Dear SSIS Parents,
Happy New Year! What a delight it was to welcome your children back to campus this week and watch their excitement as they reconnected with friends and teachers and jumped right back into learning.
Even the day before your children returned, our campus was bustling with activity, as we welcomed teachers and staff, along with parents, students, and alumni to a strategic planning workshop.
When much of the world is struggling with lockdowns, unrest, and declining economies, I’m humbled to be part of a robust community in a thriving country, where we are able to continue our important work in planning for the future of the school. A successful strategic plan is a community endeavor.
During the opening of our strategic planning workshop, Gayle Tsien, our School Board Chair, reminded us that it was only 30 years ago that our visionary founders, Ferdinand Tsien and Lawrence Ting, stood at the very spot where I sit today, looking out over swampland and envisioning Phu My Hung. Placing the highest value on education, Saigon South International School, and the mission that guides us today, was among the very first developments in this new urban area.
Today, our mission, to prepare our students for purposeful lives as global citizens, is more relevant than ever. Your children will need excellence in academics, strong life skills, physical, social and emotional wellness, and good character in a world that the World Economic Forum notes is entering into the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Fast-paced developments in artificial intelligence, robotics, nano- and biotechnology, and beyond, will require our graduates to demonstrate a vast array of skills and expertise.
So, like our founders, we too look towards the future and envision what lies ahead. Once completed, the new strategic plan, Vision 2030, will become the blueprint for the people, programs, and places that will prepare your children for the demands of this new world.
As we continue with the work on the strategic plan, we too will continue to keep you up to date on the advancements. And later this semester, you will be invited to attend a Head of School Coffee in one of four languages, to learn more about it, and have the opportunity to make your voice heard.
I am grateful for your continued support and for believing in our mission and I thank you for entrusting your children to our care.
If, at any time you have questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact me (hos@ssis.edu.vn).
All good wishes,
Dr. Catriona Moran
Head of School
