TFS - Canada's International School

Choosing content is where it starts When one of the school's pillars is to help students develop an international perspective, the arts by their very nature offer plenty of opportunities for exposure to all things international. Even from a young age, students' eyes are opened to new worlds through the arts, says Michelle Crath, visual arts teacher at the West Campus. The IB's Primary Years and Middle Years Programs both have a focus on cultures in Canada and beyond for at least one unit each year, which may include comparing different artists' approaches to their art, or showing students how techniques differ worldwide. "It comes down to exposure, and to understanding what they are looking at, how and why it is meaningful to the people who created it, and gaining a deeper appreciation for not only the techniques but for the stories the artists are telling." For Dino Gonçalves, Senior School drama teacher, the concepts and dramatic effects of the ancient Greeks from over 2,000 years ago are as relevant as Renaissance-era Commedia dell'arte from Italy and Noh musical drama from Japan. The time and place of these works are as important to analyze as the plays themselves, he notes. Layered onto the cultural aspect of these international pieces, students are also challenged to perform in French, and these performances – oral or written – become an essential part of assessing students' French proficiency. It's a simple testament to the importance of bilingualism, and gives students a chance to hone their skills in public speaking, as well as enunciation and delivery. The poetic arts Poetry has given TFS students a unique forum for creative expression. At the Senior School, students in Level II and up can participate in Poetry in Voice, a competition with English, French and bilingual categories. Caryl Grimsley, Senior School English teacher, introduced Poetry in Voice as a way for students to explore poetry more deeply. And TFS does well, boasting national winners in seven out of eight years, a feat that no other school has achieved. Elizabeth W., Level IV, was a national finalist two years in a row, and Hannah H. also competed nationally. As students choose from the organization's rich collection of poems, Mrs. Grimsley encourages them to research international poets. "I do believe that in literature you have to understand the historical context of where and why it was written. They're learning about the country as well as about the poems and poets," she says. This rich understanding helps students bring the pieces to life. When John W., LIV, started learning about poetry, he was skeptical. "I used to wonder, what's the point of 'overcomplexifying' something?" he says, referring to the precise words or phrases that many poems follow. Through Poetry in Voice, however, he was able to meet people across the country for whom poetry is very important. "I appreciated the interpretation of it, and now I really love it." Last year John reached third in the bilingual national finals. Through poetry, he has also developed an appreciation for the nuances of English and French. "We are taught that knowing different languages lets you see things in different ways," he says. "I prefer French poetry, because it focuses on the beauty of the words and sounds, whereas English seems to focus more on the development of the message." This subtlety has allowed John to discover poems in a way that simply isn't possible when reading in just one language. Maggie W., LIII, won the French category of Poetry in Voice last year. Her two poems were truly from different worlds – Quebec and Gabon. She was especially taken with a poem by Pierre Akendengué. "It was very intense," she remarks. "It was so descriptive, talking about his native country and the people there, how they are different from Westerners, and how Westerners affect Africans." Her win was as much about her expertise in oration as it was a showcase in taking on the voice of someone with very different life experiences. Hannah H., John W., Maggie W. 18 TFS ENTRE NOUS 2019

• Cover