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September 2022
September 2022
From the return of students and faculty and a successful start of school to awe-inspiring hut hikes and fun-filled events on campus, we take a photo-driven look at the past month at TASIS.
This Month at TASIS
Welcome to the Team
Our newest faculty members capped a very busy orientation week with a Ticenese aperitivo and dinner in the Headmaster’s Garden on August 19. The talented group of educators adds a great deal of educational experience to the first-rate TASIS Faculty. Learn more about our new teachers.
Professional Development and Collaboration With TASIS Portugal
In an exciting collaboration with the newest member of the TASIS family of schools, TASIS Portugal, our faculty had the opportunity to hear four distinguished guests present about the mechanics of cognitive psychology, the ways in which we can best help students learn and retain information, and the effectiveness of the content-rich Core Knowledge Curriculum Series, which was developed by Dr. E. D. Hirsch, Jr., and is now employed with great success in the elementary schools of both TASIS Portugal and TASIS Switzerland.
We are grateful to Dr. Nuno Crato (Education and Science Minister of Portugal from 2011–2015 and current member of the TASIS Portugal Board of Directors), Natalie Wexler (education journalist and author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—And How to Fix It), Gina Anderson (Core Knowledge Curriculum Coordinator and grade 5 teacher at TASIS Portugal), and Erica Herro (Assistant Head of Academics at TASIS Portugal) for their engaging keynote addresses.
We'd also like to extend our gratitude to TASIS Portugal Headmaster Keith Chicquen, TASIS Portugal Assistant Head of Enrollment Management & Marketing Aimee Gruber, and the TASIS Portugal Board of Directors both for their role in bringing this wonderful professional development opportunity to our faculty here in Switzerland and for their gracious hosting of groups from TASIS Switzerland and TASIS England for an admissions and marketing summit a few weeks later!
Proctor Hike
Before they helped facilitate move-in day and student orientation, TASIS proctors launched their year with an overnight trip to an alpine lodge on August 27. The student leaders hiked by the beautiful Cascata Piumogna waterfall, bonded over team-building activities, and spent a night in Capanna Prodor Carì. See more photos.
Lending a Hand
Our amazing proctors arrived early to help our residential life staff prepare the dormitories for the arrival of boarding students on August 29. See more photos.
A Warm TASIS Welcome
In the days leading up to the start of school, families from all divisions visited campus to attend informational sessions and to meet teachers and administrators as part of our orientation program.
Exciting Things Ahead
Elementary School students learned more about our robust After-School Program offerings during orientation meetings on August 31.
Thumbs Up on Day One
It was wonderful seeing students from Pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 back on campus for the first day of classes on September 1! See more photos.
Meeting Their Teachers
On the first day of school, High School teachers passed out course syllabi and discussed expectations for the fall semester. See more photos.
By the Numbers
After a few late additions, our 2022–2023 student body is up to a record 754 students from 60 different countries! Our divisional breakdown is 406 students in the High School (247 boarders), 130 in the Middle School (18 boarders), and 218 in the Elementary School. In all, 517 students are returning to TASIS while 237 are new to our vibrant and ever-growing community. Learn more about this year’s student body.
Class Hikes
Our Middle School students explored some of Lugano's many beautiful outdoor destinations while on class hikes on September 5. Grade 6 took a boat to Gandria and hiked back to Lugano, grade 7 climbed Monte San Salvatore and ate gelato near the peak, and grade 8 visited the Sasso Delle Parole viewpoint and played games and swam at Centro Ricreativo Collina d'Oro. See more photos.
Getting the Hang of Pre-K
Our youngest learners spent the first week of school pursuing budding interests, making new friends, and learning the ins and outs of our Pre-Kindergarten program. See more photos.
Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork
Two High School students worked together to complete a homework assignment for their AP Psychology class, a new course offering this year, in Villa De Nobili on September 7.
Working Together
Two Middle School students met on the iconic White Bench dedicated to TASIS Founder M. Crist Fleming to review class notes during a break from classes on September 7.
Outdoor Fun
Students of TASIS’s Early Childhood Center (Pre-Kindergarten through grade 1) enjoyed some playtime in the Focolare sandbox on September 8. See more photos.
On a Boat
On September 9, our High School students dressed up and spent a wonderful evening cruising around Lake Lugano as the sun set over Ticino! See more photos.
Faculty Impersonators
The cast of Netflix’s Stranger Things crashed the High School assembly on September 9 to inform students about TASIS’s groundbreaking Opsahl Global Service Program!
