Greetings from the ISD Board of Trustees.

The Board held its first regular monthly meeting for this school year on 7 September 2017.  The main focus of the evening was to confirm the draft goals that we had set at our Board Retreat.  As is tradition, we also received our annual “State of Education” update from the Administration, so that Trustees are well aware of the way our students are achieving academically.

Board Goals 2017-18

In addition to its regular business (such as financial oversight, policy development, and evaluation of the Director), the Board has set three goals for this year:

The goals have been designed to address key governance issues for the school in the coming year.  A Board Committee will be responsible for progressing each goal.  If you have any questions or comments, you are welcome to contact the relevant Committee Chair via our email address boardbox@isd.sn.

Goal 1 – Governance and Development Committee Chair: Jennifer Grant

We are growing our International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, preparing to implement the Primary Years Program (in candidate status), and investigating whether the school should adopt the Middle Years Program. Through this Board goal, we will develop and implement a professional development program that facilitates the dissemination of key information that Trustees need to make informed strategic decisions on these and other school initiatives.

Goal 2 – Buildings and Grounds Committee Chair: Aylin Karahan

The development of the Performing Arts Centre and Gymnasium is a significant investment for the school’s future.  Construction will commence during this school year.  Through this Board goal, we will ensure we undertake our governance role in the project successfully.  This includes oversight over processes and finances to ensure that the Administration carries out the project in a compliant, transparent, and ethical manner.

Goal 3 – Policy Committee Chair: Jennifer Davis

The Board is responsible for setting and monitoring the strategic direction of the school.  We are now half way through our Five Year Strategic Plan.   This Board goal sees us evaluating our progress against the Strategic Plan and also involves reflection the ways the school is living out the ideals in the guiding statements.

Director’s Goals

At the Board meeting, Alan Knobloch also presented his Director’s Goals.  Like the Board goals, these are linked to the Strategic Plan.  The Director will explain his goals in his own Jag Journal post; however, I will note here that the Board voted to accept his goals for the year.

Other business arising from the Board Retreat

We also settled and approved the members of our Committees for the year and approved our Governance Agreement.  This document sets out the responsibilities of the Board as a whole and as individuals, the division of responsibility between the Board and the Administration, and procedures we agree to follow in our meetings.

“State of Education” Presentation

Using MAP test results, Alan Knobloch presented information about the way ISD students are performing, focusing on the changes in performance over time. He also shared some uplifting emails received from parents about their experiences of being part of the school community.  Paul Lennon, IB Coordinator, provided the Board with a summary of the performance of the IB Diploma students and also the Grade 12 students who did not choose to complete the full IB Diploma (these students graduate with a US recognised High School Certificate).  He also outlined the goals that have been set for the IB program looking ahead. 

Next meeting

The next meeting of the ISD Board of Trustees will be on Thursday 5 October at 6.00 pm (refreshments served from 5.30 pm) in the Administration Building Conference Room.  Parents and faculty are welcome to attend as observers (it was great to welcome three parents at our September meeting).  The Board can be contacted on boardbox@isd.sn.

Kind regards,

Louisa Gibbs

Chair, ISD Board of Trustees

Welcome ISD families, new and old, to the start of the school year!  The ISD Board looks forward to engaging with you as we work strategically to safekeep and develop our school during 2017-2018.

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the school.  It is made up of nine volunteer parent trustees and five non-voting members: a representative of the US Ambassador, a faculty representative, the School Director, the Elementary School Principal, and the Secondary School Principal.

If you see us around the campus, please do introduce yourselves and feel free to ask questions.

I will post monthly reports about Board activities and decisions here on the Jag Journal.  You can also see minutes of our meetings physically posted in the glass cabinet at the front of the school.  Parents and staff are invited to attend monthly Board meetings as observers.  We can be contacted via our email address: info@boardbox.sn.

