Waves Spring 2014

Bonn International School Magazine | Spring 2014 | [email protected]

BISSVWHAT? WHY? HOW?

CREATIVEWAVES

CELEBRATING THE ARTS

TEACHERFEATURE

GET TO KNOW OUR TEACHERS

On the Cover: Under 14 Girl’s Volleyball Team

Imprint:

Bonn International School e.V.Martin-Luther-King-Strasse 14,

53175 Bonn

Magazine Volunteers:

Agnieszka Boud

Kate Carey

Myriam Figueiredo-Stuart

Anuradha Koratkar

Mitra Maroufi

Geraldine McMillan

Mariana Naslund

Natalie Niklas

Students:

Elissa Filozof

Helle Huisman

Layout and Design:

Janet Hannah

Editing and Proofing:

Steve Arrowsmith

Kate Carey

Owen Elias

Photography:

Thank you to the many community

members who share their photos.

Printing:

The Happy Printer, Bonn.

ContentsSports at BIS 2

Fall results 2

Winter results 3

Teacher Feature - 8 questions to get to know our teachers 4

BISSV 5

Primary Years Programme 6

Body Image 6

Primary Student Council 7

Warning! - High Tech Passing By! 8

EC German Drama Club 9

Antolin German Reading Club 9

Middle Years Programme 10

The Personal Project 10

History Bee and Bowl 11

German Books and Authors 12

Community & Service Charities 13

Diploma Visual Arts 14

Green Space 16

Fiesta Latina 17

Bizarre BIS - Crazy occurrences at school! 18

Creative Waves 20

Grease the 2013 BIS Musical 22

TEDxYouth@BIS 24

Two Steves 25

Unsung Heroes 26

The Tech Team 26

Tech Team Alumni 27

9 Wacky Science Facts 28

5 Questions about Germany 29

Alumni - Where Are They Now? 30

Technology and Design - preparing for the workplace 32

iPad Update 33

Friday Morning Runners 34

The Bonn Marathon 35

Sporting Dads 35

1

During the fall season, BIS fields teams in cross country, football and volleyball. Winter sports are

basketball and swimming. Season ending tournaments are organised by the Northwest European Council of International Schools (NECIS) and the International

Schools Sports Tournament (ISST).

ResultsGo dragons

Cross country (Fall)

The cross country team comprised athletes from Grades 6 to 12.

The team participated in races in Luxembourg and Brussels, as

well as the season ending NECIS and ISST tournaments in Antwerp

and London where Jack Lawson (Grade 9) finished his BIS running

career by coming first in both of his races. Wera Terhaag finished

a fantastic third in the NECIS Girls Over 16 race, and all runners

either equaled or improved on their personal best times over

the season.

ISST Division II results

Cross country team 7th

Junior Varsity Boys Race Jack Lawson 1st

Varsity Girls Race Wera Terhaag 14th

NECIS results

Boys High School team 3rd

Boys Under 16

Jack Lawson 1st

Raphi Schwegler 9th

Jason DeVries 10th

Girls Over 16 Wera Terhaag 3rd

Football (Fall)

It was a successful season for the BIS football teams. The JV

Boys finished second in their NECIS tournament at the International

School of Amsterdam and the U14 Boys placed second in NECIS

at the American School of The Hague. BIS hosted the ISST Division

III girls football tournament, where the Varsity Girls team delighted

the home crowd by winning. They are to be promoted to Division

II next season.

ISST Division III results

Varsity Girls Football 1st (promoted to Division II)

Varsity Boys Football 5th

NECIS results

Under 12 Boys 10th

Under 14 Boys 2nd

Junior Varsity Boys 2nd

Volleyball (Fall)

The volleyball teams had several friendly matches throughout the

season, leading up to the NECIS tournaments for the Junior Varsity

and Varsity Girls at the International School of Amsterdam and

the Under 12 and Under 14 Girls at the American School of The

Hague. Special mention goes to the Under 12 Girls who emerged

as Plate winners after an exciting match, and the Junior Varsity

Girls who were voted the most sporting team.

NECIS results

Varsity Girls 10th

Junior Varsity Girls 10th (Most Sporting Team)

Under 14 Girls 8th

Under 12 Girls 5th (Plate Winners)

2

Basketball (Winter)

The younger teams had a very successful NECIS tournament at

the International School of Düsseldorf. The Under 12 Girls won

the Plate T ournament, and the Under 14 Girls were awarded most

sporting team. The Under 12 Boys placed second after a nail

biting final in which they only lost by two, and the Under 14 Boys

were fourth. As a wonderful end of season treat, the Under 12

and Junior Varsity Boys teams were invited to the Telekom Basket’s

last game of the season. The Under 12 Boys were announced on

court as the NECIS Silver Medal winners and were given the

opportunity to meet the players. Let’s hope this inspires them to

win next season!

The Varsity Boys team travelled to the ISST tournament at Zurich

International School, where they came fourth. Special mention

goes to Mark Schefter and Nathan Balthazar (Grade 12). Both

were selected for the All-Tournament team which is an honorary

all-star team made up of the ten best players from the tournament.

Nathan Balthazar was also the winner of the Parker Bradford

Memorial Award. The award is presented by the Bradford family

to the player who best demonstrates the late Parker’s qualities

of competitiveness, poise, effort and enjoyment.

At the Sir James Henderson British School of Milan, the Varsity

Girls team came in sixth. Congratulations go to Gabi Lange (Grade

12) who was also selected for the All-Tournament team.

NECIS results

Under 12 Girls 5th (Plate Winners)

Under 14 Girls 6th (Most Sporting Team)

Under 12 Boys 2nd

Under 14 Boys 4th

Junior Varsity Boys 6th

ISST Division II results

Varsity Boys 4th

Varsity Girls 6th

Swimming (Winter)

The BIS swimming squad, made up of students from Grades 5 to

12, trained hard throughout the season and participated in friendly

galas in Luxembourg and Antwerp. The team put in a strong

performance at the NECIS tournament in Luxembourg, with many

swimmers coming in the top eight and making it through to finals

as well as improving their season or personal best times. Hannah

Wiedemann (Grade 7) had a fantastic meet, setting a new NECIS

record in all three of her gold medal winning events. Below is a

selection of some of the excellent results.

NECIS results

Under 12 Girls

Lara Wiedemann

50m Backstroke 2nd

100m Freestyle 3rd

50m Butterfly 3rd

Sabrina Shih Sydney Wilson Olivia Carey Mia Hammersmith

100m Freestyle Relay

2nd

Sabrina Shih 50m Breaststroke 2nd

Daria Nicotera Sabrina Shih Mia Hammersmith Sydney Wilson

100m Medley Relay 3rd

Katrina Rogers 200m Freestyle 2nd

Under 14 Girls

Hannah Wiedemann

50m Breaststroke 1st (NECIS record)

100m Butterfly 1st (NECIS record)

100m Breaststroke 1st (NECIS record)

Lara Wiedemann Hannah Wiedemann Isabelle Carey Divya Bilolikar

200m Freestyle Relay

2nd

Bente Koelink Lara Wiedemann Hannah Wiedemann Divya Bilolikar

200m Medley Relay

2nd

Over 16 Girls

Jillian Fox 100m Backstroke 3rd

3

Other than teaching, what else did you want to become?

After buying my first record at age nine and going to my

first concert soon after, I wanted to be a rock star. Deep

down I still do.

Which fictional character did you want to be as a child?

I have always wanted to be Batman. If I had more money

and was stronger, I would give it a try.

What is the naughtiest thing you did as a child?

I was once sent to the Principal’s office in Grade 8 for

riding the school elevator, which was strictly off limits to

students.

If you had to choose a last meal what would it be?

Nachos, a burrito, and a pepperoni pizza. I would have

carrot cake for desert.

What 3 things would you take on a desert island and why?

Book: “The Brothers Karamozov”. This is one of the few

books that I get something new out of every time I read it.

It’s also long so it would be good to pass the time.

Music: I need to bring two albums:

Pixies - “Doolittle” - this is the coolest album of all time;

The Chemical Brothers - “Exit Planet Dust” - this was the

first electronic music album I ever loved. It is still my

favourite.

Other: I would bring my headphones.

Which chores do you hate the most?

Mowing the lawn.

What are your favourite spare time activities?

Running, travelling, reading and listening to music.

What is your greatest achievement to date?

Learning a second language.

Other than teaching, what else did you want to become?

I wanted to be a policeman before I wanted to be a teacher.

Which fictional character did you want to be as a child?

I wanted to be Legolas from “Lord of The Rings” because

he was awesome with a bow and arrow.

What is the naughtiest thing you did as a child?

The naughtiest thing I ever did as a child was stealing

sweets from a gas station.

If you had to choose a last meal what would it be?

My last meal would be a huge bowl of mussels in garlic

butter.

What 3 things would you take on a desert island and why?

On a desert island I would take a football to play with,

suncream to stop my head from frying and a fishing rod so

I wouldn’t go hungry.

Which chores do you hate the most?

I hate washing dishes more than any other chore.

What are your favourite spare time activities?

In my spare time I play football, workout and eat a lot.

What is your greatest achievement to date?

My greatest achievement to date is getting a job I love!

Peter Vaughn

Jam

ie H

oo

pe

r

8 questions to get to know our teachersTeacher Feature

4

What is it? The Bonn International School Sportverein (BISSV) is a sports

club that provides different sports opportunities for various age

groups. We will form teams when the next school year begins.

These teams will compete in local German competitions and

leagues representing BISSV.

Why are we doing it?BISSV enhances the existing EC sports programme by integrating

our students within the local German community in year-round

sporting activities.

How are we going to do that?We will recruit highly qualified coaches who will teach our students

the skills, the knowledge, and the expertise necessary to compete

at a high level in their chosen sport.

WHAT?WHY?HOW?

