Updated Dynamic Learning Plan

January 8, 2021

Dear ISF Community,

ISF will continue to operate according to Scenario 2 of the Dynamic Learning Plan until January 31, 2021.

According to the latest measures released by the state of Hessen and Ministry of Culture, the full-day lessons and extended day for KG-Grade 4 can continue on campus lessons and Grade 5-12 can continue online lessons which will be carried out within the framework of the school's full-day profile.

The regulations of the current hygiene plan of the Hessian Ministry of Culture and the ISF infection and hygiene plan still apply and are strictly enforced on campus. The authorities recommend that students should be looked after at home whenever possible in order to reduce contact. However, you can be confident, should you choose to have your child attend lessons on campus, that ISF is still a place of heightened safety, security with preventative hygiene measures in place. For the purpose of contact restriction and follow-up, please inform the school Academic Coordinator if your child will NOT attend on campus full-day lessons and extended day for KG-Grade 4; Ms. Villard-Brand - KG/PS Coordinator or Ms. Jarque - Grade 1-4 coordinator.

The Academic Coordinators will send out school specific course and exam details.

The Dynamic Learning Plan will be reviewed, modified and implemented based on the recommendations of the authorities as well as advice from the ISF Hygiene and Safety Task Force, which meets on a regular basis to assess the risk level of the school and state of Hessen. Any changes to the Dynamic Learning Plan will be announced via SABIS Digital Platform (SDP).

Please read the full plan via the shared link, https://sway.office.com/KEgIeE7oSBl2CLB9?ref=Link

All the best,

Corina Rader, School Director

To learn about ISF Infection Control Plan and local COVID-19 regulations:

ISF Infection Control Plan
ISF COVID-19 Case Review Flowchart
The Federal Chancellor
Hessian Ministry of Culture
German Federal Ministry for Health (German): Frequently Asked Questions
Robert Koch Institute: Daily Updates for Germany and the World in English and German
World Health Organization (English): Corona Virus Information and Advice

ISF Dynamic Learning Plan

The aim and objective of this plan is to ensure a happy, healthy, and safe start to the 2020/2021 school year. This plan, which can easily adapt to the potential changes of the COVID-19 situation, will help the ISF community envision what the academic year will look like when school starts in August. The school start for 2020/2021 will not look like what it did for 2019/2020, and it will likely change due to the government regulations and COVID-19 conditions. It is important that we, the ISF school community, recognize the challenges of the ever-evolving COVID-19 situation and remain positive, resilient, and adaptive.

As a testament to our rigorous and structured approach to teaching – on campus, online, or a hybrid approach of both – we will refer to our school start plan as the "Dynamic Learning Plan.” In recognition of this unique situation, this plan will be in place throughout the duration of this current COVID-19 pandemic to meet the need for special measures, structures, and routines to daily school life.

The Dynamic Learning Plan will be regularly reviewed and revised as we become aware of new government requirements, developments in the COVID-19 situation, and international and local school recommendations to enhance our teaching and learning experience.

We have established a Hygiene and Safety Team that will meet regularly to review the academics, activities, and operations of the Dynamic Learning Plan. This team will consult with local and international authorities to remain on the forefront of COVID-19 situation and apply recommended strategies appropriate to the ISF community. Any changes to the Dynamic Learning Plan will be clearly communicated via email and posted on the SABIS^® Digital Platform (SDP).

The ISF Dynamic Learning Plan will be based on the following objectives:

Protect the safety and health of the ISF community
Follow the regulations of the German and Hessen authorities
Practice physical distancing measures and maintain insolated learning groups to reduce cross-contamination, therefore, reducing the spread of virus
Provide regular hygiene and safety education to the ISF community
Educate expectations of school Student Hygiene Plan, Code of Conduct, and routines for social, emotional, and academic well-being
Set clear expectations for staff, students, and parents during the ISF Dynamic Learning Plan
Maintain the ISF Mission and Values, which state that “ISF will be recognized as a provider of top-quality education to a highly diverse student body. It will strive to help all students achieve their full potential, prepare for success in college, equip them with the ability and desire for lifelong learning, and strengthen their civic, ethical, and moral values. ISF will maintain high standards of efficiency and accountability throughout its operation.”

ISF is fortunate to have a curriculum and instructional delivery method that lends itself so effortlessly to both on campus and online lessons due to the nature of its structure and organized pacing of learning provided by the SABIS^® Educational System™ and the SABIS^® E-learning solutions. To better support eLearning, a significant upgrade to the IT infrastructure at ISF took place over the summer. This will facilitate the delivery of live-streamed lessons from campus to home.

Through the SABIS^® Digital Platform (SDP), a teaching and learning platform, parents and students will access content shared with them daily and weekly to guide their learning. The platform is web-based and can be accessed anywhere, at any time, and from any device. Students and parents can access the SDP on their tablets or computers. They can check their daily and weekly plans and detailed schedules and download assigned material. Also available on their tablets are the SABIS^® E-books, which feature digitized versions of student textbooks that include interactive activities, interactive dictionary entries, audios, and animations that keep students engaged and learning at all times. SABIS^® has also switched to using their digital management system, the SABIS^® Student Learning Environment (SLE), which will allow students to attend full courses as well as take end-of-unit quizzes to learn and assess their understanding. While students are working on the SABIS^® SLE, teachers will be receiving real-time data on their students’ progress and performance and be able to follow-up with their students accordingly.

ISF students will also benefit from attending lessons in Virtual Classrooms, which are live lessons broadcast through Microsoft^® Teams and available for all subjects when the situation requires online or streamed lesson delivery. During these lessons, students will be able to interact with their teachers and receive the benefit of on campus learning in a virtual setting.

Taking it one step further, students who want to review a concept can also choose to access SABIS^® On-Demand Tutoring, a feature available on the SDP that includes a set of teaching videos explaining a variety of academic concepts. The videos, narrated by students themselves and vetted by the SABIS^® Academic Development Department, allow students to review topics that they may not have fully understood, were absent for, or want to review.

At ISF, we are proud to say we are prepared and excited about the future of learning. The Dynamic Learning Plan will ensure the continuation of rigorous learning no matter where the learning takes place.

I look forward to the exciting learning journey ahead.

Sincerely,

Corina Rader, School Director