Coming up ten years ago, in August 2012, SIS Rotkreuz-Zug opened its doors with 29 students and a small group of teachers, under the guidance of Jarrod Brauer as principal and Tom Huber as division manager. In those days there was very little on the Suurstoffi Estate, but Zug Estates had the vision to forsee the car-free community that we see today, including the need for educational establishments for those who live and work here.
Before the opening of the school, provisions were made in an “office” in an apartment overlooking a building site where the original 1926 building was undergoing careful in situ renovation in preparation of welcoming the school's first students – what we now know as our Kindergarten building.
The school started with three composite classes consisting of Kindergarten 1/2, Primary Intro/Primary 1 and Primary 2/3, catering for children from four to eight years old. Ms Warner, our kindergarten teacher and the last remaining member of the original team, has fond memories of the early days. She recalls, “We had a BBQ for parents, teachers and children on the Friday before we officially opened. This was really nice and helped us all. Meeting beforehand allowed the children and parents to first touch base at an informal social occasion where they were able to look around at the classrooms, orientate themselves and meet the teachers and the other children who were to become their new friends.” Ms Warner has also reflected on the pleasure it gave the staff to see how the children enjoyed the environment they had taken so much time and care to create. From day one, the community was founded upon the collaboration and mutual trust and respect within the school.
A highlight for our students has always been the playground space which allows the children to enjoy running around, swinging, climbing, jumping, balancing and sliding on a daily basis, both within the self-contained kindergarten play space and the public play space adjacent to the main school building. As the school grew within the small kindergarten building, an additional classroom and library were required, and opened in an apartment building nearby while we waited for our main school building to be built. Once ready, in August 2014, the Primary Intro and older children moved into the purpose-built premises at Suurstoffi 41c, equipped with its own art, music and science rooms. In August 2015, with natural growth, SIS Rotkreuz-Zug welcomed its first secondary class.
Since those days the school has built on these strong foundations and has a strong, well-earned reputation for supporting both the academic and personal success of its students. There is much that has been added to the opportunities afforded to the original students. We now have regular assemblies, student-led conferences, an array of after-school clubs, our own basketball/football pitch, a parent council, yearly camps, a full library and a small computer suite. At our core, we are also proud to be part of the SIS community. In celebrating ten years, we can reflect on the growth of the school, which now has almost 120 students across our two buildings.
To mark our first ten years, we shall be holding a celebration during our school’s summer party in July 2022 where we will reflect on the success and growth of the school over these ten years and look ahead to the future prosperity of our school and its students. We look forward to continued growth and to serving our community with a strong SIS education for many years to come.
Katrina Cameron, Principal with Sarah Warner, Kindergarten Teacher