About the Lower School

Welcome to the Lower School at the American International School of Zagreb, where children begin their journey toward becoming joyful, lifelong learners. Since our founding in 1966, the AISZ community has worked together to educate children in an environment that challenges and inspires.

I am so excited to be a member of the AISZ community at such a crucial juncture in the school’s history as we explore the possibilities of what education can be and create a concept school for the future. In developing the AISZ Learning Ecosystem, we’ve framed our work within the three main pillars of the Common Ground Collaborative: conceptual learning, competency learning, and character learning. By incorporating inquiry-based methodologies and an integrated approach, our commitment to innovative education comes to life.

In the Lower School, our talented faculty and staff are passionate about creating authentic learning experiences that are child-centered and personalized. We believe that children learn best when they feel challenged, encouraged and nurtured. Guided by what research tells us are best practices, we prepare students through a rigorous, inquiry-based academic program from Pre-Kindergarten for three-year-olds through Grade 5.

At the foundation of our program are the core academic disciplines of literacy, numeracy, science and social studies. In addition to these areas, we believe that art, counseling, music, and physical education are vital to educating the whole child. We also embrace the well-known benefits of language learning by providing instruction in Croatian and a family’s choice of French or German.

As an educator and as a parent, I believe in the power of inculcating in our children a sense of responsibility for the world around us and for each other; it is their leadership and stewardship that will shape the future.  Now more than ever we have a responsibility to educate and develop the global citizens of tomorrow. With our community’s international outlook and rich, cultural diversity, we are well-positioned to prepare our children for this role. I look forward to partnering with you on this journey.

At AISZ, we offer full-day programs of Pre-Kindergarten for three and four-year-olds and Kindergarten for five-year-olds. The program is inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to early learning, and the curriculum capitalizes on children's natural curiosity and their desire to make sense of their environment.

At the foundation of our program are the core academic disciplines of literacy, numeracy, science and social studies. In addition to these areas, we believe that art, counseling, music, and physical education are vital to educating the whole child. We also embrace the well-known benefits of language learning by providing instruction in Croatian and a family's choice of French or German.

Counseling at AISZ takes a three-pronged approach in that not only is emotional support available to students but also to the care takers of children, the parents and the teachers. The philosophy behind the counseling of students at AISZ is that the emotional needs of children go hand in hand with the academic needs.

In the Lower School all children whose mother tongue is not English are tested upon entry to AISZ. The language assessments help to determine the appropriate placement in the EAL program and classroom. On-going assessments are used to determine the language support needed to help children access grade level content, as well as when their English language proficiency is adequate for exiting the EAL program.

The following enrollment requirements are adhered to:

• Pre-Kindergarten students must be three or four years of age by September 1. Priority will be given to students who are four years old.
• Kindergarten students must be five years of age by September 1.

Students moving from a school where the academic year ends partway through the AISZ school year will continue in the same grade. For example, if a student has successfully completed the AISZ equivalent of Grade 4 in December at their current school, that student will remain in Grade 4 for the second semester at AISZ (January - June). If a student has successfully completed half of grade 4 by the time they are to begin school at AISZ in August, then they will complete a full year of Grade 4 at AISZ (August - June). Exceptions to this will only be made if it is demonstrably evident that the student would be better served in a different grade level.