From intensive academics in the morning, adventurous water sports in the afternoon, and European exploration on the weekend to six original musical performances, four Summer Arts Festival Concerts, and two Visual Arts Exhibitions, we take a photo-driven look at this past summer at TASIS.
Record-Setting Summer
On June 23, Families from around the world flocked to campus for Opening Day of the 2024 TASIS Summer Programs. The 870 students from 69 nations (423 students for session one and 447 students for session two) broke the enrollment record that was set just one year ago.
Engaging Academics
Students in our Minnows (ages, 4–6), Château des Enfants (CDE, ages 7–10), Middle School Program (MSP, ages 11–13), and High School Program (HSP, ages 14–17) had the opportunity to choose from a wide range of subjects for their main academic offering, including Academic Writing, Architecture & Design, Creative Writing, Digital Photography, English as an Additional Language, Fashion & Textile Design, Filmmaking, Fine Art Portfolio, French, International Baccalaureate Preparation, Italian, Introduction to Investment, La Cucina Italiana Cooking, Lean Startup Masterclass, Musical Theater, and STEAM.
On the Lake
MSP and HSP students have their choice of more than a dozen afternoon sports. Stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, windsurfing, wakeboarding, sailing, and waterskiing all take place on beautiful Lake Lugano.
Afternoon Adventures
Other afternoon sports included Golf Club, Tennis Club, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, dance, weight training, yoga, CrossFit, spinning, recreational soccer, archery, volleyball, recreational tennis, basketball, and Milan Academy Scuola Calcio.
The AC Milan Experience
Students at TASIS have the incredible opportunity to work with coaches from the renowned AC Milan Club through the Milan Academy Scuola Calcio.
Travel from A to Z
Our first weekend of travel included trips to Andermatt, Ascona, Bellagio, Bergamo, the Brissago Islands, Brunnen, Engelberg, the Italian Riviera, Locarno, Lucerne, Milan, Monaco, Nice, Rome, Valle Verzasca, and Zurich.
E.I.E.I.O.
On July 5, Minnows students ventured to a local farm to learn about livestock and to feed the farm animals.
Garden Party
HSP students gathered on the Monticello Terrace on July 9 for an evening of music and dance.
Big-Kid Trip
Our oldest CDE students, the 10-year-olds, went on a special trip to the Monte Tamaro Adventure Park on July 11 and had a great time taking on the high ropes course.
World Builders
HSP Architecture and Design students sketched artist retreats and spent the last week of classes finalizing models to be displayed at the session one Summer Arts Festival Exhibition.
Weekend Warriors
CDE boarding students spent Saturday, July 13, hiking around beautiful Lago Ritom.
Dance Party
MSP students celebrated the penultimate night of session one by dancing and singing with friends.
Talented Students
As the first session approached its conclusion, HSP students kicked off the Summer Arts Festival by sharing their talents in the Palestra on the evening of July 15.
Three World Premieres
HSP students then performed the first of three original musicals that would highlight the first session Summer Arts Festival. The High School students performed The Sound of Home—written by TASIS summer educators Sandra Preciado, Joe Gutesha, and Andreane Le May—in the Palmer Cultural Center on the evening of July 16.
Festival of Stinky Cheese
CDE students performed the second original musical, Cry Wolf!—written by TASIS summer educators Stephanie Figer, TJ Liquori, and Mikey Rosenbaum—in the Palmer Cultural Center on the afternoon of July 17.
Local Inspiration
On the evening of July 17, MSP students performed the third original musical, Faldum, in the Palmer Cultural Center. Based on a Herman Hesse short story, the original musical was adapted for the stage by TASIS summer educators Mark T Evans and Jami Reimer.
Creativity on Display
In addition to the performing arts, the session one Summer Arts Festival also included an exhibition of the many impressive art and design projects created by students from all four programs. Visual Arts offerings during the first session included Art Activities and STEAM for CDE, Digital Photography and STEAM for MSP, and Digital Photography, Filmmaking, Architecture and Design, Fine Art Portfolio, Fashion and Textile Design, and STEAM for HSP. Student work was displayed in The Lounge on July 16–17.
Arts Festival Concerts
Students, teachers, and counselors in the CDE and Minnows programs commemorated the end of the first session by performing the first of two Arts Festival Concerts in the Palestra on the afternoon of July 17.
