leadership – Zimplicity

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

While there are important notes below, please know that our greetings for a prosperous New Year and a Merry Christmas follow you wherever you choose to go during the holidays!! We are excited by the accomplishments since August and thrilled with the possibilities of the remainder of the school year. As I noted in recent remarks, I have a fond hope that 2020, the start of a new decade, will inspire vision and clarity in a world seemingly torn by conflict and confusion. This decade should one of addressing our challenges openly and thoughtfully in the spirit of truth and collaboration. May I offer a hope for all of you that the new decade is especially kind to our students who will graduate in the next ten years. Beginning with our first class of the decade, we hope for pathways to success and opportunity, unbounded by prejudice and discrimination. The resolution of 2020 must be one of kindness and compassion with a focus on global leadership above national greed. I will continue my mission with all who will participate to prepare this planet for our children in a way that makes us proud to hand them the keys!! Give everyone a hug for Mr. Z during the special days ahead.

Facility Access During the Holidays

While after hours access will continue during the holidays for outside facilities, please be advised that we will have a limited security team with only two guards on duty. One at 24×7 desk, and a single walking patrol. After hours and on weekends and holidays, the outer gate may be closed. Those who want to enter campus will need to call the security desk using the phone number that is posted at the front entrance. The back entrance will not be open during the holidays. All normal access rules apply.

Career Fair

Parents from some sectors are still needed for the upcoming Career Fair on Thursday, January 30th. Thank you to those who have already volunteered. We are honored by the turnout across all areas. Our hope is to get about 10 more participants in the field of law, medicine, sustainability, environment, and/or the arts. We have a good number of business people and engineers and a wide range of other fields. We have hundreds of students who would like to hear from parents and community members about their profession and present it to our students. You can still sign up HERE!!

One More Reminder – Project Manager

We are now reviewing candidate applications, so please be reminded that we are looking for a project manager to serve in an advancement role for the school. The position announcement is HERE. Last chance to apply for this unique role!

Another Reminder: The deadline for withdrawal from second semester with a partial refund of fees is December 15 (that’s Monday). After December 15, no refund will be possible. Details about refunds can be found on our website here: https://www.aswarsaw.org/admissions/school-fees

Zimplicity Director’s Desk Video Podcast (New Holiday Videos!!)
Zimplicity Podcast

In Memory of Pawel Wojnicki

Just before the school dismissed for vacation, we were provided with the dreadful news of the illness of our IT Staff member, Pawel Wojnicki. After an initial diagnosis in February, Pawel had been undergoing treatment for Pancreatic Cancer. The family had kept this information confidential to protect other family members and because they were still exploring the extent of his illness. On the day before our vacation, we received news that the doctors had suspended further treatment given the extent of the cancer and sent Pawel home for hospice care.

We were all devastated by this news in the days prior to the vacation and immediately started a benefit fund to support Pawel and his family during their time of extreme need.

The intensity of the illness overcame Pawel on Sunday, April 30 and we lost our friend and colleague. Pawel is survived by his wife, Agata, and three sons, Jakub, Mateusz and Adam.

Pawel worked with ASW for 16 years. A very quiet person by nature, Pawel was instrumental in the development of the school’s networks and was a key staff member for both development and maintenance during his tenure.

Co-workers in the IT department remember Pawel as always warm, helpful, willing to assist and committed to the school and his colleagues. While factual and honest, he also had a quick wit that brought a smile to the team when the occasion required. He was a proud husband and father, but modest and private. We will all remember him for his big heart and wisdom.

Like all on our support staff, Pawel worked in the background providing critical services that helped the organization run smoothly. It can honestly be said that he was indispensable because of both the systems he managed and the partnership he provided to all who engaged him.

He was a very wise man. Awards and certificates had no meaning for him. He was self-taught in many areas and was extremely talented. He was a Renaissance man. He never cared for publicity or fame.

Pawel loved to swim. Often on Sunday mornings you would meet him at the pool with the children. The family also enjoyed snowboarding and weekend holiday trips.

Pawel lived, body, spirit, and mind, in a way true to his heart. We are so grateful he shared his spirit with us, creating the many wonderful memories we have of him, and we will miss him dearly.

The school has established a memorial fund in Pawel’s memory in order to support the family in their ongoing challenges. You can make donations to this fund at the ASW Cashier at any time. We thank you in advance for any support you can provide to the family in their time of need.

Services for Pawel are scheduled for Monday. The IT Department and selected others will represent the school community on our behalf. Other arrangements to remember Pawel at school will be forthcoming. The school has also sent flowers on behalf of the entire ASW Community in remembrance of Pawel.

For those who would like to share additional memories of Pawel, we encourage your comments in reply to this post below, so that they can be compiled and shared with all of us during our time of grief. We will also translate your thoughts as appropriate and share them with the family, a testament to the warmth and regard we all had for Pawel.

For those still traveling, I wish you safe journey on your final homeward leg. For all, I look forward to greeting you Monday morning.

With Fondest Regards,

Mr. Z

Time is slipping away…and other matters

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend and enjoyed all that was possible with family at a time that we gather for important renewal. I had a chance to visit Gdansk over the weekend and happened into St. Mary’s Basilica as I explored the town. Inside, we found this marvelous astronomical clock that was showing the time and date, phases of the moon, the position of the moon and sun in relation to the zodiac signs, and the calendar of saints. The lower panel rotates so slowly, that there is no way to actually perceive its movement with the human eye. A true marvel dating back to 1470.

Unlike the nature of this clock, our year at ASW seems to be streaming by at an uncontrollable pace. Hard to imagine that, in just a few short days, Seniors will complete their formal studies and move into final preparation in advance of imminent exams. Before you know it, they will be crossing the stage, accepting their diploma, and off to their next adventure while we rush to take a breath and voice our farewells. For all of our students, the end of the year approaches with culminating projects and special events, all meant to capture community, spirit, and demonstrations of accomplishment at all levels and ages. Here’s to the strong finish for all that lies ahead!!

Strategic Planning

The ASW Design Team met for the first time with our consultant Ewan McIntosh from NoTosh, Inc. to begin our board empowered strategic planning process. As mentioned in previous articles, this is a process, with the remainder of the current school year, that is focused on understanding and defining ASW Core Values. To that end, the process begins now to get all of you involved. With that thought in mind, we are pleased to announce the opening of the ASW Project Nest. The following is a message from the team:

Open the door on the ASW Values Project Nest…

This room’s door is open so that you can come in. We want every student, parent, teacher, leader and staff member of the school to come in here, have a read of what values people think we live by already, and which values we might live by in the future.

Join us now. Pick up a post-it and a pen. Make your mark.

We’ve been working to define who we are at ASW. We want to establish a common language and understanding of what guides us as a school – what’s our behavioural compass?

We hope that later in 2017, as we set about writing our strategy, this compass will help us define the best things we want to achieve as a school, and give us some hints as to how we do that.

Collectively we have been challenging our assumptions surrounding our school values and mission to begin to establish a common thread across the whole school community about who we are.

Points to keep in mind:

There is no right or wrong answer
A core value might be obvious, or it might not exist as yet.
This is YOUR opportunity to share your voice. Use it.

Board Elections – Meet the Candidates

We are pleased to remind you that three ASW community members presented themselves as candidates for the 2017-2018 Board of Trustees election. The first Meet the Candidates session took place last week. You are warmly invited to attend the second meeting TODAY, Thursday, April 20, at 5:30pm in the Multipurpose Room (Arts and Athletics Building) right before the ES Family Reading Night. At this meeting, you will be given the opportunity not only to listen to the three BoT candidates’ perspectives on the current school climate, but also to ask them questions about their vision for ASW in the future. The electronic voting for ASW’s Board of Trustees will open on Friday April 21. Candidate information is available as follows:

HS Parent Meeting – Information for All, But Prudence Required

Last Friday the Upper School team (HS and MS) held a parent forum in response to concerns raised about a recent disciplinary investigation. This emerged from the HS notification of decisions reached in this investigation, sent in order to inform a community that was already receiving mixed messages through rumor and misinformation. Mr. Sheehan’s original message is included here as reference to the public communication sent earlier in April to HS parents.

HS Parent Letter

While this was considered primarily a High School issue at the time, inquiries from parents started to cross into Middle School as student awareness of the issues crossed divisional boundaries. In response, the parent meeting and messages in both HS and MS E-Notes clarified and helped respond to remaining questions. It’s important to thank the Middle School and High School administration for their diligence in addressing these concerns in a timely fashion!

In all of our communication, we have been careful to describe a process that follows very clear policy and handbook guidelines relative to the school’s practices associated with discipline. We uncovered through a due diligent investigation the involvement of a few students in the use of and sharing of illegal drugs with others, as stipulated by Polish law and school rules. We made disciplinary decisions based on the results of our investigation.

During the entire investigation, we involved local law enforcement where and when appropriate. We also consulted with our sources of advice at the US Embassy to assure that we were compliant with both host country and international requirements.

