50th Anniversary
Frequently Asked Questions
50th Anniversary Year
What is the ZIS, AISZ & IPSZ 50th Anniversary?
Zurich International School will celebrate its 50th Anniversary during the 2013/14 school year.
This exciting year will bring together the ZIS community, along with alumni from the American
International School of Zurich (AISZ) and the International Primary School of Zurich (IPSZ), which
combined in 2001 to create ZIS. Over the last 50 years, these three integrated communities
have touched the lives of students and families in the Zurich area.
Who are considered to be alumni?
Alumni are all past students, parents, faculty or staff members who have at any point been a
part of the ZIS, AISZ and/or IPSZ community.
What are the cornerstone commemorative events that will take place throughout the year?
The 50th Anniversary will commence with the Kick-Off Weekend (August 23-25) at the start of
the 2013/14 school year. The school will hold a Winter Weekend celebration on January 24-25.
Can I take part in the 50th Anniversary celebrations if I’m not in Zurich or am not planning to come to
Switzerland this year?
Throughout the 2013/14 school year, there will be opportunities to celebrate with apéros /
happy hour/drinks in major cities around the world that have concentrations of alumni.
Tentative locations already identified are New York, Boston, San Francisco and London. Save
the dates, online event sign-up and more information will be available as plans are confirmed in
the fall of 2013.
How can I make sure I’ll see my friends from AISZ, IPSZ and ZIS at the celebratory events?
The best way to see your friends at the 50th Anniversary Events is to reach out and encourage
them to come to either the 50th Kick-Off Weekend or the Winter Weekend. Some might
hesitate to sign-up because they don’t know who is coming. Be a leader among your peers.
Plan with your friends to all sign-up and attend. It’s the first step to make sure that you’re
among dear friends while opening the door to make new acquaintances. In the latest issue of
the ZIS magazine Voices, you can find postcards to mail and encourage others to join you in
Zurich. Reach out, reconnect, share excitement, make plans to reunite and register online. Help
spread the word and organize your friends; alumni are coming home to ZIS, AISZ and IPSZ!
Where can I find relevant information, updates and online event registration throughout the 50th
Anniversary year?
Information, updates and online event registration can be found at www.zis.ch/50years.
50th Kick-Off Weekend
What is the 50th Anniversary Kick-Off Weekend (August 23-25, 2013)?
The 50th Anniversary Kick-Off Weekend will bring together students, parents, alumni and
faculty/staff from the ZIS, AISZ and IPSZ communities for an inaugural celebration at the start of
the 2013/14 school year. This event promises a little something for everyone. Events like the
exclusive Zurich Zoo apéro/drinks reception, interactive rainforest tours and dinner in the
Masoala Rain Forest are fun that your whole family can enjoy. AISZ and ZIS alumni may be
especially interested to visit the Villa during the open houses on Friday and the Saturday
morning breakfast. Many of the individual events, like the all-community BBQ on Sunday, are
free of charge. During the BBQ, there will be activities for kids and adults alike, including: a
student vs. alumni/faculty soccer match, a creative art project, and even a whimsical photo
booth to capture your fun on film.
Where may I register for Kick-Off Weekend events and who is invited to attend?
To view the itinerary of the full Kick-Off Weekend program, please click here. Online registration
is available for individual events, as well as for the Full Weekend Package. Whether or not the
events you choose include a charge, you will need to register in advance to help the planning
team in their efforts to accommodate our wonderfully supportive ZIS community.
What is the difference between the Full Package Registration and the Individual Event Registration
options for the Kick-Off Weekend?
We have two methods of registering, which you can find at www.zis.ch/50years: a Full
Weekend Package registration and an Individual Events registration.
Individual Event Registration: If you do not want to attend every event during the weekend, you
can pick whatever activities you have time for in this à la carte registration option. Some of the
events, including the Friday open houses, many of Saturday’s social activities, and the all-school
barbecue on Sunday, are free of charge. Other events, mainly the meals, have charges (from
CHF 20-30 for each apéro to CHF 75 for the Zoo dinner, with lower prices for children) to help
cover some of the costs.
Full Weekend Package: If you know you want to attend everything over the course of the
weekend, you may want to pick the Full Weekend registration option. For a discounted flat-rate
of CHF 100 per person you may attend all the weekend events (note that the Zoo dinner is the
only event for which there is an additional charge). The apéro and tour at Zurich Zoo are
included in that CHF 100 flat rate. Only the dinner is an additional fee.
Why is ZIS charging for Kick-Off Weekend events?
Because ZIS is a non-profit school, some event charges are necessary to help cover a portion of
the cost for the events, particularly in the case of food/drinks. It is very important that tuition
money not be used to fund these events.
I would like to fly in from abroad to attend the Kick-Off Weekend. What should I do?
For those joining us from abroad, the Full Weekend Package registration option is a
comprehensive package to help make your trip to Zurich convenient and more affordable. In
addition to offering a discounted per-person registration fee that covers all Kick-Off Weekend
events (except dinner at Zoo Zurich), we have included hotel block options at special group rates
and a discount code for flights through SWISS, the ZIS, AISZ & IPSZ 50th Anniversary’s official
carrier. Also included in the registration is information about the Zurich Card, which provides a
multi-day discounted pass on train, tram and boat transportation throughout multiple SBB
zones, as well as provides discounts and free admission to many local attractions.
I live in Zurich. How can the SWISS flight discount be helpful to me and my family?
Both local and internationally based ZIS, AISZ and IPSZ families are eligible for special prices on
flights through Swiss, the official carrier of the 50th Anniversary. With up to 15% off regularly
priced fares, this might be particularly helpful for those returning to Zurich from summer travels
near the start of the school year.
Significantly discounted flights are bookable for the travel period of 14 days before and after the
official Kick-Off Weekend event dates of August 23-25. If you plan to travel by air within the
designated travel period, and you also plan to attend the Kick-Off Weekend, register online at
www.zis.ch/50years to receive the Swiss discount code and instructions on how to book your
flight(s) at www.swiss.com/event.
Can current ZIS faculty & staff participate in the Kick-Off Weekend events?
All ZIS faculty and staff are welcome to participate in the Kick-Off Weekend, and may register at
www.zis.ch/50years
Winter Weekend
What is the Winter Weekend (January 24-25, 2014)?
The school will hold a winter celebration on the weekend of January 24-25, 2014. Partnering
with the 3rd annual Upper School Career Forum, this Winter Weekend will include the chance for
community members to participate in the Career Forum and to attend a special reception
afterwards. As the weekend continues, the community will have the opportunity to ski on
Saturday, followed that evening by the festivities of the annual ZIS Gala! More information and
registration for Gala tickets will be forthcoming in September.
What are the main differences between the Welcome Back BBQ during the Kick-Off Weekend and the
ZIS Gala during the Winter Weekend?
The BBQ is an all-community celebration for every family of ZIS, AISZ and IPSZ at the start of the
2012/13 school year. To register for this free fun-filled event, visit www.zis.ch/50years. The Gala
will be part of the Winter Weekend, and is the school’s main annual fundraising event. Proceeds
from this black-tie benefit will jump-start a new Visiting Scholars Program.
I want to attend the Gala. When can I expect to see more information about this event and where can
I purchase tickets?
Additional information and online-ticket sales will be available in September at
www.zis.ch/50years.
Commemorative Book
I heard there is a 50th Anniversary Commemorative book. What is it about?
To mark the anniversary, a 116 page hardback ‘coffee table’ book is being published.
“Celebrating our Community: 50 years of AISZ/IPSZ/ZIS” tells the school’s story through vivid
photos, historical information and insightful interviews.
How much is the book and do you ship internationally?
The book will be available in Fall 2013 and can be collected from the school or posted to Swiss
or international addresses. The individual book price is CHF 80. Pricing options are inclusive of
tax and shipping.
Collect from school - CHF 80
Posted within Switzerland - CHF 90
Posted within Europe - CHF 110
Posted within the USA - CHF 100
Posted to other locations - CHF 120
Where can I order my own copy of Celebrating our Community?
A limited number of copies are being published and pre-order is available. To pre-order your
copy of “Celebrating our Community: 50 years of AISZ/IPSZ/ZIS”, click here or visit
www.zis.ch/ourcommunity.
For additional questions, please contact the ZIS Community Relations Team at [email protected].