Happy International Women´s Day
Happy International Women’s Day
Friday, 8 March 2024
Today, we wish to celebrate women.
Women who make an impact, women who are brave, women who encourage others, and women’s rights and equality.
We are celebrating International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality around the world.
At ISR, we pride ourselves on creating an environment where every student, regardless of gender, is equally supported. Among both — students and staff — we value our strong community and are proud of the following facts and figures:
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we asked a special question: What do our male students and colleagues think about International Women’s Day? Who has inspired them, and what ideas do they wish to share related to the topic?
Let’s take a moment to honor the women who have paved the way for progress, fought for equality, and continue to shape a brighter future for generations to come. This day is dedicated to women and the appreciation they deserve.
Happy International Women’s Day, ISR Community!
Students from Musicbox Oxana successfully participated in "Jugend Musiziert"
Students from Musicbox Oxana successfully participated in “Jugend Musiziert”
We are delighted to share another success story from our in-house music school, Musicbox Oxana, and our exceptionally talented students! 19 students, including ten from ISR, participated in the music competition “Jugend musiziert” in the categories piano four hands and violin with piano duo, reflecting our ISR motto, “It’s cool to be good,” in the best way possible!
Every student from Musicbox Oxana who participated achieved an outstanding first place! Additionally, three duos will now have the opportunity to participate in the NRW State Competition due to their exceptional achievements. We are incredibly proud of the students’ accomplishments and the team at Musicbox Oxana! The entire ISR Family is eagerly anticipating the NRW State Competition.
Congratulations to Julia, Mathilda, Hanru, Sophia, Anna, Emilia, Yihan, Caifei, Peter, Lara, Lucy, Lawrence, Rocky, Ricky, Constantin, Eliza, Hewei, Xixian, and Lena.
ISR Carnival Parade in Niederkassel
ISR took part in the Carnival Parade in Niederkassel
Sunday, 11 February 2024
At ISR, the spirit of unity and cultural diversity is deeply embedded in our traditions. Hence, we take pride in fostering a sense of community among our international family. This year, we were thrilled to participate in the lively and family-friendly Carnival Parade in Düsseldorf-Niederkassel!
Under the motto of “Many Cultures, One Global Language: Education,” we joined forces with over 100 families from all three ISR Branches, each adorned in their distinctive traditional attire. The parade was a vibrant tapestry of diversity, featuring Dirndls and Lederhosen, Canadian flags, elegant Indian Saris, traditional Chinese Hanfu dresses, and beautiful Japanese Kimonos. It was a testament to the rich mosaic of cultures that our ISR Community stands for!
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the enthusiastic participants who made this event memorable! Through such joyous occasions, we continue to build bridges of understanding and appreciation. Sharing the tradition of carnival with our international ISR Family and the broader regional community is one of the cultural highlights of our school year.
ISR Chinese New Year Celebration
Chinese New Year Celebration
Saturday, 3 February 2024
Embracing diversity and fostering cultural appreciation lies at the heart of ISR, and this commitment was beautifully exemplified on Saturday during our Chinese New Year Celebration. Alongside numerous guests, the esteemed Chinese Consul General Du was in attendance to commemorate this traditional occasion.
The event unfolded with a captivating stage program, a true testament to the rich tapestry of Chinese culture! Traditional dances, exquisite costumes, musical performances – from singing to traditional Chinese Instruments – and the enchanting voices of two opera singers enriched the program, creating an atmosphere filled with reverence for tradition. Adding a touch of ISR’s own flair, some of our talented students also took the stage, further enriching the program with their musical performances.
The culmination of the festivities took place in the cafeteria, where the delicious aroma of Chinese cuisine filled the air. The joyous mingling of different cultures over a shared meal served to perfectly reflect the unity and harmony that ISR strives to foster.
A heartfelt expression of gratitude goes to Ms. Hofmann, the driving force behind the event and our dedicated Chinese Community Representative. Special thanks are also due to Mr. Guo (Rhein Beleuchtung), whose generosity in providing ISR with high-tech screens and technology enhanced the overall experience.
In extending our appreciation, we wish to thank all our guests and the Consulate General for graciously sharing these wonderful traditions with our international community at ISR. Such moments of cultural exchange not only enrich our understanding but also strengthen the bonds that tie us together as a global community at ISR!
Path to University Presentation
Path to University Presentation at ISR
Wednesday, 17 January 2024
One of the pivotal decisions in a child’s academic journey revolves around selecting a university that sets the stage for a successful and fulfilling future.
At ISR, our committed University and Career Counseling Team, consisting of three full-time staff members, offers guidance to students starting from the conclusion of Grade 8. Ms. Wacker, Ms. Jadistra, and Mr. Bates offer counsel on subject choices, provide insights into universities, and outline the necessary requirements for students to meet.
Today, our Head of UCC, Ms. Wacker, and Ms. Jordanova, Academic Head for Grades 9 and 10, hosted a Path to University Presentation for our Upper School students and their families, creating an opportunity for parents and students to gather information about available options and engage with our experienced team.
In addition to these efforts, our UCC Team regularly travels to universities worldwide, organizes in-house university fairs, and coaches our students to navigate the path to their desired university.
As a Top College Prep School, we consider these measures as crucial opportunities to support our students.
ISR Winter Wonderland 2023
ISR Winter Wonderland
Friday, 15 December 2023
This week, we hosted our ISR Winter Wonderland at our campus in Neuss! For this event, we set up six different huts outside in front of our cafeteria, and our entire ISR Family gathered to enjoy delicious food and beverages, creating a delightful afternoon at ISR in a festive atmosphere! In addition to the huts, we also had a carousel on-site where children could enjoy a ride.
Furthermore, various musical performances took place, featuring our SEA Middle School Choir and our KStarter, KG1, and KG2 children, accompanying our festive ISR Winter Wonderland on three different days with many Christmas songs!
We’re already looking forward to our ISR Winter Wonderland 2024!
ISR St. Martin Celebration
ISR St. Martin Celebration
Wednesday, 8 November 2023
Our ISR Community united on Thursday to partake in the traditional ISR St. Martin celebration with a charming Martinsumzug procession.
The path was illuminated by the lanterns that have been lovingly crafted by our families and teachers, proudly carried by our students. Everyone joined in with spirited singing of the traditional St. Martin songs, accompanied by four talented musicians. Following the procession, we returned to the school for heartwarming food and beverages, with Ms. Ghica captivating us with the tale of St. Martin. Of course, the sweet delight of the traditional Weckmänner was generously shared with all participating families, thanks to St. Martin himself who joined the celebration with his horse.
Our heartfelt appreciation goes to Ms. Claudia Trapp, Ms. Judith Netzer, and Ms. Severine Schmidt for ensuring the seamless execution of the event, and for making sure everyone could savor the sweet delight of a Weckmann – all our 1,000 students as well as staff members.
At ISR, we take immense pride in the way our international community embraces each other’s traditions and comes together to celebrate. These cultural events throughout the year, like our St. Martin celebration, are not just opportunities for enjoyment; they are a testament to the importance of diversity and unity within our ISR Community, where we learn, grow, and celebrate together!
Diwali Mela Celebration at ISR
ISR Diwali Mela Celebration
Saturday, 4 November 2023
Last Saturday, we celebrated another colorful Diwali Mela Celebration at our ISR Campus in Neuss with hundreds of participants!
Alongside our Indian Community at ISR, many friends and guests from various cultural backgrounds joined us to commemorate this festive occasion and enjoy a memorable time together.
Ms. Sharma, ISR’s IB & External Exams Coordinator, together with our two Indian Community Representatives, Ms. Uday and Ms. Verma, our engaged Indian Community, as well as Ms. Mudgal and Ms. Gupta, who guided our guests through the program, dedicated a tremendous amount of effort to make this remarkable cultural event at ISR a resounding success! The festivities started with welcome words from our ISR Management Team, Ms. Lyons, and Mr. Soliman, who both highlighted the important meaning of the festival – the triumph of light over darkness.
The day unfolded with numerous dance performances by both children and adults, accompanied by a wonderful cultural program. In addition to the stage program, ISR hosted ten Indian Street food stalls, offering an array of Indian delicacies, snacks, and savory treats. Another highlight of the event was the Children’s Diwali Decoration Competition, with the chance for participants to win exciting prizes, including an ISR Summer School Voucher for next year. Moreover, the Diwali Bazaar showcased an array of handcrafted items that left a lasting impression on all attendees. The day ended in a Dandiya & Bollywood evening with a live DJ on site.
With 60 nationalities represented at ISR, it’s a source of pride for us to introduce diverse traditions and cultures to our international community.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who played a part in making this day an overwhelming success, and we’re already eager for next year’s Diwali Celebration at ISR!
ISR Open House 2023
ISR Open House 2023
Saturday, 21 October 2023
In bright sunshine this weekend, we celebrated our ISR Open House 2023 with numerous guests, ISR Cooperation Partners, our ISR Families from all three locations in Neuss, Düsseldorf, and Meerbusch, as well as many interested visitors. The hallways were filled with families and happy children proudly presenting their projects and classrooms. Our dedicated cooperation partners, who have enriched the ISR network for many years, were also on site.
Interested guests were given guided school tours by SLC students, often in their own native languages, to explore ISR’s expansive campus. In addition to numerous presentations, and demo lessons in various subjects and grade levels, families also enjoyed a Language Hallway where the various Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, French, German, and English teachers presented their lessons.
Our math teachers presented their lessons in a playful way and invited students to participate in exciting quizzes and games. Our science team and middle school students presented in the hallways the many projects and experiments they worked on during the year and invited our guests to learn more about them. Our guests were given a glimpse into the creation of various projects in our science rooms, where upper school students worked on fascinating biology projects. In addition, exciting short stories were told by our German teachers and our guests were able to admire various works of art displayed by our art department.
Our IT department once again enabled the children to dive into different worlds through virtual reality, and explore the underwater world or outer space. The use of Artificial Intelligence also played a large role in this ISR Open House, allowing families and visitors to see how we at ISR use AI in the classroom to enrich the learning experience of our students.
This year, the cafeteria was colorfully decorated in ISR colors and our dedicated ISR Parent Network, without whom events like this would not be possible, provided the children and families with delicious waffles, hot dogs, cakes, and more. Refreshing beverages were served to our guests by our in-house caterer, Broich Catering, and they also enjoyed delicious Italian specialty coffees from Coffee Bar Bacio é Amore.
There was even more action in our modern triple sports hall, where the children were welcomed by our sports team. They demonstrated their skills at many sports stations, ending the day on a successful and balanced note.
Our guests and families were welcomed and bid farewell at the end with concerts and impressive musical performances by our students, which our dedicated music team and our in-house music school, Musicbox Oxana, successfully prepared in our entrance hall.
We thank our faculty and team, our unique ISR Parent Network, and our families for making this ISR Open House event repeatedly such a special day.
A big thank you to our valued partners who were on-site:
- Musicbox Oxana
- Broich Catering
- RKM 740
- Lions Club Neuss Novaesia
- KUMON
- American International Women’s Club Düsseldorf
- Kunst am Platz
- Deitsch
- GradTutor
Photos were taken by our talented photographer, Melanie Osterried.
ISR Family Fun & Sports Days
ISR Family Fun & Sports Day
Monday, 28 August 2023
Last Saturday, we once again hosted our sports and family event, the ISR Family Fun & Sports Day, in bright sunshine – the first one since 2019! Hundreds of guests, including families from all three branches in Neuss, Düsseldorf, and Meerbusch as well as faculty and staff, gathered to celebrate the first ISR Community Event of the academic year.
Our dedicated Student Leadership Council (SLC), Sports Department, and all staff members did an amazing job organizing a Saturday full of sports, games, and fun! Across ten sports stations, students showcased their athletic skills and diligently collected stamps in their FFSD passports for a chance to win exciting prizes in our raffle. Alongside these stations, there was an exciting stuntman track, a bouncy castle in our kindergarten area, and three different friendly matches where students, parents, and teachers gathered to compete in Basketball, Beach Volleyball, and Soccer – and everyone showed the amazing team spirit that ISR is all about!
Three food trucks were available for participants, offering delicious meals, along with a bake sale organized by our SLC students, which contributed a variety of sweets. In addition, our amazing Catering Team was on site to offer our families delicious drinks and snacks to enjoy.
Inside and outside the building, we had various stands representing our dedicated partners for sports such as the DHC, Fencing, and the PSV. Attendees could, moreover, enjoy face painting and the children were invited to play some music with our in-house music school, Musicbox Oxana. In addition, we were thrilled to welcome the Lions Club to ISR again, that sold delicious coffee for a good cause!
This year’s Family Fun & Sports Day was a great success, and we take pride in kicking off the new school year with such an exciting and enjoyable event for our ISR Family as well as for interested families, which our community welcomed to our campus.
We extend our gratitude to all student helpers, partners, teachers, and staff for making this day extraordinary! We’re already looking forward to our next ISR Family Fun & Sports Day and all the fun events that are coming up soon!
A big thank you to our talented photographer, Melanie Osterried.
