Director Dispatch - April 8

Greetings all. We are charging through April and heading into the home stretch at ISD. Many high school students are busily preparing for AP exams (start of May) while seniors are trying (more or less successfully) to avoid the dreaded seasonal ailment 'senioritis'. Somehow, this seems to affect younger students as well. We do appreciate parental support in keeping students aware that the work they are doing now 'still matters'. In the case of HS Juniors, their grades this trimester may be the last set of grades they send to colleges, so they can be very important, indeed.  I've been busy working to secure the loan for the new building. The project continues full steam ahead using the Building Fund ISD has amassed from Capital fees, but we are still several hurdles away from getting the loan we need to complete the building. I am working with a US government agency, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation on this, and they have a lot of requirements. At the moment, I am still hopeful that we will get the necessary paperwork to keep the construction project moving forward on schedule. It is 'crunch time,' though, for this effort. Please see the photo of the new building. The second floor columns are going up as the ground floor pad nears completion. It is exciting to watch this vision come to reality, and it will be completed in the nick of time for our growing population. As we enter the final weeks of our school year, we all know of friends, classmates, and colleagues who are leaving Dakar. It can be a difficult time for our students, who each year lose friends to the vagaries of their parents' careers. We will be keeping an eye on students here, but please do so at home, too. If you are leaving, it is a time to celebrate the wonderful things about your time in Senegal, a last chance to do some of the things you've always planned, or to revisit favorite spots. We do hope that Senegal and ISD remain in your hearts as you move on, and we hope you will stay in touch from your new post.  School will remain busy in the coming weeks. Our Annual General Meeting of the Association and Board Elections are on Tuesday, April 26 in the evening in the ISD Gymnasium. Please plan to come out to hear about the work of the school board, school administration, and student councils this year, and to VOTE. We must have a quorum to validate the elections, so please do plan to attend. If you cannot attend, absentee ballots will be available. It is critical that you complete yours. At the AGM, we will also share the results of the School Community Satisfaction Survey, conducted by the Board. Thank you to the families and students that completed this important survey, as it helps us set our course for improvement in the coming school year.  There are many opportunities to see your children excel on stage, on the field, on the court and in the classroom in coming weeks. Please plan to attend when your child is in the spotlight. It is an essential piece of your involvement in your child's education, and will mean so much to him or her if you are there (and means a lot if you are not, too). We look forward to seeing parents at the school plays, basketball games, and soccer tournaments coming up in April and May. Thank you, as always, for your support of ISD. We continue to feel that we are a school moving towards greatness, and each of you plays a part in that growth.