The ISZL WELCOME HANDBOOK 2008/9
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A Beginner’s Guide to Yodelling ..... The ISZL WELCOME HANDBOOK 2008/9 ISZL Welcome Handbook 2008/9 Contents of Welcome Handbook Introduction by Editor Top tips • Emergency telephone numbers • Top 10 websites to bookmark • Top books and publications • International Clubs and Societies Hitting the ground running • Social customs • Quick Swiss German • Translation assistance • Relocation agents • Registration at Gemeinde • Insurance • Telephone • Utilities • TV and radio • Other permits and licences • Post office • Bank account basics • Recycling Everyday life • The Culture Shock Curve • Social customs • Local languages • Driving • Legal • Post & Mail order shopping • Food Shopping • Shopping abroad • Other Shopping • Health • Public Transport ISZL Welcome Handbook 2008/9 • Small people from Day Care to Pre-schools • Moving on from ISZL • Job search • Religion • Embassies and consulates • Odds and sods Country Specific Information What’s on by town • Adliswil • Unter and OberAegeri • Baar • Cham • Lucerne • Neuheim • Rotkreuz/Hunenberg • Steinhausen • Wadenswil • Walchwil • Zug • Zurich Feedback Page! ISZL Welcome Handbook 2008/9 Hello! And Welcome! This is the Welcome booklet. It is aimed at new parents at ISZL who are English speaking (because the school is) and new to Switzerland, Zug & Luzern, so the emphasis is on what we would have found useful when we first arrived and is probably very personal! Where there is one good source of information and the information may change or date. we have referred you to a website. For example the listings of foreign Embassies and Consulates is maintained on the xpatschange website, so we have not re-listed them here. Apologies if you are still waiting – frustrated – for that vital internet connection! If you have found the booklet helpful, confusing, out of date or just plain wrong – please let us know. There is a feedback page at the back or you can email us at [email protected]. If you have information or recommendations for services such as and language schools or hairdressers please let us know. o We have a Welcome Team who will be wearing pink baseball caps at pick up time during the first week of each term back at school – please do speak to us and say “hello”. o The Welcome Team organises a monthly Drop In Coffee, a Lunch or Dinner Box and a Monthly Outing as well as organising other events in the Zug/Luzern area. This is all documented in the monthly PA Newsletter but if you want to find out more let us know. It is a great way to meet people in a similar situation to you. o The Welcome Team also organise The Welcome Fair which happens at the beginning of the school year. This year we are working towards 2 September 2008. At this event there will be some representatives and lots of useful information about many of the things you need when you first arrive such as language schools, hairdressers, handymen and much more. Finally, we must thank EVERYONE who has given their time and energy to help with the writing and production of this booklet. If you have enjoyed reading this and found it useful, why not think about stepping up and joining the Welcome Team? You are very welcome! Nicky Mole Editor The Welcome Team ISZL Welcome Handbook 2008/9 The Welcome Team We have a great Welcome Team who organise all the Welcome events and regular interest groups and coffees. We are also helped by representatives of towns or regions and countries; so if you have a specific question, please do feel free to call and ask for help. Parents’ Association All families entering the ISZL automatically become members of the Parents’ Association (PA). Membership Fees amount to CHF 25.00 per child and are included in the yearly school fees. The fees support a range of activities, plus the monthly newsletter and the school plays. The PA is run by a committee of parents who are elected at the AGM. The members of the Executive Committee or board include: the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, the Secretary and three Head Class Representatives each of which represents a different part of the school ie. Early Childhood, Primary School and Middle School. The Newsletter Editor is responsible for writing and editing the monthly PA newsletter. Additional committee members serve as co-ordinators for the different activities the PA offers. If you as a new family require help or need advice, you are very welcome to contact any of the committee members prior to arriving at the school. The PA monthly newsletter is distributed via email. It is really helpful if you keep us updated of any changes in your email contact details! If you need a printed copy, please contact the PA by leaving a written note in the PA post box, which is located in the office, or by emailing [email protected] . Class Representatives Volunteers are sought from each class to act as Class Representatives; this can be a solo role or two parents may share the role. They provide the link between the parents and the teacher and may arrange reading rotas, help for school trips etc. They also organize coffee mornings at the beginning of the school year and to welcome new parents to the class as new families join. This is the best person to approach should you as a new parent have general questions about a class. New families are welcome to become Class Representatives or you could volunteer to be a story reader or class helper on occasion. Ask your class representative how you can help. ISZL Welcome Handbook 2008/9 Parents’ Association Events The Parents‘ Association organises a number of festivities and events each year. The following are the key annual events, but each PA runs new additional events too – more details to follow for this year! Halloween Halloween is celebrated on the night of October 31st most notably by children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door collecting sweets. Carved pumpkins are probably the most common symbols of Halloween. Bats, Skeletons, Witches, Spiders, Ghosts, Haunted Houses and just about anything scary have also become representative of this event. The school is decorated for the day and the Class reps are encouraged to organize class parties in coordination with the teachers. Day of Children’s Rights Following the events of September 11th, the PA committee decided to take action on the issue of tolerance and respect amongst humans all over the world. Each Autumn, the PA organizes this event at which the children think about and write wishes for children all around the world and attach them to balloons that are set free in unison. Some postcards have even been found as far away as Poland. Festive Shop The Festive Shop takes place shortly before the winter break in December each year. Families are asked to donate what might be nice gifts for a member of a family, be it Mum, Dad or brothers and sisters. The Wettinger Haus Keller is decorated and the items are displayed for the children to come, browse and buy a present for their family. Parent volunteers help them to choose, wrap and label the special presents. Santa Claus The Parents‘ Association supports a visit by Santa Claus to school. International Day This is a fun filled day usually in late May or early June to celebrate our school’s diversity. Teams from each country represented at school are invited to have a food stall and sell their specialities in a wonderful Food Fair. There are numerous games for the children with prizes, a raffle, tombola and entertainment by school children on the stage and field. This is the biggest event during the school year and many volunteers are required to make the day a success. Money raised during this day will then be used to donate a gift to the school. The decision is taken with input from the School and the parents. In the past this has been ISZL Welcome Handbook 2008/9 anything from a roll– out carpet for the Gym to teak benches to the water fountain in the lower school playground. Staff Lunch An annual Staff Lunch is organised by the Parents’ Association in the summer term to say thank you to the teachers for all their hard work during the year. This is organized by the PA, but volunteers are needed from each class to help prepare food, serve and cover the playground duties. School plays and concerts The PA sponsors all plays and covers the majority of the costs for the costumes and the scenery. Many volunteers are needed to sew costumes and help with set design and completion! PA Library There is a library of books by the gym which features a range of English fiction books, plus some foreign language books. This is a free service to all parents to “bring and take” books – please do! There are also reference books eg Living in Zurich and travel guides available from Mrs Simson and her team in the main library in the Wettinger Haus – donations of books always welcome!! ISZL Welcome Handbook 2008/9 Emergency Telephone Numbers 117 Police 118 Fire 144 Ambulance 140 Road Assistance (vehicle breakdown) 145 Free advice on poisons http://www.toxi.ch/eng/welcome.html 143 Samaritans 1414 REGA for air rescue ISZL Welcome Handbook 2008/9 Top Internet addresses to bookmark! Web address Subject Comments Yahoo groups (see below) All act as discussion lists and Always opt for daily resource centres for expats – digest! great for “where can I buy..?” or “how do I ..?” questions. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Expa For expats in the Kanton of 126 members and ts-in-Zug/ Zug.