International School of Hamburg (ISH)

[EduCativ]

At the International School of Hamburg, we are in a continual process of reinvention and renewal. While we celebrated our 60th anniversary in 2017, we like to believe that we are young in spirit and that our best years still lie ahead. The Hanseatic City of Hamburg and ISH have forged a deeply-rooted partnership since our inception in 1957. As the third-largest port in Europe, our host city is a global melting pot and one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Germany. The overall quality of life and the outstanding natural environment that Hamburg offers make it a very desirable destination for expatriate families. It is small enough to navigate easily on foot, bicycle, or by public transport, and large enough to offer a sophisticated urban vibe and world-class shopping, dining, and culture.
Our curricula—the International Primary Curriculum and the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes —serve our students well and enable them to become the kind of inquiring, ethical, and risk-taking adults the world will need in the 21st century. Our diversity of perspectives, values, ideas, and beliefs make ISH a special place to teach and learn.
With a growing student population of almost 780, and a neighborhood campus bordering the city’s Botanical Garden, ISH is an integral part of the local landscape. On a typical day, visitors might observe volunteer parents welcoming new families. Drop by on a Friday evening and you will see high school students serving refreshments at a play or musical. On a Saturday morning, visitors will hear the sound of a piano lesson or cheering from the gym or soccer field as our Falcons teams compete. In November, visitors from the local neighborhood share the excitement of our annual International Day. Before the Christmas holiday, a group of 2nd-grade children can be found singing seasonal carols in the entrance area. Our calendar is filled with events, clubs, and activities aimed at connecting our community and with the wider world beyond our borders.
Our mission is to provide students with an international education that seeks to develop their full potential and to foster understanding, respect for others, freedom of thought and expression, enjoyment of learning, and personal responsibility.
At ISH, our programs, our policies, and our purpose are united in the shared values that put our students at the center of everything we do. As builders of an internationally-minded community, our faculty and staff strive to inspire and motivate every student while ensuring high academic challenge, the innovative use of technology, and a committed focus on the social, moral, and emotional well-being of every child in our care. We forge strong partnerships with parents to create a learning environment in which students respect and embrace an ever-growing, interconnected global society and recognize the value of service to others.
Recognizing our responsibility to prepare our students for global citizenship, as well as to teach them all of the very basic human values, we base our programs and policies on fulfilling every student’s needs.

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