The AIS-Salzburg junior varsity boys’ and girls’ basketball teams both finished with two wins and one loss at the DVAC mid-season junior varsity festival this past weekend in Vienna and Bratislava.

The boys’ team had their toughest match of the day in game one against the American International School-Vienna. The Lions were a little out of sync, with a mixture of varsity and junior varsity players making the trip and learning to play with one another. “We didn’t play as a team against AIS Vienna,” said JV head coach, Tom Henry Nuess. “We played pretty selfish basketball. They didn’t pass like we wanted them to.” Despite the lack of teamwork in game 1, the Lions made a game of it, narrowly losing by a score of 29-31. The boys regrouped for their second game against the Britannica International School of Budapest and came together to play some really good team basketball, resulting in a 34-22 win. Deigo O. stood out defensively and locked down the main scorer from Britannica, which made a major positive impact on the game for the Lions. Ernö V. stepped up his game big time in game 2, both defensively and offensively.

Photo: Senior player, Milo B., puts back a rebound during the DVAC Junior Varsity Basketball Festival in Vienna on January 27th, 2024. 

The third and final game against the Budapest British International School was much of the same, with the Lions trusting each other and playing as a team. 

Coach Nuess was even more impressed with game three. 

“Each game we progressed a little more. Game three was even better team basketball, with more passes and more cuts, more setting up teammates so they can score. It worked really nicely.”

Ernö V. continued to grow in confidence and was again a standout in game three on both ends of the court. 

“He was scoring like crazy,” said Coach Nuess of Ernö. “Everything was going in, some circus shots too. Then he would get back on defense and lock down defensively.”

In fact, like Diego in game 2, Ernö was assigned the task of defending the opponent’s top scorer in game 3 and also executed his assignment.  

Senior player, Milo B., was a dominant player on both ends of the court throughout the weekend for the Lions, especially when he started using his teammates more in games 2 and 3 to set up some nice given-and-go plays. 

Overall, Coach Huess was very pleased with their showing at the festival. 

“It was a good weekend. The boys were good, the attitudes good, they all got along. It was good.”

Photo: Diego O. and Milo B. connect on a give-and-go. 

The girls’ basketball team also finished with 2 wins and one loss at the DVAC festival. Minus several long-term Lions players in Chanti S. Jade R. and Nikol I., as well as newcomer and point guard, Victoria A., the inexperienced Lions were a good fit for the junior varsity level with six of 10 girls completely new to the game of basketball. 

“This was the perfect opportunity for our newcomers to get their feet wet and gain some confidence,” said coach David Burns after the event. “Jennet, Lera, Toma, Liza P., Natalija, and Liza K. had a ton of playing time and all improved in leaps and bounds.”

The girls’ team also had a tough welcome to the festival as they faced off against the host British International School Bratislava in their first match on Saturday morning, a team that most likely should have been at the varsity festival. The Lions came out with full intensity and competed well with the much more experienced opponent, managing to keep the score at a tie after the first quarter and only down by 4 points at the half. 

“It was one of those coaching moments where you get goosebumps,” said Burns. “The girls played shut-down defense and played as a team.”

Photo: The girls’ basketball team pose for a photo in Bratislava. 

The Lions eventually lost 23-13, as Nastia B., Barb A., and Marybel A.—who shouldered much of the ball possession and offensive responsibility—began to run out of gas in the second half after playing almost every minute of the game. 

In their final two matches, the Lions were up against two schools with similar experience in the American International Schools of Budapest and Vienna. With newly gained confidence after a strong showing in game one, the Lions dominated both matches 23-9 and 33-7 behind strong play on both ends of the court from Nastia, Barb, and Marybel. 

“Those three definitely carried us offensively, and defensively everyone was on point,” said Burns.

15-year-old grade 10 student Nastia B. was an unstoppable force and was easily the best player at the tournament according to Burns. Grade 9 student and 180 cm tall, Lera K., has adapted well to her role as center, grabbing numerous rebounds on both ends of the court and controlling the paint on defense. The highlight of the weekend came when Jennet stole a pass, dribbled to the other end of the court, and scored her first-ever basket. Toma also scored for the first time.

“When Jennet scored, we all celebrated like we won Olympic gold,” said coach Burns. “I am not going to lie, I got a bit choked up.”

Twin sisters, Inzhu and Aizhan T. came to AIS-Salzburg in September 2020 as grade 10 students and did not get off to a good start. In their first year, the sisters soon realized after arriving at the school that they did not want to be there. Their response to this was to put no effort into their academics or any attempt to integrate into the community. Early on, teachers were not optimistic that the girls would make the necessary adjustments to find success at AIS-Salzburg.

 

“They were a nightmare when they first came. They were rude to everyone and their grades were bad because they didn’t do any work. It was a constant battle to get them to do anything during study hall or even to keep them awake,” reflected Dorm Parent Ms. Clarke.

“Their biggest problem was their attitude. They didn’t make any effort to fit into our community,” said Mr. McLean, their U.S. History teacher in their first year. 

However, with time, the twins slowly came around and made notable GPA gains in their junior and senior years.

“I think once they realized it wasn’t so bad (at AIS-Salzburg) they decided to make a go of it and let people in. Their mindset altered,” said Ms. Clarke. “Once we put it a little bit of effort in, it was quite easy to adapt, to be honest,” said Inzhu in the video interview below. “I started visiting Mr. Lichty after school for extra help and would come to Mr. Leicher in the morning sometimes.”

Photo: Aizhan (left) preparing for the recent AP Calculus exam. 

The twins have not only improved on the academic front but also on the social front, acquiring many friends over the three years and participating on the girls’ basketball team. 

Ms. Clarke is amazed by the turnaround since their first year.

“Now it’s the opposite. They are among the most popular students in the school, and I’d say definitely the best-known. They are now very social, caring, friendly, funny and all-round lovely people. Aizhan in particular really settled into her studies and has even been a distinguished student in the past. Although they still sometimes have their moments, I love them and shall really miss them when they leave.”

“The people I met here are really genuine,” said Aizhan. “It just makes our living here better because you are surrounded by people you like talking to.”

We invite you to watch the full interview with Inzhu and Aizhan below.

Starting May 1st, students at AIS-Salzburg will be writing Advanced Placement® (AP) Examinations to earn credit or advanced placement at their chosen universities, improve their chances of acceptance, and—especially important in an international school—gain equivalency with most European secondary-school diplomas and qualify for entrance into universities here in Europe.

AP® courses and examinations are recognized in the admissions process by more than 4,000 universities worldwide, and outside the U.S., more than 600 universities in 60+ countries recognize qualifying AP® Exam scores. The program allows students to develop a global perspective, as well as skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. There are currently 34 AP® courses and exams available and scores can be sent directly to universities of choice. AP® is recognized as a highly-desirable academic credential around the globe. 

In an update about the fast-approaching AP® Exams, our AP® Coordinator Joe Suttmann, offered the following:  “Nearly 50% of our student body are taking AP® exams this year, with 46 students registered to take 113 AP Exams.  This is an average of more than 2 exams per student.  Of the exam-takers, 18 are in the Senior class, with the remaining 28 representing students in the 11th grade and lower.  The AP® Exams we are offering this year are:  Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Lit. & Comp., Environmental Science, European History, French Lang. & Cult., German Lang. & Cult., Human Geography, Physics 1, and Psychology.  Expectations are high for great scores, as AP® exam results are often crucial in getting accepted at respected universities around the globe.  AIS-Salzburg presents a college-prep curriculum and AP exam results are a great indicator of the success of our program.”

Photo: Students take notes during an AP® European History lecture with Mr. Agardy.

AP® Examinations are open to all students who feel competent to sit them and enrollment in a preparatory AP® course is not required. For example, if a student comes to AIS-Salzburg after having studied the Japanese language for three years, they may desire to sit the AP® Examination in this subject. Most students, however, will need the preparation and guidance in the subject provided by year-long enrollment in the course.  

Our school has participated in the Advanced Placement Program® since 1983.  The widespread international recognition of AP® Examination scores and the strength of the AP® curricula convinces our community that the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® provides our students with significant international opportunities and excellent academic skills that will serve them well in their future studies.

Varvara Buben attended AIS-Salzburg as a senior during the 2021-2022 school year and graduated as our Salutatorian in the spring of 2022. In this interview, we check in with Varvara and see how college life is going. 

AIS-Salzburg: Where are you currently studying and what are you studying?

Varvara: I’m currently studying Psychology and Language Sciences at University College London, which is a course that incorporates psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics, focusing on language in the brain.

AIS-Salzburg: How are you enjoying college life?

Varvara: Academically, I love university – there are so many unique opportunities for various types of learning, including conducting experiments, working with anatomical specimens, and learning from leading researchers in rather niche fields, expanding my understanding of the kinds of questions science asks. As for the non-academic parts of college life, they can be a bit of a challenge, but I think this may have to do more with the specific city I’m in – London can be hard to navigate and rather isolating at times. 

AIS-Salzburg: What are the major differences between college life and life at AIS-Salzburg?

Varvara: There is much more independence and responsibility involved in daily life as a university student than there was at AIS-Salzburg. AIS-Salzburg has a really strong student support network; in university, that network is you. If you get sick, if something in your accommodation breaks, if you’re struggling academically, you are mostly on your own. This is not a bad thing – just a different experience from boarding school. Additionally, your entire schedule is basically up to you, but in addition to ensuring all coursework gets completed, you need to factor in time to prepare food, clean your space, commute, sleep decently… AIS-Salzburg definitely makes it easy to keep track of all these tasks due to the very structured schedule. In university, both the actual tasks and the task of planning them all out falls on you.

AIS-Salzburg: Do you feel your time at AIS-Salzburg helped prepare you for college life and if so, in what ways?

Varvara: AIS-Salzburg most prepared me for college by giving me an opportunity to practice integrating into a new environment. Fewer specific skills or habits carried over, just due to how different the two environments are, but the experience of diving headfirst into a new city and cohort would have definitely been much harder to do in university had I not have had the chance to do so in the much smaller, closer AIS-Salzburg community.

As of the Spring Trimester midterm (March 31, 2023), we take a moment to review the first half of the term and recognize those students who have successfully fulfilled the academic, community service, enrollment and behavioral qualifications as outlined in the AIS-Salzburg Student and Parent Handbook.

Students who have met these qualifications are recognized in two categories of distinction: Senior Scholars and Distinguished Students. Listed below are the privileges that accompany these distinctions:

Senior Scholars

• One evening study hall per week free 
• Seniority in room and roommate selection and bus seating on excursions and outings 
• Special commendation letter to the parents 
• Friday & Saturday evening curfew is extended by 1/2 hour 
• Recognition at trimester awards dinner

Distinguished Students

• Released from study hall on Thursday evenings 
• Rooming and roommate selection and bus seating (following Senior Scholars) on excursions
• Special commendation letter to the parents 
• Friday & Saturday evening curfew is extended by 1/2 hour
• Recognition at trimester awards dinner

Below, are the students who have achieved each status as a result of their efforts in the first half of the fall trimester. 

Written by Tymofii Popov and Vili Kraus

It was a very exciting season for the boys’ volleyball team this year. Out of 7 games played, the team won 5 and only lost 2. This is an incredible result considering that some of the team members had never played volleyball prior to this season and showed incredible growth during these three months. Also, for the first time in over 10 years, the boys’ volleyball team brought home a trophy; making them the most successful in a long time. Coach Nick DeWitt said that if the team works as hard as they did this past season, next year’s team will be able to compete at the varsity level.

On the 15th of October, the boys’ volleyball team competed in a varsity tournament in Ulm, Germany. The team arrived in Ulm still having confidence from the previous junior-varsity friendly tournament at their home court in Salzburg. However, missing a number of top players including Milo B. and Bogdan M. who at the previous tournament were the “men of the day”. Their inability to join the team Ulm brought some concerns over whether it would be a successful tournament. The team played two games, both of which followed the same script. Following a loss in the first set, the team lacked positive and strong morale. The team came out in the second set more focused after a speech by Coach DeWitt, winning the set. After the victory, the team got a bit too relaxed and lost the third set and the match 1-2, resulting in no wins on the day.

Photo: The boys volleyball team hold their own at the varsity level in Ulm, Germany

On the way home, the players stopped at McDonald’s and discussed the most egregious problem of the season. This was the lack of emotional control. When games were lost or after someone’s mistake, emotions would escalate and further ruin the match, bringing the overall morale of the team even lower. It was decided at this meeting that each team member should spend some time thinking about a resolution to controlling their emotions and present this at the next practice. It was also determined that each player should encourage the others, which would greatly help boost morale during the games. If the problem of detrimental emotions could be eliminated, the team would have a much better chance of achieving improved success and growth.

On the 12th of November, our boys’ volleyball team competed at the season-ending Danube Valley Athletics Conference Championship in Budapest, Hungary. It was an overnight trip with the boys traveling to Budapest on Friday, November, 11th.

Photo: The boys’ volleyball team went undefeated at the DVAC Junior Varsity Championship in Budapest.

When the team arrived in Budapest, they had some free time before a team dinner during which they discussed strategies for the tournament on the following day. They were competing in the Junior Varsity (J.V.) tournament instead of varsity due to missing some key players. There were only three teams in the J.V. tournament and the boys won both of their games with the same result of 2 sets to 0. For the first time in more than 10 years, the boys’ volleyball team came back from a tournament with a trophy. The boys had a lot of fun and they played better than ever. 

English 10 Composition and Literature

In English 10 Composition and Literature class with Ms. Anderson, students had the option to illustrate the most important scene in The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Egla H. chose to illustrate a scene (spoken of but never shown in the play) of the Salem girls dancing in the forest. Abby’s face has a smear of blood: a sign of the murderous witchcraft she has just conjured. Stefaniia H. illustrated one of the last scenes in the play, in which John and Elizabeth Proctor bid each other farewell. We invite you to view the work of both Egla and Stefaniia below. 

In the other class section of English 10 Composition and Literature, taught by Mr. Anderson (no relation), students were assigned a ‘One-pager.’  This requires that they provide a visual interpretation of the most significant scenes, symbols or statements from the text.

Below are ‘One-Pager’ projects submitted by Evdokia M., Viktoriia P., and Milan W.

