SSIS Yearbook 2021-2022

The New Chapter

Strategic Thrusts (ST 2020-2025)

As one of the established international schools in Shanghai, we have built on our curriculum
strengths and a school culture by adopting the best practices from the East and West, with a focus
on learning through our unique K-12 SSIS education.
Since our first cohort of G12 graduates in 2005, we are proud of what our alumni have achieved.
But our work is far from complete — we look forward to continuing this journey together.
SSIS has, over the years, invested in technology, infrastructure and human resources to boost
learning and development, and provided holistic education for our students.
The 2021-2022 academic year marked our 25th anniversary. We celebrated our years of excellence
through this significant milestone and will forge ahead with plans for the next generation of learners
to make a difference in their education.

ST1: Develop Multiple Pathways to Excellence for the Students
ST2: Calibrate a Seamless and Robust K-12 Curriculum
ST3: Build a Resilient and Cohesive School Community

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Message from Head of School

Each year is special in the life of the school and for this reason the yearbook is invaluable. Its pages
are filled with so many memories and images of happy and successful times spent in Shanghai
Singapore International School. Once again it has been a year where our students participated in a
myriad of activities, from environmental and social awareness programmes, to sporting tournaments
and dramatic, choral and musical performances. All our students continue to Strive for Excellence
and, as Head of School, I could not be prouder.
This yearbook also bears witness to the participation and success of all our students in the numerous
academic achievements throughout the year. I offer my sincere congratulations to both staff and
students for their contribution to the success of the school and the standard they have reached.
Finally, congratulations to the class of 2022 on achieving excellent results. You contributed a wealth
of talent in every aspect of school life during your time with us. I wish you all health, happiness, and
success for the future.
Yours sincerely,

Mr. David Shirley

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Core Leadership Team

From Left to Right:
Mr. Viktor DATSIUK (Director of Technology)
Mr. Tony RAMPTON (Primary School Assistant Principal)
Mr. Steven GAYNOR (Senior School Principal)
Ms. Sarah WARBURTON (Director of Communications)
Ms. Billie LEONG (Campus Principal - Operations)
Ms. CHEN Yue Lin (Director of Chinese Language & Culture)
Mr. David SHIRLEY (Head of School)
Mr. Edward SWIDER (K-12 Aesthetics Coordinator)
Ms. Ramida DIN (Preschool and Primary School Principal)
Ms. Katrina SENARATNA (Director of Sports and Activities)
Ms. Fenia RIZOPOULOU (Director of Teaching and Learning)
Ms. Sonia BARGHANI (Preschool Assistant Principal)

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25 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

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25 Years of Excellence

Anniversary Launch

To kick off our yearlong 25th anniversary celebrations, a launch ceremony was held on Friday, 25
June 2021. Themed “The New Chapter”, the anniversary is a celebration of our new vision as we head
into the next 25 years of education and beyond. During the 25th Anniversary Launch Ceremony,
students presented a thought-provoking speech on the future of education. There were also
performances by our talented students, which set the tone for the fantastic anniversary celebrations
that followed throughout the year.

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25 Years of Excellence

Founder’s Day

There was an impeccable show of unity as the
school celebrated its 25th anniversary on 3
September. Themed “The New Chapter”, the
new school-wide house system was officially
launched on this day. All students and staff
were assigned to one of the four houses
- Amber, Ruby, Pearl and Sapphire. There
was an extra splash of colour on campus
when everyone donned their house T-shirts.
To amplify celebrations and reinforce team
spirit, the school gifted everyone with an
SSIS commemorative pin set. This year’s
Founder’s Day was a special one, as it marked
SSIS’s existence for a quarter of a century,
and was the first of several 25th anniversary
celebrations. It has been 25 years of striving for
excellence, and we are excited for the next 25
and beyond!

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25 Years of Excellence

25th Anniversary Art Exhibition

Our talented and artistic students brought to life the K11 Art Mall from 14 to
20 January when their different artworks exhibited. The exhibition titled “I
am! Celebrating Life and Growth” commemorated SSIS’s 25th anniversary
and the great strides we have made in education and nurturing students
from seedlings into blooming flowers. There was a variety of art on display
that involved all students. This included painting, animation, 3D works
and stop motion. Everyone who visited the exhibition was in awe of our
students’ talent. It was a great showcase of life and growth at SSIS!
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25 Years of Excellence

25th Anniversary and End-of-Year
Closing Ceremony

The 25th Anniversary and End-of-Year Closing Ceremony took place on the last day of school on
Thursday, 23 June. It was a unique opportunity for the entire SSIS community to gather and unite
in celebration. More than 45 minutes of musical performances, memories of our 25th Anniversary,
Sports Day results, winners of this year's house competition and many more were showcased.
Together, let's embark on a new chapter with new aspirations to foster future global leaders!

