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December 2025
December 2025
From a series of outstanding visitors and a number of festive events to the annual Christmas Service and Elementary School Christmas Concert, we take a photo-driven look at the past month at TASIS.
This Month at TASIS
Visiting Author
Paola Myriam Visconti, author of the popular Dynowish Italian children’s book franchise, visited Elementary School Italian classes on December 1 to discuss her books and writing process. See more photos.
Top-Flight Athletics
At the High School Athletics Awards assembly on December 1, students defeated faculty in a penalty shoot-out, and Athletic Director Masa Yo ’04 presented awards to standout members of the cross country, volleyball, and soccer teams. Learn more.
Futures in Focus
On December 2, two professionals in marketing and operations management—Gin Woo, the Global Integrated Marketing Lead at Mammut Sports Group, and Keith Ching, the Global Digital Ops & Projects Senior Lead at On—spoke with High School students about their careers during a “Futures in Focus” lunch organized by the TASIS College Counseling Office.
An Unforgettable Tale of Courage, Resilience, and Hope
Timothy Cho, who escaped from North Korea twice and now serves as Secretariat for the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea, delivered an extraordinary keynote address to TASIS seniors on the evening of December 2 and visited several classes during a two-day visit that marked the second installment of the 2025–2026 TASIS Speaker Series. Learn more.
"O Tannenbaum"
The Middle School Choir kicked off the holiday season by performing in the Singing Christmas Tree at the Zurich Christmas Market on December 2. See more photos.
A Timeless Tradition
The annual TASIS Christmas Service was held at the historic Church of Sant’Abbondio during the school day on December 5. Under the direction of Ms. Cramp and Ms. Dusing, the impressive service included a number of beautiful musical performances and poignant readings from Middle and High School students and faculty members. Watch the full service, see a photo gallery, and learn about the many members of our community who were involved this year.
To learn more about the origin and history of this important TASIS tradition, read this thoughtful essay that was written by TASIS Foundation Board member Dr. Michael D. Aeschliman in 2023.
Golden Hour
The setting sun cast a golden glow over campus on December 5.
Decorating for the Holidays
A group of High School students decorated gingerbread houses in the Villa De Nobili Salon on the afternoon of December 6. Other activities offered that weekend included karaoke and Christmas-movie nights, a Destination Imagination session, a study coffeehouse in historic Casa Fleming, and trips to the Lugano Christmas Market and Ice Village, Arese Shopping Mall, and Picasso Etchings Exhibit.
Checkmate
The TASIS Rooks Chess Club, which was founded by Dennis Sokol '26 in 2024, hosted its first tournament in Monticello on December 6. The Swiss System tournament featured 11 players ranging from grades 2–11. See more photos.
Villa Principe Leopoldo Tree-Lighting Ceremony
Guided by Rachelle Hugg and accompanied by Alessio Di Tonno and Sara Capone, the Elementary School Choir did a great job singing six Christmas carols at Villa Principe Leopoldo’s tree-lighting ceremony on the afternoon of December 6. See more photos.
Montagnola Tree-Lighting Ceremony
TASIS’s Middle School Choir performed two songs at a tree-lighting ceremony and holiday market in Montagnola’s Piazza Brocchi on December 7. See more photos.
Singing With Santa
Santa and his elf paid a visit to the Elementary School on the morning of December 8 for spirited sing-alongs led by Rachelle Hugg in the Palmer Center for grades 2–5 and at Al Focolare for grades pre-Kindergarten through 1. See more photos.
Visiting Artist Works With TASIS Students
TASIS’s Performing Arts team was delighted to host creator, actor, director, and trainer Samuel Salamone on campus as a guest artist during the week of December 8. Mr. Salamone led engaging workshops on character development and comic timing with Matthew Frazier-Smith’s High School Theater Arts and Middle School Drama classes and Julie Frazier-Smith’s High School Performing Arts class. See more photos.
TASIS Tree-Lighting Ceremony
On the afternoon of December 12, the TASIS community gathered outside to commemorate the lighting of the TASIS Christmas Tree with remarks from Headmaster Christopher Nikoloff and carols sung by members of the Elementary and High School Choirs. See more photos.
Winter Festival
Right after the tree-lighting ceremony, students and parents moved inside the Palmer Cultural Center, which was converted into a spectacular Santa’s Village by the TPA. The fun-filled event, which helped raise thousands of francs for the local and international partners that TASIS Service Learning groups work with, included photos with Santa and holiday craft stations.
Holiday Market
While the younger members of the TASIS community were enjoying Santa’s Village, High School Service Learning groups sold holiday gift options, crafts, and lots of treats in the Winter Garden on the Kay Hamblin Terrace to raise money for the organizations they partner with. See more photos.
Snow Seekers
On December 14, students in the High School Snowsports Club enjoyed blue skies and the slopes above Andermatt for their first outing of the season. See more photos.
An Opportunity To Serve Again
Director of Alumni Relations Michelle Arslanian presented Bernardo Sales Bezerra de Menezes '25 with the fourth annual Lynch Global Service Program Extension Award at a High School assembly on December 15. This award was initiated in the spring of 2022 by Ned Lynch PG’66 to honor the memory of his parents, who recognized the importance of the TASIS international educational experience. It comes with a $1000 scholarship and is accorded to a senior who wishes to continue working on an Opsahl Global Service Program (GSP) project or go on a second service trip abroad.
Alejandro Orozco ’23 was the inaugural recipient in 2022, Mara Zec ’24 was honored in 2023, and Juan Francisco Soldavini '25 was last year's recipient.
Winter Athletics Begin
The Varsity Boys Basketball team tipped off the winter season for the Tigers with a friendly game against American School of Milan on December 16. See more photos.
Holiday Music Recitals
Elementary, Middle, and High School students participating in piano or violin lessons at TASIS shared their impressive talents in the Palmer Cultural Center on the evening of December 16. See photos of the Elementary School and Middle and High School recitals.
Showing Their Appreciation
On the morning of December 17, a group of faculty members and High School students sang Christmas carols in Villa de Nobili for the TASIS personale. This annual tradition is one small way in which faculty members and students express their gratitude for everything the hardworking personale do behind the scenes to keep the school running smoothly all year round.
Winter Garden Treats
The dedicated members of the TPA transformed the Kay Hamblin Terrace into a delightful Winter Garden for the holiday season and organized several community events designed to spread holiday cheer on campus. See more photos.
Red Carpet Celebration
High School Performing Arts students commemorated a successful fall semester full of outstanding performances by gathering in the Palmer Cultural Center on the evening of December 17 for a red-carpet celebration. See more photos.
Festive Still Life
High School students in Meg Pendleton’s Drawing and Painting classes spent the last week before the winter holiday working on winter-themed still-life paintings in the Şahenk Fine Arts Center. See more photos.
Terrific Tigers
Middle School students, teachers, and coaches gathered in the Palmer Cultural Center on December 18 to celebrate another successful season of after-school activities and to recognize students who went above and beyond during the fall season. See more photos.
Elementary School Christmas Concert
On the afternoon of December 19, the final day of classes before the three-week winter holiday, the Elementary School put a bow on the holiday season at TASIS by delivering a heartwarming Christmas concert in the Palestra. Guided by Rachelle Hugg, singers, dancers, and instrumentalists in grades Pre-Kindergarten through five performed 12 holiday numbers. Watch the full concert and see more photos of the festive annual production.