Friday, September 26, 2014

Dear Parents,

Thank you to all the families who came to our student-led conferences, which we held yesterday afternoon and today. Our goal is 100% participation and at the time of writing, we are at 97%! This percentage factors in parents who registered for a conference through the online portal. A few families were unable to attend either yesterday or today due to extenuating circumstances, and thus made an appointment directly with the teacher. 

Why is our participation rate so high? Parents, students and teachers understand the power of the student-led conference. Conferences offer authentic opportunities for students to share their learning with their parents. Conferences engage and motivate both students and parents to participate enthusiastically in the teaching-learning process. Student-led conferences strengthen the relationship between home and school and also bring students and parents closer together. Students feel empowered to take ownership of their learning and teachers receive valuable feedback that impacts on their instructional decision-making. Parents see their children through a new lens – in action in their classroom environment – and gain insight into their thinking and behaviour.

Adapted from:
http://www.curriculum.org/secretariat/studentled/files/SLCViewerGuide.pdf

Occasionally, a parent feels a need to discuss their child’s achievements, behaviour and/or social issues directly and privately with the teacher.  If this is the case, I strongly encourage the parent to make an appointment to discuss these issues directly with the teacher.  

Thank you for coming! Together we inspire a love of learning!

Mark Church is Returning to AISC

AISC had the pleasure of hosting Mark Church last school year. Mark is a consultant for Harvard University Project Zero’s Making Thinking Visible & Cultures of Thinking initiatives in various school settings throughout the world. Mark is returning to AISC on Monday and will be with us throughout next week.  Mark will be working with teaching teams throughout the week. 

Celebrate India Month

Our students have started preparing for the much-awaited Celebrate India Month, which begins on Wednesday. We will kick-off India Month with a opening assembly on October 1st. Students will watch a performance of Traditional Folk Dances of India. There will be two student assemblies, one by the lower elementary and the other by the upper elementary. You are welcome to attend both. Performances will be in the FAC Theater. Students are encouraged to wear Indian clothes on the day of their performance, but this is not mandatory. They are welcome to wear Indian clothes throughout the month.

Student Performances:

PS-Grade 2 Wednesday, October 8th at 8:45 in the FAC Theater
Grade 3-5 Thursday, October 16th at 8:45 in the FAC Theater

During this month, they will participate in various art and craft activities and yoga. They will also have the opportunity to decorate their hands with mehendi (henna). Additionally, they will watch a demonstration by a local potter and a glass blower. Students may bring Rs.50-Rs.100 if they wish to buy artifacts made by the glass blower. Parents may wish to purchase items after-school. Once confirmed, I will communicate the date of his visit in my weekly Principal’s Notes.

Indian Meal

Students will be served an Indian Lunch catered by our Taj Madras Flight Kitchen on Friday October 17. The lunch served will be jeera pulao, veg makhini, poori, channa, aloo tikka, chicken tikka, jalebi, pappad and pickle. Spices in the food will be minimal. Parents who do not want their children to have this meal may kindly send a packed lunch from home. The Taj Madras Flight Kitchen will not be preparing other meals that day.

October Lunch Menu and Order Form

Please click on the links below to access the October lunch menu and order form

Lunch menu

Lunch order form

The Collaboration and Inquiry Center (CIC) Opens on Saturdays for Community Access to Resources

Because of our commitment to literacy and learning, we think this will be a fantastic way for students, parents, and staff to utilize our print and digital resources even more.  This will be a great opportunity to come in and exchange books, read, study, use the Internet, and work on collaborative projects. This is a space on Saturdays open to all students in grades preschool to twelve, so come on in and enjoy the CIC!

Hours and Dates

Hours: 8:30-12:30
Start Date: Saturday, September 6
End Date: Saturday, May 30
Saturday Closures: Please note that we will be closed on student 3-day weekends (January 24, February 22, and May 1) as well as Saturdays taking place during school vacations.

