Vienna International School

Last updated
Vienna International School
VISlogoTransparentBlue(P294.jpg
Location
Vienna International School
Vienna

Austria
Coordinates 48°14′41.45″N16°25′54.74″E / 48.2448472°N 16.4318722°E / 48.2448472; 16.4318722
Information
Type Private
Established1959
Faculty174
Grades1-12 (ELC 4-5, ELC 5-6)
Enrollment1400
Average class size17-24
Student to teacher ratio1:8.3
Campus type Suburban
Color(s)   Blue/White
Athletics conferenceISST, SCIS, DVAC, CEESA
MascotPanthers
Website www.vis.ac.at

Vienna International School (VIS) is a non-profit international school in Vienna, Austria. The school was built to accommodate the children of United Nations (UN) employees and diplomats when the UN decided to locate one of its offices in Vienna (at the Vienna International Centre), and it remains affiliated to the UN. About 50% of students are children of UN employees and receive education grants, while much of the remaining students are children mainly of embassy staff and company staff. The school has an enrollment of 1400 students, from pre-primary to twelfth grade.

Contents

History

International Community School

The first English language medium school in Vienna was set up in August 1955 as the International Community School. Previously, it had been the 'British Army School' in Schönbrunn barracks and catered for the children of the British occupying forces in Vienna. The Austrian State Treaty signed in May 1955 resulted in the occupying forces leaving Austria, so the school transformed into the International Community School under the patronage of the British, American and Indian Missions.

It opened on 1 September 1955 in the 18th district of Vienna. By the end of the year, 150 students between the ages of 3 and 15 years attended the International Community School. Soon the building proved too small for the expanding school, which moved into the 19th district. By 1959, 300 children represented 25 different nationalities in ICS. However, most of the children were American or Canadian, so the British and Indian Embassies started a separate British style school in 1959, the English School, while the ICS changed into the American International School.

English School

The English School moved into Grinzinger Straße 95, a premises found with the help of the British Ambassador, Sir James Bowker, the legal advisor at the Embassy Walter Rhodes, and Vienna's Deputy Lord Mayor, Hans Mandl. The English School quickly expanded and was visited by the British Minister of Education in 1961. Some of the first staff of the International Atomic Energy Agency sent their children to the English School in 1959. The school year 1961-62 saw the introduction of William Kirk as director. In May 1969, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the English School on a state visit to Vienna. In 1974, some families of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) started sending their children to the school.

Vienna International School

In September 1977, Maurice Pezet was invited by the Austrian government to start the project of developing a Vienna International School on the model of the Geneva and New York United Nations Schools in preparation for the expansion of the United Nations to Vienna. Vienna is one of the four headquarters of the UN, along with New York, Geneva and Nairobi. The Vienna International Centre (UNO City) is leased to the United Nations for 1 Austrian schilling (7 euro cents) per year. It was anticipated that there would be two years of preparation for the small existing English School to be incorporated into the school development plan for the Vienna International School (VIS).

The Vienna International School opened its doors on 11 September 1978 to pupils of 60 nationalities. Primary and secondary were accommodated on Grinzinger Straße and Kindergarten was located on Heiligenstädter Strasse. A part of secondary moved briefly to Zollergasse and then Schloss Pötzleinsdorf. A year later, secondary school moved to Peter-Jordan-Straße, where it remained until the custom built present campus was opened in September 1984 with Maurice Pezet as director. The chancellor at the time, Bruno Kreisky, had initiated the idea of a new, specially built school. The campus was entirely funded by the Austrian government. Kreisky employed Maurice Pezet, formerly associated with the UN School in New York (UNIS), to manage the project. He became the first director of the new Vienna International School. Kreisky was present at some of the opening events at the VIS. The new building was constructed in the 22nd District, two U-Bahn (underground) stops from the VIC, and opened in September 1984. It is located on Straße der Menschenrechte, two hundred metres away from the U1 Kagran underground station and the Donau Zentrum Shopping Mall. [1]

Main entrance of Vienna International School Vienna International School.jpg
Main entrance of Vienna International School

Facilities

The school is divided into 3 wings. A Primary and Secondary area, an administrative wing and a separate building for Pre-Primary. The school also has an outdoor ecology area. Facilities include:

Outside facilities include:

Academics

VIS offers all three programs of the International Baccalaureate (IB) - International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP), International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) and the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP). The school has offered the IB Diploma programme since 1984.

