Rise International School Erbil (RISE)

Re-enrollment is open!

RISE mission and guiding statements

Mission

The Stirling Schools group is committed to building nurturing, supportive and collaborative communities of learners. Our schools combine local cultural values with international standards of education.

Vision

Our vision is to inspire and empower our students to become global citizens with a deeply ingrained sense of social responsibility and creativity, readily equipped with personal qualities such as a fully rounded, independent character, and developed critical thinking

skills so that they are imbued with the ability to unlock their full academic potential and exercise their talents in real life.

Philosophy

At Rise International School-Erbil (RISE), we understand that we live in a global society, and our school is designed to serve students of all backgrounds, races, and cultures. Our aim is to create a community where children can belong to the family of the world, love and respect each other's differences, and celebrate diversity. Our broad curriculum and extracurricular activities provide opportunities for students to follow their desired paths to appropriate secondary institutions. Our educational philosophy is focused on helping students aim high in all aspects of learning while retaining their curiosity and creativity. We encourage empathy with others and reflection on one's own values and the values of others to prepare students to succeed and lead in businesses or universities worldwide.

Commitments

To provide a rich and challenging curriculum that caters to the needs, interests, and abilities of all students.
To build and improve students' confidence and appreciation of their self-identity.
To enhance and expand upon the students' personal and academic achievements.
To develop students' sense of discipline, moral values, and social responsibilities.
To educate students to be proud of their past and embrace their future.
To ensure close ties between the school, parents, and the community.
To instill in students the value and beauty of diversity and to care about all other citizens of the world, regardless of race, color, gender, or personal creed, and to celebrate and respect these differences.
To provide a safe, clean, healthy, and caring educational environment that facilitates, optimizes, and maximizes the learning process.
To provide high-quality educational opportunities and student-centered learning approaches consistent with best practices.

Beliefs

We believe that RISE is a place where all students can learn.
We have an obligation to teach every learner and expect all students to learn.
We believe in fostering a nurturing environment in which each child feels special and grows in self-esteem.
We believe that true education is a balance of academic success and moral values.
At RISE, strong parental participation is encouraged, and we value close ties among children, staff, parents, and the community as a whole.
We believe that learning is an unending, lifelong process, whether formal or informal.
We believe that diversity is a strength, and we expect students to understand, tolerate, and respect all differences.
The educational philosophy at RISE is based on love, trust, and an interest in the welfare of our children.

vision 2025

At RISE, we prioritize the well-being and success of our students by upholding high standards of respect, integrity, success, and excellence.

Respect (R)

We believe in creating a safe and inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and allows every student to thrive. Our focus is on building solid relationships based on love and trust, and we deeply care about the well-being of our students.

Integrity (I)

We believe in doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. We provide a challenging curriculum that meets the needs and interests of all students, helping them develop discipline, moral values, and social responsibility. At RISE, we always uphold the highest standards of integrity and ethical behavior.

Success (S)

We aim to provide a safe, caring, healthy learning environment where students can grow and achieve their potential. We encourage parental involvement and believe strong ties between school, parents, and the community are crucial to student success. We are committed to helping our students succeed in all aspects of their lives.

Excellence (E)

We believe in continuous improvement and strive for excellence in everything we do. We focus on innovation and improving our educational programs and services to better meet our students' needs. At RISE, we are dedicated to providing the highest quality education possible, and learning is a lifelong process.

Core drivers

How will we achieve this vision (Vision 2025)?

Counseling services

RISE profoundly cares about the well-being of its students and recognizes that emotional support is an essential component of a successful learning experience. We understand that students' social and emotional well-being is as important as academic achievement, and we prioritize providing comprehensive support services. Through our counselling services, such as the class teacher system, psychological counselling, and guidance lessons, we equip our students with the tools they need to succeed academically and personally.

RISE works with a range of well-being services to provide our students with comprehensive support and help them develop essential life skills. These include well-regarded organizations such as www.character.org and https://characterstrong.com. By partnering with such organizations, RISE can provide its students with access to a wealth of knowledge, resources, and best practices in character development and well-being. This allows us to deliver highly effective, evidence-based programs that help students build resilience, empathy, and a strong sense of social responsibility.

Duke of Edinburgh Awards

RISE is driven by the belief that instilling a strong sense of discipline, moral values, and social responsibility in their students is essential. RISE has decided to implement the Duke of Edinburgh Awards to achieve this.

At RISE, it is crucial to do the right thing, even if no one is watching us. Integrity and ethical behaviour are essential to building strong relationships and creating a safe and inclusive learning environment. We recognize that each student is unique, with their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, we strive to create a personalized learning experience tailored to each student's needs.

By implementing the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, RISE aims to challenge and push our students out of their comfort zones. This initiative will help them develop essential life skills such as resilience, perseverance, and leadership, which will be invaluable as they navigate their way through life.

Solid Parental Support

RISE is driven by a deep commitment to providing its students with a safe, caring, and healthy learning environment where they can grow and achieve their potential. We recognize that a strong partnership between the school, parents and the wider community is essential to the success of their students.

RISE encourages parental involvement in all aspects of their student's learning journey. We believe that parents play a crucial role in supporting their children's education and are committed to strengthening the relationship between the school and parents.

To achieve this, RISE has implemented various initiatives, including home visits, parent activities, and seminars for parents. These initiatives allow parents to engage with the school, learn about their children's progress, and gain insights into effective parenting strategies.

RISE also places a strong emphasis on communication between the school and parents. We recognize that effective communication is vital to building strong relationships and fostering trust. To this end, RISE has established robust communication channels (like JupiterEd) that enable parents to stay informed about their children's education and to provide feedback to the school.

In addition, RISE is committed to involving parents in the delivery of lifelong learning. We believe parents have valuable knowledge and expertise to share with their children and the wider school community. By involving parents in the learning process, RISE aims to create a more inclusive and collaborative learning environment that benefits all students.

Continuous improvement in educational programs

RISE is driven by a commitment to excellence in its educational programs and services. We recognize that providing high-quality education is crucial to helping their students succeed and achieve their goals. To this end, RISE is dedicated to continuous improvement and innovation.

RISE believes every student has unique needs and interests and strives to provide educational programs and services that meet these diverse needs. We recognize the importance of offering a wide range of academic options and language support to ensure that every student has the opportunity to excel.

To achieve this, RISE has implemented various initiatives to enhance the quality of its educational programs and services. We have opened more Advanced Placement (AP) courses, allowing students to challenge themselves and earn college credit while still in high school. We also aim to introduce different language options and enhanced local language support to meet the needs of a diverse student body.

RISE is committed to ensuring its students are well-prepared for college and beyond. We aim to implement MAP tests and PSAT to give students the tools they need to succeed academically. We also aim to raise the average SAT score to 1300 by providing students with the support they need to excel on these critical exams.

RISE recognizes that college counselling is a vital component of the educational experience. We have implemented a robust college counselling system to help students navigate the complex college application process and prepare them for the challenges ahead.

RISE recognizes the importance of providing students with a well-rounded education with artistic expression and creativity opportunities. To this end, RISE is committed to implementing art classes as part of its educational programs and services.