FRIDAY FLASH

Feb 27th, 2026 / ISSUE #22

WHOLE SCHOOL

Dear IICS Parent Community,

As shared on Wednesday, February 25, regarding the IICS school fees for the 2026–2027 school year, we would like to kindly remind all families to complete the Open Apply request that was sent on Thursday, February 26.

Submitting this form provides us with clarity on projected student numbers for SY 26–27 and is essential for our planning purposes, whether your family is returning or not returning next year.

As noted in the school fees communication, the first payment is due on April 15 for both available payment options.

We sincerely appreciate your continued support and partnership, and we look forward to sharing many wonderful learning experiences with our students on both campuses.

Warm regards,

Nicolaas Mostert

Head of School

Dear IICS,

We would like to inform you that IICS will host CEESA MS Boys Basketball tournament on Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28. Teams from Tirana, Belgrade, Baku, Bucharest, Sofia and Tbilisi will participate in this two day tournament. Stop by the gyms to watch the games and support our team. You can see all the details on the TOURNAMENT WEBSITE.

At the same time we would like to remind you that our HS basketball teams will travel to their CEESA tournaments on Wednesday, March 4th. Girls will travel to Baku and boys to Belgrade, and will return to Istanbul on Sunday, March 8th.

We will also have one representative at the CEESA Swim Meet in Bratislava. Liam Munce will represent IICS and try to break some more of the CEESA records!

Wish our teams safe travels and best of luck!!!

GO DOLPHINS!!!

To access the school's Google Calendar, please visit Google Calendar.

Feb 26-Mar 1: CEESA MS Boys Basketball Tournament at IICS

Mar 4-8: CEESA HS Boys Basketball Tournament in Belgrade

CEESA HS Girls Basketball Tournament in Baku

Thursday, Mar 5: Grade 3 Transition Day

Friday, Mar 6: Secondary Winter Season Ends

Mar 9-13: Primary Art Exhibition @ Marmara (Main Foyer)

Tuesday, Mar 10: Primary Student Led Conferences @ Hisar

Wednesday, Mar 11: Primary Student Led Conferences @ Marmara

Mar 14-22: Seker Bayrami (No School)

Monday, Mar 23: Secondary Spring Season Begins

Mar 25-27: IB Visual Arts Exhibition

Friday, Mar 27: Winter Season Awards Assembly

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

For any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Figen Underdown, Board Secretary. She will be pleased to assist with your inquiries. Additional information, including Board meeting minutes, is available on the Community Portal .

Those interested in joining a Board Committee are kindly asked to submit their CV and committee preference to Ms. Underdown, Board Secretary.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

FACILITIES COMMITTEE

POLICY COMMITTEE

CELEBRATIONS

MYP 2026.mp4

MYP Personal Project

Last week we proudly hosted our MYP Personal Project Exhibition, where our amazing Grade 10 students presented the results of their hard work, creativity, and dedication. 🌟 From innovative ideas to meaningful personal journeys, our students truly demonstrated the skills, confidence, and growth they have developed throughout the MYP process.

A heartfelt thank you to all the parents who joined us today. Your presence, encouragement, and continuous support mean so much to our students and our school community. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of them for reaching this important milestone! 👏✨

Forest Learning

At IICS, learning happens everywhere — including the forest. 🌿 On our green campus, nature becomes a living classroom. Through mud, movement, curiosity, and exploration, our learners grow resilience, confidence, independence, and a deep respect for the world around them. Here, children don’t just learn about the world — they experience it. 🌲✨

Dental hygiene

Dental Hygiene

We were delighted to welcome Dr. Ece to IICS, where she spoke with both our Primary and Secondary students about the importance of dental hygiene. 🦷✨ Our students learned how small daily routines can make a big difference in maintaining a bright and healthy smile.

Thank you, Dr. Ece, for empowering our students with knowledge that will last a lifetime!

Lunar New YEAR.mp4.mp4

Happy Lunar New Year!

Happy Lunar New Year from IICS! 🧧🐎

Last week, our community gathered at the school entrance to celebrate Lunar New Year together. Dumplings were prepared and shared, bringing students together in a joyful moment to mark this special occasion. As we welcome the Year of the Horse, we celebrate the energy, determination, and forward spirit it represents — qualities that reflect the journey of our learners each day. ❤️

Wishing our entire IICS community a year filled with happiness, good fortune, and new beginnings. ✨

Grade 1 pitch pot

Grade 1 Art

Our Grade 1 got creative and a little messy in the best way!🐬

Using pinch pots and lots of imagination, our students designed and built their very own animals!

High Honor Assembly

Honoring Dedication & Achievement

During our Special Assembly, we celebrated students who earned Honor Roll and High Honor Roll distinctions — a reflection of their hard work, commitment, and perseverance. We are incredibly proud of each student recognized. Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement. 👏

PRIMARY SCHOOL

PEEK OF THE WEEK

For the most up-to-date Calendar information, please see the IICS Google Community Calendar via the IICS website.

For further details, please refer to the Student Led Conference Letter.

SECONDARY SCHOOL

We are the Student Ambassadors at the Istanbul International Community School (IICS). We formally and sincerely invite you to join us as a guest speaker for IICS’s Annual Career Fair (Hybrid), taking place on Wednesday,11 March 2026. Your participation and contribution are truly appreciated. For the draft schedule, please click here. Introduction letter can be found here.

We would like to invite the IICS community to our upcoming DP Visual Arts Exhibition featuring eleven of our 2026 graduating students. This exhibition celebrates and showcases their two year effort of developing and refining a personal body of artwork. Please see the poster above for details.

Please review the Mock Exam Class of 2026 document carefully, as it includes the full exam schedule and important expectations for the examination period.

We kindly ask that you go through this document with your child to ensure they are fully prepared and aware of all procedures. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to any member of the Secondary Leadership Team.

We wish all our Grade 12 students the very best as they prepare for this important milestone.

Secondary Leadership

As a reminder, CAT4 is an assessment used in many international schools that measures a student’s reasoning abilities across four areas: verbal, quantitative, non-verbal, and spatial reasoning. It is not a test of learned knowledge and does not require prior preparation. Instead, it provides insight into how students think and approach problem-solving.

CAT4 results are one piece of information, alongside classroom performance, teacher feedback, interests, and aspirations that can help guide conversations about future areas of study, graduation pathways, and course selections (including IB subject choices which can also provide useful insight when considering other advanced or college ready courses such as AP options). They are meant to support thoughtful planning rather than determine decisions on their own.

If you have questions after reviewing the reports, please feel free to contact one of the Secondary Leadership members, and we will be happy to meet with you.

Kind regards,

Secondary Leadership

PTA

CONNECT WITH US