CSIHSIS on Channel 1 News

Collllege of Staten Island High School for International Studies on Channel 1 news!

View how learning takes place at our school. Listen to what our students have to say; about what and how they learn; see how they learn; and understand why they will be college ready and prepared to compete in the 21st century!

Summer Freshman Academy!

This week marks the third and final week of our newly formed Freshman Academy. For the past two weeks this group of twenty five freshman have been introduced to our school building, our faculty, and to the culture of our school through a variety of collaborative learning experiences. They have amazed us with their creativity and, tomorrow, Thursday, July 30, 2009, will demonstrate their learning for their parents as they engage them in an interactive workshop demonstrating how learning looks at College of Staten Island High School for International Studies.

During these three weeks students have delved into the meaning and interpreted our Graduate Profile; have learned about one another's cultures, likes, and dislikes through the use of Power Point; engaged in team building through a drumming circle; have learned graduation requirements for their cohort and have engaged in discussions about the story they will author through their high school transcripts; and have had an incredible bonding experience with their peers and teachers. As students complete the Academy and organize and facilitate our Freshman Spirit Day, they will earn elective credit for their work.

As the culmination to our Freshman Academy, these freshman students will share their experiences with the remainder of our freshman class through Freshman Spirit Day to be held in October. We are hoping that Summer Freshman Academy and Freshman Spirit Day will become part our our school culture and will the CSIHSIS traditions established by our new class of freshman. We hope all our incoming freshman will join us in establishing this new tradition by participating in our Freshman Spirit Day.

For those students and parents who have been a part of the Summer Freshman Academy, we would appreciate your sharing your thoughts via this blog! Looking forward to your feedback!

Congratulations to Inaugural Class

As we reinstate our blog as a form of communication and a forum for feed back from parents, students, and alumni, I proudly congratulate our inaugural graduating class, the class of 2009. Your academic and personal achievements over the last four years have certainly been remarkable; together with our staff and faculty you have created a community of learners that is accepting, respectful, tolerant, creative and one that strives to be the best it can be! Through the culture you established and the traditions and rituals you began, your legacy will live on. I am confident that our current seniors along with our juniors, sophomores and freshman will continue to solidify the culture CSIHSIS has become known for while building on and adding to the rich traditions you have established. As you reflect on your four years at College of Staten Island High School for International Studies I hope you realize what a remarkable journey you had and how much you learned not only through your classes but through the co-curricular activities and projects you participated in such as The Giving Project, Key Club, our international travel and exchange programs, college visits, Girls Learn International, SILC, The International Insider, Rock-n-Knit, International Fair, your internships, your podcasts of immigrant interviews exhibited at Ellis Island, the movies you made for your Comparative Government through Film course, your portfolio and senior capstone projects, and of course, your experiences with advisory. I also hope you realize how special and unique you are as a group and as individuals and that you take that creativity and drive with you into your bright futures as you continue your learning. Keep in touch with us! We miss you already!