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Choosing a school for your son or daughter is an important decision for parents. The benefits to a child educated at Wisconsin International School will be achieved through:
- a strong academic program,
- caring teachers,
- character development,
- service projects for the local and non-local communities,
- a global perspective in the curriculum,
- and the personal attention each student will receive through small class size.
We are able to package this solid educational experience at a very reasonable tuition cost compared to other private and independent schools in the Midwest.
Mathematics, Science and Technology
Parents will see the advantage of the traditional approach to teaching mathematics with the well-sequenced program Math Connects by MacMillan/McGraw-Hill. Our teachers will keep our students challenged through lessons geared to the level the students are at.
Science will be more of a hands-on approach working on trans-disciplinary International Baccalaureate (IB) units. FOSS, Delta and Einstein curriculum will be utilized.
Technology will be used as a teaching tool in the classrooms with access to Smart Boards. These interactive whiteboards allow Internet access giving teachers incredible possibilities for sharing information in the classroom. Internet access will be available on additional computers in the classroom as well as a computer lab.
Global Thinking
WIS endeavors to develop international-mindedness in our students. Through our foreign language program, WIS students will learn about other cultures as they develop their skills in communicating in a second language. Our teachers will use examples and materials that bring the world into the classroom. Many of the social studies units will cover history, geography and culture from around the world. Our students will be encouraged to pose questions and seek solutions to global issues. Moreover, we will encourage our students to recognize that there are several perspectives to any question and that through being a member of our diverse school community, we are enriched. All of these features of our curriculum are based on the International Baccalaureate program we are implementing at WIS. In sum, the exceptional WIS education builds students who are open to the world and are confident in their skills to face the future.
Foreign Language
Parents are choosing WIS because we offer Mandarin and Spanish instruction every day with native or near-native teachers. In these courses, the teacher will only be speaking in the target language so our students will have the most natural immersion experience in the language.
Writing and Research
From the youngest students upward, WIS students will be writing. The scribbling of the junior kindergarten child grows into the story about a personal experience for the second grader who uses a mixture of invented spelling and standard spelling. This grows into the sixth grader writing about a global issue, which evolves into the eighth grader drafting his/her speech. In other words, our writing program teaches students the process of writing, based on the renowned educator Lucy Caulkins.
Music and Enrichment Program
Beyond our general music program, students can expand their music skills with private lessons in piano or violin during the school day. After school, we will be offering our extended day enrichment program beginning with the opening of the school in the fall.
Caring Faculty
The Wisconsin International School is an independent school of which there are over 1,300 across the nation. In repeated surveys, the parents rate their independent school teachers tops. They care about their students, can speak about each one as an individual and give them personal attention. Teachers want to teach at independent schools because of the community environment and because independent schools are “what all schools should be like.”
Character Development
Part of the WIS mission is to develop young people who are honest, self-disciplined and exhibit fair play. We will model techniques that teach children to notice and internalize the core values of honesty and self-discipline. Positive teacher language will use words and tone as a tool to promote children's active learning, sense of community, and self-discipline. Our classrooms will be set up in ways that encourage students' independence, cooperation, and productivity. Additionally, we believe in logical consequences and responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity.
Community and Service
All students must contribute to making the school community a model for what the larger society should be. Our service program will be active. Every grade will take on projects that improve our school community and the larger community outside our school. The older students will be encouraged to take leadership in creating activities that foster a sense of community and provide service to the community locally, regionally, nationally and globally.
Reasonable Pricing
The Wisconsin International School offers an exceptional value. The tuition at other independent schools in Wisconsin range from $7400 to $16,197 annually. WIS is reasonably priced between $6000 and $9000. Our generous financial aid program brings the price down closer to other private schools in northeast Wisconsin.
Parent Involvement
At WIS, parents are essential partners. We welcome parents to visit classrooms, maintain ongoing dialogues with teachers, volunteer for classroom activities, serve on school committees, or help with the lunch program. After the year has started, we will be organizing a parent association to help coordinate parent support of the school.
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