ISF E Newsletter Autumn 2019

eISF

The Newsletter of the International School of Florence

WELCOME BACK September 2019 - Autumn Edition

News from the School Board

Dear ISF Community, The Board of Directors warmly welcomes you to the 2019-2020 school year. These are very exciting and bustling times for ISF. On September 6, the Board presented the new ISF Mission, Vision and Strategic Plan to the Community. These are the results of a highly collaborative effort on the part of the school’s constituencies and contribute to defining a new strong identity for ISF and an exciting path towards its continued growth. The Mission, Vision and Strategic Plan serves as a basis for the Action Plan, which will detail the initial set of actions which will be undertaken to implement the Strategic Plan itself. A first draft of the Action Plan was developed in Spring by a task group including students, parents, the Senior Leadership Team and Board members. The draft is currently in the process of being harmonized with the recommendations included in the report provided by the Council of International Schools, one of ISF’s external accreditation bodies. This harmonization will ensure that ISF’s internal strategies will foster the school’s growth in the light of international best practice as well as contributing to prepare the school for the re-accreditation visit which will take place in October 2020. The Financial Plan is also in the process of being drafted with the aim of ensuring the financial sustainability of the Strategic Plan and of the Action Plan, and to allow strategic management of financial resources for the school’s development.

The Action Plan will be presented along with the school’s new Guiding Statements during the Board Autumn Forum, and we certainly look forward to seeing many of you then!

The Board of Directors

Are you following us? facebook.com/isf.florence - facebook.com/isf.alumni instagram.com/isf_florence - flickr.com/photos/isf-florence

Internationally-minded, uniquely Florentine

MISSION, VISION and STRATEGIC PLAN

Mission

Vision

A laboratory for learning where we collaborate to add meaning to a shared future.

We aspire to build communities of creative makers and doers.

Strategic Plan MEANINGFUL LEARNING AND STUDENT AGENCY Cultivate growth through a meaningful and inspiring learning experience • Provide relevant innovative methods of student and professional learning consistent with inquiry • Empower students to take ownership of their learning experiences • Ensure that student wellbeing is at the core of our practices • Promote and honor home language learning in recognition of our unique identities • Embrace, foster, and promote diversity within our community • Draw upon the unmatched learning opportunities of Florence • Recognize the impact of our actions on our interdependent world and promote a culture of solidarity

ENABLING CHANGE Develop constituencies for change

Enabling Change

• Develop a culture of participation constituencies forthe change to Develop define the direction of change demanded by our • Develop culture of participation Mission andaVision to define the direction of the change • Ensure regular and purposeful demanded by ourregarding Mission and Vision communication • Ensure and purposeful changes andregular their benefits communication regarding changes and their benefits

CONNECTING WITH PURPOSE Communicate and reflect our unique, shared identity and connect effectively with local and international partners • Communicate our shared identity effectively • Develop a strategic marketing plan that addresses the aspirations of the school • Cultivate dynamic relationships with local, national, and global partners

LEADING BY EXAMPLE Further a virtuous culture of leadership and governance • Ensure that whole-school structures and systems continue to reflect evolving international best practices • Ensure that roles and responsibilities continue to be clear • Harmonize internal strategies with external obligations • Implement frameworks of self-and collaborative appraisal

FINANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT Build sustainable financial and risk frameworks to ensure achievement of strategic intents • Implement and monitor a long-range budgeting process • Ensure the cost efficient use of available resources • Support the development of a variety of income streams • Ensure that risk is effectively monitored and managed • Ensure that all financial and risk management strategies and actions remain consistent with the Mission and Vision

Andrew Watson - Upper School Principal What are your first impressions of ISF and Florence?

The magic of Florence hangs in the air like the scent of a thousand roses. The ISF community has been extraordinarily considerate and caring. I already feel at home here. My colleagues are clearly passionate about what they do – one of my challenges is to find opportunities for us all to share our passions. And my first impressions of the students?

Buoyant, ebullient, smiling. They seem to already understand that what matters, is joy.

What drew you to a career in education and how long were you teaching before becoming a Principal?

