International School Parent Magazine - Spring 2024
Welcome to the first edition of the International School Parent Magazine for 2024. We hope that you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Spring is a wonderful time – the weather is warmer, and the longer days help to boost our motivation. It is also the perfect time to start thinking about summer camps. We have curated a list of inspiring and interesting programmes and have presented them to you in a special feature beginning on page 40. In this edition we had the pleasure of interviewing both Nicola Sparrow, School Director of Aiglon College, and Andrea Spielmann, the Principal of the new SIS Basel-Allschwil school. In these articles, both these accomplished women share their passion for education and provide insight into the culture and ethos of their respective schools. We also continue our discussion of children’s mental health, drug use, communication, travel, and present many more interesting and topical articles and commentary. Check out the articles about the family activities in Lichtenstein, as well as unusual and exciting things to do in Switzerland, and an introduction to Basel the Swiss capital of culture and architecture. Once again, we are thrilled to present to you a magazine filled with interesting and informative articles, exciting experiences, and practical tips for parents. Have a wonderful spring and we look forward to bringing you more content again in summer.
Welcome to the first edition of the International School Parent Magazine for 2024. We hope that you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Spring is a wonderful time – the weather is warmer, and the longer days help to boost our motivation. It is also the perfect time to start thinking about summer camps. We have curated a list of inspiring and interesting programmes and have presented them to you in a special feature beginning on page 40.
In this edition we had the pleasure of interviewing both Nicola Sparrow, School Director of Aiglon College, and Andrea Spielmann, the Principal of the new SIS Basel-Allschwil school. In these articles, both these accomplished women share their passion for education and provide insight into the culture and ethos of their respective schools.
We also continue our discussion of children’s mental health, drug use, communication, travel, and present many more interesting and topical articles and commentary.
Check out the articles about the family activities in Lichtenstein, as well as unusual and exciting things to do in Switzerland, and an introduction to Basel the Swiss capital of culture and architecture.
Once again, we are thrilled to present to you a magazine filled with interesting and informative articles, exciting experiences, and practical tips for parents. Have a wonderful spring and we look forward to bringing you more content again in summer.
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joined Aiglon in 2012 as the deputy head<br />
of academics before being appointed<br />
<strong>School</strong> Director.<br />
You have been away from the UK for a<br />
long time. What has your experience<br />
taught you?<br />
My impression was that teachers who<br />
went to international schools did so for<br />
a few years for an adventure, and then<br />
returned home. Twenty-five years later, my<br />
adventure continues!<br />
I think what’s quite unusual about my<br />
career is the length of time that I’ve spent<br />
at each school. For many international<br />
educators, it’s two or three years here, and<br />
two or three years there - that is the pattern.<br />
In my experience, I believe that you must<br />
really get to know a school –you need to<br />
know the students, you need to know the<br />
staff. Spending these longer periods really<br />
gives me the ability to connect to the<br />
school, to understand its culture and why<br />
that matters.<br />
When you’re not at school what sorts of<br />
things do you do to relax and maintain<br />
work-life balance?<br />
Young people are inspiring, and in<br />
particular, being able to have a real impact<br />
on young lives inspires me to continue in<br />
this work. I have such a fabulous job where<br />
no two days are the same! That might<br />
not be the typical expectation in a world<br />
governed by timetables and school bells, yet<br />
not a single day is alike, and I think this also<br />
helps in the work-life balance.<br />
I also live at the edge of the campus<br />
sandwiched between two senior boys’<br />
boarding houses and two football pitches.<br />
You can hear the vibrant energy of young<br />
people enjoying themselves, playing and<br />
learning which is quite nice. For me, this<br />
proximity to campus actually helps in that<br />
work-life balance. If I hear a football<br />
match outside, I’ll often go out and see<br />
what’s going on. You feel like you are<br />
living life alongside the students; education<br />
is more than just a day job, it’s a way of<br />
life, and I think you can really feel that on<br />
Aiglon’s campus.<br />
I have three children. Two of them<br />
graduated from Aiglon, and the youngest is<br />
here at the school. They live at home, but<br />
it’s almost like they are at boarding school.<br />
They go off in the morning and often don’t<br />
come home until ten at night. This means<br />
the holidays are important for us; we spend<br />
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT SPRING <strong>2024</strong> | 11
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