To whom it may concern.
When we arrived in Portugal, we did the benchmarking over the schools available, we found, on one hand, schools standing lower compared to our ambitions and interests, while some other good ones were very expensive but also extremely strict! By saying strict we mean they are so old-fashion style they may not cultivate but block children’s free thinking and initiatives taking.
ICSC on the other hand is affordable and also fulfilled our expectations, but most of all our basic criterion, being more friendly to the students sizes and behaviors, that can all be described by the feeling and the proved, after a 3-year ICSC experience, presence of a family-like atmosphere.
ICSC is in a continuous success over keeping the balance between order-discipline and kindness-spiritual freedom. We daily recognize the progress our children make both in language and science learning modules, but also in having well-established character values and a clear cut orientation towards trying harder, getting better and aiming higher, with respect to parents, teachers, friends and all the society.
Talking about character values, we may emphasize on the fact that our children communicated their Greek attitudes with numerable others, Portuguese, Japanese, American, Nigerian, German, Spanish, etc, made friends of several cultures, colors and religions, they realized the worthiness of diversity, exercised mutual respect and opened their minds about how wide is the world and how much they have to travel to keep their friends in the future, exchanging and sharing their experiences, goods, feelings and the knowledge.
To be honest, we had, as Greek Orthodox, a worry, regarding the Christian teaching interpretations taking place in a so called Christian school. But no problem, the respective teaching goes up to common Christian values, around the power of love, faith and virtue, with no dogmatic misunderstandings and further complications.
We had been told, by our predecessors working for NATO, exactly the same words we are confessing right now, … that it is difficult nowadays to find such a trustful institution, that Pastor Carlos is wise and careful, Mrs Claudia makes kids adore the school time, Mrs Charmaine solves any problem, the teachers work so hard, etc, … that the older kids support the younger, that they all behave like family members, and the parents learn everything about their children, having full control and a long-lasting smile of happiness …
In order to understand how much we appreciated ICSC, imagine that, as a Navy Officer I had to end my tour in Portugal and return in Greece before the end of the school year. However, thinking of how important this particular school year at ICSC is for children’s progress, we decided the family should stay in Portugal for a few longer till the end of the year, and we did it at our own expenses, but it was fully worthy and intelligent investment for children’s future. We honestly thank ISCS people for that amazing school experience. God bless them!
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