Lakeside School, A Swiss Wine Adventure, and Speaking Italian

It's high time I filled you in on the remainder of my Zurich travels! Here goes: On Wednesday evening I went to an amazing arsenal-turned restaurant called Zeughauskeller- this place has loads of personality! (A number one if you ever visit.)

It is a beerhouse with traditional Swiss-German cousine. Although always packed, the service is friendly and efficient, and the food tasty. Across from our table were the "suits"- you know, international bankers out for an evening meal (at least that's what I imagined them to be). I just had to get a shot.

On Thursday morning I took the train and bus by myself (quite an adventure) to the forest where the outdoor school meets. I was greeted by Mindy, the English teacher, who mentioned that the German teacher was out sick. Therefore, I would be the second teacher of the day! It was so wonderful to be in a lead role with the students and to have been given this special opportunity.

On this day the students spent time playing, digging more area for their garden, cutting vegetables for lunch and building a fire, and generally having a great time. The weather was rainy and cold (as in- my hands and toes were numb) but did a student once complain? Did a student once ask to "go somewhere warm"? Of course not! They were having the time of their lives! They couldn't be bothered with going indoors, because the water from the rain provided great fun! The slippery rain allowed their boots to become virtual skis! The damp leaves and woods smelled like a wonderful perfume! How fun it was to use a stick to make a picture in the mud! Alright, so maybe I'm getting carried away, but you're getting the idea: the bottom line is, these kids enjoyed the weather in part because they were mentally prepared and were dressed appropriately. I certainly realized that "going indoors to get warm" or "staying out of the rain" is an adult affliction.

Later in the afternoon we climbed the Grossmunster church tower. The Grossmunster ("great minister") is a Romanesque- style church that played an important role in the Protestant Reformation. To learn more about this Zurich church, click here. Here is a video of us on the top- and although it was a rainy day, the views were spectacular.

We also visited a famous sausage place for lunch right next to the opera house. Notice how my nostrils flared when I inhaled too much of the mustard- it was delicious- but quite spicy!

On our final day in Zurich we visited a local vineyard upon recommendation from a restaurant proprieter. Not only did we have a personal 3-hour tour and tasting, but we received additional bottles of wine to take home- and all for free! The owner of the vineyard, Mr. Welte, was very sincere, sweet, and simply put- wonderful! We could not have asked for a better day.

The Welte Vineyard sign:

A tasting...

...and tour of the grounds.

And finally, saying our goodbyes to Mr. Welte:

On our final day in Switzerland we had big plans to go skiing with our friend, Jeff, but the weather wasn't cooperating. Did you know that mid-March isn't even a good time of the year to go skiing in the Alps? How were we to know? Instead, Jeff took us on a few hours drive through the Alps over to Ticino- the southern region of Switzerland occupied by (mostly) Italians. We visited Lake Maggiore- it is right next to Lake Como- yes, you read correctly, Lake Como! As in, one of the most beautiful places in Italy! How exciting it was to eat pizza and sip espresso in an outdoor cafe while practicing my Italian! Boy, I had the time of my life here! This is a quick video I shot of us driving through the Alps (in the car)- the views were beyond amazing.

Can you spot me below? I felt like an ant. We were at the base of the Alps here, and later...

...we climbed atop a roadside castle. Where else can you find uninhabited castles on the side of the road? The video below is of my husband describing our surroundings.

A video of Lake Maggiore in the Ticino region- excuse the shakey camera.
I have to admit, we had tired of Swiss-German food by the final evening, so we tried a sushi place. It was rather good! Ginger, anyone?

My adventures in Switzerland were beyond amazing and I am so thankful to the Garrett family for this experience! We were very sad to leave but learned so much about this beautiful place and the friendly people. Danke! Merci! Thank you!

Lakeside Outdoor School and Luzern

Hallo, Calvert!

Yesterday I woke up very early and quickly ate breakfast before catching a ten minute train to the neighboring town of Kusnacht. From here, I walked along Seestrasse (Lake Street) for approximately fifteen minutes upon reaching The Lakeside School, on the right. This is a private school in Zurich which has a separate outdoor preschool program, in a forest nearby. Above is a gorgeous view of the walk to the school- the weather was close to 50 degrees.

My contact at Lakeside gave me a tour of the school before driving me to the forest at 9am, where the preschool kindergarten meets twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The forest area is actually a park as well- many people walk their dogs here. There are eight children in this class with two teachers- one German speaking and one English speaking. The children are three or four years old, and some attend what we would consider a regular (indoor) preschool program on the days when the outdoor program is not in session. Exploratory learning is a big focus of this outdoor education.

The parents said goodbye at the entrance to the forest, and I walked on a path with the class and teachers into the woods. We stopped after a minute or so, and the German teacher sang a German song with the students, followed by the English teacher who sang an English song. They were both "Good morning" or "Welcome" songs. We then walked on. Backpacks were placed on a mock cubby area, with branches from a tree used as hooks. The rest of the morning was spent exploring the area sectioned off for use as a classroom in the forest, building a fire (which was later used to cook bread and lunch- the students helped here), collecting stones, and clearing an area for a spring garden. I loved how inventive the students were and how relaxed this atmosphere really is. I can't wait to share more with you when I return home.

This is a photo of the German teacher singing with the students: Below is a video of two boys moving a large stone into the garden area. I noticed teamwork and critical thinking skills being utilized at this time (one boy later used a rope as a harness to pull it when it got too heavy).




After a train ride back to Zurich, I rested before dinner at Zunfthaus Zur Waag (Scales Guildhall). Renaissance in style, this circa-1637 guildhall was the meeting place for linen weavers and hat makers. Today it houses a restaurant of the same name, offering Zurich specialties and “small deliciousness”. We had an amazing, very authentic meal, and the proprietor was extremely friendly- he even allowed us to sample a bottle of sweet Austrian wine with our dessert! Famous names frequent this spot, included Roger Federer, Tina Turner (she owns a house here in Zurich) and the President of Credit Suisse Bank. This is a picture of my husband and mother-in-law at dinner.


This morning we took a train ride (are you sensing a theme?) to Luzern, the very heart of historic Switzerland. Although it was rainy, the Swiss alps and Lake Luzern surrounded us. We viewed the historic Water Tower and Chapel Bridge.

And of course, the day would be incomplete without a little shopping along the lake! (I purchased my first ever Swiss watch and army knife.) We left Luzern and walked inside the market in the train station to sample decadent cheeses. Fresh produce, flowers, salamis and an assortment of meats, as well as olive oils and sweet treats were abound. This is my husband, describing this wonderful market- look at all of that Swiss cheese!


The Market:


Tomorrow I will return to The Lakeside Outdoor school for my final visit and hope to visit the Chinese gardens. Until then, ciao!

Zoo Zurich and other attractions

This morning I woke up and had breakfast in our hotel before departing to the Swiss International School. It took a few questions from our hotel and passerbys (thank goodness everyone here basically speaks fluent English) to understand how to use the tram, but once aboard it was a ten minute ride to this private school. Situated on the west bank of the river, I met with my contact, a first grade British teacher named Peter. The school is notable because it is dual-languaged; thus, the students spend part of their day with one "English" teacher speaking only English and doing all coursework in this language, and then rotate either later on in the afternoon or the following day to a "German" teacher, speaking only German and doing all coursework in this language. I sat in on a pre-kindergarten classroom in English, and then traveled across the hall to a German pre-kindergarten classroom and was able to participate in a lesson with the students. How fun!
Below is a picture inside of Peter's room, reminding the students to speak in English:

To respect the privacy of the students, I am not able to post photos but can tell you how wonderful my experience was! For one, the day is very centered around play- here is a copy of the kindergarten classroom schedule (I apologize for the poor photo quality):


After the school visit, we ate at an Italian restaurant in the plaza by our hotel. What I have found so interesting is that there is such a mix of Swiss-German, German, French, and Italian languages in all parts of this city- during coversational exchange (it's common for many Swiss- Germans to greet you with "Hallo" or "Ciao" or say "Merci" for thank you) and on signage throughout the city. The culture here is very much a melting pot, if you will. Below is the copy of the receipt from lunch- notice the Italian language throughout, including at the bottom.


Following lunch we went to Zoo Zurich- on the opposite side of the city, but an easy tram ride. Watch the below video for a peak at some hippos!


We had a wonderful dinner at an authentic Swiss German restaurant- more details to come. I am off to bed now, however, as I have a very early wake-up call tomorrow morning in preparation for my trip to the Lakeside (outdoor) School.

Guten Tag, from Zurich, Switzerland!