CIC Saturday Policy Reminders

Please sign-in on clipboards when coming to the CIC on Saturdays.  This will help us with supervision as well as collecting data on Saturday usage.

Please enjoy food and drink outside the CIC.

ES students must be accompanied by a parent on campus during non-school hours (ES school policy).  ES students should come to the CIC on Saturdays with a parent.

MS and HS students should only be on campus during non-school hours when they are part of a school-organized activity or sport.  Saturdays in the CIC counts as a school-organized activity.  If students leave the CIC, but are not taking part in another school activity or sport, they should leave the AISC campus.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturdays!

If you have any questions, please email Jeremy Willette.

Have a great weekend,

Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal

Friday, September 19, 2014

Dear Parents,

This week, we focused on three themes school wide: identity, international-mindedness and the rights of peoples to peace. On Monday and Tuesday, students placed their dots in the form of a peace sign in the FAC gallery space. Thank you to the members of the AISC community who came to view and participate in the project. The final collaborative art piece was displayed as the backdrop for the UN parade in the auditorium today. Yesterday was, Wear White for Peace Day. We had planned to gather on the soccer field at the end of the school day and have everyone gather in a circle to form a dot. Unfortunately, it rained and we had to cancel this event, however, we are very proud of our students for almost 100% of them wore white yesterday. The rain did not prevent us from holding our candlelight vigil in the theater- a time to reflect on what peace and justice means to us. We had a wonderful turnout. In fact, we distributed over 400 candles. This morning we held our Parade of Flags procession and later in the day, students had the opportunity to visit the country pavilions in the gymnasium.

It takes an entire community to pull off an exciting week like this one. I would like to thank everyone who was involved in making this week a success. 

Student-Led Conferences

We will be hosting our first round of Student-Led Conferences on Thursday, September 25 from 3:45 pm to 6:25 pm, and all day on Friday, September 26 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Conferences will be conducted in your child’s homeroom and will be 20 minutes in length. We do request that all families make an appointment to attend on either on of the two days. Conferences are scheduled online, and you can do so now by clicking on the link below:

http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/American_International_School_Chennai_1

This video will guide you through the sign-up process. Please sign up by Wednesday at 12 noon. If you do not have internet access at home, you are welcome to use a computer in the CIC.

You can visit art, music, physical education, Indian Studies, Spanish, French on a drop-in basis. You do not need to sign-up online for a conference.

What to Expect During the Conference

• The main focus will be on goal setting with the child. A baseline portfolio will be shared, to show the “starting point” for the child and so growth can be documented by the second conference.

• In grades PK-2, the student will be present, and the teacher will orchestrate the conference, involving student and parents in all aspects of the discussion.

• In grades 3-5, students will take on more of the conference leadership. This may vary if your child is an English Language Learner and his/her comfort level.

• We ask you to switch off your mobile phone during the conference so your child or teacher can present without interruption.

• Please provide encouragement and feedback as your child proceeds.  Ask questions to clarify and try to let your child maintain control over the conference.  Teachers will also support your child during the meeting.

• Expect your child to share strengths, successes, and areas for improvement. We hope this information is helpful.

Please note:

1. We will provide child-care for brothers and/or sisters who are waiting while their parents are conferencing with another child. This is short-term child-care only.  Please drop your child off immediately prior to the sibling's conference, and pick them up immediately after.

2. Childcare will take place in the following rooms: 2132, 3616 and 3607. You may take your child to anyone of these rooms. If a room is full, we will guide you to an alternate room.

3. All students must be signed in and out, and please provide a mobile number where we can reach you if needed.

4. Childcare is for enrolled students only (no babies, toddlers, or non-enrolled siblings).

5. Students must follow the instructions of the supervising adults and remain in the same room at all times until signed out.

Please note that the playgrounds will be closed on Friday.  As per our safety and supervision guidelines, elementary children must be supervised directly by an adult at all times while on campus.

Celebrate India Month

Our students have started preparing for the much-awaited Celebrate India Month (October) formerly known as India Week.  There will be two student assemblies, one by the lower elementary and the other by the upper elementary. You are welcome to attend both. Performances will be in the FAC Theater. Students are encouraged to wear Indian clothes on the day of their performance, but this is not mandatory. They are welcome to wear Indian clothes throughout the month.

Student Performances:

PS-Grade 2 Wednesday, October 8th at 8.45
Grade 3-5 Thursday, October 16th  at 8.45

We will kick off India Month with a opening assembly on October 1st. Students will watch a performance of Traditional Folk Dances of India. During this month, they will participate in various art and craft activities and yoga. They will also have the opportunity to decorate their hands with mehendi (henna). Additionally, they will watch a demonstration by a local potter and a glass blower. Students may bring Rs.50-Rs.100 if they wish to buy artifacts made by the glass blower. Parents may wish to purchase items after-school. Once confirmed, I will communicate the date of his visit in my weekly Principal’s Notes.

Indian Meal

Students will be served an Indian Lunch catered by our Taj Madras Flight Kitchen on Friday October 17. The lunch served will be Jeera Pulao, Veg makhini, Poori, Channa, Aloo Tikki ( Aloo Cutlet), Chicken tikka, Jalebi, Pappad and Pickle. Spices in the food will be minimal. Parents who do not want their children to have this meal may kindly send a packed lunch from home. The Taj Madras Flight Kitchen will not be preparing other meals that day.

October Lunch Menu and Order Form

Please click on the links below to access the October lunch menu and order form

Lunch menu 

Lunch order form

Food Service Update 

AISC is excited to announce their new Food Services Manager, Mr. Prakash Shanmugam. Prakash has a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Madras. He has eight years of working experience with the Taj Fisherman’s Cove, starting off as a Food & Beverages Associate and then as Restaurant Manager since November 2012. Prakash’s love of food and vast experience in the hotel industry has already made a huge difference in the variety and quality of the food served at AISC.

• Our FAC Cafeteria now has a Dosa and Wrap counter. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are Dosa Days and Tuesdays and Thursdays are Wrap Days. We also have a sandwich bar in the I-Hub and FAC and ES cafeteria’s every day.

• TMFK has added beef to our menu options. In addition to chicken and fish, we now serve beef on all days except Friday.

• TMFK has also introduced Korean and Thai cuisine. We will serve Korean on Mondays and Thursdays and Thai on Wednesdays.

• The Parent MC Café which has not been operational since 8 August, is open once again from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Should you have any questions with regard to food service, please email Josephine Ronald.

Have a great weekend,

Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal

Friday, September 12, 2014

Dear Parents,

We had 30 parents come to our first Parent Coffee with the ES Administration on Tuesday. Our topic was, “Transitioning into a New School and New Country."  At the end of the presentation, Ms. Geetha, Mr. George and I asked parents to complete a brief survey consisting of three questions and a place to write comments. Twenty-two parents responded and the feedback is below.

Three questions:

1. Did the presentation give you some new information to think about? 21/22 said yes

2. Did you have enough opportunity to talk? 19/22 said yes

3. Has today’s talk given you new ideas to help your child through the current transition? 21/22 said yes

Comments:

1. Could you do this presentation in January to new parents as well?

2. Maybe a bit more time to talk.

3. Provide handouts.

4. Good to highlight children’s behaviors that are to be expected in transition.

5. Enjoyable.

6. You guys covered pretty much everything. Thank you.

7. It really helped us a lot.

8. It was a great experience to be a part of this discussion. I would love to continue coming for this discussion in the future.

9. Actually a very beneficial morning. I nearly did not come as I thought I was not a “new” parent anymore but I now have a better understanding that I should be more tolerant of some of the children’s behavior.

