This is my penultimate Director's Dispatch and I'd like to start by thanking you all for reading. I know I'm sometimes a bit long winded....and I can get on a soap box from time to time. Thanks for bearing with me. It has been another full and busy week at ISD. Great things happening on, off, and Beyond campus. Our Kindergarteners have had a busy week, with their Robo-Expo today, wherein they displayed, to a large audience of parents and reading-buddies, their environmentally friendly robots. The project included, math, poetry, computer work, and science. Great display! The Kindergarteners also presented to parents their proposals for their new playground, which included wishful elements like trampolines, zip-lines, and an additional swimming pool. Suggestions will be taken into advisement, but there will be a neat new playground for the Early Childhood group early next year. Pre 4 graduated during a fine ceremony yesterday; the 5th grade 'moved on' with a pool party and some touching pieces of writing shared with parents. The Middle School held their awards ceremony with many award winners, and the final Upper School concert was held yesterday, at which a group of Middle School boys debuted what is sure to be a viral video sensation: their own composition of "Night of the Dead" a zombie song sure to live on in ISD lore. "Special" doesn't go far enough in describing that and other performances. A special shout out to ISD Art Teacher Kelly Valdmanis, my wife Yoshiko, and all the ISD Art students (and teachers) who contributed pieces to the Beyond Exhibition at our house last weekend. Some artists sold several pieces, and there was much wonderful work on display. On to grimmer topics, I write here to relay that our $500 Re-enrollment fee has met with wide spread cooperation from parents, for which we are thankful. ISD is grappling with the challenges of wait lists in four grade levels for next year, with more applications coming in each day. Knowing who is coming back is critical to our projections and to communication with parents of applicants. While it is difficult to institute penalties for non-compliance, we must ask that people pay the Board-mandated $500 re-registration fee to hold student places for next school year. Students for whom the fee is not paid will be dropped from the enrollment list, and in cases where classes are full, this could mean being placed on a waiting list if they would like to rejoin ISD in August. We are also at the time of year when we have to deal with the unpleasant realities of lost books, misplaced school equipment, and damaged library materials. We thank parents for taking care of the responsibility of paying fees for lost or damaged items. Final reports will be held for students with outstanding payments due. Guidelines for Use of the new ISD Athletic Facilities should be published in this week's Jag Journal. The former Club facilities are still very much a construction site, but the pool, tennis courts, and a new fitness center (five years in the dreaming phase!) will be open to ISD community members on a set schedule. Please see the Use Policy document for details and look forward to that addition to campus in August. The last three days will be full of fun and excitement. PE classes are swimming classes for ES students; be sure to send swim suits. I know there is a lot to keep up with...I struggle as a father of two busy kids, too. I hope you are able to visit our campus for some of the final celebrations, including Graduation, to which all are invited. We are proud of our 30 graduates, and their past and future accomplishments. The movers are on their way; I'm off to pack! Wayne Wayne Rutherford Director International School of Dakar www.isdakar.org June 5-8 - High School Exams (June 8 is conflict/make up exams) June 7, Thurs: MS/HS Spring Concert - 6:00pm June 8, Fri: Senior Banquet, Terrou-bi Hotel, 8:30pm June 12, Tues: MS/HS Sports Day am, MS/HS Drama Performances PM June 13, Wed: Last day of classes--HALF DAY, noon dismissal. June 13, Wed: HS Annual Run to the Lighthouse - 8:30 am June 13, Wed: Graduation - ISD Amphitheater, 6pm. |
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