I was a peripatetic Artist before I moved into education, travelling for three or four months at a time somewhere in the world where something extraordinary was happening, then coming back to London in the UK (my home city) and putting on a show. I found myself immersed in other cultures and I loved it. When I became a father I realised I wanted the same for my children; to explore, embrace and enjoy the world. Together, we have been incredibly fortunate to have lived and studied around and the world; my two daughters, now 27 and 19, are true “third culture kids”, comfortable in themselves, around others and in their unhurried pursuit of happiness. It has been a “path less trodden”, but it has made all the difference. I started in International Education as a Head of Visual Arts and CAS Coordinator in Jerusalem. It was a real privilege to live and work in the only school, which embraced Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs from the West Bank. Three years there were followed by six in Thailand, by the end of which I was a management consultant for a group of international schools.

If you hadn’t become a teacher, what other plans did you have for your career?

I have had a few careers - as many of the students who graduate from ISF will experience themselves. My mother has expressed enduring concern about the path my “career” has taken. Both my mother and father were medical doctors, which is ironic in so far as when it came to me, they weren’t known for their patience. I failed to become a professional footballer, then I became an exhibiting artist, then I moved into international education. Somewhere in between I became a print journalist and hosted a television talk show in Thailand. My mother in particular, would claim that my career has been “unplanned”. If there is some truth to this, what is truer is that every decision my wife and I have made since we became parents, has been dedicated to the wellbeing of our daughters. My plan now, “insh’allah” is simple: to live and work at ISF for as long as I can.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I am not sure I recognise a division between “free” time and another kind of time: what would it be?

“Incarcerated time?” I love what I do. If I didn’t I wouldn’t do it. Having said that, the most fun, and the greatest joy I have experienced in recent years has been through playing the ethical sport of LUIB (www.luib.org) and contributing to LUIB’s partner charity, Child Rescue Nepal. (https:// www.childrescuenepal.org/)

Emma Homerlein - Junior School Principal What are your first impressions of ISF and Florence?

I visited Florence when I was 20 years old and my impression then was that this was a magical place, surrounded by pictureperfect rolling hills and steeped in culture and history. My impression of Florence at 40 (something) remains the same.

The only point I would add is how beautiful it is to be back in a place where shops are not open every day; where families and friends value time together; where food is more than a meal, it is an experience; and people smile and talk to you where ever you go. Now I just need to learn Italian so I can respond with more than a smile!

ISF mirrors my impression of Florence, with an added element. A sense that we are all here for a common purpose: to provide the best learning opportunities for our child/ren. For that reason, I feel I have joined a community of passionate, caring and open-minded people.

Pho

What drew you to a career in education and how long were you teaching before becoming a Principal?

Come and ask me about how I became an educator - it's an interesting story. It is enough to say that life knew me better than I did at the time, and guided me towards education. When I finally did experience teaching I never looked back. It is who I am. I believe we can truly make the world a peaceful and kinder place through learning, building community and developing good human beings. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education."

I taught for about 15 years before becoming a Primary Years Coordinator, and then Principal.

However, it is not the role that matters. Only that we are supporting one another as best we can to help our students and teachers flourish.

If you hadn’t become a teacher, what other plans did you have for your career?

At different times I was enrolled to be a social worker, a graphic designer and then a photographer. I still think I will try all those careers at some point. Maybe even a marine biologist. So many choices and opportunities to be had in life!

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Playing with Hazel, spending time with Erin, reading, laughing, eating and watching the sun rise and set. I enjoy walking on grass, watching the seasons change, and trying to capture these moments with a photograph. On that note, I leave you with this quote “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching” - Gerard Way

Lisa Kate Radden - IT Director What are your first impressions of ISF and Florence? In one of my first interviews for the position, I asked the team what they liked the most about working at ISF. One replied, and the others quickly agreed, “The best thing about working at ISF…is that we are a family.” So one of my first impressions of ISF was that these are people who deeply care about each other, their students, the families and the work that they do. I am thrilled to join the ISF learning community at this exciting stage of its development and to collaborate with such a passionate and talented team of educators!

Beyond ISF is the beautiful city of Florence which has captivated my heart! The people have

been kind and helpful, the food never disappoints, and the streets are so clean and quiet.

What drew you to a career in education and how long were you teaching before becoming IT Director? In the early part of my career as a web developer, I began student teaching a programming course at Harvard, and very soon after that began teaching web design and digital storytelling at a pilot school in Boston. It was immediately the most challenging and fulfilling work I had ever done! It may also have been in my blood, as both of my parents are retired Boston Public Schools teachers (although my father still teaches Lego Robotics part time today!). I taught high school technology courses for six years before becoming the Director of Instructional Technology at an elementary school for four years that underwent a strategic and physical transformation similar to the one ISF is about to embark on.