My background

My name is Tobias Goebel and I’m 23 years old. I was born and

raised in Bonn, and have always been a keen sportsman. This is

one of many reasons why I decided to study Fitness Management

in Cologne. Since I was a little boy my passion has always been

soccer and sport in general. Frankly, I love to test my limits and

challenge myself in various different ways.

I am also a licensed Personal Trainer and work part time for the

Health City gym in Bad Godesberg. Besides my passion for sports,

my love for music is my drive. I have played the bass guitar for

many years now. My role model is Flea from the Red Hot Chili

Peppers, my all-time favorite band.

Scope

The intention is to start off by registering two football teams

(Grades 3 & 4) and one running team (Grades 5 – 12). We will try

to add more sports and age groups every year, such as basketball,

gymnastics, rugby etc.

The existing EC programme already covers a lot of activities for

older students, so we have decided to start with younger age

groups this time. We will train twice a week all year-round. The

teams will be predominantly made up of BIS students, but it is

important to understand that non-BIS students may also apply

for a membership as well. That’s why we have designed a criteria

membership form.

Advantages

The advantages for the members of the BISSV club are:

• participation and experience in your chosen sport

over the entire year

• easier integration into the local German community

through the international language of sport

• more competitive games and events

• an opportunity to improve German language skills

Office hours / contacts

You can find me in Mr Grant’s office on Tuesdays and Thursdays

between 09.00 and 14.00, or send me an e-mail at:

[email protected] or [email protected]

We are very excited about this opportunity and, more importantly,

we are absolutely convinced that our students will benefit from

this project in lots of ways. Tobias Groebel

5

BODY IMAGE

“Never be afraid to show yourself the way you really are. Nothing is more important than having confidence in your

own body image.”Britt, Grade 5.

“Learning about puberty can actually be quite frightening. When we learnt about

it, it was a little disgusting (especially learning about the other gender). It was

more fun without the other classes, because there wasn’t as much giggling. It was weird

being able to say almost anything but sometimes in your life you have to grow up.”

The Grade 5 students defined body image as “how you see yourself in the mirror and how you feel about

yourself”. They explored positive versus negative body image and potential influences on this. As they enter the

pubescent age, students realize that they may go through phases of appearing “fat” as their body shape changes and things happen at different times. One girl also mentioned that each individual can directly influence their body and thus also body image. Through active awareness of how to maintain a healthy body, for example good nutrition, exercise and hygiene, each person can keep themselves in the best shape for them.

Much time was spent looking at external influences on our body image and what consequences they may have. The presentation showed the girls that the models used in photo shoots did not bear any resemblance to the image used in the adverts as they were manipulated to look thinner, have longer limbs, perfect skin, be taller, etc.

“Magazines, superstars, dolls and women in ads all influence our thoughts about how we look.”

“We actually need confidence in our body shape because in camera shots and in magazines models are thin but what people don’t notice is that they are photo-shopped. They force you to buy products to make yourself more beautiful but you don’t need them. You are just as beautiful without that cream or makeup.”

It is difficult to look like the images in the magazines because “these people use very expensive make up and have professionals do their hair” and “it is the shape that they are and we are not.”

Photo editing was frequently cited as a way to manipulate images shown. This was deemed “stupid”, as it was a false portrayal of reality. These unrealistic images were seen as a manipulation of people’s perception that could lead girls to “go too skinny” or girls to have “a lot of worries and be angry at themselves, because they don’t think they are beautiful.”

Unanimously, students would happily see “normal” people in the media without photo editing and dolls shaped more realistically. The students came away with a clear message about media influences: “This is not healthy!”

Primary Years Programme

Debra Hennessy, one of our BIS school nurses, did some educational sessions with the Grade 5 classes

on puberty and body changes. Several sessions then focused on body image and media influences.

Some students have shared their reflections on these sessions.

A huge thank-you to Britt and Shannon from Grade 5JLa for their input into this article.

6

?PYP

The BIS Primary Student Council has tried

to make the Primary School a better place.

It is made up of three committees:

the Cafeteria Committee, the Recess

Committee and the Community Service &

Special Events Committee. Each committee

completed several tasks to make a

difference in the school this year.

The Recess Committee has tried to

introduce kids to a variety of games that

many kids can play at the same time. This

has included games like, What’s Happening

Mister Fox?, Pass the Stick, Splat and

Medic. They tried to teach games that

could include many children and did not

necessarily have a winner or loser. They

tried to start up these games with kids

from many different grade levels. Finally,

they pumped up balls for kids to play with

during recess.

The Cafeteria Committee has made posters

and created a presentation, which looked

at ways to reduce waste, reuse materials

and recycle products. The posters were

hung around school and the presentation

was given in a variety of different primary

classrooms. The Student Council members

shared ways to do this at home and also

gave examples of items that could be

reused for something different rather than

Student Counciljust being tossed out. For example, they

showed how a glass air freshener container

could be used as a vase and how a former

tin chocolate case could be used to hold

pencils.

The Community Service & Special Events

Committee organized a few different

projects this year. They collected canned

foods for Bonner Tafel and asked for art

supplies to be donated at Christmas, which

were delivered to the Evangelische

Jugendhilfe Godesheim organization. We

are collecting photo albums or picture

frames, which will also be donated to the

Evangelische Jugendhilfe Godesheim

organization. These photo albums and

picture frames will be given to children as

a leaving gift with photos of their time there.

This year has been a blast to be in the

Primary Student Council. It is our hope that

students and families will continue taking

action in the community. Next year, the

Student Council hopes to continue taking

action and achieving our goals.

Jessica Greene

What is the

Primary Student

Council and what

does it do?

Contributors:Sara BrazilMolly Link

Jovana DerelievaAmelia Iwaniuk

Francesca Bernhardt

7

Hello, my name is Yigit and I am currently working on my PYP

exhibition. My topic is Technology Addiction.

Addiction to technology can cause really bad damage to the

development of the brain. This is called digital dementia. Citizens

of South Korea are facing digital dementia as they participate in

activities involving overuse of technology. When the brain gets

introduced to an easier way of doing things, it adapts really quickly,

leading to memory loss. Doctors in South Korea are reporting a

surge in digital dementia among young people who have become

so reliant on electronic devices that they can no longer remember

everyday details like their phone numbers.(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/southkorea/10138403/Surge-in-digital-dementia.html)

Digital dementia can be reversed by exercising your brain and

limiting technology use. Doctors suggest using your head and

trying to remember things instead of looking it up right away.

Reading books, learning a new language and playing an instrument

are also ways to help your brain. Physical exercise will help bring

nutrients to the brain.(http://www.alzheimers.net/2013-11-12/overuse-of-technology-can-lead-to-digital-dementia/http://www.alzheimers.net/2013-11-12/overuse-of-technology-can-lead-to-digital-dementia/)

BBC scientists have found that playing violent games causes

aggression and violent behavior as people tend to mimic the

behavior seen in the video games. (Pupils “made more violent by

computer games”. BBC article online. Hannah Richardson, April

3, 2012) According to research done by Iowa State University,

children who play violent video games all the time are learning

thought patterns that will affect them later in life.(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140324181255.https)

Technology can affect our brain development and behaviors. In

one case, a child in Taiwan played 40 hours non-stop of fighting

games, which led to his death. His body became dehydrated as

he did not drink any water for 40 hours straight.(Diablo 3 Death: Teen Dies After Playing Game for 40 Hours Straight. July 18, 2012. huffingtonpost.com)

I believe that kids should have limits using technology. Homework

should take priority, as well as playing outside, interacting with

our families, and reading books. I suggest parents should set a

time limit for playing video games. This will allow us to develop

physically and mentally. It is important to find a balance with

outdoor physical activities in order to stay mentally fit.

Yigit Akbiyik 5JLa

High Tech Passing By!

PYP Primary Years Programme

8

EC German Drama ClubWhat happens when a witch dreams of living on the moon? Well, she packs

her belongings and off she sets on an adventurous journey with her pet.

The students of the EC German Drama Club read the book “Für Hund und Katz

ist auch noch Platz” which is the German translation of Julia Donaldson’s book

“Room on the Broom”. As the students decided to put it on stage, they wrote

their theatre script and rehearsed the play.

They successfully performed at the Creative Waves Festival in April 2014

and are now working on their next performance.

The EC German Drama Club is offered by Frau Zoe Grigoriadou throughout the year.

The Antolin-Reading Club is a German

EC Reading Activity, where students can

enjoy their favourite books in a relaxed and

cosy environment. They can choose the

books they would like to read from a rich

collection of recommended German titles.

When finished reading, the students have

the opportunity to check their text

comprehension and answer content

questions provided by a web-based

program on the computer. This program

provides the opportunity to combine

traditional and modern media. The students

have the experience of having a real book

in their hands and learn to use the Internet

in a meaningful way.

They are also encouraged to read a book

carefully, and think of the correct answer.

They are rewarded for their attentive

participation in the program by points of

success leading eventually to an Antolin

Certificate.

The Club is offered throughout the whole

year by Frau Semar, Frau Müllenbach, and

Herrn Isken.

Primary Years Programme

Learning German Through Drama

ANTOLIN German Reading Club

9

Middle Years Programme

What is the personal project? The International Baccalaureate Organization defines it as “a project produced to create a personal and creative piece of work that stands as a summative reflection of the student’s ability to conduct independent work”. At the end of Grade 9, students are asked to find a topic that reflects their interests and are assigned a supervisor. The project consists of an essay and a product, which are both completed by the end of the first semester of Grade 10.

The project is built out of several sections and one should fulfil all criteria ranging from “page numbers are included” to “sources are fully evaluated continuously”. It is a serious piece of work, but in the end it’s also meant to motivate students creatively. When a topic is chosen carefully, one should feel like it was a positive experience. Current Grade 10 student Michael Borges says, “I loved it, to be honest. I just got the work done within the first half of the year and could enjoy it”.

