Annual Report
2018 -2019
Inspire
learners to lead healthy, fulfilling and purposeful lives, preparing them to adapt and contribute responsibly to our changing world.
Engage
a diverse community in an authentic global education, within a nurturing student-centered environment.
Empower
learners to think critically and creatively, work cooperatively and independently, listen and communicate effectively, act with compassion, integrity, respect and intercultural understanding.
W W W .ISP .C Z
Annual Report 2018 -2019
Content
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08
21
27
Welcome
Mission, Learning, Research and Development
Principals’ Reports
10
Director’s Welcome
12
From the Chairman of the ISP Board of Trustees
16
Leadership Team
17
ISP Board of Trustees
18
ISP Board of Trustees Committees
22
ISP Learning Research & Development
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Learning@ISP
28 The Elementary School 34 The Middle School 38 The Upper School 44 Upper School
Achievements
47
55
79
87
Information Technology, Activities & Athletics
Supporting ISP
ISP Community
Financial Report
56 Supporting ISP Through
80 The School Community
88 Financial Oversight
57
82 SCA Executive Board
48 Information Technology 50 Activities
Fundraising
Annual Fund Donors
58 ISP Scholarships and Night at the Palace
66 Cumulative Corporate Scholarship Donations 2018-19
67
Association
2018-19
83 Our Community 84 ISP Alumni Association
From the Board Treasurer & Director of Operations
90 Consolidated Balance Sheet
91 Consolidated Income Statement Cash Flow Statement
Corporate Scholarship Donations 2018-19
Corporate Gifts In-kind
68 Individual Donations 70
Auction
75
Student Raffle
5
Welcome
9
Director’s Welcome Welcome to the International School of Prague Annual Report 2018-19.
2018-19 was another memorable year at ISP, where we welcomed another record enrollment of 885 students on the first day of school. Each year our enrollment increases to record levels, which is a testament to our accomplished professional faculty and staff and an incredibly supportive and welcoming community.
On a personal note, 2018-19 was particularly notable because it marked the first time my wife Marianne and I experienced what has been called “the empty nest syndrome,” as last year we proudly became parents of two ISP Alumni! Fittingly, the year was also an important one for Alumni Relations at ISP, with no fewer than three Alumni events taking place in Prague, London and my own native city of New York. This past year, I was again highly gratified to see the fantastic IB achievements of our Class of ‘19. As an inclusive school, every student at ISP has the opportunity to become an IB Diploma candidate if they so choose. Nevertheless, IB Diploma recipients at ISP consistently perform significantly
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It was truly inspiring to meet our Alumni, and to hear the great things that they have gone on to achieve in so many different fields”.
above the world average and this past year is no exception. Those students who achieved the full IB Diploma (over 92%) had an average score of 34.23 (compared to the world average of 30). Of these students 15.6% earned a 40 or higher and three students achieved a score of 43 out of 45 (an impressive achievement). We congratulate all of the Class of ‘19 (now ISP Alumni!) and their teachers on their stellar results and look forward to hearing about their future endeavors. Speaking of alumni, I was lucky enough to attend the New York event as I was in the city for my son Joshua’s graduation by happy coincidence. It was truly inspiring to meet our Alumni, and to hear the great things that they have gone on to achieve in so many
W E L CO M E
different fields. There may have been, in some cases, as much as two decades between the graduating years of this group, but the themes of intercultural understanding and compassion, synonymous with ISP, ran right through the evening. 2018-19 also heralded the end of an era at ISP, as my friend and colleague Dr. Mark Frankel spent his last year at ISP. Mark left a wonderful legacy at the Upper School and beyond at ISP. I will greatly miss our debates and camaraderie but most of all Mark’s unerring passion for education and the learning journeys of our students. I’m sure I speak for everyone at ISP when I wish Mark, his wife Jill and family all the very best for their new adventure in Japan.
The affection that our Alumni and Mark hold for ISP is something that reflects the community that I am fortunate to be part of and we look forward to fulfilling our Mission through our ISP2020 strategy, to - “Unleash our collective potential so that our school is greater than our parts”.
Dr. Arnie Bieber ISP Director
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From the Chairman of the ISP Board of Trustees Dear ISP COMMUNITY, 2018-19 was a particularly interesting year at ISP, both for me personally and for the school as a whole. On a personal level, my first year as Chairman of the ISP Board of Trustees has been a very enjoyable one. As I reflect on the year, I must pay tribute to the outgoing Chairman, and my long-time colleague on the Board of Trustees, Neville Parry, for his work and dedication. Neville’s commitment and legacy has made my transition from Board Member to Chairman a relatively smooth one. I took over the Chairmanship of a school in good health. The school’s growth in terms of student numbers, with another record enrolment at
the start of 2018-19 is a testament to ISP’s continued success and the hard work of all faculty and staff, and of course that of Dr. Arnie Bieber and his Leadership Team. I feel a close connection to ISP, having first been a parent here way back in 2006 and my involvement with the governance of the school has endured despite me now being the parent of three ISP Alumni. My children, Axel (Class of ‘11), Elsa (Class of ‘14) and Hugo (Class of ‘18) are all extremely proud of being ex-ISP students and have all encouraged me greatly in my new role this year. My continued involvement at ISP is partly my way of giving back for the
My continued involvement at ISP is partly my way of giving back for the excellent level of education my children received during their time here.” 12
A N N UA L R E P ORT 20 1 8 - 1 9
excellent level of education my children received during their time here. A big part of this, in the case of Elsa and Hugo, was the inspirational leadership of Mark Frankel, our outgoing Upper School Principal. I know I speak on behalf of a great number of current and former ISP parents, as well as my fellow trustees, when I express my sincere thanks and best wishes to Mark and his family as he embarks upon his next educational adventure in Japan. Every year I look forward to the International Food Fair at ISP and the 2018-19 vintage was particularly special, given it was held outdoors and the weather just about held out! I feel that this event, while one of many great social events in the school calendar, is a magnificent spectacle and showcases the diversity which makes the ISP Community, of which my family have been long-time members, so special. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all volunteers who give up their time so readily, and who are the beating heart of the school. I look forward to exciting times at ISP, and am sure that my subsequent time as Chair will prove every bit as stimulating as my first year! With Best Wishes,
Staffan Erenmalm Chairman of the ISP Board of Trustees
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Leadership Team Dr. Cindy Gause-Vega
Jimena Zalba
Danielle Fredericks
Matt Smith
E LE ME NTARY PRINCIPAL
Dr. Arnie Bieber
MIDDLE SCHO OL PRINCIPAL
E LE ME NTAR Y SCHO O L ASS OC I AT E PRINCIPAL
MIDDLE SCH OOL ASSO CIATE P RI N C I P AL
DIR E C T OR
Dr. Mark Frankel UPPE R SCHO OL PRINCIPAL
Sheldon Bradshaw DIRE CTO R O F INF O RMATIO N TE CHNO LO GY
Petr Draxler
DIRE CTO R OF HUMAN RE SO URCE S
Teresa Belisle
DIRE CTO R O F LE ARNING, RES EARC H AND DE VE L OP MEN T
Joe Monks
DIRE CTO R O F ACTIVITI ES
Clive Watkins
DIRE CTOR O F ADVANC EMEN T
Barry Freckmann
DIRE CTO R F INANCE AND O PE RATIO NS DIRE CTO R
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ISP Board of Trustees The all-volunteer Board of Trustees oversees the governance of the International School of Prague. The Board of Trustees establishes policies and procedures as needed to enable the school to function efficiently and effectively. The Board of Trustees recognises the ISP Director as the Chief Executive Officer and charges him with the administrative functions of operating the school.
Board responsibilities
• Appointing and evaluating the performance of the Director;
• Acting as an advocate of ISP, its mission and policies; • Strategic planning and ensuring the long-term stability and success of ISP;
• Overseeing the fiscal affairs of the school and approving the ISP budget;
• Evaluating the effectiveness of the School in achieving its mission.
Staffan Erenmalm
Jan Sýkora
Dave Sturgeon
Martin Blecha
Ivo Bárta
Susanna Bäckman
Dorota Keleher
Lawrence Korb
Ben Maudling
Gary Mazzotti
Peter Ridder
Adele Rossetti
CHAIR
S E CR ET A R Y
M E MBER
M E MBER
W E L CO M E
VICE CHAIR
ME MBE R
ME MBE R
HO NO RARY ME MBE R
TRE ASURE R
ME MBE R
ME MBE R
ME MBE R
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ISP Board of Trustees Committees The Board of Trustees of the International School of Prague s.r.o. maintains four standing committees: Governance, Finance, Advancement and Building and Grounds. Committees are populated with Board of Trustees and include members of the ISP community with skills, experience and expertise in specific fields.
Advancement Committee The Advancement Committee oversees ISP’s fundraising activities. The Advancement Committee gives advice to the Board on the financial goals of the annual fundraising. The Committee also facilitates trustee and volunteer involvement in fund and friendraising activities and oversees marketing and communications. ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS Board members: • Adele Rossetti (CHAIR) • Dorota Keleher Non-Board members: • Julie Becker • Susan McKinnon • Michael Kimsey • Sean Krebs • William Jalloul (ISP ALUMNUS 2009) - AS OF JANUARY 2019
• Tim Shaw - RESIGNED AS OF JANUARY 2019 Ex-officio Members: • Arnie Bieber • Andrea Koudelkova. ADMISSIONS MANAGER • Tony McLaughlin. COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER • Tereza Třešňáková. ADVANCEMENT ASSOCIATE • Clive Watkins • Elizabeth Perry • Katie Hawkins
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Building and Grounds Committee The Building and Grounds Committee develops the Masterplan for the school’s building and grounds in cooperation with school employees for Board approval. The Committee also periodically reports to the Board on major plant and campus issues and informs the Finance Committee of building, grounds and facilities requirements. The Committee provides oversight and advice for major building projects but does not act as the project manager. BUILDING & GROUNDS COMMITTEE MEMBERS Board members: • Ben Maudling (CHAIR) • Susanna Bäckman • Ivo Bárta Non-Board members: • Albín Sybera • Isold Heemstra • Ronald Dasbach • Yaron Sapir
• Neville Parry
Ex-officio Members: • Arnie Bieber • Barry Freckmann • Martin Valášek, FACILITY MANAGER
Finance Committee The Finance Committee, working in partnership with the Director and Finance and Operations Director, develops the long-range financial plan and yearly operations budget. This includes setting tuition levels for Board approval, monitoring the implementation of the budget and making periodic reports to the Board.
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FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Board members: • Dave Sturgeon (CHAIR) • Gary Mazzotti Non-Board members: • Vadims Belovs • Kiril Georgiev • Ajit Virk • Nikolay Hadjiyski Ex-officio Members: • Arnie Bieber • Barry Freckmann • Lenka Obodova, FINANCE MANAGER
Governance Committee The Governance Committee coordinates the identification, cultivation, recruitment and orientation of new trustees. The Committee also facilitates Board self-assessment, identifies the Board’s personal development needs and designs ways to meet them. The Committee also has a reviewing role and makes recommendations on governance issues. GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
• Martin Blecha (CHAIR) • Staffan Erenmalm • Ivo Bárta • Larry Korb • Dorota Keleher Ex-officio Member: • Arnie Bieber
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Mission, Learning Research & Development
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ISP Learning Research & Development In our efforts to prepare ISP learners to “adapt and contribute responsibly to our changing world,� we continually research and reflect on how to best facilitate learning and wellbeing across our community, enhancing and refining our programs and practices, for both children and adults.
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In addition to our ISP Mission, our Definition of Learning and our Learning Principles explicitly state the learning we value at ISP. Based on educational research, these statements guide the why, how and what of learning at ISP.
A N N UA L R E P ORT 20 1 8 - 1 9
Our faculty are involved in annual Professional Learning Inquiry Focus Teams (LIFTs) aligned to our Learning Principles. The following is a representative sampling of the research questions from the 2018-19 academic year:
Learning@ISP
• How do we give feedback so that learners are
ISP Definition of Learning
able to act on it?
• In what ways might learners be more motivated and engaged in PE when given increased choice within their PE program?
• How many experiences with the big ideas
in coding (loops, variables, conditional statements) does it take for the knowledge to be transferable?
• How might the use of micro-progressions in
writing a) support students in knowing where they are as learners and how to go further and b) support me in giving actionable feedback?
• What types of feedback routines allow student
What does it mean to learn at ISP? Learning is a transformative process that builds on what we know and can do, deepens what we understand, and changes who we are. ISP Learning Principles
Learning best happens when… • Learners’ curiosity drives what and how they learn. • Learners know what they’re learning and why it is significant.
writers to know their strengths and articulate their high-leverage next steps?
• Learners know where they are as learners and how
challenges to foster stronger, sustained critical thinking in students?
• How might Reggio principles be applied in work
• Learners persist with relevant and rich challenges. • Learners consider and connect complex ideas. • Learners apply their learning in diverse and
• How can mastery learning potentially drive
• Learners feel a sense of safety and belonging.
• How can I design provocations & cascading
with adults and older students?
internal motivation and extended learning in the science classroom?
M I S S I O N, LEA RNI NG RESEA R CH & DEVELOP MEN T
to go further.
challenging contexts.
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We continued with our efforts towards our
ISP2020 goal to Unleash our Collective Potential, focusing on our five key strategic areas aimed to support the learning principles above:
• Change: Social responsibility • Relevance: Feedback • Curiosity: Professional Growth Model • Coherence: Wellbeing • Community: Mentorship To support our ISP 2020 strategic efforts, we invite experts from around the world to connect with our adult community-- faculty, staff and parents-- to better understand what, why, and how we can best facilitate Learning at ISP. During the 2018-19 school year, we hosted the following experts:
• Kath Murdoch: Personal Inquiry • Garfield Gini-Newman: Cascading Inquiries • Rosalind Wiseman: Cultures of Dignity (pictured above right)
• Ochan Powell: Cognitive Coaching • Jan Chappuis: Feedback that moves learning forward
• Kim House: See Saw for Portfolios • Jennifer Abram: Having Hard Conversations 24
In addition to the extensive onsite professional learning mentioned above, we supported the attendance at targeted workshops and conferences in the region and around the world. Faculty, aides, counselors, and administrators attended and presented at more than 120 conferences, workshops, courses, trainings and school visits. A final and very important way we learn with and from each other at ISP is through professional learning salons where faculty and staff share their expertise, experience, and explorations with other employees from across the school. Offerings this year included Writer’s Workshop, Outdoor learning, Drawing to Learning, Transgender and Gender Expansive Students; Post-critical Service Learning; TOK Questions for Everyone; The End of Average; Cognitive Coaching, Microprogressions to clarify criteria, give feedback and support goal setting; Zero Waste Lifestyle; Positive Pscyhology; Spreadhseets 2.0; Sensory Issues; and Rethinking Assessment.
A N N UA L R E P ORT 20 1 8 - 1 9
Learning is a transformative
process that builds on what we
know and can do, deepens what we understand, and changes who we are.
We’ve enjoyed another powerful year of learning research and development at ISP. We look forward to continued transformation to ensure that ISP remains a world leader in International Education.
Teresa Belisle
DIR E C T OR OF L E AR NI NG R ESEA R CH A ND DEV ELOPMENT
M I S S I O N, LEA RNI NG RESEA R CH & DEVELOP MEN T
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Principals’ Reports
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The Elementary School In Early Childhood and Elementary, our inquiry-based approach is centred on our ISP Learning Principles. Based on our Learning Principle, ‘Learners’ curiosity drives what and how they learn’, we aim for our students to think like geographers, historians, city planners, linguists, engineers, storytellers and so on, on topics that pique their curiosity.
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There were many highlights in 2018-19. The following are of particular note: the Reggio-inspired inquiry-based learning in our Early Childhood classes, ‘Morning Mixers’ - which see parents getting directly involved in their children’s learning, and the visit of the wonderful children’s author and illustrator, Petr Horáček.
Samira Bello, and the students in laying out their illustrations and comments about monsters.
In our Early Childhood section, we worked throughout the year with the pedagogical consultant, educator, writer, and graphic designer, Deb Wilenski. Our Early Childhood teachers worked collaboratively with Deb to develop inquiry projects emerging from children’s interests and fostered by the teachers through carefully structured learning environments and experiences.
Pre-Kindergarten 4 students were also guided in their inquiries through this type of collaboration. In one Pre-Kindergarten class, the hamsters benefitted from the children’s imagination being unleashed! The class created a playground for the hamsters with tunnels, slides, and stairways, while learning about ergonomics and design principles. In the other PK class children’s interests focused on designing a funicular railway, “bear carriers” in which children designed and built small cars to carry small toy bears up and down their funiculars. These students went on a study trip to the real funicular on Petřín Hill, exploring both our beautiful city and the concepts of forces and motion.
One such collaboration was in PreKindergarten 3, where the children’s exploration of spaces, fact and fantasy, centered on monsters. This inquiry culminated in the production of a fantastic book which documented the students’ imaginary creatures. This was a wider collaboration supported by the Middle School Art Teacher Petr Dmitrov who worked with Deb, the PK teacher,
Kindergarten children, also under the theme of cities, took on the role of town planners. What started as a playful chat and informal play-based experimentation led to an in-depth exploration of the disparate parts which comprise a city. Kindergarten students took part in study walks around Prague to take inspiration for the wonderful model city they created
EARLY CHILDHOOD
A N N UA L R E P ORT 20 1 8 - 1 9
in their classroom. Kindergarten students also learned to take on the role of geographers, mapping the entire ISP campus with the help of ISP community members from throughout the school, ultimately coming up with a magnificent publication - “Every Room Has a Number”. This publication is now used as a guide by the Admissions Office.
PR I N CI PA LS‘ REPO RTS
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MORNING MIXERS
Dr. Cindy Gause-Vega E L E MENT A R Y P R I NCI P A L
Jimena Zalba
A S SOCI A T E ELEMENT A R Y P R I NCI P A L
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Guided by the ISP Learning Principle ‘Learners know where they are as learners and how to go further’, Morning Mixers are aimed to further place children at the centre of the learning process. During Morning Mixers children share their learning with parents. As well as coming to their child’s class to see what they are learning first hand, parents are also invited to keep up to date daily with their child’s learning through the use of the e-portfolio using Seesaw’ software. It was shown during 2017-18 that this software was shown to be a great way to document learning and communicate learning to parents, and was therefore adopted at all school levels from Pre-Kindergarten in Early
Childhood to Grade 5 in Elementary. We were very glad to see this progress from a prototype to an effective way of making learning more visible to parents while supporting students’ self-reflection. PETR HORÁČEK We are fortunate to have many fantastic people, both Czech and from overseas, visit us to share their knowledge and passions with our students, faculty, staff and community. Personally, however, our favourite visit this year was that of renowned Czech children’s author, Petr Horáček. Interestingly, English-based Petr was inspired to start writing by his two daughters and this love is expressed
A N N UA L R E P ORT 20 1 8 - 1 9
clearly in his writing. He has created numerous wonderful books for children, including The Fly, Silly Suzy Goose, Strawberries Are Red, and Blue Penguin. It was an honour for us to welcome Petr, and a joy to witness the easy rapport that he has with children. Petr describes his creative process to students as he co-creates pieces of art with students, leaving a lasting impression of what it means to be an author and illustrator. We hope this will be only one of numerous visits by Petr Horacek to ISP.
PR I N CI PA LS‘ REPO RTS
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The Middle School
In 2018-19 the Middle School continued our strategic journey, relating to our mission, to Inspire, Engage and Empower learners. We retained and strengthened our focus on social emotional wellness and it has given us great satisfaction to watch some long-term projects, which were developed as prototypes in the previous school year being implemented in 2018-19.
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Ultimately, the goal is that each student knows where they are as a learner and how to move forward in their learning.
PR I N CI PA LS‘ REPO RTS
GRADE FREE PROTOTYPE IMPLEMENTATION School year 2018-19 saw the coming to fruition of the Grade Free Prototype, which had been in development throughout 2017-18 through a partnership of faculty, students and parents. The purpose of grade free learning is that extensive research has shown that for some learners, the award of grades can actually interfere with learners’ growth. In lieu of grades, participating Middle School students and their parents are instead given effective (but non evaluative) feedback on where a student is currently at and how to move forward in their learning.
Some 38 students were involved in Grade Free learning in 2018-19 and the consequences have thus far been very positive. Indeed, ISP has been viewed by other schools and educators as something of a trailblazer in response to prototyping and implementing the grade free approach. The story of the Grade Free Prototype and some initial findings from it’s implementation were presented to the Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS) Conference in Lisbon in April 2019, further growing ISP’s reputation as a thought leader in international education. 35
STRATEGIC FOCUS ON FEEDBACK FOR LEARNING Closely related to the Grade Free Prototype and its implementation is the strategic focus on feedback, which Middle School teachers and their Upper School colleagues, have been working on throughout the year. The aim of this is to give feedback which is timely and specific for each individual student. This strategic focus was a key element of faculty’s Learning Inquiry Focus Teams (or LIFTs), through which teachers work together to seek improvement and positive learning outcomes for their professional development and ultimately for students, throughout 2018-19. Through their work in their LIFTs, faculty have implemented various strategies for giving feedback to students including: written, verbal, peer, audio, online and video feedback. Ultimately, the goal is that each student knows where they are as a learner and how to move forward in their learning.
SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL WELLNESS AND THE SECOND STEP ADVISORY PROGRAM 2018-19 also saw a continuation and deepening of last year’s focus on social and emotional wellness. This builds on the prototype of the “Wellness Tracker”, completed in 2017-18, which developed a system to assess how students are feeling and coping with their dayto-day experiences. This approach and the knowledge gained from the previous year was influential in shaping the “Second Step Advisory” program, which focuses on a range of themes, aimed at improving the wellbeing of students, such as; mindsets and goals, values and friendships, decision making and managing peer conflict. We are very proud of our achievements in 2018-19!
Danielle Fredericks MIDDLE SCHO O L PRINCIPAL
Matt Smith
MIDDLE SCHO O L ASSO CIATE PRINCIPAL
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PR I N CI PA LS‘ REPO RTS
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The Upper School It is always so difficult to sum up a year. It is tempting to look first at the statistics, at the excellent IB results, the impressive university acceptances, etc. But with a bit of hindsight, it is clear that these things, while important, are not central to what makes up a year at ISP. As Ali Humza told his classmates at the Class of 2019 Graduation Banquet, “you’ll be remembered for who you were, what you were interested in, and the change you were expected to bring.”
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A N N UA L R E P ORT 20 1 8 - 1 9
First, a small group of ISP
teachers went over to Greece to
both see and work at the school, and eventually, in October 2018, four students went to Greece to work with the children.
In a way, Ali was simply restating the MIssion of the school, where it says, quite boldly, that ISP aims to inspire “learners to lead healthy, fulfilling and purposeful lives, preparing them to adapt and contribute responsibly to our changing world.” The 2018-2019 school year was a clear demonstration of this, and perhaps there is no clearer example than the way the school became engaged in issues affecting refugees. Almost four years ago, as the crisis was deepening in Europe, the school’s Community Service Club and Human Rights Club organized an ISP clothes drive to provide winter clothing for the refugees passing through the Czech Republic. The following year, a group of high school students organized a group specifically focused on refugee issues.
PR I N CI PA LS‘ REPO RTS
They brought in an organizer who was working with refugees in Syria and who powerfully addressed ISP students in many grades across the school. SImultaneously, a group of faculty members began working with Happy Caravan, a Dutchbased NGO that runs a school for Syrian refugees in Lamia, Greece. First, a small group of ISP teachers went over to Greece to both see and work at the school, and eventually, in October 2018, four students went to Greece to work with the children. The relationship deepened when Alaeddin Janid, founder of Happy Caravan, came to ISP to speak with our students and ultimately, ISP now has a formal partnership agreement with Happy Caravan.
