Director's Wave | Volume 6 Edition 12

5 December 2025

Dear CIS Community,

Something to Ponder

"You can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights." - Maya Angelou

The month of December is here. This month tends to captivate many people due to the festive season regardless of one’s beliefs and traditions. December also happens to be a good time to be mindful of health and safety, in addition to fun, food, family, friends and festivities.

Health - Seasonal Ills, Rest, Nutrition and Exercise

December can signal the arrival of flu season or at least coughs, sniffles, sore throats and stomach ailments. As a reminder, the following items are suggested from our health office;

• Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub, avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Get plenty of sleep and exercise, and eat healthily, and cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze (or cough or sneeze into your elbow).
• If one happens to be sick with a flu-like illness, please stay home for at least twenty-four hours after your fever subsides.

We appreciate the community’s cooperation when it comes to health.

Fitness - Rest, Nutrition and Exercise

It is unequivocal that proper rest, appropriate nutrition and regular exercise help us learn and contribute positively to physical and social/emotional health. The above can be easier said than done. Nonetheless, please do all you can to ensure your child is well rested, eats well and engages in movement. This can be especially challenging as the festive season tends to involve social events. The above, of course, is good advice for us as adults too - naturally may be even more easily said than done.

Safety - Roads, Parking and Traffic

There are more cars in the Cayman Islands than people. The high season of tourism also means more vehicles on the road, including some people not familiar with driving on the left side of the road. Please drive with care, watch for people and be patient with fellow drivers, especially around the school and those with an “L” or rental markings on their vehicle. Our security team and others are visible in the parking area to assist with the safe flow of cars and people, yet ultimately we count on you to drive with care and courtesy.

• On and around campus there are Accessible Parking Spaces, Expectant Mother Parking Spaces, Taxi and Visitor Parking Spaces. The spaces are not to be used by people without accessibility issues, who are not expecting and who are not visitors to the school.
• Please drive with care, watch for pedestrians, be alert for cyclists, wary of scooter users, and patient with drivers.
• The speed limit within and around our campus is 15 mph 24 km/h.

Whatever your plans may be in the coming weeks, may you enjoy the festivities of the season, whilst being alert and mindful of personal and community health and safety. If you are looking to enjoy some musical and artistic stylings of our students - December is the performance,  concert and musical season too. This all starts tonight with the musical stylings of our students during open mic in Camana Bay.

Whatever you may be doing this month - may it make you just as happy, pleased and ever so slightly embarrassed as your Spotify Wrapped Top Songs of the Year makes you feel.

Sincerely,

Jim

Jim Urquhart

Director - Cayman International School