After School Sports & Activities Program ISS After School Sports & Activities Program Dear ISS Students and Parents, Participation in the After School Sports and Activities Program will add a level of responsibility and commitment, but also fun, to both academic and social life. It will challenge you as a student and will foster an attitude of positive participation. We hope this booklet will help you understand the expectations involved in becoming a member of one of our programs. We at the International School of Stuttgart e.V. (ISS) wish this experience to be as satisfying as possible for both students and parents. Sincerely, Radi Zdravkovic, Athletics Director Our Mission The Goal of the ISS After School Sports and Activities Program is to provide and coordinate a variety of competitive, noncompetitive and recreational activities for our students to further develop physical, social and interpersonal abilities. The program enhances the ISS experience, promotes our school’s identity and helps to prepare our students for future challenges. The International School of Stuttgart e.V. is a global and international school community that gives its students opportunities to grow in many different ways. Learning is always at the heart of all we do. However, learning can happen in many places, not just inside the classroom. It is for this reason that we try to offer a wide variety of activities for all students, in sports and many other different activities. We always hope that as many students as possible take advantage of these opportunities. INSPIRE. CHALLENGE. SUPPORT. 3 GISST ISS is a member of the German International School Sports Tournaments league (GISST). Within this league, ISS athletes will be able to compete against other International Schools across Germany in friendly matches and tournaments. Friendly games / tournaments usually involve playing several games on Saturdays with two or three guest teams at a host school. There is a tournament for each sport at the end of the season. The tournament involves most schools in the league and will be played Thursday through Saturday. ISS will host two GISST tournaments a year. The number of friendly games / tournaments will vary by the sport but we try to schedule at least two friendly games / tournaments for each team as a preparation for the big GISST tournament. Students in grades 6 through 12 are invited and encouraged to participate. The ISS school teams will have defined seasons: Fall - August to December, Winter - December to March, Spring - March to May. Home and away games will be played against other International Schools in Germany and can involve overnight trips. Practices will vary according to the team, coach, and upcoming event. German International School Sport Tournaments (GISST) Tryouts for GISST teams ISS school teams are competitive in nature and rosters will be decided by a try-out process when necessary. There will be an open period at the beginning of each season that will be announced in advance. There are minimum and maximum number of athletes for each team. Players will be selected by the coach based on ability, attitude and commitment. Participation in most GISST sport teams will require a student to miss classes. In these instances, parents and/or students must communicate with their teachers about the absence. All missed work must be completed on time as specified by the teacher. Philosophy “Student first; athlete second” is the fundamental concept supporting the ISS After School Sports and Activity Program. Maintaining appropriate levels of work completion, attendance and achievement on course examinations is taken very seriously by the ISS Athletic Director. After school sports and activities are extracurricular and can be put aside when a student is struggling academically. GISST Schools Bavarian International School (BIS), Berlin British School (BBS), Franconian International School (FIS), International School Hannover Region (ISHR) - Internationale Schule, Frankfurt- Rhein-Main (ISFRM), Berlin Brandenburg International School (BBIS), Berlin International School (BerIS), Dresden International School (DIS), International School of Stuttgart (ISS), Leipzig International School (LIS) and St. George´s School Duisburg - Düsseldorf. 4 Registration and Fees Registration will be held at the beginning of each season and tryout period. Players and parents must complete the registration, medical release and housing information forms. Fee structure for GISST teams will be 100 - 125 Euros per player per sport and these fees go towards paying for coaches and chaperones stipends and expenses on trips, uniforms and other equipment, cost of facility rental if necessary, transportation costs, tournament fees, referees and other miscellaneous costs. Aditionally there will be an extra accommodation fee of 100 Euro per child for traveling teams. (Hostel,Hotel) GISST Sports Spring Season (March-June) Winter Season (December-March) Fall Season (September-November) Tennis (Varsity & U14) Basketball (Varsity & U14) Cross Country (Varsity & U14) Volleyball (U14) Swimming (Varsity & U14) Soccer (Varsity & U14) Track and Field (Varsity & U14) Volleyball (Varsity) Badminton (Varsity & U14) INSPIRE. CHALLENGE. SUPPORT. 