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25 Years of Excellence

Long Service Awards Presentation Ceremony

On the last day of school, the Long Service Awards Presentation Ceremony held in the Performing
Arts Centre recognised and celebrated the contribution of faculty members who have served
more than 10 and 20 years in SSIS. We are very fortunate to have staff members with many years
of dedication, commitment and loyalty to the school. Thank you to the entire SSIS community for
striving for excellence together.

22 years

YIN Xiao Min
Elaine TAN

21 years

YAN Zhen
CHEN Bo Yi
LUO Dong Rong
HAN Xu Ping

20 years

MAO Chun Xian
ZHU Ling Hua
YAO Wei

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18 years 14 years

WANG Mei Jin QUEK
LIANG Yan HO Chan Chan
Rebekah TAN CHEN Jing
ZHANG Xiao Lei LIM Khuan Wei
LIANG Meng Wai
13 years
17 years
William WU
JI Ai Ping
HAO Yan 12 years
Geni TANG
GONG Li Catherine NIE
CHEN Yue Lin
11 years
16 years
LI Xue Hua
Maria RUDILLAS Tinna QU
MEI Yan Jun
Garry HUGHES 10 years

15 years Billie LEONG
Alberto OSORIO
ZHU Rui Qiu WANG Xin
Randy LIMON YUAN Ren Ting
CAO Yu Chen YANG Min Jie
LIN Hai Xiang Eladna LIM
Jason GU Norhayati OTHMAN
Sepia GRAY
Phyllis CHIA
Oscar BECWARIKA

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CELEBRATIONS AND EVENTS

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Celebrations and Events

SSIS Scholarship Award Ceremony

Seven outstanding students were recipients of an SSIS Scholarship Award. In a ceremony celebrating
their excellent academic record and school achievements, they accepted the award, with their proud
parents sitting in the audience in the Performing Arts Centre (PAC). The ceremony recognises and
celebrates students who embody the school motto, “Strive for Excellence”, and acknowledges all
their efforts in maintaining strong academic results while also being high achievers in other areas.
We’re proud of our students for working hard to follow their dreams.

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The New Chapter

IGCSE Awards Ceremony

The hard work and dedication of the Grade 10 IGCSE cohort of 2021 culminated in a ceremony to
celebrate their achievements. Students proudly accepted their certificates and commendation pins
at the IGCSE Awards Ceremony with their parents in the audience. For the first time this year, there
were three students who received an award for outstanding results in Biology and another student
was acknowledged for having the best performance across eight subjects. These are achievements
that SSIS is definitely delighted about.

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Celebrations and Events

Mid-Autumn Celebration

Throughout the year our Chinese Language and Culture
Department organises a variety of activities to ensure all
students have an integrated cultural learning experience. This
way all our students and teachers from all over the world
experience the essence of Chinese festivals. This year during
Mid-Autumn festival, students tasted delicious traditional
Chinese delicacies such as mooncakes, steamed edamame,
taro and pomelo. They also recited poems, made traditional
crafts and dressed in traditional clothing.

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Celebrations and Events
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ACAMIS Tech Conference

Schools that form part of the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS)
meet every year to discuss technology trends in education. This year we hosted the ACAMIS Tech
Conference 2021 under the theme “Tech Well”. Many schools attended in person and online. Aside
from tech discussions, there were performances by the SSIS Showband, and our students conducted
interviews with participants and did some of the behind-the-scenes tech work. The participants left
feeling inspired and ready to implement new tech trends in the classroom.

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Celebrations and Events

Reading Extravaganza Week

There was loads of excitement among students and fun activities
during Reading Extravaganza Week to encourage a good reading
habit. Students and teachers dressed up as their favourite book
characters, there were scavenger hunts in the library and bookmark
making in the STEAM lab. Students also did “bookface” and went to
school in their pyjamas to promote bedtime reading.
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Celebrations and Events

University Fair

Planning for the future can be daunting, but we do what we can to make it easy for students. One of
the ways is through the University Fair, which is held annually. While many international universities
could not participate due to travel restrictions, there were representatives of different consulates
to explain the higher education systems in their countries. Students browsed booths to get more
information about university options and attended presentations where they learnt about processes
for getting accepted into an institution of their choice.

