Study at International School Helsinki Finland

"What is an International School?" is an often-asked question in many of the international communities throughout the world. "International Schools" come in many different varieties depending on local circumstances. The International School of Helsinki's internationalism can be defined with the following elements:

A diverse student body represented by over 40 different nationalities.
A mobile population of international students, whose average stay is 3 - 4 years.
A strong curriculum based on the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme.
Hiring practices that ensure a diversity of highly committed staff, many with international experience.
A strong sense of community.
A conscious effort to appreciate and celebrate our diversity.
During the 2000-2001 school year, the school participated in a Strategic Planning process. Thirty members of the school community participated on the SP team. With involvement of board members, parents, teachers and students, the school set the long-term vision for the future. I invite you to view the complete plan on the school's website.

The central element of the plan is the school's Mission Statement. The sentence describes the main purpose of ISH and the means by which we will accomplish this. To ensure that this purpose is constantly kept alive, it is posted on the newsletter, board documents and in locations throughout the school.

International School of Helsinki Mission Statement:

The International School of Helsinki is an IB World School authorized to offer International Baccalaureate programmes to students aged 4 onwards in grades K1 to 12. Our mission is to provide excellence in education through a caring and diverse environment that encourages the holistic development of each student. We prepare students with the means to succeed in a challenging world.

A strong purpose of international schools is to create an atmosphere where diversity is considered strength and a value, where differences are seen as an asset. Not forgetting where we are, it is equally important to learn and discover the character of our host country. The study of Finnish language and culture is an important aspect of students' experiences.

Our primary goal is to develop within each student self confidence, ability to adapt to new environments and problem solving skills to face change; a vital element of the emerging globalism. It is no longer appropriate to prepare students for any single national system, as student mobility is a feature of our population. Most of students or parents cannot tell us with any certainty where they will be living two-three years from now.

We are a truly international school K-12, supporting children and their families many of whom are temporarily residing in Helsinki, by providing a multicultural teaching environment which supports children in their next posting whether it be in their home country or another international school. We have chosen to become an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School and have been authorised since 1992 to offer the IB Diploma programme. We were fully authorised to offer the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in June of 2004 and the Primary Years Programme (PYP) in October of 2004.

I invite you to become a member of the school community, either as a student, a staff member or parent to explore the concept of an ISH Education, either through the website or personal contact. You will come to experience ISH and Finland as a unique opportunity. Come and join us on the "Top of Europe".

Bob Woods
Headmaster
International School of Helsinki

 

International School of Helsinki


Selkämerenkatu 11

00180 Helsinki
Finland
Tel: +358-9-686 6160
Fax: +358-9-685 6699
Email:

mainoffice@ish.edu.hel.fi

http://www.ish.edu.hel.fi

The International School Of Helsinki (ISH) is an independent, coeducational day school which offers an English language educational program for Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school was founded in 1963 as an elementary school, serving primarily British students. It now serves students from many different countries and language backgrounds.

Faculty: The Faculty consists of highly qualified and experienced teachers, many of who have had prior international school experience. These include a nurse, guidance counselor, librarian, EAL and special education teachers as well as teaching assistants. Most of the full-time staff have advanced degrees.

Accreditation: The school is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the European Council of International Schools (ECIS). The school was reaccredited by both NEASC and ECIS in 2000.

Student body: ISH students represent about 40 different nationalities. Many of the students have had prior experience in living in a country and culture other than their own. The school is divided into two sections: Lower School (K1-5) and Upper School (6-12).

Facilities: The school moved into a new purpose-built facility in Ruoholahti, Helsinki, in July 1996. The new building offers 25 classrooms, computer labs, a computer network, science labs, art suite with darkroom/kiln, music room, library/media center with 18,000 volumes, fully-equipped gym and combined cafeteria/auditorium.

Curricular Features: The programme is IBO, meeting the needs of a wide range of nationalities of students who usually stay from 2 to 4 years. The programme focuses on the development of skills, attitudes, confidence and responsibility to be able to succeed in the next national or international school.

The school has adopted the philosophy and teaching methodologies of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes, a feature of the school since 1992.

The language of instruction is English. Finnish, Spanish and French as a Foreign language are offered. The English as a Additional Language (EAL) Programme provides support for identified students. We offer a limited special needs programme for identified students.

Administrative structure

ISH is owned and governed by the ISH Parents' Association. The parents or guardians of any child enrolled in ISH are members of the Parents' Association. The Board of Governors sets policy for the school. The Board consists of nine elected members, of whom at least five must be members of the Parents' Association. The day-to-day administration is the responsibility of the Headmaster, who implements approved policies and programmes. The Upper School and Lower School each have a Principal, who reports to the Headmaster.

Instructional Staff

The key to successful education is the quality of classroom instruction. ISH places great emphasis on recruiting talented staff; the teachers are highly qualified, experienced, caring and dedicated. ISH teachers come from different parts of the world and many have extensive teaching experience in many countries; they thus understand the special character of a multicultural learning environment. Most teachers are from English speaking countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.

English as an Additional Language

English as an Additional Language instruction is provided for students who need English language support. Students work in small groups with a specialist teacher. In these groups, they are given special language instruction that is co-ordinated with their regular classroom curriculum.

Technology

Students in all grades use word processing, graphics, educational "problem solving" programs, drill programs and research programs. Students in the Upper School also have supervised access to most global resources in the World Wide Web (www) via the Internet. All teachers, staff members and Upper School students have e-mail accounts. Students and teachers have access to research computers available in the Open Access Lab throughout the day.

About 130 computers are spread throughout the building. Computer instruction is integrated with classroom instruction.

Field trips and extracurricular activities

During the school year field trips are included in the curriculum to enrich the students' education. For some of these outings there may be an additional charge to the parents for transport or entry fees.

The school also has a rich programme of extracurricular activities. Typical activities are sports, art and drama clubs, first aid and photography courses, extra language clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and skiing trips. These vary from year to year as needs and opportunities change.

Pupil Personnel Services (Support Services)

Pupil Personnel Services includes the Dean of Students, Guidance Counsellor, Resource Teacher, School Nurse as well as the Lower and Upper School Principals. These persons provide specific support services to students and also work together as a team as the "Pupil Personnel Services Committee" to address special student needs.

Pupil Personnel Services Committee

This committee, consisting of the classroom teacher, school nurse, Resource teacher, Dean of Students, Guidance Counsellor and Lower or Upper School administrator, meets to address concerns raised by parents or teachers regarding individual students. The Committee suggests changes within the student's environment and/or educational programme, and then monitors and reviews progress made in meeting the student's needs.

Guidance Services

The school's guidance programme meets the diverse needs of the upper school community. The ISH School Counsellor is responsible for advising students on college selection and placement. 11th and 12th grade students attend various college fairs to familiarise themselves with admission requirements and procedures for British, European, and United States institutions of higher learning. The Counsellor is responsible for the Administration of ISA, PSAT and TOEFL exams and also organises SAT preparation sessions.

The School Counsellor works with the School Principals and the classroom teachers to promote high student self esteem and to lead circle times that addresses issues stemming from transistions to and from different environments. The School Counsellor is also available to counsel students individually and to meet with parents.

Resource Teacher

A Resource Teacher is available to support students with special educational needs, such as mild learning difficulties.

Student Progress Reports

ISH follows a a trimester system. Reports on student performance are sent home at the end of each grading period. These reports include separate scores for achievement and effort. All teachers of each student may provide a narrative report two times a year on the student's progress in each subject.

Scheduled conference is held once a year between the parents and the teachers to inform parents of the progress of their children. Additionally, the lower school holds student led conferences in March. Parents are encouraged to make appointments to see their children's teachers as needed. Teachers are always available ( by appointment ) during the school day for student conferences and extra help outside the regular class periods. They may recommend to parents that a student receive tutorial assistance outside of school hours. If outside tutoring is needed, the school will make every attempt to provide the parents with a list of qualified tutors.

Health care

The school has health insurance to cover all students involved in accidents during school time and/or school related activities. The school nurse is available during the school day. The school has access to resources in the Finnish healthcare system.





School day and calendar

The school has a full day programme. The school year runs from early August to the end of May and is divided into three grading periods. Autumn Break is in mid-October, Winter Break runs from mid-December to early January, ski-week is held in February and there is a short Easter break.

Transportation

Public transportation connections to the school are excellent. Metro and tram stops are three blocks from the school. Most students get to school by public transportation or by family vehicles. A private taxi service, billed monthly, is available on a yearly basis. An average of four children are assigned to each taxi dependent upon where they live.

Hot Lunch program

The school's cafeteria serves a hot lunch; lunch tickets are sold in booklets of 10 at the school kiosk. The kiosk also sells snacks. Hot lunch tickets for Kindergarten students include morning and afternoon snacks.

School Materials

All materials needed for classroom work are provided by the school. Upper School students are expected to have their own mathematical instruments including a scientific calculator.

Curriculum

The school is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World school. The school was first authorised to offer the IB Diploma programme in 1993.

Lower School

The Lower School Programme (K-5) is designed to engage the children actively in developmentally appropriate learning activities, to encourage and stimulate development of concepts and skills. An integrated, cross-curricular approach to learning is used.

The school is divided into two levels, Lower School and Upper School. The Lower School is comprised of the Early Years Programme and the Elementary Programme. The Early Years Programme includes Kindergarten 1 (4-year-olds), Kindergarten 2 (5-year-olds), and Grades 1 and 2. The Elementary Programme includes Grades 3,4 and 5.

Upper School

The Upper School includes the Middle School Programme (6-8) and the High School Programme (9-12).

The Middle School Programme is structured to meet the needs of students who are in transition from the self-contained classroom in the Lower School to increasing departmentalisation in the High School.

The High School Programme is college preparatory

Students have the option of writing some external International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations at the end of grade 10.

In grade 11 and 12 students have three options as they work towards graduation:

Obtaining credits for an ISH Diploma, similarly found in other international School.
Obtaining an ISH and an IB Diploma.
Obtaining an ISH Diploma and acquiring IB Certificates in individual subjects.

International School of Helsinki


Selkämerenkatu 11

00180 Helsinki
Finland
Tel: +358-9-686 6160
Fax: +358-9-685 6699
Email:

mainoffice@ish.edu.hel.fi

http://www.ish.edu.hel.fi