International School of Prague Annual Report 2014 15

Annual Report 2014–15

Welcome From the Director................................................ 9 From the Chairman of the Board of Trustees................................. 13

01 Mission ISP Mission Statement..................................... 20 Learning Research & Development................ 22

02 The Principals’ Reports The Elementary School.................................... 32 The Middle School............................................ 36 The Upper School............................................. 39

03 IT, Activities & Athletics Information Technology.................................. 48 Activities............................................................. 50

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Financial Report Message from the Board Treasurer and Business & Operations Director.............. 90 Consolidated Balance Sheet........................... 92 Consolidated ProďŹ t and Loss Account......... 93

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Supporting ISP Supporting ISP................................................... 56 Our Donors........................................................ 57 Annual Fund....................................................... 60 Cabaret............................................................... 64 Night at the Palace............................................66

05 ISP Community From the School Community Association................................... 82 SCA Executive Board 2014–2015.................. 84 Our Community................................................. 85 The Falcon Post ................................................ 86

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Financial Report

Mission, Learning Research & Development

IT, Activities & Athletics

ISP Community

Supporting ISP

Welcome

The Principals’ Reports

Welcome

From the Director The ISP Annual Report is a place to reflect on the major milestones of the past year; there are indeed many events and achievements to recall and celebrate!

Dr. Arnie Bieber, Director

Welcome

North Wing Project – NWP

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With the anticipated growth of our Middle and Upper Schools, ISP undertook the rapid design and construction of The North Wing Project (NWP). The North Wing (completed in November 2014) maintains the vibrant, colorful feel of the rest of the school but also breaks out of the traditional isolated classroom model; this new four storey extension to the school not only enables the Middle School to grow from three sections to four sections per grade level, but it serves as a pilot for contemporary learning environments at ISP. With a focus on flexibility and interconnectedness, almost all the new classrooms are designed with movable walls which allows students to group in flexible ways depending on need (when collaborating on projects, for example).

There are also two beautiful large spaces in the new North Wing: the Loft and Green Room, which allow for even greater flexibility when needed. While we contemplate the construction of a new activities center, the North Wing has brought us a temporary fitness center with all new state-of-the-art equipment (which will find a permanent home in any purpose built activities center we may build).

CEESA Robotics Competition Reflecting our continued commitment to science, technology and authentic learning, last year we hosted our first FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics

Competition, with participating students from 13 schools from the CEESA region and beyond. As one can imagine, an international robotics competition can be a complex and even daunting event to organize and host.

Student groups from around the world built and programmed their robots to undertake a variety of complex tasks during an intense few days. During the event, the young technologists were required to continually repair, reprogram and fine tune their robots, readying them for the next round.

Happily, the competition was flawlessly coordinated by our faculty and digital coaches. The event was well attended and live streamed to viewers around the world. ISP student participants sported NOEN t-shirts in recognition of NOEN’s $50,000 robotics endowment donation to ISP.

Edge in Education In addition to the various learning events and conferences hosted at ISP, ISP has developed a homegrown parent workshop over the past several years called The Edge in Education.

Coordinated by the School and parents, the series brings educators together with interested parents in thought-provoking presentations and discussions of current and future trends in education.

Last year’s final Edge was especially relevant to parents. Entitled, “Future-

Ready: What do today’s employers look for in people entering the workforce?” parents participated in a Breakfast Mixer and Panel Discussion and listened with interest as three ISP parent panel members presented their perspective on what skills the world of work is and will be seeking. Given the strong interest in how we are incorporating the latest educational trends into our curriculum, we expect the Edge in Education series to continue for years to come.

Two Summits at ISP As we have done for the past several years, ISP partnered with 24U to host the Czech Teachers’ Summit. The focus of the summit is to highlight progressive methods of teaching, and this session drew a record number of over 200 Czech teachers and administrators! Participants from throughout the Czech Republic had the opportunity to attend workshops conducted by ISP educators and other presenters, demonstrating the latest trends and best educational practice.

This was a great opportunity for the school to connect with the wider Czech educational community and to share expertise between ISP and Czech teachers and administrators.

Also, for the third year running, ISP hosted the Google European Summit.

The summit focused on supporting educators from around the world

Welcome

to better utilize Google educational software for both ’K-12’ and ’Higher Education’ environments. The Summit included keynote presentations and two full days of informative breakout sessions, cutting-edge demonstrations, and hands-on workshops led by leading Google Education professionals.

International Schools Assessment Each year ISP students, grades 3 (year 2) through 9 (year 8), sit the International Schools Assessment (ISA). The ISA is designed especially for students in international schools, and is based on the internationally endorsed reading, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy frameworks of the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Over 70,000 international school students from around the world participated in the ISA assessments last year. While we are careful not to inundate students with external exams, the ISA is an exam which requires more than multiple choice or fill in the blank types of answers; it looks for deeper learning and understanding that requires not only content knowledge but critical thinking abilities in core academic areas. This is an approach which is very much in line with ISP’s learning philosophy. I am happy to report that once again ISP students performed better than their worldwide and

regional international school peers in Mathematics, Reading, Writing and Science.

IB Results I am pleased to report that our latest International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma results were very good from a number of perspectives. 47 full IB Diploma candidates sat the exams in May and achieved an average and median score of 34 compared to the world average of 30. With an appreciation that ISP is a non-selective IB school, below is further information about our results: – Pass Rate: 92% (world average 80%) – 12% of our students achieved 40 to 42 (compared to ≈ 5% worldwide) – 40% achieved 34–39 (compared to ≈ 20% worldwide) – 25% achieved 29–33 (compared to ≈ 29% worldwide) – 15% achieved 24–28 (compared to ≈ 20% worldwide) With a highly diverse student population and a philosophy of allowing all students the opportunity to pursue the full IB Diploma, performance on the IB will vary from year to year. Our job is to support each and every one of our students to reach their full potential. Needless to say we are very pleased with the results and delighted that so many of our students will be attending the university of their choice.

I should add that (unlike any other school in the region and most schools around the world) each year we publish on our website our IB Diploma results and rolling ten year track record.

Greater details about our IB Diploma and ISA results can be found there.

Inspiring Learners for Life As a highly regarded international school with a world-wide reputation, it is expected that ISP supports each student to achieve academically and provides access to the best universities.

But we are much more than that; our goal is to inspire, engage and empower every learner to be truly “future-ready”, with the skills and values (as Minor Myers says) to, “Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.” Our international curriculum, our diverse community of 60+ nationalities, our outstanding faculty, our dynamic learning environments and the many learning opportunities we provide not only to students but to all ISP constituents, are in place to ensure that we continue to inspire ISP learners for life!

Dr. Arnie Bieber Director

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Welcome

Leadership Team 2014–2015

Director Dr. Arnie Bieber

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US Principal

Director of Information Technology

Dr. Mark Frankel

Sheldon Bradshaw

Finance & Operations Director

Director of Learning Research and Development

Barry Freckmann

Teresa Belisle

ES Principal

Activities Director

Dr. Cindy Gause-Vega

Joe Monks

ES Assistant Principal

HR Director

Corky Hawkins

Martina Mozna

MS Principal

Director of Advancement

Danielle Fredericks

Clive Watkins

Welcome

From the Chairman of the Board of Trustees

The role of the Board of Trustees at the International School of Prague is to support the Head of School, Dr. Bieber, and his team, to realize the mission of the International School of Prague. We are entrusted to ensure good governance of this internationally highly respected school in line with its Strategic goals.

2014–15 was the year that we finally relieved the “bottleneck” in the Middle School. As a non-profit school whose drive is to educate children, it is always painful when we have to turn away prospective ISP students due to lack of space, and this seemed to be happening far too often (with too many families) in our Middle School. So, while we still cannot accept everyone we would like to, I’m at least pleased to say that the completion of the North Wing Project has increased our Middle School capacity by 33%, relieving some of that pressure and giving relief to many families.

As a parent, I am always pleased to hear my children talk about how happy they are at ISP. Having said that, I must admit that I did not always equate academia with unbridled joy, so I find myself wondering how much they must be learning if they are so happy. It is therefore important to note the year-in and year-out results of the “external” exams that ISP students sit; these include the “International Schools’ Assessment” (taken by Grades 3–9)

and, of course the International Baccalaureate. Although ISP is not a selective school, the fact that our students consistently outperform their peers in these exams means that we can have confidence that the happiness of our children is certainly not due to a lack of rigour in the program.

2014–15 was the second year of the ISP Annual Fund (our first year with an all-volunteer parent committee), and what a success! Without any track record, we aimed high and set an ambitious goal of 1.325.000 CZK. At that point, fellow ISP-parent Daniel Kretinsky made an exceedingly generous offer to double every crown donated by other parents. This resulted in us surpassing the goal through total donations of 1.447.750 CZK. As a nonprofit organization, all income is used to take our school from good to great.

Although the act of asking for donations does and should raise questions, the ability of fund-raising schools to provide better facilities and programs is undisputed; ISP parents responded positively and we are looking forward to continued growth in the years ahead. If you don’t see your name in the donors’ section of this Annual Report, we hope to see it there next year!

I hope I may say, not just on behalf of my fellow Trustees, but all ISP parents – thank you to ISP’s faculty & staff for the environment you provide

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Welcome

for our children every day; while other schools may talk about offering a “global education”, ISP students (from 60 different nationalities!) come together every day to live that global experience. I share their excitement as they head off to school each day.

“Falcon” Trustees who have served throughout the years and who have now left, and welcome to those who join a dedicated team of volunteers whose ongoing goal is to achieve the School’s Mission.

Sincerely,

As always, the end of a year is full of mixed emotions. Although our turnover is not large (by international school standards), families do come and go. I enjoy meeting new people, but I miss those who must leave. The same can be said for my fellow Trustees; let me therefore say thank you to those

Neville Parry Chairman of the Board of Trustees

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Board of Trustees 2014–2015 Chair

Members

Neville Parry

Marie Bossan Ben Maudling Timothy Shaw Jan Sykora Leen Willemsen Adrian Fowler, Honorary Board Member Peter Ridder, Honorary Board Member

Vice Chair Charles Jess

Treasurer Subramanian Ravi

Secretary Kim Strebel

Welcome

ISP Board of Trustees Committees

The Board of Trustees of the International School of Prague s. r. o., maintains three standing committees: Governance, Finance and the Advancement Committee.

In addition, the Board of Trustees has created the Building and Grounds Committee.

Committees are predominantly populated with the Board members, while the Board Chair and the Head of the School are ex-officio members of all committees. Committees also include members from the parent community with expertise in specific fields.

Governance Committee

This committee coordinates the identification, cultivation, recruitment, and orientation of new trustees; facilitates board self-assessment; identifies the Board’s needs for education and training and designs vehicles to meet those needs. The committee also reviews and makes recommendations on governance issues.