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Celebrations and Events

Senior School Drama Performance

Lights, camera, action! The Senior School worked incredibly hard to produce a breathtaking dramatic
performance. Titled A Thousand Cranes, the drama was centred on Sadako Sasaki who fell ill due
to radiation sickness after the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. According to a folktale, she
aims to fold 1000 origami cranes for her wish of full health to be granted. Due to restrictions, the
performance was livestreamed to the broader SSIS community. The dedicated teachers in the
Aesthetics department guided the students to put on a spectacular performance and it was certainly
enjoyed by all!

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Celebrations and Events
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Christmas Celebrations

The stunning Christmas performances by our students
ended the first half of the academic year in festive
moods and high spirits. Donning their Christmas outfits,
the preschoolers danced with wide smiles to some
Christmas songs. The Primary and Senior Schools took
their performances to the big stage in the Performing
Arts Centre (PAC). They performed beautiful
renditions of the Christmas classics. The teachers also
surprised the audience with a Bollywood-style dance
performance and a mini acting stint that had everyone
in stitches.

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Celebrations and Events

Santa’s Workshop

Christmas is a time to open your hearts and give to the less fortunate. Every year we have an
opportunity to demonstrate this with the Santa’s Workshop organised by the Parent Support Group
(PSG). The broader SSIS community donated gently used toys and books, which were then sold
at Santa’s Workshop along with snacks. All the funds generated from the support of students and
teachers went to a worthy cause – Shanghai Dream Foundation.
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Celebrations and Events

Chinese Culture Week

The second annual Chinese Culture Week was held this
year with a variety of activities and exhibitions. Since it
was just before the Chinese New Year holiday, it brought
the festive spirit to the classrooms and corridors. Students
learnt about different cities, dialects, food, traditional
clothes and crafts, and participated in folk games. They
were also treated to cultural dishes every day of the week.

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Celebrations and Events

Chinese New Year Celebrations

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is the most important holiday for Chinese across
the world. It is a special time for families to gather, feast and celebrate. We kicked off the holiday
with performances from Preschool, Primary School and Senior School. The preschoolers had a New
Year Fun Fair and participated in traditional dancing, games and writing activities. Primary and
Senior School students sang, danced, and acted in a drama performance. They also recited ancient
poems and performed a crosstalk. Through all the performances, everyone felt the significance of
Chinese New Year.

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Celebrations and Events

100 Days of School

There was an array of bright colours, excited
students and a wide range of activities as
students celebrated 100 Days of School. The
100th day is a milestone for both students and
teachers as it represents progress, growth,
achievements and reflection. All the activities
were fun and related to the theme of 100 Days
of School, including writing poems of 100
lines, creating the number 100 out of recylable
materials and decorating classroom doors.
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Celebrations and Events

House Day

Students and staff lit up the school in their colourful house
T-shirts and took part in fun sports games and challenges in
the first ever whole-school House Day. They had loads of fun
while collecting points for their house.

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The New Chapter

IGCSE Music Recital

The first ever SSIS IGCSE Recital took place this year with students showcasing their musical
talents. The IGCSE Music class and some Grade 9 IGCSE Music students delivered breathtaking
performances on the violon, viola and piano. There were solo pieces and ensembles, which were all
performed in the Black Box Theatre and attended by parents, teachers and the school leadership. It
took months of preparation, and the students’ hard work was evident in their musical pieces.

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Celebrations and Events

Preschool Online Concert

Despite school closures, the SSIS Preschool was unstoppable! They modified their annual concert
to a virtual format. This year’s Spring Concert, titled ‘I am Me’ depicted a child’s journey to find
his uniqueness and realise all that he can be. Throughout this special journey, students used and
developed many of the SSIS Future Global Leader attributes. They were courageous in trying new
things, remained resilient in the face of adversities and were compassionate towards all!

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Primary Online Musical

The Primary School students put on a fantastic performance of the famous classic tale The Wizard
of Oz, under the guidance of Drama teacher LIM Khuan Wei. The online performance was the
culmination of many, many hours of virtual meetings, rehearsals, scriptwriting, choreographing
and editing. More than 100 performers were part of the show, which everyone involved - students,
parents and teachers – can look back on and be proud of.

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Celebrations and Events

Graduations

The SSIS community gathered online for a heartwarming graduation ceremony for the Grade 12 Class
of 2022. On Thursday, 2 June, students, parents, teachers and staff celebrated the learning journey of
the senior students, who possessed grit, tenacity and commitment during their senior years. The K2s
and Grade 6s celebrated the conclusion of their Preschool and Primary School chapters respectively
in lavish graduation ceremonies at Sun Island on 16 June. What made the occasion even more special
and memorable was that they finally got to see their classmates and teachers in person for the
first time in months. The teachers were ecstatic that they got the opportunity to congratulate their
students on their achievements and to bid them farewell.

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

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Beyond the Classroom
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