We are pleased to announce that we will be welcoming two new principals to our school community for the academic year 2023 / 2024. Ms. April Wuest will be joining us as the Principal of Primary & Early Years, and Mr. Ashley Peek as the Principal of Secondary.

Our new Principal of Primary & Early Years, April Wuest, has an impressive background in primary education. She comes to us with over 20 years of experience in the field, having worked in a variety of roles, including as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, and assistant principal. In her most recent role as the Primary School Principal at the American School of Asuncion in Paraguay, April oversaw the successful implementation of their new inquiry-based curriculum, led the professional development for their teachers, and helped to establish a positive and inclusive school culture.

Our new Principal of Secondary, Ashley Peek, joins us from Berkeley International School in Thailand, where he has been the School Director since 2020. With over 15 years of experience in international education and school administration, Ashley has moved seamlessly from classroom teacher to curriculum coordinator to principal and then to headmaster. As a school leader, he designed and implemented their standards-based assessment and reporting system for both the primary and secondary schools and led a comprehensive curricular recording and review process for the first time in the school’s history.

Farewell and Gratitude

We would like to express our appreciation to Annie Keep-Barnes, our Interim Principal of Primary & Early Years and Rico Chow, our current Principal of Secondary. For the last six years, Rico has led the growth of our secondary school from a small cohort to over 200 students and successfully implemented the IGCSE and IBDP programs. Annie played a pivotal role in training teachers, implementing international best practices, and establishing an inquiry-based curriculum as the Curriculum Coordinator and Interim Primary School Principal.

After all of these years, Rico and his partner Emily will be returning back to Toronto, Canada, and Annie will retire back home in Alaska, USA, eager to be with her grandchildren. While they will surely be missed, we wish them all the best and we are deeply grateful for their amazing contribution to our Verita community.

A Thoughtful Selection Process

With Verita’s values in mind, we embarked on a thorough and extensive process to find the most qualified candidates for these important roles. The selection process began with a rigorous screening of numerous applications, followed by the first round of interviews with the school’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

A select few candidates were then invited to participate in a second round of interviews, which included a more in-depth evaluation of their qualifications and experience.

The candidates who progressed to this stage were also evaluated by the Parent Advisory Board, who provided valuable insights and feedback to help us make the most informed decision possible. Following this evaluation, we invited the final shortlisted candidates to visit the school and meet with members of the SLT, founders, advisory board, coordinators, teachers, and students.

During these meetings, we had the opportunity to learn more about each candidate’s leadership style, their experience in education, and their vision for the future of our school. Following these meetings, we conducted a final vote to determine the most suitable candidates for the position of principal.