dis annual report 2012-2013

Dresden International School

Dresden International

School Annual Report 2012-‐2013

Dresden International School 2

World Citizens made in Dresden…. By outstanding teachers from around the Globe

With the highest academic rigour in a caring environment

DIS has grown steadily from 13 pupils in 1996 to 551 from 40 nations. The youngest children from 1 to 5 years learn and play in our Preschool, a wonderful historical villa at Goetheallee 18. The students from K5 up to grade 12 attend the beautiful Annen Campus located in the historic city of Dresden, renowned for its outstanding beauty, culture and educational institutions. DIS is a non-‐profit organization, meeting the needs of the growing expatriate community and is an essential element in the promotion of Dresden’s and the greater region’s socio-‐economic development. It is a vital part of the cultural and economic life and fabric of the Saxony region.

DIS is fortunate to have a team of outstanding teachers from many cultural backgrounds, united in one goal: making DIS a place where students receive the best possible education. DIS believes in the creation of a strong professional culture. Good pedagogy matters to us, supported by appropriate professional development and a sharing of good practice. DIS sets high standards and as teachers, we expect the same from our students. We also understand that, while academic rigour is important, a child also needs a broad and balanced education in a secure and caring environment.

DIS Mission Statement The goal of Dresden International School is to provide an excellent Education to students of all nationalities, based on the International Baccalaureate programme and philosophy. The school is dedicated to intercultural understanding and the development of the individual talents of young people


Letter from the

Board Chair

As you all know there is both good and sad news to communicate regardless of which you may want to hear first. Nonetheless, both are well known and therefore simply a confirmation of changes for our community. The sad news first: Our Director Dr. Chrissie Sorenson will be leaving us after six successful years together, to pursue the next stage of her brilliant career in the International School system. Chrissie has left an indelible mark on DIS in these recent years, a competent, sought-‐after and charming person, whose presence resonates even more so in the consciousness of people in our region. Above all, she has created a very positive atmosphere in the DIS community. This applies to her relations with all groups, from students, teachers and parents to those between and within these groups. The fact that an increasing number of highly qualified, faculty members have chosen to stay here at DIS, despite the possibility of better offers elsewhere from larger schools, both at home and abroad, is a clear indication of the excellent team spirit she has nurtured. We are glad that we still have yet another school year together with Chrissie, to consolidate and continue along this path. The good news, on the other hand, is that we were able to promptly establish a successor to start August 2014, Mr. John Nelson, current Academic Dean at the American School in Switzerland (TASIS). He and Chrissie have already begun developing a transition plan to facilitate John’s inclusion in the process of handling tasks ahead, as quickly as possible. We are confident therefore that this will make for a smooth, seamless exchange next year. Of course, each Director brings his or her own style and personality. We, as a Board, had the task of defining the DIS objectives for the next few years in order to find the person who could effectively implement these goals as well. I am confident that we have succeeded in choosing John Nelson. My sincere thanks for the past year goes out to the entire DIS community. We all have something in common in wanting to see DIS flourish, a unique school in Dresden, and in many ways, an international school that stands out from other international schools – including, among its many merits, our students’ strong academic performance.

