ADMISSIONS GUIDELINES

Asmara International Community School serves the educational needs of expatriate and other families living in Eritrea through its English language, western-styled curriculum.

All students meeting the educational criteria of AICS are offered admission to the student body regardless of nationality or ethnicity. Because AICS exists to support the expatriate families in Eritrea , preference of admission will be based upon the following categories:

• Category 1: Both parents (or single parent in single parent family) holding foreign passport with valid residence visa;
• Category 2: Head of household holding foreign passport with valid residence visa;
• Category 3: Both parents (or single parent in single parent family) holding Eritrean passport and paying tuition in nakfa.

Student attendance at AICS will be permitted ONLY after all of the following conditions have been met:

1. Submission of all application forms, medical history, and previous school records.
2. Payment of application fee.
3. For Category 1 and Category 2 students seeking admission to grades 7-12, and for whom “English” is not their mother tongue, an “English” language reading and writing skills test is required, unless waived by the Director. This test is to be used for English support placement.
4. For Eritrean students seeking admission to grades 7-12, an English language reading comprehension and English language writing skills test is required, unless waived by the Director. To be considered for admission, students must achieve within two grade levels to which they seek admission.

Approved by Asmara International Community School

Board of Governors

5 September 2006

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Asmara International Community School (AICS) was founded in 1994 with seven students. Today, there are 115 students representing more than 20 nationalities. We are a Pre K-12 School. Our first graduating class was in June 2005. Our graduates were accepted into universities in the United States.

Our school is governed by a 7-member Board of Governors. Five are elected during the annual association meeting and any parent of an enrolled child can run for the Board. Two members are appointed; one from the US Embassy and one from the UN.

Classes begin in mid August and end mid-June with vacation breaks at the end of the first, second, and third quarters. (October, December and April). Patriotic and religious holidays, both Moslem and Christian, are celebrated. The school includes an average of 180 school days.

AICS currently employs 11 full-time teachers and 4 part time teachers to address the needs of our diverse student population. The instructional program is conducted in English and the curricular materials are primarily from the US. The curriculum strategies are international in nature, and we are currently implementing the IB Primary Years Programme in the Elementary School.

Classes begin at age 3 for Pre-Kindergarten. The Early Childhood program focuses on physical, social and emotional development. Beginning in grade 1, language arts, science, social studies and mathematics are taught in self-contained classrooms up to grade 6. The middle/high school of grades 7-12 has each subject taught by a subject specialist. Visual Arts, Physical Education, French and ESL also form part of the program.

In May, 2004, AICS was accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA). A process was chosen called Accreditation for Growth (AFG). In conjunction with students and parents, we selected goals to improve student outcomes in Reading, Writing and Problem Solving. These improvements are planned for a 7 year period, when new student outcomes will be selected and re-accreditation will occur. Our focus for such things as teacher in-service training will be on these three school wide goals.

In September 2004, the United States Department of Overseas Schools declared that AICS was adequate (9-12).

We are proud of our past and are continuing to make changes and improvements to meet the demands of our current and future student populations. We are happy to discuss their needs and concerns at any time. Report cards are sent home quarterly and there are several occasions for teachers and parents to sit together and formally discuss the progress of their children. There is an active PTO which plans special events. We have after-school activities for all the students to enjoy.

N..B. Our program does not necessarily prepare students for integration into the Eritrean system. Parents may be required to sign a statement that they understand our curriculum does not prepare students for the Eritrean National Grade 8 Exam and that AICS will bear no responsibility for securing a seat for this exam.
 

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Asmara International Community School (AICS) is a non-profit, independent, coeducational day school which offers an educational program to children from pre-kindergarten (age 3) through grade 12.  The school was founded in 1994 to serve the needs of the international community and other students seeking English-language education.  The school year is divided into two semesters extending from mid-August to December and from January to mid-June. There are a minimum of 180 teaching days in the school calendar. AICS is accredited from kindergarten to grade 12 by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (U.S.A.).

Organization: AICS is governed by a 7-member Board of Governors. Five of the Board members are elected by the AICS Parents' Association. Two board members are appointed, one by the U.S. Embassy and one by the United Nations. Membership in the Association is automatically conferred on the parents or guardians of children enrolled in the school.

