Stonehill’s Second Graduating Class

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CONTENTS

Stonehill’s Second Graduating Class - 1

For the Love of Music - 2

Primary Awards - 2

A Reunion - 2

From the Director - 3

P8 Graduation - 3

Memories of this Academic Year - 4/5

Exhibition Action - 6

P3 End of Year Ceremony - 6

Arts Week - 6

Where Are They Now? - 7

Teachers Say Goodbye - 7/8

VOL 4 ISSUE 2 JUNE 2013

On the evening of Saturday, 1st June the Class of 2013 was awarded their High School Diplomas by Embassy Chair and Stonehill founder, Jitu Viruwani at a ceremony at the Taj West End Hotel. The eight D2 students graduating are very happy to have reached the end of the extremely demanding two year IB Diploma programme and are all looking forward to taking the next step forward in their life. They are all heading off in different directions around the world but have become very close during their time together, so have already made plans for a reunion in five years’ time. They will of course keep in touch regularly via social media sites. It is unfortunate that one of the eight, Samy, was unable to be there as he had to return to his home country early. But he was very much there in spirit – and in the entertaining slideshow! The event was well attended and enjoyed by all, parents, teachers and friends of the graduates, who had all come together to congratulate the students and wish them well in the future. Awards were given to students who had excelled and speeches were made. Particularly well received were the student contributions to the event. Katie and Quentin Baur provided a musical interlude, playing and singing delightfully. D1 paid tribute to D2—Clotilde and Rohit spoke about the contribution the D2 class had made to them personally and also to school life. Then Finnbar introduced a video tribute which he and Jacky had put together. This - a photo collage - showed D2 in transition, from their early school days to the present. The D2 girls, Antonia, Elif, Katie and Laura, then spoke telling the audience about their early experiences at Stonehill.

Antonia, as one of the first students, remembered her first day when Stonehill opened with classes in the Riding Stables and school as we know it just a building site. Subject awards for consistently excellent grades were received by • Laura Schonherr for Biology, Economics and Visual Arts • Katie Baur for Mathematics and Spanish • Mohamed Ali Hached received the most improved student

award • Samy Chehab was awarded the prize for outstanding

contribution to Sports • And the Valedictorian award went to Laura Schoenherr

for her outstanding academic performance through consistent achievement of excellent grades in all subjects

Students have already received offers from many universities like University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Albion College, College of Wooster, St. John’s University, Boston University, The New School - New York, Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, McGill University, Lancaster University, Newcastle University, King’s College, Queen Mary, University of London, Kingston University, University of Birmingham, University of Warwick, SP Jain School of Global Management We would all like to wish them every success and an enjoyable vacation.

Helen Banham

For the Love of Music

Celebrating Stonehill’s First Orchestra Performance It was my long cherished ambition since I joined in 2009, a Stonehill Violin Orchestra. With as many students as possible! With regular, annual performances to bring Western Classical Music more close to all who hear us play. With students who learn the important fundamentals in playing with others in an ensemble setting while still receiving individual classes. Playing together as an Ensemble is one of the most amazing ways to experience Music in its depth and beauty.

The Violin students at our school differ a lot in age and performance level and it is not an easy task to bring them together under one musical, technical and rhythmical umbrella.

But the start of 2013 showed a pretty good progress with every student and I felt convinced that the time had come to launch the long awaited and yearned-for project - a Stonehill Violin Orchestra. And from that moment on, everything went uphill. We got May 10th as the date to perform.

Students got highly energized, they started to become more focused on their practices, doubled their practice times – and started asking questions about the performance day. They had their uncertainties and fears appearing: “What happens if I play a wrong note, if I forget a repetition sign, if I lose my line, if I am too scared to play?”

Together we imagined all the wrongs and rights. In every individual lesson, we started dreaming of the day of our stage performance, spinning ideas around, sharing our thoughts and feelings about sitting on the stage as an Ensemble, and thus gained more and more confidence: “We can do it!” And kept on practicing and practising, week after week.

And when we finally came together for our first rehearsal just at the start of May, it was such an amazing moment of happiness, contentment and achievement, because everything went so well, was correct and highly enjoyed by all. In fact, we were all surprised! It was felt much easier than thought of.

10th May 2013 was a day that started out with little nervousness during the morning rehearsal, things were not as good as expected. But – as all of us know – last rehearsals are

mostly not the best ones. So I told everyone not to worry, convincing them that we will be good in the afternoon.

