Friday, December 18th, 2015

Dear Community Members,

I hope that you had the opportunity to come to at least one of our winter concerts this week! The children performed so well! I would like to extend a special thank you to our music teachers and everyone who helped to make the shows successful. Click on the links below to view concert pictures. You will need a password to enter each site. The password is raptors15. Enjoy!

                                Grade Pre K - 2                                              Grades 3 - 5

I wish everyone a happy holiday season. Sadly, this is the time of year that a few of our community members who are moving to a new location. On behalf of the faculty and staff, I wish you all the best.

Holiday Reading

With the holiday break right around the corner, many parents wonder how to support their young readers at home.  Here are some tips on promoting literacy at home through interactive read alouds:

1) Pick a book that interests your child

2) Stop every so often to share your thinking with your child

I think Piggie must be scared because her legs are shaking.

3) Take time to ask your child what he/she is thinking

Why do you think Gerald did that? Why do you think so?

4) When it’s over, ask questions:

      What was your favorite part? Why? 

      What did you think about the main character? Why?

      What would you change if you were the author?

5) Talking with the reader before reading, during reading and after reading

Here is a video of an interactive read aloud using the book, "Should I Share My Ice Cream?" by Mo Willems.

After School Activities 

The semester 2 dates are: January 25 - May 27, 2016. (16 week program).

How can you register for an ASA?

Pay Online: Online registration runs from the morning of January 14th to the afternoon of January 17th. Please go to (https://payonline.aisch.org/), login and register. We encourage parents to register through Pay online. Kindly note that payments made through credit card will carry service charges.  This charge is levied by the bank, not the School or ASA department.

In-Person Registrations: If you have missed registering online, you can register in person on January 18 & 19 at the Elementary Cafeteria from 8.00 am – 9.30 am. If you are unable to connect to the internet from your home, please know that you may use a computer in the Elementary CIC.

Please click here to access list of after school activities for Semester 2. Please note that:

• All activities are priced at Rs. 4000/- (for one day of activity).

• We encourage all parents to register online.

• Swim programs is listed below separately. Once again registration is on a first come first served basis for all swim programs.

ASA - Swim Programs (From the desk of the Aquatic Director - Ms. Donna Fava)

For Swimming Lesson Dates: click here.

All elementary parents need to check their child's swim level before signing up for Level 1, 2 or 3 for semester 2. You may get this information from the Aquatics Office (by the Pool side), either from Coach Donna or Mr. Velin Prabhu. You can also email Coach Donna.

Further Information:

• Please only sign up for one swim lesson per child per session so everyone has a chance to join in. If there are open spaces after sign-ups are finished, then you can add another lesson.

• Raptors Swim Club information: Try-outs: Jan. 13 & 14 (3:30 - 4:30 pm). There is a likelihood that there will be two sessions of this ASA program. Session 1 will be from 3:30-4:30 for beginner and intermediate Club members and Session 2 will be from 4:30-5:30, for more advanced swimmers. If numbers are high, group division will be determined after the first week.

• Signups for swim programs can be done online and is preferable. If for some reason, you are unable to sign up online, please note that spaces cannot be blocked at the ASA office through a phone call. You can register in-person on the specified dates. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Coach Donna or the ASA Office. 

January Parent Coffee

On Tuesday, January 12th, our counselors will host another meeting. The focus of this presentation will be on transitioning into a new country and school. Our target audience is new families (although everyone is welcome) and we will extend a personal invitation to all new families. We will meet in the ES Cafeteria beginning at 8:45.

January Early Release Day

Our next early release day will be on January 20th. Students will be dismissed at 1:30.

January Lunch Orders

Ms. Hazel will send a link to the January menu and order form the week of January 4th.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday. See you in January!

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal

Friday, December 11, 2015

Dear Community Members,

The sun is shining today and Chennai is beginning to rebuild after the devastating rains of last week. All of us were affected, some folks far worse than others. Our hearts go out to those who are beginning to rebuild and bring normalcy to their lives. Look for information later in this blog on how you can help our fellow Chennaites rebuild.

Parent Coffee Session on December 15

This past Tuesday, we held our regularly scheduled parent coffee session. The counselors, Ms. Meg and Mr. Wilson, had planned to lead a discussion about how to talk to your child about leaving AISC, leaving friends and relocating, since this is a time of year that some families move on. Instead, their discussion focused on how to talk to children, and answer their questions, about the recent floods here in Chennai. 

