Dear Community Members,
The second trimester report cards will be ready for viewing on Skyward from 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 T2." Please click this link. If you forget your password, or have not created one, 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. 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.
March Parent Coffee
Please mark Tuesday, March 8th on your calendars as visiting author John Coy will be our guest speaker. We will meet in the ES cafeteria beginning at 8:45.
KG-Grade 2 Swim Gala
Thank you to the many parents who came to our gala this morning. We hope you enjoyed watching the children. Also, thank you to our Aquatics Director, PE teachers, homeroom teachers, teacher assistants, and lifeguards for making this day possible! Swimming is a great activity and offers many benefits including:
• being a relaxing and peaceful form of exercise
• alleviating stress
• improving coordination, balance and posture
• improving flexibility
• providing good low-impact therapy for some injuries and conditions
• providing a pleasant way to cool down on a hot day
Source: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/swimming-health-benefits
There will be an upper elementary swim gala later this spring.
Grade 3 Science: Forces and Interactions
Students are currently engaged in a unit called, “Forces and Interactions.” During this unit, students spent time in the Science and Discovery Studio, designing a game that required the use of magnets. On Thursday, students presented their games to their grade-level peers.
Design Saturday and Feb Fling
March Parent Coffee
Please mark Tuesday, March 8th on your calendars as visiting author John Coy will be our guest speaker. We will meet in the ES cafeteria beginning at 8:45.
KG-Grade 2 Swim Gala
Thank you to the many parents who came to our gala this morning. We hope you enjoyed watching the children. Also, thank you to our Aquatics Director, PE teachers, homeroom teachers, teacher assistants, and lifeguards for making this day possible! Swimming is a great activity and offers many benefits including:
• being a relaxing and peaceful form of exercise
• alleviating stress
• improving coordination, balance and posture
• improving flexibility
• providing good low-impact therapy for some injuries and conditions
• providing a pleasant way to cool down on a hot day
Source: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/swimming-health-benefits
There will be an upper elementary swim gala later this spring.
Grade 3 Science: Forces and Interactions
Students are currently engaged in a unit called, “Forces and Interactions.” During this unit, students spent time in the Science and Discovery Studio, designing a game that required the use of magnets. On Thursday, students presented their games to their grade-level peers.
Tomorrow is going to be a day full of fun here at AISC. Beginning at 10:00 am in the ES Science and Discovery Studio is Design Saturday. Tomorrow’s projects feature both high tech and low-tech components, both of which help us learn principles of design. You may choose to make music with Makey Makeys, design a circuit with a variety of materials, or challenge yourself to build a super supportive structure under tight constraints. Design Saturday runs until 1:00 pm.
Feb Fling is also tomorrow! The High School is excited about creating various fun activity booths for elementary and middle school students from 12-4 on the Main Field. The booths will offer a range of activities: T-Shirt decorating, Cookie Decorating, Pin the Tail on the Raptor, Splash, Can Knock Down, Ring Toss, Nail Art, an Obstacle course, Sponge throw, Floor Board, Velcro Catch Ball, and a Bouncy Castle.
The ticket price for the event is 300 rupees, which includes food, but some activities will have an additional cost. There is also a raffle to play. Tickets for the raffle are separate.
This is a way that the high school students can create a memorable experience for the elementary and middle school students and contribute to the AISC community. High school clubs also use the money collected to fund their activities.
We hope you and your family join in on the fun on February 27!
I would like to thank the parents who came to our parent coffee last week. Here is a link to the information that we distributed at the meeting.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/connecting_families/cf_digitaldilemmas_allbundled.pdf
Early Release Day: March 9th
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 March 9th, we will have our seventh and final Early Release Wednesday of this school year. 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.
After School Supervision
This is just a reminder that the school does not provide after school playground supervision. While your child(ren) are welcome to remain on campus beyond 3:30, parents must supervise their children. You are providing proper supervision when you are within close proximity to your child. What this means, you cannot only see your child, but can hear him/her playing as well. For example, if your child is playing on the soccer field, you are need to be on the field sidelines. If your child is playing in the enclosed play area, you need to be in there as well. Sitting in the cafeteria while your child is on the playground is not proper supervision. Likewise, elementary aged children cannot be left to roam freely in areas beyond the elementary school. These areas include the iHub, courtyards, pool, FAC, and the Raptor Field. Elementary students are only allowed in these areas when supervised by a parent. Thank you for abiding by these rules that are in place for the safety of children.
Please also note that if your child brings a soccer ball to school (or any ball for that matter), they are required to hold onto the ball when in the drop-off zone outside the ES Reception. Students are not to bounce or kick the ball in this area. (2) Soccer balls can only be used on the soccer field. Students are not permitted to use their soccer balls in the ES Plaza, covered area, and playground. Supervising parents are asked to enforce this rule, please.
Please Considering Donating Reusable/Recyclable Materials to the Science and Discovery Studio
The Elementary Science and Discovery Studio is in need of recycled materials and junk. If you have any that you could bring in it would be very much appreciated. For those of you who would like to recycle on a regular basis, the Discovery Studio would be happy to take your things. We are in need of the following items:
cardboard - any size or type
cardboard boxes - any size or type
cardboard tubing - any size or type
fabric - any size or type
plastic containers - any size or type
corks
egg cartons - any size or type
wood - any size or type
old tools - any size or type
wool, thread, nylon or string
balloons
Please send in anything with your child or drop it off in person to room 2602/03.