And when the hour of performance came, everyone was good! There was only a longing in the air to perform. And everyone gave their best and did so well, performed so beautifully. What a picture of amazement to see the ensemble on the stage. A show that might be remembered by all. Thank you, my dear violin students, for your wonderful performance and your spirited attitude. We will have our second Concert in the winter season. Thank you, Stonehill, for this Dream-Come-True.

Gisela Voigts

Primary Awards June 5th saw the first Primary Awards celebration. The primary teachers, homeroom and specialist, awarded prizes to students for a whole range of categories including Commitment to Learning, Attendance, Showing the Learner Profile in Action, Contributing to the Class Community etc.

We are proud to celebrate the achievement and commitment of our students as we come to the end of another school year. We hope to make this another Stonehill tradition. Thank you to all the parents who joined us on this special day.

Helen Sharrock

A Reunion September 2008 - we had 26 students and two of them Yuki and Yuka came along on May 24th this year to visit us once again. We decided it was time for a reunion photo with the students and faculty from day one.

Sadly, Peter Dunoon, Antonia Dunoon and Clotilde De Napolii could not join us for the photo.

As we look at our 300 plus students today and our ever expanding facilities, it seems only yesterday that we were all in the Administration building and Antonia was a Grade 8 (M3) student. Now she is graduating from D2 and off to pastures new!

It is a strange feeling to see a first day student graduate from D2 - you wonder were the time has gone but we have a lot of happy memories from over the years together.

Helen Sharrock

P8 Graduation

From the Director As I sit in my air-conditioned office writing this, I can’t help reflect that six years ago where I am was a eucalyptus grove and five years ago it was a building site. The journey that Stonehill has taken in a very short time is remarkable by anyone’s standards. How do you take a field and in just five years create a school of 300 students (and growing) with an international reputation? An eye-catching campus helps. Authorisation to offer all three of the IB programmes speaks for itself. And full accreditation from two of the world’s leading agencies can only reassure. But a school is so much more than buildings and certificates. Education is nothing if it is not about people and it is people who have been behind the school’s extraordinary growth and success. The list of those whose commitment and hard work turned a vision into a reality is a substantial one. Many are still here. Others have completed their work and moved on. But I want to recognise the important contributions made by four people who were here on the day the school opened in 2008 and to whom we are now saying goodbye. Each has brought his or her own passion and expertise to the school and each can look back on their five years at Stonehill with considerable pride. Gunilla Bengtsson, Andrea Battello, Peter Dunoon and Kristen McMahon will be known to you as PYP Coordinator, Chef, Head Librarian and versatile teacher of several subjects but, as is inevitable in a start-up, each has had to wear many more hats and each can (and does!) tell entertaining stories about the school’s early days. All four is moving on but I sincerely hope that each will leave with happy memories of an extraordinary period in their lives. They were here to see the building site five years ago. Their final view of the school as they look back over their shoulders will be of a confident and established institution with its pioneering days behind it and an exciting future ahead of it. Thank you.

Peter MacKenzie

Tuesday, June 11th 2013, if you came to the Primary Hall area you would have seen a very smart and mature group of young ladies and gentlemen. The P8's still riding high from their wonderful Exhibition presentations, were seen in gowns ready for their long awaited graduation that signals their move to Middle School. No more just one homeroom teacher to deal with so many areas of the curriculum. August will see them moving around this campus and other campuses scattered across the globe trying to find a whole range of individual subject teachers! They are moving onto a new phase in their education, they will be "middle schoolers" and underneath the appearance of trepidation they really are looking forward to this new stage of greater independence, as they know they are ready for this challenge and have the social and academic skills needed to succeed. In the words of the legendary Dr. Seuss – Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself Any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go! We wish them well in their learning journey

Helen Sharrock

Memories of this Academic Year

Exhibition Action

P8 action is certainly carrying on long after the exhibition with "sustainable action" the name of the game, as the students strive to make Stonehill a more eco-friendly place in many ways.

Moritz and Daniel have taken possession of two leaf composters and with the help of daily dump and our very own Mr. Naidu they will train up the gardeners on the use and composters and hopefully in no time at all we will have our first home made Stonehill compost in use on our campus. They also continue to work towards buying a food composter for the cafeteria use from August. May 31st saw a very successful bake sale that raised around Rs. 4,000 and June 6th will see a toy sale. Our PTA has very generously said they will pay the balance for the food composter.

Another group, Jihun, Bernardo and Lari, has raised a little money for trees that they will plant on the campus. They will be asking the PTA to buy them some more for the students in P8 now M1 next academic year, to plant on their return in August. This will not only help with the decline of trees in Bangalore but also help to provide some more shade around the campus for us all to enjoy.

Helen Sharrock

P3 End of Year Ceremony Thursday, June 13th 2013, was the day our P3 students entertained us all with their end of year ceremony. We saw just how "grown-up" they all are and just how ready to leave early years for P4 (Grade1) in August, either here at Stonehill or different schools around the world. We look forward to hearing from our friends who are off to new and exciting places about their new experiences. Today in the words of AA Milne, they left us in doubt that, -"Well now I am six, I'm as clever, as clever; I think I'll stay six for ever and ever!"

We wish them well in their learning journey.

Helen Sharrock

Arts Week Arts Week 2013 was a huge success! We owe a big thank you to all our workshop leaders who offered their skills, talents and enthusiasm to our programme. From the P1 through the D1 we had a wide range of artistic options covering: the visual (2D and 3D), dramatic, musical, digital, and movement. The culminating event on the final day was an exciting exhibition and performance that showcased the workshops and the student talents. The corridors and break-out spaces were testament to the hard work, creativity and engagement of the students and workshop leaders. The school came alive with the display of works. In the exhibition, parents and students alike had a chance to browse the works, discuss and share accomplishments and take part in the fun spirit of the week. Following the exhibition there was a dynamic performance in the MPH featuring multiple Grade levels and workshops. Many thanks to all parents and community members who attended! This week was a true collaboration and so many people helped to make it happen! The Arts Department extends our sincere thanks for all who participated!

Lia Cohen

Teachers Say Goodbye...

Where Are They Now?

Alasdair Maclean & Charlotte Maclean Although we have been a part of the Stonehill community for only a short period of time we have both thoroughly enjoyed working with the staff, interacting with the parents and teaching the students. Stonehill has provided us an opportunity to continue to learn and grow both personally and professional in an exciting dynamic environment. Being part of a relatively new school is challenging and rewarding. We are proud to be able to contribute to the continual development of the Stonehill. Our children, Isabel and Max, have thoroughly enjoyed their time in India. They have both made some very good friends and will leave with fond memories. Isabel has enjoyed wearing many, many different saris! Max has enjoyed having so many friends to play with at school and in our compound. Charlotte and I will leave with fond memories of friends, Stonehill International School and the people of India. We have found the

India to be very welcoming and interesting. We have both commented on the exceptional events run by the PTA. We have enjoyed all the many varied events offered by the school. The school has showcased what a multicultural school we are. We will both miss furniture shopping in India! We have furnished our entire house with Indian furniture. Thank you all for making our time in India an enjoyable experience.

Susannah Martin Working internationally in education has so many benefits. To put my finger on one that I have gained the most out of working in Bangalore while at Stonehill International School, has to be the countless opportunities that have opened up for me as a professional. Without fabulous people this would not have been possible. Special thanks to all of you who have worked alongside me, supporting me in making my dreams come true as a teacher and as a budding interior designer. Most of all, best wishes, to my students who inspire me endlessly and are at the heart of everything I dream to do in the future. Hiong Stanley It is with mixed feelings that I say goodbye to our Stonehill community. I’ve had two of my best years here in India, learning and growing. I learned about India, a great country of rich culture which amazed me in so many ways. I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to work with a diverse group of talented, professional and dedicated staff at Stonehill. Not to be forgotten are my wonderful students: your enthusiasm in learning Chinese and its culture has brought joy to our classroom every day. I hope the language will take you a long way in life.

Autumn Reay (Class of 2012) Autumn is currently attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Due to the college credits she was rewarded from her IB studies at Stonehill, she is currently enrolled as a sophomore (2nd year) studying Neuroscience and will continue to pursue her career in Medicine. She hopes to become an Anesthesiologist. Her first step towards entering the medical field was to get her phlebotomist license. She will begin working part time at a local hospital this fall.

Her semester finishes in mid-June, sadly missing Stonehill’s graduation which she was hoping to attend. However, she and Laura Schoenherr (a current Stonehill Student) have booked their flights and train tickets and will be backpacking through Europe this summer, visiting other Stonehill friends along the way. An adventure they can hardly wait to start. Though she misses Bangalore very much, she certainly has enjoyed the great outdoors her state has to offer; hiking, camping, riding, and skiing.

She continues to play her Cello, and excel in Mandarin classes at school.

Henrik Andreasson (Class of 2012) It has been one year now since I graduated from Stonehill international school. Now I live alone in my parent’s house back in Sweden. I have been studying at a community college in my hometown, where I took some classes so I would be able to study as a health coach. I have now applied to schools all over Sweden since I want my future to be

in the health or fitness industry. Since I got back from India my life changed a bit, as a result of it I started to train everyday and live a more healthy life and be able to help others.