In addition to these cold, hard facts, there are also the softer, intangible environment factors that make a real difference. Our students and teachers are passionate about DIS and display this experience through their performances and participation at our many school events, proving time and again, that we truly have very special resources: outstanding multi-‐talented people with a shared commitment to DIS. They all want to accomplish the DIS mission, and that is to provide students from around the globe, an outstanding international education, while promoting the individual talents of young people and contributing to the understanding and appreciation of different world cultures. Finally, I wish to extend my special thanks to the two Boards, the Board of Trustees and the Fundraising Association. I particularly want to highlight the efforts and skills of the competent members of the Financial Committee, a group of my fellow Board members, that have kept us financially on track. These members are: Treasurer, Angelika Perret (Schneider & Partners) , Jarek Budny ( GlobalFoundries ), Bernd Vollmer (Professional Network for Industry Consulting & Projects ) and ex-‐officio our Director and the school’s Business Manager Andrea Harnisch. Contributing to the success of all financial matters are Professor Stern 's ( Notary Heckschen & van de Loo ) and Professor Hyman ( Max Planck Institute -‐CBG) as I myself confidently rely on their sound judgment. As well, a word of gratitude for the tireless efforts of the Fundraising Association, to recruit supportive patrons to our fundraising initiatives and resources, under the direction of Prof. Simons, has helped us lay the foundation for reaching out to our greater DIS family. Where do we want to take DIS going forward? We, the Board, are more than ever, determined and motivated to emphasize the hallmarks of the school and communicate them to the greater local and global communities, of which we know to be, our academic excellence in preparation for an international educational and work environment, internationalism and multiculturalism together with civic duty and engagement. The entire DIS community should be an example to these distinguished dimensions of life foundations and behavior. "World Citizens Made in Dresden " is our goal and our message to the internal as well as to the external global community. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Donsbach Chairman of Board


Letter from the

Director

Welcome to our first digital Annual Report! Reflecting over 2012-‐13, we can be proud of another year of success and growth in line with the strategic commitments of DIS. On the following pages, you will read our stories of academic successes, such as our International Baccalaureate Diploma and International Schools Assessment results. You will also read of achievement in other learning areas, upon which we place high value, including both the Arts and Athletics, helping to showcase students’ individual talents and love of learning. You will read about the growth of information technology, making DIS leading-‐edge in Dresden for student access to and literacy in IT. The ongoing friend-‐ and fundraising efforts of our PTA and Fundraising Association are also highlighted along with pictures of our Alumni gatherings in Dresden and London, who we are always happy to see. What strikes me most about DIS, however, is what a safe environment we provide for our students. Yes, we have security cameras, we lock our doors, and we have even enlisted the services of a security guard at the front doors of Annen Campus. We practice fire drills and lock down drills. Our Crisis Response Plan is up-‐to-‐date. What I am referring to, which is just as, if not more important, is the safe learning environment we provide for our students. In order to learn, we all must feel safe to make mistakes. One doesn’t learn anything by always making the right choices – mistakes are an important step in learning. Indeed, James Joyce described mistakes as „the portals to discovery.“ Isn’t that what we want for our students -‐ the joy of discovery? In 2012-‐13 we have witnessed mistakes made by the all constituencies of the community: students, teachers, administrators, parents and the board. I am proud of the way our community can admit it’s mistakes, suggest solutions, and move forward. Failure becomes the basis for profound learning. When this happens at DIS, what we have is a true learning community. We hope you enjoy reading this latest chapter in the story of our school and join me in celebrating the 2012-‐13 academic year. Let us continue to appreciate our committed faculty & staff, Board, PTA, Fundraising Association and parents for their contributions without whose support DIS would not be possible. Thank you! Dr. Chrissie Sorenson DIS Director Strategic Commitments:

1) Excellent, education, which prepares students for further studies and careers in line with their individual talents

2) International-‐mindedness, tolerance and respect 3) Efficient development and management of resources 4) Clear governance and operations structures 5) Exemplary communications and relations


At DIS, the Board of Trustees, Director and Finance Committee are diligently working together to provide a disciplined and dependable budget, in an effort to ensure and maintain the school’s financial stability and retain its long-‐term financial sustainability.

Following a slow start to the 2012/2013 school year, enrollment applications improved significantly throughout the year. This fact enabled us to exceed our financial target by a good margin and to increase our operational reserves with a substantial transfer of EUR 200.000. The goal is to reach a prudent operating reserve level of 15-‐20% of our operating budget (as prescribed by CIS). The distribution of our income is stated in this diagram:

