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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Community
Nassau, Bahamas - Lyford Cay International School, the fully accredited international school in western New Providence, has added membership in three additional prestigious organisations to its accomplishments. LCIS is one of only 40 schools in the world authorised to offer all four International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS). The institution undergoes regular, rigorous external reviews by these entities to maintain its status as an accredited school. Recently added to LCIS’ list of associations is membership in the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Tri-Association. The NAIS is a nonprofit association that provides services to more than 1,900 accredited schools, 300 of which are located outside of the United States. Similarly, the Tri-Association is a network of accredited international schools in Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Commenting on the benefits of membership in these associations, LCIS Principal Mr David Mindorff said, “Becoming a part of NAIS greatly enhances our opportunities for networking and professional development. Membership in the Tri-Association has also been an invaluable source of strategies and resources for navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hope is that in future this network will also offer our students additional sporting and academic opportunities.” LCIS is also proud to have been recently promoted from Applicant to Candidate status in the prestigious Round Square network of schools. The School can now fully engage with all of the opportunities this organisation provides. Round Square was founded in 1966 around the philosophies of German educator Kurt Hahn who also developed the Duke of Edinburgh Programme of which the Governor General’s Youth Award (GGYA) is a part. Its members include 200 schools in 50 countries. Member institutions include some of the world’s top day and boarding schools. Accreditation and membership in international organisations such as NAIS, the Tri-Association and Round Square enhance the quality of education LCIS students receive. Through networking and collaborating with educators and school leaders from other top schools around the world, LCIS teachers and administrators are able to stay on the cutting edge of educational innovation. The resources and lines of communication made available by these partnerships are always valuable to the operation of schools but were made much more so during the COVID-19 pandemic when schools were required to discover new, safe and effective ways of conducting teaching and learning. Round Square in particular has a deep commitment to providing students with opportunities to engage in leadership and service. Students of member schools are able to take part in conferences, International Service Projects as well as Student Exchange Programmes. These transformative experiences will be added to those LCIS students already participate in as part of their education. As LCIS continues its accession to membership, a group of student leaders will work to foster and raise awareness of the IDEALS (Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership and Service) of Round Square in the school community. The first Round Square events LCIS will take part in are a virtual high school conference in February and a virtual middle school conference in March. The School has also begun the processes necessary to begin participating in the Round Square student exchange programme. The School has major plans for 2021. In January, LCIS will open its Upper School campus located just outside the Lyford Cay community and upper secondary students will begin learning in these new facilities. In June, the Class of 2021 will become the first class to graduate from the new campus. These students have already received seven acceptances to universities in three countries.
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