ISR Info Day, Saturday, January 17th 13:00-16:00 hrs

An Info Day will be held on Saturday, January 17th from 13:00-16:00 hrs for families wishing to learn more about ISR. Two presentations will be given at approximately 13:30 and 14:30 hrs followed by guided tours of the campus.

If you cannot attend on this day, if your needs are more immediate or if you would already like an individual consultation, please call +49 2131 40388-14/-15 for an appointment.   Everyone is welcome.

It's official: The International Baccalaureate Diploma will be offered at ISR starting next fall

ISR is pleased to announce that Jeffrey R. Beard, Director General of the International Baccalaureate (IB), has authorized ISR to begin teaching the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma in September 2009. The IB Diploma is recognized as an equivalent to the German Abitur.

The IB Diploma will be added as yet another university-qualifying diploma offered at ISR. With the methodology and support of the SABIS® curriculum, ISR students will have a solid foundation for success in the IB Diploma.  "What many people do not know is that SABIS® was one of the founding members of the IB back in the late 1960s," said SABIS® President and ISR Managing Director Mr. Carl Bistany recently in an interview with Frank Kirchstein from the Neuss-Grevenbroicher Zeitung.

"ISR is already carving out a reputation for itself as a serious, college-preparatory school," continued Bistany.  "As ISR's main route to university, the IB enhances this reputation by providing successful students with an alternative route to German university as well as other universities worldwide."  Some commendations shared by the IB Authorization Visit team were "the positive attitude to team and collaborative work, particularly evident through a willingness by all to understand and contribute to TOK (Theory of Knowledge)" and "the encouragement for students to take direct responsibility for themselves and their actions through the SABIS Student Life Organization®, offering a sound base for CAS (Creativity Action Service)."

 

ISR Celebrates With Lantern Fest

"Laternen Fest" is a German tradition in remembrance of Martin of Tours. Children prepare their own paper lantern and participate in a school procession on St. Martin's Day where they light the lanterns and sing German songs.

This year's Lantern Fest at ISR was a big success and took place on Wednesday, November 12 from 16:00-17:30. Students from Kindergarten through Grade 4 were busy making and decorating lanterns in the weeks leading up to the Fest. Leading the celebration, Primary German Coordinator Mrs. Nowak worked tirelessly with teachers, parents and coordinators to ensure the beautiful early-evening celebration which included a lantern parade, a bonfire, an enactment of the Saint Martin's legend, as well as culinary treats.

Since this school function was done in the spirit of sharing and compassion, the ISR community collected donations for the Neusser Tafel e.V. Three van loads of toys, clothing, plates and dishes, kitchen appliances and tools were presented to the Tafel employees. Good on you ISR families and staff!

 

 

International Day Was Here Saturday, November 8th

On Saturday, November 8th, ISR celebrated International Day from 12:00-15:00 hrs. The purpose of International Day each year is to showcase countries and regions in order to gain better understanding of their cultural inner-workings, such as history, language, and food. The 2008 Focus Countries/Regions were: Caribbean Islands, Kenya, South Korea (below right: Painting with vegetables activity), South Africa, Turkey, North America and Antarctica.

 

 

 

Classrooms were decorated in a team effort made by parents, teachers and students from KG through Grade 6, each grade level having a particular country or region assigment. Students were greeted in the ISR foyer and given passports to "travel" to the different regions. Once they accumulated all 7 stamps, they were able to enter their passports in the Tombola (above left) to be drawn for a prize.  ISR thanks Wellneuss, Neusser Allrounder Skihalle and Jan Bogus with Gothaer for donating to the Tombola. 

Turkish Consul General Hakan Kivanc took time out of his busy schedule not only to visit the Turkey Focus Room but to also meet ISR students, tour the school and listen to some students show off their musical talents. 

 

 

 

Also warmly welcomed was Miriam Bouwens who further informed the ISR community about where ISR's Kenya Project fundraising euros go through her TWIGA foundation.  Her stand showcased a film and photographs of the school near Mombasa and its darling students.  She couldn't say enough nice things about how Grade 1 presented their Focus Country, Kenya.

Also part of the day was the Penny Race that was run the entire week leading up to International Day. Jars for each homeroom were assigned, and students and parents spent the week trying to get their homeroom to win by donating spare change in the jars.  6B was the winning homeroom having collected €179.34.  Coming in 2nd Place was 5A with €131.96 and in 3rd Place 11A €129.75.  A total of €3.411,90 was collected!  The pride of ISR students and staff will surely match the joy of the Kenyan students.

Grades 9, 10 and 11 did presentations on Chile, Africa and Japan respectively in the 7A homeroom. The Parent Network held its annual Taste of the World in the cafeteria throughout the day. The ISR community did a great job with this wonderful festival that continues to grow with ISR's student body.

 

 

ISR Plays Host to Marketing-Club Düsseldorf and NeUn e.V.

ISR had the great opportunity to house two important events. One was a Marketing-Club Düsseldorf event put on by EXTENDA, Andalusian Agency for Foreign Trade Promotion on Saturday 25 October at 18:00. The evening started with a presentation about ISR in the cafeteria, followed by a tour. Then, EXTENDA presented the gorgeous Spanish region of Andalusia and treated the attendees to a tasty tapas buffet and sherry bar. La Cati, a local professional Flamenco dancer, rounded out the evening by leading lessons in Flamenco dancing. ISR thanks Marketing-Club Düsseldorf Club-Service manager Silvia Gertler (not pictured above), EXTENDA Director Sandra Rodriguez Gericke and Marketing-Club Düsseldorf Program Board Executive Dr. Joerg Andres for the fun collaboration.

The other event was the NeUn (Neusser Unternehmerinnen) e.V. Board Meeting on Tuesday 21 October. ISR made a presentation, and the group was full of questions, making for an interesting discussion and tour of the school. NeUn e.V. is an organization of women entrepreneurs in the Neuss region. Their ultimate goals are to strengthen business contacts and share professional experience.

 

 

 

 

ISR Featured in NRW Economic Affairs Campaign

A new campaign, We Love the New, from NRW.INVEST has been launched to win expatriate companies to the region. The Berlin advertising team scouted schools in the region and chose ISR based on its colorful, open and bright atmosphere. (Take a look at our virtual tours.) “We love the new languages,” says Grade 1 student Felix Dichtl in the image spot and advertising campaign. The campaign’s accompanying brochure further reports:

Felix, age 6, has already lived in India, Japan and Bulgaria and speaks English and German fluently—a typical cosmopolitan North-Rhine Westphalian. But as a North-Rhine Westphalian, you don’t just love new impressions from foreign countries, but also an international school environment in your own country and state. That is why many people from countries all over the world feel comfortable in the metropolitan region. More than 10,000 foreign companies employ over 500,000 employees in Germany’s number one investment location. And so that their children can also settle in and make new friends quickly, [ISR] offers international university-entrance diplomas.

Apparently, NRW is just as proud of ISR as we are!

Sister School ISF wins Hessen-Champions 2008: Together in Hessen Award

On a SABIS® School Network note, a big congratulations goes to ISR’s sister school, ISF Internationale Schule Frankfurt-Rhein-Main, for winning the “Hessen-Champions 2008: Together in Hessen” award. Pictured from l. to r. are Chuck Swift and Helga Weckenmann-Hart from ISF Marketing, SABIS® President Carl Bistany, ISF School Director Angus Slesser, ISF Head of Marketing Maria Neubauer, and SABIS® Director of Corporate Communications Amy Wesley.

Hans-Joachim Tonnellier, IHK Frankfurt am Main President said that ISF has exhibited impressive support and integration of its international employees. Way to go ISF Frankurt!

Members of the ISR Family on National TV Show, "Frag Doch Mal die Maus"

ISR was honored to share different foreign native speakers with TV station WDR/ARD for the 30 August show, “Frag doch mal die Maus," with Jörg Pilawa. (Click here to download the video clip or right-click the link and choose "Save Target As...")   WDR tapped into the internationality represented at ISR by requesting French, Dutch, Japanese, English and Swedish native speakers.  Respectively tudents Kimberly Leguenne, Mareen Radtke, Koto Tanaka, Maxwell Sheehy and parent, Jessica Ahlgren, said slang words in their native tongue, and celebrity contestants had to decide which German translation fit. 

If that wasn’t enough excitement, WDR actually paid ISR for the efforts made by its families. The Marketing & Admissions department awarded the money 50/50 to the Music Department and the school library.

Ms. Swartz, Music Department, fulfilled a financial goal of installing a lock and wheels onto the school piano. This small feat allowed the department to wheel the piano out of the room to hold other classes.

Mrs. Ahlgren (with the help of her 2 boys in Kindergarten), Kimberly, Mareen, Max and Koto Tanaka helped ISR Librarian, Ms. Walk, choose books to expand the library with the other half of the funds received by WDR.

Both Ms. Swartz and Ms. Walk are very thankful for this good fortune. Thank you, WDR!

 

 

ISR Proves Strong on IGCSE External Exams

In June 2008, ISR Secondary students took their first external exams: the International General Certificates of Secondary Education (IGCSEs). IGCSE was developed by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and can be taken in different subjects by students between the ages of 14 and 16.  The results were released the week of 11 August. 

From the 10 tests taken, all received a passing grade of C ("befriedigend") or higher, with 50% receiving a perfect score of A+ ("sehr gut+"). In Mathematics, there was no score lower than A ("sehr gut") with 75% scoring A+ ("sehr gut+"). 

 

ISR congratulates its dedicated teachers, hard-working students and applauds the SABIS® curriculum which proves to be a solid training ground for ISR Grade 10 students.

"It changed me forever!" Exclaimed Grade 11 Students Denise Colley and Saina Klein About Their Trip to Cairo

Grade 11 students Denise Colley and Saina Klein met at ISR Internationale Schule am Rhein in Neuss after summer break with ISR School Director Eileen Lyons and ISR Student Life Organization Coordinator Robert Tarrant. When asked about their trip to Cairo, both exclaimed, “It changed me forever!”

Colley and Klein were the two students selected to represent ISR at the SABIS Student Life Organization® Leadership Training Camp for Upper Secondary students in Cairo from 24 July to 04 August which involved 69 students from 50 SABIS® schools in its worldwide network. Both Colley and Klein are scholarship students but were chosen for their good academic standing, their positive attitudes and their level of involvement in the SABIS Student Life Organization® (SLO).

Colley continued, “I feel more confident, and I can’t stop smiling.” Klein added, “I have returned wanting to do more for the ISR community. We both want to share our experiences with the teachers and be inspirations for the younger students.”

Both Colley and Klein presented their Leadership Training experience to teachers and ISR staff on Friday, August 22 at 09:00h with tears in their eyes when showing a video they compiled of their still photographs.

 

Niederrhein Musikfestival to Hold Dress Rehearsal at ISR

On 03 September from 14:00- ca. 15:00, the 4th Annual Niederrhein Musikfestival will hold a free dress rehearsal of the concert, "Classica Cubana" which will be performed at Schloss Dyck in Jüchen on the following evening (04 September) at 20:00.  This is a great midday opportunity for little ones who normally are getting ready for bed at 20:00.  Everyone is welcome.

Information and Calendar Dates for School Year 2008–2009

Important information in preparation for the school year can be downloaded:

• School Calendar 2008-2009 (PDF)
• Books and Supplies List 2008-2009 in English and German (MS-Word)

Open House for 2008-09 Enrollments

Thursday, August 21, 2008
14:00 – 16:00 hrs
Open House gives parents and students a chance, if they wish, to drop by at their convenience between 14:00 and 16:00 hrs to check their homeroom assignments, to meet teachers and to look around the building.

Upon arrival, please locate the student's name and homeroom on the notice board in the Foyer just inside the main entrance. Please be aware that when forming homeroom sections at the start of each new school year, first and foremost is the goal to form groups that are equally balanced by the academic achievement level of its members based on the previous year’s performances.

Of secondary consideration is the mixture of boys and girls, new and returning students, and language abilities.  Social factors are seldom a factor in forming sections as there are opportunities throughout the day for friends to meet within and between grade/section levels.

First Day of School

Monday, August 25, 2008
08:20h, Grades 5 to 11

Students in Grades 5 to 8, upon arrival, should wait for the bell on the playground and will be picked up by their teachers. Grade 9 to 11 students may report directly to their homeroom.  This first day will be a full day for everyone – ending at 16:10h with the possibility of staying in the Extended Day program until 18:00h.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008
08:15h, Grades 2 to 4

Grade 2 to 4 students, upon arrival, should wait for the bell in their designated area (on the Primary Playground). This first day will be a full day for everyone – ending at 15:20h with the possibility of staying in the Extended Day program until 18:00h.

09:00h, Grade 1

The Grade 1 students and their families will start their first day of Primary School at 9:00h in the cafeteria with a brief, traditional German welcome ceremony ending no later than 10:00h.

During this ceremony, Grade 1 students will receive a traditional "Schultüte" which the Primary German Department will kindly supply. This is a large conical bag of sweets and school supplies given to children on their "Erster Schultag" (first day) of school. Families are invited to join their children for this special occasion. The Grade 1 students will have a "normal" school day after the welcome ceremony – ending at 15:20h with the possibility of staying in the Extended Day program until 18:00h.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
08:20h, Kindergarten
Students and parents, upon arrival, should wait in the Foyer near the KG pinboards until called to the classrooms at 08:20. This first day will be a full day for everyone – ending at 15:20h with the possibility of staying in the Extended Day program until 18:00h.

Back-to-School Night

Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 19:00 – 20:30hrs

KG through Grade 11 parents
This is an opportunity for parents to meet teachers and hear a brief presentation about the curriculum their child(ren) will study this school year.

University College of Utrecht visits ISR

In its endeavour to prepare students for life after high school, ISR hosted the first-ever visit of representatives from a higher education institution on 13 May.  Mr. Cassé and Mr. van Himbergen from the University College of Utrecht, Netherlands gave an informal 45-minute presentation to Grade 10 students. 

Mr. Otto, teacher of German at ISR and Utrecht alumnus, joined the meeting to share his experience when studying there. Known for its strength in liberal arts and sciences, Utrecht is among the Times Higher's Top 100 universities worldwide and even made the Top 50 for natural sciences.  In all, it was a fruitful and inspiring start to what ISR hopes will become an extensice series of presentations from universities and colleges around the world.

ISR's First Theatre Production Coming Friday, June 13

ISR is pleased to announce its very first ISR Theatre Performance entitled "Holes" on Friday, June 13 at 16:30.  The play is being developed by some students from Grade 4 to Grade 7 and the theatre director, Inge Harms.  Hope you can join us!

ISR Holds All-School Assembly

ISR held an assembly for the entire school on Thursday, May 15.  Teachers, administrators, supervisors and students (Kindergarten to Grade 10) gathered to recognize and acknowledge the efforts of everyone.  Over the last 2 1/2 terms, each member of the ISR school family has made contributions to the development and advancement of a positive school environment.  As a consequence, there was significant improvement in academics and in social behavior.

During the assembly, Mr. Tarrant also spoke about some of the highlights of Family Fun Day which was organized with active Student Life and Parent Network support.

ISR Pulls a Switcheroo at Spirit Day!

The Student Life Outreach Department in conjunction with the Parent Network organized a Day of Thanks for all staff at ISR.  The PN delivered some wonderful cake to the staff. Each student was given two 'Thank You' cards by the Outreach department to give to ISR staff including teachers, administrators, supervisors, the Corporate Department, security staff, Sodexho and cleaning staff.

Thank you to the Parent Network for the cake slices delivered to several areas of the school and a big thank you to Laura Dos Santos, Senior Prefect for the Outreach Department of SLO.  Incorporated with the Day of Thanks was a 'Switcheroo' Spirit Day. Students dressed up as staff members and staff dressed up as students.  A good time was had by all! 

 

Family Fun Day is Coming 17 May!

This year the format of the Family Fun Day has been changed. The SLO™ coordinator and prefects are happy to be involved with the organization of the event. This year Family Fun Day will be ISR’s major fund raising event for the Kenya School Project. Anticipated activities include a Sponsored Run, a Soccer Tournament, Climbing Wall activities and many more attractions. Further details will follow. Please mark this date in your calendars.

ISR looks forward to welcome all families at the event on Saturday 17 May!

 

 

 

 

ISR Polo Shirt Design Competition

On Tuesday 8 April, a panel of five students V. Kafadar, J. Ludwig from Gr. 2, J. Zeiger Gr. 5, F. Hamelmann Gr. 6 and L. Dos Santos Gr. 9 as well as board members from the ISR Parent Network Mr. H. Krebs, Mrs. K. Dahmen, Mrs. S. Schmitz, as well as School Director Ms. Lyons, Art Teacher Mr. Vogt and Marketing & Admissions's Ms. Wesley and Ms. Terhune judged the entries to the ISR Polo Shirt Logo Design Competition. After long and hard deliberation the winners of the age groups were selected and from these three the overall winner was selected.

Details of the winners will be posted in next week’s Newsletter when all students and parents have been informed. Once again thank you to all the students who entered the competition. There were 30 entries in total, and the panel of judges was extremely impressed by the standard of work.

Football Match Against Büderich FC

Büderich FC V. ISR Gr. 3 and 4 On Tuesday 8th April Grade 3 and 4 students played a Football Match against Büderich FC. Although well beaten by a better and more established team, the ISR team played well and really enjoyed the experience.

They will be able to use for future games. Well done to all the team and continue with the good work. Thank you also to Mr. McMinn for organising the game and to the parents for helping with the transport of the players to the game.

End-of-Term II School Trips

A big ‘Thank You’ to all teachers who accompanied our students on the End-of-Term II Trips on Friday prior to Spring Break. Students and teachers had great fun bowling as well as ice-skating. It is always a pleasure to take students on these trips. Not only did the students have a great time but ISR also often gets very positive feedback from the different venues it visits, because the hosts are impressed on how well ISR students behave.

Term II Achievement Awards

Congratulations to all Term II Achievement Award Recipients and all students for their good effort in the 2nd Term!

Primary School

Grade 1
Best Effort: Leonie G., Julius R., Kevin R.
Most Improved Students: Charlotte B., Sergey S., Julia P.
Outstanding Students: Cecimo Z., Dinesh C., Misaki N.

Grade 2
Best Effort: Franca L., Ricarda R., Chiara S.
Most Improved Students: Tom G., Paul K., Helias B.
Outstanding Student: Elias W., Ann-Kathrin F., H. Jones R.

Grade 3
Best Effort: Nicolai G., Philipp R., Maren U.
Most Improved Students: Hee-Jin S., Lea E., Niklas H.
Outstanding Students: Lisa B., Jasmin S., Sarah K-W.

Grade 4
Best Effort: Cattariena F., Kimberly L.
Most Improved Students: Paulina B., Miriam H.
Outstanding Students: Jonathon K., Nelly C.

And, a special congratulations goes to Sarah Kratz-Wang from Grade 3C who placed first in the Wiel-Pokal 2008 Ice -Skating Competition.

"I have enormous pleasure and pride to inform you that we have had the highest percentage of awards given out for Term II since we opened the school," said ISR Librarian Alison Christie at the Term II Reading Awards Ceremony. Here is a brief rundown of the medals and certificates awarded:

Primary: Effort 17; Bronze 56; Silver 21; Gold 2
Secondary: Effort 3; Bronze 37; Silver 17; Gold 3

To be awarded a Gold medal in Term II is an outstanding achievement and therefore the 5 students who received gold deserve a special mention: Christopher S. 4B, Marcus Z. 4B, Sophie C. 5A, Edgar L. 5A and Amelie P. 6A. These students have completed all fifteen reading levels and are continuing to work through further levels. Well done to everyone who received an award and keep reading.

Lower Secondary School
5A
Philip G. Most Improved
Edgar L. Best Effort
Sophie C. Most Outstanding Student

5B
Jessica K. Most Improved
Tobias H. Best Effort
Hunter R. Most Outstanding Student

6A
Amélie P. Most Improved
Maximilian K. Best Effort
Julian F. Most Outstanding Student
Charlotte S. Most Outstanding Student

7A
Shu Y. Most Improved
Robin G. Best Effort
Se-Lim B. Best Effort
Areeb K. Most Outstanding Student
Gesine H. Most Outstanding Student

7B
Alexander M. Most Improved
Philip S. Best Effort
Marin R. Most Outstanding Student

Upper Secondary School

8A
Christina K. Most Improved Student
Philipp S. Best Effort
Doja B. Outstanding Student

9A
Pascal G. Most Improved Student
Christian S. Best Effort
Philip L. Outstanding Student

10A
Yuki O. Best Effort
Denise C. Outstanding Student

Mr. Bistany Addresses ISR Parents at Annual Open Meeting

Mr. Carl Bistany, co-CEO of ISR GmbH, held his Annual Open Meeting at ISR on Wednesday 9 April. During the meeting Mr. Bistany presented his executive overview. The topics included an update on the development within the SABIS® School Network and the value added to students’ education at ISR highlighting the unique features offered at ISR.

 

This was followed by a Progress Report on ISR by School Director Eileen Lyons and a presentation given by two SLO Deputy Head Prefects, Saina and Rico, who spoke about the advantages of being involved in the SABIS Student Life Organization®. Thanks to all who participated in and contributed to the meeting especially during the Q&A session. The gathering reaffirmed the benefits of the open communication policy at ISR. For those parents who were no able to be in attendance, a PDF copy of the presentation can be downloaded from WebParent.

Superb ISR Results from NRW German Language Screening
Überragendes Ergebnis beim Sprachtest

For the second consecutive year, ISR Kindergarten students achieved a 100% success rate in the North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) Language Screening Tests which are required of all children prior to Primary School entrance. The ISR screening tests were conducted on March 4th and 7th.

By comparison, NRW had an average score of 57% from 145,000 kindergartners; therefore, 62,000 children need to retake the test. The ISR Kindergarten is an academic program with daily lessons in English, math and German and lots of playtime.

Im Rahmen der Sprachstanderhebung des Landes NRW bei dem Kinder, die 2 Jahre vor der Einschulung stehen auf ihre Deutsch-Kenntnisse getestet werden, konnte die ISR ein überragendes Ergebnis erzielen: 100% aller Kinder des schuleigenen Kindergartens bestanden den Test, der am 4. und 7. März in der ISR unter behördlicher Aufsicht stattfand, auf Anhieb.

Zum Vergleich: Von den 145.000 Kindern, die an dem Test in NRW 2007 teilgenommen haben, hatten lediglich 57% bestanden, 62.000 mussten ein zweites Mal antreten. Im ISR Kindergarten wird außer im Deutsch-Unterricht, der täglich auf dem Stundenplan steht, Englisch gesprochen.

 

"Save It or Shave It" Contest Wins Big for the Kenya Project!

THE IDEA

This week students, staff and parents had to face the decision: "Save it or Shave it!" Two members of ISR faculty, Mr. Laurence Makowy of Vancouver, British Columbia and Mr. Scott Neas of Norfolk, Virginia, put their four-and-a-half-month-old beards on the line to raise money for the school's Kenya Project. A donation to the "Save it!" side was a vote for Mr. Makowy and Mr. Neas to keep growing their beards.

A donation to the "Shave it!" side was a vote to see what's been hiding under those beards for the last four months. A big Thank You to Mr. Makowy and Mr. Neas for their enthusiastic participation in this worthy cause and to all those who have so generously contributed to the Kenya school project!

2008 SABIS/ ISR Parent Survey and Annual Open Meeting

The Annual SABIS/ ISR Parent Surveys will be sent out during the first week of March. Parents will receive the surveys in the mail and are asked to complete and return the survey to the school by Friday, March 14. A stamped, addressed return envelope has been sent with the survey for ease of posting. Results from the 2008 surveys will be presented in the Annual Open Meeting with Mr. Bistany. This years meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 9th from 19:00. All ISR parents are invited to attend the meeting, which will be held in the ISR Exam Hall (2nd floor). The meeting will include a Q&A session during which pre-submitted questions will be addressed by Mr. Bistany and the ISR Administration. Please submit your questions to the ISR Marketing Department (marketing[at]isr-sabis.net) by Friday, April 4th.