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Welcome to ISD

Student Experience

The ISD Student Experience

See what our past and present students have to say:

“Looking back on it, ISD was a crucial aspect of my growth and journey as a learner. Rather than teach from a textbook, ISD encouraged me to be curious and taught me how to act on that curiosity. Simply put, I think ISD taught me how to be a learner. I am so grateful for the experience and that I had that experience so early on. Not having any huge tests or homework assignments to stress over allowed me to focus on learning for learning’s sake (as opposed to for standardized testing sake), which has made a huge difference as I progressed to middle school, high school, and now university. Now, if I’m ever in a situation where I don’t get as much support from my teachers as I would like, I have the skills I need to be a self-sufficient learner.”

Alexandra - attended ISD 2009-2013

“ISD is an excellent school that is always striving to better itself, even the teachers talk about how they are learners just like us. I’m proud to be one of its students.”

Noah - age 12

“At ISD you have the chance to give your own opinion and learn to give reasons for your thoughts. You have a chance to help and participate in the school community.”

Suzanne - age 11

“I was at ISD between the ages of 7 an 9. There is simply something so special about ISD, obviously there’s the educational aspect but there’s a special twist to the social side of things. It is simply down to the people there. The international nature of the community brings a whole new perspective to making friends. I saw every side of the world by simply sitting within four walls, and for that I am eternally grateful. Not only does ISD encourage you to build relationships, they encourage you to hold on to them long after you leave! ISD definitely taught me values and skills that I otherwise might not have developed as distinctively. These are gifts that have become more vital throughout my life as I grow. In the primary years a person develops so enormously. At ISD I was given every chance to explore who I was.”

Eefke - attended ISD 2009-2011

“So far since ISD, there has not been any other school that has taught me as much. The opportunities for creativity and sometimes almost total freedom in and out of the class have shaped the way I learn, think and the type of person I want to be. Many times, when I notice something that just doesn’t make sense at a school I go to, or protocol that seems more for the parent’s sake than for the kids, I always think back to ISD, and how much they truly cared about the students’ well-being first. ISD made it really easy to do my best at everything, and I still think about how exemplary ISD is of the Risk-Taker IB Profile trait. A lot of my other schools, even IB, seem to miss out on that, and I’m really appreciative of the true example ISD was of the IB Learner Profile traits. Something really important that I think mainly comes from ISD is my problem-solving skills. I see often that there are simple problems with simple solutions, and sometimes, I try and put myself in a position to solve them. I think I got that from ISD, with how everything was always very clear-cut. If something was wrong, we fixed it. If something was right, we stuck with it and made it better. I really hope to come visit someday, since Ireland was truly my favorite place I’ve ever been, and a lot of that was down to ISD’s incredible atmosphere, teachers, and freedom.”

Luke - attended ISD 2011-2014

Community Events

Community is the heart of our school and thus we facilitate a series of planned events throughout the school year to allow families, teachers and students to meet, find out what is happening at the school and celebrate student achievement.

This is an excellent opportunity for families to establish connections, build their network and be both knowledgeable and involved with students’ progress at the school.

Virtual Parent Curriculum Workshop

Parent/Guardian Workshops

Parents/Guardians are provided the opportunity to become more familiar with the IBPYP curriculum through hands on workshops conducted by teachers. The workshops are designed around parent/guardian interest and elaborate on different aspects of the curriculum. Conducted through inquiry, we demonstrate the 'how' and 'why' of our learning and teaching methods.

Exhibition

The Exhibition represents a significant milestone in the life of a Grade 6 student. A culminating experience, this is a thesis of sorts. A student-led, personal, in-depth inquiry and opportunity for students to demonstrate the skills and attributes they have acquired throughout their primary years. The Exhibition unites the school community, allows us to observe the major features of the PYP and celebrate the graduation and transition of learners from primary to secondary education.

Sports Day Tug of War

Sports Day

An annual sports day event allows students, teachers, parents and guardians the opportunity to celebrate movement and the importance of our health. Everyone takes part in both collaborative and individual physical activities to showcase athletic skills and sportsmanship. From obstacle courses to relay races, a day of fun is had!

Cultural Celebrations

One engaging way to help our students become more internationally minded is to celebrate various cultural celebrations throughout the year, especially those linked to Ireland. A routine portion of the curriculum, students have Host Country Studies classes. These sessions enable students to deepen their understanding of where they are in place and time, learning about Ireland and its culture linked to inquiries. From St. Patrick's Day to Samhain students become more knowledgeable of where they are living.

Teachers and Students Formed to Make 100

100th Day of School

This day signifies the 100th day of the academic year. The symbolic representation of the 100th day of school is an opportunity to showcase mathematics within the curriculum and allow students to celebrate milestones in their academic achievement. The entire day is dedicated to the number 100, from starting the day as a whole school conducting 100 exercises to reflecting on student growth from the first day of school, we celebrate being 100 days smarter!

ISD Book Fair

Book Fairs

Book fairs are held at ISD to unite our students with literature in an atmosphere that brings the community together. Children are five times more likely to finish a book if they have chosen it themselves and thus we transform our school library into a book shop to provide the opportunity to purchase resources of interest.

A group of ISD students working together

Celebrating Learning

Six times per year the whole school community comes together to celebrate student learning through an event called End of Unit Sharing.

At End of Unit Sharing, over the course of an afternoon, each class provides a presentation to articulate the learning that transpired throughout their inquiry. The students become the teachers and the parents the students.

See more End of Unit Sharings
Students on a field trip to visit a ship in Dublin docks.

Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls

We believe that our students greatly benefit from learning both inside and outside of the classroom. We encourage our students to make both local and global connections with their Units of Inquiry.

On a regular basis, students participate in field trips relevant to their inquiries. They also  welcome guest speakers from a variety of expert areas.

See more of our field trips

School Newsletter

Our school newsletter, the ISD Monthly, is one source of information for the community. Always striving to promote student voice, monthly features vary widely.

Use the links below to read further about the inner workings and happenings of ISD.

ISD Monthly 05/03/2021

March 2021

The Exhibition at ISD

ISD Monthly 05/02/2021

February 2021

ISD Virtual Learning, Student Perspectives

ISD Monthly 04/12/2020

December 2020

ISD Alumni, Where Are They Now?

ISD Monthly 06/11/2020

November 2020

Facilitating Inquiry in School and at Home

ISD Monthly 02/10/2020

October 2020

School Happenings

ISD Monthly 04/09/2020

September 2020

Welcome to the 2020-2021 academic year

Student Committees

Education for us is centred around learner voice, choice & ownership, we call this agency. By promoting agency, we aim for students to be active in their development, to take initiative, express interest, opinions and ultimately feel ownership over their learning, both in and outside of school.

One way of encouraging students to work collaboratively and exercise agency is through student committees.

ISD students running together

Student Council

This committee provides the opportunity to learn leadership skills and take part in initiatives to support the running and development of the school.

A member of the ISD Student Librarian Committee

Librarian Committee

This committee keeps the school library a welcoming hub for learning. All of our students have ownership and responsibility for this learning space.

An image of the ISD student Year Book

Yearbook Committee

Our yearbook is an annual student led publication, created by the students, for the students. The yearbook committee is comprised of editors and artists working together to create a masterpiece which summarises the school year.

Global Connections

ISD is a proud member of the International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools network. ISD students have the opportunity to connect and collaborate with other IB and international schools around the globe.

Grade 6 students have inspired others classes with their virtual Exhibition event. Grade 1,2 students have compared and contrasted learning communities with an IB school in the USA. Likewise, ISD staff have personal and professional relationships with IB colleagues.

These relationships arise from previous teaching experience, professional development opportunities and professional learning communities. Virtual learning, curriculum development, evaluation process, differentiation and assessments are some of the areas in which the school has engaged in meaningful discussions to promote best practice.

ISD alumni are making their mark around the world. After graduation, students move on to secondary schools in Ireland, in their home countries or in new locations all over the globe. ISD alumni keep in close contact with ISD. Those who are abroad often pay us a visit when they return to Dublin and local students continue to collaborate with the school in a variety of manners.

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Admissions

Getting Started at ISD Getting started at ISD

If you feel ISD is a right fit for your family, make an expression of interest to begin communication with our Admissions team.

If you feel ISD is a right fit for your family, make an expression of interest to begin communication with our Admissions team.

Pre-enrolment 2024 - 2025

Pre-enrolment 2025 - 2026

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