Mandarin Immersion Program to Debut at International School of Indiana

The International School of Indiana will begin a Mandarin immersion program at the kindergarten level next fall that aligns with the International Baccalaureate standards.

The new program, the first of its kind in Indiana, will be a significant addition to the school’s existing Spanish and French immersion programs and will reinforce ISI’s longstanding commitment to engaging Indiana in the global economy.

With more than 1,000 written characters and currently the most widely spoken language in the world, Mandarin is considered the gateway to a better understanding of Chinese culture, society and global influence. ISI students enrolled in the immersion program will master both Mandarin and English languages under the guidance of native-speaking teachers.

The Mandarin immersion program at ISI will begin this fall at the kindergarten level and will be extended up through the school, a grade level at a time, eventually expanding into the middle and high school programs.

In addition to the new Mandarin program, ISI is introducing new IB programs throughout the pre-elementary classes and grades 1-10, which align with the already successful IB Diploma program in grades 11 and 12.

Additionally, the school has substantially increased the time its high school students devote to the sciences. ISI students now easily fulfill the science requirements of the Indiana High School Honors Diploma at the conclusion of their sophomore year, paving the way for advanced science studies for junior and senior students in the IB Diploma program.

Parents interested in the Mandarin program for their children should call the ISI admissions office, 317:923-1951 Ext 369. For general information, visit the ISI website. ISI is currently enrolling students at most grade levels for August 2009, and welcomes applications from all prospective students, regardless of their previous language background.

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International School Students Declared "Engenius"

Students from the International School of Indiana in Indianapolis have claimed first place in a high school design competition conducted by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's Engenius Solutions student enterprise.

According to Inside INdiana Business, the five students proposed to design a portable device to assist asthma patients and medical caregivers. The team won $2,000 to continue to study the idea and possibly produce prototypes for testing and marketing.

International School names new Head of School

David Garner will be the new head of the International School of Indiana beginning in August. He replaces Alain Weber, who will officially leave on 30 June to become the Head of the French Lycée in Chicago.

Garner is currently the Head of School at the International Secondary School in Eindhoven in the Netherlands. A native of Nottingham, UK, he is moving to Indianapolis with his wife Sylvie (who is French) and their daughter, Nathalie. A son, Jonathan, lives near Toronto, Ontario.

More than 200 students, parents, faculty and others attended Weber’s farewell party in the school’s Taurel Building on 24 May. Mr. Weber was also presented with the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash award, a Declaration from the Mayor of Indianapolis of Alain Weber Day, and a presentation of the Alain Weber Endowment Scholarship.

Garner is an expert in international education, language acquisition and the impact of language on cognitive development. Prior to his work at International Secondary School of Eindhoven, Mr. Garner was the Headmaster of the Grammar School, British International School of Prague. His teaching experience includes serving as an IB English instructor at the International School of Vienna and as the Regional Project Director with the Centre for British Teachers Ltd. in Morocco, supervising the work of British teachers placed in French-speaking Moroccan secondary schools to teach English.

Mr. Garner, who has dual French and English citizenship, has an MBA in Educational Management from the University of Leicester in the UK and an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Reading, also in the UK. He speaks German, French, Russian, Dutch and English.

"Invisible Children"

This Sunday evening (20 May) head over to the International School of Indianapolis for a free dinner and a showing of a remarkable film, "Invisible Children."

You can learn a lot more about why this interesting evening has the potential to be truly important here.

When: Sunday, 20 May, 6-9 p.m.
Where: Blackbox Theatre at the International School of Indianapolis, 4330 North Michigan Road, Indianapolis
Event is free.

Questions? Ask Catarina Campbell or 317:652-9880.