10. It was indeed a very good presentation and now that you have given us the seed, we will see it grow.

11. A bit more time for group sharing and interaction at the tables would benefit the workshop.

12. Got to meet new people and make new friends.

13. Thank you for a well-thought out conversation. I’m walking away with a few new ideas and I’m thankful for that, as well as the opportunity to chat with others.

14. Would you consider leading a study group on this topic?

We really appreciated the comments about wanting more time to talk. That feedback tells us that participants found the topic quite interesting. 

Measures of Academic Progress® Tests

Beginning September 17th, most children will take tests called Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®). We give students in grades 2-5 MAP tests to determine each child’s instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year in the areas of math, reading, language usage and science (grades 3 to 5). When administered at regular intervals over time, it is possible to find out whether an individual, or an entire grade level, is making satisfactory progress in these basic skill areas. Your child will take the tests on a computer. Beginner EAL students who enrolled after August 17th will not write these tests.

MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to be appropriate for your child’s level of learning. As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing. The tests are not time-based but take on average 45 minutes to complete.

New parents often ask how their children can study for these tests. Really, the best ways to prepare for these tests are to make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep the night before a test and has breakfast the morning of the test. These are healthy practices in general. Students cannot study for a MAP test.

MAP test scores are not reported on the elementary school report card. You will receive a MAP Student Progress Report prior to the Fall Break.

For more information on resources for parents, download the Parent Toolkit at www.nwea.org >> Partner Support.

Student-Led Conferences

We will be hosting our first round of Student-Led Conferences on Thursday, September 25 from 3:45 pm to 6:25 pm, and all day on Friday, September 26 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Conferences will be conducted in your child’s homeroom and will be 20 minutes in length. We do request that all families make an appointment to attend on either on of the two days. Conferences are scheduled online, and you can do so now by clicking on the link below:

http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/American_International_School_Chennai_1

This video will guide you through the sign-up process.

If you do not have internet access at home, you are welcome to use a computer in the CIC.

You can visit art, music, physical education, Indian Studies, Spanish, French on a drop-in basis. You do not need to sign-up online for a conference.

What to Expect During the Conference

• The main focus will be on goal setting with the child. A baseline portfolio will be shared, to show the “starting point” for the child and so growth can be documented by the second conference.
• In grades PK-2, the student will be present, and the teacher will orchestrate the conference, involving student and parents in all aspects of the discussion.
• In grades 3-5, students will take on more of the conference leadership. This may vary if your child is an English Language Learner and his/her comfort level.
• We ask you to switch off your mobile phone during the conference so your child or teacher can present without interruption.
• Please provide encouragement and feedback as your child proceeds.  Ask questions to clarify and try to let your child maintain control over the conference.  Teachers will also support your child during the meeting.
• Expect your child to share strengths, successes, and areas for improvement. We hope this information is helpful.

Please note:

1. We will provide child-care for brothers and/or sisters who are waiting while their parents are conferencing with another child. This is short-term child-care only.  Please drop your child off immediately prior to the sibling's conference, and pick them up immediately after.
2. Childcare will take place in the following rooms: 2132, 3616 and 3607. I will provide parents with further information next week about this option.
3. All students must be signed in and out, and please provide a mobile number where we can reach you if needed.
4. Childcare is for enrolled students only (no babies, toddlers, or non-enrolled siblings).
5. Students must follow the instructions of the supervising adults and remain in the same room at all times until signed out.

Please note that the playgrounds will be closed on Friday.  As per our safety and supervision guidelines, elementary children must be supervised directly by an adult at all times while on campus.

Use of Technology in a Grade 5 Math Class

Watch and listen to Ms. Becky as she explains how her students are using technology during math class. This serves as a great example of our students, and their teacher, demonstrating our Student Learning Objectives.

