Christmas Magic at The International School of Moscow

Christmas is the magical time at The International School of Moscow and every campus has its own way of celebrating the festive season. Our Heads of Campuses share what their campuses have been doing in the run up to Christmas. 

Krylatskoe Lower Campus has been a colourful hive of excitement throughout the Christmas and New Year season. At the very start of December, our students thoroughly enjoyed decorating their classrooms and the campus Christmas tree with lively enthusiasm. Remembering the true spirit of the season, the children also reached out to young Muscovites suffering from disabilities via the ‘Who Else But Me?’ foundation. They brought in carefully wrapped gifts to fulfill the New Year gift wishes of some of the city's most vulnerable children, and spread plenty of good cheer around the campus in the process. 

As if rewarding their kindness, jolly old Santa Claus himself came to visit and deliver gifts during the final days of term, as our class celebrations and Christmas meals hit full swing. Christmas costumes, party clothes and colourful sweaters seemed to illustrate the joyous and celebratory mood. Special thanks to the Parent Representatives for helping to arrange decorations and charity actions, ensuring that the children will have plenty of special memories. It is with great excitement that we bid farewell to 2020 and look forward to everything that awaits in the year ahead.

Justin Noack 

Head of Krylatskoe Lower Campus 

Krylatskoe Upper Campus students and staff got well into the swing of Christmas celebrations from the start of December by battling it out in our competition to have the best decorated classroom. Using only recycled items, rooms were transformed into grottos of festive joy.

Live music performances, led by Mr Langford and the Upper Campus House Band, streamed live to classrooms, homes and offices across the whole-school community each morning and helped put that merry spring in everyone’s step. 

The spirit of giving was also very much alive during our run-up to the Christmas and New Year holidays with families generously donating gifts and financial contributions to support our three chosen charitable organisations. The huge act of kindness shown by the community will be sure to put lasting smiles on the faces of children in hospitals, orphanages and education centres during this important season.  

Our term ended with a wonderful live broadcast of musical performances and interviews on Friday morning. It was magical to hear the sounds of well-known Christmas carols and songs pouring out of classrooms during the morning sing-along.  

Ian Storey

Head of Secondary and Krylatskoe Upper Campus 

Christmas at ISM Rosinka began in late November, as the campus was transformed with a whole array of decorations and lights. The famous Rosinka Christmas Postbox was placed at the front of the school, which gave students an opportunity to send season’s greetings to friends and teachers. The Christmas Concert Video went live on Friday 18th December, which included singing, dancing, sign language and poetry. Every child from Pre-Nursery to Year Six took part in this event. 

In the final three days of school, the students enjoyed three dress up days, ranging from Christmas jumpers and Christmas hats to party clothes and even a day wearing red. Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman visited the classes and delivered a Christmas gift for each child, but the question on everyone’s lips and the talk of the campus is: which two staff members were dressed as Santa and Frosty? 

Chris Charlton

Head of Rosinka Campuses