SCIS Hongqiao

Dear Students and Parents,

Welcome to the 2011 – 2012 academic school year!

I trust that you all had a wonderful summer,  and that all our students are ready to engage in a new year of personal growth; participation in our large variety of sporting, cultural and after school activities; and of course one of the main reasons we are here, academic excellence.

You are kindly invited to browse through the school website http://hq.scisdragons.net/ for current information of our divisions of the school, Early Childhood Center (ECE), Lower School, School Middle, and Upper School.

Information on school policy, procedures, and other school matters can be found on this site. Parents and students seeking information on the Diploma Program (DP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB) will also see relevant links.

We have a wonderful group of new teachers who have joined the SCIS Hongqiao and SCIS ECE campuses, and together with our highly talented and skilled returning teachers, this school year promises in many ways to be exceptionally dynamic, successful and busy, for our students as well as the entire SCIS broader community.

As the new Head of School, I always welcome constructive dialogue and opinions from the entire community, with the view to provide our students the best learning outcomes in the true sense of a quality and holistic international education.

Welcome!

I hope to personally meet with each one of you during this new school year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rockey W. du Randt

Head of School

Dear SCIS-Hongqiao Community,

On behalf of our Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Rockey du Randt as the next Head of School of SCIS-Hongqiao beginning in July 2011.

Rockey hails from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and has been involved in international education for twenty-five years, including teaching and administrative posts in South Africa, Turkey, and Latvia.  Rockey is currently serving as the Associate Director at the International School of Latvia, and previously served in leadership positions at the Koç School in Istanbul, Turkey.  In addition to his teaching and administrative credentials, and Masters Degrees in Curriculum Development and Teaching, Rockey holds a doctorate of philosophy (PhD) in International Educational Management and is pursuing a doctorate of education (EdD) at the University of South Africa.

In accepting the position, Rockey expressed great enthusiasm in working with such a fine and talented slate of campus administrators and teachers, many of whom he met during his January visit.  He also voiced his confidence in furthering the school from its solid foundations and carrying on initiatives laid out by our current Head of School, Mike Donaldson.  In addition to strong leadership skills, Rockey brings great depth of experience in the areas of curriculum development, IB coordination, and instructional supervision.  Rockey also spent many years as college counselor, advising students intending to further their education at universities worldwide and helping many gain acceptance to the most reputable institutions.  While Rockey will be arriving alone this summer, we know he will quickly find himself part of a large and caring family at SCIS.

I would like to thank the Student Council Representatives, PAFA Officers, teachers, and campus and systemwide administrators who contributed a significant amount of time and commitment to the interview process of the three finalists for the Head of School position.  I would also like to thank the three candidates who made our final decision so difficult.

For now, please join me in welcoming Rockey du Randt to our professional team of educators and our SCIS-Hongqiao community.  Below you will find a letter of introduction from Rockey.