Head of School Message - 7 August 2025

Welcome to Academic Year 2025–2026

Dear ISHCMC Families,

A very warm welcome back to this new school year, 2025 - 26. A particularly warm welcome to the over 300+ families who are joining us at ISHCMC this August. We are excited to have you as part of our community and look forward to getting to know you.

Celebrating Success, Inspiring the Future

I’m proud to share the achievements of our Class of 2025, who recently completed their IBDP examinations with great success. With over 100 presentations, their results reflect not only their hard work and resilience, but also the dedication of our ISHCMC staff who supported them throughout their journey.

For those of us still here on campus, these results represent more than a celebration. They are a powerful reminder of what’s possible within our learning community. They speak to the legacy of excellence that continues to grow at ISHCMC and to the spirit of curiosity, determination, and support that drives it.

As we begin this new academic year, I have every confidence that our current cohorts, including the Class of 2026, will build on this momentum. I look forward to seeing the paths they will take and the successes they will create in the months ahead.

To explore a full breakdown of our recent IB Diploma Programme results and reflect on what this means for our community, please click here.

Summer Refurbishments

Across both our school campuses, you will see many areas of development and improvement for all our students to benefit from. Details are shared below.

At Secondary, we have partnered with Café Slow to create the new ISHCMC Community Hub, where we hope to see parents enjoy the space at the heart of the school. Known for its beautifully crafted coffee, warm ambiance, and listening-bar concept, Café Slow brings a thoughtfully curated café experience right into our campus.

*Important note: Please do remember that in accessing both campuses, visitors are requested to display at all times their parent lanyards and passes. This is an important safeguarding and security measure, and your cooperation is greatly appreciated in this.

School Improvement Plan (SIP) 2025–2026

Parents will be familiar with the concept of a School Improvement Plan. Based on a model developed last year, the School aims to be concise and consistent in the way in which we approach our key goals for the forthcoming year. A brief summary of our key areas for attention and development are:

“This year, we will strengthen leadership, teaching, and learning by using the Framework, data, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies to ensure all students succeed. We will also enhance digital innovation, student engagement, and academic English across all subjects to prepare students for the future.

We will work to attract and retain our high-quality staff with a review of our hiring practices, alongside compensation and benefits terms.

We will bring a strategic and systemic approach to the planning and delivery of co-curricular, performance, and sports activities across the School.”

Dr. Mark Wensel, Acting Deputy Head (Student Well-being, Care, and Co-Curricular Activities), August 2025 – April 2026

We are also pleased to welcome Dr. Mark Wenzel, who joins us for two terms to provide strategic leadership and support to Athletics, Aquatics, IPAA (Performing Arts), and After School Activities (ASA). This is in addition to leading our internal coordination and clarity of wellbeing efforts, discipline systems, and student support initiatives. His extensive expertise will further strengthen our shared commitment to student success.

Dr. Tosca Killoran, Deputy Head of School

In addition to her role as Deputy to myself across all of school life, Dr. Killoran will, in the year ahead, lead our engagement with our Framework for Impactful Learning and Teaching - a school-wide initiative focused on enriching how students engage, inquire, and grow across all aspects of school life.

And finally…

Grounded in Vietnam, Grown to Thrive across the World!

As I traveled this summer, I reflected on the privilege of being part of the ISHCMC community and what it means to bring over 50+ nationalities together in our truly international school. Our community, our students, and our staff, are reflected in a world of insights and diverse perspectives that support our development of both intellect and identity.

I am therefore drawn to the statement that ISHCMC is ‘Grounded in Vietnam, Grown to Thrive across the World’! I hope this has resonance and meaning for you all, and I look forward to seeing the MANY ways in which we will thrive in the year ahead.

Thank you for being part of our community. I look forward to seeing you all on campus very soon.

Warm regards,

Marco Longmore

Head of School