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History
The International School of Sosúa (ISS) is the realization of a long-time dream to provide superior educational opportunities to children on the north coast of the island of the Dominican Republic. In 1988 a group of diverse parents joined together to establish a school that would strive to provide a high quality of education combined with a strong foundation in values.
In 1989 the International School of Sosúa began offering educational services to the community with one certified teacher from the United States teaching kindergarten and first grade.
The outstanding community response to the International School of Sosúa in its first years demonstrated a demand for quality education in the region. The newly formed school began to grow in order to meet the needs of its community.
In the beginning, ISS followed a correspondence program provided by the Calvert School in Baltimore, Maryland. As ISS grew, the school began to develop its own courses and curriculum in response to the needs of its international community.
In 2001, ISS achieved accreditation from what was then the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), now referred to as AdvancED. Since that time, 37 students have graduated. In 2008, ISS was officially accredited by the Dominican Ministry of Education which provided our students the option of receiving dual American and Dominican High School Diplomas.
Today, classes are taught by teachers recruited from abroad and locally. ISS offers instruction to 195 students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. Over 20 nationalities are represented among the student body with English being the language that unites our diverse community.
Accreditation
The International School of Sosúa is accredited by AdvancEd (formed by the amalgamation of SACS-CASI and NCA) and recognized by the local Dominican Ministry of Education. The purpose of accreditation is to document and insure that a quality education is being offered.
Governance
ISS was first governed by a Board of Trustees. In 2002, the Board of Trustees named a Board of Directors to oversee the educational process at the school. The Board of Directors hires and works directly with the Head of the School (Director) who is responsible for the day to day running of the school. Ultimately, the Board of Directors and the Director are responsible to respond to the needs of the community and the opinions and decisions taken at the General Assembly held every year in February.
Campus
ISS is housed on a ten acre campus with facilities that include nineteen classrooms, a science laboratory, a computer laboratory, an audio-visual room, a learning center, an art room, a music room, a two-story library, a full service cafeteria and administrative offices. The students also enjoy the use of the soccer field, outdoor court, playground equipment and shaded areas for recreation and socializing.
Every year as the school grows and develops, the facilities are upgraded. Future projects include the construction of two additional classrooms as part of the renewal plan as well as a new maintenance facility and the “keystone project”, the ISS Coliseum.
Organizational Hierarchy
Board of Directors: Ricardo Straus (president), Jose Loinaz (vice-president), Marie Jose Barshi, Juan Perdomo, Michel Lulo, Silke Sadeghi, Maria Isabel Silverio, Jenny Estrella, Ivonne Milz
Director & High School Principal: Mr. Craig Selig
Elementary Principal: Ms. Megan Howe
Business Manager: Ms. Gina Gonzalez
School Manager: Ms. Raquel Martinez
School Counselor: Mr. Adam Shade
Curriculum and Professional Development Coordinator – Mrs. Jenny Olson
Librarian: Mr. David Foster
ISS Curriculum
The ISS Curriculum is continually updated and has evolved from research on best practice. ISS adopted learning standards from US based National Councils of English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Sciences and other renowned institutions. The benchmarks for learning were developed internally with the use of resources such as the National Councils and exemplar schools websites and published documents as well as the resources available on campus.
Spanish, Sociales and Civicas teachers implement the curriculum mandated by the Dominican Ministry of Education.
Club (Extra Curricular) Activities
All ISS students are encouraged to participate in club activities to strengthen their interpersonal and leadership skills. The ISS Student Council, Model United Nations Group and ISS Community Service Club organize and participate in special events to promote leadership, learning and the integration of ISS students with other children from around the country. Other sports orientated clubs (soccer, yoga, karate, basketball, volleyball, baseball and track and field) encourage the development of healthy lifestyles and team work skills.
Class Size
In 2007, ISS adopted policy that capped the number of students per classroom at 12 (18 with assistant) in the Pre-School program and 18 (20 with assistant) in the Elementary and Secondary programs. The policy also capped the number of classrooms at one per grade level with a waiting list for those grades that reach capacity. Even with this policy in place, the average class size in each section still remains below the maximum permitted level.
School Level Organization
Pre-School = PreK2, PreK3 and PreK4
Elementary School = Early Elementary (Kinder-Grade 2) and Upper Elementary (Grades 3-6)
Secondary School = Middle School (Grades 7-8) and High School (Grades 9-12)
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