JULY 2026
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Parents and families of ISW,
As we come to the end of the 2025–2026 school year, it is hard not to pause and reflect on what has truly been an extraordinary journey for ISW.
When I recently looked back across all of our newsletters and events, the list stretched over two full pages—and I genuinely found myself thinking, “Did we really do all of that?” From our Art and Cultural Exhibition, Science Fair, and Toddle introduction, to the Winter Show, Career Fair, ski trip, France Adventure Camp, and Book Week, this year has been full of energy, creativity, and connection. It speaks volumes about our students, our staff, and the strength of our community. I feel incredibly fortunate to work alongside such a dedicated and inspiring team.
Arts and Cultural Exhibition
Our Art and Cultural Exhibition was a standout moment. The turnout was fantastic, and the positive feedback from our community was overwhelming. It was an event that truly celebrated student talent while bringing us all together. My sincere thanks go to Kasia, Maia, Jo, Danny, Natascha, and Hoa for creating such an inspiring and memorable experience.
Athletics Carnival Day
Athletics Day was another highlight—hot, fast-paced, and full of spirit. From start to finish, we saw excellent competition and outstanding sportsmanship from our students. Thank you to Viki, Anita, the PnF, Danny, James, Birgit, and Ryan for their care and organisation, and a special thank you to all staff and parents who worked together to ensure the day ran smoothly and joyfully for our students.
Our new ISW Gym
Our new gym is nearing completion and is already proving to be a fantastic addition to our school. Students have begun to enjoy the space, and we are excited to see it fully finalised over the summer break. A special thank you to Danny for his tireless work in bringing this project to life. We will have a competition next year to officially name it so keep a look out for this in the new school year.
Parent Opinion Survey
Last week, I shared our Parent Opinion Survey, and I would like to sincerely thank those who have already taken the time to respond. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and will directly inform our strategic planning for the year ahead. If you have not yet completed the survey, I would greatly appreciate you taking 10 minutes to do so—your voice matters as we continue to shape ISW together.
Staffing 2026/27
Looking ahead, class placements and teaching staff for 2026–2027 have been communicated below in our new staff list. Children in Reception and Year 2 will be notified directly of their class teacher. Our enrolment remains steady, and we are excited to welcome many new families into the ISW community next year. We will distribute the term 1 calendar as well as the important dates for the whole year in the new school year, and our welcome to all new and existing families will take place at ISW on Friday 14th August at 10.30 am. Students will find out which classroom they will be in and new students who their teacher will be. Birgit will send an email out with all this information at the end of the summer break.
NEW STAFF
MS. Claudia Villaplana
I am Claudia Villaplana, and I am from Spain, where I have taught Spanish and German.
I am a passionate Spanish, English, and German teacher who loves helping students discover the joy of learning languages. I enjoy creating engaging and interactive lessons that inspire confidence, curiosity, and a love of communication. Creativity is at the heart of my teaching, and I am always looking for new ways to make learning meaningful and enjoyable.
Outside the classroom, I love dancing, doing arts and crafts, and bringing creative ideas into both my personal and professional life.
I am excited to be part of the school community and look forward to getting to know the students, staff, and families.
MR. TYLER FEUCHT
Hi! My name is Tyler Feucht, and I am a teacher from the United States. I have thirteen years of teaching experience, including five years of teaching internationally, with two of those years spent teaching in Heilbronn, Germany. I teach both English and History and love to create engaging lessons where students feel supported while also being challenged to grow within their community and the wider world. Outside the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my wonderful wife and our two children, making memories together through play, adventures, and everyday family fun. We are very much looking forward to relocating to Landstuhl and becoming part of the ISW community!
MS. JACINTA CASEMENT
Hi everyone!
I'm an Irish teacher, an '80s kid forever, a proud dog parent to Russell, and someone who still gets excited about the first day of school after 23 years in education!
After moving to Germany in 2018, I spent two years teaching at ISW Ramstein, followed by five years in Bremen. Now, thanks to a little luck of the Irish, I'm absolutely delighted to be returning to ISW Landstuhl.
When I'm not teaching, you'll likely find me exploring Germany with my fiancé Jason, spending time with Russell, or dreaming up creative new ideas for the classroom. I'm eager to meet all of you and can't wait to bring my enthusiasm, creativity, and positive energy to the amazing team already established here at ISW.
I'm looking forward to a wonderful year of learning, laughter, and new adventures together!
Farewell to some of our ISW families
To our families who are leaving us—many of whom have been part of ISW during my three years here—this is a heartfelt and emotional thank you and goodbye to you all. Together, we have built something truly special, and I genuinely believe this is the best international school in Germany. While the journey has not always been smooth, your unwavering support for, and trust of ISW, and for me personally, has meant more than I can express—it truly brings a tear to my eye. Wherever in the world you are heading to next, I know it will be a better place because of your family, just as you have made ISW the vibrant, caring community it is today. This is not goodbye (sob, sob), but simply “see you again soon.”
Thank you all for a wonderful year. I wish you a safe, restful, and enjoyable summer break and we will see you all on Monday 17th August 2026.
Cheers to a great year!
Ms Jodi
UPCOMING EVENTS
- AUGUST 17 | FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2026/2027
- AUGUST 26 | CIRICULUM EVENING | PRIMARY | Parents encouraged to attend to find out about next school year curriculum
- AUGUST 27 | CIRICULUM EVENING | SECONDARY | Parents encouraged to attend to find out about next school year curriculum
- AUGUST 30 | WANDERTAG | More details to come
PRIMARY NEWS
Semester Two Reports
As we approach the end of another successful semester, we would like to thank parents for their continued support throughout the school year. One of the significant developments this year has been our transition to Toddle as our primary platform for communication and reporting. We are pleased to share that the move has been a smooth and successful one, providing families with a more streamlined and accessible way to stay informed about their child's learning journey.
On Thursday, 2nd July, Semester Two reports will be made available to families through Toddle. The updated report format has been designed to provide a clear and comprehensive overview of each student's progress and achievements throughout the semester.
Parents will find a progress summary page displaying overall grades for each subject, allowing for a quick overview of performance across the curriculum. In addition, each subject area includes comments outlining the key units and topics covered, along with a brief narrative describing students' learning, growth, and achievements over the semester.
The reports also include an assessment of work habits, which reflects the behaviours, attitudes, and skills that support successful learning. These indicators provide valuable insight into how students approach their learning, manage responsibilities, participate in class, and complete tasks. Attendance information for the reporting period is also included to provide a complete picture of each student's engagement throughout the semester.
We encourage families to take time to review the report together with their child, celebrating successes and discussing goals for continued growth. We are proud of the progress our students have made this semester and look forward to supporting their ongoing learning journey.
Year 3 Healthy Snack Sale – A Wonderful Success!
The Year 3 Healthy Snack Sale was a fantastic success and provided students with an exciting opportunity to showcase their creativity, culinary skills, and entrepreneurial spirit. Students worked hard at home to prepare a variety of delicious nut-free snacks, including both savoury and sweet treats, which were then offered for sale to fellow students and staff members.
Throughout the morning, Classes 4 and 5 visited the Year 3 classrooms to browse the impressive selection of healthy snacks. The classroom was filled with enthusiasm as students proudly presented their products and encouraged customers to make purchases. Later, staff members also visited the sale and were delighted by the range of tasty and nutritious options available.
In addition to preparing their snacks, students designed persuasive advertising posters to promote their products. Their posters featured creative snack names, ingredient lists, and catchy healthy-eating slogans. These advertisements demonstrated the students’ growing understanding of persuasive language and marketing techniques while helping to attract eager customers.
The event provided valuable real-world learning experiences in mathematics, communication, business, and healthy living. Most importantly, it gave students the chance to develop confidence, responsibility, and teamwork while having fun. We are incredibly proud of the effort, imagination, and dedication shown by every member of Year 3. Thank you to all the families who supported their children with this enjoyable project and helped make the event such a memorable success.
SECONDARY NEWS
As we reach the end of the school year, it is worth taking a moment to reflect on just how much our Secondary students have accomplished during June. It has been a month filled with milestones, celebrations, transitions and achievements that demonstrate the growth of our students both academically and personally.
One of the biggest accomplishments was the successful completion of the Cambridge IGCSE, AS and A-Level examination period. For many students, these exams represented months, and in some cases years, of preparation, perseverance and hard work. We are incredibly proud of the maturity, resilience and determination shown by our students throughout the examination season. While results day still lies ahead, completing this important chapter is an achievement in itself.
WORK EXPERIENCE WEEK | YEAR 9 - YEAR 10
Our Year 9 and 10 students also stepped beyond the classroom during Work Experience Week. Students spent time in a wide variety of workplaces, gaining first-hand insight into different industries, developing professional skills and learning more about their own interests and future aspirations. The feedback we received from students was overwhelmingly positive, with many commenting on how interesting some careers seem now that they've experienced the work. We are grateful to the many organisations and families who supported these valuable opportunities.