We also sought to protect identities while proceeding with the investigation, owing to our policy requirements for confidentiality in matters of this nature. No disciplinary action should be shared broadly, nor should it be a topic of public scrutiny. Relative to due process, all individuals have the right to appeal and this process is well articulated and effective in assuring fair and balanced decision making with appropriate checks and balances. While I understand the desire that some may have for more details in the matter, the school must temper those desires with the appropriate rights of the individuals involved in the inquiry.

If, however, there had been a perceived ongoing safety issue relative to the matters being addressed, we would have communicate this threat broadly and helped parents address this in a more comprehensive way. While this was not the case, we have already shared some details of our plans to address the broader ramifications of these issues at the MS and HS level. Some activities are already happening including increased awareness, staff dialog, and informational presentations to students.

Schools should always be responsive to these kinds of issues, looking primarily for proactive steps to address them and also looking for ways to keep the school safe and supportive of the learning environment we all cherish. Your trust and partnership in this regard is both expected and appreciated.

Maker Faire

Maker Faire is coming on April 27, 9:00a to 3:00p. Based on a previous plea, we have had about 30 parent volunteers so far. We are asking for just a few more motivated individuals to express your interest on our Volunteer Sign-Up. If we can pull 6-7 more we will have at least one parent in the morning and one in the afternoon to assist each maker at the more complicated stations. If you haven’t had a chance yet, please do consider helping out on this one-of-a-kind event.

With sincere appreciation…

To the Community of ASW:

As you are now aware, I originally arrived in Warsaw with the title of Interim Director. This was appropriate for a variety of reasons, as detailed by the Board Chair in July. I noted at the time that I was only willing to come in an interim role if I would be allowed to further apply for the long term position. After spending a few weeks getting to know you in more depth while leading this wonderful entourage of professionals, I can only reaffirm that intent given the warmth and welcome of the community demonstrated so wonderfully and completely in such a short time. Students, parents, administration, faculty, and staff have all shared open arms and hearts as we have become part of a robust and supportive “village” of teachers and learners.

It is therefore with pleasure and excitement that I accepted the board’s appointment as your Director, sans Interim. With this message, I affirm that I’m ready to let go of that Interim title and look forward to continuing the work I’ve started, knowing that I will usher our collaboration beyond the bounds of a single year. It means that we are embracing this community and, possibly more importantly, that my daughter will graduate as a Warsaw Warrior!!

I can only confirm the tremendous energy and enthusiasm that I’m ready to bring to this role, now and throughout my time here. I look forward to each and every opportunity for earnest conversation and collaboration toward crafting ASW, both for the moment and the future. Together, we will prepare our students and empower them for a life filled with hope and possibility. I look forward to your partnership and friendship in that journey.

Best Regards,

Jon P. Zurfluh
Director

P. S. – See you at the PTO BBQ later today and note that I’ll be perched atop the dunk tank sometime after 3p!!

The First Day is Upon Us!!

This morning we opened our doors for the soft opening of New Family Orientation and packed the theater with more than 100 families and their kids. I enjoyed greeting everyone with a brief introduction from the Newbie to the Newbies. Over the last 28 days, I’ve learned much about the American School of Warsaw.

In particular, I looked up the instrumental founding influencer of the school, Colonel Frank Gilchrist (1938-1969). In 1953, while serving as the Assistant Military Attache at the American Embassy, Colonel Gilchrist was the driving force behind the opening of a school for 12 students from 5 nationalities: American, British, Swiss, Israeli, and Yugoslav.

Then, as is the case now, the reports were of a school with a special sense of community. A place where this mix of nationalities could connect and define themselves as a collaboration amongst diversity. Writers of that time and throughout the growth and development of the school noted the warmth and welcoming spirit of the school community.

That spirit was on display today as PTO and returning parents and students helped new families navigate their orientation day. Touring around the building, teachers and support staff welcomed their presence in classrooms throughout the building. Their first impression of their new “home” was a powerful one leaving all of us ready for the coming opening for all.

One of the key messages that I’ve woven through new staff orientation, full staff meetings, and the new parent orientation yesterday emphasizes what I consider to be a critical component of the program we offer. After the hard work of designing curriculum and architecting instruction is completed, I suggest that a critical test of a school is the understanding that “Small Things Matter.” Like a drop of water in a still pond, the ripple effects of empathy and service toward others cannot be underestimated.

I taught the new kids today another important phrase that I will test them on in the parking lot tomorrow. For those returning, you’ll have to share it with your children as the mantra of the year, the motto of the new director that I give you as a gift to inspire all your future accomplishments:

“If it is to be, It is up to me!!”

May the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year bring you special joy and a true sense of anticipation for all that is yet to come! Let the learning begin!

Welcome Message 2016

August 12, 2016

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year!! We hope the summer break was refreshing and fulfilling for all of you and that your travels are bringing you safely to our midst for school opening.

As per the cover letter from, Rob Batchelder, the Chair of the Board of Trustees, it’s my pleasure to be joining the Warriors as your new Director for the exciting year ahead!! I’m looking forward to meeting all of you and personally welcoming you to this vibrant and inviting school. More about me and other information worth reading throughout the year will be captured on my Director’s blog – Zimplicity! Please join the conversation here: https://zimplicity.org/

We have a wonderful team of educators and leaders ready to greet your children on the first day, assuring consistency of practice and stability of program in the early days of the school year. We open with an enrollment of 950 and are finishing our welcome of 39 new faculty, who will be joining returning faculty next week for important preparation activities.

As usual, all of our summer teams have worked hard to assure that the facility has been prepared for your arrival and you will see a number of changes in rooms and common spaces as you explore the building. There are too many changes to list entirely here, but all of them constitute important updates to facilitate the continued growth and development of the programs we offer.

Please plan to join us for the various initial events on the calendar. Be sure to become an active PTO member and look for welcome meetings to attend and committees where you can make a contribution of your time and talent toward enhancing our sense of community. This is an important time of year to build new relationships, renew collaborations, and enhance what we do to make ASW such a special community for all of us.

Here’s a summary of some key events in the first week:

New Family & Student Orientation, Monday, August 22, 9:00a, Cafeteria
Director’s Coffee morning, Tuesday, August 23, 8:45a, Cafeteria
PTO Newcomer Coffee, Thursday, August 25, 8:45a, Cafeteria

Best wishes to all for a wonderful first week and a successful new year!

Sincerely,

Jon P. Zurfluh
Director
jzurfluh@aswarsaw.org

Greetings, Fellow Warriors!!

With messages you received earlier today, I can confirm my excitement over joining you in the coming year! Taking over one of the main communication mediums associated with my role as director is a key step in my transition toward joining you in the coming days.

After 5 wonderful years in Moscow, I’m excited by both a new country and a new community, rich with culture and diversity like all of my previous assignments. I’m looking forward to the many opportunities for getting to know you during our day-to-day interactions and through the smooth transitional activities that the board, faculty, and staff will help to orchestrate. My email address is already up and running, so you can contact me easily through jzurfluh@aswarsaw.org. I look forward to your messages and our many opportunities to connect as we get closer and closer to the opening of school.

Look here on this blog for many updates throughout the year. I will post messages both small and more significant as a way to keep the lines of communication open and vibrant. Subscribing is a great idea and I also encourage dialog through commenting.

It is also a pleasure to be bringing my family into your midst. My wife Emily will be very present at school. She is a teacher who will often sub in elementary classrooms, but will also be a mother to our daughter, Erin, who will be entering 10th grade. My son Jaisen starts at college this year and will be attending Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, USA.

As promised at our parent gathering, I’ll be forever letting go of my Penguin background in favor of a Warrior persona. As your newest Warrior, I look forward to cheering on our students in all their pursuits, athletic and academic!

I’m including below the board’s message from earlier today for reference and the associated documents for easy access:

Your Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Mr. Jon Zurfluh will be joining ASW next month as Interim Director for the 2016-2017 school year. Jon is an experienced educator and international school administrator who for the past five years has served as Director of the Anglo-American School (AAS) of Moscow and St. Petersburg. He will be accompanied to Warsaw by his wife Emily, an early childhood educator, and their daughter, Erin, who will be a 10th-grader at ASW. Jon’s son, Jaisen, will be a freshman at Pacific Lutheran University (his dad’s alma mater) in Washington State in September. Attached to this email are Jon’s resume and a philosophical summary of his leadership approach.

The selection of Mr. Zurfluh as interim director represents the culmination of a month-long recruitment process led by the Board of Trustees with the participation of members of ASW’s executive transition team. This process was guided by criteria developed in consultation with a variety of stakeholders, including input from ASW’s Teachers Association. We are excited to have Mr. Zurfluh join our community and are confident his collaborative leadership style and track record of strong community relations will be an excellent fit both for our School and our community.

The 2016-2017 Board of Trustees will continue to provide regular updates on significant events, activities and other developments. In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any other member of the Board. We look forward to seeing you all again at the start of the coming school year.

With best wishes for a relaxing summer,

Rob Batchelder, Chair
ASW Board of Trustees

Zurfluh-Philosophical Summary
Zurfluh-Resume