International School of Tallinn

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!

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#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

Our students are really nailing these posters. Here is another one from Menula, grade 2. Thanks, Menula!

#stayathome
#IST
#fightcovid19

Chris, grade 2, has made a poster to share another positive message. Thank you, Chris!

#stayathome
#IST
#fightcovid19

Our school counselor, Mr. Kyle Mokma, has shared this important message from the W.H.O. about health and well being during these times.

Remember to eat healthy, avoid substance use to deal with emotions, and socialize online!

#IST
#stayathome

You can access the W.H.O. file here: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/coping-with-stress.pdf?sfvrsn=9845bc3a_2

A positive message from Daria (grade 2). We can do this!

#stayathome
#IST

Here is another important message from our students. This time from siblings Faizan and Maraam (preschool and grade 6).

Let's all remember to Eat Healthy!

Thank you, guys! Keep up the good work (from home)!

#IST
#stayathome
#internationalschool

In order to raise awareness and lift the spirits of our school families, IST asked some parents to send photos of our students communicating important messages. Here is our first entry:

Preschool and grade 2 siblings Victoria and Christian made this lovely poster!

#IST
#stayathome

During these difficult times, our school is happy to offer support for all IST families. Here is an important message from our school counselor, Mr. Kyle.

#IST
#studyathome
#englishschoolinestonia
#internationalschooloftallinn
#Stayathome

#IST
#internationalschool
#stayathome

The Government of Estonia has recently announced new measures to continue containing the spread of Covid-19. Please read the information below.

Let's stay safe and continue to protect ourselves and our loved ones!

Even while practicing social distancing and staying at home, remember to wash your hands!

#IST
#internationalschool
#stayathome

#IST
#studyathome
#distanceeducation

In addition to sharing tips to help IST families during distance learning, we also want to share World Health Organization information regarding Covid-19.

Remember to always look for official sources in regards to the corona virus outbreak.
For more information visit the W.H.O. and the Republic of Estonia Health Board websites:
http://www.who.int
https://www.terviseamet.ee/en/covid19

#IST
#stayathome

TIPS FOR STUDYING AT HOME

IST is aware of the overwhelming task that our school families have been asked to perform during this challenging shift to distance learning.
Besides the great work our teaching staff has been doing, we want to provide additional support in the form of small tips that will be posted throughout the following days.
Here is the first.

#IST #internationalschool

SPOTLIGHT MOMENT

This week's Spotlight Moment comes from three sisters!

Marianna (grade 5) is an artist: this is her work painting on silk. Veronika (grade 3) plays the piano and even performed in our last Christmas Concert. Alisa (preschool) likes rhythmic gymnastics and trains 5 times a week: she got a medal in her last competition too.

What a talented family! We are proud of you!

#IST #internationalschool #spotlights
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If your child has participated in any activity/competition/charitable event recently, we would love to add him/her to our Spotlight Moment post. Please send an email to [email protected] with a photo and a description of the event and/or achievement.

SPOTLIGHT MOMENT

This week we begin a series of posts to highlight the achievements of our school pupils. We'll call it Spotlight Moment.

Our first contribution comes from grade 1 student Aarion. He recently won the Silver Medal in the Estonian National Wrestling Championship!

Well done, Aarion! We are proud of you!

#IST #internationalschool #spotlights
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If your child has participated in any activity/competition/charitable event recently, we would love to add him/her to our Spotlight Moment post. Please send an email to [email protected] with a photo and a description of the event and/or achievement.

99 Math Tournament

Last Thursday, our pupils participated in a mathematics competition through 99math, an online game designed for students to practice math by playing with friends. All students did a great job and received a certificate. Some students made it to the top 3 in their group and receive additional certificates and prizes. Great job!

We would like to thank the 99math team for coming to our school to organize this competition, and our teachers and 7-10 grade students for helping throughout the game. To all pupils who participated: we are proud of you!

#IST #internationalschool #99math #mathcompetition

Estonian Independence Day Celebration

On Friday, February 21st, all our students and staff got together to celebrate Estonian Independence. We stood up for the national anthem, heard a few words from our director, and sang two folk songs to celebrate Estonian heritage.

We would like to thank Ms. Merily for organizing the event, and the following students and teachers for performing: Eva, Stella, Aryan, Maraam, Luisa, Naoshaba, Michelle, Charlotte, Mr. David and Ms. Merily.

#IST #estonianindependence #celebration #schoolevent #internationalschool

Please feel welcome to apply, recommend or share!🤗🙏

Friend's Day Celebration

IST celebrated Sõbrapäev (Friend's Day/Valentine's Day) last Friday and it was a lot of fun! Our students made cards and sent kind messages to colleagues and teachers.
We were very happy to see love and kindness being spread around our school.