26 September 2025
Building Connections: An Update on Our Senior School Mentor Programme
Dear Senior School Parents and Families,
I am delighted to share an update on our Senior School Mentor Programme, which is now fully underway! By now, your family should have received an introduction from your child’s assigned teacher mentor. This week, our mentors are beginning their meetings with students, setting the stage for a year of meaningful guidance, support, and personal growth.
At SSIS, we believe that strong relationships are the foundation of a thriving learning community. That is why we have placed great emphasis on creating structures that ensure every student has a trusted adult at school they can connect with. Research and experience consistently show that when students feel known, valued, and supported by the adults around them, they are more likely to engage deeply in their learning, build resilience, and develop a genuine sense of belonging. Our mentor programme is designed to provide exactly that—a consistent, caring point of connection for your child throughout their senior school journey.
Over the next few weeks, mentors will reach out to you personally—whether by phone, Teams meeting, or face-to-face conversation—to further introduce themselves, discuss initial goal setting with your child, and explore how they can best support both your child and your family. These conversations are an invaluable opportunity to align our efforts and strengthen the partnership between home and school.
It’s important to note that mentoring at SSIS encompasses more than academics alone. While mentors will certainly support students in their studies and organisational skills, they are also deeply committed to nurturing the whole child: their social emotional wellbeing, their passions outside the classroom, their friendships, and their personal challenges. By taking this holistic approach, we aim to help each student thrive in all aspects of their life.
We are truly excited about the positive impact this programme will have on our students’ confidence, sense of belonging, and overall growth. Thank you for entrusting us with your child’s education and for partnering with us in this important work.
Stronger Together,
Mr. Shirley
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PASTORAL Updates
Six Weeks In: Supporting Our Senior School Students Together
Dear Parents,
It’s hard to believe we are already six weeks into the new school year. By now, most students have settled into their routines, getting used to new teachers, different subjects, and in some cases, heavier workloads. At the same time, they’re navigating friendships, managing expectations, and trying to balance school life with their interests outside the classroom. It’s a lot and we know they can’t do it alone.
This is where your role, alongside ours, is so important.
I wanted to share a few gentle reminders that may help you support your child at home during this important settling-in period:
1. Keep an eye on balance
Many of our students are keen to do everything at once including sports, music, after-school activities (on top of their academics). While this enthusiasm is wonderful, please help them find the right balance so they don’t stretch themselves too thin.
2. Sleep really matters
Teenagers will tell you they don’t need as much rest, but the truth is they function best with regular, healthy sleep patterns. A good night’s rest often does more for learning than one more hour of study.
3. Ask, don’t interrogate
When you ask about their day, try open-ended questions: “What was the best part of your day?” or “Did you do something interesting today?” These small check-ins reassure them you’re there without putting them under pressure. Check their student planners & Managebac for homework, key messaging and important announcements.
4. Celebrate the effort, not just the outcome
Whether it’s a test score, a performance, or even just handing in an assignment on time, acknowledging their effort helps build resilience and confidence.
5. Stay in touch with us
If you notice your child seems unusually tired, withdrawn, or anxious, please reach out to the form tutor or counsellors. Sometimes small things at home or school can feel big to them, and we want to offer the right support.
What I have noticed in these first weeks is that our students genuinely want to do well, but they sometimes need reminders that it’s okay to stumble, and that mistakes are part of the learning process. With your guidance at home and our support at school, we can help them develop not only as learners but also as confident young people who feel seen, valued, and cared for.
Thank you for your continued partnership; it truly makes a difference.
Warm regards,
Senior School Assistant Principal
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IBDP Updates
Our Grade 12 students recently had their DP camp at Sun Island, where they brought together key elements of their IB journey CAS, TOK, and the Extended Essay and university guidance sessions. The camp also focused on team building and developing leadership skills, which perfectly aligns with the IB and SSIS philosophy. I am so thrilled to see how our students embraced this opportunity to grow both academically and personally. Finally, a reminder that our Grade 12 students will be on an incursion from October 20–24. This is an important time in their academic year, and we truly appreciate your support in helping them make the most of it.
Our Grade 11 students have now officially started their IB journey. This is an exciting step as they begin to experience the challenges and opportunities of the Diploma Programme. They participated actively in the IBDP camp, learning from their seniors and asking curious, thoughtful questions. I am excited to see them contributing to the IBDP Programme, and engaging fully in all the events ahead.
If you have any questions related to IBDP, please feel free to reach out to me: arathi_pv@ssis.asia.
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IGCSE Updates
The start to our school year is now well underway, with the Grade 9 students beginning their IGCSE journey and the Grade 10 students entering a very important year as they build up to their exams in April.
Our IGCSE Character and Leadership camp successfully took place last Friday and looked a little different this year as the students explored service-learning ideas. For this camp we were focused on promoting the SSIS FGL attributes, working with the ELG school for students with special needs and using engineering and natural science to begin projects to benefit our school community. The students have also begun exploring personal projects of their own, which they have been encouraged to share with their mentors.
Please feel free to reach out with any IGCSE questions you may have: andrew_cole@ssis.asia
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GRADES 7/8 Updates
A Warm Welcome to Grade 7 Parents and New Families. We have had a fantastic start to the year, and it has been a pleasure welcoming the Grade 7 students to the Senior School. Last Thursday, 18th of September provided another opportunity for Grade 7 & 8 students to get together and participate in a range of activities. This allowed for students to enjoy healthy competition and build positive connections with each other and staff – further strengthening the community spirit here at SSIS.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions – david_herring@ssis.asia
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Key Dates in October:
Golden Week: October 1st– October 8th (School resumes for students on October 9th)
Teacher’s Professional Learning Day: October 8th
Parent Golf Day: October 11th
Student Council Investiture: October 14th
G9&G10 IGCSE Information: October 15th
Senior School Excursion: October 20th-24th
Parent Coffee Morning Sessions:
- Introduction to TOK, 23 September @ 9:10
- Managing ManageBac, 22 October @ 9:00
- The Reading Advantage: Building Brains and Futures, 7 November @ 9:40
- Surviving Adolescence, 27 November @ 9:10
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