International School of Hamburg - ISH

The excitement is building up.... After the long summer break, is coming back to life.
We welcomed our new teachers for their orientation, while our facility team is still busy freshening up the rooms and corridors. Our teachers returned to prepare classrooms and get ready for the new school year.

WISH Ambassadors helped yesterday to pack the Welcome bags for tomorrow when we will welcome our new families for their orientation.

And finally, on Thursday, the moment we’ve all been waiting for… our students will be back.

We can’t wait to see familiar faces, welcome new ones, and begin another wonderful year of learning, relationships, and personal growth.

Summer Fun @ ISHamburg
Football, Basketball or Drama - our campers are having a blast.
They score goals or shoot hoops, they play and run, try new things, make new friends and are having fun.
Happy campers, big smiles, and plenty of action: that's summer fun at

Our Secondary Design & Technology Exhibition celebrated a year of creativity, innovation, and problem-solving!
Students showcased an exciting range of projects, from sustainable textile designs inspired by slow fashion to custom-designed sunglasses, fidget spinners, organizational products, and identity-focused design solutions. They also explored impressive structures and towers that demonstrated engineering skills and creative thinking. We are incredibly proud of our students for applying the design cycle to create meaningful, functional, and inspiring products. Congratulations to all our young designers on a fantastic year of learning and achievement!

As another school year comes to an end, we'd like to take a moment to look back on some memories, achievements and fun we shared as a community.

Thank you to our students, families, faculty and staff for making this year so special.

Wishing our ISH community a relaxing, joyful and well deserved summer vacation.
Take care of yourselves and we'll see you again in 8 weeks, ready for another fantastic school year 2026-27!

What an amazing International SummerFest 2026

On one of the hottest days of the year, our ISH community came together to celebrate what makes our school so special—friendship, diversity, and a true sense of belonging.

The day began with a relaxed breakfast for our Alumni giving former students, parents and staff the chance to reconnect and share memories. Meanwhile, on the soccer pitch, eight teams made up of students, staff, alumni, and company partners kicked off the first-ever SummerFest Cup, bringing plenty of energy and friendly competition to the morning.

As families arrived, the school grounds quickly filled with laughter, conversation, and the wonderful aromas from our country stalls. Under the shade of the trees, visitors enjoyed delicious food from around the world, games and activities for children, displays of student work, and information about the charities our community supports.

Seeing students at the culture Parade proudly dressed in traditional clothing representing cultures from around the world was a beautiful reminder of the international spirit that defines ISH.
Inside the school, teams competed fiercely for the Techniker Krankenkasse TK Cup in our table football tournament
The excitement continued right until the end with our much-loved country basket raffle before the day concluded with lots of laughter as three lucky winners got the chance to pie our Head of School

A huge thank you to every parent, student, staff member, alumnus, volunteer, sponsor, and supporter who helped make the day such a success. Events like SummerFest remind us that ISH is more than a school—it is a community.

Thank you for celebrating with us. We are already looking forward to next year.

In Memoriam: JoAnna Pegesa

“You be you.”

It was a simple phrase JoAnna Pegesa often shared with her students, encouraging them to be proud of who they were and to treat others with kindness and respect. It became a message many children carried with them far beyond her classroom.

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our dear colleague and friend, JoAnna Pegesa, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Jo joined ISH in 2017 and quickly became a beloved member of our community. Over the years, she taught students from P1 to Grade 2, creating classrooms filled with warmth, laughter, fairness and belonging. She had a remarkable gift for making every child feel seen, valued and safe.
Jo was deeply committed to education, to inclusion, and to helping children become thoughtful global citizens. She was also a wonderful colleague and friend whose positivity, compassion and strength touched so many lives within our community.

Her legacy lives on in the countless students she inspired and in the kindness and confidence she nurtured in others.

