AIS serves some eight hundred students from sixty countries, with about half of the total American or Austrian. The school is divided into three divisions - Elementary (pre-kindergarten to grade five), Middle (grades six, seven, and eight), and High School (grades nine to twelve). The typical class has twenty students, with many language classes considerably smaller. Because of the international and transient character of our student body, the average stay at AIS is four years, with approximately 200 new students admitted each year. Many students, however, spend eight years or longer with us. Our Parent-Teacher Forum makes a great effort to help new families adjust to a new environment. The AIS Faculty numbers over 100 individuals. More than 80% of our teachers hold advanced degrees, with several having earned doctorates. A substantial majority are U.S. citizens, but the school does have teachers of other nationalities, including faculty from Europe, Canada, the Middle East, the Far East, and South America. The teachers at AIS are dedicated professionals with a commitment to on-going development, as demonstrated by frequent attendance at regional and international conferences, IB training, and subject-specific workshops. AIS is located in the Neustift-am-Walde area of Vienna, adjacent to the famous Vienna Woods, and provides an instructional setting in the midst of the physical beauty of the surrounding hills, forest, and countryside. On our 10-acre (4 hectare) premises there are seven interconnected buildings housing Elementary, Middle, and High Schools. Overall, there are more than 70 classrooms, seven science labs, art studios, music rooms, four computer labs, two libraries, a theatre, two gyms, a cafeteria, health unit, and a separate sports hall (which houses three indoor tennis courts or two basketball courts or ten badminton courts). There are various offices for counseling, the International Baccalaureate program, division offices, technology, and faculty departments. The exterior facilities include a soccer field, a running track, an elementary playground, an outdoor tennis court, and an outdoor amphitheatre. All images copyright ©> AIS American International School