The school’s July 31, 2013 financial statements will be audited by a certified public accounting firm, as is the case every year. People are our greatest asset and we value the outstanding contribution made by our teachers and staff. We aim to strike a careful balance between rewarding our faculty and staff competitively, while focusing on being efficient in operational areas of the school as well. This continued effort enables us to keep tuition increases at a minimum thus raising the potential to allocate our revenues to our first priority: our students. We would like to thank our Director, Dr. Chrissie Sorenson, the administration, the faculty and staff for their hard work and achievements, and our parents for their continued commitment to our school. Angelika Perret Treasurer Andrea Harnisch Business Manager

Financial Report


Ten Goods Reasons for sending your child to Dresden International School

1. Valuing the acquisition of Learning Skills

2. Preparing for life-‐long Learning through practical Education

3. Encouraging children to become informed

and confident Decision-‐makers

4. Preparing students to become active members of local and Global communities

5. Developing Social Skills in an accepting Environment


Ten Goods Reasons for sending your child to Dresden International School

6. Developing the Whole Person (sports,

drama, music, art, technology, etc)

7. Involving community members in School

Partnerships

8. Taking advantage of English as the main

Language of instruction and Communication

9. Teachers using Best Practices' teaching materials from the UK, USA, Canada and Germany

10. Learning German on a Daily Basis as

mother tongue


Class of 2013

As individual as a class can be, this group of 27 seems to have chosen a less traditional approach to graduation plans…

• One is at the U of London in Drama and another at the U of Edinburgh in Business & Management.

• Several have chosen gap years: an internship in Dresden & 6 months in France; travel to NZ & SE Asia with plans to study industry or product design in the Netherlands; 2 months in China & plans to study Business Management; an internship in the Philippines with a designer preparing to launch a new product line; in Berlin doing a Freiwilliges Sozaiales Jahr at a Seniors home, and the last choosing to travel to SE Asia.

• A further four graduates are currently studying at TU Dresden, within a range of programs including Dentistry, Electrotechnik, Chemistry and Maschinenbau

• And finally one graduate is studying

Architecture at the Fachhochschule in Potsdam

With so many options available for study at University, I think that for many, taking some time to investigate interests in more depth through practical experience is a viable option.

Congratulations Class of 2013 World Citizens Made in Dresden


Student Achievement Report

The 2012/2013 school year was another highly successful one in the life of Dresden International School. This report highlights some of those achievements and successes.

Diploma Programme Results DIS Pass Rate 88%

Global Pass Rate 79%

DIS Average DP Score 31

Global Average DP Score 29

Highest Total DP Score 43

Average Subject Score 4.97

No. of students 24

Analysis The average DP score for our students in May 2013 was 31 points. We were also delighted that one of the students gained 43 points overall (1.0 Abitur), an exceptional achievement. The pass rate overall was 88%.

Dresden International School I.B.DP Results 2004 – 2013 Graph 1 – DIS DP Scores VS Global Scores


Graph 2 – DIS Average Subject Score VS Global Scores

University entries for graduates in 2013 included: Bamberg Potsdam Dresden TU Edinburgh University of London DTS Training School, Amsterdam Curriculum Development

○ All unit planning was completed in Curricuplan. This system allows a very transparent method of planning and recording the curriculum; it makes all plans open to all teachers and allows a clear flow of information. This in turn aids collaborative planning and cross-‐curricular linkage.

○ In addition, in 2012-‐13 IB Diploma teachers began the process of embedding Theory of Knowledge (ToK) into their subjects. This was led by the ToK staff and has enabled a much closer link between subjects in the DP programme. This process will continue into 2013-‐14.

* 2013 Global results will be released by the IB in November 2013.


2012/2013 was another highly successful year in the life of Dresden International School. Here are a few highlights of achievements and successes:

○ Grade 10 saw 25 students complete the final MYP year in June 2013 ○ Collaboration & planning time embedded into weekly Staff Schedule ○ Professional development & “Best-‐practice” sharing initiatives programme. ○ Co-‐Teaching programme in Grades 6 & 7 -‐ 2 teachers per classroom in English, German,

Mathematics, Science & Humanities, helping students transition from PYP to MYP. ○ Student-‐centred Learning -‐ personal involvement in learning process at all times. ○ Moodle – VLE, virtual learning environment, allowed real time feedback on assignments &

parent access to progress, grades and comments at any time. ○ Managebac -‐ online platform MYP Community & Service & DP for Creativity, Action & Service ○ Interactive Technology-‐ whiteboards in all classrooms and laptops for each faculty member. ○ A ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) project was designed and programmed for 2013-‐2014 ○ Community & Service (C&S), embedded in Grade 6 -‐ students recorded their C&S activities on

paper, to conceptualize the process for Grades 7 through 10, when they will begin recording online, with Managebac, also used by IB Diploma students.

○ C&S is now embedded in the school’s culture, reflected in the increasing number of events and enthusiastic level of participation in all aspects of school life.

The Middle Years Programme (MYP)

Fieldtrips MYP & DP teachers continue to promote “classrooms without walls”. MYP students in Grades 6-‐10 participated in 44 fieldtrips and Grades 11 & 12 participated in 17 subject specific trips.

○ Grade 6 -‐ Johanngeorgenstadt, Germany ○ Grade 7 -‐ Kössen, Austria ○ Grade 8 -‐ North Sea, Germany ○ Grade 9 -‐ Paris, France ○ Grade 10 -‐ Krakow, Poland ○ Grade 11 -‐ Visual Arts -‐ Vienna, Austria ○ Grade 11 -‐ History -‐ Berlin & London, Germany & UK ○ Grade 11 -‐ Geography -‐ Barcelona, Spain ○ Grade 11/12 -‐ Theatre Arts -‐ TAPS London, UK ○ Grade 12 -‐ German -‐ Weimar, Germany


DIS Is a Professional Learning Community:

o Structured Word Inquiry was added to the PYP language program as a positive alternative to traditional spelling programs. Bri Caldwell provided professional support for teachers during the adoption process and worked closely with SWI expert Pete Bowers to deliver substantive professional development.

o Mary Jane Rebibis completed her training as a Language Coach and will help teachers define and refine their teaching strategies in language arts.

o Matthew Robinson facilitated a series on internationalism, inquiry and action during Wednesday morning staff meetings in connection with our PYP Action Plan.

o Once a month our Tuesday early release time was used for our Language Soup series, which continuously supports teachers through professional development in areas such as 6+1 Trait Writing, Reading and Writing Workshops, and Word Inquiry.

o 7 staff members attended IBO training either online or at an outside workshop. o 23 staff members attended other professional development events. o 34 staff members participated in collective professional development on campus.

Students Are Active at DIS:

o EYP students attended 20 fieldtrips in the Dresden area. o PYP students attended 45 fieldtrips in our local area and beyond. o DIS/PYP hosted the ISTA Primary School Festival. o The 24-‐Game team competed at the AGIS 24-‐Game Tournament in Hannover. o Grade 5 was specially recognized for their commitment and support of the Bakhita Girls project. o Grades 1-‐5 participated in Walk for the Wild.

The Primary Years Programme (EYP & PYP)


DIS ISA Results 2012/2013


In the 2012-‐13 school year DIS strengthened its core IT infrastructure, broadened the opportunities for our students in the areas of information and technology literacy, and increased transparency of what was happening in our classrooms for parents. This year marked a new maturity in the services that the school offered the DIS community as DIS moved towards the “Bring your own Device” initiative (BYOD), starting in the 2013-‐14 school year. The drive towards BYOD had both human and technical implications. Through a series of parent meetings, teacher meetings and student meetings, the IT Department drafted a plan for the staged rollout of BYOD in the new school year. The leadership team in the Secondary school reviewed best practices from other schools and current research. Together, IT and faculty drafted a set of community needs, operational needs and expectations for students and teachers. More about this human side of the BYOD initiative can be found under: http://disitl.blogspot.de/. Partially driven by the fact that the DIS school core systems had reached end-‐of-‐life and partially driven by the needs of BYOD, IT performed a core infrastructure overhaul.

