Director's Wave | Volume 6 Edition 25

Vol 6 Ed 25 2025-2026 SY 1 April 2026 JU

Dear CIS Community,

Something to Ponder

With MIddle School and High School report cards, and grade 3 to grade 10 MAP science updates going home on Thursday 2 April, as well as whole school conferences being 16 and 17 - it seems like a fitting time to share fictitious yet plausible report comments of some influential people from the past and present.

• “He seems lost in space.” - Stephen Hawking
• “She does not follow rules.” - Viola Desmond
• “He is too stubborn.” - Terry Fox
• “She questions too much.” - Christiane Amanpour
• “He has unrealistic dreams.” - Mahatma Gandhi
• “He never sits still.” - Lionel Messi
• “She needs to mind her own business.”- Mingzhu Dong. 

Parents' approaches to report card review and conference reflection tend to span a wide spectrum. Some scrutinize each item on report cards and address each item point by point with their child. Some look solely for results, whilst others look for learning. Some parents do not read report cards due to their child’s choice or not being home when the report cards come out. Perhaps you have heard of a parent giving a child a car for what was deemed a good report card (though the child thought their report card was mediocre).  Or perhaps you have learned of a child being spanked for what was deemed a poor report card (though the child thought their report card was good). In my role, I have been fortunate or unfortunate to see a gamut of family approaches to report cards and assessments. We have roughly 1,625 parents and guardians in the CIS Community. Thus, it is quite possible that there are close to 1,625 different approaches to report card reading within the CIS community alone.

Should it be helpful, below are five tips / approaches to consider based on what we know with respect to how children internalize feedback. Of note, these approaches may also be helpful when talking with your child about school in general, conferences and even what might be going on in their life.

1. Share praise and celebrations with specific examples. Rather than saying “great job in Science” – say, “your hard work in preparing your Science projects in advance really makes a difference in learning.”
2. Share praise with care. If your child consistently does well in all areas of school that are reported, saying “great job” can quickly lose meaning. Saying things like, “great job, you are so smart” can lead to challenges in the future when your child struggles with something and assumes they are not smart because they did not do a great job. If your child consistently has a strong report card, consider reminding them what might have contributed to the strong performance in school, things like, hard work, getting rest, listening, cooperating with classmates, talking clear notes, asking relevant questions, and taking time to get organized.
3. Give your child a voice. Ask your child how they think and feel they are doing. Ask them how they feel about their learning. This approach is particularly helpful if you feel your child is struggling or finds school difficult - asking such questions provides the indication that you, as the parent, are ready to listen (as opposed to judge - which is often a child’s big worry). This in turn can set up a scenario where your child is more likely to listen to potential suggestions you may have later. This will also help your child focus on areas of improvement and the notion of working to get better, as well as feeling satisfaction about areas where she/he has excelled.
4. Consider talking about the report card while going for a walk, or driving in a car or any other scenario when you both are looking in the same direction rather than eye to eye. This approach can be of particular assistance when talking with a boy.
5. Separate your child from the report card. Adults and children alike do not want their self-worth tied into one report, one assessment or one conference. Children and adults alike are so much more than one report and one conference.

Thank you for your time in reading the Director’s Wave, as well as your continued patience and understanding regarding the roadworks south of the school. Wishing you a pleasant Easter / Spring celebration - please be reminded that school resumes for students on Tuesday 14 April 2026.

Sincerely,

Jim

Jim Urquhart

Director - Cayman International School