MEF International School Istanbul


MEF International School is a private international school in the Ortaköy district of Istanbul, Turkey. It was established in 1998 by Dr. Ibrahim Arikan. The enrollment is approximately 300 students of 52 nationalities from Preschool to Grade 12.
The MEFIS curriculum is centered mainly around the Cambridge and IB Diploma Program. MEFIS has an English Language Learner support program for students who come to the school with limited or no English skills.
WWW mefis.k12.tr

History

MEFIS was founded in 1998 by Dr. Ibrahim Arikan, a Turkish entrepreneur who heads various companies grouped under Arikanli Holding Inc.
MEFIS was created to provide English language education at the pre-school, elementary, middle and high school levels for the international community based in Istanbul.

Curriculum

There are three separate curricula: IB PYP for Preschool-Grade 5, Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint for grades 6-8, Cambridge IGCSE for grades 9-10 and IB Diploma/IB Certificate for grades 11-12. All grade 12 graduates also receive an American High School diploma.
  • At MEF International School there are approximately 300 students representing at least 50 cultures.
  • In primary school, there is the IB PYP with fully transdisciplinary units of inquiry across all grade levels.
  • In middle school there is Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint curriculum for grades 6-8.
  • In grades 9-10, students follow the Cambridge IGCSE. In grades 11-12 students follow the IB Diploma Program or the IB Certificate along with earn8ng an American High School diploma.
  • The IB program at MEF International School started in 1998.

Science

The MEFIS science program places an emphasis on exploring the transdisciplinary nature of science to understand natural phenomena and how they apply to theoretical and real-world applications. All students develop a firm foundation in scientific inquiry and the core scientific disciplines: biology, chemistry, and physics. This approach enables students to better understand the technological world in which they live, and take an informed interest in science and scientific developments. Students learn about the biology, chemistry, and physics through a mix of theoretical and practical studies. Students can further their study in these subjects in the IB Diploma Program in grades 11 and 12.

Arts

Throughout the year, students' artwork is showcased in ongoing art exhibits around the school. In the Primary School, Visual Arts and Performing Arts are fully integrated into every unit of inquiry. Students choose a form of artistic expression for one of their learning products tied to the central concept of the unit of inquiry. In the Secondary School, the Middle School and IB Art Exhibition are favorite school events. Each child selects artwork to display across different mediums of artistic expression along with an artist's statement for the community to appreciate and reflect upon.

Sports

MEFIS offers soccer, badminton, basketball, tennis, swimming, cross country |running, table tennis, dodge ball, handball, swimming gala, and sports day. The school has a swimming pool that is shared with the National School. Secondary School PE lessons are typically held in the Big Gym or the Bubble Gym. Primary School PE lessons are typically held in the Blue Gym, Green Gym, or Grey Gym. Students enjoy 2 PE lessons per week.

Library and technology

The MEFIS library provides curriculum support and meets the recreational reading needs for the whole school from Pre-School PYP program to the IB Diploma.

Student activities

Athletics

"Physical education in primary school is an integral part of the IB Primary Years Programme. Its purpose is to develop a combination of transferable skills promoting personal, social and physical development; to encourage present and help future choices that contribute to long-term healthy living; and to understand the cultural significance of physical activities for individuals and communities.
Students identify and develop appropriate skills and strategies when playing a variety of team games. These games vary from simple, organization games for the primary grades to football, basketball, and volleyball for the upper primary classes. Students recognize the importance of teamwork; identifying and developing appropriate skills and strategies; recognizing the importance of rules and how they define the nature of a game; modifying existing games and creating new games.

Clubs

The clubs for Primary are: Little Brainiacs, Ballet, Ceramics, Mad Science Sculpture, Lego, Construction, Modern dance, Modern Turkish Dance, Guitar/Piano, Movie Making, Flow Yoga, Chess, Running & Fitness, Fashion Design, Modern Dance/Tap, So Lets Sew, Film Club, Code Monkey, Violin, Green Club and Drama.
The clubs for Secondary are: International Culture Club, Community Service Club, Photography, Stained Glass, Sculpture, Rockets, World Cinema, Newspaper, MUN, Chess, Math Olympiad, Student Government, Ultimate Frisbee, Basketball, Animal Lovers, Football, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Code Monkey, Coding Computer, Short Movie and Photography.

People

In MEFIS, the population of students is around 300 students, with around 52 nationalities.

Faculty and staff

MEF's teachers are mostly American, Canadian, British and Turkish. The primary school, grades 1-5, is situated on the first three floors of the building and grades 6-12 are on the upper two floors. The primary school includes a Visual Arts studio, Performing Arts room, the Blue Gym, a Ballet Studio, and the whole school library, which houses a rich collection of books and electronic resources for students and families.
The secondary school also has a fully networked computer lab, chemistry, biology and physics laboratories, and canteen for purchasing a range of snacks and sandwiches.