Dear Parents,
On behalf of the AISC Elementary School faculty and staff, it is truly my pleasure to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to you as we begin the 2014-2015 school year. August is the time of year to reconnect with old friends and welcome new friends. To those students and parents who are new to AISC, we extend a very special warm welcome. You have joined a very special community.
This morning, we held our “Welcome Back Assembly." After welcoming students back to school, I introduced our new associate principal, Ms. Newman, to the students. Four grade five students joined Ms. Newman on the floor and asked her some, "get-to-know-questions" (see the first picture below). Ms. Newman and I then introduced our new teachers, teacher's assistants and new students. This was followed by a beautiful performance by our grade 5 students who sang, "Treasure Chests." The message of this song was so powerful and moving that I have included the lyrics below. Thank you to our grade 5 students, who are pictured below. Following this song, I welcomed our facilities and maintenance teams to the front of the theatre and, on behalf of students and teachers, thanked them for doing a fantastic job getting the school ready for our arrival and for building the new playground. Both teams received a warm round of applause. We concluded the assembly with a three minute video of children playing on the playground and eating in the cafeteria. Ms. Newman asked children to look for examples of responsible play and behavior. She then called upon several students to cite examples from the video. I would like to thank the many parents who were able to join us this morning.
Treasure Chests
Some of us come from a distant land,
Some of us from nearby,
But all of us carry a treasure chest
With things that gold can’t buy.
Refrain:
And when we share our treasure chests
We all grow rich you see;
The riches in that treasure chest
Are what makes you and me.
Treasures come from years ago
From countries far a way,
Treasures come from our families,
Last year or yesterday.
Holidays, games and stories,
Languages and songs
Faith and courage and wisdom,
And ways to get along.
Student Handbook Signature Page
If you have not signed and returned this page, please do so by Thursday, August 14th. It can be found on page 57 of the Elementary School Handbook. We require the signatures of your child (grade 3 and above) and a parent or legal guardian.
Back to School Night
Please join us for Back to School Night on Thursday, August 21, beginning at 4:00 pm. This is a great opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher, meet other parents in your child’s class, and to learn more about classroom routines and the curriculum. Be sure to check my Principal’s Notes next week for specific details.
Badges for Domestic Staff/Drivers
As you may know, we have been focusing on Child Protection procedures here since 2012. We have a Child Protection Manual (CPM) and we have Board Policy that holds us accountable for having appropriate systems and procedures in place to assure the safeguarding of your children. (Please see our CPM in Information and Reminders link on the Head of School’s blog.) Over the past year, we have been focusing on many aspects of shoring up our safety and security systems.
With regard to community access to campus inside the turnstiles, we require background checks for all members of staff and ASA instructors. Vendors and campus guests must be accompanied by a staff member or parent at all times.
We have also focused on collecting data on, tracking, and managing the access to campus by nannies and drivers – in 2013-2104, 195 drivers and nannies had access to campus.
Historically, nannies and drivers have had access to campus for three main reasons:
1. Drop off and pick up.
2. Delivering forgotten items from home or lunches.
3. Supervision of children on playground after school.
We already have systems in place so that parents/guardians do not need to accompany their children to classrooms and so that we can deliver children to parents/guardians after school. Further, our personnel at the security desks facilitate delivering lunches or forgotten items. Last year, we also put guidelines in place to manage when nannies and drivers could be on campus and where they could be while waiting or supervising.
This was an incredible supervision challenge for us and pulled security staff away from other duties to perform. In the interests of student safety and school security generally, AISC is no longer in a position to supervise nannies and drivers and allow them within the turnstiles. Over the next four weeks, not immediately, AISC will phase out nanny/driver access to campus. Drivers and nannies will be allowed in registered vehicles inside the vehicle gates and will be able to pick up and drop off at the security desks.
We recognize that for the 150+ families who engage nannie/driver access, this flexibility may have become an important part of your family’s routine. We also recognize that for some of you who have your patterns with your drivers and nannies, this may seem like a weighty shift, but given recent child safety issues locally and in international schools globally, this is a necessary move.
We want to be sensitive to the time you may need to make adjustments. In the next two weeks, I will be communicating nanny/driver pick up and drop off systems for all ES students, which will start on Tuesday, September 2. If you have a special situation and need information or support, please speak with me directly. Forgotten items will continue to be handled by our security desk personnel.
If a driver or nanny requires an ID for the month of August, please follow this process:
1. For returning families, please inform the security team if you have a returning driver or domestic staff member who has previously been issued an ID. We cannot assure admission to the campus without a confirmation from you. Email Umasekar Mohan (securitymanager@aisch.org), Devendra Kushwaha (kdevendra@aisch.org) or inform one of our security personnel at the Front Security Desk at your earliest convenience.
2. For new families, nanny and driver ID badges will be issued for vehicle gate entry only.
After School Activity Information
ASA Paid Activity Information
Dates: August 11 and 12, 2014
Venue & Time: Elementary Cafeteria from 9:00 am – 10:30 am.
Cheque payment should be made in the name of “American International School Chennai”. Kindly put the registration form with the cheque in a sealed envelope and hand it over at the Main Reception to Ms. Sonia / Elementary Reception to Ms. Prisca. Cash payments need to be made at the ASA registration time only. There is no limit as to the number of paid activities a child can participate in. Please ensure that it does not overlap with your free activities. Students' schedules will be sent on August 14, 2014 via student folders.
Refund for Paid Activities
Criteria for refund: The students are allowed to change their ASA after one week, after the start of all ASAs. If the student does not like the activity / due to health reasons, he/she can opt to change the activity or take a refund. Please note that:
• Any change for an ASA is done only once.
• Refund authorization will be done by the ASA Coordinator from August 25 – 29, 2014.
• Refund Money can be collected from the cashier: September 2 - 4, 2014.
• If any injury / other commitments happen mid-semester, please note that refunds will not be authorised.
• Receipts will be at the ASA office and can be collected two weeks after payment.
• Classes missed due to rain or any natural calamity or government holidays will not be compensated or refunded.
Uniform / Accessories / Kits:
Activities like Soccer / Taekwondo / Karate require uniforms to be worn for the class. For these ASAs , the coach / instructor will provide you with respective uniforms and kits required for the activity at a cost, should you require any clarification please contact the ASA office or the respective coach directly, from August 18 at 3.30pm. We request students to change into their uniform / attire and be present for ASA. This is mandatory. Parents who are in the campus, kindly come and help your child change.
Uniform / Accessories / Kits:
Activities like Soccer / Taekwondo / Karate require uniforms to be worn for the class. For these ASAs , the coach / instructor will provide you with respective uniforms and kits required for the activity at a cost, should you require any clarification please contact the ASA office or the respective coach directly, from August 18 at 3.30pm. We request students to change into their uniform / attire and be present for ASA. This is mandatory. Parents who are in the campus, kindly come and help your child change.
Reading and Homework ASA for 4th and 5th Grade
August 18 to December 19 (semester 1) 2014
We will begin Reading and Homework ASA for fourth and fifth graders in the Elementary Library, every day from 3:45-4:30pm.
• This ASA will give students an opportunity to work independently in a quiet area.
• Students can come on the day(s) they choose (Monday to Friday).
• There will be no formal sign-up procedure.
• The students will assemble in the Elementary Cafeteria at the ASA Library Table.
• Students will be brought back to the Elementary Cafeteria at 4:30 for parent pick-up
• Ms. Jyothi / Mr. Lal Paul will lead this ASA.
Raptors Swim Club: Grades K to 12
Have a fantastic weekend,
Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal