ISB LEARNING

Each school is unique in its own way. Our warm and inclusive community at ISB welcomes students from all over the world, empowering them to pursue their passions, become independent learners, and discover what mark is theirs to make in the world. In this video, our students speak directly about what makes ISB different for them.

ISB is proud to offer the largest inclusive IB Diploma (IBDP) in Belgium. We believe that all students should receive equal access to learning opportunities, and that everyone has the ability to be successful in the world. As the oldest international school in Belgium, ISB has been offering the IBDP for almost over 45 years.

As an inclusive school, we want to ensure all of our students are given the same opportunities for success. Our English Language Development programme is offered at all levels across the school, and we provide supported immersion in the mainstream programme as well as specialised english development classes in smaller groups. As a school that values student autonomy, we want our students to evaluate their own progress as they learn and grow. 

At ISB, we want our students to learn more about themselves and their abilities, building the confidence they need to pursue their passions at every stage of their lives. Our Passion Learning class allows them the space to grow their curiosity and develop a voice in their learning. Although Passion Learning as a class takes place in the Elementary School, the same opportunities are offered across all of the grade levels at ISB.

Children need to connect, observe, and explore the world around them. We help little learners think through big ideas by turning play into a variety of learning experiences, purposefully using our materials to ensure that students learn in creative, imaginative, and investigative ways. Our skilled Early Childhood Team helps to provide them with the best possible foundation for lifelong learning. 

We are lucky to be surrounded by a beautiful forest that provides endless opportunities for learning and exploration. In the Early Childhood Centre, our young students learn about science and math in an outdoor forest classroom that allows them to delve deeper into those creative and investigative units that spark their curiosity and passion for learning.     

The science labs in our High School are a dynamic place where students are encouraged to take initiative and conduct experiments that challenge their thinking in new and innovative ways. By collaborating as a team, they learn from each other, confront their fears, and find the courage to delve deeper and reach further in their learning. 

At ISB, we encourage students to explore their interests and learn new skills by challenging them to learn outside the classroom as well. Our ISB Plus programme introduces students to a range of experiences that help them discover their passions and develop multi-developmental skills in a number of different areas. 

Every year, the Elementary School Creativity Camp offers students an opportunity to enhance their unique set of creative skills by finding new ways of problem solving and thinking creatively. During the week-long Camp, students are given the space to try new things, take risks that expand their learning and creativity, and have fun together as a team. 

Our ILS Gardening project is one of the many examples of how we embrace the capacities of all of our learners at ISB. Our Intensive Learning Support (ILS) students were given a plot of land to use on campus, and with the help of an ISB gardener they learned how to plant different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Spending time outdoors and connecting with the environment was crucial to their wellbeing and personal development, and at the end of all their hard work, they were also able to eat their favourite fruits and vegetables! 

Physical education is about more than just the body. Kelley wants students to recognize their potential by focusing both on the power of their bodies and on their social and emotional growth. She helps them learn how to collaborate more closely together to develop courage, risk-taking skills, and a greater sense of community.

Music is universal. Tony, our cross-divisional Band teacher, believes that music can help students communicate and engage with each other and with the world in more meaningful ways. He works to help students learn empathy through the power of music, making them better people as well as better musicians. 

At ISB, we celebrate internationalism on a daily basis, and we value every opportunity we have to come together as a community and celebrate one another. Our International Festival brings everyone in one place to celebrate the different cultures, cuisines, and customs that make up who we are as a school.

Wherever they are in the world, our Alumni will forever be a part of the ISB family. It is always a joy to welcome them back on campus, share stories, and hear about the many ways in which ISB continues to have an impact on their lives today.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, there is a lot that our community is grateful for. Here are just some of the positive things that made us smile this year! 

At Homecoming, we celebrate our entire community. As well as cheering for our student athletes and listening to our young artists perform, Homecoming is an opportunity to celebrate ISB as a learning community and as a place of legacy, family, and lifelong friendships. 

At ISB, we are artists. We believe that artistic expression in all of its forms enriches our understanding of the world, while celebrating diversity, culture, and humanity as a whole.

Listen to this beautiful melody, ‘Les Chemins de l’Amour’ (Poulenc), performed by our talented Chamber string students in front of the majestic ISB Chateau.

Music, Drama, and Visual Arts are a vital part of life at ISB. In this video, a few of our ISB IB Diploma and Career-related Diploma Art students share some background on the work they have been doing for their IB Art Vernissage 2020: from the concept of power and time, to the freedom of expression and the boundless possibilities of dance and movement.

Listen to the touching notes of Antonio Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo’, performed by our talented High School Strings and Choir students.

In this video, our talented Middle School Voiceworks students perform the beautiful Malaysian folk song about one of the country’s national symbols: the moon-kite (Wau Bulan).

The making of this ISB performance, ‘Pippin’, was a truly collaborative process, with students coming together to build sets, design costumes, recite lines, dance, and sing. Most of them were on a similar journey as the protagonist, Pippin, who strives to find his path and passion in life. 

Music, Drama, and Visual Arts are a vital part of life at ISB. In this video, a few of our IB Visual Art students share some background on the work they have been doing for their Art Vernissage 2019. They describe the power of art, the impact it has on their lives, and the dedication that everyone put into their work during the final two years of their school career. 

In this video, our Elementary and Middle School students perform the traditional salutation song of the Kwangali and Sotho people in our beautiful ISB theatre.

At ISB, we are athletes. We are diverse, driven, dedicated, and united by a passion to compete. We are the only school in Belgium to offer American Football, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, Baseball, Softball, and a full programme for boys’ Volleyball.

They are dedicated to hard work, teamwork, and their friends. They have a passion for challenging themselves. They are the girl athletes of ISB.

All of our students are gifted with different abilities and talents. At ISB, we nurture their social skills and self-confidence through purposeful play and practice, celebrating their progress, and helping to shape their holistic development as a whole. 

Take a look inside our ISB Athletics Strongbox! This is where our students are given an opportunity to complete workouts that challenge them, strengthen their physical and emotional performance, and encourage a sense of collaboration and fun. 

As an inclusive school, ISB is a proud partner of Belgium’s Special Olympics, open to all Intensive Learning Support (ILS) students from Grades 3 to 12. Last year, our ISB team took part in the National Games and participated in running, badminton, adapted physical & motor skills, basketball and soccer, among other sports. We are very proud of all of our athletes!

In this video, we look back on a memorable season of games, fun, hard work, and lifelong friendships. 

In this video, we look back on a memorable season of games, fun, hard work, and lifelong friendships.

As a school, we believe in harnessing the power of the emerging technologies of today, helping our students develop into responsible innovators, creators, and contributors to society. Learning innovation empowers our students to problem solve, think critically about the issues around them, and make the world a better place.

In order to flourish, innovation requires the right environment, opportunities, and people. At ISB, we want to provide our students with every chance they can get to communicate the world around them in original and innovative ways. We want to equip them with the right tools and resources, while empowering them to believe in themselves, above all else. 

Discover our new Middle School Creativity Studio, a space where students can unleash their creative potential and work on projects involving sewing, stitching, robotics, arts and crafts, digital technology, and so much more. The studio was set up to meet the needs and interests of our Middle School students, and it’s a huge success!

When we renovated our Lower School and Upper School libraries, we wanted to ensure that we were creating a purposeful space that met the needs of our younger and older students. The Lower School library is a colorful and vibrant space focused on community and collaboration, while in the Upper School, the library is dedicated to research and study.

During our Hand-a-thon 2019, a number of ISB students participated in an event dedicated to celebrating children with missing limbs. They assembled 33 wired custom 3D printed prosthetic hands for the Pediatric Hospital Necker in just one afternoon!

The second Learning by Design Conference hosted by ISB was attended by more than 450 people, including 50 students. The conference marked a continuing conversation between ISB teachers, parents, and students, and educational colleagues from around the world, who came together to re-imagine the future of learning.

Personal Learning in the Middle School is an opportunity for students to choose modules based on their interests and passions. Students can take part in projects that allow them to innovate, create, communicate, express, and have fun together. 

The first Learning by Design Conference hosted by ISB was attended by more than 400 educators and 120 students. This conference was a call to reimagine the way that schools facilitate learning in a culture characterized by open knowledge systems, inclusive educational communities, and rapid social change.

In March 2020, we went into lockdown but we continued to learn, read, and explore together. 
We miss our ISB, but we will come back home. It’s always darkest before the dawn. 
 

The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us many valuable lessons. The priorities of our families are shifting, and as a school we need to be able to agilely respond to different kinds of crises. Today, there are many things that we hope to bring with us into the future of ISB: from the focus on wellbeing and the kindness of our community, to the independence and self-management skills that many of our students have developed during this difficult time. 

Every family situation is different. Many of our parents have witnessed their children struggle, and then grow, as they adapted to a new way of learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of our ISB families shared how they have supported their children during this time. 

The Family Association had a crucial role to play in helping families stay connected and engaged during the Covid-19 pandemic. As well as guiding families through some of the health and safety information they needed to know, they had to come up with new and creative ways to continue celebrating one another and staying connected to the school. 

This year has been truly unique. James MacDonald, ISB Director, speaks about some of the challenges we faced as a school and the ways in which we have adapted and found ways to continue working together as a community. Above all, the way that our campus was able to remain a special place of laughter, engaging conversations, and lifelong learning.

One of our ISB parents, Yoko, speaks about the positive impact that Distance Learning at ISB had on her daughter. Though hard to adapt to at the start, her teachers played a crucial role in supporting her progress as well as her mental wellbeing, and as a result of this she became more independent, autonomous, and confident in her learning. 

Having to keep small children engaged with school from a distance is a challenging task. Lindsay, one of our ECC teachers, speaks about the ways in which they were able to help their students grow, become more responsible and independent, while keeping them close to the ISB community with the invaluable support of their parents, as well.

In this video, we hear from ISB student Tamar as she describes to us how she has continued to learn and grow during the pandemic. With the support of her teachers, Tamar was able to overcome her challenges and continue to find the space and time to be creative and innovative at home. 

ISB student Violette speaks to us about the changes that the pandemic has brought to her life. Realizing the value of school and the importance for her to connect with her teachers and friends - as well as how ‘fun’ school can really be - Violette, just like many of her peers, is searching for ways to navigate the challenges of the pandemic and ‘carve [her] peace haven among the chaos.’ 

Learning continues during Covid-19 with our Kindergarten students! In this video, our little scientists grow caterpillars at home during Distance Learning. 

In collaboration with St.John’s International School, a group of ISB employees is using ISB’s 3D printers to create visors that will then be used to assemble face shields that will protect people from Covid-19. Students of the eNable group, who come together at the Hand-a-Thon to create 3D prosthetic hands, also took part in this important project, and received feedback from frontline workers to ensure that the face shields were as protective as possible. 

Elementary School student Bijan records this video in which he talks about what learning looks like during Covid-19, and how his challenges became opportunities for growth. He also shares the way in which he and his classmates grew closer over the course of the pandemic, finding creative and funny ways to stay connected and reinforce their friendships. 

It was wonderful to return to campus with our ILS students, and ECC ILS teacher Pamela Pokorny describes the holistic approach they are taking to ensure that the children transition back into their classroom routine as smoothly as possible. Our ILS team of educators have done a wonderful job, and are continuing to teach our young students some of the new life skills they will need in order to navigate and be integrated into today’s social society.