Rotterdam AND Den Haag - just a few minutes from Rotterdam and The Hague International Airport, The American International School of Rotterdam serves the expatriate community in both cities.

Small really is beautiful.  Did you know that Rotterdam has its own bijou international school - also within easy commuting distance from the expatriate center of The Hague?

Pretty much every expatriate knows that Den Haag (The Hague) is full of international employers, not to mention lots of other expatriates!  And a fair few international schools.

But if you're an expatriate parent, you may not (to quote U2) yet have found what you're looking for in schools in The Hague.  Or, maybe worse, you may not even have been able to find a space for your child at the necessary grade level.  Or maybe you just want a little more choice in international education.

Whatever the reason, here's my question: as you exit arrivals at Rotterdam Airport, do you turn left or right?  Because a short cab ride from the terminal will take you to the delightful, leafy suburb of Hillegersberg.  In the north of the Netherlands' premier port city, characterized by exclusive housing, beautiful parks and boutique shops, Hillegersberg is home to its own thriving expatriate community.  And, for over fifty years, this has also been the location of the American International School of Rotterdam.

Founded in 1959 by members of the American community, our school has been providing education to Grades PK -12 for almost as long.  The curriculum is American in nature, supplemented by such world-class programs as The International Baccalaureate Diploma, the International Middle Years Curriculum and the International Primary Curriculum.  The largest nationality group is American but around 30 other countries are also represented in enrollment.  Faculty is similarly international but, again, the largest group is U.S. trained.   The school was recently re-accredited by The Council of International Schools (COIS) and The North Eastern Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

The school has always been small (enrollment is around 200) and that is part of its unique character and charm.  We welcome all our new students warmly and help them get settled quickly.  "The most welcoming international school by far," as one of our American community was kind enough to describe us.  We then get to know our students well so that we can maximize every single one of their individual talents and help them to succeed whilst they're with us.  And AISR students do succeed: not only do they do well in strong academic programs but our size and ethos mean that they have every chance to excel in whatever part of our co-curricular program they choose.  Athletics are, of course, important.  We compete in many of the leagues with other Northern European International Schools.  Even if unsuccessful, our players learn the most valuable lessons, in sportsmanship and team work.

But it's not only on the athletic field that we excel.  We offer opportunities to participate in drama at all levels (recent productions have included "The Snow Queen", "Peter Pan" and "Dracula") and we even have students directing our shows to raise money for charity!   Community service is also a strong part of our program, as is awareness of global issues.

A.I.S.R. is truly a lively place.  So much so that we're always amazed when people haven't heard of us.  There's so much more I could tell you about our school but, better than that, why don't you come and see us for yourself?  There's always a friendly welcome at the front desk and plenty of smiles.  Whether or not you end up choosing our school for your child, you'll be glad you took the other direction from Rotterdam Airport and came to have a look at us!

Graham Gamble, Director A.I.S.R.

www.aisr.nl/