Director's Wave | Volume 5 Edition 1

Dear CIS Community,

Something to Ponder

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud” - Maya Angelou

The first week of each school year is a gift of renewal – it is an annual revitalization filled with anticipation. From early childhood students cautious to leave parents for the first time … to high school students who are eager to leave their parents to reunite with friends … to staff excited about the new year...to parents experiencing a swirl of pride, excitement and trepidation - the anticipation of the first day / week / month of school is one of the many joys of serving in education.

An extended version of this message is found later in this version of the Director’s Wave, and includes; Principal Welcome Letters, general information, safety and security, family school association, used uniforms, health, hurricane season, as well as some numbers and getting ready.

We are happy to welcome 163 new students to CIS. Our new and incumbent families alike should be proud knowing that,

• CIS includes students from 47 different countries.
• CIS includes staff from 25 different countries.
• 25% of CIS students are Caymanian.
• CIS has International Baccalaureate Diploma results 10% higher than the world average.
• CIS was recently confirmed as just one of nine AMISA Distinguished schools due to demonstrating a strong commitment to supporting faculty and staff at high level. AMISA stands for American International Schools in the Americas.
• CIS’ excellent rating is based on inspection on instruction and achievement in Maths, Science and English, as well as Student Support and Leadership (Office of Education Standards Report here).
• CIS governed and owned by the non-profit International Schools Services (ISS).

On behalf of the Cayman International School Team, I extend warm wishes to all students and families as we near the 2024-2025 school year. Collectively, we are fortunate to be part of the CIS community. Our principles of kindness, sustainability, good intent and partnership aid our students’ and community’s growth. Partnerships are crucial in creating the best learning environment possible. A key component of a good partnership is communication. The CIS Weekly Current (our weekly newsletter that goes out on Fridays during the school year) is an excellent source of information. The electronic age helps communication (or possibly creates communication clutter), yet face to face time still remains paramount. I hope to see you at school for the following events.

Save the Dates

• Welcome Back BBQ - Saturday, 31 August @ 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm.
• Elementary School Back-to-School Night - Tuesday 27 August @ 5:30 pm.
• Middle School Back-to-School Night - Thursday 29 August @ 5:30 pm.
• High School Back-to-School Night - Thursday 5 September @ 5:30 pm.
• New Parent Director Coffee - Friday, September 13 @ 8:15 am.
• CIS Community Learning Series and Parent Meetings - Look for details in future CIS Weekly Currents.
• Conferences
  • Thursday 7 November - 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
  • Friday 8 November - 8:00 am to 4:30 pm - NB: No classes for students on this day.
• And it was a pleasure to see so many people at the Early Childhood School Back-to-School Evening earlier this week.

As Maya Angelou shares, as we enter further in the storm season in our region.  “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Thank you for being part of the CIS Community. On behalf of the CIS team, warm wishes to all for the 2024-2025 school year.

Sincerely,

Jim Urquhart
Director - Cayman International School

Extended Version of this Edition of the Director's Wave