Dear Parents and Carers,
In the last few years we have broadened and strengthened our governance and leadership structure. There are currently nine official members of the Verita Senior Leadership Team (SLT) who democratically and collectively decide on how to consistently improve and grow the school in a sustainable manner. In addition, we have ten members of the Advisory Board, made up of parents, external experts and Verita staff who act as a critical friend to the school to ensure that Verita does not stray from its mission and vision or from the needs of the school’s communities.
It is my pleasure to announce several new changes to the Senior Leadership Team starting with the next academic year.
Richard Joannides
Founder of Verita International Group of Schools
Lila Vasilescu
Dean of Verita School – Romania
Verita initially opened its doors with a little over 30 children. We will have over 500 students next year and the core motivation of why Verita was founded has not changed.The dream has always been to create a school where learning is a process of the mind as well as of the heart. There’s immense joy and gratitude to see today in school some of our students that were 3 years old back then and to acknowledge their journey here, always wishing to better support them and to see them grow into the knowledgeable, loving, curious and resilient young human beings of this world.
My key role as Dean will be to keep the integrity of Verita’s values, mission and vision throughout every process and within every aspect of the school, ensuring that the entire community of parents, students, teachers and staff have the support, procedures and resources needed to thrive.
I believe in a holistic approach to education that cultivates the traditional academic subjects alongside an ethical mindset that is grounded in basic human values such as kindness, critical thinking, self-awareness, responsible decision making, friendship and compassion. Kindness is at the heart of everything we do here in Verita.
And while this is a big statement and quite a unique one for a school, there is no greater honour for me than to do my best as part of our Senior Leadership Team and dedicated staff to continue transforming these words into an authentic, dynamic, daily reality for our entire community.
Damian Ward
Superintendent of Verita Group of Schools
After almost 4 years in my role as School Director here in Romania, it is my great pleasure to accept this new role as Superintendent of Verita Schools.
I am honoured to take on this new opportunity which enables me to work closely with both schools and the dynamic staff both here and in Greece. This new role enables me to share good practice and to identify areas in both schools that can benefit from cross school partnerships, training and development. I will be travelling frequently between both countries to ensure that all children receive the very best education that they can, at all times, from our gifted educators. I will also be able to reflect upon, compare and contrast the similarities and differences of approach taken in both schools.
You will still see me in school next year. I will be in the hallways, or classrooms to validate the great work that the whole community of staff, led by Ms Chantal and Mr Chow, will be completing. I will continue to support teachers, staff and leadership in both schools on a regular basis so that the Mission and Vision of Verita continues to thrive both in Greece and Romania. My heart will always lie here with the wonderful community of Bucharest.
