Humans of CIS

“I was born in France but I am technically half American and half French. I have been in India for 3 years and lived in France before that.”

How did it feel moving to India from France?

“I didn't know anything about India when I moved here, it was a completely new experience for me. It took time to get used to - especially the spicy food! It's a little bit different but I am used to it now.”

Can you tell me about your time at CIS?

“I joined CIS in 6th grade. I was in the ESL class as my English wasn’t too good. After a month I walked into a regular English class - pretty happy that I learned quickly thanks to my teachers! I try and participate in a lot of activities, especially clubs; they’re fun. I learned basketball and soccer at CIS. Contextual Learning was also a great experience. I participated in a robotics contest too. It was a learning experience for my team. We bonded, solved problems, and got to see what other teams were doing.

Overall, I’d say I really love being at CIS!”

N.P, Grade 9

“I am from Meghalaya and Odisha. I have moved all over the country with my mum and dad. We were a travelling family, we moved to England and then moved back to a boarding school in Kodai.

If you know the term TCK (Third Culture Kids), that’s what I am. Anywhere we lived that was home for us. It exposed us to different cultures and taught us to be more accepting. It also made me realise that the world is not a big place, it is a tiny little village that is interconnected.

My parents were teachers but I never wanted to be a teacher. When I was doing my Masters in English in Chennai, I started tutoring my warden’s grandson who was differently abled and severely dyslexic. It was only then I realised the joy of teaching and the importance of understanding concepts to actually learn. I went to the States and did my Masters in Special Education. When I came back I joined a school in North Bangalore, then I moved to Kodai where I did Learning Support for high school students, taught middle school English, and I also taught the piano! It was amazing to see students learn and do so well - it was humbling.

I joined CIS in January 2011 as a Grade 1 teacher. It has been a huge learning curve technology-wise, creatively, and professionally. I have made friends for life at CIS, everyone is very kind and professional. I think I have grown as a human being at CIS.”

Samanthea Laitflang
Middle School Team Lead

“We are Floriane and Mathieu and we are from Switzerland and France

We met on the other side of the planet in Tahiti. It is funny cause Switzerland and France are quite close to each other but we ended up meeting somewhere else entirely! We joke around saying that we both have the “travelling genes”. We have previously lived in Berlin, Germany, and Brussels, Belgium. We have 2 children, one in Elementary and one in High School. Our daughter is fluent in 3 languages - German, French, and English. Our children are growing up to be very different from their cousins who have stayed back at home; they have different perspectives on life and they experience various cultures. It’s one of the perks of being in a travelling family!

We have been in India since 2013. We arrived at a time when the city was much smaller and now it has developed so much. We have seen a big evolution. When we first moved here we had a choice of around 4 schools but CIS was always our first choice. It was so green and that really appealed to us. Our older daughter joined when she was in 4th grade and we like that CIS always encourages its students to pursue what they love doing. There is always an emphasis on the positive aspects of learning. We moved to India when our younger son was 1 and now we think that he is an Indian! He can speak some Kannada and it is funny to watch because we don’t understand a word of it. We are a multicultural family!

One of the major reasons why we like CIS is because it is evolving and preparing the students for the future. The school doesn’t only deal with academics but it also teaches about life and values so that students can become better human beings with the ability to adapt to change. It is undoubtedly the best school in the area.“

Floriane and Mathieu, CIS Parents

Humans of CIS: “I am originally from Mangalore but I lived in Saudi Arabia my whole life. I was in an international school there also but I wanted to go for a better quality education that was more holistic for High School. So, I moved to CIS last year and I have been living in boarding ever since.

Boarding is a lot of fun and you get to hang out with your friends from school. We also get to socialise with students above and below our age group which is great. It is a tight-knit community and we all support one another. Initially, the transition was tough and I was very homesick. But, the boarding parents were amazing and the homely atmosphere made sure that I was comfortable living here. There is always something to do and we are always occupied in boarding.

Apart from boarding, the highlight for me at CIS has been my art results in IGCSE 10th grade - I scored the highest in art! I love art and I want to be a car designer when I grow up. I was so happy that my hard work paid off; from late nights to weekends, I really worked to get those results. When I graduate I want to pursue a Fine Arts degree mostly in Asia or either in the U.S or Canada. Even though I will be far from home I know I’ll be okay because the boarding at CIS has really been preparing me for university life.”

Where are you from?

“I am from Canada. It is really far away from India and it takes almost 2 days to reach!”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“I am not sure but I think I want to be a doctor when I grow up. I kind of like everything that I learn at CIS. I like my art class and I have a lot of friends too!”

We heard that you are part of the student council. That’s a big role!

"Yes, I am part of the student council. It is nice because everyone in my class voted for me. My speech was about what I could change at school. I wanted to add more games to the playground.”

Why do you like CIS?

“I like CIS because it feels like home to me. People are kind and the teachers are so nice. I look forward to going to school every day!”

L.S, Grade 4

“I was born and brought up in Chennai but I lived in the US for 16 years before moving back to Bangalore. We have been here at CIS for 9 years now.

I have 2 sons, the older one is 19 and the younger one is 15. My older son is hearing impaired and it was a little tough for him to move to India from the US. In the US, he used to get assistance in terms of talking to teachers and helping them understand and this made it easier for him. After moving to CIS, I had to go and speak to all the teachers, but it wasn’t so bad, the school was very supportive and helpful. The learning support given to him was excellent.

Our choice while moving back to India was always CIS as my older son had been here for a year in Grade 1 and we knew how friendly everyone was at the school. Now, my older son has graduated and he is in a university in the US pursuing engineering.

Initially I was very involved with the CIS community when my boys were younger. I was also part of the SCA and our then Dean of Studies would always joke around saying “You ladies are at the school more than the students!”.

CIS has always been a very positive experience for us and my boys loved the school. Glad we decided to come back here!”