SWISS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL DUBAI UNDERPINS ITS SUPERIOR TEACHING WITH NEW IB ROLES AND DUCATORS

Swiss International School Dubai, the emirate's first bilingual International Baccalaureate School, is starting the new academic year with a new cohort of impressive educators.

With nearly 500 new students joining the school this year, and all of them opting for the IB qualification, the school has increased its number of IB experts and specialists.

The school, which already employs 200 teachers from all over the world, is bolstering its pool of exemplary teachers, all with different International Baccalaureate expertise.

Rania Hussein is the school's new Deputy Head. After completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the UK's University of Sunderland, she begun a highly focused and successful teaching career as Head of Year and Head of House at the British International School of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, simultaneously teaching the IB Diploma Programme and IGCSE.

Today, Rania is viewed as an IB expert. During her tenure at GEMS World Academy, under her leadership, the IB Diploma Programme (IB DP) outcomes grew from 29 to 37 points - and the pass rate from 67% to 100%.

Rania was also the IB Diploma Programme network leader for GEMS and oversaw the successful progress, growth and development of other IB schools within the network.

The new Deputy says: "I am extremely excited and proud to have been selected as the next Deputy Head of SISD. The school is one that I have long admired from afar, especially with its focus on internationalism and nurturing global citizens. As a bilingual IB graduate myself, I know first-hand the tremendous benefits that bilingualism within the context of the IB can bring to a student's education.

Charles Cejka is already a familiar face within the SISD community, working as Science Coordinator within the SISD Secondary School.

Charles is now the new IB Diploma Coordinator at SISD. A highly experienced IB DP teacher, he has been teaching the IB for 10 years, served as an IB Diploma Programme examiner in Biology since 2015, and is very familiar with the IB Organisation and the programme's high expectations.

Charles says: "I am delighted and honoured to accept the role of IB Diploma Coordinator. I feel privileged to have been part of the growth of the Secondary School over the past few years and look forward to leading the future development of the IB Diploma Programme at SISD."

Carolyn Siklos is an acclaimed IB Examiner and bilingual education expert. As a specialist in the IB Middle Years Programme, (MYP), Carolyn now heads up the school's IB MYP section as MYP Curriculum Coordinator.

Trilingual Carolyn is an IB educator, workshop leader and examiner, originally from Germany. She grew up bilingually with English and German and learnt French as a teenager, later studying in Paris as part of her English, French and Psychology degree from Durham University. After completing teacher training at Oxford, she worked in London before finding her passion, teaching the International Baccalaureate Middle Years and Diploma Programme in Dubai.

Carolyn says: "After thirteen years of working in IB schools, leading a language acquisition department and providing IB professional development, I am delighted to be joining SISD as the MYP Curriculum Coordinator. I am looking forward to overseeing the programme's development and supporting the MYP students' journeys both inside and outside the classroom." Carolyn joins SISD from Jumeriah Baccalaureate School (JBS), where she has been for the last four years.

Finally, Anthony Loxston-Baker is Swiss International school Dubai's new Theory and Knowledge and Extended Essay expert

An experienced Individuals and Societies Teacher, specialising in History, Global Politics and Theory of Knowledge, Anthony has been an educator for eleven years. He has considerable teaching experience in Dubai, having been a secondary school teacher of History and Theory of Knowledge in the Emirate since 2014.

As well as teaching History and Theory of Knowledge at a successful British curriculum and IB World School, during the last seven years he held a range of educational leadership responsibilities both in pastoral and academic areas. Most recently, he was Director of Post-16 Studies before joining SISD. Prior to that he was Head of History for two years, leading a History department in innovatively supporting consistently outstanding outcomes for Grade 6 to Grade 12 students. Before that post, Anthony undertook two one-year secondments, one as whole school Lead Teacher for Digital Pedagogy and one as Assistant Head of House.

Ruth Burke, School Principal and CEO, adds: These appointments serve to underline our unwavering commitment to providing a unique learning environment for successful future global citizens, delivered by world-class educators."

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About Swiss International School in Dubai

Global in outlook, bilingual in approach, Swiss in culture, and yet firmly rooted in the local community of Dubai - that's Swiss International School in Dubai, or SISD.

The Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai (SISD), Dubai's first bilingual International Baccalaureate School, opened in 2015.

The school is a leading international day and boarding school where future generations are inspired to become confident and enthusiastic lifelong learners, properly prepared to embrace all the opportunities and challenges life presents.

With a diverse student body of 1200 pupils comprising more than 70 different nationalities, the school believes the next generation of international citizens will need to be dynamic, flexible and linguistically ambitious. With this in mind, SISD offers immersive bilingual programmes in either of the Swiss languages of French and German, but also a strong English programme with foreign languages. For students who don't wish to pursue a fully bilingual programme, there is a unique STEAM programme for all children from age 4-11 years. SISD stands out as one of only a handful of educational establishments globally classified as an IB Continuum school, which means it offers International Baccalaureate education to pupils from age 3 to 18.

Offering day school, weekly or full-term boarding options, this leading educational institution offers state-of-the-art STEAM education, and has world-class sporting facilities, too.

The school has laid out its B.E.S.T. Values, as follows:

Bilingual

A unique international and multilingual environment provides students with authentic exposure to English, French, German and Arabic. Students in the immersive bilingual programmes learn to communicate, think and reflect in two different languages. As global citizens, SISD celebrates diversity, promoting all languages and cultures with equal respect.

Excellence

SISD staff believes in maintaining high standards and aspire to be the best they can be. A spirit of enquiry, encouraging both creative and critical thinking is fostered.

Sustainability

Students and staff believe that social, cultural, economic and environmental awareness prepare us to play our part in shaping a better future, both for ourselves and for those around us. The school campus is eco-friendly, winning international acclaim and awards for using less energy to create a comfortable and healthy environment.

Together

In the school's international community, we know that we are at our best when we all work together. We view active participation in the community, from the most local to the most global, as the foundation of a valuable life.

https://sisd.ae

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Ananda Shakespeare

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