Please note that the original discussion on transitions will take place on Tuesday, December 15th at 8:45 in the Elementary School Cafeteria. This presentation will be of interest to those parents who are moving from Chennai over the holidays, but anyone who is interested is welcome to attend.

January Parent Coffee

On Tuesday, January 12th, our counselors will host another meeting. The focus of this presentation will be on transitioning into a new country and school. Our target audience is new families (although everyone is welcome) and we will extend a personal invitation to all new families. We will meet in the ES Cafeteria beginning at 8:45.

Winter Concerts

Our annual winter concerts will be held next week. The PK-2 Winter Concert will be held on Wednesday and the 3-5 Winter Concert on Thursday. Both concerts will be held in the FAC Auditorium from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Parent seating areas will be clearly marked. You are welcome to take pictures from your seat during the concerts. There are no special clothing requirements, however the music teachers have suggested that children may like to wear clothing that has red, green, or white colors.

The Giving Tree- Update

We still have quite a few stars on our Giving Tree. If you have not done so, please consider taking a star from the tree to support a child in a local orphanage. 

The 2015 Monsoon Season

South India’s monsoon season has been particularly severe this year, with Tamil Nadu and Chennai seeing the worst of the flooding. It is estimated that during this monsoon season, almost 600 people have died and over 1.8 million people were displaced. The unofficial total damage and loss is expected to exceed $15 billion USD. The American International School Chennai appreciates your offer to help with the recovery and relief efforts from these recent devastating floods. We have three ways your school can contribute:

In-Kind Donations - Relief Efforts

Your in-kind donation of the following items will be distributed by our student organizations to the NGOs listed below.

• Blankets
• Tarps
• Women’s Sanitation Items
• Undergarments for women and children
• Disinfectants (DETTOL, Lysol, Bleach, etc)
• First Aid Supplies (hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, antiseptic cream, etc)
• Diapers
• Bottled Water
• Mosquito Netting
• Mosquito Coils
• Mosquito Repellant
• Soap
• Candles
• Matches
• Flashlights and batteries
• Emergency Lamps
• Milk Powder (in small sachets)
• Rice
• Dal
• Rusks/ toasted bread

Monetary Contributions

We have established two accounts to accept monetary contributions.  These donations must be made in INR and can be given in cash, check or wire transfer.

AISC Chennai Flood Relief 2015 Fund

AISC has committed to providing support for several NGOs in the area.  Any cash donations to the AISC Chennai Flood Relief 2015 Fund will be given to one or more of those organizations. If you would like to make a donation (in INRs) directly to the school to support the NGOs, please make a donation at the Cashier’s Window.

You can also donate funds directly online to the NGOs providing relief support.

Bhoomika Trust 
AID INDIA
Bhumi
Chennai Microfund
Helping Hands

AISC Staff Relief Fund - Helping Those Who Help Us

To provide support for our AISC staff who have experienced significant loss or damage during the floods, we have established an AISC Staff Relief Fund. Contributions to this fund will go directly to supporting our staff members who have been most seriously affected by the floods. If you wish to donate to this fund, you may do so at the Cashier’s Window. Please be sure you state that the donation is for the AISC Staff Relief Fund.

Holiday Reading

With the holiday break right around the corner, many parents wonder how to support their young readers at home.  Here are some tips on promoting literacy at home through interactive read alouds:

1) Pick a book that interests your child

2) Stop every so often to share your thinking with your child

I think Piggie must be scared because her legs are shaking.

3) Take time to ask your child what he/she is thinking

Why do you think Gerald did that? Why do you think so?

4) When it’s over, ask questions:

      What was your favorite part? Why? 

      What did you think about the main character? Why?

      What would you change if you were the author?

5) Talking with the reader before reading, during reading and after reading

Here is a video of an interactive read aloud using the book, "Should I Share My Ice Cream?" by Mo Willems.

After School Activities 

The semester 2 dates are: January 25 - May 27, 2016. (16 week program).

How can you register for an ASA?

Pay Online: Online registration runs from the morning of January 14th to the afternoon of January 17th. Please go to (https://payonline.aisch.org/), login and register. We encourage parents to register through Pay online. Kindly note that payments made through credit card will carry service charges.  This charge is levied by the bank, not the School or ASA department.

In-Person Registrations: If you have missed registering online, you can register in person on January 18 & 19 at the Elementary Cafeteria from 8.00 am – 9.30 am. If you are unable to connect to the internet from your home, please know that you may use a computer in the Elementary CIC.

Please click here to access list of after school activities for Semester 2. Please note that:

• All activities are priced at Rs. 4000/- (for one day of activity).

• We encourage all parents to register online.

• Swim programs is listed below separately. Once again registration is on a first come first served basis for all swim programs.

ASA - Swim Programs (From the desk of the Aquatic Director - Ms. Donna Fava)

For Swimming Lesson Dates: click here.

All elementary parents need to check their child's swim level before signing up for Level 1, 2 or 3 for semester 2. You may get this information from the Aquatics Office (by the Pool side), either from Coach Donna or Mr. Velin Prabhu. You can also email Coach Donna.

Further Information:

• Please only sign up for one swim lesson per child per session so everyone has a chance to join in. If there are open spaces after sign-ups are finished, then you can add another lesson.

• Raptors Swim Club information: Try-outs: Jan. 13 & 14 (3:30 - 4:30 pm). There is a likelihood that there will be two sessions of this ASA program. Session 1 will be from 3:30-4:30 for beginner and intermediate Club members and Session 2 will be from 4:30-5:30, for more advanced swimmers. If numbers are high, group division will be determined after the first week.

• Signups for swim programs can be done online and is preferable. If for some reason, you are unable to sign up online, please note that spaces cannot be blocked at the ASA office through a phone call. You can register in-person on the specified dates. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Coach Donna or the ASA Office. 

Yearbook Photos- Delay in Delivery

Due to the floods, there has been a delay in the printing and delivery of the Yearbook photos which many of you have ordered. The photographer is trying his best to get these to us next week. If we cannot hand it over to you before we close on 18th, we will do so on your return in January. Those who have ordered and are not returning to AISC in January, please make sure that you leave your forwarding address with the Elementary Office.

Have a great week. Our option of virtual learning ends today. I look forward to welcoming parents and family members to our concerts next week.

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal

Friday, December 4th, 2015

Dear Community Members,

I hope this message finds you safe, sound and dry.  Today the Leadership Team is meeting at school, assessing the situation and making plans for the future.  Mr. Hoover will communicate next steps something this weekend. 

The parent coffee scheduled for Tuesday will be delayed. Once school reopens, a new date will be published.

After School Activities will not run on Monday even if school resumes.  We will determine what ASAs will look like for the remainder of the term once school reopens.

At this point, we are still planning to have our two winter concerts. The PK-2 concert will be held on Wednesday, December 16 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. The grades 3-5 concert will be held on Thursday, December 17, also from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Both concerts will take place in the FAC Auditorium. 

Please do take care,

Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal

Friday, November 27, 2015

Dear Community Members,

In the 5+ years that I have lived in Chennai, I have not experienced a monsoon season like this year. The rains have been devastating and have affected everyone, some far worse than others. The monsoon is not over yet, and the forecast for this weekend is calling for more rain. That written, please be sure to read the Head of School’s notes today for detailed information about possible school closures and the need to engage Continuity of Instruction Days should more cancellations occur.

What is meant by the phrase, Continuity of Instruction? This is a day when faculty and students would engage in online learning to maintain learning progress in the event of a school closure. Teachers would share learning engagements via online platforms and students would access these resources to maintain their learning progress. PK-Grade 4 students would access work via Edmodo while students in Grade 5 would go to Moodle. 

Should school be closed, parents will receive an email message at 8:30 am from me announcing the start of the school day. This should prompt students to log into Moodle (grade 5) and Edmodo (all other grade levels) and check their assignments for each class.  By 8:30 am, teachers will post brief instructions, in writing or via video, as well as the lesson to complete during the day.

Christmas Tree Lighting at the Hyatt Regency 

Please mark Monday, December 7th at 6 pm on your calendars and join us at The Hyatt Regency for the 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! Doors open at 5:30.

