ISF - Monthly Newsletter Issue September 2024

On September 15, ISF proudly took part in the 24^th Newcomers Festival at the beautiful Römerberg in Frankfurt. The festival began with an amazing performance from our *Korean Drummers Team, the crowd was mesmerized. Later, our adorable Little Bulldogs' Cheerleader Team took the stage and wowed the audience with their cheerful and energetic routine, spreading joy and school pride. Our SLO students were deeply involved in the festival, helping out behind the scenes. They gained valuable experience and proudly represented ISF with professionalism and enthusiasm. Here’s what a few of our students shared about their experience:

"The Newcomer's festival was a truly remarkable experience for everyone who took part. Held in the Römer, which is the Frankfurt Town Hall, the event aimed at making people who recently moved to Frankfurt feel more at home. Our school's students participated and offered assistance in a variety of different areas. Our Korean Drummers opened the event with a grand performance at the entrance, a few students mentored the Newcomers Committee staff and met a lot of interesting personalities, including the mayor of Frankfurt. All present also cheered on our Bulldog Cheerleaders. Our students who manned the ISF stand, showed off the best side of our school by engaging with fellow vendors and guests who visited the event. A huge thank you to all who made this event possible and a great experience for the students to learn about the importance of community engagement, while helping newcomers feel as if they were still at home. "

- Vicente Ausmann G11

"The Newcomer’s Fest was an experience like no other. It took place at the Frankfurter Römer and at first, I felt nervous to be around so many new people, but everyone was so kind and welcoming. As the day went on, I realized how much work goes into creating an event like this, and having it be so beautifully executed shows a lot of care and attention on the Newcomer’s Committee’s part.

I saw the challenges of holding a big event, which I would not have done if I had not been at this event. I met many people through Mr. Stefan Söhngen, which was the main highlight of my experience. I enjoy meeting new people, and this was such a beautiful place to do just that.

As I mentioned before, everyone at the event including the attendees and the staff were so welcoming and lovely. I was nervous about any language barrier I might face when meeting everyone, but I felt very included in every conversation. The Newcomer’s Committee is very considerate and thoughtful about the diversity and variety of cultures present, having many stalls and booths representing various places.

There was something in the fest for everyone and having so many different people around and connecting them together through an event like this is special. The close sense of community felt at the event was something I had never felt in Germany before, and that to me was wonderful to experience. Frankfurt is such a colorful and diverse city, and I think that the Newcomer's Fest 2024 did such an amazing job highlighting it."

- Nethra Muruvanda Pooviah

The bonding event was an excellent experience! The SLO^® Leadership Team started off with a warm welcome to all the participating students and staff with a mix and mingle including refreshments and a photo booth. We then gathered for a huge group photo. Next, we began the activities with an icebreaker for everyone to learn about each other and help them engage with people they have never met before. After our icebreaker, we moved onto department specific activities which allowed everyone to learn how unique each one is. For example, the management department had each group come up with a cheer for SLO^® while the discipline department played Simon Says. Pizza was served while enjoying the sunset. The middle school activities concluded with a thrilling dodgeball game and an appreciation/thank you award ceremony. Our high schoolers enjoyed more activities planned throughout the night such as a scavenger hunt, time in the pool, and a karaoke session. Overall, every student left with a smile on their face and many students gave positive feedback to the leadership team in executing their first school event.

- Ayan Varma G10 & Shaurya Baliga G11

On September 20, our school community came together to celebrate Chuseok, one of Korea’s most important holidays. From Kindergarten to Grade 12, students participated in a variety of exciting activities, games, and cultural experiences.

A huge thank you goes to our wonderful Parent Network for organizing such an unforgettable event. They went above and beyond to arrange delicious traditional food, and fun games and even offered students the chance to try on traditional Korean outfits. We are incredibly grateful to our Parent Network for making Chuseok a special celebration for everyone!

The Senior committee organized the senior lock-in to start our last school year and have a meaningful bonding experience. Around 30 students attended and we passed the time playing some games, eating pizza at sunset on the playground, and swimming around in the pool. The Senior Hoodies were also handed out to welcome the beginning of our Senior year. This new fashion trend by the Seniors is seen throughout the hallways and will be a nice keepsake this year. We made long-lasting memories through this experience and enjoyed kicking off our last year with such a fun and unforgettable event.

- Liliana Bamberg G12

The canned food drive was a campaign held by the Social Responsibility and Outreach departments to bring awareness about National Food Bank Day. The goal of the campaign was to collect as many types of food as possible such as canned food, pasta, spreads, and snacks to donate to a food drive, in an attempt to give back to our community. We were able to collect a hefty amount of food with the help of our amazing students, especially 3C, who donated the most amount of food. The food items were donated to the Frankfurter Tafel e.V. in Höchst. We are thankful to all who could contribute to this cause and grateful we could help those in need.

- Adya Vaarma G10 & Hannah Sadana G11

Primary Music

The Primary School has been working on a couple of canons. These songs are sung in a round and help create a sense of independence as there are 3 parts going on at the same time. Grades 1 and 2 are singing using note names, numbers and solfeg, even playing boomwhackers at the same time! Grades 3 and 4 are playing the ukulele and singing. Layering new skills on top of past experiences is a great way to help new students develop while giving experienced students opportunities to apply their skills in new ways. The ability to be able to match the highs and lows in music with a singing voice is very important before the end of the 4^th grade year. There is a new YouTube playlist used in class each week. They give students the opportunity to practice, catch up or share what they learn at home. Soon we hope to start learning our music for the winter concert. The Primary Winter Concert is currently scheduled for November 29. We hope many parents will be able to attend. There is a part of our singing warm up when we sing … “Music class is always very fun.” It is always a hit. I image your children can sing it to you if you ask.

Grades 5-9 music

The various middle school music classes have been reviewing the fundamentals of music. This time at the start of the year gives new and returning students to clearly understand the musical culture we are working to cultivate here at ISF. Understanding musical culture is just as important as making sure they are able to perform music. This next month they will start preparing for the winter concert that is currently scheduled for December 18. We hope many parents will be able to join us for this exciting event.

Chinese 75 Years Celebration