Closing Down the Session
MSP students, teachers, and counselors closed down a wonderful first session Summer Arts Festival with a variety of inspiring performances in the Palestra on the evening of July 17.
Take Two
Summer staff welcomed families to campus for the start of the second session of the TASIS Summer Programs on July 21.
Intensive Academics
The new arrivals selected a course from a wide range of academic offerings and quickly settled into a routine of intensive academics in the mornings.
Engaging Electives
In addition to their main academic focus, students from all divisions also selected electives to explore during either their discovery hour (MSP and HSP students) or afternoon activities (CDE).
TASIS Olympians
While athletes from around the world competed in the Summer Olympics in Paris, TASIS high school students competed in a fierce competition of their own: the HSP Olympics.
Ahoy
On July 26, HSP students set sail across Lake Lugano.
Up for the Challenge
CDE 10-year-old students teamed up to take on the Monte Tamaro high-ropes course on July 30.
Colorful Evenings
After a morning spent in classes and afternoon participating in sports, summer nights on campus were an explosion of evening activities for boarding students of all ages.
Water World
On the evening of July 30, MSP students played water games, made tie-dye t-shirts, and cooled off on a homemade slip and slide.
Tutti Singing
HSP students gathered in the Palmer Cultural Center for a lively evening of singing on July 30.
Fast Friends
On Wednesday afternoons throughout the summer, HSP advisories took small-group field trips to many special locations across Ticino—Valle Verzasca, Monte Tamaro, Lugano Lido, and more—to build friendships and appreciation for southern Switzerland.
Cooking Up a Feast
On August 1, HSP students in Mr. Hugo Baumann’s La Cucina Italiana Cooking class learned how to make an apple tart, a treat they enjoyed for lunch with the lasagna, bruschetta, fruit salad, and other delectable delights they also prepared.
Highflyers
Minnows students celebrated Swiss Day on August 1 with crafts, face painting, and games.
Swiss Day Celebrations
CDE and MSP students celebrated Swiss Day with a boat cruise, dance, and fireworks on August 1.
Mountain Tops and City Centers
The weekend of August 2–4 saw our students visit Nice, Monaco, Venice, Zermatt, Gruyeres, Montreux, Flumserberg, Lucerne, Milan, Balbianello, Brissago, Vira, Zurich, Ascona, Brissago, Tesserete, Borromean Islands, and Valle Verzasca while also canyoning and canoeing on the waters of Ticino.
Runway Ready
High School students in the Fashion and Textile Design course spent their summer building a fashion portfolio through experimentation with fabrics, cuts, and stitches.
Lights, Camera, Action
From script to screen, HSP filmmaking students spent the second session learning the many jobs on a film set and worked together to make a short film.
Campfire Songs
While camping in Novaggio, CDE students roasted marshmallows and sang songs with Mr. Mikey and Mr. Ajay on the evening of August 5.
Themed Days
Throughout the second session, Minnows students participated in many themed days, including Pirate Day, Circus Day, and Renaissance Fair Day.
Celebrating Their Time Together
To commemorate a summer of blossoming friendships, MSP students enjoyed a dance party on the De Nobili Terrace on the evening of August 8.
Student Showcase
HSP students kickstarted the second session Summer Arts Festival with a talent show in the Palestra on the evening of August 7.
The Sound of Home
The second session Summer Arts Festival continued with the HSP musical class performing The Sound of Home in the Palmer Cultural Center on the evening of August 8. The talented group joined their session one counterparts in performing the original musical drafted specifically for the TASIS Summer Programs.
Cry Wolf!
CDE students performed the second original musical of the second session, Cry Wolf!, in the Palmer Cultural Center on the afternoon of August 9.
Faldum
On the evening of August 9, second session MSP musical students performed the second world premiere of the original musical, Faldum, in the Palmer Cultural Center.
Visual Arts Exhibition
Once again, the outstanding art and design projects created by students during the session were displayed in The Lounge on August 8–9 for peers and parents to peruse.
Arts Festival Concerts
Students, teachers, and counselors in the CDE and Minnows programs commemorated the end of the second session by performing the first of two final Arts Festival Concerts of the summer.
T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R.
The TASIS Summer Programs concluded with MSP students performing a heartfelt rendition of the TASIS song “T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R.” On August 10, our summer students and staff went their separate ways, but as the song goes, “Always together we will be.”
