Of course, our Year 11 students have a number of weeks left of their exam period; they are to be absolutely commended for the way in which they are approaching each and every paper, with a maturity and acknowledgement that they are well prepared. Looming around the corner will be their final exam celebration and, of course, the introduction into IB. Under the experienced and passionate hands and guidance of Mr Graham, our IB offering goes from strength to strength. Having recently completed our Five Year IB Review we await feedback from the IBO and look forward to sharing this on our return from the summer.
It was wonderful to see our super talented NAIS Pudong singers, musicians and actors on stage for the Stage & Screen Evening last Thursday. The repertoire of hits from the movies and theatre had the full house audience tapping their toes and even singing along. The Creative Arts Department has certainly excelled this year in bringing so many more students into the orchestra and choirs, and it was amazing to see the stage jam packed with performers. Congratulations to everyone who took part, and we look forward to more great performances at the Summer Fun Day on Saturday 4th June.
If you were at school early this morning, there was a frenzy of activity whilst our Primary FOBISIA team loaded their bags onto the buses as they head off to Vietnam for the Primary FOBISIA Games. It was great to see a team of budding supporters as parents brought up the rear, ready to cheer the team on. The students have been training hard and we wish them every success. Our school is in one of the most challenging FOBISIA groups and, consistently this year across all age ranges, we have had some outstanding individual and team successes. Next year we look forward to hosting the Primary FOBISIA Games here at NAIS Pudong.
As the year comes to an end, we focus on preparations for the year ahead. As is the norm for international schools all around the world, we bid farewell to some familiar faces and welcome new staff to our team. As Ms Lisa Lawrence, our Junior Leader, returns to the UK this summer with Mr Paez, we have secured the appointment of two very experienced school leaders to lead the Junior school. Supporting and leading Year 5 and 6 is Mr Andrew Lowery. Currently in the role of Assistant Head in a school in Malaysia, Andrew is a graduate of Sheffield University and an advocate of international education. He is passionate about nurturing a love of learning and promoting critical thinking in his students. He joins us with a number of years’ senior leadership experience and a proven track record accelerating learning in the classroom.
Leading Year 3 and 4 is another new appointment in Miss Lucy Marshall. Lucy is currently in the role of Assistant Head in a leading UK school, where she takes a lead for the strategic direction of shaping the curriculum, assessment and personalised interventions of students in her care.
Also joining our team in a whole school leadership role is Mrs Penny Mullholland, replacing Mrs Rebecca Hayley as Head of Learning Support. Bringing over 18 years of experience in supporting the learning needs of pupils aged 4-18 years, both internationally and in the UK, Penny is looking forward to joining the team here and supporting our pupils with the right intervention strategies to ensure success.
Over the coming weeks we will share the profiles of all our new staff on our website.
Lesley-Ann Wallace
Principal