If you hadn’t become a teacher, what other plans did you have for your career? The Director of Digital Learning and IT is a new role at ISF. At its core is the responsibility of supporting and enhancing teaching and learning at ISF with technology. This can range from the evaluation and selection of end user technologies, the research of new and emerging digital learning platforms, to delivering professional development in technology and implementing IT help desk programs and policies. It will require a lot of collaboration, observation, and ideation with the ISF community to create a comprehensive technology plan that aligns with the school’s new vision and strategic goals. I am really excited to learn about what is already in practice at ISF and to find ways to celebrate and showcase ISF as a leader in the edtech space.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I enjoy biking, photography, live music, playing or watching soccer (or any sport!), traveling, and curling up with a good book and a glass of wine.

Phil Whitehead - Director Learning and Research What are your first impressions of ISF and Florence?

I visited ISF many times last year to work on the Research Programme with teachers. It was the warmth and enthusiasm of the teachers that convinced me that this would be a great place to work when the job of Learning Director was advertised.

Regarding Florence- there can’t be much more to say that hasn’t be said, written, filmed...maybe ISF can help write a new chapter?

What drew you to a career in education and how long were you teaching before becoming a Principal?

Wow - that’s a big question with a long answer! In a nutshell I’ve had 2 parallel careers. The first as a teacher for 10 years, then a headteacher for 10 years. After that I managed a mid-life crisis by taking a gap year travelling and writing. Good things come to an end and I became an advisor and inspector of schools in England. Following this I became a university lecturer in education, eventually becoming head of a large university department, and most recently the Director of my own international consultancy business.

Alongside this I have had a career as a writer and storyteller, working in schools, galleries, libraries and in prisons. If you look long and hard you might find some published stories, poems and educational articles - best to ask and I’ll show you!

I’ve always been interested in international education and comparative education systems. I worked as a teacher in Sweden many years ago and Swedish remains my second language after ‘Mancunian’ English! I have worked with international schools since 1998.

What will be the range of your responsibilities?

My main job within the senior leadership team is to support teachers in doing the best job they can with our students. There are many ways to do this including continuing the teacher research programme I started here last year. We will be reporting on this and other initiatives to our community at a big research event on October 24 - more to follow on this.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

It’s really a continuation of what I seem to do all day - run! Seriously though, I go running every day with my wife and daughter - anything from 5k to 10k and I challenge you to run slower than me! I love reading contemporary poetry and great stories, and must admit to also loving films (movies). Did you catch ‘Tolkien’ recently? Lovely film and set partly in my adopted city of Oxford.

I work across both campuses at ISF and more often than not you’ll find me on the floor with the youngest children in Junior School sticking paper shapes, singing and chatting to very lovely and clever 4 year olds.

New Positions Antoinette Blain - VP Learning Upper School The VP Learning at the Upper School is a new position. What exactly will be your role and what are your responsibilities? I am wary of drawing a line too firmly between the roles of Toby Dean (VP Wellbeing) and myself since we work as a team and both believe that learning will not take place if the primary social and emotional needs of a student are not catered for. That said, my role will involve the oversight and alignment of the written and taught curriculum, both pedagogical and logistical. In the first instance I am keen to explore innovative ideas in curriculum design as well as ways of assessing and measuring student progress.

How do you hope to impact the development of ISF into the future? I hope that as we begin to implement changes that will steer us towards the realisation of our new vision and mission I will be able to be involved in more interdisciplinary teaching and learning, more varied and creative styles of assessment and to see service learning firmly embedded in our taught curriculum.

What drew you to a career in education and how long have you been teaching? This is my 26th year in teaching and my 10th year in International education. I have taught in some very challenging environments but never doubted that I am in the right profession. A love of my subject (art) and the belief that creativity and creative thinking skills developed

in arts classes have an impact on all aspects of a student’s learning and life is what drew me into teaching in the first place. More recently, through my work with the IB as a school visitor, I have become interested in the bigger picture of how schools function in order to provide the best learning environment for their students. There are many different paths to success and, now that our strategic plan is complete, ISF has an exciting and demanding journey ahead!

Toby Dean - VP Wellbeing Upper School The VP Wellbeing at the Upper School is a new position. What exactly will be your role and what are your responsibilities? My role will be to enhance all aspects of student wellbeing throughout the Upper school, by developing a comprehensive wellbeing programme, raising whole-school wellbeing outcomes, and ensuring the promotion and provision of a high-quality physical and emotional learning environment with high expectations for health and wellbeing. I want all our students to feel safe and be encouraged, and have the opportunity to flourish. 
 How do you hope to impact the development of ISF into the future? For me the most important role schools have to play is to develop the social and emotional skills, character, knowledge and behaviours of children to enable them to build resilience and to flourish for the rest of their lives.

