International Academy of St. Petersburg, Russia

International Academy of St. Petersburg Russia
Location
St. Petersburg Russia
Information
Type	Private Grade, Middle, and High School
Motto	Building Bridges for Cross-Cultural Kids.
Established	1993
Headmaster	Tammy Plaster
Grades	K–12
Color(s)	Red and White
Mascot	Guardians
Yearbook	IA Yearbook
Website	www.myiasp.com

International Academy of St. Petersburg Russia, abbreviated IA or "'IASP'", is an International Christian school located in St. Petersburg, Russia. Its curriculum and structure is based on the American system and is directed towards students who plan to attend a college/university in the U.S. or other English-speaking college/university. For this reason all of its classes are conducted in English with standard Christian American curriculum.

History and campus

The International Academy began in 1993 as a school for Christian, English speakers in St. Petersburg, Russia. Originally named the International Christian School of St. Petersburg, or "ICS," it cooperated with the Russian Christian School, or "RCS" to exist as a part of Kargel and Baedeker School. In the year 2007, the two schools split, and the International Christian School took a new name - the International Academy.

Before 2004, ICS was at Ligovskiy Prospect Metro. Often referred to as the "Red Building", the school was on the second floor of a building which it shared with the Russian Christian School. After numerous problems with the organization the building was rented from, the school moved to its own building on Krestovskiy Island.

In the building on Krestovskiy Island, ICS was on the third floor, RCS on the second, and administrative area, the library, lunch room, and science labs were on the first. There was a small gym attached as well.

When at Krestovskiy, the school had three classrooms for the primary grades, first and second, third and fourth, and fifth and sixth. There were two small rooms for language studies, two multi-purpose classrooms, a computer lab, and a math room. There was also a bathroom, a principal's office, a teachers' lounge, and a secretary's office.

The land surrounding the school when at Krestovskiy was wooded and fenced in, with a large park nearby. By the time ICS moved in, the surrounding area was being developed and under heavy construction.

After leaving K&B, the school's next location, for 2 years, was near Gorkovskaya Metro in a shared building.

Finally now (2010), IA has signed its own 5-year lease on a unique, old church building on Vasilievsky Island. The top floor features a huge open area in the center, with domed ceilings and chandeliers still prominent, surrounded by classrooms used by grades 7-12. The second floor houses the elementary classrooms and Art. The first floor includes an eating area, computer lab, offices, and a music room. The music room is used by the bands, choirs, and drama classes.

Academics

The average class size for is around 15 students. The majority of graduates in the past few years have attended colleges in America. Total enrollment for the 2015-2016 school year: 137.

The schedule is made by the staff at the beginning of each year. Priority is given to larger classes and seniority is also highly considered. Because of the low student teacher ratio, hand crafting of schedules is sometimes possible.

Athletics

The school's mascot is the "Guardians." The school's predominant sport is basketball, with boys and girls varsity teams offered. The basketball season usually spans from mid-November until spring break in late March. IA's main rivals include the Anglo-American School of St. Petersburg and Hinkson Christian Academy in Moscow. In the spring, high school co-ed volleyball is offered for a one-month mini-season.

In the boys varsity team's infancy, the team struggled to gain momentum and frequently finished in the bottom places in tournaments. However, in the 2010-2011 basketball season, the team had a breakthrough year with a record of 14-5. This is currently the greatest amount of wins in a season in the school's history. The 2011-2012 team fielded the strongest 6 players in the school's history and amassed a 13-1 record - the highest winning percentage in school history. Both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 teams defeated schools much larger in size (including the Anglo-American School of Moscow, who at the time had an enrollment 13 times the size of IA's), along with the St. Petersburg city champions for non-sport school teams. The teams also defeated the No. 1-ranked sport school teams in the city for players in their sophomore and freshman years.

The boys basketball program has Colossians 3:23 as its team verse and philosophy - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as for the Lord and not men." The ultimate goal for IA basketball is not winning - it's glorifying God through the game of basketball.

The girls varsity team began in 2014-2015 as a combined team with Anglo-American School of St. Petersburg, competing under the name "Panthers." The team amicably split later in the year to form the first girls varsity team in the school's history. The team began its first full season for the 2015-2016 school year.

The school's mascot has undergone multiple changes over the years, beginning with the "White Knights" (a double entendre off of St. Petersburg's infamous White Nights), followed by the "Cossacks" until the end of the 2014-2015 school year. The school decided to choose a new mascot following their move into their current location during the 2014-2015 school year and the mascot "Guardians" won the school-wide competition.

Activities

Depending on the interests of staff and parent volunteers, activities vary year to year. Current activities are as follows: - Student Council - Choir - Beginning and Advanced Band - Annual Play - Yearbook - Robotics Club - Model UN - After-school program

References

International Academy of St. Petersburg website

See also

• List of higher education and academic institutions in Saint Petersburg

External links

• Official Website