My name is Randal Eplin and I’m the Head of School here at AISB-Hope International. The 2020-21 school year marks my thirty-fifth year in education. I have worked for fourteen years in Florida public schools and twenty-two years overseas. During these thirty-five years, I have worked in a variety of different schools and on a corresponding variety of campuses.
When I was both the admissions director and the K-12 principal at the International School of Latvia (ISL), the director and board built a five million euro facility and it was beautiful. I have always believed in my heart that the quality of a school is directly determined by the quality of its teachers, but it was difficult to even hold a conversation with new and prospective families about the school’s curriculum and excellent teachers after they toured the beautiful new school facilities in Pinki, Latvia – the campus had convinced them.
When I think about my experience since last May here at AISB-Hope International, it reminds me somewhat of ISL. Before the new construction, ISL shared a campus with an agricultural school. It was an old three-story building with uneven heating, and it badly needed a paint job. AISB-Hope International was much the same at our previous location on Crab Island, but we built out and did our best to maximize the use of that facility.
When we found our current location, one of my team members asked, “Can you see a school here, Randy?” And I replied, “I certainly can!” We embarked on a building design in late May with Way To Life Design (WTL Design) and concluded the restructuring and remodeling of our three-story, 4,500-square meter building in October 2020. The new campus, which has the capacity for up to four hundred students, features an outdoor seven-a-side football pitch, basketball and volleyball courts, and play areas for our students that are a drastic improvement from our previous location.
As a Head of School, I value hearing from my parent community, so I can think of no better way to describe this new facility than to share how one of our parents described the building when it was about eighty-five percent complete:
“You know Mr. Eplin, from the outside, our new school does not look like anything special, but once you get inside the school, it feels so big, spacious, warm and inviting. The high ceilings, AQI filters in each classroom, the brand new furniture, and the earth tones chosen for the design make this an inviting place for my child to study.
Our families also noticed amenities such as wide hallways, spacious classrooms, a dance room, two beautiful art rooms, and a Chemistry lab, as well as a Physics lab, with state-of-the-art equipment.
Many of our families who have been with us for years shared that this is a dream come true for our school. For eight years, we only dreamed of finding a property, designing a school, and building something like what we now have. Although I still believe that it is the quality of our teachers that makes our school successful, our current campus certainly enhances the educational experience for our students. Not only do we have a stimulating and warm environment for our students, we offer an outstanding academic program that includes AP courses as well as the AP Capstone Diploma™ program. We use the Common Core Standards for Mathematics and Language Arts and follow modified American-based standards for all subjects from K-12. Our students graduate and matriculate to top universities around the world.
In closing, I would like to invite you to book a tour of our school to see our new campus and have a discussion about how our unique qualities might just be the perfect fit for your family. We offer a character education program that is second to none and adopt a worldview that emphasizes a love-based and grace-oriented education for your child. Simply scan the QR code below to book a tour with us. I look forward to shaking your hand and helping you explore what I believe is a great opportunity for your children to learn, grow, and thrive at AISB-Hope International.
