Friday, 30th September 2016

Dear parents,

We have reached the first of our holidays at AISC and I wish each and every one of you a safe,relaxing and enjoyable time together with your families, whether you are travelling to new destinations or having a ‘staycation’ here in Chennai or India.

It was wonderful seeing so many families at school this week for our Goal Setting Conferences, and we look forward to seeing everyone return on Monday 10th October.

Supervision After School - Important!

School finishes each day at 3.30pm.  After this time all children must be directly supervised by a parent, unless they are in an After School Activity.  Any child on the playground or soccer field must have a parent with them outside, and not in the cafeteria.  Children found unsupervised will be taken to the ES Reception and parents called to collect them.  

Early Reading Parent Coffee

On Tuesday 11th October (9.45 - 10.45am) we will host our parent coffee, beginning in the BBT.  This parent coffee will focus on ‘Early Readers’ and how reading is taught and learned at AISC as well as ways parent can help at home.  The audience for this is KG - Grade 2 parents, although anyone is welcome to attend.

We enter into ‘Celebrate India’ month (10th October - 4th November) when we return from fall break. Below is the information about different activities that will happen during this month.

India Month Assemblies (in the FAC Theater)

• Wednesday, 12th October at 8.45am: India Month Opening Assembly - (performance by professional dance group).  
• Thursday, 3rd November at 8.45am: Grades PreK-2 India Month Assembly (Student Performances).
• Friday, 4th November at 2.15pm*(time changed): Grades 3-5 India Month Assembly (Student Performances).

Students are encouraged to wear Indian clothes on each of these Assembly days.

Indian Meal  (Friday 4th November)

Students will be served an Indian Lunch catered by our Taj Madras Flight Kitchen on Friday, 4th

November. This is provided by the school at no charge. Spices in the food will be minimal. The

menu is: Vegetable Pulao (Rice with Carrot, Peas, Beans), Poori (fried whole wheat bread), Potato Gravy, Sundal (chickpeas with coconut, raw mango), Chicken tikka (boneless), Laddu (Sweet, No Cardamon), Poppadom (wafers), and Tropicana juice.

There are no other hot lunch options available on this day, so please send a packed lunch from home if you do not want your child to have this school provided meal.

Other Activities for Elementary Students

Mehendi (optional)

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 an optional activity.

Glass blowing demonstration

Students from each grade level will watch a demonstration by a glass blower during Indian Studies class time in the week of 17th October. If you would like to purchase artifacts made by the glass blower kindly pre-order in the document posted on Edmodo by the Indian Studies Teachers.

Grade specific Activities

Music Demonstration: Grade 5 will watch a demonstration of Indian musical instruments.

Yoga:  Grades 3-5 will participate in a yoga activity in the week of October 24-27.

Stations: Grade 2 will participate in jewel making, candle pot painting and Kolam activities during art time.

Tie and Dye: Grade 1 will learn tie and dye during art time.

Storytelling: Kindergarten students will paint clay diyas and see how it is lit in the traditional way using oil and cotton thread.

We look forward to seeing you at the student performances.

October Lunch Menu & Order Links  

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).

Upcoming Dates For Calendar
Tuesday 11 October ES Parent Coffee on ‘Supporting Early Readers’ (KG - Grade 2)
Wednesday 12 October ES India Month Opening Assembly (8.45am - 9:45 am)
Wednesday 19 October Early Release Wednesday (2.00pm pick up)
Friday 28 October ES Halloween Parade (1.30pm - 3:00 pm)
Wednesday 2 November Early Release Wednesday (2.00pm pick up)
Thursday 3 November Grade PK - 2 India Month Assembly (8.45am - 9:45 am)
Friday 4 November Grade 3 - 5 India Month Assembly (*Time changed 2.15pm - 3.15 pm)

Have a safe and relaxing break!

Warmly,

Keryn Dowling

Friday 23rd September, 2016

Dear Parents,

Flags, food, festivities and a fabulous Friday was had by all in the Elementary Section today!  I watched with pride as our students crossed the stage as flag bearers, placard holders and dressed so spectacularly in national dress and country colors.

We had five 5th Grade students representing us at the assembly today through reading a story “I have the right to be a child” by Alain Serres, Aurelia Fronty.  Congratulations to Esha, Tess, Anya, Rune and Junwon, we were all so proud of you.

EAL (English as an Additional Language) Parent Coffee
A wonderful turnout for our EAL parent morning coffee on Tuesday.  An additional thank you to those who stopped by for a ‘pre coffee’ to chat with me.  I will schedule more times like this as the year rolls on as it is so wonderful to meet more of you with each week that passes.

During the EAL coffee many strategies were shared and parents walked away with deeper understanding of how best to support EAL learners with learning English at home too.

Supporting Early Readers
Our next parent coffee is on Tuesday, 11 October (9.45 - 10.45am) and will focus on understanding how our early readers build reading strategies, fluency and comprehension, as well as how parents can support this process at home.

This parent session is aimed at parents of children in KG to Grade 2.

Goal Setting Conferences
The goal setting conferences will be happening next Thursday, 29 and Friday, 30 September.  On Thursday there are several blocks set aside for families to meet together with the teacher after school.  On Friday, no regular classes are held, and students will only attend for the duration of their conference.

For our younger students who are not present in the conference, this means no school for them on that day.  One of the reasons we dedicate so much time for this is to ensure all families have adequate time to meet with their child’s teacher(s) to discuss progress as well as identify and explain further learning goals.  This takes time, and we do not want parents, teachers or students to feel rushed with this process.

For families with more than one child, we will be providing playground supervision from 3:45-6:30 on Thursday and 8:30-3:30 on Friday. Preschool students can be brought to the Conference Room next to the Health office Room: 1117, where they will be supervised by preschool Teaching Assistants. Kindergarten students can play on their regular playground. Students from grades 1-5 will be supervised in their regular recess spots: the plaza/sandbox, covered area, soccer field and playground. The ES library will also be open for students.

Design Saturday

What a success our first design Saturday was with children creating and making bird houses, marble ramps and suspension bridges.  One parent commented “My children love coming to the design studios; They didn’t ever get a chance to do things like this before.”  Look out for our next Design Saturday coming up on November

MAP testing
Over the past few weeks all our students in Grade 2 - Grade 10 have taken part in MAP testing.  MAP (Measure of Academic Performance) is a standardized test used widely in the US and other International Schools to measure student learning in Math, Language Usage, Reading and Science.  This data allows us to see how our teaching and learning programmes compare to other schools and allows us to identify students who may need extra support and extending in certain areas.  Children repeat this test again in the Spring to measure growth across the year also.

The testing window has closed this week, and so results will be available shortly and these will be shared with parents in the following weeks.

India Month Opening Assembly
Coming shortly after the break is our India Month Opening Assembly, on Wednesday, 12 October from 8.45 am - 9.30am. In the Auditorium  Parents are welcome to join us for this assembly where will be welcoming an Indian Dance Group.

E-Portfolio Blogs
All grade KG-5 students have begun writing in their e-portfolio blogs to set and reflect on learning goals and to celebrate their growth. We have chosen blogs to promote active participation in learning, achieve a higher degree of engagement, and foster deeper self-assessment. We have given Grade 3-5 students ownership over their blogs to build responsibility, teach digital citizenship concepts, and make the blogs more personally meaningful. For more information about your child's blog, please look for a communication from your homeroom teachers.

October Lunch Menu & Order Links  
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).

Upcoming Dates For Your Calendar
Thursday 29 September ES Goal Setting Conferences (3.45 - 6.30pm)
Friday 30 September ES Goal Setting Conferences (8.30am - 3.30pm) No classes this day
Tuesday 11 October ES Parent Coffee on ‘Supporting Early Readers’ (KG - Grade 2) (9:45am - 10:45am)
Wednesday 12 October ES India Month Opening Assembly (8.45am - 9.30am)
Wednesday 19 October Early Release Wednesday (2.00pm pick up)
Friday 28 October ES Halloween Parade (1.30pm - 3.00pm)
Wednesday 2 November Early Release Wednesday (2.00pm pick up)
Thursday 3 November Grade PK - 2 India Month Assembly (8.45am - 9.30am)
Friday 4 November Grade 3 - 5 India Month Assembly (*Time changed 2.15pm - 3.15 pm)

Looking forward to welcoming you all this week at the Goal Setting Conferences.

Warmly,

Keryn Dowling

Friday 16th September, 2016

Dear Parents,

With only two more school weeks to go before the October break, routines and learning systems in the Elementary School are well established and we hope your children are bringing home new ideas and stories of this every day.

UN Peace Day begins with a parade of nations on Friday morning.  All children are encouraged to come to school dressed in national dress or in colors matching the country they will be representing.  A reminder, as with all dressing up days, that fake weapons, even if part of a costume, should not come to school.  Thank you for your support in this. We look forward to welcoming parents at this wonderful ceremony!

Goal Setting Conferences - Thursday 29 and Friday 30 September

Goal Setting Conferences are Thursday, September 29th from 3:45 pm - 6:30 pm, and all day on Friday, September 30th from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm. These are around 20 minutes in length and are a valuable opportunity for you to learn more about your child’s learning and the goals they and their teacher have set. We look forward to welcoming all families at these conferences.

Feedback from previous years showed that many parents and teachers alike found conferences this early in the year with our younger students to be more successful if it was between parent and teacher.  Therefore, it is only expected that children from Grades 2-5 will attend. If you do decide to have your younger child (KG-1) present, then the teacher will still guide the conference.

What to Expect During the Conference

• main focus will be on goal setting with the child. Baseline learning and assessments will be shared, to show the “starting point” for the child and so growth can be documented by the second conference.
• PreKindergarten (3 and 4+) students do not attend these conferences, the meeting is between parent and teacher only.
• For KG-1, it is optional for the student to be present.  
• In grades 2-5, students will take on more of the conference leadership, and this will vary from child to child.
• Music, Art, PE, World Language and Indian Studies can be visited on a drop in basis.

We do request that all families make an appointment to attend on either one of the two days. Conferences are scheduled online, and please sign up before Tuesday 27th by clicking on this link.

Childcare will be available for AISC students only (no babies or toddlers) while their parents are conferencing. Locations will be confirmed in next week’s notes.

13th Annual Big Bad Blue

Friday, Sept. 23 - 3pm-6pm

Saturday, Sept. 24 - 8am-6pm

We will host 6 local schools and teams and the Stonehill School from Bangalore.

Come support the SAISA Swim Team and join in the fun!

Supervision At School

Our elementary school does not provide supervision before 8:00 a.m. From 8:00 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. there is supervision provided by school on the play yard. Should students need to visit another area of the campus, they need to do so with their parents.

No supervision is provided after 3:30 p.m. except when children are enrolled in an official school activity. After school, parents must pick up their children from the designated location on the ground level and supervise their children should they wish to stay after school and are not enrolled in an after-school activity. Nannies, drivers, and older siblings cannot perform this role. Parents are asked to be within close range of their child. What this means is that you must not only be able to see your child play, but to be able to hear your child as well.

Please note that this applies to all students in elementary school and to all areas of the campus, including: the library, play areas, cafeterias, sports facilities, and classrooms.  Any child on campus not being supervised by their parents will be taken to the ES Reception to await collection.

Home Learning

We have a group of teachers currently reviewing the Home Learning Guidelines for the Elementary School. These teachers have been reviewing current research as well as looking into the practices of other International Schools both within India and the rest of the world.

Here is one article that examines many sides of the argument of the impact homework can have on Elementary School students.

Our Elementary School handbook currently has some basic guidelines for homework, and as the committee finalizes the draft of new guidelines these will be shared with parents.

 

In practice, all teachers are moving towards a more personalized learning approach and although children are expected to engage in some form of reading every night, all other home learning tasks will be assigned when and as it is specifically needed to support, extend or reinforce concepts understood.  This means that just as in reading where not all children are reading the same book, not all children will be practicing the same math or science tasks at home.  A ‘one size fits all’ sheet no longer serves a purpose of meeting our diverse population and their home learning needs.  