The next Board meeting will be our Annual Retreat from 24-26 August to plan the year’s activities.  Our work this year is broad reaching, covering development of facilities (including the building of the new Performing Arts Centre and Gymnasium), introduction of the International Baccalaureate Organisation’s Primary Years Program plus consideration of whether ISD should apply for candidacy to the Middle Years Program, and a review of our progress against our five year strategic plan.  We continue to have oversight of the school’s finances and will consider a number of changes to school policy throughout the year.

We also welcome a new Board Assistant:  Wendy Kinyeki.  Many of you will have met Wendy in her role as ISD’s Receptionist.  The Board Assistant supports the Board with coordination and administrative tasks and we are looking forward to welcoming Wendy to our team.

If you would like to know more about the role of the Board, scroll through the posts below, or read the description on the school’s website: http://isdakar.org/main/about/board.php

Kind regards,

Louisa Gibbs, Chair, ISD Board of Trustees

Greetings from the ISD Board of Trustees.  We hope all ISD families are enjoying these last few weeks of the 2016-2017 school year.

The ISD Board held its last monthly meeting for the school year on 11 May 2017.  Both our outgoing Trustees and those new Trustees elected at the Annual General Meeting were in attendance.  Here are some highlights of the meeting.

ISD Recruiting Strategy

In this month’s educational update, Alan Knobloch gave a comprehensive overview of the recruitment process for attracting and employing teachers.  The Board learned about how recruitment fairs work and strategies that ISD has put in place with the aim to attract the best teachers early in the recruitment rounds.  We also watched the promotional film that senior film students produced a few years ago, which is used as part of our marketing – it was terrific!

Reports by representatives

Both our US Ambassador’s Representative and Faculty Representatives will change in the new school year.  The Board thanked Jenna Diallo and Sandra Goldsborough for their tremendous contributions to the Board.  Jenna and Sandra then introduced the new representatives:  Eric Davis, who is a lawyer with US AID and has a daughter Elena going into grade 5 next year is the new US Ambassador’s Representative.  Catharina Wright-Guess, Middle School / High School English teacher is the new Faculty representative.

These representatives are non-voting members of the Board and provide a value voice to Board discussions.

Policy amendments

The Board had a second reading of three policy items: the introduction of the Child Protection Policy, minor amendments to wording in the Harassment and Student Probation policies and minor wording amendments to the Obligations to Staff Policy.  The Board voted unanimously to adopt these policies.

Pre-K 4 full day program

The Board considered a proposal from the school administration to extend the Pre-K 4 program to a full day.  The request came via Susan Kusiima, Admissions Coordinator (reporting strong parent demand for a full day program) and Elementary School Principal Kelly Chumrau (who explained the educational benefits of a full day program for Pre-K 4).

The Board voted to adopt a full day program from 2017-2018 onwards, with an option for a half day in 2017-2018, recognising that there were current Pre-K 3 parents who enrolled their children this year on the understanding that the Pre-K 4 program was a half day. 

Performing Arts Centre timeline

Suzanne Wardini, Assistant to the Director updated the Board on the progress to date and timeline for the PAC building project.   Those interested in the details are encouraged to contact Suzanne.

Board Self-Survey

One component of the Board’s professional development and performance review, is an annual self-survey where we reflect on our strengths and areas for improvement.  Secretary Marie Blanchard reported on the results of the survey, which help us to plan for next year. 

Auditor Selection

Treasurer Thiaba Camara Sy noted that the Board had previously undergone a process to select Ernst and Young as the school auditors for a period of 3 years.  This is the third year of that tenure and the Board approved Ernst and Young as the auditor for the 2016-2017 year.

Farewells

The final meeting of the year is always tinged with sadness as we farewell those who are finishing their terms on the Board or leaving Dakar.

