />
is there for the whole community. So every<br />
day you will find parents mixing with each<br />
other at drop-off and pick-up, and even<br />
throughout the day. It’s more like a quasisocial<br />
club that happens at school – without<br />
the traffic jam of cars at the front gate.<br />
What are the main principles and<br />
philosophies you promote at the school?<br />
Our motto is, ‘Have the courage to be<br />
imperfect’. So our main aim is to encourage<br />
everyone in our community to understand<br />
that mistakes are inevitable and even<br />
desirable. This will encourage them to be<br />
honest about their mistakes, and from that<br />
improvements will naturally flow.<br />
I would say one of the other elements<br />
that drives us is – if you want to have a<br />
great international school, then you’ve<br />
got to have a great international faculty. It<br />
needs to be immersive, it’s not enough for<br />
a teacher to just have one or two years of<br />
teaching, but for students to be exposed to<br />
people who have spent significant parts of<br />
their lives in various cultures. We can teach<br />
something like 14 different languages with<br />
native speaking, fully trained teachers in<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 10
our team. For the students, it’s natural to<br />
have their teachers talking about examples<br />
from all over the world in a spontaneous<br />
manner – it allows a depth that you just<br />
can’t simulate.<br />
We also ensure that no one gets left out.<br />
Because of our small class sizes, it’s not<br />
possible – and if anyone were to behave in a<br />
way that excludes other students, we would<br />
find out about it that minute – not a month<br />
later, when that student had been miserable<br />
for a month, we would find out about it<br />
straight away.<br />
Are there any areas that you want to<br />
develop or that you are developing in<br />
the school?<br />
We’re spending a lot on our classroom<br />
spaces, we’ve got writeable walls, flat panel<br />
TVs, awesome furniture that the students<br />
love to sit on – and we’ve really invested in<br />
the space, we even have boot heaters for<br />
every child (we ski five times a week). When<br />
a child joins, we write their name on a<br />
magnet and put it next to the heater.<br />
We provide them with high-quality Swiss<br />
made accessories – such as a water bottle<br />
with their name on it, a pencil case with<br />
their name and the school logo, a beanie,<br />
the uniform, and a tote bag full – in some<br />
ways, it’s more like the student has attended<br />
a fashion launch event or a birthday party<br />
instead of the first day at school. And for<br />
the first week of the school year, we do an<br />
activity week of team building. That way,<br />
before a new student gets into a lesson, they<br />
already feel at home and know everyone<br />
else’s name.<br />
Which areas of education and<br />
extracurricular activities do the students<br />
and young people experience during<br />
their time with you?<br />
We do everything you would expect<br />
from the world’s best ski resort that also<br />
has a full summer programme: skiing,<br />
swimming, tennis, golf, mountain biking,<br />
horse riding, basketball… We use top<br />
quality internationally recognised academic<br />
programmes, and we are also doing some<br />
things that are really quite innovative: we’ve<br />
hired a former Olympic skier to run our<br />
athletic programme; we’re going to teach<br />
languages through music, and we’ll be using<br />
the café as a science lab in order to teach<br />
science through cooking – and in order to<br />
do this, we don’t need to create a science<br />
lab, but to offer something you might see<br />
if you were training chefs – a cooking<br />
school. So for our science curriculum, we’re<br />
collaborating with a Michelin starred chef.<br />
The students are going to love doing their<br />
science homework at home in the kitchen!<br />
Has the COVID-19 pandemic had much of<br />
an impact on your admissions?<br />
We only missed a few days of school due to<br />
COVID because we’re already in a bubble<br />
here, and everyone was very sensible. But<br />
during the COVID period we went from<br />
0 – 26, to 44, and now nearly 100 students<br />
registered! It’s been incredibly hard work,<br />
but when I wander around the school, and<br />
see what we’ve achieved, it makes all the<br />
difference.<br />
What do you think will be the major<br />
challenges facing students and education<br />
in the future?<br />
I think the challenge facing students will be<br />
in gaining transferable skills and a mindset<br />
of continuous learning – because the pace<br />
of technology isn’t going to slow down, it<br />
will just continue to accelerate – and the<br />
mindset required is going to be different.<br />
I think computers and robots are going<br />
to be doing most of the work in 50-years,<br />
and we’ll be wearing devices and implants<br />
– and we need to make sure our students<br />
can adapt, and use the skills they’ve<br />
learned here, to thrive in an ever-changing<br />
environment. They’re going to need to be<br />
comfortable with continuous, accelerating<br />
change. An international school<br />
environment is a great place to learn that.<br />
What is your vision or ambition for<br />
Copperfield graduates?<br />
You start in the family unit; your parents<br />
have to guide you all the way to being a<br />
democratic citizen. The young person gets<br />
out of the family unit and goes to school<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 11
– where it’s the school’s job, the teacher’s<br />
job, the educator’s job to partner with the<br />
parents to guide the child from student to<br />
democratic citizen – and to achieve that,<br />
the school has to collaborate well with the<br />
student and the parent.<br />
This is the essence of my educational<br />
philosophy – you can’t do it without<br />
the parent, and you build a welcoming<br />
community atmosphere, that works with<br />
our holistic approach, and sees the student<br />
become a well-rounded international<br />
citizen.<br />
How do you equip students for success?<br />
We provide them with long-range skills for<br />
the future, and we do so by bringing experts<br />
into the children’s lives at relevant points in<br />
a sustained way.<br />
So for example, we get external people<br />
who specialise in professional outdoor<br />
team building training for corporations to<br />
do our first four days of school – and the<br />
students learn outdoor survival skills for a<br />
week. And as another example, our Head<br />
of HR teaches some of the Economics and<br />
Business course: they learn directly from a<br />
very experienced practising professional.<br />
And we hired a personal trainer with a<br />
Master’s in Big Data to teach PE and<br />
Statistics. Most exciting of all, we have a<br />
full-time school psychologist joining us in<br />
August who will both teach Psychology<br />
and be there for 1:1 sessions with every<br />
student.<br />
Over the course of their time with us, we<br />
decide on the curriculum in partnership<br />
with the parents, and take a very long-range<br />
view of skills, transferable ones in particular.<br />
We aim to be very modern in our approach.<br />
How do you make the best Switzerland<br />
and everything it has to offer? Do you<br />
have any hobbies?<br />
I skied six times this year … there are a<br />
hundred days of calendar skiing, and yeah,<br />
I skied for six of them… but I do love<br />
walking at night. When you walk into the<br />
mountain at night, at altitude and when<br />
there’s no clouds, you can really, really see<br />
the stars – it’s stunning.<br />
Switzerland is staggeringly clean, safe,<br />
organised, logical, pragmatic, consensual,<br />
diplomatic, respectful, and beautiful. The<br />
cities are clean, and safe, and gorgeous –<br />
and the little villages around the lakes are<br />
just beautiful – there’s a lot of incredible<br />
scenery, that’s why 1.2 million people visit<br />
Verbier every year, because it’s absolutely<br />
cracking!<br />
So, this summer, I’m looking forward<br />
to more walking, some running in the<br />
mountains, biking, swimming … there’s<br />
some amazing lakes in the mountains,<br />
they’re very, very cold, but you can swim in<br />
them.<br />
I’d say I’m less interested in the cities,<br />
and luxury stuff – most of the people who<br />
come here aren’t really interested in that.<br />
This is something that makes Verbier quite<br />
different from the other top mountain<br />
resorts. You can really feel the local<br />
community’s presence.<br />
ABOUT COPPERFIELD VERBIER<br />
Expanding minds and horizons, with up-close and personal interaction, kindness, and<br />
compassion, the Copperfield Verbier may have only recently gotten started, but the<br />
powerful drive for betterment, understanding, and developing the citizens of the future is<br />
already well established.<br />
With chances for students to learn musical instruments and perform in regular concerts<br />
in their 250-seat auditorium, or to take part in sports, sciences, there’s plenty for young<br />
minds to engage with.<br />
The school offers iGCSEs, A-Levels, the IB Diploma Programme and is currently applying<br />
for authorisation for the <strong>International</strong> Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme.<br />
With holistic education, Copperfield begins with academic rigour, and instils a relentless<br />
love for learning and life.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 12
A personal education<br />
in London’s heart<br />
■ 11 acres of private grounds, minutes from central<br />
London<br />
■ An intimate, nurturing and tight-knit learning community<br />
– small classes and a strong support network<br />
■ Gated access and a 24/7 security presence<br />
■ Personal support to identify the skills your child needs<br />
■ A global network of industry experts and masterclasses<br />
■ No deadlines to meet – with year-round applications<br />
we’re ready when you are<br />
Claim your free<br />
guide to studying in<br />
the UK, designed for<br />
parents & guardians<br />
www.regents.ac.uk
Risk Prevention for<br />
Globally Mobile Children<br />
As the children around us grow into adults, we see some<br />
who thrive and some who seem to struggle intensely. In<br />
our globally mobile community the contrast is often stark,<br />
and it causes us to wonder: how do some children seem to be more<br />
resilient than others despite experiencing similar hardships?<br />
At TCK Training, we began looking at what the field of<br />
prevention science deems as helpful childhood experiences versus<br />
those that can be harmful to children and began comparing them<br />
with the lives of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) we worked with.<br />
Third Culture Kids are children who live outside of their parent’s<br />
passport culture during their developmental years (such as military<br />
kids, global business kids, missionary kids, foreign service kids, and<br />
others). Our focus as a company became preventive care for TCKs.<br />
Preventive care does not mean taking away the challenges that<br />
often accompany the TCK life but instead, coming alongside those<br />
challenges with intentional care. What we’ve found is that it isn’t<br />
the challenges themselves that are the problem, it is the way they<br />
are walked through that determine whether they become resiliencebuilding<br />
experiences or result in accumulating fragility.<br />
So how do you as a parent learn how to walk your children<br />
through the globally mobile life well?<br />
It can be particularly difficult for globally mobile families to find<br />
accurate research to lean on when looking for effective parenting<br />
techniques, as most research is based in geographically stable<br />
communities. This is slowly changing, however, with an increase in<br />
research on Third Culture Kids and expat communities.<br />
In 2021, TCK Training undertook a survey of adult Third<br />
Culture Kids that looked at experiences of developmental trauma<br />
and the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences. The data<br />
was used to calculate ACE scores for each respondent, which was<br />
published in a white paper in June <strong>2022</strong>. This research points the<br />
way toward effective preventive care strategies for globally mobile<br />
WRITTEN BY TANYA CROSSMAN AND LAUREN WELLS<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 14<br />
Third Culture Kids and looks at the role their parents, schools,<br />
and communities each have to play in that care. Our goal is to see<br />
TCKs thrive in childhood and adulthood and this research offers<br />
tangible structures that we can use to guide how we support TCKs<br />
effectively.<br />
ACE scores and global mobility<br />
An ACE score is a number between 0-10, indicating the number<br />
of types of trauma an individual was exposed to before age 18.<br />
An ACE score of 4+ has been connected, through hundreds of<br />
studies over decades of research, to a higher risk of various types of<br />
negative behavioral, psychological, and physical health outcomes<br />
- including risk of cancer, autoimmune conditions, addiction, and<br />
depression.<br />
Previous studies have shown a rate of 4+ ACEs of 12.5% in the<br />
US, and 9% in the UK and the Philippines. In the TCK Training<br />
survey, 21% of globally mobile TCKs had 4+ ACEs. The survey<br />
also showed that TCKs who experienced high mobility were<br />
significantly more likely to have a 4+ ACE score.<br />
“Nearly a third of TCKs in our sample who moved more than 10 times during<br />
childhood had a high-risk ACE score of 4 or more, compared to less than a fifth<br />
of those who moved less frequently… One third of [those who lived in more<br />
than 15 houses during childhood] had an ACE score of 4 or higher… High<br />
mobility is very clearly correlated with higher ACE scores among TCKs in this<br />
sample.”<br />
Caution and Hope: The Prevalence of Adverse Childhood<br />
Experiences in Globally Mobile Third Culture Kids<br />
Because high mobility is a common experience for TCKs it’s<br />
important that we pay attention to the fact that high mobility<br />
does put TCKs at higher risk for long term challenges. Deliberate
implementation of researched protective and preventive<br />
strategies can buffer them from those risks. Much can be<br />
done to equip parents and extended family members as<br />
well as to educate community leaders in how to provide<br />
effective preventive care for TCKs.<br />
Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)<br />
The hope-filled framework of Positive Childhood<br />
Experiences gives several factors that children need to<br />
buffer them from challenges. When PCEs are maintained,<br />
their resilience increases as they go through hardship. One<br />
of the most incredible findings in PCEs research is how they<br />
counteract ACEs.<br />
“[PCEs] act as protective factors and explain how someone with a high ACE<br />
score can still thrive in adulthood. Bethell and her coworkers found that having<br />
higher counts of PCEs was associated with 72% lower odds of having<br />
depression or poor mental health overall as an adult; that those with higher levels<br />
of positive experiences were over 3.5 times more likely to have healthy social<br />
and emotional support as an adult; and that accumulation of PCEs shifted the<br />
outcome positively in adulthood.”<br />
Caution and Hope: The Prevalence of Adverse Childhood<br />
Experiences in Globally Mobile Third Culture Kids<br />
The PCEs are:<br />
• Feeling that when they express difficult emotions, they are heard<br />
and validated by their parents<br />
• Feeling physically safe in the home<br />
• Feeling their parents stand by them during difficult times and that<br />
they are a priority<br />
• Feeling supported by a peer group<br />
• Feeling a sense of belonging within a larger, multigenerational<br />
group<br />
• Having routines and traditions to look forward to<br />
• Feeling a sense of belonging in high school/secondary school<br />
• Having two non-parent adult relationships who take a genuine<br />
interest in them<br />
It can be easy to let some of these PCEs be deprioritized in the<br />
wake of the globally mobile life but knowing that these are the<br />
protective factors that combat the hardships children experience<br />
means that they need to be intentionally implemented.<br />
One way to begin implementing PCEs is to ask each of your<br />
children if and how they feel they have each of the PCEs. We<br />
recommend sitting down and asking each child privately, so they<br />
feel free to share and aren’t reiterating a sibling’s answer. If there<br />
are any they express they don’t feel they have, ask more questions<br />
and brainstorm together how you might meet that PCE. Take<br />
care to not be defensive or downplay their response, but instead be<br />
curious and consider how you can increase the number of PCEs<br />
that they have.<br />
While we cannot prevent TCKs from experiencing all ACEs<br />
and childhood traumas, we can offer the protective buffer that<br />
PCEs provide. If you need external support as you process through<br />
these as a family, please reach out to us at info@tcktraining.com to<br />
schedule a parent consultation.<br />
Learn more about the cited research and preventive care at TCK<br />
Training<br />
RESOURCES<br />
Bethell, Christina et al<br />
(2019). “Positive Childhood<br />
Experiences and Adult<br />
Mental and Relational<br />
Health in a Statewide<br />
Sample: Associations<br />
Across Adverse Childhood<br />
Experiences Levels.” The<br />
Journal of the American<br />
Medical Association Pediatrics.<br />
Crossman, Tanya & Wells, Lauren<br />
(<strong>2022</strong>). “Caution and Hope: The Prevalence of<br />
Adverse Childhood Experiences in Globally Mobile Third Culture<br />
Kids.” TCK Training. Accessed at https://www.tcktraining.com<br />
Crossman, Tanya (2016). Misunderstood: The Impact of Growing<br />
Up Overseas in the 21st Century (Summertime Publishing).<br />
Sege, Robert et al (2017). “Balancing adverse childhood<br />
experiences with HOPE: New insights into the role of positive<br />
experience on child and family development.” Boston: The<br />
Medical Foundation. Accessed at www.cssp.org<br />
Smith, Elizabeth Vahey (<strong>2022</strong>). The Practice of Processing:<br />
Exploring our Emotions to Chart an Intentional Course<br />
(independently published).<br />
Felitti, Vincent J. et al (1998). “Relationship of Childhood Abuse<br />
and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes<br />
of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)<br />
Study.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine.<br />
Wells, Lauren (2020). Raising Up a Generation of Healthy<br />
Third Culture Kids: A Practical Guide to Preventive Care<br />
(independently published).<br />
Wells, Lauren (2021). The Grief Tower: A Practical Guide to<br />
Processing Grief with Third Culture Kids (independently<br />
published).<br />
ADDITIONAL SOURCES:<br />
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016). “About<br />
Adverse Childhood Experiences.” Atlanta, Ga.: CDC.<br />
Chapman, D.P. et al (2004). “Adverse childhood experiences<br />
and the risk of depressive disorders in adulthood.” Journal of<br />
Affective Disorders.<br />
Dube, S.R. et al. (2001). “Childhood abuse, household<br />
dysfunction, and the risk of attempted suicide throughout the<br />
life span: Findings from the Adverse Childhood Experiences<br />
Study.” The Journal of the American Medical Association.<br />
Felitti, V. J. (2009). “Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult<br />
Health.” Academic Pediatrics.<br />
Ramiro, L. S. et al. (2010). “Adverse childhood experiences (ACE)<br />
and health-risk behaviors among adults in a developing country<br />
setting.” Child Abuse & Neglect.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 15
MEET THE HEAD<br />
Interview with Inter-Community <strong>School</strong> Zurich,<br />
Head of <strong>School</strong> - Lucy Gowdie<br />
Established in 1960, Inter-<br />
Community <strong>School</strong> (ICS) is the<br />
only school in Zurich offering<br />
the <strong>International</strong> Baccalaureate (IB)<br />
Programme for Primary Years, Middle<br />
Years, and Diploma Studies.<br />
Affording personalised education for<br />
students aged 18 months to 18 years,<br />
ICS prepares young people to thrive in<br />
today’s changing world, with a supportive<br />
community and rigorous curriculum.<br />
We spoke with Head of <strong>School</strong>, Lucy<br />
Gowdie, about her approach to education,<br />
the trends we’re seeing, and the exciting<br />
prospects ahead for ICS.<br />
What initially inspired you to pursue a<br />
career in education and how did that<br />
journey bring you to Switzerland?<br />
When I was younger, I struggled to love<br />
learning – never believing I was capable.<br />
I was a very sporty student, I loved sport<br />
– and actually went to a school for sport.<br />
I wasn’t really very academic, and my<br />
parents were not university graduates, so I<br />
didn’t have the inspiration to understand<br />
what academia was - until I entered Year<br />
9 Literature, where a teacher opened up<br />
avenues of insight into the world, from<br />
Whitman, to Keats, to Dickinson – my<br />
whole world changed.<br />
I decided I wanted to do for others, what<br />
that teacher had unknowingly done for me.<br />
When I finished school, I had a choice<br />
– go into the workforce and do sports<br />
administration or choose university. I chose<br />
the latter, and was awarded a Bachelor<br />
of Education and a Bachelor of Arts and<br />
graduated in 2001. I ended up moving to<br />
Japan for a gap year, where I taught. I went<br />
back to Australia at the tender age of 21<br />
and spent seven years at an all-girls Catholic<br />
school – during that time I bought a house,<br />
had two children, moved to the Peninsula<br />
and spent 10 years teaching at a boarding<br />
school.<br />
I became fascinated upon my return<br />
from Japan by multi-culturalism and<br />
inter-cultural learning and wanted to<br />
build these connections in the school I<br />
was at. I used to wonder, particularly<br />
for our Boarders, why immersion was<br />
so challenging, and what we were doing<br />
wrong in our attempt to create an authentic<br />
learning experience in a truly representative<br />
and inclusive way.<br />
2012 was a turning point for me when a<br />
colleague my age passed away. I remember<br />
committing to myself then that I needed<br />
to live an extraordinary life, and to commit<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 16
to myself that when my own time came, I<br />
could at least say I followed my dreams.<br />
I applied for a job in Hong Kong, and<br />
in 2013 I was appointed Head of EAL at<br />
the Australian <strong>School</strong> in Hong Kong. My<br />
family and I moved over and spent two of<br />
the greatest years of my life doing what<br />
I loved doing – I was teaching, I could<br />
travel, but more than anything, I finally<br />
found the diversity I was looking for – a<br />
natural, authentic, multicultural society,<br />
where everyone was equal, where you didn’t<br />
look at the colour of someone’s skin, you<br />
just looked at and attempted to enhance<br />
through your teaching, their character.<br />
After two years, I realised I had been out<br />
of university for 14 years, and I wanted to<br />
upskill my qualifications – at this point I was<br />
really just a classroom teacher with some<br />
leadership experience, and I knew (as does<br />
every ambitious teacher), that I needed a<br />
Masters and more experience in different<br />
environments.<br />
I studied <strong>International</strong> Education and<br />
Policy at the University of Sydney, and<br />
in 2018. I wrote my thesis on the rise of<br />
charter schools in America, and the danger<br />
of corporatisation and commodification of<br />
education in China.<br />
During the COVID pandemic, I knew I<br />
needed change, I had thoroughly relished<br />
studying and wanted to apply this newfound<br />
knowledge. I knew that the school I was at,<br />
and the mentor who had guided me, had<br />
taken me to a place where I could stand and<br />
lead on my own. And so it was that I found<br />
my way to ICS in Zurich.<br />
What have you learnt from your time<br />
in day, boarding, and international<br />
education?<br />
I have learnt that no two days are ever the<br />
same; and while I manage what comes<br />
my way, I understand and embrace the<br />
uniqueness of the school eco-systems. It’s<br />
what makes schools such an enjoyable<br />
place to work in – I have learnt that when<br />
you place students at the centre of all you<br />
do, you will always be walking in the right<br />
direction.<br />
In the space of acceptance, and the<br />
space of understanding, and tolerance –<br />
ICS is a very strong school, one that really<br />
understands the word ‘community’ and<br />
intercultural identity. There has been a lot<br />
of work done in the place of acceptance for<br />
individual learning, and so everyone can<br />
reach their potential.<br />
How would you characterise students<br />
graduating from ICS?<br />
Without a doubt, they are globally minded,<br />
humble, and determined young people.<br />
They understand the strength they possess<br />
from the education they have experienced,<br />
and they drive with a quiet confidence<br />
towards creating change.<br />
The school is in a wonderful position to<br />
really celebrate and propel exactly what<br />
society should replicate around notions of<br />
inclusivity and diversity, around tolerance<br />
and acceptance, and getting that right for<br />
young people from a very early age.<br />
What would you say makes the learning<br />
environment of ICS extra special?<br />
The notion of community, without a doubt,<br />
makes our school unique – and the learning<br />
environment safe and profound. It is not a<br />
token, or a motto – it is deeply engrained in<br />
our history.<br />
ICS was built by families from all over<br />
the world, who wanted an English-speaking<br />
school for their children, as the world<br />
opened up in the 1960’s and 70’s. This<br />
foundation has placed us in good stead for<br />
the present as we continue to unite as a<br />
community centred on the uniqueness of<br />
every individual.<br />
Which features of the school do parents<br />
value the most?<br />
<strong>Parent</strong>s value the togetherness and sense<br />
of belonging, and the authenticity of our<br />
teachers. They understand that quality<br />
teaching is the key to success for our<br />
students, and they value the ethos of the<br />
school – that we pursue our passion, reach<br />
our potential, and live responsibly. This is a<br />
fundamental quality that is lived out every<br />
single day.<br />
The parents understand that they are<br />
united with the commonality in learning,<br />
and having a common understanding. They<br />
accept the way we do things, because they<br />
understand the diversity of the group is<br />
based on the circumstances which brought<br />
them here.<br />
When I have spoken with parents, even<br />
from the kindergarten years, they really<br />
understand and appreciate the richness<br />
of our curriculum, and the quality of the<br />
teachers we have.<br />
Which other areas of education and<br />
extra-curricular activities would you like<br />
to develop?<br />
We continue to refine our programmes,<br />
so that students can have as many<br />
opportunities as possible. We want to<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 17
continue to develop our Athletics and<br />
Performance Arts programmes.<br />
Our Campus Hub is a new multi-milliondollar<br />
facility, which will accommodate both<br />
– and it’s an exciting development in the<br />
life of the school. It’s ultimately a building<br />
designed to enable freedom of movement,<br />
in an environment for teachers and<br />
students, it will become a cultural heartland<br />
– a centre for the whole school to be able to<br />
evolve, together.<br />
The IB curriculum and including the<br />
student voice lends itself perfectly to<br />
building on the profile of understanding<br />
young people today. I think we have to<br />
be brave in education – step into the<br />
conversation around ‘woke’ and ‘cancel’<br />
culture – these are the things young people<br />
are talking about, being able to have these<br />
conversations should be an expectation the<br />
students have of their educators.<br />
What we do, what we think, what we<br />
challenge – can only be done from a place<br />
of understanding, and of knowledge; we<br />
owe this to our children, to provide for them<br />
the facts, and the support to understand<br />
those facts, free from judgement.<br />
What excites you about the prospect<br />
of leading an international school in<br />
Switzerland?<br />
I am excited by the uniqueness of the<br />
school, and the strength of the student<br />
body.<br />
Leading a school whose foundation is<br />
steeped in learning and centred on the<br />
student, is an absolute privilege. I have said<br />
many times, the fact that our school is in<br />
Switzerland is a bonus – if you were to put<br />
this school in any country, you would know<br />
how unique and wonderful it is to work<br />
here, and I would feel just the same.<br />
What are the main trends in education<br />
that you’re seeing now?<br />
I come from the most locked down<br />
place on earth, so I have a deep sense<br />
of understanding of the trauma that<br />
many children have endured during the<br />
pandemic. I wish I could say that we were<br />
in a post-COVID context, but we are not<br />
– we can’t live as freely as we did prior to<br />
COVID, but hopefully by the end of this<br />
year, we’ll have some sense of normality.<br />
I think trends in education today are<br />
predominately dictated by what COVID<br />
has actually taught us, what really matters<br />
in education and that’s the human<br />
connection and using technology to support<br />
that connection; be it our wellbeing,<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 18
our understanding of others and our<br />
acceptance of the unknown.<br />
I see a divergence – away from<br />
technology as teacher, to technology as a<br />
purposeful tool – and I am enthused by<br />
the way our teachers are understanding<br />
that the most powerful tool in the<br />
technological sphere is thought - teaching<br />
students to think is one, if not the, most<br />
important elements in education today.<br />
Applying this thinking in different contexts<br />
is the hallmark of ICS, from our local<br />
forest, to the glaciers around us, to the<br />
Research Garden on campus, how we think<br />
about our world, matters more now than it<br />
ever has before.<br />
I think the other space worthy of<br />
attention, and of critical importance to<br />
schools today, is policy.<br />
I see the necessity of policy in<br />
education, beginning to better define the<br />
responsibilities of schools to protect their<br />
communities, this is something COVID has<br />
taught us.<br />
How do you make the most of<br />
Switzerland, and what are your hobbies?<br />
I’ve only lived here a short time, so I’ve not<br />
done too much – but I’m an avid paddle<br />
and snow boarder, and I know I’ve landed<br />
in the right country! There are times when<br />
the landscape truly takes your breath away,<br />
and I’m privileged to be here.<br />
I make the most of my weekends by<br />
travelling out to the mountains – to breathe<br />
in the air and find space. Fresh air, and time<br />
are two of the most important components<br />
in order to lead well.<br />
I love being with my family, we have<br />
always travelled and gone to different<br />
places, and we love spending time together.<br />
I don’t really talk about work at home,<br />
which is actually quite hard to do – because<br />
they all talk about what they’re doing, and<br />
I get to listen. They’re looking forward to<br />
seeing snow for the first time this year!<br />
ABOUT INTER-COMMUNITY SCHOOL ZURICH<br />
ICS is committed to ‘whole child’ development, and provides a culture of learning, high<br />
expectations, and care. Their hard-earned reputation for outstanding teaching, pedagogical<br />
leadership, and student achievement is a testament to how the school is providing a<br />
nurturing environment, and a ticket to thrive.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 19
Enjoy Being A Trailing Spouse<br />
WRITTEN BY SANDRA M. PASSALACQUA<br />
The Cambridge dictionary defines a<br />
Trailing Spouse as: “the partner of<br />
an employee who is sent to work<br />
in another country”. Being a trailing spouse<br />
can be an extraordinary experience. While<br />
some challenges might arise and the process<br />
will have its ups and downs, with the right<br />
mentality the experience can be gratifying<br />
and enrich your life and that of those<br />
around you.<br />
When a family decides to accept a new<br />
opportunity to move abroad, the experience<br />
is magnificent, and the whole family is<br />
often thrilled. Relocating to a new country<br />
is compelling. The working partner will<br />
have a considerable career opportunity,<br />
including a nice financial benefit. The<br />
kids will attend a new school and find new<br />
international friends. Everyone will discover<br />
something new, including the trailing spouse<br />
who might decide to stay home, to ensure<br />
everyone’s needs are fulfilled.<br />
For you, the trailing spouse, it<br />
isn’t uncommon for the initial<br />
excitement to wear off once<br />
the busyness of relocating and<br />
adjusting is finished. After settling<br />
down in the new home, finding<br />
suitable activities for the kids,<br />
and having some free time, the<br />
trailing spouse can find that free<br />
time does not always translate<br />
into “happy time.”<br />
From my experience, I was<br />
once a new trailing spouse<br />
just like you. I understand<br />
the mixed messages sent by<br />
family and friends who are<br />
happy for you, but at the<br />
same time might be envious of your great<br />
new adventure. If they only knew how<br />
challenging it can be to be a trailing spouse.<br />
Your partner is consumed with their new<br />
work, and you wonder: what’s in for me?<br />
Occasionally your needs are not met by<br />
your partner or your kids, and even your<br />
self-care can suffer. It is difficult to put the<br />
feeling of loneliness into words.<br />
If this describes your experience,<br />
know that this is completely normal,<br />
and growth awaits! If you find yourself<br />
feeling unfulfilled instead of excited, you<br />
can overcome this feeling by intentionally<br />
finding new activities and new friends.<br />
Finding the right friends — the ones who<br />
will cherish your friendship for the long run<br />
— is critical. After all, you are the rock of<br />
the family, and you need a solid foundation<br />
to build on.<br />
There is no manual on how to deal with<br />
the ups and downs. But I can confidently<br />
say that the answer lies within you. When<br />
you accept that life isn’t perfect, but you<br />
are doing your best, you are on the road to<br />
success.<br />
You have to search for YOUR sense<br />
of belonging, find your positive mindset,<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 20
discover new activities and routines, and<br />
locate the right people to be part of your<br />
inner circle. As noted above, new activities<br />
and new friends will be your anchors as you<br />
adapt and transition to your new reality. Be<br />
patient. You don’t know how or when these<br />
changes will happen, but they will happen,<br />
and you’ll slowly become aware of them.<br />
It’s a process, and it may include heartfelt<br />
conversations with your new friends,<br />
shedding tears, and accepting the difference<br />
between where you came from and where<br />
you want to be.<br />
You are the one holding the key to your<br />
success, the feeling of belonging to the<br />
new city you now call home. From time to<br />
time, it’s ok to go down memory lane, but<br />
recognize that it’s important to live in the<br />
here and now.<br />
Living in the present helps you unfold<br />
your happiness, remain positive and live a<br />
fulfilled life. Trust me - you will succeed!<br />
Of course, you’ll reminisce about the<br />
family and friends you left behind, but that<br />
too is part of the journey. It’s living in the<br />
moment that will make you a happy trailing<br />
spouse.<br />
Partnering with a Cross-Cultural Coach<br />
will help and reassure you along your<br />
journey. This Cross-Cultural Coach will<br />
listen nonjudgmentally, hold a safe space for<br />
you, offer an emotional connection, and talk<br />
openly about your challenges to unleash the<br />
extraordinary life you are meant to live.<br />
BE YOUR BEST ANYTIME,<br />
ANYWHERE!<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 21
ADVERTORIAL<br />
How to Choose the<br />
Best <strong>School</strong> for your Child<br />
WRITTEN BY CONAN DE WILDE, DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS, H-FARM INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL<br />
As a parent of three school-age<br />
children and as someone who<br />
has spent the past twenty years<br />
working in international secondary schools<br />
and researching education, friends are<br />
occasionally foolish enough to ask for<br />
advice on how to choose ‘the best’ school<br />
for their children.<br />
Increasingly, parents are able to work<br />
remotely, and I am struck by the number<br />
of times parents have told me over the past<br />
two years that they moved countries, not for<br />
work, but in order to find a better school<br />
for their children. Having just made a move<br />
myself, from the <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> of<br />
Geneva to H-FARM <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
near Venice, I wanted to share some<br />
reflections on how we choose schools for<br />
our children.<br />
The Beauty of the Campus<br />
My first observation is that, when parents<br />
talk about what kind of education they<br />
want for their children, they rarely mention<br />
the facilities, but once parents follow a<br />
school admissions tour, this becomes<br />
the single most important factor in their<br />
decision making.<br />
Beauty is important and there is<br />
compelling research in education on the<br />
importance of the environment as a “third<br />
teacher.” For many parents, investment<br />
in infrastructure is taken to be a proxy for<br />
the school’s commitment to their children.<br />
This makes some sense. It is easy for a<br />
headmaster to make all sorts of promises<br />
on an admissions tour; it is harder for them<br />
to build quality science labs, arts, and sports<br />
facilities, and maintain the grounds. We all<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 22<br />
know that judging a school by the quality<br />
of its facilities is superficial, but which<br />
questions should we be asking to know if a<br />
school is the right fit for your family?<br />
How good is the school at delivering the<br />
basics?<br />
As a parent, I would like to know if the<br />
school has a system so that every student is<br />
known well by at least one teacher. Students<br />
are happier and learn better when there are<br />
systems in place to allow teachers to build<br />
strong relationships with students.<br />
What is the school’s position on<br />
assessment? Students need regular, highquality<br />
feedback to learn. What is the<br />
school’s approach to monitoring this?<br />
Many private schools try to teach<br />
effective collaboration, mindfulness,
ADVERTORIAL<br />
creativity, and a whole host of competences<br />
which we know can support human<br />
flourishing. They will advertise these in<br />
admissions visits as unique selling points,<br />
but I would want to be sure that the<br />
school has an even better developed plan<br />
when it comes to literacy and numeracy.<br />
“What is your plan to improve literacy<br />
and numeracy?” might be another good<br />
question to ask.<br />
If a school can’t walk without tripping,<br />
they probably shouldn’t be talking about<br />
how fast they can run.<br />
What exactly does this school stand for?<br />
Most <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> mission<br />
statements sound eerily similar. They<br />
claim to educate students to be ‘global<br />
citizens’ and good people, they promise<br />
excellence and inclusion and diversity<br />
and a long litany of other unassailable<br />
virtues. There is nothing you can disagree<br />
with in most mission statements. Don’t<br />
we all want our children to be ‘creative’<br />
and ‘compassionate’ and ‘knowledgeable’,<br />
“Challenge admissions and the head of school to give<br />
examples of how they live their mission statements.”<br />
imbued with the kind of passion and<br />
entrepreneurial flair that will allow them to<br />
do good while doing well and being happy?<br />
If a mission statement sounds utopian, it<br />
probably is.<br />
Challenge admissions and the head of<br />
school to give examples of how they live<br />
their mission statements. How do they<br />
support ‘creative learning’ or ‘academic<br />
excellence’ if that is what they promise?<br />
Ask: When and where, exactly, is my child<br />
going to experience this commitment?<br />
When visiting my and my children’s new<br />
school I already knew about H-FARM’s<br />
ambitious commitment to educational<br />
innovation and creativity. H-FARM<br />
education is a family of three international<br />
schools. It is also a boarding school. Its<br />
college provides bachelors and masters<br />
level courses, and its coding and animation<br />
professional schools offer their students the<br />
chance to create movies with the likes of<br />
Pixar and DreamWorks or work on cutting<br />
edge AI or virtual and augmented reality<br />
projects. It is home to successful business<br />
incubators. This allows the school to build<br />
bridges between learners and thriving<br />
businesses in a range of sectors. It is really<br />
exciting for experienced international<br />
educators to be teaching alongside<br />
colleagues who can also bring a wealth of<br />
expertise from industry. My question was:<br />
how exactly do you do this here? How,<br />
concretely, are the students and teachers<br />
benefiting from all of these links? The<br />
answers were compelling enough to trigger<br />
an international move.<br />
I think it’s a pretty good sign when, as a<br />
parent, the responses to all these questions<br />
get you so excited about the school that<br />
you start thinking “I wouldn’t mind going<br />
back to school here.” Unfortunately for<br />
my children, as I start this school year at<br />
H-FARM, that’s exactly what’s happening!<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 23
Is my Child Gifted?<br />
WRITTEN BY KORINNE ALGIE<br />
This is a question many parents ask<br />
themselves at one point or another.<br />
For my husband and I, it was the<br />
day our daughter – just turned five - used<br />
the word “gregarious” in perfect context.<br />
We were stunned. After shooting some<br />
looks back and forth, I asked her if she<br />
knew what she had said. Again, she<br />
repeated “gregarious”.<br />
More stunned looks.<br />
I asked her if she knew what it meant.<br />
She nodded and responded that it was<br />
someone who likes talking to and playing<br />
with lots of friends. Which is basically the<br />
dictionary definition translated to five-yearold<br />
speak.<br />
Were we raising a genius?<br />
It wasn’t the sort of word my husband<br />
and I bandy around. We both have great<br />
vocabularies, but neither of us could<br />
remember using gregarious ever, let alone in<br />
earshot of our child.<br />
Our daughter goes to a German speaking<br />
kindergarten, so it wasn’t picked up there.<br />
There was only one explanation for it: Our<br />
little princess was some kind of literary<br />
prodigy.<br />
The flood gates opened as we asked<br />
ourselves if we were supporting her superior<br />
intellect? Was she being challenged enough<br />
at kindergarten? Was it just words, or was<br />
she an all-round phenomenon? So many<br />
questions and so much responsibility.<br />
But then, what if it was a fluke? What if<br />
she just has a great memory? How would<br />
we know?<br />
Turns out there are a large number<br />
of checklists and tests that you can give<br />
your child to establish if they are gifted.<br />
Reviewing resources on the internet my<br />
husband and I found them to be broadsweeping<br />
and potentially applicable to<br />
all children: “An insatiable curiosity, as<br />
demonstrated by endless questions and<br />
inquiries”. I shudder as I remember<br />
surviving through months of the “why”<br />
phase. Admittedly, most checklists do have<br />
more specific and ‘advanced’ criteria but by<br />
and large, they did not bring us any closer<br />
to knowing.<br />
Children are all different. So are gifted<br />
children. It is almost impossible to apply the<br />
same set of markers to all of them, talented<br />
or otherwise. However, if you really need<br />
to know, testing may provide some answers<br />
for you.<br />
Depending on where you live, gifted<br />
education - a broad group of special<br />
practices, procedures, and theories used<br />
in the education of gifted and/or talented<br />
children - can be very different; from official<br />
programmes to special classes, to very little<br />
differentiation from other students. What<br />
are your expectations for gifted education?<br />
Do they line up with your school district or<br />
state?<br />
Before we take a deeper dive into the<br />
various tests available, let’s establish that<br />
they (ironically) are not foolproof. There<br />
is an episode of The Simpsons where<br />
students at Springfield Elementary are<br />
tested. Lisa – the brains of the family, tests<br />
as advanced but not exceptional. Bart<br />
on the other hand - who fudged his way<br />
through the multiple choice test - returns a<br />
score tantamount to genius. Although this<br />
example is overly simplified and pokes fun<br />
at gifted testing, it is a good reminder that<br />
no one test can be considered definitive. For<br />
this reason, a professional assessment may<br />
be more useful in judging whether your<br />
child is gifted.<br />
Gifted Testing and Assessment<br />
Gifted testing (or assessment) is often<br />
conducted – and considered most accurate<br />
– between the ages of six and nine. There<br />
are tests for children as young as two,<br />
however these are not regarded to be<br />
particularly reliable or even necessary.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 24
Gifted Tests<br />
Gifted tests can largely be separated into<br />
two categories: Achievement tests and<br />
Abilities tests. Achievement tests look<br />
for a child’s knowledge in a subject area.<br />
Examples of an Achievement based test<br />
might be an SAT or ACT test. They are<br />
often standardised, and the results are given<br />
as a numerical score. Achievement tests can<br />
also be administered individually and are in<br />
most cases part of a larger assessment, used<br />
to screen students for particular areas of<br />
academic strength.<br />
The second category, Abilities tests,<br />
evaluate a child’s cognitive ability or<br />
intelligence quotient (IQ). The results take<br />
a more rounded view of the child and in<br />
addition to a numerical score, also provide<br />
recommendations. Common Abilities tests<br />
include:<br />
• Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal<br />
Intelligence (CTONI-2)<br />
• Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Scale<br />
(UNIT-2)<br />
• Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive<br />
Abilities (WJ-IV Cog)<br />
• Otis-Lennon <strong>School</strong> Ability Test (OLSAT 8)<br />
• Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)<br />
• Differential Ability Scales (DAS-2)<br />
What is a Gifted Assessment?<br />
Often the terms ‘gifted test’ and ‘gifted<br />
assessment’ are used interchangeably.<br />
The reality is that they are quite different<br />
with an assessment providing a much<br />
broader and deeper picture of your child’s<br />
giftedness. Because of its greater scope, it is<br />
usually the more costly option to take.<br />
In an assessment, a trained professional<br />
uses their expertise and experience to work<br />
out the best test for your child. The results<br />
of this test, combined with a classroom<br />
observation and interview, provide the basis<br />
for your child’s educational profile.<br />
This profile includes detailed information<br />
on the child’s strengths, challenges, learning<br />
style, needs, and individual characteristics,<br />
as well as making recommendations for<br />
your child’s learning.<br />
How to get your child tested<br />
Getting a test might sound straightforward<br />
but unless they are offered by your child’s<br />
school or kindergarten, they can be difficult<br />
to arrange. Even then, getting the right kind<br />
of gifted evaluation can be quite tricky. If<br />
your school’s gifted policy isn’t available on<br />
their website, make enquiries. It could be<br />
that your school doesn’t offer much in the<br />
way of such testing. In this case, reaching<br />
out to your local education board, teachers<br />
association or similar should point you in<br />
the right direction.<br />
Alternatively, you can look for a person<br />
qualified to administer the test/assessment<br />
nearby. Psychologists are sometimes trained<br />
to do these tests.<br />
Since the pandemic many online tests<br />
have appeared. If you were to select online<br />
testing for your child, make sure you check<br />
the validity of the results (eg. Will they<br />
be accepted at your target school) before<br />
starting.<br />
What to do if your child IS gifted?<br />
So, your child has completed the test and<br />
the results are in. They are, in fact, gifted.<br />
What now?<br />
You have a number of options with the<br />
three most common being:<br />
1Do nothing. Keep an eye on your<br />
child’s progress, grades, and general<br />
happiness. If these things are tracking<br />
well, it is completely fine to maintain the<br />
status quo. Just do so in the knowledge that<br />
RESOURCES<br />
Davidson Institute. Gifted Testing and Assessment www.davidsongifted.org<br />
Davidson Institute. How to get your child tested for giftedness.<br />
www.davidsongifted.org<br />
Davidson Institute. Is my child gifted? www.davidsongifted.org<br />
Kumar, M., (2021, June 22). Is your kid gifted? CNBC, www.cnbc.com<br />
at some point your child might need an<br />
extension – whether this takes the form of<br />
a challenging hobby, academically rigorous<br />
extra-curricular activities like debating or<br />
chess, etc or a new class or school, is entirely<br />
up to you and your child.<br />
2Talk to the teacher and/school and let<br />
them know. Ask them to push your child<br />
whenever they can. You may even ask for<br />
your child to be skipped a year. Monitor the<br />
situation to make sure your child remains<br />
happy and motivated.<br />
3Move your child to a gifted programme<br />
where they will be challenged, stretched,<br />
and developed.<br />
What did we do with our little genius?<br />
Nothing. At five our daughter is far too<br />
young for us to read too much into this. We<br />
want her to play and learn about the world<br />
around her. We are happy that she has an<br />
inquisitive mind and an interest in words.<br />
Whether or not her moment of prodigal<br />
glory was a fluke remains to be seen. For<br />
the meantime, we are happy to let our little<br />
person be.<br />
Bainbridge, C., (2020, July 15). How <strong>Parent</strong>s Can Know If Their Child Is Gifted. Very Well<br />
Family, www.verywellfamily.com<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 25
FEELS GOOD!<br />
A checklist to support young<br />
people’s mental health<br />
WRITTEN BY DR MICHELLE WRIGHT AND DR MECKY MCNEIL<br />
When someone says physical<br />
health, we tend to think of all<br />
things healthy. However, when<br />
someone says mental health, we often think<br />
about illness and distress. At HealthFirst, we<br />
like to view mental health positively because<br />
the fact is that we all have it, just as we all<br />
have physical health as well.<br />
Mental health is so much more than just<br />
the absence of mental illness. If we look<br />
at a definition of from the World Health<br />
Organisation, they define mental health as:<br />
“... A state of well-being, in which a person realises<br />
their own potential, can cope with the normal<br />
stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully<br />
and is able to make a contribution to their society”. 1<br />
In the same way that we can take steps<br />
to look after our physical health, there are<br />
things that we can do to strengthen our<br />
mental health and reduce the chance of<br />
becoming unwell.<br />
That goes for our young people too.<br />
Having good mental health helps children<br />
and adolescents develop resilience and<br />
grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.<br />
So, with this academic year in full swing,<br />
perhaps it’s a good opportunity to reflect on<br />
what we can do to strengthen our mental<br />
wellbeing, including that of our young<br />
people. Remembering that, as adults, we are<br />
important role models and need to ‘walk<br />
the well-being talk’ ourselves.<br />
Obviously, there are lots of things that<br />
can help safeguard a young person’s wellbeing:<br />
being part of a family that gets<br />
on well, going to a school that supports<br />
the well-being of its pupils, being in<br />
good physical health and feeling safe<br />
and understood, to name but a few. But<br />
attending to self-care is also important. To<br />
help get this message across, we have put<br />
together our ‘FEELS GOOD! Strategy’ - a<br />
checklist of 10 important well-being wins<br />
to support young minds. Help the young<br />
people in your lives support their well-being<br />
by sharing these with them.<br />
1Friends matter - Connect with others<br />
Connecting with other people can lift<br />
your spirits. You feel more accepted, you<br />
can share your experiences together, and<br />
you can offer each other support. Take<br />
advantage of this by organising a nice<br />
activity with your friends or family, catching<br />
up with a friend you’ve not seen in a while,<br />
or even meeting new people by joining a<br />
club or group.<br />
2Exercise - Let’s get active<br />
Regular exercise can boost your mood<br />
and self-confidence. It increases your<br />
energy levels and helps you sleep better. It’s<br />
important to try to move more often. Every<br />
little bit counts - from going for a short<br />
walk, taking the stairs instead of the lift,<br />
having a kick around with friends, or going<br />
for a bike ride, run or swim. Or how about<br />
a team sport like netball or football? There<br />
are plenty options for you to get your body<br />
moving, whatever your ability.<br />
3Eat well<br />
Healthy eating and drinking is also<br />
good for your mind. It gives you more<br />
energy and helps you sleep better. It’s<br />
really important to eat a balanced diet to<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 26
“Regular exercise can boost your mood and self-confidence. It increases<br />
your energy levels and helps you sleep better.”<br />
ensure your body is getting the energy and<br />
nutrients it needs, particularly if you’re<br />
vegetarian or vegan. And don’t forget<br />
those fluids: drink plenty of water to keep<br />
hydrated. But do try to keep down the<br />
amount of sugar and caffeine in your food<br />
and drink. If you have any worries about<br />
food, it’s a good idea to talk to a trusted<br />
adult before changing your diet.<br />
4Learn new things<br />
Learning new things can be a great<br />
way of improving your confidence and<br />
giving you a sense of achievement. It<br />
could be anything from learning a new<br />
instrument, sport or language, trying out<br />
new recipes, or starting your own DIY<br />
project. Maybe visiting a local library,<br />
museum or gallery could give you some<br />
inspiration.<br />
5Sleep well<br />
Getting good sleep can help you have<br />
more energy, feel more positive, and feel less<br />
stressed. But sometimes it can be difficult<br />
to get to sleep as a teenager. If you are<br />
struggling, here are a few tips that can help:<br />
• Set yourself a good bedtime routine that<br />
you stick to most nights of the week. Going<br />
to bed at the same time helps to reset your<br />
day and night body clock.<br />
• Cut down on screen time before bed. The<br />
blue light on screens blocks an important<br />
sleep hormone called melatonin and can<br />
put back the onset of sleep by a couple<br />
of hours. Using a blue light filter or night<br />
mode on your screen in the evening can<br />
help with this. Or better still, take a break<br />
from your screens altogether. Try reading a<br />
book or listening to relaxing music instead.<br />
• Take a warm, relaxing bath as part of<br />
your bedtime routine.<br />
• Make sure you don’t eat your dinner or<br />
drink sugary drinks too late.<br />
• Avoid strenuous exercise in the evening.<br />
Anything that puts up your heart rate, puts<br />
back your sleep.<br />
6Get creative<br />
Doing something creative can help<br />
boost self-esteem and relationships. It can<br />
also help you feel less stressed and be a<br />
way to express yourself. There are so many<br />
things that you could try: drawing, painting,<br />
photography, creative writing, singing,<br />
playing an instrument, dancing or drama.<br />
Let those creative juices flow!<br />
7Open your mind - Do things to help<br />
you relax<br />
Relaxing gives you time out - a chance<br />
to feel less stressed, to feel peaceful and<br />
calm, and to clear your mind. How about<br />
spending time in nature, or with friends,<br />
reading, listening to music, or watching<br />
a film? Some people find that relaxation<br />
exercises, meditation, or religious prayer<br />
helps them too.<br />
8Offer help to others<br />
Helping others can make you feel<br />
happier, give you a sense of achievement,<br />
increase your self-worth and boost your<br />
relationships. Perhaps you could offer<br />
help to a neighbour or family member or<br />
volunteer your time and skills to a local<br />
cause that matters to you. Or you could<br />
simply ask a friend how they are, and truly<br />
listen to them.<br />
9Do things you enjoy<br />
Time spent doing something you<br />
enjoy can make you feel happier and more<br />
relaxed. It can also be fun, can boost your<br />
relationships with others, or help you<br />
develop new skills. What things do you love<br />
doing: a hobby, playing sport, watching<br />
films, or even gaming? Invest in your<br />
favorite pastimes.<br />
!t’s OK to not be OK<br />
10 It can be normal as a young person<br />
to want to deal with things on your own.<br />
But if you can open up to friends, family<br />
or someone else you trust about things that<br />
are troubling you, this can help you feel<br />
supported.<br />
REFERENCE<br />
1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-ourresponse<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 27
ADVERTORIAL<br />
5<br />
reasons to choose<br />
SWISS<br />
EDUCATION<br />
GROUP<br />
Switzerland is<br />
renowned for<br />
being home<br />
to the world’s best<br />
hospitality schools.<br />
Swiss Education<br />
Group (SEG), with its<br />
three hospitality schools<br />
– Swiss Hotel Management <strong>School</strong> (SHMS),<br />
Hotel Institute Montreux (HIM), and César<br />
Ritz Colleges Switzerland (CRCS) – is one<br />
of Switzerland’s largest private educators.<br />
Firmly rooted in the great tradition of Swiss<br />
hospitality, SEG pushes the boundaries<br />
of future innovation. Today’s hospitality<br />
education is not just about hotels; it is a<br />
people-oriented luxury industry.<br />
Students develop maturity and<br />
professionalism as they progress through our<br />
challenging programs. One graduate’s father<br />
said that “with each internship [my son] did,<br />
you could see how he was growing. I like the<br />
program’s pragmatism, how students get so<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 28
ADVERTORIAL<br />
much experience while they are in school.”<br />
We asked students why they chose SEG<br />
and here are the top 5 responses:<br />
1Career opportunities<br />
Our students know how to create an<br />
unforgettable experience in which people<br />
feel valued, welcomed, and cared for. This<br />
valuable skill set opens up a variety of career<br />
pathways within and beyond the hospitality<br />
industry. Students learn practical business<br />
and management skills that enable them<br />
to succeed in businesses not traditionally<br />
associated with a hospitality education,<br />
including luxury brands, finance, and multinational<br />
corporations.<br />
Alexander, a new graduate, said that ‘the<br />
best thing I learned is how to think outside<br />
of the box. At SHMS, they teach you how<br />
to find the best possible solution to problems,<br />
even if it’s not the most typical solution.”<br />
Students benefit from guest lectures from<br />
leaders across various industries – including<br />
Visit us on an Open Day,<br />
during which you are welcome to visit<br />
multiple schools across Swiss Education Group.<br />
Our Open Days cover Swiss Hotel Management<br />
<strong>School</strong> and Hotel Institute Montreux on<br />
Monday, and César Ritz Colleges Switzerland on<br />
Tuesday. Upcoming dates: October 17–18 and<br />
November 21–22.<br />
Nestlé, Edmond de<br />
Rothschild, and UBS<br />
– and participate<br />
in site visits to<br />
gain insights<br />
into multiple<br />
career paths<br />
as they plot<br />
their future<br />
careers.<br />
2A<br />
global<br />
professional<br />
network<br />
Ekaterina, a CRCS<br />
graduate, said that “getting<br />
a bachelor’s degree here was the best<br />
investment my family has made so far…<br />
Meeting guest lecturers provided us with a<br />
strong network of professionals before even<br />
graduating. The knowledge and experience<br />
received have helped me to be more<br />
confident, focused, and motivated.”<br />
Our students appreciate the exclusive<br />
opportunity to attend the biannual<br />
<strong>International</strong> Recruitment Forum, where<br />
they meet with recruiters from over 100<br />
companies and network with global alumni.<br />
And with 32 chapters and over 24,000<br />
members, SEG’s alumni network is one of<br />
the largest hospitality networks in the world.<br />
Recent graduate Irina said that “the<br />
friends I made at SHMS have now become<br />
my professional connections all over the<br />
world, an incredible asset in today’s world.”<br />
3Soft skills you can’t learn<br />
anywhere else<br />
SEG students have an edge, given the<br />
soft skills they learn with us. Employers<br />
today seek employees who communicate<br />
and manage conflict well – thanks to<br />
highly developed emotional<br />
intelligence. It’s no surprise then<br />
that employers value the skills that<br />
our hospitality graduates bring,<br />
and which give them a competitive<br />
edge over their business school<br />
counterparts.<br />
4Personal an<br />
professional growth<br />
Students appreciate that when<br />
they graduate, they are prepared to<br />
succeed. They not only graduate with<br />
a bachelor’s or master’s degree, but they<br />
leave with valuable work experience<br />
– giving them a distinct advantage over<br />
graduates of other universities. Graduates<br />
have what they need to find the perfect<br />
career fit: confidence-building work<br />
experience, thanks to our robust internship<br />
placement program; and a five-year<br />
career plan, developed with their career<br />
coach, that defines their desired career<br />
and identifies companies that match those<br />
aspirations. They understand a contract,<br />
and can read a job description and gauge<br />
whether a role is right for them. They are<br />
prepared for success.<br />
HIM graduate Onur shared about his<br />
internship coach: “[She] guided me to<br />
opportunities where I would be a great fit<br />
and went above and beyond, even coming<br />
personally to Geneva to see how I was<br />
progressing and to meet everybody in the<br />
company.”<br />
5Academic excellence<br />
Students cite our world-class rankings<br />
as an important reason for choosing a SEG<br />
school. SEG has been educating world<br />
leaders in the hospitality and business<br />
worlds for more than four decades and<br />
our expertise and experience has merited<br />
us top academic rankings: Swiss Hotel<br />
Management <strong>School</strong> ranks third-best in<br />
the world; César Ritz Colleges Switzerland<br />
stands at number six globally, and the Hotel<br />
Institute Montreux ranks seventh in the<br />
world.<br />
We offer world-class education to<br />
more than 6,000 students from over 110<br />
countries. Our bachelor’s and master’s<br />
degrees, along with a range of short<br />
courses, allow students to choose a program<br />
that suits their needs and interests – from<br />
hotel management and design to culinary<br />
arts and entrepreneurship.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 29
ADVERTORIAL<br />
IBERIA<br />
A new top destination for<br />
boarding students worldwide<br />
In recent years Spain and Portugal have experienced growth in the boarding school sector. This has been<br />
driven in part by increased domestic enrolments. However, as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic,<br />
we can expect to see greater numbers of international students and their families looking to the Iberian<br />
Peninsula for quality education and world-class boarding opportunities.<br />
Year on year the popularity of<br />
Spain and Portugal as educational<br />
destinations increases, particularly<br />
in the boarding school sector. Applications<br />
and enrolments are on the rise across<br />
boarding schools in the region. Even<br />
before the pandemic, Brexit had resulted<br />
in a steady stream of enquires from both<br />
domestic and international markets.<br />
Post Brexit accessing Britain has become<br />
more difficult and expensive for European<br />
citizens. As a result, parents and caregivers<br />
are looking for high quality alternatives.<br />
Spain and Portugal have emerged as<br />
safe, modern, affordable, and world-class<br />
European education destinations.<br />
This evidenced by the rapid growth in<br />
enrolments in Spanish schools. Since 2020,<br />
Sotogrande <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> (Cádiz),<br />
King’s College (Madrid), and <strong>International</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> San Patricio Toledo have seen a<br />
45% increase in boarders.<br />
Portugal, like Spain, has also experienced<br />
growing demand for boarding school<br />
education. In just one year, enrolments grew<br />
by 39%. This has also seen, schools such as<br />
St. Peter’s <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> expand to<br />
include greater residential facilities, as well<br />
as entirely new schools developed to serve<br />
this increasingly popular corner of Europe.<br />
One such boarding school is Kings<br />
College <strong>School</strong> Cascais, set to open in<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 30<br />
September 2023. King’s College was<br />
founded in 1969 and now boasts schools<br />
in a number of international destinations.<br />
The school in Cascais which opened this<br />
September, will also offer 50 places for<br />
borders in their impressive residence.<br />
Boarding schools are an attractive option<br />
for local and expatriate families alike.<br />
The quality of education offered, sports<br />
facilities, social and cultural activities, and<br />
international outlook, ensure the very best<br />
educational experience.<br />
Within this, week boarding has also<br />
become very popular, as it allows students<br />
to access to top tuition whilst maintaining<br />
family time in weekends and holidays.
ADVERTORIAL<br />
Foreign students enrolled in Iberian<br />
boarding schools cover a diverse and<br />
interesting cross-section of countries and<br />
cultures. These include China, Russia,<br />
Bulgaria, and Germany.<br />
Leading the way is Inspired Education<br />
Group. Inspired is dedicated to maintaining<br />
the highest standards of education and<br />
student care their 70 schools located across<br />
five continents. Their boarding schools in<br />
Spain and Portugal are setting the standard<br />
for boarding in the region. Each of the<br />
Inspired boarding schools has their own<br />
unique character and approach:<br />
Sotogrande <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
(Cádiz, Spain)<br />
Sotogrande is known for their elite sports<br />
programme. In this programme student<br />
athletes benefit from tailormade education<br />
designed to fit in with and support their<br />
sporting development.<br />
Charles Debenham, Head of Boarding,<br />
and a teacher in the IB programme<br />
said: “Keeping students enthused with<br />
phenomenal activities decreases screen<br />
time and develops important interpersonal<br />
skills which takes them from the ‘me’ to the<br />
‘we’. This leads to motivated, empathetic,<br />
and academic students who develop<br />
international friendships and connections<br />
for life”.<br />
Kings College (Madrid, Spain)<br />
Academically rigorous, Kings College<br />
offers both the <strong>International</strong> Baccalaureate<br />
Diploma and A-Level courses. Students<br />
and their families work with the school to<br />
choose the most appropriate educational<br />
track for their goals. When asked about<br />
their boarding programme, Hanan<br />
Nazha, Director of Boarding said: “Our<br />
school is considered to be one of the best<br />
boarding schools in Europe. We have been<br />
designated ‘outstanding’ in all fields in<br />
the last 5 consecutive ISI inspections. We<br />
provide a second home for our boarders<br />
who represent 21 different nationalities.<br />
Our dedicated staff work tirelessly to<br />
provide wrap-around care for our boarders,<br />
ensuring that they thrive academically and<br />
develop into confident, organised, and funloving<br />
people”.<br />
San Patricio Toledo (Spain)<br />
San Patricio is situated in a very unique<br />
location. Toledo provides a relaxed,<br />
secure environment a short distance from<br />
“Spain and Portugal have emerged as safe, modern, affordable,<br />
and world-class European education destinations.”<br />
the bustle of Madrid. The school offers<br />
<strong>International</strong> Baccalaureate programmes<br />
and is an ideal location for week boarders<br />
with family in Madrid.<br />
“Our international and domestic<br />
boarders enjoy our world-class residential<br />
facilities, in one of the safest areas in Spain<br />
which is why we are seeing huge growth<br />
in numbers. As well as an outstanding<br />
opportunity to live among students of other<br />
nationalities, our boarding students develop<br />
strong communication and social skills<br />
as well as a premium bilingual education<br />
(Spanish & English). Our IB world school<br />
is founded on generations of excellence<br />
combined with a progressive educational<br />
model that provides an excellent pathway<br />
to university and life beyond be it Spain or<br />
globally.” said Declan Ennis, Director of<br />
<strong>International</strong>isation.<br />
St Peters <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
(Lisbon, Portugal)<br />
St Peters is an iconic institution in the<br />
Portuguese educational landscape.<br />
Boasting brand new, state of the art<br />
boarding facilities, St Peters is an incredible<br />
destination for domestic and international<br />
students. Alex Callow, Headteacher of<br />
St Peter’s said: “Boarding at St. Peter’s<br />
provides a home-away-from-home<br />
environment for our growing cohort of<br />
Portuguese and international students.<br />
Experienced international teaching staff<br />
ensure a rigorous programme of pastoral<br />
care and extra-curricular activities to<br />
make sure that every aspect of their health<br />
and wellbeing is considered. Boarders are<br />
involved in community outreach, sports<br />
activities, cultural excursions, and a whole<br />
range of in-house and external initiatives<br />
(including shopping trips, karaoke, and<br />
even pizza and movie nights) on a weekly<br />
basis.”<br />
Kings College <strong>School</strong> Cascais (Portugal)<br />
Anyone familiar with Portugal knows what<br />
a special place Cascais is - nestled along the<br />
coast and surrounded by beautiful nature.<br />
King’s College <strong>School</strong> Cascais will offer<br />
students state of the art facilities, as well<br />
as long-proven educational excellence to<br />
both day and boarding students. Nadim M<br />
Nsouli, Founder and CEO of Inspired, said:<br />
“We are delighted to bring the first King’s<br />
College <strong>School</strong> to Portugal. King’s College<br />
<strong>School</strong>s are renowned for their academic<br />
excellence and their ability to immerse<br />
students in environments where they can<br />
develop global competencies. Our aim is to<br />
encourage innovation, build confidence and<br />
help young minds learn and grow, so they<br />
can thrive in the world today and in the<br />
future.”<br />
The increasing popularity of Iberian<br />
boarding schools’ rests very firmly on<br />
the provision of world class education<br />
and extracurricular activities. Inspired<br />
Education Group ensures that this demand<br />
for quality is not only met but exceeded.<br />
If you have not considered educational<br />
opportunities in Spain and Portugal before,<br />
now is definitely the time to do so.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 31
TOURING THE CANTON<br />
OF VAUD ON TWO WHEELS<br />
With its varied landscape, the<br />
region offers many possibilities<br />
for visitors from the most<br />
hardcore cyclists to those who enjoy a more<br />
leisurely ride.<br />
There’s nothing like a good bike ride for<br />
getting a different perspective. Supported<br />
by an electric battery or powered by leg<br />
muscles alone, the bicycle has pride of place<br />
on the roads and trails of the region. Thrill<br />
seekers love the steeper slopes of the Alps,<br />
while the Jura, with its gentler undulations,<br />
is ideal for families and those looking for a<br />
less strenuous tour. It is not surprising that<br />
the canton is home to the World Cycling<br />
Centre in Aigle at the foot of the Alps.<br />
The <strong>International</strong> Cycling Union (UCI)<br />
provides facilities for training young talent<br />
from all over the world. Open to the public,<br />
it also offers introductory sessions run by<br />
professionals by reservation.<br />
On the Alps side, in addition to the Gran<br />
Fondo route in Villars, daring cyclists can<br />
attempt the 4-day Tour des Alpes Vaudoises.<br />
The truly fearless are welcome to take on the<br />
descent at the Downhill Bike Park in Leysin.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 32<br />
The Jura can be explored in three days<br />
by e-bike following the Bike Tour Parc Jura<br />
Vaudois schedule. For a spectacular view of<br />
Lake Geneva, the Route du Rhône between<br />
Montreus and Morges is ideal.<br />
From April onwards, a package including<br />
e-bike, camping with necessary equipment,<br />
breakfast at the farm, a mapped route,<br />
and a guided tour of the town at the end,<br />
will enable guests to discover the Moudon<br />
region.The package can be reserved at the<br />
Moudon tourist office. Visit site below for<br />
details of all routes. myvaud.ch/bike
ADVERTORIAL<br />
Cycling Experiences in Vaud:<br />
• Road cycling<br />
Vaud is a wonderful area for cycling with interesting passes like Le Pillon, La Croix and<br />
more!<br />
• Initiation into BMX<br />
Be initiated into BMX riding at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle<br />
• E-Bike around the Lac de Joux<br />
Enjoy the Jura valleys and to discover the region from a different angle<br />
• Bike tour Jura Vaudois nature park<br />
Take a 2 - 3 day bike tour in the heart of the Jura Vaudois nature park.<br />
• 34 itineraries with different categories, difficulty and distance.<br />
In <strong>2022</strong>, the canton of Vaud will<br />
be present at a dozen events<br />
including the arrival of the Tour de<br />
France in Lausanne, the men’s and<br />
women’s Tour de Romandie, the 20th<br />
anniversary of the World Cycling<br />
Center in Aigle, the start of a stage of<br />
the Tour de France in Aigle, and much<br />
more!<br />
7th to 9th October <strong>2022</strong>:<br />
1st edition of the Tour de Romandie<br />
for women. The peloton will be made<br />
up of the 15 WorldTour teams and<br />
around 120 athletes, making it a<br />
worldclass event.<br />
31st December <strong>2022</strong>:<br />
20th anniversary of the World Cycling<br />
Center<br />
Discover the agenda: myvaud.ch/bike<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 33
ADVERTORIAL<br />
An unforgettable stay at the<br />
ART DECO HOTEL<br />
MONTANA<br />
Get the most out of your time in Lucerne with a stay at<br />
the wonderful Art Deco Hotel Montana. From its hilltop<br />
location, this 4-star city hotel offers stunning views of<br />
Lake Lucerne, the old town and mountains in central Switzerland.<br />
Enjoy the view of the city of lights with a ride on the hotel’s own<br />
funicular, which runs from the shores of lake Lucerne.<br />
Rooms & Suites<br />
Each of the hotel’s 62 Art Deco rooms and suites are totally unique,<br />
offering a special experience and a range of amenities for guests.<br />
For the most exclusive stay, the two penthouse floors provide fivestar<br />
service, a private terrace and the luxurious option of your own<br />
outdoor hot tub.<br />
Gastronomy<br />
The Montana was awarded 15 points by Gault & Millau; this<br />
excellent gourmet cuisine captivates guests, enhanced with the<br />
charm of outstanding hospitality and beautiful views from the<br />
hotel.<br />
Relax in style at the Hemingway Rum Lounge, where you can<br />
enjoy one of the 60 different kinds of Rum and immerse in the<br />
Cuban experience. Perhaps you prefer Whisky? The Louis Bar<br />
holds one of the most extensive choices in Switzerland, with 130<br />
whiskeys and live music to enjoy. Don’t miss the old-time jazz<br />
session every Thursday night, as well as concerts of city-loved<br />
musicians.<br />
Events & special locations<br />
The numerous events held have already become legendary in<br />
their own right; from jazz concerts in the Louis Bar to cookery<br />
classes with the head Chef in the Kitchen Club – the only place in<br />
Switzerland where you can find show cuisine.<br />
Discover Lucerne<br />
The Montana is the perfect hub to start your discovery tour<br />
through Lucerne. The old town is conveniently just a 5-10 minute<br />
walk away, where you can visit the world-famous Chapel Bridge or<br />
the Lions Monument.<br />
Experience a memorable yacht cruise on Lake Lucerne, and<br />
don’t forget that the Montana team is always there to help you plan<br />
your sightseeing tour.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 34
ADVERTORIAL
ADVERTORIAL<br />
<strong>Autumn</strong> in<br />
Switzerland<br />
This summer has been glorious for<br />
many of us across Europe, but<br />
as the scorching heat eases, it’s<br />
time to build the excitement for autumn.<br />
Undoubtedly the most beautiful season<br />
in Switzerland, autumn greets us with<br />
cooler days, golden sunshine and the most<br />
colourful landscapes for all to enjoy.<br />
Whether taking a stroll through the<br />
picturesque forests, exploring vineyards<br />
or journeying on some of Europe’s most<br />
famous train routes, autumn in Switzerland<br />
has something special for everyone.<br />
Indian Summer – a unique time, as short<br />
as it is beautiful.<br />
For keen hikers, Switzerland offers<br />
numerous trails that will take you through a<br />
rainbow of autumn foliage displays. Hiking<br />
trails include:<br />
Golden larches in Engadin<br />
Walk along Via Engiadina to experience all<br />
of the striking contrasts of the sunny valley<br />
between Maloja and Samedan. The larches<br />
provide a lovely gold canopy to accompany<br />
you along this unforgettable route.<br />
Multi-coloured foliage in Bern<br />
Starting at Restaurant Sternen, near<br />
Bütschel/Gschneit, you’ll first walk down<br />
the side street to the Tavel memorial.<br />
Then, you can sit and enjoy the view of<br />
Lake Thun, Niesen and Stockhorn before<br />
you hike up to the top of Bütschelegg, the<br />
best spot to soak up the incredible autumn<br />
landscape from the scenic overlook.<br />
All aboard: Kick back and relax –<br />
on the train.<br />
Switzerland has some of the most<br />
impressive train routes, which are a<br />
delightful way to enjoy the country’s<br />
autumnal scenery.<br />
Popular panoramic routes include The<br />
Glacier Express, the slowest express train in<br />
the world, and the journey from Zermatt<br />
train station directly to the summit of<br />
Gornergrat, Europe’s highest open-air cog<br />
railway.<br />
Why do leaves change colours –<br />
learn more about nature.<br />
There’s something magical about those first<br />
autumn jumps into piles of crispy leaves or<br />
enjoying the tranquil noise of nature in the<br />
vibrant forests. No other time of year in<br />
Switzerland is so colourful, but why do the<br />
trees show off their best side one last time<br />
before they hibernate for winter?<br />
In autumn, the temperatures drop, and<br />
the days grow shorter, signalling trees to<br />
cut back on photosynthesis – a process that<br />
converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and water<br />
into glucose and oxygen.<br />
For photosynthesis, trees need the green<br />
leaf pigment chlorophyll. So, ahead of the<br />
frosty winter, trees reduce the chlorophyll in<br />
their leaves to safeguard all their valuable<br />
resources. This process is why the leaves’<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 36
ADVERTORIAL<br />
yellow, orange and red pigments are<br />
revealed, and you get to experience the<br />
incredible autumn magic year after year.<br />
Explore the Foliage Map<br />
The colourful forests and vineyards are<br />
what make autumn in Switzerland so<br />
special! To help you plan your trip and<br />
enjoy the forests at their most spectacular<br />
times, you can take advantage of<br />
Switzerland’s Foliage Map.<br />
The interactive map is free to use,<br />
updated twice weekly from early September,<br />
and provides insightful tips to help plan<br />
your excursions.<br />
There’s also a chance to play fun games<br />
and win prizes, something children will love!<br />
More Info: myswitzerland.com/autumn<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 37
ADVERTORIAL<br />
Your winter in the<br />
heart of the 4 Vallées<br />
A holiday destination<br />
In the heart of the 4 Vallées, Nendaz,<br />
one of the largest ski domains<br />
in Europe, is the perfect holiday<br />
destination for all winter sports<br />
enthusiasts. Nature lovers can enjoy<br />
the numerous hiking itineraries both<br />
on foot and on snowshoes through<br />
snow-covered landscapes and<br />
stunning panoramic views. The<br />
word holiday also means relaxation:<br />
sunbathing on a mountain terrace<br />
or soaking in hot water at the Spa<br />
des Bisses, it’s up to you! Those<br />
in search of delicious food can<br />
rest assured that the fifty or so<br />
restaurants and bars will satisfy<br />
their taste buds. Families always<br />
feel at home here: everything is planned<br />
to meet the needs of parents and children,<br />
from the snow gardens to the day care<br />
centre, as well as attractive prices passes and<br />
a variety of activities. Nendaz has managed<br />
to maintain a human scale and a warm<br />
atmosphere, with a rich local community<br />
life and preserved authenticity. Between<br />
tasting local products and discovering the<br />
Alphorn, guests are invited to immerse<br />
themselves in local traditions. In addition,<br />
they can enjoy a quality infrastructure with<br />
shops, pharmacies and a medical centre<br />
open throughout the year. The icing on the<br />
cake: Nendaz enjoys an average of 300 days<br />
of sunshine out of 365, while guaranteeing<br />
good snow conditions on its slopes from<br />
December through to April!<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 38
ADVERTORIAL<br />
The legendary Mont Fort<br />
Mont Fort, with its 3330 metres above sea<br />
level, represents the highest point of the ski<br />
domain. Accessible via the ski lifts, it offers<br />
one of the most spectacular panoramic<br />
views in the Alps, with breathtaking views<br />
over famous mountains such as Mont Blanc<br />
and the Matterhorn. In winter and summer<br />
alike, it is a popular excursion destination.<br />
Experienced skiers can experience a run<br />
down its impressive black slope. Others,<br />
after having taken in the stunning view<br />
can enjoy the ride back down in the cable<br />
car. Last but not least, adventurous guests<br />
can get a thrill from the highest zip line in<br />
Europe, which sets off from Mont Fort and<br />
ends at the Col des Gentianes.<br />
The ski domain<br />
Nendaz is located in the heart of one of<br />
the largest ski domains in Europe, the 4<br />
Vallées. Over 400 kilometres of slopes await<br />
ski enthusiasts! From the beginner to the<br />
most experienced skier, everyone will find a<br />
slope to suit their taste and level. Good snow<br />
conditions are guaranteed from December<br />
to April. For absolute beginners, three<br />
snow gardens, six ski schools<br />
and numerous blue runs are<br />
available.<br />
Dare to ski!<br />
If you would like to take up<br />
skiing or get back on the<br />
slopes after a long pause,<br />
then our “Dare to ski” offer<br />
is for you: an all-inclusive<br />
offer, including lessons,<br />
lift pass and equipment<br />
(skis, boots and helmet).<br />
This package is specially designed<br />
for all adults who wish to take up skiing<br />
(again). With this offer, you also benefit from<br />
discounts with some of our partners. If you<br />
wish, after your lesson, you can also enjoy<br />
a moment of relaxation at the Spa in the<br />
Hotel Nendaz 4 Vallées at a reduced price.<br />
Lunch on the slopes at a special price can<br />
also be combined within this package.<br />
The “Dare to ski” package is available on<br />
the following dates:<br />
• 7th and 8th of January 2023<br />
• 14th and 15th of January 2023<br />
• 21st and 22nd of January 2023<br />
• 28th and 29th of January 2023<br />
• 4th and 5th of March 2023<br />
• 11th and 12th of March 2023<br />
• 18th and 19th of March 2023<br />
• 25th and 26th of March 2023<br />
If you choose the option excluding lunch,<br />
the price of this special package is CHF<br />
122.-. If you wish to include lunch, the price<br />
is CHF 142.-<br />
Hesitate no longer and come and enjoy<br />
the slopes in Nendaz in the heart of the 4<br />
Vallées !<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 39
ADVERTORIAL<br />
London<br />
The best city in<br />
the world to be a<br />
university student?<br />
Regent’s University London thinks so!<br />
Choosing a university can be a<br />
daunting time for young people<br />
and parents alike. It marks a<br />
child’s first step into adulthood – with all<br />
the excitement and challenges that come<br />
with it.<br />
For a city on such a small island, London<br />
punches well above its weight for university<br />
students – with the chance to gain valuable<br />
work experiences, build a network of<br />
contacts, make friends from all over the<br />
world and enjoy a thriving social life. No<br />
wonder it’s been named as the best city in<br />
the world to be a university student [QS<br />
Best Student Cities 2023].<br />
London: the city for students<br />
With such a strong reputation and influence<br />
worldwide, London will be sure to get your<br />
child noticed – and, at Regent’s University<br />
London, we make sure our students can<br />
take advantage of all our city has to offer.<br />
Our campus is located in the heart of<br />
the city, just minutes from London’s main<br />
attractions, business and financial districts<br />
and creative hubs. With a variety of<br />
placements, internship opportunities, events<br />
and workshops on our doorstep, London<br />
is the place to be to see your child’s career<br />
soar – setting them apart from others when<br />
it’s time to apply for jobs.<br />
(And, unlike at any other urban<br />
university, we’re set in 11 acres of private<br />
land, with a 24/7 security presence in place<br />
– leaving your child safe and secure.)<br />
On campus: deep skills and connections<br />
At Regent’s, students build their skills and<br />
future in a way that suits them, developing<br />
deep skills in their core discipline and<br />
adding value to their CVs by studying<br />
cross-disciplinary fields as varied as<br />
financial innovation, AI, professional<br />
project management and global conflict.<br />
Industry and entrepreneurship skills are<br />
taught to all undergraduate students from<br />
day one: giving students the chance to test<br />
their ideas, gain close industry connections<br />
and take on real-world work projects that<br />
relate directly to their discipline.<br />
We’re proud to be connected to some<br />
of the city’s most influential leaders,<br />
including CEOs and MDs of luxury brands<br />
(including Harrods, McLaren Automotive<br />
and dunhill) – offering opportunities for<br />
students to gain practical experiences,<br />
join exclusive internships and build their<br />
network of industry contacts.<br />
Particularly entrepreneurial minds<br />
can even apply for entry to the Founders<br />
Programme: a tailored collection of<br />
modules, taken alongside their degree, that<br />
provide guidance, mentorship, coaching<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 40
ADVERTORIAL<br />
and bootcamps to students interested in<br />
starting their own business.<br />
<strong>International</strong> student networks<br />
London is one of the most diverse cities<br />
in the world – bringing together students<br />
from all over the globe. Studying here<br />
not only offers the chance to meet people<br />
from different backgrounds, but also gain<br />
valuable insights into their cultures and<br />
experience new music, food and art.<br />
With over 140 different nationalities on<br />
campus at Regent’s, our students find it<br />
easy to build an international network of<br />
friends they can tap into throughout their<br />
whole career. They can also choose to study<br />
abroad in one of 60 partner universities<br />
around the world, or study from nine<br />
different languages.<br />
Our students develop such deep<br />
connections they often join forces with each<br />
other – finding their future co-founders on<br />
campus and launching brands and business<br />
ventures together, in London and around<br />
the world. So much so, we were crowned<br />
the UK university with the highest number<br />
of founders, with over 12% of graduates<br />
launching their own businesses after<br />
graduating [resume.io].<br />
Iconic landmarks – on your doorstep<br />
Studying in London means students are<br />
surrounded by world-famous sights every<br />
single day – from iconic landmarks like<br />
Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and London<br />
Bridge to unique architecture, sleepy<br />
parks, bustling shopping streets, theatres,<br />
museums, galleries and more.<br />
When they aren’t studying, students can<br />
eat in celebrated restaurants, explore<br />
hidden food and flower markets, shop<br />
in independent retailers, and unwind in<br />
some of the UK’s most beautiful parks<br />
and gardens – some overlooking London’s<br />
incredible skyline.<br />
Easy access to the rest of the UK<br />
and Europe<br />
Living in one of the best-connected cities<br />
worldwide also means it’s easy to travel<br />
further afield – exploring the UK’s vibrant<br />
cities and stunning landscapes (from the<br />
Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast)<br />
or jumping on a short flight from one of<br />
London’s six main airports (or train from St<br />
Pancras <strong>International</strong>) to Europe for<br />
a relaxing city break. The options are<br />
endless!<br />
London is a city that keeps on giving and<br />
no matter how long you spend here, you’ll<br />
never get tired of the experiences it offers.<br />
Discover more at www.regents.ac.uk.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 41
Why Zurich is a great<br />
place to live, work and<br />
educate your children<br />
WRITTEN BY STAFF WRITER<br />
There is much to love about<br />
Switzerland’s largest city.<br />
Regardless of whether you have<br />
been sent to Zurich by your employer or are<br />
simply considering the move, the city offers<br />
an unparalleled quality of life loved by<br />
locals and expats alike.<br />
Zurich regularly places first in the qualityof-life<br />
charts for Europe and beyond. The<br />
city offers high salaries, quality healthcare,<br />
low crime rates, and easy access to a wealth<br />
of health and leisure activities. On the<br />
other hand, Zurich has also been known to<br />
top the ‘most expensive’ rankings as well.<br />
However, ask a local and they will likely<br />
tell you that the cost of living is more than<br />
justified!<br />
Zurich is one of the most environmentally<br />
conscious cities in Europe. It scored 78.6%<br />
in the Global Destination Sustainability<br />
Index in 2021 putting it in 8th place. The<br />
approach to environmental sustainability is<br />
a holistic one, with strategies and initiatives<br />
across all facets of Zurich life. Two obvious<br />
examples can be found in the cleanliness<br />
and sanitation of the city and in the public<br />
transport system.<br />
Clean City Zurich<br />
One of the first things people notice when<br />
they arrive in Zurich is how clean the city is.<br />
When you compare Zurich to other cities,<br />
you would be hard-pressed to find its equal.<br />
On the whole, Switzerland is a country<br />
known for being pristine. This is largely due<br />
to investment in world class sanitation.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 42
In 2018, it was reported that Zurich’s<br />
Civil Engineering and Disposal Department<br />
collected around 30,000 rubbish bags every<br />
day. Sanitation staff work tirelessly to keep<br />
the city’s roads, footpaths, and all public<br />
transportation stops clean and litter free.<br />
The cost – or should we say investment - to<br />
the city is estimated to exceed CHF200<br />
million annually. By and large, local<br />
residents also proud of the city’s clean<br />
reputation and therefore do their part to<br />
recycle, dispose of litter responsibly and be<br />
generally tidy.<br />
Green public transport<br />
Zurich provides ample public transportation<br />
options. Not only are the routes and<br />
schedules well thought out, but they are also<br />
safe, eco-friendly, and extremely efficient.<br />
You would be challenged to find city centre<br />
parking in Zurich. Instead, most people<br />
opt to use the electrically powered light<br />
rail, trams, and buses. In fact, private cars<br />
only account for approximately 28% of all<br />
inbound city traffic.<br />
Outdoor lifestyle<br />
The city is located at the northern tip of<br />
Lake Zurich where it meets the Limmat<br />
River. In the summer the lake is a hive of<br />
water sports and water-side activities. The<br />
long days make it a popular place for locals<br />
and tourists.<br />
Although it would only take a few hours<br />
to reach Switzerland’s most well-known<br />
mountains, there are an abundance of<br />
beautiful alpine areas within as little as<br />
30mins from the city. Popular viewpoints<br />
just outside of Zurich – Üetliberg and<br />
Felsenegg - provide breath-taking views of<br />
the city, the lake and beyond. If you wish<br />
to travel a little further, you can journey<br />
around 50km to Rigi – known as the<br />
‘Queen of the Mountains’ – for stunning<br />
views of central Switzerland and lakes<br />
Lucerne, Zug, and Lauerz. The mountains<br />
can of course be enjoyed all year round.<br />
Whether they be lush and green or covered<br />
in white snow they are an important part of<br />
everyone’s life. Zurich offers a year-round<br />
outdoor lifestyle that is as good for the<br />
body as it is for the soul, making it a very<br />
attractive place to live.<br />
Education in Zurich<br />
The education system in the Kanton of<br />
Zurich (and in Switzerland in general) has<br />
a very strong reputation. There are of<br />
course a large number of public schools in<br />
the area, usually taught in Swiss German.<br />
However, for English language or bilingual<br />
education, there a number of wonderful<br />
options for families to choose from:<br />
Zurich <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
For children aged 3 – 18 | 1250 total students |<br />
students from 55+ countries<br />
Zurich <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> operates on the<br />
belief that education is about finding the<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 43
ight balance. Their goal is to ensure that<br />
every child develops a love of learning - a<br />
habit that will stay with them for life. Their<br />
curriculum challenges students to explore<br />
and engage with subjects, and the school<br />
offers both the <strong>International</strong> Baccalaureate<br />
Diploma Programme and Advanced<br />
Placement courses as well as tailor-made<br />
classes. ZIS has invested in building topclass<br />
facilities, and in nurturing a diverse<br />
community where students feel they belong.<br />
Additionally, ZIS offers a bilingual pathway<br />
for children aged three to eight, which will<br />
be expanding to include students aged 11.<br />
Tandem <strong>International</strong> Multilingual<br />
<strong>School</strong><br />
For children aged 0 – 12 | 280 total students |<br />
students from 30 countries<br />
Tandem IMS is an international day<br />
school offering Early Years, Pre-<strong>School</strong>,<br />
Kindergarten and Primary programmes.<br />
They specialise in providing high quality<br />
multilingual education (German, English<br />
and French) in a warm and child-friendly<br />
environment. Tandem IMS firmly believes<br />
that education is not only about academic<br />
results, it is also about helping children<br />
develop skills, independence and a love for<br />
learning in a global environment. They<br />
aim to support every child in reaching their<br />
highest potential and developing learning<br />
strategies for further education.<br />
Inter-Community <strong>School</strong> Zurich<br />
For children aged 18 months – 18 years | 800+<br />
total students | Students from 55+ countries<br />
The Inter-Community <strong>School</strong> Zurich (ICS)<br />
is a fully accredited international day school<br />
offering the <strong>International</strong> Baccalaureate<br />
(IB) Programme for Primary Years, Middle<br />
Years, and Diploma Studies. ICS is driven<br />
by a culture of a shared understanding of<br />
the right of every child to learn, to achieve<br />
their potential, pursue their passion and<br />
fulfil their responsibility. Their community<br />
is united in ensuring all students thrive, all<br />
staff members excel, and all families share<br />
in the uniqueness of an ICS education.<br />
Hull’s <strong>School</strong> Zurich<br />
For children aged 14 – 20 | 380 total students |<br />
Students from 22 countries<br />
Hull’s <strong>School</strong> is the first English college<br />
in Zurich for teenagers. The four-year<br />
college programme is taught in English<br />
and covers the UK Fifth and Sixth Forms<br />
(Years 10 to 13). During their time at<br />
Hull’s <strong>School</strong>, students are prepared<br />
for IGCSE and A-level examinations.<br />
Promoting a climate of respect and cultural<br />
understanding is extremely important to<br />
the school and students are encouraged to<br />
develop curiosity, self-confidence, positive<br />
relationships, and a passionate approach<br />
to learning. Hull’s <strong>School</strong> is committed to<br />
excellence in education through a balanced<br />
academic programme with significant extracurricular<br />
opportunities.<br />
Academia <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> Zurich<br />
For children aged 13 - 20 | 70 total students +<br />
200 at Academia Matura | Students from<br />
10+ countries<br />
Academia <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> is a<br />
multi-cultural, state-of-the-art education<br />
centre in the heart of Zurich-Oerlikon:<br />
Extending over five floors it offers space<br />
for young adults to develop, be creative<br />
and inspired. The school prepares students<br />
for international university entrance<br />
qualifications including IGCSEs and A<br />
Levels. Academia <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
offers an inclusive community where<br />
students and staff, regardless of background<br />
or nationality, feel accepted and can develop<br />
to their full potential.<br />
Obersee Bilingual <strong>School</strong><br />
For children aged from 6 months | 478 total<br />
students | Students from 41 countries<br />
Obersee Bilingual <strong>School</strong> (OBS) is a private<br />
school founded in 2003 offering a futureoriented<br />
approach to education guided by<br />
scientific findings and recommendations.<br />
OBS uses digital technology to tailor<br />
individualised learning for students – each<br />
issued with an iPad to aid their educational<br />
journey. OBS aims for students to become<br />
global citizens, critical thinkers, and lifelong<br />
learners.<br />
SIS Swiss <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
Zürich-Wollishofen<br />
For children aged 4 - 11 | 220 total students |<br />
Students from 20+ countries<br />
SIS Zürich-Wollishofen offers a unique<br />
learning experience for students via<br />
their bilingual kindergarten and primary<br />
school. Well situated in the city centre,<br />
and a short distance from the lake, the<br />
school provides students with a stimulating<br />
learning environment that is characterised<br />
by cooperativeness and kindness, ensuring<br />
that they develop into motivated and<br />
socially competent individuals. Learning<br />
at SIS Zürich -Wollishofen reaches beyond<br />
regular classroom hours via before and<br />
after school care, holiday programmes and<br />
extracurricular courses.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 44
<strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> Zurich North<br />
For children aged 13 - 18 | 235 total students |<br />
Students from 33 countries<br />
<strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> Zurich North (ISZN)<br />
is an exceptional international school in the<br />
heart of canton Zurich. ISZN promotes<br />
a culture of lifelong learning, curiosity,<br />
and passion for discovery. Students are<br />
empowered to be champions of change<br />
and become globally minded individuals.<br />
The school strives to develop rich learning<br />
environments that equip young people with<br />
the self-belief and international perspective<br />
they need to thrive in today’s world.<br />
Swiss <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
Männedorf-Zürich<br />
For children aged 4 - 11 | 120 total students |<br />
Students from 20+ countries<br />
SIS Männedorf- Zürich was opened in<br />
2009 and since this time has offered<br />
immersive, bilingual day education from<br />
kindergarten to primary school level at<br />
their beautiful campus beside Lake Zürich.<br />
Also offering before and after school care,<br />
holiday programmes, and extracurricular<br />
courses, the school ensures that children<br />
are given a wide range of educational<br />
opportunities. SIS Männedorf- Zürich<br />
aims to create a strong sense of community<br />
“The city offers high salaries, quality healthcare, low crime rates,<br />
and easy access to a wealth of health and leisure activities.”<br />
among parents, staff, teachers, and students.<br />
Lessons are goal-oriented and teach<br />
children to develop a healthy competitive<br />
spirit.<br />
Terra Nova Bilingual <strong>School</strong><br />
For children aged 3 - 14 | 140 total students |<br />
Students from 10+ countries<br />
A Swiss accredited school, Terra<br />
Nova Bilingual <strong>School</strong> is close-knit yet<br />
cosmopolitan, private school that provides<br />
excellent instruction to children aged from<br />
Pre-Kindergarten to the end of Secondary<br />
<strong>School</strong>. Instruction is bilingual, taught<br />
by mother-tongue English or German<br />
qualified teachers. Terra Nova Bilingual<br />
<strong>School</strong> focuses on expanding students’<br />
horizons and helping them to develop new<br />
perspectives. The school is a modern place<br />
of educational and cultural encounters.<br />
SIS Swiss <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> Zürich<br />
For children aged 4 - 18 | 320 total students |<br />
Students from 20+ countries<br />
Opened in 2005, SIS Zürich moved to<br />
its current campus in 2012. The school<br />
maintains exceptional infrastructure for all<br />
education levels. The campus offers over<br />
twenty classrooms, a variety of special<br />
subject rooms for arts, music, crafts and<br />
woodwork, a science lab, indoor sports hall,<br />
and a library. In addition to being a fully<br />
bilingual day school, students may graduate<br />
with both the Swiss Matura and IB<br />
diploma. SIS Zürich provides personalised,<br />
high-quality before and after school care<br />
where children, adolescents and young<br />
adults learn important skills to help them<br />
find their way in a globalised world.<br />
Zurich provides professionals and families<br />
alike with wonderful lifestyle, career, and<br />
educational opportunities. In terms of<br />
schooling there are a number of exceptional<br />
international and/or bilingual schools, each<br />
with their own character and strengths.<br />
Regardless of which school you select for<br />
your child, they have all worked hard to<br />
build a strong international community that<br />
supports new students and their families in<br />
their transition to life in Zurich. For more<br />
information on these schools please refer<br />
to the <strong>International</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>Parent</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
Guide or visit their websites directly.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 45
ADVERTORIAL<br />
CAREERS OF<br />
THE FUTURE:<br />
which bachelor’s<br />
degree should<br />
you study?<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 46
ADVERTORIAL<br />
If you’re currently deciding what to<br />
study for your bachelor’s degree, there’s<br />
a lot to consider. And, given that the<br />
World Economic Forum estimates that<br />
65% of primary school children today will<br />
work in jobs that don’t yet even exist, one<br />
question outweighs all others: what are<br />
the careers of the future and how do you<br />
prepare for them today?<br />
The advance of new technologies has<br />
fuelled the rapid transformation of the<br />
workplace and the pace of change is only<br />
increasing. A decade ago, comparatively<br />
few workers had even heard of cloud<br />
computing or blockchain, for example, but<br />
now skills in these areas are highly sought<br />
after across many industries. The careers of<br />
the future may not yet exist – but students<br />
should be well prepared to grasp the new<br />
opportunities that emerge.<br />
Given this rapidly evolving employment<br />
landscape, students today must acquire<br />
essential soft skills such as agile thinking and<br />
an ability to respond quickly to changing<br />
circumstances. They require a multicultural<br />
and open mindset, that will allow them<br />
to connect with colleagues, suppliers and<br />
partners who may be located anywhere in<br />
the world.<br />
You will gain these skills and more at<br />
EU Business <strong>School</strong> (EU), a high-ranking<br />
international business school with campuses<br />
in Geneva, Munich and Barcelona as<br />
well as the Digital Campus. We foster<br />
entrepreneurial thinking and creative<br />
problem-solving, crucial aptitudes to<br />
succeed in a world in constant flux. You<br />
will become part of a vibrant and diverse<br />
community of more than 100 nationalities,<br />
which will give you the opportunity to<br />
expand your global perspective. Our<br />
experiential approach to learning gives<br />
our students the real-world business skills<br />
to excel and our innovative programs have<br />
been specifically designed to respond to the<br />
latest demands of industry.<br />
Read on more to discover our programs<br />
and why they will prepare you for success in<br />
the workplace of the future.<br />
Bachelor’s of Business Administration<br />
Budding entrepreneurs and anyone<br />
who wants to work for a company or<br />
organization of any size, anywhere in the<br />
world, will get a great foundation in the<br />
main principles, theories and practice of<br />
business and management with this degree.<br />
Bachelor of Arts in Communication &<br />
Public Relations<br />
As our world becomes increasingly<br />
connected, effective communication and<br />
carefully crafted messaging is ever more<br />
crucial for companies or organizations<br />
that want to stand out amid all the noise.<br />
This degree is ideally suited for anyone<br />
who wants to work in this broad and everexpanding<br />
field.<br />
Bachelor of Arts in Leisure &<br />
Tourism Management<br />
Tourism was one of the world’s fastestgrowing<br />
industries before the global health<br />
crisis and has been one of the first sectors<br />
to rebound. It’s also a very exciting industry,<br />
which has adapted rapidly to the impact of<br />
digitalization and the increasing importance<br />
of sustainability to customers, among other<br />
factors.<br />
Bachelor of Arts in <strong>International</strong><br />
Relations<br />
In today’s uncertain world, knowledge of<br />
international relations is especially relevant<br />
and this degree can lead to careers in<br />
politics, intelligence, security and a host<br />
of other growing fields. The skills you will<br />
learn, such as inter-cultural approaches,<br />
“Students today require a multicultural and open mindset,<br />
that will allow them to connect with colleagues, suppliers and<br />
partners who may be located anywhere in the world.”<br />
are also highly transferable. Geneva is the<br />
ideal location to study this subject, given<br />
that the city is one of the biggest global<br />
hubs for international organizations such<br />
as the United Nations and the World Trade<br />
Organization.<br />
Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management<br />
Whether you are a sports fanatic or not,<br />
the world of sports – particularly sport<br />
as entertainment – is booming. This<br />
degree will open up doors in lucrative<br />
and expanding fields such as sponsorship<br />
and e-sports, as well as the classic sports<br />
management opportunities.<br />
Bachelor of Arts in Digital Business,<br />
Design & Innovation<br />
This degree prepares you for a leading<br />
role in the digital transformation that<br />
is revolutionizing the business world, as<br />
companies and organizations adapt to<br />
modern technologies. It provides students<br />
with the entrepreneurial and innovative<br />
mindset they need to think ahead and drive<br />
change.<br />
Bachelor of Science in Business Finance<br />
Finance is a broad field that offers a wealth<br />
of lucrative careers across all sectors.<br />
This program provides students with a<br />
thorough grounding in all key subjects<br />
related to the field, including blockchain<br />
and cryptocurrencies, that will play an everlarger<br />
role in the companies of the future,<br />
particularly as Web 3.0 develops further.<br />
Find out more at euruni.edu<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 47
ADVERTORIAL<br />
5 Hospitality Business<br />
Management Graduate Characteristics<br />
you might not be aware of<br />
A hospitality business management degree does not only impart future managers, leaders<br />
and entrepreneurs with a multifaceted set of hard and soft skills, but also advances highly<br />
valuable business capabilities.<br />
WRITTEN BY MARIA RAMSTAD KRISTIANSEN<br />
The hospitality industry in one<br />
way or another touches many<br />
other industries and all our lives.<br />
In its essence, hospitality is driven by a<br />
mindset of people first thinking, delivering<br />
service excellence, creating unforgettable<br />
experiences and moments, managing<br />
relationships and making guests and<br />
customers feel appreciated and special.<br />
The skill set that comes with a hospitality<br />
business degree provides an excellent<br />
theoretical and practical foundation and<br />
highly specialised competencies and<br />
knowledge in various disciplines.<br />
The high demand for hospitality<br />
graduates, not only from the core<br />
hospitality industry, but also from many<br />
other industries, can be explained by their<br />
versatile training in skills of the future<br />
such as emotional intelligence, complex<br />
problem-solving, analytical thinking, as<br />
well as the strong focus on customers,<br />
markets, innovation, service excellence and<br />
communication.<br />
1<br />
Customer centric driven artistes<br />
If one sector is globally recognised as<br />
the leader in customer- or guest-centricity,<br />
then it’s the hospitality industry. This is<br />
certainly one explanation for the high<br />
demand for hospitality graduates from<br />
other service industries, as well as the<br />
increased employer understanding of the<br />
value of the skillset held by hospitality<br />
management graduates.<br />
From the first day of school until<br />
graduation, hospitality management<br />
students learn to understand and to<br />
successfully manage all stages and aspects<br />
of a specific customer journey. Customercentricity<br />
is a mindset, driven by the idea<br />
that customer expectations, needs and<br />
relationships should be the number one<br />
priority for everything an organisation does.<br />
Hospitality correspondingly teaches<br />
young leaders that customer-centricity<br />
must be embedded in the company<br />
culture and at all levels and functions<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 48
ADVERTORIAL<br />
in an organisation. The increased<br />
expectations for excellent customer service<br />
and -orientation is another reason why<br />
a growing number of industries seek to<br />
recruit hospitality graduates for different<br />
positions and functions on various<br />
organisational levels.<br />
2<br />
Individual service and<br />
experience cracks<br />
What differentiates personalised services<br />
and experiences from generic customer<br />
experiences? When do personalised services<br />
create value for customers?<br />
We can ask ourselves who will be<br />
delivering hospitality services in the<br />
future. Some believe it will be delivered by<br />
ServiceRobots, others are of the opinion<br />
that this is something that can still only be<br />
done by human beings. Which technology<br />
will be a game changer in the future?<br />
Personalisation goes far beyond merely<br />
the service discipline. It’s the process of<br />
tailoring products, services, touchpoints,<br />
communications and much more to a<br />
specific customer’s needs and behaviours.<br />
Inspiring individuals are the key to<br />
create personalised services and impactful<br />
moments. Throughout their studies,<br />
hospitality students are challenged to<br />
develop a deep understanding of customer<br />
and guest individuality. Students learn<br />
how to create strategies and concepts<br />
with tangible and intangible elements,<br />
and to lead service organisations and<br />
teams with a strong focus on personalised<br />
services. Additionally, hospitality graduates<br />
have developed an understanding for<br />
individuality as a winning concept in a<br />
hypercompetitive world.<br />
3<br />
Communication maestros<br />
Strong and professional<br />
communication skills are highly valued<br />
in business, not to mention all other<br />
aspects of personal and professional life.<br />
Communication is multifaceted, not only<br />
vocal communication. Various forms of<br />
written or visual expressions to non-verbal<br />
statements such as body language, gestures,<br />
pitch of voice together make up how and<br />
what we communicate.<br />
With today’s multitude of<br />
communication channels and platforms,<br />
in addition to the importance of culture<br />
awareness, communication has become the<br />
ultimate success factor in business.<br />
Hospitality students are trained in<br />
SHL Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern is one of the two original Hotel<br />
Management <strong>School</strong>s in Switzerland and offers one of the only two Bachelor of Science<br />
in Hospitality Management degrees in Switzerland accredited by the Swiss federal<br />
government and in compliance with the Bologna Declaration, as well as the regarded<br />
Swiss Diploma Dipl. Hoteliere-Gastronomin / Hotelier-Gastronom HF.<br />
Owned by the Hotel Gastro Union, SHL has been paving the way for the renowned<br />
Swiss dual education system, teaching first-class practical and academic hospitality<br />
management skills since 1909. SHL prepares young talents for becoming inspiring<br />
leaders on the global stage.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 49
ADVERTORIAL<br />
all aspects of communication daily<br />
to develop their ability to use it as an<br />
effective leadership tool and, equally<br />
important, to communicate successfully<br />
and professionally with customers in any<br />
situation.<br />
4<br />
Small data management experts<br />
Big data seems to have become<br />
the new currency in business. Spending<br />
so much time searching for significant<br />
data and insights, often leads to the most<br />
valuable data being forgotten - the data<br />
from various small data resources delivers<br />
actionable insights that come with various<br />
types of customer behaviour, expectations<br />
and interactions.<br />
In many cases, small data drives<br />
innovation and creativity by seemingly<br />
observing customer behaviour and paying<br />
attention to details in daily business.<br />
As we’ve learned, hospitality is all<br />
about the people first way of thinking.<br />
Understanding and explaining emotions<br />
by using big data is a mission impossible.<br />
Emotions drive customers’ decisions, and<br />
when a company aims to connect with<br />
customers’ emotions, the payoffs can be<br />
vast. Hospitality teaches students to value<br />
all types of data and information, to pay<br />
attention to details and touchpoints in<br />
the customer journey, to gather valuable<br />
insights from every single direct and<br />
indirect interaction with customers and<br />
develops them to<br />
become small data<br />
management experts.<br />
5 Chief<br />
Go-getters<br />
Customers and guests have<br />
high and constantly changing<br />
preferences and expectations. With<br />
service at its core, a hospitality mindset<br />
is driven by the aspiration to deliver<br />
excellent service, unforgettable experiences<br />
and professionalism with every customer<br />
interaction in order to exceed customers’<br />
expectations. Hospitality graduates are<br />
equipped with a strong doer mentality with<br />
an objective and a result driven mindset<br />
and fully capable to achieve this goal. They<br />
create their own motivation, and they pay<br />
attention to details, both in terms of their<br />
customers, but also their surroundings.<br />
Hospitality students also have a mentality<br />
of being spontaneous volunteers and great<br />
team players. They convince through<br />
action, always in search of continuous<br />
improvement.<br />
Learn more about SHL<br />
and the Bachelor of Science<br />
in Hospitality Management<br />
info.shl.ch/hospitality_bachelor/<br />
Although<br />
it’s a common<br />
misunderstanding that<br />
studying a hospitality<br />
management degree will<br />
only lead students to a<br />
hospitality career, the degree<br />
prepares students for almost<br />
any business environments and is a<br />
perfect stepping stone into any industry.<br />
Hospitality remains one of the most<br />
resilient, adaptable and dynamic industries<br />
on the planet and is a constantly changing<br />
industry, where technology and innovation<br />
are being integrated to improve the guest<br />
experience. New concepts are constantly<br />
being invented to meet the ever-changing<br />
demands of consumers. The more the<br />
world changes, the more opportunities arise<br />
for new hospitality jobs and businesses. For<br />
graduates looking for other opportunities,<br />
from luxury marketing to real estate, sports<br />
to finance, a degree in hospitality business<br />
management in such a diverse, global<br />
industry, can expect a wide variety of<br />
successful career paths.<br />
Maria Ramstad Kristiansen is Head of Marketing & Student Recruitment<br />
at SHL Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern. She has a MSc in Business<br />
Administration, major Tourism and a BBA in Hospitality and Tourism from the<br />
University of Applied Sciences Graubünden, as well as a Swiss degree in Hospitality<br />
Management from EHL Swiss <strong>School</strong> of Tourism and Hospitality. Maria has 25 years of<br />
management experience from the Hospitality Industry in Norway, UK and Switzerland.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 50
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The Mirror Lies<br />
Eating Disorders and the distinction from Body Dsymorphia<br />
WRITTEN BY LAURENCE VAN HANSWIJCK<br />
It would be rare to find someone in<br />
this day and age who has not come<br />
across the terms eating disorders and<br />
body dsymorphia. The tabloids and online<br />
sites are rife with these terms and images<br />
of emaciated girls and boys. Through<br />
the ages, this has stayed constant. These<br />
two terms are often used out of context<br />
and erroneously. These two terms, eating<br />
disorders and body dsymorphia are in fact<br />
2 distinct disorders, however, one can exist<br />
with or without the other. This article will<br />
explore the two differences and then delve<br />
into eating disorders, what it looks like, what<br />
to look out for and how to help loved ones.<br />
Body Dysmorphic Disorder<br />
People who have body dysmorphic disorder<br />
are preoccupied or obsessed with one or<br />
more perceived flaws in their appearance.<br />
This preoccupation or obsession typically<br />
focuses on one or more body areas or<br />
features, such as their skin, hair, or nose.<br />
However, any body area or part can be the<br />
subject of concern.<br />
In order to diagnose as clinicians, we use<br />
the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental<br />
Disorders, currently in its Fifth Edition (DSM-<br />
5). This manual outlines the criteria for<br />
a diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder<br />
(BDD). BDD is not classified as an eating<br />
disorder, it is listed under the category<br />
of “Obsessive-Compulsive and Related<br />
Disorders.” The DSM-5 lists the following<br />
diagnostic criteria:<br />
• Preoccupation with one or more<br />
perceived defects in appearance that are<br />
not noticeable to others and are not truly<br />
disfigured.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 52
• At some point, the person suffering has<br />
performed repetitive actions or thoughts<br />
in response to the concerns. This may be<br />
something like continuously comparing<br />
their appearance to that of others, mirror<br />
checking, or skin picking.<br />
• This obsession causes distress and<br />
problems in a person’s social, work, or other<br />
areas of life.<br />
• This obsession isn’t better explained as a<br />
symptom of an eating disorder (although<br />
some people may be diagnosed with both).<br />
While many people hold some insecurity<br />
related to parts of their body, not all<br />
meet the criteria for a BDD diagnosis.<br />
These symptoms need to be deemed<br />
“Clinically significant”. Clinical significance<br />
is determined by symptoms that cause<br />
substantial distress or impairment in social,<br />
occupational, or other important areas of<br />
functioning. These impacts are so significant<br />
that research shows approximately 80% of<br />
individuals with BDD report that they have<br />
experienced suicidal thoughts, which is 10<br />
to 25 times higher than that of the general<br />
population. One in four individuals suffers<br />
from attempted suicide.<br />
What does an Eating Disorder look like?<br />
Eating disorders (ED) can become lifethreatening<br />
illnesses in which people<br />
experience severe disturbances in their<br />
eating behaviors and related thoughts and<br />
emotions. People with EDs typically become<br />
preoccupied with food and their body size<br />
and shape. The DSM-5 describes several<br />
types of eating disorders:<br />
• Anorexia Nervosa (AN) -restrictive<br />
subtype/binge eating-purging subtype<br />
• Bulimia Nervosa (BN)<br />
• Binge Eating Disorder (BED)<br />
• Other Specified Feeding and Eating<br />
Disorder (OSFED)<br />
• Pica<br />
• Rumination Disorder<br />
• Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake<br />
Disorder (ARFID)<br />
• Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder<br />
(UFED)<br />
• Other:<br />
Muscle Dsymorphia<br />
Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) proposed criteria<br />
The main eating disorders that are most<br />
common and most described are the first<br />
three and are characterized as follows.<br />
• Anorexia Nervosa is characterized<br />
by severe food restriction leading to<br />
significantly low body weight and intense<br />
fear of weight gain or of becoming fat, or<br />
behavior that interferes with weight gain<br />
(despite very low weight). There is also a<br />
disturbance in the way in which one’s body<br />
weight or shape is experienced, undue<br />
influence of body weight or shape on<br />
one’s self-evaluation, or persistent lack of<br />
recognition of the seriousness of one’s low<br />
body weight.<br />
• Binge Eating Disorder is characterized<br />
by eating abnormally large quantities of<br />
food in a short period of time. Binge eating<br />
feels out of control and causes marked<br />
distress.<br />
• Bulimia Nervosa is characterized<br />
by eating abnormally large quantities of<br />
food in a short period of time, followed by<br />
compensatory behavior (e.g., self-induced<br />
vomiting, excessive exercise, fasting)<br />
intended to neutralize the impact of binge<br />
eating on shape and weight. In addition,<br />
self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body<br />
shape and weight.<br />
Overlap<br />
As you can see BDD shares some common<br />
features with eating disorders, such as<br />
people with eating disorders and those<br />
with body dysmorphic disorder may both<br />
be overly concerned with their size, shape,<br />
weight, or outward appearance. Those with<br />
body dysmorphic disorder may even fixate<br />
on areas of their bodies that are similar<br />
to fixations seen in anorexia nervosa or<br />
bulimia nervosa, such as the waist, hips,<br />
and/or thighs. Those with BDD may also<br />
experience similar symptoms such as body<br />
checking (like frequent weighing or mirror<br />
“checks”) and excessive exercise.<br />
However, it is important to note that not<br />
everyone with body dysmorphic disorder<br />
has an eating disorder. There are people<br />
with body dysmorphic disorder who focus<br />
solely on specific body parts (like the shape<br />
of their nose).<br />
It’s important to know the signs and<br />
symptoms of both BDD and eating<br />
disorders. These illnesses are complicated,<br />
terrifying, and real. And these illnesses<br />
cause millions of people to lead lives filled<br />
with a great deal of pain and suffering.<br />
The statistics on Eating Disorders<br />
The statistics are staggering and depending<br />
on where you look they will differ. It is<br />
“I stared in the mirror and obsessed about whether or not a<br />
space existed between my thighs. Commonly referred to as<br />
‘thigh gap’, I did my best to stand at specific angles that might<br />
create such a space. When I couldn’t achieve this so-called ideal<br />
after a considerable amount of effort, I wore baggy clothes to<br />
hide the perceived flaw. Instead of hanging out with friends, I<br />
stayed in — again. I didn’t eat that night.”– J.S.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 53
with anorexia nervosa (N=177), bulimia<br />
nervosa (N=906), or eating disorders not<br />
otherwise specified (N=802) over 8 to 25<br />
years. The investigators used computerized<br />
record linkage to the National Death Index,<br />
which provides vital status information for<br />
the entire United States, including the cause<br />
of death extracted from death certificates.<br />
Crow and colleagues found that crude<br />
mortality rates were 4.0% for anorexia<br />
nervosa, 3.9% for bulimia nervosa, and<br />
5.2% for eating disorders not otherwise<br />
specified. They also found a high suicide<br />
rate in bulimia nervosa. The elevated<br />
mortality risks for bulimia nervosa, and<br />
eating disorder not otherwise specified were<br />
similar to those for anorexia nervosa.<br />
predicted, according to Beat UK (UK’s<br />
Eating Disorder charity), that currently over<br />
1.25 million people (Gov UK, 2018), both<br />
male and female, have an eating disorder<br />
in the UK and 30 million in the USA, with<br />
numbers continuing to grow, especially<br />
in Japan, China, and Europe. Over the<br />
pandemic, National Health Services (NHS)<br />
eating disorder clinic services (NHS, <strong>2022</strong>)<br />
saw an almost doubling of cases (Solmi et<br />
al., 2021). Note that these statistics are only<br />
based on those who have a diagnosis, many<br />
do not as they aren’t seen to “meet the<br />
criteria”, and others suffer in silence.<br />
Stigma and Misunderstanding<br />
Eating disorders are highly stigmatized<br />
illnesses. They are often seen as a lifestyle<br />
choice, a phase, or something that a person<br />
will grow out of, rather than an insidious<br />
and dangerous mental illness that has<br />
complex roots and manifestations. There<br />
is still an assumption that they only affect<br />
white teenage girls – however current stats<br />
show that Japan has the highest rate of<br />
eating disorders currently, this highlights<br />
how invisible eating disorders are in these<br />
communities until they become lifethreatening.<br />
Stigma increases the shame<br />
that many people feel, but also stops many<br />
from reaching out for support, and reaching<br />
out is a massively difficult thing to do when<br />
your mental illness is telling you not to –<br />
which of course then contributes to high<br />
mortality rates.<br />
So many people go to their General<br />
Practitioner (GP) or end up in hospital<br />
Accident & Emergency departments only<br />
to be told, “You aren’t thin enough to have<br />
an eating disorder” or, “You don’t look<br />
like you have an eating disorder.” So many<br />
have heard from their GP that they can’t<br />
have an eating disorder because of their<br />
weight, age, ethnicity or gender. Which then<br />
propels them to get even thinner to prove<br />
they have an issue. ED diagnosis should not<br />
be based on body mass index (BMI), but on<br />
symptoms that are clinically significant and<br />
impairing everyday life.<br />
Consequences<br />
Eating disorders are serious, potentially lifethreatening<br />
conditions that affect a person’s<br />
emotional and physical health. They are<br />
not just a “fad” or a “phase.” People do<br />
not just “catch” an eating disorder for<br />
a period of time. Eating disorders can<br />
affect every organ system in the body, the<br />
endocrinological system, cardiovascular,<br />
