American International School-Salzburg

The American International School (AIS)- Salzburg is an international college preparatory boarding and day school located in Salzburg, Austria. The school is operated on an American High School curriculum accredited by the Middle States Association. Formerly called The Salzburg International Preparatory School (SIPS), the 2007-08 school year is the 31st in the school's history. The student body in 2007-08 numbers 90 students from 24 different countries. Of the 90 students, 28 are day students. The school offers a junior high school program (grades 7 and 8) in addition to a high school program (grades 9 through 12), which includes an Advanced Placement program. The school year is divided into three trimesters beginning the second week of September and ending in late May. The school also operates a summer school program, as well as a summer language program (SILC).

The campus

The school is located at 106 Moosstrasse at the Marienbad stop on the 21 bus line. It takes approximately 5 minutes to reach the school from the airport and about 15 minutes by bus from downtown. The main building is a designated historical site, originally being used as a spa, and is a distinctive yellow color. As of February 2007 the facade of the main building has been partially restored. It houses the administrative offices, several classrooms (one recently renovated), two dining rooms, the kitchen, the library/media center (recently completed), laundry facilities, the male dorm rooms on the second floor and the female dorm rooms on the third and fourth floors. Four other buildings on school grounds house more classrooms, two music rooms, a weight lifting room, a student lounge (recently completed), an art studio and a computer lab. There are also outdoor volleyball and basketball courts. At various points throughout the school's history (most recently in 2002-3), the campus has also included several pensions as dormitories along the Mosstrasse.

Athletics

The American International School-Salzburg competes as the Lions and Lady Lions against international schools in both friendlies and tournaments in Austria, Switzerland, Hungary and Germany, as well as against local teams in the Salzburg area. The school offers competitive boys and girls soccer in the fall and spring (only the male team was competitive this fall), volleyball in the fall (the female team is the school's traditionally strongest team), and basketball in the winter. The school also has a competitive mixed baseball team (last competed 2004-2005) and a tennis club (has not been competitive) in the spring. In addition to team sports, the school also has a physical education program which includes weekly activities such as swimming, track, weight training, open gym, skating and aerobics.

Courses offered and Graduation Requirements

*4 Credits English: ESL 2,3,4; Introduction to Literature; American Literature; World Literature; AP Literature
*4 Credits German: 1,2,3,4 (AP German Language); Native Speaker
*2.4 Credits Foreign Language: French 1,2,3,4 (AP French Language); Spanish 1,2,3,4 (AP Spanish Language)
*3 Credits Mathematics: Algebra I; Geometry; Algebra II; Advanced Mathematics; AP Calculus AB
*2 Credits Physical Education
*3 Credits Science: Biology; Chemistry; Physics; AP Environmental Sciences (n/a annually); AP Biology (every other year); AP Chemistry (every other year)
*3 Credits Social Sciences: World Cultures; US History; AP Human Geography; AP United States History (n/a annually); AP European History
*1.6 Credits Health and Community Leadership
*1 Elective: Journalism; Model UN; Speech & Debate; Yearbook

Activities and travel

Students take part in various athletic, cultural and entertaining activities every weekend as part of the residence experience (weekend activities). Some of these activities are part of the health points system (the basis of the healthy lifestyle program), while others are various fun and cultural excursion throughout Salzburg and beyond. In the winter time at least 6 day ski trips to nearby resorts (see: Salzburg Ski Areas and Tyrolean Ski Areas), which are all included in tuition. The resident staff is charged with running these activities.

There are two student organizations that operate on parallel mandates. The Student Council, whose members are elected annually, is in charge of the social aspect of the students' needs, while the local National Honor Society chapter cares for the students' academic needs. The two organizations sometimes collaborate on projects.

The school runs a travel program (included in tuition), with two shorter trips during the fall and winter (4 days), and one longer trip in the spring (10 days). These trips go beyond the regular weekend excursions. Past stops in the last few years include London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Venice, Vienna and Normandy. This year the destinations are Venice in the fall, and Hamburg and Copenhagen in the spring.

External links

* [http://www.ais-salzburg.at Official School Site]