Program Information

School Vision 

The International School offers the finest educational experience to all its students, one which is unsurpassed in preparing students intellectually, socially, creatively, physically, and emotionally so they are inspired to become lifelong learners and realize their dreams in the world at large. 

School Mission 

The International School strives to offer the best comprehensive secondary education in the United States, providing a unique focus on the phenomenon of globalization and actively teaching the principles of global citizenship. The school and its staff demonstrate leadership in developing the most integrated and effective curriculum in all academic areas, as well as offering a nurturing and supportive learning community that builds strong relationships among students, parents, faculty, and administration. The International School continually assesses and refines its practices to ensure high expectations for all students. 

• Globalization: The International School provides a critical understanding of globalization in its political, economic, social, cultural, technological and environmental dimensions. Students comprehend the increasing interconnectedness and interdependency of the different regions and peoples of the world. 

• Global Citizenship: The International School teaches its students the principles of local, national and global citizenship. Students are encouraged to accept their inherent responsibility as members of the human community and fulfill their duties to the world through active service. 

• Curriculum: The International School provides a challenging and integrated 6-12 education that is widely recognized. The staff takes a leading role in curriculum development and engages in significant interdepartmental and intra-district collaboration. The school leads the way in promoting student academic achievement, scholarly research and service learning. Students demonstrate the values of self-reliance, integrity and responsibility. 

• Community: The International School is a learning community that supports all students of all backgrounds and ability levels, fostering self-confidence, self-discipline and self-worth in every student, enabling them to realize success in school and beyond. Its unique learning environment is characterized by the close student, teacher and family relationships that develop over a seven-year course of study in a small school environment. A strong sense of community is based upon the values of mutual respect, sincere compassion, shared responsibility and continual self-reflection. 

International School Values 

The International School Community will be a safe environment where all members commit to learning and operating with the following values in mind. 

• Integrity is the value of being honest and demonstrating respect for the feelings, wishes, traditions, and identities of others. Integrity guides us in our decision-making regarding how we treat one another as fellow human being and how we treat our shared space.  We commit to acting with integrity and reflecting on our actions and the impact they have on ourselves and our community. 

• Creativity is the use of the imagination or original ideas. We commit to delving into our imagination, pursuing our passions.  We use our creativity to contribute to problem solving, to seek new ways of doing things, and to express our ever-evolving thoughts and to explore our beliefs. 

• Collaboration is the act of working with others to produce or create something. We develop relationships with one another and the skills to work in teams in order to solve complex problems, find solutions, and support one another. We commit to working together and welcome the contributions of others. 

• Growth is the process of developing or maturing academically, physically and emotionally. We are developing academically, physically, socially & emotionally. We will work together to foster a kind and supportive community. We value the process of improving academically, physically, emotionally, and socially. 

Community 

The idea of community, which was developed at the birth of our school, is to regularly bring together groups of students so that they have time during the schedule to break from the normal classroom environment and expand their learning. Community may be based on leadership, academics, or similar interests. It also gives students the opportunity to go out into the community and possibly give something back, meet with fellow classmates, and discuss school and other issues.  

Focus Week 

Every year in the spring, the entire student body, along with teachers and parent volunteers, leave the confines of the classroom to expand their knowledge. Focus Week is designed to teach students that learning can happen outside the classroom. Participation in Focus Week is required to meet the Career and Technical Education elective credits for graduation. Each teacher chooses an activity where he/she/they can help the students better their education. Whether the activity is traveling to a foreign country, learning how to design web pages, or exploring the world of urban planning each student comes away from these experiences with valuable learning that will last well into their adulthood. Focus Week is a critical asset to the education and lives of our students. 

Unique Class Structure 

The International school has a class structure that is different from all other middle and high schools in the Bellevue School District. The school uses a block period structure for student’s class schedules every day. The students attend their 1st period class every day except Wednesday for a shorter period of time compared to their other classes (approximately 1 hour). Students will then attend periods 3, 5 and 7 on Mondays and Thursdays, and attend periods 2, 4 and 6 on Tuesdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, Students will attend either periods 3, 5 and 7 or 2, 4 and 6 depending on the day. Either Wednesdays will be considered even (2, 4, 6) or odd (3, 5, 7) for which periods students will attend for a shorter amount of time each period and a shorter day. This class schedule allows students to have fewer classes every day for more time dedicated to each class. It also gives students generally less homework due each day so they can spend more time focusing on the work of specific classes. 

Senior Project 

Senior Project is a form of learning exclusive to International School seniors. During first semester of senior year, students will interview experts in many different fields to choose  topics for their projects. Once their topics are set, each student will choose a project mentor who is an expert in the field to guide them through their project. Before students can begin their projects, they must create detailed plans describing what their projects will entail and their ultimate goals. 

Each project must have a learning stretch, community involvement aspect, and an overall project achievement that uses what they have learned. Beginning in January, students are released from school early on certain days to spend time to work on their projects according to their plan. There are weekly status reports the student must fill out to stay released. The project ends in late Spring when students will present their project and what they learned to an audience and an expert in the field (known as a “closure”). Following the closure, students have “Senior Board Day,” where they present their project to a panel of judges for a grade. 

Building Community with the Annual High School Retreat 

High school students begin the year with an annual overnight retreat to foster international understanding and nurture a stronger sense of community. The retreat's academic content follows a four-year cycle of geographic and cultural regions including Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.  The retreat’s objectives are for students to explore a few forms of cultural expression; to understand some of the challenges facing different societies and the power we and the world community have to address them; and to appreciate the value of the IS community and its contribution to our overall success for the coming school year.