Dear Cedar Families,

As we break from classes for a week, we have students heading off on adventures near and far. Particularly noteworthy are the four students who on Sunday will board a plane departing for Spain, where they will spend the next three weeks studying at an IB World School just outside of Barcelona as part of Cedar’s first official exchange program.

Four Cedar students in Grades 10 and 11 will attend classes at SEKCatalunya while staying with host families from the school. They will of course engage in several cultural excursions (la Sagrada Familia, a Barcelona football match, etc.), but will also enjoy the routine of daily life in Spain as they focus on the primary purpose of the exchange: Spanish language immersion. It is hoped that SEK students will reciprocate with a visit to Cedar in January.

This experience serves as the pilot for what we hope will be an expanding exchange program over the next few years. With a model in place, it opens opportunities to replicate such an experience with IB schools in other parts of the world around various academic and cultural themes.

As Cedar students connect with the global community, so do Cedar teachers. I wish to acknowledge Cedar science teacher Dr. Marc Brabant for recently being recognised by the IBO as a global IB examiner for DP Chemistry. Such an honour means that Dr. Brabant is now qualified for and will be called upon to mark DP Chemistry examinations for IB students around the world.

Dr. Brabant is now one of 6 Cedar faculty members who have been selected for this honour, meaning that fully half of Cedar’s 12 IB DP teachers are now qualified examiners. That is a startling percentage for any school, and means that students pursuing the IB Diploma Programme at Cedar have access to teachers with intimate understanding of the expectations students must meet to do well on these critical examinations.

It is comforting to know that, as Cedar students reach the older grades, they can continue to enjoy all the benefits of living in the BVI while still being part of the global community and having access to the high quality programs and staff that will prepare them for success. An inspiring thought as we head into break!

Best wishes to all for a pleasant week ahead, and safe travels to those who are taking the opportunity to travel. Please remember that Monday, October 26 is a Professional Development day for teachers. Classes will resume for students on Tuesday, October 27. Sincerely,

Scott Crawford, Director