Eid al-Fitr/Ramazan Bayramı Celebration at our ISR Campus in Neuss
Eid al-Fitr/Ramazan Bayramı Celebration at our ISR Campus in Neuss
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Last Tuesday, our ISR Community came together to celebrate Eid al-Fitr/Ramazan Bayramı in a joyous and memorable gathering. The event, held in our foyer, was a beautiful showcase of cultural exchange and community spirit that truly embodied what ISR stands for.
Our Muslim Community, along with other families from international communities at ISR, outdid themselves by presenting an impressive array of traditional and international delicacies. Another highlight of the celebration was an unexpected surprise that left everyone in awe. A group of traditional musicians graced the event with their presence, filling the foyer with enchanting melodies that perfectly captured the festive spirit of Eid.
The event was a true reflection of ISR’s commitment to fostering cultural understanding and building a strong sense of community. Families from diverse backgrounds came together to share rich cultural traditions, and it was heartwarming to see the genuine interest and engagement from non-Muslim members of our community. They eagerly learned about Eid traditions and customs from their Muslim friends, colleagues, and other families. The shared experience of food, music, and cultural exchange left everyone with a deeper appreciation for the rich traditions of Eid al-Fitr and strengthened the unity within our diverse ISR family.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our Muslim Community for organizing such a wonderful celebration and to all who attended, making it a truly memorable event at ISR!
Events like these remind us of the strength we find in coming together as one ISR Family.
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Johanna

Spotlight On Our Student Johanna
This week, we are excited to shine the spotlight on our eleventh-grader, Johanna, who joined ISR in 2016.
Johanna was nominated for the ISR Student Spotlight by Ms. McGee, the Student Leadership Council Advisor. She shares, “As the SLC Advisor, I am grateful for the impact Johanna has made on the School Spirit Team through her commitment and dedication to service leadership. Sometimes our experiences can leave us feeling cynical about the change we can make in the world, but Johanna’s attitude and actions serve as a reminder that those feelings of doubt are misplaced. She is the kind of leader who shows us that through quiet kindness and steadfast effort, change is possible.”
Ms. Racheva, Johanna’s former Sports teacher, echoes this sentiment: “I had the privilege of teaching Johanna and was fortunate to have her in my sports lessons. She is a remarkable young person, beautiful both inside and out. Always punctual, focused, enthusiastic, and motivated, Johanna stood out as a hardworking and gifted athlete who played with fairness and integrity. I am excited to see the path she chooses in the future, and I’m confident she will achieve great success.”
Johanna’s English teacher, Dr. McGee, adds, “As Johanna’s English teacher, I witness on a weekly basis the way she strives for perfection. She is constantly challenging herself to be better and improve her writing and thinking. What is especially great, however, is that within that challenge to herself she also consistently challenges me as her teacher to be better. It’s this trait that makes Johanna a great student for her teachers and a peer for her fellow classmates.”
Ms. Franssen, ISR Activities Coordinator, highlights Johanna’s initiative: “Johanna initiated the Baking Club as part of her CAS projects under the SEA (Service, Engagement, and Action) framework. She brought forward creative ideas such as recipe exchanges, baking competitions, and bake sales to support charitable causes. Her excellent organizational skills and enthusiasm made the club a success, showcasing how deeply students can engage in SEA activities.”
Johanna’s dedication and leadership continue to inspire those around her at ISR.
We are proud to spotlight Johanna as one of ISR’s many outstanding students!
The ISR Student Spotlight Project aims to highlight one of our students from the ISR-Community every Friday, who embodies our guiding principle “We Enable Great Minds and Strong Characters” by consistently surpassing themselves. Whether through outstanding academic achievements, exceptional dedication, or remarkable character traits – we take pride in having already showcased hundreds of students – and there is more to look forward to every week!
Our Student Spotlights
December 12, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Soshi
November 28, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Mian
November 21, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Mia
ISR students shine at the state competition 'Jugend musiziert 2025' in Essen
ISR students shine at the state competition ‘Jugend musiziert 2025’ in Essen
Saturday, March 22nd, 2025
Last weekend, the state competition “Jugend musiziert 2025” took place at Folkwang University in Essen. Our ISR students, who are also part of our in-house partner music school, Musicbox Oxana, delivered outstanding performances and proved our motto of It’s cool to be good further!
ISR students Peter, a student of Oxana Koppers, and his duo partner Yukichiyo, a student of Yuriy Broshel, won 1st prize with the highest score of 25 points in their age group. They qualified for the national competition, where they will compete against talented young musicians from across Germany. Peter also excelled in the guitar quartet category, achieving 1st place with 24 points and qualifying for the national competition in this area! Additionally, ISR students Lara, a student of Anna Pashkovska, and her duo partner Jade Anna, a student of Christof Hilger, secured an impressive 2nd place with 22 points.
The entire Musicbox and ISR Team is incredibly proud of our talented and hardworking students. Their success reflects the quality of music education provided by our esteemed teachers and the supportive environment at ISR. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Peter, Yukichiyo, Lara, and Jade Anna, and wish them continued success in their musical endeavors!
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Jun

Spotlight On Our Student Jun
This week, we are excited to shine the spotlight on our fifth-grader, Jun, who joined ISR in 2022.
Jun was nominated for the spotlight by her homeroom teacher, Ms. Codina, who praises her as follows: “Jun radiates energy, positivity, and happiness in everything she does. Her genuine love for learning creates a fun and engaging classroom environment for both students and teachers. She is playful and curious, always eager to explore new topics further or ask insightful questions to deepen her understanding. Jun works hard, consistently pushing herself to excel beyond her own expectations. She is the kind of student who brings me a sense of fulfillment and joy in my job, making me look forward to the joy of teaching and learning. She is a wonderful human being!”
Jun’s German teacher, Ms. Schmitz, adds, “Jun’s kindness and respect for others are truly evident. She always strives for perfection in everything she does, and her dedication and positive attitude make her a joy to have in German class.”
Ms. Barba, Jun’s English teacher, agrees, “Jun is hardworking, resilient, sweet, and kind. She consistently does her absolute best and is an amazing student.”
Ms. Morris, the Academic Head for grades 4 and 5, comments, “Jun is an incredibly bright and creative student. She always has a smile on her face and approaches new situations with curiosity and a genuine desire to learn. Jun is a fantastic student both in and out of the classroom, and we are proud to have her at ISR.”
Jun also excels in sports, impressing both her sports teacher, Ms. Racheva, and her football coach, Mr. Baumann. Ms. Racheva notes, “I have been teaching Jun since 2024 and am impressed by her eagerness and dedication to her sports lessons. She is always well-prepared, on time, follows instructions, and tries her very best. She is a wonderful person and a great team player—it’s a pleasure being her PE teacher.” Mr. Baumann adds, “Jun is part of our girls’ football team. She has a lot of will and perseverance and enjoys competing even with older students. Jun is always polite and shows great team spirit!”
We are proud to spotlight Jun as one of ISR’s many outstanding students!
The ISR Student Spotlight Project aims to highlight one of our students from the ISR-Community every Friday, who embodies our guiding principle “We Enable Great Minds and Strong Characters” by consistently surpassing themselves. Whether through outstanding academic achievements, exceptional dedication, or remarkable character traits – we take pride in having already showcased hundreds of students – and there is more to look forward to every week!
Our Student Spotlights
December 12, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Soshi
November 28, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Mian
November 21, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Mia
ISR IB Visual Art Exhibition 2025
ISR IB Visual Art Exhibition
Friday, March 21st, 2025
Last week, we opened our ISR IB Visual Art Exhibition, showcasing the artworks of our dedicated and talented students Adam, Demir, Suha, Samruddhi, Leonardo, Zimo, Felicia, Jannik, Leonard, and Arda. Ms. Henebry, the Head of the #SR Art Department, introduced the themes of each student and provided insights into their impressive works. Our School Director, Ms. Lyons, along with Mr. Cete, Head of Secondary School, and numerous ISR Teachers and Parents attended the festive Opening Ceremony. They were inspired by the creative artworks of our students who engaged with visitors and teachers, guiding them through their displays and explaining the background of their work and their perspectives.
Over the past five terms, each student developed their presentation around personalized topics, showcasing their creativity and thoughtfulness in the diverse themes on display.
We are very proud of all our students for their hard work, further proving our motto: It’s cool to be good!
We wish all of them the best of luck for their upcoming IB Exams and for their future career paths!
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Cornell

Spotlight On Our Student Cornell
This week, we are excited to shine the spotlight on our eleventh-grader, Cornell, who joined ISR in 2019. Cornell was nominated by our ISR Student Leadership Council (SLC) Advisor, Ms. McGee, who highlights his exceptional contributions.
Ms. McGee praises Cornell, saying, “As Deputy Head Prefect of the Student Leadership Council, Cornell has been invaluable. His dedication earned him this role, and we’re grateful for his skills this year.” She continues, “Cornell connects with everyone and has grown significantly in leadership and communication. He takes his responsibilities seriously, supporting our eight departments with attention to detail. Whether listening to ideas, organizing, or planning, he approaches every task with dedication. We’re delighted to have him inspire future SLC generations and look forward to seeing what the future holds.”
Mr. Urban, ISR’s CAS Coordinator, also commends Cornell: “He is a dedicated and hard-working student who consistently delivers. Cornell founded and leads the Debate Club and actively participates in History Club and Model United Nations, engaging in discussions on ethics, philosophy, current events, and world history.”
Mr. McGee, Cornell’s IB English teacher, adds, “Cornell is a true Renaissance man and the epitome of an IB learner. He excels in English, consistently improving his writing and demonstrating a remarkable command of vocabulary. What impresses me most is his genuine helpfulness; he offers empathetic advice and support to anyone who approaches him; and there is no doubt that it is good and useful advice!”
We are proud to spotlight Cornell as one of ISR’s many outstanding students!
The ISR Student Spotlight Project aims to highlight one of our students from the ISR-Community every Friday, who embodies our guiding principle “We Enable Great Minds and Strong Characters” by consistently surpassing themselves. Whether through outstanding academic achievements, exceptional dedication, or remarkable character traits – we take pride in having already showcased hundreds of students – and there is more to look forward to every week!
Our Student Spotlights
December 12, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Soshi
November 28, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Mian
November 21, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Mia
Neusser Stadtgespräch at ISR: Focus on the Future of Economic Strength
Neusser Stadtgespräch at ISR: Focus on the Future of Economic Strength
Saturday, March 8th, 2025.
Last Saturday, we had the honor of welcoming over 100 guests from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Rheinland to ISR. Under the patronage of Hermann Gröhe, the foundation invited participants to the Neuss City Talk (Neusser Stadtgespräch).
The event centered on the question of how to revitalize economic strength in Germany. Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Christoph M. Schmidt, President of the RWI – Leibniz Institute, and Ella Heising, Managing Director of TechHub.K67, led the discussion.
Simone Gerhards, Head of the Regional Office Rheinland, opened the City Talk with an impressive welcome speech. In her remarks, she emphasized: “A successful economy is the foundation for a strong welfare state and our prosperity.” The subsequent insights from Prof. Schmidt and Ms. Heising provided thought-provoking perspectives. Following the discussion, a lively Q&A session with the guests enriched the event further, highlighting the topic’s relevance and importance.
We sincerely thank the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and all participants for a thoroughly successful event and look forward to future opportunities for dialogue!
ISR Students Shine Globally: Excellence Award in Japan's Prestigious Sedia Foundation Contest
ISR Students Shine Globally: Excellence Award in Japan’s Prestigious Sedia Foundation Contest
Tuesday, March 11th, 2025
ISR 5th-grade students Sawa, Yojuro, Haruka, and Shuma have achieved a remarkable distinction by securing the Excellence Award (3rd place) in a prestigious nationwide competition in Japan. The “10th Sedia Foundation National Elementary School ‘Our Lives and Water’ Wall Newspaper Contest 2024” challenged elementary school students to create innovative wall newspapers based on the annual theme. Our ISR students conducted in-depth research on “the essential water that is indispensable in our lives” and crafted their wall newspaper after studying the innovative role of sheep in protecting the Rhine River.
This year’s contest attracted an impressive 4,766 entries from 176 schools across Japan. What makes this achievement truly remarkable is that ISR was the only school outside of Japan to participate, demonstrating our students’ ability to excel on a global stage. The winning entries were selected through a rigorous judging process, and we are thrilled that our students’ hard work and creativity have been recognized with this award.
The contest was supported by prominent organizations such as the National Association of Municipal Education Committees and the National Union of Elementary School Principals, highlighting the ingenuity and creativity of elementary school students from across Japan.
As a result of this outstanding achievement, Sawa, Yojuro, Haruka, and Shuma will receive a certificate, a commemorative trophy, and a ¥20,000 bookstore gift card. Additionally, the booklet featuring the winning works will be distributed to over 10,000 elementary schools in Japan, further amplifying the impact of their project. We extend our deepest gratitude to our exceptional Japanese teacher, Ms. Inagaki, for her tireless efforts in organizing the project and inspiring our students to produce such outstanding work. We hope this accomplishment will inspire us all to continue exploring the importance of water and to keep learning. As we always say, “It’s cool to be good”!
ISR Student Lizzy Achieves Great Success in Mathematics and Music Competitions
ISR Student Lizzy Achieves Great Success in Mathematics and Music Competitions
Friday, March 7th, 2025
We are delighted to share the outstanding achievements of Lizzy, one of our talented Grade 5 students. She has consistently shown exceptional dedication both inside and outside the classroom, achieving outstanding results in Mathematics and Music competitions last month.
Lizzy’s dedication to academics earned her an impressive second place in the second round of the Math Olympiad, a fantastic achievement that reflects her strong problem-solving skills and perseverance. The Mathematics Olympiad was part of the Mathematics Competition 2024/2025 organized by the “Regionales Bildungsnetzwerk Rhein-Kreis Neuss.” In addition to her success in mathematics, Lizzy showcased her remarkable musical talent in the Jugend Musiziert competition, where she won first prize with 24 points in violin in Mönchengladbach and first prize with 23 points in viola in Dortmund.
We are incredibly proud of Lizzy for her commitment to both academic excellence and musical talent. Keep up the fantastic work, Lizzy!
She is a true reflection of our school motto at ISR: “It’s cool to be good!”

Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Abdulrazak

Spotlight On Our Student Abdulrazak
This week, we are excited to shine the spotlight on our third-grader, Abdulrazak, who joined ISR in 2024. His positive attitude and infectious enthusiasm have had a great impact on both his peers and teachers, inspiring a supportive and collaborative classroom environment.
Abdulrazak, affectionately known as ‘Abudi’ in class, was nominated for the Student Spotlight by his homeroom teacher, Ms. Vittin. She says, “Abudi is a bright and selfless learner, who genuinely loves learning. He is constantly helping others out and considering them in the classroom. Furthermore, Abudi is a wonderful partner, who is patient, and always takes the time to explain different concepts to people who need help. He is also more than willing to help out in the classroom, or to help other teachers and students outside of the classroom. Abudi strives to do his very best and always puts 110% into all the work he does. All in all, he is a role-model student, who is a true joy to have in class, well done!”
Mr. Nous, Abudi’s Sports teacher, adds, “Abudi is a friendly, sporty boy who clearly enjoys being active. He adjusted in the group quickly last year and is an appreciated member of the group.”
Abdulrazak’s ability to balance being a supportive classmate with his own academic pursuits is truly commendable. We are proud to have him as part of our ISR family and look forward to seeing his continued growth and achievements. He truly embodies our school motto: “It’s cool to be good!”
We are proud to spotlight Abdulrazak as one of ISR’s many outstanding students!
The ISR Student Spotlight Project aims to highlight one of our students from the ISR-Community every Friday, who embodies our guiding principle “We Enable Great Minds and Strong Characters” by consistently surpassing themselves. Whether through outstanding academic achievements, exceptional dedication, or remarkable character traits – we take pride in having already showcased hundreds of students – and there is more to look forward to every week!
Our Student Spotlights
December 12, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Soshi
November 28, 2025
Student Spotlights: Spotlight On Our Student Mian
November 21, 2025




















