October 2021

TASIS Monthly Newsletter

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This Month at TASIS

This Month at TASIS: October 2021

From Founder's Day celebrations and fall festivities to Swiss athletic championships and Ticinese field trips, we take a photo-driven look at the past month at TASIS.

 

Review the month

 TSS Speaker Marcelo Gleiser

Renowned Scholar Marcelo Gleiser Opens
2021–2022 TASIS Speaker Series

The Dartmouth College Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and 2019 Templeton Prize Laureate delivered a keynote address to TASIS students and faculty members in the Palmer Center on October 18 and spent two days visiting High School classes.

 

Learn more and watch Dr. Gleiser's address

Twelfth Night
To Premiere 
on November 19

For this year's Fall Play, High School students and faculty members will perform Twelfth Night—the classic Shakespearean comedy of romance, madness, and mistaken identity—in front of a live audience in the Palmer Center at 19:00 on the evenings of November 19 and November 20. 

2021 Founder's Day Assembly

TASIS Alumni Share Memories of Mrs. Fleming

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.

 

Learn more

San Francisco Reunion 2021

TASIS Alumni Gather in San Francisco

After a long pandemic hiatus, our Alumni Office was back in full swing for an all-class reunion at the St. Francis Yacht Club that featured more than 50 guests from classes ranging from the early 1960s to the 2010s!

 

See the recap

 

STEM

Spotlight on STEM Education at TASIS

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has never been more important, and our first-rate teachers have risen to the challenge of providing their students with the tools to confront the many challenges the world faces. Our science and computer science teachers make use of a world-class facility to deliver a cutting-edge program that emphasizes inquiry- and problem-based learning, make Europe their classroom, and introduce our younger students to coding and robotics while finding opportunities for them to shine on the world stage. And our math teachers draw upon the renowned Singapore Math Program to help our youngest students establish a foundational base that sets them up for success when it's time to take the most demanding IB and AP classes available.

The Teachers

Faculty excellence remains the core of the TASIS experience, and we love to highlight the remarkable work done by our teachers on our Faculty Features page. With help from our outstanding team of student writers, this month we shine a light on 16 of our STEM teachers.

Mr. Alec Ogilvie

Mr. Alec Ogilvie

Wexler Brodie '24 recently interviewed High School Science Department Chair Alec Ogilvie, who teaches IB Chemistry Higher Level and Standard Level and has seen the Science Program grow tremendously since he started at TASIS in 2008.

 

 

Dr. Gillian Sawyer-Price

Dr. Gillian Sawyer-Price

Susanna Campbell '23 recently interviewed High School Biology Teacher Gillian Sawyer-Price, who completed a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow and taught pharmacology and anesthesiology at several European and American universities before coming to TASIS in 2011.

 

Mr. Isaac Carey

Mr. Isaac Carey

Alex Gabriel '23 recently interviewed AP Calculus and AP Computer Science Teacher Isaac Carey, who has worked hard to grow the School's Computer Science Program since starting at TASIS in 2019.

 

 

Mr. Anthony Panontin

Mr. Anthony Panontin

Mariaurora Rosso '22 recently interviewed Anthony Panontin, who started at TASIS in 2019 and currently teaches IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches Higher Level and IB Theory of Knowledge to both juniors and seniors.

 

Mr. Daniel Schwartz

Mr. Daniel Schwartz

In 2020, Joy Mack '21 interviewed High School Math Teacher Daniel Schwartz, who has taught all levels of IB Mathematics over the course of his 12 years at TASIS.

 

 

Mr. Tim Venchus

Mr. Tim Venchus

In 2018, Lilian Angelone '19 sat down with Pre-K to 8 Learning Technologies Coordinator and Elementary School Math Coordinator Tim Venchus [now Technology Development Director], who has done much to advance the use of technology in the classroom since he started at TASIS in 2010.

 

Dr. Brett Merritt

Dr. Brett Merritt

In 2017, Anastasia Kolesnikova '18 interviewed Middle School Science Teacher Brett Merritt, who helped develop an Engineering and Invention unit at TASIS and was the 2014 recipient of the Khan-Page Master Teacher Award.

 

 

Mr. Mark Aeschliman

Mr. Mark Aeschliman

In 2017, Shu Ye '18 interviewed Architecture & Design Teacher Mark Aeschliman, who was the 2010 recipient of the Khan-Page Master Teacher Award and has inspired countless TASIS students to pursue degrees in Architecture and Art History over the course of a brilliant 44-year career.

Mr. James Shields

Mr. James Shields

Elizaveta Semasheva '22 recently interviewed Mr. Shields, who has served as the High School Math Department Chair for more than 20 years and believes that students shouldn't be overly reliant on technology as they build a solid foundation in mathematics.

 

Mr. Laurent Carsana

Mr. Laurent Carsana

Jane Wilson '22 recently interviewed Elementary School Science Teacher Laurent Carsana, who cultivates a love for science in his young students by empowering them, encouraging them to slow down and think deeply about what they're doing, and building a learning environment defined by honesty and trust.

 

Ms. Deborah Tompkins

Ms. Deborah Tompkins

Olivia De Souza Carneiro '24 recently interviewed High School Math Teacher Deborah Tompkins, who started at TASIS in 2018 and currently teaches IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches Standard Level and Honors Precalculus.

 

Mr. Daniel Dudley

Mr. Daniel Dudley

Katerina Smyslova '24 recently interviewed High School Math Teacher Daniel Dudley, who has taught both AP and IB Math since coming to TASIS in 2019.

 

 

 

Mr. Patrick Alava

Mr. Patrick Alava

In 2019, Joy Mack '21 sat down with Middle School Math Coordinator Patrick Alava, who began teaching at TASIS in 2011 and was the 2018 recipient of the Khan-Page Master Teacher Award.

 

Ms. Amy Bloodworth

Ms. Amy Bloodworth

In 2017, Ekaterina Plotnikova '18 sat down with Middle and High School Science Teacher Amy Bloodworth, who has made coding and robotics a key component of the Middle School Science curriculum and was the 2016 recipient of the Khan-Page Master Teacher Award.

 

Ms. Peg Crockett

Ms. Peg Crockett

In 2017, Anastasia Kolesnikova '18 interviewed High School Science Teacher Pegeen Crockett, who taught for nearly 40 years in the United States, Saudi Arabia, and China before coming to TASIS in 2016 and was the 2021 recipient of the Khan-Page Master Teacher Award.

 

Ms. Kerry Venchus

Ms. Kerry Venchus

In 2017, Bryan Soh '18 interviewed High School Math Teacher Kerry Venchus, who helped many students perform extraordinarily well on their exams in her former role as the AP Calculus teacher and was the 2017 recipient of the Khan-Page Master Teacher Award.

The Results

 

Great teachers help students produce great results. Learn about recent TASIS graduates who have reached impressive heights in the STEM subjects.

  • Exceptional Science and Math Student Headed to Imperial College London
  • Top Math Student To Seek Mechanical Engineering Degree
  • Bilingual IB Diploma Recipient To Pursue Medical Degree in Switzerland 
  • 2020 H. Miller Crist Recipient To Study Medicine in Warsaw
  • Standout TASIS Student Earns Spot at World-Class Science Program
  • Outstanding IB Student To Study Mechanical Engineering at ETH
  • Dedicated Scholar To Study Biomedical Science at Edinburgh
  • 2019 Valedictorian and Top IB Scorer Heads to Imperial College London
  • Service and Science Standout Picks Imperial College London
  • Decorated AP Scholar to Pursue Pharmacy Degree at George Washington
  • Brilliant Young Scientist to Study Biochemistry at Imperial College London
  • Science Achievements of Kolesnikova '18 Standing Out on World Stage
  • Top IB Scorer Lands at University College London
  • Excellence in Science Award Recipient to Pursue Career in Medicine
  • Future Neuroscientist Ready for Top Liberal Arts School
  • 2016 Valedictorian Heads to the Ivy League
  • Science Excellence Leads to Offer from Imperial College London
  • 2015 Valedictorian Seeking Dual Degree at Johns Hopkins
  • Science Star Pursuing Medicine Degree in the UK
  • Natural Leader Pursuing Computer Science Degree at Tufts

 

Our students are so much more than their exam scores—as the stories above attest—but it was wonderful to see that the 2021 IB and AP exam sessions continued an upward trajectory for TASIS students on these challenging college-level assessments. Learn more below.

 

2021 IB scores

Eight TASIS students scored 40 or more points on their IB exams, and the average score posted by the 44 students who earned an IB Diploma was 35—2 full points above the world average.

Learn more about the 2021 IB results

 

2021 AP scores

TASIS students scored a 4 or higher on 64 percent of the 196 Advanced Placement exams they took, and 37 students earned AP Scholar Awards. 

Learn more about the 2021 AP results

 

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TASIS Admissions Visits

Please click on the links below to schedule a meeting with a member of our Admissions Team in your area or request a video meeting.

November 4, 2021
Aramco School Fair, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia | November 4-7
Virtual Admissions Event
 
November 9, 2021
United Arab Emirates | November 9-10
 
November 11, 2021
Nairobi, Kenya | November 11-15
 
November 15, 2021
Istanbul, Turkey | November 15-17
 
November 17, 2021
New York, New York, USA | November 17-19
 
November 18, 2021
Rome, Italy | November 18
 
December 3, 2021
Mexico City, Mexico | December 3-6
 
December 7, 2021
Houston, Texas, USA | December 7-8
 
December 9, 2021
Austin, Texas, USA | December 9-10
 
December 11, 2021
Miami, Florida, USA | December 11-13
 
REQUEST A VIDEO MEETING
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Upcoming Alumni Reunions
November 19, 2021
All-Class Reunion in New York | November 19, 2021
The Yale Club, New York City, NY, USA
 
June 17, 2022
Class of 2012: 10th Anniversary Reunion | June 17-19, 2022
Lugano, Switzerland
 

SEE MORE REUNION INFORMATION

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TASIS THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN SWITZERLAND

Via Collina d'Oro, 6926 Montagnola, Switzerland

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