Kim Strebel, Chair Marie Bossan Charles Jess Neville Parry Arnie Bieber, ISP Director

This committee in concert with the School’s Head and Business & Operations Director, develops the long-range financial plan and yearly operational budget, including setting tuition levels for Board approval; monitors the implementation of the budget and makes periodic reports to the board.

Subramanian Ravi, Chair Adrian Fowler Gregor Hofstaetter-Pobst Gary Mazzotti Timothy Shaw David Sturgeon Alan Svoboda Arnie Bieber, ISP Director Barry Freckmann, ISP Finance & Operations Director Simona Kacerkova, ISP Finance Manager

Finance Committee

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Welcome

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Advancement Committee

This committee coordinates the school’s fund-raising activities; advises the Board on the financial goals of the annual fund-raising events; facilitates trustee and other volunteer involvement in fund- and friend- raising activities; and raises funds.

Leen Willemsen, Chair Martin Blecha, ISP Alumni '04 Marie Bossan Rebecca Farmer, Annual Fund Chair Scott Neuman Tamar Newberger Kim Strebel Arnie Bieber, ISP Director Andrea Koudelkova, ISP Associate Advancement Director Natalie Kvackova, ISP Admissions Manager, Clive Watkins, ISP Director of Advancement

Building and Grounds Committee

This committee develops the master plan for the school’s buildings and grounds in cooperation with the school staff for Board approval; reports to the Board periodically on major plant and campus issues; and keeps the Finance Committee informed of building and grounds needs. The committee provides Board oversight of major building projects, but it does not act as the project manager.

Jan Sykora, Chair Aitor Alvarez-Rodriguez Ben Maudling Mark Sanders Albin Sybera Jonathan Wilkinson Arnie Bieber, ISP Director Barry Freckmann, ISP Finance and Operations Director Vladimir Manda, ISP Facility Manager

Adapted and compiled from the NAIS “International Trustees Handbook” – “A Guide to Effective Governance for Independent School Boards”. David Chojnacki, Editor

Welcome

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Financial Report

Mission, Learning Research & Development

IT, Activities & Athletics

ISP Community

Supporting ISP

Welcome

The Principals’ Reports

Mission Learning Research & Development

ISP Mission Statement

ISP Inspires learners to lead healthy, fulfilling and purposeful lives, preparing them to adapt and contribute responsibly to our changing world.

learning, we learn to make considered choices and work towards meaningful goals, which provide direction, focus and purpose to our lives.

ISP Engages its diverse community in an authentic global education, within a nurturing student-centered environment.

Adapt and contribute responsibly to our changing world: Developing essential skills and

ISP Empowers Learners to – – – –

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Think Critically and Creatively.

Work Cooperatively and Independently.

Listen and Communicate Effectively.

Act with Compassion, Integrity, Respect and Intercultural Understanding.

ISP Inspires Learners: Learning at ISP is a dynamic and stimulating process, where students experience the joy and excitement of inquiry, exploration and personal growth.

Healthy: Caring for our physical and emotional well-being enables us to lead balanced lives in work and in play, with the goal of developing a sound mind, body and spirit.

competencies enable us to evaluate the shifting circumstances we encounter, take calculated risks and adapt well to change. Our core values guide us to make responsible choices and actively support the needs of our local and global communities.

ISP Engages its diverse community in an authentic global education: Teaching and learning at ISP is an enjoyable, thought provoking and dynamic process, which allows students to make meaningful and relevant connections. Learners are given the opportunity to experience and apply “real world” knowledge and skills from a variety of disciplines. In other words instead of simply learning about the subject, students have the opportunity to “do” the discipline as a practitioner (historian, artist, mathematician…) would.

Fulfilling: As we gain awareness of who we are as individuals, we learn to recognize and appreciate what we find satisfying, rewarding and gratifying in our lives.

Purposeful: In developing a deep impulse and capacity for life-long

Nurturing student-centered environment: Our students receive strong academic, social and emotional support in a safe and caring environment, where the learning styles and needs of each learner are effectively supported.

Mission Learning Research & Development

ISP Empowers Learners to: – Think Critically and Creatively – Work Cooperatively and Independently – Listen and Communicate Effectively – Act with Compassion, Integrity, Respect and Intercultural Understanding

Think Critically and Creatively: The ability to draw on our own judgment and observational skills as well as thinking “out of the box,” using alternative approaches to solve problems and envision and develop new ideas.

Work Cooperatively and Independently: Use a variety of

Compassion: Empathize with others’ circumstances and feelings and treat others with sensitivity, kindness and generosity.

interpersonal skills to engage peers in productive collaborative work, while retaining the capacity to create, based on one’s own abilities.

Integrity: Act ethically, morally,

Listen and Communicate Effectively: Actively listen, appreciate and

responsibly, conscientiously and honestly. Respect: Treat everyone, including oneself, with dignity.

understand the views and perspectives of others, and clearly express one’s self in different modes and circumstances.

Act: It is through our actions that our values are revealed and actualized.

Intercultural Understanding: Valuing and understanding the perspective and origins of other people by actively engaging with their language, culture and history.

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Mission Learning Research & Development

Learning Research & Development

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Teresa Belisle Director of Learning Research and Development

To ensure our learners will be future ready, we continually research innovations in curricula, pedagogy and assessment that are in line with the aspirations of our mission.

“Curriculum is the intellectual center of schooling … It states what is to be studied and the modes of inquiry for studying it. At its narrowest a curriculum specifies the content of specific subjects. More broadly it describes the values and aims used to justify the total program of an educational institution and all of the educational processes and learning that go on within it.”

The Future of Curriculum, Ben Williamson Through targeted research and development, we continued to enhance and refine our learning program this year, both for children and adults.

Student Learning Disciplinary research and development involves continually examining educational research, exploring innovations both in education and in the world, as well as wrestling with provocative ideas from respected thought leaders. The research and development this past year has helped us to further focus and refine our learning programs in the following areas.

– Modern Languages: With the support of external expertise, we further delineated the language proficiency progressions in listening, speaking, reading, and writing based on the Common European Framework of Reference. We continue to explore engaging apps and content, as well as authentic linguistic and cultural connections both locally and across Europe.

– Physical Education: In addition to revising our standards and benchmarks, we expanded our PE units to align with our goal of nurturing lifelong physical activity and fitness. These new offerings include yoga, dance, and targeted sessions in our new fitness room.

– Social Studies: We developed a clear continuum of performance indicators that delineates how the key competencies of social scientists develop over time. In addition, we clarified and updated the illustrative content used in Grades 6 through 10. Our goal was to select events and contexts that not only build learners’ knowledge of history but even more importantly, develop conceptual understanding that permits them to better understand and address current local and global issues.

– STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics): Science leaders have spearheaded the initiative to enhance our learning

Mission Learning Research & Development

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program with more independent and student driven scientific investigations, as well as a greater focus on design thinking and mathematical connections. * Hosting the regional robotics tournament furthered excitement and interest in robotics and coding in all sections of the school.

The Upper School developed an elective course in robotics as well as an Art & Code transdisciplinary course. Both the Middle and Upper Schools have robotics after school

activities where teams learn and develop robots to compete in regional competitions. * Math teachers across the school were involved in a thorough revision of our content scope and sequence, based on the New South Wales curricular framework from Australia. The revised Grades 6 through 10 program is now more clearly articulated and aligned to the IB Diploma math courses.

The Arts: In the areas of Visual Arts, Music, and Drama, we developed a learning continuum PK-12 representing a skill progression regardless of age and grade level. In addition, we expanded the Middle School arts options to include “Singing and Creative Music” as well as year long art and drama extension courses in Grade 8.

Transdisciplinary research and development continues to be a priority as we aspire to our goal of offering an authentic education.

Mission Learning Research & Development

Design Thinking: Across the School, teachers have been increasing the use of “design thinking” to build students’ creative and critical thinking skills, not only because such thinking is a key component of our mission, but also because it is a key competency for future ready learners.

Health: We are researching what we

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mean by “healthy” in our mission, so we can more clearly articulate how we are nurturing lifelong physical activity and fitness, as well as caring for our emotional well-being. We have collected research from around the world about what approaches are most effective in promoting health and we are auditing our current programs that address social and emotional well-being.

Timetable: Our goal in further refining our Middle and Upper School timetable was to increase contact time for the core literacies in the MS and increase contact time for the Higher Level IB Diploma courses in the US. We continue to leverage flexible “stretch days” in both sections to offer opportunities for deeper, more authentic learning and exploration, both at ISP and in the local community.

Professional Learning: As adults at ISP, we model lifelong learning. Even though the majority of our faculty have advanced degrees (Masters and Doctorates), they are all involved in professional learning sessions and technical training, both at the school

and externally. Onsite learning included conferences, workshops with external experts, professional learning days, interest based focus groups, retreat days for targeted groups, and internal sharing of expertise.

We held a number of workshops at ISP this year including Design Thinking and Making Across the Curriculum, ESL in the Mainstream, ESL in the Mainstream for Younger Learners, a Leadership Symposium, IBICUS Diploma Program courses, and the Czech Teachers IT Summit.

As we continually strove to hone our professional expertise, we learned from the following experts: – Elementary and Middle School math teachers worked with David Ott, educational math consultant, to further our understanding on how to develop mathematical thinkers.

– Our Learning Leaders and our Board of Trustees worked with Mark T Frankel of Triangle Associates in developing Strategy, Governance and Leadership skills.

– Our Modern Language teachers worked with Sharon Keaveney, author of Early Language Learning and Teaching, to deepen our understanding of how to plan, teach, and assess language learning using The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Mission Learning Research & Development

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Targeted leaders in the Middle and Upper School worked with the following scheduling gurus to further refine our Middle and Upper School schedules: – Michael Rettig, Professor Emeritus from James Madison University and founder of School Scheduling Associates – Greg Satterwhite, founder of PS Tech Group: School Information Systems Solutions

Our faculty interest-based Focus Groups aim to “promote new thinking, shifts in thinking, and innovations, in an effort to move the school closer to its mission.” This year’s groups delved into the following areas: Co-teaching; Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World; Improvisation; Mathematical Inquiry; Professional Partnerships; Project Based learning; Tinkering, Making, and Design Thinking; Environmental Issues; Host Country Connections; and Sunshine Committee

for a healthy balanced lifestyle. This research and exploration continues to seed innovation and transformation in our learning programs across the school.

“Cultures of thinking are places in which a group’s collective, as well as individual, thinking is valued, visible, and actively promoted.”

Ron Richart, Intellectual Character

Mission Learning Research & Development

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Mission Learning Research & Development

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Mission Learning Research & Development

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One of our school’s biggest assets is its internal professional expertise, as we have educators with extensive experience and expertise. In order to leverage this asset, we launched a new venue, Professional Learning Salons, where colleagues can learn from one another in short, choice workshops. The Salon offerings this year included The Reggio Emilia Approach; The Flipped Classroom; Reading Strategies and Reading Conferences; Supporting students with ADHD and Dyslexia; TOK For Kids: Exploring Theory of Knowledge In The Middle Years; Lego Robotics; Workflows with iPads; Strategies that encourage critical thinking; New structures for delivering math curriculum; Augmented Reality Applications; Using Google Classroom + Doctopus + Goobric for grading/offering feedback; Using language and learning cycle to promote effective teaching and communication in any discipline; Using Evernote to Collect, Organise, and Share; Improvisation in the learning environment; CAS and Service Learning; Interactive Digital Stories; and Student publishing with eBooks.

In addition to the extensive onsite professional learning mentioned above, we supported the attendance at targeted workshops and conferences in the region and around the world.

More than 80 faculty, aides, counselors, and administrators attended and/or presented at conferences, workshops and courses such as…

– European Council on International Schools (ECIS) Conferences: In addition to attending the Annual conference in Nice this year, a number of our administrators and faculty served on ECIS committees and attended regional job-alikes.

– Central & Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA) Conferences: We had a record attendance of 23 ISP faculty at the 25th Annual Conference in Dubrovnik in March, drawn to the theme of “Transforming Education Through Global Citizenship” with the relevant themes of service learning, intercultural competence, design thinking, and leadership.

– European League for Middle Level Education (ELMLE); We had a number of our Middle School faculty help organise, present and/or attend this year’s “Create” conference in Warsaw.

– IB Diploma Courses: In addition to attendance at the regional IB conference and the IBICUS workshops held at ISP in February, our Upper School IB Diploma teachers took courses to further refine their pedagogy in the areas of HL Math, Design Technology, Environmental Systems and Society, History, and Chemistry.

– Online Courses: Faculty are taking advantage of the ever expanding options of online professional learning, including Harvard’s online options, Coursera free online courses

from top universities, and courses which faculty are taking as part of advanced degree programs.

Parent Learning – Throughout the year, we offered presentations and discussions about what, why, and how we learn here at ISP. – Parent Coffees: These presentations and discussions targeted sectional specific and age related issues in the Elementary, Middle, and Upper sections of our school. Key areas explored this year included IB Diploma program, mathematical thinking, managing digital life in a 1:1 environment, and schedule revisions.

– Parent Workshops: This year we invited parents to look more closely at how we approach teaching and learning Mathematics and Modern Languages.

– Edge in Education: In these thoughtprovoking sessions, organized in collaboration with the SCA, we engage in discussions around current and future trends in education. Our topics this year were * Relevance Gap based on Harvard’s David Perkins’ book, Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World. During this session, participants discussed the challenges schools face in developing skills and understandings that prepare

Mission Learning Research & Development

learners for the lives they’re likely to live rather than what’s been traditionally taught. * Experiential Learning focused on authentic “learning by doing.”

Participants heard directly from students about how this approach facilitates their learning here at ISP. * Service Learning that is evolving into powerful social innovation around the world. Participants learned about the key service learning that is happening in all sections of the School here at ISP as well as the shift to thoughtful needs based action.

* Design Thinking, a user-centered approach to innovation and idea development, is a key competency in today’s world. Participants learned about Stanford University’s approach to Design Thinking and then saw this type of thinking in action at the Robotics tournament. * Future Ready, focused on exploring the questions: What do today’s employers look for in students entering the workforce? and What does it mean to be future ready?

Participants heard from a panel of professionals from varied fields

who are currently involved in hiring who gave their perspective on how best to ensure our learners are future ready.

We’ve enjoyed another productive year of learning research and development at ISP. We look forward to continued transformation to ensure that ISP remains a world leader in International Education.

Teresa Belisle Director of Learning Research & Development

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Financial Report

Mission, Learning Research & Development

IT, Activities & Athletics

ISP Community

Supporting ISP

Welcome

The Principals’ Reports

The Principals’ Reports

The Elementary School

Dr. Cindy Gause-Vega Elementary School Principal 32

Continuing our Mathematical Journey Core to ISP’s mission is the engagement of students in authentic learning experiences in all areas of the curriculum.

A primary goal for the 2014–2015 school year was to think more deeply about how to better support the development of students’ mathematical thinking and their construction of this mathematical understanding of the world. With this in mind, we: – implemented the research-based program, “INVESTIGATIONS INTO NUMBER, DATA & SPACE” developed by the Technical Education Research Center, Cambridge, MA. in Kindergarten through Grade 5; – adopted the New South Wales Mathematical framework in PK – Grade 12, detailing the learning outcomes for each grade level. We aligned this clearly defined and sequenced mathematical content with INVESTIGATIONS and identified additional resources and materials to further meet the learning outcomes; – held workshops for parents on mathematical thinking. Parents read short articles and met to discuss a range of ideas, including the role of maths in the real world, providing evidence and justification for thinking in maths, and the importance of computational fluency; and – invited families to a first Family Math Night. Parent and children had fun

playing math games and eating pizza.

We hope these engaging math evenings will become a tradition at ISP.

Service Learning: Contribute responsibly to our changing world Central to ISP’s Mission is to “inspire learners to lead healthy, fulfilling and purposeful lives, preparing them to adapt and contribute responsibly to our changing world.” With this vision in mind, different Units of Inquiry provided children with opportunities to learn about the needs of others and how to help, as well as work together to meet the challenges we face as caretakers of our planet.

In an integrated Unit of Inquiry, children in Kindergarten learned about plant life through growing wheat; explored different cultural traditions through making bread; learned math skills as they measured and put together the ingredients to make bread; and practiced adding and subtracting when they sold the bread they’d made. At the same time, they learned about people in our community who do not have enough to eat and used the money they raised to buy food for the local food bank, going to the supermarket to do the buying themselves.

In Grade 3 in an inquiry into how to protect our planet, students learned about the limits of natural resources,

The Principals’ Reports

pollution, and the dangers of global warming. They explored different actions we can take in our daily lives to protect our planet, focusing on recycling and reuse. Small groups identified problems in our own community and developed and carried out action plans.

In the integrated unit of inquiry, “How much does clean water cost?”, Grade 5 students studied the chemistry of water and learned about how difficult it is to clean water once it has been

polluted. At the same time, they read the novel, A Long Walk to Water, about the water crisis in the South Sudan.

In Math and Social Studies, students explored the statistics which depict the lack of clean water in different parts of the world and learned about the negative impact of not having access to clean water in the daily lives of communities in these areas. The students then did their own ‘walk to water’. In this simulation of the lives of young children who walk long distances each day to get water for

their families, the students raised money to buy a well in South Sudan.

In an attempt to create a global initiative in which students can learn about another culture and community and it’s needs, a team of ISP faculty traveled to Chennai, India to meet with Teach for India fellows, visit schools, and conduct professional development for teachers and principals. Upon returning to ISP, the team shared their experiences with the rest of the faculty, the children and the Elementary

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The Principals’ Reports

participate in an increased variety of dance classes, including modern dance, break dance, and Bollywood dancing.

Performances for ES Gatherings and evening recitals for parents provided the students with the experience of practicing for and executing polished performances which require learning about collaboration and commitment through the joy of movement.

Music and Drama: Lights, Music, Action Children in “Lights, Music, Action Junior” learned songs in different languages and folk dances that they shared with their parents in an afternoon performance.

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parent community. The Elementary Student Council began a long distance communication with one of the classrooms visited and shared videos describing their daily lives. Through this process, the goal is for students in both Prague and Chennai to learn from and with each other about the challenges faced by their communities and the types of action they can take to make a positive difference.

Throughout the 2014–15 school year, a committee of Elementary teachers did an audit of all the service learning taking place throughout the Elementary School. We will use this audit to plan for further service learning opportunities in the 2015–16 school year.

The Development of Creative Expression The development of creativity is also core to ISP’s mission. Students at ISP are fortunate to have the opportunity to develop their creativity through a rich, extensive arts program encompassing a range of opportunities in the fine arts, written expression, music, and dance.

A highlight of this program during the 2014–15 school year were the multifaceted opportunities for learning in music and dance.

Put on Your Dancing Shoes During the 2014–15 school year, students had opportunities to

From September to April, children participating in “Lights, Music, Action” in Grades 3 through 5 attended rehearsals to prepare for the performance of the children’s musical, Peter Pan. Throughout this year-long experience of drama, song, and dance, the students’ commitment involved learning to persist, to be part of a cast with shared goals, and how to support others in a lengthy collaborative endeavor. The culminating performance was a testament to their hard work; the children’s pride in their accomplishments was evident in a stellar performance.

Dr. Cindy Gause-Vega ES Principal

The Principals’ Reports

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The Principals’ Reports

The Middle School

Danielle Fredericks Middle School Principal 36

A New Chapter for ISP’s Middle School The past year has been one of change and consolidation in ISP’s Middle School. All Grade levels were expanded, making our Middle School the largest it has ever been. The opening of the new North Wing has afforded us the opportunity to accommodate more students and utilise flexible learning spaces. As the new Principal, it was an exciting time for me to join ISP! We began the year embarking on a new schedule (developed by my predecessor Kevin Hawkins and his team), which incorporated “Stretch” days. These days

were designed to provide opportunities for students to be involved in extended, in depth learning, where students identify a problem or challenge and think critically and creatively to solve it. Collaboration and teamwork are significant aspects of this type of learning. Links within and across subject disciplines are a feature of Stretch days and students may work in a Grade level or mixed Grade level teams. Such learning also involves bringing in guest speakers and field trips off campus. We are proud of this aspect of our program as it reflects our commitment to educational innovation, based in best practice.

The Principals’ Reports

New Schedule Implementation As we implemented the new schedule, it became clear that the amount of Stretch days that had been allocated was overly ambitious. To plan for so many Stretch days was challenging to sustain and the balance between Stretch Days and regular instructional time needed to be re-calibrated.

I therefore reduced the amount of Stretch Days for semester 2 and redesignated this instructional time to each subject. Our experiences with the new schedule for 2014–2015 informed planning for 2015–2016, with the goal of creating a workable balance between instructional time by subject and opportunities for extended learning on Stretch days.

Assessment Another area we reviewed in Middle School was our approach to assessment. For 2015–2016 we will adopt the 1–7 grading scale (while still honouring the previous work on standards based assessment) for stronger alignment with Upper School.

Increasing Student Voice We have an active Student Council in Middle School and I have enjoyed working with them in order to gain feedback on topics such as hallway expectations and student dances.

For students to have a voice in issues that directly affect them is important.

Interestingly, as part of creating the

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The Principals’ Reports

new Middle School Student and Parent Handbook for 2015–2016, Student Council shared insightful ideas about what behaviours should be expected and why, as well as what may be an appropriate consequence for when an expectation is not followed.

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It has been enormously satisfying for me to get to know the Middle School students, teachers and parents in my first year at ISP. I have felt very welcome and supported by our community. I look forward to the 2015–2016 school year and continuing

to work with the community to support your child’s learning.