• In the first half of the school year, a team of teachers and administrative staff was formed to review three different copier systems. The team recommended their preferred vendor, and the new systems were installed in February. The new system helps save the environment by reducing paper waste, simplifies and is easily accessible with any network-‐ready device that a student may bring to school.

• Another major project was the upgrade of our aging core server landscape. Research for this began in the former school year, and after carefully reviewing the database systems demands, traffic growth due to BYOD, ease-‐of-‐management needs and the systems available on the market, the IT dept made the selection, and the new server installations and configurations were implemented over the Spring break.

• One of the best practices in successful BYOD schools is to have reliable, easy-‐to-‐use

wireless systems. To ensure ease-‐of-‐connectivity and full coverage for our students for their many devices, an evaluation of the old system was performed and upgrade needs were thus determined. After seven months of research, vendor demonstrations and discussions with other BYOD schools, IT found a system that should solidly fulfill DIS’ network needs for BYOD. This updated wireless installation was implemented over the summer break.

Information Technology


While working on core infrastructure, the IT dept also expanded the learning opportunities for DIS students to support the development of information literacy and respecting intellectual property. The DIS library staff worked together with dedicated volunteers to inventory our entire collection. This allowed DIS librarians to perform a series of critical analyses and identify those areas that needed improvement in the collection. Both in the primary and secondary schools, librarians played roles in promoting further structured research methods in classes. IT weeded out underused subscriptions and invested in an online service called Questia, which digitally expands the DIS collection with full-‐text magazines, research articles and subject books. Moreover, IT strengthened DIS’ relationship with the SLUB, where students have both digital and hard copy resources available for their research in Grades 10-‐12. To support the trans-‐disciplinary skills of digital citizenship and collaborative learning, students in grades 5 -‐ 12 were provided email accounts, giving them access to several online productivity and collaboration tools and improved ease-‐of-‐communication with teachers. Grade 4 students followed in the second half of the school year. These tools will increase in importance as we roll out the BYOD program as it will provide a common collaboration platform for all DIS students and teachers.

For DIS parents, IT rolled out the Parent Portal in the Secondary school in October. The Parent Portal provides an on-‐going view of student progress in the Secondary school with the addition of a personalized, major assessment calendar. This complements the class websites already available in the primary school. In an attempt to give DIS students a more, hands-‐on experience in the process of creating products and being innovators, we also installed a new MYP Design-‐Technology Lab. During the school year, the MYP technology teachers worked with architect, Kirsten Böhme, who volunteered her time and expertise to plan a lab that meets the requirements of the MYP, the safety requirements of the State of Saxony and our learning goals for our students. Designs were completed in the second half of the school year, and generous donations from various events throughout the year helped fund the lab’s installation over the summer break.


For teachers, IT rolled out a new method of professional development. Based on the skills that teachers need to support their developing digital, world citizens, developing targeted, online training. Teachers were able to take the training at times that suited them best, enabling them to demonstrate their learning and to continue on to more advanced training if they so chose. Based on the overwhelming, positive feedback and level of participation, this is a model that DIS will continue to pursue, freeing-‐up professional development days for other activities related to teaching and learning. And, last, but not least, IT engaged in a search for a new IT Director and a Database Administrator. With both positions being open at the same time, it was critical to find the right people to continue the services being provided to our school community and to design a transition plan that reduced the amount of disruption with the changeover. With these goals in mind, the Database Administrator was successfully chosen and began working in July, with a full month of transitioning, while the IT Director was set to begin in August with a planned transition time of two months, coming full circle to complete the IT department structure.


Over the course of the year, students from Grades 1 to 5 took part in three separate art projects led by the PYP art teacher in the specialist PYP art room. The aim of the Art program was for students to have the chance to learn and develop basic art skills related to cutting, sticking, drawing, painting and 3D composition. Through their work, students developed an awareness of line, shape, form, color, tone, texture, pattern and space. Across the grade levels a wide range of experiences were introduced such as ceramics, collage, observational drawing, painting, weaving, musical instrument making and mosaic. In these lessons connections were made as often as possible with the concepts and themes of the PYP units of inquiry.

