Dear WIS Community,
Welcome to the new school year! I hope that your family has had a great start to this new year. New beginnings and transitions always combine excitement with exhaustion, and I am sure that everyone will be happy today that we’ve made it to the first Friday!
We are entering our learning community’s 33rd year of existence, so I thought it would be appropriate to call attention to three learning goals the faculty have set for ourselves in 2023-24, and three important features of our school which will help us achieve these goals.
Three 2023-24 WIS Schoolwide Learning Goals
Build a school culture of kindness and accountability (we have a new behaviour policy and we are working intently for WIS to be a no-bullying learning community)
Continue our focus on academic excellence (all students are engaged, challenged, and experiencing success)
Refine our curriculum to be contextually relevant, skills-focused, and content-rich (this year we are launching the MYP for Grades 6-9 and preparing for the MYP to fully replace the IGCSE in the 2024-2025 school year)
Three reasons why our school is well positioned for new and sustainable growth in 2023-24
We are a diverse and welcoming community with an inspiring mission and a clear set of shared principles (our WIS Principles serve as our guide)
We are a not-for-profit school with a sound governance structure and improved financial stability (we make every N$ count, and we have a committed parent body)
We are a school which prioritises student well-being and creativity while increasingly achieving academic excellence
We have nine new teachers and educational assistants who have joined our 65 returning staff in welcoming over 450 WIS students to our beautiful and spacious campus. Let’s be friendly and open to one another this school year. Our Back-to-School Night is scheduled for Wednesday, August 30th. Please be certain to attend!
New Staff at WIS
Derrek Berkompas - Instructional Coach
Nazeema Rattansi - MYP Science and IGCSE and IBDP Biology
Philip Saker - MYP4 Mathematics and Integrated Sciences
Dhruv Tikka - MYP English and DP CAS Coordinator
Maria Douglas - Grade 4 PYP Teacher
Indonesia Garoes - Primary Educational Assistant
Nhadia Gustavo Gora - PYP Physical and Health Education
Tisha Haushona - Primary Educational Assistant
Pedro Pinto - MYP and Grade 10 Portuguese (WIS is grateful for Pedro’s willingness to serve on this secondment from the Camoes Institute)
Amanda Foss - MYP English and Individuals & Societies (arrives in October)
Darren Roberts - Grade 2 Teacher & Primary
Familiar Faces, New Responsibilities
We have a number of continuing staff who have taken on additional responsibilities or modified roles within the school. We are fortunate to have so many talented and caring staff at WIS who lead by example.
Ruth Suffield - Middle School Student Life Coordinator & MYP Mathematics, MYP French
Qaanita Coelho - Early Years 3&4 Teacher
Daniel Shilomboleni - Physical and Health Education Dept Educational Assistant
Jenna Brown - PYP Coordinator and Primary Literacy Coordinator
Beata Stephanus - Primary Mathematics Coordinator & Grade 2 Teacher
Swapna Sharma - IGCSE English, DP English, and Global Alliance Coordinator
Jolene Nel - WIS Communications; Digital Design Teacher & Digital Creation Facilitator
Jana Krappmann - Grade 3 Teacher & PYP German Teacher
Audrey Bock - Physical and Health Educational Assistant & “Veldt School” Coordinator
Seodhna Keown - Academic Head of Physical and Health Education & PHE/PSHE Teacher
Jako Fourie - Head of Sports and Activities & PHE Teacher
It’s going to be a great year!
Sincerely,
Ethan Van Drunen
Educational Director