Another School Year Begins!
Written by Mr. Robertson
Hello and welcome back to another year at CTBC International Academy. As always, as the school year progresses, we will be publishing these weekly newsletters to keep students and parents up to date on what is going on at school. Last year was a great success for all involved and we are only hoping to build on that success in the immediate future. There is a lot to look forward to at CIA this semester.
There has been a flurry of activity last week and this week as students arrived back to school, orientation was conducted, and friends reunited. There were new rules and policies to learn and adapt to for both students (the lunch program and attendance) as well as parents (the new instructions for picking up students after school). We hope that everyone can adapt to and adopt the new policies and procedures at our school as we grow, expand, and develop.
This includes new staff! Here at CIA, we have been blessed to grow and expand each year. This means new students and classmates, but it also means new teachers. These include a new P.E. teacher in the elementary school, Mr. Rabanal, as well as a new Social Studies teacher, Mr. Medina. In the Junior High School and High School, Mr. Delpeche will be handling math classes and Ms. Mavuso will teach science. Dr. Dooley has also joined us to teach English Language Arts this year. With this expanding staff, we are also able to offer a wider range of classes and build in more structure. Things like Algebra, Geometry, Geography, and even more science, history, and math classes on top of the Core English Program. We hope that all of you are looking forward to this expanding and advancing curriculum as well.
And, of course, with the start of the year, that brings about two great opportunities for the students here at CIA: the Individual Study Program and the CTBC International Academy Student Council. The advisor for both programs as well as the elected Student Council president (Joel Bourke) have been reaching out to the student body to recruit officers and volunteers for this years’ Student Council events. They have also been trying to get feedback from the student body on ways the CIASC can improve student life and represent them. The program this year is meant to be more robust, organized, and structured. There will be a new set of Bylaws which students will need to agree to as well as academic and disciplinary requirements to be met. But most importantly, we are hoping to see even more involvement from the student body in fostering and growing a school spirit here at CIA. We want our students to be proud of their education and their educational institution. Thus, we are trying to invite them to participate in it and build up a culture and traditions to pass on to the next generation. This includes events like the Halloween Party, Christmas Party, and developing the CIA Yearbook.
Alongside this, this semester’s wave of Independent Study Program proposals has rolled in. Mr. Robertson has been active in trying to get this year’s program up and rolling. Word is that this year’s crop of proposals is pretty solid with subjects like Sports Injury Therapy, AP Calculus, and Criminal Psychology drawing interest as well as Fashion Design and preparation for the Examination for Japanese University Admission. The opportunities available through the program are limited only by the students’ ambitions and imagination.
Every semester, CIA tries to provide opportunities and experiences to help students have a rewarding experience while they are here. They are also encouraged to leave behind a legacy of excellence and achievement that paves a broader path forward for future generations. All the while, they are building their futures. And our staff, new and old, will continue to support them and guide them in reaching even newer heights.