Visual Arts PYP


MYP/DP Artwork Collection 2012-‐2013


In the 2012-‐13 PYP school year students truly had a lot of fun and excitement, while working diligently to prepare their three main events: the PYP Concert, the Spring Festival and the Grade 5 Exhibition. In April our PYP hosted an International Theatre Festival (ISTA) at Dresden International School. We had students visiting from Turkey, Denmark and Portugal who stayed with guest families of the DIS community and had a wonderful time learning about theatre and German culture. The festival’s 2013 theme was ‘Detectives’ and by all accounts, a huge success. In November the first main event, the PYP Concert, was a real delight. The theme this year was ‘Harmony’. Every class prepared a song, an instrumental piece or a dance to perform for the evening. Volunteer students prepared extra performances like duets, poems or solo instrumentals.

PYP Performing Arts

The next big events took place in May – the Spring Festival and the Grade 5 Exhibition. To mark the end of their elementary experience, Grade 5 students created and prepared a 15-‐20 minutes long performance piece, for the Exhibition night. It was an entertaining mix of dance, theatre and music based on this year’s theme ‘Contrast’. Students formed two different dance groups and a band to show how contrasts can affect our every day lives. The exceptional student tech team supported the performance with just the right lighting, special effects and sound. The Spring Festival is our whole school event with many, many contributions from our creative Preschool toddlers all the way up to Grade 12. The PYP had their own block of performances, which were prepared and practiced within their Performing Arts or Physical Education classes. The performances, the weather, and all the wonderful international food were perfect and made for a very special day of fun and merriment for everyone who participated.


MYP/DP Performing Arts

It was a great year for Performing Arts at DIS!

The school year started off with the much-‐acclaimed play, Sweeney Todd, performed by the DP Theatre Arts class (with a little help from the MYPers, too!). The show was incredibly successful, with sold-‐out audiences and delicious pie every night backstage.

That was followed by the next big show, produced by the DP Theatre class of 2013, James and the Giant Peach. In addition to the evening performances, students also performed in the morning for PYP Grades 3 and 4, who had just read the book in class and some even got to act in the show!

In March, the DP Theatre Independent Project week took place and was again a great success. There were 7 shows in total, including, Kafka’s Monkey, 21 Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview, Bad Auditions by Bad Actors, and an original interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood. The last but not least big show of the year was The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon performed by our MYP Grade 10. They performed this fast-‐paced, fun show for other MYP students outside, in the DIS amphitheatre.


DIS Athletics & Co-‐Curricular Programs

Athletics Program DIS Sports programs offer students the ability to develop physically, mentally and socially. Throughout the year, DIS students have the chance to participate in both local and national tournaments. DIS is a member of GISST (German International School Sports Tournaments) and actively competes with 10 other international schools in a variety of sports such as golf, cross country, volleyball, soccer, badminton, swimming, basketball and tennis. Not only do students participate in tournaments but families also host two GISST tournaments here at DIS. Extra-‐ Curricular Activities Last school year DIS offered over 25 Co-‐Curricular Clubs and activities for MYP and DP students, ranging from the Chess Club to Creative Writing to the always popular, Tech Club. All DIS Co-‐Curricular Clubs and group members are passionate about their activities and meet regularly either after school or during lunch break, dedicating their personal time and resources to pursuing their interests and passions.


