Page 18 - FIS World

A Very Important Principal FISW’s Andrea Rosinger is honored with the Distinguished Principal Award in Washington, D.C.
After the 2008 economic crisis, Frankfurt International School’s Wiesbaden Campus was particularly hard hit by declined enrolment when companies terminated many international assignments. To survive, the division needed to reinvent itself. And to do so, it needed a vision and plan. Andrea Rosinger, principal at FIS Wiesbaden since 2010, had both and was instrumental in the expansion of
the school, which now includes Grades 6-8.
During the following years under her leadership, she ensured that FIS Wiesbaden remained a trailblazer in education, introducing an inclusion program, expanding opportunities in outdoor learning, initiating elective learning opportunities in Grades 6-8, and emphasizing collaborative experiences, among other initiatives. “I have an unfaltering desire to get it right, to change, whilst not losing sight of our strengths as a school community,” Ms. Rosinger said.
Her e orts did not go unnoticed. The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), based in the United States, recently chose to bestow on Ms. Rosinger the title of International Distinguished Principal. The jury felt that Ms. Rosinger had shown “evidence of outstanding contributions to the community and the education profession.” Furthermore, her “clear commitment to excellence, support of programs to meet the academic and social needs of all students, and rm ties to parents and the community” are what characterize her leadership.
The Distinguished Principal Award is awarded to 54 educators within the United States, but the committee also looks at a selective group of schools worldwide, which have been recognized by the United States Department of State. The criteria for recognition is steep: parent- governance, instruction in English and the local language and culture, advanced Information Technology,
highly-quali ed faculty, and top- quality academics are among them. In 135 countries, the U.S. Department of State has identi ed 200 schools which meet these standards. FIS is one of them and as such, drew the attention of the search committee for the International Distinguished Principal Award
It is truly a privilege to be a recipient of the award – as evidenced by the protocol around the awards ceremony – and Ms. Rosinger, along with other recipients, was the guest of honor at
a series of events in Washington, D.C., over two days in mid-October, which included tours of the Capitol and White House, a formal reception at the National Portrait Gallery, and a black-tie awards dinner. Yes, our own Very Important Principal (V.I.P) was
in the White House!
“It was a grand a air and I felt very honored and appreciated,” said Ms. Rosinger. “It was time out of real life, but a moment to focus on why we all
16 FIS World October 2017