Coffee with the ES Administration

Our December parent coffee session will be held on Tuesday, December 8th in the ES Cafeteria from 8:45 to 9:45. Our counselors, Ms. Meg and Mr. Wilson, will be leading a discussion on transitions and how to prepare yourself and your children for an upcoming move. This session is timely because a number of families to leave AISC in December. Therefore, our target audience is parents who are moving from Chennai over the holidays, but all are welcome to attend. 

Third 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 3rd annual Giving Tree to support approximately 350 students in 6-8 area orphanages.  Please support these efforts as we move into the holiday season.

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 this morning in the Elementary School Cafeteria. Please make note of the following information, which will also 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. The children at the orphanages will request specific items, within reason.  We feel these requests will be in the Rs 500 price range.

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.  Thank you to Mr. Jet and the library staff for helping us with this "safe" spot for the gifts.

3.  Gifts may be dropped off beginning December 6. The last day to drop off gifts will be on December 16.

4.  The gifts will be delivered to the orphanages beginning December 18. There will be opportunities for parents and children to help with the delivery. More information about this process will be included in this blog before we leave for the Winter Break.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Mr. Balajee or your grade-level PCA representative.

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. 

This year, we are supporting 351 children from the following orphanages and homes:

Seva Samajam (162) - 2 centers

Assisi Home of Children- 35

Home of Hope - 40

Thiruvalluvar Gurukulam - 90

Vallalar Karuna Illam - 24

Hour of Code

This December, we’ll again participate in largest single learning event in history and we hope to get even more learners involved. From December 7-11, children and adults all over the world will devote at least one hour to learning the absolute basics of how our computers and software programs work. Why? This graphic is a good place to start. 

However, it’s about more than just jobs; coding is also constructive play, or what we call hard fun. When we code we use critical thinking skills such as design, analysis, evaluation, and problem solving to be creative while having fun. With code we can be entrepreneurs, artists, communicators and collaborators to name just a few.  

We encourage learners from all grade levels to participate and share in the fun. Here are some ways you can get involved.

1. Talk to your child about what they know about how their favorite programs are made?

2. Sign up to learn to code with help from your child at school during that week.

3. Encourage your children to visit the ES/MS CIC or FAC Cafeteria at lunch for some organized fun.

4. Encourage your child to sign up for an ASA that will be held in the ES/MS CIC after school Dec. 8-11 3:45 - 4:45 (4 days) with a teacher from Wolfram. This is open to students from Grade 4 - 8.

5. Simply send this link to your kids and give them some time explore with these great ideas from Edutopia or directly from the Hour of Code itself.

Scholastic Book Fair

Get lots of great books just in time for our long winter break! We will have our second Scholastic Book Fair of the year in the BBT from 8:00-4:30, December 7-9. Please stop by and check out some of the wonderful books on sale! There are nonfiction and fiction books, with many wonderful genres included. You will find books available for students in elementary and middle school. We look forward to seeing you there!

Early Release Wednesday - December 2nd

In order to support continuous professional learning and development for AISC faculty members, there are seven Early Release Wednesdays on the calendar this year. On December 2nd, we will have our fourth Early Release Wednesday. As a reminder, students will be released at 1:30 p.m. and are expected to depart campus in a timely and organized fashion. We appreciate your patience. In preparation, please plan on allowing longer time for entry and exit to the school at release time. Lunch will be a quick "grab and go" sandwich on this day. If students want a hot lunch, please remember to pack one from home.

What will our teachers be doing?

Our teachers have various opportunities to learn and grow as educational specialists. One such opportunity is Mini-NESA, a round of professional learning offerings led by AISC colleagues. While NESA professional learning conferences and training institutes take place during the year and all across the region, Mini-NESA allows our own in-house talent to shine and share with others their wide range of expertise.

