Educators on the Edge: February 2014

KIS Knowledge Bowlers Travel to Vienna for CEESA Competition

Kyiv International School is a member of the Central and Eastern European Schools Association which sponsors sports and activities programs for international and American schools. Each year different schools host events/competitions for the teams participating in CEESA. This year, the High School Knowledge Bowl team from our school was coached by yours truly (both of us!) and we took the team to the American International School of Vienna for two days of close competition, from February 6-9. We had prepared for weeks, holding our own Jeopardy type competitions on Tuesday and Thursday nights after school. We had students who were not on the team stay for practice just for the fun of it and to help the travelling team get ready. All four members of the team were experienced competitors: one senior, one junior, and two freshman who had been on the middle school team last year. Overall, we (the coaches) were very pleased with the team. They were seeded 6th after the first day of competition and finished 7th out of 16 at the end of day two. There were several very close games where the KIS team won or lost by only one or two points. The kids were a little disappointed that we didn't bring home any trophies, but it was a great experience and everyone had a good time.

Rebecca and Ivanna playing Flappy Bird at the airport in Kiev

The KIS Knowledge Bowl Team in Vienna
Vik, Emma, Rebecca and Ivanna

The team and coaches outside the Leopold Museum of Modern Art
(All students and coaches went on a cultural tour of the city on Friday morning)

Day 1- The Team Written Round

The American International School of Vienna

Day 2-Final Round-Warsaw vs. Vienna
We didn't make it this far but our buzzers did! (We were asked to
bring the set from our school so there were enough to have
several competitions going on at once)

Coaches Free Time

Our students stayed with host families, so we had our evenings free. The first night we went to this restaurant called Salm Brau, recommended by Jay's cousin John who had just been in Vienna this past Fall.

Standing outside Salm Brau waiting for a taxi

Our table was down in the cellar in a passageway-very cool

We had the special-Spareribs for Two

The next night all of the coaches were treated to dinner here. It was an old hotel. They served very traditional Viennese food. Jay and I both had Weinerschnitzel. It was very good.

After dinner we all took a walk around the city.

The third night we ventured out on our own again; this time to a local hangout called Fischer Brau. The entire menu was in German, but we both got what we thought we ordered. I just didn't expect my sausage to still be floating in the boiling water when it arrived at the table. The giant soft pretzel with mustard was delish. Jay's plate has grilled sausages and potatoes.

The restaurant was within walking distance to our hotel. I took this picture walking back after dinner. Actually, we saw this billboard all over town. I think it's a car dealership. Anyway, for those of you reading who don't know, Stahl is my maiden name. And all this time I thought I was German, not Austrian!

We passed these signs on our way back to the airport in Vienna.
Where should we go next?

KIS International Night

When we chose the name "Educators on the Edge" for our blog it was not meant to be a harbinger for the political situation Ukraine, and yet on December 14, 2013 a headline from the Kiev Post read "Ukraine on Edge As Kyiv Braces for Rival Rallies". In fact, rallies, demonstrations and protests against the government have been going on in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities since November 21.

There was a lot of discussion at school about whether or not to proceed with the plans for the annual International Night in January, but in the end it was decided that the political situation downtown should not interfere with the children's and their families' opportunity to celebrate diversity and their common desire to get together and have some fun.

So, on Saturday evening, January 25, the two gymnasiums were turned into a carnival of countries. The food and entertainment was amazing and it really was a relief from the daily uncertainty everyone was feeling about Kiev's political future. The dark turmoil of political unrest, and sometimes violence, was forgotten if only for a few hours, while the members of our school community ate and drank and talked and laughed, learning to appreciate each others cultures, and creating a ray of light (and hope) for a more peaceful world.

The following pictures are just a glimpse of what the evening had to offer.