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September 2023
September 2023
From the return of students and faculty and a successful start of school to dorm hikes in Ticino and a dance on Lake Lugano, we take a photo-driven look at the past month or so at TASIS.
This Month at TASIS
Welcome to the Team
Our newest faculty members concluded a productive orientation week with a Ticenese aperitivo and dinner in the Headmaster’s Garden on August 18. The dynamic group of educators adds a great deal of educational experience to the first-rate TASIS Faculty. Learn more about our new teachers.
Student Leaders
Before they helped facilitate move-in day and student orientation, TASIS prefects (formerly known as proctors) began their year with an overnight trip to an alpine lodge on August 26. See more photos.
Pitching In
The prefects arrived early and went above and beyond to help our residential life staff prepare the dormitories for the return of the full group of boarding students. See more photos.
Move-In Day
On August 28, boarding students and their families arrived at TASIS to meet dorm parents and move into their rooms for the year. See more photos.
A Warm TASIS Welcome
In the lead-up to the first day of school, families from all divisions visited our campus to attend informational sessions and to meet teachers and administrators as part of our orientation program. See more photos.
Settling In
After orientation meetings in the morning, Middle School boarding students returned to Belvedere Dormitory to set up their rooms on August 29.
First Day of School
It was wonderful seeing students from Pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 back on campus for the first day of classes on August 31! See more photos.
Forming Connections
On the first day of school, students reconnected with friends and got to work on their studies. See more photos.
By the Numbers
For the second consecutive year, TASIS opened a new academic year with record enrollment. Take a closer look at some of the key facts and figures related to this year’s student body.
University Day
To conclude the first day of school, our College Counseling team organized an excellent university day for all grade 12 students. The High School seniors attended seminars by representatives from University College London (UCL), Bocconi University, and Boston University and heard from a panel of young TASIS alumni who offered advice to the Class of 2024 and answered any questions they had. See more photos.
Bird’s Eye View
Perched on the “Hill of Gold,” TASIS’s campus has stunning views of Lake Lugano and the surrounding mountains.
Class Hikes
Our Middle School students explored some of Lugano's many beautiful outdoor destinations while on class hikes on September 4. Students in grade six hiked from Gandria to Lugano, students in grade seven climbed Monte San Salvatore, and students in grade eight enjoyed their time at the Lugano Lido. See more photos.
ABCs
On September 7, Kindergarten students in Ms. Lea Bettoni’s Italian class practiced writing letters while other students in Al Focolare, the TASIS Early Childhood Center, enjoyed storytime, learned to categorize objects, and counted the syllables of Italian words. See more photos.
Sunset Cruise
On the evening of September 8, High School students enjoyed a wonderful boat dance on Lake Lugano. See more photos.
Back in Class
The TASIS Class of 2013 was back on campus for their 10-year reunion on September 9. The group toured campus and enjoyed an elegant dinner in the Casa Fleming Garden. Learn more.
Ticino’s Best
On September 9–10, boarding students and dorm parents from each High School dormitory traveled to beautiful destinations throughout Ticino—Albergo San Gottardo, Campra Lodge, Lago Ritom, Capanna Basodino, Capanna Prödor, Monte Tamaro, TCS Scruengo, and Centro ProNatura Acqua Calda—for hiking, mountain biking, archery, zip-lining, alpine roller coaster rides, cheese-tasting, a visit to a military bunker, and other adventures. They then spent the night in mountain huts and enjoyed more outdoor activities before returning to campus on Sunday. See more photos.
Worldwide Service
Cambodia, India, Kenya, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand, and Zambia: TASIS 11th and new 12th graders have the opportunity to provide service in these countries as part of the Opsahl Global Service Program (GSP). On September 13, these students attended a GSP fair on the Kay Hamblin Terrace to learn more about our global partners before being asked to indicate which groups they'd most like to join. All GSP groups meet on Wednesdays to prepare for travel later in the year. See more photos.
Learning with iPads
Starting this fall, TASIS has provided iPad kits to all Middle School students and teachers. Ms. Anne Marie MacLean's math students took full advantage of the technology during class on September 14. See more photos.
Tigers at Play
TASIS’s soccer and volleyball teams kicked off their seasons at ISSL tournaments across Switzerland on September 16. See more photos of the Junior Varsity Boys Soccer tournament hosted by TASIS and photos of our other teams in action.
Textual Analysis
Ms. Holly Wiens’ eighth-grade English students took notes while reading Anton Chekhov’s short story “The Bet” and shared their annotations with their classmates on September 19. See more photos.
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, TASIS students discussed the significance of the day in classrooms and advisor meetings, created themed works of art, planted white flowers and wore white shirts as a symbol of peace and unity, 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.
Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce Dinner
On the evening of September 21, TASIS was honored to host the 35th-anniversary dinner for the Ticino Chapter of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce on campus. The Palmer Cultural Center was transformed into an elegant venue for the occasion, which included an aperitivo and dinner for more than 120 local business leaders and friends of TASIS.
Martin Naville, CEO of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce and the keynote speaker at the 2019 TASIS Commencement Ceremony, delivered welcoming remarks; Bell Bradford, Deputy Chief of Mission for the United States Embassy in Bern, spoke about the strong business relationship between the United States and Switzerland; and guest of honor Sergio Ermotti, CEO of UBS Group and a member of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, discussed the recent collapse of Credit Suisse and the critical role UBS played in stabilizing both Swiss and international banking.
Many thanks to these esteemed speakers for underscoring the enormous influence both Switzerland and the United States have on the global economy and to all those who attended this fine evening on campus. See more photos.
Creative Pursuits
From drawing to photography to architecture, High School visual arts students were hard at work in the state-of-the-art Şahenk Fine Arts Center and around campus on the morning of September 28. See more photos.