This year’s Mini-NESA will include presentations on:

• Being mindful 

• Constructing meaning, thinking visibly: ells in the inclusive constructivist classroom

• Developing academic discussion in the classroom 

• Flow: energized focus in the classroom

• I wish I could speak another language

• Meet beebot the robot: incorporating coding into existing curriculum

• Merging first Lego league core values with stem challenges to build classroom community

• The mindful educator: increase professional effectiveness through mindfulness

• Out of Eden, out of Chennai: extending learning beyond the classroom 

• Tapping into diversity: harnessing the power of multiple languages in the classroom

Welcome Math Specialists:

From Saturday to Monday (Nov. 28th -30th), we will welcome twelve AISC teachers and seventeen teachers from Oman and New Delhi, to our campus for the third of five Math Specialists in International Schools (MSIS) Institutes.  The MSIS is a 2-year Mathematics Specialist program for teachers in international school settings.  The program is a sequence of five institutes designed to expand teachers’ understanding of the Common Core Standards, how students learn that content, evidence of student understanding, and how to work with peers in a mentoring relationship.  International math consultant, Dr. Erma Anderson, and Middle School Principal, Alan Phan, will be leading this institute.

December Cafeteria Menu and Orders

You can access the December lunch menu here.

You may use either the Payonline or the Lunch Pre-order system to order lunch for your child(ren).

The Payonline System

Payonline allows parents to charge their child’s smart cards online, order and pay for lunches, and register and pay for after school activities. Payment is completed online using a credit or debit card. You need a username and password to access this system.  Please see the user guide here for help using the system.

Access Payonline here.

Lunch Pre-Order System for Cash Payments

This system allows parents to pre-order lunches for the month and pay with cash at the cash counter. Login using just the email address we have on file at AISC. Please see the user guide here.

Access the Lunch Pre-Order System here.

If you have any difficulties logging in or ordering, please notify itsupport@aisch.org by email and we will resolve it immediately.

The Great War Exhibit

A rare learning opportunity has come to light in the last 24 hours, and we are pleased to announced that the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Belgium and AISC are hosting an exhibition about the Great War (World War I) in the BBT starting Monday, November 30 until Thursday, December 3rd. The exhibition will be open from 8 AM till 5 PM.

The exhibition depicts a chronological overview of the Great War and engages the viewer with photos and images of artifacts. The chronology begins with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand of Austria and concludes with the Treaty of Versailles. 

Although the main focus is on Belgium, it also commemorates the Indian soldiers and the Indian involvement with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

As of Monday, you will be able to visit the exposition in the BBT from 8:00 AM onwards, and the exhibition will be officially opened at10:00 AM by the Consul General of Belgium Dr. Bart De Groof with a short speech. 

We hope to welcome all of you there!

A Message from Three IB CAS Students

We are three senior IB students and for our CAS project we are planning a game night: The Giving Games. The event will occur Friday December 4th and will run from 4:30 to 6:00 pm. Students from elementary, middle and high school, in addition to faculty, staff and parents are all welcome to enjoy an evening of charity and community in the spirit of the holidays. Elementary students however must be accompanied by a parent due to school policy. Due to the recent flooding in Chennai all of the proceeds from this Game Night will go to the flood relief effort. We will be supporting the organizations that our school is working with in order to help as much as we can.

At the event, there will be various booths that will have different games that you can go around and play. As you go along you will collect points and at the end of the event the person with the highest score and the runner up will be awarded a prize. Tickets will be sold in the elementary entrance and at the main entrance starting Monday Nov. 23rd and continuing until Wednesday Dec. 3rd before school from 8:00 to 8:20 and after school from 3:30 to 4:00. Tickets for individual are priced at RS. 300 and tickets for pairs are priced at RS. 500. Any additional donations will be welcome. 

Come enjoy an evening of fun and games! There will be baked goods sold and music. Come support our initiative by purchasing a ticket and participating in the event. If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to email:

Dafne Mistrangelo- mdafne16@aisch.org
Giulia Gouet ggiulia16@aisch.org
Jade Hopkins- hjade16@aisch.org

That’s a lot of information for you this week! Have a great weekend.

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal

Friday, November 20, 2015

Dear Community Members,

Tomorrow is Design Saturday! The follow-up to our wildly successful first-ever Design Saturday will feature a blend of techie and not-so-techie.  At the one end we will unleash our Bee Bots (easily programmable floor robots) and challenge our participants to send them through courses of varying difficulty.  At the other end we will make things with cardboard and MakeDos that allow you to make a great many things and solve problems in creative ways.  We will be designing, making and playing in the ES Discovery Studio this time.

