Page 5 - FIS World Feb 2019

At it Again
Adding major investments in Wiesbaden to two years of Accelerators
The first year of our Accelerators is well underway, and we can already see plenty of gratifying successes. I was particularly delighted to see that a video featuring our new math coaching in the Primary and Elementary grades on both campuses has gone viral among international schools; you can watch the video yourself by scanning the QR code on this page. Even as we review the progress of year one and make in-flight adjustments, we’re preparing for additional and exciting year-two Accelerators. To add to these exciting developments, we’ve announced major investments for our Wiesbaden campus!
Why all of this at once? The FIS Board of Trustees and the administration embrace the very same attributes for life that our students learn as the “IB Learner Profile.”To draw from a few of its elements: We have a responsibility to be inquirers and to be open-minded as we think critically, and exercise initiative as we make reasoned decisions.
We‘ve been presented with a wonderful confluence of positive trends for FIS. We are meeting the goals we set in our mission, and the demand for enrollment at the school has never been higher. It is precisely the right time to further accelerate, recognizing that such a move requires deliberate and careful risk-taking.
This is what motivated our decision to grow the campus in Wiesbaden. We’ve successfully expanded the school through Grade 8 over the last several years. Now we‘re more than ready to propel this success into educational leadership in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) subjects, which are so much on the minds of virtually all FIS parents these days. We know we can do this within the tremendous tradition FISW has developed over its 25 years of exceptional care and attention for every student, and with the strong and dedicated leadership of our Head of School Dr. Paul Fochtman, FISW Principal Andrea Rosinger, and their colleagues.
You could be forgiven for wondering whether our explosive acceleration, now adding a significant investment in Wiesbaden, will cause us to stray from our overall strategic course. In a report we received a few months ago after one of our accreditation visits, the authors wrote that they could nearly “smell rubber” as the school speeds forward toward an admirable destination. We are proud to be a school that is improving education now, for today’s children, rather than holding back. Yes, we need to make sure that we maintain our
core goals even as we make substantial investments in excellence and opportunity. We
will be sure to manage our speed as these changes become firmly established in the fabric of our school, just as we have allowed time to embrace the Stroth Center in Oberursel before planning
a striking new building for the visual and performing arts in Wiesbaden.
Your Board of Trustees has deliberated for many hours about the Accelerators and the FISW plan, and remains convinced that we‘re on the right trajectory. You no doubt have questions about all of these exciting initiatives, as well as about our ability to maintain balance. All the members of the Board are passionate about these topics and will be delighted to discuss them with you any time.
In the meantime, please keep your seatbelts fastened!
Ward Greenberg
Chair, Board of Trustees
Enjoying FISW’s International Festival with principal Andrea Rosinger
Below: Scan the QR code to see exciting new trends in core math at FIS
February 2019 FIS World 3