PRINCIPALS
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
Wenping Li
Executive Principal
Ms. Li is the Executive Principal of Tsinghua International School. Ms. Li holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology and is the senior secondary teacher. She has made great achievements and established her own way of teaching and was accredited by the Elite Teacher of Beijing. Having served as an educator in the education field for 19 years, Ms. Li joined Tsinghua International School in 2010 and began her exploration and innovation on international education in China ever since. Ms. Li leads her team to deeply research western education modes and is always exploring the best way to integrate the essence of both Western and Eastern education. Ms. Li is working on various research projects and has written different papers. Upholding the school mission, which is to cultivate students who are rooted in China, she lays emphasis on the construction of the Chinese curriculum, improving Chinese teaching quality, and leading Chinese teaching in international schools. Meanwhile, the school also provides Chinese History and Eastern Art to construct a three- dimensional integrated Chinese curriculum system. Ms. Li intends to develop the effectiveness of Western and Eastern combined education. She focuses on the integrated education of students and foster students who have both solid foundations of Chinese and English.
Maxine Klimasara
Academic Principal
Ms. Maxine Klimasara, an American citizen, obtained a bachelor’s degree in education, from Ohio State University and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Supervision from the University of Pittsburgh as well as elementary and secondary principal and superintendent certificates. For 46 years, she worked as a primary and a middle school teacher, and a primary, middle and high school principal in multiple schools. In addition, she has also served as a consultant at Point Park University, a supervisor for Western Pennsylvania school districts, and a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh. She has accumulated rich experiences in education, teaching and management.
Ms. Klimasara, joined Tsinghua International School in August 2011 to explore the educational philosophy of combining Chinese and Western cultures and to support the academic growth of the school. She loves and cares about the students, staff and families who are part of THIS.
Wenting Bai
Chinese Vice Principal
Ms. Bai graduated from Beijing Normal University and majored in Chinese Subject Teaching. She has been teaching at THIS since 2010 and has been working as a Chinese teacher, homeroom teacher, Chinese department head, Assistant Principal and now she works as the Chinese Vice Principal. She has been in charge of designing the Chinese curriculum as well as organizing Chinese special events. With Ms. Bai at the helm, the Chinese team has compiled a series of Handbooks on “Chinese Cultural Exploration and Practice”, planned and organized Chinese cultural events such as “One City, One Story” and “Ten Years of Books Together With You”. Ms. Bai has also devoted herself to the study of how to effectively guide students in reading, public speaking, and presentation. In closing, her essays in educational research have repeatedly been awarded first prize by various educational organizations.
Jeanne Croker
Dean of Faculty
Jeanne Croker is beginning her 8th year at THIS and her 41st year as an educator. Previously at THIS she was a math teacher and the department head. Jeanne has a love of China and its people that shines through in her interactions with the staff and students and her extensive travels throughout China. Jeanne comes from Maryland, USA where she earned her master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. She believes strongly in “how and why” and not just rote memorization. But perhaps most importantly, she believes in walking the walk. She is an advocate for students, teachers and staff and encourages all to become their best selves.
Toni Dong
Director of Administration
Toni has worked at THIS since 2009 and has served in multiple positions. Currently, she works as the Associate Director of Administration. She attended Beijing Foreign Studies University and has a Master’s degree in Linguistics.
Scott Pare
Secondary School Director
Scott Pare is originally from Ontario, Canada where he earned his teacher and principal certification. He has a B.A./B.Ed from Brock University, Ontario, Canada, a M.A. from Columbia University, NY. USA, and has served in schools in Canada, South Korea and China over the past 25 years. During his career, Mr. Pare has worked as a teacher, college counselor, curriculum director and vice principal. He is an advocate for improving the student experience and supports student choice in their learning and opportunities in a strong extracurricular program. Mr. Pare believes that one of the cornerstones of a strong educational program is relationships, and he looks forward to building relationships with all stakeholders in the THIS community.
Rachel Rudisaile
Primary School Director
Rachel Rudisaile holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education, and a Master’s degree in English as a second language and Bilingual education. As an international educator and school leader for the past 13 years, her vision revolves around creating a nurturing, culturally diverse, and academically rigorous environment that prepares students for success in the 21st century. Collaboration and open communication with parents, faculty, and staff are central to her approach. She strongly believes in building strong partnerships with families to ensure that students receive the best possible support and guidance both at school and at home. Prior to joining THIS, Rachel served as a homeroom teacher, and as an Elementary Vice Principal in Hong Kong, and in mainland China.
Benita Sumita
Associate Curriculum Director
Dr. Benita Sumita is our Associate Curriculum Director and high school Social Studies teacher. She received her Ph.D. and Master’s degrees from the University of Bradford and University of London, both in the UK, respectively. Prior to teaching at THIS, Dr. Sumita has taught undergraduates at the University of Bradford and high school students in London. She began at THIS in 2017 as the high school freshman Humanities teacher, and also taught other social studies subjects such as International Relations, Gender Studies and Introduction to Social Psychology. She now teaches AP Psychology.
Before finding her way into classrooms, her professional journey began as a researcher with the World Bank, United Nations and other think tanks in South Asia. Her ethos is rooted in the belief that education is empowerment, it is about enabling students to build a bridge between learning and living. Meanwhile in life, the most important value one ought to uphold is kindness and compassion to others, care for others and be the voice of the voiceless. #Make Stories Matter.
Weiky Liu
Associate Secondary Director
After graduating from University of Pennsylvania, Ms.Liu has worked more than 14 years for K-12 schools in both China and the US. She is core member of the preformation team for international schools under Tsinghua University High School (TUHS). She participated in the establishment of several new schools in TUHS system and worked as administrators in these schools. Ms.Liu is dedicated to promoting high-quality learning experiences for students and empowering students and teachers in THIS community.
Helen Luo
Associate Primary Director
Helen Luo holds a Master’s degree in Education Management and a certificate as a second language teacher in English. Since 2014, she has been working at THIS as a teaching assistant head, Primary Director Assistant, and now she works as the Associate Primary Director. She has been in charge of multiple tasks such as teacher professional development, and has written different papers. She cares about the holistic development of students in international education and believes that education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.
Nora Li
Associate Admission Director
Nora Li, with a master’s degree of education from the University of Miami. She is also a high school homeroom teacher. She hopes to see the growth of children on campus, cultivate upward and kind students, and continuously brighten their lives and studies. She always believed that education is not the filling of a pail but lighting of a fire.
