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Lower School Principal - Hongqiao Campus
Shanghai Community International School (China)

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of Mr. Daniel Eschtruth, Director of Schools at Shanghai Community International School, China, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Rachel McLeod as Lower School Principal of the Hongqiao campus beginning in August 2021.  

Daniel’s announcement to the community shared that “Rachel brings extensive educational leadership experience, a wealth of IB PYP experience, as well as a clear understanding of inclusive educational practices. Additionally, Rachel has held multiple positions of leadership within China including that of PYP coordinator at the International School of Tianjin and Suzhou Singapore International School, as well as a Deputy Principalship/PYP Coordinator role at WISS here in Shanghai. These roles and her additional administrative experience in Eastern Europe and the Middle East will undoubtedly contribute to the stability and continuity of our programs and our ability to meet the needs of our students, parents, and faculty.”   

Search Associates would like to thank all of the candidates who applied for this position and to everyone who assisted and supported the successful search process for the Lower School Principal position at Shanghai Community International School.

Warmest regards,

Norma

 

 

Shanghai Community International School

Lower School Principal- Hongqiao Campus

Shanghai, China

 

Effective July 2021

 

 

 

Search Announcement:

Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) seeks a Lower School Principal for our Hongqiao Campus to begin July 2021. The SCIS community is seeking applications from individuals motivated to advance best practices and foster teaching excellence. The Lower School Principal needs to be able to serve a strong, diverse, and transient community. The ideal candidate for this position will need to be able to manage the inherent challenges while still maintaining the personal and intimate approach in line with the culture of the school. In addition, as a member of the School Leadership Team, this position will be a key driver in the refinement and implementation of the components of the school’s strategic vision as they relate to the Lower School division.

 

School Description:

Founded in 1996, SCIS is a private, not-for-profit co-educational institution with over 1,500 students from over 65 countries ranging in age between 2 and 18 years. SCIS operates two Nursery to Grade 12 programs on three campuses spanning both sides of the Huangpu river of Shanghai. SCIS is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and College (WASC). SCIS is one of the first international schools in Shanghai to become fully authorized as an International Baccalaureate (IB) Continuum World School. SCIS is a proud member of the East Asian Regional Conference of Schools (EARCOS) and the Association of Chinese and Mongolian International Schools (ACAMIS).

 

 

Position Description:

In partnership with the Director of Schools, the Lower School Principal is responsible for implementing the school’s mission and vision, divisional and all-school goals, and overseeing the day-to-day running of the division of Lower School faculty, staff and all students in Grade 1 through Grade 5. As an instructional leader, the Principal will assist in collaboratively building a professional school culture focused on student learning and effective teaching. They will work with Lower School Faculty, the Early Childhood and Upper School Administration team, and the Director of Schools to create a welcoming and nurturing climate for students and families, in addition to monitoring student behavior and academic success. The Lower School Principal will be integral to ensuring smooth and orderly operations of the Lower School, communicating and working regularly with all aspects of the community.

 

Required Qualifications:

• Educational leadership Experience (Principal, Assistant Principal, etc.)
• Extensive knowledge of the IB Primary Years Programme
• Relevant teaching experience in grades 1-5
• Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership or Master’s Degree with additional qualifications in administration/leadership preferred
• Significant experience in leading curriculum development initiatives including experience with the implementation of a concept-based curriculum focusing on inquiry, integration, and differentiation practices using UbD framework
• Commitment to carrying out the SCIS Mission, Schoolwide Learner Outcomes, and Strategic Plan
• Experience in effective teacher supervision, evaluation, and mentoring
• Experience and understanding of best practices in inclusive settings (learning support, English language acquisition, etc.)

 

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Strong understanding and knowledge of leadership practices in international schools.
• Experience in a dynamic and energetic school, which is constantly monitoring the educational program, enrollment capacity, staffing, and facilities.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing to a wide range of audiences.
• Ability to support a collaborative and dynamic culture throughout the system.
• Represent and share a sincere appreciate for the host country culture.
• Proven skills and abilities as a visionary who demonstrates leadership, resourcefulness, flexibility and creativity in identifying innovative solutions.
• Strong understanding and experience of general curriculum, early childhood best practices, and current theories and practice of pedagogy and assessment.
• Training and experience with Teaching Strategies objectives for development and learning, the Common Core, and the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP).
• Ability to conduct meetings which facilitate collaborative learning focused dialogues.
• Awareness of current research and professional development opportunities in relevant areas of early childhood teaching, learning and curriculum development.
• Models humility and has a strong sense of humor.
• Takes initiative, is self-motivated, dynamic, energetic and creative.

Performance Responsibilities:

The Lower School Principal will work closely with the Director of Schools and the school leadership team to:

• Promote a sense of community and school spirit within the division
• Create a positive school culture that supports faculty growth and development
• Work closely with students and parents to achieve success for each student
• Effectively and proactively supervise and manage student behavior and work closely with parents to address concerns
• Communicate promptly, clearly, and effectively with students and parents about program goals and procedures
• Work collaboratively with others to create effective schedules: students’ schedules, breaks, duties and reporting structures
• Be responsible for the implementation of effective operational structures and organizational systems that support student learning
• Participate regularly in various school activities, parent meetings, student programs, and after school events
• Work in collaboration with the Director of Schools in the recruitment of faculty and support staff
• Supervise and evaluate teachers and provide constructive feedback on teaching and learning
• Support teachers in using research-based methods for designing curriculum and developing effective instructional strategies
•  Ensure collaborative development of individual professional goals around student learning
• Lead in collaboration with school leadership and faculty effective professional development opportunities
• Work closely and productively with team leaders to assist in the development and implementation of curricular programs, initiatives and monitor their success
• Ensure consistency and alignment of curriculum throughout the division
• Implement and lead the utilization of systems to collect and analyze student data to monitor growth and inform practice
• Perform other duties as assigned. (Including substituting occasionally, special projects, work associated with system goals and strategic planning, etc.)

 

Salary and Benefits:
Salary is competitive and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. Benefits include housing, airfare allowance, health insurance, retirement contribution, professional development funds, and tuition benefits for N-12 school age dependents

Application Process:
Interested candidates should send an application no later than December 6, 2020. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials listed below as early as possible as the Search Committee reserves the right to close the selection process at any time should the right candidate be identified.

The application should include:

• Cover letter of application
• Resumé´, not to exceed two-pages
• Educational philosophy detailing beliefs in reference to learning and leading
• A list of supervisory references (at least three) - the list should include names, positions, and their current email addresses

Please note that all materials must be scanned into a single pdf attachment of 4MB or less and sent to Search Associates at the email addresses listed below. Please send the complete application to Dr. Norma Hudson at nhudson@searchassociates.com.

The review of applications will begin as soon as applications are received.   Qualified candidates will be interviewed and potentially forwarded to SCIS for further review.  Finalist candidates (with spouses, if applicable) will be invited for virtual interviews and to meet with members of the Board, leadership team, faculty, staff, parents and students.  The new Lower School Principal will be selected at the end of the virtual visit, finalist interviews, and reference checks and will assume his/her professional responsibilities in July, 2021.

            

 

SCIS Believes:

That each employee makes a significant contribution to our success and that contribution should not be limited to the assigned responsibilities. Therefore, this position description is designed to outline primary duties, qualifications and job scope, but not limit the employee or SCIS to only the work identified.  It is the expectation of the School that each employee will offer his/her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of our organization.

Additional information about the school and community may be found on the Shanghai Community International School website at https://www.scis-china.org/