Danielle Fredericks MS Principal

The Principals’ Reports

The Upper School

Mark Frankel Upper School Principal

This year, let’s start at the end, with an image of the Class of 2015, standing outside Zofin Palace and tossing their graduation caps into the air. It was such a joyful moment and a great end to a wonderful ceremony. Gathered in the beautiful hall on the banks of the Vltava, we celebrated the achievements of a group of young men and women and marked the moment when they would head off into the world beyond ISP. The student speakers at the event took note of the enormous part played by the school in the journey to that important day. As Dan Nguyen, one of the speakers, noted, ISP “is part of who I am, who we are. We’ve all built upon each other in one way or another, and no matter how far apart we end up going in life, that’s never going to change.” And Ileana Lobkowicz added that the “memories we’ve shared don’t just happen and disappear—they have been built, like building blocks. And as each new block is added a new experience is remembered, another is embellished, and eventually an immaculate construction of memories has been formed.”

That day came near the end of an eventful year. We opened a new wing of the campus, which allowed us to better use our spaces and collaborate by opening up the walls between some of our classes. We changed our

timetable last year (well, to be honest, we changed it a few times) to both add hours to our Higher Level IB classes and to carve out days for more flexible learning time.

These Stretch Days – so named because they allow each class to stretch out and engage in learning activities that don’t easily fit into an 80-minute block – were used for a variety of learning activities, from writing and performing new scenes from a novel to visiting the World Press Photography show; from scientific investigations in the Šárka forest to a walking tour of Prague during the Nazi occupation. For some of the students in Grades 11 and 12, these long blocks were used to work on their Internal Assessments. While exhausting for both students and faculty, we were very pleased with the way that these days allowed for intensive and focused learning.

Over the course of the year, we were all treated to exceptional artistic performances and exhibits, from the incredible staging of The Book of Antigone, to a packed-house Kavarna with musical performances from students in all grades. Our IB Art students displayed their phenomenal work in an exhibit that also combined performances from the IB Music students, the first time we have combined all these exceptional young artists in one event.

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The Principals’ Reports

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Our academic teams and clubs journeyed far and wide to test their knowledge skills. Our Math students went to Istanbul, our Theater students went to Switzerland, our MUN students went to Lyon as well as The Hague, and our Speech and Debate students went to Barcelona and also hosted a huge tournament here at home. ISP also hosted a very impressive Robotics Competition with teams vying to overcome various fine motor challenges.

It was thrilling to watch and we are excited to host again in 2016.

Our International Award students hiked, camped and orienteered in sometimes less than pleasant weather, our Community Service Club arranged tours of Prague led by homeless men and women to show students the hidden side of this beautiful city.

The Week Without Walls was, as always, a wonderful set of experiences for the students and it is amazing how often the students mention these trips at graduation as some of their fondest memories. It allows students to challenge themselves and to forge connections with students that they might not otherwise see on a day-to-day basis. We also expanded our Grade 11 Career Speaker Series by having four distinguished community members come and speak with the students about the choices they made

The Principals’ Reports

in their career paths. The students find this very stimulating as they are just beginning to think about life after school.

And so, back to the beginning, to that day in late May when, after a beautiful graduation ceremony, with memorable speeches and performances, we said goodbye to a group of Grade 12 students and said hello to our newest alumni. This was an exceptional class in that so many of them were at ISP for many, many years, and so, as a group, they truly represented the collective strength of the school.

The IB Diploma Program remains a major part of the Upper School, with 84% of the graduating students attempting the full diploma and 92% of them earning the IB diploma (this compared to 80% worldwide). This is a remarkable statistic, considering that ISP is non-selective, both in terms of admissions to the school and in terms of participation in the Diploma Program.

Seeing these curious, compassionate and inquiring young men and women stand together for perhaps the last time, and remembering how different they were but a few years ago, is to marvel at the ways in which they have been nurtured, supported, and prodded by this passionate and dedicated community. We wish them all the best!

University Acceptances for the Class of 2014–2015 Belgium Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Canada University of Toronto Czech Republic FAMU (Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts) Anglo-American University Italy Universita di Roma Japan Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Netherlands Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam University College Utrecht Spain European Institute of Design – Barcelona Sweden Kungl Tekniska Högskolan – Royal Institute of Technology United Kingdom University College London University of Bristol University of Manchester Middlesex University Regent’s University London

University of Exeter City University Goldsmiths College, University of London Lancaster University Hull College University of Westminster University of Aberdeen United States The New School – All Divisions Lindsey Wilson College New York University Boston University Brown University Maryland Institute College of Art University of California, San Diego Northwestern University Boston College Marist College Wellesley College

The IB Program at ISP Founded in 1968, the International Baccalaureate Organization grew out of international school efforts to establish a common curriculum and university entrance credentials for geographically mobile students. ISP is one of over 4,000 schools throughout the world to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, a rigorous pre-university course of studies, leading to examinations, that meets the needs of highly motivated students.

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The Principals’ Reports

Average Exam Mark 2006–2015 Exam Mark 6.0

5.0

Designed as a comprehensive two-year curriculum, the IB program allows its graduates to fulfill requirements that are recognized worldwide. Only schools authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization are eligible to teach the Diploma Program curriculum and to register candidates for examination.

Unlike many schools, ISP allows all its students to attempt to obtain an IB diploma.

4.0 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Avg. mark by all candidates

Avg mark by candidates who passed diploma

2014

2015

Avg. mark worldwide

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IB Diploma Pass Rate 2006–2015 Percent of Candidates 100

100 94

93

79

79

78

91

90

78

79

78

79

78

79

81

World

ISP

80

96

94

91

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

The average score for ISP students who received the diploma in 2015 was 34 against a world average of 30 points. Let us repeat: ISP is a non-selective school (we do not require applicants to ISP to take exams that might prove their ability to do well on standardized exams) and then, when they become ISP students, even if we predict that they will not score over a certain amount, we do not prevent them from taking the IB diploma.

Nevertheless, going back as far as 2006, the average score of ISP IB Diploma recipients remains consistently above 32.

IB Qualifications of ISP Upper School Faculty: All faculty are IB trained; The ISP Faculty includes eight examiners and three senior examiners; Three ISP Faculty members are involved in IB curriculum development; ISP has four Workshop Trainers;

The Principals’ Reports

Average Diploma Points 2006–2015

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– Number of Candidates: 47 – Average Diploma Score: 34 (World average 29) – Median Diploma Score: 34 – Students not achieving the diploma: 4 (including 1 who has chosen not to complete the CAS component) – Pass Rate: 92% (world average 80%) – Highest score achieved was a 42 (out of a possible 45) – 6 students (12%) achieved 40 to 42 (compared to ≈ 5% worldwide) – 19 students (40%) achieved 34–39 (compared to ≈ 20% worldwide) – 12 students (25%) achieved 29–33 (compared to ≈ 29% worldwide) – 7 students (15%) achieved 24–28 (compared to ≈ 20% worldwide) – (Comparisons based on the May 2014 IB Diploma Statistical Bulletin) Dr. Mark Frankel US Principal

Avg. points at ISP

IB Results With an appreciation that ISP is a non-selective IB school and that the world average diploma score is approximately 29, below is further information about our scores in 2014– 2015 as compared to the world averages:

34

34

33

30

34 30

32

30

33 30

33

32 30

30

34

33 30

30

30

Avg. points worldwide

Two ISP Faculty members are also IB Online Curriculum Center faculty members; One ISP Faculty member is an IB textbook author.

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Certificate & Diploma Registrations, 2010–2015 43 47

8

2015

54

6

2014

46

9

2013

40

14

2012

34

13

2011

46

22

2010

23

24

2009

34

14

2008

29

17

2007

36

13

2006

Diploma Candidades

Certificate Candidades

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The Principals’ Reports

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Financial Report

Mission, Learning Research & Development

IT, Activities & Athletics

ISP Community

Supporting ISP

Welcome

The Principals’ Reports

IT, ACTIVITIES & ATHLETICS

Information Technology

Sheldon Bradshaw Director of Information Technology 48

2014–15 was another exciting year of innovation, collaboration and engagement for the Information Technology and Library Department.

Below are a few of the many highlights from the past year.

This past fall we once again had the honor of hosting the European Google Apps Education Summit, with educators from around the world coming to attend workshops and keynote presentations. Several ISP teachers presented workshops and also became Google-Certified Trainers.

As well, this spring ISP hosted the 5th annual Czech Teachers Summit, in collaboration with Apple Europe and 24U.cz. This event had over 160 Czech Educators and Administrators coming to ISP to learn about leveraging digital tools to enhance student learning.

Of special note were the workshops presented by our very own Jakub Syrovy (IT Network Manager) and Daniela Krejbichova (ES Languages) to high acclaim.

We continued with the authentic integration of technology into our Elementary School programme.

In Grade 2, students and teachers piloted a 1:1 iPad programme where all students had their own device for use at school. Our Czech Language department was also exploring how to enhance language learning through iPad use. As well, all elementary

teachers and students had access to an iPad in their classroom, putting a high-quality camera, video camera and computer in the classroom whenever it was needed. Our Lower Elementary classes were able to explore digital microscopes and introductory robotics.

The Petr Mares one-to-one laptop program in our Middle School is now entering its 8th year, and in the Upper School we will be celebrating the 7th year of the program.

ISP hosted the CEESA First Tech Robotics (http://www.usfirst.org/) Tournament in February. This was a qualifying tournament for the world First Tech Robotics Championship and saw thirteen teams compete in a number of challenges. Thanks in part to the Noen fund (http://www.isp.cz/ cf_news/view.cfm?newsid=16), the tournament was a resounding success and the ISP team came away with the Control Team award. Also in robotics news, the Middle School Robotics Team had several in-house competitions.

The ISP Library is a place that strives to engage all segments of the community with a variety of resources and activities. This year, we were fortunate to have noted author Laurie Halse Anderson on campus working with our students in March.

IT, ACTIVITIES & ATHLETICS

As part of our increased focus on design thinking and design technology, our 3D printer was in high demand.

Students from all school sections were printing a variety of products, and we added a second 3D printer to help students produce their designs.

Another expanding initiative this year was our live streaming of some key events. We were able to share live video of events like Upper School graduation from Zofin Palace, Grade 8 graduation, CEESA band and several sporting and arts events. Feedback from parents and friends around the world has been very positive and we hope to continue sharing these events in the future.

We are proud of our accomplishments for 2014–15, but even more excited about the year ahead. We look forward to supporting our community of learners, and providing the support and programs to enhance our learning at the International School of Prague.

Sheldon Bradshaw Director of Information Technology

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IT, ACTIVITIES & ATHLETICS

Activities

It is with pleasure that I report the ongoing growth and development of the activities program. Our increased enrolement has been matched with increased opportunities and participation.

Elementary The Elementary After School Activities Program continues to thrive under the organisation of Mr. Tarique Choudhury.

The trimesterly program demonstrates a balance of sports, fine arts and technical/educational offerings for our students.

Joe Monks Director of Activities

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The Elementary Sports Program has offered a wide range of activities necessary to develop a ‘physical literacy’ of skills that enable the young participants to enjoy sports yet build necessary skills and confidence that they can use to specialize in sports later on in life. To fulfill this, ISP connected with a variety of outside activity providers to further enrich our programs.

Our Elementary Fine and Performing Arts continue to impress with strong programs in strings, band, theatre and dance. In these activities the students had the opportunity to ‘take the stage’ and demonstrate their skills in a variety of culminating performances.

Middle School and Upper School ISP has been able to expand its offerings by making use of coaches and instructors within the community.

These have included students from Charles University Faculty of Physical Education, parents, professional sports players as well as professional sports coaches. We have also been making use of the extensive facilities and resources around us; these include local gyms, pools and even the wonderful ski area of Bedrichov for cross country and downhill ski experiences for our students.

We have continued to offer a range of competitive and recreational programs for our students. We have seen the continued growth of Dance through the school sections and for the first time hosted the First Tech Challenge Robotics competition, an event that will stay with our school for another two years. The International Schools Sports Association of Prague (ISSAP) enables competition against local international schools and we continued to participate against local Czech clubs in some sports. The Central Eastern European Schools Association continues to offer us competition through sports, debate and maths and cooperation through the performing arts with other international schools in the eastern European region.

IT, ACTIVITIES & ATHLETICS

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IT, ACTIVITIES & ATHLETICS

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Our sports teams received the following accolades from participation in CEESA tournaments: Champions: MS Girls: Cross Country, MS Girls Softball, MS Boys Swimming, MS Boys Softball, MS Boys Volleyball, JV Boys Football, US Boys Volleyball and US Girls Softball.

On top of those successes the teams were well deserved of sportsmanship awards in JV Boys Football, JV Girls Basketball, MS Girls Volleyball, MS Boys Swimming, MS Girls Swimming, US Boys Swimming, US Girls Swimming and US Girls Softball.

This year ISP was host to the following CEESA events: MS Girls Football, US Speech and Debate, MS Band, US Robotics, US Girls Softball.

Upper School student involvement in the ‘International Award’ (formerly known as the Duke of Edinburgh award) has grown tremendously as students

IT, ACTIVITIES & ATHLETICS

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realise the alignment of this program with our school values. This mission aligned program continues to grow in popularity within our student body with greater numbers of our Upper School students advancing through the awards.

Community We continue to be supported by our parents that coordinate further activities for our students, assist with event hosting and run SCA adult ed activities for our wider community. This year we have also seen the culmination of a community orchestra, drawing in expertise from the far reaching corners of our school and connecting us with

other programs in the community.

The SCA also coordinated numerous ‘get active’ classes for our parent community including spinning and running sessions and proving positive role models in achieving our healthy and active ideals.

Joe Monks Director of Activities

Financial Report

Mission, Learning Research & Development

IT, Activities & Athletics

ISP Community

Supporting ISP

Welcome The Principals’ Reports

Supporting ISP

Supporting ISP

ISP is a not-for-profit entity; whether you donate your time or money, 100% of your support goes directly to the benefit of ISP students.

ISP is supported financially not only by tuition, but by donations from parents, Alumni, corporations, and many others.

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This additional support is what allows ISP to maintain its reputation of unsurpassed education in the Czech Republic – and beyond. Giving to ISP has become a tradition for all our family members – without your participation, ISP cannot continue to be the same School that attracted you to it in the first place.

Supporting ISP

Our Donors

Robotics @ISP 2014–15 Thanks to a multi-year, very generous donation from NOEN, The International School of Prague Robotics program has seen tremendous growth throughout the 2014–15 school year.

Although ISP had been ‘dabbling’ in Robotics for many years, it was the participation of the Upper School Robotics Club in the CEESA FTC Robotics tournament six years ago that really caused interest to soar… (Get it? Falcons, soaring?). Anyway, since that time, with NOEN’s support and

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Supporting ISP

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the dedication of numerous teachers, Robotics is now found throughout the school in both curricular and extracurricular programs.

ended each trimester with in-school challenges that included, “So you think your Robot can Dance” and “Robot Sumo Wrestling.”

Elementary School Robotics Robotics have been brought into the classroom in the ES with students as young as 7 working with our Technology coaches. The program centers around the Lego NXT system, with a goal of introducing the basics of programming and Robotics to young students.

Upper School Robotics The Upper School Robotics club has continued to thrive. The team that participated in the FIRST Tech Challenge competition took the name of “Giacomo Rising”, in a nod of respect to the Alumnus who (while a student at ISP) was a driver of robotics here, and who is a self-described, “geek extraordinaire.” Giacomo was the only student (so far) who successfully hacked the website of our computer science teacher (having left his name as proof).

Middle School Robotics Mr Michael Peters led the MS Robotics after-school program during the 2014–15 school year. There was a large interest in the club, with students working with the new Lego Mindstorm equipment. While the date of the local “FIRST LEGO League” tournament did not allow ISP to participate, we

Giacomo Rising deservedly earned the Innovate Award at the FIRST Tech Challenge. This award is given for the team that thinks outside the box and

brings ingenuity and inventiveness to make its designs come to life.

Robotics continues to be covered in science units within the curriculum; ISP has made plans to introduce Robotics as an elective for the next school year.

CEESA/FTC Robotics Event With the support of its partners, ISP was proud to host the CEESA/FTC Robotics competition. We saw thirteen teams from the central and eastern European region compete at this world championship-qualifying event. ISP community members acted as officials, with help from experienced judges from the Netherlands. The event was a resounding success and the school will again be hosting this event in 2015–16.

Joe Monks Director of Activites

Supporting ISP

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Supporting ISP

Annual Fund

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ISP is a not-for-profit school. While tuition is not inexpensive, all proceeds go towards improving the experience of ISP students.

As its name suggests, fundraising for the Annual Fund takes place every year.

Donations to the Annual Fund confirm the community’s desire to go beyond the cost of tuition to purchase items and programs that have an immediate impact on current students. It elevates ISP to the level of excellence that tuition alone cannot provide. It can touch every part of the school’s budget including academic programs, financial aid, technology, athletics, arts, and facilities. It provides the School with the flexibility to respond quickly to new opportunities, and to meet unexpected challenges. Most importantly, it is the reason behind ISP’s global reputation for excellence in education amongst international schools.

2014–15 was the second year of the ISP Annual Fund, and our first year with an all-volunteer committee.

With no real track record on which to base our goal, we set our sights high and began explaining the concept to our fellow parents. Very quickly, and very generously, we received an offer

from ISP parent Daniel Kretinsky to match whatever any other donors gave to the Annual Fund. This incredible opportunity allowed us to eventually surpass our goal of 1.325.000 CZK. By the end of the year, over 60 donors had helped to raise a total of 1.447.750 CZK! Thank you so much to my fellow parents who volunteered their time to learn about the Annual Fund and act as ambassadors in the community. And thank you to everyone who responded so generously to the call to donate. We knew that the ISP community would pull together to set a higher standard.

With your continued support, we look forward to going from strength to strength in the years to come. I would like to think that, twenty years from now, the Chairs of the Annual Fund committee of 2034–35 will look back on where it all began, and will say another big thank you to those who believed in what the school could become, and helped the Fund to take its first steps.

Thank you, Rebecca Farmer Chair, 2014–15 Annual Fund Committee

Supporting ISP

Members of the 2014–15 Annual Fund Committee Julie Becker Kymmy Fichtner Viviane Hamel Carissa Held Monica O’Mara Carmen Pignotti Martha Rey Mai-Brit Bergholt Vangsgaard Kveta Wolff Leen Willemsen

Hills Pet Nutrition Gregor and Andrea Hofstaetter-Pobst Andrey Kotov and Iulia Kotova Michael and Carolyn Kubena Ben and Renata Maudling Gary and Clare Mazzotti Ian Phillips and Carmen Pignotti Tim and Eva Shaw Petr Svrcek and Ivona Svrckova Brian and Mai-Brit Vangsgaard Jie Guo and Weimin Wang Richard and Agniezska Widmann Koen Wilmots and Leen Wilemsen Kveta Wolff

Annual Fund Donors Donors listed by Giving Societies: The Comenius Society (100.000 and up) Daniel Kretinsky The Falcon’s Society (50.000 to 99.999 CZK) Anonymous David Stekl a Lenka Steklová Alexey Zakharov and Sofia Rafailova The Nebusice Society (25.000 to 49.999 CZK) James and Inez Cusumano Rodney and Rebecca Farmer The Gold & Black Society (5.000 to 24.999 CZK) Dominique and Marie Bossan Antonius and Petra Van Gorp Nazakat Hajiyeva

The Supporter’s Society (1 to 4.999 CZK) Goce Atanasov and Jovanka Atanasova Alexander and Brenda Barrasso Andrea Bartosova Stephen Guthrie and Teresa Belisle Jason Bell and Pascale Rangoni Alexander Bespoludin and Natalia Bespoludina Joshua Bieber Arnie and Marianne Bieber Sheldon and Laura Bradshaw Arjan and Sylvana Bruggink Dmitry and Larisa Brusentsev Koen and Talitha Burghouts Tricia Centracco Mark Frankel and Jill Colley Alex and Szilvia Cook Jonathan and Hollin Cook Christopher Warnecke and Laura Cox Michel Croisier and Natalie Croome Sebastiaan and Ester de Jong Keith and Hana Dilworth

Torben and Birgitte Emborg Karen Ercolino Ralf and Nicole Erdmann John and Lynne Evans Josef and Elisabeth Feldbaumer Adrian and Ashleigh Fowler Danielle Fredericks Jean-Jacques Hausknecht and Martha Rey Corky Hawkins Frank and Carissa Held Johannes Bruijnincx and Veronique Houtackers Libor Chrobok and Ivana Chrobokova Kafidov and Natalia Kafidova Jan Kala and Lenka Kalova Tanya Kancheva Tim and Annabel Kersten Vladimir Manda and Alyssa Kolowrat Bart Saverwyns and Katrien Koppo Jiri Koudelka and Andrea Koudelkova Daniela Krejbichova Jakub Kvacek and Natalie Kvackova Frederick Lathioor and Anouk Melis Franz and Doris Lesiw Eddie and Julie Lodi George Nussbaum and Martha Looney Igor and Fatima Loshak Mikael and Kristina Matts Dennis and Petra Melka Joe Monks and Avis Beek Michelle Morton Lyle Bobyk and Miluse Nemcova Michael and Monica O’Mara Andrej and Tatjana Pardo Matteo and Kim Pedercini Stefan and Aga Rasche Subramanian and Sasikala Ravi

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Supporting ISP

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Robert Levin and Yvonne Rep David and Tracy Rops Dragos Stanculescu and Anca Sabadeanu Michele and Paola Saibene Peter Ridder and Carol Sanford Donald and Amy Seymour Valeryi and Irina Shafran Matthew Wiener and Mari Schindele Martijn and Oona Smelt Nik Vincke and Katrien Smet Weston and Klara Stacey Paul and Kim Strebel David and Philippa Sturgeon Jan and Ericka Sykora Tamasz and Agneta Szmida Koya and Yoko Takahashi Susan Toft Milan Trunecek and Jindriska Truneckova Rebecca van de Vlierd Lars and Catrin Varnlund Juan and Cindy Vega Frank Versaevel and Regine Bovens Cornelis and Lisa Versluis Ivan and Ilse Vertenten Erik Vorenkamp and Carolina Coret Clive and Tasha Watkins The above list was compiled form those who gave direct donations and/or attended the Cabaret (which is held in support of the Annual Fund). As some people purchase their Cabaret tickets for others, it is not always possible to know exactly who attended; please forgive us for any accidental omissions.

