This Tuesday, November 27, is Giving Tuesday -- and I just wanted to make sure you mark your calendar now, so you don't forget one of the most important giving days of the year!‬ ‪Please consider giving to the Annual Fund of TASIS Dorado to help us continue our pursuit of excellence. For instance, you could designate your gift towards teacher professional development or the Scholarship Fund. Each year, we award about $250,000 in full scholarships for students who would not otherwise have access to a TASIS Dorado education -- a transformational opportunity for eager young people with limited resources.‬

Dear Class of 2018, Congratulations on reaching this important milestone in your education! At this graduation ceremony, I'd like to reflect briefly with you in three directions: Looking Backward, Looking Inward, and Looking Forward. Looking backward: This place holds so many memories! So many firsts! Do you remember your first day at TASIS Dorado, your first field trip, joining clubs, playing sports, going to Space Camp, your first performance in the PAC, and so much more? You have undergone a rigorous, college preparatory course of study--Membean and projects, essays and lab reports--and you survived and thrived! This school is not for the faint of heart!

As we approach Thanksgiving, have you wondered what there is to be thankful for in the midst of such hardship and suffering in Puerto Rico? No doubt, we are looking forward to a feast of food. Food and water were especially scarce in the first weeks after Hurricane Maria, before supplies started to arrive. One man said to me in the early weeks, "We had a can of corned beef last night. It tasted like churrasco!"

I am pleased to announce that the new school year at TASIS Dorado is off to an excellent start. Students and faculty returned from the summer with renewed energy and enthusiasm. As you may have noticed on social media, our students and teachers have already received recognition across Puerto Rico for their academic accomplishments.​ ​We welcomed 75 new families and are celebrating our 15th anniversary as a school, an important milestone!

Recent research has shown that keeping a "gratitude journal" or simply pausing to focus on the positive has many benefits.

There is an old saying, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." At TASIS Dorado, we are committed to raising a generation of selfless leaders who impact their world through service, while avoiding corruption. We believe it's important--and possible!

It's been about a week since a fire at an electrical substation left 1.5 million homes and businesses without power across the entire island of Puerto Rico. In addition, about 350,000 people had no running water. Parents scrambled to find child care as schools and day care centers canceled classes. Doctors were forced to reschedule surgeries. Without traffic signals or street lights, drivers navigated streets at their peril. What did we learn in the TASIS Dorado community from this experience?

News, Updates, Strategic Plan, and Possible Shuttle Service

A few thoughts, shared at the Senior Graduation on June 3, 2016.