The EAC Board of Trustees serves as stewards of the school and is deeply committed to providing effective school governance. Working closely with the school administration, the Board monitors the school’s financial health and guides its strategic direction and continuous improvement. During the 2021-22 school year, the Board opened channels of communication with the broader community, reporting main goals and achievement, together with the leadership of the school, on an annual basis at the Assembly General Meeting (AGM). The Board also created a new channel of communication and can be reached through its e-mail: board@eac.com.br. Names of the board member representatives and their companies, roles and responsibilities and other pertinent information can be reviewed in the EAC app under Governance.

The Board of Trustees organizes itself into three sub-committees, in support of its overall work. The Finance Committee (overseeing financial reporting and capital expenditure) and the Governance Committee (overseeing policy review, compliance and general matters of governance) are both standing committees. The Arts Center Committee is an ad hoc committee whose focus is in support of our plans to build an Art Center.

This year, the Board of Trustees worked closely with the Head of School to achieve many of its strategic targets. Members of the Board met with the visitors of the CIS/NEASC re-accreditation visit in September of 2021 and together, with the entire EAC community, celebrated EAC’s successful re-accreditation in November 2021. The Board of Trustees then approved a revised set of guiding statements, a key accreditation target, to ensure EAC has a powerful and compelling Mission, Vision and set of Core Values that will guide all future endeavors and growth. Following this, alongside a group of EAC’s senior leaders, the Board engaged in a consultancy to build the EAC’s new strategic direction. This process came to a successful conclusion in June 2022, as EAC published its Strategic Goals 2027.

In preparation for EAC’s future, the Board of Trustees oversaw the first year of the new Facilities Master Plan, focused on the following strategic areas:

• Outdoor Learning Areas
• Campus Beautification
• Sustainability
• Sports Facilities
• Arts Facilities
• Technology
• Health, Safety and Maintenance

In fulfillment of the first year of the plan, the renovation of the Sports Gym took place and a new Middle School Lounge was created – both spaces were on display at the first AGM in March 2022. Preparations for the second year of the FMP were developed over the course of the 2021-22 school year, as the school made plans to:

• Create an outdoor learning space for Grade 5 (a continuation of the multi-year Outdoor Learning Areas theme)
• Renovate existing bathrooms in the Middle School wing, including creating two additional bathrooms (the first year of a multi-year process of to renovate EAC’s bathrooms)
• Create a new, dedicated space for EAC’s Booster Club, to support our Giant spirit
• Approved plans for the following year in the areas of child safety and environmental sustainability, with the inclusion of a large increase in the number of security cameras on campus as well as the installation of solar panels around EAC’s campus.

The Board continued to support and monitor closely the school’s municipal application and legalization processes, to secure the eventual permit for Arts Center, laying the foundation for its future build. Over the course of the 2021-22 school year, beginning plans for the new Arts Center were developed. An architect was appointed, Zanettini Arquitetura, and a company was designated to begin the pre-construction phase – Construtora Costa Feitosa.

In addition to the above, the Board participated actively in the bidding and approval process for a new cafeteria provider, for which EAC appointed Quitanda Escolas in June 2022.

Finally, the Board of Trustees continued to work closely with the Head of School throughout the 2021-22 school year as the school and the country emerged from the global pandemic, acting thoughtfully and proactively, to provide stability for the school and community.

Sincerely yours,

Paulo Gandolfi (3M)
Board President (on behalf of the Board of Trustees)