Dear families,
I couldn’t be more thrilled by the prospect of becoming the next Head of School at PKS this July!
Starting in February, I will begin to spend a few days each month on campus to get to know the community better and begin to identify some strategic goals for my first year at school.
As I contemplate this transition, I’m looking forward to learning from our highly dedicated and talented faculty and staff, and to hearing the perspectives and insights from PKS parents. Of course, I’m most excited about getting into classrooms and hearing directly from our little linguists and ambassadors! I’ve been so impressed with what you as a community have achieved, and am enthusiastic about our work together going forward.
I will be joining the Building the Future of PKS community event on February 1 (sign up), and hosting the PKS 学习 talk on the evening of February 8 entitled What Every Parent Needs to Know About Language Acquisition and Chinese Literacy (sign up). I’ll share my thoughts and experiences over 20 years of involvement with Chinese language, bilingual and international education, as well as what the research tells us about the ways in which children most effectively acquire language and literacy in a bilingual setting. I’m also excited to be part of the Chinese New Year celebration at school on February 10.
In thinking about the dedication and generosity of the PKS community, I am reminded of one of my favorite passages of Classical Chinese. In the ancient text called The Great Learning 大学, a deep connection is drawn between the cultivated individual and the well-ordered society.
At PKS, it’s clear that the key to the success of the institution is the dedicated community at its heart, just as the key to the future of our world lies in the compassionate and engaged global thinkers we are nurturing at school every day.
古之欲明明德于天下者，先治其国；欲治其国者，先齐其家；欲齐其家者，先修其身；欲修其身者，先正其心；欲正其心者，先诚其意；欲诚其意者，先致其知，致知在格物。
“In ancient times, those who wished to make the world bright through virtue first ordered their states; those who wished to order their states, first took care of their families; those who wished to take care of their families, first improved themselves; those who wished to improve themselves, first set their hearts and minds on goodness; those who wished to set their hearts and minds on goodness, first made their intentions sincere; those who wished to make their intentions sincere, first extended their learning; extending one’s learning happens through investigating the world.”
It’s clear to me that this ancient recipe for global competency is alive and well at PKS, from sincere hearts and minds, to investigating the world!
I’m looking forward to meeting you all soon. In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about me, I’ve compiled some of my publications, talks, and videos for you to explore.
Thank you for all you do!
Warmly,
Chris Livaccari 李克立
Incoming Head of School 继任总校长