The Board thanked the following members for their tremendous contributions to school governance and presented a traditional Board gift of a baobab sculpture in recognition of service:

Linda Percy:  Trustee 2013 – 2017, Vice-Chair 2016 – 2017, Finance Committee, Buildings and Grounds Committee

Papa Madiaw Ndiaye: Trustee 2015 – 2017, Policy / Governance and Development Committee, Accreditation Committee Section D

Jenna Diallo: US Ambassador’s Representative 2016 – 2017, Policy / Governance and Development Committee

Sandra Goldsborough: Faculty Representative 2015-2016, Finance Committee

Brad Bell:  Secondary School Principal 2012 – 2017, Finance Committee

Anja Sebunya:  Board Assistant 2016-2017

2016-2017 ISD Board of Trustees

L – R: Brad Bell (Secondary School Principal), Sandra Goldsborough (Faculty Representative), James Garry (Trustee), Anja Sebunya (Board Assistant), Marie Blanchard (Secretary), Linda Percy (Vice-Chair), Jenna Diallo (US Ambassador’s Representative), Louisa Gibbs (Chair), Jennifer Grant (Trustee), Jonathan Scott (Trustee), Jennifer Burt Davis (Trustee), Pape Madiaw Ndiaye (Trustee), Kelly Chumrau (Elementary School Principal), Alan Knobloch (Director).  Absent: Thiaba Camara Sy (Treasurer).

Officer positions for 2017-2018

The Board also elected its office bearers for the coming year.  Thank you and congratulations to the following Board members:

Chair:  Louisa Gibbs

Vice-Chair: Jennifer Grant

Secretary: Jonathan Scott

Treasurer:  Thiaba Camara Sy

Thank you to outgoing office bearers Linda Percy and Marie Blanchard, who have done a really tremendous job this year.

Looking towards the end of the school year

The Board Finance and Buildings and Grounds committees will meet one more time before the end of school; however the next full meeting of the Board will take place at the Board Retreat from 24 – 26 August 2017.

As always, please contact the board with any comments, queries or concern via our email addres: boardbox@isd.sn

Kind regards,

Louisa Gibbs

Chair, ISD Board of Trustees

There’s lots to report from the ISD Board this week!

First, a vote of thanks to all of you who have completed the parent survey. This has now closed and we will be analysing your comments and reporting to you on them at the AGM on Thursday 20 April.

A thank you also to those parents who have nominated for the upcoming Trustee elections. The nominations have also closed. Soon you will receive information about each of the candidates and we will be asking you to vote electronically to elect Trustees to the vacant positions for 2017 – 2018. I urge you to vote when you receive the link – our constitutional documents require 25% of the ISD Association (parents and faculty) to vote electronically in the election or be present at the AGM.

The Board also held its monthly meeting on Tuesday March 14, 2017.

A highlight was the presentation by Marc Guillaume, Denrol Grayol and Hazel Ward, who are part of the teacher committee looking at the appropriateness of the International Baccalaureate Organisation’s Middle Years Program (“MYP”) for ISD. They presented on their analysis of the program so far and recommended that ISD does not apply for candidacy this year, but rather, makes some further enquiries and take some further preparatory steps that are likely to lead to a recommendation to pursue candidacy in the following year.

In terms of decisions, the Board:

·       approved ISD’s candidacy for the International Baccalaureate Organisation’s Primary Years Program (“PYP”). This followed presentations and discussions at the two previous Board meetings and reflects the Board’s support for the Administration’s recommendation to proceed with this candidacy;

·      approved an increase to the budget for the conversion of the gym to elementary school classrooms. This includes some additional costs for roofing materials, IT set up and sundry items that the Board were satisfied were good investments for the building; and

·      amended the school’s fiscal year from 1 July to 30 June to 1 August to 31 July to align with the school academic year and international staff’s contracts.

Looking forward, the Board is preparing for the AGM. We settled the agenda, which includes a really interesting mix of information on the Board’s and Directors’ progress against this year’s goals, celebration of staff milestones and the class of 2016’s college placements and a report back on what parents and students think of the school, taken from the recent surveys. The successful candidates in the Trustee elections will also be announced. All this with a drink and a nibble and a chance to catch up with other ISD families!

Please remember that you can contact the board at boardbox@isd.sn and that parents of current students and faculty are welcome to attend all Board meetings as observers. Our next meeting will be held at 6.00 pm on Tuesday April 11, 2017 in the conference room, with refreshments served from 5.30 pm.

Kind regards,

Louisa Gibbs



Chair, ISD Board of Trustees