What an exciting time to be part of the international Christian school community and ICSV! The excitement of my trip to Rwanda has not worn off, although the bacteria/parasite I brought back with me on the plane has dampened the enthusiasm a bit….sigh….
One reason that I was so excited to go and share with this group of eager Christian educators is because of my vision for ICSV. We have been an established international Christian school for years. We have a strong curriculum and staff. Our processes and procedures are efficient, and we have a solid financial foundation. In short, we need to start helping other fledgling and less experienced schools by sharing our expertise with others. We need to invest in the next generation of Christian school leaders so that they can continue to grow and improve our Christian schools.
Here at ICSV, we are seeking to grow our local talent, as well. We have so many gifted educational leaders right here in Vienna. In addition to our administrative team, we have those serving as department heads, coordinators of admissions, curriculum and instruction, the IB program, CAS, athletics, and more. Even those without an official leadership title are leading students in drama, music, student ministries, coaching, running clubs, etc. As director, I believe it is my responsibility to empower others as they learn and grow in their leadership abilities.
I want to share one specific example. Miss Christine Sipos is an amazing teacher of teachers. She has a passion for professional development and using data to drive instruction. This is the second year that she has served part-time as Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator. Miss Sipos also leads the Professional Development Committee. I know that it can be somewhat inconvenient to have the Wednesday half-days that we have set aside for professional development, but we are building a community that values professional growth and improvement. This week Miss Sipos was instrumental in getting world-renowned author and expert in using technology in the classroom to speak with us via Google Hangout. Matt Miller is author of “Ditch that Textbook,” a formative book for the BYOD movement. Matt desires for teachers to see connections between what the students need to learn and the specific features and benefits of the different tools available. He told Miss Sipos that we are well advanced in our use of technology compared to the other Christian schools with whom he has worked. Miss Sipos and the entire Professional Committee is doing a great job with providing training so that our teachers are equipped to meet the needs of our ICSV students every day in the classroom.
As I mentioned two weeks ago, I believe it is part of my job to encourage others to fan into flame their leadership gifts. At ICSV we are so very fortunate to have such talented individuals who are willingly using their abilities for God’s service.
Because of His Faithfulness,
Sharon Brobst, Director