🔴 Action items this week
- Last call: CIS session proposals — Prague Global Forum (deadline 7 May), Latin America Institute Bogotá (deadline 8 May), CIS–EARCOS Institute Bangkok (deadline 8 May). All under two weeks away — strong opportunity to submit an AI literacy / EdTech leadership session.
- “Strengthening Educational Transitions” webinar — next Wednesday 29 April. Research-informed strategies for international student transitions; register via the CIS Community portal.
Run: 24 April 2026
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Last call for session proposals: CIS Global Forum Prague (deadline 7 May), CIS Latin America Institute Bogotá (deadline 8 May), and CIS–EARCOS Institute Bangkok (deadline 8 May) — all under 2 weeks away. Strong opportunity for Michael to submit an AI literacy or EdTech leadership session to a global audience.
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“Strengthening Educational Transitions” webinar is next Wednesday 29 April — research-informed strategies for international student transitions, expert examples, and ways to strengthen transitions-care and student well-being. Register via the CIS Community portal.
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“Navigating the AI Frontier” webinar series is now available on-demand — designed for school leaders to move beyond AI hype toward values-led, confident decision-making, focusing on trust, student protection, and purposeful AI integration. Directly relevant CPD for Michael and ICS leadership.
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CIS Risk Register template now available in the portal (Portal > My School > School Leadership) — adapted from CIS’s own strategy work, it treats risk as a leadership dialogue tool rather than a compliance checklist. Useful for ICS leadership team ahead of strategic planning.
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University Exploration Day for Middle East students: booths from 130+ universities across 24 countries remain open until late June for students to browse independently and connect with admissions counsellors. Worth reminding registered ICS Sixth Form students to log back in; unregistered ICS Middle East students can still join via highereducation@cois.org.
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CIS AGM is 12 May (virtual, recorded) — register via the CIS Community portal; Board Chair annual report already available to read. (Previously flagged; registration now open.)
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CIS blog: “How can international schools design inclusive learning systems for every student?” — Lauren Jones shares practical strategies for building inclusive cultures and removing barriers, relevant context for ICS’s 1:1 Chromebook programme.
Run: 22 April 2026
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April 2026 Newsletter — new Admin tools now available: Org-wide permissions management, an Investigations tool (for monitoring content usage across ICS), and rollover prep resources to help Michael plan the end-of-year transition — directly relevant as Canva Admin.
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New design features: Magic Layers (finer layering control for complex designs), Personal Brand Kits (staff and students can apply consistent ICS branding), and accessible PDF enhancements — useful for teacher-created resources and improving accessibility of student outputs.
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Teaching toolbox updates: 3D elements and improved page setup, plus a Poetry Student Design Challenge — creative cross-curricular project suitable for ICS English and Art across Y5–13, minimal prep required.
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App in the spotlight: Depth Text — creates bold 3D text effects in a single click, useful for student projects, posters, and school display materials. Also includes “teacher recipe” classroom workflow ideas and upcoming global webinars for staff CPD — check the full newsletter for event dates.