2_0_DiscoverGermany_Issue34_January2016:Scan Magazine 1
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Discover Germany | Special Theme | Top International Schools Germany
Enabling great minds and strong characters The ISR, International School on the Rhine gGmbH, is focused on delivering the best possible academic achievement. However, the path to any child´s brain is through their hearts. So our teachers try to connect and motivate a child´s heart and character. This manifests itself in ISR having the highest IB average score in the region over the past years. Lastly, we pride ourselves in giving practical direction during the career/university selection years. TEXT: NANE STEINHOFF I PHOTOS: ISR
‘It’s cool to excel academically’ – states the school’s mission statement, which is reflected in every aspect of school life. While the ISR obviously teaches math and science, it also develops moral values in partnership with parents. As a privately financed, non-profit school with a full-day academic programme in the Düsseldorf, Neuss and Cologne region, the ISR seeks to develop students into well-rounded, multilingual, self-aware and socially responsible global citizens. Offering an excellent, international education with a holistic concept from nursery school to grade 12, 650 students from 45 nationalities currently enjoy the 42,000square-meter campus. Thus, the most important day for the school’s international community is obviously the annual International Day. The theme of this year’s program is ‘‘The Year without a Summer’, which relates to 1816 when different na-
38 | Issue 34 | January 2016
tions around the world were plunged into a year-long winter. The students will show a glimpse of the events of 1816 with their project ‘7 Nations on the Move’during the ISR International Day on 30 January. The complete project will be presented at the Schumannfest from 28 to 29 May in Düsseldorf’s Schloss Benrath. All visitors from the region are welcome. Starting in Kindergarten, all classes at ISR are taught in English by native Englishspeaking teachers. The German curriculum is a fully fledged accredited programme. Hence, children are fully immersed in English and German over their entire school career. Additionally, French, Spanish and Mandarin are taught, with Japanese to be added shortly. Modern infrastructure includes new interactive white boards in all classrooms and well-equipped science labs, music facilities and sports halls. Some optional varsity sports (football, track, tennis and swimming)
Main image: The ISR campus near Stadtwald Neuss.
and private music or language lessons round off the programme. Last but not least, a private school bus company is simplifying the safe transport to the ISR and back to all residential areas of the region. ISR’s approach to education seems to pay off - graduates have consistently achieved the best International Baccalaureate (IB) exam results in the region over many years. As an accredited school, the ISR IB diploma is accepted as ‘Allgemeine Hochschulreife’ in the German system, thus also allowing students to attend German and worldwide top universities. www.isr-school.de