So last April our students stepped into our brand new, purpose-built state-of-the-art Middle School facility, and it was truly an epic celebration. The fever-pitch anticipation was finally over after years of planning and construction. Now, after several months of settling in, it’s fair to say that this transition, although not without challenges at the time, allowed us to start this school year with tremendous success, and with a keen eye on future program possibilities.
Joining Saigon South International School (SSIS) as the new Middle School principal at the beginning of last school year, I can attest that opening a new facility mid-year isn’t just about moving furniture or adjusting to new classrooms, it is a true test of agility, adaptability, and resilience for the entire community. In retrospect, the decision to open our new Middle School during the on-going school year, in April, proved to be invaluable, as it allowed us to spend the final quarter navigating the inevitable growing pains, and it gave us time to make thoughtful adjustments over the summer.
We knew we’d need to remain flexible, agile, and responsive throughout the process, and this agile mindset was crucial as we sought to create a space that could meet the needs of each individual student in our Middle School, regardless of interest and inspiration. You see, the core purpose of our new facility was to provide Middle School students with dedicated spaces where they could develop their passions, agency, and potential as curious and creative learners. It was purposely designed to inspire success both inside and outside the classroom, helping our students grow into the best versions of themselves.
The positive culture at SSIS and the impact of stakeholders as invested partners served us well as we navigated the physical transition to the new building, and the patience, flexibility, and agility shown by all members of our community was truly inspiring. As a faculty and staff, we became stronger, navigating collaboratively through a shared experience like this. With a sense of purpose and a sense of humor we strengthened our agility muscles along the way and embraced the reality of the growing pains, together, which included things like:
- Navigating wifi and connectivity issues
- Flexible scheduling, as we adapted to the new student transition times in a bigger building
- Scheduling spaces for community use while juggling MS program needs
- Resource delivery timeline
- Punchlist oversight and completion
- Classroom pack-up and set up from the old building to the new
- Construction follow-ups (lighting issues)
- Student supervision and teacher duty challenges
- Key card access and signage
What we have now are thoughtfully designed spaces that nurture our students’ love of music, art, sports, dance, drama, and educational technology. We have flexible learning environments that support deep academic learning across all subject areas, and collaborative areas and social spaces on each floor that foster student relationships and contribute to the development of a vibrant Middle School culture. This remarkable, open, airy, bright facility promotes connection, flexibility and flow, and student choice, which helps in setting the stage for future programs and possibilities. The space is already enhancing our community in ways we are just beginning to imagine…so exciting.
The other thing that struck me, as someone who has led schools across the globe over the past 20 years, is that leading with agility isn’t just about responding to, planning, and navigating large-scale change initiatives, or reacting to unexpected issues and situations that take you by surprise, it’s all about the little day-to-day interactions that you have with people. Schools are human organizations and every person in your community is unique. People react differently to change, and let’s be honest, with every change that occurs in a school, regardless if it’s a new building or something less significant, there is always a sense of loss attached to it.
Take the transition to our new facility, for example…it was emotional to leave behind the only Middle School building our community has ever known, and it was sad for teachers and students for many reasons. It was really important to keep this in mind and to find that balance between leaving well, by honoring the foundational years that brought us to this new chapter, and celebrating all that is on our horizon. It meant meeting with people individually and supporting people’s feelings and emotions as the anxiety and excitement grew and grew.
For me, as a new leader in the school last year, that attention to relationship building was my heavy lift in terms of leading with agility. It reminded me again about how, at the root of it all, leadership is about relationships and people, and the ability that you have to be agile as you meet everyone’s individual needs, wants, and expectations. Yes, being agile in the face of adversity or crisis or large-scale strategic planning is incredibly important for schools and leaders to thrive, but I want to highlight the paramount importance of the smaller day-to-day opportunities to strengthen your agility muscles as a leader because that is how you build trust, community, culture, and capital as you ready yourselves for the bigger, more public pivots.
As beautiful as the new building is, it does not, in itself, guarantee the desired outcomes of student success and achievement if the pedagogical structures and programs aren’t already solid as a foundation. Great schools are about great teachers, great parent partnerships, great kids, and great communities, so the real gift of a purpose-built space like ours is how it instantly enhances our ability to bring our mission and vision to life in very real, concrete, and tangible ways. The building is indeed acting as a child’s third teacher, as the environment now supports, empowers, encourages, and allows each student to meet their potential in every possible area of their life.
This building has also allowed us to take tremendous steps forward in relation to our Vision 2030 strategic plan, where we have identified targeted goals related to student voice and agency, service, STEAM design and innovation, and community outreach. We are so fortunate to have world-class teachers, curriculum specialists, and thought leaders in every department across the school who inspire student learning and culture building at every turn. With that already in place, the facility has indeed allowed us to transform and blossom into the school we have been dreaming about.
I’ve learned that there is no shortage of opportunities to practice agility in our very human organizations, and the faster we can develop this skill and mindset, the better our communities will become. I’d even venture to say that with the educational landscape changing so rapidly these days, with the exception of relationship building, leading with agility might just be the leadership skill that truly matters most in the disruptive years to come. If schools and leaders are agile and focus on proactively developing this necessary skill through case-study exploration and targeted professional development, there will be fewer reactive issues to deal with as a community and definitely more celebrations.
At SSIS, as we settle into our new spaces and launch innovative programs aligned with our purpose, we are witnessing the transformative power of agility firsthand. Our middle schoolers have seamlessly embraced their new home, the newly STEAM Design Center buzzes with creativity, and the ongoing renovation of our Upper Elementary school demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement. Saigon South International School is truly a community in bloom, with agility as our catalyst for growth.
By prioritizing agility in our approach to education, we can create schools that not only meet the challenges of today but are prepared to thrive in the uncertainties of tomorrow. Let’s all commit to cultivating agile mindsets, flexible strategies, and resilient communities that can turn challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. Okay, off to visit some of these wonderful spaces and to watch our kids in action. Have a wonderful week ahead and remember to be great for our students and good to each other.
Quote of the Week –
Agility is fundamental to leading a team through times of change – Sandra E. Peterson
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