Senior School News

Celebrating Senior School Success, Mentorship, and Partnership

Dear Senior School Parents,

It has been a wonderfully vibrant and successful period in our Senior School, and I would like to take a moment to celebrate the energy, commitment, and leadership shown across our community.

Over the past weeks, our students have represented the school with pride in a range of activities, including ACAMIS Basketball, CISSMUN, the Singapore Art Trip, the Robotics competitions, and our Winter Formal. These experiences highlighted not only student talent and teamwork, but also school spirit. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our dedicated staff for their time and care in making these opportunities possible, and to our student leaders who played a significant role in planning and running many of these events so successfully.

I would also like to update you on our weekly Thursday mentor check-ins. These sessions are an important part of our pastoral programme and are designed to strengthen relationships between students and their mentors. Regular mentoring helps students feel known and supported, encourages reflection and goal setting, and provides a trusted space to discuss wellbeing, organisation, and academic progress; all of which contribute to stronger engagement and confidence at school.

Mid-term grades were released last week, and we strongly encourage parents to review these carefully with their child. Taking time to discuss progress helps students reflect honestly on their learning, recognise strengths, and identify areas for improvement.

To support your child at home, you might consider:

Asking your child to explain what they are currently learning in each subject.

Reviewing feedback and teacher comments together, not just the grade.

Checking upcoming assessments and deadlines and helping your child plan their time.

Encouraging healthy routines around sleep, study, and balance.

Reaching out to teachers or mentors early if you have questions or concerns.

As we come to the end of this busy and rewarding period, I would like to wish you and your families a joyful and restful Chinese New Year holiday. May it be a time of celebration and meaningful connection with loved ones. Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and support.

Warm regards,
Shireen Naidoo
Senior School Assistant Principal

Lower Secondary Programme （LSP） Updates

This Term has gone fast and it won’t be long until the Chinese New Year Break. I encourage all to have a rest and spend meaningful time with family and friends. It is also a great opportunity for reflection and discussing the Term 2 Midterm results with your child. These discussions can help consolidate and refine the goals that students are forming at school during their mentor sessions.

This week is our Chinese New Year celebrations. It is important that we celebrate and understand the importance of this event. Today in Homerooms students learnt about Chinese culture and painted messages for Duilian. I am also looking forward to the Chinese New Year performances in which many Grade 7 and 8 students will be involved.

Mr. David Herring

LSP Coordinator

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IGCSE Updates

Our Grade 9 students are progressing well in their IGCSE journey, with Term 2 Midterm results recently being released. These results are a useful indicator in how the students are progressing in their courses, and we very much encourage conversations at home about how things are going – the partnership between school and home is a key ingredient in student success.

Our G10 students have been busy finalising choices for their IBDP studies and preparing for their IGCSE exams. Over the coming weeks they will be reaching the culmination of much of their course content, completing coursework and beginning their revision.

The IGCSE exams mark an important moment for our Grade 10 students in their academic journey, and we will all support them in their preparation for this milestone. Mock exams are an important part of this preparation and are designed to familiarise the students with both the exam format and conditions, as well as test gaps in content knowledge.

Some key upcoming dates:

IGCSE Payments (all Grade 10 and Grade 9 Accelerated Chinese as a Second Language)	2-6 February
IGCSE Mock Exams	2-13 March
IGCSE Coursework submissions	20 March
IGCSE Exams	Starting 24 April

Mr. Andrew Cole

IGCSE Coordinator

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IBDP updates

Grade 11 students have officially begun working on their Extended Essays. It has been encouraging to see students engaging thoughtfully with the process and developing exciting and meaningful research questions. CAS activities are also well underway, with many students stepping into leadership roles and taking initiative across a range of projects.

Grade 12 students have now started their final coursework submissions, marking an important phase of the IB Diploma Programme. Mock examinations are currently ongoing, and we encourage students to prioritise rest, balance, and wellbeing during this demanding period. Many of our students have received exciting offers from top universities, including the University of Hong Kong. We look forward to sharing exciting university-related updates with all of you students in the coming weeks. I wish our Grade 12 students all the very best and hope they make the most of and enjoy their final months at SSIS.

Ms. Arathi PV.

IBDP Coordinator

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Singapore Art Trip

In January 2026, art students from Grades 9–11 took their creative practice on the road with a three-day educational trip to Singapore, centred around the Singapore Art Fair and key cultural institutions across the city. The trip offered students valuable first-hand exposure to contemporary art, curatorial practice, and visual research beyond the classroom, within the vibrant setting of Singapore’s Arts Week.

After arriving on Thursday 22 January, students settled into their hotel near Clarke Quay and were introduced to the expectations and learning focus of the trip. Friday was dedicated to the Singapore Art Fair, where students actively documented artworks through photography, sketching, and note-taking. They explored a wide range of contemporary practices and engaged directly with gallerists, curators, and artists. These conversations and observations provided great primary research for IGCSE and IB Art portfolios, as well as Extended Essays. The day concluded with an evening visit to Gardens by the Bay, including the iconic Supertree Grove light show.

On Saturday, students continued their exploration with a visit to the Singapore Art Museum, a particular highlight that they greatly enjoyed. This was followed by a guided photography walk through Little India and Kampong Glam, where students captured images in response to a set brief exploring place, culture, and visual storytelling. These activities strengthened their observational, compositional, and analytical skills.

Overall, the Singapore Art Trip provided students with an inspiring immersion into contemporary art and visual culture. The experience bridged classroom practice and global contemporary art, leaving students inspired and creatively energised.