ECOLINT MAGAZINE • N°19 AUTUMN / AUTOMNE 2016 IT’S GREAT OUTDOORS! LE MUSÉE DES ENFANTS Une liberté de choix et d’expression SPORTING LIVES Alumni on track, field and piste CONTENTS 3 A word from the DG 4 Library award; 6 9 La Chât gardens 5 Alumni Association; Campus des Nations at 10 6 Berk’s story 12 16 7 Le Musée des enfants 8 Outdoor learning at Pregny CONTACTS EMAIL & TELEPHONE 9 Charity swim team Foundation [email protected] +41 (0)22 787 24 00 Admissions [email protected] +41 (0)22 787 26 30 10 Guidance at Ecolint Alumni Office [email protected] +41 (0)22 787 25 55 La Grande Boissière [email protected] +41 (0)22 787 24 00 12 Alumni teaching at Ecolint La Châtaigneraie [email protected] +41 (0)22 960 91 11 Campus des Nations [email protected] +41 (0)22 770 47 00 14 2016 retirees WEB Foundation: www.ecolint.ch Boutique: www.ecolint.ch/boutique 16 Alumni in sport Alumni: alumni.ecolint.ch Ecolint Camps: www.ecolint-camps.ch Institute: www.ecolint-institute.ch Centre des arts: www.ecolint-arts.ch 18 Charitable trusts MAKE A GIFT 19 From the archives: Ecolint is a not-for-profit Foundation. Our Development Associate Brian Wahlen is Robert J. Leach available to discuss ways of providing additional support via a regular or once-off donation. Taxpayers from various jurisdictions, including the US, the UK and Switzerland, can benefit 20 The Back Board from tax deductions (see page 18). Visit: www.ecolint.ch/support Contact: [email protected] +41 (0)22 787 26 19 ON THE COVER: This photo was taken by Danica Leitner, an IMPRESSUM Early Years teacher at Pregny, during the Editor-in-Chief: Michael Kewley (Director of Marketing & Stakeholder Relations) community work party that took place at Managing Editor: Eoghan O’Sullivan (Head of Alumni Relations) Pregny last April. Read more about their Editorial Team: Catherine Mérigay (Communications Manager), Outdoor Learning activities on page 8. Francis Poncioni (Graphic Designer), Alejandro Rodriguez-Giovo (Foundation Archivist) Printed by PCL Presses Centrales S.A. / Production 14,000 copies International School of Geneva, 62, route de Chêne, CH-1208 Geneva Echo is published twice a year by the Marketing & Stakeholder Relations Department, International [email protected] School of Geneva and is also available on the school and alumni websites. For more information about echo or to submit information for publication, or if you would like additional copies, please contact the Managing Editor ([email protected]). The Marketing & Stakeholder Relations Department has made every effort to ensure that the information contained in this edition is accurate and complete. However, despite our sincere desire to avoid errors they might occur. © Copyright International School of Geneva, November 2016. 2 N°19 | autumn / automne 2016 A WORD FROM THE DG Welcome to the school year 2016-17! We opened with record enrolment and so have much to be thankful for in this remarkable community of learners. At the October meeting of the Governing Board, we presented our impressive IB results for our graduating students from our three secondary schools in the Foundation. Most have now moved on to their university studies at a range of institutions, mainly in North America, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. (You can read more about university guidance at Ecolint on pages 10 and 11.) GIRLS AND STEM LEARNING Each year we analyse these results to look for trends and patterns. For example we look at gender. Sometimes, as has been a feature of many education systems, we have seen a tendency for girls to achieve higher marks than boys overall. This year, the Board discussion turned to why there are so few girls taking The new STEM Centre at La Grande Boissière Physics and Mathematics at Higher Level in the Foundation. We talked about how important it is, as early as possible, to STEM learning is one of our Guiding order their own priorities and decide their ensure through our discourse and attitudes Principles for 21st Century Learning own fate.” And when we read about the (sl.ecolint.ch/principles) and the new misogyny and objectification of women by centre is the fruit of the Foundation’s the President-elect of one of the world’s rich collaboration with EPFL, the world- superpowers we all realize that we must renowned university based in Lausanne. be vigilant and resolute as we work with The skills that we want to develop here today’s and tomorrow’s students to ensure are divergent thinking; interdisciplinarity; that our boys and our girls learn to live out innovation and entrepreneurship; project- Article 4 of our Charter in their respect for based learning; group work; and real each other, for the benefit of all. world problem solving. The attitudes that this requires include