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Seeing with Heart
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~ The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry While the following reflections are focused on the International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL), I believe these reflections are also generally applicable to all schools and organisations,…
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In Conversation
I was honoured to be recently interviewed by Tim Gilbert from International School Parent Magazine. The full interview can be accessed through the following link: IS Parent Interview. In conversation with Barry Dequanne School Director, International School of Zug & Luzern (ISZL) By Tim Gilbert – Guest Interviewer for International School Parent Magazine & International School…
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Até Logo, EAB
“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer Dear EAB Community, It is with a heavy heart that I write this final communication in my role as Head of School. Serving EAB for…
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Appreciating Teachers
“[Kids] don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” ― Jim Henson, It’s Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider To all of the teachers at the American School of Brasilia and around the world: Happy Teachers’ Week! Your work, dedication, and commitment to the development of others…
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Transitions
“Light precedes every transition. Whether at the end of a tunnel, through a crack in the door or the flash of an idea, it is always there, heralding a new beginning.” — Teresa Tsalaky I have been thinking a lot about transitions lately. We recently hosted the incoming Head of School for a one-week transition…
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Parent Partnerships
An effective educational program requires full and shared participation from students, parents, and the school. Similar to a tripod in which all three legs are needed to provide support, a student’s development and realization of potential will not be fully achieved if even one of the legs – students, parents, and school – is not…
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Students Helping Students
What does it feel like to be mentored by a national champion who is ranked among the best in the world? To find out, you are invited to visit the American School of Brasilia’s afterschool chess club. Meilin Hoshino (Grade 6) and her sister Karen (Grade 10) are considered to be elite chess players…
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A Green Day
“Let us all work together to help all human beings achieve dignity and equality; to build a greener planet; and to make sure no one is left behind.” — UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon While the scheduling of EAB’s Environmental Day during the same week as the International Day of Peace was not by design, the…
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Viva Voce
“There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.” –Marcel Proust Viva voce is a Latin phrase that means “with living voice” and represents an insightful way to describe one of the highlights of our school year. The dual reference of “with living voice”…
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Our Obligation
It was one of those emails that catch your attention. Mauricio, then a fifteen-year-old student in a Brazilian school, sent an elegantly worded statement about how he taught himself English so that he could realize his dream of attending a university in the United States. Mauricio had been studying our website and, as he believed…