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The International Bilingual School Terra Nova accompanies children from kindergarten through to entry into secondary schooling or work life, always with the prospect of higher vocational training. The IBS Terra Nova is a private school based on the canton of Zurich curriculum. In addition, we also follow international curricula – especially from the English-speaking world. Our kindergarten and primary school are to be met. bilingual in English and German. The high proportion of English-speaking families in our environment naturally creates a bilingual atmosphere that allows the high standards of the Swiss school system and the international requirements to be met. The IBS Terra Nova opens the eyes to numerous worlds. Along the communal path into the future, many horizons and perspectives arise. With its two sites in Küsnacht and Feldmeilen, IBS Terra Nova presents itself as a modern educational, cultural and social center. Our private school is a state recognized as well as confessionally and ideologically independent. Since its foundation in 1996, IBS Terra Nova has stood for a performance-oriented educational institution and a place of innovation. Parents who set high standards for the education of their children find a competent partner in IBS Terra Nova. Our uppermost goal is to prepare the students for academic education in either a long- or short-term Gymnasium grammar school. IBS Terra Nova is firmly anchored in the Swiss educational landscape and prepares children and youth for international requirements. We want to maintain the joy of discovery, recognize children’s talents and specific strengths and promote them. In awareness of the significance of English, we already nurture bilingualism in our kindergarten and primary school. At the secondary level, language teaching in German and English is according to knowledge and happens in ability-level groups. Poets and philosophers allow the heroes of their stories to set out for new lands and horizons time and again. Terra Nova discovered neither bilingualism nor school. However, with our Terra Nova philosophy, we are always exploring a new land. The school is run as a day school and cares for the children throughout the day – with lunch and additional offers in culture and sport. The Kindergarten at the IBS Terra Nova generally lasts two years and is open to children from four years of age. We lead the children based on their prior knowledge of German and/or English and prepare them in all areas of learning for their future schooling careers. The teaching is shared equally between German and English and is given by mother-tongue teachers. In these foundation years, the children are already exposed to a wide-ranging experience in writing and media. There are not yet subject lessons in the Kindergarten. The children develop their skills across the disciplines in an integrated way – through activities, actions, creative tasks, and play. The teacher selects specific content from different education areas to meet the needs of the children either as a whole class, small groups, or individually. The learning environment mirrors the reality of life for children as much as possible. For them, it is important that they belong to and can contribute to this environment, that they have friends and feel understood, protected, and treated fairly by the teachers. The first years serve to introduce and develop basic cultural techniques. The children bring different foreknowledge to this and learn at different paces. While some have already gathered first experiences in a subject, others must learn the new material from the ground up. We, therefore, focus on differentiated instruction. No child should be bored – and every child should not only understand but also internalize the material. Social study is a broad field of research and experience. Here the children deal with the multifaceted questions of life, look for answers to scientific phenomena, develop expertise in numerous areas and so expand their general knowledge. Language, mathematics and social studies instruction is shared equally between German and English. Generally, one mother tongue teacher works in the first half of the week, the teacher with the other language during the second part. Music, handicrafts, theater, media, and sports are taught by qualified subject personnel either in English or German depending upon the teacher’s origin. As of Grade 5 French is added, also taught by a mother tongue teacher. At our academically demanding secondary school, our students continue their education in two languages. Our bilingual curriculum is based on the official curriculum of the Canton of Zurich (Lehrplan 21) and the standards of the Cambridge International Curriculum. All students are prepared for entry into our English-speaking Gymnasium or other high schools. View full school

The school of Terra Santa is one of the two ethnic schools of the Maronite Community. It has its origins in 1641 when a team of Franciscan monks decided to establish a school aiming at the promotion of diligence and virtue. The school operated under the name of Terra Santa (School of the Holy Land) in 1646 under the responsibility and protection of the Order of Franciscan monks which has its base in Jerusalem. In the difficult years of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus, the school offered Elementary education. In 1936 it came into the hands of the British and in 1947 came back under the control of the Franciscan monks and changed its name to Terra Santa College. Previously the school operated in the Paphos Gate area whereas from 1955 the school moved to the whole owned new building in the Acropolis area of Nicosia. Since 1913 the school programs were extended also to secondary education. Since 1970 a nursery is also operating. On 28th January 2013, a cooperation agreement was signed between the University of Cyprus and the Terra Santa College confirming that the College will operate as a model University of Cyprus High School. The school hosted students from all the Maronite villages, especially from Kormakitis, since the Franciscan nuns who maintain a monastery in Kormakitis had direct involvement with the school. Until today the Terra Santa School continues to be the center of education for many Maronite boys and girls. Today the school is divided into three sections: Nursery, Elementary, Gymnasium, and Lyceum. The school of Terra Santa is a multicultural school that promotes diversity and tolerance. Terra Santa has contributed significantly to developing education in this country and that represented a great challenge among the other flourishing institutions in number and quality. Hence, the great efforts showed by the friars and the industrious work to develop their school. In the 1960s the first and second floors on the eastern side were added to accommodate the increasing numbers of students. Then, in the 1980s the church was built. In the year 1992 – 1993 the kindergarten sections were established. to be followed in 1998 by Terra Sancta cultural center, a treat offered by the Franciscan Custody in Jerusalem to our college in Amman, on the occasion of its golden jubilee. In 2011 Terra Santa College sports center was inaugurated. It includes an indoor hall for sports in addition to outdoor playgrounds. View full school

It is only by visiting our school that you will understand why we are so proud of it, we look forward to welcoming you! View full school