Cayman Islands Celebrates First IB Graduate

SPRING 2011
Volume XXVI Number 3
Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Cayman Islands Celebrates First IB Graduate
By: Jeremy Moore
Secondary Principal, Cayman International School
A
historic milestone has
been achieved in the
Cayman Islands, for
both the Cayman International
School (CIS), and for one very
special student. Taylor Ribbons
is the first high school student in
the Cayman Islands to achieve
the prestigious distinction of
graduating with an International
Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. The
IB program is globally recognized
as the most rigorous and prestigious
high school curriculum for students
anywhere in the world. There
are 138 countries around the world
authorized in this program,
with 2,201 schools offering this
diploma. Universities around
the world welcome the unique
characteristics of IB Diploma
Program students and recognize
the way in which the program
helps to prepare students for
university-level education.
Students who earn this diploma
have significantly higher
acceptance rates to the most
prestigious universities and all
higher education institutions
across the globe, and are
granted college credits for their
accomplishments.
What is IB? IB is an
educational philosophy and a
formalized curriculum. Over
the course of the two-year
IB program, students study
six subjects chosen from six
subject groups, complete
a formalized Extended
Essay, follow a Theory of
Knowledge Course (TOK),
and participate in Creativity,
L–R: Troy Bajardi, IB Coordinator; Taylor Ribbins; Jeremy Moore, Secondary
Principal
Action, Service (CAS). The
IB organization states, “The
aim of all IB programs is to
develop internationally minded
people who, recognizing
their common humanity and
shared guardianship of the
planet, helping to create a
better and more peaceful
world.” The IB educational
philosophy is translated into
action through the IB Learner
Profile. This profile guides
IB students in striving to be
Inquirers, Communicators,
Knowledgeable, Thinkers,
Principled, Open-minded,
Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced,
and Reflective. These
attributes are purposefully and
deliberately instilled in students
by educators in IB programs.
(continued on page 2)
An Historical Event
SCIS Hosts Festival of the Arts
(Story on page 14)
Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students performing their African drumming dance in the Anansi play.
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ISS’ Mary Anne Haas with TIE’s Forest Broman and Harlan Lyson, ISS consultant,
the recipient of this year’s Stanley Haas Award. The award was presented at the
recent AAIE conference in San Francisco.
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NewsLinks Spring 2011
People & Places
SCIS Hosts Festival of the Arts
By Amy Brummit
SCIS Theatre Director
S
Photos by Steve Clark and Christi Chase
hanghai Community International
School’s (SCIS) Pudong campus
recently hosted the extravaganza
A Festival of the Arts by the Mini for
the Many! It was an evening highlighting
the diversity of the school through
visual arts, music, dance, and dramatic
art. Parents began the evening with a
walking tour of student created artwork
which included tribal masks, artistic
Actors performing in the Caribbean tale The Cat and the Rat.
photographs, and beautiful still art all
showcased for everyone to enjoy.
After the art gallery walk, the
audience was treated to a first-class
performance by the entire SCIS lower
school student body, with all students
playing a vital role. Led by our dedicated
production team, students prepared
for months for the performance. The
production began with the harmonious
Narrators for the Japanese play The Stonecutter.
Santa Lucia singers from Northern
Europe gracing the audience with
traditional songs. From there, the
students took it away and performed 3
multicultural tales, each representing a
different part of the world.
Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
staged a traditional West African tale
about Anansi, a popular figure in stories
due to his cleverness. First and Second
graders performed The Stonecutter,
a Japanese folktale in which the lead
character learns to be content with his
life. Finally, our third, fourth, and fifth
graders performed The Cat and the Rat,
a traditional tale from Jamaica.
The evening marked the
accumulation of months of preparation
and learning for SCIS students. While
the performance was a huge success,
(continued on next page)
Kindergarten students performing in the West
African Anansi play.
Spring 2011 NewsLinks
Page 15
People & Places
SCIS Hosts Festival of the Arts
(continued)
the goal was much larger than one night
of work. The production was about
building an appreciation of what it
means to come together as a community
and work as a team to experience
something that everyone can take
pride in. Interweaving the multicultural
theme only added to the experience
for students, as our diverse population
collectively took a story from paper and
made it come alive on the stage.
The Multicultural Festival of
A Heartfelt Valentine’s Day Gift
the Arts further highlighted SCIS’s
commitment to educating the whole
child. An education in the arts supports
not only children’s intellectual
development, but also their personal
and social development. It strengthens
problem-solving and critical thinking
skills, and helps students develop
self-confidence, self-discipline, and
persistence. SCIS is proud of this and
will remain dedicated to providing a
complete educational experience. !
Cayman International School students gave a heartfelt gift to the Cayman Islands Hospice Association
on Valentine’s Day. In addition to making valentines for the patients, the students contributed a dollar
each to raise money to help the association with their various needs for hospice patients.
Actors performing in the Caribbean tale The Cat and the Rat.
ISD is a dynamic, growing school of 500 students perched on
the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Our students come from over
50 countries; ISD is a truly international school. Please review
our website at www.isdakar.org for more information.
Interested candidates can send resume
and supporting documents to the Director at
director.isdakar@gmail.com