Riga, Latvia Report of what it's like to live there - 05/05/16
Personal Experiences from Riga, Latvia
School Name:
School Name: International School of Latvia
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent and CLO
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
4-5th
8-9th and
9-10th
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2013-2015
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Government
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
Embassy recommended school
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
A
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A+++ I have never been to a more welcoming and inviting school. The school works hard to welcome the entire family and not only the new student.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
Good- school is smaller than we were used to, but very welcoming.
2. For the following attributes, down to the next blank box, grade your experience at the school on a scale of A (excellent) to F (unacceptable/terrible) and provide comments:<br><br>Overall fair and equitable treatment of all students and families:
A - School was very proactive
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
A+
4. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
Nothing out of the ordinary. School lunch is offered and is a separate expense. There are no uniforms. Most students already have their own laptops, but they have plenty at school if the student does not have their own. All middle and high school students need to buy the fancy graphing calculator no matter which school you are at.
5. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
A++++++ Cody Alton is AMAZING!!! He will work with any child and figure out what he or she needs. He was beyond wonderful for my daughter and he helped her overcome several challenges. Several students also use the Johns Hopkins program for accelerated assignments.
6. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
A They offer many options and opportunities
7. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
B
8. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
B- Always too much homework in my opinion, but that does not reflect on the school.
9. Administration-parent communication:
A+ The school initiated monthly coffee meeting with the parents to ensure open communication
10. Teacher-student communication:
B - Is up to the student to be confident and proactive communicating with the teachers
11. Academics, answer the following questions "yes" or "no" with an explanation if appropriate:<br><br>Are there any classes or subjects where students are not appropriately challenged?
Maybe English at the high school level. When we were there, there were a number of students who were just learning English, so some of the high school English classes were lowered to accommodate those students. Since then, I believe English language tests are now part of the application process.
12. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
Cody Alton met with my daughter in his office and was amazing. Different situations lead to different accommodations. They will come up with a specialized program if needed.
13. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
Absolutely!
14. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
It would be better if it was not only offered online, but it does the trick.
15. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes, plenty.
16. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
Higher level English classes for native speakers
17. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Sports trips are always extra. The 5th grade goes on a big trip every year which is funded by the family. There are a few trips that are mandatory and included in the tuition.
18. What activities do you feel are missing?
Nothing
19. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes, we participated in as many opportunities as we could!
20. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
The school goes way above and beyond to welcome new students and their families.
21. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
When we were there, there was a bit of an issue with students speaking primarily Russian throughout the school. This was addressed and English is the only language spoken at ISL.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
A+++ The school counselor started meeting with my 5th grade daughter and other girls in her grade to discuss general social issues. She was fantastic and the girls loved it.
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
A- Beautiful and well stocked library
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
A- They have a great Design Tech program and plenty of computer people on staff
4. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
A- It is pretty high level for a PE program. Since it is an IB school, the PE program also has to follow the IB standards. My kids had a few essays to write about how to keep score in a particular sport. It was a pretty tough program, which included a dance segment.
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
A- no complaints
6. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
It is an IB school that offers an all IB curriculum
7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes
8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
B- Art, music and drama are all offered. They are constantly looking to improve the programs. Two teachers put on the first school-wide musical when we were there and it was just great.
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes. Most teachers are American.
10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
No, but it was available through Johns Hopkins.
11. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
Yes.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
Yes
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
I did not have any experience with this as a parent or as the CLO. There are, of course, a normal amount of hurt feelings and power plays in every school, but it was pretty normal.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
Mary Russman and the fantastic teachers!
2. Greatest challenge?
The school is pretty far away from the center of Riga. This might be a problem for parents of younger children.
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Absolutely!
