Director's Wave | Volume 6 Edition 32

Vol 6 Ed 32 2025-2026 SY 29 May 2026 JU

Dear CIS Community,

Some Things to Ponder

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

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 some rain and humidity at the moment), there is still close to 7% of the student school year remaining. In pop-culture movie terms … We have not yet learned that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father in the Empire Strikes Back, Jaws is still alive in the first Jaws movie, and Mark still has not come to the door with cue cards to profess his love to Juliet in Love Actually. A lot happens in the final 7% of something - in the case of school, great lessons continue, as do field trips, projects, celebrations, performances, and assessments. New friendships develop, old friendships change, milestones are reached, good-byes happen, and so much more.

Graduation

Today, our seniors graduate - the 2026 graduating class is 47 people strong. Our soon-to-be graduates have collectively been in school about 710 years. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the sheer scale of what this group has accomplished, they have collectively;

• Engaged in over 1,000,000 hours of classes.
• Enjoyed / endured in the range of 100,000 to 200,000 hours of homework (depending on work style and habits).
• Participated in at least 80,000 hours of extracurricular activities.
• Received countless scholarships.
• Been accepted to over 175 preferred universities and colleges around the world.

The Class of 2026’s Valedictorian, Salutatorian and Student Speaker have been at CIS a collective 32 years.  Eighteen of our 47 graduates received the Nimmi Shaker Award for being at CIS at least ten years. 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 members and friends - 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!

Wishing you a smooth transition into June, congratulations to family and friends of our graduates, and of course congratulations to our Class of 2026! Peace be your journey.

Jim

Jim Urquhart

Director - Cayman International School