As a little tip for future students Michael adds, “never be late to a meeting”. On this I can completely agree, but the help (from my supervisor) throughout the process was

The personal project could be seen as a rite of passage into the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. As an essential part of rounding up the Middle Years Programme (MYP) many students see it as an obstacle they need to get over. What people don’t always seem to realise is how rewarding the experience can be when the topic is well-chosen.

What is the personal project?The International History Bee and Bowl

The Personal Project

amazing and she continuously provided excellent feedback that I could incorporate into my work. This support was great and definitely had a positive impact on my project.

Personally, I look back on my project very positively. I filmed and interviewed several of my classmates about what being international meant to them. After hours of incredibly frustrating editing, technology failures and annoyance, I had created a video, which I’m still very proud of. Of course all this stress could have been saved by starting earlier in the summer and not choosing a topic for which I needed cooperation of other people, but I enjoyed it none the less.

Fellow Grade 11 student Isabelle Lisson reflects on her experience of making a comic book: “[It was] a great topic for me. I enjoy drawing and creating stories, and this project was actually the push I needed to just draw. I would have spaced out my time better, since I underestimated the time it took to complete the product itself, but it increased my respect for all the professional cartoonists out there, so you could see it as something positive as well.” Having found something creative and

close to her own interests, Lisson was motivated to do more research and spend more time working on her project. “Honestly it was a lot to manage, especially in that last week, but I loved it throughout.... Seeing what my fellow classmates came with at the end was also incredible”.

The variety of projects that come out of Grade 10 each year is astounding—ranging from musical compositions to the building of bikes. This year saw a lot of creative projects rather than research. Several students composed their own CDs or made dances, whereas others did research on bullying and the stress and pressure encountered by teenagers. Many current DP students see the personal project as preparation for the projects encountered in the last two years of high school, especially for the extended essay, where the research component has similar criteria. Except Art in the IB, the personal project is also the last chance for a larger scale creative project.

A message from all those who have already completed the personal project: Good luck Grade 9 and all other future personal project makers! Hopefully you will be able to find a good topic and generally give a positive spin to this project. And dear parents, please remember that supporting your child in whatever topic they have chosen really helps and makes it more interesting for you as well. Once that deadline is reached and completion is celebrated, I hope you will all be able to look back as positively as I have.

Helle Huisman, Grade 11 CAS

10

MYPIn April, the BIS History Bowl Team traveled to Stuttgart for two days to participate in the International History Bee and Bowl Competition hosted by Stuttgart International School. This is our first year ever to participate in such a history competition. Eight students and two teachers set out on a quest to win in the challenge of world history knowledge championships: Elisabeth Hatting, Michael Borgers, Daniel Van Holten, Jan-Cedric Gienau, Anael Jordan-Ortiz, Duncan Page, Che Melo, Krupha Vetriselvan, Ms Francemone and Mr Rivera.

History Bowl is a voluntary student activity for students who enjoy history. Since January, we have met every Thursday after school and Friday during lunch. During these meetings, we practiced history questions with our advisor Ms Francemone. These practice sessions helped us prepare for both the team and individual competitions.

In both the team and individual competitions, the problems presented were of great complexity. They required us to be able to think logically and quickly to answer the question before it was

fully read, so that we would gain an advantage over the other team. Out of the other schools, there was one team that stood out: the Middle School team of Stuttgart International School. They had this twelve year old boy who walked around like a living Encyclopaedia! He knew so much, it was just adorable! We barely managed to beat his team; split seconds decided who was awarded the right to answer the question. After this competition our reflexes became as fast as a cheetahs!

During this competition, we won the opportunity to go play in two other competitions. Hopefully we’ll be able to use these newly gained reflexes to win the European championships that are to be held in Rome and the Olympiad that will take place next summer at Princeton University in the United States. If we succeed in Rome, we would be eligible to go to the grand finals held in NewYork! We’re super excited - not just because of the travelling, which is a huge plus, but because studying and playing as a team is so much fun!!

Krupha Vetriselvan. Photos: Josefino Rivera.

The International History Bee and Bowl

O R T H O D O N T I S T

ASTRID WELLER-BERGMANND R . M E D . D E N T

Dr. Astrid Weller-Bergmann

Beethovenallee 58

53173 Bonn-Plittersdorf

Easy parking at Arndtplatz

Bus 614

5 minutes to BIS

Fon: 0228 184 73 74

Fax: 0228 184 73 75

www.weller-bergmann.de

[email protected]

O r t h o d o n t i c s

F u n c t i o n + A e s t h e t i c s

A d u l t s + C h i l d r e n

R e m o v a b l e + F i x e d A p p l i a n c e s

A d v a n c e d B r a c k e t S y s t e m s

I n v i s i b l e A l i g n e r s + M o r e

I t s t a r t s w i t h a s m i l e . . .

11

MYPGerman, Books and Authors: the Lit.COLOGNE TripOn 21 March, Frau Waeder’s Grade 9 and Frau Voss’ Grade 11

German classes travelled to the 2014 Lit.COLOGNE. This annual

international literature celebration in Cologne is organised for

students to bring the texts they study in class to life. The BIS

students went to a book reading and interview of Danish author

Janne Teller.

Janne Teller has been working as a full time author of both youth

and adult fiction since 1995. She became internationally acclaimed

with the publication of her second book, Nothing (Nichts – Was

im Leben wichtig ist). This novel is about the journey of a group

of Grade 8 students as they find their way in life and discover

what has meaning for them. As the characters develop, their

search for meaning escalates into violence and brutality, which

starkly contrasts with the usual representation of MYP students

in literature.

The novel is written in the rather confronting manner that is typical

in Janne Teller’s books and moves the reader to self reflection.

As the topics discussed in the book are very controversial, the

book was deemed inappropriate in Denmark and banned. Literary

censorship is almost unheard of in this part of the world and

caused a scandal in Denmark. The book may have been blacklisted

from the school curriculum there, but has since received much

international acclaim. In 2011 Janne Teller received the Michael

L. Printz Honor Book award for the novel.

Her new book, Everything (Alles), is a collection of short stories,

which also tackle confronting themes such as human trafficking,

racism and murder. In these stories Teller has incorporated plot

twists that make the reader realise how it would be to be in

such a confronting situation oneself. The combination of intrigue

and self-reflection are highly successful and make her stories

outstanding literature. The book reading in Cologne was in

celebration of both these books and worked well to show a different

side to storytelling.

During the two hour session, Teller was interviewed and asked

questions about how she creates her stories. When asked where

the stories come from she replied, “From my belly. ... I need to

stand when I write so I can feel the story, and can fully express

myself.” This intriguing perspective of feeling her stories continued

and she stood up during her book reading. Even though the story

was quite lengthy and the calm atmosphere made one feel slightly

sleepy, the reading was the highlight of the presentation. Samuel

Hewitt, a Grade 11 student, found “it was cool to witness the

process of how those stories are for her. I was pleasantly surprised.”

This more interactive way of learning about literature and the

underlying symbolism of books is an incredible way to get students

more engaged with the topics discussed. It also provides the

teachers with a lot more information to share and interpret. Both

classes acted out a role-play in class afterward in which information

and interpretations from the short story were needed. Having

heard Teller speak about her stories, this was a far more natural

process and was another great interactive way of learning. Grade

11 student Lorenzo Pasanisi reflects, “we really experienced a

lot more from the books by going to the reading and meeting

Janne Teller.”

Thank yous must be extended to Frau Waeder and Frau Voss for

taking us, as it was a great success. The interview, reading and

role-play covered all angles of the story and all students look back

on the trip positively. Helle Huisman, Grade 11 CAS

Grade 9 Students,

Author Janne Teller,

BIS Teachers Frau Waeder

and Frau Voss

12

07MAY

DINNER FOR ZAMBIA - HELP AND SUPPORT

A CHILDREN´S HOSPITAL IN ZAMBIA!

La Redoute, Kurfürstenallee 1 53177 Bonn-Bad Godesberg !Come along to a great charity event for a hospital in Zambia! There will be a three course

menu and the tickets will cost 10 Euros for children and 15 Euros for adults. However,

everybody is welcome to donate more. We will play a slideshow with pictures to explain our

project. BIS students in 6 and 9th grade are organizing the whole event and all the fundraised

money will be donated to the further construction and development of a Children’s Hospital in

Zambia. Please come and show your support!

!BONN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL,

MARTIN-LUTHER-KING-STRAßE 14, 53175 BONN

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AFTER SCHOOL IN THE WAVES BUILDING

FROM 7TH TO 10TH OF APRIL AND 28TH OF APRIL TO 2ND OF MAY

For more details contact [email protected]

7.00 pm

MYP

Charity dinner at La Redoute

All Middle Years Programme (MYP) students at BIS take part in a C&S Programme

throughout the school year. C&S aims to help students develop personal values and

awareness by helping others and contributing to their local and the global community.

This year students are involved in a range of C&S projects which benefit both the local

Bonn community and communities abroad. Local projects allow students to

experience first hand how their actions have helped those in need, while those helping

communities further afield serve to broaden students’ global awareness.

C&SCommunity & Service

Visiting the ElderlyAnother group of students paid regular visits to the elderly at the retirement home

“Haus am Redoutenpark” in Bad Godesberg. As well as simply talking to the elderly, the students play music for them, bake cookies and cupcakes to take, whizz up delicious and nutritious smoothies, and organise games such as bingo and cards.

The project encourages positive interaction between different generations and the residents of the home really enjoy the buzz and activity surrounding the students’ visits. The students learn how to engage with older people, and that sometimes a little patience is required when explaining the rules of new games or talking to those who are hard of hearing!

Community Art ProjectA group of Grade 7 students worked on a community art project which they donated to the CJG Hermann-Josef-Haus, a

community youth centre in Bad Godesberg. The group wanted to do something to help underprivileged children, and so the students set out to create an art piece which they hoped would touch and inspire fellow teenagers at the community centre. They came up with the idea of asking as many BIS students as possible to donate a handprint as a heartfelt symbol of solidarity with those less fortunate than themselves.

After an advertising campaign at school, many BIS students took part and made their mark on the project, so to speak. The resulting artwork also carries a positive and inspirational message in German, which the group hopes will resonate with teenagers at the youth centre.

Congratulations to the Dinner for Zambia C&S group! They worked together as a team and fundraised €2,221.50 for a hospital in Zambia on Wednesday, 7 May 2014. The von Borries family generously sponsored a three-course meal for over 50 guests at their restaurant, The Redoute. The C&S group did a fantastic job and raised awareness about the need for medical care in Zambia. They sold tickets, decorated, polished, prepared, and served the meal with grace and then told the guests how the funds were being used for the continual development of the Twalumba

clinic. The Twalumba clinic is located in a rural area in Zambia, and it is in great need of basic medical supplies for the local community. Thank you sincerely to all the people who attended this wonderful fundraiser. Your contributions are changing people’s lives.

A special thanks to these individuals who were

committed to making this project a success:

Bettina and Christoph von Borries, Carla Appel,

Annelise-Maria Becheru, Cassian von Borries,

Lena Cordes, Zoé Janischowsky,

Margot Lozaic, Lara Weidemann,

Leslie Weiler, Valeria Veretenova.

Middle Years Programme

13

Diploma Programme DPThis year’s graduating class of IB Diploma Programme (DP) students finished their course with the customary Visual Arts Exhibition showing their work. This year’s Exhibition took place on Monday 24 March 2014.

Visual Arts

The DP Visual Art Class consisted of nine students, a mixture of

Standard and Higher level students. This year, several students

focused on using sculpture to represent their ideas; as such, we

had some large scale works in the exhibition. From time-based /

installation media, as shown in Milena Sekulic’s work, to recycled

aspects in Hannah Paeffgen’s sculptures, students were inspired

by the world around them and their perspective as young adults

interacting with today’s society.

14

DPElements of whimsy and fun were also represented through

the brightly coloured, Colombian-inspired paintings of

Sebastian Jaregui-Kayser and the neon Cheshire Cat painting

of Caroline Rosello. Conceptual art focusing on geometry

and perception was a central to Ben Valand’s work. Personal

mindfulness, the environment and animal welfare were explored

in Jess Hamilton’s work.

Through a variety of media, Grace Smith and Nina Bondi explored

their unique cultural backgrounds, expressing elements of their

personal and national identity through their paintings and

photographs. Viviana Peluffo’s work explored the human condition,

looking at visual representation of psychology, as well as her own

cultural identity.

The exhibition was a great success and the students should be

extremely proud of their body of work, as well as the completion

of one element of their IB Diploma. Jo Tilton

15

In February, BIS was delighted to open

additional playground space on its campus.

This new area extends from the back of

the Waves building to the Rhine River. It

uses land within our school property which

had been unused and unusable up until

this point.

What’s new? Besides a large open green

lawn to play on, students enjoy a balance

beam, slide, zip line and climbing pyramid.

Nets are up on the two beach volleyball

courts and they are open for play. Our

campus security fence has been extended

to include this area so that our younger

students can safely play in this space

without wandering off campus.

The transformation of this no-go zone was

made possible by many individuals and

organizations. Funds raised at the “Luck of

the Irish” event in March 2013 were used

for purchasing the playground equipment.

The US Department of State provided a

significant part of the funding for the

security fence. Knauber, a locally-based

garden and home store, provided plants to

line the fence along the Rhine.

This year’s “Fiesta Latina” raised additional

funds for outdoor improvements to the BIS

campus. Under consideration are portable

multi-purpose event seating, umbrellas

for the outdoor terrace in between the

Waves and Agora buildings, or a dragon

(our school mascot) mural for the white

Agora wall facing the cafeteria.

Being outside and having appropriate play

spaces are important to the health and

happiness of our students. BIS places great

emphasis on this.

Keep your eye on the Newsflash and

website to find out what other projects

BIS is planning to undertake in order to

continuously improve our campus.

Run, jump, slide

16

Five enormous homemade piñatas, 33 carefully assembled

flower arrangements, 500m of papel picado, 3000kg of tables,

chairs, cutlery and crockery, not to mention stage and sound

equipment, transformed a sleek school sports hall into an

evening venue fit for a fiesta.

Fiesta Latina was an evening that many enjoyed not only for

the cultural aspect but also the opportunity to mingle with

the community. Our Latino community spent countless

hours planning, organizing and managing every detail, so

that the evening was a fiesta for all the senses. The colours

as you walked into the Agora Sports Hall were spectacular,

each table meticulously decorated with a gorgeous

arrangement of cut flowers. The welcoming cocktail and

appetizer helped us to get into the mood and teased our

taste buds.

We were then swept away by the musical entertainment.

This was a combination of traditional folk dances, groovy

choir numbers, cool Brazilian beats and spectacular

carnival entertainment. A special mention goes to Daniel

and Fernanda, who did their parents and Mexican relatives

proud, dancing that evening. I think Jo also deserves a

thank you for being on the dance floor while everyone

else queued for food.

Lovers of Latino cuisine were certainly not disappointed either.

The chef, after some negotiating, agreed to ensure certain

creativity and that there would be no skimping on ingredients.

There was so much food that many who were there didn’t

even notice the desserts. They were exquisite, and some

recipes changed hands.

None of the entertainment would have been possible without

the tireless and good-humoured labours of the Tech Team.

The great spectacle of the night was the Brazilian style

carnival extravaganza put on by a samba school from

Düsseldorf. One particular entertainer certainly proved to

be the talking point of the evening, although Jo did manage

to get the dancing started. It really reached full swing at

this point. A certain principal was seen showing off her

moves with her partner for most of the evening. Other

members of the leadership team also got down on the

dance floor.

The only complaints heard were from people who were

too immersed in the Silent Auction and somehow ‘missed’

the dancing, or vice versa. Was the evening too short?

Maybe our senses were all just on overdrive.

FiestaLatina

17

No Food is No Fun!

At the time, a thorough job was done of keeping the public in the dark. But Spring has now rolled around and it’s time you knew. Earlier this school year, a canteen catastrophe very nearly occurred. No, no, lives weren’t shattered, days weren’t spoiled, careers weren’t cut short—but, had this disaster actually happened, those of you with a dietary dependence on the Sodexo team’s hot lunch menu would most certainly have gone home with rumbling stomachs.

Contrary to what you may now be thinking, the problem was not a lack of food but rather a lack of means with which to serve it. During a BIS weekend event, someone had removed the cafeteria’s serving dishes and had unfortunately forgotten to return what they had taken.

Noontime on Monday came. The Sodexo team, having spent the morning in the kitchen cooking, went into the cafeteria to prepare for the primary students’ fast approaching lunch break. They faced an unusual obstacle: the serving dishes were nowhere to be found! With only 20 minutes to spare before a hundred hungry little kids swarmed the cafeteria, a volunteer from the Sodexo team rushed to inform BIS staff members of the dilemma.

Luckily, the missing serving dishes were located and returned just in the nick of time and nobody was any the wiser… Until now, of course. Elissa Filozof, Grade 11 CAS

Who Let the Dogs Out?Mr Vaughn’s story:

In early March, Mr Vaughn dog-sat Ms Francemone’s three dogs. He had met them before and they seemed to get along. At 19.00 he went to her apartment to let the dogs out. One, Pookie, decided she no longer trusted Mr Vaughn. She began slowly to distance herself from him and, not knowing what else to do, Mr Vaughn decided to run after her.

After sprinting for about ten blocks, twisting an ankle, and asking neighbors for help, Mr Vaughn was forced to call Ms Francemone with the horrible news: one of her dogs was lost. She reassured him Pookie would go home of her own accord. This she did. But upon seeing Mr Vaughn again, she promptly bolted for a second time

Ms Box was then drafted in to help Mr Vaughn search for Pookie. She suggested filing a report with the local police. To everyone’s surprise, the Bad Godesberg police not only sent out a car, but the police officers called about every 30 minutes with updates. The final update was at 23.10: Pookie had been found hiding under a parked car. She was scared, cold and hungry and just wanted to go home. So much so, she even let Mr Vaughn pick her up.

Ms Francemone’s story:

While away on a much anticipated 10th grade Ypres field trip, Ms Francemone was informed by her kind dog sitter, Mr Vaughn, that Pookie had gone missing. Both parties—rather, all parties—were quite distressed at this turn of events.

The BIS community sprang into action: a student accompanying Ms. Francemone called Ms Box, Pookie’s favorite neighbor. Ms Box immediately joined in the hunt. A few sightings, stressful phone calls and at least two circumnavigations of the neighborhood later, Ms Box suggested calling the Bad Godesberg police for help.

With the police joining in the hunt, Pookie’s return home was imminent. After four and a half hours of evading capture, a tired, cold, hungry Pookie finally submitted to the officers, who cornered her under a parked car at a local construction site. A relieved Mr Vaughn thanked the officers for their help and their leash to walk her home. Ms Francemone, grateful to all parties involved in the search, distributed homemade cookies shaped as dog bones to everyone.

Quirky and curious happenings are inevitable in every school community and BIS is no exception. Here are some of the more unusual recent

experiences and anecdotes from our BIS community. Check them out!

Crazy occurrences at school!Introducing

a new Waves

segment entitled

“BIZARRE BIS”

This has been a debut segment for “Bizarre BIS”. We hope you’ve enjoyed

it! If you know of any crazy occurrences involving our school and would like to see them featured in the next edition of Waves, send them to

[email protected].

18

19

At Bonn International School, every spring kicks off with an inclusive experience that spotlights the various creative skills

present within the community: the Creative Waves Festival. The brainchild of Music teacher Ms Kathleen Szalay, Creative Waves

was initiated in 2013 as a new opportunity for all nonsporting clubs and activities to showcase their talent. And now the thank you

cards are rolling in.

Performances were delivered by the BIS Band and Choir, the

Musical Theatre and Primary Drama classes, the German Drama

and Irish Dance groups, the Strings Ensemble, the Girl Scouts,

the International Voices Choir, the BIS Kids Rock team, Model

United Nations speakers, and numerous piano students.

Displays, arranged and manned by various organizations, also

lined the corridors of the Agora. These included Maths, Girl Scouts,

and MUN booths; digital art, community art, iPad and music

displays. Middle Years Programme (MYP) students Andrea Jonsson

and Erin Bridges are two members of the Girl Scouts Troop 14,

which meets biweekly in the Waves building. “We set up our booth

mainly to try and raise money for our upcoming service trip to

India,” Jonsson says. Bridges adds, “Then we performed a few

songs that we usually sing at camp. The festival is a great way to

make people aware of different groups that are tied to the school.”

One major highlight from last year’s festival was the public’s

contribution to a community artwork, which is now featured in

the Agora. New this year, the entire school was invited to take

part in a creative photography display supervised by Suzanne

Kaegi. Perhaps most exciting was a visit from the Two Steves,

the authors of over 185 children’s books, who led a hilarious game

show during the festival. Lastly, a wine-tasting was held towards

the end of the event for the parents.

The flexibility of Creative Waves makes it unique because the list

of acts varies every year with the differing desires and talents of

students involved. The age variety among participants is also a

positive attribute; the festival gives secondary and primary students

the uncommon opportunity to interact in a family environment.

Creative Waves Festival

CreativeThe annual festival exhibits more than 30 different

acts, ranging from the BIS Choir to a wee group

of Irish dancers: yet another reflection of the

rich diversity inherent to international school

communities. One thing each student involved

has, however, is a strong sense of creativity—

regardless of the shape in which it manifests

itself—and the motivation to share it.

Events

Creative Waves is interactive,

available to the whole community

and free of charge. One element

of the festival is its string of work-

shops, which run consecutively

throughout the day. This year’s

workshops included: Chinese

Calligraphy; Robotics; Origami;

Zumba; Print Making; Film Viewing;

the Primary Fun, Maths and Story

Time Art clubs; and guitar and brass

lessons.

Performances, which took place in

the Agora building and Sports Hall,

ranged from solo acts to collective

ones. Grade 11 student, Meagan

Brooks, who played a piano piece,

says, “I was nervous but performing

really stretches you to do your best.”

20

Waves FestivalA Second Success

Last year’s first ever Creative Waves Festival had 200 people in

attendance and was a great success. This year the festival drew

an even larger crowd. Throughout the process—from laying the

groundwork, to the setup and packing up of the festival—the

cooperation of parent volunteers and BIS staff members has been

key. “Parents are strongly encouraged to get involved because

their support is what motivates their children to participate,”

says Ms Szalay.

Students’ Feedback

Windie Hoefs, Grade 12, recounts her two years of Creative Waves

experience, “In 2013 the STEP team did a performance and led

a workshop at the festival. It was so much fun because we got

to teach little kids, kids from Secondary School, and even parents.

This year we went through the same routine.” Hoefs is a member

of the BIS STEP tap dancing team, an extracurricular activity

which meets regularly.

Grade 11 student Jillian Fox also shares: “I participate in Choir,

which has been a lot of fun, especially learning the choreography

for the upbeat songs we do. It’s really cool to pair singing and

dancing. I’m in the Math Club, too, and for that we did a mini-

Olympiad style competition and answered a bunch of math

questions.” Lastly, she says, “For BIS Band, we had a lot of fun

preparing for the festival during early morning practices. We really

bonded.” For these many students, Creative Waves is a wonderful

creativity outlet that facilitates team building, hard work and an

appreciation for the arts. Elissa Filozof, Grade 11 CAS

21

Organized and directed by husband and

wife duo, Joseph and Kathleen Szalay, the

annual school musical is the source of

much excitement for the many students

it attracts. The BIS musical provides a

fun, social, rewarding commitment so

sought after among students. It owes its

existence to the backing of the school

community, which has sold out the past

two musicals. Now for a look at last year’s

performance, Grease.

Show History

The product of a collaboration

between writers Jim Jacobs and

Warren Casey, Grease premiered

on Broadway in 1972. The musical,

whose themes include love, teen-

age rebellion and class conflict,

received seven Tony nominations and

the thunderous applause of worldwide

popularity. Today it remains Broadway’s

15th longest running show, having run

3,388 performances by the time it closed

in 1980.

The hit film version, starring John Travolta

and Olivia Newton-John, has become the

highest grossing movie musical ever, since

its 1978 release. The show’s title is derived

directly from its setting—America in the

1950s—when those who swelled the

country’s working class youth subculture

were known as “greasers”. Grease tackles

GREASEthe social issues of teenage pregnancy and

gang violence, and ends on the note of

lasting friendship. The plot of the musical,

which is set in 1959 at a fictional Chicago

high school, follows the adventures of

handsome, cocky, bad boy Danny Zuko

and his pretty, blonde girlfriend Sandy

Olsson, as together they navigate the

complexities of discovering oneself.

“It’s All Part of the Process”

As was the case for the previous BIS

musical, Little Shop of Horrors, over 40

students auditioned for roles in Grease for

a cast of 35. Rehearsals—usually lasting

two to three hours, but intensifying as the

production date neared—began almost

immediately. Grade 11 student Jillian Fox,

who portrayed the show’s dynamic female

lead, Sandy, says, “I practiced the audition

song and monologue a lot at home, and a

ton for my family and friends. I’m sure that

they knew the pieces as well as I by the

time the auditions came around.”

Nearly all students auditioning go a similar

route. But when the casting is being

decided, what catches the casters’ eyes?

“We look for people who have a spark

of confidence, that air of charisma; a

personality that fits a certain role. I can see

the potential in students to depict a certain

character, even if they can’t,” explains

Mr Szalay. He continues, “We select

22

musicals based on the students we know

we have; if there aren’t the right personalities

for the roles, the show just isn’t feasible.

We picked Grease last year to build up a

particular group of guys we had, as well as

to build everyone’s dance skills.” That’s

one objective accomplished. “I was

definitely challenged by the dancing,

because we had to act, sing and dance all

at once,” reflects Fox. “But I think I grew a

lot as a dancer because it was so dance

heavy. I also learned to roll with mistakes

and improvise.”

Other students involved gained similar

benefits; Grade 10 student Ché Melo, cast

as Danny, still laughs at his experiences

both on and offstage. “My relationship with

the other cast members grew so much. We

all became really close as we worked

together for the show,” he says. Mr Szalay

adds that it is his perpetual hope that “cast

members develop higher levels of

confidence, conquer fears and learn to be

better performers” throughout the months

long process. For those kids whose

interests may not lie in performing,

Community Action Service (CAS) hours

serve as an incentive to get involved with

various backstage opportunities.

The Szalays received glowing reports from

the cast; Michael Borgers, Grade 10,

supplies eloquent evidence: “[They were]

amazing, awesome, wonderful, best,

superb, magnificent and basically all other

synonyms that Microsoft Word can come

up with for ‘brilliant’. Both Mr and Mrs

Szalay gave so much of their time… It is

really special to have such industry experts

at our side. I look forward to working with

them in the future.” DP student Robby

Pintar adds, “[The Szalays] were very

helpful in making the process smooth.”

Scheduled for Autumn 2014

The upcoming musical to debut in

September, Into the Woods, looks promising.

In the words of Mr Szalay, it is “the most

difficult show [the school has] ever

attempted, by far.” Why is this? “We picked

Into the Woods this year specifically to up

the ante vocally.” All of those students,

parents and teachers who have so

generously poured their time and abilities

into producing an excellent show look

forward to yet another warm reception by

the BIS community.

Elissa Filozof, Grade 11 CAS

23

Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) – these three creative

concepts undergo constant change and are the foundation for

the innovative development of our global community.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading.

Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED

has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple

initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading

As the TED organization states, its purpose is to build a community of curious people to engage with ideas and each other, both online and in real life. The topics of a talk may range from science to business but the creative drive of the speakers is a constant. This can clearly be seen among the speakers at BIS, which hosted its first TEDxYouth event in 2011.

Tosca Killoran, who initiated the project at BIS with a simple Facebook post in 2010, has held the TEDxYouth@BIS licence for the last four years. Brenna McNeil in 2011, Jeff Hoffart in 2012 and 2013 and then Josefino Rivera in 2014 joined Tosca to organize four amazing events that showcased the students at BIS.

TEDxYouth@BIS was one of the first TEDxYouth events worldwide and the event has been met with great enthusiasm and has grown over the years. All the students involved in the event, both speakers and organizers, have found it exciting to be part of such a fantastic initiative. The TEDxYouth@BIS event also has inspired

other events as teachers have left our school. TEDxYouth@WAB, TEDxYouthKyoto are both events that are organized by teachers who were once part of the BIS community.

This year’s TEDxYouth@BIS, held on 15 February 2014 was full of incredible presentations showcasing the diversity and innovation that resides in our community. Grade 10 student Mackenzie Mathos, who performed a slam poem at the event, writes:

“TEDx was the experience of a lifetime for me. I spent countless weeks and hours preparing with an extremely supportive team for those few life changing moments on stage. Over the course of just a few months, I created an idea, a presentation and created many drafts of my presentation, all of which was triple checked by the TEDx support team and my peers. Personal rehearsals, as well as group rehearsals, went on for hours, or at least it seemed like it. Every speech must have been spoken over 40 times before we even reached the week before the event. I must have looked insane, walking around my house muttering

and yelling my speech and doing the same in front of the mirror!

