Head of School Message – 7 May 2026

Marco Longmore
3 hours ago
2 min read

Dear ISHCMC Community,

It is good to see the school back on campus this week, following our late spring vacation. It is incredible to consider that the end of the school year is not just five calendar weeks away!

As we begin this final stretch of the school year, this is an important time for our students to consolidate their learning, demonstrate their personal as well as academic growth, and take pride in the progress they have made. Across the school, I expect to see our students maintaining an approach with focus, confidence, and purpose.

We are proud to host the ASEAN Sports and Activities Conference (ASAC) Junior Volleyball Tournament on our Secondary Campus. Alongside our four Rhino teams, we welcome more than 200 student-athletes from nine schools across Southeast Asia. Events of this scale provide valuable opportunities for students to grow through competition, teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. My sincere thanks go to our Secondary Athletics Director, Mr. Dan Prost, for planning and coordination as well as all our coaches, students, parents, and staff for the care and effort that have gone into preparing for this event. I wish all participating athletes every success and enjoyment. Let’s go, Rhinos!

Across both campuses, students are also taking part in the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. As parents will know, MAP is a leading and internationally recognized adaptive assessment that helps teachers understand each student’s progress and growth over time in key areas such as reading, language, and mathematics. This is an important metric for us to judge the progress made by students this academic year and set expectations for next steps in the year ahead.

Used alongside classroom evidence and teacher insight, MAP data supports us in setting high expectations, identifying areas for further growth, and tailoring learning to meet the needs and potential of each student. I encourage families to learn more about MAP testing and how you can support your child through the resource linked below.

Learn More About MAP Testing

As we approach the end of the school year, we also enter an important period of internal and external assessments. Since 27 April, our Grade 12 students have been sitting their IB Diploma level examinations. These exams represent a significant milestone in their ISHCMC journey and the final academic challenge before they move forward into their next chapter. We wish them every success in these.

From next week, our Grade 9 to Grade 11 students will begin their end-of-year examinations. This is an opportunity for them to demonstrate not only what they know, but also the skills, aptitudes, and independence they have developed throughout the year. These end-of-year exams act as important staging posts in our students' learning.