MAGELLAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ACHIEVES SACS ACCREDITATION
AND ADDS DISTINGUISHED FACULTY TO ITS PROGRAM

Spanish immersion International Baccalaureate Candidate School continues to draw
high-caliber faculty from leading institutions worldwide

Austin, TX – July 20, 2011 – Ahead of its third school year this fall, the Magellan International School has achieved accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).  SACS CASI provides nationally-recognized accreditation focused on student performance.  To earn accreditation, Magellan underwent a rigorous evaluation of its adherence to SACS CASI’s high standards in areas such as teaching and learning, use of performance measurement, and the mission/vision of the school.  SACS CASI accredits many of the most prestigious international schools across the Americas and also accredits The University of Texas at Austin.

“We are very proud to have achieved this important accreditation so early in the school’s history,” said Erin Defosse, Magellan International School founder and president.  “SACS accreditation is further testament to the remarkable classroom experience at Magellan, our skilled faculty and administrators, and how our values of service, lifelong learning and internationalism shape who we are as a school.”

The school is also preparing to welcome several distinguished new faculty members.  New teachers joining the Magellan faculty for 2011-12 include:

• Mariluz Arvelaiz, B.S.: Pre-primary 4-year-olds
• Marisol Stadelmann, M.Ed.:  Pre-primary 4-year-olds
• Eleann Rodriguez,  M. Ed.: Pre-primary 4-year-olds
• Lidia Galarza, M.A.: Kindergarten
• John Narvaez Mejia, B.A.: First grade
• Erika Patricia Velez, M.Ed.: First grade
• Jorge Brown Chavez, M. Ed.:  Fourth grade

“Teaching the International Baccalaureate in a language-immersion model ensures that our children are receiving superb internationally recognized academics, but nothing is more important than the classroom experience. We seek out our teachers across the US and all over the world, and their credentials reflect incredible training, experience and talent,” said MIS head of school Maria Isabel Leon.  “Magellan teachers are lifelong learners themselves, and bring true joy in learning to the classroom every day.”

“People are drawn to Magellan because of the school’s emphasis on the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills for a globalizing world,” said Erin Defosse.  “And at a time when many schools are forced to cut teaching staff, Magellan prioritizes training and performance-based compensation to attract and keep the very best teachers we can find, anywhere in the world.”

The staff and faculty organization of Magellan International School is remarkably diverse.  Representing more than 12 nationalities, all 25 MIS teachers and classroom assistants are bilingual and biliterate, and are driven by a passion for the school’s mission and vision.  A complete list of the Magellan faculty and staff organization, including biographies, is available at www.magellanschool.org/people/.

With the addition of 4th grade and a second pre-primary class for 3-year olds this year, the Magellan student enrollment will grow to about 180 students in August.  To keep pace, the school is expanding its facilities to a new location later this year.  A few student slots remain available.  Parents of prospective students will be have an opportunity to learn more about the school and meet parents, administrators and faculty during an information session on July 29 at 6 p.m.  at the school facility, and can register to attend the session at magellanschool.org.

About The Magellan International School
Founded in 2009, The Magellan International School is an independent, not-for-profit, school in Austin, Texas, offering Pre-Primary through 4th Grade classes for the 2011-2012 academic year, and adding a class each subsequent year. The school is prepares children to become engaged Global Citizens of the 21st Century who can meet the challenges and opportunities facing the world today. The School features an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme curriculum within the context of an Spanish immersion program. Mandarin instruction begins in 3rd grade. Magellan International School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and  is currently designated as a candidate school for the IB Primary Years Programme. For more information visit www.magellanschool.org. 

Media contact: Erin Defosse, Magellan International School Founder and President, edefosse@magellanschool.org.

*Only schools authorized by the International Baccalaureate (IB) as IB World Schools can offer any of its three academic programmes: the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), or the IB Diploma Programme. Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org.

About the International Baccalaureate Organization
The International Baccalaureate® (IB) is a non-profit educational foundation, motivated by its mission, focused on the student.  The IBO’s three programmes for students aged 3 to 19 help develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.  Founded in 1968, IBO currently works with 3,019 schools in 139 countries to develop and offer three challenging programmes to over 845,000 students aged 3 to 19 years.

To learn more about the International Baccalaureate Organization, visit www.ibo.org.  Information about the Texas International Baccalaureate Schools Organization can be found at www.texasibschools.org.