Friday, October 09, 2015
Dear Community Members,
Dear Community Members,
October is “Celebrate India Month” and we began our festivities with an assembly on October 7th. You can see some colorful pictures from the assembly below. Students will also perform in an assembly towards the end of the month (K-2 on October 21st and 3-5 on October 28th, both at 8:45). Next week, we will hold our student-led conferences. Below is detailed information about both India Month and the conferences.
Student-Led Conferences
We will be hosting our first round of Student-Led Conferences on Thursday, October 15th from 3:45 pm to 6:25 pm, and all day on Friday, October 16th 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 of the two days. Conferences are scheduled online, and you can do so now by clicking on the link below:
This video will guide you through the sign-up process. Please sign up by 12:00 pm on Wednesday, October 14. 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 and French on a drop-in basis. You do not need to sign-up online for a conference.
What to Expect During the Conference
1. 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.
2. In grades PK-2, the student will be present, and the teacher will guide the conference, involving student and parents in all aspects of the discussion.
3. 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 depending on his/her comfort level.
Supervision during conferences:
- We will provide child-care for school-aged 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 up immediately after.
- Preschool: On both days, Preschool children will be supervised in room 3144 (Level 3 – the music room, located directly above the Principal’s office). Please drop off and pick up your children from this room.
- Grades KG – 5 students: On both days, students have the option to play outdoors in the Elementary play areas or use the Library if they wish to remain indoors. Our staff will supervise these areas till 6:30 p.m. on Thursday & from 8:20 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Friday.
- Childcare is for enrolled students only (no babies, toddlers, or non-enrolled siblings).
- Elementary students must follow the instructions of the supervising adults and remain in the designated areas.
- The soccer field will be closed on Friday, October 16th for HS PE classes.
Celebrate India Month
Below is the information about different activities that will happen during this month.
Assemblies:
1. There will be two separate assemblies with student performances - one by the lower elementary and the other by the upper elementary. You are welcome to attend both. Performances will be in the FAC auditorium. Students are encouraged to wear Indian clothes on the day of their performance.
Student Performances:
1. Wednesday, October 21st at 8:45: K-2
2. Wednesday, October 28th at 8:45: 3-5
Indian Meal:
Students will be served an Indian Lunch catered by our Taj Madras Flight Kitchen on Thursday, October 29th. Spices in the food will be minimal. The lunch served will be Jeera & Peas Pulao (rice dish), Carrot & Beans Poriyal (Vegetable), Chicken Tikka, Poori (fried wheat bread), Channa (chickpeas), Jalebi (sweet), Vadagam (wafers), Dairy/Juice. We ask that parents who do not want their children to have this meal to send a packed lunch from home as Indian lunch is the only lunch option available on this day.
India Month Photo Display:
All students can submit photos for the India Month Photo Display. Please submit a picture of India that you have taken (with you in the picture or not). These photos can be shared hard copy or digitally. Please upload the image to http://tiny.cc/tntp2x or drop of the hardcopy with Pradeep or bring it to Indian Studies class. These images will be displayed during the month of October. The deadline for submission is October 5.
Other Activities across the ES:
Mehendi: Leaves of the henna plant is made into paste and filled in a cone. We use this for decorating the palms. This can be called a temporary tattoo that will last about a week. Students will have the opportunity to decorate their hands with Mehendi (Henna). This is optional.
Glass blowing demonstration: Students from each grade level will watch a demonstration by a glass blower on one of the following days:
K-2: October 12th and 13th
3-5: October 14th and 15th
Students may bring Rs.50-Rs.100 if they wish to buy artifacts made by him. Parents are welcome to purchase after school hours.
Other activities for specific grade level:
Music Demonstration: Grades 3-5 will watch a demonstration of musical instruments on Thursday, October 22.
Yoga: Students will participate in a yoga activity during the week of October 12 - 15.
Stations: Grade 2 will participate in block printing, jewel making, candle pot painting and Kolam design on Friday, October 23.
Tie and Dye: Grade 1 will learn tie and dye on Thursday, October 22.
Storytelling: Kindergarten students will listen to Indian tales on Thursday, October 29.
Wilbur Returns to AISC
This year Wilbur Sargunarj will return to AISC to work with our students and present at the RISE event on Friday, October 16, from 4:00-5:30 in the FAC Auditorium. Tickets will go on sale by the ES entrance and the main entrance before school and after school starting Monday, October 12. Adult tickets are 200 rupees and student tickets are 100 rupees.
Luckily, Wilbur will also be here at AISC for the week leading up to the RISE event, and students are able to work with him in a variety of ways. Please note participation is subject to teacher approval and in some cases an application process.
ES students in grades 3-5, will have a chance to sign up for ASA: So You Want to Be A Youtuber? on Tuesday, October 13 from 3:45-4:45pm where Wilbur will discuss how he became an internet sensation, and he will talk about the lessons he's learned.
ES students in grade 5 can also sign up to help make a video with Wilbur.
Parents received an email directly regarding signing up.
ASIAC Band & Choir Festival
The ASIAC Music Festival hosted by AISC this year culminates in a grand Gala Concert on Saturday, October 10th at 4pm. All are invited! Admission is open and free. Please bring your friends and family to support over 110 young musicians from ASB, AES and our very own AISC as they sing and play at this memorable event. You don't want to miss it!
High School Celebration of Learning
The high school is excited to announce that they will host their first ever Celebration of Learning on Thursday, October 22nd between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm in the gym. All members of the community are invited!
What is a Celebration of Learning? It is a fair in which high school students will host 14 different booths highlighting their learning from in different classes. Each booth will display an essential question addressed in class and students will be on hand to guide you through their displayed work. For example, have you ever wondered if listening to music while studying improves your memory? Or how to identify rhetorical arguments in written texts? Or how graphical representations can tell the story of a particular data set? Well, now you can find out the answers to these questions and many more by attending the Celebration of Learning! Please join us!
October Parent Coffee
Please join us on October 13th for our second parent coffee of the year. We will meet in the new Science and Discovery Studios (rooms 2602 and 2603) beginning at 8:45. Come learn more about our new science standards (Next Generation Science Standards), how we are using the studios, and then we will have you participate in a design challenge!
Skateboards and Rollerblades
Please note that skateboards and rollerblades are not permitted on campus, including weekends.
Vision and Hearing Screening
Each year, we conduct a vision and hearing screening tests for students in our Health Office. This will take place on October 12 to 14, 2015. The screenings will be done by the Apollo Shine Foundation. Teachers will choose a time to take their students to see the doctors. The Health Office will notify you if a doctor recommends any further assessment.
Food Service Update
From October 19th, Taj Madras Flight Kitchen will be replacing microwave popcorn with a healthier option fresh from a popcorn machine. This popcorn machine, offering a snack lower in both calories and fat, will be installed in the iHub; packages will also be available in the ES cafeteria.
Is your child enjoying the recent addition of veg/non veg salads and the vegetable juice of the day? They’re now available in the iHub and ES cafeteria, so please encourage your child to try these new items.
Food services at AISC are always in continual improvement. Should you have questions, suggestions or concerns, please contact Food Service Manager Prakash Shanmugam (sprakash@aisch.org), Elementary Associate Principal Lori Newman (nlori@aisch.org) or Secondary Associate Principal Jason Hicks (hjason@aisch.org). If you have not had the chance to have a meal in the I Hub or Secondary Cafeteria, please join us. We would love to hear your feedback about the food at AISC.
Food services at AISC are always in continual improvement. Should you have questions, suggestions or concerns, please contact Food Service Manager Prakash Shanmugam (sprakash@aisch.org), Elementary Associate Principal Lori Newman (nlori@aisch.org) or Secondary Associate Principal Jason Hicks (hjason@aisch.org). If you have not had the chance to have a meal in the I Hub or Secondary Cafeteria, please join us. We would love to hear your feedback about the food at AISC.
October Cafeteria Menu and Orders
You can access the October 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.
Have a great week!
Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal