EIS "HeadsUp!"

Dear EIS Community,

Welcome to 2025! As you will see from this issue we do not sit and wait for the year to kick in, and we jumped into this new year full on from the very start. From research conference and Olympiads to talent shows and university prep, the past few weeks at EIS have been packed with excitement. Students explored big ideas, put their skills to the test, and took important steps toward their futures. Watch the latest Heads-Up! vlog or read the full recap to stay up to date with all our news!

January Edition 2025

Artūrs Piļkēvičs

None of this would have been possible without the dedication of the event organizers: DP Coordinator Mrs. Fleur Serrière, Humanities Teacher Mr. Germans Aminovs, Head of Science Department Mrs. Linda Edine, Head of Math Department Mrs. Zane Latve, and Middle and High School Principal Mrs. Alina Jeremenko. Thanks to everyone who made this event a success. Moments like this show how curiosity drives action and brings people together. Here is to more exploration and innovation!

Biology - our G11 student took 1st place at the Regional Olympiad and is heading to the National level

French - our G11 and G12 students absolutely rocked the Regional Olympiad, winning three golds, one silver, and one bronze. Now, it’s time to prepare for Nationals!

Informatics - our super talented G12 student coded his way to 1st place at the Regional Olympiad and secured a spot at Nationals. Precision, logic, and problem-solving at their finest!

English - two G11 students impressed at the Regional Olympiad, earning 3rd place and an Honorable Mention. Mastering language and analysis is no easy feat!

Mathematics – Wow! Competing against older students, our G6 student earned an Honorable Mention at the Open Olympiad. An incredible achievement!

Physics Brawl - with a fresh lineup of students from G9 to G12, our new and very enthusiastic team went head-to-head with nearly 2000 other teams worldwide and placed 179th—an impressive result in a competition of this scale!

Chemistry – Our Grades 10–12 students tackled the State Chemistry Olympiad, and now we eagerly wait for the results. Fingers crossed!

A huge thank you to our teachers for their guidance and encouragement. And to all our Olympiad participants—you have made us incredibly proud!

Some may wonder how do we achieve Top 5 ranking among local schools. We participate in the Olympiads! The start od the 2025 has been very impressive in this regard:

The EIS Talent Show, “Fox’s Got Talent!” was a spectacular celebration of creativity, hard work, and incredible skill. With over ten performances spanning dance, gymnastics, singing, drawing, multilingualism, horse riding, and even… ear movements, our Primary School students left the audience in awe!

Our respected jury rated each performance based on technique, creativity, stage presence, and overall impact. But honestly, we think everyone was a winner that day! And here’s a surprise twist! The show’s organizers – our amazing teachers Bridget Clyma, Ginta Strode, Olga Šancovaja, and Vladislava Haugh – also took the stage, delivering a performance that was legendary!
A huge thank you to our incredible performers, the supportive audience, and the organizers for making this such a memorable event. Special shout-out to the student council for their involvement.

From Auckland to Amsterdam, from New York to Qingdao, and now, for the second time, in Pinki, Latvia, we proudly hosted the World Scholar's Cup regional round, celebrating an incredible sense of global community!

Our teams competed with talented students from other schools in Latvia and Lithuania, showcasing their skills in creative writing, debating, and diving into fascinating scientific and philosophical questions under the theme "Reimagining the Present."

And what a success it was! Competing against six teams in the Junior Division and over 20 in the Senior Division, our students truly excelled. The Senior Division teams claimed first and second place overall, while the Junior Division earned second place as an overall team. We even had the highest-scoring scholar of the Junior Division among our students who won first place for her essay!

The result? Our teams not only brought home numerous medals—both gold and silver—but also qualified for the Global Rounds! We thank all our students, teachers, staff, guests, and, of course, the World Scholar's Cup organizers for making this event a success. We can’t wait for the next rounds!

Grade 10 students are in the process of selecting their IB Diploma Programme subjects. In a session with Dr. Rhonda and Ms. Daria, they explored university entry requirements across different regions and learned which IB subjects best support their future academic and career paths. This was followed by individual meetings where students discussed potential university destinations. It was inspiring to see such a diverse range of interests—from entrepreneurship and business to industrial engineering, art, and design. Grade 11 students participated in a Q&A session on university application preparation where a Grade 12 student who applied to over 25 top universities in the US and UK shared valuable insights from his experience. Key takeaways? Plan ahead. Take standardized tests early, enroll in summer university programs, work on a research paper and get it published, or apply for an internship at your dream company. Building a strong portfolio now will make your Grade 12 application process much smoother. In Grade 12 the focus was on university applications to European schools since most deadlines in those fall between January and May. Dr. Rhonda and Ms. Daria worked closely with students in back-to-back individual meetings, assisting with applications, refining motivational letters, and crafting strong student resumes.

During the week, we used the chance to featured visits from two top hospitality and business schools—Les Roches (with campuses in Switzerland, Spain, and the UAE) and Glion (with campuses in Switzerland and the UK)—both offering programs in Hospitality Management, Luxury Business, and Sports Management. Additionally, Tallinn University presented its English-taught bachelor’s programs, including Law, Politics and Governance, Liberal Arts in Social Sciences, and Audiovisual Media.

Finally, on February 4, we hosted a special event for students and parents on how families can support the college application journey. Dr. Rhonda provided an in-depth look at application processes in the US, UK, and Europe, the required documentation, key timelines, and how AI is shaping different professions. The event brought together 50 families from EIS and other schools in Latvia, offering guidance for students in Grades 9–11 on how to prepare for future applications.

It was a busy and productive week, setting our students up for success in their university journeys!

Apart from an ongoing process reflected and recorded in a special program UniFrog, they organize several focus weeks a year to meet and work intensely with each student and each family starting as early as Grade 10. Below is a recap of one of such weeks.

Grade 10 students are in the process of selecting their IB Diploma Programme subjects. In a session with Dr. Rhonda and Ms. Daria, they explored university entry requirements across different regions and learned which IB subjects best support their future academic and career paths. This was followed by individual meetings where students discussed potential university destinations. It was inspiring to see such a diverse range of interests—from entrepreneurship and business to industrial engineering, art, and design. Grade 11 students participated in a Q&A session on university application preparation where a Grade 12 student who applied to over 25 top universities in the US and UK shared valuable insights from his experience. Key takeaways? Plan ahead. Take standardized tests early, enroll in summer university programs, work on a research paper and get it published, or apply for an internship at your dream company. Building a strong portfolio now will make your Grade 12 application process much smoother. In Grade 12 the focus was on university applications to European schools since most deadlines in those fall between January and May. Dr. Rhonda and Ms. Daria worked closely with students in back-to-back individual meetings, assisting with applications, refining motivational letters, and crafting strong student resumes.

During the week, we used the chance to featured visits from two top hospitality and business schools—Les Roches (with campuses in Switzerland, Spain, and the UAE) and Glion (with campuses in Switzerland and the UK)—both offering programs in Hospitality Management, Luxury Business, and Sports Management. Additionally, Tallinn University presented its English-taught bachelor’s programs, including Law, Politics and Governance, Liberal Arts in Social Sciences, and Audiovisual Media.

Finally, on February 4, we hosted a special event for students and parents on how families can support the college application journey. Dr. Rhonda provided an in-depth look at application processes in the US, UK, and Europe, the required documentation, key timelines, and how AI is shaping different professions. The event brought together 50 families from EIS and other schools in Latvia, offering guidance for students in Grades 9–11 on how to prepare for future applications.

It was a busy and productive week, setting our students up for success in their university journeys!