Dear AIS Parents and Colleagues,

I am delighted to be joining the AIS community as Elementary Principal in August of 2012. I enjoyed meeting many of you during my visit in March, and look forward to becoming acquainted with the rest of the community this fall. Until then, I hope this letter of introduction will inform you further regarding my experience, values and a little about me personally.

The first twelve years of my career were spent in public and private schools in Ontario, Canada. I served children in the Early Years (four and five year olds) and Grade Five as a homeroom teacher, while also teaching rotary Arts and Health education at a variety of grade levels. As my confidence grew and teaching skills developed, I spent the last few teaching years exploring and challenging myself in the areas of inquiry-based learning, working quite assiduously towards improving my mathematics instruction, and experimenting with new methods of teaching writing. I challenged students towards effective critical thinking skills and higher engagement in their learning. I had become a curious ‘scientist of learning and teaching’.

I went overseas in 2006 to serve as Elementary Principal at the American Academy for Girls in Kuwait. I spent two years there before moving to the Al-BayanBilingualSchool, where I led the elementary community for four years. While there, we underwent a successful reaccreditation through NEASC, studied and adopted new Science and Language Arts curricula, and began implementing the Columbia Reading Project.

I value a school community that works together to support students. This requires a shared understanding of who our learners are and how we feel they are best served. I appreciate a community in which each of us recognizes our role in serving learners, and works diligently towards fulfilling it. I believe students learn best in an environment in which individual talents and ideas are fostered, expectations are transparently communicated, and in which attempts are made to find common principles in our increasingly global society, rather than seeking those things which divide us.

While highly committed to school leadership, I see myself as a well-rounded individual. I’ve always been involved in a variety of arts and sports organizations. When not engaged in schoolwork, I like to play tennis, train for long distance road races, and travel. Having been involved in classical music throughoutmy life, I hope to rediscover the violin during my time at AIS.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve your community and look forward to working with you all.

Regards,

Tanya Sweeney