Leadership… What Stands Out In Hiring Season 2 Dec 20252 Dec 2025 If all goes well, the sun is setting on our recruiting season for the year.As we have worked to fill positions, I have been struck by the depth and quality…
Leadership… What’s Possible 15 Nov 202515 Nov 2025 What’s Possible? 🚀 After three meaningful years at Nishimachi International School, the time has come to explore what’s possible while looking ahead to new leadership opportunities beginning August 2026. These…
Leadership… Building a Thriving School Community Through Strategic Focus 6 Nov 2025 I tend to think in threes, because coherence is strengthened when strategy is clear, concentrated, and connected. This year, our strategic focus is focused around three interconnected areas: Inquiry, Belonging,…
Uncategorized What An Incredible Profession! 5 Oct 20255 Oct 2025 Today is UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day, a day to celebrate our profession and to recognize the incredible impact educators have each and every day in their classrooms. UNESCO reminds us…
one word challenge Water: My Word of the Year 30 Sep 20251 Oct 2025 Each school year I choose a single word to guide my focus and intention. This year, that word is Water. Universal, life-giving, and endlessly adaptable, water reminds me that neither…
Words of Wisdom Words of Wisdom 2025 12 Jun 2025 Graduating Class of 2025. This is a big moment, a huge milestone, and today is about celebrating you, while marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.…
Uncategorized The Power of Resilience 1 Jun 2025 I didn’t get it. And I’m almost finished. I didn’t get the job. I wish this was a confetti post, but it’s not. In a year where my word is…
Uncategorized Nurturing Growth 27 Apr 202527 Apr 2025 How do you build capacity in your school? How do you grow professional learning? At Nishimachi International School we believe that a school’s greatest catalyst for innovation and growth is…
Being a Farmer… Sustainable Leadership: A Reflection on My Journey 16 Mar 2025 As I head into the final weeks of writing my dissertation, I find myself looking back, not just at the intense work I’ve done recently, but further back, nearly two…
Uncategorized Something Different 27 Jan 2025 I firmly believe in learning beyond the classroom walls, for students and for teachers. Last week we took a group of Nishimachi International School faculty and staff to visit Goldman…
Uncategorized Harnessing Momentum: Insights for 2025 6 Jan 2025 I’m not a seasoned surfer, but I’ve had the thrill of riding waves in a few places around the world. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the secret…
Uncategorized Harmony 20 Oct 2024 As we come out of Fall Break, I find myself reflecting on the idea of work-life harmony.In education, the concept of “harmony” over “balance” feels particularly relevant. Teachers and leaders…
Inquiry Learning in 2024 21 Mar 202421 Mar 2024 It’s 2024 and the pendulum of education keeps swinging. Over the past couple weeks Guy Claxton and Alfie Kohn shared excellent articles delving into CLT and the reality that learning…
Making it Happen… 2024: The Year of Momentum 3 Jan 20243 Jan 2024 It's that time of year, the One Word Challenge. I do love the One Word Challenge for the simplicity it brings in focussing my intentionality for the year, as well…
Being a Farmer… Momentum 26 Nov 2023 How do you build momentum? I have always believed it’s anchored in capacity building, ensuring a common language, building for sustainability and engagement. I am grateful to Trevor MacKenzie for his work…
Making it Happen… Why Choose Nishimachi? 18 Oct 202318 Oct 2023 Aspects of this post were shared at Nishimachi's Open Campus event in September where over 300 parents visited to learn more about how our historic school, located in Central Tokyo,…
Uncategorized The Power of the Pencil 21 May 202322 May 2023 How do you like to travel? Backpack or wheelie bag? Book it all, or just the first few days? When we travel we like backpacks and we always book the…
Uncategorized Thrive 31 Dec 2022 What better word to choose as we enter 2023 and the absolute unknown. If I was to look back on 2022 and choose a word, it would be Move. We…
Making it Happen… Into The Great Unknown 25 Sep 202221 May 2023 This was first posted to our family blog in June. At this time we find ourselves in Italy for the next few weeks and we continue to dream of what…
Appreciation… Words of Wisdom 2022 23 Jun 2022 Grade 5. Here we are. Some say it is an end but I prefer to think of today as another beginning. I like to think of life as chapters. This…
Digital Citizenship… Thinking about ED-Tech 25 Sep 202124 Sep 2021 As a school that strongly believes in the presence of ED-Tech to elevate and amplify learning, we strive to create vs consume and ensure our students have the tools and…
Being a Farmer The New School Year 10 Sep 202115 Sep 2021 It has been a wonderful return to school. The elementary division was fortunate to have almost all of the 1150 students on-campus last year, but now the ability for our…
Uncategorized FORWARD 4 Sep 20214 Sep 2021 It has been a whirlwind 18 months and as we enter this new school year the word I have chosen to guide me is FORWARD. We are moving forward in…
Collaboration… Words of Wisdom 2021 21 Jun 202121 Jun 2021 This is a milestone moment in your lives. This is the end of your time in elementary, and the beginning of something new in Middle School. What we are doing…
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