GISST Tournaments Fall Golf DIS Cross Country at BBIS Varsity Girls Volleyball at BBIS Varsity Badminton at Hannover Winter Swimming at Frankfurt U14 Boys Basketball at Stuttgart Varsity Boys Basketball at Bavaria Spring Inter-‐school Swim at Berlin British Tennis at Leipzig Local Tournaments Schneider + Partner Cup Grades 3 & 4 Saschen Arena Grades 5 & 6 Saschen Arena JTFO Golf in Zwickau & in Chemnitz

Tournaments 2012-‐13

Activity Tech & Set Building Cross Country Running Ambassador Club Photography Club Creative Writing Tech Club Geocaching Badminton DIS Shop Swimming Soccer Club Yearbook Club Volleyball Team Boys Basketball Team Drum Club WeCast Ice Skating M.U.N. Chess Club Theatre Club Backgammon DIStraction Fitness Club

MYP/DP Co-‐ Curriculars 2012-‐13

Activity Ball games, Climbing, Cooking, Crafts, Orchestra, 24 Math, Pinhole Photography, Dance, Karate, Korean Fan Dance, Ballet, Gardening, Rugby, Cub Scouts, Intramurals

PYP Co-‐ Curriculars 2012-‐13


DIS Community Service

Just a few of the projects & events for which the entire DIS student body volunteered time and effort to raise awareness, funds and gather gifts for both the local and global community, in the spirit of giving and sharing, a hallmark of DIS community service initiatives, featuring from top left: Christmas in a Shoebox, Walk for the Wild and DIS Helps Dresden 2013 Flood Victims.


Alumni Reunions

Alumni Coffee Meeting

Annual alumni gatherings bring together many of our DIS graduates, both in Dresden and in London, where our Director always makes the time to hold the Annual London Alumni Tea event. Over the course of the year DIS received several visits from Alumni of the past 10 years, who fondly remember their special time at DIS.

Annual London Alumni Tea


Facilities Report

During the 2012-‐13 school year several measures were undertaken to improve the learning and working environment in both our school buildings at Annen Campus and Goetheallee 18.

Annen Campus In context with the further implementation of technology for our students, we bought new, sophisticated copy machines combining several key functions for both staff and students print needs. To make these machines accessible to everyone, they were installed in the central hallways, in compliance with all the local and state fire protection requirements. Copy caps were installed above the machines to fulfill those requirements and to ensure the approval of state officials for each location. The hallways in our school buildings are busy staff and student traffic areas. The pillars in buildings A were worn, appearing somewhat grey and battered, whereas now they are wrapped in colorful plastic covers, easily cleaned, and providing protection against daily wear and tear while brightening the busy hallways. The large glass windows by Building B entrance were encased with a backside glass during the fall break, adding practical and attractive showcase windows, perfect for art exhibits, student craftwork and after school clubs’ projects. Exposed heating fixtures in the main hallways and cafeteria were often used as benches by students. To avoid incurring damages to these heaters, and to promote proper use of those social gathering areas, benches were installed above the heaters. Students now enjoy using these additional benches, so in light of this situation, we will make additional seats available during the upcoming winter season, offering an extremely pleasant and comfortable place to sit above the cozy heaters. Recently, based on the initiative of an enthusiastic parent group, DIS started its “school garden”. The project was completed and handed over to the school in June. With the start of the new school year, the garden area is open to all students as a place to meet and relax between classes and/or for specific curriculum-‐based class projects. During summer break 2013 additional window / door blinds were installed in several of the classrooms in Building B. Based on our lockdown procedure, DIS can now ensure safe and secure sheltered areas for staff and students in every classroom / school office during any and all emergency shutdowns.


Goetheallee 18 During summer break 2013 several of the rooms at the G-‐18 Campus were reorganized in order to accommodate newly incoming children starting from the 1 year old group. The sanitary accommodations were completely redesigned and rebuilt for this new age group’s particular needs. New furniture and accessories, including beds, crawling floors, etc, were purchased and installed to ease their integration into a new environment and help the very young children feel happy and comfortable. For their safety additional protection was placed on all doorjambs as well.


