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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 are achieved through:
• a strong academic program,
• a character development 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 see the advantage of the traditional approach to teaching mathematics with the well-sequenced program Math Connects by MacMillan/McGraw-Hill. Our teachers keep our students challenged through lessons geared to the level the students are at and the problem solving strand in this curriculum. Middle school students take pre-Algebra and Algebra in 7th and 8th grades.
Science will be more of a hands-on approach working on trans-disciplinary International Baccalaureate (IB) units. Some Delta and Einstein units are being utilized as well.
Technology is 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 is available on additional computers in the classroom as well as the media lab.
Character Development
Intellect and character go hand in the development of a young person. The twelve IB Attitudes are the focal point in our character education program. All classrooms have these displayed. Teachers and students model these expectations. Each month our school emphasizes one or two of the attitudes. Parents, teachers, other students recognize students for demonstrating the attitudes. The “achievement” bulletin board in our front lobby is where we display the recognition slips. Additionally through our Responsive Classroom approaches, positive teacher language in words and tone promote the students' active learning, sense of community, and self-discipline. Our classrooms are set up in ways that encourage students' independence, cooperation, and productivity. At the start of the school year, each elementary constructs classroom expectations and consequences. 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.
Global Thinking
WIS endeavors to develop international-mindedness in our students. Through our foreign language program, WIS students learn about other cultures as they develop their skills in communicating in a second language. Our teachers use examples and materials that bring the world into the classroom. Our students are encouraged to pose questions and seek solutions to global issues. Moreover, we 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
Among the many reasons parents choose WIS for their children is the daily foreign language lessons. We offer Mandarin and Spanish instruction every day with native-speaking teachers. In these courses, the teacher is speaking in the target language so our students have the most natural immersion experience in the language. This instruction begins in 3K.
Writing and Research
From the youngest students upward, WIS students will be writing. The scribbling of the 4K 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 Calkins.
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.” In our surveys, 92% of our parents give our teachers rating of 4 or 5 out of 5.
Community 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 $4050 and $9750. 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. Our parent association is very active in welcoming new families, organizing community events and fund raising.
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