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It has been a privilege to have spent seven years in this amazing place.
What does all this mean? After all, not every student was intimately involved with these initiatives. True, but the way that ISP carefully explored, and then “dove into” the issue, bringing students along as central participants, is a sign of the vibrancy of the community. As Dr. Bieber noted in a blog post, ISP’s involvement with Happy Caravan is in line with our “strategy to ‘create change that is bigger than we are’.”
Happy Caravan founder Alaa Eddin Janid visiting ISP
Again, this is but one example. Over the course of a year, we see ISP students embody the Mission of the school in so many diverse ways that it would be impossible to list them all, from their artistic creations to their athletic competitions, from their mathematical investigations to their environmental activism. But, as this is my final Annual Report summary, I have chosen not to focus on everything that happens at ISP, or the always-impressive academic results (see later pages for that!), but to give a sense of what makes ISP so special. It is a community where small seeds can blossom into towering trees, where people work together to push the world forward, and where change is embraced rather than feared. And, for me, it has been a privilege to have spent seven years in this amazing place.
Dr. Mark Frankel
UPPE R SCHO O L PRINCIPAL
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PR I N CI PA LS‘ REPO RTS
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Upper School Achievements THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE Founded in 1968, the International Baccalaureate Organization grew out of international school efforts to establish a common curriculum and university entrance credentials for geographically mobile students. Designed as a comprehensive two-year curriculum, the IB program at ISP allows its graduates to fulfill requirements that are recognized worldwide. ISP is one of 4,000 schools throughout the world to offer the International 44
Baccalaureate Diploma, a rigorous preuniversity course of studies, leading to examinations, that meet the needs of highly motivated students. Students at ISP earn the ISP diploma by acquiring the requisite number of credits in various curriculum areas and may also pursue the International Baccalaureate diploma. A full host of academic and elective courses offer students a challenging program while also allowing them to stretch themselves by exploring interests in a variety of special areas. A N N UA L R E P ORT 20 1 8 - 1 9
Number of Candidates
IB RESULTS 2019 In 2019 ISP students’ average IB score was again impressive, at 34.23 against a world average of 30 with a 92.1% pass rate. ISP is a non-selective school and does not require applicants to take exams that might prove their ability to do well on standardised exams. Nevertheless, the average scores of ISP IB Diploma recipients consistently remain above world averages.
UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS FOR ISP’S CLASS OF 2019 ISP Graduates spread themselves around the world, with ISP Alumni typically enrolling in prestigious higher education institutions in several countries each year. Completing the ISP Diploma and/or the IB program provides an excellent pathway to prestigious universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, Continental Europe and around the world.
North America CANADA • Fleming College • McGill University, Montreal • University of British Columbia • University of Toronto UNITED STATES OF AMERICA • Boston College • College of Wooster • Fashion Institute of Technology, New York • Fordham University (College of Business Administration) • Georgia Institute of Technology • The New School, New York • The New School, Parsons School of Design • Lynn University • Northeastern University • Otis College of Art and Design I T , A C T I V I TI ES & A THLETI CS
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Average Diploma Score
34.23 (World Average 30)
Average Exam Score
5.30 (World Average 4.63)
Pass Rate
92.1%
Highest Score
• University of California - Davis • University of North Carolina • University of Puget Sound • University of San Francisco • University of Virginia • Wheaton College United Kingdom
• City, University of London • King’s College London • Loughborough University • Oxford Brookes University • University of Cambridge • University of Edinburgh • University of Essex • University of Hertfordshire • University of Hull • University of Leeds • University of Stirling Ireland
• Trinity College Dublin
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FRANCE • American University of Paris • The New School: Parsons Paris • University of Bordeaux GERMANY • Jacobs University Bremen THE NETHERLANDS • Hanze University of Applied Sciences • Tilburg University • University of Amsterdam • University of Groningen SPAIN • EU Business School, Barcelona SWITZERLAND • Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne • Les Roches Hotel School
Rest of the world UNITED ARAB EMIRATES • New York University: Abu Dhabi
Continental Europe CZECH REPUBLIC • Anglo-American University Prague • Charles University Prague • Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) 45
Information Technology, Activities & Athletics
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Information Technology 2018-19 was a year of continued innovation, collaboration and engagement, in addition to a significant focus on coherence across our community. Below are a few of the many highlights from the past year.
ISP robotics continues to grow and find great success internationally. Our Elementary and Middle School clubs met weekly and represented ISP well in local tournaments. Our Upper School club was active in both outreach, working with our Middle School students and running the Elementary School Robotics after school activity. After returning from the First Global Challenge in Mexico where they placed 8th out of 160 teams, our Upper School team reached the finals in the CEESA Robotics Tournament in Bucharest and another regional tournament in Bratislava. Another amazing year for ISP robotics! 2018-19 was the third year of our “Idea Lab.� This is a room connected to the library that aims to support our increased focus on design thinking and design technology, in conjunction with our three Technology and Innovation Coaches. The lab was home to our MakeITToday coding programme, generously sponsored by Avast and Social Bakers. This was a 15-week intensive coding activity for elementary students, including one stream solely for girls. Elementary coding also was showcased in our Saturday Code-a-thon, with a full theatre full of students working on their coding skills. In addition, our coaches launched several new 48
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classes, including Design Technology and Wearable Technology in the Middle/Upper Schools, and “Tinker Time,” our design class for Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten. Finally, our Upper School Engineering Club finished their Augmented Reality Sandbox, designed to enhance environmental science and geography learning. The Petr Mares 1-to-1 laptop program completed its 11th year in 2018-19. This year saw ISP launch the Canvas learning management system to students in Middle and Upper School as a one-stop service for all of their homework and learning resources. The Elementary School began using Seesaw as an online portfolio and view into the classroom for parents. These services will continue to grow for both students and parents in 2019-20. This past spring we once again had the honor of hosting the 9th annual Czech Teachers Summit, in collaboration with Apple Europe and 24U.cz. This event had almost 200 Czech Educators and Administrators coming to ISP to learn about leveraging digital tools to enhance student learning. The ISP Library is a place that strives to engage all segments of the community with a variety of resources and activities. This year we welcomed our new Elementary Librarian, Tara Russell, who is spreading her infectious love of reading throughout the school! We were very fortunate to have several authors visit ISP, including Tad
Hills, Petr Horáček, Sam Mukherjee, and Souresh Basu, working with students on creative writing, writing a business plan, and the overall story creation and illustration process. Our amazingly popular toddler storytime continued to grow for those children too young to formally start at ISP. Additionally, we expanded our self-checkout system to include our elementary students so they can borrow books when they need them! We are proud of our accomplishments for 2018-19, but even more excited about the year ahead. We look forward to supporting our community of learners, and providing the support and programs to enhance our learning at the International School of Prague. We continued expanding our live streaming initiative this year. We were able to share live video of events like Upper School graduation from Zofin Palace, Grade 8 graduation and all ISP dance shows. Additionally, ISP students took over the controls and streamed the CEESA football and NESDA Speech and Debate tournaments, running the cameras, control room and providing play-by-play! Upper School students also filmed and produced other media around the 5th TEDx event held at ISP. In addition to our live video work, ISP also continued student-run journalism and news shows in both the Elementary and Middle Schools. Falcon Student News (FSN) and FSNElementary can be seen online weekly!
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We are proud of our
accomplishments for 2018-19, but even more excited about the year ahead.
Sheldon Bradshaw DIRE CTO R O F INF O RMATION TE CHNO LO GY
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Activities
Our Activities Program continues to be an important way in which ISP achieves its Mission to Inspire, Engage and Empower. 2018-19 provided some magnificent examples of how our program connects closely with the mission, and helps us fulfil our ISP2020 strategies .
