the PDF version

Welcome to the ES TASIS Times!
Interview with
Dr. Lutton:
Part 1
by Johannes Van Zuydam
Where did you study?
I studied at university three different
times. I graduated from undergraduate
school at Rutgers University, in New
Jersey, with a degree in Humanities. Then
I did a Masters in Administration at Barry
University in Miami, Florida. Then I got my
doctorate at the University of Florida in
Curriculum Instruction and Instructional
Leadership.
Where did you go to high school?
I went to high school in Miami, Florida.
Where were you born?
I was born in Miami, Florida.
Did you like school?
All my life I loved school! I loved it, but I
did not want to be a teacher.
How many schools did you go to?
I went to three schools.
What was your favorite subject?
I liked Math and I liked Language Arts.
What did you study in college?
At the beginning I studied British
Literature and Math. Then when I
decided I wanted to be a teacher, I
studied Educational Administration and
Curriculum Instruction.
WANT TO BE
A PART OF THE FUN?
Any ES student can contribute artwork,
photographs, fiction, poetry, interviews,
investigative reports, or any other
original work!
Email your work to:
[email protected]
Were you a teacher before
becoming a principal?
Yes, I taught high school for 18 years. I
taught Math, English and Aviation Science,
because it was a Math department class.
Why did you want to be a
principal?
I wanted to be a principal because I thought
I had something to offer teachers: to help
them be better teachers.
What made you be a principal?
Actually, I was in high school and knew
a woman kind of like Mrs. Fleming. Her
name was Dr. Cushman. She had a school
called The Cushman School and she knew
about me because the school where I was
teaching and doing some administrative
work was near her school. Some of the
students came to the private high school
where I was teaching. She asked me to
come see her. My daughter went to her
school, and she asked me if I wanted to
take her place as Head of School. That’s
how I got into it!
What do you think about TASIS?
I like it a lot. I love the students and the
teachers are great! The campus is beautiful,
but I have had enough snow now. We don’t
need any more snow.
VOLUNTEERS:
Ms. Hercules
STUDENT REPS: Ms. Di Mattia
Anna Kolesnikova Ms. Gernetti
Ms.Gowin
Johannes Van Zuydam
LAYOUT DESIGN: Ms. Santoro
Ms. Stolz Ms. Maspero
Ms. Sindona
Ms.Kirilova
Ms. Parolari
Ms. Bearden
Ms. Fadlon
Ms. Maffezzini
Ms. Peltier
Mr. Reynolds
Ms. Zanecchia
ES TASIS Times
The following pages contain images and writing from the creative minds of TASIS’s youngest
scholars. Our Elementary School students and staff have worked hard creating, drawing,
writing, photographing, typing, scanning, and editing to bring this magazine to life.
Sit back and enjoy!
May 2015
Volume 5
Issue 9
2
Interview with Dr. Lutton: Part 2
by Anna Kolesnikova
What was your job before this one?
Well, actually, at first I was retired, but before I retired I was
the head of a whole big school like this one, for 32 years.
Are you married?
Yes, I am.
What’s your favorite book?
Oh, it’s hard to choose. I have many favorite books. I like To
Kill a Mockingbird. Another is Gone with the Wind. There are
many! And when I was a child, I liked the book called Caddy
Woodlawn. That was when I was in about 4th grade.
And do you have any
children?
Yes, three grown.
How many
grandchildren do you
have?
I have eight!
What’s your favorite
country?
The United States.
When’s your
birthday?
March 14.
What’s your favorite
sport and why?
Swimming, because I’m
good at it and I love it.
What are your
hobbies?
Reading, swimming, and
spinning.
And what was one of the hardest things for you
about being a principal?
Well, I think one of the hardest things was when kids made
bad choices and got into trouble. I didn’t like it. I wanted
them to care and do their best.
Do you enjoy seeing children every day? Why?
Oh yes, I do! It’s the best part of this job. I like it because
what other job do you go to and see kids having fun?
What’s your favorite food?
I like bread and cheese. I also like bread with cheese which is
good in Switzerland because it is so good here!
3rd Grade Reading Group
Alice in Wonderland: Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
in Casa Fleming
by Baltzar Nauckhoff
by Niccolo Vanossi
by Rachele Fumagalli
by Tayisia Timokhina
by Sarah Mesaric
by Sophie Pea
Grade 2 Writing
3
4
Classe 2a - Viaggio in Cina
Se volete fare un viaggio nella meravigliosa Cina dovete assolutamente
sapere alcune cose...
di Rachele, Mila, Darian e Luca
Di Diego Sindona
di Elise, Isabella, Dara, Delaney
di Marco, Gabriele, Kerem, Diego, Niccoló e Matteo
di Ava, Mila, Chloé, Darian e Rachele
di Ava, Mila, Chloé, Darian e Rachele
Thank you to all the art students
who took part in making
decorations for the MS Chinese
Night dinner during International
Week! Over the course of three
days, our enthusiastic students
produced 100 Chinese lanterns
and two enormous dragons
which transformed the De Nobili
dining hall into an exciting
Chinese restaurant! Both MS
and HS students were moved
by the efforts of their younger
peers and deeply appreciated
this gift. Photos and videos from
International Week can be found
on the TASIS website and on
SmugMug.
Art - Chinese Night
5
6
Grade 5 Contributions
Grade 5 Core Knowledge English Language Arts (Italian Section) studets have studied
a variety of novels this year. They created summaries of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,
biographies of Louisa May Alcott while studying Little Women, and
wrote their own renditions of The Secret Garden.
A Summary of
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Matilda Fadlon
This story is fictional and the author is Mark
Twain. His real name was Samuel Clemens.
This story takes place in Missouri where
he grew up, near the Mississippi River. The
Mississippi River was a dangerous river in
North America. Native Americans lived along
its tributaries.
The main characters in this story are Tom
Sawyer, Aunt Polly, Becky, Injun Joe,
and Huck Finn. Tom Sawyer is brave and
sometimes naughty. Aunt Polly is strict with
Tom, and she seems to prefer Sid, Tom’s half
brother. Becky is snobby and very quiet. Injun
Joe is very mean. Finally, Huck Finn is a good
friend of Tom’s, but a naughty rebel.
The first main event in the story was when
Tom was told to whitewash a fence. He
managed to get other people to whitewash
for him because he said that it wasn’t work.
The second story event was when Huck Finn
and Tom hid in the cemetery and witnessed
a murder. They went there to get rid of warts
by bringing a dead cat with them. The third
main event was when Tom, Huck and Joe
Harper ran away from home to an island and
everyone thought they were dead. When they
were there, they played pirates, but they felt
homesick.
In conclusion, I would recommend this story
to someone who likes adventure and getting
scared! I think Tom learned to be brave, but
he likes being home. I would like to read more
books by this author because I like adventure
and suspense.
A Summary of
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Rafaye Khan
This story is fictional. The author is Mark Twain.
His real name is Samuel Clemens. He was
born in 1835 in Missouri. This story takes place
near the Mississippi River. Tom Sawyer is an
immature but smart boy. Becky is a picky girl
who loves fancy gowns. Aunt Polly is an old,
strict aunt who loves Tom.
The story begins when Tom was told by Aunt
Polly to whitewash a fence because he skipped
school the day before. Instead of Tom doing the
work, he tricked his friends into doing the work
by believing it was a privilege. So they actually
paid him to do his work!
Huckleberry Finn is a very naughty boy and a
rebel. He is Tom’s good friend. They go to a
graveyard with a dead cat to get rid of warts.
Instead, they see the murder of a doctor. This
makes Tom really sad. Tom and his two friends
decide to escape to an island. They build a raft
to go there. Once they get there, they start to
live a wild life. Later at night, Tom and Finn tell
each other how much they miss home.
Another main event in this story is when Tom
is in a courtroom telling about the night when
Huck and he were in the graveyard with the
dead cat. Tom explains everything, but keeps a
close eye on Injun Joe. Injun Joe is sharpening
his knife when Tom says, “It wasn’t Potter who
killed Doc Robinson. It was Injun Joe!” Just
then, Injun Joe throws his knife at Tom. Tom
dodges it and Injun Joe runs away.
In conclusion, Tom becomes a real hero. I
would recommend this story to someone who
likes adventure. I think Tom learned real bravery
and truth.
Biography of Louisa May Alcott
by Gaetano Carbonelli
Louisa May Alcott was born on November
29, 1832 in Germantown. She died on March
6, 1888, in Boston. Her best novels are
Little Women, Little Men and Jo’s Boy. She
represented herself as “Jo” in Little Women.
Alcott had three sisters. The youngest were
Elizabeth Alcott and Sewell Alcott. In 1858,
her younger sister Elizabeth died. She moved
into a home they named Hillside in April 1845.
In 1860, Alcott began writing for the Atlantic
Monthly. When the American Civil War broke
out, she served in the hospital in Georgetown.
Her older sister, May, died in 1879. Her family
was poor. Alcott had to start teaching at a
younger age than teachers usually do. As an
adult Alcott was an abolitionist which means
she wanted to stop slavery. She was also a
feminist.
I would recommend Alcott’s novel, Little
Women to readers because it’s a really good
story even though it’s a little bit sad. It’s
interesting because there are many surprises
in the story. She was a very fine author.
Sources: Wikepidia.com and Biography.com
Pirate Ship by Giulia Sindona
7
8
Grade 5
The Secret Garden
My Secret Garden
by Caterina Millo
My secret garden is beautiful
My garden is very colorful
I like to go there and read
With no speed
Full of silence
And without violence
Illustration by Caterina Millo
My Secret Garden
by Anna
Belan
In my secret garden, you will see,
Birds sleeping in a tree;
Monkeys hanging by their tails,
And trees with wispy needles,
Trees growing in pots,
Spanish moss dripping in knots;
Rabbits jumping on the ground;
Fairies all bound!
Making pies,
In the skies,
That’s the garden I can see,
Oh wait there is a bee!
Illustration by Anna Belan
My Secret Garden
by Rafaye Khan
A garden that is so secret,
Nobody will figure it out.
A garden that is so secret,
Nobody will have the slightest clue.
A garden that is so secret,
That it is too secret for a garden.
A garden that is so secret,
Nobody knows how secret it is!
My Secret Garden
by Matias Riis
My secret garden is amazing. There
is a big tree with branches. It’s an
enormous tree. The secret garden
is hidden in the tree and there is an
amazing view with birds everywhere
looking at you as if you were a
stranger. You can hear the roots of
the gigantic tree whispering things to
you. I love my secret garden because
when I’m lonely I can talk to it. It’s the
only one that understands what I’m
saying.
My Secret Garden
by Karolina Miroshnichenko
My secret garden is made of candy,
Everything is colorful and fancy,
It’s secret for a main reason,
It’s sunny and hot in every season,
My friends and I can enter,
But nobody shall reach the center.
My friends and I can play,
Dipping berries in fountains all day,
That’s how my garden would be,
Perfect for everyone and me.
My Secret Garden
by Aida Balakhmet
My secret garden is amazing. It has a twofloor house with lots of colorful decorations.
Birds are always flying above it. It always
has sun and there is a hot air balloon.
There is a little playhouse beside the house.
Lots of my friends come and play with me.
Every morning I go outside and fly my kite.
There is a door that leads into my secret
garden. Only my friends and I can enter.
Illustration: by Karolina Miroshnichenko
9
10
Grade 1 learned new
vocabulary and used
it in writing stories
starting with
I cherish...
by Elle Fuhr
by Sofia Volpi
by Wesley Soh
Every morning, Grade 1 enjoys D.E.A.R. Drop Everything And Read!
by Federico Pipitone
In Science, they learned
about matter and
electricity.
by Henrijs Bensons
by Riccardo Carpacci
by Emilie Blank
by Kai Lim
Grade 1 Contributions
11
12
Intervista a Ms.Berera
a cura di Caterina Millo e Tommaso Lo Monaco
Qual è il giorno del tuo compleanno?
È il19 gennaio.
Hai fratelli o sorelle?
Si, ho un fratello più grande.
Da dove vieni?
Vengo da Sondrio, in Valtellina.
Ti piaceva andare a scuola quando frequentavi
le elementari?
Adoravo frequentare la scuola, anche se era molto
diversa da adesso: si andava a scuola anche di
sabato, ma solo metà giornata. Ho anche avuto la
stessa maestra per cinque anni, che a volte vado
ancora a visitare.
Qual è la tua materia preferita?
Ho sempre amato molto
la letteratura e la filosofia,
perché mi piace molto
cercare di capire la natura
umana.
Hai un ricordo speciale della
tua esperienza scolastica
che ci vorresti raccontare?
Ho molti ricordi speciali:
uno di questi è riferito ad
un’esperienza vissuta in
terza elementare, quando
abbiamo rappresentato a
teatro “I promessi sposi” di
Manzoni e mi hanno chiesto
di interpretare la parte di
Lucia Mondella.
Sei sposata e hai figli?
Si, sono sposata e ho una figlia di tre anni,
Clotilde.
Quali sono i tuoi hobby?
Mi piace leggere, scrivere e viaggiare. Inoltre
amo il teatro, l’opera e il cinema.
Da quanto tempo lavori alla
TASIS?
Lavoro da dieci anni alla
TASIS, da quando esistono le elementari.
Ci sono stati molti cambiamenti in questi anni,
dalla nascita della scuola elementare?
Si, ci sono stati molti cambiamenti. Quando ho
iniziato a lavorare in questa scuola, dieci anni fa,
c’erano solo tre classi e circa quaranta bambini e
non c’era la Sezione Italiana.
Quali sono i tuoi libri preferiti?
Amo leggere i classici, la letteratura russa e la Che cosa ti piace di più di questa scuola?
poesia.
Mi piace il fatto che i bambini vengano a scuola felici,
le diverse culture degli studenti... Ecco, la TASIS mi
Qual è stato il tuo percorso scolastico?
piace perché è una scuola internazionale.
Ho frequentato le scuole elementari, le medie, il
liceo e l’Università, presso la quale ho studiato Di che cosa ti occupi alla TASIS?
Filosofia, a Milano. Durante l’università ho Sono la coordinatrice della Sezione Italiana per le
frequentato anche una scuola di teatro.
elementari, le medie e la prima liceo e, inoltre, sono
la vice direttrice delle scuole elementari.
Giornalisti per un giorno
Incontro con lo scrittore
JEREMY STRONG
Mercoledì 12 febbraio 2015 tutti i bambini della
scuola elementare TASIS si sono recati al Palmer
Center per incontrare Jeremy Strong e discutere
dei suoi libri. È venuto dal Regno Unito perché
avevamo appena finito di leggere in biblioteca
il suo libro: “My Brother’s Famous Bottom Goes
Camping” e poi, dopo la conferenza ci ha firmato
il suo libro che abbiamo acquistato per 10 CHF.
Mrs. Uecker lo ha invitato per conoscerlo meglio.
Jeremy Strong è un signore di mezza età che
racconta cose buffe e abbiamo scoperto che
ha un gatto nero. Da piccolo non riusciva a
pronunciare la r e quando scriveva non metteva
la punteggiatura e faceva errori. La maestra lo ha
incoraggiato comunque a scrivere fin da quando
era piccolo.
Ha appena finito di scrivere un libro sui Romani
e per fortuna scrive con il computer perché la
sua calligrafia è illeggibile. Perfino il suo nome,
JEREMY è difficile da pronunciare e molti lo
chiamano Jermy o Germania.
Jeremy Strong afferma che se tu lavori con il
frigo, tu avrai la mente piena di idee. Se una
maestra ti chiede: “Perché non scrivi?” tu devi
rispondere che devi avere un frigo per scrivere,
lo dice Jeremy Strong!
Il signor Strong ci ha dato degli ottimi consigli
per diventare bravissimi scrittori, proprio come
lui.
-Nessuno è nato scrittore, è diventato scrittore.
Quindi non preoccuparti se alcuni testi non
riescono perfettamente!
-fa bozze, prendi appunti e fai disegni prima di
scrivere il testo vero e proprio.
-usa il vocabolario e il dizionario dei sinonimi e
contrari per usare le parole con maestria.
-cerca un posto tranquillo per poter esprimere la
tua creatività.
-affascina il tuo lettore, con argomenti
interessanti, buffi o insoliti.
Dobbiamo un ringraziamento speciale a Mrs.
Uecker per aver organizzato tutto questo e
al signor Strong per essere venuto fin qui
dall’Inghilterra per incontrarci. Speriamo di
poter conoscere e intervistare altri famosi
scrittori anche il prossimo anno!
Artwork inspired
by Jeremy Strong’s books
13
14
Contributions from our Kindergarteners
Dima Shevelev demonstrates the kindergarten writing
process:
First, he brainstorms ideas about a topic. Then he
organizes the ideas by writing numbers next to them to
show the order in which he will write the story. Next,
he writes the rough draft of the story with best-guess
spelling. Dima then gets his story ready to be typed and
printed. Lastly, he reads his story to a captive audience!
The kindergarteners can
do arithmetic! Have a look
at some of the ways they
make math hands-on.
Giancarlo Farina made Christopher Columbus’ Nina,
Pinta and Santa Maria ships by tearing and cutting
colored paper. “I liked doing the boats the best,” says
Giancarlo.
by Leopoldo Pignaton Fagnani
by Anna Savrasova
by Drake Walser
by Margherita Zampa
Pre-K Contributions 15
16
Grade 3 Shape Poems
by Milla De Bustis
This is poetry that describes
an object and is the shape of
that object. The shape poems
below reflect students’ creativity
and imagination in their English
Language Arts class.
by Daria Vasilyeva
by Giada Giuliani
by Sean O’Connor
by Sofia Rashnikova
by Tiara Azimova
by Zakhar Andreev
by Olga Vlajcic
by Maxim Novoselskiy
by Max Lim
17
18
Classe 4a
Il ballo mascherato. Ecco alcune proposte per vestirti in maschera il prossimo Carnevale.
Cerca di indovinare…
Per il ballo mascherato ecco
un bel travestimento:
di Simone Primo e Romolo Cerra
soluzione: lupo mannaro
soluzione: lupo mannaro
Per il ballo mascherato ecco un bel travestimento:
Lui ha proprio un bel mento
Ha i capelli nero scuro
Lui quando tira è molto sicuro
Ha la maglietta col numero sette
Le sue ville sono perfette
Non fa il secondo tempo senza un taglio come si deve
Però la sua squadra non gioca quando c’è la neve
Quando gioca è in un ambiente molto caldo
Lui e’ di di sicuro...
di Michele Pipitone, Giovanni Barbieri e Simone Primo
Vive nell’ oscurità
É grande in difesa
E piccolo in normalità
È bagnato
per naturalità
Ha i denti
Ma sporchi e puzzolenti
Ha le spine
Non molto fine
Non vola come una farfalla
Quindi è senz’altro.....
di Carola Mandarano
e Giorgia Meregalli
Per il ballo mascherato ecco un bel
travestimento:
Cammina bene sui tacchi
E riceve molti pacchi
Ogni giorno si veste differente
Quando lavora non si vede la sua mente
Fà la ruota come un pavone
Ma non mangia neanche un boccone
È molto bella
Senza dubbio è.....
di Carola Mandarano
e Giorgia Meregalli
soluzione: modella
Ti travesti con una pelliccia molto spessa,
che però non è connessa
Hai degli occhi rosso fuoco
che sembrano il pomodoro del cuoco.
Hai una coda molto lunga
che quando la vedi sembra che ti punga.
Hai degli artigli molto affilati
che fanno male alla gente ma soprattutto ai
malandati. Per te il limone è molto amaro,
sei di sicuro il...
soluzione: pesce palla
Per il ballo mascherato ecco un bel
travestimento:
soluzione: Ronaldo
Creative Kids
The ES After-School program
Creative Kids was busy making
carnival masks to decorate a
pharmacy shop window in Biasca. The
theme of the masks is medicine. Their
masks include collages of
medical instruments, medicine bottles.
and even images of doctors and
pharmacy symbols. Thank you to
Ms. Camilia, our ES secretary, for the
initiative and to Ms. Rossi for
coordinating
student artwork.
Per il ballo mascherato ecco un
bel travestimento:
Lui è il re della foresta
Ed ha una grande testa
Lui vive nella savana
E non mangia neanche una rana
È grande e grosso
E spezza perfino un osso
Potrebbe sbranare una gazzella
E in un boccone anche una pecorella
È giallo come il limone
Lui è il ....
Per il ballo mascherato ecco
un bel travestimento:
soluzione: leone
Per il ballo mascherato ecco
un bel travestimento:
Ha 8 zampe e nero lui è
Si appiccica ma affettuoso non
è
È molto piccolo
E vive da solo
Può dare un pizzico di veleno
Ma non ama il fieno
Lui può saltare su uno stagno
E si chiama.........
di Masha Is’kova, Mia Galmor e
Francesca Fumagalli
di Mia Galmor, Francesca Fumagalli e Masha Is’kova
soluzione: Dr. Lutton
di Lorenzo Carlini, Giovanni Ugolotti,
Misha Vasilyev e Andreas Riis
Lei è nuova in questa scuola
Ma non vive dentro una aiuola
ha formato nuove regole
di certo è molto piacevole
Ha rimesso le palle di neve
che nostalgia
Non ha un mantello
ma se piove porta l’ombrello
La mattina accoglie i bambini
che non sono tanto piccolini
Per certo non è un atom
Lei è.........................
19
soluzione: ragno
20
Grade 1 Celebrated the 100th Day of School
by Beatriz Cohn
by Samira Timerbaeva
by Polina Glumova
by Alessia Primo
by Federico Pipitone
by Luka Vlajcic
21
22
Villy’s Wall Crash
By Velin Gergov, Grade 3
BAM!! Everything was blackening away and away. At
first I didn’t know where I was. I looked around and
everything was white. There was a window and it was
big. I saw some tools and first aid kits and I was sure
that I was in the hospital wing. All I could remember
is the teacher was shouting and that we were playing
dodgeball. We were where we sing at the end of the
year. There were seats on the right and there were a
bunch of lines on the ground. We were losing. Then I
saw more balls close to the wall. I ran there too fast and
then I ended up here.
I touched my forehead and I almost passed out. Skin
was falling off my forehead! Then I saw my mom. She
looked like an apple with wet hair. She said I was going
home. She was staring at my forehead. She helped me
go down the stairs to the parking lot.
Pirate portrait by Amalia Zampa, grade 1
Half an hour later I was in my bedroom lying on my bed.
Then I fell asleep.
When I woke up my head felt cold. It was Saturday in
the morning. There was an ice bag on my head. I saw
my brother staring at me, looking scared. I smiled a
little and so did he.
Then I watched a cartoon. Then some skin was falling
off and some stuck. The ones that were stuck I peeled
off. Then I went to bed.
I woke up feeling sick. My throat was sore and my
stomach was hurting. My brother was there in his bed
watching something on his iPad. I asked what was he
doing. He said he was playing Angry Birds. Then I just
lay there, then went to sleep.
Pirate Portrait by Kai Lim, grade 1
Then I woke up and my forehead was on fire. Then my
brother gave me an ice bag. My mom got in the room
she asked, ‘Are you ok?’ ‘Yes’, I lied, then my brother did
my homework. Then the next day I felt better. I looked
at the mirror and I only had a little crack. I ate my
breakfast and watched something on my iPad.
Then my dinner went by. Then at school some people
asked if I was ok. ‘’How did it feel when you crashed?!’’
asked Calvin. I answered every question and then
we went inside. Then a few months later I went to
kindergarten. Some kids still remember my crashed
head even to this day. But I will always remember it for
weeks, months, and even years, and I kept my promise.
Pirate Portrait by Henrijs Bensons, grade 1
A Birthday is Something no one Forgets
By Calvin Matthews, Grade 3
A birthday is something no one forgets.
It’s like a little heart floating inside your big heart.
Remember your first birthday, and how you liked it
so much?
All the stuffed animals.
And remember when your parents gave their first
kiss to you?
And it floated all around your just-born body.
And remember when you were surrounded by your
whole family?
Your first scream started your whole life.
Remember when God put you together?
Remember when God sent a message to his
angels and put you in a heart and sent you down to
your mom?
And remember when your dad drove your mom to
the hospital and your dad called your whole family
to say that you were born?
And remember when you came out of your mom’s
tummy?
Remember when your arms went around your
mom and her arms went around you?
A birthday is something no one forgets.
It’s like a little heart floating inside your big heart.
Pirate Ship by Niki Neidoni, K
Pirate Ship by Giorgia Segat, K
23
24
Grade 4 Contributions
Smells
by Giorgia Meregalli
There are some smells I like. I found out that
my favorite smells are the ones that relate to
memories. When I go to visit my grandparents
every year during Christmastime I smell a very
good smell: my grandparents’ dog’s fur. Before
Christmas my grandma brings the dog to a dog
salon for a complete treatment so when we
are there, at my grandma’s house, the dog is so
beautiful and fluffy. The other smells I like the
most are the biscuits that smell of cinnamon or
icing sugar, which I bake with my grandma. These
are the smells I like the most because they are
related to my best memories.
Once there was a dolphin named Zack. He was
a very dark shade of gray, almost black! But
the strangest thing of all is that he had never
seen the sun! The only time he came out was at
night. The rest of the time he stayed in the very
depths of the ocean.
One day his family decided to move to the
southern oceans. This was a very long swim.
It took them an entire week to arrive at their
destination near the Great Barrier Reef. Since
they were in a different time zone Zack was
about to encounter his first adventure.
He was running out of air so he went up to
the surface. Suddenly he saw it. The dazzling
yellow in the sky! “Wow!” Zack screamed in
amazement. For the first time in his life he saw
such a sight. He felt its scorching rays of light on
his skin. Soon his eyes started to burn and his
head was hurting, so he went back down to the
depths of the ocean.
Zack told his parents what he had seen and
they were amazed at his adventure. Later that
day his dad said, “Zack, there is something you
should know. The thing is, you are a nocturnal
creature and what you saw was the sun!”
by Michaela Holmes
There are also smells I don’t like. When I go to
Fossati restaurant in Milan with my family I smell
something I really dislike: spring onions. I don’t
like that smell because it is really intense. I also
dislike the smell of fish because I don’t like to
eat it. I want to share something funny: when
my family and I go to Mauritius, the Maldives or
Sicily, everyone in my family eats fish, and I eat
pizza!
SPRING
by Dias Khassanov
A long cold winter is melting away,
A single red bird was spotted today.
Through the mist the sun is peeking,
Squirrels are about an acorn seeking.
New life has come to fields and woods,
Kids venture out in sweatshirts and hoods.
In just a few weeks the river will flow,
Blossoms on trees will be starting to show.
There’s still a chill in the springtime air,
Winter is gone, but the memory’s still there.
Summer is waiting a few months beyond,
To warm up the air, the meadow and pond.
A gopher peers out from the holes that he
makes,
Springtime is when the whole world awakes.
Letters from China
My dear family,
I terribly miss you all. I am now in a beautiful country
called China. I am sure you remember our greatest
family friend, Khubilai Khan. He is now a very
powerful leader. You know, he is a very sophisticated
and educated ruler, he reads and knows a lot. During
our father’s uncle’s previous visit he showed them a
lot of interest in Christianity and even asked them to
return with a hundred priests and some holy water.
Unfortunately the two priests we took from Venice
soon left us and turned back for home, because at
times it was a very hard journey.
It took place on land and we were forced to cut
through challenging and sometimes harsh territory.
Khan’s empire, the biggest the world had ever seen,
is largely a mystery to anyone who sees it for the first
time. As we made our way through the Middle East
we got to know a new culture and life. We absorbed
quite new sights and smells. You know we had to
cross the Gobi Desert and it is so long that it would
take a year to go from end to end. Can you imagine
that at the narrowest point it takes a month to cross
it. It consists entirely of mountains, sand, and valleys.
And there is nothing to eat at all.
You must know that Niccolo and Maffeo were granted
important positions in the Khan’s Court. I got very
much interested in mastering four languages: Arabic,
Turkish, Persian, and Mongolian. Khubilai Khan even
sent me into far-flung areas of Asia never before
explored by other Europeans. Burma, India, and Tibet
were among the places that I visited.
It’s my special pride that I will always have a stamped
metal packet from Khan that serves as his official
credentials. First I served as a governor of a Chinese
city and then Khan appointed me as an official of the
Privy Council.
It will be interesting for you to know that in China
they use something called paper for writing, painting
and even as money! It is much more convenient than
coins. Can you imagine that they eat something like
yellow snakes called noodles? It is so funny! I would
like to bring some samples to Venice so that you and
others could taste it.
Take care,
Marco
(by Nika Grigorian, grade 4) by Maria Svetlova, grade 4
Date: 1276
Dear Parents,
I’m having a great time in China but I miss you. I
am staying at the Emperor’s palace. It has a lot of
rooms. The Emperor stays in a different room every
night so people can’t find him to kill him.
I have learned so much since I have been here.
They have a lot of silk that they trade. They trade
it on the trading route that is called the Silk Road.
Another thing I learned is that the Great Wall of
China is 5500 miles long. It was built to protect
China from the north.
I hope to be home soon, but the Emperor does not
want me to leave because he likes my company. I
will write again soon.
Sincerely,
Marco Polo
(by Austin Rowe, grade 4)
25
26
Grade 2 Writing and Art
by Mila Vlajcic
by Isabella Volpi
by Elise Grove
by Ivan Popov
di Elina Estupiñan
di Elina Estupiñan
di Carolina Farina e Daria Vasilyeva
di Olga Vlajcic
di Carolina Farina
di Olga Vlajcic
Classe 3a - Costellazioni e Pianeti
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Winners of Read Around the
World 2015
Thank you to all who participated in
our Read Around the World Race.
Reading not only helps us become
better readers, but also helps us to
understand other cultures and people.
