October 25, 2013

Dear Parents,

“I had tears in my eyes,” said more than one parent after our UN Day assembly on Wednesday. It was a very special assembly indeed. It is difficult to write a few sentences to describe just how powerful and colorful the assembly was. Students, you represented your country with pride and I know that your parents and teachers were proud to see you on stage. Please take a few moments to look at these fantastic pictures taken by Pradeep Lawrence on UN Day. Are you interested in a DVD of the assembly? Please leave your name, your youngest child’s grade level and mobile phone number with Sonia at Main Reception or Prisca at ES Reception. Ask for the sign-up sheet and we will deliver to your child soon.

This wonderful day for our entire community was only made possible by the most incredible teamwork. Students, faculty, staff, the PTA executive, the community choir and many parent volunteers all made this day possible for several weeks leading up to Wednesday. I would like to thank everyone who worked so tirelessly and patiently to make this day so special for the community.

Halloween Celebrations: For the second time this week, students had the opportunity to dress up. Today we held our annual Halloween Parade. We saw many children dressed up as princesses, community helpers, action heroes, fictional characters, animals, and so much more. Once again, thank you, parents, for organizing costumes and for decorating classrooms.

Report Cards: The first trimester report card was sent home this afternoon with your child. If your child was absent from school today, the report card will be given to your child on Monday, November 4th. In the past, we have inserted this document into the report card envelopes. To save some paper, I have posted it electronically, and will send this link each time we send home report cards. 

Coffee with the ES Administration: Please join us on Tuesday, November 12th for our third parent coffee morning of the year. Our elementary school English as an Additional Language Coordinator, Ms. Karen, and members of her team, will talk about the program and the model of instruction we use in the elementary school. 

Departing Students: Each year, some of our students leave AISC in December. Records from AISC are usually required by the next school. However, it takes us some time to prepare these records. If you will be leaving the school, please contact Ms. Cheryl or Ms. Hazel in the Elementary School Principal’s Office at least two weeks prior to your departure so we can prepare the necessary documents to make your transition as smooth as possible.

Whether you are traveling or staying in Chennai, have a wonder break. School reopens on Monday, November 4th.

Yours truly,

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal

October 18, 2013

Dear Parents,

One of AISC’s amazing traditions is the celebration of UN Day, which this year takes place on October 23. Historically, this has been an assembly for the whole school with parents invited, which included brief speeches, performances, and a Parade of Flags.

The United Nations was originally formed to promote international cooperation and achieve global peace and security, and seeing our students learn and create together, I have the sense that we are continuing that same work right here in our school.  I cannot think of a more symbolic day to celebrate our community composed of so many cultures and backgrounds.

We are a big community now and, despite our very best intentions, it has become increasingly challenging to plan and execute an all-school assembly. Even with our auditorium, we cannot accommodate all students. (We have 945 students and about 805 seats.) In an elementary school assembly three weeks ago, the auditorium was virtually filled with students and parents.

Last year, we had the UN Day event in the gymnasium and, for the first time, included every student in the Parade of Flags. This year, we want to try to continue this tradition in auditorium. K-12 students will gather in the gymnasium between 8.30 and 8.50 and proceed to the auditorium for the beginning of the parade at 9:05. The PK students will gather in the auditorium lobby and then lead the school, with the UN Flag, when the parade begins. PK students will exit the auditorium when they finish their role in the parade.

Once our K-5 students finish their role in the parade each of them will be seated in the auditorium for this event. We will need parent support as seating will be limited. (Parents can watch the event “live” in the ES cafeteria as well.) Once our 6-12 students complete the parade, they will proceed downstairs and be seated in the cafeteria with live streaming of the assembly in the auditorium. 

Our program for the morning is:

8:30: Auditorium opens

8:50: Welcome, Head of School

8:55: Remarks, Model United Nations Secretary General, Student

9:00: Dona Nobis, Community Choir

9:05: Parade of Flags

9:35: Remarks, High School Student Council President

9:40: Bridge Over Troubled Waters, HS/MS Choirs

9:45: Closing, Head of School

10:30: Parents, Country Pavilions for Students (Gymnasium)

Are you interested in watching the event from work or home?

We will live stream this assembly. Go to our Events page to watch between 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, October 23.

 Are you interested in a DVD after the event?

Sometimes filming or getting pictures during an event is too difficult. Too many photographers at an event can be a distraction. We will be giving DVDs of the event to anyone who asks. Stay tuned for ordering directions.

How does the parade work?

Students will be marching under their citizenship of record as listed in Skyward. ES teachers will help students make sure they are with the right group on the morning of the assembly. If students wish to wear national dress, they are welcome to do so. If you have questions about this, please contact your classroom teacher or our Admissions Director, Sanja Ilic ( admissionsdirector@aisch.org ). 

Lunch Order Form
Please click on this link, Lunch Order form Nov-Dec & Lunch Menu - Nov & Dec 2013 to access the Lunch menu and order form for the period November 4th to December 13th.