Soundbites from 10th-Grade Math

We invite you to watch the video below, where 10th-grade math students prepare to write a test on solving systems of equations. Real-life situations can rarely be distilled down to ‘solve for x.’ Systems of equations give us tools to simultaneously solve for many different variables in complex situations.

Precalculus & Grade 10 Chemistry

In the photos below, precalculus students learned about the topic, ‘optimization’. The task was to cut squares from each corner of the paper and fold up the flaps to create a box with the largest possible volume. A variety of optimization problems can be found in all quantitative disciplines, from computer science and engineering to operations research and economics.

Wilhelm Ostwald coined the name “mole” in German in 1893, and it’s assumed it was derived from the word Molekül (molecule). Ironically, Ostwald’s development of the mole concept was directly related to his philosophical opposition to atomic theory, which he disagreed with for most of his career. We can also define the mole using Avagadro’s constant. We invite you to watch the video below of a recent lab in grade 10 chemistry where students weighed out different masses and solved the relationship of grams, moles, and atoms. 

School Day Soundbites: U.S. History with Mr. McLean

We invite you to watch the sneak peek video below of the second-period US History class with Mr. McLean as he explains the cultural dynamics of animistic, polytheistic and monotheistic religious practices and their role in the conflict between the Europeans and the natives of North America.

Projects Feature from German 1 and Advanced Math

In German 1, students created videos with their own scripted dialogue using proper grammar and vocabulary learned in the first four chapters of their textbook. The theme of the video was for two or more people to meet and discuss their hobbies, families, likes, and dislikes. Students were graded on 11 specific components outlined by their instructor, Ms. Baehler. For example, one component was for students to properly use the verbs sein, haben, sprechen, essen, möchten, and brauchen at least twice. 

We invite you to watch the compilation video below of some of the completed videos.

In Advanced Mathematics, students created a basic model of a house for the year 2075 that reflects the projected shift in population growth, urbanization, energy efficiency, and future design trends. Students then presented their “Houses of the Future” providing evidence from their research and why their house will be necessary for the future.  

We invite you to view the presentation of Dany G’s ‘House of the Future.

Soundbites from U.S. History with Mr. McLean

We invite you to watch the sneak peek video below of the second-period US History class with Mr. McLean as he explains the cultural dynamics of animistic, polytheistic and monotheistic religious practices and their role in the conflict between the Europeans and the natives of North America.

Theater Arts with Mrs. Silke Stein

Theater Arts …. the stage is yours!

In this seventh-period class for 7th and 8th graders, the students learn to expand their knowledge and experience by improvising, playing theatre games, and singing their favorite songs. With this, students learn everything to be creative and confident—not only on stage but also later in life. 

Creative minds create a great future!

We invite you to watch the video below from a recent Theater Arts class with Mrs. Silke Stein. In her class, Silke teaches breathing and speaking techniques, and basic musical and acting skills. Through these skills, her students gain confidence and a strong foundation for their talents and strengths to continue growing on beyond her classroom.

More About the Instructor

Music and performance have been a part of Silke’s life ever since she was a child.

At a very young age, Silke trained in classical piano, ballet and singing. As she grew, she was fortunate enough to transfer these skills to various theatre stages and later to the television screen, where she worked as a presenter and producer of different TV shows. It was there that she was able to develop journalistic skills such as researching and writing.

11 years ago, backstage during an intermission at a theater production where Silke performed as an actor, she was told that she by an elementary school teacher that she was “great with kids”. This encounter inspired Silke who started to work as a musical coach. Since then, Silke has been working with young people, ages 6 to 18 and loves showing them everything they need to know to be confident on stage. 

Silke writes and composes musicals according to the wishes of her students. Teaching in a lot of Salzburg´s schools and theaters, Silke has written and performed more than 50 individual musicals. 

By: Chantal, Paul, Anna L., Lars, Milan, Vili, Vico, and Richard.

Paris is one of the most known cities in the world. There are a lot of famous museums, sights and monuments to see. Some of the most famous ones are the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Notre-dame. Paris is a magnificent city with amazing architecture and a fascinating story that our tour guide told us during our bus tour trip. 

Based on the interests of the students, we chose the activities that we would like to do in Paris. The trip to Paris was very tiring, it was a 14 hours bus ride. However, the trip was filled with stops of varying lengths every two and a half hours. We spent five days in Paris and they were unforgettable. Every day we attended activities, most of them were for cultural development. We visited some modern and ancient art exhibitions and more popular types. We also toured the Marie Curie Museum located in her former apartment.

The most memorable for some students was the first day, because they saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. We were allowed to go up to the second floor of the tower, where we could spend 2 hours and we saw the eiffel tower sparkle. This monument was one of our favorite places to take pictures. Sadly, one of the days our school went to the Eiffel Tower it was closed, because of a strike. The rest of the students went on the boat trip and experienced a magical view of Paris at night and a light show. 

On the last evening in Paris, all 90 students went to the Louvre; some of us loved it while the others, not so much. The “Mona Lisa” was the painting everyone was excited about, but also the most disappointing one.  

At the end of the evening excursions, students were given a choice: go to eat or return back to the hotel. Thus, everyone was satisfied and did what interested them. 

Paris is known for its great food. On every street corner you could find a macaroon or crepe shop. One really popular street food is Kebab, a delicious food that many students bought during the excursion. Not only is it tasty, but also convenient as you can buy it almost everywhere. While we had very little time after our activities, we were able to get a meal late in the evening. Kebab was a great choice because it can be ready in less than 5 minutes and is also really cheap, being around 7 euros. 

Probably the most popular food on the street were crepes. Everywhere we went, Parisian crepe shops and stands followed us, attracting almost everyone on the Paris excursion. Day or night, the pleasant smell of warm crepes filled with nutella and strawberries made everyone stop what they were doing and convince the RA’s to get one. The friendly staff made it even more pleasant to buy a sweet and appetizing crepe.

Paris is also known for their delicious pastries such as macarons, croissants, eclairs, and escargots (a spiral pastry usually mixed with bread and raisin). They are a delicacy in France and are all well known around the world. You can find them in most Parisian bakeries and that’s where they are also known to be best. The pizza in Paris is pretty good. You can get a whole pizza for only 5 euros next to Galeries Lafayette. The pizza that we bought was one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. All the people that bought it from there, were surprised how good and cheap it was.

Paris is a great place for shopping, it has a lot of various Shopping places, malls and shopping streets. It’s well known for being the main marketing center for a lot of Famous Companies such as Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent and Off White. It houses many of the headquarters of the companies, the most well known probably being Louis Vuitton. 

One of the most famous streets is the Champs Elysee, it houses a lot of the famous brands.

It’s a street that is pictured on a lot of the post cards, probably the most well known street in Paris.

There are not only high fashion, expensive brands, but also more affordable brands, such as Sephora, Zara and Nike. The official PSG store, which is the Paris Soccer team, is also housed there. If you are not only into clothing, but also jewelry, you came to the right place. Jewelers such as Cartier, Maboussin and Tiffany & Co can be found on the avenue.

You should also remember that Paris is a costly city to shop in for clothes. The difference in the prices of things was huge compared to Vienna, for example. Everything there was at least 10% more expensive if you ask me; shopping there is not worth it.

Two overnight bus rides, constantly herding 90 students on and off the metro to multiple activities, and no injuries or missing students…. everybody please stand and give our outstanding Paris Excursion staff a round of applause!

“Overall the Paris trip went great. Nobody got hurt, we didn’t lose anyone and nobody got in trouble,” laughed a weary Dean of Students, Mrs. Fox, yesterday when asked how the excursion went. “I have to tip my cap and give 100% of the credit for the logistics to Kevin (Mr. Fox), he planned the whole thing from top to bottom.”

About 10 days before the excursion, dorm parent and activity coordinator Mr. Fox surveyed students on their top choices for activities as opposed to assigning them to activities. Students were given their first or second choice for each activity. This proved to be a big factor in the overall enjoyment and positive mood of the group.

“The planning took hours upon hours between collecting student choices to the organization of logistics and activities,” said Mr. Fox. “There were a few road bumps along the way, but we were able to adapt on the fly. The metro ticket system was a real headache!”

Every day consisted of morning and afternoon activities with a lunch break in the city. Students were divided into activity groups of roughly 20 with an average of 2 group leaders. The evening activities included a visit to the Eiffel tower, The Louvre, and a sightseeing boat cruise through Paris.

“I really enjoyed the boat cruise, especially when the Eiffel tower sparkle show went off and the kids screamed with joy,” said Mrs. Fox of the highlight of her trip. 

During the day, the students chose between a number of activities including Musée d’Orsay, a city bus tour, neighbourhood walking tours, The Dome, Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, Sainte-Chapelle Chapel, Notre-Dame, Atelier des Lumières, Paris Museum of Modern Art, Pompidou Center, Galeries Lafayette shopping center, Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, and the students favorite; Champs-Élysées avenue for shopping and sightseeing.

“The highlight moments for me would definitely be: being on top of the Eiffel Tower and seeing the whole city at night, and visiting the Orsay Museum and the Louvre,” said junior student Marija (left side in front of the Eiffel Tower in the photo above). “We all really enjoyed ourselves a lot while visiting various sights, and discovering something new. We saw how people live in the city and what their environment is like. Personally, I liked it a lot.”

In fact, students were engaged the entire time. They were out the door every day at 9 am and back at the hotel at 11 pm. This kept the staff busy, with two up until midnight doing bed checks and up early for breakfast to review the plan for the day. It was an exhausting excursion for the staff but all had nothing but positive things to say upon their return.

“Thanks to the students and fellow care staff, my first excursion as a leader was a great success!” said new resident assistant Abby of the Paris excursion. “In a city with so many people, it was often very chaotic navigating the metro and getting places on time, but students all showed their abilities to adapt and solve problems. It was such a joy to watch the students gain confidence in a new city and build new relationships with each other.”

“They did an amazing job and took the safety of the students very seriously. I just think the world of the Paris excursion staff,” said Mrs. Fox.

The trip wound down nicely on the final day with an entire day at Disneyland where students were free to explore at their own pace. This was not only a great way to end the trip for the students but it also allowed the staff to take a bit of a breather.

See the photo below of the entire Paris Excursion staff from left to right; Mr. Fox, Mrs. Fox, Tom Henry, Arabella, Nick, Matt, Abby and Ali. 

“A lot of the students went out of their way to thank Kevin and me and I thought that was really great,” said Mrs. Fox of the final day. “The 13-hour bus ride home was completely silent! I have never seen so many kids sleeping at once before.”

A number of the Class of 2022 have checked in recently with updates on where they have decided to study in the fall. Below are a handful of updates from an outstanding class of graduates.

In less than two weeks, the hallways, classrooms and dormitories of AIS-Salzburg will once again be occupied with students from around the world who are enthusiastic about learning languages and a summer of fun in the beautiful city of Salzburg and surrounding regions. Our Summer Language Program provides intensive German or English courses for students aged 10 to 18 while involving them in a fascinating and enjoyable program of discovery, activities, and social sessions which can be combined to six weeks total. Each two-week session includes a wealth of cultural and entertaining activities and excursions to complement the language learning in the classroom.

The following are the session dates for the 2022 program: 

Session 1: July 10 to July 22
Session 2: July 24 to August 5
Session 3: August 7 to August 19

This newsletter contains specifics on the activities scheduled for this summer, answers to frequently asked questions and tuition and application information. We invite you to review the information in this newsletter and reach out with any questions to [email protected]. You can also visit our Summer Language Program page for details on tuition and application, housing and supervision and videos from the past two summers.

Aside from classroom instruction, students of the Summer Language Program are engaged in a rich choice of afternoon, evening, and weekend activities and outings. The location of the school in one of the most beautiful cities and regions in the world allows us to offer activities and outings to a number of exciting and culturally rich destinations. All afternoon activities, excursions and other outings are completely included in the price of tuition for any of the three sessions. Below you will find more information on some of the activities we have planned for this summer. 

Adventure

Surrounded by Austrian alps, rivers and freshwater lakes, there is no shortage of adventure options for our students. Regular adventurous activities of the summer language include; rafting and canyoning with the Crocodile Sports, Waldbad high ropes course, Salzachöfen Flying Fox zipline, summer sledding or a hike up the Lammerklamm Gorge or Untersberg. 

Excursions

Weekends are reserved for day trips to some of the most beautiful villages and metropolitan cities within a three-hour radius of Salzburg, and we take full advantage of the reliable Austrian public transport system to transport our students safely. Within these trips, students experience a mix of cultural stops and fun activities. Popular local destinations for weekday trips include King’s Lake (Königsee) Werfen, Traun Lake (Traunsee), and Hallstatt while weekends are reserved for longer trips to destinations such as Munich and Innsbruck.  

Culture

The hometown of Mozart and the filming location of the Sound of Music, Salzburg provides for an abundance of cultural activities for students to enjoy. Past cultural experiences have included: Mirabell Gardens, Salzburg baroque tour, museum visits, Salzburg Fortress, Hellbrunn Palace and Mozart birthplace. 

Fun with Friends

There are plenty of opportunities for students to simply relax and enjoy the summer sun with new friends from around the world. Typical fun activities of our Summer Language Program include; Amadeus Boat Tour, sports day at the RIF Olympic Training Facility, House of Nature tour, laser tag, bowling, mini-golf, Ruhpolding Amusement Park, backyard barbecue and of course multiple swimming activities to Leopoldskron pool, Waldbad and Fuschlsee. 

More so than most years, the 2021-2022 Spring Trimester schedule was jam-packed due to the postponement of many events that were finally able to take place alongside the usual spring programming. Excursions, sporting events, academic awards, exams, weekend activities, a weekend excursion and the Commencement Ceremony were the major events that took place in the final eight weeks of the school year. We invite you to watch the highlight video below from the Spring Trimester. 

This past Saturday, students and two group leaders enjoyed a day at Königsee, a pristine lake in the heart of the Berchtesgaden National Park just across the border in Germany and about a 30-minute drive from Salzburg.

Just after 9 am, the group boarded the electric ferry at the village of Schönau which took them across the entire 7.7 km length of the lake to the south end. During the ferry ride, the captain parked in the middle of the lake and proceeded to play his flugelhorn—a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet—to demonstrate the echo off the surrounding sheer rock walls. 

Photo: Students pose for photos during the 45-minute ferry ride through the pristine waters of Königsee Lake. 

Once reaching the south shore, the group walked up the trail about 15 minutes to the smaller Obersee Lake which features the 470 m (1,540 ft) high Röthbach waterfall.

After spending the morning at the south end of the lake hiking and exploring, the group boarded the ferry once again, stopping at the St. Bartholomä church, which is located on a peninsula about halfway down the western lakeshore and features the Watzmann massif in the backdrop (see cover photo). 

We invite you to watch the video highlights below of this wonderful day. 

On Thursday, May 12th, students and staff gathered at the Musikerheim of Leopoldskron-Moos, across the street from the school, to give recognition to the outstanding accomplishments of our students in athletics, social/boarding behavior, and academic coursework, leading up to the announcement of the senior honors:  ECIS Award Winner, Salutatorian and Valedictorian.  

Congratulations to the following major award winners and honored seniors:

Saskia R. – Female Athlete of the Year
Zach P.  – Male Athlete of the Year
Sonja T. – Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Andi H. – Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Nadja G. – ECIS Award Winner
Varvara B. – Salutatorian 
Andi H. – Valedictorian

We invite you to watch the video of the event live-streamed on Facebook here. Below are some of the photos of the event and Headmaster McLean’s speech at the conclusion of the event where he congratulates the AIS-Salzburg community for their perseverance throughout a challenging year of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine.

One of the year’s most anticipated events, the 2022 AIS-Salzburg Basketball Jamboree held back in early March was successful despite covid-19 doing its best to disrupt the tournament once again after two years of cancellation due to the virus. It was the tournament’s 30th Anniversary this year. 

“Typically, there are six schools represented in both the boys and girls tournaments. However this year, with covid infections still high, we had to get a bit creative to make it happen,” said tournament organizer and head coach of the girls’ basketball team, David Burns.

Both QSI Bratislava and AIS-Salzburg had to field two boys’ teams in order to make it a six-team tournament with two schools withdrawing last minute due to covid outbreaks within their teams.

“Schools from Budapest and Switzerland that normally attend the tournament could not make it this year. It was a bit too much with covid still being a factor. We are optimistic that next year the tournament will be full again,” added Burns.

Despite the setbacks, the tournament went well with our girls’ team winning the championship and our boys’ also having a strong showing, winning a game in their pool to advance to the 3rd place match which they lost in a nailbiter.

We invite you to watch the highlight video below of this year’s tournament. 

On March 25th, a group of 25 students and four staff boarded a flight to Athens and enjoyed three full days of sightseeing in the ancient city, the island of Aegina and Delphi, site of Apollo’s oracle.

The first day began with a guided tour of the National Archaeological Museum—the largest museum in Greece—which houses five major permanent collections; prehistoric antiquities, sculpture, metalwork, vases and minor arts, and Egyptian antiquities.

In the late morning, students enjoyed the beautiful weather with a guided tour of the Acropolis, the ancient citadel overlooking Athens from atop a rocky hill in the center of the city. The structure features the remains of a number of ancient buildings highlighted by the Parthenon, a former temple dedicated to the goddess Athena.

Following a traditional Greek lunch in the crowded city center, the guided tour continued through the Ancient Agora, an archaeological site at the foot of the Acropolis and located in the heart of the city. Although much of the grounds are in ruins, the site features the Temple of Hephaestus, a well-preserved Doric temple from the Classical Era. Concluding the tour, students visited the Ancient Agora Museum where they viewed and learned about various artifacts of the Agora, including art dating back to the stone age and ancient everyday objects.

On the second day of the excursion, the group boarded a large ferryboat—inclusive of their bus—which transported them a little over an hour to the island of Aegina for a guided tour of the Temple of Aphaia, which was built in 480 BC and still features 25 of it’s 32 Doric columns.

On the return trip to the town of Aegina, the group stopped at the Agios Nektarios Monastery. St. Nektarios was a Greek Orthodox saint known mostly as a miracle worker and healer but was also a writer, poet, and philosopher. 

Once back in Aegina, the group enjoyed a traditional Greek lunch at the seaside. 

On the third and final day, the group was transported by bus to the town of Delphi for a guided tour of the Ancient Archaeological Site of Delphi and its museum. Students had to endure some light rain but were distracted by the stories of the many purposes of the site during ancient times, acting as a place of worship, political decision-making and athletic games, festivals, theater productions and more.

The day concluded with some free time in the beautiful ski village of Arachova and more amazing traditional Greek food before a quiet evening back at the hotel to rest up for the return trip to Salzburg in the morning. 

More photos:

After a 22-month streak of zero Corona cases within our boarding community, our walls have finally been penetrated by the most-recent and highly infectious version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus: Omicron. Since the return from break, four students, a resident assistant and two teachers have tested positive. 

When either an antigen or PCR test turns positive for a non-resident teacher or staff member (or even when a teacher has any symptoms of illness) they are removed from duty and return to their homes. Their classes and responsibilities are immediately covered by other teachers and administrators that can assist. Since we are currently engaged in hybrid/online instruction for students who are presently at home, unless the teachers are feeling too ill, they are able to join the class digitally while another staff member is present to assist and supervise.
 
“Our main focus at this point is to isolate those infected from the rest of the community as soon as possible,” said Health Coordinator, Joe Suttmann.

Day students who test positive are isolated immediately until their parents can take them home. Boarding students who test positive are sent to the off-campus quarantine facility.  

“We had a great stroke of luck. We are the beneficiary of a guest house belonging to the parents of a student, that was offered to us as an off-campus place of quarantine. There are four bedrooms, each with two beds and a full bath. One of the rooms is dedicated to a staff member who supervises infected students 24 hours a day. That means we have room to quarantine up to 6 infected students off-campus, only two kilometers away,” said Suttmman. In fact, the guest house sits on top of a hill, it has a beautiful view and it is part of a castle complex. 

Photo: AIS-Salzburg students who test positive for the Corona Virus are sent to what some are calling the “quarantine castle.” Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Students who test positive are mandated by the state to go into a ten-day quarantine. They can test out after five days if they test negative. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are brought to quarantined students each day. A student who has spent an extended period of time with an infected person while unmasked must go into isolation for five days. In most cases, this is the roommate of the infected person. So far, only one contact person was infected. Both quarantined and isolated students can keep up with their school work through Google Classroom and by joining classes live via Google Meets. 

“During the school day, all students, faculty and staff members, including kitchen staff, are wearing masks all the time,” said Suttmann of the measures in place to protect the community. ” Unfortunately, we had to limit the amount of time the kids can be out in the community at large. During the week, they are permitted to leave campus for 45 minutes per day and on weekends they get two hours per day. It seems like it has worked pretty well for us and limited the number of cases in our quasi-bubble,” added Suttmann. 

Weekends activities such as skiing and Physical Education continue with a rather intensive risk assessment. For the ski day this past Sunday, a resort was chosen that was generally not very crowded and it was a place where a minimal amount of time would be spent inside of a gondola. 

Despite the recent positive cases within the AIS-Salzburg community, Suttmann’s outlook is on the positive side:

“Our infected numbers are way lower than what is happening in the general population. If that situation were to change for the worse and our off-campus quarantine location was to fill up, there are a number of empty rooms on campus that are available.”

It goes without saying, that pleasing a group of 100+ hungry lunch-goers and keeping it healthy while on a reasonable budget is not an easy task—even for the most experienced of chefs. When one factors in the rather selective attitude of most teenagers, it becomes a job for our kitchen staff that most people would not envy. However, for Gerhard and Oliver, it’s a dream job in which they take a great amount of pride.

“The kids ask and I try,” said Gerhard—in his broken English—of his efforts to create new meals based on student requests. 

In fact, he keeps a wish list of student requests and he and his staff do their best to incorporate these meals into their weekly menu.

Photo: Kitchen Manager Gerhard (left) and Head Chef (Oliver) make a great team in the AIS-Salzburg kitchen.

Gerhard took over as manager of the AIS-Salzburg kitchen in the fall of 2019, and ever since, the quality of meals has steadily improved. The former Head Chef at Sony Playstation in Anif tries to be as accommodating as possible to student requests.

“We try to be as flexible as possible with our meal plan while also providing healthy options,” said Gerhard of adapting his weekly meal plan to student requests. “This year we have more Mexican students, so we make more Mexican food,” added Oliver.  

Oliver brings 30 years of experience as a cook to the team, including employment at the Golden Hirsch and Hotel Sacher, both local five-star hotels in Salzburg. Together, the duo have implemented new ideas and strategies for providing students with a balanced diet while also appealing to their tastes.

Photo: Tender-rich Gulasch with dumplings is one of the more popular meals on the menu.

What is definitely clear is that Gerhard and Oliver care a great deal about the happiness, health and satisfaction of the AIS-Salzburg student body and staff. They make an effort to get to know everyone and are on a first-name basis with almost everybody that walks through the serving line every day. We invite you to watch Gerhard and his team in action in our “Lunchtime at AIS-Salzburg” video below. 

This past weekend, our boys’ soccer and girls’ volleyball teams participated in the Danube Valley Athletic Conference (DVAC) season-end tournaments in Vienna. Both teams were without a handful of key players who were unable to participate due to their unvaccinated status, making an already challenging varsity level tournament that much more difficult to compete in. The boys’ soccer team was scheduled to play in the DVAC junior varsity tournament in Budapest but had to switch at the last minute to the varsity tournament due to rising Covid-19 numbers and the resulting discontinuation of overnight stays for school sports. In order to safely move forward with participation, Lions’ players avoided public transportation and were transported to and from Vienna by chartered bus. 

“We are just happy that we were even able to compete this past weekend and complete a full soccer and volleyball fall season”, said Athletic Director and girls’ volleyball coach David Burns.

The Lady Lions’ had an uphill battle at the volleyball tournament, playing against some big school varsity teams which featured teams full of experienced grade 11 and 12 players. In comparison, the Lions attended the tournament with a team of only seven, six of which were grades 8 through 10.

Despite the odds, the Lions surprisingly faired quite well, beating the International Christian School and narrowly upsetting the big school varsity team from Vienna International School (VIS). Against VIS, the Lions shocked the host squad by winning the first set 25-23. VIS rallied back in the second set to force a third and deciding set, which the Lions lost in a nailbiter 13-15.

“Even though we lost, the game against VIS was the highlight of the season for me. The girls played beyond their years and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said coach Burns of the exciting match. 

Grade 8 setter Chanti, played her best volleyball in a Lions uniform to date and was almost perfect on the service line. Outside hitter, Sarah, was a one-woman wrecking crew for the Lions with multiple kills, strong serving and a number of acrobatic diving saves. Team captain Saskia was a force at the net all tournament including some big blocks and a few kills of her own. Younger sister to Saskia, Jade, came through in the clutch with her serving at key moments. 

“All seven girls played exceptionally well and the younger ones gained invaluable experience moving forward,” beamed Burns of his team. 

The boys’ soccer team—featuring a number of young up-and-coming stars—also had their hands full with three games, two of which were against varsity teams from the big schools of Vienna International School and AIS-Vienna. 

Straight off the bus, the Lions were up against the International Christian School Vienna (ICSV). With the score at a 0-0 deadlock, the Lions conceded a goal on the final kick of the first half, putting them in a tough spot heading into the final frame. ICSV scored again early in the 2nd half and the Lions were unable to make up the deficit, losing 2-1. Iker scored the lone goal for AIS-Salzburg in what was a very evenly matched game that was back and forth throughout.

Their second match against VIS was straight away after their loss to ICSV, and despite defending valiantly, the Lions conceded multiple goals in the last 15 min, losing the game 5-1. The Lions lone goal came from their keeper, Liam Boettger, who scored a goal directly off a free kick just inside the Lions’ own half of the field! His free-kick took a huge bounce over the opposing keeper’s head and outstretched arm, finding the back of the net. 

The boys’ final match was against AIS-Vienna and also resulted in a 5-1 loss. The scoreline doesn’t reflect the whole story, as the Lions defended brilliantly for most of the match before fatigue set in and their legs began to fail them. Iker again scored the only goal for the Lions on a beautiful free-kick from just outside of the box about 3 minutes into the 2nd half. This brought the score back to 2-1 before AISV scored three goals in the final 10 minutes to pull away.   

“Overall, this was a good day, and I am proud of the effort everyone displayed on the pitch. We worked hard and I believe gave a good account of ourselves. Playing 3 matches in a day is tough, especially with only 14 players available,” said coach Matt DeKryger of his team’s effort.

Junior High Literature and Composition students tapped into their creative side as well as their knowledge of the various elements of fiction and created amazing short stories. Linked below are three featured assignments submitted by Ander, Sam and Meghan.

Memories come back by Ander

Power Hungry by Meghan

What’s something to live, if you have nothing to die for? by SAM

In physics, students explored the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. Understanding this relationship helped them grasp Newton’s Second Law of Motion (F=ma).

Chemistry students performed a flame test on different samples to help identify the composition of a simple and the energy they emit in the form of light.

 

The Hellbrunner Loop is a scenic route that is easily accessible from the doorstep of our school.  Cyclists and runners make their way to the Almkanal from the Moosstrasse and turn south on the pathway alongside the Almkanal heading towards the towering Untersberg.  The two+ kilometer-long pathway provides for some breathtaking views and passes by the ever-active Almkanal surfers at the man-made training wave titled “Surfwelle am Almkanal“. 

At the pathway end, there is a transition to an old farm road—Keltenallee—that connects the Almkanal to Hellbrunn, and features spectacular views of Salzburg farmland landscape and the Untersberg in the background.

Once arriving at Hellbrunn Palace, there is a northbound turn down the tree-lined Hellbrunner Allee in the direction of the Hohensalzburg Fortress that stretches 2.8 kilometers. This leg of the loop is most impressive in the fall as colorful leaves make up the footbed of the pathway. 

After reaching the foot of the Fortress, another path leads back towards the school through the Hans-Donnenberg-Park, eventually meeting up with the north end of the Almkanal.  After a few hundred meters south on the Almkanal pathway—heading away from the fortress—a small bridge on the right appears which leads to Leopoldskron lake which stretches out from Leopoldskron Palace. This beautiful, still stretch of water and numerous, nearby benches, provide a peaceful setting and perfect place to stop for a quick stretch before the final leg of the loop back to the school.

Approximately 80% of the Hellbrunner loop is made up of pathways that are closed to traffic. Cyclists can complete the loop in approximately 50 minutes.

We invite you to watch the GoPro highlight video below of the Hellbrunner Loop which we filmed in late October 2021. 

This past weekend was a busy one for the girls’ volleyball team as they travelled to Vienna on Friday for matches against the Danube International School and the International Christian School of Vienna. In their first match against our hosts, DIS, the Lady Lions, the Lady Lions came out flat and struggled to find their form after a long commute to Vienna. The Cats fell in three straight sets 18-25, 20-25 and 21-25. 

In their second match-up the Lions found their rhythm, sparked by solid serving from Helene, Saskia and Nadja. The star of the show was Sarah with her numerous smashes that were flanked by strong all-around passing and communication from the entire team. The Lions cruised to a 25-20, 25-19 and 25-16 sweep. 

After a post-game evening out at the Hard Rock Cafe for a team dinner, the Lions spent the night in Vienna followed by a team breakfast and shopping before heading back to Salzburg early Saturday afternoon. 

On Sunday, both the girls’ A and B volleyball teams and the boys’ volleyball team hosted International School Carinthia for four straight hours of friendly competitions. The girls’ B-Team and boys started things off with simultaneous games as the girls’ A-team cheered them on in what proved to be two exciting matchups.

The girls’ B-Team, especially, had very close sets against the visiting Phoenix, including one extended frame that ended in a heartbreaking 29-31 loss—the closest they came to winning a set. Lara and Barb had a break-out performance on the service line while Chanti and Egla were a force in the setter position. 

Our young boys’ team was up against an older, more experienced Carinthia team and faired well, hanging in there every set and keeping it a close and competitive game. Despite not winning a set, the boys improved throughout the day and were noticeably learning and getting better right before Coach Nick DeWitt’s eyes. There were several standout hustle plays but the one that stood out was Ilias’s block against the opposing team’s best spiker.

The girls’ A-team once again came out a bit flat, losing the first set 22-25 before bouncing back and winning the next three sets 25-20, 25-18 and 25-16. Sarah’s ability to bewilder the opposing team with her smashes continued to be a major factor in the Lions’ success while grade 8 setter-in-training, Chanti, stepped up in the absence of senior setter Helene to set for the A-Team. Nadja, Sarah, Chanti and Saskia all had a strong game at the service line while Sarah and Diana had big blocks at key moments.

In addition to all of the great competition that occurred this past weekend, what was really noticeable, was the sportsmanship and forming new friendships among all teams and team-members. For the coaches involved, it was a real treat to witness.

This fall a number of students have taken advantage of the beautiful weather by signing up for weekend hiking activities. The most recent hike was on October 23rd as students made the 1783m trek to the peak of the Schafberg which is part of the Salzkammergut Mountain range and rises from the shore of Wolfgangsee. 

On October 9th, students were guided by resident assistant Zuzanna on a four-hour hike to the Frauenkopf, which overlooks the Salzkammergut region including Fuschlsee, Irrsee and Mondsee. The peak of the hike is 1,300 meters and presents a spectacular view of the Salzkammergut mountains which stretch endlessly to the horizon. 

On September 25th students were led on a hike and swim to Fuschlsee, which is a 25-minute drive from AIS-Salzburg. Fuschlsee, a glacier lake, is known for its emerald-green color and is considered one of the clearest and cleanest lakes in Austria. In fact, it is said that the water is of drinking quality. 

The lake features Fuschl Castle, which stands on a peninsula at the western end of Lake Fuschl. It was built around 1450 by the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg, who used it as a hunting lodge. It serves as a luxury resort and spa today. 

On September 18th students went on a hike and swim at the beautiful Hintersee, located in Faistenau and a 30 minute drive from AIS-Salzburg. The deep green lake is located in the Osterhorn Group of the Salzkammergut mountains and is approximately 5 km long. The circular hiking trail has many easily accessible waterside areas where students cooled off with a swim or sat down for a picnic.

On October 30, RA Matt took a handful of students on a hike through the Lammerklamm Gorge, a narrow valley that was carved out by glaciers during the Ice Age. 

Near the end of the gorge, students enjoyed the view from the “High Bridge, which stands 30 meters above the water, and provides for a fascinating view of the Tennengebirge mountains. 

With a number of positive changes in recent years —such as facility upgrades and travel program expansion— combined with our tried and true quality education delivered from long-term, excellent teaching faculty members, we are coming out of the pandemic with excellent projected student body numbers for the 2021-2022 school year. However, the major difference in the increase in the student body is because we are finally telling the world about our wonderful, small, college-preparatory boarding school through social media platforms and this newsletter. Below is a rough breakdown of what enrolled students and prospective students can expect going into the 2021-2022 school year. 

More International

Students who have confirmed enrollment for 2021-2022 represent the following nations: Australia, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Mexico, New Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Ukraine, U.S.A. Once again, there is no majority nationality and many students hold multiple citizenships.

More Students

With roughly 95% returning for the 2021-2022 school year and another influx of new students, we are on course for a 26%+ increase in student-body size compared with the 2020-2021 school year. We expect this number to continue to increase with further enrollment expected in the coming weeks. Presently, approximately 77% of the students who will enroll are boarders and the number of available beds is decreasing every week. 

More Female and Older

With roughly 95% returning for the 2021-2022 school year and another influx of new students, we are on course for a 26%+ increase in student-body size compared with the 2020-2021 school year. We expect this number to continue to increase with further enrollment expected in the coming weeks. Presently, approximately 77% of the students who will enroll are boarders and the number of available beds is decreasing every week. 

More Seniors

With roughly 95% returning for the 2021-2022 school year and another influx of new students, we are on course for a 26%+ increase in student-body size compared with the 2020-2021 school year. We expect this number to continue to increase with further enrollment expected in the coming weeks. Presently, approximately 77% of the students who will enroll are boarders and the number of available beds is decreasing every week. 

As we draw closer to the start of the school year, we will revisit these statistics and report back with our final results. We can say with certainty that regardless of any further additions, the 2021-2022 school year will be an excellent one with many new faces and travel initiatives being planned. To learn more about our expanded travel plans, you can view our most recent newsletters by clicking here. 

Congratulations to all of our 2021 graduates for an exceptional year that saw them persevere through 8 weeks of online schooling, campus lockdowns, cancelled excursions and sporting events, and the usual senior challenges such as senior papers and Advanced Placement examinations. Not only did they persevere, but they excelled in the classroom and will be remembered as one of the best graduating classes in the history of AIS-Salzburg.  The 2021 Commencement was live-streamed on Facebook since many family and friends were unable to attend due to Corona Virus restrictions. We are thankful that we were able to even hold an event. We hope you enjoy the highlight video below. To watch the entire Commencement Ceremony, click the following URL: https://www.facebook.com/ais.salzburg/videos/3806226336142726

We invite you to watch the final episode below of the Student Life Series, which highlights a busy second half of the final trimester which included Advanced Placement Exams, the year-end Awards Ceremony, our annual Sports Day and of course Commencement.

Each spring, the entire student body, administration, faculty and resident staff are divided up into teams to participate in a full day of sporting and fun events. Point totals are tallied for each event and the team with the most points is presented with the Sports Day Cup at the end of the day. In 2021 we had to postpone Sports Day due to COVID and on the last possible day we could hold it, Corona Virus restrictions were lifted. We were still unable to hold any competitions involving contact sports, so we created skills competitions for those particular sports. Unfortunately, our tennis tournament scheduled to take place in the morning was replaced with indoor badminton due to heavy rain.

AIS-Salzburg annually holds a year-end award ceremony leading up to final exam week, to recognize students for their cumulative academic and athletic achievements over the course of the school year. This event is also used to announce the ECIS Award recipient as well as the Salutatorian and Valedictorian. This is the third of three award ceremonies held throughout the school year. The fall and winter award ceremonies are to recognized students for their achievements in the first and second trimester respectively and are also held during the evening where students enjoy a night of showing off their formal attire and a wonderful meal at the Sternbräu restaurant in the city centre.

With the Coronavirus on the rise, the majority of non-academic hours spent were on campus in the first half of the spring trimester, from February 27th through until April 2nd. We made the most of a difficult situation and came through it together! A special thank you to Ms. Baehler and the resident staff for their creativity with the weekend activities. This video represents only a small fraction of the many hours of hard work in the classroom and fun activities on the weekends, but it does encapsulate the life of an AIS-Salzburg student during this pandemic school year.

The upcoming, 2021-2022 school year promises to be a very exciting and vital one, full of new school community members, new opportunities and new possibilities.  Following the many disturbances and restrictions the Covid-19 outbreak made requisite, we are looking forward to a return to a school year without masks, without testing, without movement restrictions and distancing requirements.  In short, a normal school year full of extraordinary challenges, opportunities, experiences and growth in one of the most beautiful places in Europe.  What a pleasure it will be to see this school community able to spread its wings again and our students experience the full measure of an educational experience in Salzburg as it is intended.

 

No new school year is the same as the last and change is considered a constant in our endeavors.  2021-2022 will be no different.  Here’s an overview of what’s new in ’21-’22:

The student body will be increased in size by between 20% and 25%.  

Although only a rough prediction presently, the numbers of applications and inquiries this spring has been very strong and we are presently increasing the student body size with each new acceptance.  Just this week, another three student applications were accepted for enrollment in September.

The senior class of ’22 is expected to be one of the larger senior classes in recent years. 

With 26 students in grade 11 this year and another four students presently accepted to join in September, we are predicting a senior class of between 29 and 32 students.  To guarantee the quality of instruction and personal attention required to successfully guide our seniors through their very challenging schedule, we have created a master schedule which will divide them in to groups of around 12 to 17 students.  In order to accomplish this, new course options will be presented the seniors including AP Psychology and English 12 Literature and Composition.  

Plans are being laid to expand our current travel programming. 

There will be two options minimally for the Fall Excursion from October 20-24, 2021, and the Junior Community Service Trip will not coincide with the Fall Excursion so that all 11th grade students may participate in both.  Additionally, two options will be available for the winter Excursion in February, 2022 and a set of new, overnight weekend travel opportunities are presently being discussed and details worked out.  On top of these travel possibilities, the school administration is going to offer a trip over Spring Break for those students who may chose to remain here at the school.  Finally, the administration is also carrying out preliminary discussion concerning the expansion of our academic syllabi to include appropriate and relevant travel opportunities.  As the details solidify, we will be sending further information to all community members this spring.

There will be many team and individual sporting competitions scheduled. 

With an entire year of non-competition within the Danube Valley Athletic Conference (DVAC), the 13 school members are poised to release a robust schedule for the 2021-2022 school year for both individual and team sports. 

In addition to the DVAC events, AIS-Salzburg will be hosting a multi-school volleyball tournament in October and our 30th Annual Jamboree Basketball Tournament for boys’ and girls’ teams will kick off in early March, 2022.  Mr. Burns, the Athletic Director, has a number of other competition/travel surprises in the pipeline as well…  

New staff members will also be complementing both our teaching faculty and resident-care staff. 

A new full-time English position has been created and the school administration is currently interviewing qualified candidates.  Further, AIS-Salzburg will be hiring two new German and foreign language teachers to accommodate the increased numbers and doubled sections of German I, German II and German III.  

New resident staff members are also currently being contracted to complement the returning resident assistants and dorm parents led by Ms. Baehler.

The daily schedule will be adjusted to accommodate new numbers and course offerings. 

We will be returning to a 7-period schedule and will need to push back the start of the day to 08:30 instead of 09:00.  With 50-minute periods generally, students will be released a bit earlier, at 15:30 each afternoon.  The finishing touches should be put on the master schedule in the coming days and the details worked out soon.

Despite these changes, AIS-Salzburg will continue to do what it does best in providing a truly challenging, college-preparatory education to students from around the world in a familiar environment that accommodates the entire student as a learner, a community member, and a future citizen of the world.

Since he was seven years old, AIS-Salzburg Japanese student, Keita Kondo has been a member of the Little Ambassadors program, a program that encourages children to expand their knowledge about global issues and educate them on what they can do to help make a positive change. During this time, Keita has volunteered his time for several projects around the globe that support children, including projects in El-Salvador, Sudan, Palestine, Syria, Iraq etc.

Keita labels himself as a “social Investor” and had this to say about his passion for volunteering; “I had heart surgery when I was a baby. I survived because of good medical treatment. What I learned from this is that it is my turn to contribute to saving the world.” 

Keita handing out gifts in Ghana.

Keita entertains the families in Ghana.

Most recently, Keita volunteered for and participated in projects in Ghana, the Philippines and the Galapagos Islands.  In March, 2018, he volunteered as part of a crowdfunding project to donate motor tricycles to two villages in Ghana to be used for transporting pregnant women to the hospital. These villages did not have any motorized vehicles so pregnant women would have to walk up to seven hours to visit the hospital for a check-up.

2018 Keito Volunteers to help distribute motor tricycles used to transport pregnant woman from small villages to hospitals

In July 2018, Keita visited Tagaytay —near Manila— for a week to distribute food for children in slum areas. He also put on a fun event for the children called ‘Ennich’, a fun Japanese traditional children’s festival. Sadly, the following September Keita learned that a fire ravaged the area, killing some of the children he met in July. Keita started a fundraiser to support the families affected by the fire.

2018: Keita helps feed children in the Philippines

In July, 2019, Keita volunteered for a project in the Galapagos Islands where he helped restore the habitat of native Galapagos wildlife.

“I was able to talk a lot with people who live in different circumstances than me. That made me able to expand my point of view without being bound by stereotypes,” replied Keita on how these experiences have affected him. “What I enjoy the most about volunteering my time for these projects is being able to know the values of many people from many different circumstances and seeing the smiles of children.”

In this fourth episode of the Student Life Series, we reflect back on the second half of the winter trimester starting with students returning from a pandemic-prolonged Christmas break through until the end of February.