In honor of Jo and the causes she cared so deeply about, we invite those who wish to do so to support Make a Wish Foundation in Jo’s memory. This charity supported Jo when she battled cancer as a child. Instead of flowers, Jo asked that people contribute to help other children’s wishes come true.

Fun at the Junior School Sports Day
The Junior School Sports Day was filled with excitement, energy, and joy as students from Grades 1 to 5 spent a day outdoors enjoying a variety of fun and challenging activities. The children competed in games such as tug-of-war, sponge water relay races, obstacle runs, long jump, and many more team games and sports activities.

Throughout the day, students showed great determination and teamwork. Many were serious about winning and gave their best effort in every challenge, while also encouraging and cheering on their classmates. The atmosphere was full of school spirit and friendship.

More importantly, the Sports Day gave students the opportunity to have fun together, build confidence, and enjoy healthy competition in a positive and supportive environment. It was a fun day filled with smiles, teamwork, and wonderful memories.

AI Challenge at the University of Hamburg

Today, the University of Hamburg hosted an exciting AI Challenge, organized in collaboration with ARIC (Artificial Intelligence Center Hamburg). The event brought together students and professionals from leading Hamburg companies to compete in a series of creative and thought-provoking AI-related challenges.

Representing ISHamburg, 2 students from grade 6 and 7 teamed up with other students from Hamburg and took part in the competition, going head-to-head with experienced professionals across six different challenges—and achieving an impressive overall victory of 4:2.

The challenges covered a broad range of AI-related skills and ideas, including creative programming to make NEO dance, data analysis, effective prompting, communication under constraints, visual recognition, and critical evaluation of digital content. Each task required participants to think quickly, collaborate effectively, and apply both technical understanding and creativity.

The event provided a valuable opportunity to explore real-world applications of artificial intelligence while competing in a dynamic and engaging environment. Our ISH students represented the school with confidence and determination, making it a memorable and successful day.

Author Nora Sun was presenting today in the Junior School Assembly and holding an illustration workshop around her beautiful book 'The Peaskeepers' with grade 3 students.

'The Peaskeepers' is a story about connection, empathy, and the many ways children around the world understand and nurture peace. Through the simple yet powerful symbol of peas, the book shows how small acts of kindness, listening or sharing can grow into something much bigger. Each page reflects a different cultural perspective, reminding young readers that while we may live in different places, our hopes for friendship and harmony are universal.

During assembly, Nora introduced our students to the story behind the book — a project driven by her dream to connect children globally and explore what “peace” means across cultures.

Our third graders then had the opportunity to take part in live illustration workshops, where Nora collaborated in real time with two of her co-illustrators — one joining from Switzerland and another from Egypt. Together, they guided students step by step in drawing a raccoon 🦝 and a camel 🐪 in different sessions, bringing the global spirit of the book to life in the ISH Library.

The session concluded with a thoughtful Q&A, where students asked insightful questions about:
✨ Nora’s inspiration and dream behind the book
✨ The challenges of working with illustrators across different countries
✨ How long it took to bring such an ambitious project to life
✨ The journey to publishing
✨ And the meaning behind the title “Peas” vs “Peace”

It was a wonderful reminder that creativity knows no borders, and that even the smallest ideas like a pea can grow into powerful messages about connection, collaboration, and peace

Thank you, Nora, for your visit and the inspiring workshops!

ISH Young Leaders at 'Leading With Empathy' conference at BIS in Munich

12 of our Junior School students spent the last day of their Easter break travelling to Munich to take part in the 2026 AGIS Young Leaders Conference at the Bavarian International School. Centered around the theme “Leading with Empathy,” and inspired by guest speaker Ed Kirwan, the day was filled with meaningful conversations, collaboration, and inspiration.

Our students worked together with students from other international schools, sharing their voices, ideas, and aspirations. They built new friendships, made valuable connections, and truly embraced what it means to lead with empathy.

A memorable and empowering experience for all students and teachers, so inspiring that ISHamburg will be hosting this conference next year - we can't wait welcoming the future leaders to .