Friday, November 21, 2014

Dear Parents,

Next week, Americans across the world will celebrate Thanksgiving. It seems appropriate to express gratitude to the people in our lives who encourage our students to show courage, confidence, creativity, and compassion.  I am personally thankful for my family, my friends, and the great people (staff, students, and families) here at AISC. Our school is a blessing to all who work and attend. 

Cancer Lap-A-Thon- Tomorrow

Global Issues Network (GIN) is hosting a Cancer Lap-A-Thon at our school on November 22nd, 2014 to raise money for the Cancer Institute in Chennai. Also, there will be a breakfast potluck afterwards in the cafeteria. To participate, people must get sponsors to pay them for the amount of laps that they will run around the field. They can walk, run, jog, crawl, whatever, as long as they complete as many laps as they please to raise money for cancer research. They can pick up a form from the High School, Middle School, and Elementary School office to start getting sponsors. 

Details of the Event:

Date: November 22nd, 2014

Time: 7:00 am - 12:00 pm

Location: Main Field

Lunch Menu and Order Link for December

Please place your online orders using the AISC pay online site or using the order link below for which you can pay at the cash counter before December 5th.

Lunch menu

Lunch order

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at The Hyatt Regency

Please mark Monday, December 8th on your calendars and join us at The Hyatt Regency for our fourth annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The Elementary School and Community Choirs will welcome in the holiday season as they sing festive songs. There will be plenty of food and drinks to go around. This is always a fun event and I guarantee that you and your children will have a fantastic time. You will not want to miss this!

Coffee with the ES Administration

Our next parent coffee will be held on Tuesday, December 9th beginning at 8:45 in the Elementary School Cafeteria. Come join the school's literacy coach and kindergarten team as we discuss emergent literacy and connections between oral language, reading, and writing.  Tips for supporting your emergent readers at home will also be provided. This session is ideal for parents of all young children, from toddlers to kindergartners, but parents of older children are certainly welcome to attend.

Raptorthon

Ready to participate in a fun community event? Need a reason to get in shape? AISC's SECOND ANNUAL RAPTORTHON - Swim 150m/Run 1600m/Swim 150m - will take place on Sunday, December 14th! Great for the whole family! Participate as an individual or as a team (one swimmer, one runner).  Following the event will be a potluck breakfast and the awarding of certificates. Watch for more details in the near future. Contact Donna Fava at: fdonna@aisch.org if you have any questions! 

ES Jogging Club

Wednesday was the first day of Jogging Club for the 2014-2015 school year. At 8am, 54 students showed up to run, jog and walk, while their parents cheered them on. Students ranged from 4+ to Grade 5 and our initial calculations show that the average student completed just over 1 mile! Let's keep moving!

2014-15 School Photos

If you missed ordering your child's yearbook photos, you can still do so until December 19th. For orders placed from this week, you will receive the photos after the Winter break. Forms are available at the cash counter, in our office, online in this blog (right-hand side) and on the Elementary School Moodle page.

Second Annual Giving Tree

The Elementary School, Mr. Balajee, who is AISC’s Service Learning Coordinator, children and teachers, and the PCA Elementary Grade Level Representatives are sponsoring our school’s 2nd Giving Tree to support approximately 280 students in 4 area orphanages.  Please support these efforts as we move into the holiday season.  

The 4 orphanages our Giving Tree will support this year are:

Home Of Hope for Boys by the World of Life Church – 30 Kids

Assisi Ilam Orphanage – 25 Kids

St. Joseph Social Service Center – 40 Kids

Seva Samajam Girls Home (2 locations)  – 55 Kids and 130 kids

Mr Balajee and the PCA grade level representatives have been hard at work making arrangements for the lists of children we will have the opportunity to help and planning the overall project.  Our children will be involved over the next week creating the stars that will be put on the tree, led by some of our dedicated teachers in the elementary school.

The Giving Tree was set up today. Thank you to everyone who took part.

1. Children/parents can take a star off the tree and purchase a small item useful to the child listed on the star.  We will include name, age, and gender of recipient on the stars. This year Mr. Balajee and parent Gina Makawana have asked the children at the orphanages to request specific items that would be helpful to them, within reason.  We feel these requests can be granted in a Rs 500 price range. Mr. Balajee will be happy to assist parents if they have any questions regarding the requests.

2.  We would like the present to be wrapped, with the star attached to the gift (stars will be numbered and tracked so we know which orphanage they will go to and to ensure the gift is given to the correct child).  The gift is to be dropped off in a designated box in the Elementary School CIC (known formerly as the Elementary School Library).  Thank you to Mr. Jet and the library staff for helping us with this "safe" spot for the gifts.  

3. The last day to drop off gifts will be on or about December 10.

4.  The gifts will be delivered to orphanages on December 14 and thereafter, by Mr. Balajee, Gina Makawana and any other individuals who would like to help out.  Mr. Balajee and Gina will be happy to share delivery date information as time gets closer.

Lastly, thank you to all the community members who have been dropping off empty cereal boxes for our Giving Tree Stars – we look forward to seeing the boxes turned into beautiful stars for our tree.