The origin of the Maker movement is found in something quite personal: what we might call experimental play. Makers are enthusiasts who play with technology to learn about it. A new technology presents an invitation to play, and makers regard this kind of play as highly satisfying. Makers give it a try; they take things apart; and they try to do things that even the manufacturer didn’t think of doing. Making is a source of innovation.

Third 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 3rd annual Giving Tree to support approximately 300 students in 6-8 area orphanages.  Please support these efforts as we move into the holiday season.

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 November 27th in the Elementary School Cafeteria. Please make note of the following information, which will also 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. The children at the orphanages will request specific items, within reason.  We feel these requests will be in the Rs 500 price range.

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.  Thank you to Mr. Jet and the library staff for helping us with this "safe" spot for the gifts.

3.  Gifts may be dropped off beginning December 6. The last day to drop off gifts will be on December 16.

4.  The gifts will be delivered to the orphanages beginning December 18. There will be opportunities for parents and children to help with the delivery. More information about this process will be included in this blog before we leave for the Winter Break.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Mr. Balajee or your grade-level PCA representative.

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. Below are pictures taken earlier this week of the Girl Scouts making the stars.

Photographing Varanasi Exhibit

The High School would like to invite you to visit our Photographing Varanasi Exhibit in the FAC Foyer from November 23rd to the 30th.  As you may know, each year High School students travel in small groups all over the country as part of our Discover India program.  This year a group traveled to Varanasi with a professional photographer to learn more about the art form and explore the amazing city.  Each student has chosen three images out of the hundreds of photographs taken to share with the community.  We hope you enjoy the exhibit.

Cancer-Lap- A-Thon

Global Issue Networks will be organizing the Cancer Lap-A-Thon again this year on November 27th. This year we have decided that the proceeds will be donated to the 30/30 project, an organization that is working to bring healthcare and health checkups to various communities around the world. Recently they have started to build a clinic in India, which we would like to sponsor. Our overall theme for the project is "Healthcare is a Human Right," - which is a key issue that GIN aims to tackle.

To participate, each person must get sponsors to pay them for the number of laps that they will run around the field. Participants can walk, run, jog, crawl, anything they like around the field, as long as they complete as many laps as they please to raise money for 30/30 Project. PE teachers will distribute pledge forms to interested students. Parents and community members can pick up forms in the Elementary School Principal’s Office. This event is open to all community members. Elementary school students who choose to participate must be accompanied by a parent for the entire event.

Upper Elementary Basketball Clinic

AISC students in Grades 3-5 are invited to sign up for a Basketball Clinic run by varsity basketball players from the U.S. boarding school, Phillips Academy Andover and AISC. This camp is free for participants and will take place on Saturday, November 28th, from 9:00am–12:00 noon. Please sign up for the Basketball Clinic here. If you have any questions, please contact Kirsten Welbes, the Director of Advancement, at wkirsten@aisch.org.

December Cafeteria Menu and Orders

You can access the December lunch menu here.

You may use either the Payonline or the Lunch Pre-order system to order lunch for your child(ren).

The Payonline System

Payonline allows parents to charge their child’s smart cards online, order and pay for lunches, and register and pay for after school activities. Payment is completed online using a credit or debit card. You need a username and password to access this system.  Please see the user guide here for help using the system. Access Payonline here.

Lunch Pre-Order System for Cash Payments

This system allows parents to pre-order lunches for the month and pay with cash at the cash counter. Login using just the email address we have on file at AISC. Please see the user guide here.

Access the Lunch Pre-Order System here.

If you have any difficulties logging in or ordering, please notify itsupport@aisch.org by email and we will resolve it immediately.

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at The Hyatt Regency

Please mark Monday, December 7th at 6 pm on your calendars and join us at The Hyatt Regency for the 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! Doors open at 5:30.

Coffee with the ES Administration

Our December parent coffee session will be held on Tuesday, December 8th in the ES Cafeteria from 8:45 to 9:45. Our counselors, Ms. Meg and Mr. Wilson, will be leading a discussion on transitions and how to prepare yourself and your children for an upcoming move. This session is timely because a number of families to leave AISC in December. Therefore, our target audience is parents who are moving from Chennai over the holidays, but all are welcome to attend. 

Have a great weekend. There is no school next Thursday due to the US Thanksgiving holiday.

Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal

Friday, November 13, 2015

Dear Community Members,

Welcome back from the Diwali break! This week, my weekly update is a little shorter than normal.

After School Activities 

Parents seated in the ES Cafeteria who meet their children at the end of the school day are requested to sit at the tables opposite the food counter. The tables with the placards are reserved for students and ASA instructors. Parents are also requested to pick up their children after ASA at 4:45 pm in the ES Cafeteria.

Design Saturday Nov 21st,  9-12 am - no sign-up necessary

The origin of the Maker movement is found in something quite personal: what we might call experimental play. Makers are enthusiasts who play with technology to learn about it. A new technology presents an invitation to play, and makers regard this kind of play as highly satisfying. Makers give it a try; they take things apart; and they try to do things that even the manufacturer didn’t think of doing. Making is a source of innovation.

The follow-up to our wildly successful first-ever Design Saturday will feature a blend of techie and not-so-techie.  At the one end we will unleash our Bee Bots (easily programmable floor robots) and challenge our participants to send them through courses of varying difficulty.  At the other end we will make things with cardboard and MakeDos that allow you to make a great many things and solve problems in creative ways.  We will be designing, making and playing in the ES Discover Studio this time

Cancer-Lap- A-Thon

Global Issue Networks will be organizing the Cancer-Lap- A-Thon again this year on November 27th. This year we have decided that the proceeds will be donated to the 30/30 project, an organization that is working to bring healthcare and health checkups to various communities around the world. Recently they have started to build a clinic in India, which we would like to sponsor. Our overall theme for the project is "Healthcare is a Human Right," - which is a key issue that GIN aims to tackle.

To participate, each person must get sponsors to pay them for the number of laps that they will run around the field. Participants can walk, run, jog, crawl, anything they like around the field, as long as they complete as many laps as they please to raise money for 30/30 Project. PE teachers will distribute pledge forms to interested students. Parents and community members can pick up forms in the Elementary School Principal’s Office. This event is open to all community members. Elementary school students who choose to participate must be accompanied by a parent for the entire event.

Upper Elementary Basketball Clinic

AISC students in Grades 3-5 are invited to sign up for a Basketball Clinic run by varsity basketball players from the U.S. boarding school, Phillips Academy Andover and AISC. This camp is free for participants and will take place on Saturday, November 28th, from 9:00am–12:00 noon. Please sign up for the Basketball Clinic here. If you have any questions, please contact Kirsten Welbes, the Director of Advancement, at wkirsten@aisch.org.

Have a great weekend,

Kevin Hall

Elementary School Principal

Friday, November 6, 2015

Dear Community Members,

Today marks the end of the first trimester. The first trimester report card will be ready for viewing at 5:00 pm this afternoon. To view the report card, logon to Skyward and select the "Report Cards" tab on the left-hand side of the screen. You will be directed to a new screen where you will see the link "Standards Based Report Card 2015-16 T1."  Please click this link. If you have forgetten your password, or have not created a password, please click on the “forgot password” link on the login page of Skyward and you will receive an email from Skyward with a login ID. The screenshots below should help you. If you have any difficulty accessing the report card, please email itsupport@aisch.org.

Academic marks show what a student knows and is able to demonstrate based on academic content standards. A trimester mark reflects student progress in meeting end-of-year standards. There is one exception to this reporting practice, and that is the standard listed under reading foundations. The mark that your student receives is measured against trimester benchmarks.

For further information about standards-based grading and reporting, please click on the link to the parent handbook to the right of this text.

Art Sustains 

Art Sustains would like to thank everyone who came out to support our local artists at the craft fair. During the 3.5 day event, we sold $3,615 in merchandise and managed to raise $700, which will enable us to fund numerous service based initiatives throughout the year. 

We will continue to sell Ayyanar horse, elephant, ganesh, and numerous other terracotta sculptures in the IHUB throughout November and December. Baskar, one of the terracotta sculptors who worked with us during the Ayyanar Horse Project, had an accident in his studio two months ago.  He could use our support now, more than ever.

Art Sustains is also happy to announce, that our Bollywood/ Signboard painters are back on campus! Make sure you stop by our Art Sustains table, outside the IHUB, on Fridays to place your order for a large Bollywood style family portrait. 

Happy Diwali! School resumes on Thursday, November 12. 

Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal