On a hilltop in Kilchberg, lies a villa built by the Spinnergut family. Occupied by 43 energetic students and a handful of faculty, the villa is filled with the voices of ambitious kids.
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"One evening, a group of sixteen and seventeen year old students gave a party for us in a park outside Tel Aviv. There we sang and learned Israeli folk dances around a campfire." Article from AISZ Yearbook 1964
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"Early in the fall of my senior year, Dr Mattern suggested we have a school dance. We did and four of us were caught with some alcohol outside in the bushes during the dance... Dr. Mattern discussed our "punishment" and that it needed to be an example to the rest of the students. He came up with the idea of a community service project and we do a fund raiser and contribute the proceeds to a needy cause which he helped us identify. Some months later, we organized and ran a fashion show which was a huge success and raised a very nice sum for our worthy cause. For the times, community service as punishment was unheard of and is an example of Dr. Mattern's innovative ideas about education."
—Catherine Solmssen Tenney, Class of 1965
"It's not a school... it's an extended family." —August Zemo
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AISZ is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the European Council for International Schools (ECIS). It is now the oldest accredited international school in Switzerland.
Close this boxAISZ hosts spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy on November 27th. He gives a speech, titled "Love, Devotion and Surrender". The entire speech is reprinted on the back cover of a jazz album by Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin mentioning of AISZ.
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Her dedicated role as a math teacher, the first Middle School Coordinator and now the Head of Admissions is a true testament to her love for the community and the love for many generations of students she has cultivated.
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The HP-35 is Hewlett-Packard's first pocket calculator and the world's first scientific pocket calculator. Introducing at US$395, the HP-35 is available from 1972 to 1975. Floppy disks are a ubiquitous form of data storage and exchange from the mid-1970s well into the first decade of the 21st century.
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Villa Seerose becomes too small to serve the school's capacity. ELK moves to the Naville Villa on the lakeshore in Kilchberg. The children enjoy the benefits of a huge garden and the delicious smell of chocolate wafting over from the Lindt factory nearby.
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ELK changes its name to the International Primary School of Zurich (IPSZ).
Close this boxVHS tapes & cassette tapes are used to curate their own mixes of songs, TV shows and movies.
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"All that experience has changed you, undoubtedly more than you can realize at this time. But one day, a year or a five from now, an image or an incident or a conversation from your AISZ days will flash into your mind and affect what you are doing." — August Zemo
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Under the direction of Bev Meyer, the actors, musicians, stage crew, and support staff succeed in making the largest theatrical production AISZ has ever witnessed. It is the most ambitious production to date and it involves an actual wire rigging from the Broadway musical stage used by Mary Martin as Peter Pan.
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Peter C. Mott is confirmed as a headmaster after a board search; Chris Strassen joins AISZ as Dean of Students.
The leadership team from L to R: Dale Braunschweig, Eric "Easy-E" Hieser, Chris Strassen, Peter C. Mott
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"My year 9 was a real stand out because we were in the temporary housing constructed on the fields during the renovation of the mansion. The temporary housing (lovingly known as the "Dorfs") was special in that all the school years were brought closer together. That year I became friends with students in years above and below me that I hadn't met before, and we all felt linked through a joint experience of being dripped on through the roof during heavy rain, freezing in winter, and overheating on hot days. It was brilliant."
— Michelle Engelsman, Class of 1998
David Winter leaves IPSZ and Paul Lieblich becomes the head of IPSZ
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Michelle Engelsman competes in Swiss Sprint Cup and places 3rd with a time of 27.55 seconds in the 50 meter crawl race.
The following interview took place on June 14th, 2013.
Hi, Michelle where are you currently living?
I live in Sydney, Australia, with my fiancé Britt and our three kittens. I've been living in Australia mainly since 1999, although I've spent a few months here and there in the USA, Italy, Scotland and England.
How did your formative years in ASIZ (ZIS) shape you as a person, as an athlete?
AISZ was an amazing place to spend years 8-12. Back then we had only about 35 students per graduating class, and we were all close. For me, that closeness created an environment where I felt safe and empowered to explore myself, who I am, and what makes me tick. I also felt extremely lucky to have experienced a high school that didn't have clear definitions of what "cool" was, and I felt totally accepted and supported by my classmates. My year 9 was a real stand out because we were in the temporary housing constructed on the fields during the renovation of the villa. The temporary housing (lovingly known as the "Dorfs") was special in that all the school years were brought closer together. That year I became friends with students in years above and below me that I hadn't met before, and we all felt linked through a joint experience of being dripped on through the roof during heavy rain, freezing in winter, and overheating on hot days. It was brilliant.
I can't say AISZ necessarily shaped me as an athlete from a skills perspective, but it certainly shaped me as a team member. During my years I played soccer, swam and ran track and field each year. One year I think I even played softball. Again, back to the closeness of the school and my year group, when travelling or training for sport we supported each other unconditionally. Travelling around Europe for competitions was a pretty amazing experience, and something many of my friends since have been fascinated by. I remember one year for the International Schools Sports Tournaments (ISST) heaps of team member dyed their hair and wore crazy clothes to the airport as a mark of solidarity and confidence boosting. We got into quite a bit of trouble from the school for doing it, but we had a laugh and it's an experience I'll always remember.
Sappy as it may sound, AISZ helped me develop into the person I am today. I went on to study at Kenyon College for two years before moving to Australia, and AISZ combined with my years at Kenyon gave me the tools I needed to lead the Australian team as Captain on two separate occasions during World University Games, and be a highly motivated team member on all the other competitions I swam at.
Any advice you wish to tell yourself when you were 16?
No hurdle is insurmountable, but some take longer than others. As a 16 year old I was beginning to feel extreme back pain, and wondered if I'd ever make it as a swimmer. I wasn't hugely motivated to train and also found it painful. At that time I was recently found to be dyslexic and was struggling somewhat to keep up with the vast amounts of reading required for Advanced Placement subjects. Although there was a process involved, I overcame both.
I was able to graduate from AISZ with Honours, and have since completed an Honours Degree in Chemistry and a Masters in International Studies. Both of which were made possible by the high level of education I received as a high school student. My back issues took a little longer to overcome, but I did. When I was 18 I had spinal fusion surgery, and thought my swimming career was over. Through discipline and focus (and a lot of emotional support), five months later I won the US College Nationals (Division III). Two years later I made my first Australian team. Six years later I was ranked 1st in the world and competed at the Olympics.
Not only are you a world-class athlete but you are an amazing philanthropist. Could you briefly talk about the transition from your athletic career to your humanitarian activism?
Transitioning from a career as a professional athlete into campaigning for human rights and social justice was fairly smooth for me. In May 2007 (I was training and preparing for the 2008 Olympic trials) I sat in on a presentation by a now friend, Sophie Peer, who was working at Amnesty International. She was presenting on the human rights abuses by China leading into the Olympic Games, and I was horrified. I had a history of connection to Amnesty International from my AISZ days, and was appalled to learn that an event that was meant to promote hope, security and positivity was depriving 41 classes of "undesirables" from the freedom to live in their home city of Beijing. I have since learnt about how "undesirables" have been removed from other countries showcasing the Olympics, Australia having done something similar, so I'm not saying this as a China bash at all.
The result it had on me was to think more deeply about human rights issues, and the role I could play in supporting equality. Over the 8 months following that presentation I delved further into human rights, and felt myself naturally transitioning into a new life and career direction. I ended up not qualifying for the Olympics, my heart wasn't in it at all. I did qualify for the World Short Course Championships in Manchester in April of 2008, and after competing there I handed in my retirement papers.
Fast forwarding a little, for the past 2.5 years I've been working for an amazing non-profit organisation called the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA). We are an Aboriginal governed organisation supporting Aboriginal young people and enabling Aboriginal equality and cultural pride. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work here, to learn so much, and to support Australia's First People. If you're interested, check NASCA out.
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"I truly believe that the Turkey Trot has encouraged a very "Fit" culture in our Middle School! The average Turkey Trot Times continue to get faster and faster!"
— Kimara Meier
"I truly believe that the Turkey Trot has encouraged a very "Fit" culture in our Middle School! The average Turkey Trot Times continue to get faster and faster!"
— Kimara Meier
AISZ and IPSZ merge to form Zurich International School with an enrollment of more than 800 students.Through an outstanding collaboration between Mr. Lieblich and Mr. Mott, two schools finally fall under one umbrella.
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"The first class of ZIS, the class of 2002, represents a strength in tradition that AISZ stood for. Serving as a bridge of transition, we not only benefitted from a great education but developed into young adults at a young age. In a sense, we really took advantage of the great opportunities the school had to offer. Plus, people let me use their cell phones."
— Chris Mikes, Class of 2002
Students across all divisions of ZIS, from the ECC to the Upper School, take part in supporting the Bosomtwe Community School (BCS) in Ghana. This relationship, which was established in 2004, has expanded over the years with both hands-on help from students and faculty who visit the school, and financial support through fundraising efforts.
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Switzerland scraps routine passport controls at all its borders after joining the EU's Schengen Agreement.
Close this boxThe Upper School Campus in Adliswil and Baden Campus open, and Middle School students move to the Spinnergut Villa — "One School, Five Campuses".
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Peter C. Mott announces he will leave ZIS at the end of the 2011/12 school year.
"I have done the best I could to create a culture of change, but not for change's sake; I wanted this to be a place where people realise that we can't afford to, and we won't stand still."
— Peter C. Mott
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Since June 2013, we have invited distinguished Alumni to be our Graduation Speaker.
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At ZIS, we deliver an education for a changing world. We want every student to thrive, and to make their own impact locally and globally. That means discovering how to learn, rather than just what to learn. It means giving each child an outstanding education that focuses on character as well as academics. It means providing the right environment for that learning, from excellent campus facilities to a sustainable financial model that gives us the strongest foundation possible. And – at every step – we will speak clearly about our plans, and collaborate with our community to keep building and growing, together.
Close this boxZIS is proud to launch the first edible Food Forest in Switzerland at the Lower School Campus in Wädenswil. Our students are living the schools values of Learn, Care, Challenge, Lead, by learning where food comes from, caring about the environment and challenging others to do the same by following where we lead. Find out what a food forest is and what it means for our students and the wider community.
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