The International School of Paphos (ISOP) had the honour of welcoming to its premises Her Excellency the Ambassador of The Federal Republic of Germany to The Republic of Cyprus, Mrs Anke Schlimm, on Friday, 3 June 2022. The Ambassador was greeted by the Managing Director of the school, Mrs Aristi Andriotis and the Head of School, Dr Litsa Olympiou. She also had the opportunity to meet with members of the Senior Management Team, teaching staff, students and members of the administration, while she also enjoyed a tour around the school.
ISOP, as the Ambassador mentioned, was the first school she had the pleasure of visiting. The German Department of the school, which has more than 100 students, initiated the visit. Only a few schools promote the German Language and furthermore, the school is a member of the network PASCH, “Schools: Partners for the Future”, so this was another reason for her visit.
It was a great pleasure that Mrs Schlimm met two students of the German Language class, Eric Massad and Eleana Chrysanthou, who were accompanied by the German Department and PASCH Coordinator, Jana Panayi. The students were very excited to have the opportunity to talk in German with the Ambassador and to share their passion for the German Language and Culture. It is noteworthy that their ambition is to study in Germany, a country that they will enjoy visiting this summer, as scholars of the Pasch German Summer Language Camp.
Afterwards, she met with other members of the administration and teaching staff. The Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the School, Mr. Theodoros Aristodimou, also participated in the meeting. At the centre of a very pleasant and constructive discussion were topics related to a further strengthening of the school’s relations with the Embassy, ways of developing the German Language Programme and promoting Germany as a university study destination.
Mrs. Schlimm showed her interest in the structure of the school, the educational system it follows and how the school manages its multinational and multicultural environment, while she clearly expressed her enthusiasm for the school’s facilities.
The Managing Director, Mrs. Andrioti shared the vision and values of the school stating that “our school emphasises its ethos in welcoming all nationalities that want to benefit from our educational services, focusing always on mutual respect. The purpose of the school is “to encourage students from different cultures to study and live together”. She also highlighted that all levels of school facilities are on the same campus thus, “a student’s transmission from Primary to Secondary, is easier because the children are familiar with the environment, the system, the staff members and the facilities”. In addition, she also mentioned and described the facilities of the Boarding House, the school’s latest project.
The Head of the School, Dr. Olympiou, referred to the interesting fact that the school accommodates students of 42 different nationalities, while German students have significantly increased in recent years, with a huge rise in the last school year. She also informed the Ambassador about the Enhancement Department, through which the necessary support and assistance is offered, so that all students can access the curriculum to attain their potential.
Concluding, the Ambassador expressed her warm wish to continue the communication with The International School of Paphos and stated that the first steps have been taken for further collaboration, while she highlighted once again that “the main goals of the Embassy are to create a strong basis for the German Language Programme and to promote, as an option for future studies, the German Universities, whose high level of education is internationally recognised”. She lastly added that she would gladly accept proposals and suggestions that can be motivating forces in achieving these goals.
Before leaving the school, the Ambassador was offered a gift from the school, as well as a package of traditional delicacies prepared by the school’s cafeteria.
We look forward to many more opportunities for mutually beneficial visits.