What drew you to a career in education and how long have you been teaching? I intially wanted to be a sports journalist and then after university as sports psychologist however accidentally fell into education and have loved every minute of the last 16 years. Long may it continue.

Kelly-Jo Dean - VP Wellbeing Junior School This year I am excited to embark on the brand new role of Vice Principal of Student Wellbeing. The PYP Programme at the Junior School already has a big emphasis on developing the whole child, and in my new role I shall be finding ways to enhance what the school already does to support the emotional, social and physical development of every child. Wellbeing encompasses many things and my role will work closely alongside the VP of learning, as meaningful learning and accomplishment are important elements in ensuring all children




flourish at ISF. When I was at school I was never taught how to deal with emotions, how to work in a group and find ways to overcome conflict, how to show resilience in the face of challenge or how to maintain a healthy mind and body. I therefore feel like we are privileged to be at a school that is placing emphasis on teaching these important life skills.

Nicky Shamash - VP Learning Junior School In my VP of Learning position, my role is to work alongside the VP of Well-being to ensure ISF's curriculum is balanced, challenging and engaging, nurturing the whole child's development. As I was already in a PYP coordinator role, this position is not entirely new, but it does have new dimensions. We are aiming to have better continuity in learning across the campuses and are planning how the school's new mission and vision will become a reality in our learning environment.

I have been teaching for over 20 years and have worked in school's in a variety of cultural contexts. I was drawn to education by my love of children's literature and a want to use my wild imagination and creative tendencies on a daily basis.

Our new teachers discovering Florence

ISF New Staff Profiles 2019/2020 Simone Andechaga •

Native of: Prato, Italy

•

Joining us from: St. George's British International School, Rome (Italy)

•

Earned: MA in Spanish and Latin American Studies (Birkbeck College - University of London)

•

Assignment: Teacher of Italian and Spanish Upper School

•

Personal Interests: Volleyball, Cinema, Theatre, Portuguese Language, Travelling, Reading

Andrea Antoniazzi • Native of: Vicenza, Italy •

Joining us from: St George's British International School Rome

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Earned: PhD in Physics, University of Florence PGCE, University of Oxford

•

Assignment: Mathematics Teacher

• Personal Interests: Tennis, Trekking, Travelling, Cooking, History Books

Anthony Davidson •

Native of: Scotland

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Joining us from: International School of Basel, Switzerland

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Earned: BA Honours Degree in English, Manchester, UK

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Assignment: EAL

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Personal Interests: Writing, Fiction, Running. Not at the same time.

Ylenia De Rossi •

Native of: Venice, Italy

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Joining us from: H-International School Treviso

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Earned: Master's Degree Programme in Languages Economics and Institutions of Asia (Chinese language)

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Assignment: Facilities Officer

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Personal Interests: Visiting Unusual Places Around The World, Swimming

William Denley Jones •

Native of: Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK

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Joining us from:St Andrew's College in Christchurch, New Zealand for 13 years as the Head of Co-curriculum and Physical Education teacher

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Earned: BSc. in Physical Education and Sports Science at Loughborough University

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Assignment: Head of Physical Education and Sport

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Personal Interests: Sports, Coaching, Football, Rugby, Athletics, Travel, Local History, Culture

Sofia Gori •

Native of: Florence, Italy

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Joining us from: Cooperativa Sociale Onlus ‘Nuova Sole’

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Earned: Bachelor of Science - Nursing Degree Universita degli Studi di Firenze

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Assignment: School Nurse

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Personal Interests: Music, Traveling, Skiing

Karen Gregg •

Native of: Ohio, USA

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Joining us from: Germany, International School of Dusseldorf

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Earned: M.S, Bank Street College of Education in Early Childhood and Elementary Education

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Assignment: Foundation Teacher

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Personal Interests: Walking, Exploring Nature, Art, Reading, Learning

Tracy ‘Celi’ Harper •

Native of: Australia

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Joining us from: Gecko School in Phuket, Thailand

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Earned: Bachelor of Teaching at Griffith University

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Assignment: Grade 5

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Personal Interests: Charity, Backpacking, Mindfulness, Photography, Swimming, Cooking

Toni Hillman •

Native of: USA

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Joining us from: American School of Milan

