Director's Welcome

As the new Director of TIS, I am delighted to become a member of this wonderful community. Jann and I are looking forward to meeting all of you over the coming months and we are both excited at the prospect of getting to know this school, the wider community and Uzbekistan itself with its fascinating cultural heritage.

Once again our enrollment has expanded and to date we have 385 students from Pre-K to Grade 12 on campus, with projected further enrollment growth. Six temporary additional classrooms, ‘dachas’ have been added over the summer to accommodate our increasing needs. Likewise, we have added additional teachers and support staff to ensure the level of education that we provide continues to be excellent and is constantly re-evaluated and improved.

We are the only international school in Central Asia to be accredited by both the European Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Colleges and Schools. TIS is an IB World School and we offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme to our students in grades 11 and 12. Our IB Diploma Results from our graduating classes are consistently higher than the world average, which is a great achievement! Tashkent International School, now in its 15th year, has a lovely, wooded campus and modern facility and is well on the way to meeting the goals of our Five Year Strategic Plan. This plan charts the evolution and growth of our school within the curriculum framework of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programme. In addition to expanding academic electives and programs, the Strategic Plan charts a course for the further development of the facilities and campus. A new Pre-School opened on campus on Monday, March 26, 2007, and our new gym opened on March 5, 2008 with the Opening Ceremony of the Central Asian Basketball Classic Tournament. Plans are now in place to build a new Elementary building for 2010 to allow us to accommodate our anticipated expanded enrolment target of 560 students PreK-12 by 2012. Additional information on our Five Year Strategic Plan can be found on this website.

Our spacious campus has appropriate facilities to support our academic program that include: three computer labs, a media centre, two indoor gyms, an auditorium, three fully-equipped science labs and spacious, networked, climate-controlled classrooms, plus a grass athletic track, soccer fields, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts and landscaped and wooded general recreation spaces. In May of 2005, we welcomed Tashkent International Medical Clinic, the best private, family practice medical clinic in Uzbekistan to a newly-remodeled facility on our campus. The clinic provides medical and emergency coverage for our staff, students and, indeed, most of the international community in Tashkent. We have an extremely active and supportive PTA who organizes a whole host of events and activities for the students and community throughout the year. They have developed PTA sponsored and built gardens, new play areas, a sandpit and a pirate ship on campus. Scottish Dancing Nights, Pot Luck Supper Socials, Spring Bazaar and a Holiday Ball are just some of the events they sponsor and help coordinate. They have plans for much more, they tell us!

Growing enrollment on our lovely campus and facility means that this year we will continue the expansion, not only our academic offerings, but also our after-school, co-curricular activities program. Our school is a magnet for clubs, sports, organizations and events in the local and international community. We will continue to seek such partnerships this year and next.

International schools truly are exciting and interesting places for children to grow and learn in. We have an experienced international faculty with teaching staff from the US, Canada, the UK, Netherlands, Mexico, France, Latvia, New Zealand, Turkey, Korea, Australia, Armenia, South Africa, India, Mexico and Uzbekistan. This, together with students and professional families from over 35 different nations, makes for a very diverse and multi-cultural community indeed. Small class sizes, good facilities, supportive parents and motivated students make for a very positive learning environment in the classroom--a place where students can achieve their potential.

We look forward to making this 15th year a great year in the history of our school and invite you to join us on our journey.

Robert Brindley