BASIS Independent Schools, a globally recognized network of private schools celebrated for exceptional outcomes, is proud to announce that Dr. Helen Min will lead BASIS Independent Dublin as its founding Head of School. With a deep commitment to academic excellence, Dr. Min brings a wealth of experience in teaching, leadership, and curriculum development to lead this new community.
We sat with Dr. Min to discuss her vision and goals for the future BASIS Independent Dublin community.
What is your vision for BASIS Independent Dublin, and how do you plan to implement it?
I hope to build on the rigor and excellent programs built at existing Bay Area campuses such as Fremont and Silicon Valley, while being responsive to the specific needs of the Dublin community. It’s essential for students to have a balance of academic rigor, extracurriculars, and social-emotional support. The most important foundation for a new school is the leadership and faculty, and that’s where we will begin – by building a strong and talented team of administrators and Subject Expert Teachers to establish BASIS Independent Dublin.
How would you describe your leadership style, and how do you adapt it to meet the needs of different groups (students, faculty, parents, etc.)?
I would describe my leadership as collaborative. I strive for transparency and to share decision-making when possible and credit where it is due. That said, I also strive to take responsibility for what happens and reflect and learn when mistakes happen. I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other, and while listening and collaboration take time, the outcome is worth the investment. With the different stakeholders and groups in a school community, it’s important to be responsive, but I will also rely on and work together with my team and staff to serve our community. It is important to remember that no one person stands alone when they represent a community.
What are the key values that should drive a school’s culture, and how do you foster these values in your community?
To me, key values that underpin the culture of a successful school are mutual respect and care for one another, curiosity and critical thinking, a love of learning, and a growth mindset for our students and for ourselves. While our students are certainly academically ambitious and high achievers, we also want to recognize and reward their efforts to build community, to look forward to being part of something bigger than themselves, and to take ownership in their learning. An important way to foster these values is to build and reinforce the culture together – leadership, faculty, families, and students – and to hold each other accountable in a supportive way.
How do you plan to balance academic excellence with the emotional and social well-being of students?
Academic excellence and the emotional and social well-being of students go hand in hand. For three years, I was the Director of Student Affairs at the BASIS Independent Fremont Lower campus, and when a student was struggling academically, we would approach this challenge from all fronts – helping them develop better executive functioning skills, independence, and accountability in their learning process, while also providing support and reinforcement for their academic learning. You really can’t have one without the other. We look for every opportunity to build on the practices of making good choices and reflecting on one’s growth and behavior, both in and out of the classroom. For older students, it’s also critical to involve them as the drivers of their learning. At the BASIS Independent Fremont Upper campus, students lead a lot of the after-school clubs, and this is a great way to foster their own interests and to give them agency in their own school experience. I’d like to continue this practice.
How do you plan to involve parents in the life of the school and ensure open lines of communication with them?
It is a typical pattern that parent involvement in school drops off as students get older. We also see that with older students, they may not tell their parents too much about what’s happening to them at school. It’s important to bridge this gap by creating opportunities for parents to be on campus to celebrate their students during school events, ceremonies, and competitions. It’s also essential to have a strong connection between parents and faculty, so that our Subject Expert Teachers proactively reach out to parents to keep them informed about their child’s learning, and parents and families, in turn, feel that they can reach out to them with questions. We also want to build the skills of self-advocacy and independence with students, so they are also taking the initiative to communicate with their teachers and families as well.
Are there any particular school traditions you are excited to implement at Dublin?
I look forward to cultural celebrations from our community, such as Diwali and Lunar New Year. Our parents contribute greatly to these celebrations, and there are many joyful and fun moments. I’m also excited for Spirit Week, Art Festival, performing arts events, Project Week, Senior Projects, and more! It’s truly special to see our community members come together in this way.
Tell us of your proudest moment during your time with BASIS Independent Schools.
One of my proudest moments at BASIS Independent Fremont was the grade 5 graduation at the end of my first full school year. I had headed the planning of the event and party for families and staff after, and it was such a wonderful way to conclude my first year as part of this community. It is truly wonderful to share a moment of such pride, celebration, and excitement with students and parents as they transition to their middle school years.
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