Welcome to ISD Secondary! Dear ISD Community, I am Estelle Hughes, Head of Secondary at the International School of Dakar. I come from Cameroon and am joining ISD with 20 years of experience in International schools. I believe in an education based on the ideals of Peace, intercultural competence and an inclusive curriculum. Passionate about coaching and developing educators, I have led exchanges between teachers in Africa, Europe and Asia, building bridges and opportunities to make a difference through education.
It is an honor and a privilege to join ISD this year. There is much for me to look forward to: a very diverse school community, a student-centered and passionate faculty, inclusion as a priority in our school’s vision and last but not least, the excitement that comes with leading a school so beautifully equipped and resourced to educate the whole child. When I visited ISD for the first time in May of this year, I felt the spontaneous spirit of Teranga from everyone I met. I also experienced how powerfully reflective students are at ISD. I was impressed to see the leadership of teachers in all areas of the school (instructional, counseling, behavioral, emotional, co-curricular). That is why I am very proud to officially join the school this year.
I want to thank the new parents and students of our school for choosing us and the existing parents for continuing to do so. Our goal is to ensure that everyone in our community feels seen, heard and connected. We aim to nurture belonging, to develop a culture where people truly learn from each other, and to support our students academically, socio-emotionally and in their co-curricular passions because we believe that when we challenge students to become the best version of themselves, we ultimately work towards a better society and a better world.
We are looking forward to seeing our new families on orientation day this Wednesday. And we are impatient for the first day of school to happen on Thursday. A school is never more beautiful and meaningful than with our students bringing it to life.