2021 is a special year for ICSV, as we celebrate our 35th anniversary as a school. ICSV was started in 1986 to serve the educational needs of the missionaries who were stationed in Vienna. There were just 25 students enrolled. When the Iron Curtain fell, more and more families were able to relocate to Vienna, thus increasing the need to provide an education to international families. The school has moved several times, and now we are planning to expand our current facilities so that we can offer quality education to even more students at ICSV.

When we ask our students, alumni, staff, and parents what stands out to them the most about ICSV, the word “community” is always mentioned. With around 300 students and over 80 staff members from 66 different countries, we come together each day excited to learn and work at a school that values every child as being created in the image of God. We desire to get to know each other and to share our life’s journey in a way that is unique to most schools. We love each other, and we look forward to spending time together. Education really can be exciting and fun!

Finally, another word that comes to mind when we think of ICSV and our 35th anniversary is growth. We have grown from a small missionary kid school to a school that educates around 300 students. We have not only grown in size, but we have also grown in vision. We now own the property all the way to the corner. This will allow us to build a brand new school designed just for us! During our 35th anniversary year, we will put together detailed plans to get the building project approved by the city.

Today we were able to celebrate together as a school, with Dr. Larry Taylor, ACSI president, and Pastor Brad Hunter, ICSV school board chair, speaking to the student body. (ACSI is one of our accrediting agencies in the US.) What a great way to kick off our 35th anniversary year!

Let’s use this year to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness over the last 35 years and to thank Him for what He is going to do in the future.

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

ICSV celebrates 35 years of education, community and growth video

Happy 35th Anniversary Welcome back to ICSV! We are so excited to have all our students back at school on campus! We have enjoyed seeing everyone and starting 2021-2022 together. This is our 35th year as a school, so we plan to celebrate God’s faithfulness to ICSV throughout the school year. Our first event will be an all-school assembly outside next Friday, September 3, at the end of the school day. This year’s theme ties into our 35th anniversary and also the events of the last couple of years. This year we encourage you to “Thrive in 35!” We don’t want to just continue to survive during this time of Covid. We want our school community to learn what it means to thrive. What do we mean by “thrive?” We are defining this as “to grow vigorously, to flourish, to develop, to be successful, to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances.”

Covid is not just going to disappear, so we need to learn how to thrive during these uncertain times. As Christians, it is important that our roots be planted deep into the soil of God’s Word and be positioned to be nourished by Him so that we won’t wither. In fact, when we do this, we will thrive! Simply put, we need to keep our eyes fixed on God. Our single desire should be to see God glorified no matter what the circumstances. God is the one that makes it possible for us to thrive. From God we draw all of the following:

• Our grace and peace
• Our purpose
• Our joy, strength, and hope
• A right attitude
• The power to persevere
• Provision for our personal needs
• Lasting contentment

So, I encourage you not to focus on how overwhelming our circumstances may appear. That is just surviving. Instead, focus on how great our God is. This is thriving! Wishing you a wonderful 2021-2022 school year! Happy 35th Anniversary!

Because of His Faithfulness,

Dr. Sharon C. Brobst, Director

Ryley Heppner, The Gospel Coalition, Canada, “How Do I Thrive during COVID-19”

This has been such a special week! With the loosened restrictions, we have been able to plan some end-of-year activities for the students so that they’d have time to just hang out with each other and their teachers. The seniors enjoyed their first Coffeehaus of the year with outdoor volleyball and basketball games. On Wednesday, the eighth graders were honored for their hard work prior to entering high school next year. These 27 students come from 18 different countries! This evening, the seniors will attend a banquet where they can get dressed up and enjoy a program to honor them. This class missed out on having a prom during both of their final years of school, so this is a chance for them to have a similar experience. We are pleased to be able to hold graduation in person next week, even though we must limit the size of the audience.

Other classes have been able to go on a field trip or head over to the park for some time outdoors enjoying their classmates. We are truly thankful to be able to end the year on such a positive note!

On Monday, members of the school board acknowledged staff members who have met different milestones of service and those who will be leaving at the end of the school year. The following have completed five years of service to the school: Ben and Sarah Hummel, Nathalie Mayer, Michaela Meyer, Devan Kvick, Cristian Pana, and Edson Dorneles de Andrade. Celebrating ten years of service are Herminigildo Sanchez, Dr. Katharina Werner, Emilia Baldovska, and Tracy Harvey. Brian Reynolds has been at ICSV for 15 years, and Barbara Dax has dedicated 20 years to the school. We are blessed to have such an amazing staff that desires to have an impact in the lives of the students.

We are sad to see the following staff members leave: Josephine Maples, Trent Lunberry, Katie Mathews, Stefanie Wegiel, Tracy Harvey, Shawn and Cameron Crane, Nathalie Mayer, Lori and Russell Rohleder, and Sarah and Ben Hummel. God is calling them to new areas of ministry, so we send them off with God’s blessing.

Once again, God has proven Himself faithful by providing us with qualified staff to fill the openings. New support staff include Brenda Wildman in Admissions, Gabriella Cirt as Registrar, Rebecca Johnstone in the Elementary Office, and Beneamin Mereuta as Facilities and IT Coordinator. New teachers include Joan Conley, Primary; Danique De Jong and Leigh Swanson, Elementary; Luke Swanson, SIPPS; Elizabeth Doebel and Evan Miller, Middle School; Melvin Perdue as Learning Support and Athletic Director; Samantha Gutheil as Guidance Counselor; and Paula Newell as our new Secondary Principal. Please pray for these individuals and their families as they make the transition to a new ministry this summer.

Janet Hocker has served ICSV for 16 years, after having taught at the International Christian Academy in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa and then at the Academia Cristiana Internacional de Caracas, Venezuela. Ms. Hocker has spent her life teaching children in an international setting. She will officially retire this September. In thinking back on her time at ICSV, she shared the following: “This is truly an international school in all its aspects. Explaining Christ and His gift of salvation to students with no previous background in Christianity has been one of my favorite parts of teaching at this school. God is using [ICSV] to touch the world one student, one family at a time.” Thank you, Janet, for a job well done.

As this is our final Eagle of the year, I want to wish you all a most relaxing summer vacation. We hope to see you all back on August 25 for our first day of the 2021-2022 school year! I leave you with the words of the psalmist David:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me  in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon C. Brobst, Director