Exploring Excellence at The International School of Minnesota: A Comprehensive Overview
Recently we spent time with Prima Sisinni, the Director of Admissions and Outreach at The International School of Minnesota (ISM), where she shared her journey at ISM beginning as a preschool student and eventually returned after graduating from college. Starting in admissions and progressing through alumni relations and events, she now serves in her current role. Understanding Misconceptions:
Addressing misconceptions about ISM, Prima emphasized ISM's accessibility beyond international students, with 90% of the student body comprising local families. She clarified that ISM's international aspect stems from its affiliation with a global school network rather than exclusively serving international students. She emphasized, "My goal was and is to continue to provide accurate, factual information about private education." Her motivation stems from her own positive experiences benefiting from private education and a desire to educate parents about its potential benefits.
Prima then went on to address common misconceptions about private schools in general. One misconception she discussed is the cost of attendance. Private schools don’t have to be out of reach, in fact ISM has a commitment to affordability and offers scholarships, including an income-based tuition assistance program, and the Taiylor R. Nunn Scholarship, designed for students who are under-represented in STEM. Prima highlighted ongoing efforts to expand these opportunities further.
ISM focuses on both academics and a wide range of activities. They offer student leadership programs, arts and music classes, PE, swimming, and competitive sports with about 20 varsity activities and athletics. She pointed out the math team's success in competitions as an example of how ISM supports students in various areas, not just academics. This shows ISM's dedication to nurturing students' overall growth and development.
Unlocking Opportunities: The Distinct Advantages of ISM:
Several unique advantages of ISM were highlighted compared to other institutions. Notably, ISM offers extensive international programs through its global network, providing students opportunities to compete abroad in various fields such as arts, athletics, and academics. She emphasized, "Having connections around the world is a huge benefit." Additionally, ISM's comprehensive college counseling program starting in middle school ensures personalized guidance for students, preparing them effectively for future academic and career paths. Prima underscored the school's powerful sense of community, where every student is personally known and supported: "Every student is known and not just a number." These aspects collectively define ISM's commitment to holistic student development and community engagement.
Regarding academic success, ISM implements a proactive approach under a deputy director of academics who oversees K-12 education. This includes regular assessments to identify and address student gaps promptly. "No student fails in peace," she emphasized, reflecting ISM's dedication to providing tailored support such as one-on-one tutoring and group sessions. The school's focus on data-driven assessments ensures that teachers can effectively monitor and enhance student learning without distraction: "Ensuring that they have the time to really be in front of the students, teaching, helping, answering questions, taking that kind of communication piece off of them really helps them develop as better teachers."
Prima emphasized the diverse and inclusive environment at ISM, noting representation from 30 different nations within the student body, encompassing various backgrounds and cultural ties. She highlighted, "Within our student body, we currently have 30 different nations represented, whether that is students coming directly from their home countries or... families who are just very closely tied to their heritage." Prima described, "It's kind of like a mini–United Nations almost, we've got so much diversity, so much culture, so many different pieces."
Educational Excellence:
Prima emphasized ISM's approach to ensuring academic success through personalized support and rigorous assessment methods. She stated, "We use a lot of data to make sure that student success is happening, finding and filling those gaps where it's needed." This includes weekly quizzes, periodic exams, and finals to gauge understanding and address any gaps promptly, reinforcing a solid academic foundation.
Regarding ISM's academic achievements, Prima highlighted several key points: a 100% college acceptance and matriculation rate, with students consistently gaining admission to selective colleges; an impressive Advanced Placement (AP) program where all seniors take AP exams, with many achieving high scores and earning AP Scholar distinctions. ISM's distinction as an AP Platinum Badge School underscores their commitment to academic excellence through rigorous coursework and high achievement levels.
ISM's unique language program, starting from preschool with daily native speaker-led classes in French or Spanish, which students continue through high school for fluency development. She explained, "We start second language teaching taught by native speakers during preschool. In preschool parents will choose French or Spanish, and that student is going to stick with that language with native speakers through their college or through their high school career." In preschool through 5th grade, language learning is immersive, focusing on grammar, vocabulary, and literature. Prima emphasized, "Students have proper accents and they can read, write, understand and develop their own thought within that language, similar to their first language."
Regarding expansion, ISM offers additional languages like ASL and Arabic in after-school programs. Prima stated, "We do offer after school programming for other languages as well. So, for preschool through 5th grade. As part of our extended day program, we have language classes that may not be in French or Spanish. This year we did ASL and Arabic, we are looking at maybe doing others."
Advice and Insights: 
Prima's advice to parents considering private education emphasizes thorough research and personalized understanding of what each family values most in their child's education. She advises, "I would say do your research, ask questions, and really understand what's going to be important to you as you're looking at an education shift." This involves identifying priorities such as class size, college acceptance rates, or overall educational quality, and using those as a framework for decision-making.
In terms of ISM's value to the community, Prima emphasizes their commitment to academic rigor and affordability, stating, "ISM is definitely the highest quality education at an affordable price here in the Twin Cities." She encourages families to dispel misconceptions about ISM being solely for international students and highlights their comprehensive approach to preparing students for college and beyond with a well-rounded education.
Prima encourages people to visit and learn about ISM through a tour, highlighting its unique location on 57 acres in Eden Prairie. They emphasize the school's accessibility to students from various areas, including Eden Prairie, Edina, Wayzata, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Shakopee, Chaska, and more. Prima invites those interested in an independent, non-sectarian educational environment to explore ISM further!
Prima Sisinni: psisinni@ism-sabis.net
Website: https://internationalschoolmn.com/
If you're interested in having an interview for a member blog, please email Grace Leapaldt at grace.leapaldt@epchamber.org for more details!
