SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

PRINCIPALS

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.

Patrick Smith

Academic Principal

Patrick Smith is joining THIS as the Academic Principal for the 2022-2023 school year with 31 years of experience working in preK – 12 grade schools.  He holds a B.A. in secondary education and an M.Ed. in educational administration, and is a licensed principal, superintendent, and holds certification as  Professional in Human Capital Leadership in Education (pHCLE). Patrick has 10 years of service as a school administrator at elementary, middle, and high schools in Texas, and taught for three years at The American School of El Salvador.  Patrick believes project-based learning and authentic assessments are key to support students reaching their maximum potential.  He is trained in continuous improvement process management, and utilizes collaborative leadership strategies with all stakeholders in the school community to build upon effective teaching and learning practices.  He challenges teachers to develop and implement lessons centered on inquiry-based learning strategies focused on student outcomes.  Patrick believes our role as educators is to prepare students for learning and career opportunities and choices through comprehensive rigorous and relevant academic and co-curricular programs.

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.

DIRECTORS

Britni Padilla

Primary School Director

Britni Padilla has served in education for 10 years. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and a Master’s degree in Education, with an emphasis in Literacy. Britni was a 4th grade teacher at Tsinghua International School for 3 years before becoming the Primary Director in 2019. Prior to working at THIS, Britni taught in California. During her time at THIS, she has worked to ensure high academic standards and to strengthen teacher and administrator’s relationships with students and parents.

Dieu-Anh Nguyen

Secondary School Director

Dieu-Anh Nguyen brings over 25 years of experience as a professional educator. She has worked in schools across the United States, the Middle East, and most recently in Asia. She has been a classroom teacher, program specialist, educational consultant, and a school administrator at both the primary and secondary levels. She is passionate about building caring and responsive learning environments that promote discovery and engagement in students. As Secondary School Director, Dieu-Anh is committed to carrying on the traditions and practices that best showcase THIS’s core values as well as, in collaboration with the entire school community, will continue to find ways to further optimize resources, cultivate trust and transparency, and empower others to lead.

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.

Weiky Liu

Assistant 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.

Ming Wong

Director of College Counselling

Ming was born in Fujian, China and moved to the United States at childhood. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Yale University in East Asian Studies and Master degree in Global Studies in Education from University of Illinois-Champaign. She made brilliant achievements while acting as the College Counselling at THHS. With nearly five years of experience counseling students regarding various topics in international education, she has guided more than one hundred students through the college application process to the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, China, Korea, Japan, and Singapore. As a college counselor, she loves working with students to identify their interests and passions and guiding students to pursue their academic goals. She believes fervently in the concept of Best Fit when it comes to making a college list and works with students to enhance and best highlight their strengths on their college applications worldwide. Bilingual in English and Mandarin, Ming is more than thrill to work with students and families in their search for higher education.