ISF FLORENCE NEW FAMILY GUIDE 2025/26
SCHOOL HOURS Junior School Hours Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:30am-3:30pm Tuesdays: 8:30-2:45 pm (early dismissal) Drop-off and pick-up procedures will be communicated close to the first day of school.
Upper School Hours Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:15am - 3:00pm Tuesdays: 8:15- 2:20 pm (early dismissal)
First Day of School Friday, 29 August: First day for Grade 6 and 12 Friday 29 August: New Students Orientation Day for Grades 7 to 11 - Half day Monday, 1 September: First day for Grades 1-5 & Grades 7-11 Wednesday 3, Thursday 4, and Friday 5 September: Half days for Early Years-Foundation Monday 8 September: Full day for Early Years-Foundation 2
Welcome to our ISF family, On behalf of the entire ISF community, I want to extend a warm welcome to our school! We are thrilled to have you as a part of our close-knit community, and we look forward to getting to know you and your children. At ISF, we strive to provide an enriching and supportive learning environment for all of our students. We believe that every child has unique talents and abilities, and we work hard to create opportunities for them to excel both academically and personally. We understand that transitioning to a new school can be daunting, but we want you to know that we are here to support you every step of the way. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive environment where every student can thrive. We encourage you to get involved in our school community and to take advantage of the many resources and opportunities we offer. Once again, welcome to ISF! We are excited to have you join us, and we look forward to a successful and fulfilling school year. Sincerely, Sharyn Baddeley Head of School
CONTACTS Junior School Campus
Upper School Campus
Early Years to Grade 5 Ville le Tavernule - Via del Carota, 23/25 50012 Bagno a Ripoli (FI), Italy tel: +39 055 6461007 Gabrielle Bottom JS Receptionist & Organizational Assistant email: juniorschooloffice@isfitaly.org
Grade 6 to Grade 12 Villa Torri di Gattaia - Viuzzo di Gattaia, 9 50125 Florence (FI), Italy tel: +39 055 2001515 Alessandra Bocciero Receptionist email: upperschooloffice@isfitaly.org
Admissions Office Villa Torri di Gattaia - Viuzzo di Gattaia, 9 50125 Florence (FI), Italy tel: +39 055 2001515 Email: admissions@isfitaly.org Patrisha Lauria - Head of Admissions/Assistant to Head of School Giorgio Aguilar & Olivia Monti - Admissions Officers
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QUICK FACTS • • • • • • • •
Thursday, 28 August: Upper School New Family Orientation Friday, 29 August: Junior School New Family Orientation School Calendar 2025-2026 Junior school early dismissal: Tuesdays at 2:45pm Upper School early dismissal: Tuesdays at 2:20pm Junior School Office contact for attendance and absences: juniorschooloffice@isfitaly.org Upper School Office contact for attendance and absences: upperschooloffice@isfitaly.org The Weekly e-bulletin, Friday Flash, is your go-to source for all the latest news, updates, and highlights from across our school community. It is sent every Friday and is designed to keep you informed, engaged, and connected to your child’s educational journey.
NEW PARENT CHECKLIST • • • • • • 4
Contact the uniform shop Obtain a non-competitive sports certificate (if required) Contact private bus service (if required) For student devices, refer to the Student Technology section of this guide Review necessary school supplies list Mark your calendars for our New Family Orientation Days
JUNIOR SCHOOL HOURS AND PROCEDURES Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:30 am-3:30 pm Tuesdays: 8:30 am -2:45 pm (early dismissal) Morning Drop-Off The campus is open from 8:00am for arriving students. Classes start at 8:30 am, and any students arriving after this time will be marked as late. Parents will enter school from Ponte a Ema at the lower gate (reception side) and drop off Grade 1 to Grade 5 children directly at the Lower gate and then proceed to the exit without parking. Please have your children ready, with their backpacks, to efficiently exit their vehicles. Children will enter school at the front gate and proceed to the Italian Garden (or Cortile in case of rain). Early Years and Foundation families, as well as buses, should park in the car park in the indicated zone and walk students behind the Aula Magna to the play area outside the Early Years classroom (or Aula Magna in case of rain). Exiting school families must turn right towards Bagno a Ripoli. Afternoon Dismissal Bus students report directly to the Aula Magna door at 3:20 pm, where they are met by their bus driver. There is also a member of staff on bus duty to ensure the safe dismissal of these children. Early Years bus children are escorted to the bus by a teacher. In the afternoon, please enter the school from Ponte a Ema via the Lower Gate (the same as in the morning). Gates will open at 3:25 pm. If you arrive early, please wait at Piazza Bacci. We will continue to dismiss students from the car park area. When you arrive at the car park, please park where indicated by staff and wait at your designated pick-up area. If you have children in different sections, please pick up the youngest students first. Please exit the campus with your children as soon as possible to allow for others to park, as we have limited space in the car park. Our Lower Playground will be available for families to use (under parental supervision) on days when Extracurricular Activities (ECAs) are running until 4:45 pm.