One would think that student enthusiasm or basketball would be low in a year without scheduled competitions.  This is not the case at AIS-Salzburg, however.  Both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams have been practicing twice weekly and with surprisingly large turnouts each time. 

“I am pleasantly surprised at the number of students who signed up to play basketball,” said girls’ coach and Athletic Director, Dave Burns.  “Currently, we have 17 boys and 14 girls on the teams and some new talent this year that has both myself and Coach Dewitt excited.”

In their second season under coach Nick Dewitt, the seven returning boys’ are showing a lot of growth in their game and increased ability to work together. With the addition of ten new players, there is a nice mix of experience and youth to build on for the future. 

Heading into this school year, the girls’ team was the team that needed a roster boost the most with only three girls returning from last year’s squad.  Now, with the addition of eleven new girls to the team, the future looks bright. 

“Not only are there a lot of new faces, but there are a number of new girls that bring a combination of athleticism and competitiveness to the court. Others who are less familiar with contact sports are showing a lot of promise and starting to get used to the physical nature of the game. More than anything, I am most excited about the great attitudes across the board. They are a great group of girls,” said coach Burns on the outlook of his team. 

The likelihood of playing competitions this school year is still uncertain and the coaches are hopeful that they will be able to play a game or two before the summer break. 

“If we are able to play some games obviously that would be ideal. However, as it is right now, we have enough players to play our own games and we are taking full advantage of that. We now structure our practices where we focus on skill development for the first half of practice and then play a scrimmage game for the second half, stopping the game for coaching moments as we see fit. In fact, the kids are receiving more game competition right now than they would in a normal season and both myself and coach Dewitt agree that this approach is working well. We may even continue with that when things do return to normal since the best way for a kid to learn is to experience a situation in a game.”  

This strategy makes sense when considering that since the pandemic started, Lions basketball teams have missed three Danube Valley Athletic Conference tournaments and two Jamboree tournaments, our annual boys and girls tournament that we host. This is on top of the dozen or so friendly games that would have also been played during this time. 

“Yes of course it is frustrating because the kids love traveling around Europe playing in tournaments. Those are always the highlight of the season and where a lot of the memories are created. We try to keep the kids focused on the future and the positives that will come out of this situation. Since we are unable to play games, we are in less of a hurry to develop skills and get them game-ready. This allows us to start from scratch and build up their basic fundamentals. It is rare we have a kid for more than 3 years, which simply is not enough time to develop their skills to the level we would like when considering basketball is only played during one-third of the school year. This is our disadvantage as a boarding school where students often do not stay at the school K through 12, as in many non-boarding international schools. Now, we can really approach it differently, take our time and give these kids a nice solid foundation of skills going into next year and longer-term,” replied coach Burns when asked about the tournament cancelations.  

Looking forward, this approach does make sense when considering that 14 of the 17 boys and 12 of the 14 girls are potential returners next year. Longer-term, the boys’ roster has six players that are grade 10 or younger while the girls’ roster has eight. So the future does look bright and the time to “rebuild” and come back stronger couldn’t be any more ideal. 

During a typical school year, students and teaching faculty enjoy a formal dinner and awards ceremony at the Stieglbrau Restaurant the Thursday evening following the end of the second trimester. Members of the AIS-Salzburg basketball teams are also recognized for their athletic achievements. Although the awards dinner cannot take place this year, we are formally recognizing these students who excelled during the Winter Trimester, a term which included a great deal of online instruction and learning. Remarkably, 18 students were named to high honors on the AIS-Salzburg Honor Roll and 11 of these earned A’s exclusively.

Carolin H. is currently in her third year at AIS-Salzburg and is a perennial Honor Roll student. This is even more impressive when you take into consideration the time she spends on her passion for climbing. We invite you to read our interview with this amazing young woman we are fortunate enough to call one of our students. 

How long have you been climbing? 

I have been climbing for almost nine years now. My dad started taking me to the climbing gym when I was around seven. At first, it was just a hobby, but then I joined my local climbing team and started to train for competitions. 

How often do you climb each week?

I try to climb between three and four times a week. Two times on the weekend and one time during the week in Salzburg. It’s not always easy to get good grades and improve at climbing at the same time, but I think I found a good balance. 

What sort of climbing do you do? 

I concentrate on three major disciplines – lead, speed, and bouldering. The goal in lead climbing is to get as high as possible on a route, while in speed climbing you try to be as fast as possible. My favorite discipline is bouldering, climbing without a rope at a height of about three meters. I absolutely love the combination of flexibility, strength, and power that is needed to top a boulder problem. In the summer, I also climb outside on real rock. 

What made you decide you want to start climbing?

I never made the decision to start climbing since it has always been in my life. However, what makes me train several times a week, is my passion for the sport. I fell in love with the problem-solving aspect, the body movements, and the fun training sessions with my friends. I couldn’t imagine living without this sport. 

Do you have a favorite climber that you look up to?

One of the climbers I look up to is the Czech sport climber Adam Ondra. He won several World Cups and climbed some of the hardest routes in the world. It is truly inspiring to watch his exceptional technique and passion for the sport. 

Can you explain what climbing championship that you recently won and any details of how the event went for you? 

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to have regular competitions this season due to the circumstances. However, last season one of the competitions I won was the championship in Gaflenz. I slipped early in the qualification, but still managed to make the finals and win. I also made overall champion that year. 

 

How long have you been playing hockey?

 

I have been playing hockey now for 7 years.

What team are you currently playing for?

Currently, I am playing for both u14 and u16 Redbull EIShockey team.

What position do you play?

I always played left-wing but when I moved to Salzburg my coach moved me to center forward.

Photo: U14 Redbull Hockey Team. Matthew middle row, third from left

What are your goals in hockey?

 Right now my goals for hockey are to play pro by the age of 16-17 and get drafted to the NHL in 2025.

Do you plan to go the college hockey route and if so, do you have any college team you would like to play for?

If I do not get drafted as a high pick, I will go with the college route. Right now I’m looking at the University of North Dakota or St. Cloud State College.

If you can choose one NHL team to draft you, which would it be?

My favorite team is the Washington Capitals but I do not care what team drafts me, I just hope I can play for any team in the NHL.

Video: Matthew scores a goal during a U14 game

Who is your favorite hockey player, past or present?

 

My favorite Hockey player is Alexander Ovechkin.

What does your weekly schedule look like between your academic and hockey responsibilities?

 

My weekly schedule changes a lot but lately. I have Ice training 5 times a week for 1.15 hours, and before that always a 45 min cardio warm-up on a spin bike or a treadmill.

In what ways is AIS-Salzburg supportive of your hockey aspirations?

AISS is supporting my hockey life and aspirations by letting me miss class to go to practice and then the next day the teachers will help me with what I missed.

Teacher Comments:

“Matthew told me at the beginning of the year that Social Studies class is among his favorites… and it shows!  He displays a strong interest in our World Culture class, and seems to be happy with his academic successes.”

 

– Mr. Suttmann, Social Studies teacher

 

Matthew is motivated while in class. He’s very good at staying on top of any work he misses due to hockey.

 – Mr. Lichty, Mathematics Teacher

Nizar Khoury first attended AIS-Salzburg in 1988 as a grade 10 student and graduated in the spring of 1991, almost 30 years ago to the day.

 

What are your fondest memories from your time at the Salzburg International Prepartory School (now AIS-S)? 

I have so many fond memories, it’s difficult to narrow it down.  The excursions were fantastic.  We were given the opportunity to visit so many amazing places, like Florence, Rome, Vienna, Budapest and Zurich, just to name a few.  However, the annual Venice trip was always my favorite.  We had a lot of fun on the bus rides.  At some point, we drove through a tunnel and everyone started making animal sounds.  This became the thing to do at every tunnel thereafter.  I’m sure the bus drivers loved it 😉 It was very silly, but we found it hilarious. 

Aside from the trips, I have very fond memories of playing sports.  I played volleyball and basketball all three years.  The annual basketball jamboree, hosted by the school was a highly anticipated event.  This was a two-day tournament where several visiting schools would compete for a coveted trophy (At least in my mind, it was coveted). Unfortunately, we never won the tournament during my time, but it was a lot of fun. 

Lastly, I want to mention that being in a rock band and performing a concert in the student lounge was an exhilarating experience.  I remember it vividly… like it was yesterday.

Photo: Florence 1990. Nizar with the letter jacket and sunglasses.

 

What did you enjoy about going to such a small high school? 

It’s common knowledge that when attending a small school, or classroom, you get more attention and in turn, a better education.  However, the true value of attending AIS-S/SIPS, is the bond.  I’m sure this has been repeated several times in the previous interviews, but it’s absolutely true.  The bond that I have with my fellow SIPSters is inexplicable.  When I tell my friends that I’m going to Austria for a high school reunion, they are baffled.  A lot of them went to a US high school with 2000 other students.  Their reunion was down the street and they didn’t care to attend.  With so many people in their class, they weren’t able to form the relationships that we have.  At SIPS, we lived together, we ate together, we grew and developed together.  To this day, we consider ourselves family.  Throughout the years, we’ve had several reunions.  The last one was in Salzburg in 2017.  There were about 25-30 of us in attendance. Which is quite a bit, considering most of us had to travel across the world for it.  The next reunion will also be in Salzburg… hopefully in the summer of 2021 (Fingers crossed).  To answer the question: the things I enjoyed most about attending such as small school are the activities, the weekends, the comradery, the laughter and the relationships.  Oh, and the Augustiner 😉   

Photo: 2017 SIPS Reunion

 

What have you done academically and professionally since graduating from AIS-Salzburg? 

After graduating from AIS-S/SIPS, I attended the University of Colorado in Boulder and I graduated with a degree in Environmental Design.  This led me to a career in architecture, which I continued for about 15 years. Along the way, I started my own architecture outfit, where I took on small sized projects.  In 2014, I changed directions and began working in the technology industry.  Today I am still with the same tech company, while also continuing with my side architecture gig.

 

What aspects of your education at AIS-Salzburg best assisted you in further academics, your professional life, and life in general?

I can tell you what didn’t assist me in life… and that’s Mrs. Bauer’s English class, where she pounded proper grammar into the fibers of my being.  It turns out, people in the real world don’t like it when you correct their grammar.  They did not prepare me for this in high school.  On a serious note, the education at SIPS was top notch.  That is in no small part due to the expertise and dedication of the faculty.  Teachers like Mr. Agardy and Mr. McLean, not only educated us, but set us on the path for success.  The vast majority of my peers have actually done very well professionally and in life.  On a side note, I need to find out what Mr. Agardy eats.  I swear that man looks exactly the same today as he did 30 years ago. 

Photo: Class of 1991 reunion in 2013 & 2017 from left to right: Liam Hulin, Ryan Smith, Nizar Khoury and Breast. 

 

Are there any personal accomplishments since graduating that you want to share?

Shortly after high school, I was very fortunate to land a short-term contract with the US State Dept. in Saudi Arabia.  After the Iraq war, thousands fled the country and were seeking asylum in the United States.  Being bi-lingual, I began as a translator, but I quickly advanced to being an interviewer.  This was particularly fulfilling because I was in a position to directly impact and improve the lives of very many people.  I guided and coached the refugees throughout the application and approval process.   

 

Do you have any advice for students at AIS-Salzburg or applicants to the school?

I know it’s tough for teenagers to be outside of their comfort zone, but you have a rare opportunity that very few people get.  Salzburg is a magical city, so take advantage of it.  Go Skiing.  Go to a concert.  Visit a museum.  Explore the area.  Check out the monastery.  Have a Stiegl.  Be smart, be safe, but take some risks.  The bond and friendships you develop during these years will last a lifetime.  At some point, you will look back on your time at AIS-Salzburg and you will be thankful for all of the experiences you gained.  And you will be glad you that you didn’t squander this very special opportunity.  I know I am.   

Photo: Nizar in 1991 and in 2021, wearing the same letter jacket.

 

In closing, there is one particular memory that I would like to share and that is of the student vs. faculty basketball game of 1991.  We had a good team that year, but surprisingly, very athletic supervisors and teachers.  Mr. Hintzsche, the headmaster, also participated.  Mr. Hintzsche and I weren’t always on the same page.  Mostly because he was the headmaster and I was the student body president.  In essence, it was my role to be defiant and challenging.  That day, I challenged him quite a bit on the basketball court.  It was a close game.  In fact, it came down to the last shot.  Mr. Hintzsche had the ball and was making his way down the court.  This was my moment to show him what I was made of.  There was no way I was going to let him score the winning shot.  I was younger, faster and in much better shape.  Yet somehow, he miraculously managed a quick juke-move to the right, throwing me off balance. He then jumped back and took a fade-away 3-POINT jumper.  I reached up to block the ball, but it sailed over my fingertips.  I didn’t look back, but the sound echoed throughout my brain… SWISH.  Even though we weren’t in class, school was definitely in session.

I learned a valuable lesson that day… Sometimes you need a little more than youth, speed and athleticism… A little wisdom and experience can come in handy.   

 

I also learned that Mr. Hintzsche had a phenomenal jump shot.  May he rest in peace.

Mr. Rohit Gupta was a science teacher at AIS-Salzburg from 2013 to 2017 before he decided to pursue a new passion, become a brewery owner in his hometown of Ottawa, Canada.

 

What is the name of your brewery and how is the business going?

The brewery is called Braumeister Brewing Company. The name was actually a suggestion from Mr. McLean’s wife! It’s going well so far. We’re just over two years in and the feedback and growth has been tremendous. We’re looking to expand in the near future and feel like the residents of Ottawa are really taking to our European inspired beers.

A funny side story is that a previous science teacher from AIS-SALZBURG also opened a brewery and was a massive help in us getting started. Mr. McLean actually put us in touch once he learned about my plans.

You were a bit of a teaching nomad until you ended up at AIS-Salzburg. What was it about the school that made you stay as long as you did? 

Yeah, I definitely got to see the world through teaching. I started off in Australia, then after moving back to Canada for a year decided to go to England. It was in England that I met Mr. McLean for a job interview and luckily got hired for AIS-Salzburg. There are way too many positives about working at the school to list, but the main reasons I stayed as long as I did were the interest in learning shown by the students, the many new activities I was able to try through the school, the city of Salzburg itself, and, most importantly, the leadership of the administration at AIS-Salzburg. I’ve never worked in a more professional and caring job.

