International School of Düsseldorf
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| Motto | Where life-long learning begins... |
|---|---|
| Established | 1969 |
| School type | Private |
| President | Michael Coffey |
| Location | Düsseldorf, Germany |
| Enrollment | 950 |
| Faculty | 115 |
| Endowment | (Unknown) |
| Campus | (Unknown) |
| Mascot | Lion salient argent, tail fourché, with Anchor. |
| Home page | ISD |
The International School of Düsseldorf (ISD) is located in Kaiserswerth, a suburb of Düsseldorf, and was founded in 1968 as the American International School of Düsseldorf. In 1977 ISD became the 65th school worldwide authorized to award the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. In 1986 the school changed its name to what it is now.
There are currently 950 students of 44 nationalities enrolled. The majority of students are American, German, British, Japanese, and Korean. Instruction is in English. The faculty of more than 100 comes from 19 different countries. The facilities include 3 libraries/media centers, a 400 seat theater, 2 cafeterias, a full-sized gym, and 6 science labs.
[edit] Senior School
The former High School (9–12) has been combined with the former Middle School to form the Senior School. Senior school covers grades 6–12 (roughly ages 11–18) and there is a very small 13th grade for those who, for one reason or another, have not reached their academic goals by the end of twelfth grade. The academic program throughout is broadly based, but is also rigorous, challenging and stimulating. In grades 6–10, the students follow the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme In grades 11 and 12 the vast majority of classes are in International Baccalaureate (IB) courses which are taken to fulfill the requirements of the ISD high diploma and the IB diploma, and 70–75% of 11th and 12th grade students take the full IB diploma.
All teachers use a variety of teaching resources inside and outside the classroom, therefore no course is defined by any single text. Field trips and special projects enhance and extend the classroom experiences.
Within each grade, are homeroom groups of 15–20 students, which meet daily (08:40-08:50) with their homeroom teachers who transmit daily information to their students, monitor their progress, and work to ensure that each student has the benefit of individual attention within a small group. The activities of the homeroom groups within a grade are coordinated by the year head, who bears the main responsibility for the pastoral care of the students, and liaises with the parents, principal, counselors, learning support teachers, and others as appropriate.
The English as a Second Language and Learning Support departments help students who may be studying in English for the first time, or who may need extra academic support, and the personal and college-guidance counselors guide students and provide professional support.
In grade 10 the students have a two-week Praktikum (work placement) during which they can sample the real world of employment by working outside school in a local company or business.
Class sizes are relatively small: the overall student-teacher ratio is about 8:1, most class sizes are in the range 18–22 and normally do not exceed 25.
Outside the classroom there is an extensive extra-curricular program which encompasses a range of sports, artistic pursuits, and social-service activities, and the students are also enthusiastically involved in special charitable events including a walkathon, “Tanzania Night”, and “Battle of the Bands.”
[edit] International Fest
Towards the end of every school year, the International School hosts an event formelerly known as May Fest for students, their families, and local Germans. The event is coordinated by the PFA. This event is held on campus where booths are set up representing different countries and nationalities. Everyone has the opportunity to visit each booth and indulge in something completely unique to the culture of the country. There are generally games and activities for younger children, and there is music and edibles for all other guests. The school successfully attempts to bring an expierience like no other for all of the students to enjoy. Silent auctions are also available, along with the showing of dances and other performances. For some, the International Fest is the most memorable event from each school year.