Visiting Author
Each year AISC brings an author to work with students and share his or her passion for reading and writing. This year, we have decided to bring back a very special author who visited us in 2013-2014. John Coy (johncoy.com) will be visiting AISC from March 7-11. During his stay he will be sharing some of his new books and do some special sessions even for teachers. There will be an opportunity to meet John Coy for parents on Tuesday, March 8 during the ES Parent Coffee from8:45-9:45. Please email Mr. Jet in the ES/MS CIC if you have any questions (wjeremy@aisch.org).
Early Release Day: March 9th
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 March 9th, we will have our seventh and final Early Release Wednesday of this school year. 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.
This is just a reminder that the school does not provide after school playground supervision. While your child(ren) are welcome to remain on campus beyond 3:30, parents must supervise their children. You are providing proper supervision when you are within close proximity to your child. What this means, you cannot only see your child, but can hear him/her playing as well. For example, if your child is playing on the soccer field, you are need to be on the field sidelines. If your child is playing in the enclosed play area, you need to be in there as well. Sitting in the cafeteria while your child is on the playground is not proper supervision. Likewise, elementary aged children cannot be left to roam freely in areas beyond the elementary school. These areas include the iHub, courtyards, pool, FAC, and the Raptor Field. Elementary students are only allowed in these areas when supervised by a parent. Thank you for abiding by these rules that are in place for the safety of children.
Please also note that if your child brings a soccer ball to school (or any ball for that matter), they are required to hold onto the ball when in the drop-off zone outside the ES Reception. Students are not to bounce or kick the ball in this area. (2) Soccer balls can only be used on the soccer field. Students are not permitted to use their soccer balls in the ES Plaza, covered area, and playground. Supervising parents are asked to enforce this rule, please.
Please Considering Donating Reusable/Recyclable Materials to the Science and Discovery Studio
The Elementary Science and Discovery Studio is in need of recycled materials and junk. If you have any that you could bring in it would be very much appreciated. For those of you who would like to recycle on a regular basis, the Discovery Studio would be happy to take your things. We are in need of the following items:
cardboard - any size or type
cardboard boxes - any size or type
cardboard tubing - any size or type
fabric - any size or type
plastic containers - any size or type
corks
egg cartons - any size or type
wood - any size or type
old tools - any size or type
wool, thread, nylon or string
balloons
Please send in anything with your child or drop it off in person to room 2602/03.
Visiting Author
Each year AISC brings an author to work with students and share his or her passion for reading and writing. This year, we have decided to bring back a very special author who visited us in 2013-2014. John Coy (johncoy.com) will be visiting AISC from March 7-11. During his stay he will be sharing some of his new books and do some special sessions even for teachers. There will be an opportunity to meet John Coy for parents on Tuesday, March 8 during the ES Parent Coffee from8:45-9:45. Please email Mr. Jet in the ES/MS CIC if you have any questions (wjeremy@aisch.org).
March Lunch Orders
If you wish to order a school lunch for your child, you can access the elementary 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. You may 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. You may access the Pre-Order System here.
If you have any difficulties logging in or ordering, please notify itsupport@aisch.org.
RISE, March 4 at 4:00 pm in the FAC Auditorium
On behalf of RISE at American International School Chennai (AISC), we would like to invite you to a special event on the AISC campus. RISE (resilience, innovation, service, and entertainment) is a committee that brings innovative thinkers and performers to our school to enrich the discourse and exposure around big ideas and global issues related to our mission and core values.
On Friday, March 4th at 4:00 p.m., we will welcome a series of speakers:
Sugata Mitra is widely known for his innovative educational ideas. His 2013 TED Talk “Build a School in the Cloud” has been viewed 2.5 million times. As a guest at AISC, he will share his profound experiences and clear understanding on the power of self-directed learning. Sugata’s wish is to build a place where children can explore and learn on their own -- and teach one another -- using resources from the worldwide cloud.
Rachel Kessler, a former AISC teacher, has followed her passion and desire for social justice and created 20 BAHT, a short documentary about invisible slavery in plain sight. The film is set on Bangkok’s Khaosan Road, a world-renowned strip of bars, clubs, and hostels known as the “center of the backpacking universe.” Western tourists flock to Khaosan for its famous nightlife. But at what cost? 20 BAHT tells the heartbreaking story of child trafficking that lies beneath the fun. 20 BAHT will be shown in its entirety at this event.
Kenton Lee started The Shoe That Grows while he was living and working in Nairobi, Kenya in 2007. One day while walking to church, he noticed a little girl in a white dress next to him who had shoes that were way too small for her feet. He had an idea: “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a shoe that could adjust and expand – so that kids always had a pair of shoes that fit?” Kenton’s talk will be taped at his home in Idaho and shown here at AISC.
This RISE event will also feature AISC students sharing their insights into how creativity and compassion can work together to make a unique contribution in a diverse and dynamic world.
Tickets go on sale on February 29, but please mark your calendars now!
Come one, come all to the Celebration of Learning
The High School is proud to invite all community members to our second Celebration of Learning! What is a celebration of learning? It is a learning fair in which students host booths highlighting what they have been learning in their classes.
This semester will feature a wide range of disciplines including but not limited to:
• learning how to tie knots and lashings (Adventure Activities)
• understanding recursive algorithms (AP Computer Science)
• exploring why societies wage war (World History 2)
• applying trigonometry to a search and rescue scenario (IB Math SL Year 1)
• exploring how words change over time (Critical Reading and Writing 2)
• considering theme and variation composition (Band)
• observing felt paintings in progress (Painting and Drawing)
Please join us anytime between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm in the Hall of Light and BBT on Friday, March 11th to explore the Celebration!
Have a great weekend,
Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal