Enriching Learning Concept in Our Kindergartens
Enriching Learning Concept in Our Kindergartens
Monday, 22 March 2021
Our Kindergartens in Neuss and Düsseldorf are governed by a unique concept that promotes learning through play from an early age, thus successfully preparing children for Primary School. It is important for ISR that play and fun are not neglected and that the children at ISR are introduced to learning content in a playful way. We are convinced that learning content with fun is worth much more than pure theory!
A few impressions of the last weeks from our Düsseldorf location:
Another Amazing CAS Project
Another Amazing CAS Project:
socializing in a virtual way with people in an elderly home
Friday, 26 February 2021
One of our Grade 11 IB students, Chiranan, has come up with a wonderful idea as part of her community service CAS project. Because of the pandemic, she tried to find a way for elderly people to keep in contact with others, be able to have conversations and getting a distraction from their daily routine. Under normal conditions, she would have been able to go and visit them but due to the current situation with COVID-19, she was not able to. However, that didn’t stop her from carrying out this project! Chiranan installed an iPad in a community room in the home in order to call and video chat several times a week with the elderly people there. This gives everyone the great opportunity to meet and socialize, at least virtually.
Chiranan states, that usually the elderly people are always excited to talk to her and in particular those with dementia love to ask her many questions. “Personally I find this very important because they don’t get to talk to a lot of different people during these times and it makes them very happy!” In this photo, you can see her showing her dog to one of the residents.
We are immensely proud of our students, who never let anything get in the way of making a positive impact.
Well done, Chiranan!
German University Acceptance
German University Acceptance
Friday, 19 February 2021
ISR signed an agreement to offer an additional 16-hour module in vector calculus to complement and extend our IB Mathematics Standard Level (SL) course. This addition will enable ISR’s IB Standard Level Math students to access German university technical studies, such as Mathematics, Engineering, and Natural Sciences. Students who complete the Mathematics High Level (HL) course remain qualified to study any subject at German universities.
The IBO recognition agreement was signed earlier this year so that the current IB diploma graduates can already benefit from this additional study and career opportunity.
A detailed FAQ with regard to this topic can be found here.
Happy Valentine´s Day!
Happy Valentine´s Day from ISR!
Sunday, 14 February 2021
Dear ISR Family,
It’s been almost a year now since the pandemic started affecting Germany, and since then, much of our familiar way of living has been altered. Our regular “in-person” interactions, such as our events, our conferences, and one-on-one meetings with you have all been missing during the last year. Despite these circumstances, our ISR Community is as strong as ever and we can look confidently into the future, knowing that if anything, the pandemic has drawn us much closer as a community.
Our love for education is the appropriate theme for today because excellent education enriches the lives of people around the world. For 18 years, this has been our mission – to provide the best education for our students.
Happy Valentine´s Day!
Valentine's Day Cards
Our Primary Team has come up with a lovely project for Valentine´s Day to spread a little happiness to children all over the world.
Our students put a lot of effort into designing individual virtual cards to wish everyone a happy Valentine’s Day. With these lovingly designed cards, they want to put a smile on the faces of everyone who sees them.
We thank our Primary Team for organizing this creative project and of course our students for their time and effort. The cards turned out wonderfully!
International Day of Education
International Day of Education
Sunday, 24 January 2021
Is there a deeper purpose to education, beyond simply a degree or a grade?
Not only students seek to answer this century-old question – also educators, school staff, and parents consider the purpose of their efforts. Given that today is “International Day of Education”, we posed this question to members of the ISR staff. Over the past 20 years, our team at ISR continues to be dedicated to providing the best possible education, to challenge and encourage our students, and to pave the way for a successful and happy future. For each of us, education means something different – but we all agree on one thing: education is the most important asset we have, it is our drive, and our passion at ISR.
As Ms. McGee says: “A good school will give students knowledge, a great school will make students lifelong learners”
And this is the education that we strive for at ISR.
Our ISR Community: Strong cohesion despite physical distance
Our ISR Community: Strong cohesion despite physical distance
Tuesday, 12 January 2021
At ISR, we are especially proud of the strong parent community that helps shape and enrich our school life. During these times, it is especially important to maintain a constant exchange with our ISR Parent Network! For this reason, all Parent Network meetings with our ISR Management Team take place virtually. This allows families to interact with school leadership, exchange ideas, and for the ISR community to come together virtually. We thank all Class Reps for their participation and are grateful for the positive meeting yesterday.
Face-to-face contact with students is also especially important during this time. In addition to our virtual meetings as well as virtual classes at ISR, our committed Academic Coordinators offer a Zoom Session each day where parents or students can dial in to discuss questions, exchange thoughts, make appointments with class teachers, or simply to meet again virtually after the long time.
All this to say – we miss our parents and students, but we are happy and thankful to be able to keep up the communication virtually!
ZDF Interview with Mr. Soliman, Ms. Vrem and Ms. McGee
ZDF Interview with Mr. Soliman, Ms. Vrem and Ms. McGee
Thursday, 7 January 2021
Today, ZDF visited us to interview three of our American staff members about yesterday’s riots in Washington D.C.
ZDF is the main program of the broadcasting company Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen and the second public national television program in Germany.
The interviewees included our Executive Director Peter Soliman, our Head of Kindergarten Alex Vrem, and our Upper School Director Samatha McGee. “It’s a shame, a sad day for the U.S.,” Peter Soliman said of the events in Washington. “It is very right that the Senate and Congress came back to the Capitol to finish their work. That was highly professional.”
Dr. Alexander Schröder-Frerkes, a member of ISR’s Advisory Board and Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in NRW, was also interviewed in this context. As a representative of American interests in Germany, Dr. Schröder-Frerkes is an indispensable advisor at our international school. In 2010, he received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his services to the development of German-American relations. The interview was broadcast this afternoon on the Mittagsmagazin.
SLOⓇ Activity - Creative Minds
SLOⓇ Activity – Creative Minds
Wednesday, 23 December 2020
Creative Minds is an SLOⓇ activity teaching children through hands-on activities to expand their creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills using STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and Design Thinking Methodologies. Creative Minds allows children from KG through Grade 10 to understand issues and find solutions whilst allowing the students to grow outside of the daily school curriculum.
Our Creative Minds students have been very busy making gifts for others this holiday season.
Last year, our Inspiring Girls, a class of 5th and 6th Grade girls learning about women who excelled in their field of work, visited the St. Augustinus Memory Zentrum with homemade gifts and a show featuring their many musical talents. Due to COVID-19, we could not visit the center this year. Instead, our girls took warm socks and creatively packaged them up as cupcakes for the residents. The socks were delivered on Tuesday, December 15th to the Memory Zentrum in Neuss for the residents to enjoy!
On Saturday, December 12th, Creative Minds held it’s first online zoom session! Students joined the session to make their parents a surprise holiday present! The children enjoyed the session and look forward to surprising their parents this week.
Many thanks to Creative Minds Leader and ISR Mom, Susie Seum!
Ded Moroz Celebration
ISR Ded Moroz Celebration
Monday, 21 December 2020
To celebrate Ded Moroz again this year, our dedicated Russian community came up with something very special. They acted out the story of Ded Moroz and shared their wonderful video with our ISR community. We are very grateful to be a part of this tradition and would like to thank everyone for their efforts! Enjoy watching!
Virtual ISR Alumni Reception
ISR virtual Alumni Reception
Friday, 18 December 2020
Yesterday, for the first time in ISR’s history, our ISR Alumni Reception took place virtually!
Many ISR alumni joined us from different countries around the world to share special experiences, talk about their career choices and to look back on their time at ISR. Another fascinating feature of the meeting was that one of our students from the second IB year of ISR was part of the group and enriched the event with his exciting stories.
We would like to thank our UCC team as well as our Deputy Director, Mr. Cete, for this invaluable event and we are happy that despite the circumstances we could keep up with the tradition of our ISR Alumni Reception before the Winter Break!
We wish you all a reflective Christmas season and look forward to seeing you again next year!
