Coronavirus Update: Appreciation from Community

Dear SSIS Parents, 

I want to take a brief moment of your time to celebrate the resilience of our students, teachers, and parents during these past several weeks. In addition, I want to provide an opportunity for you to give us feedback to make your child’s experience even better.

Despite its challenges, the situation that we find ourselves in has created unexpected opportunities for learning and growth, as we have all adapted to life outside of our normal routines.

Where many see barriers, our community has seen opportunities. Where many find faults, our community has embraced challenges. And in doing so, we have modeled for our children what is one of the most significant factors that determine success – the ability to face adversity with resilience, ie the “process of adapting well in the face of adversity”, as we learned during the online webinar, “Optimizing Resilience” hosted for parents this afternoon by the Institute of Positive Education.

The following excerpt from an email I received from a High School student is a testament to the resilience that he has built as a student at SSIS during this time:

 “While virtual school is certainly unfamiliar, I believe that the experience is enriching in the way that it reinforces students’ self-discipline and time management – skills necessary for our college education. Encountering minor difficulties during the first few days, I have now found ways to make my learning more productive and enjoyable.” 

 I am especially grateful to the many parents who recognize what an outstanding job our teachers are doing to ensure that our students’ academic progress is not impacted. Lessons have been adapted to suit the virtual learning environment, and each division monitors students’ assignments closely so that they can follow up via email or phone calls, with those that need support.

As I referenced above, I would like to invite you to submit your opinion on how Virtual School has worked for your child, in this survey. Your voice matters to us, and it is only with your feedback that we can continue to improve the experience of attending school in our virtual environment during this mandated school closure.

I will continue to update you as we learn more about the Government’s mandates for schools next week. Together with other international schools, consulates, and embassies, as well as the People’s Committee, we continue our discussions as we seek further guidance on the earliest possible opening date. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this or any other matters. 

All good wishes,

Dr. Catriona Moran
Head of School