Head of School Message: Attendance at EARCOS ELC/ strong start to the second quarter/ recruiting

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I hope you’ve enjoyed a peaceful, relaxing, and fulfilling week, with time to reflect on an outstanding first quarter of the 2024-2025 school year. As we look ahead to the second quarter, we anticipate exciting professional development opportunities, the WASC visit, and other events that will further enrich our students’ learning experiences. Your dedication continues to create an environment where students can thrive, and I am deeply grateful for all you do to support their growth.

The second quarter also marks the start of the recruiting season. While we are pleased that faculty turnover will be relatively low this year, we expect to add several new positions to accommodate our growth, so considerable recruiting will still be necessary. The Board is set to approve the 2025-2026 budget in early November, and we will announce the new positions then. In the meantime, we’ll be recruiting for known openings at the GRC Fair in Bangkok next weekend.

I am especially thankful for your invaluable support in hiring our new Admissions Director, Director of Teaching & Learning, and High School Principal. It’s a relief to have completed the hiring and a pleasure to have such excellent people joining us in these key positions.

This week, I’m in Bangkok for the EARCOS Strategic Planning and Board meeting, as well as the EARCOS Leadership Conference—my first time presiding over both as EARCOS President (please wish me luck!). The conference theme, “Belonging and Becoming,” is a meaningful one. In my opening remarks, I will emphasize that these two words, while distinct, are deeply connected. Belonging is about feeling accepted, valued, and recognized within a community, while becoming represents the ongoing journey of personal and professional growth. We truly cannot become our best selves without first experiencing a sense of belonging.

I’m eager to return to school next week, reconnect with all of you, and engage in our work with Derrick Gay as we strive to ensure that every member of our community feels they belong and has the opportunity to become their best self. Together, we can continue to make SSIS a true beacon of community.

I wish you a restful Sunday and a strong start to the second quarter!

All good wishes,
Catriona