all day
Impact Report
Letter from Head of School
I think this year was defined by improvement versus major undertakings. We followed the advice of our ACIS accreditation and focused on making sure that we are doing well, understanding where we can get better, and working towards focused goals. This year reinforced what is in the school's DNA: that every year needs to be better than the last, no matter how good it was. As we ask our IB students, we engage in an intentional reflective process, question ourselves, and work together to move forward.
Our school year was bookended by two very special visitors that you’ll read more about in these pages. Salva Dut, one of the Lost Boys of South Sudan, whose story is told in the New York Times Bestseller, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, visited campus in September. Fashion designer, humanitarian, and entrepreneur, David Avido, who rose from the slums of Nairobi to international fashion weeks, joined the International School of Denver as our first-ever Artist in Residence in April.
Both Dut and Avido left us uplifted and inspired with their compelling stories of courage, resilience, compassion, and action. These two use their platforms to galvanize the world around them into action with a powerful ripple effect. Dut and Avido model what it means to think globally and act locally. Their unique mission intertwines with our own, as we strive to create a more compassionate and curious world.
Dut and Avido have made it their life’s work to empower and invest in their communities. This year we recognized two incredible parent volunteers who do the same within our own community and, simply put, whom ISDenver would not be the same without. On page XX read about our first recognized Volunteers of the Year, Leah Pytel and June Dirstine. This new recognition mirrors our strong held belief that community giving can take the shape of what is most meaningful to every individual, including the joyful contribution of time, and that it takes all of us working together as a community to make the ISDenver experience we know and love.
Thank you so much for all the ways you invest in this very special place.
This year reinforced what is in the school's DNA: that every year needs to be better than the last, no matter how good it was. As we ask our IB students, we engage in an intentional reflective process, question ourselves, and work together to move forward. -Bob Carignan
Sit close to your kids.
Bob Carignan
Head of School
Letter from Board Chair
This is an incredible time to be part of ISDenver. I’m proud to say I’ve been a parent since 2013 - our eldest graduates this year - and chair of the ISDenver Board since 2017 . Over the past 11 years, our school has taken dramatic leaps forward. We’ve always had bilingual, immersion- and culture-based education at our heart since our founding in 1977. About a decade ago, as part of our strategic plan, we slightly elevated our programs to more formally include a focus on developing global citizens who are prepared to impact the world around them. One of our most recent steps in support of our plan and mission has been to expand our IB education to our full programs from K1 through G8. Now, we are one of only six schools in the state to have both a PYP and MYP. What’s more, is that of those, we are the only one offering Chinese, the only PYP school with French, and one of two with Spanish. We are just a few years away from our 50th anniversary and are in the strongest position yet as we move toward our next fifty years.
This year, the word “gratitude” was at the heart of our community giving. There is no us without you. Thank you for everything and for giving generously in a way that was meaningful to you and your family.
Kurt Pletcher
Board Chair
There is no us without you. Thank you for everything and for giving generously in a way that was meaningful to you and your family.
-Kurt Pletcher, Board Chair
Our Financial Health
Thank You to Our Community Volunteers
Thank You to Our Donors
The following list of individuals and organizations represents the donors who have made gifts from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
* Faculty/Staff
+ RISE Campaign Donor
^International Scholars Society
With appreciation to:
It’s always the right time to invest in our learners and community.
Thank you for your ongoing support!