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Dismissal Schedule 3:20-3:30 pm: Dismissal Bus Students 3:30 pm: Dismissal for all other students (No ECAs) 4:30 pm: Dismissal for students attending ECAs 4:45 pm: Campus will be cleared Tuesday Dismissal Schedule 2:35- 2:45 pm: Dismissal Bus Students 2:45 pm: Dismissal All other students- There are no ECAs on a Tuesday If for any reason a child is not going home by their normal pattern, the teacher and receptionist must be informed via Junior School Office ISF. Exiting school families must turn right towards Bagno a Ripoli.
UPPER SCHOOL HOURS AND PROCEDURES Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:15 am - 3:00 pm Tuesdays: 8:15 am - 2:20 pm (early dismissal) Morning Drop-Off and Afternoon Dismissal As a city campus, the school does not have its own designated drop-off area. Students can be dropped off on the nearby streets, and all traffic safety rules should be observed. Many families choose to drop their child off at Piazza Ferrucci or Piazzale Michelangelo and have students walk the relatively short distance to campus. A member of staff or a guard is present from 7:30 am until 8:30 am to accompany students across Viale Michelangiolo and again at dismissal from 3:00 pm until 3:45 pm on school days (2:15-2:45 pm on Tuesdays). For the safety of your children, no vehicles, including taxis, may enter school grounds between 7:30 am and 8:30 am and between 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm with the exception of specific multi-passenger vans. In the case of medical reasons, authorization to enter the Upper School campus must be requested through the school receptionist. For added clarity: parents are not allowed to drive onto the US campus to drop off or pick up their child/ren unless the child has a mobility-related health condition. For security reasons, the front gate will remain closed during the day. The school’s guard is on duty from 7:15 am until 3:45 pm each day. Students are NOT allowed to drive their vehicles (cars, minicars, and motorbikes) onto the Upper School campus or park their vehicles on campus. Students park their cars at their own risk of fines and damage, and the school bears no responsibility for fines or damage to vehicles. 6
ISF BUDDIES UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS All new Upper School students will be assigned a buddy. • All students are assigned to a Homeroom, which meets for the first 15 minutes of each day. • A buddy will be selected from within your child’s Homeroom class. The buddy can provide assistance to your child as they become familiar with ISF. • Our students always look forward to welcoming new children, introducing them to ISF, showing them around, providing information about what it’s like to be a student here, and helping them during their first few weeks of school. • Your child will meet their buddy on the first day of school. • Grade 6 students will be assigned a buddy, but please know that all Grade 6 students will go through orientation activities together since they are all being supported in getting accustomed to the Upper School.
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STUDENT TECHNOLOGY (Early Years - Grade 5) • •
All students will be assigned a personal school email address at the beginning of the school year All students from Grades 2-5 will be provided with an individual iPad to be used during school hours..
STUDENT TECHNOLOGY (Grades 6 - 12) New students joining ISF will receive their student email account during the end of August, with a temporary access password. Please see the file attached to this email. IMPORTANT: ISF strongly recommends that families purchase their own insurance for their child’s device. Any damage will be investigated by the school and the results of the investigation will be shared with the involved families. Any settlement however must be arranged directly by the families.
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SCHOOL SUPPLIES (EY1 - Grade 5) The Junior School provides school supplies to all students at the beginning of the school year. All students are required to bring their own labelled water bottles.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES (Grades 6 - 11) Please see the list of school supplies here. All students are required to bring their own labelled water bottles.
SUMMER HOMEWORK (EY1 to Grade 5) Students from EY1 to Grade 5 are not required to complete any homework over the summer, however, summer reading is always recommended. In addition, there may be optional additional resources available, such as IXL for student use.
SUMMER HOMEWORK (Grade 6 to 10) Students from Grade 6 to Grade 10 are not required to complete any homework over the summer, however, summer reading and math practice are always recommended.
IBDP SUMMER HOMEWORK (Grade 11 - 12) More information will be provided by the IB Coordinator, Jason Blackstone, and shared with new families during the month of June. Should you need to contact Mr. Blackstone, please email him at j.blackstone@isfitaly.org. 9
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ECA PROGRAM (Extra Curricular Activities) The ECA Program will be available to all students, and more information will be shared with students and families during the beginning of the school year. Some ECAs are available at no additional cost, and some ECAs are available for an additional fee.
JUNIOR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE Ms. Gabby is the Junior School receptionist. You can always contact her if you have any questions. If for any reason a child is going to be absent from school or not going home by their normal pattern, the teacher and receptionist, Ms. Gabby must be informed via the Junior School Office at juniorschooloffice@isfitaly.org or by calling reception at 055 646 1007. If your child regularly takes the bus, please note that any changes must ALWAYS be communicated to the bus driver and the Junior School Office. Please note: If someone else is picking up your child who is not a family member or another ISF parent, please provide photo ID to the Junior School Office.
UPPER SCHOOL ATTENDANCE Alessandra Bocciero is the Upper School receptionist. You can always contact her if you have any questions. If for any reason a student is going to be absent from school, Alessandra must be informed via the Upper School Office at upperschooloffice@isfitaly.org or by calling reception at 055 200 1515. Should a student need to arrive late/leave early, Alessandra must be notified via the Upper School Office at upperschooloffice@isfitaly.org. Phone calls or text messages will not be accepted as valid.
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SCHOOL UNIFORM Students from EY1 to Grade 10 are required to wear a uniform. Students in Grades 11 and 12 are given a revocable privilege of not wearing the school uniform. However, all Grade 11 and 12 students are expected to dress respectfully and appropriately to a learning environment. Please see the updated Uniform Policy for the Academic Year 2025/2026 attached to this email. This policy outlines the guidelines and requirements regarding our school attire. Please take a moment to review the updated policy carefully with your child to ensure compliance and understanding. If you have not yet purchased your child’s uniform, please contact the uniform store by the end of May to ensure your child is fully prepared for the first day of school. We kindly ask that you place your order in a timely manner. Should you need to exchange an item due to sizing, you may do so either at the LM Boutique or when the uniform providers are on campus—please be sure to notify them in advance. ISF uniform supplier information below: LM SCHOOL UNIFORMS Palazzo Frescobaldi, Via Santo Spirito 11, Firenze Telephone. +39 055 62 82 130 e-mail: firenze@school-uniforms.it Uniforms can be purchased: • LM Boutique in Palazzo Frescobaldi in Via Santo Spirito, 11 Florence • Online through the LM Uniform ISF e-shop (Access Password: ISF1952) Please kindly remember to book an appointment to access the Santo Spirito boutique. This way the shop assistants can help you and dedicate the necessary time to your shopping. In case you have already made arrangements with the uniform shop for the next academic year, then you do not need to contact the supplier again. You will be informed when your order will be available for pick up or shipping. 11
SCHOOL NURSE, FIRST AID TEAM AND COUNSELOR A full-time school nurse will alternate between both campuses, as well as a certified first aid and CPR-AED team. For more information, please contact the school nurse Sofia Gori, at nurse@isfitaly.org Social-emotional Counselors are also available at each campus. The counseling department at ISF assists students in discovering their passions and life directions. They collaborate with students, staff, and parents to deliver a comprehensive, balanced program that promotes academic, social-emotional, career growth, guidance and encouragement. They do not provide intensive or ongoing mental health support sessions for students, but can help support families in understanding resources available in the Florence area. 12
NON - COMPETITIVE MEDICAL CERTIFICATE (Certificato Medico Non Agonistico) • • • •
Students who take part in any sports-related ECAs during the school year or participate in any competitive teams will have to present a Certificato Medico Non Agonistico. This certificate can be requested by your local family doctor in Italy, and a copy should be shared with our School Nurse Sofia Gori at nurse@isfitaly.org If you do not have a local family doctor upon your move to Italy, please know that you can also request this certificate through private medical clinics in Florence. Please contact our school nurse, Sofia Gori, for more information.
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SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM Junior School - Lunch Students are encouraged to use the hot lunch provided by our external lunch provider, which also offers alternatives for specific dietary needs. Students may also bring lunch from home. Healthy lunch and snacks are encouraged e.g., fruit, vegetables, yogurt, cheese, juice (no potato chips, sweets). •
EY1 and EY2 children have lunch in their designated lunchroom.
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Our menu has been developed by a dietician, in accordance with the Italian Health and safety regulations, and is shared weekly through the Friday Flash.
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Registration for the lunch program and payment options will be communicated before the start of the new academic year.
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Upper School - Lunch ISF Café is available for lunch breaks. In accordance with Italian Health and Safety regulations and in support of encouraging healthy eating habits, students may not order food for delivery to school from outside providers. •
Our menu has been developed by a dietician, in accordance with the Italian Health and safety regulations, and is shared weekly through the Friday Flash.
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Registration for the lunch program and payment options will be communicated before the start of the new academic year.
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PRIVATE BUS SERVICE A private bus service is provided by an external company, which has been collaborating with the school for many years. For a price quotation or potential routes, please see the company’s contact information below. For those interested, we advise that you contact the company as soon as possible, as places fill up quickly. Andrea Mangini Contact: manginilimousine@tiscali.it / +39 335 606 6355 Massimo Pestelli Contact: maxpe.mo@gmail.com / +39 339 432 5502 Families are welcome to contact other transportation companies.
SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR 2025 - 2026 You can find the upcoming community calendar through this link. Check our website for recurring updates.
SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS New parents will be added to our ISF mailing lists during the summer. A weekly school bulletin called the Friday Flash is sent to all parents every Friday with important and useful information. We encourage parents to consult the Friday Flash weekly to keep updated on news and important communications. Our IT Manager, Riccardo Biagiotti, will be sending further information to access all Parent School Portals at the end of August.
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PA (PARENT ASSOCIATION) PA representatives, along with many parents at ISF are always happy to welcome new parents to the ISF Community and will be present at New Family Orientation. To get in touch with other parents and PA members, please follow the Parent Facebook group here or visit the PA page on our school website.
UPDATED CONTACT INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION We kindly ask you to provide the following updated information when available on this form: • • • •
Codice Fiscale (both parents and child/ren) Local address, emails, and any new phone numbers Upload a copy of your child (ren)’s final report card/transcript For local Italian students going into Grade 6, we will also need a copy of the attestazione di Quinta Elementare
Please make sure to email admissions@isfitaly.org should you want to communicate any contact information changes throughout the year.
NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION Upper School New Family Orientation - Upper School Campus Thursday 28 August from 9:30 to 11:30am Junior School New Family Orientation - Junior School Campus Friday 29 August from 9:30 to 11:30am More information about this event will be provided over the summer.
PARENT INFORMATION SESSION (Grade 6 Parents Only) A Grade 6 Orientation Parent Information Session will take place on 28 August from 1:00 to 2:00 pm at the Upper School Campus (Aula Magna). The purpose of this session is to provide both new and current ISF Grade 6 parents with important information to support a smooth transition for students entering Grade 6 and Middle School. 17
MEET THE TEACHERS This will be a wonderful opportunity for you to meet and engage with your children’s teachers and ask questions before the start of the school year. Details about both sessions: •
Upper School: Thursday, 28 August from 2:00 - 3:00 pm The Upper School session will begin a few hours after the conclusion of the Upper School New Family Orientation. We recommend taking a lunch break and returning for the Meet the Teachers event
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Junior school: Friday, 29 August from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm The Junior School session will take place immediately following the Junior School New Family Orientation. We encourage parents to stay for both events. Grade 6 Parents: If you plan to attend both the Grade 6 Parent Information Session (1:00 to 2:00 pm) and the Meet the Teachers event (2:00 to 3:00 pm) following the Upper School New Family Orientation (09:30 am to 11:30 am), we recommend taking a quick lunch break at a nearby location to ensure you can comfortably attend both sessions.
NEW STUDENTS ORIENTATION DAY - GRADES 7 TO 11 New students entering Grades 7–11 are invited to attend a first-day orientation session on Friday 29 August, from 8:15 am to 12:00 pm. During this session, students will receive important information to help them prepare for the school year. Please note that the official schedule of the day will be shared with families later this summer. *New students joining Grade 6, will attend a specific orientation day dedicated to all Grade 6 students, as they will all be new to the Upper School campus.
HEAD OF SCHOOL COFFEE MORNINGS Join our Head of School for regular informal coffee chats at a downtown location. Keep an eye on the Friday Flash for the date, time, and location—and be sure to sign up! 18
ISF PUBLICATIONS For a glimpse into the school year so far, we would like to share a few of our in-house publications: Tuskan Times ISF Newsletter
SOCIAL MEDIA Please follow us on Instagram , Facebook and Linkedin!
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