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The Principal's Newsletter

Hanova announces new principal, Dr. Francesco Masetti

By Mr Martin Hughes

Dear Parents and

Our third year concludes. Our third year has been memorable and has seen us gain authorisation as an IB World School for the Diploma Programme and make great strides towards authorisation for the MYP and PYP.  There have been so many rewarding, enriching and memorable times for all of us this year.  You can be reminded or maybe even relive some of these moments through the annals of the Yearbook.  We have had many students and parents pre-purchase our Yearbook.  It will be released on Thursday, 16th June. If you haven't already ordered a yearbook, you can still get one from the school office at 200rmb per copy.

I really appreciate the great support from you in this year of development and change, as at every event the parents and community have supported us.  Mainly my thanks are for your support for your children and your school in our joint educational journey.

New Principal. I am pleased to tell you that a new Principal has been appointed at Hanova - Dr Francesco Masetti.  A number of you will be familiar with him as he joined our team in January initially as part of our Secondary teaching team.  He holds a PhD in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science from University of Bologna (Italy) and an MSc in Electronic Engineering and Information Technology from Polytechnic of Milan (Italy). He has over 25 years experience in Higher Education, Industry and Business acquired in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. He has taught Mathematics and Physics in Secondary and Undergraduate Schools, and more recently also in International Business Schools. He has been based in Shanghai since 2006, where he led Technology & Marketing for two multinational companies, and latterly as Higher Education Senior Manager. 

Dr. Masetti will soon be writing to the school community to introduce himself, share his vision for the future and communicate further on the school organisation for next year.  I wish him all the best as he takes Hanova up to the next level of development as we begin our IB Diploma Programme, and complete our authorisation for MYP and PYP.

I would like to thank the wonderful parents, students and staff that have been so supportive of the school over the last three years of my tenure here.

New staff for 2015-16. The end of the academic year is always a time that some staff leave to go on to other posts or adventures.  I thank them for all that they have done in support of our students and the school.

The school continues to expand with plans to develop the courses on offer in the Secondary especially in the coming inaugural year for the Diploma Programme.  The Primary is also expanding moving to 2 classes per year group for next year currently planned from Year 2 to Year 6.  Additional development of the premises will take place over the summer to accommodate this increase.  In order to staff this expansion and to cover natural turnover, the following appointments have been made.  A brief biography follows for each new teacher.

Jorge Brown Primary teacher

Mr Brown gained his Bachelor degree in Languages and then completed his Masters in Education in Colombia.  He has more than 15 years teaching experience in USA and Colombia in primary classes and has IB training and experience.  He joins us with his wife and will teach in the Primary.

Melissa Cortes Drama

Ms Cortes  has been teaching for more than 5 years in her native USA.  She gained her degree in Education and further qualification as a secondary school teacher.  She will join us as a MYP Drama specialist in the secondary and will be setting up DP Text and Performance for 2016-17.  She joins us with her daughter.

Dominique Delpech Primary teacher

Ms Delpech has a wealth of international experience being an educator and administrator for more than 20 years.  She has been a PYP Coordinator and a Head of Primary as well as having many years classroom experience.  She gained her degree and Masters in Education from her native UK, before teaching both at home and in various countries including Germany, Colombia, Angola and Sudan.  She will teach in the Primary.

Joseph Hamkari MYP Coordinator, Sciences

Mr Hamkari majored in Biology and Science in his native UK.  He has more than 20 years teaching experience in The Bahamas, Colombia, UK, Kazakhstan and Qatar being Head of Department for Sciences in a number of schools.  He has 17 years of IB experience and is an IB Examiner and Moderator, as well as a workshop leader and a trained IB DP Consultant.  He has many sporting interests and is a Scuba dive instructor.  He joins the secondary school along with his wife Marcela.

Courtney Henderson Primary teacher

Ms Courtney Henderson has five years teaching experience gleaned in her native Australia and in the UK.  She has a BEd and a Certificate in Visual Arts from Melbourne – Arts and Music being particular areas of interest for her.  Courtney has experience in IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) as well as Australian and UK curricula.  She has also spent some time teaching in Beijing.  Courtney joins us as a Primary teacher.

Anthony Lynn PE

Mr Anthony Lynn will join us in August 2015 as PE teacher.  Anthony gained his BA degree and his teaching qualification in his native UK, where he began his teaching career before training in Sports Psychology at the University of South Africa.  He has over 19 years teaching experience initially in Religious Studies and then mainly in Physical Education where he has taught and coached in a number of countries including Botswana, Gabon, Ukraine, Libya and Thailand.  He is well qualified in various aspects of First Aid and has a number of sports coaching qualifications.