DUKE OF EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL AWARD The Duke of Edinburgh International Award continued to go from strength to strength at ISP in 2018-19. As well as Upper School students being involved in the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels of the Award, 2018-19 saw access to the Bronze level widened to Middle School. Grade 8 students also benefited from the DofEd being introduced as a Middle School Elective. It is great to see faculty and staff getting involved as volunteer mentors!
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Particular congratulations go to the following CEESA championship teams: Varsity Boys Cross Country and Volleyball. Varsity Girls
Basketball (Junior Varsity) Volleyball and Cross Country, Middle School Boys Softball and Middle School Girls Swimming and Volleyball.”
Overall, almost 100 ISP students took part in the DofEd programs across all the awards, ultimately working towards the Gold award where students must set and complete goals in five sections: skills, physical recreation, service and adventurous journey and a residential project. PERFORMANCES Our students really pulled the stops out this year with two magnificent plays, with both Middle School and Upper School making light of somewhat dark topics! The Upper School students self-produced the wickedly funny “Murder’s in the Heir” under the tutlege of the irrepresible US Drama Teacher Vicki Close in her final school year at ISP if not in Prague! Middle School students delivered wonderful comedic performances in their play “An Invitation to Murder”, with special compliments to the wardrobe department!
Joe Monks
DIR E C T OR OF A C T I V I T I ES
Special mention to ISP Parent Jana Kyriakou and Dance Teacher extraordinaire, who is taking a break after 2018-19 from leading the ‘Let’s Dance’ activity. The dance performances continued to showcase the fun and vibrancy we have come
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to expect from the range of genres performed by ISP students in ‘Let’s Dance’. HOSTING ISP were host to numerous CEESA events this year, Middle Schools Boys Tennis and High School Girls Football in October, High School Girls Basketball in November, High School Boys and Girls Speech and Debate in March and Middle School Softball in May. I would like to thank all host families in the ISP community for helping us in the provision of all events, the hosting of which draws upon the collective contributions, strengths and skills of our community to be successful. CEESA CHAMPIONS While our sports teams achieved many successes throughout the year, particular congratulations go to the following CEESA championship teams: Varsity Boys Cross Country and Volleyball. Varsity Girls Basketball (Junior Varsity) Volleyball and Cross Country, Middle School Boys Softball and Middle School Girls Swimming and Volleyball.
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Supporting ISP
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Supporting ISP Through Fundraising 2018-19 was the sixth year of the ISP Annual Fund, donations to the Annual Fund confirm the community’s desire to go beyond the cost of tuition to purchase items and programs that have an immediate impact on current students.
ISP is a not-for-profit school. The Annual Fund elevates ISP to the level of excellence that tuition alone cannot provide. It touches every part of the school’s budget including academic programs, financial aid, technology, athletics, arts, and facilities. It provides the school with the flexibility to respond quickly to new opportunities, and to meet unexpected challenges. Most importantly, it is the reason behind ISP’s global reputation for excellence in education amongst international schools. Scholarships at ISP make the ISP experience available to a diverse range of students. Generous donations from the ISP community from Night at the Palace, the highlight of the ISP social calendar and the Student Raffle, make an ISP education a possibility for students to study who might not have the financial means to study at our school. Annual Fund, Scholarship and other donations to the school totalled a magnificent 5,932,071 CZK in 2018-19 Thank you to those in the ISP community who responded with typical generosity to raise our impressive total. Thank you! The ISP Advancement Office
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Annual Fund Donors THE COMENIUS SOCIETY 100.000 CZK and above ••James & Inez Cusumano ••Giuseppe Giordo & Adele Rossetti ••Daniel Kretinsky ••Otakar Motka & Jana Motkova ••Jan & Ericka Sykora ••Alexey Zakharov & Sofia Rafailova THE FALCON’S SOCIETY 50.000-99.999 CZK ••Andrey & Elena Bondarenko ••Staffan & Charlotta Erenmalm ••Peter Ridder & Carol Sanford ••Socialbakers s.r.o. THE NEBUSICE SOCIETY 25.000-49.999 CZK ••Alexander Christian Kanaouris & Susanna Backmann ••SCA
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THE GOLD & BLACK SOCIETY 5.000-24.999 CZK ••Vadim Belovs & Liga Belova ••Linda Caklova & Tristan Lawerence ••Petr Draxler & Jana Draxlerova ••Neil & Dorota Keleher ••Lawrence & Julie Korb ••Martin Kovac & Ingrid Kovacova ••Daniel Kunz & Martina Kunzova ••Josef Liska & Jana Liskova ••William & Alexandra Lobkowicz ••Gabriele & Donatella Pagliuca ••Martin Puchala & Olga Puchalova ••Mark & Catherina Sinclair ••Matthew Smith & Megan McLain ••Jenny Snively & Patrick Frape ••Ivan Stankovic & Ivana Stankovicova ••Kvetoslava Wolff
THE SUPPORTER’S SOCIETY 1-4.999 CZK ••Varvara Bantser & Valeriy Khegay ••Ivo Barta & Marketa Bartova ••Ivan & Violeta Bedrov ••Teresa Belisle & Stephen Guthrie ••Jordan Davis & Katy Hawkins ••Derek & Renee Druce ••Mark Frankel ••Barry & Angeliki Freckmann ••Danielle Fredericks ••Andrew & Rowena Gerber ••Matthew & Katerina Hayes ••Igor Mandrys & Zuzana Mandrysova ••Thomas & Vera Newbold ••Piper Stroup ••Dave & Pip Sturgeon
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ISP Scholarships and Night at the Palace 58
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The ISP Scholarship Programme exists to make the unique education at ISP available to a diverse range of students. Students seeking scholarships must show they are the right fit for ISP, and scholarships are granted not just on financial need, but on merit. In addition to meeting all the requirements for admission to ISP, a student who wishes to be considered for a scholarship must also demonstrate an excellent academic record and a strong command of the English language. Perhaps most importantly, a student must have a keen desire to learn in an international environment and an intention to enroll in the full International Baccalaureate program. The ISP Scholarship Program is partially funded through donations from parents, corporations, alumni and others. A major scholarship annual fundraiser is a gala evening, which in its 9th year in 2018-19 returned ‘home’ to the spectacular surroundings of the Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle.
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A Message from the Night at the Palace
Co-chairs, Sheridan Barnett and Vera Newbold DEAR ISP COMMUNITY AND ALL ATTENDEES AND SUPPORTERS OF NIGHT AT THE PALACE, After a few years of being involved in the planning of ISP’s premier social event and key fundraiser for Scholarships, we were delighted to this year be organising Night at the Palace! In doing so we were bringing the event ‘home’ to Prague Castle and to the majestic Lobkowicz Palace. From being involved in organising previous fundraisers, we have learned a lot about Scholarships at ISP and the vitality and excellence that these students bring to our community. In the case of this year’s event, it was profoundly inspiring to hear the story of Tereza Kaplanová (Class of ‘10), and hear her speak so eloquently about the life-changing effect of an ISP Scholarship.
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We would like to thank Tereza Kaplanová for taking the time to put together and send us her video. Our only regret was that she couldn’t join us in person. We are sure that we speak for many in attendance when we say that we found the video incredibly moving. This year we worked with something of a slimmed down organising committee, with primarily both of us taking the lead in organising the event, ably assisted by the tireless Tereza Třešňáková from the Advancement Office. We were, however, lucky to receive the help of a veritable army of supporters and influencers who supported us with their time and energy in a whole host of ways and helping create such a buzz around the event. We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who helped us to put together such a fantastic event.
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In the case of this year’s event, it was profoundly inspiring to hear the story of Tereza Kaplanová (Class of ‘10), and hear her speak so eloquently about the life-changing effect of an ISP Scholarship. ”
While we have enjoyed exploring some other fantastic Prague venues for the fundraiser in recent years; namely Manes Gallery, Sacre Coeur and Novoměstské radnice, there was a palpable desire amount the Community to take the event back to the Palace for this year. The beautiful venue that it is, the Lobkowicz Palace provided a stunning background to a special night. It was truly the perfect venue to mark 70 years of ISP. We would like to pay tribute to our corporate sponsors; Doosan Bobcat, Nova, ADP, UPS, Avast, 24 Safe and Engel & Volkers for their steadfast support of Night at the Palace. Sincere gratitude also goes to all companies and individuals who helped change lives by donating items to the Silent Auction. Thanks also goes to Advantage Cars for donating the day with a supercar, tickets for which were so enthusiastically sold by our team of Upper School students! Thanks also to Sváťa Soukup for his hard work and
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patience in transporting so many items to the Palace, ISP security staff, and to the Lobkowicz family and all the staff at the Palace for helping us put on such a great event. Finally, thanks to everyone once more to everyone who attended or supported Night at the Palace in any way, not just this year, we have together contributed to the success of a Scholarship Program which brings so much to our Community. Anyone who contributed to the event in any way should be assured that you have made a contribution to the success of the event and in making a real difference in the lives of young people! Thank you!
Sheridan Barnett Vera Newbold
NIGHT AT THE PALACE CO MMITTE E CO -CHAIRS
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Cumulative Corporate
Scholarship Donations 2018-19 The Comenius Society 500,000 CZK and upwards
The Falcons Society 250,000 to 499,999 CZK
The NebuĹĄice Society 175,000 to 249,999 CZK
The Gold and Black Society 100,000 to 174,999 CZK
The Supporters Society 25,000 CZK to 99,999 CZK
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Corporate Scholarship Donations 2018-19 The Falcons Society 250,000 to 499,999 CZK
The Supporters Society 25,000 to 99,999 CZK
Corporate Gifts In-kind
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Individual Donations THE FALCON’S SOCIETY above 50.000 CZK Anonymous THE NEBUSICE SOCIETY 25-49.999 CZK ••Dave & Pip Sturgeon ••Thomas & Vera Newbold
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THE GOLF & BLACK SOCIETY 5-24.999 CZK ••Anonymous ••Jeffrey & Julie Becker ••Taylor & Melanie Buff ••Ronald Dasbach & Rineke Smits ••Jan & Henrica De Jong ••Konstantin & Nadezda Eropkin ••Giuseppe Giordo & Adele Rossetti ••Kristoffer & Amanda Hinson ••Robert & Joanna Kenney ••Michael & Marcela Kimsey ••Aaron & Joanne Lockard ••Darren & Siobhan Lovern ••Gustavo Otero Martinez & Sonia Pedreira Felpeto ••Krzysztof Rucinski & Fernanda Escobar ••Lasse & Tina Schmidt ••Ajit & Katerina Virk
THE SUPPORTER’S SOCIETY 0-4.999 CZK ••Marco & Nicole Anderegg ••Vadims Belovs & Liga Jukna-Belova ••Hadley Dean & Johanna SalovaaraDean ••Markus Dichtl & Iris Winkler ••Scott & Marika Foley ••Andrzej Gondek & Kamila Dobrowolska-Gondek ••William Jalloul ••Illias Assimakopoulos & May Khalife ••Tom Kindermans ••George Nussbaum & Martha LooneyNussbaum ••Darren & Janina McFarland ••Christian Noll ••Michael O’Connor & Anita ZubakO’Connor ••Robert & Anna Owen ••Alvaro Pacini ••Neil & Jessica Percifull ••Jose Perdomo & Audrey Mark ••Alexander & Viktoria Reznik ••Katja Seidenschnur ••Sourav & Poonam Sharma ••Petr & Ivona Svrcek ••Petr Syrovatko ••James & Maura Tira ••Michael & Jaroslava Toutonghi ••Mikko & Tanja Vainio
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We thank everyone who bought a ticket for Night at the Palace or who contributed to the event’s success in any way. Due to accounting regulations we cannot list tickets as “donations”. In the case of tickets and auction items, only monies over and above the initial value of tickets or auction items are now classed as “donations”. We nonetheless once again sincerely thank everyone who came along, and we bid particular thanks to the donors listed here, whose generosity and support for scholarships at ISP greatly in many cases exceeds the figures shown on this page.
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Auction
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The Supercar Weekend Raffle and Silent Auction together raised the fabulous total of 545,500 CZK for Scholarships at ISP.
Individuals and local firms who donated auction items demonstrated their support for scholarships at ISP. Please thank them when you frequent their businesses and make them know that you are aware of their support for education at ISP!
AUCTION SPONSORS
••Advantage Cars ••Alexandr Onishenko ••Aline Derer, Junko Photography ••Aria Hotel ••Artěl – Karen Feldman ••Balanced Studio ••The Barnett Family ••Canadian Medical Care ••Carlo IV Hotel ••Ceremony Kids ••Chata Hradečanka Malá Úpa ••Chateau Mcely ••Cloetta ••Concierge Management ••Crestyl ••Czechoslovak Models ••Delicato Design ••Delso Interiéry ••Dolce Villa Hotel – Burger Bar ••Ego by Roza ••Emblem Hotel ••Eric Halada Jewellery Designs ••Petra Faitova ••First International Ballet School in Prague
••Foto Škoda ••Four Seasons Prague
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••Galerie Jakubská ••Gant ••Gedevani ••Grandhotel Tatra Velké Karlovice ••Golf Klub Botanika ••Golf Rohanský Ostrov ••Hadovka Health and Fitness ••Horoakademie - Karel Rejchrt ••Hurricane Factory Prague ••Inspired Choices – Alexandra Brabcová
••Merlin Jahodová ••Jáma Steakhouse ••James Hair ••Radek Kubina ••Květiny Na Ořechovce ••La Boheme Café ••Laboratorio ••Tereza Maxová ••Metronome Festival ••Monkey Park ••Moose Power ••Nadační fond Happy Hearts ••Klára Nademlýnská ••Nebu restaurant ••Neckermann cestovní kancelář ••Nestlé
••The Newbold Family ••Michael Del Nin & Sean Krebs ••O2 Czech Republic ••Petsitting5 ••Rony Plesl ••Point 1 - Yvetta Lizatović ••Pilsner Urquell ••Silent SPA Hotel ••Radek Štěpánek ••Raft Český Krumlov ••Salon Maya ••Studio Namaste ••Surf Arena ••The Sykora Family ••Syner ••The Syrovatko Family ••TAP Academy Prague ••Tenis Balance ••The Room ••Thomas International Music School ••Vermont ••Vienna House Dvořák Karlovy Vary ••Windsor Hotel Špindlerův Mlýn ••Rebecca Wood ••Yellow Point ••Zátiší Group
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Student Raffle Each year the Student Raffle seems to cause more excitement than the last at ISP! The Raffle was a little later in the year this year, in June 2019, and happily the Raffle draw coincided with the first outdoor International Food Fair, to engender even more excitement among our students! The Raffle made an invaluable contribution to the Scholarship Fund of 69,370 CZK. Thank you to all of our donors and of course all our community members who supported scholarships through buying tickets!
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STUDENT RAFFLE DONORS
••24U Software ••Bakeshop ••Bang and Olufsen ••Candy Store ••Chocotopia ••Cinestar ••Cloetta ••Da Ezio ••Dolce Villa Hotel ••The Eriksson de Maria Campos Family
••Foto Škoda ••Fresh and Tasty ••ISP ••Julia Paniagua
••K-Servis ••Max Laser Game ••Mega Books ••Mind Maze - Escape ••Mr. Hot Dog ••Muzeum of senses ••Nerf Arena ••The Newbold family ••Paintballgame.cz ••The Sykora family ••Teribear ••The Room ••Tomáš Česálek ••Waf Waf
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ISP Community
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The School Community Association (SCA) supports community life through the volunteer efforts of its members. All sections of the School (Elementary, Middle and Upper) are represented and supported by the SCA, with other members of the SCA Executive Board having responsibility for specific areas of community life.
The School Community Association
The SCA is committed to promoting an active partnership among parents, students, faculty, staff, administration and the wider community at ISP and more widely in Prague. The SCA exists to provide the best possible educational and social environment for ISP students, parents old and new, and the entire School Community. The SCA supports community life through volunteer organisation of student and community programs, activities and events. All parents and guardians automatically have membership of the SCA and everyone is encouraged to get involved in volunteering! The SCA also has a Community Service Section that organises charitable events and other worthy activities throughout the school year, including the festive Giving Tree! A great number of events and activities went on throughout 2018-19, organised by the SCA. Among them were these highlights: NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION DAY This day is organised annually on the day before the official start of the new school year, and is organised by the SCA’s Newcomers Committee, who work closely with the ISP Admissions Office to ensure that the day is as useful as possible for new families at ISP. In 2018-19 the SCA Newcomers Committee was supported by parents and students from many parts
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of the world, who, organised by the Committee, are introduced to newcomers from their own countries. Newcomers are also given a Welcome Park and a Newcomer’s Handbook (which is continually updated yearon-year but the SCA), which contains essential information designed to smooth the transition of new families into the ISP community and the Czech Republic. The Newcomer Committee doesn’t just organise this day, however, and provided support to new families through additional meetings (and built new friendships) throughout the year. Thanks to all the volunteers who gave their time this year - we had a quite overwhelming response!
new sights and experiences but also allowed community members time just to hang out with old friends and build new friendships.
ADULT EDUCATION
The Food Fair was again attended by over one thousand members of the ISP community. Hundreds of ISP families prepared sumptuous culinary treats from over 30 countries. The Food Fair is probably the most colourful of all ISP events and this year was particularly inspired as it was the first to be held outdoors!
The SCA Adult Education Program continued to grow and evolve in 201819 with a fantastic selection of learning choices for ISP parents. In many cases, these opportunities were by drawing on the skills and expertise of fellow parents. These included activities as diverse as; Board Games for Adults, Ukulele and Songwriting, Wine Tasting, Yoga, Czech Language and Culture, Yoga and Wellness, Spinning, and much more. Great ‘Let’s Go’ trips were also held, mainly taking in the sights of beautiful Prague, but also further afield. These trips allowed ISP parents to take in
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STAFF APPRECIATION DAY All SCA are most appreciative of the work our faculty and staff, and like to show this appreciation every year by providing them with a delicious lunch in the Landau Theatre. There was a fantastic atmosphere and Hawian theme, with lots of tropical-inspired treats for faculty and staff. INTERNATIONAL FOOD FAIR
As ever, there was a fabulous variety of national costumes on display which both showcased the amazing diversity of our community and complemented perfectly the delicious food on offer! The event also involved a wonderful concert organised by ISP music teachers. Well done to everyone involved!
ACTIVITIES The SCA Booster Club supports CEESA tournaments held at ISP. The club, through the SCA Activities Reps, organises snacks and refreshments around sports and other interscholastic tournaments and events. With so many hosted events at ISP in 2018-19, this is no mean feat! SCA COFFEE MORNINGS The SCA General Meetings take place on a bi-monthly basis and are thematic events aimed at all parents and guardians. All meetings start with a ‘meet and mingle’ which allows parents to meet other parents with children in the same grade. The SCA also works with the principals at all school levels to have specific coffee mornings for Elementary, Middle and Upper School. On a personal note, my family and I left ISP after 2018-19 to return home to Scotland. We will always look back on our time in Prague with a great deal of affection and fondness, particularly we will miss all the great friends we met at ISP! With best wishes, Susan McKinnon
SCA CHAIR 2018-19
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SCA Executive Board 2018-19
Back Row, Left-Right: Anna Owen, Dalia El-Hadidy, Vlasta Carawayova, Pip Sturgeon, Sheridan Barnett, Sean Krebs, Anu Holter, Klara Chadzivasilis,
Silvana Samir / Front Row: Poonam Sharma, Reshma Naidoo, Susan McKinnon, Yelin Hwang, Stacey Eckstein, Svitlana Lukasevych
The School Community Association (SCA) is an active, all-volunteer organization. The SCA supports community life through the volunteer efforts of its active members, who represent all sections of the School.
Chair Susan McKinnon
Adult Education Rep Svitlana Lukaseych
Vice Chair Dalia El-Hadidy
Newcomers Committee Rep Stacey Eckstein & Anu Holter
Treasurer Reshma Naidoo
Activities Reps Vlasta Carawayova and Poona Sharma
Secretary Anna Owen Elementary School Reps Sean Krebs & Yelling Hwang Middle School Reps Hilda Leahy & Silva Samir Upper School Reps Pip Sturgeon & Amy Seymour
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Community Service Rep Sheridan Barnett Let’s Go Rep Klara Chadzivasilis Events Caroline Black
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Our Community
The International School of Prague Community is drawn from over 900 students from 60 nationalities who come together in the beautiful city of Prague to learn and grow in a challenging and nurturing environment, characterised by compassion and international understanding. Afghanistan
Czech Republic
Iran
Norway
Sweden
Armenia
Denmark
Ireland
Pakistan
Switzerland
Australia
Egypt
Israel
Poland
Taiwan
Austria
Estonia
Italy
Portugal
Tajikistan
Azerbaijan
Finland
Japan
Republic of Kosovo
Turkey
Belgium
France
Kazakhstan
Romania
Turkmenistan
Brazil
Georgia
Latvia
Russia
Ukraine
Bulgaria
Germany
Lithuania
Serbia
United Arab Emirates
Canada
Greece
Macedonia
Slovakia
United Kingdom
China
Guatemala
Mexico
South Africa
United States
Croatia
Hungary
Netherlands
South Korea
Uzbekistan
Cyprus
India
New Zealand
Spain
Vietnam
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ISP Alumni Association In 2018-19 ISP Alumni relations again went from strength to strength with no less than three events held in three different locations! Reunions were held in London, New York and here in Nebušice!
Despite in some cases there being as much as two decades between the graduating years of attendees, an oft-repeated comment is how easy it is for ISP Alumni across the years to ‘click’ based on their shared intercultural educational experiences.
“It was so great to have another fantastic turnout at the London reunion. Just like last time we had people fly in from different countries because they didn’t want to miss the opportunity to catch-up with old friends, and you could definitely feel the love in the room!”
The London reunion, held in February 2019, was held in the shadow of the iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral in Central London and was the second held in the city. The reunion was attended by two of ISP’s longest-serving faculty, Lawrence Hrubeš and Keith Richards, who were both delighted to catch up with their old students (and two former colleagues in Rod Anderson and Karen Field!) and enjoy what Lawrence described as a “super atmosphere”.
Everyone at ISP would like to thank Larissa for her enthusiasm and energy in arranging the reunion. Special mention goes to Abi Saifi (Class of ‘08) who travelled all the way from Arizona, USA to be part of the event!
Larissa Batt (Class of ‘08) was instrumental in both setting up the London Reunion and rounding up classmates and other Alumni to attend the event. Larissa said:
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The New York reunion, held in May 2019, was the first ISP reunion event held in North America and attended by ISP Director Arnie Bieber, wife Marianne, daughter Emma (Class of ‘18) and son Joshua (Class of ‘15). By happy coincidence, the Biebers were in New York for Joshua’s graduation. Dr. Bieber said: What strikes me every time I meet our graduates, is how thoughtful and solid
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It was so encouraging to hear them speak of
their dreams for the future, and their thoughts about their place in the world”.
these young people are, how mensch-like, if you will. It was so encouraging to hear them speak of their dreams for the future, and their thoughts about their place in the world”. Everyone at ISP would like to thank Gwyther Bultman (Class of ‘98) for all his efforts and indeed everyone who attended the reunion, especially Petra Vaiglova (Class of ‘06) who travelled all the way from the University of Connecticut to be part of it! The final reunion of the year was, perhaps fittingly, held on campus at ISP. This event was the third in successive years held on campus and the first to be held outdoors! It appears always to be a thrill for Alumni to come “home” to Nebušice. June 2019’s event was another successful one, with former students from across the years returning to familiar territory from around Prague and further afield. Alumni connected with old friends and made new ones from other years, as well as taking the opportunity to catch up with the familiar faces of Mr. Hrubeš, Dr. Bieber and others! We look forward to building on the momentum of recent years in Alumni Relations at ISP in subsequent years, and continue to build a real active network of those who have the unique bond of having had an ISP education. ISP Advancement Office
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Financial Report
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Financial Oversight
From the Board Treasurer & Director of Operations We are pleased to report that ISP
ended its 71th year of operations with
strong enrolment (900 students) and a healthy financial picture.
During the 2018/19 fiscal year, tuition income increased by 5.6%, to CZK 460,296 thousand, reflecting higher student enrolment. Tuition and Capital Assessment accounted for 96% of total institutional income for the year. Operating expenses increased by 2.3% to CZK 416,153 thousand. As with most schools, salaries and benefits continue to represent the school’s greatest expense, at 75% of total expenses. Part of “Cost of Sales” is included in this amount as educational services were also provided externally. The school’s net positive profit increased to CZK 44,691 thousand in fiscal year 2018/19 compared to a positive result of CZK 25,140 thousand in the prior year, reflecting an increase in income in parallel with lowered expenses. The positive result allows the school to maintain its dedicated annual financial reserve (of 25% of budgeted expenses) and provide for the planned long-term improvement of the campus. The financial information set out above and in the consolidated financial 88
results through June 30, 2019 of the grouping of entities comprising the school demonstrate the overall financial health of the institution. ISP’s Financial Statements and Annual Report are audited annually by PricewaterhouseCoopers Audit, s.r.o. FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT By the nature of its work as an international school, ISP faces a number of market risks. ISP’s focus in this area is to reasonably protect itself from imaginable economic and financial risks (such as currency fluctuations, inflation and differing enrolment levels). The School uses available tools, such as currency forward agreements, to minimize the impact these risks would have on its operations. YOUR FEES AND DONATIONS AT WORK ISP is able to provide its educational model not only through the fees it charges, but also thanks to the donations it receives. The information below is given to provide clarity around the use of your fees and donations. ISP is a non-profit institution in the form of a Czech corporation (an “s.r.o” - společnost s ručením omezeným”
or in English, Limited Liability Company). Educational regulations in the Czech Republic require that an international school offering a non-Czech curriculum be owned by a non-Czech entity; the non-Czech owner in our case is the International School of Prague Foundation, a U.S. not-for-profit entity (a “501(c)(3)”). This type of non-profit organisation has decades of legal and tax standing in the USA. The foundation document of the Czech s.r.o, for its part, stipulates that no dividends or benefits are to be distributed; all monies the school raises are reinvested in the school and no profits accrue to anyone. Each year, like any well run organization, the school endeavours to finish the year with a positive financial result. This is planned as part of the budget process. During budget planning, fees (which include both Tuition and Capital Assessment) are set. Tuition is intended to meet the current costs of educating students. The Capital Assessment, for its part, may be used for current year capital expenditures (investment in infrastructure), to assist in retiring debt incurred for the major capital investments of the School, or be allocated to a capital fund to help in the future funding of major strategic investments in the facility. A N N UA L R E P ORT 20 1 8 - 1 9
The positive result allows the school to maintain its
dedicated annual financial reserve and provide for the planned long-term improvement of the campus.
Although the exact amounts vary annually, payers can expect that the majority of their overall fees are going for current year expenses as well as towards planning for the future. This is essentially “paying it forward”; current families are the beneficiaries of the Capital Assessment paid by prior families, just as future families will be the beneficiaries of the Capital Assessment paid by current families. Funds that are in excess of the above needs may be placed by a vote of the Trustees into the School’s Endowment. THE ENDOWMENT Currently, ISP’s Endowment consists mostly of donations made by corporate friends of ISP, whose contributions are restricted to be used for scholarships and improvements to the programs such as robotics. ISP intends to build sufficient reserves to provide a cushion during more lean economic years; an Endowment enables the school to plan for its long-term sustainability. The current Endowment holding amounts to CZK 17,460 thousand.
F I N A N CI A L REPO RT
ANNUAL FUND
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The Annual Fund supports the current year’s operating budget. The amount budgeted to be spent on the current year’s expenses include tuition (and, as mentioned above, usually a portion of the capital assessment) and the amount that we expect to raise from donations to the Annual Fund.
The Scholarship program at ISP is partially funded through donations to the School from parents, corporations, alumni, and others. The goal of the program is to make the ISP educational experience available to a diverse range of students. ISP Scholarships are available to Czech citizens and other permanent residents of the Czech Republic. Currently, scholarships are only granted to students in the Upper School. These scholarships are based not only on financial need, but also on merit. ISP actively seeks excellent students who will benefit from an ISP education, and who will be an asset and inspiration to ISP’s community of learners.
A commonly asked question about the Annual Fund is why this amount is not simply added to the cost of tuition. Adding that amount to the cost of tuition may put the cost of an ISP education beyond the reach of many of our families. We believe that with the support of everyone in the ISP community (parents, alumni, teachers, and others), we will achieve our goal (this year and into the future) so that all our students can benefit from the additional programs that this income will provide - and each and every one of us can take immense pride in the School and the accomplishments of our students.
Barry Freckmann ISP F INANCE & O PE RATIO NS DIRE CTO R
We hope that this section provides clear information about the finances and our financial goals for the future. If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions please feel free to contact us.
Dave Sturgeon
ISP BO ARD TRE ASURE R 2018- 19
89
Consolidated Balance Sheet (Czk ‘000) - ISP sro + ISP RS
30.06.2019 30.06.2018
Assets
Gross
Provision
TOTAL ASSETS
1 399 198
Fixed assets Intangible Fixed Assets Tangible fixed assets Current Assets Inventories Receivables Cash Prepayments and accrued income
Net
Net
-316 534
1 082 664
1 019 732
866 160
-316 534
549 626
558 988
2 470
-2 072
398
585
863 690
-314 462
549 228
558 402
512 171
0
512 171
438 404
1 125
0
1 125
1 120
11 505
0
11 505
8 853
499 441
0
499 441
428 431
20 867
0
20 867
22 340
Liabilities and Equity 30.06.2019 30.06.2018 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Equity Share capital Share premium and capital contributions
1 082 664
1 019 732
641 359
593 669
100 100 637 668
634 669
Retained earnings / Accumulated losses
-41 100
-66 240
Profit / (loss) for the current period
44 691
25 140
435 239
422 603
15 295
12 858
419 944
409 744
Long-term liabilities
3 008
3 806
Short-term liabilities
416 936
405 938
6 066
3 461
Liabilities Provisions Liabilities
Accruals and deferred income
90
A N N UA L R E P ORT 20 1 8 - 1 9
Consolidated Income Statement (Czk ‘000)
2018-19
2017/18
Sales of products and services
460 296
435 735
414
304
73 790
96 209
Staff costs
313 397
281 267
Value adjustments in operating activities
26 278
25 582
Operating income - other
8 329
7 112
Operating Expenses - other
2 688
3 362
52 887
36 731
3 706
-3 991
Net profit / (loss) before taxation
56 593
32 740
Net profit / (loss) after taxation
44 691
25 140
Net profit / (loss) for the financial period
44 691
25 140
475 708
447 475
Sales of goods Cost of sales
Operating Result Financial Result
Net turnover for the financial period
Cash Flow Statement (Czk ‘000)
Cash flows from operating activities
2018-19
2017/18
Net profit on ordinary activities before tax
56 593
32 740
Net cash flow from operating activities before tax and changes in working capital
82 470
55 006
Net cash flow from operating activities before tax
94 894
72 830
Net cash flow from operating activities
87 926
68 733
Net cash flow from investing activities
-16 916
-43 438
Net cash flow from financing activities Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
0 0 71 010
25 295
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
428 431
403 136
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
499 441
428 431
F I N A N CI A L REPO RT
91
Annual Report 2018 -2019
For more information about the ISP Annual Report or to request additional copies, please contact advancement@isp.cz
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PRAGUE Nebušická 700 164 00 Prague 6 - Czech Republic +420 220 384 111 e-mail ispmail@isp.cz phone
www.isp.cz