The TEDx night came upon us quickly and soon the event had started and I was up first. Every moment spent beforehand could not have prepared me for the rush I got on that stage. Joining TEDx was the best decision I have made and none of it would have been possible without the help of Ms Tosca and Mr Rivera and their team of supporting teachers.”

Sadly, both Ms Tosca and Mr Rivera will be leaving next year, but they have passed on the torch to Mr Vaughn and Ms Rogers. Past speakers have already expressed interest in joining again, and TEDx seems to have become a tradition at BIS.

For anyone interested in jo in ing TEDxYouth@BIS next year or coming to the event, connect on Facebook, Flicker, Youtube, Twitter @TEDxYouthatBIS or at http://www.tedxyouthbis.com/ to access past talks, event details and to become part of the TEDx community!

Helle Huisman, Grade 11 CAS

thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then

made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included

Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard

Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,

Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. In

2009, TED created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of

local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a

TED-like experience.

24

It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s the Two Steves!I t a l l started last October during

International School Library Month. BIS

kicked off its One School/One Author

event, although in this case it was a

One School/Two Author event as the Two

Steves visited our school on Friday 4 April.

All students, staff, and parents had been

challenged to read at least one of the 185

books the Two Steves have published.

Books were made available at two book

fairs, in the library, and online via our

school Overdrive account.

Throughout the fall and winter, teachers

and students read books by the Two

Steves and signed their names inside the

books after they finished. Some readers

submitted online reviews to our library

catalog, while others shared their thoughts

using pawprints on the Media Centre wall.

There was also a life size book cover drawn

by Grade 10 students.

4 April finally arrived and the day started

with an assembly for Grades 1 through 5

to meet the Two Steves. Well over half of

the student body stood up when asked if

they had read a book authored by our

visitors. After meeting the students -

“everyone shout your name out at once!”

- the Two Steves asked the teachers to

introduce themselves. They noticed one

or two who needed a little extra prompting.

Students loved seeing their teachers

involved.

Throughout the day, different grade levels

met with the Two Steves. Grades 1 and 2

took part in an interactive reading of the

play ‘Thingumybob’. Grades 3, 4 and 5

participated in the ‘So you want to be a

writer’ workshop where they learned how

writers borrow bits of stories from others,

including their own real life experiences.

The Two Steves spent their lunch break

signing books and answering questions.

Cindy Rogers

25

Like any other international school, BIS has

a diverse community and recognizes the

many different traditions and cultures that

come with this diversity. The enthusiasm

with which our community embraces this

variety is truly amazing and enough reason

for celebration. The many festivities and

events that take place at the school are a

clear reflection of this and provide amazing

platforms for recognizing the talent and

individuality amongst us. These festivities

range from purely cultural celebrations

such as the Fiesta Latina to the annual

welcoming barbecues and school dances.

But have you ever wondered how all these

celebrations are run? Most school functions

are started by highly enthusiastic teachers

or students who want to share their unique

interests or talents with others. For this

purpose, groups and clubs consistently

meet or are formed, in the hope of creating

an unforgettable event. These groups

include the Parent Volunteers, the Shangilia

Project, the TEDx team and this month’s

Unsung Heroes: the Tech Team.

The Tech Team was started by several

students who turned their interests in sound

and light engineering into a Community

Action Service (CAS) project. In these

projects, Diploma Programme students are

asked to provide a service, show creativity

or be active in order to gain experiences

outside of the typical school curriculum.

From the start, the Tech Team has included

students from Grades 9 to 12 and has

become an essential part of any school

function. The team provides the behind-

the-scenes help needed to allow a function

to run as flawlessly as possible. Not only

do they haul around the equipment to

set up sound and light systems, they

operate these throughout any event and

provide any other help needed. Even

though this often requires a lot of time and

commitment from the Tech Team, they are

always enthusiastic to provide this service

to our school.

The organisers of Fiesta Latina found the

Tech Team to be “a great help in pulling

everything together” and that they were

prepared to go the extra mile during set up,

remaining good-humoured throughout. The

sound and light setups at the school dances

were great as well, creating an excellent

atmosphere for all students and staff who

were there. Nigel Thornewill, who was the

Tech Team leader this year, says “it was a

great experience these last few years and

I’m happy I could be part of it. And in case

anything went wrong, we could always use

the team slogan: I know what I’m doing!

(I think)”.

So, on behalf of the BIS community,

thank you Tech Team! You guys are great!

Helle Huisman, Grade 11 CAS

Our new regular feature where we put the spotlight on those working behind the scenes to make enormous contributions

to our school community. This edition’s Unsung Heroes:

the Tech Team.

If you know of an unsung BIS hero or heroine who deserves

to be sung about in future editions of Waves magazine,

please contact [email protected].

The Tech Team Alumni

Unsung Heroes

26

The Tech Team Alumni

I joined BIS in 2004 as a Grade 5 student in Ms Appana’s class.

In those days Grade 5 used to have a dance every semester and

the Primary Years Programme graduation consisted of a dinner

and dance.

At the dances, I was introduced to two Diploma Programme

students, Arjun Singh and Rafal Malec, who used to be our DJs.

There was no Tech team; these guys just loved to DJ and they

would get their personal computers and speakers and play music

for us.

We grew from these humble beginnings and when I left BIS in

2013 we had a fully organized Tech Team, with two team leads

supporting nearly all school functions as part of their CAS project.

The concept of a BIS Tech Team began with Michael Freyer, who

was mad about sound engineering and owned professional

equipment from mixers to speakers and even stage lights!

Many of the Tech team leads have gone on to study sound

engineering or engineering. So where are some of the former Tech

team members today?

Samuel Barry (class of 2013) is studying for a BS in Sound

Engineering at Southampton Solent University.

Vivek Bilolikar (class of 2013) is studying for a BS in Biology

and Cognitive Brain Sciences at Tufts University.

Matyas Koloh (class of 2012) is studying for a Bachelor of

Engineering in Mechanical/Automotive Engineering at the

University of Hertfordshire.

Thierry Zoller (class of 2012) is studying for a Bachelor of

Engineering at Cork Institute of Technology.

Callum Plunkett (class of 2011) is studying for a BS in Music

Studio Technology at Southampton Solent University.

Michael Freyer (class of 2010) will graduate this May from the

University of Connecticut with a Bachelor’s degree in Sound

Design. He recently joined the staff of Meyer Sound

Laboratories Inc, and has worked with artists like Prince,

Mariah Carey, and the New York Philharmonic.

Rafal Malec (class of 2008) is continuing his studies towards a

teaching qualification at the University of Glasgow.

Arjun Singh (class of 2008) now works in Chicago as a medical

doctor. by Vivek Bilolikar

Dr. MED. Dent. ASTRID WELLER-BERGMANNOrthodontist

where they are now and how it all began…

Vivek Bilolikar, who graduated last year, tells Waves how he became involved with the BIS Tech Team and gives us an

update on what some former members are doing now.

27

9 WACKY1

Incomprehensible Gravity. A neutron star is one of the possible end states of massive stars. In a neutron star the force of its own gravity shrinks the star to a size so small that it has more mass than that of the Sun compressed into a region whose diameter is 20 km (the size of the island of

Manhattan)! This means that a teaspoonful of material from a

neutron star would weigh about 10 million tons!To read more about neutron stars see: http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/pulsars.html. Image: http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast162/Unit3/Images/NeutronStar.gif

7Looking into space is looking back in time. Since light takes time to travel from distant stars to Earth, astronomers are able to observe the universe at different times by looking at more distant objects. The Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest large galaxy to our galaxy the Milky Way.

It is 2.5 million light years from Earth. This means that light that we see today from this galaxy is 2.5 million years old! The more distant an object is from Earth, the further back in time we are looking at the universe!

4The length of the day is changing. The length of a day on Earth is 24 hours (precisely 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds). But did you know that in Earth’s history this has not always been the case. The moon is continually slowing down the

Earth’s rotation, so the length of a day is slowly getting longer. At the time of the formation of the moon, about 4 billion years ago, the length of the day on Earth was only four hours! To explore ideas of the moon see http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/EPO/Trivia/expMoon.php and http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earth-rotation-summer-solstice/www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2003/07/binary_system_earth-moon/10225612-2-eng-GB/Binary_system_Earth-Moon.jpg

2A changing magnetic field. The molten iron core at the center of the Earth generates a magnetic field that protects life on Earth from the fierce solar winds that contain ionized gas. The solar wind is deflected by the Earth’s magnetic field. Did you know that the Earth’s North pole is actually

magnetically South! To read more about the Earth’s magnetic field see http://stargazers.gsfc.nasa.gov/resources/magnet_in_space.htmhttp://stargazers.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/geospace_images/magnet_in_space/Plasma_fountain.jpg

5The largest organism in the world is a fungus. It is over 2000 years old and

covers an area of ~10 km2. ht tp : / /www.sc ien t i f i camer ican.com/ar t i c le .cfm?id=strange-but-true-largest-organism-is-fungus

6Lobsters do not age. As a lobster gets older it simply grows larger and theoretically could live forever. Lobsters only perish at

the hands of predators or due to disease.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/5118370.stm

We live in a world

where science can be

stranger than fiction!

Here is some

information that may

surprise you.

