One of the favourite events on the SIS Pfäffikon-Schwyz school calendar every year is the Grade 2 sleepover. Our Grade 2 students swapped their school bags for sleeping bags and joined us for an unforgettable night at school. The excitement was buzzing from the moment they arrived, with wide smiles and a few happy jitters in the air.

We kicked off the event after school with a walk in the forest. The children enjoyed running and playing in the fresh air, before returning to school to start preparing the evening meal together. There was a lot of enthusiasm in the kitchen. Excited little chefs chopping, cutting and mixing, laying the tables, folding napkins - all accompanied with a lot of chatter and laughter. We had a special guest join us for dinner, Mr. Rütti. The children were delighted to sit down together with him and enjoy a delicious Mexican meal. After dinner, the students completed a scavenger hunt around the school hallways, where laughter echoed as friends worked together to solve challenges. 

As the night settled in, we transformed the library into comfortable sleeping spaces, complete with fairy lights, teddy bears and bedtime stories.

In the morning, sleepy but happy faces prepared breakfast and laid the tables for all their guests. A small group of children walked down to the bakery with Herr Brunner to buy a variety of fresh loaves of bread for the morning feast. The students enjoyed serving and sharing breakfast with their parents and siblings before heading home with wonderful memories and new friendships were forged.

A huge thank you to Mr. Rütti, the teachers and assistant staff for making this a magical experience, and to our Grade 2 stars for bringing so much joy and energy to the whole event. The students will savour all these moments of the sleepover, leaving them with long-lasting, fond memories.

Mrs. Priscilla Bitton (Grade 1 & 2 English class teacher)

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) lessons offer a practical way to explore various subjects through project-oriented learning in secondary classes. Each year, we cover topics ranging from robotics to engineering, often using only paper as our primary material. This semester, Secondary 2 and 3 students are designing and building a “Rube Goldberg machine”.

Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor who lived from 1883 to 1970. He is best known for drawing elaborate, fictional machines that performed simple tasks through complex chains of everyday objects. These "Rube Goldberg machines" became a cultural phenomenon, popularizing the idea of over-engineering solutions where a simple task is accomplished in an overly complicated way.

The goal of this year’s annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest is to open a box. To create their machines, students working in groups must include at least seven distinct chain reactions that culminate in opening the box. While the opening doesn’t need to be elegant, the box must open autonomously. In their designs, students carefully avoid wasting materials, prioritizing the use or reuse of items they already have. They must work meticulously to ensure all elements are precisely set up, so that no human intervention is required for the machine to function. The students will film the results and submit them to the online competition, followed by a presentation to the school body so everyone can see the machines in action.

We look forward to seeing the results, as this is the first year in which we will submit our entries to the official contest.

Mr. Scott Warner (STEM, ICT and Music teacher)

Immer wieder stehen die Schülerinnen und Schüler vor der Herausforderung einer Prüfung. Um diese so stressfrei wie möglich meistern zu können, gibt es jeweils eine ca. 2-wöchige Vorbenachrichtigung. Die letzte Woche wird dazu genutzt, dass Schülerinnen und Schüler ihre Fragen stellen können, Probleme noch einmal aufgegriffen und gemeinsam besprechen können und Aufgaben bearbeitet werden können, die denen der Prüfung ähneln.  

In dieser Sequenz hier sehen wir ein gegebenes Problem. Das Thema ist Trigonometrie im allgemeinen Dreieck. Zu Beginn der Stunde stellte ein Schüler seine Frage, die ihm noch Probleme bereitete. Das Problem erkannten wir an der Tafel: Finde die entsprechenden Winkel eines Dreiecks, wenn nur die drei Seitenlängen gegeben sind. Gemeinsam erarbeiteten wir die Strategie und den Lösungsansatz, das Ausrechnen danach machten die Schülerinnen und Schüler alle für sich allein. Erst danach verglichen sie ihre Ergebnisse und erkannten, wo sie noch Übungsbedarf haben. 

Der Schwierigkeitsgrad einer Prüfung entspricht immer etwa dem der Maturaprüfung, denn nach der Prüfung gilt ein Thema als abgeschlossen und wir beginnen uns auf ein nächstes vorzubereiten. 

Diese Zeit der letzten Übungsphase erfolgt eigentlich fast immer in Stille, denn die Schülerinnen und Schüler wissen, was auf sie zukommt. Die Aufgabe der Lehrperson ist, je näher die Prüfung kommt, desto weniger theoretische Fragen zu beantworten, sondern eher den Schülerinnen und Schülern die Angst und Aufregung zu nehmen. Dieser Schritt ist oft der individuellste, denn jeder Schüler und jede Schülerin geht mit dem Stress anders um.  

Wenn man als Lehrer solch einen Vorbereitungsablauf hat, so ist man beruhigt, denn es zeigt einem, dass man die Schülerinnen und Schüler gut vorbereitet hat und diese die Vorbereitungszeit nutzten und wohl ein gutes Resultat erzielen werden.  

Herr Zoltan Molnar (College Lehrperson für Mathe & Chemie)

Our school’s Spring Holiday Club was held from 27th April to 1st May. It was a vibrant and enjoyable week, filled with fun, creativity and learning. It was made even more enjoyable by the beautiful weather throughout. Students took part in a wide range of exciting activities, from art and craft to outdoor games. All designed to keep them active and inspired during the holiday break. The club provided a welcoming environment where children could socialise, develop new skills and make lasting memories with their friends.

Our very first adventure took us to the Bergwerk Käpfnach in Horgen, a former coal mine that has been transformed into a museum. As the guide led us into the mine, we immediately noticed the cool, damp air and the dim lighting, which created a unique and slightly mysterious atmosphere. One of the highlights of the visit was the underground tram ride that took us deeper into the narrow tunnels. It was a fascinating experience, as it gave the students a glimpse into the daily life of miners.

During the tour, the students saw original tools, machines and exhibits that explained how coal was extracted. The guide shared interesting stories about the difficult working conditions, helping the students better understand the challenges miners faced. The visit was both educational and exciting and allowed the students to experience a part of Switzerland’s industrial history in a very interactive way, making it a memorable and meaningful first outing.

For our second adventure, we stepped into a prehistoric world at the World of Dinosaurs in Wädenswill, where towering giants and ancient creatures came to life around us. From the moment we arrived, we were surrounded by life-sized dinosaur models that made the experience both exciting and a little overwhelming.

As we walked through the exhibition, we learned about different types of dinosaurs, their habitats, and how they lived millions of years ago. One of the most enjoyable parts was seeing the variety of dinosaurs up close from towering predators to smaller, lesser-known species. The visit to the World of Dinosaurs was an exciting and enjoying experience. It combined learning with entertainment and made our second outing just as exciting as the first, but in a completely different way.

For our next experience, the students traded exploration for creativity and took part in a baking workshop at our campus, where the students had the chance to bake a traditional “Grandma’s cake”. The warm, inviting atmosphere of the kitchen made the experience feel comforting and familiar right from the start. The students followed the recipe, learning useful baking techniques while working together to mix, measure and prepare the ingredients. The process required patience and attention to detail, but it was also fun and rewarding. The sweet aroma filling the room as the cake baked, made the experience even more enjoyable. When the cake was finally ready, the students were proud of what they had created, which not only looked delicious but also tasted just as good.

During the visit to the Milchmanufaktur in Einsiedeln, the students had the opportunity to make their own cream cheese. On arrival, the students were introduced to the world of dairy production and learned about how milk is processed into different products.

The students were shown how to mix ingredients and how the texture gradually changed into fresh cream cheese. The hands-on activity made the experience especially engaging, as they were directly involved in the process rather than just watching. One of the highlights was tasting the cream cheese which the students had made themselves from scratch.

During the art workshop, the students explored the creative world of origami paper art. The session introduced us to the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, where simple sheets of paper were transformed into detailed shapes and figures.

The students carefully followed step by step instructions, learning how to fold with precision and patience. At first, some of the designs were challenging, but with practice, they were able to create a variety of forms such as animals. The activity required concentration, but it was also relaxing and enjoyable. It was interesting to notice how each student’s work had its own unique touch, even when following the same instructions. The origami workshop was a fun and engaging experience. It allowed the students to develop their creativity, improve their fine motor skills and appreciate the beauty of simple materials used in artistic ways.

Looking back, the entire week was filled with exciting and memorable experiences. From exploring underground tunnels and discovering a prehistoric world to creating food and art with their own hands, each activity taught them something unique. It was a week full of learning, creativity and enjoyment that the students will not forget anytime soon.

Mrs. Sarindar Kaur (supervisor and librarian)