Elementary School Parent Coffee, Tuesday morning, September 20, 8:45 - 9:45 a.m.

Our English as an Additional Language (EAL) Coordinator Karen Sumaryono and several EAL teachers will provide an overview of the EAL Programme next Tuesday during our ES coffee morning, along with four small group learning stations:

• How to Help Your Grade 3-5 Child at Home
• How to Help Your Grade K-2 Child at Home
• Understanding Reading Levels
• Understanding Tiered Vocabulary

This is a great opportunity for any parents of EAL students to learn more about the programme we offer here and we will wrap up with time for your questions and get your suggestions for topics to talk about next time.

Meet and Greet Coffee
As we are still trying to meet as many of you as possible, directly before the EAL Parent Coffee, both Ms Lori Newman and myself will be out in the ES Plaza under the large tree.  We will have tea and coffee available and would love as many of you to stop by and introduce yourselves if you have not already done so!

As always, if there is anything specific you would like to chat to us about, you can make an appointment through Ms. Hazel and Ms. Cheryl in the Elementary Principal’s Office.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,

Keryn Dowling

Friday 9th September, 2016

Dear Parents,

I spent the week as a learner in the Adaptive Schools Foundation Seminar, alongside school leaders from other International Schools across India and the Middle East.  My biggest takeaway was that the interaction between adults in a school community has a direct influence on the learning community of all our students.

With so many nationalities represented in our International community, having a common language and set of processes for how we communicate and function is vital.  Adaptive Schools gives us just that framework and is used across every department and section at AISC.

Being Head of School For The Day

On Thursday this week, Maya from Grade 5 spent most of the day shadowing our Head of School, Mr Andrew Hoover.  From attending a town hall meeting to meeting visitors from the Adaptive Schools seminar, Maya definitely got an insight into the life of a lead educator!  Here are some of her reflections of the day:

“I learned that Mr Hoover has a very tight schedule and has to do class visits, town hall meetings, meetings with principals. He has to visit a lot of places and people. He has to be focused to do everything on schedule. He also greets people entering the school in the morning. It’s good to greet people because it makes us feel good about coming to school, and we feel respected.

I also noticed that there are many people who work really, really hard to make our school what it is. The finance people, cleaners, the secretaries help make our school a better place. Also, I learned that there are many rooms and places I didn’t even know about, and there is a room that contains food and drinks for us that are worth three days in case of emergencies”

Parent Tech Morning and Edmodo
We have had numerous reports of glitches with our communication tool, Edmodo, so please bear with us as we work through these.   We are sad to report that Edmodo has discontinued support for parent likes and replies.  This was a sudden and unannounced change and we apologize for any confusion this may have caused. Some parents may still see this functionality if they have not updated their mobile app.

The IT office will be hosting a parent tech morning on Thursday September 15 from 8.45 - 9.45am if you require any assistance with this, including logging on or seeing the correct pages you need. They are happy to help!

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 from the ES Cafeteria.

Design Saturday - 17 September 9 - 12 noon

Our first Design Saturday will be on Saturday, September 17 from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon in the ES Discovery Studios (Rooms 2602/2603). Please note that this start time is different than what is in the Community Calendar.

There will be 3 different activities to choose one from and try out. Attendees will only be able to select one activity from the list below as each is designed to take up most of the time available.  Each is limited to 10

Challenges are listed below and you can click on each for more information.
- Marble Ramp
- Suspension Bridge
- Wooden Birdhouse

Parents must accompany their child to Design Saturday and stay with them the entire time of the activity. Students must be in Kindergarten or above to participate. Children in Preschool or younger may not attend due to safety reasons.

Because of the amount of supplies needed and the wear and tear on the facility and equipment, there is a fee per child this year. Please pay 1000 INR per child to the school cashier. You will receive a receipt. Please bring this receipt of payment when you come to the ES Discovery Studios on Saturday, September 17th.

Please sign up HERE.

Enjoy your weekend everyone, happy Friday!

Warmly,
Keryn Dowling