3The distance from the Earth to Mars is

about 55 million kilometers at closest

approach. This may not sound impressive

but to travel there is the equivalent of

traveling around the world over 1375

times. If you were to take the Concorde,

the trip would last almost three years (not

including stops). The lack of gravity, the

need for supplies and the dangers from solar storms make

interplanetary travel quite a challenge. Interstellar travel is on an

even completely different level. The nearest star is over 40 trillion

kilometers away. Traveling at 60 000 kph (the speed of Voyager 1) it

would take you over a 70 thousand years to reach the nearest star.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope snapped this shot of Mars on 26

August 2003, when the Mars was 55.52 million kilometers from

Earth. The picture was taken just 11 hours before Mars made its

closest approach to us in 60,000 years.

2828

9 WACKY

Which zoo has the largest collection of species in the world? By the way it is also the world’s oldest zoo and was opened in 1844.

What is the most common name for boys in Germany? What is the most common name for girls in Germany?

How many types of bread are there in Germany? There are museums dedicated to the history of bread. The most famous is in Ulm.

In 1455 the movable metal type printing press was used to print the first major book which was the Bible. Who was the inventor and where did he live?

The world’s first state-designed nature reserve was opened in 1836. I am sure you have been to it. Can you guess its name?

1 2 3 4 5

5 Questions about Germanyanswers on last page

8Gravity bends light and slows down time.

One of the predictions of Einstein’s

theory of General Relativity, is that as

light passes near an object it will bend

because of the gravity of the object. This

phenomenon is called gravitational

lensing. Massive distant galaxy clusters

show strong gravitational lensing. This effect is very small for our

Sun, and still smaller for Earth! Yet it needs to be taken into

account in GPS satellites.

The galaxy cluster Abell 2218 in this image is gravitationally

lensing more distant galaxies behind it. This lensing is seen as

light arcs in the image.

See http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/features/news/grav_lens.html for more information on

gravitational lensing.9We are living a cloud of plasma of over 1 million °C. The Milky Way galaxy is surrounded by very hot gas with temperatures greater than 1million °C. The gas has been trapped by the gravity of the dark matter around our galaxy and the local group. It has a density of about 1 particle per liter and therefore in not directly detectable on Earth but UV and X-ray emission from this gas is detected by orbiting telescopes.

This artist’s illustration shows an enormous halo of hot gas (in blue) around the Milky Way galaxy. Also shown, to the lower left of the Milky Way, are the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, two small neighboring galaxies. The halo of gas is shown with a radius of about 300,000 light years, although it may extend significantly further.For more information see http://www.space.com/17734-milky-way-galaxy-giant-gas-halo.html or http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/multimedia/hot_gas_halo.html

SCIENCE FACTS

2929

Raija and Jyrki Konsala (BIS parents 2006-2008)

All three of our kids have spent the last few years in UK: Ville (26) did his Masters at Warwick University

and now works for the Royal Bank of Scotland, Minna (25) finished her Masters in Interior Design at Brighton University last February and now plans to spend some

time travelling around the world. Our youngest son Matti (22) will finish his Masters next June. He is also at Warwick University and studying Program Systems

Engineering with Business Management, as did his older brother.

We are really proud of the kids and thankful to all of you at BIS. Regards to Mr Murphy, Mrs Wrighton,

Mrs Lewthwaite, Mrs Heinrichs and all the others who taught these young people between 2006 and 2008.

Beyond BIS our alumni have followed a diverse range of studies and careers in many different

countries. Read here about the paths some of our former students have taken.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Froesch GRP_Waves, magazin of the Bonn International School_(w)185mmX(h)126mm_EN_CTP.pdf 1 4/4/2014 4:08:38 PM

Diana (Moussa) Spencer (BHS 1986-1989)

I attended the British High School (now BIS) from

1986-89 and have really happy memories of that time. I

now live in England in a village not far from Cheltenham.

My married name is Diana Spencer (trust me I’ve heard

all the jokes!) and I have two children (aged eight and

six). I work from home for a local company. I like the

area we live in but I do miss being in an international

environment. It’s something I have always enjoyed

since my time in Bonn.

30

Naomi Pasztor (BIS 2003)

I attended BIS from its inception when BHS and Bonn American High School merged (I was at BHS) until I graduated in 2003. After graduating I returned to

Switzerland to go to university and studied International Hospitality Management at the École Hotelière of

Lausanne. After graduating I started my own company with my business partner in Napa Valley, California.

We opened a chocolate shop together, Kollar Chocolates (www.kollarchocolates.com)

and it has been very successful so far.

I’ve had a few friends from BIS come visit (some intentionally and some by coincidence who were visiting

the area). A few classmates and I had a mini 10 year High School reunion last April in Bonn. Six of us were able to

come. Recognize anyone?

Carlos Meissner (BIS 1997-2000)

I was at BIS at its inception in 1997 (coming

from BHS when it merged with BAHS)

and graduated in 2000.

These were some quite formative years during

a critical time in the school’s history. I recall the

“Seven Respects” preached by the Director and

the difficulty of merging two schools - the 1998

Yearbook was black for a reason, according to

Mr. Murphy - plus many other things.

After graduating in 2000, I studied history and

ended up doing my PhD in the same subject

in the UK (Lancaster, Oxford and York). After

returning to Germany (Berlin), I taught for a

semester at the Freie Universität and worked as

a tour guide for historic walking tours of Berlin,

Potsdam, Dresden and the Sachsenhausen

concentration camp memorial. Coincidentally,

I gave a tour to an employee at BIS! He said he

was one of the security officers. Back in my day,

in the old building, we did not have those!

Currently, I am in the US and Costa Rica on a

DAAD scholarship working on turning my thesis

into a book manuscript.

On that note, my history teacher, John Hopkins,

was my inspiration and one of the reasons for

my staying at a school I ultimately loved but had

trouble adjusting to.

Kate Rickel (BIS 2000-2004)

Since leaving BIS I have graduated from Ohio State University with a dual degree in Accounting and Finance. I am a certified public accountant and I have joined Deloitte

and Touche LLP as a full time auditor in Texas.

My brother David attended the Middle Years Program and left in Grade 9. He graduated High School in Houston, Texas

in 2006. After attending the University of Nebraska at Lincoln he decided to travel the world. He spent 6 months in Cambodia, a year in Australia and several weeks in Europe

and North Africa.

He is a licensed Emergency Medical Technician. This past year he has taken part as the lead field medic on an

expedition with Discovery Channel in Mexico, exploring one of the deepest caves in the world. He is working with Stone Aerospace Labs on the timing of an expedition to Alaska to test a probe for Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. He has also just spent a week in Haiti aiding the fight against cholera. He

lives in Austin, Texas.

Jacob, my younger brother, who attended BIS Primary School, is now in middle school. He is very active in Boy Scouts and enjoys reading and cycling outside of school.

My mom often speaks fondly of all our friends and the families at BIS (particularly the Ocklefords) and misses the

time we spent in Germany a lot.

If you know what any of our alumni

are up to, we’d love to hear from

you at [email protected].

Where Are They Now?

31

In the article Adams summarizes the characteristics that companies look for in order of importance as:

1. Ability to work in a team

2. Ability to make decisions and solve problems

3. Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work

4. Ability to communicate verbally with people inside and

outside an organization

5. Ability to obtain and process information

6. Ability to analyse quantitative data

7. Technical knowledge related to the job

8. Proficiency with computer software programs

9. Ability to create and/or edit written reports

10. Ability to sell and influence others.

Looking at what we teach through the process of the design cycle, it is clear that we teach most of these skills in Technology.

At the design stage, a range of possible solutions have to be provided, developing the ability to communicate different ideas though drawing, scripts, storyboards, diagrams and also making decisions and solving problems. The best solution has to be justified, developing the skill to sell to or influence others.

H O W D O E S

TECHNOLOGYAND

DESIGNPREPARE STUDENTSFOR THE WORKPLACE

2012–2016I spoke to a parent recently, who asked me to explain how the skills that students learn in Middle Years Programme (MYP) Technology, relate to what is required of young people in

the workforce. I thought of an article by Susan Adams1 in Forbes magazine about which skills

employers value most and it made me consider how well this fits into what we teach

in Technology/Design in the MYP.

1. Adams, Susan. The 10 Skills Employers Most Want In 20-Something Employees. Forbes Magazine, 11 October 2013. 2. IB Learner Profile. 3. New Research Reveals Top 10 Skills for 2020. Subcommittee for Education in the New Global Economy, Ohio Department of Education http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/ostrc/docs/document_library/acc/Workforce%20Development/New%20Research%20Reveals%20Top%20Ten%20(Youth)%20Skills%20for%202020.pdf

Working in the planning stage, the time available for the project, the resources and the tools have to be evaluated, planned, organized and prioritized. Planning of resources already implies a strong understanding of the technical knowledge related to the task that students plan to perform and teaches project management skills.

The create phase allows all of this knowledge and skills to be utilized to create a product that should satisfy the original client brief and product specification. This stage frequently entails teamwork as can be illustrated in the making of a film, where there are often several actors, at least one camera person and

sometimes a director. In the workshop environment teamwork is regularly required for projects because the process of building the product involves more than one person’s support and skills. The end product may seem insignificant at times but the large range of knowledge and skills that have to be developed to get there is really what the learning is about.

The final evaluation phase is very important because it not only allows students to evaluate the success of the product, it also teaches them how to analyse quantitative and qualitative data and identify improvements. In addition, this area demands introspection and an evaluation of the student’s own attitudes and skills, based on the International Baccalaureate (IB) learner profile.2

This complex and long-term learning process is one of the reasons I love teaching Technology, or ‘Design’ as it will be called in the MYP curriculum from 2014/2015 onwards. Not only do the students love learning through doing and creating, they also learn an enormous amount of life skills in the process. I can see a variety of technical skillsets developing as students’ projects progress, but the really exciting part is seeing students develop the skills that will support them to become successful young adults at university and in the workplace. This focus on specific skills to prepare students for life after school is taking place all over the world and is the focus of educational planning.3

Technology and Design prepares students to deal with any challenge, break it down into different components and find solutions. What a privilege it is be involved in inquiry-based education. by Jackie Van Der Steege

32

“Quiet on the set”, video producers are at work, “sshhh” authors are writing, musicians are composing and artists are creating. This is a place of learning, innovation and creativity.

