Dear families,
In this letter, I am delighted to share a number of developments in the school community dedicated to the kind of education which will allow each of our children to flourish.
First of all let me thank you for trusting us for the education of your children, In february already 90% of our families re-enrolled their children for the academic year 24/25 (best result ever) and this is a strong signal of appreciation for the quality, professionalism and dedication our teachers are devoting every day to nurture our children. At the same time we are proud of the many admission requests we are receiving from Italy and from around the world and we look forward to welcoming those students at the end of August. We are particularly proud of our growth and our diversity as a community because it will allow us to provide ever more enriching international educational opportunities for our students.
In this regard, August sees the completion of the two-year development programme we have set up with Mr Conan De Wilde, who will complete his tenure as Head of School at the Venice Campus and Head of K12 to take on the role of Chair of the H-IS Educational Council. Mr De Wilde’s mandate was to further improve the quality and reliability of education and to provide the resources necessary for this. Over the past 2 years the school has continued to improve its educational attainment, its range of co-curriculars, and has created a culture of reflective practice based on high quality data so that we can advance our distinctiveness whilst integrating sound evidence-based practices. Most of all he believes in the intrinsic value of the wonderful human beings – staff and students alike – who fill our days with meaning. We wish Mr De Wilde well as he returns to Switzerland and we look forward to working with him next year in his role as Chair of the H-IS Educational Council as we continue the enrichment of our students’ learning experiences.
I am also delighted to endorse the recommendation of Mr De Wilde to appoint a new Head of School in Venice, as he passes the baton to Mr Emiliano Cori. Mr De Wilde and Mr Cori have worked extremely closely this year allowing for a seamless transition for students, parents and teachers. Those of us who know Mr Cori know that his human and professional qualities represent an important resource to support the effective, efficient and welcoming growth of all our students. Mr Cori with all his years of experience in school leadership in well-established schools will guide the Venice team of over 100 professionals dedicated to the continued growth of our children.
Mr Cori will be supported by a strong team of experts. And we thank these colleagues for their continued leadership.
I will continue to be the Director General of our three schools working together with our three Heads of Schools: Emiliano Cori (Venice), Alessandra Chiovati (Vicenza) and Caterina Pattanaro (Rosà) and with Mauro Bordignon our Head of Academics and Innovation with the support of the H-IS Education Council chaired by Mr Conan De Wilde.
We extend our gratitude to Ms. Jane Andrews for her remarkable efforts during the last six years, in which she has crafted, refined, and added significant value to the PYP. Ms. Andrews has decided to conclude her tenure with our school at the conclusion of the current school year, as she sets her sights on new and exciting projects.
Her dedication has played a pivotal role in propelling the school to attain a genuine and high-quality international status, successfully aligning the unique aspects of H-FARM with IB values. Ms. Andrews’ professionalism, energy, and dedication to students’ learning have paved the way for a new phase of growth for PYP. We take this opportunity to express our sincere best wishes to Ms. Andrews for her future endeavours as she undertakes new training projects in her role as an Educational Consultant.
We look forward to the arrival of a new PYP Principal, who will join us in August 2024. Following the tradition of international schools, the new Principal will enrich our capabilities and will collaborate with Ms Iliana Gutierrez, who will continue her role as PYP coordinator. They will work alongside the teaching staff to prioritise the well-being and enriched learning experiences for our students.
We will keep you updated and will be happy to introduce you to next year’s new staff members as soon as possible. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for the trust and support you give us every day.
Antonello Barbaro
H-IS Director General and HFE CEO