Nicole Masetti Languages

Ms Masetti originates from Italy where she gained her BA and then later in France her MA in Literature and Languages. She is also very interested in the subjects of History of Art, Philosophy and Theory of Knowledge. Ms Masetti has considerable teaching experience, having taught in Italy, France, United States and, lastly, for the past 9 years in international schools China specialising in IB second language.

Nicole is coming to join her husband, Francesco, along with their son who will join the first Hanova cohort of IB students.

Marietta Maya Primary teacher

Ms Maya has been most recently teaching in Texas in USA.  She obtained her degree in Psychology from Universidad de la Sabana in Colombia and her Masters in Early Childhood.  She has taught for more than 12 years in Colombia and USA.  She will teach in the Primary.

Marcus Meadham Economics, History

Mr Meadham has been teaching for more than 30 years, mainly in international schools.  He has been teaching IB for the last 19 years and has been Head of Departments in that time.  His teaching has taken him to places as diverse as Sudan, Colombia, Angola, Germany, Italy and Sheffield.  He has taught Economics, Business and Management, History and Geography all to Diploma Programme level.  He gained a BSc in Economics before qualifying as a teacher and went on to get a MA in Education.  He joins us as Head of our Secondary group 3 teachers and will teach DP Economics and DP History in the following year.

Nicola Stowe Primary teacher

Ms Stowe has more than 16 years’ experience teaching primary-aged children. She comes from New Zealand where she gained her Diploma of Teaching and her Bachelor of Teaching. She has particular strengths in the teaching of literacy. She studied French in Paris and has also taught on the Pacific Island of Niue.  Ms Stowe will be travelling with her husband and twin boys.

Petra Vejvodova Primary teacher

Ms. Vejvodova hails originally from the Czech Republic where she gained her initial degree in Chemical Technology before training as an Early Years and Primary teacher in India and the UK. She has Diplomas in Pre-Primary and Primary with specialisation in Teaching English as well as in Montessori training. She holds a Postgraduate degree in Comprehensive Management of Children with Learning Disorders.  She has nearly 15 years of teaching experience in international schools in India and Ethiopia. She is a Common Sense Media certified teacher and is looking forward to sharing her knowledge of Digital Citizenship with our primary staff.  Ms Vejvodova will teach in the Primary in 2015-16.

Marcela Villa Visual Arts

Ms Villa began her teaching in her native Colombia as an Art teacher for 4 years before moving to UK as a Spanish teacher.  She has a Bachelor in Fine Arts and has also completed teacher training to UK standards.  She has been teaching Art for the last 7 years in Kazakhstan and latterly Qatar and is Head of Department. She has 4 years of IB experience, teaching in both MYP and DP.  She joins us as DP and MYP Visual Arts teacher and comes along with her husband Joseph.

Petia Vowell  Music

Ms Vowell joins us as Music teacher.  She specialises in music, drama and dance.  She qualified with a BA in Performing Arts and graduate diplomas in Music and in Teaching.  She has been teaching music and drama in her native New Zealand for more than 5 years. Her private and professional expressions in music include composition in musicals, jazz, pop, electronica and rock music along with involvement in dance choreographies.

Summer break. I hope you and your family are able to have some quality time over our summer break and hope the children come back refreshed and energised for the new school year.

The school office will be open over the summer, weekdays 9am-4pm, although with fewer staff than normal.

Families new to the school will have a Family Induction day on Friday, 14th August and school starts for all students on Monday, 17th August.  We know one or two of our families may arrive a few days late at the start of next school year.  If you are in that position please send an email to lucy.liu@his-xian.com.

Last day. As the school will be open for a half day only on Friday, this is just a reminder that the buses will leave at 1:00pm.  

Best regards,

Martin Hughes

 

Forthcoming events                

Monday, 15th to Thursday, 18th Parent Consultations – by appointment

Friday, 19th                                  Last Day – half day.  Buses leave at 1pm

August

Friday, 14th                                  New Family and Student Orientation day

Monday, 17th                              First day of 2015-16 Academic Year


About the Author


Martin Hughes

Former School Principal

Mr Martin Hughes was the founding Principal of Hanova from 2012-15. Prior to his time at Hanova, he already had 23 years of experience as Principal in the UK and China at five different schools - including posts at Wuxi EtonHouse and EtonHouse's flagship Suzhou school. During his time as founding Principal at Hanova, he helped support the initial IB Diploma Programme authorisation (2014) and used his educational vision to help plant our then brand new school on a firm foundation. Under his leadership, Hanova's motto emerged, "Enabling children to become independent, creative and lifelong learners!"


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