Director's Wave | Volume 5 Edition 26

Dear CIS Community,

Some Things to Ponder - in Chronological order

“You cannot stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting.” - Shmi Skywalker

“Nothing endures but change.” - Heraclitus 

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” - Winnie the Pooh

"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it." – Maya Angelou

Graduation

Today, our seniors graduate. Our 2025 graduating class is 63 people strong. This is the largest graduating class in CIS’ history. Our soon-to-be graduates have collectively been in school about 968 years. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the sheer scale of what this group has accomplished, they have collectively;

• Engaged in over 1,010,000 hours of classes,
• Enjoyed / endured in the range of 125,000 to 250,000 hours of homework (depending on work style and habits),
• Participated in at least 100,500 hours of extracurricular activities,
• Received countless scholarships,
• Been accepted to over 150 preferred universities and colleges.

The Class of 2025’s Valedictorian, Rosana, has been at CIS since Pre-K4, the Class of 2025’s Salutatorian, Toby, has been at CIS since Nursery, and the Class of 2025’s student speaker, Jake, has been at CIS since Nursery. The above is a testament to individual effort, family engagement, classmate support, the expertise of faculty and staff, and the enduring quality and impact of the CIS experience.

Graduation ceremonies celebrate the student. Graduation, though, is not just a landmark for students.  In many regards, graduation is also a celebration of the joys and challenges of teaching and parenthood. Some may even say that graduation may be more for parents and teachers than students. Teachers – the memories of classes, triumphs, challenges, learning and humour. Parents & Family - watching your child cross the stage to receive a well-earned diploma is a time of intense pride and nostalgia – how did time pass so fast – it can be a swirl of smiles and tears. And if you really want to see a proud person on graduation day - go talk to any grandparent!

June
The month of June is very soon-come. The month of June, for people studying in the northern hemisphere, most certainly can ignite the anticipation of summer in young people’s minds and hearts. While summer may be felt in the air (certainly in the form of heat and humidity at the moment), there is still close to 7% of the student school year remaining. In Premier League Football terms that is close to three games remaining in the season. A glance at the final standings indicates the outcome of the last three games resulted in … Man City, Chelsea, and Newcastle qualifying for the Champions League Group Stage, and Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest not qualifying. A lot happens in the final 7% of something - in the case of school, great lessons continue, as do field trips, projects, celebrations, performances, assessments. New friendships develop, old friendships change, milestones are reached, good-byes happen, and so much more.

Wishing you a smooth transition into June, congratulations to family and friends of our graduates, and of course congratulations to our Class of 2025!

Jim Urquhart
Director - Cayman International School