gastrointestinal, neurological, skin, hair,<br />
kidneys, anemia, and the list goes on. Crow<br />
and colleagues studied 1,885 individuals<br />
How to spot the signs<br />
If an individual’s conversations appear to<br />
be hyper-fixated on losing weight, altering<br />
themselves, thinness, food, nutritional<br />
content, exercise regimens and other<br />
aspects of food and body, it is important to<br />
notice this, ask more questions, and gently<br />
challenge any dangerous beliefs. Note that<br />
even changes in diet such as going vegan<br />
can be an indicator. There is also such a<br />
thing as Orthorexia.<br />
Note that one of the earliest signs<br />
of an eating disorder is a change in a<br />
person’s eating habits. They become more<br />
regimented, start moving food around<br />
a plate, start chopping it in tiny pieces,<br />
using a lot of condiments, fidgety at<br />
mealtimes, eating the same food over and<br />
over, suddenly embarking on a new diet.<br />
Other early sings are suddenly becoming<br />
very interested in food, getting an in-depth<br />
knowledge of nutrition and calorie content,<br />
starting to download and read recipes<br />
and cooking a lot for others. Other early<br />
signs are social withdrawal, changing their<br />
social habits. They can experience changes<br />
in mood during the day, more so than<br />
usual. This can happen especially around<br />
mealtimes.<br />
As well as the early signs of eating<br />
disorders outlined above, these conditions<br />
also have a number of more general<br />
symptoms that can happen at any point<br />
in the illness. These can be different for<br />
everyone and can vary depending on the<br />
type of eating disorder that a person is<br />
struggling with. However, the most common<br />
signs and symptoms to look out for include,<br />
losing a lot of weight, very low body fat,<br />
wearing baggy clothes, controlling and<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 54
limiting food, excessive exercise, believing<br />
they are fat, obsessing over their and<br />
others looks, frequently weighing, making<br />
themselves sick, using laxatives, spending<br />
a lot of time in the bathroom after meals,<br />
anxiety, self-harm, exhaustion, binging food<br />
in secret, obsession over calories, chaotic<br />
eating habits and anxiety and depression.<br />
The list above is generalized to anorexia,<br />
bulimia and binge eating. However, these<br />
are some of the most common indicators to<br />
look out for.<br />
Recovery<br />
Recovery from an eating disorder is<br />
incredibly hard, with an average of six to<br />
ten years until full recovery according to<br />
UK charity Beat (Beat, <strong>2022</strong>) and more<br />
than half of sufferers never fully recover.<br />
Recovery is defined as eating at regular<br />
intervals, guided by physical rather than<br />
emotional hunger. It is a life free from<br />
dietary restriction, bingeing, or purging and<br />
weight maintained at a healthy level. It is<br />
the ability to eat spontaneously, especially<br />
out in public, a balanced diet with every<br />
food group, and the ability to tolerate<br />
natural shifts in weight due to illness, times<br />
of the year, or bloating. It is possible for<br />
every eating disorder sufferer to recover,<br />
with the right support and treatment.<br />
Help<br />
Help is out there!<br />
If a friend or relative has an eating disorder<br />
or you suspect they do, you probably want<br />
to do everything you can to help them<br />
recover. Getting professional help from<br />
a doctor, practice nurse, or a school or<br />
college nurse will give your friend or relative<br />
the best chance of getting better. But this<br />
can be one of the most difficult steps for<br />
someone living with an eating disorder, so<br />
try to encourage them to seek help or offer<br />
to go along with them.<br />
You can support them in other ways, too:<br />
• Keep trying to include them – they<br />
may not want to go out or join in with<br />
activities, but keep trying to talk to them<br />
and ask them along.<br />
• Try to build up their self-esteem –<br />
perhaps by telling them what a great person<br />
they are and how much you appreciate<br />
having them in your life. Do not comment<br />
on looks.<br />
• Give your time, listen to them and<br />
try not to give advice or criticize –<br />
“I am angry that I starved my brain and that I sat shivering in my<br />
bed at night instead of dancing or reading poetry or eating ice<br />
cream or kissing a boy.” ― Laurie Halse Anderson<br />
Remember, you do not have to know all the<br />
answers, just making sure they know you’re<br />
there for them is what’s important. When<br />
they seem to reject you make sure you keep<br />
reaching out, this is their ED talking and<br />
not them.<br />
The most difficult step for them is to<br />
accept help as their ED voice is so strong<br />
and will keep telling them not to do it.<br />
However, getting professional help is what<br />
they most need. You can gently suggest<br />
different support groups and therapists.<br />
Usually, the starting point would be<br />
their GP but they can also book in with<br />
a Psychologist. Talk therapy is usually<br />
frontline to help with ED. Most people<br />
with ED will not have to stay in a hospital,<br />
they are seen as outpatients, however,<br />
some with more advanced ED will need to<br />
stay in a specialized clinic or hospital for<br />
more intensive treatment. Some people<br />
with ED might need a team when they<br />
are outpatient, such as a nutritionist,<br />
Psychologist and Psychiatrist whilst others<br />
won’t. It all varies depending on severity.<br />
When they come out of an inpatient unit<br />
or outpatient care, your friend or relative<br />
will still need your support. Most people<br />
with an eating disorder do recover and<br />
learn to use more positive ways of coping.<br />
But recovery from an eating disorder can<br />
be very difficult and take a long time. Your<br />
friend or relative may even relapse into old<br />
behaviors or have periods of living with<br />
their illness again during their recovery.<br />
It’s a bumpy road. Sadly, some eating<br />
disorders do not go into remission, and you<br />
do not recover. This means that they are<br />
often somewhere there, hiding in a distant<br />
corridor of your mind, and can resurface in<br />
times of stress or with certain cues.<br />
Things to be aware of<br />
Know that there are many websites<br />
and online platforms out there that are<br />
considered “pro Ana” or “pro Mia”. These<br />
proana sites are created to help those with<br />
eating disorders stay on the course of their<br />
eating disorders as well as posting proud<br />
images of continuing emaciating bodies. As<br />
an example, https://starvingpassion.weebly.<br />
com/proana-tips.html, lists 58 tips on how<br />
to keep an eating disorder alive, as well as<br />
“Restaurant Rules” and “Fasting Tips”.<br />
A wall of “Inspiration” is slathered with<br />
painstakingly bony bodies and shocking<br />
inspirational quotes “keep going you<br />
can get to this size” and “keep calm stop<br />
eating”. There are also “pro Mia” sites,<br />
promoting Bulimia. Equally, there are pro<br />
Mia and Ana sites such as “Mianaplace.<br />
com”. These websites can be hard to find<br />
and when some get taken down others<br />
pop up. https://proanagoddess.wordpress.<br />
com; https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/<br />
pro%40na?sort=top<br />
Terminologies used in these communities<br />
are such as “thinspo”, “bonespo” and<br />
“deathspo”, these are inspirations that are<br />
searched after.<br />
Be aware of these sites, they will not<br />
cause an eating disorder, but they can spark<br />
continuation for those who are already ill.<br />
The more that we have our eyes open as<br />
to what is out there and what can propel<br />
eating disorders, the more we understand<br />
the signs and drivers, and the better armed<br />
we are to support our loved ones who are<br />
suffering.<br />
RESOURCES<br />
If you or a loved one is suffering from<br />
an eating disorder, here are some good<br />
resources to get informed:<br />
Beat Eating Disorders - UK<br />
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.<br />
uk/<br />
National Association of Anorexia<br />
Nervosa and Associated Disorders<br />
(ANAD)<br />
http://www.anad.org/ANAD<br />
The Body Positive<br />
http://www.thebodypositive.org<br />
Eating Disorders Anonymous<br />
http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.<br />
org<br />
Eating Disorder Hope<br />
http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/<br />
Eating Disorders Information Network<br />
http://www.edin-ga.org<br />
Eating Disorder Referral (EDReferral)<br />
http://www.edreferral.com<br />
The National Eating Disorders<br />
Screening Program<br />
http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 55
My child has just told<br />
me that they’re trans.<br />
Now What?<br />
WRITTEN BY CATH BREW<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 56
When your child comes out as transgender it’s common<br />
to experience a wide range of thoughts and emotions.<br />
There’s a lot to process and from the parents’ point of<br />
view, parenting suddenly feels like it’s changed. So, what happens<br />
next? How do you start to process and navigate what this really<br />
means?<br />
Your Immediate Processing<br />
Most parents will experience a myriad of questions flooding in as<br />
they try to understand. Is my child really sure? How do they know?<br />
Is this just the identity exploration and struggles of puberty? Does<br />
this relate to something I’ve done? What does this mean? For them?<br />
For our family? What’s going to happen at school? Do they want to<br />
transition? I’m not sure what to do. Where can I get help?<br />
Understandably, many parents are also scared of doing the<br />
wrong thing. Globally, trans people are marginalised, vulnerable<br />
and often unprotected by law. <strong>International</strong> research shows that<br />
transgender adolescents are more likely to commit suicide that<br />
their CIS-gender peers and in the USA 50% more likely. 1 However,<br />
the ways in which trans people are treated by their families and<br />
broader society plays a significant role in their overall wellbeing.<br />
With the right support, understanding and communication at home<br />
and at school, parents can raise happy healthy trans children who<br />
grow up to flourish in adulthood.<br />
The First Conversations<br />
When your child first tells you that they are trans, it is important<br />
for them to feel seen and heard by you. It’s likely they’ve been<br />
anxious about telling you and will be seeking love and validation.<br />
An affirming and positive response is a great way to start the<br />
conversation.<br />
The best responses include 3 parts:<br />
1. Respond positively<br />
2. Celebrate<br />
3. Affirm that this will not negatively impact your relationship with<br />
them<br />
A suitable response could be, I feel honoured that you’ve told me. Thank<br />
you. I’ll always love you. What do you need from me? or I’m really proud of<br />
you. Congratulations. It’s wonderful to know yourself so well. I’ll support you<br />
100%. How can I/we help?<br />
• “I’ll support you whether you’re a boy, girl, alien, a horse<br />
or purple”<br />
A reply like this isolates a person. By likening their identity to<br />
objects and animals indicates that you view them as ‘other’ or even<br />
abnormal. For your child, it shows them that you have not truly<br />
heard or seen them in what they’ve just said.<br />
• “Really? Are you sure?”<br />
Yes, they are. In the same way that you know your gender, they too<br />
know theirs.<br />
Be aware that before someone announces that they are<br />
transgender, they may come out as gay or lesbian first. This is not<br />
necessarily because they think they are gay or lesbian, but rather<br />
that socially, being gay is safer emotionally. The child/young<br />
adult may know very well that they are trans but coming out as<br />
gay first allows them to test how you respond. Further, how you<br />
respond, will influence whether you’re deemed to be safe and given<br />
addition information about being trans, or whether they remain<br />
private. Like with CIS-gender people, there is no ‘one size fits all’.<br />
It’s a personal journey and everyone needs the space to express<br />
themselves as and when they feel comfortable.<br />
What does parental support look like?<br />
You want to support your child but don’t know where to start? To<br />
clarify your next steps, you may wish to seek professional support<br />
from a psychologist specialising in gender-expansive families.<br />
Whilst the specifics of help and support will vary for each family,<br />
common aspects can include:<br />
1. A new name<br />
Some transgender people want to change their name to match<br />
their inner identity. Choosing a new name is an important step to<br />
living more in alignment with who they are. Some parents may find<br />
a new name difficult to process, especially if the name they chose<br />
for their child at birth had personal and/or family significances.<br />
Creating a safe space for open conversations can help both the<br />
parents and children express a level of autonomy over the decision.<br />
2. Pronouns<br />
Ask your child what pronouns they’d like to use. They may want<br />
to start using they/them, they/he, they/her, xe/xem, or ze/zim.<br />
Some CIS-gender people resist using ‘they/them’ because it’s most<br />
Some phrases may feel supportive to you, but in reality, isolate<br />
your child. For example, replies like these are not advisable:<br />
• “It doesn’t matter to me what your lifestyle choice is”<br />
Being trans is not a lifestyle choice or any other choice. It’s a<br />
personal inner identity that is felt deeply and matters very much to<br />
the person. Many people take years to be brave enough to verbalise<br />
it having known from a very early age.<br />
• “I love you whomever you are”<br />
Being trans is an important part of a person’s identity and goes to<br />
the core of who they are. By saying whomever you are, minimises and<br />
negates the specific identity that they have just shared with you and<br />
can make them feel unseen.<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 57
known as a plural. However, the Oxford English Dictionary can<br />
trace its use in the singular back to 1375 2 and today we actually use<br />
‘they/them’ as a singular all the time. For example, Can I please order<br />
what they had? How tall are they? That person over there, can we invite them<br />
to our table? If you still feel resistance, imagine someone calling you<br />
the wrong pronoun every day. It’s uncomfortable, isn’t it? Besides,<br />
it is polite, compassionate, and respectful to address a person how<br />
they ask to be addressed. It really should be no different than using<br />
a person’s name.<br />
3. Do they want a different haircut?<br />
A new haircut is a really simple way for a trans child to start to feel<br />
more aligned with who they are. It brings a new vibe and energy<br />
and helps them to express themselves more easily.<br />
4. Clothes shopping<br />
To date, it is likely that you’ve bought them clothes for the gender<br />
they were assigned at birth. Why not suggest to your child that<br />
you go shopping together to buy new clothes for [insert their new<br />
name]? Like a haircut, clothes can have a huge positive impact on<br />
a child’s sense of self, increase confidence and help affirm their<br />
identity.<br />
5. Photos around the house<br />
Depending on your child’s body dysmorphia and levels of distress,<br />
it might be appropriate to remove family photos displayed around<br />
the home. Ask your child how they feel about it.<br />
6. Telling your other children and extended family<br />
Only you truly know your family and the best way to tell your other<br />
children. However, good things to remember are:<br />
For younger children keep it simple. Don’t overload them with<br />
too much information. Keep a calm normal voice and don’t<br />
project. For example: Your brother Johannes has always known in his<br />
heart that he’s a girl. From now on Johannes would like to be known as Jo<br />
and called a she. Be prepared to answer their questions honestly and<br />
let them know that they can also continue to ask. Reading books<br />
together can also help, such as: ‘Introducing Teddy’ (Jessica Walton<br />
and Dougal MacPherson), ‘I am Jazz’ (Jessica Herthel), and ‘My<br />
Shadow is pink’ (Scott Stuart).<br />
When you tell extended family, face-to-face is best. This means<br />
that if a conversation develops, you can control the dialogue<br />
better and ensure that the information they have is correct from<br />
the beginning. If you are worried about how your family may<br />
react, write a letter instead. This helps you to plan and clearly<br />
express what you want to say without any anxieties impacting the<br />
conversation. It also allows your family emotional space to process<br />
the information without needing to give an immediate response.<br />
Like with children, be clear, factual, don’t project and most<br />
importantly, express your support for your trans child. It’s also good<br />
to state what your child’s new pronouns and/or name are and ask<br />
family members to use them.<br />
7. Help telling their friends<br />
Ask your child if they would like help with telling their friends.<br />
Wanting to protect them from any negative comments or bullying<br />
is completely normal, but it may be something they’re happy to do<br />
alone. Telling friends also gives them support if they get bullied.<br />
8. Informing the <strong>School</strong><br />
Informing the school is important for your child’s wellbeing. Ask<br />
your child how they wish to tell the school. They may like to<br />
do it themselves or prefer a family appointment with the school<br />
counsellor or Head to discuss. From the school’s perspective, even if<br />
your child is not ready to change their name, pronouns or outward<br />
appearance, knowing what they’re navigating enables the school to<br />
support them as necessary during the day.<br />
Beyond the Family: Integrating changes at school<br />
Some schools will be better at proactive inclusion for transgender<br />
students than others. As such it is good to be prepared when you<br />
talk with the school. Have in your own mind the ways in which you<br />
would like them to oversee the changes.<br />
KEY QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:<br />
What does my child need from me?<br />
• Love, support, validation<br />
• Being a voice for their needs<br />
• Willing to manage any issues that arise at school<br />
• <strong>Parent</strong>al consent to change name and pronouns at school for<br />
under 16 years<br />
• Knowing that we have safe, open and honest communication<br />
What do I need from my child?<br />
• How do they want to inform the school?<br />
• Who do they want me to tell or not tell?<br />
• Understand what they now expect from their schooling<br />
What does my child need from the school?<br />
• A bathroom/changing room of their choice<br />
• An assigned support teacher<br />
• Relevant teachers/admin staff to be informed - as per child’s<br />
wishes<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> 2021 | 58
• Access to a gender and sexuality club (also known as the Gay<br />
Straight Alliance)<br />
• If they’re a trans boy and are menstruating, access to emergency<br />
sanitary products<br />
• Activities in the classroom/sports field are not divided into<br />
genders<br />
• Able to play the sport that they want to according to their gender<br />
• Inclusive books in the library<br />
What does the school need to know?<br />
• Is your child changing their name and/or pronouns?<br />
• What administrative records need to change?<br />
• What do you as parents, expect from the school?<br />
• They may need at least one gender-neutral bathroom<br />
• How to access support services<br />
child’s new name/pronouns (in accordance with child’s wishes)<br />
• Do I need to buy a different school uniform?<br />
• Understanding the school’s policies about residential trips and<br />
trips abroad.<br />
In the first months after your child comes out, it is common for<br />
parents to feel grief, loss and emotional pain as their child embraces<br />
matching their external life to their internal identity.<br />
Where there are two parents, each will process it in their own<br />
way and potentially at a different pace. It is important to keep<br />
talking and supporting each other and if needed, seek assistance<br />
from a therapist.<br />
All said and done, trans kids are like other kids. They need<br />
love, support and awareness of their personal needs to help them<br />
flourish into happy independent adults.<br />
As a parent, what do I need from the school?<br />
• Confidence that my child will be cared for in an inclusive school<br />
environment<br />
• How will the school manage my child’s changes?<br />
• To know that transphobia (students and teachers) is not tolerated<br />
• For all relevant teachers/nursing staff to be informed of my<br />
GLOSSARY<br />
CIS Gender - A person who lives the gender with which they were<br />
assigned at birth.<br />
Transgender - Someone whose gender does not match their<br />
gender assigned at birth.<br />
1 Ennis, D. 2020, ‘Largest Survey Of Transgender And Nonbinary Youth Says More Than Half Seriously Considered Suicide’ in Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/<br />