One of AISC’s amazing traditions is the celebration of UN Day, which takes place as UN International Peace Day on Friday, September 19. Dot Day, an acknowledgement of the spirit of individual identity from the illustrated book by Peter Reynolds, is also marked on our calendars for Monday, September 15. This year, we are marking our values of diversity and identity, our respect for the efforts to bring peace to nations and groups throughout the world, and our responsibility to engage global awareness campaigns regarding the rights of all peoples to peace.

The Dot Day - UN International Peace Day

In the coming days, we will be focusing on three themes school wide:

                                                        Identity
                                                        International-mindedness
                                                        The rights of peoples to peace

Among the many experiences happening next week are:

Monday and Tuesday, September 15 & 16

DOT Days, FAC Atrium, All day - Student will be placing their dots in the form of a peace sign in the FAC gallery space. All of the AISC community are welcome to view and participate in the project. The final collaborative art piece will be hung as the backdrop for the UN parade in the auditorium on Friday. 

Thursday, September 18

Wear White For Peace - Please make sure your child(ren) wear a white shirt on this day. We would love to have 100% participation.

Candlelight Vigil, FAC Auditorium Stage, 3:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. We invite teachers, students, and families to take part in a candlelight vigil focused on peace and justice. This will be a time to reflect on what peace and justice means to us. We ask all participants to wear white to show their support of peace. Important Note: ES students must be accompanied by parents.

Friday, September 19

Parade of Flags Assembly (8:50 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.), FAC Auditorium & International Country Pavilion (10:30 a.m.), Gymnasium

K-12 students will gather in the gymnasium between 8.30 a.m.  and 8.50 a.m. The PK students will gather in the auditorium lobby and then lead the school, with the UN Flag, when the parade begins. The PK students will not, otherwise, carry their national flags nor country signs. They will lead the procession and jointly march solely under the UN Flag.

8:30 - 8:50 a.m. - All parade spectators should be seated in the auditorium.

8:50 a.m. - Greeting and Opening Remarks by Head of School

8:55 a.m. - Middle School Choir sings “Shosholoza” accompanied by High School Percussion

9:00 a.m. - MUN Secretary General speaks

9:05 a.m. - MUN Secretary General begins parade: Pre-K students lead procession, followed by ES/MS/HS

9:35 a.m. - Student Body President makes closing remarks

9:38 a.m. - High School Choir sings “Inscription of Hope”

9:42 a.m. - Head of School thanks students, teachers, & audience (After dispersal of parents, students are released)

10:30 a.m. - Parents, International Country Pavilions for Students (Gymnasium)

There will be limited parent seating in the auditorium. 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. Once our 6-12 students complete the parade, they will be seated in the cafeteria with live streaming of the assembly in the auditorium.

R.I.S.E. (Resilience, Innovation, Service, and Entertainment Forum), FAC Auditorium, 5:00 p.m. - AISC will host its first R.I.S.E event which will bring inspirational speakers, thought leaders, and entertainers to AISC to infuse new vision and dialogue relative to our mission, core values and student learning objectives. One of these speakers is Chintan Modi, who has offered his time to work with classrooms around the theme of peace through the power of friendship.  Chintan is the founder of Friendships Across Borders: Aao Dosti Karein, a social media initiative that builds on the power of personal friendships to transform the long-standing hostility between India and Pakistan. We are also joined by Dr. V.R. Devika, the Founder and Managing Trustee of The Aseema Trust. Dr. V.R. Devika is known for her passion for traditional performing arts and education. She conducts regular workshops on peace education and communication skills for students and teachers. You can read more about the program here. 

Questions About the Week?

1. So what’s the book “The Dot” about?

To view and listen to The Dot, please visit our online subscription to TumbleBooks! 

Here are steps on how to access it:

Go to the following address on the Internet: www.tumblebooks.com  

Click on the green box

Enter the following information: username: aisc  password: chennai

In the search box in the top left hand corner, type The Dot and click the blue arrow.

Scroll down until you find The Dot on the left side of the page.

