It is with great excitement that the Boards of Trustees for the Alto International School (Alto) of Menlo Park, CA and Silicon Valley International School (INTL*) of Palo Alto, CA announce their partnership for an International Baccalaureate high school, which will be known as Silicon Valley International High School.
This is an alliance of two outstanding bilingual International Baccalaureate schools that share a common vision to provide an exceptional high school in Silicon Valley that offers the IB Diploma Programme, rigorous academics, a high level of language learning, college advising, innovative offerings, and global experiential learning opportunities.
Building upon both schools’ combined history of 72 years of experience and Alto’s existing IB Diploma Programme high school, this is part of a long-term strategy that aims to share resources, facilities, and foster an even more robust international culture, combining the schools’ Chinese, French, and German language programs.
AN EXCITING PARTNERSHIP
The first academic year for the shared Silicon Valley International High School will be 2021-2022, with priority admissions for INTL 8th grade students to the existing Alto high school program in 2020.
“The creation of Silicon Valley International High School, in name and mission, responds to the need to prepare our students for entry into a more competitive and global society than existed just a few years ago. Supported by seven decades of educational excellence in the Silicon Valley and fifty years of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, our new high school will provide educational opportunities unmatched in the Bay Area,” shared Alto International Head of School Drew Alexander.
“This partnership of two excellent schools dedicated to bilingual education and, fostering both an international perspective and cultural agility is an exciting prospect. It will combine the talents, experience, and strengths of both Alto and INT'L and be a beacon for global academics, global excellence, and global leadership,” said Philippe Dietz, Head of School of the International School of the Peninsula.
The schools will schedule an information session for parents of both communities and provide updates during the planning process.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Additionally, the International School of the Peninsula will
formally change its name to Silicon Valley International School, continuing to provide the IB Primary Years Programme and the Middle Years Programme in French or Chinese from preschool to 8th grade.
Over the course of our 41 years of history, we have been known to look towards the future, to innovate and evolve for the benefit of our students and families. In 1996, we added the Chinese Program and International Middle School, and changed our name from the Peninsula French American School to the International School of the Peninsula, to better reflect our programs and community. The evolution from the International School of the Peninsula to the Silicon Valley International School is being done for similar reasons; it reflects who we are, where we are, and strongly communicates our values and mission.
This is an exciting time in our school’s history and one we are proud to embark upon with Alto International School.
For more information about Alto School:
Alto International School provides an outstanding international, multilingual education focused on inquiry-based learning to foster confident, creative, and responsible learners and global thinkers.
INT'L and Alto Board Members and Heads gathered together for our Town Hall presentation on January 27. Left to right: John Furlan (Alto Board Chair) Brennan Vaughn (Alto Board Member), Drew Alexander (Alto Head of School), Philippe Dietz (outgoing INT'L Head of School), Sujata Narayan (incoming INT'L Board Co-Chair), Angie Bergeson (incoming INT'L Head of School), Andrea Willms (Alto Board Member & President of Alto Parent Organization), Eric O’Brien (outgoing INT'L Board Chair), Raphael Michel (incoming INT'L Board Co-Chair).
*In 2020, the International School of the Peninsula (ISTP) formally changed its name to Silicon Valley International School (INTL) to better reflect its bilingual programs, location, and international values.