sites/dawnstaceyennis/2020/07/15/largest-survey-of-transgender-and-nonbinary-youth-says-more-than-half-seriously-considered-suicide/?sh=646613923404<br />
2 https://public.oed.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-singular-they/<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> 2021 | 59
Supporting<br />
LGBTIQ+ Children<br />
WRITTEN BY PETER KAKUCSKA<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 60
Each year in June, many cities<br />
celebrate their diverse communities<br />
and show their “Pride” in<br />
championing social inclusivity. For that<br />
month, conversations go beyond promoting<br />
a diverse and inclusive society to telling our<br />
LGBTIQ+ communities that its ok to be<br />
proud – in fact we expect it.<br />
For LGBTIQ+ students and their<br />
parents, pride is so much more than a<br />
designated month of celebrations. For<br />
many, pride is a daily reminder, a life-long<br />
companion, and is something that is so<br />
often misunderstood. It can be hard to be<br />
“proud”.<br />
<strong>Parent</strong>s of LGBTIQ+ identifying<br />
children have a demanding and rewarding<br />
job, that often provides more questions than<br />
answers. Questions on how to best support<br />
their LGBTIQ+ children in their learning<br />
and school years.<br />
Will my LGBTIQ+ child get into<br />
university?<br />
“There are many things that go through<br />
a parent’s head when raising a gay child”,<br />
says Julie an Australian hairdresser whose<br />
17-year-old son came out gay. “One<br />
of my biggest concerns was his school<br />
environment. Will he be supported? Will<br />
he be safe? Will he make friends? Will he<br />
perform well enough to get into university?<br />
Basically, will he have the same chances in<br />
life?”.<br />
Julie is not alone in her concerns, many<br />
of which are compounded with recent<br />
developments in some countries around<br />
the legality of LGBTIQ+ awareness in<br />
classrooms.<br />
Rainbow discrimination<br />
Discrimination against LGBTIQ+<br />
people is commonplace. Gay, lesbian, or<br />
bisexual people are 10 times more likely to<br />
experience discrimination than heterosexual<br />
peers. Mistreatment comes in many forms,<br />
from seemingly benign jokes to verbal<br />
insults, unequal treatment, and in the most<br />
extreme cases, physical violence.<br />
Bullying of LGBTIQ+ children is<br />
common. Around 85% are verbally bullied<br />
during an academic year. This harassment<br />
frequently turns violent - 40% report<br />
physical bullying and of this, 19% report<br />
being physically assaulted at school because<br />
of their sexual orientation. A further 28%<br />
stated they were bullied electronically. This<br />
bullying can be so violent that 30% of<br />
LGBTIQ+ children miss school because<br />
of it.<br />
Rejection frequently starts at home<br />
Recent surveys by the Human Rights<br />
Campaign show that 78% of LGBTIQ+<br />
youth who aren’t ‘out’ at home, hear their<br />
families make negative comments about<br />
LGBTIQ+ people. As many as 50%<br />
of LGBTIQ+ teens witness a negative<br />
response from their parents when they<br />
come out; 30% experience physical abuse,<br />
and 26% are kicked out. In fact, LGBTIQ+<br />
children comprise 40% of all homeless<br />
youth, with family rejection as the primary<br />
cause.<br />
Youth suicide<br />
Heartbreakingly, there are countless<br />
government statistics showing that<br />
LGBTIQ+ youth are at a higher danger<br />
of mental health issues. A recent survey<br />
in Switzerland found that LGBTIQ+<br />
adolescents of both genders showed<br />
significantly advanced probabilities of<br />
suicidality, suicidal ideation, and selfharming<br />
behaviour between the ages of 17<br />
and 20 years. A similar US study found that<br />
nearly one quarter (24%) of 12- to 14- year-<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 61
SUPPORT OR RESOURCE GROUPS<br />
https://www.facebook.com/groups/<br />
support4teenlgbtparents/, Facebook<br />
support group for parents of LGBTQ*<br />
Teens, Children, and Adults.<br />
www.pflag.org PFLAG: Uniting parents,<br />
families, and allies with people who are<br />
LGBTIQ+<br />
www.genderspectrum.org Gender<br />
Spectrum: Offers groups, training, and<br />
resources promoting gender sensitivity<br />
and inclusion for all youth<br />
www.glbtnationalhelpcenter.org GLBT<br />
National Resource Database<br />
www.glsen.org GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and<br />
Straight Education Network<br />
applicable language. There’s an array of<br />
vocabulary relevant to the community that<br />
you might not know.<br />
olds who died by suicide were LGBTIQ+<br />
identifying. This must change.<br />
Education and mental health<br />
Exposure to abuse can have negative<br />
effects on the education and health of any<br />
adolescent person. According to a 2015<br />
Youth Risk Behaviour Survey, LGBTIQ+<br />
students were 140 times (12% v. 5%) more<br />
likely to be absent from school due to safety<br />
concerns. While not a direct measure of<br />
school performance, absenteeism has been<br />
linked to low graduation rates, which can<br />
have lifelong consequences.<br />
Proud parents<br />
Most LGBTIQ+ youth are apprehensive<br />
of their sexual orientation/gender identity<br />
by the start of adolescence. But still, the<br />
real and perceived fear of rejection deters<br />
numerous children from coming out. So,<br />
what can parents do to best provide for<br />
their LGBTIQ+ child?<br />
• Create a safe space at home<br />
<strong>Parent</strong>s can help their children manage<br />
challenges by creating a safe space at home.<br />
It’s pivotal that your child feels that your<br />
home and ultimately you, are a safe space.<br />
You mustn’t allow hateful speech, whether<br />
subtle or overt, of any kind to be permitted.<br />
For instance, if someone uses the word ‘gay’<br />
in place of ‘stupid’, remind them that the<br />
two aren’t interchangeable, and suggest they<br />
should say what they mean instead.<br />
• Show your support<br />
You can do this through simple actions<br />
such as responding positively to LGBTIQ+<br />
characters/people in the media. With<br />
LGBTIQ+ visibility continuing to rise,<br />
there are plenty of opportunities for you to<br />
show your support, thus affirming to your<br />
child that you’re accepting and supportive<br />
of LGBTIQ+ people.<br />
• Educate yourself<br />
You do not have to wait for the big ‘coming<br />
out’ moment to start educating yourself<br />
about the LGBTIQ+ community. Start<br />
small – you could consider brushing up on<br />
• Seek your own support network<br />
You are also part of your child’s LGBTIQ+<br />
experience, so make sure you take care of<br />
yourself in the process. Self- care is pivotal,<br />
which means that as you’re learning how<br />
best to support your child, you must also<br />
find support for you. There are many<br />
resource groups that you can consider<br />
contacting. See below for a listing.<br />
• Wait until they are ready<br />
Let your child take the lead. It may feel<br />
counter-intuitive but the best thing to<br />
do is to wait for your child to open up to<br />
you. Your child might shell up if asked<br />
about their sexual orientation or gender<br />
identity before they’re ready. The best thing<br />
you can do is to create a warm and safe<br />
environment where open communication<br />
is the norm. And when they eventually are<br />
ready to talk, really listen.<br />
REFERENCES<br />
American Psychological Association (APA) fact sheets, best practices, and other resources<br />
for supporting LGBTIQ+ youth.<br />
www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/safe-supportive/lgbt/<br />
What’s Unique About LGBTIQ+ Youth and Young Adult Suicides? Findings From the National<br />
Violent Death Reporting System<br />
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30711364/<br />
Suicidal ideation and self-injury in LGB youth: a longitudinal study from urban Switzerland<br />
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35287691/<br />
The Psychological Impact of LGBT Discrimination<br />
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brick-brick/201402/the-psychological-impactlgbt-discrimination<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 62
How to Win an Argument<br />
WRITTEN BY MOON HUANG<br />
When was the last time you had<br />
an argument with someone?<br />
Perhaps you and your sibling<br />
couldn’t decide where to take your mum for<br />
her birthday, maybe your partner forgot to<br />
feed the cat for the 10th time, or you had a<br />
‘formal discussion’ with your boss about a<br />
pay rise.<br />
Whatever the reason, people tend to<br />
shy away from confrontation. But the<br />
truth is that if you have the skills to argue<br />
with others, such as being confident in<br />
articulating your ideas, you can make<br />
arguments work for you. As an experienced,<br />
international debater with 5 years<br />
competition experience, here are<br />
my three top tips to help you win<br />
arguments in your daily life.<br />
1Prepare a Strong Case<br />
In debate, strong<br />
points and a clear, logical<br />
structure are essential. Debaters<br />
usually express their points using PEE<br />
structures. PEE tells us what to include<br />
when presenting a case: Point of View,<br />
Example, and Explanation.<br />
We first share our Point of View to<br />
introduce the overall key argument in<br />
an easily digestible way. In the words of<br />
Bernadine Healy, the first woman director<br />
National Institute of Health: “Strong verbs,<br />
short sentences”. Being concise yet clear<br />
is the best way to have an impact on the<br />
opponent, and to make them feel that you<br />
are committed to your position. Next, we<br />
provide Evidence to support our point of<br />
view. To support their arguments, debaters<br />
need to find a lot of examples from books,<br />
scientific articles and news reports that<br />
further prove that their arguments are<br />
factual and valid. Finally, we must Explain<br />
and extend our point. Leaning on research,<br />
debaters draw higher level conclusions,<br />
which can sublimate ideas and at the same<br />
time firmly back-up the overall argument.<br />
In daily disputes, there is no all-powerful<br />
judge to declare a winner of the argument,<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 63<br />
however, there are still lessons to be learnt.<br />
My top tip for preparing a strong case<br />
(outside of debating) is to remember to<br />
make your Point of View strong and short<br />
and to explain your reasoning where<br />
appropriate.<br />
For example, once I had an argument<br />
with my friend because she wanted to play<br />
outdoors whereas, I wanted to stay at<br />
home. I succinctly stated my Point<br />
“I do not want to go outside.”<br />
Then I showed Evidence: “The<br />
weather forecast said that today’s<br />
temperature is about 37C!”<br />
After that I Explained “It<br />
will be too hot. Staying at<br />
home is more comfortable<br />
than getting sweaty under<br />
the hot sun.” Regardless of<br />
my friend’s reaction, I had<br />
shared my opinion and<br />
my justifications<br />
clearly. Being
misunderstood can lead to unnecessary<br />
friction in an argument. Using PEE can<br />
prevent that.<br />
2Listen Carefully<br />
Listening to what the opponent says is<br />
another vital part of good debating. It goes<br />
further than registering their words but also<br />
thinking deeply about their logic and the<br />
necessities of their points. While others are<br />
explaining their points of view, you may<br />
find holes in their logic. Then when it is<br />
your time to speak, you can first point out<br />
the shortcomings of their thinking and then<br />
push your own ideas and alternatives.<br />
The listening-thinking process is vital in<br />
everyday arguments, sometimes you may<br />
even learn that you are wrong! Often, a<br />
problem can be solved through compromise<br />
by combining both sides’ ideas. In Stranger<br />
Things, Hopper describes a compromise<br />
as a ‘halfway happy’, but by listening and<br />
thinking it is possible to commonalities and<br />
find a true win-win solution.<br />
Returning to my every-day argument<br />
with my friend, she did not give up her fight<br />
to go outside. She responded that the sunny<br />
weather should be enjoyed and not wasted.<br />
I listened and considered her idea. I had<br />
to agree that it was worth going outside,<br />
after all, I did want to spend time with her.<br />
However, I did not completely backdown.<br />
I asked to wait until later in<br />
the afternoon when it<br />
would be so hot.<br />
Finally, we<br />
agreed.<br />
3Come from a Place of Respect<br />
Debaters are randomly assigned a<br />
side, so debates have less potential to get as<br />
heated as personal disputes. In the interest<br />
of sportsmanship, it is important to have<br />
good manners and respect for others.<br />
There is a lot we can learn from the unique<br />
objectiveness of debating.<br />
Although a position<br />
differs from an<br />
opponent,<br />
everyone’s<br />
intelligence needs to be respected. At the<br />
same time, one can appreciate the novelty<br />
of an opponent’s ideas when they present a<br />
point of view that we cannot refute, rather<br />
than getting annoyed or defensive.<br />
Almost every argument, debate or<br />
otherwise, revolves around a problem that<br />
all sides want to solve or improve. The<br />
issue can be resolved more effectively when<br />
arguments are conducted in an amicable<br />
and respectful manner. The first to get<br />
angry is often the easiest to defeat, so it is<br />
important to create a friendly exchange by<br />
behaving in a calm and polite manner in<br />
response to questions and rebuttals.<br />
All in all, if you want to win an<br />
argument in your daily life, why<br />
not practise some debating skills?<br />
Building a strong case, listening<br />
carefully, and respecting all<br />
sides can help to diffuse any<br />
situation and find a solution<br />
that works for you. Give it a<br />
try!<br />
“The listeningthinking<br />
process<br />
is vital in everyday<br />
arguments,<br />
sometimes you may<br />
even learn that you<br />
are wrong!”<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 64
How to support your<br />
child’s language learning<br />
WRITTEN BY JOYCE AERNOUTS, TEFL<br />
Language is important - so<br />
important, in fact, that it is<br />
considered a vital part of what<br />
makes us humans.<br />
Language is how people communicate,<br />
ask questions, share ideas and feelings, and<br />
build relationships.<br />
That doesn’t mean language learning<br />
comes easy. It’s a complex process that<br />
requires lots of practicing. Luckily, there are<br />
several ways to help your child’s language<br />
learning journey.<br />
Talk<br />
This one seems obvious, but it’s so<br />
important that it’s worth mentioning<br />
specifically.<br />
Children learn language by listening to<br />
the people around them and mimicking the<br />
sounds they hear. The more you talk, the<br />
more your child hears and learns. Talking<br />
can be just as easy as narrating your day.<br />
Talk about what you see on your daily walk,<br />
describe what you’re making for dinner, or<br />
explain everyday tasks like getting dressed<br />
for the day. For example, “first we will put<br />
on our underwear. Next are socks. You<br />
have two socks, one for the left foot and<br />
another for the right foot. Do you want the<br />
yellow shirt or the green one? Okay, and<br />
now we put on pants. Put your leg in this<br />
hole. Good. Now put your other leg in this<br />
hole.”<br />
If you’re running out of inspiration, or<br />
you’re just sick of talking to yourself with<br />
no answer, you can also turn to the words<br />
of other people: books. Reading books<br />
together is a great way of entertaining your<br />
child while also improving their language<br />
skills. Bedtime stories are perfect for this.<br />
Repeat<br />
Language learning takes time. Whether<br />
your child is learning to speak for the<br />
first time or learning a second language,<br />
repetition is a big part of learning. You can<br />
help them by saying the same thing over<br />
and over again until they start to repeat the<br />
sentence themselves. Children need to hear<br />
words many times before they can mimic<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 65<br />
and understand the meaning of the word.<br />
You’ll probably feel a bit silly repeating the<br />
same thing over and over again without<br />
getting a response, but just remember this is<br />
a crucial part of language learning.<br />
Follow their lead<br />
Does your child show interest in boats or<br />
a bunny? Build on that. Take them to the<br />
dock to watch boats. When they point and<br />
say “boat”, repeat back to them “Yes, big<br />
boat.” or “Yes, yellow boat.”<br />
Or why not try a visit to the petting zoo<br />
to see the bunnies? Take the opportunity to<br />
talk about the other animals in the petting<br />
zoo. Repeat their name over and over<br />
again as your child interacts with them.<br />
This allows your child to make a visual<br />
connection to what they are hearing.<br />
Don’t criticize<br />
Learning a language is hard and your child<br />
will make mistakes. Don’t point out the<br />
mistakes and correct them. This can lead to<br />
anxiety and fear of error. Instead, show
them that you understand what they’re<br />
trying to say and repeat it in the correct<br />
way. For example, when your child says,<br />
“I am huggy,” repeat back to them “Yes,<br />
you are hungry.” Give your child praise for<br />
when they get it right.<br />
Keep your eyes open for learning<br />
differences<br />
As a parent, you’re probably watching<br />
them like a hawk to see if everything goes<br />
“according to schedule”. However, every<br />
child has a different development journey<br />
in their early years. Some learn new things<br />
quickly; others need a bit more time. Don’t<br />
stress over it too much if your child needs<br />
a bit more time, but it is a good idea to<br />
keep an eye out for any possible learning<br />
differences.<br />
The easiest way to spot learning<br />
differences is by comparison with older<br />
siblings or family. Playdates with friends<br />
of the same age can also provide useful<br />
information. If you suspect your child<br />
might have some trouble with learning,<br />
don’t batter them with questions and<br />
self-assessments. Ask regular things<br />
like how their school day was, if they<br />
had fun with their friends and learned<br />
something new that day. You never know if<br />
something comes up in those lighthearted<br />
conversations. If you continue to have<br />
suspicions, it might be time to involve a<br />
teacher to get to the bottom of it.<br />
“ Whether your child is learning to speak for the first time or<br />
learning a second language, repetition is a big part of learning.”<br />
Go abroad<br />
Want to take it to the next level and raise<br />
your child bilingual? Children soak up<br />
language like a sponge and it is much easier<br />
for them to learn a second language than<br />
for adults. Moving abroad, whether for love,<br />
work, or something else, can help your child<br />
become multilingual. Erin McGann did just<br />
that. When she moved to Germany with<br />
her husband and son, none of them spoke<br />
German. She enrolled her son in a bilingual<br />
school, and it has been a great success. You<br />
can find an article written by Erin about her<br />
family’s experience on the ISP website.<br />
What about you? What will you do with<br />
your new life abroad? One of the easiest<br />
and rewarding ways to use your time is by<br />
becoming an English teacher. Teaching<br />
English as a foreign language, also known<br />
as TELF, gives you the opportunity to teach<br />
English anywhere in the world. All you need<br />
is a TEFL-certification. For example, what<br />
about teaching English in France? Here are<br />
some best Teach English in France guides<br />
and what your life could look like.<br />
Language learning is always tricky,<br />
whether your child is just trying out their<br />
first words or tackling a second language.<br />
That said, there are several things you can<br />
do as a parent to help your child along,<br />
though.<br />
First and foremost is talking. Describe<br />
everything you do and see around you<br />
and let your child mimic you. With talking<br />
comes repeating. Children need to hear<br />
words and sentences many times before<br />
they start to use them themselves. Include<br />
talk and conversation in all aspects of your<br />
life and keep your child enthusiastic by<br />
including their favorite activities.<br />
Also keep in mind to never criticize your<br />
child’s mistakes but teach them by saying<br />
the correct words.<br />
Finally, are you ready to take it to the next<br />
level? Living abroad is a great way to learn<br />
a new language.<br />
SOURCES:<br />
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04ykk50<br />
https://www.internationalschoolparent.com/articles/%e2%80%8b%e2%80%8b5-tipsfor-raising-a-bilingual-child-in-germany/<br />
https://www.internationalschoolparent.com/articles/supporting-a-child-with-learningdifferences-in-the-primary-years-one-parents-experience-part-1/<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN <strong>2022</strong> | 66
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