Head of School                                      

 Welcome to CCI and thank you for considering the opportunities that our school affords young people.

Choosing a school is a daunting task; choosing an international boarding school is especially daunting. It is for you and it has been for others, just like you. But consider for a moment what you may gain as a consequence. In her graduation speech in June 2011, one of our graduates summed up her experience in part with these words.    

“If I hadn’t come to this school, I wouldn’t have ever realized that my opinions could matter if I make them matter. I would never have realized that my knowledge and experiences could affect others and their perspectives. I would never have realized that I have the tools, because of my education and my upbringing and my experiences, to affect change.

We are young and we were lucky enough to be sent to school and sent abroad to try something that most of us haven’t tried before. I’ve learned that there is no shame in trying something new and it is never ridiculous to be open to new ideas and experiences.”

To witness as the Head of a School the profound growth that our students undergo is a real privilege. Living and learning together as we do in a small community affords everyone and especially the students, many chances to stretch themselves through new experiences. Living and learning together in Italy adds a whole other dimension to school life that none of us would otherwise have.    

I have been a teacher for 35 years in both the publicly funded and independent schools. During that time, I have served as Head of School first at Holy Trinity School in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada for 18 years before taking on my current role as Head of School at CCI last year.

During my career, I have served on the Board and as Board Chair for the Conference of Independent Schools (Ontario), as a member of the Board for Montcrest School and also on the Board for Canadian Educational Standards Institute. Furthermore, I have developed and delivered full day workshops on school governance and on the nature of the life and work of new Heads of School.      

My wife and I have three daughters. Our eldest is the Alumni Liaison Officer for Crescent School in Toronto, Ontario. Our middle daughter is an Associate Faculty member at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. Our youngest daughter attends Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Anyone who has the chance to attend CCI will indeed be fortunate. I look forward to welcoming you to Lanciano, Italy and to CCI.

George Rutherford

Head of School