What are your fondest memories of AIS-Salzburg? 

Again, I could write a page on my memories from the school. I’ll keep it short with a couple of specifics, but I can honestly say that in the 4 years I was working there I never had a bad day. To start, I loved all my classes. Just being in a classroom every day was such an amazing feeling. 

A few others: 

Giving the commencement address to the very first class I taught there was something I’ll never forget. I’ll always appreciate them asking me to do it. 

Excursions with Mr. McLean, the RAs, and the students to Venice, Berlin, etc. were always educational and incredibly entertaining. 

And lastly, creating the first official Sports Day with Mr. Burns, Mr. McLean, and Mr. and Mrs. Harwood. Also, I can’t leave out coaching soccer with Mr. Harwood at Rif. Those days were so much fun.

Is there any other news or events in your life that you would like to share? 

Nothing too exciting these days due to the global pandemic, but just as an overall update since leaving the school and moving back home to Canada I’ve opened a brewery, gotten married, officiated my sister’s wedding, became an uncle, and just recently bought my first house with my wife.

 

Do you have any life advice for former students of yours who are now well into the early years of adulthood? 

I can only advise off of my own experiences so here are three things I’ve learned so far:

• be scientifically literate. Ask questions.
• don’t have lasting regrets about most decisions, because at the time there was a reason that was the choice you wanted to make.
• try everything and explore the world as best as you can. Like Bill Nye says “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t”.

The year 2020 was a trying one for everyone across the globe and given the circumstances, we feel we made the best out of the situation while also keeping students and staff safe. This video is a reflection of the second half of the 2019-2020 school year, our 2020 Summer Language Program and the first half of the 2020-2021 school year.

In this third episode of the 2020-2021 school year, students return to at-home education as the Coronavirus flares up again in its second wave across Europe.

Biology

It’s 9th grade biology! Time for cell models! The biology students had the task to take ordinary household items and make a 3D representation of a cell and the major organelles found in a cell. Creative students used grapefruit, lettuce, various foodstuffs, things found around the house and lots and lots of modeling clay and playdoh to come up with these awesome models. Kudos to the students for being so creative.  Many accomplished this during lockdowns, when no shops other than supermarkets were open and supplies at a minimum.

Literature: Of Mice and Men Poetry Assignment

Students in Ms. Long’s 9th Grade Literature were assigned the task of taking phrases or words they found within Chapter 3 of the novel they are currently reading, Of Mice and Men, to create poetry. Here is the work of three students who have agreed to share their poetry in this post.

Junior High Literature

Students in Mrs. Fratianni’s Junior High Literature class were asked to imagine that there is a heaven and in a one-minute monologue, describe what their heaven looks like. They were asked to describe how people would act in heaven and what their typical day in heaven would be like. The video below features video submissions from Ola and Leonardo. 

Grade 10 Composition and Literature: Poetry Project

Students in Mrs. Fratianni’s Composition and Literature class chose from a selection of poems and were instructed to analyze and explain the effect of the poem’s poetic devices. They were also instructed to describe the main message of the poem in their own words and explain why they chose the poem.

The following are two slideshow submissions by Carolina and Adam. To navigate the presentation, click on the slide.

Junior High Non-Fiction

Students in Ms. Cerone’s Junior High Nonfiction class made “How-To” instructional videos on something they want to teach their classmates. Below are a two of the assignments that were turned in.

Grade 9 Math

The screenshots below are progress updates from a project in Mr. Lichty’s 9th-grade math class, where students use graphing to re-create a photo they took from around their home. 

Online Math Help with Mr. Lichty

This video is a brief window into Mr. Lichty’s online schooling daily routine including his virtual setup and how he supports his student at home one-on-one.

We would like to recognize the following students for their outstanding academic achievements during the Fall Trimester of the 2020-2021 school year. 

High Honors

All A's and no more than one B

* signifies high honors with all A’s

Honor Roll

All A's and B's

Missing: Anna Koz, Yuting X.

Honorable Mention

All A's and B's and no more than one C

Distinguished Students

The following Non-Seniors, by successfully fulfilling the academic, community service, and disciplinary qualifications as outlined in the Parent/Student Handbook, are awarded Distinguished Student status:

Missing: Emil S., Yuting X.

* signifies high honors with all A’s

Senior Scholars

The following Seniors, by successfully fulfilling the academic, community service*, and disciplinary qualifications as outlined in the Parent/Student Handbook, are awarded Senior Scholar status:

Missing: Anna Koz.

 

In our first week since switching to online learning from home, students and teachers seemingly picked up right where they left off back in the spring, the last time we were forced to go online. 

Italian

The Italian class had to first translate this story titled ‘Una Stories di Mele’ and then read and record an assigned paragraph from the story. The video below was put together by Andi, one of the students in the class. 

Junior High Science

In Junior High Science, students were instructed to make a “Recipe Card” of Photosynthesis.

In Junior High Science, students were instructed to make a “Recipe Card” of Photosynthesis. Your recipe card had to include:

• The “ingredients” or the items needed for photosynthesis to take place.
• The “directions” or the process that occurs during photosynthesis
• A picture that shows what is happening!
• Creativity! Use ‘recipe’ words!

The photos below are a few of the submissions from students. 

World Geography

This video from Aleksandra on the ‘Three Civilizations of Mexico’ was submitted this week as a World Geography assignment. 

Physical Education

With students now homeschooling, physical education has become even more important due to the amount of time now spent on the computer.

To incentivize students, our instructors put together a P.E. Challenge system, where instructors and even teachers challenge students to complete various physical activities. Students can pick and choose which activities to complete in order to meet their weekly P.E. Challenge requirements. These activities range from strength and endurance training to developing skills in various sports disciplines. 

To view the list of various P.E. challenges go to: www.ais-salzburg.at/pe-challenge. 

The video below is of two instructors challenging students to an at-home workout and two students accepting and completing those challenges. 

In this interview with social studies teacher Mr. Joe Suttmann, we discuss the transition to, and forward progress of, online schooling.

When did you attend Salzburg International Preparatory School (SIPS)? (changed to AIS-Salzburg in the 1990’s)

My brother, Mark, and I attended SIPS beginning in January of 1978. I graduated in 1979.

 

Where did you go to school prior to SIPS?

I went to Parkdale Senior High in Riverdale, Maryland.

 

What made you decide to study in a private school in Austria? How did you find out about the school? 

My Dad took a position in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There were several families we met through his work. The Aanestads were our first contact. Their daughter, Krysti, was attending SIPS and they recommended the school. There were several other students from Riyadh attending that year.

 

What did you enjoy about going to such a small, international high school? 

I had never been away from home and I was excited to explore the world. I felt a lot more secure doing so with a little supervision and a group of friends. I made friendships that have lasted a lifetime. It was my first exposure to people from other countries and the experience has made a huge difference in my life.

 

What was the student body nationality make-up back then?

While most students were American, there were quite a few from so many different places. There were students from Canada, Turkey, South Africa, Iraq, England, Germany, and Nigeria to name a few.

 

How many excursions did you go on in a year and to where? 

We had frequent skiing trips to places like Innsbruck, Kitzbuhel, and Tyrol. We took many trips to Berchtesgaden for movies and concerts. We toured several castles and sites around Austria and went to Munich several times. We travelled to Switzerland and visited Luzern and Zurich. My favorite excursion was a tour through Italy. We spent time in Verona, Florence, Venice, and Pisa. The bus rides were exceptional in that the views from the windows were spectacular and we enjoyed a playlist provided by our resident DJ, Tim Cusac.

Photo: Diana (bottom right, striped shirt) and SIPS classmates in Pisa, Italy in 1978. 

 

Was skiing and team sports a big part of the program?

Skiing was nearly a weekly event and was very popular. There were no organized or team sports when I attended unless you count mandatory jogging for breaking the rules. I confess to being a bit of a jogger in those days.

 

What did a typical weekend look like and were there mandatory activities? 

The aforementioned jogging was on the schedule from time to time. Other than that, we were free to do as we pleased. I usually went into town and did some window shopping and then stopped for a beer at the Augustiner Brau. There was probably a lot of pub crawling back then that isn’t allowed now. We often played volleyball in the area next to the school.

 

What are your fondest memories of attending SIPS? 

I have so many. I really enjoyed just being with my friends. They were a wonderful group of quirky people and I think of them often. There was a “Skip Day” which about a dozen of us took advantage of. It was not sanctioned by the school. I racked up a hefty jogging debt. I loved some of the smaller things like grabbing a Semmel and Ham sandwich with that delicious Zenf at the little store next door. The Christkindlmarkt was just fascinating to me. I had never seen such a thing. Of course, riding a gondola in Venice and seeing the statue of David in Florence has always stuck with me.

 

Do you have a particular teacher that impacted you the most or is strongest in your memory? 

I liked Mr. Rolnick’s current affairs class. He had a sarcastic sense of humor which speaks to me. Mr. Eubank’s art history course was very good. I still remember a great deal about art history.

 

What have you done academically and professionally since graduating from SIPS?

After graduating from SIPS, I went to a two-year college in Maryland and then moved to Colorado where I attended and graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Speech Communication. From there I went into Audio/Visual production. I worked in administration and moved onto writing scripts and editing audio. I moved back to Maryland where I was the administrator and production manager of a video production house. I started with analog editing then moved to digital.

I currently live in Colorado and am a bookkeeper for a property management company.

 

What aspects of your education at SIPS best assisted you in further academics, your professional life, and life in general? 

SIPS taught me to be self-reliant. I am definitely a more confident person now thanks to my experience there. That has helped me throughout my life. I don’t fear what’s coming next and have learned to roll with the punches.

 

Do you have any advice for current students at AIS-Salzburg (formerly SIPS)? 

Get your spiritual house in order and then integrate your experiences. SIPS/AIS is a fantastic place to look inside without distraction and figure out what kind of person you want to be. You have a clean slate. It is more important to be kind than smart. It is more important to be honorable than successful. Difficult times are more useful than good times and serve to refine you. Help each other along the way. Use this opportunity to create the best version of you.

Need help with English? AIS-Salzburg has got you covered.

Providing students with the extra help they need to succeed is a top priority at AIS-Salzburg. The school offers tutoring to students in all subject areas. AIS-Salzburg also has a student tutoring program. Students with high proficiency in different subject areas are recommended by their teachers. They are then paired with students who need help. It is a win-win situation. The student tutors get the satisfaction of helping other students (with the extra benefit of earning community service credits). The students who need help are often paired with a student who can explain the material in their native language. 

AIS-Salzburg also has a comprehensive daily English tutoring program during the academic day. In this program, students receive individual attention in addressing their specific problems with English and help in understanding the material of their other academic class. Students enrolled in this program have five hours of individual customized tutoring per week. 

Photo: Scheduled English tutoring during the academic day with Mrs. Fratianni

 

Need extra help in math? Science?

The general student population at AIS-Salzburg has the opportunity to meet with teachers after school during office hours –four hours per week– to ask questions and for extra help, however, some teachers often stick around for hours after the final bell to work with students. The prime example of this is Mr. Lichty, who spends up to 12 hours a week outside of academic hours helping students with their math struggles. Mr. Leicher is another teacher who spends countless hours with science students after school. With that being said, it is no secret that both teachers take full advantage of the free dinner that follows a long day at the office!

Photo: Mr. Lichty working with a student after school

 

Need help in the evening?

In the evening, students enjoy the benefit of having recent college graduates as big brothers and sisters in the form of Resident Assistants (RAs) to support them with their studies. Often RAs have a background in Education and are trained and even experienced in working with young students and their academics. For example, current RA Matt has a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education Social Studies and History and RA Kathy has a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience which was followed by a Bachelor of Education with a concentration at the intermediate/senior level, qualifying her to teach biology, science, and geography.

Photo: Resident Assistant Kathy (left), helping a student in study hall

 

Lacking dedication towards your schoolwork?

We have now established that there are plenty of opportunities to succeed at AIS-Salzburg for all students. However, students who decide not to take advantage of office hours will often find themselves on remediation, a program designed to help bring their grades up. Remediation can come in a number of forms, one being a mandatory, after-school, teacher or student-led tutorial. 

In summary, there are multiple ways for students to receive the help they need. Across the board at AIS-Salzburg teachers are willing to go that extra mile for their students, especially if their students are matching giving back that same effort in return. Therefore take note students and parents, that as we transition to online education once again as of November 16th, students will not be alone and teachers will once again make themselves available to go over and above for their students who are seeking that extra help and actively pursuing better academic results.

 

AIS-Salzburg student council were blessed with 20 degree weather on October 24th as they held a barbecue fundraiser to raise funds for student life projects around the school. Students, teachers and resident staff enjoyed a day of good food and fun in the sun.

“I am really excited about the Barbecue event. I believe it will be an amazing time grilling hot dogs and burgers for the students and watching them all uniting and playing games together. In my opinion, it is the best way to spend a Sunday,” said student body representative Ioannis S. just prior to the event.

One of the more popular fundraising micro events was soaking Ms. Baehler (red shirt) with water balloons!!

This school year we had enough interest from several students to hold an actual election for the four positions: President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. As part of their campaigns, each candidate was asked to hold a 2-minute speech at one of our school’s hall meetings and then participate in a 5-minute Q&A. Some of the major questions from the student body dealt with day-to-day life, the student lounge and the various ways to counterbalance some restrictions in place due to CoVid19. All candidates did a tremendous job and should be proud of themselves for holding such great campaigns. 

In our first student council meeting post elections, students discussed the upcoming activities and fundraising events to help sponsor a school Halloween dance. Some of the proposed ideas were a bake sale as well as a gaming tournament with a buy-in of 5€. The student council also discussed the current community service opportunity ‘Operation Christmas Child’ as well as other opportunities available. On our agenda for next week, we will work on prioritizing a list of suggestions from students on ways to counterbalance this year’s changes due to CoVid19 as well as other weekend programming students can participate in. 

