Stand United. One Mission. One Message

August 23rd was the first day of school at ICSV for the 2017-2018 school year.  We welcomed many new faces this year including several new staff members.  We are excited about our theme this year:  Stand United. One Mission. One Message.   We hope the excerpt below from our weekly newsletter will give you peek into our first week of school!

A New Theme for 2017-2018! Welcome back! It is my sincere pleasure to welcome you to the 2017-2018 school year at ICSV. We had a great turnout at the New Family Orientation on Tuesday. At least 150 parents and students were here, and that doesn’t include all of our staff and faculty who were available to greet everyone. Our secondary student ambassadors did a wonderful job of making the new students feel welcomed at our school. This year our theme is Stand United. One Mission. One Message. The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Philippi: “Stand united, singular in vision [with] one Message, the good news.” As we continue to grow in size, it becomes more important that we make it a priority to maintain our unity as a community with a shared mission and message. What is our mission? As a school, we promise to do our best to provide “high quality, individualized education, equipping students with Christian character to impact the nations of the world.” We also emphasize respect and esteem for others and want every student to be “valued and empowered with truth and knowledge for life.” Our message is Christ. No more. No less. All those who believe in Him have their sins forgiven and have a restored relationship with God. Before Christ came and gave His life for us, this good news was not available to everyone. The Apostle Paul explains it this way: “The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.” No matter what your cultural or religious background, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE! We will love and respect you because you are a wonderful creation of our Heavenly Father. Your students will be valued and appreciated. That is our Mission and Message in a nutshell. During our opening assemblies on Wednesday, I challenged the students to go out of their way to make the new students feel welcomed. I encouraged them to truly value and love their teachers and classmates, with a love that puts others first. And I asked them to keep unity at the forefront of what they do here, whether in the classroom, on the stage, or on the athletic field.  This year, we choose to stand united. God takes great pleasure when He sees His children supporting each other in community. My prayer for this school year is that we will remain focused on our school’s mission and that we would demonstrate God’s love to each other as we walk out our message of love and acceptance. We are truly excited that you are here! Because of His Faithfulness, Sharon Brobst, Ed.D. Director

It’s not too late to contribute to the Cool the School fundraiser. Just this month, over €2600 have come in toward our goal, and we are waiting for two additional gifts to come in from churches. Our total is now at €18.935. This still leaves us with a deficit of €21.065. I am confident that our school families and friends can come together to raise this needed amount. If you have been planning to contribute, but have just not done so, now is the time! Every gift, no matter how large or small, is helpful! To make a donation by bank transfer:  Account Holder: Hilfsverein der Internationalen Christlichen Schulen Bank Name: Bankhaus Krentschker  IBAN: AT41 1952 0018 0009 3849  BIC/Swift: KRECAT2GXXX Send your check to:  RCE International PO Box 4528 Wheaton, IL 60189  Please indicate ICSV “Cool the School” Project–02157 Credit Card payment: You can also click here to make a contribution to RCE International for the project using your credit card. Gifts to the school that are sent through RCE are tax deductible. We currently have air-conditioning working on the third floor, in a couple of other classrooms, and in the secondary office. We are waiting for another part to arrive in order to hook up the majority of the classrooms. This delay has increased the cost of the entire project, so your gift today is very much needed. Please continue to pray that the air-conditioning will be installed very soon so that the staff and students can benefit from the cooler air in the near future. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this essential improvement to our school facility! Your investment into the lives of our students is so very much appreciated.

Meet the New Staff!

We will be introducing several of our new staff each week in the Eagle. This week, meet David Vundi, Joel and Lee Ann Alba, and Lydia Phoenix.

David Vundi is our new secondary math teacher. He has 20 years of experience in teaching mathematics, physics and Bible, including two years at the university level. He is a dedicated person with a family of four and enjoys reading. The knowledge and perspective that his reading gives has strengthened his teaching skills and presentation abilities. He has also completed a Masters of Philosophy in Math and loves being with children and helping them learn the value of life, the most precious asset one has. His family will be joining here in Vienna shortly. Text Link

Mabuhay! Joel Alba hails from the Philippines, the Pearl of the Orient. He teaches secondary social studies. Joel likes climbing mountains, swimming in beaches and doing any outdoor adventure. He has a degree in Theology and Education and has taught in several different international schools. His wife, Lee Ann, also joins us as an aide in the elementary school. The opportunity for them to serve at ICSV is indeed a testament that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. An awesome school-year awaits us all! Soli Deo Gloria!

Some of you may remember Lydia Phoenix as she was the student teacher in Ms. Sipos' third grade class last fall. She loved being a part of our school's community, and she is thrilled to be returning as the second grade teacher this year! Since leaving Vienna, she graduated from Wheaton College and moved to Florida, where she worked at a private, Christian school. She is originally from New Hampshire and will always consider that home. When she is not teaching, she enjoys doing almost any outdoor activity, especially those involving mountains, as she is an avid hiker and backpacker. She has always dreamed of doing a backpacking trek through the Alps, so now that she is back in Austria, she hopes to make that dream a reality. Text Link

Faces Seen on the First Day of School!