The International School St. Lucia is preparing for its fifth academic year which starts on September 6^th, having achieved a milestone with its Graduating Class of 2010 in June. Twenty-two ISSL students received their New Brunswick Secondary School Diploma, many of them with a subject average in excess of 90% and with a combined total of more than EC$420,000 in scholarships to worldwide universities and colleges.  ISSL's first graduates include Miles Agbanrin, winner of the Canada-based Emera Award, who graciously declined the scholarship to accept a place studying International Business at Edinburgh University, Scotland; Robert Ross Tang Him, who got a scholarship for Boston University, USA; Filamena Day, whose grace, humour and intelligence won her the first runner up crown in the St. Lucia Carnival Queen pageant in July, will study Medicine in Cuba on a full scholarship, and Aiasha Gustave showed that ISSL girls mean business by accepting a place at Southampton University with a scholarship, to study Law, winning Miss St. Lucia World and releasing her first single ‘I only have eyes for you' during the summer vacation. Former teen newspaper columnist Sarah Munn will be attending Sheridan Institute of Technology Oakville, Ontario in September to study print journalism for two years and thus fulfill her dream, and Anna Vlugman, ISSL's first graduate in 2009, has completed her first year of Equine Science at the University of Limerick in Ireland, after she secured  a place in the only university she ever dreamed of. Quite a roll call, and there are many more success stories to list.

In its short existence, ISSL has welcomed students from all school locations, backgrounds and curricula, from GCSEs in the UK , the USA, to International Baccalaureate, and many of the graduates this year transitioned to the New Brunswick Diploma programme after completing CXCs. The online courses offered by the International School in Grades 11 & 12 cover a broad base of subjects, utilize a student-centred, independent work style along with in-class guidance from a program director, and complete oversight by the New Brunswick Ministry of Education to ensure students' performance is benchmarked against their peers in Canada. Students are required to complete credited courses in a range of mandatory subjects such as Math and English, and choose other subjects to suit their individual needs; they also complete 40 hours of volunteering as part of the diploma requirement. A true revolution in education, ISSL's cutting edge approach appeals to students who are serious about results; class averages in every grade are on a par or higher than the New Brunswick average, to the great pride of Principal June Harkness and the Board of Governors. The school provides each student with career counseling to help subject choices, and guidance with college applications and scholarships, filing of transcripts and setting up contacts with international admissions bodies.

Not that the transition is easy, and many new ISSL students find the pace and content of the online diploma courses challenging, but the International School staff are always available for extra help and advice, with the good of each individual student in mind. The attitude to study and performance is also a different experience for many; the International School expects students to be responsible for their own workload and results, so the onus is on the individual to succeed all around. To quote from the historic ceremony in June ‘ the Class of 2010 embod(ies) the ISSL belief statement that a Graduate of the International School St Lucia

• has a sound base of knowledge and a commitment to lifelong learning.
• demonstrates effective social and organisational skills.
• is empowered to succeed in life.
• exhibits positive moral and ethical behaviour.
• is a responsible citizen of the world.

ISSL looks forward to welcoming new Grade 11 & 12 students who are interested in acquiring an internationally recognized and accredited High School Diploma here in St. Lucia; contact 458 0989 for more information on all grades from Pre-K to Grade 12.