Supporting ISP

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Supporting ISP

Cabaret

Cabaret is one of the much-anticipated events for the community, with 17 years of history backing it. This fundraising event for the Annual Fund is a showcase of ISP talent, with performances by teachers, parents, staff and Upper School students. The quality of the acts is always of a very high standard.

The Cabaret was held on November 2, with savory snacks donated by K-Servis, beer sponsored by Heineken Česká Republika, a. s. and catering

by Zátiší Group.

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Our thanks go to all those who made the 17th Annual Cabaret possible: Nancy Braun for playing the leading role of Artistic Director and evoking a truly hilarious atmosphere.

Compering is an art that can make or break an event and Nancy always seems to successfully bring out the laughter in us all.

A big thank you to Juraj Benda and Vicki Close for their theater management, lights and sound, and Petr Dimitrov for another year of poster design. The Cabaret performances ran smoothly thanks to a professional stage management provided by our volunteer Upper School students Jamil Abbas, Bettina Jocson, Victoria Schdeva, Sarah Shamsi and Eva Wagenknechtova.

A show would not be a show without our fantastic performers who volunteered their time and talent to support the School’s Annual Fund.

The Annual Fund allows the School’s community to go beyond the cost of tuition to purchase items and programs that will have an immediate impact on current – and future – students.

The Cabaret added greatly to the funds raised to help the community achieve the Annual Fund goal.

Supporting ISP

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Supporting ISP

Night at the Palace

Marie Bossan Committee Co-chair 66

Thank you for your support of ISP and The 5th Annual Night at the Palace Event for scholarships and the ISP Annual fund. We strive to provide a fun filled memorable evening for everyone while raising funds to further educational benefits for the community.

The event is brought to you by the combined efforts of many. We would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to all for their hard work, generosity and support. Our successful event would not be possible without you, the ISP community. Another group that deserves a special mention are the many corporations and businesses that donated their products and services to support and enhance all of our fundraising efforts.

For our 5th year, we again enjoyed the beauty of the Lobkowicz Palace. The Lobkowicz Family partners with ISP to provide this unforgettable venue that includes a view that showcases all of Prague! Our thanks to the Lobkowicz Family for their continued support of ISP.

Tricia Centracco Committee Co-chair

The Night at the Palace committee, ISP‘s Advancement Office and the Board of Trustees are dedicated to ensuring the event is a success with their hard work and generosity. Much goes into planning and coordinating a fundraiser of this magnitude and our volunteers

who gave their time were key factors in achieving this. Clive Watkins handled all corporate donations. Eva Shaw and Kymmy Fichtner tasted, tested and planned the food and drink you enjoyed. Birgitte Emborg coordinated the hospitality extra touches which included the casino, the massages and those lovely slippers that helped all of our tired feet after dancing the night away. Patricia Betancourt organized the entertainment and spent the evening taking pictures throughout the beautiful rooms of the palace.

Mai-Brit Vangsgaard, Dana Westby, Andrea Koudelkova, Olga Skatkova and Martha Rey worked diligently through the year acquiring student raffle and auction donations. Missy Looney coordinated the ticket sales.

Marie Bossan and Tricia Centracco were co-chairs of the committee and assisted with the audio/visual components and the student art that was auctioned off during the evening. All committee members worked well together and jumped in and helped different committees when the need arose.

ISP’s Board of Trustees are also important volunteers at our school.

Already volunteering their time on the board they also donated and sponsored many exciting aspects of the Night at the Palace. Carol and Peter Ridder and Ericka and Jan Sykora donated NAP tickets for the faculty/staff raffle. All of you who enjoyed sipping whiskey

Supporting ISP

can thank Paul and Kim Strebel for sponsoring the whiskey tasting table.

The caricaturist was brought to you by Eva and Tim Shaw.

Mary and Charles Jess sponsored Damian the magician to entertain us throughout the evening. The white wine was provided by Marie and Dom Bossan. The Romanian Alira red and rosé wines were donated by Beata and Neville Perry. Although not a board member, Rebecca Farmer is Head of the Annual Fund Committee and we would like to thank her and her husband, Rodney Farmer for providing the SmileBox photo booth. Such a fun way of remembering the night!

Another very important part of the Night of the Palace are the volunteer entertainers. Christy Wannamaker, Lawrence Hrubes, Sona Koloyan, Diana Shafran, Jeremy Chapman and Rebecca Hyzl provided lovely music and song at the entrance to the palace and in the Casino. The talented and entertaining Nancy Braun was our auctioneer for the evening. Many thanks to her for assisting with our fundraiser. Our student volunteers, Aiden Bossan and Alexander Emborg, helped with the sale of Casino fun money while Zuzana Novak helped with the sale of the Lamborghini tickets. We are so grateful for all of their support and generosity of their time.

A huge thank you goes out to Svata Soukup and Greg Wydrzynski for transporting guests and equipment up the hill to the Palace and down again after midnight. I know the ladies in heels were especially appreciative!

Our security and safety was ensured by the watchful eyes of Petr Koubek and Milan Hasek.

And again we want to thank you, the ISP Community, who donated to our event which supports the Scholarship Program and the Annual Fund. With your generous bids on the auction, your purchase of tickets, Casino chips, Lamborghini raffle tickets you have made our fundraising event a success and many possibilities available to our students.

Looking forward to next year‘s NAP and another memorable evening!

Sincerely, Marie Bossan Tricia Centracco Committee Co-Chairs

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Supporting ISP

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Supporting ISP

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Supporting ISP

Scholarship Program

The Scholarship program at ISP is funded through donations to the School from parents, corporations, alumni, and others. The goal of the program is to make the ISP educational experience available to a diverse range of students.

These scholarships are based not only on financial need, but also merit. ISP actively seeks excellent students who

will benefit from an ISP education, and who will be an asset and inspiration to the ISP community of learners.

ISP Scholarships are available to Czech citizens and other residents of the Czech Republic. Currently, scholarships are only granted to students in the Upper School (Grades 9–12).

Cumulative Corporate Scholarship Donations 2011–2015 The Comenius Society (500.000 CZK and up)

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The Falcon’s Society (250.000 to 499.999 CZK)

The Nebušice Society (175.000 to 249.999 CZK)

The Gold & Black Society (100.000 to 174.999 CZK)

Supporting ISP

The Supporter’s Society (1 to 99.999 CZK)

A profound word of thanks goes to the Management and Employees of the following companies for the financial

support that they committed to the Scholarship Program at ISP. Please don’t hesitate to thank them for the

impact that they have made on the lives of all our Students, Faculty, Staff, and Families.

Corporate Scholarship Donations in 2014–2015 The Falcon’s Society (250.000 to 499.999 CZK)

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The Nebušice Society (175.000 to 249.999 CZK)

The Gold & Black Society (100.000 to 174.999 CZK)

The Supporter’s Society (1 to 99.999 CZK)

Supporting ISP

Corporate Gifts-In-Kind 2014–2015

Lobkowicz Event Management

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INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS Donors listed by Giving Societies: THE FALCON’S SOCIETY (50.000 to 99.999 CZK) Johan and Pauline Pousette Peter Ridder and Carol Sanford THE NEBUSICE SOCIETY (25.000 to 49.999 CZK) Jeffrey and Julie Becker Dominique and Marie Bossan Sheldon and Laura Bradshaw

Torben and Birgitte Emborg Josiah and Lee Emery Rodney and Rebecca Farmer Duncan and Clare McCulloch Dennis and Petra Melka Thomas and Vera Newbold Richard and Alia Radford Joseph and Vivienne Sheridan Dave and Philippa Sturgeon Gavin Wood and Lill Svendsen

Petr and Ivona Svrček Jan and Ericka Sykora John and Dana Westby Mike and Amy White THE GOLD & BLACK SOCIETY (5.000 to 24.999 CZK) Saeed and Petra Akhtar Paul and Sheridan Barnett Ivo and Marketa Barta

Supporting ISP

Stephen Guthrie and Teresa Belisle Niklas and Nori Bennvvik Arnie and Marianne Bieber Mathew and Mary Bockner Koen and Talitha Burghouts Bret and Tricia Centracco Alexander and Szilvia Horvath Cook Ronald and Rineke Smits Dasbach Frans and Jacqueline Straathof de Kloet Raymond Castillo and Kay DeKuiper Jean-Phillipe and Johana Duc Rasmus and Lene Duun Guy and Shir Dvorin Rodney and Rebecca Farmer Josef and Elisabeth Feldbaumer William and Kymberly Fichtner Adrian and Ashleigh Fowler Joseluis and Elizabeth Frausto Barry and Angeliki Freckmann Stefan and Lotte Garsdal Timothy and Christine Gunnell Jean-Jacques and Martha Rey Hausknecht Frank and Carisa Held Daniel and Marketa Higgins Philip and Leslie De Kort Holemans Todd and Monica Horvath Veronique Houtackers Andrea and Elena Iucci Charles and Mary Jess Dmitry Kafidov and Natalia Kafidova Paul and Karin Karafotas Ilias Assimakopoulos and May Khalife Anders and Lena Kornblad Kyriakos and Jana Kyriakou Tim and Katrien Van Gijsel Lauwers Shannon Leggett Eddie and Julie Lodi George Nussbaum and Martha Looney

Katie Lucier Luis and Maria Malvido Zuzana Mandryšová Ben and Renata Maudling Ruppert and Karen McPetrie Mikolaj Mogilnicki and Anna Mogilnicka Scott and Amy Neuman Rick and Leanda Newman Richard and Helen Nilsson Michael and Monica O’Mara Pavel Palan David and Michaela Paul Matteo and Kim Pedercini Stefano and Isolde Pettinella Jeff Piper Gregor and Andrea Pobst Stefan and Aga Rasche Subramanian and Sasikala Ravi Michael and Pavla Saran Michael Webster and Helena Saxberg Valeriy and Irina Shafran Rishat and Olga Sharipova Sharipov Balesh and Archana Sharma Mark and Catherine Sinclair Marco Sipioni Suzanne Smetana Weston and Klara Stacey Dragos Stanculescu and Anca Sabadeanu Peter Stracar and Lenka Stracarova Paul and Kim Strebel Tomasz and Iwona Szpyt John Tokaruk and Liv-Monica Klungtveit Guillermo and Jessica Van Maanen Brian and Mai-Brit Vangsgaard Frank and Regine Bovens Versaevel Cornelis and Lisa Versluis Ajit and Katerina Virk

Clive and Tasha Watkins Steven and Kerry Whitaker Richard and Agniezska Widmann Koen and Leen Willemsen Wilmots THE SUPPORTER’S SOCIETY (1 to 4.999 CZK) Mark Frankel and Jill Colley Danielle Frederics Vendula Hercíková Filip Jakuš Vladimir Manda and Alyssa Kolowrat Henry and Joanne Kolowrat Jiri Koudelka and Andrea Koudelkova Concierge Management Joe Monks and Avis Beek Lyle Bobyk and Miluše Němcová George Nussbaum and Martha Looney Jana Ševčíková Tim and Eva Shaw Carlos and Karin Velez Rodriguez Peter Volker

The above list was compiled from those who gave direct donations and/or attended the Night at the Palace (which is held in support of the ISP Scholarship Program). As some people purchase Night at the Palace tickets for others, it is not always possible to know exactly who attended; please forgive us for any accidental omissions.

