From Academic Travel across Europe and experiential learning on campus to first-rate performing arts shows and impressive athletic achievements, we take a photo-driven look at the past month at TASIS.
Europe, Our Classroom
From November 3–7, TASIS High School students made Venice, Florence, Rome, Santa Margherita, Munich, Heidelberg, Baad, Zurich, Leysin, Bern, and Lausanne their classroom. For the long weekend, students were fully immersed in their studies. They walked the streets referenced in their history books, sketched the landscapes made famous by eminent artists, and conversed in languages practiced in the classroom. They met with experts in their field, conducted experiments in state-of-the-art labs, and challenged themselves in the outdoors. Fall Academic Travel provided context and depth to their studies, and students returned to campus with a greater appreciation for class.
Up for the Challenge
Tenth-grade students who attended Outward Bound in Baad, Austria, spent most of Fall Academic Travel outdoors. Students hiked, rock climbed, spent a night in a remote cabin, and abseiled off a 50-meter bridge. Watch a video of the trip.
Building Igloos and Friendships
Middle School students learned how to assemble an igloo while on their Academic Travel trip to Gstaad. Watch a video of the trip.
Molding Future Leaders
As part of an initiative to expose TASIS students to more leadership training, Headmaster Christopher Nikoloff met with High School Student Council representatives to deliver a module entitled “Leadership as Service” on the evening of November 10.
Perfect Champions
The Varsity Boys Volleyball team captured the 2021 European Sports Conference (ESC) Championship in convincing fashion on November 13. Over two days, the Tigers dominated six games against five teams from around Europe, without ever losing a single set—a feat only achieved once before by the 2015 TASIS squad. The title marks the fifth ESC championship for the TASIS Boys Volleyball program, the most in league history.
One week later, Coach Brendan Shea and the Tigers put an exclamation point on a terrific season by winning their fifth NISSA Championship since 2015!
Cheering on the Champs
Fans cheered from the upper deck of the Palestra as the Junior Varsity Girls Volleyball team scored a point en route to a 25–22, 25–21 win over the Inter-Community School of Zürich in the championship match of an invitational tournament hosted by TASIS on November 15.
Un-be-leafable Art
Inspired by leaves and the colors of fall, Elementary School students created festive artwork during Art Attack, an ES After-School Activity, on November 17.
History Come to Life
On November 19, 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.
Sixth-Grade Mascot
Students in Dr. Brett Merritt’s Grade 6 Science class have been busy designing and building models of WALL-E, the robot from the 2008 Disney film. They are aiming to replicate WALL-E in appearance and functionality and in the process are learning about many concepts from the Middle School science curriculum.
“WALL-E is the mascot of sixth grade,” said Dr. Merritt, the 2014 recipient of the Khan-Page Master Teacher Award. “It’s like a science kit ready to be explained.”
Green Week
The student-led TASIS Service Learning Board announced a “Green Week” during High School assembly on November 19. The group reminded students and faculty about recycling procedures on campus and challenged the student body to take a series of actions designed to conserve electricity, avoid food waste, and use less paper.
TASIS Production Shines on Stage
Congratulations are due to all the students and faculty members who were involved in the wonderful performances of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in the Palmer Cultural Center on November 19 and 20! Watch the show.
Faculty vs Student Soccer Game
Intrepid members of the TASIS Faculty and Staff challenged the Boys Varsity Soccer team to a match under the lights on November 22. The faculty’s performance against the NISSA and SGIS runners-up is best summed up in the final score of the match: (redacted).
Ending on a High Note
Coach Alex Zanecchia’s Varsity Girls Soccer team finished an excellent season with an inspiring 2–1 win over an FC Lugano club on November 22 in Carabbia!
SNDC Dance Concert Dazzles
Sweet November Dance Company (SNDC) performed its fall concert, Rain, in front of a packed house in the Palmer Cultural Center on the evening of November 23. The inspiring performance included seven choreographed dances and a lovely musical interlude. Watch the concert.
A Season to Remember
Athletic Director Masa Yo ’04 and Associate Athletic Director Alex Zanecchia ’02 hosted a beautiful banquet on the evening of November 24 to celebrate a very successful fall season, which included many top finishes at conference tournaments, and to recognize standout members of each High School varsity and junior varsity team with awards handed out by each team’s coaches.
Rabid Readers
Grade 2 students enjoyed some reading time in the Elementary School Library on November 25.
Medical Club Dines with Distinguished Doctor
Members of the student-run TASIS Medical Club had the honor of having lunch in Casa Fleming on November 25 with special guest Dr. Paolo Ferrari, who is the Chief Medical Officer of the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale in Ticino and a medical consultant in nephrology at the Ospedale Civico of Lugano.
During the lunch, Dr. Ferrari discussed his background in education and 15 years of practicing medicine in Australia, where he was awarded the Australian Legion of Honor in 2015 for his contributions to the development of kidney transplant treatments. Dr. Ferrari also spoke to the future medical students about the importance of being flexible, emphasized the need to always put the patient first, and discussed the role he played in spearheading Lugano’s response to the pandemic.
The TASIS Medical Club was founded last December by Jane Wilson ’22 and now totals 17 members. The group meets every two weeks during the Office Hours block to discuss topics in medicine and plan future initiatives.
Yarn Club
Members of the Elementary School Yarn Club worked on their knitting projects after school on November 25.
Winter is Coming
After a surprise first snowfall early on the morning of November 28, snow-covered peaks could be seen from the Casa Fleming Tower when classes resumed the next day.
