Jason Palmer
Executive Principal and
Head of Senior School
Mr. Jason Palmer graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto, Canada, obtained a master’s degree in International Education and School Leadership from Charles Sturt University in Australia, and is currently completing a doctorate in education from Athabasca University in Canada. He holds an Ontario Principals’ qualification. He is an excellent teacher and outstanding leader with more than 29 years of teaching experience in the field of education. He has served in many schools in Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and China. In China, he has nearly 10 years of school experience and has a particularly in-depth understanding of the educational needs of Chinese families.
Prior to joining Dipont KCS Chengdu, Mr. Jason Palmer was the Deputy Academic Director at Dipont Education Shanghai headquarters and served as principal at Nanjing Jinling High School and Shanghai Soong Ching Ling School. He works effectively with school teams to assess and develop policies and procedures for Chinese students. He is familiar with Dipont and understands the Dipont curriculum design and has a deep understanding of IGCSE, A-Level and other curriculum systems. Earlier in his career, Mr. Jason Palmer also had over a decade of management experience as a principal in the Upper Canada School Board in Canada with abundant management experience.
“I believe that it is essential to have the student as the core of everything we do. Our success as a school is defined by their success. However, this success is not simply measured by academic results. Success is determined by how well-rounded our students become, and what qualities and characteristics they have as young adults that will benefit them in the future. Everyone involved the school has a responsibility to contribute to this success, and only working collaboratively as a staff and closely with parents can we truly help our students reach their potential.”
—Jason Palmer
Vivia Xu
Co Executive Principal
Vivia Xu has a BSc from Shanghai Normal University, a PGCE from the University of Sunderland, UK, and an MPA in Public Administration from East China Normal University. She has been involved in the founding of several prestigious schools, holding teaching and management positions. She is a pioneer of integrated curriculum education.
Over the past ten years, she has persistently studied Chinese and international educational theories and actively practised them on the frontline of education and teaching, developing a unique understanding of the integrated curriculum. Principal Vivia Xu has extensive experience in integrated curriculum development and is familiar with teaching strategies such as bilingualism, co-operative teaching and inquiry-based learning, as well as having extensive experience in teacher training.
“Education shapes futures and changes lives. Education is an immersive and interactive process in which students explore new ideas and ways of thinking, and discover their own unique skills and interests.”
—Vivia Xu
Lily Dai
Bursar
Ryan Li
Head of Middle School &
Deputy Head of Senior School
Principal Ryan Li was formerly the Deputy Head of Secondary School and Head of Middle School at Chengdu Longquanyi Beanstalk School and Head of the International Division of the Chengdu Experimental Foreign Languages School of Chengdu Virsend Group. He has over 10 years of first-class teaching experience in the international curriculum and is familiar with the IB, AP, and A-Level curriculums. He has strong curriculum development skills and school management experience.
Besides, he always puts the growth of students and teachers as his top priority. He is a personable and appealing person with an open mind and a broad vision, who is able to communicate and cooperate effectively in a cross-cultural environment. He has a philosophy, approach, and effectiveness in systematising the student care system, fostering student autonomy and coordination, promoting teacher development, optimising the assessment system, and improving home-school co-education.
“I wish to create a school with care and support, with students from different cultures and backgrounds can have an all-round development in an international school environment, continue to shine and progress in the areas they excel in, and to try things new into the known!”
—Ryan Li
Dr Natalie J. Pitre
Head of Primary School
Dr Natalie J. Pitre, is an excellent teacher and leader in K-12 education and adult education with more than 20 years of experience and has worked in China for over 9 years. She has also been an educator and leader in Canada, Egypt, The United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Papua New Guinea. She has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership K-12 with a focus on international education, a Master’s Degree in Language Education, a K-12 teaching qualification, and holds an Ontario Principals’ qualification. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada and has been working there for over 8 years. Dr Natalie Pitre has served as an Academic Quality Manager of IB, AP and A-Level programs and Deputy Director of teacher training and course development in Dipont, Shanghai. Before joining Chengdu Dipont KCS, Ms. Natalie Pitre also served as a leader in Shanghai Soong Ching Ling School and Vanke DTD School and has a passion for cross-cultural learning.
“As an educator and leader, I believe in learning for all and the importance of creating a school environment that is welcoming, safe, inclusive, culturally responsive, and where every person feels a sense of belonging. Building relationships and establishing trust amongst one another is essential to strive towards continuous school improvement. The growth and success of every child and member of our school community matters and it is my role as a leader to ensure conditions are in place to maximize potential in all of us. I am an advocate of developing collective teacher efficacy and the desire to support teachers to learn with and from one another, learn how to use data to inform instructional decision making, and be able to recognize our impact on student progress and growth. It is my role to model the importance of being a learner and lead students and staff to cultivate a love of learning together at school, in the communities where we live, and in the world around us.”
—Dr Natalie J. Pitre
Adam Guo
Deputy Head of Senior School&
Director of College Counsellor
After graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University, he spent eight years there and then at Susquehanna University as an International Admissions Officer, Head of Admissions for Asia, Associate Director of the Admissions Office, and Head of International Admissions.
As an admissions officer, he visited nearly 100 senior schools in 15-20 countries each year, read over 1500 applications from all over the world, and was familiar with the backgrounds, curriculum challenges, and activities of over 500 international senior schools in the Slate Admissions System used by university admissions offices. Now, from a university admissions officer to a university counselor, his valuable experience will help students in their future university application process.
“The journey of education is a transformative process that empowers students to embrace wild imagination with a practical approach.”
—Adam Guo
