I hope you enjoyed your summer and are well rested in preparation for another exciting and successful school year. I am excited about ISL’s expansion to the Westbank and remain in awe of the work that has been accomplished to make this happen. I look forward to another great year where our champions – our teachers and the support staff – focus on ensuring that we meet the needs of each and every ISL student.

President Obama’s recent words about the US are well suited for this occasion; “It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the [community] we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.” I think it’s appropriate today that I acknowledge the hard work of the people that have put in arduous hours to make ISL’s growth happen.

Despite construction delays, the relentless work of the FACILITY TEAM calmed every doubt with their commitment to making sure everything was just right and on-time. From securing funds to making news, the DEPARTMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT brought a positive spotlight to ISL. The IT DEPARTMENT guaranteed that computers and networks functioned, enabling us to communicate across the river. THE FOOD SERVICE DEPARTMENT developed a menu and two café environments that students enjoy – fresh, healthy meals, served with love & care at both campuses. Throughout the process, our FINANCE & OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT has kept the bills paid, the reports current and made sure that every student was registered and enrolled in a class. The untiring work of our HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE secured the most qualified candidates available for every department opening. And THE ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT once again knocked the ball out of the park in starting the school year. Pursuing the best and the brightest to join our team has made ISL’s academic program TOP NOTCH in the New Orleans region.

Summing everything up: Emphatically, I work with the best group of people – dedicated individuals who view the world as an interconnected global community and believe in the power of education to help each child learn, grow and succeed within it. With great pride, we look forward to all this year will bring. Thank you for being a part of our community.