Hut Adventures
On Saturday, September 10, boarding students and dorm parents from each High School dormitory traveled to beautiful destinations throughout Ticino—Albergo San Gottardo, Campra Lodge, Lago Ritom, Capanna Cadagno, Capanna Prödor, Monte Tamaro, and Capanna Pairolo—for hiking, mountain biking, and other outdoor adventures. They then spent the night in mountain huts and enjoyed more outdoor activities before returning to campus the next day.
Becoming Family
The hut hikes were an opportunity for High School boarding students to explore their new “backyard” and come together as a dorm family.
Bee-a-u-tiful
Planted by the Middle School’s Greenhouse Service Learning group in the spring, vibrant sunflowers now brighten the space between the Alba and Ca' Gioia classrooms.
The Lounge is Now Open
TASIS celebrated the opening of The Lounge, a student center located on the ground floor of the Palestra, by serving a free gelato to all students! The Lounge now offers beverages, baked goods, gelato, snacks, sandwiches, and a number of exciting weekly specials. See the full menu.
Service to Others
Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand, and Zambia: TASIS 11th and 12th graders have the opportunity to provide service in these countries as part of the Opsahl Global Service Program (GSP). On September 14, these students attended a GSP fair on the Kay Hamblin Terrace to learn more about our global partners before selecting which group they'd like to join. All GSP groups meet on Wednesdays to prepare for travel later in the year. See more photos.
Tigers vs Dragons
TASIS’s JV Boys Soccer team hosted a tournament in Agno on September 17. See photos of the Tigers’ game against the Dragons of International School Basel, and read recaps of recent athletic contests here.
Visiting Poet
TASIS was honored to welcome celebrated poet and former faculty member Kiki Petrosino to campus on September 19–20 as the School’s third Linda Buchanan Poet in Residence. The Creative Writing Program Director and a Professor of Poetry at the University of Virginia, Professor Petrosino is the author of four acclaimed poetry collections—Fort Red Border (2009), Hymn for the Black Terrific (2013), Witch Wife (2017), and White Blood: a Lyric of Virginia (2020)—and her memoir, Bright, was recently published by Sarabande Books. She is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, a Fellowship in Creative Writing from the National Endowment for the Arts, the UNT Rilke Prize, and the Spalding Prize, among other honors. Learn more about her visit.
Symbols of Peace
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly, and in 2001 the Assembly unanimously voted to designate the day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire. On September 21 at TASIS, we discussed the significance of the day in classrooms, assemblies, and Global Service Program meetings; observed a moment of silence; created themed works of art; and carried out a number of activities designed to promote kindness and highlight the importance of living together peacefully as a global community. See more photos and learn more about the inspiring day.
Who Let the Dogs Out?
Meet Kimchi, Rooney, and Roo—the resident canines of the TASIS campus!
A Visit from Swiss Learning
On September 22–23 we enjoyed hosting representatives from Swiss Learning, an organization that helps promote TASIS and other Swiss boarding schools around the world and provides a forum for Swiss schools to share resources. While on campus, the Swiss Learning team met with leaders from various Swiss boarding schools to discuss areas of mutual interest. See more photos.
Academic Travel Off and Running
The weekend of September 23–24 ushered in the start of another year of outdoor adventure, cultural trips, and skiing adventures through the pioneering TASIS Academic Travel Program. One group of students and faculty members traveled to Dijon, France, for an Art History trip while another journeyed to the Lucomagno Pass in the Swiss Alps as Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award candidates checked the Qualifying Adventurous Journey off their list. Hear from Academic Travel Director Natalie Philpot to learn more about the BLUE, GREEN, and WHITE Academic Travel model that went into effect last year.
Exhibited with the Best
More than 20 current and former TASIS students displayed pieces of artwork from September 23–25 in the Exhibition Center of Lugano as part of the seventh edition of WOPART, a prestigious international art fair devoted to works on paper. Learn more about the TASIS artwork exhibited.
Returning to a Grander Campus
Nearly 40 members of the TASIS Class of 2010 were back on campus for a reunion on September 23. The group enjoyed dinner in the Casa Fleming Garden, a presentation in the Palmer Cultural Center, and a tour of the TASIS grounds, marveling often at the many additions to campus—including the Lanterna classrooms and dorm, the Campo Science Center, and the Şahenk Fine Arts Building—that were constructed since their graduation. Learn more.
Speedy Tigers
TASIS’s Middle School and High School Cross Country teams traveled to Zurich to compete in the SGIS Championships on September 24. The runners did quite well, racing to three third-place trophies. See more photos of the Middle School races and High School races.
Life after TASIS
Our College Counseling Office hosted admissions representatives from 65 schools for a University Fair on campus on September 26. TASIS students and parents, along with other guests, enjoyed asking questions about the college application process and learning more about the specific universities in attendance. The TASIS Parent Association (TPA) then hosted a lovely reception for parents afterward. Learn more.