The Parent Teacher Association seeks to strengthen the sense of community at DIS

and to support parents, teachers and students. We do this through meetings, fundraising projects, school events and financial support of special projects. We started the 2012-‐2013 school year with our Welcome-‐back Barbecue and Back-‐to-‐School night for all families at Annen Campus as well as a separate one at the Preschool Campus, G18. Our Welcome

Committee and room parents are set up to reach out to new families of DIS, connecting them with local representatives and resources. As the school year progressed, we hosted fundraising projects at entertaining events. Our largest, most attended events are the Halloween party for MYP students, the Pajama party for PYP students and a St. Martin’s parade for our pre-‐K children. Providing refreshments at several school events serves as a moderate source of income and always an opportunity to connect with parents. Our second largest

fundraiser was the Christmas Bazaar for Grades K5-‐12. As well, in an effort to enhance reading for our community two book exchanges are hosted each year for the entire community. Our largest, yearly fundraising event is the Spring Festival. A sumptuous, International buffet is prepared by parents and students from the over 40

nations represented in our school. The day of the event, audiences are treated to various singing and dancing talents showcased by our DIS children, as well as many performances from the after-‐school co-‐curricular clubs and activities. International fun and games for all were also provided. One hundred percent of the funds raised by the PTA are re-‐invested in DIS initiatives, for the benefit of all our students. Last year the PTA raised 5 250 Euros. This money was used in part to support new, essential Science Reference books for the library, advanced sound recording equipment for student projects, new instruments for the PYP Music department, a student exchange program with a Finish school, a theatre camp project at DIS, the purchase of a robot to help kick start a new, after-‐school robotics club and of course all of our parties and events. Susanne Erb PTA President 2013-‐14

PTA Report


In Service to the DIS Community

The Board of Trustees

The Fundraising Association Board

Kai Simons Chair

Frank Lepschy Vice Chair

From left: Dirk Burghardt, Clemens Kirschbaum, Jacqueline Le Seguillon, Antje Schönberg and Ralf Stölzel

From left: Axel Diegalmann (retired), Jarek Budny, Bernd Vollmer, Angelika Perret (Treasurer), Wolfgang Donsbach (Chair), Heribert Heckschen (Vice Chair) and Anthony Hyman

2012 -‐2013 Meetings August 16, 2012 September 20, 2012 October 31, 2012 (special mtg) November 26, 2012 December 13, 2012 December 15, 2012 (Strategy Session) January 18, 2013 February 7, 2013 March 14, 2013 Finance Committee April 18, 2013 August 22, 2012 May 22, 2013 September 10, 2012 June 25, 2013 October 10, 2012 November 14, 2012 Director Search Sessions December 10, 2012 May 6, 2013 January 14, 2013 May 18 ,2013 February 4, 2013 June 3, 2013 April 15, 2013 June 4, 2013 June 3, 2013 June 5, 2013 July 31, 2013 June 6, 2013

FöV 2012-‐2013 Meetings: August 29, 2012 October 1, 2012 November 7, 2012 December 5, 2012 January 9, 2013 February 6, 2013 March 6, 2013 April 10, 2013 June 5, 2013


The 3rd Global Dinner & Silent Auction was, by all accounts, a remarkable Success. This year's venue, Kastenmeiers, provided a wonderfully warm ambiance and intimate atmosphere, with dynamic performances by our very own school band, the DIStortions. The Auction featured many unique items , and the 10,000 €

proceeds raised filled the coffers of our “DIS Discovery Labs -‐ 21st Century Learning Initiatives”. Our appreciation goes out to all who contributed to the success of this truly special DIS fundraising effort. Other on-‐going initiatives supported by the DIS fundraising Association include “DIS goes green”, which recently upgraded its Solar Energy project to an all-‐encompassing “Sustainable Energy” project, to be integrated into school-‐wide curricula as well as the Deutsche Werkstätten Hellerau special hand-‐made German “Wooden Toy Collectibles” project set to launch soon.

Dresden International School Fundraising Association Events & Initiatives

The 10th Annual Golf & Tennis Fundraising Tournament

Dresden International School

Dresden International School Annenstrasse 9 01067 Dresden, Germany

www.dresden-‐is.de

dis annual report 2012-2013

Documents

international school

school year

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historic city of dresden

team of outstanding

excellent education

sad news

outstanding beauty