The moment has come when I am saying goodbye to you, dear members of TES community. Or maybe it is rather “See you soon!” – the future will tell. But even if we will not be able to greet each other on a daily basis, the distance will not break this bond I have with our school, with TES pupils, parents, and most of all, with my dear colleagues.
Life teaches us every day that nothing is forever and that we must make choices. The decision to take on board new challenges was not easy for me to take. Still, as similar opportunities do not emerge very often in one’s life, I decided to take the chance and start directing European School Brussels IV from September 2022.
On the other hand, what makes it easier to leave is that I will leave our school in the good and caring hands of my colleagues and, moreover, in the care of the diligent and proficient management of TES new director, Mr Ian KARELL. I wish him wholeheartedly the best of success in his new position!
I am delighted to have been able to contribute to the progress and improvement of our school, and I am very proud of what TES is today. I thank you all for the time spent together and the moments shared. I will remember the best of ourselves.
If I have to say goodbye now, know that despite the distance, TES will always be present in my heart. I wish you all a good continuation and good luck to TES in all future projects.
Markko MATTUS
TES Director until 19.08.2022
Dear TES Community,
It is difficult for me to express how honored and excited I am to be given this opportunity to lead our school. As many of you know, I have been part of the TES community for eight years and am deeply devoted to the development of our school as the source of our students’ personal, social, and academic growth.
My goal as director is to serve our community with stability and competence as we continue to cement crucial procedures and traditions in place. We have made tremendous progress building an institution that has become a staple in our community. And while our journey has been a successful one, I believe we still have many opportunities to reach our full potential in pursuing our vision as being the epicenter of international education in Estonia and the home of innovated learning in the Baltics.
Here, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Markko Mattus for everything he has done for our school during his tenure and for being a role model for all of us as educators. When I first applied for a role as a teacher at TES, my motivation letter started with the sentence “As a teacher, I know that I am still a student.” The same applies in this case: As a leader, I know that I am still a student—our learning journey is never truly complete. I enthusiastically await engaging with the talented individuals and wealth of knowledge that make up our community as we work together to ensure our school is the best it can be.
Thank you for your trust and collaboration as we begin this new chapter in the history of Tallinn European School. I wish everyone a fun and productive week preparing for the beginning of the year!
Ian KARELL
TES Director from 22.08.2022
Message from the selection committee:
The selection committee as a whole was very honored to be trusted in choosing TES’ new director. Selection committee members included representatives of the school’s parents, employees, and foundation members. We as a committee agreed that we would like to find a director who would be open, transparent, and understands TES’ challenges and opportunities, as well as TES’ values, legacy and what lies ahead. By the end of the selection process, the committee decided to choose Ian to be the new director of Tallinn European School. We are delighted to support Ian in his new position, and we wish you all a lovely new school year. We would also like to express our deepest gratitude towards Markko, who has tirelessly worked for the development of TES and its community.
On behalf of the selection committee:
Triin KAAVER
Member of the Council Foundation Euroopa Kool
Parimate soovidega/ Meilleures salutations/ Kindest regards/ Ystävallisin terveisin/ Mit freundlichen Grüßen
