 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2010) |
| Motto | Everyone Included, Challenged, Successful |
|---|---|
| Established | 1951 |
| School type | Private |
| President | Kevin Bartlett |
| Location | Brussels, Belgium |
| Enrollment | 1,500 |
| Faculty | 200 |
| Endowment | Confidential |
| Campus | 162,134.62 m2 |
| Mascot |  Raiders |
| Home page | www.isb.be |
The International School of Brussels is an English-language international school that provides an international education to over 1500 students aged 2 ½ to 19 from 62 countries. The 40-acre secure campus lies in the Brussels commune of Watermael-Boitsfort, about 9 kilometres southeast of the city centre.
|
Contents
|
Mission and Philosophy
ISB offers a challenging, coherent programme of academics, arts, sports and service, Nursery through Grade 12/13, through which:
- Everyone Included: All learners’ needs are supported, their perspectives sought and respected and their qualities valued and nurtured.
- Everyone Challenged: All learners make annual learning progress through the achievement of specific, appropriate learning targets.
- Everyone Successful: All learners have multiple opportunities to succeed and to secure their best future.
ISB aims that students will leave ISB as:
- Independent Learners: All learners are equipped for success in a challenging world. They are confident leaders, skilled communicators, constructive team players and efficient problem solvers. They have a critical self-awareness and adapt successfully to changing situations.
- International Citizens: All learners develop a personal code of ethics, respect for diversity of opinion and culture, empathy for others, an age-appropriate understanding of global issues and a disposition towards positive community participation.
Buildings and Campus
ISB is located on a 162,134.6 m2 wooded campus. Green is the predominant colour on campus. All of the buildings use new 'green' technologies, and trees planted by Middle School students dot the grounds. Surrounding the school is managed forest, with entries to the Brussels region's extensive forest trails across the campus.
The 19th century Château is the first building that visitors see and houses the reception area and administrative offices. The remaining buildings, which include the four schools, the performing arts centre and the gymnasiums are scattered throughout the campus, which also has extensive sports fields, covered play areas and a brand new running track.
Academic Buildings
Most classes at ISB are housed in one of four main buildings.
- Early Childhood Centre (ECC): students aged 2½ to 8, Head Caroline Nu'u
- Elementary School (ES): students aged 8 to 12, Head Anna Zeiders
- Middle School (MS): students aged 12 to 15, Head Michael Crowley
- High School (HS): students aged 15 to 19, Head Félim Bolster
Additional Buildings
- The Student Activity Centre, or Annex, houses the two gymnasiums, a recently renovated theatre, and additional high school classrooms.
- The Metairie houses the extensive music program offered at ISB.
- The International Community Centre (ICC) houses the ISBPlus and Lifelong Learning programmes, as well as the International Protestant Church.
Security
ISB is a secure campus: all parents, faculty, and staff are issued bar-coded security and identification badges which enable them to access the campus and car parks. Visitors must sign in and obtain a badge at reception.
The campus is closely monitored by a full-time professional security team. CCTV cameras are strategically placed. Guards are on campus 24/7.
Brand new security infrastructure was funded by a generous grant from the US State Department’s Office of Overseas Schools. This includes an upgrade of existing infrastructure and the installation of an access controlled security fence around the Early Childhood Centre and Elementary School.
The school is situated just outside a small forest.
Academics
Like other international schools, ISB faces a unique challenge when it comes to curriculum. Within a national system, it may be obvious that students should learn principally about the culture of that nation. The dilemma for schools like ISB can be summed up by the question, "with sixty-seven nationalities at ISB, whose history is taught?"
Instead, content at ISB is structured through a set of themes that express the common ground of human experience; the ideas and issues that have relevance for all cultures.
On a less abstract level, ISB offers the four core courses – Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. In addition, ISB students take either French, English Language Development, or Study Skills. High School Students at ISB are offered both the International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement Diploma; the school itself offers two tiers of diplomas. Unique among many international schools, ISB also offers a Special Education Diploma.
ISB also offers courses in many other languages. From beginner to mother tongue levels, Spanish, Dutch, German, Japanese, Hebrew, and many other languages are available either in-school or through the ISBPlus programme.
Athletics
ISB’s broad athletic programme offers more than 30 individual and team sports over a three-season year. These include – just naming a few, American Football, Baseball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Golf, Swimming and Soccer. These U12, Junior Varsity and Varsity sports compete in both the International School Sports Tournament (ISST) and DoDDs Leagues. Non-competitive and intramural programs are also offered for younger children.
Arts
ISB is committed to a complete and balanced education for all children. Central to the ISB learning experience is therefore an innovative and dynamic arts programme – music, theatre arts, visual arts and dance are a regular part of life at ISB. The music program features five bands, four string orchestras and four choirs, with countless other student and extra-curricular ensembles. ISB students also partake in music composition – using synthesizers and computers in the recently upgraded MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) lab. Yearly, there are two secondary school theatre productions and many other performances by elementary school students. ISB is a member of the Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) and the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA).
The fine arts are a valued part of the ISB curriculum and are embedded into it from the very first nursery class through to the International Baccalaureate. A team of specialist teachers works with the students at each level. In the younger classes, the art specialist will often be in the classroom, along with the class teacher; whereas for the older children art becomes a course of study to be taken along with other academic subjects.
Student artwork and writing is published in monthly, quarterly, and annual student-run publications. From the ECC to the High School, poetry to journalism, prose to art, – it’s written and published by ISB students in a myriad of electronic, paper, in house and professionally printed publications.
ISBPlus
ISBPlus is the extra-curricular programme at ISB. It offers students the opportunity, via a range of age-appropriate, in-school and after-school activities, to extend and enrich their interests in all learning areas in fun ways.
The activities provide opportunities for personal development for all students by introducing them to different interests and experiences. It is a safe, non-competitive environment where students can learn new skills or perfect existing ones. Thus, students are challenged and successful in their endeavours.
Technology @ ISB
ISB has always been on the cutting edge in the domain of Education Technology. Very important to ISB is the Teaching & Learning with Technology Project. It optimises student learning through the effective use of and access to an age-appropriate, technology-rich environment. In grades 5 to 13 this includes 1:1 computing; and in grades K to 4 this involves 2:1 computing. Personal Tablet PCs for every student in grades 5 to 13 permit technology to become ubiquitous in the learning process, creating an environment in which technology provides abundant opportunities for sharing information, constructing knowledge and facilitating personal achievement. This environment prepares students for a constantly changing professional work environment where technology skills are a necessity for a successful career.
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