YEAR 12 GRADUATIONS
June also brought one of the most significant celebrations on our school calendar: the graduation of our Year 12 students. Graduation is always a special occasion, marking the culmination of each student's journey at ISW and the beginning of exciting new pathways beyond school. It was wonderful to celebrate their achievements alongside families, friends and staff, and we wish our graduates every success as they move into university, apprenticeships, employment and new adventures around the world.
FUTURE SKILLS EXPO - YOU ARE INVITED
This term, our Year 6 to Year 8 students have been working in mixed-age groups as part of the Future Skills programme, collaborating on projects they chose from three challenges: inventing something to benefit the school community, redesigning the school cafeteria, or producing a podcast on a world issue that matters to them.
The range of projects this term reflects a strong sense of social awareness and purpose — from proposed cultural lunch menus and a guide to proper waste sorting and recycling, to podcasts on World War II, a school podcast, and a research study on the health effects of excessive screen time.
As part of their preparation, students received a series of presentations from Ms. Hoa covering marketing, social media, and graphic design. Her most recent graphic design session challenged students to create a poster, introduced them to the foundational principles of good design, guided them through self-reflection on their work, and gave them the opportunity to apply their new knowledge in a second design. Congratulations to Celeste, Alejandro, Marchesa, and Ilio for their winning poster design. Well done!
The Future Skills Expo has been postponed and will now take place on Tuesday, 30 June, from 9:00 am to 10:15 am in the Chapel. Parents are warmly invited to attend and see the students' work firsthand.
Bringing History to Life at the Maker Space
Our Year 6 to Year 8 students took their Global Perspectives learning beyond the classroom and into the Maker Space for a hands-on history session that was anything but ordinary.
Students were invited to bring the knowledge they've learned of the Civil War in class to life through creativity. Working with their hands and their imaginations, they crafted insignia and corps badges — the very symbols that soldiers and regiments used to identify themselves during one of history's most defining conflicts as well as created personal memorabilia to anchor into their very own Civil War scrapbooks
Watching our students connect historical knowledge to creative expression is exactly what the Global Perspectives programme is all about — thinking critically, engaging deeply, and making learning meaningful. The Maker Space gave them the tools; their curiosity did the rest.
Finally, we were delighted to welcome our Year 5 students into the Secondary community during the Moving Up Ceremony on June 30. Transitioning into Secondary School is an exciting milestone, and the ceremony provided an opportunity to celebrate this important step while helping students feel confident and connected as they prepare for Year 6. We look forward to officially welcoming them as the newest members of our Secondary School next year.
Thank you to our students, staff and families for the energy, support and commitment you have shown throughout the year. We wish everyone a safe, restful and well-deserved summer break.
SPECIALIST TEAM NEWS
Cambridge English Exams - Reminders
We will host the Cambridge English Exams on July 1st. This week, students participating will receive the candidate details, with their schedule for the day.
Students must bring a physical photo ID with them (e.g., a passport or government-issued identity card). The ID must be original, valid, and in date. They should also bring their snacks or lunch, and a bottle of water, but please make sure it is completely clear (transparent plastic, with no labels).
Duke of Edinburgh
Our students in the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme put SBW’s hands-on, real-world learning into action as they developed their expedition skills at Gelterswoog Campsite and on a hike to Burg Hohenecken. Through challenge and teamwork, they built resilience, independence, and practical problem-solving abilities, core elements of the SBW educational approach.
It has been an amazing experience! Now, check out their photos!
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
EMILY RAYLS | YEAR 9
This month, we are shining a bright spotlight on Year 9 student Emily, a true creative powerhouse who is bridging the gap between traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology.
If you’ve attended any of our recent school theater productions, like Annie or our annual Winter Show, you’ve likely seen Emily’s passion for performance in action. But her creativity doesn't stop when the curtains close. Emily is a regular volunteer and fixture in our campus Maker Space, where she splits her time between mastering 3D printers, drawing and designing digital characters on Procreate, and teaching her peers the timeless art of sewing.
Emily recently blew us away with an incredible multi-disciplinary Maker Space project. She utilized the 3D printers to create a custom character doll, hand-sewed a tailored outfit for it, painted the fine details, and then styled a professional photoshoot to create a captivating stop-motion film! Emily’s dedication to learning, creating, and sharing her skills truly embodies the innovative spirit of ISW.
