Principal’s Office: Anita Simpson & Linda Morrison of American International School
Head of School – Ms. Anita Simpson
Can you tell us about your career? What brought you to Hong Kong?
I’ve been blessed to have played a number of roles in education over the course of my career, including a classroom teacher, head of department, arts consultant, principal, superintendent, curriculum consultant, and head of school. Each position has provided me with a unique perspective and opportunity that has helped me build empathy for the many roles people play in schools.
I was initially attracted to American International School’s (AIS’s) Core Values of Justice, Knowledge, and Love. These timeless values are simple, memorable, and foundational to living a life of purpose and integrity. I was fortunate to have been chosen as the new Head of School, and I came to Hong Kong in the fall of 2019.
What is the school mission under your leadership?
AIS designs learning that is steeped in thinking, collaboration, innovation, and meaning-making. Our standards-based curriculum provides the framework for academic rigour and vigour and our focus on developing well-rounded individuals allows numerous opportunities for wellbeing and fun.
Our Future Framework guides our practice, and our educational program equips all students with a strong knowledge-base complemented by a set of specific skills and competencies necessary for personal and professional success. We are driven to develop these key competencies in all of our students, with our ultimate goal of building student confidence. At the heart of it all, we want our students to enjoy school and love learning!
What is the future direction for development at AIS? Can you tell us your plans and strategies?
This year, we have successfully launched our journey to become an Apple Distinguished School, and we are excited to further embed creativity into the fabric of all learning and instruction. We believe that by intentionally designing learning experiences that target the development of this essential skill, our students will be engaged, inspired, and prepared for a lifetime of success. By ensuring that our students spend time at the highest level of Bloom’s taxonomy, they will become confident creators in all aspects of their lives.
We believe our students deserve to be able to ‘show what they know’ in new and innovative ways. We want to empower them with the knowledge and skills they need to develop ideas and products that are of value to themselves and others in this rapidly changing world.
My personal leadership focus is on providing our faculty, students, and staff with the permission they need to try new things, to explore new ideas, and to embrace opportunities for change and innovation. All too often, people wait for permission, and my emphasis continues to be on building the belief in our team that they already have the permission they need to try new things. By intentionally giving people permission at the start of the year, and by reminding them of this at every available opportunity, the goal is to inspire and empower them with the courage they need to take risks, to be bold, and to live into their full potential. After all, the worst thing that can happen is that they learn something in the process.
I am also very intentional about giving gratitude and showing appreciation to others. We have embedded the opportunity to give thanks at the beginning of all faculty meetings, and we have now started to extend the practice of gratitude with students.
What expectations do you have for yourself, your teachers and students?
I expect people to simply do their best. None of us is perfect. We all make mistakes. What matters when we fall or fail is that we are honest with ourselves and others, that we show integrity through our actions and words, and that we make things right. As a school, we continue to focus on our Core Value of Love when making plans and decisions. When we do this, a lot of things fall into place that create the optimum conditions for learning, for nurturing a safe space, and cultivating a genuine learning community.
How has the school adapted in times of the global pandemic?
The biggest adaptation we made was a shift in focus to our community’s well-being. It was evident early in the pandemic that the situation was taking its toll on student and staff wellness. The lengthy periods of isolation, continuous worry, and ongoing insecurity created a chronic state of anxiety and stress that refused to subside–no one was immune. As a result, it became clear that we had to focus on how people were feeling and on how they were managing their emotions. Ultimately, we understood that this focus needed to happen before we could support learning. In the spring of 2020, we launched an #AISShareTheLove campaign that emphasised fun, joy, and a sense of community that continues today.
What have you been most proud of over the past year?
There is a lot to be proud of but this year I am especially proud of how we managed to continue our tradition of Winter Fair. Thanks to our outstanding faculty, parents, students and staff, we hosted our first ever virtual Winter Fair. Since we could not gather in person, our faculty filmed and recorded all student musical performances ahead of the live-streamed event, and our Parent-Teacher Association and Leadership Team hosted it in December of 2021 for our community to watch at home. It was a true achievement.
Elementary and Early Childhood Principal – Ms. Linda Morrison
What led you to a career in teaching?
I have always gravitated towards facilitating the learning of others, even from an early age. When I started working in the business world, I was naturally attracted to roles in which professional training was a main aspect. However, it was only when I had the opportunity to support learners of English that I truly stepped into education. I thoroughly enjoy working with students to allow them to explore their interests and gain understanding of new concepts. From the moment I stepped into a classroom, I knew this was where I was meant to be. Now, having lived and worked on four different continents, I still love learning and supporting others to reach their potential.
Can you tell us about the Elementary and Early Childhood curriculum at AIS?
While our curriculum is primarily based on US Common Core standards, our teaching and learning is driven by our Future Framework, which emphasizes Social, Personal, and Applied Learning Experiences. Each year, our students build upon what they have learned previously and our faculty activate prior knowledge before they begin to introduce new concepts. Students learn through artwork, creating, building and experimenting with different objects. In our Early Childhood classrooms, especially, I see so much playing and exploring. Learning at AIS is, as much as possible, personalized to students’ individual needs, allows for social interaction with peers and is applied to real life situations.
What are the teaching values?
Our core values are one of my favorite parts of AIS. Our school is grounded with the key mindset of CONFIDENCE and core values of Justice, Knowledge and Love. These are not just concepts spoken about at meetings. They are deeply ingrained in everything we do at AIS. Our teachers create safe and supportive learning environments where students are encouraged to challenge themselves, try new things and develop their self-confidence every day. Creating learning experiences that are personalized for each students’ needs, that allows students to interact with each other and apply the knowledge they gain to real life situations are all part of student life at AIS.
Can you tell us about the school facilities?
Our Early Childhood (EC) section is in a building we lovingly refer to as “The Castle.” It is a lovely, separate space that is specifically for our youngest students, that allows them the freedom to explore their environment safely. They have their own classrooms as well as shared areas where they engage in learning activities. We have a purpose built Elementary School building that is thoughtfully designed to allow our students easy access to an Art room and Library. Our grades 3 and 4 students are also lucky enough to experience swimming during PE lessons in our school pool.
What is a typical day like at the school?
A typical day in the life of an AIS student is enriching and engaging. Students have the opportunity to delve into reading and writing under the guidance of their classroom teacher. We use a workshop model, which allows students to practice the skills they have learned immediately, with books or writing topics that interest them. With their homeroom teachers, students will also engage in Math, Science, Social Students and Social/Emotional Learning units. Students will have both a morning and afternoon recess, in addition to lunch recess, as we believe that free play and time to stretch their growing bodies are important throughout the day. Students engage in special areas subjects, such as Art, PE and Music, with teachers specifically trained in these areas. Our Mandarin teachers are wonderful at gaining the interests of all students, whether they are native speakers or beginners. In addition, our upper elementary Mandarin classes are streamed into Foundational, Intermediate and Advanced levels to allow more differentiation for students’ learning needs. Overall, our students’ days are high interest and varied to keep them engaged and learning.
What advice do you have for prospective parents?
Making the choice of a school for your children can be difficult. I would suggest that parents come to our school to see our students, our faculty and our space. Our school community models our core values, especially Love. In fact, we often use the social media hashtag #AISShareTheLove. Our parent community is active and supportive of their children and the school as a whole. The variety of learning that our students are exposed to means they are encouraged to be well-rounded individuals who are empowered thinkers, global citizens and effective communicators. Our students enjoy coming to school. They are supportive of each other and respectful. AIS is definitely a school worth considering for your children.
Read more: Principal’s Office: Mike Wing & Zachary Post of American International School
