EIS "Heads Up!"

This is our seventh HeadsUp Newsletter video featuring Artūrs Piļkēvičs.

It has been exactly 1 year, 10 months, and 28 days since Exupery International School launched the Latvian Studies Olympiad in cooperation with the National Centre for Education of Latvia, the Latvian Language Agency, the Latvian History and Social Studies Teachers' Association, and the Latvian National History Museum.

Today, this event has become an established tradition, and we are thrilled to share the photos of the Latvian Studies Olympiad Award Ceremony, which Exupery International School hosted just before Easter. With over 100 guests from schools across Latvia in attendance, this memorable occasion showcased the academic achievements and camaraderie among students.

Being an international school entails more than just providing the highest quality education. For us at Exupery International School, it means fostering a modern community of like-minded, bright young people active in academic and social life. We aim to help them become global citizens who contribute positively to our interconnected world.

We thank all our partners and participants who contributed to making this event a success. We look forward to many more enriching experiences together.

During the week of April 14-19 Exupery International School hosted a Council of International Schools accreditation visit. CIS is one of the most established and well-known accrediting bodies in international education. The seven visiting team members spent the whole week on campus meeting with self-study committees for each of the nine domains and with particular target groups, like students, parents, support staff, teachers, and the board.

Apart from ticking the box and achieving significant status, our CIS accreditation has enabled our school to take a close look in the mirror and make substantial progress over the past few years. A big thank you goes to all community members who participated in and contributed to this process.

The visit of CIS members was the last step in a self-study process that spanned over four years at EIS. While the official report and conclusion are expected to arrive within eight weeks of the visit, the preliminary verbal feedback of the visiting team was very positive.

There is a striking similarity between a good school and a good book: both provide keys to locked doors in the castle of knowledge, leading seekers through corridors of wisdom to rooms filled with insight. This is why, at Exupery International School, we deeply value books and actively promote reading among our students in various ways.

For instance, we just hosted the Book Days. The event kicked off with our Head of School, Artūrs Piļkēvičs, reading his current nonfiction book by M. Scott Peck aloud to an attentive M&H audience. During lunch breaks in the assembly hall, teachers read books by English, French, Latvian, and Russian authors like Robert Cormier, Lewis Carroll, Ivan Turgenev, and others. During literature lessons, students also engaged in a project where they selected their favorite quotes and created posters to decorate the school walls. Some middle school students also visited primary classes to share the joy of reading picture books. Then, students and school staff dressed up as their favorite book characters to add even more fun to the event.

We thank our English Language and ELL Teacher, Līga Grundšteine, our Middle and High School Librarian, Jūlija Petuhova, and our Primary School Librarian, Vita Šaldova, for organizing such a memorable event. We are also grateful to every teacher and student who took the time to participate in the Book Days.

Click on the gallery to see highlights from our Book Days. To follow our tradition, pick a book from the shelf and dive into the magic of reading!

On Wednesday, April 17, we celebrated a milestone for our Senior Class of 2024. It was their final day of regular lessons before stepping into their IB (International Baccalaureate) DP exams. This marked a historic last day of school for them, and some of them have been with us since the very beginning.

The Junior Class (Grade 11) and the student council jointly set up a special mailbox where students and staff could write notes of appreciation and best wishes to the seniors. Then, a special assembly was organized to congratulate the seniors. Additionally, the school held a festive breakfast to thank seniors for their efforts and give them a moment of celebration.

In the words of our fantastic Head of Middle & High School, Alina Jeremenko, to the students: "As you take on this challenging and exciting journey, remember that your school family is with you every step. Good luck, 12th graders! We believe in you and cannot wait to see all of you succeed!"

One key objective of Exupery International School's Career and College Counseling program is to give students opportunities to interact with university representatives from around the globe. This interaction is pivotal as it helps broaden our students' perspectives on their future academic and career possibilities.

Two weeks ago, we were pleased to welcome representatives from prestigious institutions such as Les Roches, with campuses in Switzerland and Spain; Glion, located in Switzerland and the UK; Bocconi University in Italy; IE University in Spain; Constructor University in Germany; and Brussels School of Governance in Belgium.

During their visit, students had the opportunity to attend presentations, engage in discussions, and ask detailed questions about university life and the programs offered. Upon their departure, the representatives spoke highly of our school and students, underscoring the visit's success. We thank the university representatives, our college counselling department, and the students who participated in the meeting. We look forward to the next visit!

Just before the Spring Break, our preschoolers engaged in fun activities thoughtfully prepared by their teaching staff.
For example, they tackled a fun Easter egg scavenger hunt, got creative with egg painting, and made various crafts representing Easter celebrations in multiple cultures across the globe.

These activities are a testament to EIS Preschool's core belief in hands-on and experiential learning. We thank all the teachers, assistants, and nannies for making this day memorable for our students.

Committed to living in a sustainable and clean environment, this Saturday, the Exupery International School's community proudly participated in the nationwide initiative called "Lielā Talka", a.k.a. "The Great Clean-up".

The designated area for the EIS team to clean up was the Babīte polder, near the Ventspils highway. The good cause brought together 13 enthusiastic participants, including the Head of School, teachers, students from G2, G8 and G11, and even one preschooler!

"Lielā Talka," or "The Great Clean-Up," is an annual volunteer event that aims to recover and improve the environment while fostering unity, positivity, and a sense of care for wildlife.

First organized in 2008, Lielā Talka has attracted around 500,000 participants locally and has significantly reduced trash in the area. This year's theme was "tīri-zaļi-ilgi," translating to clean-green-sustainable.

We thank everyone who joined and contributed to making our environment cleaner and greener. Your dedication and hard work truly make a significant difference, and we are immensely proud of you!

"Together, we spent about 2.5 hours cleaning the area and collected approximately 20 large bags of trash. Our haul included several tires, car windshields, other car parts, a TV set, and a pair of glasses trapped in the roots of a plant, among other unidentifiable objects", - tells the leader of the EIS team, our Primary Visual Arts

Teacher and CAS Program Coordinator, Linda Kande, adding that during their efforts, the team members also enjoyed observing the local wildlife, – "There were a sparrow hawk, swans, Eurasian coots, starlings, wild ducks, and even a roe deer. Although we did not see the beavers, their presence was evident through their work around the lake".

"Food for thought"

Build rapport — remove obstacles, e.g., the table between you and your coachee;

Ask open-ended questions that prompt thinking and reflection;

Pause after you ask a question and after the person answers to allow a person to think and reflect;

Rephrase the person summarizing the main ideas, feelings;

Avoid solutional or autobiographic listening: do not make any suggestions or give examples of your experience, solutions, etc.

Try having such a conversation with your colleague, friend, relative, or child, and you will be surprised by the positive effect it can have on thinking and development!

Re-enrolment in process – book your spot for next academic year!