May 2017
Watch the full Commencement Ceremony, meet the 92 members of the Class of 2017, see a full list of college and university acceptances, and enjoy photo galleries from a packed Graduation Week.
Students in the Class of 2017 were offered admission to 128 universities in 12 nations, including 43 offers from schools ranked in the top 100 of the 2016–2017 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Outstanding members of The American School in Switzerland's 61st graduating class were recognized for excellence in a number of areas at the Commencement Ceremony on May 27.
Headmaster Lyle Rigg, 12th Grade Dean Peter Locke, and five members of the Class of 2017 delivered inspiring remarks in the Palestra on the evening of May 26.
Each spring the TASIS High School Faculty selects three philanthropic students from grade 11 to receive the distinguished Junior Awards. Read about this year's deserving recipients.
The inaugural class of the TASIS Cum Laude Society Chapter—the first to be established in Switzerland—comprises six outstanding scholars from the Class of 2017 and three from the Class of 2018.
The 43rd annual TASIS Spring Arts Festival began with an Opening Celebration in the Palestra on the morning of May 18 and concluded with a magnificent concert in the Palestra on the evening of May 21. Read about the week and watch many of the events.
Anastasia Kolesnikova '18 provides a student perspective in this excellent recap of the 2017 Spring Arts Festival.
Please enjoy School Photographer Kim Nelson's poignant slideshow from the Final High School Assembly and a compilation of Director of Studies David Jepson's weekly words of wisdom, which help frame various aspects of the TASIS experience.
Elementary School Musical:
Petey Peach Tree
June 1–2, 2017
The TASIS Global Service Program will now forever be known as the Opsahl Global Service Program in honor of Jan Opsahl '68, whose very generous donation established an endowment to finance the pioneering program in 2013. Hundreds of TASIS students have since made service trips around the world, providing them a unique opportunity to connect across borders through comprehensive experiences that build empathy and encourage personal responsibility. Mr. Opsahl retired from the TASIS Board of Directors in May but will continue to serve on the Global Service Committee and provide financial support for his beloved program.
Esma Karuv '19 reflects on the powerful lessons she learned while spending two weeks in Zambia with the Serving Southern Africa group.
Karen Corda '18 recaps the Mission Morocco trip to Marrakesh, in which TASIS students worked with underprivileged children to help improve their access to education.
A record 119 TASIS students, faculty, staff, and community members completed the fifth annual Walk for Water on the afternoon of May 3, raising more than CHF 1100 for clean water initiatives.
Shu Ye '18 and Diana Kuznetsova '18 discuss the motivations behind their decision to start a club designed to promote a deeper understanding of the impressive cultural diversity existing within the TASIS student body.
Bryan Soh '18 writes about the joys of showing his native Singapore to a friend from Russia and discusses how TASIS instills international-mindedness in all its students.
Anastasia Kolesnikova '18, whose remarkable science achievements were heralded on the TASIS Blog earlier this spring, discusses her experiences at Physics Week in Zurich and the Swiss Young Physicists' Tournament (SYPT) in Lausanne.
The TASIS Elementary School celebrated its second annual Book Week with a series of fun activities designed to build enthusiasm and promote reading during the week of May 1–5.
Read about the season, see who won the Varsity Athletics Awards this spring, and learn who was named 2017 Male and Female Athlete of the Year.
Beat the Bells
Alex Secilmis '19 provides an entertaining account of the 4th annual Beat the Bells Run, which more than 30 students and faculty competed in on the morning of May 1.
Aurelawkwardness
Alex Secilmis '19 and Sasha Tsenter '19 profile classmate Aurelia Dochnal in this hilarious video.
They Will Get You
Sasha Tsenter '19 takes a suspenseful look at one spring tradition TASIS students wish they could avoid.
Upcoming Events
June 1–2 • ES Musical
June 6 • MS Moving-Up Ceremony
June 7 • Dormitories Close
June 8 • ES Moving-Up Ceremony
June 24 • Summer Programs Open
TASIS THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN SWITZERLAND
Via Collina d'Oro, 6926 Montagnola, Switzerland