I wish you all the best and hope all of you will have a really nice holiday.

Thomas Stanford (Class of 2012) Thomas Stanford graduated from the United States Military Academy Preparatory School at West Point, NY in May of 2013 and has received an appointment to attend the four year program at West Point starting in July. In his year at the West Point Prep School, Thomas excelled in the classroom and in important leadership responsibilities.

He was promoted to Battalion Staff, where he was responsible for managing logistics. He participated in numerous military and athletic competitions including the annual Sandhurst Military competition, the Odyssey run, two Spartan races, and a half marathon. He participated in multiple volunteer activities including helping victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Andrew Crouse & Nicole Fedio While Nicole and I are excited to take up our new positions in Shanghai, our departure from Stonehill will be tinged with sadness. We came to Stonehill with great excitement and enthusiasm to be a part of building a young school. Along the way, we met many like-minded individuals who were committed to making Stonehill better each year. Many times during our two years in Bangalore, these faculty, staff, students, parents, and administrators challenged and inspired us. Especially poignant are our memories of the kind and enthusiastic support that came from all corners of the school community during the stress-filled few days in which I interviewed

at Stonehill. Thank you for that support. It is our fond hope that we will be able to watch Stonehill from a far strengthen the ties that bind its community together and chart its way forward with unique purpose into the second half of its first decade. Farewell until we meet again.

Sonia Sareen How time flies. It has been 4 years since I first entered my P3 Classroom and yet it feels like it was only yesterday. Although moving on will be tough, I will always treasure the countless memories that I have from Stonehill. I often wonder what I will miss the most. Is it the giant smiles around every corner or the energy that sets this school apart? I will definitely miss the friendly banter with my colleagues and the free spirited nature of my students. At Stonehill, I have grown both, professionally and personally and will carry with me all the valuable lessons that I have learnt. As Richard Bach rightly said “Don’t be dismayed by good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again after moments or

lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends”. The world is small and I hope our paths cross in future so that we can meet again. I wish the Stonehill Faculty, Staff, Students and Parents all the very best in their future endeavors.

Helen Banham I have spent 3 fulfilling and stimulating years here at Stonehill and in ‘Incredible’ India. I am sorry to say goodbye to this vibrant and friendly community and will carry happy memories of my time here. One thing I have learned in my travels however is that the world is now quite a small place, so goodbye does not mean we cannot remain in contact and meet up in the future. If you visit Istanbul, be assured of a warm welcome. Gunilla Bengtsson After six years in Bangalore and five years at Stonehill, Andrea, Irvine, Tristan and I have decided to move on. Our next destination is just around the corner at the Overseas School Colombo in Sri Lanka. We are very excited about our next posting but that doesn’t make it any easier to say good bye to all the wonderful people we have got to know during our time in Bangalore. It has been an amazing experience to be part of the collaborative process of building a school from the ground. Stonehill would not be where it is today without our fantastic teachers who have offered endless support and energy developing our Primary curriculum in order to provide relevant, engaging and challenging learning experiences for

students. I feel very fortunate to have worked with all of you and it is thanks to our teachers that I feel a great sense of pride as I hand over the responsibilities of curriculum development to Stonehill’s next PYP Coordinator Ms. Shannon McMahon.

Karen Anthea Varghese I have been working in Stonehill for over three years and it has been an amazing journey. My professional teaching career took on a whole new meaning as I have been so fortunate to work with such a diverse and talented group of professionals. I most certainly will miss being part of the Stonehill fraternity and I wish all the students and my colleagues the very best in all their future endeavors. Xiaoping Li How time flies. I didn’t even realize that it’s already three years from joining. How to say good-bye to you, Stonehill. I know I will miss you very much: sweet colleagues, lovely students, green grass, beautiful flowers, fresh air and yummy lunch ……. Thank you very much my sweet-hearted colleagues, your caring, support and help I am really grateful. Thank you very much my awesome students, your collaboration, dedication and brilliance I am really appreciated. Wish you all a very successful future and a life full of joy. Hopefully we can keep in touch in the future. Janine Baur Due to family obligations, I have to say good-bye to Stonehill. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, as have my children. I want to thank each of you for all the support and encouragement that I have received over the past two school years. The opportunity to meet such wonderful colleagues, dedicated parents and of course my dear, sweet students has been amazing. I will cherish the fond memories that I have made with the entire school community. I hope to cross paths with you again.