The TASIS Blog
Stories from the TASIS Community
Each spring the TASIS High School Faculty selects three exceptional students from grade 11 to receive the prestigious Junior Awards. Read about this year's deserving recipients.
Mariaurora Rosso ’24, a member of the all-female TASIS robotics team that will represent Switzerland at the FIRST LEGO League CARGO CONNECT World Festival in the United States in April, offers her perspective on the team’s accomplishments and discusses why she and her teammates are drawn to the cutting-edge field of robotics.
The 2022 Beat the Bells Run will take place on Sunday, May 1, and will include a virtual component for members of the TASIS community who would like to participate from anywhere in the world.
The 2021–2022 winter athletics season featured dominant play from the Varsity Badminton team and a refreshing return to something resembling normalcy for all student athletes at TASIS. Learn about the season, hear from the coaches, and see who won the Most Valuable Player Award, Most Improved Player Award, and Coaches’ Award for the badminton, basketball, and swimming teams.
Congratulations to Director Julie Frazier-Smith, Music Director Eugene Villanueva, and the incredible cast and crew for their wonderful performances of this adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine.
Ella Budenbender ’23, who just started at TASIS in January, shares her impressions of the International Week Food Fair and discusses how important it is for students to recognize and value the cultural diversity present at TASIS.
With 60 nations represented in the study body, TASIS had much to celebrate during this year’s International Week, which was held February 14–18. See photos and video content from an inspiring week on campus.
Ella Budenbender '23 interviewed Physical Education Department Chair and Director of Residential Life Mr. Tom Lill, who has been associated with TASIS since 2010 and has juggled these two important roles since 2019.
Alex Gabriel ’23 reflects on how her feelings about the TASIS campus have evolved over the course of her first year at the School.
After a 19-month pause due to the pandemic, season 33 of the popular American adventure reality game show resumed in St. Gallen, Switzerland, with contestants eventually making their way down to Ticino.
Students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through five performed beautifully at the annual Elementary School Christmas Concert in the Palestra on the afternoon of December 17. Watch the full concert, see photos, and learn who was involved in this year’s performance.
This year's beautiful Christmas Service was held in the Palestra on the afternoon of December 3 and featured musical performances and readings from students in all three divisions. Watch the full service, see a gallery of photographs, and learn who contributed to the annual community-building event.
Among other highlights, current TASIS students read poignant speeches written by their alumni parents at special Founder’s Day celebrations held in the Palestra and the MCF Piazza on the afternoon of October 1.

In recognition of Mrs. Fleming’s profound effect on generations of students and educators, we commemorate Founder’s Day 2021 by offering a look at some of our favorite letters written to her on birthdays past.
Learn about the incoming members of the TASIS Faculty and the current faculty members who will be transitioning to new leadership roles for the 2021–2022 academic year.
The competition at this year's TASIS Summer Olympics was fierce! See a brilliant video created by Alex Secilmis '19 with an original track composed and performed by TASIS Music Teacher Alessio Di Tonno.
TASIS The American School in Switzerland held its 65th Commencement Ceremony in the Palestra on the morning of May 29. Watch the full ceremony, learn about the graduates, see a full list of university acceptances, and discover how to download or order photos from Graduation Week.
Highlights from the 2021 Senior Banquet included poignant remarks from Headmaster Christopher Nikoloff, inspiring speeches from six members of the Class of 2021, and a lovely musical performance by Ella Abisi '21.
The 47th annual TASIS Spring Arts Festival included two major theatrical productions, four vocal and instrumental recitals, a conducting workshop, a finale concert, a visual art exhibition, and more.
Each spring, the TASIS High School Faculty selects three service-minded students from grade 11 to receive the Junior Awards. Read about this year's recipients.
More than 50 members of the TASIS community completed the 8th annual Walk for Water on the afternoon of May 6 in an effort to simulate what many people in the developing world must go through on a daily basis to secure clean water.
SNDC Artistic Director Julie Frazier-Smith organized the excursion in the spirit of wellbeing and rejuvenation for students who have now been dealing with the effects of the pandemic for more than a year.
The 8th annual Beat the Bells Run will take place on Saturday, May 1, and will include a virtual component for members of the TASIS community who would like to take part in this treasured tradition from anywhere in the world.
Social entrepreneur Rakhi Mehra shared her inspiring personal journey with TASIS seniors on the evening of April 12, marking the final chapter of the 2020–2021 TASIS Speaker Series.
Leonid Serbinov '21, a second-year IB student and standout basketball player, has been exploring Lugano since he moved here in 2019 and has discovered some of the best outdoor basketball courts in the area. He is pleased to share his findings with the TASIS community.
The latest installment of NBC Nightly News's "Around the Globe" series calls upon TASIS to contribute to a report on Switzerland. Director of Institutional Advancement Bill Eichner and several Middle School students are featured.
Nearly 30 students submitted poetry, short stories, themed collections, or illustrations to the Spring 2021 issue of the TASIS Literary Magazine. See their excellent work and hear from Alexia Dochnal '22, who founded, edited, and designed the publication.
Take an inside look at a typical Friday for a Kindergarten student in the TASIS Elementary School.
Students from 47 of the 59 nations represented in the 2020–2021 TASIS student body were able to march in this year's parade, which was held outdoors with a limited audience due to the current restrictions on large gatherings.
From the return of students and faculty to skiing outings and preparations for upcoming performing arts events, we take a photo-driven look at the past month at TASIS.
Susanna Campbell '23 sat down with new Director of University and College Counseling Ms. Johanna Fishbein, who brings a great deal of experience and enthusiasm to TASIS and strives to empower all students to take control of their own college planning process.
We offer an inside look at a typical Monday for a third-grade student in the TASIS Elementary School.
Our student content producers in the High School interviewed their peers to find out if they can take anything positive away from 2020 and see what their goals are for 2021.
Led by Julie Frazier-Smith, Sweet November Dance Company and guest performers from all three TASIS divisions pre-recorded nine choreographed dances in the Palmer Center and released the company's 2020 fall concert on November 30.
Camera crews from the highly respected cultural programs visited TASIS on November 2 to interview faculty members and students about the 2020 presidential election.
We asked our talented team of student videographers to capture one-second clips of life on the TASIS campus and beyond throughout October.
Alexia Dochnal '22 interviewed High School English Teacher Ms. Carolyn Rosenberger, who has taught both IB and AP Literature since arriving at TASIS in 2018.
Joy Mack '21 interviewed High School Math Teacher Mr. Daniel Schwartz, who has taught all levels of IB Mathematics over the course of his 11 years at TASIS.
Jane Wilson '22 sat down with Middle School EAL Teacher Ms. Perri Sartorelli, who helped launch the TASIS Elementary School in 2005 and has taught EAL in the Middle School since 2011.
Susanna Campbell '23 interviewed High School Economics and History Teacher Mr. Eric White, who taught at TASIS from 2017–2021 after working in the United States public school system for more than a decade.
Nika Grigorian '23 sat down with Elementary School Teacher Ms. Sarah Hertig, who is teaching second grade this year after spending her first four years at TASIS in the first-grade classroom.
An eternal optimist, TASIS Hellenic alumna Mary Valiakas has founded organizations aimed at fostering community innovation and helping businesses become a force for good.
Learn about the size of each division, the number of students who are new to TASIS, which nations are represented, which languages are spoken, and more.
Article taken from the 2020 issue ofTASIS Today
After more than two months of relying exclusively upon distance learning, we were thrilled to welcome Elementary and Middle School students back to campus on May 25. Learn how we got to this point and where we are going.
In lieu of a live performance of this year's Elementary School Spring Musical, Out of the Woods, the ES musical students collaborated on a virtual performance of some of their favorite songs from the show!
Jennifer Zanarini recaps a busy year, shares a highlight video, and encourages parents to get involved with the 2020–2021 TASIS Parent Association.
Each spring the TASIS High School Faculty recognizes three students from grade 11 who have compiled an exemplary service record. Read about this year's recipients.
In this special edition of alumni notes, we discuss the new TASIS Alumni Forum we've just launched and talk extensively with two courageous alumni, Jake Figi '14 and Shila Tursini '05, who are on the front lines of the Covid-19 fight.
Learn how you can join SNDC company members and guest choreographers on Zoom from 17:30–18:30 for "living room" solo performances and a question-and-answer session. Don't miss this exciting event!