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Supporting ISP

Auction The Supercar Weekend Raffle and wonderful Silent and Live Auction items contributed a tremendous amount of 605.010 CZK to the total figure raised, and brought people from the ISP and non-ISP communities together in a meaningful way. The companies and individual donors who donated the Auction items have shown their support for the Scholarship program – please, whenever you frequent their businesses, be sure to let them know that you are aware of their commitment to the School, and that you appreciate their involvement.

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Auction Donors Advantage Cars Adventure Golf Horní Bezděkov A La Maison Alexandra and William Lobkowicz Ateliér Ange Avantgarde Restaurant Noa Bashan Belda Jewelry Bakeshop Balony Praha, Jan Smrčka BcD Clinic Emma Bieber Canadian Medical Care Chateau Mcely Chez Greg Wine Shop Concierge Management Bogdan Copil Cyklo 69 – Specialized Concept Store Designum Gallery

Dwine Euro Gold Center Kymmy and William Fichtner First English Speaking International Ballet School in Prague Fun Casino Praha GOF+FA Gallery by Manto Golf Klub Botanika Hadovka Health and Fitness Heineken and Pivovar Krušovice Hill’s Pet Nutrition Horse Park Kamenný Dvůr Hotel Praha Špindlerův Mlýn Hurricane Factory Prague iPilot Jindřichohradecké místní dráhy Letecké Centrum České republiky Lauren Looney Mandarin Oriental Prague Merlin Jahodová Metamorphosis Flower Shop Anna Mogilnicka More Than Pilates Nestlé Česko s. r. o.

Nike Prague Martina Nováková Pawz Jan Procházka Proticare Rezidence Liběchov RS Sportcentrum Studio Jaro – Jitka Jarolímková Studio Namaste Su Yeon Kim Suzanne Smetana – Dr. Hauschka Tower Park Praha TP Vision VIP Pet Hotel

Vlado Vovkanič Cory Wanamaker Tasha and Clive Watkins Titanic Zombies Zátiší Group 24U Individual Gifts-In-Kind Andrea and Perry Barlien Patricia Betancourt Arnie and Marianne Bieber Patricia Betancourt Dominique and Marie Bossan Nancy Braun Tricia Centracco Jeremy Chapman Rodney and Rebecca Farmer Jean-Jacques Hausknecht and Martha Rey Lawrence Hrubes Rebecca Hyzl Sona Koloyan Julia Paniagua Neville and Beata Parry Murtaza and Shayda Rawji Diana Shafran Tim and Eva Shaw Brian and Mai-Brit Vangsgaard Christy Wanamaker John and Dana Westby

We’ve made every effort to ensure that we’ve included the names of all donors, and to place them in the correct society. If we have made any errors, please accept our profuse apologies, and do please let us know of the error.

Supporting ISP

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Supporting ISP

VERY IMPORTANT PETS HOTEL

Airy Hill

STUDIO UNITED STA5&4 t &/(L"/% t R644*" t $;&$) 3&16#-*$

www.airyhillstudio.com

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KYMMY AND WILLIAM FICHTNER

ANNA MOGILNICKA

VLADO VOVKANIČ

Supporting ISP

CYKLO 69

LAUREN LOONEY

MARINA NOVÁKOVÁ

BOGDAN COPIL

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EMMA BIEBER

Supporting ISP

Student Raffle As in previous years, the Student Raffle was very popular with the students.

The Raffle, held in March this year, gave the opportunity not only for students to win fantastic prizes, but also to participate in raising funds for the Annual Fund and Scholarship Program at ISP. The Raffle added greatly to the overall amount of funds raised by bringing 106.600 CZK to support Scholarships at ISP. Please join us in thanking our generous Student Raffle donors for all the wonderful raffle gifts.

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Student Raffle Donors: Adventure Golf Horní Bezděkov A La Maison Aquapark Kladno The Bieber Family The Bossan Family The Candy Store The Centracco Family Chateau Mcely Da Ezio Pizzeria Dolce Villa Hotel – Burger Bar The Farmer Family Fresh & Tasty The Hausknecht Family iPilot

ISP Advancement Office Julia Paniagua Andrea Koudelkova K-Servis Lego Group MaxLaserGame MyRaw Café PaintballGame.cz Patricia Betancourt The Rawji Family The Vangsgaard Family The Westby Family 24U

Supporting ISP

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Financial Report

Mission, Learning Research & Development

IT, Activities & Athletics

ISP Community

Supporting ISP

Welcome

The Principals’ Reports

ISP Community

School Community Association

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Aga Rasche SCA Chair

“Everything we do is driven by you” The SCA is an active, all-volunteer organization whose goal is to enhance the lives of all members of the diverse ISP community (students and parents) by supporting and encouraging a nurturing and caring environment.

The SCA provides a variety of volunteering opportunities; we encourage parents and guardians to share as much time as they are comfortable to share, and to get involved in those areas that are of most interest to them. If you don’t see your particular area of interest already represented, please suggest it! All parents and guardians are automatically members of the SCA. Events and activities organized during 2014–15 included (but weren’t limited to):

New Family Orientation Day Our Newcomers’ Committee, together with the Admissions Office, hosted this fantastic day for all new ISP Families. New students and parents were welcomed to the school and guided through a program designed to help them integrate into the ISP Family and Prague. All new families received a Welcome Bag that contains a Newcomers’ Handbook (developed and updated over the years by ISP parents) with essential information on their new home city. The Committee held several more informational

meetings and tours throughout the year to support our new families.

Annual Information Fair & Welcome Back Picnic Many new and returning families attended the wonderful BBQ at the beginning of the year. Delicious food and music showcased by talented members of ISP faculty and students made this event very special. Various local vendors were also invited to the event to introduce and promote their products and services. Once again, we aim to provide our new families with valuable information that will help them to integrate more quickly. This fun event signaled the start of the school year and was a joint effort between Faculty, Administration and the SCA.

Halloween Elementary students enjoyed an evening of spooky fun at our popular Halloween Party. The Trunk or Treat Alley run by families and the Haunted House created by MS students were hugely popular amongst the students. There was a professional Black Light Theatre Show and Magician show. The evening finished with spectacular Fireworks.

Seasonal Arts and Craft Fair This event took place just prior to the Winter Holidays. ISP families had the opportunity to purchase a range of different handcrafted or traditional goods in our school environment.

ISP Community

Approximately 70 vendors presented their wares that included traditional food and crafted goods.

Adult Education The SCA introduces many different coaches and trainers to our parents.

The courses offered range from individual language lessons to shared hobbies (which is a great way to meet other parents with similar interests).

We also organize group “LET’S GO” trips which allow parents to explore the region together.

Staff Appreciation Day To show our appreciation for the ISP faculty and administration, the SCA and the whole parent community worked together to host a sumptuous buffet luncheon for all ISP Staff.

International Food Fair Our most popular annual International Food Fair attracted more than 1000 visitors who enjoyed the delicious specialties from 24 countries. Hundreds of hands prepared thousands of calories from all over the world.

Children could enjoy activities at Small Gym. The volunteer work of parents, students and staff created this successful family gourmet festival.

Sports Booster Club & Art Representative The Booster Club Team organized the Snack Shack for all CEESA Sport

Tournaments in our School. The Art Representative organized the snacks for Upper School Speech & Debate and for the Robotics events. Food and drinks were very much appreciated by our kids and the visiting teams.

Bi-Monthly SCA General Meetings-coffee mornings The SCA’s General Meetings take place once every two months to provide internal and external information for parents/guardians and staff. They are also a perfect setting to socialize and ask questions. We invited last year different speakers and talked about Czech history, work & life balance, family well being and nutrition.

it can happen that there are “excess” funds at the end of the school year.

These funds are donated to the school to support the different sections (ES, MS, US). In 2014–15, enough funds were available to purchase new Ballet Bar for dance classes in the multipurpose room, and we sponsored the visit of an author in the Elementary School.

As is now a tradition, we once again sponsored the US and MS Breakfast event on the last day of school, and drinks and popsicles for the ES Field Day. SCA volunteers give thousand of hours of their time and talent over the course of the school year- we hope you’ll join us in the future!

Financial Support of the School In general, the SCA raises funds to support its own operations. However,

Aga Rasche SCA Chair 2014–2015

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ISP Community

SCA Executive Board 2014–2015

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Chair

Upper ES Rep

Adult education

Aga Rasche

Hollin Cook

Lena Kornblad

Vice Chair

MS Rep

Adult education

Johanna Duc

Anat Sapir

Dana Westby

Secretary

MS Rep

Sports Rep

Janice Woodard

Ashleigh Fowler

Yvonne Rep

Treasurer

US Rep

Arts Rep

Yumi Ha

Isolde Pettinella

Talitha Burghouts

Lower ES Rep

US Rep

Newcomers Rep

Sally Reason

Kristina Rasater Matts

Agnieszka Widmann

ISP Community

Our Community

At the International School of Prague, almost 845 students from ages 3–19, from 59 countries, learn and develop

in a challenging and nurturing environment. The impact of multiculturalism is an integral part of everyone’s life at ISP.

Afghanistan Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Brazil Bulgaria Canada Chechnya China Colombia Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Egypt Finland France

Germany Guatemala Hong Kong Hungary India Iran Ireland Israel Italy Japan Kazakhstan South Korea Kyrgyzstan Lithuania Macedonia Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway

Pakistan Peru Phillipines Poland Romania Russia Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Tanzania Turkey United Kingdom Ukraine United States Venezuela Vietnam

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ISP Community

The Falcon Post

In August, 2014, three Upper School students took it upon themselves to launch the school’s first online news source, The Falcon Post.

Keeping in mind the school’s mission to “contribute responsibly to our changing world”, the three founders (with supervisory help from Dr. Frankel and many other teachers) enlisted the help of fellow students in order to inform the ISP community about life on campus and the Prague experience.

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Since its launch, The Falcon Post has kept to its goal of sharing “information about ongoing, crucial topics that affect our daily lives.” According to the paper’s introduction, “We strongly believe in publishing exemplary journalistic material that is fair, accurate and truthful in its form. Our ambition is to generate dialogue, discussion and open-minded debate that will improve and strengthen our school. The Falcon Post strives to become the common location for all to be aware of the continuous achievements of the oldest international school in Prague.”

When asked to submit what they believed to be one of the most interesting stories from 2014–15, they struggled with selecting from many fine pieces (all of which can still be found at http://thefalconpost.cz/). In the end, we were presented with this strange story from last January.

Wild Boar attacks ISP Elementary School This afternoon, an extraordinary sight was to be seen on school campus.

A wild boar was able to make it into ISP grounds, going as far as attacking the elementary school main entrance.

At approximately 11:25AM, all students, faculty and staff were interrupted by the short message: “please do not leave the premises, there is a wild boar outside.” Dr. Bieber’s announcement that informed us about the attack has gone down in history as being one of the most memorable ones at ISP. The news of the wild boar at ISP became the discussion of the lunch hour and the source of several jokes among Upper School students. The video footage was also virally shared on social media, notably Facebook, garnering an audience of over five thousand people.

Classrooms were filled with ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ as well as laughter and amazement at the sudden event, which has left many students and teachers alike, thoroughly astounded.

One teacher was even overheard as saying “that’s awesome!” when hearing about the boar’s presence on campus.

Mrs. Morrison was the first person to spot the animal in action, whilst others rushed to try and catch a glimpse of the creature through classroom windows.

ISP Community

Rayana, a grade 10 student at ISP said: “I was in science class and we were working with fire. Once we heard the announcement, we ran to the windows because we thought we would see the boar. We didn’t see the boar, but we did see Mr. Bohat’s class on the balcony looking for the boar as well.”

ISP’S OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER | YOUR OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER

9th grade student Jenna added that she and friend Omar were in the gym when the incident was made public: “it was the most exciting thing that has ever happened.” The two thought it to have been a funny experience. When the wild boar was safely removed from ISP premises, many students were reportedly sad, being touched by the fact that the “boar is no longer with us” as Dr. Bieber put it. In any case, the wild boar attack will definitely remain a memorable topic that many in the ISP community will discuss in the coming future. As to how the boar was able to enter through the fence and how the boar was taken care of afterwards is still a mystery.

To what extent could this have been a disastrous situation? There have been recent boar attacks in India, the UK, and the US. American newspapers report 5–7 human fatalities as a result of wild boar attacks per year. It is a known fact that one is much more likely to be attacked by a boar than a shark.

Many students in the ISP community who live around the Šárka Valley have

www.thefalconpost.cz

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correspondents worldwide!

Arts & Culture

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also told Falcon Post correspondents that the wild boar population in the surrounding forests is growing. The implications of rising boar numbers on ISP are yet to be drawn. For your own safety, be sure to check out our tips and instructions on how to overcome a boar attack. © Vahe Asatryan & Kate Karafotas – The Falcon Post

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Financial Report

IT, Activities & Athletics

ISP Community

Supporting ISP

Mission, Learning Research & Development

Welcome

The Principals’ Reports

Financial Report

Message from the Board Treasurer and Business & Operations Director

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Subramanian Ravi Board Treasurer

Barry Freckmann Finance & Operations Director

We are pleased to report that the International School of Prague ended its 66th year of operations with steady enrollment (847 students) and a healthy financial picture.

During the 2014–15 fiscal year, the total operating revenue increased 6%, to €15.6 million, reflecting additional income from an increase in student numbers. Tuition and Capital Assessment accounted for 98% of combined institutional income for the year. Operating expenses increased 10% to €13.9 million. As with most schools, salaries and benefits continue to represent the School’s greatest expense, at 69% of total expenses. The School’s net positive result decreased to €1,448 thousand in fiscal year 2014–15 compared to a positive result of €2,580 thousand the prior year, reflecting an increase in direct and indirect spending on the educational program. The positive result allows the School to maintain its dedicated annual Reserve (of 25% of budgeted expenses) and provide for the planned long-term improvement of the institution.

The financial information set out above and in the accompanying tables in the Annual Report have been taken from the consolidated financial results through June 30, 2015 of the grouping of entities comprising the School, and demonstrate the overall financial health of the institution. The

School’s financial accounts are audited annually by PricewaterhouseCoopers Audit, s. r. o.

Your Fees & Donations at Work The International School of Prague is able to provide its educational model through the fees it charges, and also thanks to the donations it receives. The information below is given to provide further clarity around the use of your fees and donations.

ISP is a non-profit institution in the form of a Czech corporation (an “s. r. o.” – společnost s ručením omezeným – or in English, Limited Liability Company).

Current educational regulations in the Czech Republic require that an international school offering a nonCzech curriculum be owned by a non-Czech entity; the non-Czech owner in our case is the International School of Prague Foundation, a U.S. not-for-profit entity (a “501 (c)(3)”). This type of non-profit organization has decades of legal and tax standing in the USA. The foundation document of the Czech s. r. o., for its part, stipulates that no dividends or benefits are to be distributed; all monies the school raises are reinvested in the school and no profits accrue to anyone.

Each year, like any well run organization, the school endeavors to finish the year with a positive financial result. This is planned as part of the budget process.

Financial Report

During budget planning, fees (which include both Tuition and Capital Assessment) are set. Tuition is intended for current year expenses to educate current students. The Capital Assessment may be used for current year capital expenditures (investment in infrastructure), to assist in retiring debt incurred in the past for major capital investments at the School, or allocated to a Capital Fund to help in the future funding of major strategic investments in the facility. Although the exact amounts vary annually, payers can expect that the majority of their overall fees are going for current year expenses, and a portion is going towards planning for the future. This is essentially “paying it forward”; current families are the beneficiaries of the Capital Assessment paid by prior families, just as future families will be the beneficiaries of the Capital Assessment paid by current families.

The Endowment According to Investopedia, “An endowment is a financial asset, in the form of a donation made to a non-profit group… consisting of investment funds or other property that may or may not have a stated purpose at the bequest of the donor. Most endowments are designed to keep the principal amount intact while using the investment income from dividends for charitable efforts.”

Currently, ISP’s Endowment consists mostly of donations made by corporate friends of ISP, whose contributions are restricted to be used for scholarships and improvements to the robotics program.

ISP plans to build sufficient reserves in its Endowment to provide a cushion during leaner economic years; an Endowment enables the school to plan for its long-term sustainability.

Annual Fund As an example, assume that a family pays €20,000; nominally, this is €17,000 for tuition, and €3,000 for capital assessment. In any particular year, the full €17,000 is used for current year expenses to run the school, while approximately equal portions of the €3,000 are used to fund past, current, and future capital needs. Funds that are in excess of the above needs may be placed by a vote of the Trustees into the School’s Endowment.

The Annual Fund Supports the current year’s operating budget. The amount budgeted to be spent on the current year’s expenses include tuition (and, as mentioned above, usually a portion of the Capital Assessment) and the amount that we expect to raise from donations to the Annual Fund.

The Annual Fund is a relatively recent addition to ISP. With a current annual goal of less than €70,000, perhaps the

most often asked question is why we don’t simply add this amount to the cost of tuition. There are many answers (all of which are found on our website), but perhaps the most pertinent in this financial part of the Annual Report is the following: the goal is to have Annual Fund donations eventually represent 5% of the school’s annual budget, which right now would be about €700,000. Adding that amount to the cost of tuition may put the cost of an ISP education out of reach for many of our families. Although we must start somewhere, we believe that with the support of everyone in the ISP community (parents, alumni, teachers, and others), we will achieve our goal (this year and in the future) so that all our students can benefit from the additional programs that this income will provide – and we can all take immense pride in the school and the accomplishments of our students.

We hope that the above information provides general clarity around the finances of ISP, and our goals for the future. If you have any questions or concerns, we welcome them – please contact either of us at your convenience.

Subramanian Ravi Board Treasurer Barry Freckmann Finance & Operations Director

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Financial Report

Consolidated Balance Sheet

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET as at June 30, 2015 (in thousands of EUR „TEUR“) June 30, 2015 June 30, 2014 Land Buildings Other fixed assets Total non-current assets

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Difference

2 749 19 342 1 162 23 253

2 749 17 682 1 300 21 731

— 1 660 -138 1 522

Accounts Receivable and prepaid expenses Cash in hand and bank accounts incl Short-term receivables Other current assets Total current assets

710

532

178

12 884 342 13 936

12 396 594 13 522

488 -252 414

TOTAL ASSETS

37 189

35 253

1 936

Registered capital Other funds Retained earnings Translation difference Total Equity

4 24 721 -3 847 1 481 22 359

4 24 722 -5 295 1 493 20 924

— 0 1 448 -12 1 436

— 103 103

— 306 306

— -203 -203

Accounts payable and accrued expenses Deferred revenues Other current payables Total current payables

13 986 16 725 14 727

13 711 6 306 14 023

275 10 419 704

TOTAL LIABILITIES

37 189

35 253

1 937

Bank loans Other long term payables Long term payables

Financial Report

Consolidated Profit and Loss Account

CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT for the year ended June 30, 2015 ( in thousands of EUR „TEUR“ ) Year ended Year ended June 30, 2015 June 30, 2014

Difference

Tuition and related fees Interest income Other income Total Income

15 328 10 311 15 649

14 635 32 150 14 817

693 -22 161 832

Salaries and benefits Operational costs Depreciation and amortisation Interest expense Provision Other operating expenses

9 561 3 281 845 16 79 80 13 862

9 034 2 821 656 5 24 67 12 607

527 460 189 11 55 13 1 255

1 787

2 210

-423

-401

511

-912

62

-141

203

1 448

2 580

-1 132

Gross profit Income Tax expense Foreign exchange (expense) recovery, net Net profit/(loss)

69 %

Salaries and Benefits

24 %

Operational costs

6%

Depreciation and amortisation

1%

Other operating expenses

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Financial Report

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2014–2015 Annual Report Photo Credits: Jas Air CZ Patricia Betancourt Danielle Fredericks Andrea Koudelková Eddie Lodi Martin Mašín Foto Škoda Clive Watkins For information about the ISP Annual Report or to request additional copies, please contact advancement@isp.cz

International School of Prague Nebušická 700, 164 00 Prague 6 Czech Republic phone: +420 220 384 111

fax: +420 220 384 555 e-mail: ispmail@isp.cz website: www.isp.cz