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Earned: MA in Math Education, Ball State University

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Assignment: Grade 5

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Personal Interests: Yoga, Snorkeling, Learning Italian, Gaining Italian Driver’s License

Tess Hitchcock •

Native of: USA

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Joining us from: Hall-Dale Middle School in Maine

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Earned: Masters in Teaching - The Maine College of Art

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Assignment: Art Teacher

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Personal Interests: Sports, Art Making, Traveling, Crossfit, Movies, Reading

Erin Hoover •

Native of: Ontario, Canada

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Joining us from: Brisbane, Australia

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Earned: Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario/ Bachelor of Music from Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick

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Assignment: Early Years 2 Teacher

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Personal Interests: Music, Yoga, Baking, Travel

James H Lee •

Native of: UK

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Joining us from: IB Guidance Counselor & EE Coordinator, Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Languages, South Korea

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Earned: MA, University of Oxford

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Assignment: College & Guidance Counselor

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Personal Interests: Football, Classical Music, Asian Food, The 5th Industrial Revolution

ChrisFna Nikolakopoulus •

Native of: Boston, Massachusetts

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Joining us from: Florence, Italy

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Earned: PGCE from the University of Sunderland

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Assignment: Grade 1

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Personal Interests: Photography, Yoga, The Arts, Live Music, Travelling, Political Activism

Andi Nufer •

Native of: California, USA

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Joining us from: Florence, Italy

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Earned: MFA (Fine Art) Stanford; MAAT (Psychology) The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

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Assignment: IB Art History

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Personal Interests: Philosophy, Theology, Psychology, Teaching, Hiking, Movies, Nature, Painting & Drawing, Baking

Franco PerroLa •

Native of: Vancouver, BC Canada

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Joining us from: St. Pius X Elementary School in North Vancouver, BC Canada

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Earned: Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Human Kinetics from The University of British Columbia

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Assignment: Grade 3

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Personal Interests: Music, Food, Sports, Soccer, Building Things, Giving Life To Old Neglected Pieces, Traveling with my family

Jennifer Smith •

Native of: England, UK

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Joining us from: Ascot International School in Bangkok, Thailand

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Earned: Post Graduate Certificate in Education with Qualified Teaching Status, Bath Spa University, UK

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Assignment: Early Years 1 Teacher

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Personal Interests: Reading, Cooking, Traveling, My Home Rugby Team Bath

Amy Leatherman, Iacopo Fornai, and brother Tommaso welcomed baby girl Mia

Vanessa Regnier, Andrea Dupre, and sister Serenella welcomed baby boy Andrea

Paul Cook got married to Maria Antonietta in August

ISF Student Ambassadors Welcome new Families to ISF

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Strategic Plan Launch & Welcome Back Cocktail

Class of 2019 The 2019 IB results brought excellent news to ISF and gave us a reason to be proud of our graduating class of 2019. We had 40 students sit the full IB Diploma in May this year and 39 of them were successful.

The world average in term of points score is around 30, so it is very exciting that our students’ average is 34.75! Furthermore our pass rate for the year is 97.5%, while the world average is usually about 79%! In terms of high scores, one member of the class achieved an unbelievable score of 44 points and four students scored 39 points or more.

We would like to congratulate the graduates of 2019 and wish them the very best for their academic and professional careers! Our students have been accepted to prestigious universities around the world and we couldn’t be prouder.

We wish them well in the next phase of their studies. Congratulations to the students, the teachers and the parents, all who have had a part to play in this success.

USA

UK

University of California Berkeley

City University of London

Boston University

University of the Arts, London

American University, DC

London School of Economics

New York University (Gallatin School of Individualized Study)

King's College London Newcastle University

The New School (Parsons School of Design), NY

University of Edinburgh

The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, NY

Italy

The New School (Eugene Long School of Liberal Arts), NY Dartmouth College, NH Sarah Lawrence College, NY Wake Forest University, NC Florida Gulf Coast State University Seattle Pacific University University of Utah (Honors College)

CANADA University of British Columbia

NETHERLANDS Erasmus University Rotterdam Leiden University Maastricht University Groningen University Zuyd University of the Applied Sciences

FRANCE Ecole Polytechnique de Paris

Politecnico di Milano Istituto Marangoni, Milan

Upper School Orientation Trips Grade 6 - Maremma Grade 7 - Mugello Grade 8 - Garfagnana Grade 9 - Talamone/Porto Santo Stefano Grade 10 - Stia

Grade 11 - TOK Workshop During the annual Grade 11 TOK workshop, students analysed the observations of Polish-American scholar Alfred Korbyski. Korbyski said "The Map is Not the Territory". What he means is the territory is the world and the map a generalization we use to make sense of it. Students were engaged in activities that help them see when we communicate an experience, we often use generalizations in our words, and those generalizations leave out the things that make the event unique; they leave out the concrete experience, which results in a small abstraction of things out of a whole. As a follow up to this activity, students utilized the city of Florence to investigate various abstractions as they relate to the city itself. Groups focused on the richness of Florence's history, links to tourism, and even the relevance and significance of gelato as part of everyday life in centro. How does one determine the quality os a tourist attraction? What is the danger of having only one version of history? How do we know what makes a good gelateria? These and other questions were the focus of our outing entitled 'Forensic Florence.’ The experiences culminated in mini ToK presentations upon the student's return to the classroom.

Grade 6 Induction
 Grade 6 students have enthusiastically thrown themselves into numerous activities to integrate themselves into life as middle school students. So far they have build friendships through building towers from spaghetti and marshmallows, and through participating as part of small teams playing a variety of sporty games. They have met the many friendly faces of the various staff who will support them on their journey this year. With their new timetables they have been guided around the school to locate all their colourful classrooms and have found great pleasure in decorating their lockers. They have been excited to lift the lid on their new chromebooks and will continue to receive detailed guidance on how to use it to support their learning. Finally they have been indulging in the various delicious and nutritious treats on store in the ISF Cafe. They all currently look on track to hit the ground running. 


IB Internal Assessment
 All IB science students have to plan and carry out an individual investigation that counts as 20% towards their final science exam grade. Whilst all Middle and High School students enjoyed their orientation trips, Grade 12 IB students followed up with experiments, data analysis and writing on the experimental parts they had done in March.

PA - Parent Association The first PA meeting of this year had a great turnout with lots of new parents attending, including many dads. School leaders and the PA Team gave a presentation of the structure, missions and an overview of the main events that are organised during the year. We are happy to report that the PA is getting larger and more committed every year and it was amazing seeing so many parents volunteering already, eager to get involved in ISF life and our community.

Josh Dick started a new initiative called ‘Babbi’s (Dad’s) Night’, where the men will get together for a drink. Every dad is welcome and the first meeting will take place on October 10th, 7:30 pm at the James Joyce Pub. There will be a ‘New Parents Welcome Coffee’ at the Bottega di Pasticceria on September 18th after drop off. Everyone is welcome and there is no need to confirm.

We will be meeting regularly once a month and would love for you to get involved as well. If you are interested, please contact Cristina Bini, Isabel Hohagen and Ingrid Huijsmans, our PA Team, or Melina Caicedo and Irene Serio, our Junior School Co-Coordinators, or Maria Eugenia Lopez Ozores, Amy Harris and Marleen Custers, our Upper School Co-Coordinators.

We are happy to have you! Cristina Bini, PA President

Florentine Studies Program Following our mission to be ‘internationally minded, uniquely Florentine’, ISF has partnered with VIK – VERY IMPORTANT KIDS, founded in 2014 in Florence by an art history professor and a kids counselor and event manager, who is also an ISF parent. Lina Marcela Martinez and Barbara lo Giudice will be taking students from Grade 4 through Grade 8 on exciting cultural excursions to bring everything Florence has to offer into their awareness in a playful and engaging way.

VIK designs art history paths and programmes for kids and families wishing to learn more about the artistical beauties of Italy. The company operates both in the travel and educational field.

VIK’s experiences and activities are all based on the concept of edutainment; learning through engagement and interaction. VIK’s mission is to stimulate kids (and their families) to appreciate art and culture by having fun. www.vikadventures.com

Pictures from ISF Summer Camp 2019

Internationally-minded, uniquely Florentine

Mission

Vision

A laboratory for learning where we collaborate to add meaning to a shared future.

We aspire to build communities of creative makers and doers.

Junior School (Pre-School to Grade 5) Villa le Tavernule - via del Carota, 23/25, 50012 Bagno a Ripoli (FI), +39 055 646 1007, admin.tav@isfitaly.org

Upper School (Grade 6 to 12) Villa Torri di Gattaia, viuzzo di Gattaia, 9, 50125 Florence, +39 055 200 1515, adming.gat@isfitaly.org

www.isfitaly.org - www.facebook.com/isf.florence - www.instagram.com/isf_florence