Guten, Tag, Calvert!
I arrived in Zurich, Switzerland this morning after an 8 hour flight from Dulles International Airport. After a little rest on the plane, I woke up to picturesque views of the Swiss Alps, the neighboring countryside and below city, and the sound of the captain informing us of our decent. Although exhausted, I was thrilled to have safely landed and was ready for the day's adventures! My mother-in-law and husband are joining me on this trip. This is a photo of me at the Zurich airport, (the largest airport in Switzerland) having just landed.
After checking in to Hotel Wellenberg, we walked to the train station (apparently this is one of the only places opened on Sunday). At 11:00 a.m. Zurich time, we met up with Jeff, a friend from home who currently resides here. He gave us an insider's walking tour of the city.
A photo with Jeff, my husband, and I, in front of beautiful Lake Zurich:

There are ducks and swans that frequent this lake!
Another photo of the city of Zurich near our hotel:

We stopped at Zurich's top confiserie, Sprungli, the landmark chocolatier and cafe. Owned by the Lindt chocolate company, Sprungli is the more expensive (and many consider tastier) chocolate brand and restaurant chain. Although we did not order dessert, our eyes and noses were tempted with sweets and chocolate treats with mouthwatering ingredients like Bailey's and champagne. Mouthwatering Sprungli treats:

Licking our lips at the delicious sight!

Following lunch, we noticed many people dressed in festive and quite outrageous costumes preparing for a Mardi Gras (called Fasnacht here) parade. The Protestant Swiss-German celebration apparently continues through the beginning of this week. We stopped to watch lively group performers playing instruments, dancing, and throwing confetti and candy at onlookers. How fun to be part of Fasnacht!
Jeff, covered in confetti, during the Fasnacht parade:
Cowbells signaling the beginning of the parade:

Street performers:

After a brief nap, we walked to a locals-only fondue restaurant, Stubli. We had gruyere cheese fondue with bread, small potatoes, pineapples and pears. Flavored sausage and spicy mustards accompanied additional bread. What a feast! Me, enjoying a traditional fondue feast!

Dessert menu- we chose the chocolate mousse:

Tomorrow I will visit the Swiss International School for a morning peak at their kindergarten program.
Until then, Gute Nacht! (Good Night!)

Zooming to Zurich

I am at the airport departing for Zurich, Switzerland! I will be there through next Sunday and am traveling with my husband and mother-in-law. Thank you, Calvert School for this amazing opportunity!

This Is The House That Jack Built

The 6th Age readers listened to the story THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT, retold (and illustrated) by Simms Taback. This favorite rhyme for children was first published in 1755 and probably derived from an ancient Hebrew chant in the 16th century. It was originally illustrated by Randolph Caldecott in 1878.

Additionally, this type of story is commonly referred to as a cumulative tale, or a chain tale, because action or dialogue repeats and builds in some way as the tale progresses. Upon listening to this story the second time, the readers were encouraged to say the words they remembered out loud.
After hearing this story twice, the readers watched a version of this story told again on YouTube. They learned about another cumulative tale also written by Taback, I KNOW AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY.
The readers lastly acted out this story, with each student receiving one of the following roles:
house
cheese
rat
cat
dog
cow
maiden
man
judge
rooster
farmer
and artist.

Bravo to my students!

Darling Dolls Camp!

Darling Dolls Camp is back! This summer Mrs. DeLorbe and I are hosting this fabulous camp at Calvert School during the weeks of June 13-17 for graduated Pilots (or 5 year olds) and graduated 6th Agers (or 6 year olds), and June 20-24 for graduated 6th and 7th Agers (or girls aged 6-8).

The camp will take place from 9-12, and snack will be provided. Each day, the girls will craft a different type of doll. On the last day of camp, the girls will attend a special party with their favorite doll! Cost is $150. Please email me if you have any questions!

Nelson Mandela and Ray Charles

We added two new activists to our timeline this week, the first of which was Nelson Mandela. A 6D student sought me out a week ago with interest in learning more about him and possibly highlighting Mandela on our timeline. (What a great idea!)

Nelson Mandela is the world's most famous South African. 6D learned that he is an activist because he believed that all people should be treated equally. He worked hard to change previously unfair laws. In 1994 he became the first black president of South Africa.
Ray Charles Robinson (or "Ray Charles" as he is widely known) lost his eyesight at a young age but persisted in learning how to play the piano. He combined different genres, or types, of music to create a new sound. As an activist, Ray Charles became of the of the first African American musicians to be in charge of a music company. Did you know that Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Ray Charles #10 of the 100 greatest artists of all time? We listened to parts of the song "Georgia On My Mind", Georgia's national anthem, in class as well.

Inchworm measuring

The mathematicians listened to the story INCH BY INCH by Leo Lionni today. It is about an inchworm who measures the length of many animals to spare from being eaten by them. After the story, the students learned about a measuring tool called the ruler, which can measure the length of objects in inches. Utilizing various classroom items, the students first estimated how long these items were before using a ruler. They then recorded their answers and shared them with the class. Nice job!