T1W9 – 28 Oct 2022
Dear Senior School parents,
It was fantastic to welcome students and staff back to school last Wednesday. I want to thank all staff, students and parents that quickly adapted to the school closure and quarantine requirements. While we continued to deliver high-quality learning online, I do understand that this period of distance learning was stressful and that many plans had to change. Teachers are being as flexible as they can be during this time to support students’ well-being and a healthy balance of school and home commitments. We have also put back many of the grade 12 IBDP deadlines so the students have more support and time. If your child seems to be struggling with schoolwork, please encourage them to contact their teacher or programme coordinator. We will also continue to offer distance learning and when appropriate access to “live” lessons for students that are affected by local quarantine restrictions.
We are currently looking at a new date for the excursions in Spring. The tentative date is the end of March. This date is after the grade 10 mock exams and still gives sufficient time for feedback and final revision for the external IGCSE exams at the end of April. We will confirm the date shortly. I welcome your feedback on the proposed time of the rearranged excursions.
This month I have enjoyed listening to many of our students sharing their diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences during form time. Thanks to all our students that have taken a risk and shared their stories over the PA system.
An update on university applications from Mr Gould, Head of K-12 Counselling
“SSIS is thrilled to support students getting an early start with their university applications. Many of the Class of 2023 have decided to make the most of their university admissions experience by applying early to their destinations of choice. Below is a list of the schools that are students are committed to applying early to:
University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of College London, London School of Economics, King’s College London, University of Edinburgh, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, California Institute of Technology, University of Southern California, Purdue University, Rice University, University of Miami, University of Michigan
We are excited that a number of Class of 2023 have begun their university admissions journey. We are looking forward to them discovering a second home where they can continue to strive to become Future Global Leaders!”
I wish all families a restful weekend together and I am looking forward to meeting many of you again at next Friday’s Principal’s Coffee morning.
Mr Steven Gaynor, Senior School Principal
Dates for your Diary
- Friday 4th November : Principals Coffee Morning 11am
- Friday 4th November : University Fair (G9-G12 Period 3 & 4)
- Friday 4th November : Student Council Fall Event
- Monday 7th – Friday 11th November : Reading Extravaganza Week “Reading is Magic”
- Monday 7th November : Dress up as your Favorite Book Character Day
- Saturday 12th November : International Family Bazaar
- Saturday 12th November : SSL Swim Round 2
- Saturday 19th – Sunday 20th November : SSIMUN Hosted by SSIS
Student Wellbeing
Dear parents,
We are so happy to have our students back at school. After the week of online learning, it is important to have conversations/reflections with your child about their feelings, general progress and active involvement in school activities. Also, please check that your child has their ID cards for PCR testing, wear their masks in crowded areas at school and follow all campus safety requirements.
I take this opportunity to remind you that this month is a celebration of Culture & Diversity so encourage your child to participate in the photo challenge Inter-House Photo Competition (sharepoint.com) & Speech contest house events. We look forward to seeing some family cultural photos as well.
And ….. a very, very happy Diwali to all our Indian staff, students and parents.
Ms Shireen Naidoo, Senior School Assistant Principal shireen_naidoo@ssis.asia
Academic Coordinators
It is a relief to be back on campus again. I heard great reports of students being engaged in online lessons and with videos on. We are currently preparing to run a number of inter-house competitions, including dodge-ball and speeches, with the theme of celebrating Cultural Diversity in school. There are plenty of house points available and it is a fantastic opportunity for students to interact with one another outside the classroom.
Mr David Herring, CLSP Coordinator david_herring@ssis.asia
Our annual Reading Extravaganza is almost upon us, which makes this a good time to consider how vital reading is in our lives. Reading not only improves focus and memory, both of which are valuable in succeeding in the IGCSE, but it also helps to develop empathy through exposure to other cultures and ways of thinking, an important skill in the world outside the school, and can also help to reduce stress and improve mental health. We hope all students join us in this celebration of something so important that we may not always think about.
Mr Andrew Cole, IGCSE Coordinator andrew_cole@ssis.asia
Reminders
Please ensure your children are ready for the daily COVID test by coming to school with their ID cards. Everyone that enters campus on Monday must also have a COVID test completed on Sunday morning. If your child is absent, please email your child’s form teacher as soon as possible with a reason. Please also directly state whether your child has a fever or no fever. It is a Shanghai Education Committee requirement for all schools to record attendance and reasons for absence.
A reminder that students should arrive at school wearing smart shoes and ties. As the weather starts to cool, students should also wear their school blazer as the first outer layer of clothing.
Please email me with any questions you may have, and we can arrange a follow-up phone call through my PA Katharine Chen.
Contact Information
| Mr Steven Gaynor | Senior School Principal | steven_gaynor@ssis.asia |
| Ms Katharine Chen | PA to Senior School Principal | katharine_chen@ssis.asia |
