About Our School

SHAPE International School (SIS)

The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) was established on April 2, 1951 in Rocquencourt, France. It was intended to be a military arm of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The headquarters continued in that location until 1967 when, upon France's withdrawal from NATO's integrated military structure, SHAPE was relocated to its current location in Casteau, Belgium.

SHAPE is currently composed of NATO member countries and additional Partnership for Peace (PfP) nations, making it one of the most culturally unique military settings in the world. Within this vital and diverse community, SHAPE American Elementary School (SAES) exists not only to educate the children of American servicemen and women assigned here, but also to educate the children of all other NATO and PfP nations. In addition, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) SHAPE school coordinates with 11 other nation schools on the international installation.

In August 2014, SAES moved to its brand new building with an area of over 114, 057 square feet housing over 58 classrooms. Over six-hundred students are currently enrolled in the SAES, ranging from Preschool through Fifth Grade. American students make up just over half of the student population, while NATO and PfP nation students comprise the remaining half. This multicultural component results in SAES having the most diverse student population among the 11 nation schools on SHAPE, as well as among all schools in the DoDEA system.

SHAPE Elementary School is proud to have been named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School. The Department of Education bestows the honor on schools for high academic achievement, as measured by performance on state assessments or nationally normed tests.

Continuous School Improvement (CSI) Goals:

• Goal 1 (Reading Comprehension): All students will meet grade level benchmarks in reading comprehension skills as measured by TN3, BAS, SRI, Raz-Kids, and common grade level assessments.
• Goal 2 (Math Problem Solving): All students will meet grade level benchmarks in math problem solving skills as measured by TN3, IXL, Exemplars, and common grade level assessments.