T1W2 – 9 September 2022
Dear Senior School parents,
Welcome back to SSIS and a new School year. While the past few months have had their challenges, it is fantastic to have you all back on campus for the first time since Friday 11th March. While teaching and community events continued online, I speak for all our staff when I say we missed your children, and we are excited to have them back in our classrooms.
I want to give a special welcome to all grade 7 students and parents. Joining the Senior School is an exciting time with many opportunities ahead. I also understand that it can be overwhelming as students and parents adapt to new systems and teachers. Please do contact me or the new G7&8 Coordinator Mr. Herring if have any questions no matter how big or how small.
IBDP and IGCSE Results
This year, we again have outstanding external examination results even in the challenging COVID-affected second half of the academic year. Our DP average was 37.9, well above the world average of 34.5. Almost 40% scored 40 points or more, and two students achieved near-perfect scores of 44. Our IGCSE results are also impressive, 55% of our grades were at A grade or higher, and over 75% were at a B grade or higher. I want to thank the whole SSIS community that nurtured our students throughout their journey at SSIS.
University acceptances and Scholarship funding
We have again supported our graduate’s entry into the world’s most prestigious universities and also assisted them in securing over 10 million RMB in Scholarship funding. Please join me in thanking Mr Gould and his counselling team.
Class of 2022 was an impressive group, they have been accepted into some of the world’s best universities. 79% percent of our graduating class was admitted to a Top 100 Global Ranked Institution based on the Q and S Ranking Scale. 69% of our graduating class was admitted to a Top 50 Globally Ranked Institution based on the Q and S Ranking Scale. What’s even more impressive is that accumulatively they were awarded scholarships worth over ten million RMB! This is more than double what was awarded last year. It was a truly impressive year for Shanghai Singapore International School and a testament to the rigorous academic environment provided by our school.
Mr Gould, K-12 Head of Counselling
Dates for your Diary
- Monday 12th September: No School
- Tuesday 13th September: Scholarship Ceremony (In Senior School assembly)
- Wednesday 14th September: G11&12 IBDP Information Parent Evening
- Thursday 22nd – Friday 23rd September: G7&8 Character & leadership Orientation Camp at SSIS
- Friday 23rd – Saturday 24th September: G9&10 Character & leadership Orientation Camp at SSIS, G11&12 Character & leadership Orientation Camp at Sun Island
- Saturday 24th September: SSL Swim Round 1
Student Wellbeing
Dear parents,
I trust you are as excited as I am that school has resumed. It is a blessing to welcome back our students after the long lockdown and their happy faces have definitely brightened corridors and filled our classrooms with warmth.
This year, we have introduced Well-Being lessons which will alternate with assemblies. Our vision is to give all students an opportunity to talk more and to develop a culture where ‘Every Child Matters’ & ‘Every student can be a leader’. We aim to promote Global Citizenship & Service Learning and provide opportunities to develop student rhetoric, to listen to our student voice and to encourage students to be proactive.
I remind parents that we offer student support through our counsellors & Director of Student Services. Should your child feel the need to talk about any matter, please encourage them to drop in. Equally, our form tutors, staff and leadership teams are available to help students develop and progress where they need it most. Our Heads of Houses are planning more exciting activities starting with the House Board & Embracing our differences competitions. Then at the end of September, we look forward to our Character & Leadership camps where students can bond and participate in team-building tasks.
I encourage parents to get involved in your child’s school life. These could be simple actions like reading a book, watching a film, playing educational games, visiting an exhibition/museum or learning a new sport/instrument together.
Finally, please encourage your children to take part in our first House activity of the year.
“Children are not things to be molded, but are people to be unfolded.”
Shireen Naidoo, Senior School Assistant Principal shireen_naidoo@ssis.asia
Academic Coordinators
It is a relief to be finally back to school and interacting with each other in person. I am pleased to report that the Grade 8 students look well settled into Senior School life and have adjusted to the school routines easily. I would like to especially welcome the Grade 7 students to the Senior School and I have been really impressed with their positive attitude and resilience towards a very new environment. I look forward to the Grade 7 / 8 Orientation Camp which will be a perfect opportunity for students and teachers alike to build connections and positive relationships within the school community.
Mr David Herring, CLSP Coordinator david_herring@ssis.asia
The start of a new school year is always an exciting time, and none more so than this year. It has been amazing to see all of our Grade 9 and 10 students back on campus, our Grade 10 students returning for the challenges of the last year of their IGCSE experience and our incoming Grade 9 students, who are just at the beginning of their journey. An important step for all our IGCSE students in this shared journey will be the IGCSE overnight camp, which will take place from Friday, September 23rd to Saturday, September 24th, and will offer our students a chance to come together as a community, use their communication and collaboration skills and develop their leadership abilities outside the classroom.
Mr Andrew Cole, IGCSE Coordinator andrew_cole@ssis.asia
It is wonderful to be back in the school and to see the new and excited IB DP students, eager and excited to learn more about the journey upon which they are embarking. A crucial rite of passage in this voyage is the DP Camp, where all DP students make the journey out to Sun Island. Our G12 students will be designing activities to pass on their knowledge and experiences to the incoming G11s. The students will head off on Friday, Sept. 23rd and they will be away for the night. It is student-centered and builds student confidence as future global leaders, and they are given a chance to demonstrate their communication skills as well as their creativity in the way they structure the learning experiences.
Mr Adam Kent Crossley, IBDP Coordinator adam_crossley@ssis.asia
Reminders
Please ensure your students are ready for the daily COVID test and take a test on Sunday morning in preparation for a return to school on Monday. 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 shoes and ties should be worn at all times. While the weather is hot, students are not required to wear their school blazers.
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 |
