Profile

Munich International School is not just another international school. Visitors see it immediately when they step onto our parkland campus. Students feel it every day through their inspiring interactions with our world-class faculty.

Munich International School leverages unparalleled expertise in delivering renowned international curricula within a caring, innovative and healthy environment. We are proud of our 50 years of success at cultivating academic achievement, physical and emotional well-being and the ethical and social competencies necessary for students’ success and happiness in a rapidly changing world.

Founded in 1966, Munich International School is an independent, non-profit IB World School (IBO) that has been authorised by the International Baccalaureate (IB) since 1980. We are officially recognised by the Bavarian ministry of education and fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Easily accessible from Munich, the School takes full advantage of its 26-acre campus in an idyllic nature preserve near Starnberg to provide students with high-quality educational experiences both within wellequipped classrooms, laboratories and performing arts spaces and in our exceptional outdoor facilities.

Students at Munich International School routinely gain admission to the world’s elite universities. Our excellent academic programmes are embedded, however, in a holistic, values-based curriculum that provides support and appropriate challenge for every child.

It is a joy to introduce new students and families to the outstanding community that is Munich International School. The Admissions and Communications Office is the first point of contact for prospective students and parents and can be reached at +49 (0) 8151 366 120 or admissions@mis-munich.de. We warmly invite you to visit us and experience first-hand how Munich International School is different. 

Timothy Thomas, Head of School

Leadership

According to the Articles of the Association, the Board of Directors is authorized to govern the school.

The Board of Directors consists of nine Association Members and the Head of School as a non-voting member. The Board can also co-opt up to three non-voting members to the Board.

The governing responsibilities of the Board of Directors are the determination of top-level policy with a view to secure the integrity of the School’s Mission; oversight of school finances and the appointment, support and evaluation of the Head of School. The Board also anticipates the future needs of the school and plans for them by formulating MIS' Strategic Plan.

The overall goal of the Board is to hold the School in trust in order to preserve its viability for the future. Day-to-day operation, curriculum and administrative management of the School are outside the scope of the Board’s mandate and are, therefore, delegated to the Head of School.

Munich International School’s leadership team – known as the School Leadership Team (SLT) – manages the current and future needs of the School.

History

Munich International School (MIS) was founded in 1966 in Harlaching and moved to its current 26 acre site near Lake Starnberg in 1968

Munich International School opened its doors on September 19, 1966, welcoming approximately 120 students, in grades Reception through Eight to its location at Harthauserstrasse 48 in Harlaching. Such was the significance to the local community, that the opening was covered by the Bavarian television and played back on the seven o’clock news that night.

In 2016, Munich International School celebrated 50 years of international education in Munich.  The writing of the School’s history was assigned to Mr Dan Glover who has 48 years of experience as a teacher at MIS. Dan has had three children pass through the School and now has a grandchild who is a current MIS students. These special connections and perspectives enabled him to focus on the past, present and future of our school.

Mission & Values

Munich International School nurtures, challenges and inspires our students to become:

  • academically successful, life-long learners,
  • creative and innovative thinkers,
  • ethical, globally-minded contributors, and
  • healthy, well-balanced individuals

who will thrive and make a positive impact in a complex and changing world.

Our values are encapsulated in the IB learner profile. All members of the MIS Community strive to be:

 (IBO, 2013. The IB learner profile booklet. Cardiff: International Baccalaureate.)

Third Culture Kids

This term, ‘Third Culture Kids’, was coined in the early fifties by sociologist Ruth Hill Useem after spending a year on two separate occasions in India with her three children.Initially they used the term "third culture" to refer to the process of learning how to relate to another culture; in time they started to refer to children who accompany their parents into a different culture as "Third Culture Kids."

Initially they used the term "third culture" to refer to the process of learning how to relate to another culture; in time they started to refer to children who accompany their parents into a different culture as "Third Culture Kids." Useem used the term "Third Culture Kids (TCKs)" because TCKs integrate aspects of their birth culture (the first culture) and the new culture (the second culture), creating a unique "third culture".

At MIS we understand the challenges facing these TCKs from many angles: not only are many of our students TCKs but, so too, are many of our staff and their own children. Much of what we value in our learning programmes is designed specifically to meet the needs of children who have lived and learned in many different cultures and in different languages. Our Language programmes are designed to meet the specific language development needs of children for whom English is not their mother tongue or dominant language and our belief in the value of multi-lingualism to a child’s cognitive development sees us offering second and third language acquisition and development opportunities.

In addition, our extensive After School Activities, Arts and Athletics programmes are designed to ensure our young global nomads also have the opportunities to develop and extend their sporting and fine arts skills beyond the classroom.

Global-Mindedness

  • Peace – it's about seeking harmonious interaction with others and developing one's understanding and appreciation of other's values, cultures, identities and needs. 
  • Principles – it's about socio-economic and political awareness, acting purposefully and living conscientiously within our local, regional and global communities for the long-term benefit of others and our planet.
  • Competence – it's about successful interaction with diverse communities through different languages and recognition of multiple perspectives. 
  • Participation – it's about taking full advantage of and contributing to the resources and experiences offered within a diverse and multi-cultural environment. 

At Munich International School we aim to:

  • Ensure that the teaching and curricula effectively embrace global-mindedness and diversity and that both the taught and implicit curricula promote intercultural understanding and respect for all;
  • Promote communication and actions that are culturally and socially respectful and intentionally diverse;
  • Empower the members of our community to have positive individual and cultural identities;
  • Celebrate our cultural diversity within the local and expatriate communities, as well as that of other social and cultural groups, and;
  • Develop faculty and staff intercultural awareness, sensitivity and competence so that we are able to be effective models and facilitators of global-mindedness.




Munich International School, Intercultural Awareness Committee, Last Revision: 10/03/2014