Curriculum :  The curriculum is similar to that of other international schools.  Imported textbooks and teaching materials are used.  The Early Childhood section (PK and KG) is based on a traditional approach.  Grades 1-6 are self-contained and since 2004 have adopted the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme (PYP). Middle School and High School are departmentalized by core subject:  English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.  In addition to the regular academic courses, specialist teachers for Music, Art, Physical Education and French are offered.  Information Technology is integrated into classroom learning. At all grade levels, English language support (ESOL) is provided to students whose first language is not English nor Tigrinya. In grades 7-12, students for whom their first language is Tigrinya must pass an English language proficiency test for admission and ESOL is not available.

Faculty :   In the 2008-2009 school year, there are 13 full-time and 4 part-time faculty members from 4 different countries including 6 Americans, 8 Eritrean, 1 Australian, 1 Irish and 1 Canadian.  The teaching faculty are certified and degreed from their respective home countries.  In addition to the faculty members, we have 6 instructional assistants.

Enrollment:   At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, enrollment was 111.  (PK-KG: 25; grades 1-6: 45; grades 7-12: 41). Students from 20 nationalities are enrolled in the school. Class size is limited to 18 students per class, at which point children will be put on waiting lists.

Facilities: The School consists of a purpose-built brick building with 10 large classrooms and 4 small classrooms. The school has a library containing 4500 volumes for reference work, supplemental reading, and pleasure reading, as well as networked computer work-stations for internet research. Across the campus there are 25 computers used for instruction of which 20 are in the computer lab for computer literacy classes. The school has a gym/auditorium attached to the building for use in physical education, drama productions and other group gatherings. The school maintains self-contained classrooms wherever it is possible. There are grounds with ample area to play as well as playground equipment, basketball court, and paved soccer pitch.

High School Diploma The Asmara International Community School high school diploma is awarded to individuals who have earned a minimum of 24 units of high school credit as prescribed below. One unit of credit is awarded for the successful completion of a course that meets the equivalent of once a day, five days a week, for 45 minutes for a full school year. One-half unit of credit is awarded for a course that meets three days a week for 45 minutes for the entire school year (or the equivalent).

Courses	credits
English Literature	4
English writing	4
Social studies	4
Mathematics	3
Science	3
Modern foreign language	2
Fine arts	1
Physical education	2
Community Service	1
Total	24 credits

• Exceptions to AICS graduation requirements will only be made through consultations with the student, parents, and teachers.  Exceptions will be authorized only by the Director. In exceptional circumstances, the administration may waive a particular graduation requirement.
• Course credits from other schools will be transferred on a case by case basis.
   

The grading system used at AICS to determine over all grade point average (GPA) for the 7-12 grade students is on a four-point -three (4.3) system as follows:

A+ (97-100%)		4.33
A (93-96%)		4.0
A- (90-92%)		3.67
B+ (87-89)		3.33
B (83-86)		3.0
B- (80-82)		2.67
C+ (77-79)		2.33
C (73-76)		2.0
C- (70-72)		1.67
D+ (67-69)		1.33
D (63-66)		1.0
D- (60-62)		0.67

AICS offers an instructional program in English for pre-kindergarten (3 years) to high school.

Admission to the school is subject to satisfactory performance on entrance tests, past academic achievement, and on-site evaluations. After meeting admissions guidelines, admission is open for all who seek to benefit from our instructional program. The instructional program primarily reflects an international-style of education, but small class sizes allow for individual student programs to be tailored to meet personal needs. The international character of the faculty means most educational needs can be met. Each child is placed in a classroom setting, usually with similarly aged students. Age guidelines are based on those common in international schools and based on school policy (child must reach ‘normal' age for grade by 1 October). Topics and concepts are introduced in the various grades and subjects using the pace, sequence of presentation and curricular models from international and public schools around the world.

The school strives to contract the best available teaching staff regardless of nationality. Teachers come from locally available candidates or are recruited from overseas. There is no set ratio of locally hired to overseas recruited staff. The numbers will be influenced by availability of local candidates and the school's financial resources. Teachers are expected to be familiar with and use the best teaching methods practiced in schools worldwide. The program will place maximum emphasis on the basic skills of language (English), mathematics, social studies, and science. As resources and staff permit, the school incorporates programs of PE, Music, French, and Art. The school regularly reviews and renews instructional materials and technology.

No one institution can provide an exact replica of the instructional programs existing in the schools of each of the 20+ nationalities represented at AICS. However, strong emphasis on basic skills provides children with a foundation to move successfully into other educational settings.