For any specific questions related to The Giving Tree, please feel free to contact Mr. Balajee, Gina Makawana or Margaret Rajan, or any of the PCA Elementary Grade Representatives.

Connecting with Parents

On Thursday, Grade 1 EAL teachers Ms. Seema and Ms. Kaye, held a parent session. In this photo, parents are learning about a part of our students' daily classroom learning by engaging in an informational writing task.

I will not be publishing my Principal’s Notes next week since there is no school on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Have a fantastic super long weekend. School reopens on Monday, December 1st.

Have a great weekend,

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal

Friday, November 14

Dear Community Members,

We had 40 parents come to our Elementary School Parent Coffee session on Tuesday. Thank you to everyone who came; we had some very real and very meaningful conversations. The counselors and I appreciate the positive feedback we have received since Tuesday. I was asked if I would share the presentation on third-culture kids to families and I am happy to do so. You can access the presentation by clicking on this link.

What’s on the AISC Preschool Horizon?

If you are interested in the future planning and programming of our Preschool, we invite you to join us on Monday, November 17, 2014 for a World Cafe conversation. We are seeking input and ideas as we move ahead in revisioning our Early Childhood programs. There are two sessions planned, so pick the time that works best for you:

Timings: Nov 17 from 8:45 - 10:15 or 1:45 - 3:15

Location: Hall of Light

Standards-Based Report Card Survey

We have received positive feedback about our new standards-based report card. Thank you. I would like to hear from more families, so if you have not had an opportunity to complete the survey, please go to this link.

Lunch Menu and Order Link for December

Please place your online orders using the AISC pay online site or using the order link below for which you can pay at the cash counter before December 5th.

Lunch menu

Lunch order

Second Annual Giving Tree 

The Elementary School, Mr. Balajee, who is AISC’s Service Learning Coordinator, children and teachers, and the PCA Elementary Grade Level Representatives are sponsoring our school’s 2nd Giving Tree to support approximately 280 students in 4 area orphanages.  Please support these efforts as we move into the holiday season.  

The 4 orphanages our Giving Tree will support this year are:

Home Of Hope for Boys by the World of Life Church – 30 Kids

Assisi Ilam Orphanage – 25 Kids

St. Joseph Social Service Center – 40 Kids

Seva Samajam Girls Home (2 locations)  – 55 Kids and 130 kids

Mr Balajee and the PCA grade level representatives have been hard at work making arrangements for the lists of children we will have the opportunity to help and planning the overall project.  Our children will be involved over the next week creating the stars that will be put on the tree, led by some of our dedicated teachers in the elementary school.

The Giving Tree will be set up on or around November 19th in the Elementary School Cafeteria. Specific rules, which are included below, will be posted by the tree.

1. Children/parents can take a star off the tree and purchase a small item useful to the child listed on the star.  We will include name, age, and gender of recipient on the stars. This year Mr. Balajee and parent Gina Makawana have asked the children at the orphanages to request specific items that would be helpful to them, within reason.  We feel these requests can be granted in a Rs 500 price range. Mr. Balajee will be happy to assist parents if they have any questions regarding the requests.

2.  We would like the present to be wrapped, with the star attached to the gift (stars will be numbered and tracked so we know which orphanage they will go to and to ensure the gift is given to the correct child).  The gift is to be dropped off in a designated box in the Elementary School CIC (known formerly as the Elementary School Library).  Thank you to Mr. Jet and the library staff for helping us with this "safe" spot for the gifts.  

3.  The last day to drop off gifts will be on or about December 10.

4.  The gifts will be delivered to orphanages on December 14 and thereafter, by Mr. Balajee, Gina Makawana and any other individuals who would like to help out.  Mr. Balajee and Gina will be happy to share delivery date information as time gets closer.

Lastly, thank you to all the community members who have been dropping off empty cereal boxes for our Giving Tree Stars – we look forward to seeing the boxes turned into beautiful stars for our tree.

For any specific questions related to The Giving Tree, please feel free to contact Mr. Balajee, Gina Makawana or Margaret Rajan, or any of the PCA Elementary Grade Representatives.

Below are some photos of students preparing for the Giving Tree. These pictures were taken at our Student Council meeting on Wednesday.

Cancer Lap-A-Thon

Global Issues Network (GIN) is hosting a Cancer Lap-A-Thon at our school on November 22nd, 2014 to raise money for the Cancer Institute in Chennai. Also, there will be a breakfast potluck afterwards in the cafeteria. To participate, people must get sponsors to pay them for the amount of laps that they will run around the field. They can walk, run, jog, crawl, whatever, as long as they complete as many laps as they please to raise money for cancer research. They can pick up a form from the High School, Middle School, and Elementary School office to start getting sponsors. 

Details of the Event:

Date: November 22nd, 2014
Time: 7:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Main Field

Have a great weekend,

Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal

November 7, 2014

Dear Parents,

Today marks the end of the first trimester. The first trimester report card will be ready for viewing at 5:00 pm this afternoon. This year, the elementary school has introduced a standards-based report card. It is our expectation that this new report card will provide you with more detailed information regarding your child’s progress toward year-end grade level standards. Also new this year, we have gone paperless. Parents will need to login to Skyward, our student database management system, to view the report card.

To view the report card, logon to Skyward and select the Report Cards tab on the left. On the new screen, you will see the link Standards Report Card 2014-15 T1.  Please click this link. If you have any difficulty accessing the report card, please email itsupport@aisch.org.

Over the past two years, over 100 parents have attended four standards-based report cards information sessions. I know that it is impossible to remember everything that we covered, so I have written a parent handbook. You will find the link to this handbook to the right of this paragraph. There is an English and Korean version. The view the handbook, click on the link, Standards-Based Grading and Reporting Parent Handbook. 

I would appreciate feedback about our new report card. Would you mind taking a few minutes to complete this short survey? The survey will close this Wednesday afternoon.

Parent Coffee with the ES Administration

Our third Parent Coffee with the ES Administration will be held on Tuesday, November 11th from 8:45 to 9:45 in the elementary school cafeteria. Our topic is ”Third Culture Kids" (global kids) - TCK's.  The counselors, Mr. George and Ms. Geetha and I, will lead a presentation and discussion around how to best support your child and family as you negotiate living away from your home culture. We know that kids growing up outside their home culture is both an exciting and challenging adventure. Our presentation will define exactly what is a TCK and what parents and kids can do to maximize the experience. We do look forward to this discussion with you.

Guidance Counselor Lessons Regarding Student Safety

In line with the new AISC Child Protection Manual, elementary school counselors are involved in a series of lessons with students grades K - 5 between now and the new calendar year that focuses on friendship, understanding bullying behavior, and keeping ourselves safe. Our counselors have borrowed components from the "Committee for Children Program" and are using their 3-step policy called the 3 Rs of Bullying. RECOGNIZE. RESPOND. REPORT.

Our students have been taught to recognize behaviors that are both uncomfortable and inappropriate for them, and what to do about it. If the situation and behaviors are those that cannot be ignored or managed simply, then children will be given language to respond to others that sends a message that they are not OK with what is happening. Students will discuss situations they may encounter, and then decide what to do when responding is not enough. All ES students will understand they have the right to use the 3 Rs and that their safety is AISC's priority.

Should you have any questions or want further information about the structured lessons, please contact your grade counselor Ms. Geetha G (Grades K - 2) or Mr. George Bach (Grades 3-5)

Pre-School: Building a Vision for the Future

Please join us for a world café as we envision a future for our pre-school program on November 17. We will host a café in the morning from 8:45 to 10:15 and second one in the afternoon from 1:45 to 3:15. Both will be held in the FAC cafeteria.

What is a world café? A world café is:

• Small group conversations in an informal setting

• An opportunity to think together about our future

• A chance to learn from each other

• An opportunity to impact the future of our school community

Who can attend? Any interested parent or teacher 

When? Choose the time that works for you!

Building Community in the Elementary School

Incorporating cross-grade level buddy activities is just one way we build community in the elementary school. In the pictures below, Mr. Ben's 5th graders are helping Ms. Nancy's 1st graders set up their blogs. Other teachers have engaged in similar community-building activities including: Ms. Becky (grade 5) and Ms. Laura (grade 1), Ms. Morgan (grade 5) and Ms. Anna (grade 2).

Activities like this, reinforces digital citizenship skills, provide positive opportunities for students to develop lasting relationships, bring students and teachers into powerful learning communities, and can change the attitudes of older students toward younger students, that may sometimes reflect bossing, to attitudes that demonstrate respect and caring. All blogs are private. Please look for further communication from your child's teacher as to how you can access your child's blog.

NESA Virtual Science Fair 5

A message from Ms. Shobhana:

This year, the fifth graders will have the opportunity to participate in the NESA Virtual Science Fair Project. Participation is voluntary program. Ms. Shobhana will be guide the teacher but the work will be done outside the school. Students will work in groups of three. Parent commitment is important, too, since students will need to meet after-school and/or on weekends. 

The science fair runs from November to May 2015. It involves research, a question, a hypothesis and an experiment to prove the hypothesis. Three interim reports need to be handed in and the judges will determine which projects will be selected to participate in the final round, competing against a number of schools from all over the NESA region.

Food Service Update: Highlights for November

• Now open! The sandwich bar at the i-Hub and ES cafeteria. Choose from tuna, chicken and vegetable options on different days of the week.

• Introducing Soup and Sandwich combos at the i-Hub. Walk in from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and pick your favorite soup and sandwich combo.

• Also choose from several delicious juice and smoothie options from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• At the FAC Cafeteria, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are Dosa Days and Tuesdays and Thursdays are Wrap days.

• Beef and chicken options will now be a daily feature in the lunch menu. Fish is offered once in two weeks.

For more information with regard to food service, please email Josephine Ronald.

In closing, I hope that you had an opportunity to attend the middle school musical, Once on this Island. A special "shout-out" to Dhivya (grade 4) and Sohum (grade 5) who performed as well! It was so heart-warming to see them, and so many former elementary school students, performing on stage in front of their peers, family members and teachers. This takes courage! AISC provides a safe and nurturing environment for students to express their creative selves. Congratulations to all of the actors and actresses.

Have a great weekend,

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal