From intensive academics in the morning, adventurous water sports in the afternoon, and transformative travel on the weekend to six original musical performances, four Summer Arts Festival Concerts, two Open Houses, and two Visual Arts Exhibitions, we take a photo-driven look at this past summer at TASIS.
For the Record Books
On June 22, summer staff and administrators welcomed families from around the world to campus for Opening Day of the 2025 TASIS Summer Programs. The 888 students from 65 nations (412 students for session one and 476 students for session two) broke the enrollment record for the third consecutive year.
Focused 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, 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, kayaking, waterskiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, and sailing all take place on beautiful Lake Lugano.
Afternoon Adventures
Other afternoon sports included Milan Academy Scuola Calcio, Golf Club, Tennis Club, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, and CrossFit. And then dance, weight training, yoga, spinning, recreational soccer, volleyball, recreational tennis, and basketball were all offered on campus.
Engaging Electives
In addition to their main academic focus, students from all divisions selected electives to explore during either their Discovery Hour or afternoon activities.
Travel from A to Z
TASIS’s extensive summer travel program included trips to Andermatt, Ascona, Bellagio, Engelberg, Gruyere, the Italian Riviera, Locarno, Lucerne, Milan, Modena, Monaco, Nice, Rome, Valle Verzasca, Venice, Zermatt, and Zurich—to name just some of the many day and overnight trips offered to cultural centers and outdoor-adventure hubs across Switzerland, Italy, and France.
Up for the Challenge
MSP students tackled a high-ropes course in San Bernardino on June 28.
Inquisitive Minds
On July 4, Minnows students searched for flora and fauna while on a nature walk near Al Focolare, their homebase for the summer.
Wonderful Wednesdays
Every Wednesday throughout the summer, CDE students and counselors embarked on local adventures—by foot, funicular, boat, and train—to explore the Swiss outdoors and culture.
One Big Family
On July 8, HSP students gathered on the Monticello Terrace for an evening of singing, dancing, and socializing.
An Inspiring Campus
HSP students in the Fine Art Portfolio course took their easels outdoors on July 9 to paint TASIS’s campus, which ranked atop Architectural Digest’s list of the world’s most beautiful boarding schools.
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 14.
Memorable Minnows Moments
On July 15, the Minnows Program welcomed families to Focolare for an open house. The students showcased much of the work they accomplished during the session and performed several songs for their loved ones.
Three World Premieres
HSP students then performed the first of three original musicals that would highlight the first session’s Summer Arts Festival. The High School students performed Behind the Screen—written by TASIS summer educators Thalia Ranjbar, Mikey Rosenbaum, and Mark T Evans—in the Palmer Cultural Center on the evening of July 15.
Camp Moonlight
CDE students performed the second original musical, Out of the Woods—written by TASIS summer educators Stephanie Figer, TJ Liquori, Mikey Rosenbaum, and Ajay Raghuraman—in the Palmer Cultural Center on the afternoon of July 16.
Wonder Emporium
On the evening of July 16, MSP students performed the third original musical, Alice @ Wonderland, in the Palmer Cultural Center. Adapted from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland by Kyle Adkins, Mikey Rosenbaum, and Jami Reimer, the original musical also included music and lyrics by Rosenbaum, Reimer, William Karras, and Ajay Raghuraman.
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 Convivio on July 15–16.
Arts Festival Concerts
Students, teachers, and counselors in the CDE program commemorated the end of the first session by performing the first of two Arts Festival Concerts in the Palestra on the afternoon of July 16.
Closing Down the Session
MSP students, teachers, and counselors concluded a tremendous first session with a variety of inspiring performances in the Palestra on the evening of July 16.
Advocating for TASIS Students
While campus was abuzz hosting students of the TASIS Summer Programs, College Counselors Johanna Fishbein and Conor Fritz were in Boston attending the International Association for College Admission Counseling Conference at Northeastern University. Ms. Fishbein was lead presenter of a session titled “Looking Beyond the Crowds: Unusual or Under-Subscribed Courses/Major Paths to Explore,” and Mr. Fritz joined Fishbein in attending several informative sessions. The pair also networked with higher education representatives to advocate for TASIS students and to encourage university visits to campus.
Summer Reunions
The TASIS Classes of 1995, 2005, 2015, and 2020 returned to campus for reunions in June and July. The groups toured campus and enjoyed elegant dinners in Villa De Nobili and the Casa Fleming Garden.
Encore
Students arrived on campus for the start of the second session of the TASIS Summer Programs on July 20.
Lights, Camera, Action
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.
Getting Outdoors
Regularly throughout the summer, CDE classes visited Montagnola’s wooded classroom for a morning of outdoor education with Brian Barry.
