Head of Middle School
International School Hannover (Germany)

On behalf of the International School Hannover Region ( ISHR ) Community and the school’s search committee we are pleased to announce the appointment of Carole Nickle to the new position of Middle School Principal, effective with the school year 2020/21.

Carole brings exceptional experience as teacher and leader in international schools in China, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey which culminated in her Associate Principal role at the American School in Japan which she has held since 2015. Carole describes herself as “deeply connected to the ethos of international education” and an “optimistic, solution-oriented individual”, qualities that resulted in her selection at ISHR along with what Director Rachel Hovington described as an international career that equipped Carole “with a high level of intercultural competency and emotional intelligence”.

Carole earned undergraduate degrees in Canada ( Acadia University ) and in the United States ( Huntington University ), and she is currently pursuing an Ed. D. at Bath University in the U.K. She has been a presenter at international conferences and, while pursuing her own professional development, the kind of international learner well suited for leadership in international schools

 ISHR, the school’s search committee, and Search Associates would like to thank all candidates who expressed an interest in the Middle School Principal position at ISHR and to everyone who supported the search process

Gunther Brandt
Senior Consultant
Search Associates

Head of Middle School

The School

The new ISHR Head of Middle School, to begin in August 2020, will be uniquely placed to collaboratively lead a team into the future guided by our Vision for Learning 2018-2021 (Strategic Plan). ISHR currently has no distinct Middle School and the creation of this position is the result of restructuring in line with the school’s strategic vision goal:

“Implement a Middle School and Upper School model of organization to cater for the unique developmental needs of students. This will include a structured system of pastoral care that distributes leadership for monitoring and supporting the students' academic, social and emotional wellbeing.”

The Head of Middle School will be a member of The School’s Leadership Team and works in close partnership with the Head of Upper School. The position offers considerable autonomy to create a Middle School community and spirit that serves a diverse group of students aged 11-14.

Mission 

ISHR is a learning community that provides an international education within a creative and caring environment to enable students to become life-long learners and open-minded compassionate citizens.

Vision

We nurture collaborative individuals who are empowered to design innovative solutions to complex problems to create a better world. We are a community of learners who are empowered for action and impact.

We provide each student with extraordinary learning opportunities, choices and experiences that support them in meeting their full social, emotional and academic potential. We empower them to positively impact their own lives and the lives of others.

ISHR

This NEASC and CIS accredited 3K-12 International Baccalaureate Continuum school was authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) in 2002. For the growing K-12 student body of over 600 students the Middle School is an English immersion journey for German, Japanese, Spanish, Saudi Arabian and US students as well as students from over 30 other countries. 21 of our students K-12 have refugee status. Our US and UK students constitute our Mother Tongue English speakers. With over 50 staff in the Secondary school grades 6-12 the team is a great size to lead in terms of collaboration and professional growth.

ISHR also has an Early Years Section that became part of ISHR in 2013 when an affiliated Kindergarten was incorporated into both the school’s campus and programmes. It is now a dedicated wing of the school with its own playground adjacent to the Primary School wing.

At ISHR we believe that children learn most effectively through play, social interactions, contextualized and inquiry experiences. Using the framework of the IB MYP our teachers work with children to problem solve, reflect and question. Global transformation requires a transformation in the way we think about education. We are encountering ever more complex problems like climate change, economic and political instability, famine, conflict, and mass migration. These problems are not confined by and cannot be solved within, national borders. In September 2015, 193 World Leaders ratified 17 Global Goals. Achieving the Global Goals is the challenge of a new generation of young people. ISHR believes that we need to transform the opportunities that we offer young people to meet these challenges. The ISHR Vision for Learning 2018-2021 (Strategic Plan) articulates how we will create opportunities for young people to learn how to develop self-esteem, be confident, take risks, fail forward and be resilient. We aim to help them to learn how to develop empathy, to care about complex problems, and to prepare them to collaboratively find the solutions. We want to allow them to find their own voice and build on their talents and interests.

Supported by a team of EAL, Learning Enrichment Teachers and a School Counselor the Middle School student community totals nearly 130 students with a modest rise in numbers projected in the next few years. We are committed to empowering students for action and impact. Students are able to choose electives in 6-8^th grade that are termed Discovery Classes. The Middle school has a keen robotics team and Middle School students exclusively run our K-12 TV channel Mustangs TV.

We have a large area designated as a school garden and a campus that is wonderful for outdoor learning. The river running adjacent to the school is a great resource for our classes. Raspberries, sunflowers and pumpkins are just a few of things planted and harvested by students. The campus is frequented by a buzzard and foxes giving this urban campus, right in the heart of Hannover, a distinctly green and rural feel.

We recently opened a robotics and maker lab and we also have a dedicated Maker Space for Primary students that facilitates design thinking and solution finding. It gives the children a unique space to fail forward, to manipulate different materials and to explore electronics and machines.

Staff professional learning opportunities are varied at ISHR at our campus's Center for Professional Development led by our Curriculum Coordinators. We have hosted Ron Ritchhart from Harvard Graduate School's Project Zero, Lynn Erikcson for Concept Based Inquiry and Lee Watanabe Crockett for The Future of Learning workshops amongst other opportunities onsite. 13 staff attended ECIS Middle Leader training  in  Hannover this spring as well as staff having attended the Principal’s Training Center for International School Leadership and CIS Child Protection Training. We have adopted the Solution Fluency (Design Thinking) model for solution finding.

Our Professional Commitments to Teaching and Learning

• We ensure that every child in our care is known extremely well by at least one member of our community. We are a caring community.
• We aim for the highest standards in research based educational practice and professional self-reflection. We are a community of lifelong learners.
• We provide opportunities for each child to reach their full potential; social, emotional and academic. We personalize student learning.
• We value and support distributed leadership. We foster collective responsibility for change and growth.
•  We foster a respectful school culture that enables honest and reflective dialogue. We take collective responsibility for nurturing a positive learning environment.

Location

The International School of Hannover Region is situated at the center of this vibrant mid-sized city, adjacent to Europe’s biggest urban forest and at the top of the beautiful Maschsee, a lake where sailing, rowing and running occur just a stone’s throw away. Faculty housing is affordable and almost all either walk, cycle or take the tram to work. This university city has several art galleries, excellent shopping and is a hub for rail links to cities all over Europe with Berlin only an hour and fifteen minutes away. Hannover is the hidden jewel of Northern Europe with a leafy urban standard of living unparalleled in affordability and public transport access with nature all around. Although Germany is known for its high taxation and bureaucratic regulations, the quality of life here is superb. The health care system is excellent, it is very safe, care of the environment is taken seriously, and there are many different cultural offerings to suit every taste.

With great infrastructure, gorgeous outdoor spaces, local bakeries everywhere, small grocery stores, outdoor and indoor recreation (from open air swimming pools to the Opera) and numerous festivals it’s easy to see why Hannover is a highly desirable city to live in and to relocate business to. In a recent study it ranked in the top three least stressful cities to live in worldwide. Our recruiting brochure gives you some information about relocating to Hannover.

Context

The school is showing steady growth and is financially stable with a moderate operating budget.  This position will collaborate closely with the Director who is seeking a colleague who will be a thought partner to the both her and the rest of the leadership team as well as a coach, mentor and learning leader for the Staff. The Board and the Director are looking for candidates that are excited about facilitating key K-12 aspects of the schools Vision for Learning (strategic plan), leading K-12 projects and embracing opportunities to deputize for the Director when needed.

Additional information about the International School Hannover Region can be found at the school’s website. Follow ISHR on Twitter @ISHannover and @ISHRLearns and the Director @rhovington. You can also follow ISHR on Facebook.

Preferred Skills

The Head of Middle School position requires an exceptional learning leader, with well-developed written and verbal communications skills, a high level of interpersonal empathy and a willingness to engage at every level with our community. The successful candidate will be able to navigate complex cultures, and demonstrate an international mind-set. He/she will bring a rich experience with relevant national and international curricular frameworks. Personal attributes expected include active listening skills, self-motivation, the ability to think both strategically and tactically, and the flexibility to successfully work within a diverse and demanding school environment. Well developed technology and financial management skills are required to successfully manage and lead the Middle School  section. A full job description can be accessed at this link.

The new Head of Middle School will be deeply familiar with best practice in implementing research based learning and leadership practices via their rich professional experiences and learning network.  They will therefore be competent in effectively addressing the ten NEASC ACE Learning Principles in order to effect transformational change in the learning environment and learning outcomes for our students to meet the needs of the future.

Characteristics of the ideal person for this position include:

• A Bachelors degree in a related field.
• A Master’s Degree, or higher, in Educational Leadership, Curriculum Studies, or a related field. (or actively working towards one).
• A minimum of 8 years teaching experience, with at least three in a leadership role that has involved coaching and mentoring, hiring and goal setting for team of teachers.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability and desire to work collaboratively with the community of ISHR and the wider community locally, nationally and internationally.
• Experience in the school accreditation process as an accreditation team visitor and/ or a leadership role from within the school.
• Proficiency in a second language, in particular German, would be desirable but is not essential.
• Sense of humor and a commitment to healthy conflict.

Procedures for Filing an Application
International School Hannover Region has appointed Search Associates as consultant in the Head of Middle School search with Gunther Brandt being the lead consultant. The deadline for applications is 30 May 2019. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials as early as possible and the Search Committee reserves the right to close the selection process at any time if the right candidate is found. The review of files will begin as soon as applications are received.
Candidates should send the information listed below as a single pdf file attached to an email:

•  A letter of application describing your interest in the Head of Middle School position at International School Hannover Region, listing your strengths as a candidate and how your qualifications and experience align with the profile of the desired candidate.
• A current resumé not to exceed two pages
• A one-page list of at least 4 referees, who have been direct supervisors, with current phone numbers and email addresses.
• A maximum of three letters of reference (scanned at low resolution) that may already be in your possession

Total document size should be kept to less than four (4) MB if possible. 
Applications should be sent to: admin@searchassociates.com and Gbrandt@searchassociates.com.

Interviews for finalist candidates will include a visit to campus with panel interviews including the facilitation of a lesson, meeting or mini-workshop with students and or staff.