International School of Tallinn

International School of Tallinn is expanding.

We are hiring an additional French teacher. For more detailed information check the add the below.

Yesterday, IST staff was present at the Ülemiste City Community Day: one of the most important events in Ülemiste City, where the district's community got together to share information about services and developments in the largest smart city in the Baltic region.

During recess, some of our students and teachers came over to say hi. Thank you everyone for joining us today!

Meet our IT Manager / MYP Design Teacher:

Michael Neuwahl

Michael is a driven IB educator with years of experience as an IB teacher and IT Director in international schools in Estonia, Switzerland, and China. He joined IST in 2020 and teaches PYP ICT, MYP Design, and DP Design Technology. He will teach the complete MYP Design program, which includes Food, Product, and Digital Design. The program is intended to teach students transferable life skills, enable them to explore design thinking, and establish meaningful connections with prior learning.

Meet our Music Teacher:

Gözde Keser

Gözde was born in Bursa, Turkey but spent her childhood in Antalya. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Marmara University, Istanbul. After her bachelor studies she started her teaching career at Doga Colleges in Istanbul. While working as music teacher, she studied Audio engineering at SAE Institute and she further holds a master’s degree in Digital Learning Games from Tallinn University. She designs sounds and compose music for video games.

Meet our Grade 6/7 Homeroom Teacher /Sciences Teacher:

Helmi Kreinin

Helmi is originally from Estonia. After being schooled in three different countries in three different languages Helmi started university in Scotland. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Glasgow gaining an MSci in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry and continued on to a Ph.D. in Chemical biology linked to a new important biological target. After completing her Ph.D. she felt drawn to teaching and completed a two-year PGDE Leadership in Learning course at Sheffield Hallam University. During her teacher training, she also continued to work full time in two English secondary schools in one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in England.
Helmi is passionate about science communication and outreach, she believes that scientific literacy has the power to change lives for the better for everyone.

Meet our Humanities and Social Sciences Teacher:

Sheldon Perris

Sheldon Perris is from Canada and earned a bachelor’s degree in Canadian History and Political Science from Thompson Rivers University. After traveling through Africa and working in a variety of different industries, he applied to the prestigious University of Alberta where he completed, with distinction, a bachelor’s degree in education specializing in Social Studies and English as a Second Language. He recently spent four years teaching in Egypt, where he also led many extracurricular programs, such as a school newsletter, chess club, long-distance running club, and a boys and girls basketball club.

Meet our Grade 5 Homeroom Teacher:

Lynne Bibi

Lynne was born in Canada to Lebanese and Palestinian parents. Over her childhood, she lived in Canada, Turkey, the UAE, the UK, Switzerland, and Lebanon. She studied Elementary Education at the American University of Beirut. Lynne went on to complete her Masters of Science in Education at the University of Edinburgh, graduating both times with distinction.
In her professional experience, Lynne has taught Grades 3 & 4 Mathematics and Grade 3 PYP Homeroom in Dubai and Beirut respectively. She has 6 years of international teaching experience, 4 of which in the PYP.

Meet our Grade 3 Homeroom Teacher and Spanish teacher:

Sonia Martinez-Parra

Sonia was born in Madrid and in her early childhood she knew she wanted to become a teacher. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Education specializing in English as a foreign language, and completed her Practicum in Greece. Since then she hasn't stopped teaching and traveling. Sonia has lived in England, Hong Kong, China, and the Czech Republic, nurturing her vision of the world and learning about different education systems and methodologies.
Sonia is also a teacher of Spanish, Mindfulness, and a student of Social and Cultural Anthropology.

Continuing to introduce our new staff members, meet the Public Relations Manager of IST:

Nargiz Askarova

Nargiz was born and raised in Baku, Azerbaijan. She obtained her BA in Korean Language from the Azerbaijan University of Languages. She has since trained professionally as an interpreter and translator, and is fluent in Korean, English, and Azerbaijani (she also has a working knowledge of Turkish and Russian). Over the past six years, she has worked with a range of business professionals, public sector agencies and corporate houses, engaged in international business negotiations as trusted interpreter and translator. She is currently pursuing her MA in Social Entrepreneurship at Tallinn University.