open-mindedness, «L’activité de l’Ecole dans tous les resilience, strong moral principles, domaines, et notamment dans celui de collaboration and character. Some of the la pédagogie, aura pour fondement les domains that we want our students to principes de l’égalité et de la solidarité Prof Pierre Dillenbourg of EPFL opening grapple with in this arena include big data, entre les peuples et de l’égale valeur de the STEM Centre with Vicky Tuck artificial intelligence, robotics and coding. chaque être humain sans distinction de nationalité, de race, de sexe, de langue, ARTICLE 4 de religion.» that the sciences and maths are seen as Meanwhile, almost seventy years since girls’ subjects; to invite into the school Simone de Beauvoir wrote Le Deuxième professional women who excel in the fields Sexe and forty-six years since Germaine Vicky Tuck of science and technology; and, above all, Greer – who visited both La Châtaigneraie Director General to have accomplished female Maths and and La Grande Boissière last year – Science teachers, passionate about their published The Female Eunuch, and despite subjects, teaching our students. So we remarkable achievements by women in are very fortunate to have a dynamic the 20th and 21st centuries, for example woman heading our newly opened in the fields of literature, sport, music, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, politics and academia, limiting stereotypical Mathematics) centre in the Salève attitudes about women prevail. It can building at La Grande Boissière, Marie- remain a challenge for some girls, in France Labelle. Greer’s words, to “define their own values, N°19 | autumn / automne 2016 3 NEWS AND VIEWS LES MARRONNIERS UN JARDIN EN LIBRARY: HÉRITAGE RECOGNITION FOR A BRILLIANT IDEA Susan Kostelecky Schulz Après s’être séparée de la la pérennité d’une partie de Susan Boller (left) and Marie-Pierre Preece receiving the award maison de feu ses parents son jardinfamilial pour le plus for their innovative application. à Founex, Susan Kostelecky grand plaisir des élèves et du Schulz (La Chât ’77) a souhaité personnel du campus. faire bénéficier la Fondation How to encourage more young services, in over 20 languages, d’une donation peu commune. Les plantes ont été magni- children to read and provide made by the students. Elle a proposé de transplanter fiquement arrangées dans access to library resources The app received an enthusiastic dans les jardins de La les jardins du campus et une 24/7? It’s a challenge that has reception, with more than 1,000 Châtaigneraie une série de belle rocaille a été aménagée been tackled brilliantly by Susan downloads. “The library app is végétaux comprenant des aux abords du Centre sportif Boller and Marie-Pierre Preece, fantastic because it allows us roses, des tulipes, des jon- «Jura». Nous remercions librarians at Les Marronniers, the access to the whole library whe- quilles, un lilas, un rosier sincèrement Susan pour son Primary school at La Grande Bois- never and wherever we are. It grimpant et une majestueuse geste, ainsi qu’Alexandre sière. Their achievement received so easy to use, which is great for herbe de la pampa, le tout Suëss, administrateur du global recognition when they my girls who can play and read accompagné de plusieurs campus, et son équipe pour la received the American Library all by themselves”, said Bettina pierres du Jura. Par cette tou- réalisation de ce projet. Association Award in June 2016. Kearney, mother of Geneviève chante attention, Susan assure and Jacqueline. Some years ago, noting the extent to which smartphones and Far from resting on her laurels, tablets were part of everyday life Susan has since developed a for most students, Susan saw new idea for the app: a QR code IN BRIEF… an opportunity to be inventive. on the front cover that can be She began searching for a way used to launch a video presenta- to create a mobile app for their tion about the book in question. > The Foundation’s redesigned public website was launched library. “The process was long “It works almost every time: during the summer. It provides a one-stop shop for anyone and complex, as we had an after viewing the video the child interested in finding out more about our eight schools and three extremely small budget and no puts down the device and opens campuses. See: www.ecolint.ch particular expertise in information the book. It has been a huge technology.” success!” > The first Annual Alumni Exhibition, featuring the work of Tyson Skross (LGB '98), Matias Echanove (LGB '95), Natacha Steiner The ‘Marronniers Library’ app In the end it is about putting tech- (La Chât '03) and Tania Grace Knuckey (La Chât '05), runs until 13 provides access to books to nology at the service of reading. January 2017 at the Centre des arts, La Grande Boissière.