Time on the Lake
MSP and HSP students kept cool with a plethora of afternoon sports on Lake Lugano. Students enjoyed stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, waterskiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, and sailing.
Zoom Zoom
Other MSP and HSP students spent their afternoons pursuing specific sporting interests like Golf Club, Tennis Club, mountain biking, rock climbing, CrossFit, weight training, basketball, recreational soccer, volleyball, hiking, dance, recreational tennis, yoga, and spinning.
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.
Breathtaking Travel
From Milan’s Duomo and Zermatt’s Matterhorn to Venice’s canals and Valle Verzasca’s bridge, students enjoyed many remarkable travel opportunities during the second session of the TASIS Summer Programs.
City Builders
Minnows students and counselors visited the Museo in Erba on July 29 for an amazing city-building experience.
Splashtown
On the evening of July 29, MSP students cooled off with water games and a homemade slip and slide.
Evening Singalong
While camping near Ca.Stella Farm in Meride, CDE students circled up for camp songs with Mr. Mikey and Mr. Ajay on the evening of July 29.
Cooking Up a Feast
On August 1, HSP students in Hugo Baumann’s La Cucina Italiana Cooking class learned how to make sweet crepes, a treat they enjoyed for lunch with crispy breaded chicken, fried tortellini, fruit salad, tiramisu, and other delectable delights they also prepared.
Out and About
On August 6, CDE students hiked from Lugano to Gandria on the Olive Grove Trail. In Gandria, the group hopped on a boat for a scenic cruise back to downtown Lugano.
Celebrating Their Time Together
As the end of the second session neared, MSP students gathered to commemorate their time together with a dance party on the De Nobili Terrace on the evening of August 7.
Student Showcase
HSP students opened the second session’s Summer Arts Festival with a talent show in the Palestra on the evening of August 6.
Minnows Open House
On August 7, Minnows students welcomed their families to Focolare for an afternoon of sharing musical performances and classroom achievements.
Behind the Screen
The Summer Arts Festival continued with the HSP musical class performing Behind the Screen in the Palmer Cultural Center on the evening of August 7. The talented group joined their session one counterparts in performing the original musical drafted specifically for the TASIS Summer Programs.
Out of the Woods
CDE students performed the second original musical of the second session, Out of the Woods, in the Palmer Cultural Center on the afternoon of August 8.
Alice @ Wonderland
On the evening of August 8, MSP musical students performed the second world premiere of the original musical, Alice @ Wonderland, 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 Convivio on August 7–8 for peers and parents to peruse.
Arts Festival Concerts
Students, teachers, and counselors in the CDE program commemorated the end of the second session by performing the first of two 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 9, our summer students and staff went their separate ways, but as the song goes, “Always together we will be.”
Campus Construction Humming Along
Work on Donald MacDermid Hall, a key component of the Collina Alta phase of the TASIS Global Village Building Campaign, has continued steadily throughout the summer. The foundation for all four floors is now in place, and the roof structure was completed in late August. The magnificent building—which will consist of 27 double student rooms, two faculty apartments, three student common rooms, and four classrooms—will be completed in time for its grand opening on August 22, 2026. Both this building and the Donald MacDermid Music Center—a smaller structure that will include two music classrooms, seven music practice rooms, and a piazza with a fountain—will be unveiled as part of TASIS’s 70th-anniversary celebration that weekend.
Welcome to the Team
TASIS’s newest faculty members concluded a productive orientation week with a Ticenese aperitivo and dinner in the Headmaster’s Garden on August 15.
Curriculum Design With Jay McTighe
TASIS was thrilled to welcome influential author and renowned educational consultant Jay McTighe to campus on August 19 for an engaging day of professional development. Best known within the education world as the co-author of Understanding by Design—a work in which he and education reformer Grant Wiggins advocate for a style of “backwards” curriculum design in which planners look at the desired outcomes at the end of the study in order to design units, performance assessments, and classroom instruction—Mr. McTighe led a workshop with the entire TASIS Faculty that focused on curriculum planning based on the “Big Four”: Content, Skills, Big Ideas, and Essential Questions. Teachers were then given time throughout the day to apply ideas from the session to a new or existing unit design, helping them fine-tune their plans for the upcoming academic year.
Many Hands Make Light Work
On August 22, prefects helped the Residential Life team prepare the dormitories for the return of boarding students.
Stepping into the New Year
Boarding students returned to campus on August 25 for move-in day and registration. Orientation programming for all day and boarding students took place on August 25–27.
First Day Excitement
The 2025–2026 academic year officially began on August 28 with students and teachers returning to campus for the first day of classes.