Our Irish Dancer - MILA BUCK | YEAR 3
An Irish dance Feis is a traditional competition where dancers showcase their skills in solo and team performances while being judged on technique, timing, and presentation. Mila competed over the weekend in the Munich Feis, which is a major Irish dance competition in Europe.
She competed in various dances with both soft and heavy shoes. The dances are based on various techniques, for instance a slip jig usually danced in soft shoes, is a graceful Irish dance, known for its light, flowing movements and elegant rhythm. While the heavy jig, also known as the treble jig, is a powerful Irish dance performed in hard shoes, featuring strong rhythmic foot. Mila danced the reel, light jig, slip jig (in two levels), single jig, heavy jig and hornpipe. She also danced in group dances known as Ceili. They are amongst the favourites for competitors as they allow them to work together as a team. Her favourite part of the competition was when she moved from one stage to the other during the Ceilis to compete with two groups under different age groups and won both times with her peers.
LIFE AT ISW
ATHLETIC CARNIVAL 2026 - A Day of Sport, Community & School Spirit
The International School Westpfalz (ISW) recently brought its entire school community together for one of the most anticipated events of the academic calendar — the annual Athletic Carnival. From Early Years through to Year 11, every student took part in a full day of sport, competition, and fun, making it a truly school-wide celebration.
This year's Athletic Carnival was a resounding success — and that's no small feat given the sweltering temperatures on the day. Students across all year levels represented their houses with energy and enthusiasm, competing in a variety of athletic challenges and relay races that kept the excitement going from start to finish.
Events of this scale don't happen without dedicated people working behind the scenes. A special recognition goes to Ms. Viki, ISW's PE teacher, and Ms. Anita, whose coordination and hard work brought this massive school-wide event to life. Thanks also to every ISW teacher and staff member who ensured the day ran smoothly and safely for all students. And a well-deserved shoutout to Mr. Danny, who kept students and families well-fed with a delicious grilled lunch — a highlight for many!
The day was a powerful reminder of just how strong the ISW parent community is. The Parent & Friends (P&F) representatives went above and beyond — organizing volunteer callouts, ensuring every class had its own dedicated tent, and stocking those tents with healthy snacks, fresh fruits, and plenty of hydration options to keep students energized throughout the day. Beyond the logistics, parent volunteers were everywhere: chaperoning students, helping run sport stations, and even lacing up their own shoes to compete in the house relay race. This is the kind of involvement that makes ISW more than just a school — it makes it a true community.
We look forward to many more moments like this one. Here's to the next Athletic Carnival! 🏅
A Sweet Surprise From the Hoening Family
In what turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of the Athletic Carnival day, the Hoening family — parents of Amy in Year 2 — generously sponsored an ice cream truck for the entire school. Every student received a free ice cream, a perfect treat on such a hot day and a gesture that perfectly captured the warm, generous spirit of the ISW community.
aRTS & CULTURE EXHIBITION
🎨✨ **What an unforgettable night at the Arts and Culture Exhibition!** ✨🎵
We are still floating on the incredible energy from our community gathering for "WEAVE"—a true celebration of creativity, culture, and connection.
A massive success like this doesn't happen without an extraordinary village. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the visionary educators who put countless hours into envisioning, planning, and preparing for this event: our Art Teacher Ms. Kasia, our Performing Arts Teacher Ms. Maia and Music Teacher Mr. Jo - Thank you for inspiring our students and bringing this beautiful vision to life!
📸 A special shoutout to our featured artist, Samantha Kosakowski Studio, for her absolutely wonderful display of cyanotype photography. Thank you for sharing your talent and giving our children a hands-on experience with a unique new art technique during your interactive demo!
🌍 A huge, heartfelt thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers at the cultural booths! By sharing a beautiful touch of your countries, heritage, and culinary traditions, you truly opened the horizons of our children to the diverse cultures of the world. 🗺️🍲
💙 To our phenomenal students: thank you for sharing your hearts with us. Your meaningful artworks and touching performances moved us all and reminded us of the power of young creativity.
👨👩👧👦 To all the parents and families: thank you for joining your children to celebrate. You truly embodied the theme of "WEAVE" , coming together to tightly knit our community closer than ever.
🛠️ And finally, a huge thank you to all the staff members working tirelessly behind the scenes. Your hard work pulled every piece of this event together seamlessly.
Thank you everyone for making "WEAVE" a night to remember! Check out some of the highlights below!
