September 30, 2016 Vol. 4, Ed. 8 MAP TESTING Events Oct 4 PTA Board Meeting, 1:00- CIS students will be taking the Measures of Academic Progress® 2:00 p.m., Conf. Room (MAP) Oct. 10-20. MAP assessments are unique in that the com- Oct 10 MAP Testing Begins Oct 11 MS Principal’s Coffee, 8:15- puter generated questions adapt to the child’s level of learning. 9:15 a.m., MPR The data from the MAP tests will provide information about your Oct 12 EC Parent Series, 5:30 child’s instructional level and measure academic growth through- p.m., MPR out the school year. Oct 12 HS Principal’s Coffee, 8:15- With MAP tests we can administer shorter tests and use less class 9:15 a.m., MPR Oct 15 Car Boot Sale, PTA time while still receiving detailed and accurate information about Oct 15 Open Library, 9:30-11:30 your child’s growth. As a result, MAP testing does not impact instructional time as much as other a.m., Library standardized assessments. Oct 15 HS Haunted Carnival 6:30– In elementary, students will take the MAP assessments in their classrooms on an IPad or Chrome 8:30 p.m., ARC book. Secondary students will come to the computer lab on two separate occasions. The average time Oct 18 ES Parent Coffee, 9:30 a.m., MPR for each MAP test is an hour, however it is not a timed assessment and each child will have the neces- Oct 19 ES Parent Series, 6:00 p.m., sary amount of time needed to complete each section. Prior to taking the MAP tests there is not any MPR other preparation or studying necessary or required for students. Having a restful night and good Oct 20 EC Parent Coffee, 8:30 breakfast are always encouraged. a.m., Library The schedule is attached at the end of this newsletter Click the calendar below to view the CIS Calendar for 2017-2018 CIS Applications School Group Photos—October 3 more upcoming events. From Admissions Group Photos are scheduled for Monday, October 3. CIS will start accepting applications for the Students are asked to come dressed in their appropriate 2017-2018 school year school uniforms (bring P.E clothes if needed). for PK3 through Grade 12 in October. Photos will be taken in the following groups: The application will Faculty and Staff– 7:15 a.m. be an on-line sub- Lower Elementary (K-2) - 8:20 a.m. mission instead of PFL Opening Rally paper copies. Early Childhood– 8:45 a.m. Please come out If you have expressed an interest in applying Middle School (6-8)- 9:30 a.m. and support the CIS for admission to CIS in the 2017-2018 High School (9-12)- 10:00 a.m. U11 boys football school year (or know someone who is plan- team this Saturday, ning to apply), please watch the website and Upper Elementary (3-5)- 10:30 a.m. October 1st at the The Current for details. Annex for the Opening rally of the Please contact Ms. Nancy, admissions of- PFL. ficer, [email protected], if you The schedule is attached at the end have questions. of the newsletter. Cayman International School P.O. Box 31364, Grand Cayman, KY1-1206 Phone: 345.945.4664 Fax: 345.945.4650 Email: [email protected] September 30, 2016 Vol. 4, Ed. 8 Page 2 CIS Community News Hurricane Matthew CIS is continuing to keep a close eye on hurricane Matthew. The storm is still on a projected path that would take it significantly east of the Cayman Islands. At this point, we do not anticipate any hurricane-level conditions in Grand Cayman, but we will continue to monitor the storm very close- ly. We are continuing with proactive preparations on campus; the field lights are lowered, the sun- shades are down, and the maintenance staff, EC teachers and others are securing toys and other items on campus. The storm will likely pass to the east of us on Monday and there may be a higher chance of rains on this day. We will watch very closely and let you know via email, website, Cayman 27, and/or CIS emergency phone tree if there are any changes to the school schedule. You should continue to monitor the storm personally, be sure to take any and all precautions with safety in mind, and follow hurricane preparedness recommendations when applicable http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php . Again, at this point, we do not anticipate any changes in the school schedule for Monday or any other day. Construction & Facilities Update Phase III construction is progressing and is on schedule. The second level of the E Block (above the Science labs) will be complete in Oc- tober and we will occupy the new spaces after the Fall break. The new Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics (STEAM) lab will be a wonderful addition to the school facility and will provide an advanced technological environment for learning. There will be 19 new iMacs in the lab, and the space will house the CIS 3D printers, robotics kits and Maker space equipment. The other side of this addi- tion is the new CIS Band room, and the current Band room will convert to the new CIS choral space. After researching the guidelines for the playground structures in front of the ARC, it has been determined that these structures are in- tended for the use of children ages 5 – 12 years of age. We understand the desire for structures of this type for early childhood students. With this in mind, we will research possibilities for additional equipment that is designed for children ages 2 – 4 that could be eventually approved for the courtyard area. Solutions to provide shading at the pool have been discussed for quite some time. We recently learned that a project cleared the planning department and construction will begin immediately; we are very pleased that these types of enhancements continue to take place. The new structure being built will pro- vide shade to the south side of the pool deck and it will also be covered with solar panels. The first phase of work will entail putting up a chain link fence just off the edge of the pool deck to separate the work area from pool us- ers. As always, efforts are being made to minimize the impact to school pro- gramming as much as possible. DART Landfill Meeting The George Town landfill continues to be a controversial topic. Safety is our number one priority, and we continually make efforts to assemble and understand the most current information regarding the landfill and its potential impacts to the school and Camana Bay. The experts from DART will host an informational meeting at the CIS MPR on October 11 at 5:30pm. September 30, 2016 Vol. 4, Ed. 8 Page 3 Early Childhood and Elementary Headlines EC Parent Coffee ES Parent Coffee Early Childhood Parent Coffee will take place on Elementary School Parent Coffee will take place on Friday, October 18 @ 9:30 a.m. in the MPR Thursday, October 20 @ 8:30 a.m. in the Library. EC Parent Series Evening ES Parent Series Evening EC Parent Series Evening Session is sched- ES Parent Series Evening Session is scheduled for October uled for October 12 at 5:30pm the MPR 19 at 6:00 p.m. in the MPR. Many Hands Make Light Work The EC Department is very excited about all of the new resources on our playground! EC is happy to see that children are using these resources after school dismissal, but please be sure to help your children clean up after themselves. We would like for these items to last as long as possible and with your help, we can ensure they do but packing them away or putting them back in their correct place. Thanks for your co-operation. Firemen sing Happy Birthday! Pre-K4 Music and Movement with Ms. Fernanda On Thursday, September 29, CIS had a fire drill. After students went back to their classrooms, the fire men walked into Ms. Dawn’s Kindergarten class right as they were about to sing Hap- py Birthday for Olivia. They decided to join in and as a result of their excellent singing, Olivia gave them a cupcake. CIS Mission Statement: Our students achieve academic and personal excellence and prepare for higher education within an international environment that inspires learning, character and service. September 30, 2016 Vol. 4, Ed. 8 Page 4 Early Childhood and Elementary Headlines Cont’d Grade 3 Field Trip to The Market Secondary Headlines High School Trips Meeting “Los 5 sentidos” Senior Stress Relief There is a meeting scheduled for the Grade 7 students are studying the 5 senses and body The seniors popped their stress bubbles in parents of Grade 9-12 to discuss the parts in Spanish Class. They chose a setting and de- morning homeroom as they prepare for col- two high school trips offered in May. scribed what they hear, see, smell, touch and taste in lege applications. one of those three locations! The meeting is on Thursday, October 6th at 5:30 p.m. in the MPR. There will be two trips presented: Uni- versity Trip to California and Service Trip to Nicaragua for May 20-27, 2017. For more information, please contact Ms. Beth, HS Counselor, [email protected] September 30, 2016 Vol. 4, Ed. 8 Page 5 Secondary News Cont’d 2016-2017 MS and HS Trips Secondary students at CIS have opportunities to enhance their educational experience in numerous ways.