Administration Team
顿谤.听Shawntrice Thomas
Director of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation
顿谤.听ShawntriceáThomasáis originally from the vibrant and diverse city of Miami, Florida, USA. She joins AISCT with more than 25 years of experience in education across the United States and international schools. Prior to joining AISCT, she served as Director of Teaching and Learning at an international PK鈥�12 college preparatory school in Nairobi, Kenya.
Additional professional experience includes serving as a classroom teacher, instructional specialist, assistant principal, district-level leader, and university professor. These experiences have shaped her understanding of how instructional decisions at every level of a school influence the quality of teaching and students’ learning experiences.
Dr. Thomas is passionate about creating learning environments where both students and educators thrive. She is an advocate for a transparent and consistent culture of teaching and learning that leads to continuous school improvement. She is particularly committed to implementing evidence-informed practices that positively impact student learning.
Dr. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida and both a Master of Science and Doctor of Education from Nova Southeastern University.
She joins the AISCT community with her husband, a fellow educator, and their son.
Peter Thorpe
Upper School Principal
Hailing from Edmonton, Canada, Peter Thorpe has been an upper school principal and vice-principal at three different international schools over the past 19 years. Working in Germany, China, and the UAE, he brings a wealth of upper school leadership experience and knowledge to the position.
During his educational journey, Peter discovered what he believes to be the incredible value of an international education, allowing students and teachers to tackle real-world issues from multiple, global perspectives.
Peter holds a master鈥檚 degree in international education from Endicott College and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta.
He is joined at AISCT by his wife and two children.
Angela Tyson
Upper School Vice Principal
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Angela Tyson is excited to be part of the AISCT community. She brings more than 20 years of experience in education, including 13 years in school leadership across the United States, Qatar, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. Throughout her career, Angela has served in leadership roles spanning Learning Support and School Administration, leading initiatives in standards based grading, inclusive education, restorative practices, and Multi Tiered Systems of Support. She is passionate about empowering educators, partnering with families, and creating school communities where every student is known, challenged, and supported to reach their full potential.
Angela holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Master of Education in Behavior and Learning Disabilities from Georgia State University, along with an Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University.
Outside of school, Angela enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling to new destinations, relaxing at the beach, and unwinding with a great television series. She believes that strong relationships, collaboration, and continuous improvement are the foundation of exceptional schools and meaningful learning.
Rachel Rubio
Elementary School Principal
Rachel Rubio joined the AISCT community in July 2023. Rachel grew up in Texas, USA and attended the University of Texas at El Paso.
Before joining AISCT, Rachel served as preschool and elementary school administrator at the American School of Valencia in Spain. Before that role, she was an elementary school principal and assistant principal in Colorado for ten years. Rachel began her career in Texas as an elementary school classroom teacher. She holds a master’s degree in school leadership and administration from the University of Colorado and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Texas-El Paso.
Rachel, a Mexican-American, brings an important and impactful cultural perspective to help continue moving the school forward.
Julian Saunders
Technology Director
Julian Saunders earned a Master of Science degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. After conducting field research in South Africa and Ethiopia, he followed his passion for research and education by joining the New York Consortium of Evolutionary Primatology, a doctoral program focusing on primate evolution and behavior, where he indulged his penchant for technology by building cloud-based platforms to facilitate collaboration between cross-continental research teams. Later, his interest in conservation led to him co-founding the Primate Conservation Committee as part of the Primate Ecology and Genetics Group, as well as co-founding the Baboon Research Unit at the University of Cape Town. These endeavors led to the establishment of the Imfene Conservation Program, an outreach program for children using a data-driven approach to conservation education.
The change in his education focus from adults to children, combined with his strong belief in the power of technology to positively impact the world, led him to his current position of Technology Director at AISCT.
Julian promotes the use of technology, ranging from coding to robotics, to empower students to collaborate, creatively solve problems, think critically, communicate effectively, and to tackle local and global challenges.
School Board
51风流 is overseen by a Board of Governors comprising Larry Balli, Michael Dougherty, Kristy Dewi, Paul du Toit, and Alasdair Sholto-Douglas, who have been appointed according to the bylaws of its Deed of Foundation.á The Board is responsible for the school鈥檚 fiscal solvency and overall success.á Its responsibilities include:
- Oversee and promote the overall success and fiscal health of the school;
- Appoint and evaluate annually the Head of School, who administers school policy;
- Develop, approve, and insure the implementation of school policy, and insure efficient and
logical allocation of the school鈥檚 human and material resources; - Monitor the use of the school鈥檚 existing facilities and develop new ones which might
enhance program delivery; - Ensure the maintenance of the school鈥檚 good relationships with the government of the
Republic of South Africa in general and the Ministry of Education in particular; - Meet periodically in accordance with the stipulations of the Articles of Association. The
meetings are managed according to the Deeds of Foundation.
The School Board at AISCT operates with a self-perpetuating, 鈥渃orporate governance鈥� model, a model endorsed by such organizations as the Council of International Schools and the National Association of Independent Schools. The corporate model of a self-perpetuating board allows the board to choose itself and its successors and to focus largely on the strategic future of the school and generative thinking, leaving the operation of the school to the Head of School.
Three of the Board Members are designated as 鈥淒irectors鈥� by virtue of their having established the school and financed its start-up in 1992.á These three are Larry Balli, Michael Dougherty, and Kristy Dewi.
In the event that a Board Member resigns, he or she will be replaced by appointment of the Board Directors.á The criteria for selection will be, as it was for the existing members, an interest in supporting AISCT, a willingness to invest time for meetings and activities, and the background, connections, and position to advance the school鈥檚 mission.
The Board evaluates the Head of School annually. Parents, teachers, and students have the opportunity to evaluate the Board鈥檚 performance in annual surveys and at meetings convened periodically by the Board to communicate the school鈥檚 financial position and plans for the future.
School Council
AISCT convenes a School Council throughout the course of the year. The Council consists of seven members, three of which are community members elected by the school constituents, three of which are appointed by the ISF Board, and one teacher representative.á The Council serves to advise and help guide the direction of the school.á The 51风流 Head of School has a standing invitation to attend all meetings.
School Council member elections take place at the start of the academic year in August, followed by a Council meeting in September.