At the beginning of the school year, the idea of a Project Week, that we call FIS Community Days, was discussed among a group of staff. We started with some ideas that got bigger and bigger the longer we talked: EY children will mingle in activities with Grade 11 students, a whole week of projects and activities running for a full five days, involving all of the school community: students, parents, teachers.
Well, that was the big version. In the end, we decided to downsize the idea. Since it’s our first time ever putting together such a program, we decided for this round to focus on the why and the how: What is the purpose of Community Days and how can we achieve it?
The goal, after all, is to celebrate our community! To create and strengthen bonds beyond year groups and to find unusual ways of learning: being active, creative, and authentic in on- and off-campus activities, disregard structures such as 60-minute lessons and allow the students an element of choice in the activities.
So, this is what is really going to happen during our first ever whole-school Community Days: three days, May 23–25, activities across grade levels and yes, staff, students, parents, and external facilitators will run activities.
The program will include sports activities; several field trips, such as to Dachau concentration camp and hiking in the Fränkische Schweiz; creative activities like musical theater, graffiti, creating a peace garden and film production; and mind-stretching activities, such as philosophy for children, poetry, a simulation game or an escape room.
We very much look forward to this opportunity for whole-school connection and fun. Keep an eye out for more details to come!
Stephanie Steinberg and Michelle Ang
Community Days Coordinators