International School Parent Magazine - Autumn 2019

This is going to be very important in the
modern world.
What’s the most exciting prospect for
you about leading ZIS?
My goodness, there’s so much! I’m really
excited about being in an international
community and teaching children with
such a global perspective. These kids
are influenced by how widely they have
traveled. They’re interested and eager
to think about things in new ways. The
same is true about the teachers, many of
whom have taught at international schools
elsewhere, and have perspectives that will
inform the choices we make about the
curriculum and other areas.
In the very first year, the focus will be
on coming to know the community and
involving everyone in a strategic planning
effort, starting with many conversations in
small and large groups to see which issues
precipitate out. Through this process, the
school leadership team and the board will
identify the most pressing imperatives for
the next chapter of our work together.
Personally, I am excited about talking to
all of these people and hearing about their
deeply held aspirations!
context, parents themselves have lived
globally and they anticipate their children
will do the same. They want their children
to feel happy, safe, loved, and known. That’s
something parents talk about in relation
to ZIS with great excitement, pride, and
appreciation.
At international schools, just like in
many independent schools in the US and
elsewhere, parents themselves are often very
successful professionally, highly motivated,
and well remunerated. They naturally
have big ambitions for their children. At
the same time, there is anxiety that entry
into the most competitive institutions is
increasingly elusive, no matter how high
grades are or how well prepared the student
is. It is part of our job to try and keep a
good balance and perspective in relation to
this situation and achieve the best outcome
for the individual. Fundamentally, we
know parents want their children to pursue
whatever future it is their children aspire to.
What are your personal ambitions for the
students at ZIS?
I hope that every student leaves the school
excited about learning and with sufficient
foundational knowledge and skills to
continue learning effectively at whatever
the next chosen place is. For some kids
that will be EPFL, for others that will be
at Harvard, and others it will be military
service.
Whatever they do, we hope they will have
developed a self-awareness that allows each
to know what they’re passionate about,
what they want to pursue, what gives them
satisfaction, how to show up best for that
and manage any anxieties that come with
ambition or high expectations. We also
want them to be able to self-regulate and be
compassionate towards others.
Our focus is to help them develop their
appetite to think critically, and their ability
to navigate different kinds of information,
process it, and present it in different ways.
Tell us a bit more about you and your
family life. How old are your children?
My own children are 27, 30, and 32 and all
live in the United States - two in California
and one in Chicago, Illinois. They are all at
interesting places in their lives. We’ve been
lucky to travel a lot together and they have
all had a lot of global experiences - we hope
to have time to travel with them around
Europe while we are here and I’m looking
forward to them visiting. My husband
is retired and is here with me, living in
Switzerland.
What are your hobbies?
Aside from languages and traveling, I love
cooking international food. In my kitchen,
you will find everything from fish sauce to
chili powders and tortillas - a full range of
things really.
We are pretty serious hikers. Although,
I’m not sure we qualify as serious hikers
in Switzerland or at least not yet. We
enjoy long vigorous walks! These beautiful
long days with all the accessible outdoor
activities are such a treat.
I also read widely and love music, art and
architecture.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN 2019 | 9