Director's Wave | Volume 6 Edition 23

Vol 6 Ed 23 2025-2026 SY 20 March 2026 JU

20 March 2026

Dear CIS Community,

Something to Ponder

“Technology is cool, but you’ve got to use it as opposed to letting it use you.” - Prince

Each year, the school aims to establish future calendars that balance the varied needs and preferences of the school community while supporting student learning, curricular programming, and adherence to school policies and calendar parameters, as well as those set by The Cayman Islands Government. In preparation for each school calendar, a survey is shared with the CIS Community. No school calendar is perfect for every individual or group; we all have different preferences and biases we would like reflected. Given these differences and the complexities of calendar planning, it is helpful to consider the words of philosopher Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones:  “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need.” To support effective planning, CIS strives to establish school calendars two years in advance.

With the above in mind, to help with this process we kindly ask you to complete the survey below to gather community input regarding the draft calendar for the 2027-2028 school year.

• Survey link for 2027-2028 School Year Calendar – HERE.
• For your reference: the draft calendar for 2027-2028 is found at the link - HERE.
  • Please note the survey includes an additional question, regarding the length of the student Winter / Christmas break.

Thank you in advance for your time (the survey takes about 5 minutes). Please note that the survey closes Thursday 2 April 2026. To assist, an email reminder will be sent to the CIS Community on Tuesday 24 March 2026.  If you desire more information about the parameters for CIS Calendars and frequently asked questions, please see the information after the valediction of this message.*

Wishing you a pleasant weekend.

Sincerely,

Jim

Jim Urquhart

Director - Cayman International School

*School Year Calendar - Overview of Parameters

• Minimum of 925 hours of instruction hours for students of mandatory schooling age in The Cayman Islands
• Professional Days
  • Minimum 6 In-service Days before the first days of school for students (includes New Student / Family Orientation)
  • At least 3 Professional In-Service Days during the school year (If feasible these occur after a weekend or break or are aligned with a public holiday)
  • At least 1 Professional Day after the last student day of the school year
• First day of school for students aspires to be in the second last or last full week in August (looking to maximize class time, within reason, before mid-April in relation to IB exams) and aspires to end the third week in June
• Designated Student Breaks
  • Mid-Term Break (October)
  • Winter Break (December / January and in line with The Cayman Islands Public Holidays for Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year’s)
  • Mid-Term Break (If feasible in line with Cayman Islands Public Holiday for Ash Wednesday)
  • Spring Break (In line with Cayman Islands Public Holiday for Easter)
  • No student school days from the last week of June on
• Be mindful of Cayman Islands Government School Calendars and Cayman Islands Government and Private Schools Calendar tendencies.
• The Cayman Islands Public Holidays are no school for students and staff
  • New Year’s Day - 1 January
  • National Heroes’ Day - The Fourth Monday in January
  • Ash Wednesday - Forty-Six days before Easter Sunday (the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox)
  • Good Friday - The Friday before Easter Sunday
  • Easter Monday - The Monday after Easter Sunday
  • Discovery Day - Third Monday in May
  • Caymanian General Election - In applicable years
  • Monarch’s Birthday - The Monday after the Saturday in June that is designated as the official holiday observance in the UK. Generally, the Monday after the second Saturday in June. This date does have a tendency to change.
  • Constitution Day - The first Monday in July
  • Remembrance Day - Second Monday in November
  • Christmas Day - 25 December
  • Boxing Day - 26 December
• In the event a holiday is declared for participation in local elections, professional staff who are eligible voters in Grand Cayman shall be granted a holiday only when the polling day falls on a regular Monday through Friday workday.

Additional FAQ’s Regarding Calendars

A minimum of 925 hours of instruction hours for students of mandatory schooling age in The Cayman Islands is noted - How many instruction hours does CIS generally actually provide to students?

• A CIS student in Middle School or High School typically has about 1,215 hours. This does not include additional studies that happen afterschool – thus a typical student might have in the vicinity of 1,400 when factoring things like engaging in robotics afterschool, sport, art, etc.
• A CIS student in Elementary School has about 1,170 hours with students in Kindergarten generally having about 1,035 hours.
• When considering school hours, a typical CIS student with a typical attendance record has the equivalent of 5 to 40 more days of instruction relative to other schools on island – excluding the time students may engage in afterschool / office hours programming.

Does ISS have a minimum and/or recommended number of instructional hours?

• No. Generally, though an international school would have a range of school days being 175 to 185 days depending on the country regulations and length of the school day.

I notice you share compare and contrast information of CIS fees with some other like international schools. Would they all generally have a similar number of instructional hours?

• Yes, the schools would have a similar number of instructional hours. And it would not be uncommon that they would have about 45 hours less.