Past, Present, Future

The International School of Charlottesville began in 1998 as La Petite Ecole.  From its foundation as a small, family-oriented and parent-driven preschool, the ISC grew and expanded over several years to include two language immersion programs - French and Spanish - and classes for children ages 2 through Kindergarten, all while maintaining the heart of the original small, mixed-age, 2-teacher classroom.

Today, the International School maintains its original loving, family-like environment while serving approximately 160 students from Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the surrounding areas.  ISC teachers are education professionals who have been born, raised, lived, and worked all across the world.  Our teachers come together at ISC to use their unique backgrounds, global perspective, and years of teaching experience to provide a structured learning environment for young children, with both group instruction and a focus on helping individual children learn at their own pace.

Our after-school programs have expanded to accommodate as many students as possible for the late afternoon hours.  We are active participants in community events and take pride in our participation in local programs that support education and cultural awareness to young children in Central Virginia.

The last decade has been marked by tremendous growth for the ISC.  We have become a leader in early childhood education, and a model school for educators seeking to introduce language and culture as an intrinsic part of a child's daily experience. We have also expanded our grade offerings up to 4th grade for the 2023-24 school year, and will offer 5th grade in the years going forward.

Moving forward, the ISC continues to develop and enhance current offerings and is building partnerships within the larger Charlottesville community.  We believe every child can benefit from an early introduction to language and cultures and, ultimately, will learn best in a classroom that tailors to their individual needs and celebrates their intellectual, social, and emotional growth during the preschool years. We will also be pursuing International Baccalaureate accrediation which is inline with our goals and mindset for the future of our school.

It's an exciting time for our school, and we welcome you as partners as we seek to "start small" - giving our youngest global citizens an introduction to the big world around them in a fun, loving environment.