Accreditation

The school is an IB World School. It is also accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS), Eco Schools and Umweltzeichen.

Graduation requirements and courses

For the IB Diploma, students must select one each from the following groups. The following subjects were offered at VIS:

Group 1: Language 1

It is also possible to study a privately taught mother tongue as Group 1 language at HL or SL

Group 2: Language 2

Group 3: Individuals and Society [2]

Group 4: Experimental Sciences

Group 5: Mathematics

Group 6: The Arts

Rather than taking an arts course, students may opt to take another subject from Groups 1 to 5 as their 6th subject

School magazine

The school magazine is called the Spotlight. It is published four times yearly, with additional issues for student council elections or other special events. A primary school magazine known as The Mole was also started under the guidance of secondary students during the 2012–2013 academic year.

Athletics

Sports

VIS offers the following teams during the year, [3] in addition to other sports:

Conferences

VIS participates in the following athletics conferences:

In addition to this, VIS traditionally organizes the annual Hauser Kaibling Race in Haus Im Ennstal between international schools in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Charity

The community service programme is part of both the MYP and the IB DP curriculum and requires students to take an active part in the communities in which they live. The emphasis is on developing community awareness and concerns and acquiring the skills to make an effective contribution to society. The school has a strong engagement in local and global charital events.

Maher

One of its main charities is Maher and VIS has been supporting it since 2005.

Project Centipede

Each year the primary school students collect food, clothing, shoes, toys, school supplies, and toiletries to donate to Project Centipede, which personally distributes the gifts just before the December holidays to the children and their caregivers in Romania, India, Hungary, Ukraine and Austria.

2004 Tsunami Disaster Response

The school responded to the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami and focused their efforts on helping to rebuild a school in Indonesia which had been hit hard by the disaster.

Fairtrade

VIS also operates a Fairtrade group aiming to promote the purchase of products that tries to guarantee a better return and quality of life for farmers in lesser economically developed countries.

Notable alumni

Scouting

Vienna International School is the home of Vienna International Scout Group 88 (German : Wien 88-Internationale Pfadfindergruppe ). The Scout group is affiliated to Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of Austria.

Related Research Articles

UWC Mahindra College is a pre-university international boarding school, located 40 km (25 mi) west of Pune in Maharashtra, India. The college is a two-year programme with about 240 full-time boarders from around 70 countries, and follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (DP). It is one of the 18 United World Colleges. The school was established in 1997 with the support of Harish Mahindra and Anand Mahindra of the Mahindra Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sturgis Charter Public School</span> Charter high school

The Sturgis Charter Public School is a dual-campus charter school located in the village of Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States. The school received its charter in February 1998 and opened in September for the 1998–1999 academic year with 162 freshman, 15 faculty and staff, a newly renovated facility, and a $1.2 million budget. The school philosophy is International Baccalaureate for all students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copenhagen International School</span> Private school in Copenhagen, Nordhavn, Denmark

Copenhagen International School (CIS) is an international, co-educational day school located in the Copenhagen metropolitan area, Denmark. It has around 930 students of over 80 nationalities. English is the primary language of instruction. CIS offers an educational program from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 for students of all nationalities. The school year comprises four quarters, from mid-August through mid-June. Copenhagen International School is designed by C.F. Møller Architects.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education and is recognized by many universities worldwide. It was developed in the early-to-mid-1960s in Geneva, Switzerland, by a group of international educators. After a six-year pilot programme that ended in 1975, a bilingual diploma was established.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations International School of Hanoi</span> School in Hanoi, Vietnam

The United Nations International School of Hanoi is an international school in Hanoi, Vietnam. It is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1988 with the support of the United Nations Development Programme in Vietnam (UNDP) with the aim of providing an education to the children of UN staff and others.

