Welcome from the Head of School

All international schools create, through the input of the whole community, a culture which is specific to the school. This is one of the main reasons each school is unique and offers parents educational opportunities for their children which may not be as readily available locally.

The culture of the International School of Bologna (ISB) is defined through its Mission Statement and its Guiding Statements. These statements are readily available and I would urge all our parents to read these statements thoroughly. The teachers, administration and the staff of the school are accountable to these statements and we ask for the support of all families as well in achieving our aims. We often refer to these statements as we implement new programs, procedures and as we make decisions affecting the education of our students.

Once the Mission Statement and Guiding Statements set the tone, another way in which the culture of a school is shown is by its professional associations. ISB is a member of both the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Council of International Schools (CIS). What does this mean in practice?
Being part of the IB means teaching is inquiry-based, learning is active and all concepts and skills are taught within context. It also means the whole community actively promotes the Learner Profile. Part of the IB’s Mission Statement says: “These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.” To be accepting of cultural, religious or personal differences to the extent that, although you don’t agree, you accept the other person’s views, is a difficult position to which to aspire, yet it explains clearly the IB’s definition of an international perspective which fosters open-mindedness and caring. 
The Council of International Schools also places a great deal of emphasis on how internationalism is encouraged, within a school community. Therefore, the school asks all parents to be aware of the Learner Profile characteristics and to help model internationalism for their children.

The culture of ISB is also defined by how active the school is within the community and by how much interaction and communication exists between the school and parents. Within the Guiding Statements, it is clearly recognized ISB is fortunate to have such a rich cultural and linguistic heritage available through the host country. Field trips are one way to access this incredible resource and community service strengthens our ties with our community. Our parents are asked to support our efforts in many ways over the course of the year and I encourage them to take part in their child’s learning and experiences as much as possible.

Denise Walsh
Head of School
International School of Bologna