This year we have welcomed many new members to our staff. They were all introduced to students and parents in the Opening Ceremony, and now we will be sharing a little something about them here as well.

Let's start with our SEN Coordinator:

Hanna Hark

Hanna was born and raised in Rapla, Estonia. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Special Education from Tallinn University. She started her career as a special educational needs teacher and has since had a number of different roles teaching children who need additional support in the classroom. She has gained experience in working with various students across many levels, grades, and subject areas.

One week ago, IST held its 2020/21 Opening Ceremony at Ülemiste Park. It was a lovely afternoon that we got to share with our school community.

Here are some special moments captured throughout the event.

IST OPENING CEREMONY

The 2020/21 school year started today!

It was great to see so many new and returning IST families in our opening ceremony. We are very excited to get started and hope that this school year will be a great experience for all our pupils, staff and families.

READY TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL?

This year's IST Opening Ceremony is coming! Next Tuesday, September 1st, all parents and students are welcome to join our staff in a picnic style ceremony, from 12:00 at Ülemiste City Park.

Parents, make sure to check your emails for further information (sent in the latest newsletter).

We hope to see you there!

Plans to develop education complex at Ülemiste City

IST ON THE NEWS

The expansion of IST and our plans to move into a new building in 2022 have made the news! Mainor Group is making a large investment to re-develop our school's facilities and enhance our tools for delivering excellent education.

Check the article below to learn more:
https://news.err.ee/1123373/plans-to-develop-education-complex-at-ulemiste-city

news.err.ee Private higher education institution Mainor, in the Ülemiste district of Tallinn, is to build two school buildings and a kindergarten on Valukoja tänav, in the heart of the Ülemiste City hub, with development starting in spring of 2021 and the educational establishments should open their doors in...

IST IS GROWING

We are looking for additional teaching staff members to join our team this summer. Have a look at the ad below.
#ist
#jobsintallinn
#internationalschool

NEWSFLASH

IST has officially become a DP Candidate School!
After receiving our PYP Accreditation in May, we are now an official candidate for both the Middle Years Program and the Diploma Program.

We are very proud of our school community for putting in the effort and working hard every day to reach the highest standards in education. We are excited to be taking this first step and will do our best to succeed in receiving accreditation.

Let's do this!

#ist
#ibworldschool
#internationalschool

TALENT SHOW EXTRAS

Continuing to share our pupils' talents, today we have another lovely performance of Guy Beart's L'Eau Vive, by Gabriel in grade 4. Well sung, Gabriel!

#IST
#internationalschool
#talentshow
#frenchsong

Michael's Comic Book

This video comes to us from MICHAEL, in grade 8. He is developing a comic book project and it looks just AMAZING. Watch his presentation here.

[06/12/20]   IST TALENT SHOW EXTRAS

Dear IST families,

Yesterday we had a great time sharing performances and artworks from our talented students. Some pupils didn't get a chance to send in their work in time for the Live show, but we have received them now and it is our pleasure to share them with you over the next few days!

Check out our next post to see the first one.

IST Talent Show Countdown

IST Talent Show Countdown!!

Talent show reminder

Talent show reminder!!!

IST SPRING TALENT SHOW IS COMING!

Next Thursday, June 11, we'll be live streaming our school's Spring Talent Show via this page right here! All IST families are welcome to join us, wherever they are, and watch our pupils showcase different talents during this unique event.

The show starts at 5pm, Tallinn time. Save the date and join us next week!

#IST
#talentshow
#internationalschool
#livestreaming
#facebooklive

NEWSFLASH

IST has officially become an IB World School!
Our school has been authorized by IBO to offer the Primary Years Program.

This is a significant milestone in the history of IST and it was only possible due to the hard work of all members of staff and the commitment of our students and parents.

After years of dedication to excellence and implementing IB principles, it is a great joy to share this achievement with all IST teachers, students, families and partners. This victory belongs to all of us.

CONGRATULATIONS, EVERYONE!

#IST
#IBWorldSchool
#internationalschool

We are happy to introduce you to another teacher who has recently joined the IST team:

Kerli Liksor – Estonian Teacher

Kerli was born in Estonia and got her MA in Teaching Estonian from Tallinn University, while also teaching grades 5 to 12 at Pirita Gymnasium of Economics.
She lived in London for ten years, where she taught: Estonian as a mother tongue and foreign language to 3–12 year old pupils at the Estonian School in London, Estonian as a foreign language to adults at different levels, to the current British ambassador in Estonia, and to several British army groups who came to work in Estonia.

In addition to this she has experience in public service interpreting and written translations. In London she also worked in Sandringham Primary School and Stratford School Academy in the Learning Support department.

Kerli believes that a personalised approach to each student is very important. She is keen on finding new ideas from pupils, parents, and fellow teachers.

Welcome to IST, Kerli!

#IST
#internationalschool

IST is happy to announce we have recently had new additions to our teaching staff. Today, we would like to introduce you to:

Maarja Jõgi– PE Teacher

"My love for sports started from the age of 5 when my mom took me to gymnastics lessons. Huge curiosity about human body and movement lead me to study Sports Sciences at the University of Tartu, where I also got my masters degree. At university I had a chance to explore different kinds of sports and activities.
I truly believe that the human body is made to move. My goal is to motivate children to move and enjoy sports, because of the goodness it has brought into my life. Sports are also a great way to teach discipline and develop good habits."

Welcome to IST, Maarja!

#IST
#internationalschool

Continuing to share W.H.O tips for parents during these times, today's tip deals with talking about Covid-19 with your children.

Kids may get curious and anxious about the current situation and parents might find it difficult to explain what's happening in their countries or around the world.
It's a good idea to talk about it: keep it simple, think about how much they can understand at their age, and remember that it's OK if you don't know all the answers.

To read all W.H.O. tips, visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/healthy-parenting

#IST
#covid19
#internationalschool

HACK THE CRISIS

In April, Ms. Tracy Wenzinger shared with our MYP students the opportunity of joining HACK THE CRISIS: an online hackathon to tackle issues arising from the current Covid-19 crisis. IST student Uthman, grade 10, took up the challenge.

"It was very exciting to meet individuals like me who are interested in changing the world as we know it and to see everyone there below the age of 19 was quite inspiring."

Uthman joined a team to develop an idea of his to help solve the physical issues caused by home isolation and excess screen time exposure during this crisis.

"I learnt a lot of useful information about time management which is a problem that greatly impacts my everyday life."

Uthman and his team have started working on the idea with some schools in Estonia and Swedbank, and are expecting to develop a prototype very soon. This is not his first time: in 2019, Uthman joined the Garage 48 Hackathon hosted by IST and his team won one of the top prizes! (photo below)

We are very happy to see this kind of forward thinking and entrepreneurial mindset, Uthman!
IST could not be more proud!

#IST
#hackathon
#hackthecrisis

Need some ideas to keep your children busy and active during school break? Take a look at the tips below!

And don't forget to find some quiet time for yourself.

To read all W.H.O. tips, visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/healthy-parenting

#IST
#internationalschool
#stayathome
#schoolbreak

Today's tip is about dealing with bad behavior. Check out these suggestions on what to do when your child misbehaves and you must deal with anger management.

To read all W.H.O. tips, visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/healthy-parenting

#IST
#internationalschool
#stayathome

Having to spend this school break indoors, unable to travel or engage in other activities, is certainly quite frustrating. One thing that might help is to keep a structured routine for the kids.

Have a look at the following tips from the W.H.O. and come up with a daily routine for your little ones. Don't forget to find some time for yourself!

Teenage students can come up with their own routine, which might include catching up to their school projects or simply taking time off. Just make sure they follow through and encourage them to add reading time and other "screen-free" activities.

To read all tips, visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/healthy-parenting

#IST
#internationalschool
#stayathome

Today's tip is about keeping a positive atmosphere!

Remember that using positive reinforcement is often more effective when dealing with the little ones.
Encouraging teenagers to connect with their friends through social media during school break is another helpful way to keep them positive and socially active.

To read all tips, visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/healthy-parenting

#IST
#internationalschool
#stayathome

This week is our school break! In order to keep supporting school parents, we would like to share some tips made available by the W.H.O. during this difficult time.

The first tip is about finding one-on-one time. We hope this will help our families over the following weeks!

To read all tips, visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/healthy-parenting

#IST
#internationalschool
#stayathome