Mission Statement

To be recognized as a provider of top quality education to a highly diverse student body. ISM will prepare students for success in college, equip them with the ability and desire for lifelong learning, and strengthen their civil, ethical and moral values. ISM will maintain high standards of efficiency and accountability throughout its operation.

Points of Distinction

Academic Edge

• ISM offers an unbeatable academic edge backed by 126 years of SABIS® educational experience; our curriculum is based on global best practices
• World Language is taught daily by native speakers in Preschool through Grade 12, allowing students to gain fluency in their target language
• AP classes are offered in every subject area, and we do not require a minimum number of students. ISM will teach an AP class to one student! AP exam and other standardized exam results are consistently higher than local and national averages
• College matriculation to the top 200 schools is the best in the Twin Cities Assessment and Accountability
• Our students’ success is a priority. ISM implements regular testing in order to evaluate learning and timely intervention. Students are given the tools and support to achieve their full potential. ISM employs performance-based teaching; teachers are held accountable for their students’ success.

Global Perspective
• Over 30% of the students and staff are from a multi-cultural background. The experiences of varied ethnicities, languages and culture prepare students for global citizenship

Experiential Learning

ISM students participated in enhanced learning opportunities in record numbers and in destinations across the globe. World language groups go from Concordia Language Village to Peru and China for language immersion experiences. Science teams up with “Grand Classroom” for hands-on adventures each summer. Show Choir changes their performance venue each year; past performances include: Caribbean Cruise, DisneyWorld, Hollywood, New York City, Puerto Rico, and more. For the second year in a row, students traveled to the Dominican Republic on a service mission and finally, England was the site of the worldwide SABIS® Summer School as well as the SLO™ Leadership Training Camp.

Best Value

• Considering all of the above and more, dollar for dollar, ISM offers the Twin Cities’ best value in private education.

Early Childhood Education Program

• Beginning at age 3 in Preschool, our ECE students enjoy a rich, structured and nurturing environment that, through “purposeful play”, builds the foundation for more abstract learning. The curriculum includes world language taught daily by native speakers, reading readiness, math, science, art, music, and physical education. The program is five days a week with the option of half or full-day. Extended day is available from 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM and is included in the cost of tuition.

Lower School Program

• The ISM Lower School emphasizes academic, social, emotional, physical and ethical growth. The coursework is integrated, sequential and taught by dedicated faculty who cultivate self-esteem and encourage a positive attitude towards other, the development of cooperation, and the appreciation of diversity. The ISM multinational campus gives every child the unique opportunity to be part of a “global village.” Student progress and teacher effectiveness is monitored by regular testing so that learning gaps are identified early to ensure steady academic progress. With this solid foundation established, our students are well prepared for the rigor of upper school course that lead to outstanding results at prestigious colleges and universities throughout the world.

Upper School Program

• The focus of upper school at ISM is on preparation for college. Students are encouraged to develop abstract reasoning and critical thinking skills. Courses offered to ISM students reflect the knowledge that college requires and includes a broad base of learning in tradition academic subjects, which fully prepare our students for the SAT, ACT and AP exams. At ISM, over 90% of our juniors and seniors enroll in AP courses and, year after year, over 50% earn recognition as AP Scholars – compared to 18% nationally and 42% of ISM students matriculate to the world’s top 100 colleges and universities. These are impressive statistics considering ISM is academically non-selective.

Athletic Programs

• The ISM athletic programs continue to expand with the addition of Girls’ Varsity Volleyball, Co-ed Badminton and a new state of the art track and soccer facility. The beauty of ISM is that all students have the opportunity to participate in sports, yet we remain competitive. In 2010-2011, both the Boys’ Varsity Soccer and Basketball Teams won EMAC Conference Championships, the Girls’ Varsity Soccer team won the “Eye of the Tiger” Tournament, and the Varsity Track and Field Team had a record-setting year with 10 new school records as well as an all-time high 13 entries into the MSHSL section meet. Additionally, the Girls’ Varsity Track Team won the Leo Bond Invitational for the 4th year in a row. There was great pride in both the Boys’ Varsity Soccer and Girls’ Varsity Basketball Teams when the Huskies were recognized by league officials with the highly coveted conference Sportsmanship Awards!

Performing Arts

• Participation in Performing Arts is available to all ISM students and consists of concert choir, show choir, band, orchestra, choral and instrumental ensembles, music competitions and tours, & drama. ISM is one of the few schools in the area with a competition level show choir and band. Each year this dynamic group tours to a warm climate in the spring. Students in all grades have a chance to perform in choral or instrumental groups. High school students also may audition for the madrigal/jazz ensemble. Instrumentalists can choose from jazz bands, orchestra, or string ensembles. The drama program includes a theater workshop for younger kids, a one-act for high school students, and an annual musical for all students.

Campus Life

Campus life is best described by our students and families as one of community and caring – where everybody knows your name. ISM students are serious about academics – it’s cool to be smart at ISM – and boast some of the highest test scores in the area. At the same time, our students are well-rounded and most students (eliminate this word) participate in a number of activities such as Student Life, Sports, Show Choir, Band, Orchestra, Drama, Debate, Robotics, Destination Imagination, Math League, Ski and Board Club, Experiential Learning and more!