This is part of Mrs. Fleming’s vision:
to create “international people” to
help counter ignorance between
cultures. Thank you to everyone who
participated and helped TASIS carry on
this important work.
The winners from each grade were:
Kindergarten – Madeleine Patterson
1st Grade – Edoardo Milani
2nd Grade – Lalleet Trivikram (read
from 26 countries!)
3rd Grade – Zakhar Andreev
4th Grade – Elisa Markevitch and Nika
Grigorian (tie score – each read from
18 countries!)
5th Grade – Lea Spodnik (read from
22 countries!)
Snapshots
from
International
Week
Music
by Alexia V. B. Dochnal, Grade 5
Music is a big part of the world, and a big part of
music is the instrument called the piano. It has
a rich history and has developed a lot over the
years.
The piano was not always the way it is now.
First of all, instrument mechanics, piano factory
workers, pianists, musicians, and of course the
biggest piano inventors helped the piano develop
over the years. For example, Steinway and Sons,
a very famous piano company founded in 1853,
helped develop piano history by building new
pianos. This company is still considered one of
the most beautiful piano makers in the world.
Another example is a man named Gottfried
Silbermann who was one of the best piano
builders in the world. He also influenced piano
inventors to add functions to the piano. How did
the piano begin and develop? You are about to
find out.
There is one main step that began the piano.
After the Italian instrument builder, Bartolomeo
Cristofori, everything began. He invented the first
piano, the pianoforte. It has the same structure
as a piano, and the same mechanism of hammers
and strings. This was the first step to building
the piano. The pianoforte was used by famous
musicians such as Mozart, Haydn, and more.
Later on, from 1750 to 1800, came the upright
piano, which is a standing-up version of the
pianoforte. Therefore, the piano had just begun,
but was about to face being the most popular
instrument in the world.
The piano now had more advantages that came
with the most recent piano versions. First of all
was the player piano. This is a piano that you
insert a special role of music in, and it plays the
roll itself automatically. It was invented in 1863
by Henri Fourneaux. Secondly came the electric
piano. Lastly, followed by many more, came the
digital piano. As a result you see how simple
the piano began and how the technology has
changed.
Today’s piano has the same structure as the
first piano ever. Many pianists nowadays prefer
the regular piano - sometimes called the ‘grand
piano’ - but nowadays lots of different pianos
are used. Electric pianos and organs are often
put into pop songs. Altogether, piano is used
everywhere, from classical concerts to newest
pop songs.
In conclusion, the development of the piano is an
interesting but long process. However, today you
can enjoy, listen and play many different types of
piano.
“The piano keys are black and white but they
sound like a million colors in your mind.”
– Maria Cristina Mena, Mexican author
Bibliography
http://aboutthepiano.com/facts-quotes-about-the-piano/
http://www.rennerusa.com/rennerhistory.asp
http://www.unc.edu/~johannar/PHYS100/evolution/
Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? By Yona Zeldis McDonough
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano
Illustration: Self-Portrait, Rennaisance Style
by James Haunso, Grade 5
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Classe 1a - Hansel e Gretel
Gli allievi di 1a si ispirano alle fiabe ascoltate
in classe per scrivere, descrivendo
un passaggio che li ha colpiti.
Questa attivitá viene svolta anche in inglese
durante le ore di Language Arts.
di Amalia Zampa
di Leonardo Ciccone
di Serafina Ballerini
by Celeste Lo Monaco
by Alessia Primo
by Gilda Danisi
The students read three stories from Core
Knowledge Sequence: Different Lands, Similar
Stories. They read the original version of
‘Little Red Riding Hood’ along with the
Chinese and African versions. This gave the
students a sense that people around the
world tell stories that may differ in details,
but have much in common. After reading
and comparing the three versions, the
students were asked to draw a scene from
their favorite story. 31
32
Grade 5 - The Stolen Years
These poems are written responses by 5th graders whose teacher
read them The Stolen Years, a Holocaust memoir.
I don’t understand
I live in Auschwitz.
German soldiers are bringing in more strange people.
Apparently they are Jews.
When I ask my mom what Jews are she says,
“Young girls like you don’t need to know about horrible things like
Jews.”
I see more and more of them walking by every day.
I have heard rumors that they are going to labor camps.
When I asked my mom what labor camps are she says,
“Young girls like you don’t need to know about labor camps.”
I don’t understand why this is all happening.
I decided not to ask my mom.
by Lillian Spoon
Holocaust
Nazis brutally using people,
killing weak children
and adults!
Axis putting us in
concentration camps!
When I first came I thought
I was safe, but I wasn’t!
They took everything away!
Even our names!
They called us numbers!
They treated us like animals!
They treated us wrong!
by Tess Zaal
The Holocaust
I was once a human.
Now I’m an animal.
I was in a concentration camp.
If you were there
The one thing you would want is freedom.
Now I’m free.
I don’t now how I’m free.
