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March 2024
March 2024
From the continuation of classes and the conclusion of the ski season to the arrival of spring and the premiere of the High School Musical, we take a photo-driven look at the past month at TASIS.
This Month at TASIS
Aspiring Authors
First-grade students wrote research booklets about endangered animals—in English and Italian—and shared them with their parents at a publishing party on February 29. See more photos.
Bonjour from Paris
Over the long weekend of March 1–3, High School students had a chance to visit universities in Scotland, practice their German and French in Berlin and Paris, compete in the Swiss robotics final in Basel, and ski and snowboard in Laax and Engelberg as part of the TASIS Academic Travel Program. See more photos.
A Successful Blood Drive
Seventy-five members of the TASIS community registered to donate blood (including 51 first-time donors) at the First Annual Joe Dusing Memorial Blood Drive on March 6. We are grateful to the Swiss Red Cross, Ms. Angela Dusing, Dr. Jill Sawyer-Price, all of the 10th-grade students in the Joe Dusing Blood Drive Service Learning group, and the many TASIS employees who worked so hard behind the scenes to make this community-building event possible. The highly successful blood drive will save or support hundreds of lives and did so much to honor the legacy of former TASIS employee Joe Dusing.
The Power of Creativity
On March 7, 2nd-grade students in Ms. Caroline Rossi’s art class used their imaginations to turn scribbles into artwork. See more photos.
Speed Racers
TASIS’s Varsity Ski team competed at the Aiglon International Schools Ski Cup at the Villars-sur-Ollon resort on March 7–8. See more photos.
History Buffs
Grade 7 students in Mr. Michael Chellman’s history class began their lesson on March 7 by discussing the Atlantic slave trade. See more photos.
Preparing for the Limelight
The cast of the Middle School spring musical gathered for rehearsal in the Palmer Center on March 7. See more photos.
Silver-Medal Winners
The Varsity Badminton team fought its way to an impressive runners-up finish at the ESC badminton tournament hosted by TASIS in the Palestra on March 8–9. See more photos.
Fresh Pow
High School members of the TASIS Snowsports club enjoyed fresh powder in Splügen on March 10. See more photos.
Star-Crossed Lovers
The traveling theater company Théâtre du Héron treated all Middle School students and some High School students to two excellent performances of Romeo and Juliet in the Palestra on March 11.
TASIS Talents
The Performing Arts Department led a High School assembly on March 11 that included two outstanding solo performances and a preview of this year's High School Musical, The Little Mermaid JR. See more photos.
In Bloom
Warm temperatures and vitalizing sun had campus’s magnolia trees in bloom on March 13.
Under the Sea
The cast and crew of the High School Spring Musical put on four stellar performances of The Little Mermaid JR. in the Palmer Cultural Center on March 14–17. See more photos and learn more about the incredible show.
DNA Extraction
On March 14, 7th-grade students in Dr. Prash Sinnathamby’s science class worked together to extract DNA from the cells of strawberries. See more photos.
Bringing History to Life
On the evening of March 14, 5th-grade students dressed up like citizens of the Incan, Mayan, and Aztec civilizations and turned the Kay Hamblin Terrace into a living history museum. The students took on different personas and taught guests what it was like to be a part of the Mesoamerican cultures. See more photos.
Thinking About Intelligence
High School students interested in conversing about the nature of human intelligence gathered in Casa Fleming for a lunchtime philosophy discussion with Headmaster Mr. Chris Nikoloff on March 15.
Alumna Shares Journey with TASIS
TASIS alumna and environmental consultant Dr. Siri Ofstad '10 was on campus March 18–19 as part of the 2023–2024 TASIS Speaker Series. Dr. Ofstad delivered a keynote address to the senior class in the Palmer Cultural Center and spent additional time with biology and environmental science classes over the course of her two-day visit. See more photos and learn more about her visit.
A Season to Celebrate
High School varsity athletes and their coaches gathered in Villa De Nobili on the evening of March 20 to celebrate the conclusion of another successful winter sports season. See more photos and learn who won the team awards.
Slam Poets
Second-grade students penned poems and shared them with their parents at a poetry slam on March 21 in Hadsall. See more photos.
The Olympic Mindset
Ms. Saho Harada, an Olympic silver and bronze medal winner for Japan in synchronized swimming, joined the High School for their Winter Athletics Awards Assembly on March 22 in the Palestra. Athletic Director Masa Yo asked several questions, and Ms. Harada shared her background and spoke about what it was like to compete at the Olympic level.
A Tale Worth Telling
During World War II, the family of Ms. Giovanna Ponisio—the grandmother of a current TASIS third grader—sheltered three Jewish people in their attic in Como until they could safely cross the border into Switzerland. On March 22, Ms. Ponisio shared her powerful story with third-grade Italian classes and answered questions in the Palmer Center.
The Thrill of the Hunt
On the afternoon of March 22, right before the two-week spring holiday began, Elementary School students enjoyed Easter egg hunts organized by the TASIS Parent Association (TPA) at Al Focolare for grades pre-Kindergarten through 1 and at Hadsall for grades 2–5.