SCHOOL NEWS
Our school year is now underway with all sorts of interesting activities for our staff, students and parents! You can also take a look at news and photos from our previous school year in the new School Archive!
Annual ISI Easter Egg Hunt Welcomes Spring!
March 16, 2016
On Wednesday, March 16, the ISI PTA sponsored its annual Easter Egg Hunt. ISI students were looking forward to the event throughout the school day, and the weather cooperated for the third year in a row. More than 400 eggs were hidden by volunteer parents and children had a lot of fun finding them with their classmates.
Students, parents and ISI staff then gathered together in the cafeteria for festive snacks of deviled eggs, carrot sticks and dip. Students then opened their eggs to reveal either candy or a toy surprise and enjoyed trading amongst each other what they found. Empty plastic eggs were exchanged for a popcorn treat.
The festivities ended with the PTA giving a basket of treats to the ISI staff followed by the annual visit from the Easter Bunny who received many hugs from excited students and siblings of all ages. The event was a fun festive way to come together and celebrate the beginning of spring.
Thank you again to the ISI PTA and parent volunteers for making this cherished yearly event a success! Happy Easter to our ISI family!
Amnesty International Visits ISI to Collect Letters for Write for Rights Campaign
December 16, 2015
On Thursday, December 16, Middle School students invited Bryndís Bjarnadóttir of the Reykjavik office for Amnesty International to school after studying The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Bryndís collected letters students had written as part of the annual Write for Rights campaign, a global letter-writing marathon. Impressed with the students´ level of knowledge and engagement, there was no shortage of tricky and interesting questions for her to respond to!
Amnesty International runs this campaign each year to help people experiencing human rights abuses. Students in grades 5 and 6 also discussed some of this year´s cases, signed postcards, and met with Bryndis.
UPDATE, Feb. 28: It is always a great feeling when you have an affect on your world. One of the most popular people to write to in the Write for Rights campaign with Amnesty International last December was Albert Woodfox, who had been held for more than 43 years in solitary confinement. On Friday, February 26, Albert was released on his 69th birthday. We are so proud to have played a small part in this event.
For more details, read his story here:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/02/albert-woodfox-is-finally-free/
ISI Presents:
Elliðaá Goes Ice Skating
Elliðaá Class went ice skating on Thursday, December 10 at the Nova Samsung Ice rink at Ingólfstorg in downtown Reykjavik!
ISI Students Attend Lecture on Refugees
November 26, 2015
On Thursday, November 26, students in Fossá class attended a lecture by Dr. Bashar Farahat, a children‘s doctor from Syria, in which he talked about being detained without cause in Syria. Dr. Bashar Farahat also spoke about refugees fleeing Syria.
Dr. Farahat is here as a guest of Amnesty International Iceland and his visit is part of the Letter Writing Marathon. This Human Rights event takes place annually and during December we will be writing letters as part of our Humanities /English studies. People take part in this event in more than 150 countries.
What is Write for Rights?
Every year, around Human Rights Day on December 10th, hundreds of thousands of people around the world write letters and send email messages to help people they have never met. Letter writing has always been at the core of Amnesty International's work, and 54 years of human rights activism show that letters really do have the power to change lives.
This week, the children will continue their experience by learning more about the situation in Syria and the European Refugee Crisis in Humanities class.
The winners 2015 EPTA competition (Ásta Dora, front row in pink dress)
ISI Student Wins Piano Competition
November 17, 2015
Asta Dóra was mentioned in Garðarpósturinn on Thursday November 12 as being the winner along side Helga Sigríður Eyþórsdóttir for students 10 years and younger. EPTA (European Piano Teacher´s Association) is one of the best known competitions in the genre of classical music in Iceland.
The EPTA competition was first held in 2000 and has since been held every three years. According to Garðarpóstur, the competition is an encouraging and challenging opportunity for piano students to compete.
Click here to see an interview that appeared on RÚV with the two first-place winners, Ásta Dóra and Helga Sigríður!
ISI Participates in Multicultural Education Conference at Háskóli Íslands
October 15-17, 2015
ISI participated with a booth at the Háskóli Íslands Conference, Learning Spaces for Inclusion and Social Justice: Education in Multicultural Societies, on October 15-17. Click here to learn more.
According to the Háskoli Íslands website, "The conference is the culmination of the NordForsk funded project in the Education for Tomorrow Program. With the project we pursue a new discourse regarding multiculturalism and inclusion and rethink the approach to schooling in our countries. In the project we explore success stories from immigrant students and schools in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Altogether 27 schools at preschool, compulsory and secondary levels participated in the project. Participants included leaders, teachers, students and parents. The conference aims to bring together academics, students, teachers and policy makers to discuss and debate their research and practices (e.g. development projects) in education."
ISI represented international education in Iceland with our booth, designed to show the many ways in which our school connects both globally and locally to different institutions and groups, such as the Municipality of Garðabær, which provides a great location for our students and staff.
School Events
THURSDAY, AUGUST 25
BACK-TO-SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
10 AM in Cafeteria Area
FRIDAY, AUGUST 26
EARLY RELEASE
Students Go Home at 12
** No Lunch Today, But Bring a Morning Snack!
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
TREE PLANTING DAY
All-day Field Trip
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
ROALD DAHL DAY
Celebrate Pam's favorite author!
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
SPECIAL VISITORS
Student Teachers from HI at ISI
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
IPC SCIENCE FAIR
8:15 - 9:00 AM
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14
PARENT CONFERENCES
Students attend with Parents
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28
STAFF DAY
No School
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29
STAFF DAY
No School
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30
HALLOWEEN PARTY
Evening Event - Details TBA
NOVEMBER 2-6
KINDNESS WEEK
Special Activities about Kindness and Friendship
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6
KINDNESS WEEK SNACK TIME
Students can bring a snack to share in our special Snack Time to celebrate the end of Kindness Week
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16
ICELANDIC LANGUAGE DAY
Celebrate Iceland's native tongue!
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25
ISI-PTA FAMILY FUN NIGHT
Details TBA
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3
MORNING COFFEE WITH HANNA
Laxá Class
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4
WEAR RED DAY
Wear red today and feel festive!
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8
MORNING COFFEE WITH HANNA
Elliðaá Class
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11
HOUR OF CODE
1-2 PM in school today!
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11
SPECIAL HOLIDAY BANQUET
Hot lunch students will receive a traditional holiday meal at lunch
Students can purchase lunch for 500 kr. E-mail Ann to let her know!
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18
CHRISTMAS BALL
Early Release (Details TBA)
TUESDAY, JANUARY 5
PARENT CONFERENCES
Students attend with parents
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6
SCHOOL RESUMES
Class begins at 8:15 AM
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4
ISI POTLUCK DINNER
5:30 - 7:00 PM (Details TBA)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10
ÖSKUDAGUR
Early Release at 12 PM
FEBRUARY 15-19
WINTER BREAK
No School
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22
SCHOOL RESUMES
Class begins at 8:15 AM
ISI Presents:
Morning Singing
Teacher Lucy leads the students in a rendition of one of her favorite songs! Hear the first two verses of "Ye Canny Shove Yer Grannie," a traditional Scottish children´s song. This catchy tune is sure to make you smile all day long.
Stephen Law Visits ISI for Philosophical Presentation
September 2, 2015
On Wednesday, September 2, the students in the Middle Years Program were fortunate to have the emminent philosopher, Dr. Stephen Law as a guest lecturer. There was a long and lively discussion about among other things, the begining of the universe, flying turtles and alien faces on Mars.
Stephen was impressed and sometimes even challenged by some of the great philosophical questions posed by his audience. As you can see in the photos everyone is very engaged in the conversation.
In spite of an offer from Pam to stay and help answer some of these complex questions, Dr Stephen Law decided to return to his work as a senior lecturer at Heythop College, University of London. He is also the editor of the philosophical journal Think! In addition, he has written and published a variety of academic papers and a number of books which aim to introduce elelments of philosophy, including three children's philosophy books. His book The Philosophy Files will soon be helping Pam continue some of the discussions started today.
Creativity Meets Innovation at the Reykjavik Fab Lab
September 3, 2015
On Thursday, September 3, students in Fossá class took their first field trip to the Fab Lab of the year.
The Fab Lab, or Fabrication Laboratory, is a community resource designed to to inspire how students can turn their ideas into a prototype, a product or art & design trough digital fabrication. The Fab Lab allows others to design and build with the help of a 3D printer, laser cutter, vinyl cutter, electronics section, casting station and milling machine. Using design programs like Inkscape and 123D Make, whatever students can imagine becomes a reality.
On the tour, Bas Withagen, manager of the Reykjavik Fab Lab, described the purpose of the Fabrication Laboratory: promoting innovation and increasing the technical literacy of the public. Students were excited to see the many examples of items that had been created by users and had many questions about how the machines worked.