Senior School News

T3W10 – 26 May 2023

Dear Senior School parents,

I would like to express the Senior Schools heartfelt gratitude to the Parent Support Group (PSG) for organising a truly remarkable and delicious Teacher Appreciation Lunch. The spread of food and the timely arrangements truly touched the hearts of all the teachers and staff members. The PSG’s dedication and hard work in planning these events are a crucial aspect of our strong home- school relationship at SSIS. Your unwavering support and appreciation for our staff not only boosted our morale but also served as a reminder of the value and impact of our work. Thank you once again for your generosity, kindness, and for making us feel so cherished.

On 17th May, our IB Diploma Core team hosted our very first “My IB Journey” for our Class of 2024 students. The goal of this event was for our G11 students to reflect and present their journey in the IB Programme at SSIS through the three IB Core Components: Extended Essay (EE), Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and CAS (Creativity, Action, Service).

Prior to the event, students were tasked to create a poster and presentation that is dynamic and specific to their journey. Each student individually assembled a tri-fold poster board filled with myriad of information and elements about the three core components:

TOK Objects Exhibition
CAS Timeline
Summary of Extended Essay Research

This was another exhibition of student learning and an opportunity to practice their public speaking skills. Thank you to our IBDP Core team of Mr Crossley, Ms Lau, Mr Senaratna, Mr Cole, Mr Tu, Mr Elkins, Mr Xin Ling Chen and Mr Browne.

Please review and discuss the end-of-year exam schedules and effective learning strategies shared by the curriculum coordinators with your children. While this can be a stressful time of year for students, it is also an ideal time for them to review their learning and implement effective learning strategies, If you have any questions regarding the end of year exams, please do reach out to the appropriate academic coordinator.

End of year exam papers will be returned to students during the week beginning Monday 5^th June. Students will have time to review their exams, reflect on what topics they did well on and where they need to improve. Although many students tend to only focus on the final grade awarded, this week is an ideal opportunity for students to focus on the corrections required to improve their learning (and grades!) for the next academic year. Please stress to your children that this review and reflection week is in many ways more important than the end of year exams they have just completed. I also encourage you to review the returned exam papers with your child, ask them what topics they did well on, what topics they need to improve on and what strategies they have identified to do this.

From August 2023, Mr Aloysius Chua will serve as the new IBDP Coordinator. He is an accomplished teacher and has previously held several leadership roles. He is working alongside Mr Crossley assisting the coordination of the Grade 12 external examinations the Grade 11 end of year examinations and Graduation. He will also work alongside Mr Crossley to support the current grade 12 s when the IBDP results are released in early July.

An introductory message from Mr Aloysius Chua

Dear SSIS community, I am honoured to step into and continue building on the achievements of our IBDP programme. My heartfelt appreciation to our current coordinator, Mr. Adam Crossley, for his guidance, support, and mentorship throughout my journey here at SSIS and especially so in these past few weeks of my formal transition to this new role. Adam leaves behind a legacy built on excellence, positive culture building and student-centred educational leadership.

As your IBDP coordinator, I am eager to work with our parents, teachers and most importantly, our students, to continue our growth. Together, striving for excellence through a culture of care. Thank you and please feel free to reach out to me with any ideas, suggestions, or questions.

A message from Mr Adam Crossley

“It has been an honour to serve at SSIS and I will miss dearly these halls, as well as the amazing students who make each day a true pleasure. I’m very pleased to be actively supporting the next IBDP Coordinator. Mr Aloysius Chua and we are working closely together to make this transition smooth, and to ensure that the success of recent years, exemplified in the My IB Journey event, are carried into the fuTure under his clear and strong leadership”.

A true sign of effective leadership is the strength of the programme that you leave behind. The IB Diploma Programme is undoubtedly a stronger programme under Mr. Crossley’s leadership and after two terms of service at SSIS. We thank him for his significant contribution to the school.

Let’s continue celebrating our students’ learning!

With gratitude

Mr Steven Gaynor, Senior School Principal

Dates for your Diary

Tuesday 30th May: G7&8 End of Year exams begin
Thursday 1st June: G12 Graduation Family & Staff Dinner (Evening)
Friday 2nd June: G12 Graduation Ceremony (Morning)
Monday 5^{th –}Friday 10^th June: Review and Reflection week
Tuesday 13^th June: End of year Character, Leadership & Academic Awards (Afternoon)
Thursday 15th June: Last Day of School for Students

Student Wellbeing

Dear parents,

Exam week is upon us, and this is a time for students to demonstrate both progress and excellence. While parents want to give their children independence to study, I remind parents once again to monitor your child’s use of technology, ensure they have a good study area (distraction free), check they are eating and sleeping well and most importantly, communicate about their concerns, feelings after an exam and mental wellbeing.

Ms Shireen Naidoo, Senior School Assistant Principal shireen_naidoo@ssis.asia

Reminders

If your child is absent, please email your child’s form teacher as soon as possible with a reason. A reminder that students should arrive at school wearing full school uniform, including smart black shoes, dark socks and ties.

As the weather warms, students should no longer be wearing outer jackets and instead 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 or meeting 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