Click “Read Online.”

2. 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 Friday, September 19.

3. 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.

4. How does the parade work?

Unless a parent has requested otherwise, 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.

Have a great weekend,

Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal

Friday, September 5

Dear Parents,

Many thanks to all of you who worked through the first week of our new procedures for nannies and drivers. Pick up and drop off continues to go incredibly smoothly and we will continue to watch, monitor, and listen. Thank you as well to the many parents who have come to us with their particular circumstances as we have sought to understand supervision needs over the past few weeks. In particular, we are looking at several soft points for some parents who may have an MS/HS child and a younger ES sibling who may require bridge supervision to wait for their sibling. If this applies to you, would you mind completing this form by Wednesday? I will gather data to determine if it is viable for us to offer an ASA type fee-paying supervision option.

Parent Coffee with the ES Administration

Throughout the year, I will host a morning coffee hour, generally the first Tuesday of the month. Our gatherings are designed to allow discussion of the social, emotional and academic needs of students as well as the curriculum offered at AISC. The informal meetings provide parents with an opportunity to learn more about the developmental needs of their elementary-aged children and to ask questions about classes, the school and the program.

Our first Parent Coffee with the ES Administration will be held on Tuesday, September 9th from 8:45 to 9:45 in the elementary school cafeteria. Our topic is called, “Transitioning into a New Country and School.”  The counselors, Mr. George and Ms. Geetha and I, will lead a presentation and discussion around how to best support your child and your family as they settle into a new school environment. We know that the transition is an exciting, but at times, daunting adventure. Experience tells us that shared knowledge helps us all. We will share practical suggestions on how to best support your kids during this transitional period. While our target audience is primarily new parents, we encourage returning families to join us as well. This will be a great opportunity to meet our new families and for you to perhaps share your transition stories.

Grade-Level English as an Additional Language (EAL) Parent Presentations 

Last Friday, our grade 1 EAL teachers Ms. Seema and Ms. Kaye welcomed over 35 grade 1 parents to an EAL parent information session. The primary focus of this meeting was an explanation of the reading workshop model we use in all of our classes. Ms. Kaye and Ms. Seema also talked about the role of the EAL teacher, reading for homework, explained Raz Kids and touched on ways parents can support their children at home. 

Today, our grade 5 EAL teachers, Ms. Salome and Ms. Megha, held a similar information session for parents. Topics included: inclusion and the role of the EAL teacher, use of the home language, how parents can support learning, parent-teacher communication and reading and writing instruction.

Thank you to the parents who joined us. Research has indicated that there are positive academic outcomes stemming from parent involvement  Other grade-level EAL teachers will hold similar sessions in the future.

Update from the Office of Teaching and Learning

The spirit of international-mindedness at AISC is something that our students live each and every day, all year long. This year, we have decided to "connect the dots" between International Dot Day and the UN International Day of Peace to create a week-long celebration of our commitment to being internationally-minded. We will be focusing on three themes this year:

                                                                  • identity

                                                                  • international-mindedness

                                                                  • the rights of peoples to peace

We would like to invite all of you to join us for some of the celebrations during the week of September 15th. A few of those events are:

Wear White For Peace - Thursday, September 18th - please make sure your child(ren) wear a white shirt on this day. We would love to have 100% participation.

Candlelight Vigil - Thursday, September 18th from 3:45 - 4:15 in the FAC Foyer: We invite teachers, students, and families to take part in a candlelight vigil focused on peace and justice.  This will be a time to reflect on what peace and justice means to us.  We ask all participants to wear white to show their support of peace. Important Note: Elementary school students must be accompanied by a parent.

R.I.S.E. FAC Auditorium, Friday, September 19th beginning at 5:00 p.m.

AISC will host its first R.I.S.E. (Resilience, Innovation, Service, Entertainment) event which will bring inspirational speakers, thought leaders, and entertainers to AISC to infuse new vision and dialogue relative to our mission, core values and student learning objectives.

