Friday, December 21, 2018

Friday, December 21, 2018

Dear parents,

Happy holidays to you and Happy New Year. Wherever you may be travelling this break, please travel safe and we look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday 16 January 2019! We ended the year in high spirits with our three elementary winter performances - bursting with energy from music, song and dance. I know you would join with me giving a large round of applause to our students, and also to Ms Sarah, Mr Finny, Mr Vasanth and Ms Jane.
2019 will kick off with field days in the elementary school, learning celebrations and family literacy mornings.  We encourage you to check the community calendar to be aware of these important events at school.

Reading Over the Winter Break
Knowing that your child will be away from school for almost three and half weeks, it is important that you encourage your child to read over the winter break. Encouraging your child to do some reading over the break is a vital way for them to keep up their literacy skills. If your child is reluctant to read then please take some time to read with them. Here is an article on the importance of reading over the winter break as well as some ideas on holiday-themed books and traveling with books.

Upcoming Field Days
  • Grades 3, 4, & 5: Thursday, January 31st 10:50 - 12:20
  • Early Years 5 and Grades 1 & 2: Friday, February 1st 10:50 -12:20
  • Early Years 3 & 4: Friday, February 1st 8:45 - 10:00
 These days will include games, water activities, teacher relay races, face painting, and more! Parents are encouraged to come watch the students participate in Field Day. You may even want to join in on the activities yourself! Hope to see you there!

Yearbook Photo Make Up Session
Students who are new to AISC or missed the opportunity to take a Yearbook photo earlier this year due to an absence, will do so from Monday January 21 - Wednesday January 23 between 8:30 - 10:30 am.

The Winter Holiday Postcard Challenge (repeat announcement)
To encourage writing over the winter break, all Grade 1 - 5 children are encouraged to send a postcard from their winter holiday destination. Postcards should include a written message of where you are and what fun you have been having! This can be from Chennai, from other parts of India, or from wherever you are travelling to! Must include a written message! You can send as many postcards as you like - and the class who sends the most postcards wins a fun recess time with Ms Keryn, Mr Dave, and Ms Calley. Postcards must arrive at AISC by the end of January to be counted.  Challenge starts from today, Friday 21 December.

Send postcards to:
Elementary Office, AISC
100 Feet Road, Taramani
Chennai TN 600113
INDIA

January 2019 Lunch Menu & Order Links   
To order a school lunch for your child, please use this Payonline link.  
Elementary Lunch Menus: (Grades EY- 3 Pre-order) and (Grades 4 & 5 - No Preorder)

Have a wonderful three weeks!
Keryn Dowling, Dave Allen, and Calley Connelly

Friday, December 14, 2018

Friday, December 14, 2018


Happy Holidays from Our Families to Yours!
 

The Winter Holiday Postcard Challenge
To encourage writing over the winter break, all Grade 1 - 5 children are encouraged to send a postcard from their winter holiday destination.  Postcards should include a written message of where you are and what fun you have been having!  This can be from Chennai, from other parts of India or from wherever you are travelling to!  Must include a message You can send as many postcards as you like - and the class who sends the most postcards wins a fun recess time with Ms Keryn, Mr Dave, and Ms Calley.  Postcards must arrive at AISC by the end of January to be counted.  Challenge starts from next Friday 21 December.

Elementary Choir
Thank you again to Ms Sarah Hassler and Ms Fiona Babu and the wonderful elementary choir for kicking off the festive season with a wonderful selection of Christmas carols.
 

Winter Performances next week!  (repeat announcement)
Students have been busy preparing for their upcoming winter performances. This year these will feature holiday themed items from our performing arts department - both music and dance. These will be in the FAC theatre on the dates listed below and we want to remind you to please leave any strollers outside and that toddlers must remain on laps for the duration of the performances. Should they need a break, you are welcome to use the foyer outside of the theater.

  • Monday 17 December - Early Years Winter Performance 2:30 - 3:15 p.m
  • Tuesday 18 December - Grade 1 and 2 Winter Performance 2:30 - 3:15 p.m
  • Thursday 20 December - Grade 3-5 Winter Performance 2:30 - 3:15 p.m

Report cards and MAP reports (repeat announcement)
On Tuesday 18 December, all students from EY3 to Grade 5 will be receiving the semester one report card. This year, this formal report card will be printed and sent home in an envelope addressed to parents. Please make sure to check your child’s backpack for this important document, and read it together with your child. Should you have any questions, please check in with your child’s teachers.  

In addition, during this time frame, students in Grade 2-5 who took the fall MAP tests will receive their scores electronically along with a letter of how to read and understand these.

January 2019 Lunch Menu & Order Links   
To order a school lunch for your child, please use this Payonline link.  
Elementary Lunch Menus: (Grades EY- 3 Pre-order) and (Grades 4 & 5 - No Preorder)

Student Council Toy Drive
Dear parents,

The ES Student Council is having a
Holiday Toy Drive!

Gently used toys, books, or games
will be collected and donated to a
local orphanage who could use
some cheer.

So, if your child has a few toys or even one toy that is gently used, please ask him or her to bring it to the donation box located in their homeroom.

The toy drive will begin Dec 10th and end on December 21, so please look at home for some toys, games, or books that you don’t use anymore and make a child happy!  

Thank you!
Happy Holidays,
The ES Student Council

Have a wonderful weekend!

Keryn Dowling, Dave Allen, and Calley Connelly

Friday, December 07, 2018

Friday, December 7, 2018

Dear Parents,

Elementary Christmas Carols
Today our elementary choir, the Singing Raptors, sang a delightful selection of Christmas and holiday classics in our courtyard. Thank you to all of those who attended or support this annual community event. Thank you also to the PCA for providing delicious cookie snacks also!

Winter Performances
Students have been busy preparing for their upcoming winter performances. This year these will feature holiday themed items from our performing arts department - both music and dance. These will be in the FAC theatre on the dates listed below and we want to remind you to please leave any strollers outside and that toddlers must remain on laps for the duration of the performances. Should they need a break, you are welcome to use the foyer outside of the theater.
  • Monday 17 December - Early Years Winter Performance 2:30 - 3:15 p.m
  • Tuesday 18 December - Grade 1 and 2 Winter Performance 2:30 - 3:15 p.m
  • Thursday 20 December      - Grade 3-5 Winter Performance 2:30 - 3:15 p.m
Holiday Class Celebrations
In addition to the above performances, each class or grade will be hosting a party or celebration. These celebrations are inclusive to all celebrations happening at this time of year, including Christmas, Hanukkah Seollal and Japanese new year, New Year’s Eve and Pongal, to name a few. Parents are welcome to contribute to these celebrations by either attending or contributing towards food or decorations for the event.  Please see more information specific to your class from your room parent.

Community Summit: Exploring the Horizons of Wellbeing
Watch some of our community members as they talk about what Wellbeing means to them. This video was part of our kickoff to the Community Summit: Exploring the Horizons of Wellbeing that began last week.

Please join us next Wednesday for the second of three sessions, beginning at 2:30pm in the Gym. If you were not able to attend the first session, you are absolutely more than welcome for the second and/or third. Sign up here ASAP (See the Head’s Notes this week for further information). We hope to see you there!

Early Release next Wednesday
The next early release will be on Wednesday 12 December. Please be on time to collect your child at 2 p.m. A reminder that we will also close the playgrounds and football fields at this time too. We ask all children and parents leave campus promptly so that faculty can begin their professional learning to enhance teaching and learning.

Report cards and MAP reports
On Tuesday 18 December, all students from EY3 to Grade 5 will be receiving the semester one report card. This year, this formal report card will be printed and sent home in an envelope addressed to parents. Please make sure to check your child’s backpack for this important document, and read it together with your child. Should you have any questions, please check in with your child’s teachers.
In addition, during this time frame, students in Grade 2-5 who took the fall MAP tests will receive their scores electronically along with a letter of how to read and understand these.

Meet AISC – Hemamalini Hariharan 


Ms Hema is our Elementary Food Service Coordinator and you can find her every day in the Elementary Cafeteria. If your son or daughter has a negative balance on their ID card or were provided a school lunch she will be the person contacting, you.

Hema is from Chennai and loves reading and listening to music. She appreciates all the elementary students, especially when they tell her they enjoy the food. Her job allows her to interact daily with students, teachers and parents. Hema has one son who is attending college and encouraging students at AISC making healthy choices with food makes her the happiest. Hema also has a passion for mathematics, and if she could trade her life with anyone, it would be CP Ramanujam, a phenomenal Indian mathematician who worked wonders with numbers!


The ES Student Council is having a Holiday Toy Drive!
Gently used toys, books, or games will be collected and donated to a local orphanage who could use some cheer.
So, if your child has a few toys or even one toy that is gently used, please ask him or her to bring it to the donation box located in their homeroom.

The toy drive will Begin Dec 10 and end on December 21, so please look at home for some toys, games, or books that you don’t use anymore and make a child happy!  

Thank you!
Happy Holidays,
The ES Student Council

STEM Holiday Family Challenge (repeat announcement)
Can you design and create an object to represent something related to your family holidays or traditions using only recycled materials?

Design Constraints (Rules)
  • Size - no more than 25 cm tall and no more than 30 cm wide (for display purposes)
  • Use only materials you find around your house - Do not buy anything for the challenge!
  • No food or candy!
  • Please mark with your name and homeroom on the bottom.
  • Bring completed projects to the Discovery & Design Studio anytime before December 5.
Some examples:
       
 
     
Have a wonderful weekend!
Keryn Dowling, Dave Allen and Calley Connelly