When did you attend Salzburg International Preparatory School (SIPS)? (changed to AIS-Salzburg in the 1990’s)

I went to SIPS from 1978-1980 along with my sister Janice Schiedel Koch

 

Where did you go to school prior to SIPS?

I went to Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, MD, USA.  I spent my entire childhood in Maryland and moving overseas and going to SIPS was my first time traveling and living internationally.  

 

What made you decide to study in a private school in Austria? How did you find out about the school? 

My father took a position at the Joint Economic Commission in Riyadh (through the U.S. State Department) and our entire family moved to Saudi Arabia.  At that time, there wasn’t an American school in Riyadh and one of my father’s colleagues, by the last name Deutsch, recommended SIPS to him. His son and daughter, Jayme, went to SIPS the previous year.

  

What did you enjoy about going to such a small, international high school? 

I really enjoyed getting to know my classmates. While most of the students were from the U.S. and Canada, many of the student’s parents also lived all over the world.   Therefore, it was interesting to learn of their experiences living in Iran, Malta, Jordan, Indonesia, Africa, Romaniaetc.   We also had students from Australia, Great Britain, Israel and Germany.   I learned so much about different cultures and experiences and it had a tremendous influence on my life.  

 

What was the student body nationality make-up back then?

Mostly American and Canadian students–about 50 to 60%.  

 

How many excursions did you go on in a year and to where? 

There were usually two to three big trips each year.  First year (1978-1979)  went to Vienna, Budapest, then Luzern & Zurich in the winter and Italy in the spring.   My second year (1979-1980), we went to Venice in October, Munich in November, Innsbruck in February and then Rome and Florence in April.  

 

Was skiing and team sports a big part of the program?

Yes, every Saturday, there were ski trips.   Team sports were not huge at that time, which I think was hard on some kids.  I took horseback riding lessons weekly and I absolutely loved it.   I could walk to the stables from school.   

What did a typical weekend look like and were there mandatory activities? 

We usually went skiing Saturday morning, and then we went to the pubs at night.  (this definitely doesn’t happen now!)

 

What are your fondest memories of attending SIPS? 

I enjoyed our international trips.   I especially enjoyed visiting Luzern, Switzerland as well as Italy (Venice, Florence and Rome).  I also very much loved Salzburg and having the freedom at a young age to hop on the bus and spend the day there.  I especially enjoyed going shopping along the Getreidegasse, visiting the cafes, bakeries and the Stiegel Keller.  

 

Do you have a particular teacher that impacted you the most or is strongest in your memory? 

Mr. Thomas Franklin was my favorite teacher.  I took his psychology class my senior year of high school.  He made the class fun and it didn’t seem like I was learning.  However, I learned so much, and I still remember some of the basics of psychology today.  

 

What have you done academically and professionally since graduating from SIPS?

My experience living in Salzburg and Riyadh changed my life.  In college at West Virginia University (WVU), I completed a double major International Studies and German.

During the summer of my junior year, I went back to Salzburg for a German class–it was a joint program with WVU and Southern Methodist University.  The classes were taken right next door to the Leopoldskron Palace and I stayed with an Austrian family that summer. 

Then I went to graduate school at The American University (AU) in Washington, DC and I completed an M.A. in International Affairs with concentrations in Western Europe and U.S. Foreign Policy.   While at AU, I took an internship at the Brookings Institution and enjoyed it very much.  I have worked at international and educational nonprofits ever since. 

My first full-time professional position was at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) a prestigious international think tank in Washington, DC. I worked there for 8 years and was promoted three times.   

I have since worked at a number of nonprofits, including the U.S. Institute of Peace.  I am currently working at the Global Good Fund as a senior director of business development and partnership.   The Global Good Fund provides leadership development for social entrepreneurs from around the world.  

 

What aspects of your education at SIPS best assisted you in further academics, your professional life, and life in general? 

I learned to be very independent while at SIPS, which helped me tremendously in college and graduate school.   Living in Salzburg with an international study body taught me to respect different cultures and all types of personalities.  This was incredibly helpful in my career and personal life.  

 

Are there any personal accomplishments since graduating that you want to share? 

My husband, Steve and I have a daughter, Sara, who is a Sophomore in college at Virginia Tech.  She has a tremendous passion for international travel.  Sara speaks French and is now learning Arabic.  

Do you have any advice for current students at AIS-Salzburg (formerly SIPS) or applicants to the school? 

My advice is to embrace the wonderful opportunity to live and learn in Salzburg.  It is truly a once in a lifetime experience and take every opportunity to travel, ski and just spend time in the beautiful city of Salzburg.

In this interview, American boarding student Gunnar S. discusses his decision to join AIS-Salzburg for his senior year, his experience thus far and what his University plans are after graduating in 2021. Gunnar is also asked about his recent recognition by the National Merit Scholarship Program.

In 9th grade literature class, students worked on placing story events on the plot diagram. They had to first work to have a clear understanding of the main conflict in the story that builds the tension and moves the plot along. Then they looked back at the story to see where that conflict first appeared and also formed their interpretation of which scene was the climax of that conflict. In the photo below, they are working with a practice story, solidifying their understanding of the terms and improving their teamwork skills simultaneously.

In biology class this week, our grade 9 students were learning how to use the microscope by looking for microorganisms in pond water.

In chemistry class, 11th grade students heated a hydrated copper sulfate to drive off the water of crystallization and use the mass differential to determine how many molecules of water are associated with each molecule of hydrated copper sulfate. In hydrated form, the copper sulfate forms brilliant blue crystals; in anhydrous form, copper sulfate is a white powder.

As anyone who has attended or worked in a boarding school knows, free time on the weekends is very precious to boarding students. In this new video series, we have asked current students to show prospective new students what they do in their free time and where their favorite hangouts are in Salzburg.

“There is a lot of work to do. However, I am excited about the progress we have made so far and the positive energy throughout the team,” said Coach Burns today after practice.

Given that volleyball is the only non-contact team sport in this pandemic school year, plans are currently in place to extend the season beyond the typical fall season. Normally the volleyball season wraps up at the end of trimester one with basketball starting up in trimester two.

Burns continued, “Since it is unlikely we will be able to play any basketball games in trimester two, I think this is a perfect year to focus on building our volleyball program by continuing with it through the winter trimester. We will of course continue to develop our basketball players in the winter in hopes for spring competitions, but perhaps on a reduced schedule in order to allow for continued volleyball development and competitions. We are still working out the details but are very excited about the possibility of playing in some competitions in the near future.”

What are some of the changes have you made to the weekend program this school year? 

Baehler: This year, we have changed our focus from offering various, shorter weekend activities that promoted a certain level of activeness to a weekend program that provides students with high-quality experiences and challenges. For example, we have increased our number of hikes as well as taken more advantage of the surrounding lakes and forests. With more high-quality activities being offered alongside other optional weekend programming, students’ participation and enthusiasm in the various weekend programming has increased tremendously. It has also provided students with the opportunity to experience different challenges each weekend and leaves them the feeling of accomplishment. After all, climbing the Untersberg or the Gaisberg is not an easy or small task. 

Students at the top of the Gaisberg

 

How is the participation level in weekend activities so far given the reduction to only one mandatory activity? 

Baehler: With the weekend activities requirement changing from three to one, we have seen an increase in student participation among the various, optional weekend programming offered. For example, more students are likely to sign up for activities based on pure interest rather than the simple fact that they have to in order to fulfill their course requirement. This leads to students spending more time with each other doing the things they like to do and allows for them to form friendships and bonds outside of the classroom.

Optional Weekend Activity Jam Session

 

Can you summarize the video tasks that the Dorm Houses will be competing in? 

Baehler: We recently introduced a biweekly video competition for our houses to compete in. Every 1st and 15th of each month, a task will be posted for the houses to complete. Our first task for October challenges our students to re-enact a scene from a well-known movie, adding a modern-day spin to the scene. The videos will be judged based on creativity, completion of the task at-hand, the number of house members involved, on-time submission of videos to our school’s Instagram page and the effort put into each video. The winning video will earn 100 points for its house property value, which can easily put a house in the lead. These video tasks are not limited to the houses, and faculty and staff are encouraged to participate as well. 

In this interview, Austrian day student Clara S. discusses her decision to join AIS-Salzburg as opposed to remaining the Austrian public school system. She also shares her experience at AIS-Salzburg thus far and her plans after graduating in the spring of 2021. 

Originally hired as a Resident Assistant in 2017, Max Leicher soon found himself employed as a science teacher and today is the head of the Science Department.

At 27, Max is the youngest of our teaching faculty and brings a lot of enthusiasm and energy to the classroom. He is also a big part of the team at AIS-Salzburg responsible for the continued transition to online teaching and technology upgrades at the school.

Max’s age and experience as a Resident Assistant make him more relatable to his students and also make him a valuable asset in strengthening communications between resident staff and teaching faculty.

As much energy as Max brings to the classroom he also brings outside of the classroom, whether volunteering his time to lead a group on a weekend activity or helping out with scorekeeping a basketball game. Max is a consistent, positive presence at the school making him one of the most popular teachers with the students.

We are hopeful that Max continues to stay on at AIS-Salzburg as a science teacher for years to come!

Where are you from?

I am originally from Ontario, Canada, but I am also a Hungarian citizen, with family residing in both Hungary and Serbia. I consider Europe my second home!

What is your academic background?

I have two degrees from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. I completed my Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biopsychology/Neuroscience, followed by a Bachelor of Education with a concentration at the intermediate/senior level. I am qualified to teach biology, science, and geography!

Do you have any prior experience working with teenagers or in education?

My genuine drive for educating youth is a direct result of the experiences I have been privileged to be part of. I have had the opportunity to gain a variety of teaching experiences through my placements, where I independently taught subjects in Biology, Science, and Geography from grades 7-12.  Additionally, I worked as a residential youth counsellor for over two years. During this time, I was responsible for organizing and leading weekly programming activities, while facilitating therapeutic counselling that promoted a respectful and supportive team environment. Lastly, I have tutored and mentored high school students for numerous years from diverse populations.

Have you lived or travelled abroad before?

Due to my family roots in Europe, I have travelled to several countries throughout the continent. While in Canada, I moved to Alberta one summer and fell in love with the mountains and nature. After living in the Canadian Rocky Mountains for several months, I am now excited to explore the surroundings of Austria.

What attracted you to the job at AIS-Salzburg? 

What attracted me to AIS-Salzburg was the small size.  I knew I would feel welcomed into a community that I could grow with. Also, with the numerous learning opportunities that AIS-Salzburg offers (engaging classes, weekend activities, and excursions), I knew this school was the right fit for me. 

What are your first impressions of the small AIS-Salzburg community?

My first impressions of the small AIS-Salzburg was the immediate connection to my colleagues and students. It really does feel like home, with everyone offering their guidance and help as I navigate the next chapter in my life!

What are your longer-term professional goals?

My longer-term professional goal is to become a full-time teacher. My passion for teaching is what led me to this job and I know that AIS-Salzburg wil help mel build my skills as an educator. 

Now that the boarding students have settled in and our first two days of classes are coming to an end, we are excited to report back on some positive numbers and an overall positive outlook, despite the challenges we have faced and will face for some time to come.  

For the first time, as far back as we can remember, there are more new students than returning students. This is most likely due to our dramatically-increased online presence which showcases many positive features of our wonderful school.

Additionally, during these unprecedented times, our small, caring, family-like community is quite appealing to any parent who is concerned for their child’s health but also realizes that –in the grand scheme of things– a pandemic is for the short-term and quality education is a life-long investment. Regardless of the reasons behind this increase, the new students to the school are already bringing a lot of positive energy and seem eager to join the community.

The increase in new students has undoubtedly led to an overall increase in our student population as well.  There are presently 10 more students enrolled than last year at this time and the number of applicants who wish to join in November or January has also seen a significant rise recently.  Whether these student applicants actually join us or not will be dependent, of course, upon the level of health threat here in Salzburg at that time.

Not only are the student body numbers up, but also are the number of nationalities represented. Currently, we have 27 nationalities represented at AIS-Salzburg for the 2020-2021 school year. Of these nationalities, there are no more than 8 of any one nationality, thus emphasizing the “international” in the American International School-Salzburg name.

Even with this increase in the student body numbers, our student:teacher ratio remains below 6:1; maintaining a critical aspect of our 44-year old academic program which has resulted in many success stories and a high number of graduates who were not only very well-prepared for university studies, but went on to achieve great things in their personal and professional lives.

There are other interesting facts about the 2020-2021 AIS-Salzburg student body:  The male-to-female ratio of almost 1:1; a large ‘bulge’ of students in grade 11; and, potentially, a very large graduating class in 2022. If this trend continues, it is possible we see a split senior class for the 2021-2022 school year in order to keep the classroom sizes small and the level of learning as high as possible.

What the numbers can’t tell you, is that the overall feeling and atmosphere within the school this September is positive and focused this first week.  It is quite apparent that everyone—both the staff members and students—are happy to be here and get on with their education next to friends and with their teacher

In the video below, we invite you to enjoy the beautiful drone footage that we shot this past February at the RIF Sportzentrum, the University & Olympic training facility that we use for Physical Education program, team training and competitions, and for some of our weekend activities.

Outside of mandatory Physical Education, there are many opportunities for students to get involved in sports throughout the school year. From numerous ski trips to various team and individual sports to connecting students with local instructors, we support and actively encourage our students to have a healthy balance of sports in their lives.

As a member of the Danube Valley Athletic Conference (DVAC), we annually participate in boys’ soccer, girls’ volleyball, and boys’ and girls’ basketball competitions. DVAC also holds events for individual sports such as cross-country running, swimming and tennis.

Founded in 2009, DVAC boasts 13 international schools from Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic and is adding more schools almost every year. Since our school is located furthest west, we tend to travel more to competitions than host them, and therefore schedule a cultural tour on the Friday before the event for our players.

We also take full advantage of having the Austrian Alps in our backyard by scheduling an annual 3-day ski excursion and 5+ ski days each winter, all of which are included in the tuition. Students are separated by skill level and enjoy professional instruction for all levels in the morning, and free time to ski with their friends in the afternoon.

In the spring we have two major sporting events, our ‘Boys and Girls Invitational Basketball Jamboree’ and ‘Sports Day’. We have been hosting our annual basketball tournament since 1990, featuring 6 boys and 6 girls teams from international schools in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

In 2016 we held our first ‘Sports Day’, an annual event where the entire student body, administration, faculty and resident staff are divided up into teams to participate in a full day of sporting and fun events. It is probably the highlight of the year and is a great way to celebrate the nice spring weather and a successful year together before final exams and summer departures.

Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, is one of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities in Europe with its baroque architecture and beautiful skyline dominated by the Fortress of Hohensalzburg.

As our students claim in this video, for a city of just over 150,000, Salzburg has a big-city feel to it. Probably the biggest case in point is the sole fact that Salzburg is home to FC Red Bull Salzburg, which compete in the UEFA Champions League. Salzburg also has a professional hockey team, which also competes in the Champions League for hockey. The city has countless designer shops and restaurants predominantly on two famous shopping streets, the Getreidegasse and Linzergasse. Students also enjoy two shopping malls totalling over 150 shops featuring many retailer chains.

Surrounded by mountains, Salzburg provides a number of options for students with a flair for the outdoors. Whether it is a day hike with an overnight stay at the top of the Untersberg, a quick one hour drive to the Austrian postcard city of Hallstatt for a salt mine tour or a ski day at one of 60+ ski hills in the nearby Alps, there is plenty to do for the outdoor enthusiast. This video was taken in late February 2020 and only shows a glimpse of what Salzburg and the surrounding region have to offer. We hope you enjoy it.

Vida Long has been teaching since 2010 and on the AIS-Salzburg teaching faculty since 2014. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Vida is primarily an English teacher and is also utilized for her fluent German skills as a German 1 instructor. Vida is best known for her ability to teach our senior students the necessary skills to write a college-level paper.

With Austria as one of the world leaders in the fight to rid of the Coronavirus, AIS-Salzburg is in a great position to open it’s doors sooner than most boarding schools around the globe. The video footage below we took yesterday, April 16th, is of Salzburg residents enjoying the sun after the government eased restrictions. 

“We are very optimistic that our summer school will begin in July and that the 2020-2021 school year will commence in September.  There will likely continue to be some restrictions remaining in place, however, we are planning on adjusting our programs in light of these,” said Headmaster McLean from his office on Thursday.  

“We are very optimistic that our summer school will begin in July and that the 2020-2021 school year will commence in September.“

Headmaster McLean

AIS-Salzburg acted very early, sending our boarders home as early as March 10th for an early Spring Break.  This provided a much-needed period for our teachers and administrators to prepare effectively for the start of online coursework on the 31st.

“Thankfully, the Austrian government also initiated restrictions and cautionary measures very early as well.  This is now beginning to bear fruit and we are very thankful that our students are safe and sound at home and that they are able to continue their learning online.  The numbers tell a positive tale:  the quick reaction of the government and the cooperation of the citizens has resulted in a significant decline in the number of daily coronavirus cases after a peak in late March that did not threaten the ability to provide full health care for those infected,” added McLean.

“..the quick reaction of the government and the cooperation of the citizens has resulted in a significant decline in the number of daily coronavirus cases..”

Headmaster McLean

In fact, Austria acted so quickly and swiftly, that after only one month of lockdown, the number of daily coronavirus cases dropped below 100 on April 13th for the first time since March 11th. These results have Austria being praised around the globe for it’s quick and efficient action. 

Source: Google.com

“Provided the population here doesn’t get too impatient and the necessary social distancing and personal protection measures remain in effect, I think we can realistically begin planning for the summer and fall—provided we prudently and thoroughly consider any and all health implications given most-likely scenarios,” replied McLean when asked about the likelihood of doors opening on schedule.  

With the early spring break imposed by AIS-Salzburg, this provided a two-week window for administration and teachers to prepare for online classes. 

“One of the best decisions we made was to host all of our classes on the same platform.  This made the transition to online instruction much more manageable for our students, parents and the teachers themselves,” said McLean when asked about the of the school’s quick implementation virtual learning program.   “Being a small school with a very experienced teaching faculty, we were able to cooperatively set up the program and work out solutions to both potential and actual problems or frustrations.  The experience gained from this online instructional period will serve our staff and students in the future as well.”  

“One of the best decisions we made was to host all of our classes on the same platform.  This made the transition to online instruction much more manageable for our students, parents and the teachers themselves.”

Headmaster Mclean

After three weeks of virtual teaching, feedback from teachers of AIS-Salzburg is that they now have significant amounts of instructional material that can be used in the future to supplement instruction, out-of-class assignments and homework, as well as support students who experience extended absentee periods or require tutorial assistance. 

Of course, we would rather be ‘live’ and interacting directly with our students—nothing can replace this aspect of a solid preparatory education—but until that time, we are witnessing very positive, ongoing results. Probably the best decision we made was to host all of our classes on the same platform. This has made the transition to online learning easier for students, parents and teachers,” said McLean when asked about the of the school’s quick implementation virtual learning program.

The video below presents a few of the highlights from week 2 and 3 of AIS-Salzburg virtual learning via Google Classroom.

All of our teachers use the Google Classroom® platform so that students (and parents) have the advantage of familiarizing themselves with a single program for all courses in their academic schedules.  There will, of course, be some road bumps and frustrations along the way, but by working together and providing immediate feedback to questions, we can adapt well to this unusual situation and move forward full throttle!

What year or years did you attend AIS-Salzburg at what grade levels? 

I first attended AIS-Salzburg as a freshman in 9th grade in 2009 and graduated in 2013.

What is your fondest memory of attending AIS-Salzburg?

I like thinking back to school times, in terms of making international friendships all over the world. Classes with teachers who indeed live their profession and are successful in passing on their joy to their students. Finding out my ambitions for sports like volleyball, climbing and running.

Have you remained in contact with any former AIS-Salzburg classmates?

The first 2 1/2 years, yes, but keeping in touch is quite difficult, even when you are in the same city. However, we are equipped with Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms where we can socialize with each other.

What have you done academically since graduating from AIS-Salzburg? 

I studied Hotel Management in Klessheim, Salzburg. After receiving my diploma in 2015, I decided to take the business license at the WIFI in Salzburg.

How well were you prepared for university?

I was perfectly prepared for college.

What aspects of your education at AIS-Salzburg best assisted you in further academics and/or professionally?

I believe that practice inside-/and outside of class with friends really helped me to improve my level for languages in general. With that progress I felt quite confident in my studies at Klessheim. Since I get to travel a bit for work, I am able to use my knowledge for languages in Italy and France as well.

Are there any personal accomplishments since graduating that you want to share?

I have hobbies like photography, which I can contribute to my work life, that I count as an accomplishment.

Are there particular AIS-Salzburg moments or memories that have stayed with you over the years?

Volleyball tournaments, getting to know my friends for the first time and excursions.

Do you have any advice for students at AIS-Salzburg or applicants to the school?

Use your time for preparation efficiently, have fun with friends and do not stress about growing up, reaching adulthood will come by itself soon enough.

During the Fall Excursion each year, all juniors (those enrolled in the 11th grade) are required to participate in the Junior Community Service Trip which will engage them in service work under the auspices of the Habitat for Humanity Organization. In 2019 our Junior class traveled to Romania to build a house.

The 11th grade precalculus class has been working on a cumulative graphing assignment that tasks them with re-creating an image using the graphs of different types of functions. The 2-week long project allowed students to apply hard-earned knowledge of parent functions and their transformations in a creative and artistic manner. All of the graphs have been entered into the Desmos Math Art Contest. 

The photo gallery below shows the original images they were attempting to re-create with the graphs. The video at the bottom shows the final graphs without the image in the background.

Students reflected on the assignment afterwards:

“It was hard for me to get started because I couldn’t really see which functions I had to use for certain lines, and I was overwhelmed with the volume of work that seemed necessary to create the image. In the end though, I overcame these problems, and learned that the more I did, the easier it got, to the point where I could pretty much do it automatically, without having to pay much attention.”

Anna K.

“With this project, we were able to study functions in more detail, their transformations, subtleties, and movements along the coordinate plane, with varying values to make functions fit the picture. In order to use as few functions as possible, we had to carefully select the desired type of function and try to capture as much of the image as possible with it.“

Valeriya S.

By a guest writer and AIS-Salzburg colleague of Mr. Burns

Standing an impressive 2m tall and hailing from the wild west coast of Canada, Mr. Burns is a fundamental part of AIS-Salzburg and a consummate sportsman. 

Mr. Burns started at AIS-Salzburg in 2004 as a math teacher and coach and is now in his 16th year at the school. Currently, he is the Athletic Director, the much-loved coach and mentor to the Lady Lions basketball and volleyball teams and the AIS social media and marketing master, responsible for content and our growing social media presence. Mr. Burns has coached the Lady Lions to several award-winning seasons, most notably three-straight DVAC varsity girls volleyball championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015.  

Whether he is playing on the local baseball team with his son, the local hockey team with his daughter, or coaching the Lady Lions volleyball or basketball teams, he brings enthusiasm, expertise and fun to every sport he engages in.

Highlights from our first week of the transition to online classes during the Coronavirus quarantine.

During which years did you teach at AIS-Salzburg?

I taught full time from 1986 on, with a break of several years in the late 80’s & early 90’s while I had my two daughters. I returned in 1992 and stayed until I retired in June 2017.

What was your role at the school?

My role was that of a German language and literature teacher and also English assistance, mainly grammar and reading.

Where are you from originally?  

I am originally from Austria. I grew up in Linz and studied at the university in Salzburg.

What did you enjoy most about teaching?

I always enjoyed the connection with students from all over the world and their curiosity about learning a foreign language. I also enjoyed teaching small groups. This way I got to know them really well and could do a lot of individual teaching.

Are there any students who you continue to stay in touch with?

I am in touch with many students from many years ago and also some that will graduate this year, e.g. Nici, Maddie, and Helen among several others.

Why would you recommend AIS-Salzburg to prospective students?

I would recommend AIS to all students that want to study in small groups with very dedicated teachers in a wonderful environment.

What do you miss the most about working at AIS-Salzburg?

I miss the close contact with all my students, I miss the literature and language discussions, and I definitely miss my colleagues who have become friends along the way.  

What is your fondest memory from your days at AIS-Salzburg?

My fondest memories are getting all the wonderful remarks and notes from the students at the end of each school year, expressing their appreciation and love.

Ms. Reiter, you made a difference in many students’ lives and are truly missed by all!

Not only is this video super 😎, but it is endearing to hear how excited Mr. Lichty gets about his math! Of all the great things going on with the first day of online classes, this is our favorite!

This past weekend was a painful for AIS-Salzburg Lions Basketball as it was the weekend our 30th Annual Basketball Jamboree was scheduled to take place. However, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and subsequent school losing, the tournament was cancelled.

We had 12 teams that signed up for the event, 6 on the girls’ side and 6 on the boys’ side. Unfortunately, we will have to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the tournament in 2021. Until then, here are some clips from last year’s tournament.

Student Spotlight: Nici C.

Nici is currently a senior at our school and will be graduating in 2020. She has attended AIS-Salzburg since 2014 beginning in the 7th grade.

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate Archimedes’ Principle for an object that is denser than water. Archimedes’ Principle states that an object floating or fully immersed in a fluid is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. The buoyant force on an object immersed in a liquid can also be determined by weighing an object in air and then in water. The apparent loss of weight of the object is equal to the buoyant force of the water. With this information, the students were able to determine the mass density of the different objects and of the fluids.

What year or years did you attend AIS-Salzburg and at what grade levels? 

My father enrolled me in the Summer English Language program of 2002. I was still too young to attend even Junior High. In 2003, I did another summer language course and consequently began my studies in AIS-Salzburg as a boarding student. In May 2009, I graduated after six years at the Moosstrasse 106.

What is your fondest memory of attending AIS-Salzburg?

The people. All the memories I have at the school are associated first and foremost with the many people I met and made friends with. The diversity that AIS-Salzburg provides, is a rare opportunity to expand your horizons, from a young age, and be able to learn many other values from the different cultures.

Have you remained in contact with any former AIS-Salzburg classmates?

Yes, I have done so. Although distances are great, we can be thankful we live in the Information Age, and communicating has never been easier.

What have you done academically since graduating from AIS-Salzburg? 

After AIS, I attended the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. That did not go as planned, but I am glad I learned how to live up north. Next up, Vienna. In the Hauptuni, I did my Bachelors in Politics. After I ended my time in Vienna, I returned to Bulgaria to do my Masters, in Political Security. Through 2018-2019, I managed to complete my Masters, and now I am doing a doctor’s degree, again in Politics – Astropolitics.

What aspects of your education at AIS-Salzburg best assisted you in further academics and/or professionally?

The well-rounded curriculum, the study organization (study hall and etc.) are just a few simple aspects that one never suspects how much, later in life, it prepares him to deal with other institution such as a university.

Are there any personal accomplishments since graduating that you want to share?

I do not know how much of an accomplishment it is, but I have been published twice by different publishing houses, for my work about Astropolitics (link).

Are there particular AIS-Salzburg moments or memories that have stayed with you over the years?

This is a very hard question. Too many memories indeed for the time spent. But, the football tournaments abroad, the ski trips, the yearly trips to different locations in Europe. Those are just some of the many that really stick out in my head. 

Do you have any advice for students at AIS-Salzburg or applicants to the school?

Enjoy your time. Enjoy your time at the school with your schoolmates. Do not hurry to grow up and get out. There are too many things that enter life once you graduate. So enjoy your youth, enjoy your friends, and enjoy life.

Mr. Agardy has been teaching at AIS-Salzburg since 1986 and a recent post on our Facebook page featuring him produced 28 comments and counting. Here are just a few:

“A fantastic person and a great teacher. I had world history, U.S. history and European history with him. I loved every class.”

Monika Anderson Cubellina Lajhner

“Mr. Agardy is a wonderful teacher. I still have a passion for European History after his class in 1990!”

Marianna Zielinski Pink

“Great Teacher! I always enjoyed his class and still enjoy European history today.”

Laura Jurgens

Please enjoy this video interview with Mr. Agardy as he speaks about his role at the school, what he enjoys most about teaching and finishes off with some insight into why graduates of AIS-Salzburg benefit from the AP Program at the school.