5 The ISS Sportverein Mission The mission of the ISS Sportverein (SV-ISS) is to organize and promote The Sportverein teams will include other athletes that do not attend ISS and will play other German club teams with the competitive sports activities with the surrounding community.The SV-ISS season lasting most of the school year. Practices occur twice a week, unless it has to be reduced to once per week due to works hand-in-hand with ISS to provide a greater school experience for gym space in the winter season. Game schedules are established at the beginning of the school year. our students and their families within the host country. ISS competes in soccer, basketball and track & field leagues with matches and meets normally at the weekend, The German Sportverein Saturdays or Sundays. The basketball season runs all year long, September through June, and the soccer teams play a league In Germany, sports are not organized by the schools, but rather in sport in September through November, and then take a winter break from games, and start again in new leagues February clubs called Sportverein. Wherever possible and appropriate, the ISS through June. competitive sports teams are organized this way. The forming of the ISS Sportverein in 2003 enabled many opportunities for our teams to Sportverein Membership compete on a regular basis, providing a foundation of experience needed Membership of the SV-ISS is for one year and must be renewed annually. To help cover the costs associated with running to compete internationally. our program, members are required to pay a membership fee. The membership fee, announced at the start of the school year, is per player per competitive sport. Fees are payable by the end of October by direct debit with other payment The SV-ISS teams play in local leagues, against other clubs in the Stuttgart options may be agreed on a case by case basis. area. The coaches are not always teachers at ISS, but local coaches approved by and hired by the Sportverein Manager. 6 The ISS Sportverein (SV-ISS) Competition Teams formed in the Sportverein are designed to be competitive. It is the coach’s decision how to handle the competitive environment and the opportunity for everybody to play. Coaches will ensure that players receive playing time in keeping with the level of commitment and ability displayed by the individual. We believe that a player should be prepared for his or her competitive experiences rather than lose motivation through being asked to perform without the necessary training and/or level of fitness required. Transportation It is the responsibility of parents to provide transportation to both practices and games. Practices At ISS we strongly believe in quality participation. Athletes are expected to attend all scheduled practices (usually two per week). In the rare case that a practice must be missed, the coach is to be notified before the missed practice. INSPIRE. CHALLENGE. SUPPORT. 7 Student learning at ISS doesn’t stop with the final bell. ISS’s After School Activities Program (ASAP) is designed to offer students at all skill levels the opportunity to try out a variety of activities ranging from crafts to cheerleading and circus to cookery. Classes vary each semester and they encourage teamwork, contribute to self-confidence, and may help uncover an interest that could last a lifetime. Semester classes are offered for students in both the Lower and Upper Schools and we are very happy to offer a greater range of activities than ever before to our younger students. After School Activities Program Mission The mission of the ASAP is to provide quality training in a variety of well-structured activities to further the development of a healthy mind, body and attitude as well as practice and development of specific skills needed to be successful in hobbies and activities of interests. Clubs and Activities The program offers a variety of clubs and activities run predominantly by our teaching staff, with some run by parents and outside instructors. After School Activities Program (ASAP) 8 When is ASAP? In most cases, the Early Years to Grade 5 activities take place from 3:10 - 4:10pm weekdays. For Grades 6 through 12 activities take place at 3:40 - 4:40pm on all weekdays. There may be some exceptions and these are highlighted in the ASAP catalogue. Please be aware that there are NO activities on Student-Led- Conference days (in the individual parts of the school) and a reminder email will be sent to parents. Registration Registration takes place via Veracross. Once you have logged onto your child’s profile, click on the “Launch sign up” button. Fees The fee for one activity per term is 75 Euros. Some activities may be charged at a different rate due to extra material costs (for example ingredients - therefore the cooking classes costs 100 Euros).