From August 23 to 25, 2024, the annual Xiehe Principals Summer Retreat was successfully held in Shanghai. This is the largest principals retreat ever organized by Xiehe Education since its establishment. With the theme “Gather strengths and upgrade strategies to reinforce advantages” , the retreat brought together over 70 participants, including senior leaders from all SUIS schools, both Chinese and expat, as well as directors from various departments of Xiehe Education Center. This event served as a platform for the Xiehe family to unite our collective wisdom and strength in exploring the path of educational innovation.
New Journey, New Appointments
On the first day of the retreat, Ms. Wang Li Qiang, the Chairperson and Secretary of the CPC United Party Branch of Xiehe Education Center, announced the new appointments of Principals for some SUIS schools. In addition to internal promotions and school transfers, three new Chinese and expat principals have joined SUIS schools.
▲ Max Caruso, Co-Principal of SUIS Wuxi
▲ William Skytte, Vice Principal of BC Program, SUIS Jiaoke
▲ David Lu, Vice Principal of SUIS Qingpu
To better fulfill its responsibilities in managing, supervising, and serving the kindergartens and schools founded and managed in trust, Xiehe Education Center undertook a comprehensive and detailed optimization of its structure and personnel configuration at the start of the new school year. This adjustment aims to deeply explore and fully leverage the advantages and potential of each department, ensuring that the Center maximizes its effectiveness in comprehensive management, administrative support, and professional functions, thereby laying a solid foundation for the steady progress of the Xiehe Education system.
Facing Challenges and Gathering StrengthsMs. Maxine Lu, the General Principal, analyzed the current complex and ever-changing situation from a strategic perspective, deeply examining the internal and external challenges faced by SUIS schools, and elaborating on the profound significance of the theme of this retreat. She pointed out that “gather strengths” is the solid cornerstone for gathering resources, “upgrade strategies” is the wise key to opening the path forward, and “reinforce advantages” is the grand goal we all pursue together.
Since its establishment in 1993, Xiehe Education has steadily progressed over the past 31 years. During this long journey, although each SUIS school has its own characteristics and abundant resources, these strengths often appear relatively dispersed in the face of new characteristics at different stages of development. Therefore, as times change and challenges intensify, we urgently need to reconsolidate these dispersed forces into a powerful synergy. This requires us to establish common goals, actively explore paths of mutual reliance and coordinated development, effectively integrate the resources of schools and the Center, and jointly create a more glorious future for Xiehe Education.
Under the guidance of Mr. She Guo Ping, an expert in curriculum research and consultation, the participants listened to a keynote speech titled “Advancing Science Education: International Comparisons and Enlightenment”. With his profound academic foundation and high-level vision, Mr. She provided a deep and accessible analysis of the essence of “science education” and shared global practices and cutting-edge trends in science education through an international comparison. The speech not only broadened everyone’s international perspective but also provided valuable insights and guidance on how Xiehe can strengthen science education in the future, which is crucial for cultivating future talents with innovative spirit and practical ability.
The second day’s retreat was conducted in parallel breakout sessions.The first parallel breakout sessions were orderly held by departments of Xiehe Education Center, including the School Management Department, Financial Department, Human Resources Department, Business Development & Consulting Department, Quality Assurance & Evaluation Institute and Education Digital Transformation Working Group. During these sessions, each department detailed their roles, shared insights into industry trends, and presented their plans for the new semester, all of which are closely aligned with the schools.
Participants engaged in deep discussions about key upcoming tasks, actively listened to opinions and suggestions from different campuses, and ensured transparent information sharing. This collaborative effort laid a strong foundation for the advancement of future initiatives.
Three Discussions on Strengthening Foundations and Educating Talents, Jointly Planning a Digital FutureTopic I: Attract and maintain top students within SUIS system.
The discussion focused on defining what constitutes “outstanding students” and identifying Xiehe’s strengths, along with exploring innovative strategies. Both Chinese and expat principals agreed that the focus should be on high-potential students, leveraging the full curriculum and the integration of Eastern and Western cultures as key advantages. There was a shared agreement on the importance of enhancing personalized services, including specialized courses and resources for further education, to better cater to student needs.
Topic II: Adopt appropriate digital and intelligent development within SUIS system.
The discussions covered fund and human resource allocation, division of responsibilities, and AI application pathways. Strategies proposed included cloud platform sharing, centralized resource support, and mutual assistance among campuses, emphasizing the parallelism of centralized management and teaching exploration to reduce repetitive investments.
The discussions focused on the importance of science education in schools, keeping up with the latest developments in local and international maths and science education frameworks and standards, interpreting the changes in new curricula and textbooks, and comprehensively introducing the current layout of SUIS middle and high school curricula. This session established innovative practice directions, advocated for open communication, emphasized the importance of seamless transitions between educational stages and teachers professional development, and set collaborative goals among the Center and SUIS schools.
Discussions by Campus Sparking New PlansIn the third parallel breakout sessions, groups were organized by campus. Each campus concentrated on the theme of the retreat, synthesizing keynote speeches and group discussions to thoroughly explore and strategize for the new school year’s key initiatives.
Gaining Wisdom and Seeking New Paths in the RetreatThe three-day retreat concluded successfully with the insightful sharing and deep exchanges by SUIS school representatives. The retreat adhered to a problem-oriented approach, directly confronting challenges and opportunities. By gathering the strengths of the SUIS schools and the Center, exploring strategies for upgrading together, new vitality was injected into the development in the new school year, and the direction for reinforcing advantages and leading educational innovation was clarified.
Debates on Stage, Deep Bonds Off Stage
During this retreat, what was presented on stage were heated and profound professional discussions, with Principals and Directors expressing their views, engaging in intellectual collisions, and showcasing the passion and depth of education. Off stage, it was the exchange of hearts and minds among like-minded partners, where everyone understood each other, appreciated one another, and pursued the ideals and future of education together. This is the Chinese and expat management team of the Xiehe family! Leading with excellence, growing together with humility!
