ISR International School on the Rhine to open a branch of its Kindergarten in Düsseldorf- Niederkassel

Friday, 22 March 2019

ISR International School on the Rhine based in Neuss is opening an English speaking Kindergarten in Düsseldorf-Niederkassel. The former ballet school of the Deutschen Oper am Rhein on Niederkasseler Kirchweg 36 has been torn down and will be replaced with a brand new Kindergarten by mid-2020, with a capacity for educating over 100 boys and girls aged three years and above. The educational philosophy and teaching methods practiced at ISR in Neuss will also be implemented at the site in Düsseldorf. The city council of Düsseldorf has approved of the plans for the new building, the legal change in the use of the property as well as the long-term lease of 50 years. ISR, with the support of the Düsseldorfer architect firm Leckelt, will now embark on building the planned premises.

Mr. Peter Soliman, CEO of ISR, places a high value on establishing an ISR branch in Düsseldorf, as many students, currently enrolled at ISR Neuss, live in Düsseldorf. Especially for students in Kindergarten, the interest from families from Düsseldorf has remained unabated. He says, “In the previous 4 years, we have already expanded our Kindergarten in Neuss twice. Currently, 139 children are enrolled in our Kindergarten. As we noticed a continuous rise in inquiries for Kindergarten spots, we decided against expanding our Kindergarten in Neuss for the third time and instead chose to open a new branch in Düsseldorf. Since there is an acute shortage of Kindergarten places in Düsseldorf, our opening also relieves some of the pressure on the state-run Kindergarten facilities. “

The location of the property in Düsseldorf is ideal. Both ISR Kindergartens are easily connected through the highways A52 and A57. The school expects some Düsseldorfer families currently enrolled in Neuss, to move to the new location in Düsseldorf. Mr. Peter Soliman remains confident that “due to the long waiting list at our current location in Neuss, we expect the vacant spots in Neuss to be filled immediately. “ Currently over 970 students are enrolled at ISR and are prepared for the IBDP (International Baccalaureate) school leaving certificate.

The open and green grounds of the former ballet school are perfect for the new Kindergarten building. The semi-circular building will enable each of the 5 Kindergarten classes to have direct access to the spacious playground. The modern building with generous rooms flooded with natural sunlight will be equipped with a kitchen, a Movement Room for dance, exercise and movement, and a parent conference room.

The international pre-school Kindergarten in Niederkassel is located directly next to the Japanese International School- JISD. Mr. Soliman confirms “We held a lot of preliminary talks with the school and the consulate regarding this project. We have discussed every planning stage jointly and our cooperation with JISD has been very friendly and open. We are certain that both parties will mutually benefit from this project.”

Essential aspects of the educational philosophy currently practiced at ISR in Neuss will also be implemented at the new location. For instance, English will be solely taught by native speakers. Mr. Soliman states “At this age, the children learn by playing” German lessons are also mandatory. Apart from the multi-lingual lessons, the ISR pre-schoolers also familiarise themselves with numbers and letters and are thus optimally and bilingually ready for primary school.

The caregiver to child ratio is low. A team consisting of one fully trained teacher and one/two teaching assistants is responsible for a group of up to 20 children. This enables very individual and comprehensive care for 3-6-year-olds. In total, around 16 employees (including the Head of the Kindergarten) will be managing the 5 Kindergarten groups in Düsseldorf. In addition, a German teacher and a Music teacher will also join the team.

To ensure optimal childcare support before and after teaching hours, the Kindergarten will be open from 07:30 am to 6:00 pm. Catering will be provided by the well-known company Broich which has a specialized nutrition plan focussing on the needs and wishes of the children.

Kindergarten planning at Niederkasseler Kirchweg

Indian Consul General Visits ISR to Increase Cooperation with the School

Thursday, 14 March 2019

The Indian Consul General in Germany, Pratibha Parkar, visited ISR International School on the Rhine in Neuss on Tuesday, 12.03.2019.

The consul, accompanied by Mridula Singh, Education Officer & Social Secretary to Consul General, came from Frankfurt to the Rhineland to get to know the Indian community at ISR, which is now one of the largest country groups at the school.

“I am glad that my compatriots here feel so welcome at ISR and are now so strongly repre-sented.”, Pratibha Parkar emphasizes: “And now that I have visited the school and learned about the academic program at ISR, I have gained an understanding of our students and parents expe-riences at the school.” Consulate General Pratibha Parkar, who has served as a diplomat in vari-ous parts of the world since 2000, was welcomed by the children of the Indian community, their parents, and representatives of ISR’s Management Team. ISR’s Kindergarten children made a wel-come poster for the Consul General.

“As an international school, it is very important to us that international families from different cultures stay in regular contact with their diplomatic representatives,” emphasizes Peter Soliman, Managing Partner of ISR. “We, too, as a school, appreciate the exchange and are delighted that the Consul General has taken the time today to meet with our Indian community and the school.”

During the meeting, the group discussed various ways in which a cooperation between the school and the Consul General can be intensified. In addition, the Indian parents reported on their personal experiences at the school and in Germany.Seite 2 von 2

“This type of exchange is essential for us as a school and gives the different cultures represented at the school the feeling of appreciation for their home country”, emphasizes Eileen Lyons, School Director at ISR. “We are pleased that the talks were so positive today as we continue to learn from parents and their consular representatives what is important for the families. Despite more than 41 nationalities at ISR and our decades of experience, we always looking for opportu-nities to learn more and grow in our understanding of other cultures.”

In addition to the visit of the Indian Consul General, ISR has also recently welcomed the Turkish Consul-General, Şule Gürel, and the Japanese Vice-Consul, Shinsuke Toda.

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