2025 New Principle

After a long selection process involving four main applicants and many rounds of interviews, as of July 2025, SSIS will be welcoming a new High School Principal, Mr. Daniel (Dan) Smith. 

Mr. Smith comes to SSIS with over two decades of experience in leadership positions at different schools in the US, India, and Thailand. Singapore is the latest on the list where, at the Canadian International School (Lakeside), he served as Secondary Principal from 2021 to now. His tenure there gives him a depth of experience in education and building meaningful, genuine relationships with teachers, parents, and students alike.

In terms of education, he holds diplomas and credentials from prestigious universities such as the Teacher’s College of Columbia University in New York where he obtained his Master of Education in Private School Leadership and a Master of Arts in Social Science. He received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Russian Studies at Brigham Young University (BYU), Provo, Utah.

Though not yet an official staff member, Mr. Smith is not new to SSIS. It was actually 2014 when Mr. Smith made his first impressions of our school on a visit. “At that time I left knowing it was a special community with great potential,” he noted, and since his visit ten years ago, that view hasn’t changed. 

“I was thrilled to see the new STEAM building and learn of the new opportunities it provides now and still presents to expand learning experiences for students in the future. But above all my impressions came from interactions with the community. It is tremendous to see school leaders, faculty and especially students that are proud to be a part of their school and speak with enthusiasm about the experiences they have each day.”

When speaking of his goals coming into the 2025-2026 school year, Mr. Smith expressed great enthusiasm for becoming a key part of the SSIS community. “I believe there is tremendous optimism and enthusiasm for SSIS to be a truly outstanding school for each student,” he explains. “My first priority is to engage that momentum by seeking to support the best of what’s in place for continued success and meaningful growth.

“Beyond that my aim is to listen and learn. I can most effectively help SSIS by empowering the great ideas that students, parents and teachers bring towards continuous improvement of an outstanding school.”

Expect to see him all around the school in and out of classrooms at sports games and school events.

During his recent visit to the school in September a few students and parents got the opportunity to meet and speak with him. However, due to the shortness of his visit, not all members of the student body got a chance to get to know him. Fortunately, we were able to get in touch with Mr. Smith and he was happy to provide us with a short interview which can be read below.

Describe your ideal day. What would it look like?

The best days at school are those that allow me to be outside my office with time to greet students as they arrive in the morning, visit or even join a class activity, support student council or another student group, chat with a student about the book they’ve just checked out from the library, and attend an after school competition or performance. It may sound sad, but I also enjoy a good meeting. Collaborating with colleagues or students in ways that are productive toward a future opportunity or improvement is very satisfying over time. The simple things can make a difference too: no rain during school arrival time, no food running out at lunch and an empty email box at the end of the day.

If it’s a vacation, an ideal day starts with a great coffee and pastry, exploring a cultural or historic site and then an afternoon poolside with a good book.

What is on your bucket list?

I don’t keep much of a formal bucket list, the closest might be my Goodreads “want to read” list. It grows faster than I can read but I do enjoy using it as a way to consider what I want to read and learn in the future. Without a specific list in mind I do prioritize travel and hope to explore many new places in the years ahead. And if I ever had a bucket list desire to be “well known” in the broader international schools profession it is increasingly shifting to the value of being “known well” and knowing others well in my own learning community. 

What is one of your favorite memories from your schooldays?

I can certainly consider highlight moments like being in the school production of A Midsummer Night”s Dream, favorite moments on the soccer or basketball team, working through science labs, study sessions, or successfully finding meaning after slogging through difficult texts in English. But they are all given life, color and meaning by the people that were involved. Even when an outcome was a personal achievement or moment of personal self actualization, I can recognize now how the hands of others made that possible. If any moment sums this up best it might be driving home from California at the end of our senior year road trip. In a car full of beach sand, dirty clothes and laughter celebrating a break away from school we also took turns to read aloud the Freud chapters due for discussion the next Monday morning because we knew Mr. Bennett would be equally enthusiastic to hear about our travels as he would to ask us tough questions about psychoanalytic theory. The people made the moments.

Thank you for your reply, Mr. Smith! Welcome to SSIS! We’re looking forward to welcoming you.