REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS EXTRAORDINARY MEETING
TUESDAY, 29 November 2005

  I. INTRODUCTION
II. MISSION
III. ENROLLMENT
IV. AVERAGE CLASS SIZE
V. INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF
VI. HIGHLIGHTS
VII. COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
VIII. CONCLUSION

I. INTRODUCTION

It is my pleasure to present this report to the shareholders at this 2005 Extraordinary Annual Shareholders Meeting of Escuela Bella Vista (EBV). During the 2004/05 school year, EBV experienced a relative state of normalcy which allowed most operations at EBV to proceed as planned. This in turn allowed our professional educators to deliver our excellent educational program and allowed the school leadership to plan and complete improvements to the schools' infrastructure. Due to this relative state of normalcy the 2004/05 school year proved to be a very productive one for the school, the highlights of which are included in the remainder of the report.

 As the 2005/06 school year began, the period of relative stability that prevailed during the 2004/05 school year continues.

 

II MISSION

The school's mission statement is important, as it is our guide for making decisions about all facets of the school's operation. It is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure it is relevant in a continuously changing and complex world, where a young person's education is vital to his/her future success.

EBV Mission Statement

At EBV we offer an internationally enriched, accredited U.S. program that prepares our students to participate actively, independently, cooperatively, and effectively in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual world. It is our commitment to educate each student to his/her maximum potential.

III. ENROLLMENT

I have highlighted student enrollment in this report as student generated fees are the school's only source of revenue, and therefore critical to the school's ongoing success.

Enrollment figures are extremely difficult to predict on an annual basis, particularly during uncertain political and economic periods. While the 2004/05 school year was relatively stable in both political and economic terms, caution remained the order of the day as we planned for the 2005/06 school year and beyond.

The table below gives historical figures that we use to determine if there is evidence of an enrollment trend. When a trend is evident, planning becomes a much more effective task. Year over year enrollment figures from November 2003 to November 2004 were virtually unchanged. We have experienced a 5.4% increase year over year from November 2004 to November 2005. While a one-year increase does not indicate a trend, it certainly creates cautious optimism. The Board and I will continue to conservatively predict future enrollment figures and to budget accordingly.

IV. AVERAGE CLASS SIZE

Research has shown that the student/teacher ratio has some impact on student learning. The student/teacher ratio at Escuela Bella Vista continues to be significantly below the average in the United States, substantially below local private and public Venezuelan schools, and is comparable to the average in other international schools. Fulltime classroom assistants are on staff in all elementary classes and contribute substantially to the level of classroom instruction. An overview of the class enrollment at Escuela Bella Vista can be found below:

The student/teacher ratio in grades six through twelve is 6.3 to 1.

V. INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF

Research has shown that the quality of the teacher in the classroom is the single most important factor affecting student learning. Recruiting, employing, and retaining quality teachers are of paramount importance to our educational program. Presently, Escuela Bella Vista employs an outstanding and talented group of multi-national and multi-cultural professional educators.

Securing the services of quality educators, coupled with their participation in our on-campus Master Program and other in-service workshops will continue to increase the classroom effectiveness of our instructional staff. One focus of the Board of Directors and the Administration will be to secure the services of highly qualified local and foreign-hire faculty and to continue their development after their arrival at EBV.

Forty-seven percent of our teachers have a Masters with several others presently working to secure this advanced degree.

The following is a statistical summary of faculty numbers and degrees held :

DEGREES

VI. HIGHLIGHTS

As noted in our mission statement, Escuela Bella Vista is committed to offering an internationally enriched, accredited U.S. program in order to educate each student to his/her maximum potential. To that end, five areas have been identified as vital to ensuring the full implementation of our mission statement. Following is a report on these areas.

CITIZENSHIP

During the 2003/04 school year, a committee of parents, students, teachers, administrators, and Board members was formed in order to write the school's first Citizenship Code. The title of this particular document was chosen as it was intended that the characteristics included in the code would be manifested in all actions exhibited by all members of the EBV community and that they will become part of the EBV culture. Plaques inscribed with this code are placed on the wall of every classroom and at strategic locations throughout the school. The actual implementation of the code takes on many forms, is audience specific, and is ongoing. As an example of this, worthy students are selected for recognition at assemblies in front of their classmates, teachers, and parents for exemplifying the characteristics of our code.

The 2005/06 school year is the second year of implementation of the EBV Citizenship Code.

ACADEMICS: The school offers a wide range of courses and electives to meet the needs of every student. The curriculum is an internationally enriched, U.S.-style curriculum that has been approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, our accrediting body located in the United States. Components of the curriculum are evaluated, and updated textbook series are purchased on a scheduled, rotating basis to ensure the students have access to contemporary teaching materials. During the 2004/05 school year, the school continued to focus on improving student writing skills by further institutionalization of the “6+1 Writing Traits” Program adopted during the 2003/04 school year. Teachers continue to be trained in the delivery of the program.

he International Baccalaureate Diploma Program celebrated its second year of implementation during the 2004/05 school year with two students successfully earning the IB Diploma. It must be stated that these two students were the only two who attempted to reach this admirable goal. Additionally, it must be noted however, that several other students earned IB Certificates by performing successfully on discipline-specific exams.

FACULTY and STAFF DEVELOPMENT : The continuous professional growth of faculty and staff is a focus of the school administration and the Board. The school continues to provide financial assistance for teachers and teacher assistants which allows them to take advantage of professional growth opportunities.

The school funds attendance at conferences and workshops and continues to offer the valuable and popular on-campus Masters Program through Framingham State College. During the 2004/05 school year four courses were offered and held during the months of November, April, May, and June. The average attendance for these classes was 18.

EBV has an outstanding educational partner in our school-to-school partner, Woodward Academy. Each year Woodward releases between two and five highly qualified specialists who visit our location and spend two or three days working with our students and teachers.

The present faculty at EBV is excellent. This, coupled with the support provided by the Board of Directors through staff development funding, will contribute to the level of teaching excellence that has been evident at EBV over the years.

FACILITIES : A structurally sound, safe, aesthetically pleasing, and well-maintained facility is vital in order to support the school's mission and to execute the delivery of our excellent educational program. Ongoing, cost effective facility improvement has been a priority and one in which we have made substantial progress. Below please find a four-year summary of improvements.

2001/02 School Year

•  Purchase of an adjacent parcel of land that increased playing field space.
•  Reconfiguration of automobile entrance and exits, driveways, and rotary's that have created more parking spaces, safer auto and pedestrian movement, and which allows more cars to be on the campus at one time partially alleviating the congestion on the public road outside the campus gates.

2002/03 School Year

•  Renovation of boys' and girls' locker rooms.
•  Renovation of two washrooms in the elementary area.

2003/04 School Year

•  Reconfiguration of the large gymnasium creating more playing space.
•  Renovation of eight washrooms in the secondary school area.
•  Leveling and reseeding of the soccer field (in progress).
•  Commencement of the construction on an enclosed/air-conditioned auditorium that will seat 300-plus guests.

2004/05 School Year

•  Completion of the 300-plus seat climate-controlled auditorium.
•  Renovation of two washrooms in the early childhood area.

We feel the recently completed projects, particularly our new auditorium, will provide an outstanding facility that is conducive to learning, one that will support the school's mission, and one that we can be proud of.

VII. COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE, approved by the Board of Directors in 2001, is a five-year strategic plan now in its fifth year of implementation. In order to meet the mission of Escuela Bella Vista and bring our Commitment to Excellence to fruition we will continue to evaluate and make improvements in all components of the school's operation.

VIII. CONCLUSION

The 2004/05 school year at Escuela Bella Vista was successful by almost any measurement. We concluded the year with a sound financial base, many academic initiatives were either completed or were in progress, and improvements made to the school's facilities were comprehensive.

The major initiative going forward will be the commencement of the SACS-CASI Guided Self-study which, when completed, will provide a blueprint for our school improvement efforts during the next five years.

As I stated in my report to you a year ago, I am cautiously optimistic about the future of EBV and I, along with members of the Board, am committed to the implementation of the school's mission and to ensuring the school's continuous prosperity.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephen Sibley
Superintendent