Let’s explore how BIS technology has progressed over the year.

Excitement ran high early in the year as our

students in Grades 6 to 8 each received

an iPad mini, while students in primary

school walked into classrooms outfitted

with at least five iPads. Questions abounded

from students, teachers and parents. How

could the iPads be used? What would the

benefits be? Is this a useful learning tool?

How will it change teaching and learning?

We wondered if the vision “Increasing

student engagement, motivation, and

d i fferent iat ion by enhancing and

personalizing 21st century teaching/

learning through equal access to technology”

would become reality. Currently, when

looking into classrooms and seeing

students work, it is evident that we are on

the right path. In this rapidly changing world,

there has to be continual reflection on the

evolving nature of teaching and learning.

In the past year, there are three observations

that come to mind as examples of the

movement of technology at BIS.

1. The iPad is becoming firmly entrenched

as a learning tool to be used in ways that

have a positive impact on student learning.

Sometimes, this is taking a photo or video

of an art piece for later reflection, or at other

times as an integral part of a research and

product creation, such as developing a

video about the origins of the Universe.

2. Student and teacher skills and confidence

in using iPads have increased, as initial

worries and fears disappeared. Take a peek

in the classrooms and you will be impressed

with the fluidity of students when using the

various features and apps on their iPad.

3. Tasks are varied and becoming more

complex. This was shown in the projects

that were submitted for the Creative Waves

festival. Projects came from all grade levels

and subject areas and were created with

a diversity of apps. They show a growing

depth of knowledge and sophistication with

the digital tools that help them express their

ideas in new ways. Students are becoming

adept at using multiple apps in one project

such as creating an iBook that contains a

graph from Numbers, a video from iMovie,

and a drawing from Brushes.

What words describe your iPad experience? (App: Word Clouds)

How are iPads helpful and challenging to your learning? (App: Popplet)

Maybe someday fiction will turn into fact! (App: Strip Design)

iPad Synectics (App: Book Creator)

In the last Waves magazine we heard from

teachers as to how they saw student

learning impacted by our iPad program,

and now it’s time to turn to some student

voices as shown through some iPad apps.

Ann Martin

iPads Enhancing Education

33

Here are some things I have never said

aloud: “I couldn’t possibly eat that much!”,

“Let’s go try on bathing suits!” and lastly

“I really feel the one thing missing from my

life is a running club”.

Not many of us find pleasure in pushing

ourselves to the limit when it comes to

exercise. Even though it’s just you, the open

road and some cyclists, it’s such a hard

thing to lace up your shoes and start.

Amazingly, there are people in this world

who find such pleasure in running they want

to pass it on to others. It’s no longer just

about them but rather how they can share

this joy with everyone else. Luckily for our

community we have one such person and

her name is Edith.

Edith is the type of person who wakes up,

brushes her teeth, eats a grilled chicken

breast, drinks home made bone broth, and

wonders how she can physically push

herself. Perhaps this is because she’s from

Norway and therefore was born tall, thin and

motivated, or maybe it’s been built over time.

She is passionate about running and eating

correctly to fuel her body. One day, Edith

woke up and thought to herself, “I know

so many people who could benefit from

running and I am just the person to motivate

them”. So began the Friday morning

running club. All it took was a simple post

on Facebook and some word of mouth and

about six people showed up that first week

to begin a run/walk program.

I must admit I have trained with Edith before

and didn’t attend the first few Friday

sessions. Running is not my strong suit

even though with my short legs, extra

weight and blister prone feet, I’m totally

built for it! But one day I figured I needed

some running inspiration so I headed up

to the Kottenforst ready to be defeated.

Here’s the amazing thing: I had a fantastic

time! I almost completely forgot I was

exercising. We all talked about our lives,

discussed fitness goals and motivated each

other. Some of us already knew one another

and others had never met. Our common

ground was that none of us actually saw

running as an enjoyable activity. We all said

we would much rather join a Friday morning

coffee club.

Edith has a gift when it comes to appealing

to all people of all levels. She will not leave

anyone behind and she will not turn it into

a competition. She recognizes small

improvements in each and every one of us

and is constantly encouraging and pushing

without making you feel deflated.

As a result, there have been weeks where

almost 15 people have been running,

laughing and getting really fit together

without even trying. Three people in the

running club signed up to do the Bonn half

marathon in April and many others took

part in the marathon relay.

About four of us showed up at running club

less than a week after the race. Three of

us were all set to do an easy 5km run whilst

patting our backs at having completed a

goal. One of us, who shall remain nameless,

told us we were going to do some fun hill

intervals but not to worry because we would

only be doing two up the “horrible hill”

whereas she knew we could manage at

least four. But we all made it and lived to

tell the tale.

What I love is that we are a constantly

evolving group with different (and changing)

abilities and goals. We do stair intervals in

the park and instead of cursing the inventor

of stairs we discuss which 5km runs we

could all sign up for. No one will ever be

turned away, left behind, or discouraged.

We’d love to see new runners show up on

a Friday morning. We are splitting into two

groups so new people feel comfortable and

welcome. And newbies needn’t worry - they

won’t face the “horrible hill” until at least

week two.

Now this is a true story and not a fairy tale,

so I should add that I still wake up, brush

my teeth, eat my sugar cereal, and am

generally grumpy because I know I have

to run. I still don’t crave a jog or wish there

were more hours in the day to do intervals.

I drive to the Kottenforst convinced this is

the day I will cramp up and be carried out

on a stretcher.

But as soon as I see my new friends all

smiling and remarking how bright our new

running shoes are, how loose our pants

and how tight our hamstrings, I know I’ve

made the right choice. I may never be

Norwegian, but for the moment at least,

I’m a runner. Erin Stevens

JOIN THE FRIDAY MORNING RUNNERS!

“I had a fantastic

time! I almost

completely forgot I

was exercising!”

34

From the coachThe Bonn Marathon on 6 April marked the end of another running season for BIS. The feeling of seeing the centre of Bonn transformed into a running finishing area is indescribable. During the lead up, conversation topics switch from your current training distance, to how you are feeling, to your goals and who is taking part. And then the fun (and run) begins! The best part is seeing all the smiling faces at the end of marathon day.

This year was particularly exciting as we had many new runners involved in the school marathon. The students complete the 42km course as a relay team of six, covering distances of 3x5km, 2x10km and 1x7km. Our aim was to ensure that all 18 student runners were capable of running 10km in training and we then created three teams to enter the race. During training, the students worked particularly hard to develop both the their distance and speed.

Running can sometimes be a lonely sport, but the marathon allows us to create a team of runners who support and encourage one another and, most importantly, appreciate everyone’s contribution to the overall achievement.

Rosemary Hewitt and I were incredibly proud coaches on Sunday 6 April. The teams achieved times of 4:39:34, 4:11:59 and 3:12:02. A really big well done to all who took part in and supported the school marathon, as well as to those students, parents and staff who ran in the half marathon, team marathon and marathon.

I encourage all readers to sign up now for an event and make it your goal to get involved in running! Charlotte Box

So what sports do BIS dads do on a Saturday afternoon? I imagine running, biking, hiking or swimming might come to mind. What about those silly northerners who missed the cold weather in Bonn this winter? Ice hockey is the answer. Yes, we can dwell on the winter that never was but I am guessing that most people were not too terribly upset about that. Back to those who love the ice. There are at least four BIS dads who play ice hockey. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but we always have a lot of fun.

Although our team is not the best in the league, and we have never won the Cup, we did manage 2nd place last year. Recently, we were invited to be the

backdrop of an upcoming German murder mystery film production. We got to enjoy a whole day on the ice with the cast. I can say that everyone is pretty excited about being movie stars.

If anyone is interested in watching a game, joining a training session, or just enjoying a couple of hours on the ice, then just let me know. Our team is open to both men and women. We practice every Saturday at 12.45 from September to April at the Ice Dome in Troisdorf. They also offer skating classes and ice hockey for children of various ages. Their website is www.eissporthalle-troisdorf.de

Ross Stuart

From the studentsThis year was a great success for the marathon team. Over the last few years we have only had one or two teams of six runners entered into the race, but this year we had three full teams!

The atmosphere throughout the day was great, and our team has really grown into a great one. The difference in Grade levels seems to fall away when everyone is supporting each other’s running and is so actively involved with one another. Of the three teams that entered, one of them even placed second in the under 89 category with a time of 3:12:02.

We couldn’t have done this without our coaches Ms Box and Rosemary Hewitt, who both ran the half marathon as well. I’m incredibly proud of all our runners and look forward to participating again next year in my final school marathon. Helle Huisman

From the parentsThe Bonn Marathon was a day full of cheering, running, and dodging dodgy port-o-potties. BIS ended up with SIX parent teams in the marathon relay and a variety of others doing the half or full marathon.

Nearly all the running club members ran in some capacity and lived to tell the tale. Most actually found running to be a wonderful and fun experience. I, however, preferred cheering on my friends new and old and eating a large dinner after it was over.

All in all it was a great day and many have agreed they want to do it all over again next year. Erin Stevens

Sporting Dads!

35

www.juwelier-schumann.de

EXPERIENCE OUR EXTRAORDINARY SELECTION

AND STATE-OF-THE-ART CRAFTSMANSHIP

Address: Alte Bahnhofstr. 12, D-53173 Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Germany Phone: +49(0)228-362331 email: [email protected]

36

5 Questions About Germany - answers.

1. Berlin Zoo

2. Maxmillian and Sophie

3. about 300 varieties

4. Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz

5. Drachenfels.

CONGRATULATIONS!Hannah WiedemannThree NECIS records!