Vientiane International School (VIS) is an international school in Vientiane, Laos, that offers the International Baccalaureate Programme for grades K - 12. VIS is the only school in Laos accredited by WASC, CIS, and the IB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International School of The Hague</span> International school

The International School of The Hague is an international school located in the vicinity of Kijkduin, The Hague.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond Secondary School</span> High school in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

Richmond Secondary School, is a public, co-educational secondary school located in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. It educates approximately 1200 students from grades 8 to 12. Richmond Secondary is the only school in Richmond that offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and is a magnet school in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cole Harbour District High School</span> High school in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

Cole Harbour District High School is a Canadian public high school located in the Forest Hills area of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. It is operated by the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE), and is an International Baccalaureate (IB) world school, offering the Diploma program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Gilgen International School</span> Private school in St. Gilgen, Salzburg, Austria

St. Gilgen International School (StGIS) is a co-educational boarding and day school for students between the ages of 9 and 18. The school offers a primary and middle school curriculum leading to the highly regarded International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme qualification in the final two years. The language of instruction is English.

Meadowridge School, located in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, is a coeducational, independent school teaching Junior Kindergarten through to Grade 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayview Secondary School</span> High school in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Bayview Secondary School, initially known as Bayview High School is a grade 9–12, 2-semester secondary school operated by the York Region District School Board. It is located just north of the northeast corner of Bayview Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Bayview S.S. was officially opened on March 19, 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graz International Bilingual School</span> University preparatory charter school in Graz, Styria, Austria

The Graz International Bilingual School (GIBS) is an Austrian bilingual (English/German) university preparatory semi-independent charter school Gymnasium in Graz, Austria. The school mainly focuses on languages, offering German, English, Russian, Latin, French and Spanish. Students graduate with the Austrian Matura, the IB Diploma or with both, assuming that they meet the criteria necessary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School of the Nations (Macau)</span>

The School of the Nations is a Baháʼí-inspired school located in Taipa, Macau,owned by the Badi Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park View Education Centre</span> High school in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada

Park View Education Centre is a Canadian public secondary school located in the town of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. It is operated by the South Shore Regional School Board (SSRSB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin British School</span> School in Berlin, Germany

Berlin British School (BBS) is a private, international English-medium school for children aged 3 to 18, located in Charlottenburg, an affluent locality of Berlin, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumeirah English Speaking School</span> Independent school in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Jumeirah English Speaking School is a British private school located in Dubai, UAE. Its original campus on Sheikh Zayed Road is a primary school; A second campus at Arabian Ranches has students from primary, secondary, and high school. As of December 2016, JESS had 2000 students enrolled.

GEMS World Academy (Dubai) is an international private school, located in Dubai, UAE. The school is managed by GEMS Education. Founded in 2007, it follows the International Baccalaureate Curriculum, and offers education to students ranging from Grade R to Grade 12. As of October 2018, the school has capacity for 2,050 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State International School Seeheim</span> School

The State International School Seeheim, also called SISS is the international branch of the Schuldorf Bergstraße. It is made up of a primary and a secondary branch as well as a pre-school. The school represents a pilot project in Germany - a public school where the language of instruction is primarily English. The school is a community of people from different parts of the world and has strived to be internationally profound. The school has been architecturally designed to look like an irregular pentagon when viewed from above. This is the only state funded international school in Germany, and one of 3 international schools in Germany that offer the IB Diploma Program. The Primary department is designed to prepare students for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island School</span> International school in Hong Kong

Island School is a co-educational international school located on the Mid-levels, Hong Kong. Established in 1967, it is a founding member of the English Schools Foundation. The school has been accredited by international organisations such as the Council of International Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The school currently houses over 1,200 students across 33 nationalities.

References

  1. ↑ VIS School History
  2. ↑ "Secondary School".
  3. ↑ "VIS Competitive Sports Programme". VIS Website. Vienna International School. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.