Bring-Your-Own-Technology (BYOT)

BYOT is a model of technology access where home and school collaborate to extend students’ existing use of digital devices into school as learning tools. The BYOT model blurs the home-school divide. Parents can help ensure success by having regular dialogue with their children about technology use at home and school. 

Students in Grades 3 to 5 have participated in Technology Bootcamp. Technology Bootcamp is comprised of highly-focused mini-lessons aimed at teaching digital citizenship and technology skills in order to meet the needs and expectations of teaching and learning. All lessons have been carefully planned and are aligned with our AISC Technology Standards and Benchmarks. Sessions were hands on, led by teachers and technology specialists and directly related to learning in the class. It is important to note that these were introductory lessons and will be reinforced throughout the year and embedded into units of study. What did the students engage in?

Grade 3

Google Drive- Students use Google extensively throughout the year. Being able to easily create, share and organize documents on both the laptop and iPad is key. 

Responsible Use Policy (RUP) Jeopardy- The RUP is important to know. We designed a fun game to help students learn the importance of taking care of technology. Individual classrooms are developing Technology Agreements based on what students have learned.  

Basic Troubleshooting- This lesson focused on common technology problems. Students were given strategies for attempting to solve a problem independently. They took a closer look at the iPad setting features under General and Private. Specifically students learned how to ‘lock’ and ‘unlock’ access to pictures and the microphone. Students now know how to change the language settings and add another keyboard.

Safe Passwords- This was a lesson on creating safe passwords and the importance of keeping them private. Students are allowed to share their passwords with their parents or their teacher.

Grade 4

Google Research Tool- Searching for information and images can be tricky. Students were introduced to the Google Research Tool. This tool is a built-in feature in Google Docs and Slides which allows users to search and filter images by license without opening a new tab or exiting the document.

E-Portfolio Setup- Blogger accounts follow the same privacy guidelines as all the other web content at AISC. This means first names only, and no sharing of personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, or personal plans. Unlike the AISC web pages, the only way anyone can access a student’s portfolio is if they have the exact address, which is not published or searchable by Google or any other search engine.

Gmail Profile Picture- Each student has a profile picture associated with their school email address. Email is a great communication tool. This year, students will explore its many uses while learning to be a safe digital citizen. The profile picture is only visible to people within AISC domain, meaning only teachers and students at AISC will see it.

Creating Bookmarks- There are many online resources and tools your child will be accessing this year. In this activity, students learned how to create bookmarks.

Creating a Youtube Channel- Students created a Youtube channel of their own and practiced uploading a sample clip. Youtube is a great place to upload projects, video clips, or movies. Online safety is our first priority. Youtube videos are always set to unlisted which means only people with the link can view the video.

Grade 5

Egg Project Reflection- A lesson on caring for your device.

Responsible Use Policy Jeopardy- A game designed to learn the ES RUP in a fun way.

Google Apps and Gmail- A lesson aimed to familiarize students with Google Apps interface and learn the difference between formal and informal emails

Creating Strong Passwords- An opportunity for students to learn how to create strong passwords the importance of keeping them private

Licensing Your Blog- Student blogs (e-Portfolios) are licensed for others to use with proper attribution. 

Online Research- Tips, strategies and resources for safe and effective searches

Moodle- Navigating through Moodle, accessing AISC resources and class home-page

Creative Commons Images- A lesson on finding images licensed for reuse and giving proper attribute

A Message from the Athletics Office

We currently are preparing for our upcoming ASIAC Table Tennis/Badminton Tournament on October 10-11 and our SAISA Swim Meet running from October 29 through November 2. 

We need your help in housing all of our visiting athletes. If you can host for both of these events, that would be fantastic. If not, please help us out with at least one of these great events. 

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Ron Thompson at tronald@aisch.org. 

Have a great weekend,

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal