These events provide an opportunity for members of the community to get to know one another in an informal setting and to ask questions about life in Paris or about ISP.

Coffee Mornings: Social get-togethers for parents, announced via email and the weekly newsletter.

PTA's Intro to Paris: An information session for new families to answer questions about attending ISP and living in Paris.

International Night: One of the PTA’s major social events of the year for parents and staff, with refreshments, music and dancing.

School's Out Summer's Coming Party: This end-of-year party provides an opportunity for departing staff and families to celebrate the accomplishments of the year and say goodbye to one another before school ends.

PTA Class Representative: The point person for assisting with communication between parents and teachers of a particular classroom or grade. The Class Representatives coordinate coffee morning social gatherings and help to get parents involved in school activities.

Volunteers to Assist ISP Staff: Librarians and teachers always welcome any assistance

Teacher and Staff Appreciation Days: Our special annual celebration days to say thanks to our teachers and staff.

Holiday Bazaar: A holiday market of small items for Primary School students to buy as gifts for family and friends.

Parents and other members of the ISP community organize a variety of activities that are open to parents. Many activities are free of charge or are available for a small fee and provide an opportunity for parents to meet one another, practice a skill or hobby or learn a bit more about life in Paris. Current PTA-sponsored activities for parents are listed each week in the newsletter. In the past these activities have included:

• Cooking Lessons;
• Walking tours of Paris;
• French or English Book Clubs;
• Photography;
• Language Conversation Classes;
• Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates and so much more!

International Night
9 November 2018

On Friday 9 November, ISP’s PTA hosted International Night at the Beethoven campus. This annual event celebrates the cultural diversity of the ISP community and is a chance for parents and ISP staff to enjoy a fun evening together.

Planning began weeks in advance, with the parent community deciding that this International Night would be sustainable, with all cups, plates and glasses being environmentally friendly.  Even the décor was sustainable this year, with balloons being replaced by traditional paper art from around the world.

Parents brought along homemade food from their home countries.  Music was provided by The Doodads band, which includes parents and teachers from the ISP community.  Parent volunteers signed up for shifts on the bar and to help set the event up.

PTA President Jennifer Hamerman said: “This was perhaps our best International Night yet.  The Beethoven campus was truly transformed into a beautiful party venue.  We’re especially grateful to Alexandra Azzarello who led a wonderful team of parent volunteers who made the night happen.”

Holiday Bazaar 2018 at the Primary School
7 December 2018

On Friday 7 December, the annual PTA Holiday Bazaar took place at the Primary School.  For weeks in advance, both parents and children had been crafting homemade goods to sell.  This crafting took place both individually at home and also in sessions organised by the PTA at school.

This year saw increased involvement in the event from students.  Grade 2 got involved to help with the organisation, from making gift wrap to preparing special organising kits for their fellow students to bring to the Bazaar, including shopping lists and money wallets.  Grade 5 played a special role in selecting Imagine for Margo, a paediatric cancer charity, to receive the full proceeds from the sales.

The big day arrived and each Grade had their chance, armed with pocket money, to enjoy a shopping spree around the gym, which had been set up as a Holiday Market.  The PTA had selected the theme ‘Better Together’ and the gym was beautifully decorated to reflect that, with many of the decorations provided by students. 

PTA President Jennifer Hamerman said:  “The Holiday Bazaar at Primary is always such a special event.  It is always a joy to see the whole community coming together, both to craft in the weeks before and also to make the big day itself so special for the children.  A huge thank you to parents Emily Turk and Alexandra Azzarello for all their efforts and to the great team of parents who volunteered.  We also broke our own record in terms of fundraising and we’re all very proud of how much money we were able to make for Imagine for Margo.”

Our PTA does not receive funding from the school and therefore relies entirely on donations to fund PTA-sponsored activities and programs. To share your support to strengthen our programs and activities, please email pta@isparis.edu.

The PTA depends on volunteers to assist with its many programs. If you are interested in helping with any of the roles or events listed below, please send an email to pta@isparis.edu.

PTA Executive Committee: Become a member of the PTA’s “management team” that administers and coordinates the PTA.

• Class Representative: Assisting with communication between parents and teachers of a particular classroom or grade. Coordinate coffee morning social meetings and help to get parents involved in school activities.
• Parent Partners: Assist new families from a similar cultural or language background with advice on living in Paris and attending ISP.
• Library Assistance: Assist librarians with re-shelving books, inventory, reading to students, etc.
• Welcome Workshop: Help to orient new families at ISP at a workshop designed to answer questions about attending ISP and living in Paris.
• Holiday Bazaar: Organize and craft to create the school’s Holiday market of small gift items for Primary School students to buy as gifts for family and friends.
• International Night: Help plan the PTA’s major social event of the year for parents and staff. It includes refreshments, dancing and music.
• Teacher Appreciation Days: Work together with other parents to provide our teachers and staff special days with breakfasts and snacks.
• Overnight Student Host: Host visiting student(s) from out-of-town who are participating in ISP-sponsored events (e.g. Model United Nations program, Choirs).