Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Otto

Spotlight On Our Student Otto

This week we are proud to put our 6h grader Otto in the student spotlight. His former homeroom teacher Mr. Foy says “If we could somehow tap the endless supply of energy that Otto has, we would solve the world’s climate and pollution problems in an instant! Since I’ve been his teacher, I have been amazed by Otto’s energy and positive outlook on life. We can measure success in many ways, but for me personally the most important measure of success is the extent to which we positively impact the lives of others. With his warmth, good humor and endless reserves of energy, Otto has enriched the lives of many of his peers and has inspired countless laughs along the way. Therefore he can count himself already as someone who has achieved much in his life that is truly meaningful.”

Also his current teacher Ms. Muller can only confirm that Otto is truly a joy to teach. “Otto is an incredibly positive and creative learner. He never allows difficult challenges to hinder his ability to finish the task at hand. His motivation and perseverance are incredibly admirable and absolutely amazing to watch” she says. One of Otto’s other teachers, Mr. Bernard, says “Otto is one of those students that, even when you are reprimanding them for something, will still find a way to make you smile. His kind and humorous nature, as well as his willingness to work hard and apply himself in the lessons, made him an enthusiastic and popular member of the class”.

We are proud to spotlight Otto, one of many of ISR’s outstanding students!

Our Student Spotlight project aims to highlight every Friday one of our outstanding students who is, appropriate to this year’s theme, striving for “extraordinary achievements” on a daily basis. No matter if its academic success, a special commitment, or outstanding character traits – we look forward to sharing each of these success stories.


Visit of the Chinese Cultural Consul He

Visit of the Chinese Cultural Consul He

Thursday, 31 October 2019

Visit of the Chinese Cultural Consul He

Today, we were honoured to welcome Mr. He, the Cultural Consul of Düsseldorf’s Chinese Consulate, to ISR. The consul was greeted by our management team and our kindergarten students, who painted a beautiful poster for him. After the welcome session, Consul He met our Chinese community and introduced current cultural exchange projects between China and NRW.

Afterwards, ISR’s Chinese community and the Cultural Consul discussed difficulties new families may face after moving to Germany and how to help those families integrate into the German culture.

At ISR, we have a growing Chinese community and we were honoured that we could arrange this exchange between our community and the Cultural Consul He this afternoon.

We would like to thank the Chinese Consulate and Mr. He for his visit and the open discussion on how to further expand and enrich the excellent relationship between ISR and the Chinese Community in Düsseldorf.


Halloween Party at ISR

Halloween Party at ISR

Thursday, 31 October 2019

Halloween Party at ISR

Today, we celebrated Halloween at ISR! This morning, the students had their pictures taken in their amazing costumes as they walked into the school foyer! After that, our Kindergarten children went “trick or treating” around the school and received several delicious pieces of candy from the staff for their fantastic costume ideas! A “spooky” Halloween performance was put on by our lovely kindergarten on the playground which definitely had us laughing! As the afternoon rolled on, the Kindergarten students and their parents had a Halloween party with lots of fun games and spooky food prepared by the parents.

In addition to all of these activities, the SLO® Department organized our annual “trunk or treat” which had many of our primary students running around getting candy from ghostly decorated cars. All the students had a lot of fun collecting candy, and of course, this event was only successful because of our generous parents, who donated the candy and their cars to use!

The middle school had a fun Halloween party, too! With quite a lot of tasty treats and snacks prepared for them by our parents, they were able to have an enjoyable Halloween party!

Last Sunday, our longstanding partner, the American International Women’s Club of Düsseldorf, already started to get our community in the spooky spirit by celebrating their annual Halloween party on our campus. Around 300 guests were in attendance, and the younger visitors, in particular, had tremendous fun carving their pumpkins, showcasing their Halloween costumes at a fashion show, and going around “trick or treating” in one of our creepily decorated hallways! The members of the AIWCD decorated the school with white spider webs, bright orange pumpkins, skeletons, and everything else typical for Halloween – it was a fun and spooky atmosphere! Amongst the visitors were many ISR students who decided to take part in the party, and they hardly recognized the school – well-done, AIWCD! All the guests were thrilled to be part of a typical American Halloween party, and we would like to thank all AIWCD members for this creepy and successful party!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, ISR!


Our UCC Team at the Rochusclub Düsseldorf

Our UCC Team at the Rochusclub Düsseldorf

Tuesday, 29 October 2019

Our UCC Team at the Rochusclub Düsseldorf

Last Sunday, we had the honour to host a lecture on the topic: “How to Continue After School” at the renowned Rochusclub in Düsseldorf. Interested students and parents were invited to listen to our Deputy Director and IB Coordinator, Mr. Cete and one of our University and Career Counsellors, Ms. Wacker, talk about the various application procedures, requirements, and other criteria that are important to know when applying for universities and colleges both in Germany and worldwide.

Our students at ISR currently have three full-time staff at their disposal in our University and Careers Counselling Department who are dedicated to assist them on their path to their desired universities and to support them in the best possible way with continuous consultation (with their parents) in their development. This process begins in the 8th grade and continues until our students graduate!

The presentation on Sunday served as further enhancement of the partnership between the Rochusclub and the ISR and is expected to be repeated in Spring 2020 for further interested members.

We would like to thank Mr. Hugo, the manager of the Rochusclub, for the great organization and we are looking forward to further joint events!


ISR Open House 2019

ISR Open House 2019

Monday, 28 October 2019

Last Saturday, we celebrated our annual ISR Open House with hundreds of guests, interested families, and friends of the school. In bright sunshine, the guests could enjoy a diverse program of demonstration lessons in several subjects; a Language Hallway; creative art exhibitions; a Science Escape Room where interested students could prove their knowledge in chemistry, biology, and physics; music composition activities; many different sport activities; as well as numerous hands-on activities offered by dedicated partners!

Our IT department impressed visitors with the opportunity to trial our virtual reality goggles, which let children and parents dive into the depths of the ocean! Interested families had the opportunity to learn about our school through various presentations and take part in a student-led school tour. Our tours were offered in a variety of languages, organized by our SLO® department under the guidance of our head prefect Henning (Grade 11). Our amazing Parent Network provided food and drinks in the cafeteria, which was impressively decorated with flags from all over the world! These are small details that lead to a big impression and show our true international spirit.

As guests of honour, we were pleased to welcome Mayor Geisel and family; Mr. Nakata, the headmaster of the Japanese International School; and Mr. Fuchs, the Advisory Board Chairman and founding father of the school.

A special thank you also to all parents, students, employees and our partners, without whom this unique event would not have been possible!


Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Clara

Spotlight On Our Student Clara

Clara, Grade 6, is a wonderful example of a student with a strong sense of autonomy and determination to succeed. Her teacher from last year, Mr. Foy, says for one so young, she articulates herself extremely effectively and structures and justifies her arguments with skill. “She can often be found using her talents to try and talk me out of giving English homework!”

He also says Clara is incredibly strong-willed and is a perfect example of an empowered young woman, who uses her extensive capabilities to call out and stand up to inequality and intolerance in her surroundings. “Despite how much I enjoy the endless debates I have with Clara, what I admire most about her is how systematically reflective she is with regards to her learning. She embraces challenges and is consistently looking for the next improvement in her development and this is the most defining and impressive aspect of her character. I will be sad not to teach her in the future but look forward to her putting the world to rights in the not-to-distant future”.

Clara is also a very talented athlete. She has a strong personality and a competitive attitude. Her PE Teacher, Ms. Racheva, says Clara is always on top, trying her best and definitely is a role model and a great example of “Never Ever Give Up”. Tennis is her passion and she has already won several tournaments in school and at her tennis club.

We all love Clara’s smile and motivation to be the best in school, in sports, and last but not least as a friend.

We are proud to spotlight Clara, one of many of ISR’s outstanding students!

Our Student Spotlight project aims to highlight every Friday one of our outstanding students who is, appropriate to this year’s theme, striving for “extraordinary achievements” on a daily basis. No matter if its academic success, a special commitment, or outstanding character traits – we look forward to sharing each of these success stories.


„Ein Hauptsponsor sagte mir: Sie müssen weg“ – Als Lehrer hat Karsten Baumann sein neues Glück gefunden

„Ein Hauptsponsor sagte mir: Sie müssen weg“ – Als Lehrer hat Karsten Baumann sein neues Glück gefunden

Thursday, 24 October 2019

In: Kicker

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Inktober – another great project at ISR!

Inktober – another great project at ISR!

Thursday, 24 October 2019

Inktober – another great project at ISR!

Inktober is a month-long art challenge, created by artist Jake Parker, that focuses on improving drawing skills and developing positive habits. According to one popular study, it takes anywhere from 18 to 254 days for people to form a new habit. As author John Irving said, “Good habits are worth being fanatical about.” Every day for the month of October anyone participating in the Inktober challenge creates an ink drawing and posts it online.

Our art department also joins Inktober and our students have been drawing diligently every day since the beginning of October. For each day there is a different theme and there are no limits to creativity. In the group, our students exchange ideas and get inspired anew every day. Our art teacher actively supports the project and motivates our students as well. We’re more than proud to offer this creative project to our students and we’re looking forward to seeing all the results in the end!

A few examples:


Successful completion of the "Wheels For Wheels" charity project

Successful completion of the “Wheels For Wheels” charity project

Tuesday, 22 October 2019

The “Wheels For Wheels”- project, initiated by the two grade 12 students Eric and Max as part of their IB – CAS commitment, has come to an end. After many training sessions, 260 km were cycled through Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium over a 7-day journey during their summer break. Additionally, the committed students sold key-chains and other biking accessories during various ISR school events, in order to raise even more money for their project.

The funds will now go to the “Tandem Foundation Burkhard Zülow” in Neuss to support people with physical and mental disabilities. The two students met Ms. Zülow today to tell her the good news. Overall, the students have collected the impressive amount of € 1,000 through their project which will be used for a new tandem wheel.

We are very proud of the two students and are pleased that they were able to support this great project through their outstanding commitment.