Use of Playground

This is just a reminder that during recess, the playground and playground equipment is for the use of enrolled students only. In the interest of safety, parents with non-school aged children are kindly asked to take a break from playing and move off the playground while enrolled students are playing.  Also, the tricycles that are located in the covered play area are reserved for our pre-school children, who use them throughout the morning. Thank you for your cooperation. 

Celebrating Literacy!

Celebrations! They are an important part of any unit of study. A celebration is not just about celebrating one final product but rather celebrating the learning that occurred throughout the writing process. Below are some pictures taken at a recent celebration in Ms. T’s class. Check out this video, “A Celebration of Learning: October 2013,” featuring students from Ms. Becky and Ms. Megha’s class, 5D. In this video, students explain the many components of literacy instruction.

Physical Education News

These pasts two weeks in Elementary PE have been filled with great individual and collective achievements. To start, the children exceeded very high expectations in the swimming unit. The students practiced their freestyle and back strokes with many students demonstrating full competence of both strokes!  Currently, in Physical Education, upper elementary children are working on their basketball related skills: dribbling, passing, and shooting. Lower elementary students are testing their grit with the wall climb and jump rope activities!

The Jogging Club continues to be popular.  We have an average of 40 students showing up every Wednesday, and we even have some students who have already ran over 7 miles! Wow! A special shout out to Ryota, Kimberly, Benjamin, and Oz for their Jogging Club achievements! Also, we are very proud of the students, especially since the average child is running 7 laps per performance, which is one mile! 

ASA News

ASA – Raptors Swim Club (Monday – Thursday) and Beginners Swim lessons (Mini Session on Fridays) are in progress.  Both sessions end on December 13, 2013.

ARC Swim club (Saturdays) ends on December 7^th, just before we go for our Winter break. Parents please make note.

Have a great weekend,

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal

October 11, 2013

Dear Parents,

I would like to thank all of the parents who came to the parent coffee morning on Tuesday. Our elementary school counselors, Ms. Geetha and Mr. George, led a very informative session on raising third-culture kids (global nomads). Please click here if you would like a copy of their presentation notes. 

School Photos 2013-2014

AISC is pleased to announce the sale of photos from the AISC Moodle pages. On the All School Page, community members will find the order forms and links to the on-line photo albums. 

Here is process by which you can access the photos on the Moodle page and place your order: 

1. Log into the AISC Moodle site here: http://virtualschool.aisch.org/. Parents, log in as a guest with "raptors13" as the password.

2. Go to the All School page (http://virtualschool.aisch.org/course/view.php?id=187)

3. Download the Student Photo Order Form , found under "Links to Bulletins, Principal's Notes and Head's Notes.”

4. Click on the School Photos link under "Links to Bulletins, Principal's Notes and Head's Notes.”

5. Click on the set of photos you wish to see and copy the image numbers of the photo(s) you want onto the order form.

6. Indicate which print package you want and whether you want the class photo and/or the CD ROM. Please note that the CD ROM is only available if you purchase one of the photo packages.

7. Take the completed order form and the correct payment to the cashier’s window near the main reception area. Please be sure to keep your receipt to verify that you have paid when the photos are delivered.

Please submit all requests for photos not later than October 25. We anticipate that the photos will be available for pickup by November 15.

School photos will not be retaken. If your child was not at school when the photos were taken and his or her photo is not posted on the Moodle page, please inform Ms. Cheryl or Ms. Hazel . We will hold another photo session in late January for those students and for students who arrived later in the school year.

Vision and Hearing Screening

Each year, all children undergo a vision and hearing screening test at school. Doctors will conduct this screening on November 12th, 14th and 15th. The doctors conducting the screening are from Madras ENT Research Foundation (P) Ltd. and Dr. Agarwal's  Eye Hospital.

UN Day Update

One of AISC’s amazing traditions is the celebration of UN Day, which this year takes place on October 23. Historically, this has been an assembly for the whole school with parents invited, which included brief speeches, performances, and a Parade of Flags.

The United Nations was originally formed to promote international cooperation and achieve global peace and security, and seeing our students learn and create together, I have the sense that we are continuing that same work right here in our school.  I cannot think of a more symbolic day to celebrate our community composed of so many cultures and backgrounds.

We are a big community now and, despite our very best intentions, it has become increasingly challenging to plan and execute an all-school assembly. Even with our auditorium, we cannot accommodate all students. (We have 945 students and about 805 seats.) In an ES assembly two weeks ago, the auditorium was virtually filled with students and parents.

Last year, we had the UN Day event in the gymnasium and, for the first time, included every student in the parade of Flags. This year, we want to try to continue this tradition in auditorium. We will need to seat every K-5 student in the auditorium for this event, so we will need parent support as seating will be limited. Students in grades 6-12 will be seated in the cafeteria with live streaming of the assembly in the auditorium.

K-12 students will gather in the gymnasium between 8.30 and 8.50 and proceed to the auditorium for the beginning of the parade at 9:05. The PK students will gather in the auditorium lobby and then lead the school, with the UN Flag, when the parade begins.

Our program for the morning is:

8:50: Welcome, Head of School

8:55: Remarks, Model United Nations Secretary General, Student

9:00: Dona Nobis, Community Choir

9:05: Parade of Flags

9:35: Remarks, High School Student Council President

9:40: Bridge Over Troubled Waters, HS/MS Choirs

9:45: Closing, Head of School

10:30: Parents, Country Pavilions for Students (Gymnasium)

Are you interested in watching the event from work or home?

We will live stream this assembly. Go to our Events page to watch between 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, October 23.

Are you interested in a DVD after the event?

Sometimes filming or getting pictures during an event is too difficult. Too many photographers at an event can be a distraction. We will be giving DVDs of the event to anyone who asks. Stay tuned for ordering directions.

How does the parade work?

1. Students will be marching under their citizenship of record as listed in Skyward. ES teachers will help students make sure they are with the right group on the morning of the assembly. If students wish to wear national dress, they are welcome to do so. 
2. Students who have dual nationality should inform the Admissions Director, Sanja IIic ( admissionsdirector@aisch.org ) no later than Wednesday, October 16^th if they will represent a country other than their citizenship of record. 

Yours truly,

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal

October 4, 2013

Dear Parents,

We had a full house at our Gandhi Jayanthi assembly Tuesday morning! I would like to extend  my thanks to several groups: to the parents and family members who celebrated with us, to the students in Kindergarten, Grades 1, 3 and 4 for their amazing performances, to the students in Grades 2 and 5 for creating the beautiful artwork that was on display in the auditorium, and lastly, to our art, music and Indian Studies teachers for inspiring the students.

On Tuesday, we will host our second parent coffee of the year. Our guidance counselors, Ms. Geetha and Mr. George, will lead a presentation on being a third-culture kid (global kid/global nomad) and how making change can have a positive impact on their lives. What is a third culture kid, or TCK? Formally defined, TCKs are people who have spent a portion of their formative childhood years (0-18) in a culture different than their parents’. (http://www.denizenmag.com/third-culture-kid/). We look forward to seeing you in the Fine Arts Cafeteria beginning at 8:45.

If you have not had an opportunity to complete the student-led conference parent survey, there is still time. Would you mind taking a few moments to complete this survey?  Although the survey is written in English, our Korean families can refer to this document for assistance. To complete the survey, please click on the "survey" link, using the "document" only as a guide. The survey will stay open until noon on Monday. Thank you.

We have mentioned the importance of parents being sensitive to being in and around middle and high school students’ learning and social spaces while in use by students before, during, and after school. During the school day, middle and high school students need a sense of ownership of their spaces. We are a busy campus and we recognize that community members come and go all day long. The iHub, however, is a place for students to gather, socialize, and collaborate. As such, we request that parents be sensitive to its use during school hours 8:30-3:30, especially right before and right after school, and during all breaks, which happen throughout the day. We encourage parents to use the Parent MC Café during these times.

Finally, below is a message from Tammy Oakes & Marcella Castillo, PTA/SAISA Coordinators:

SAISA NEWS….    Girls Volleyball: Oct. 9th  through 11th

Our FIRST SAISA event is just days away!  Mark your calendars.

PLAN TO ATTEND & PLAN TO VOLUNTEER (Please!!!)

COME CHEER ON OUR LADY RAPTORS Volley Ball Team!!
Teams play 3 games on the 1st day of the tournament.
10:50am                      AISC VS OSC  (Court 2)        
12:25pm                      AISC VS KAS   (Court 1)                    
3:20pm                        AISC VS ASB  (Court 2)

The Raptors’ game schedule on 2nd & 3rd day of the tournament will be posted at event.

Schools Participating in this Year’s Tournament:
Lahore American School          (LAS)              Lincoln School-Nepal   (LS)
Karachi American School        (KAS)              The American International School of Muscat (TAISM)
Overseas School of Colombo (OSC)              American School of Bombay (ASB)
American International School –Dhaka (AISD)

3 Days - Many Ways...  You can MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
1.  Volunteer to be a Visiting Team MOM for the day!  Bring a Yummy Treat for that team!
     If you can, cheer them on during one of their games that day!
 (7 Visiting schools Need Team Moms AND you can pick the day that works best for you!)
It’s easy!! Just let us know which team & what day!!

2.  Donate a plate of Sweet Treats OR Savory Treats to the Coaches Hospitality Room.
    Tournament Hospitality Room (Madras Cottages E & F) will be open throughout this 3 day
    event for Coaches ( & out of town parents) to take a break.  
   It’s easy! Just let us know what day/time you want to drop off a plate of snacks!

3.  Volunteer to help us MAKE POPCORN!
  We have a new popcorn machine and we are ready to use it!!
Popcorn Booth will be up and running during the tournament..
THREE TIME-SLOTS:   10:45 till 12:15,    1:30 till 3:15    AND 3:30 till 5:00
It’s easy!   Let us know which time-slot & day works best!

TO VOLUNTEER  PLEASE CONTACT Tammy at   ncdeano@yahoo.com
OR Marcella  at   marcelacge@gmail.com

THANKS…Tammy Oakes & Marcella Castillo, PTA/SAISA Coordinators

And a special thank you to members of the AISC Community who are hosting visiting student athletes/coaches during this time!

Have a great weekend. I hope to see you at Cabaret Saturday evening!

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal