Director's Wave | Volume 5 Edition 21

Dear CIS Community

Something to Ponder

"On our island in the midst of the beautiful sea, we are navigating toward horizons of excellence, guided by the stars of our shared principles, vision, and mission." - Demetrius Airdchartdan

As the turquoise waters of our islands’ shorelines reflect the morning light, I find myself inspired by the journey ahead for our Cayman International School Community. As tents are planted on the shoreline for the islands’ tradition of family, friends, and fellowship during the Easter / Spring Break, I wish to provide a brief update about the CIS vision for the future. Keeping with the sea analogy - a navigational map, if you will, that will guide our school from strength to greater strength toward even greater heights of excellence and impact.

After thoughtful collaboration with our board, faculty, staff, parents, partners and students, including analyses of survey data, international schools data, trends, and regional data, combined with review of inspection, accreditation, and authorization reports, as well as student, staff, and parent focus groups to list a few modalities of information gathering and assessment, I am pleased to share CIS’ upcoming strategic imperatives. These five strategic imperatives represent not just our aspirations but our continued commitment to action in service of our mission, vision, and principles. They represent five vertices of a star with one vision.

Our Five Strategic Imperatives

• Innovative Programming
• Mission-Inspired People
• Constituent Engagement
• World-Class Learning Environment
• Sustainable Practices

These imperatives are not simply checkboxes to complete but transformative pathways. Using a food-based analogy, these five items are merely the “amuse bouche” to the full meal. We will share more about the CIS Strategic Plan at the next FSA meeting on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in the MPR.

For planning purposes, please remember the following dates in which there are no regular classes for students, including Cayman Islands Public Holidays.

• Friday 11 April 2025 - Conferences
• Friday 18 April 2025 to Monday 28 April 2025 - Spring / Easter Break
• Wednesday 30 April 2025 - General Election and Referendum Day
• Monday 5 May 2025 - Emancipation Day
• Monday 19 May 2025 - Discovery Day

Wishing you a lovely day, and week.

Sincerly,

Jim Urquhart
Director - Cayman International School