This spring, with the air full of anticipation of graduates and Pomp and Circumstance our collective hum, Bob Carignan will have his final Cérémonie de Clôture as Head of School at the International School of Denver. After seven years at the helm of ISDenver, Bob, along with his wife, Laurel, will be starting their next chapter in retirement.

Bob joined the International School of Denver from Riverstone International School in Boise, Idaho, bringing over twenty years of International School experience as both educator and Head of School. Bob leaves ISDenver with a lasting legacy and the school well positioned to continue its mission to develop highly motivated and academically successful bilingual learners who are inter-culturally adept and make positive contributions in a complex world.

As we honor Bob Carignan’s remarkable tenure at ISDenver, we embrace the IB’s invitation to reflect with intention. Here, we strive to do just that—acknowledging that no mere list can fully capture the warmth, kindness, and humor that defined his contributions. 

Students are our guiding North Star.

With our mission, vision, and values at the core, Bob’s guiding philosophy puts ISDenver students first. Bob pointed our community to our children as the guiding North Star. This student-centric approach is a great unifier and a guide for every conversation and decision at ISDenver. Bob believed so strongly in placing students at the proverbial heart of everything, that he moved his quiet back office in the Administration Building, to the bustling Lower Primary Building to be in the mix of it all. You can often find him meeting with groups of students, serving lunch in our cafeteria, and welcoming kids at the gate every morning at dropoff. 

Perhaps the greatest illustration of putting students at the center of our collective decision-making was navigating the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Under Bob’s leadership, and with students as our guiding north star, the ISDenver community worked to achieve the goal to have as many students on campus for as many days as possible. This was herculean work. ISDenver quickly pivoted to add virtual learning capabilities, develop a Medical Advisory Team, and become both a testing and vaccination clinic.

The RISE capital campaign yields $4M for a new academic building.

The Mary Louise Evans building opened its doors in the fall of 2021-2022.  Mary Louise Evans is a vibrant hub for our entire community and the main home to the Middle School. Every aspect of the design is purposeful, designed by our faculty, uniquely for our learners who will enjoy the building for decades to come.

What is perhaps most impressive about the RISE capital campaign is that the bulk of community giving to the project happened during the pandemic. In a time when other organizations’ philanthropy waivered, with Bob’s vision and leadership, the community rallied its generosity and raised $4M for the new building.

Bob proved an effective fundraiser, helping change the culture of philanthropy at ISDenver to a community-centric model where each contribution, meaningful to the giver, is celebrated.

Upleveling our value proposition with the accreditations, authorizations, brand, and data to back it up.

Bob’s grit and vision drove strategic initiatives that helped professionalize ISDenver’s value proposition. These efforts allow us to validate our claims of who we are and what we do as the oldest and most unique international school in the Rocky Mountain Region, if not worldwide

• International Baccalaureate World School Authorization, with the addition of the Primary Years Programme in 2022. 
• Association of Colorado Independent Schools Accreditation.
• Strategic rebrand to unify our grade-level divisions and language programs while bringing our external voice, look, and feel into alignment to reflect our unparalleled educational offering.
• Heightened emphasis on analytics and data-driven research that both inform our teaching and also tell a compelling story that our students are meeting and exceeding the norms for their age levels across language usage, reading, and math - while in a bilingual immersion school setting.

As ISDenver nears its 50th anniversary in 2027-2028, we are well poised as a school to embark on our next 50 years.

Traditions that are lasting.

Thanks to Bob’s leadership, we’ve added several traditions that are now embedded in the school’s DNA.

• The Head of School Award. The Head of School Award is awarded to a student who embodies academic excellence, global mindedness, and our community principles of respecting self, treating others with dignity, being principled and open-minded, and positively contributing to our community. The award recipient shares the opening address at the annual Opening Ceremonies celebration, or Cérémonie d'Ouverture, on the first day of school.
• Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The Cérémonie d'Ouverture and Cérémonie de Clôture book end the year, happening on the first and last days of school. These ceremonies are a celebration of community and add polish to two very important days of the school year.

Leadership from the front.

If you ask his team about who Bob is as a leader, they will tell you that he leads from the front. He is the first to volunteer for any carline or gate duty, rain or shine. He is a workhorse during events, doing a lot of the heavy lifting to minimize the asks on the rest of the team. He serves food with a smile in the Dragon’s Den.

Bob works hard, but he also harnesses the unique strengths and skillsets of the team he has assembled. Empowering a high functioning team to do good work has a magnifying effect on the output accomplished and instills a vital sense of ownership and pride among the team. 

Bob is the only leader I’ve ever seen who doesn’t just talk the talk—he literally shows up, rolls up his sleeves, grabs a wagon, and starts moving tables. He’s often the first to arrive, the last to leave, and somehow still manages to crack a joke while hauling garbage bags. Honestly, it's both inspiring and slightly suspicious…I think maybe he secretly enjoys setting up chairs more than attending meetings. Bob is down-to-earth, quick with a laugh, and somehow makes everyone around him feel like they belong. He's also done an incredible job keeping our students and staff safe through COVID and the harsh security realities of today. ISDenver is a magical place because of Bob. He's been the glue and the comic relief around here, and we’re going to miss him so much. We're excited to see where his next adventure leads, whether that's slinging hot dogs at Coors Field or restoring RVs in Florida, at the very least, we hope he comes back to help break down the next event. Thanks for everything, Bob!

-Janet Yenter, Director of Community Engagement

Sit close to your kids.

It is his most recognized and repeated sign off. Almost every World E-News or address to the community includes these words. Sit close to your kids. It is the reminder to prioritize what matters most, or perhaps the gentle correction, to reprioritize what matters most when things, as they sometimes do, fall out of alignment in our lives. 

So, now, Bob, it is our turn to tell you: Sit close to your kids. Relish the time with your bride of almost 40 years. Thank you for everything, and may the best be yet to come.

My wife, Laurel, and I have decided that it is time to retire and we are excited to begin a new chapter in our lives. While we are still healthy (knock on wood), we look forward to spending more time together, not being on a school calendar, and traveling more. Most importantly to us, we want to spend more time with our children, which has always been the top priority in our lives. I may do something else someday, but I am not sure exactly what that will be. I have always been a believer in simple twists of fate. For the foreseeable future, however, we are both very excited to experience a new rhythm to our lives.

I can’t tell you how much I enjoy each day here; the students, the parents, the faculty and staff, the board, and my leadership team, are all wonderful to work with and make my job both interesting and enjoyable. This place is truly special and unique, with a richness and quality of education that is unparalleled.

Personally, I have had the most rewarding second career that anyone could ever hope for. I have loved being around students each day and they have given my life meaning and joy. I will end this career after completing my second seven-year headship. Both have been challenging, invigorating, and rewarding; they have enriched me beyond measure.

I thank this community for being so welcoming and kind to Laurel and me. We will always cherish the memories that we have made together with you at ISDenver.

-Bob Carignan, Head of School