I don’t know because I don’t want to remember.
by Andrey Nemykin
The Man with a Blue Goatee
by Mario Ornaghi, grade 5
Mr Johnson was a strange man. He had a blue
goatee. One day his beard was itching and he
decided to go to the pharmacy and buy some
cream. When he came home, he read the
instructions on the back and it said that you have
to dip your beard into the cream. The same day
he was painting his bedroom blue and he had a
bucket of blue paint. The cream was the same
color as the paint.
He squeezed the cream in a bucket and then took
off his glasses and put a towel around his neck
so he wouldn’t get his clothes dirty. While he took
the towel, he forgot which one was the paint and
which one was the cream because they looked the
same, and they were in similar buckets. He was
convinced that the one that was on his right was
the right one, but it was the wrong one. When he
dipped his beard in the paint the paint stuck to the
beard quickly.
Mr. Johnson called his wife and told her what had
happened. They spent the whole afternoon trying
to take the paint off but it was no use. The next
morning, Mr. Johnson went to work at the police
station. When his captain saw him, he thought
the beard was fake and he shouted, “Detective
Johnson, what are you doing with a fake beard?
We are at a police station, not a child’s party! So
take that clown’s beard off or you’ll be fired!” Mr.
Johnson tried to explain, but it was useless, the
captain fired him.
The next day Mr. Johnson applied to be a clown,
and they accepted him right away. Then he
became a world-famous clown with his worldfamous blue goatee.
Grade 5 Art: Sculptures of superheroes
as a study of the human body
Abraham Lincoln by Victoria Haar
Einstein by Laura Frei
Elsa from Frozen by Agelica Graf
Michael Jordan by Leonardo Panella
Harry Potter by Masha Zhuravleva
Soccer Player by Karolina Miroshnichenko
33
34
Art - Carnevale
Our ES students in grades 2-5
helped prepare bumblebee
costumes during their art classes
which they wore in the Carnevale
parade on February 12! This
special parade included all the
schools in the Lugano area. Our
students also created an exciting
banner to represent TASIS.This
was carried by students as they
led the procession through the
streets of Lugano.
Houses on the Moon
Grade 1
I am feeding birds in the winter
by Sofiya Is’kova, K
I am feeding birds in the winter
by Tori Rowe, K
I am feeding birds in the winter
by Timothy Ogilvie, K
Pirate by Margherita Zampa, Pre-K
Grade 1 mixing colors
Pirate by Drake Walser, Pre-K
Art at Focolare
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Classe 5a - Alessandro Magno
di Anna Belan
di Caterina Millo
di Aida Balakhmet
di Marí Zampa
di Oliver Butti
Image:
di Victoria Haar
Cell Quiz
https://confluence.crbs.ucsd.edu
By Mario Ornaghi, Grade 5
Cells have no secrets anymore for
TASIS 5th graders! To prove this,
they made incredibly detailed models
of a wide range of different cells.
1. What is the nucleus’s function?
A. Make food
B. Control the cell and hold the chromosomes
C. Hold the organelles in place
D. The cell’s “brain”; it can think
2. What are the two types of eukaryotic cells?
A. Mammal and Birds
B. Fungi and Protist
C. Plant and Animal
D. Amoeba and Bacteria
3. What is the cytoplasm’s job?
A. To shoot and destroy bacteria
B. Hold the organelles in place
C. Converts food into energy
D. Protects the cell with a elastic coating
4. What is the mitochondria’s function?
A. Turn food into energy
B. Makes science test more complicated
C. Holds digestive fluids that can melt down
useless parts of the cell
D. Produces proteins
Aswer Key: on the last page
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Quizzes, Recipes, and More...
Rösti
Submitted by Calvin Matthew, Grade 3
INGREDIENTS
4 large russet potatoes
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. canola oil
salt to taste
A
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan,
cover with cold water, and bring to a boil
over medium-high heat; cook until tender,
about 30 minutes. Drain potatoes, and set
aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Peel
potatoes, then refrigerate until chilled,
at least 1 hour. Grate potatoes using the
large holes on a cheese grater; set aside.
B
Guess Who’s Who
Guess who they are! Write your answer on a paper specifying the first and
last names for mystery character A and B. Write your name and grade on
the paper and drop it in the box by the secretary’s office at Hadsall. One
person with the correct answer will win a prize!
3. Cover skillet with a large inverted
plate, invert the rösti over onto plate,
then slide it back into the skillet, cooked
side up; cook until golden brown on the
bottom, about 10 minutes. Depending on
the thickness, adjust the heat as needed.
Transfer to a cutting board, sprinkle with
salt, and cut into wedges to serve.
CREEPY CRAWLIES
WORDSEARCH
Ant
Bee
Beetle
Bug
Butterfly
Caterpillar
Centipede
Earwig
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2. Heat butter and oil in an 8” nonstick
skillet over medium heat. When butter
has melted, add potatoes, sprinkle with
salt, and mix well, coating potatoes with
butter and oil. Using a spatula, gently
press potatoes, molding them to fit the
skillet. Cook, shaking skillet occasionally,
until edges are golden brown, about 15
minutes.
Hornet
Larvae
Maggot
Moth
Spider
Tick
Wasp
Worm
Michaela Holmes
Cell Quiz Answer Key:
1. B, 2. C, 3. B, 4. A