We have, indeed, had a great year, and this issue of Connections celebrates many wonderful accomplishments. It describes high points of the school year including celebration of 40 years of excellence; the opening of our Marine Studies Education Center; outstanding achievement in the classroom, on the athletic field and on stage; many volunteer service hours to projects that help our local community; and finally, the completion of our FCIS evaluation. Believe it or not, these are just a few of our many achievements. I am so proud of our students, faculty and staff, and parents for all that has been accomplished, and I want to thank everyone for your hard work, dedication and support of Canterbury. I hope you enjoy reading all the exciting Crusader news!

One accomplishment that I would like to share with you is the completion of our FCIS evaluation. Many students and parents have asked me questions about the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the evaluation process. As an FCIS member, Canterbury must be re-accredited every five years. This process includes thorough examination of every aspect of the school, creation of a lengthy self-study and a three-day visit from a team of administrators and teachers representing FCIS and Florida Kindergarten Council (FKC) schools. The purpose of the visit is to ensure that our school is fulfilling its mission.

So much is involved in this process, and so many people have worked countless hours over the past year to make sure the evaluation was successful. I want to thank our Steering Committee Chairs Kristy Alderson and Pam Kemper for their leadership. I also want to thank the Steering Committee and every other faculty and staff member for the many hours of work put in beyond their normal day. I am so proud of and thankful for the dedication and commitment of our outstanding faculty and staff. Finally, I would like to thank our students and parents. The FCIS committee was overwhelmed by Canterbury's hospitality.

Even though we have not yet received the committee's final report, I would like to mention a few commendations given by the visiting team. Team members were very impressed with the quality of our self-study, describing it as an excellent document that should be an example to other schools. They were also impressed with all that has been accomplished over the past five years. They praised how we addressed each recommendation from the last evaluation and paid particular attention to advancements made in technology, academic programs, marine studies, facilities and college guidance. One area that was mentioned time and time again was the positive atmosphere at Canterbury. They were so impressed with our students and faculty and the overall family feeling at our school. One person stated that even though we have two campuses, we definitely have a one-school feeling, and he was particularly jealous of that connection.

So, believe it or not, we have come to the final term of the school year, and I can't help going back to the sweet comment made by that upper school student - it has been a great year at Canterbury. We have had time to reflect and to celebrate. We have looked back and shared wonderful memories of the past forty years while studying and examining the last five years in depth. And at the same time, we have accomplished new feats that start us on the path for another forty great years at Canterbury.

Canterbury is busy all year; click below for summer camps!