Dear Parents,
On behalf of the AISC
Elementary School faculty and staff, it is truly my pleasure to extend a warm
and heartfelt welcome to you as we begin the 2019-2020 school year. This is the
time of year to reconnect with old friends and welcome new friends. To everyone
new to AISC, we extend a very warm welcome. You have joined a very special
family-like community.
This will be my
fourth year at AISC as Elementary Principal and I am joined here by my husband,
James, who teaches high school PE and our two daughters, Amelie (Grade 9) and
Summer (Grade 6).
Working with me in
the Elementary Principal’s office is Mr. Dave Allen, our Associate Principal,
who comes from Portland, Oregon. He is joined by his wife, Deb Allen, our
Admissions Director and their son, Sawyer (Grade 5).
Also, with us in the
Elementary Principal’s Office is Ms. Calley Connelly who will be continuing her
split role as Elementary Math Coach, as well as Elementary leadership. Her
husband Ross is a Grade 4 Homeroom teacher and their three children are Rowan
(Grade 5), Juniper (Grade 2), and 18 month old, Brynn.
We are all delighted
to be here in India with you all, and really look forward to continuing to
connect with as many families as possible as the year unfolds.
Please know that each
of us in the Elementary Office operate an ‘open door’ philosophy, and encourage
you to drop by or schedule a time via the Elementary Assistants to talk with
us.
We also welcome the
following new faculty and staff members to the elementary school:
Aurelie
Thibeaudeau - French teacher (maternity leave)
Barbara Bowman -
Elementary and Middle School Librarian
John Sandman - Associate PE Teacher
Rebecca Semrick - Grade 5 Associate Teacher
Ryan Fletcher - Grade 3 Homeroom
New Family Orientation
We welcome all new Kindergarten to Grade 5 students next Wednesday 7
August from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m for a new student orientation. Please come
directly to the Elementary Gate (which is further along our driveway from the
main reception gate). We will be there to meet your child and take them to meet
their new teacher.
New Family Orientation for Early Years students will happen through
parent/child exploratory days on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th August from 8:30 -
12:00p.m
First Day of School
The first day of school for all students is Thursday 8th of August. We
look forward to seeing you all again by 8:30 a.m. This will be a regular full
school day till 3:30 pm for Kindergarten - Grade 5 students.
Early Years Half Day Programme
A reminder that we will be running a half day programme for our Early
Years students, finishing at 12:00 noon for the first two weeks of school while
they get adjusted back to the school routine. Their first full day will be on
Monday 26th of August.
Class Lists for
2019-20
Class lists will open
for viewing on Powerschool next Wednesday afternoon. If you cannot remember how to
login to powerschool, you can view instructions here. New parents will be sent registration instructions, and
guidance, for setting up a new family powerschool account.
Teachers and
Counselors spent a great deal of time creating the class lists, reflecting a
balanced approach to friendship and cultural groups, language acquisition,
gender and individual needs. We do not expect to make any changes. We ask that
you encourage your child to make new friends in their new class on the first
day of school.
We understand that
for a few children, the challenge of a new class and making new friends is
difficult. If you find this is the case, please check in with your child’s
teacher or grade level counselor. Contact Ms Cheryl (fcheryl@aischennai.org) to
make an appointment with one of the counselors.
Principal's Notes
Every Friday, we will
blog about the events taking place in the elementary school and share other
important information with the elementary school community. An email reminder,
with a link to my blog, will be sent to you each Friday afternoon. Please read
these notes carefully to stay informed about what is going on in the elementary
school.
SeeSaw: Class -
Parent Communication
Your
child's grade level teachers will keep you updated on news from the classroom
via Seesaw. This will include information about upcoming curricular units,
photos from learning events within the class and other important information.
Please ensure you are signed up for each of your children’s Seesaw class accounts,
using the emails that will be sent out by our Tech Team on Thursday August 8th.
Student Health Forms
Student health records are important sources of
information. Please note the following requirements for returning students.
· On
initial enrollment or at the beginning of grade 3, 6, or 9, a physician-completed form must be
provided.
Students with significant allergies or on daily
medication should also submit the annual form completed by a physician. Parents who have
questions regarding this should contact the health office.
All forms are due to the health office by August 16. Students may
participate in After School Activities or field trips only after the forms are
submitted.
Food Services
The Taj Madras Flight Kitchen (TMFK) is
our school-wide food vendor. AISC Access Cards (photo IDs) also serve as smart
cards (prepaid debit cards) for all purchases on campus. Cards can be charged
on campus at the I-Hub, both cafeterias, the cashier’s window located off the
main courtyard and recharged
online using credit/debit cards.
Elementary Section Food Services
Two elementary lunch menus will be published on a monthly basis and will
be communicated to parents through this blog.
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 can access the Payonline
link
here.
If you have any difficulties logging in or ordering, please notify itsupport@aischennai.org.
Parents may pre-order
a school lunch weekly or monthly for early years to grade 3 students using the Payonline link. Menu options will include: Veg meal, Asian non-veg
meal, Continental non-veg meal, and Soup combo.
Our older students
will be eating in the FAC cafeteria. They will not pre-order their meals, but
will have access to the full range of offerings that Middle and High school
students have. This includes the daily special (veg and nonveg), soup, salad
bar, sandwiches and the daily Indian meal. Students will need to carry their
charged ID cards to purchase their lunch.
Elementary School
Handbook 2019-20
Next Friday, your
child will bring home the Elementary School Handbook. It is very important that
your family takes the time to familiarize yourself with its contents. Please
take time to look at page 57 & 58, the “Signature Page and Annual Field
Trip Permission Form.” We require a parent signature on both pages. Every student
in grades 3, 4 and 5 must sign the signature page. Parents are asked to remove
the perforated page from the handbook and take it to the Elementary Reception
or Office. Alternatively, students can give the page to their homeroom teacher.
The due date for returning the signature page is Friday 16th August.
Students may participate in After School Activities or Field trips only
after the forms are submitted.
Elementary School
Curriculum Guide
Our Curriculum Guide
has been published and contains all the curriculum information you will need
regarding your child’s education. Further to this, regular posts will be made
in Seesaw regarding learning and events taking place in your child’s
classroom. You can find the link on the school's website and in the links list on this blog.
Bring-Your-Own-Technology (BYOT) Program - Grades 3 - 5
All students in Grades 3 - 5 are
required to bring in a device that meets a minimum set of speciļ¬cations to
support student learning. Students may choose between a device with either the
Mac or Windows operating system. In order to configure the devices, we ask that
students bring their own device on these days:
· Monday, 12
August: Grade 5 students
· Tuesday, 13
August: Grade 4 Students
· Wednesday, 14
August: Grade 3 Students
Please remember to set your operating system language to English in
order for our IT department to configure devices. The below link has more
details about our BYOT Program.
Questions, Comments or Concerns
Please remember that if you have a question or concern about any aspect
of your child's educational experience, please contact the classroom teacher
first. In most cases, your question or concern will be resolved after speaking
with the teacher.
In the rare case that it is not, please make an appointment to see the
associate principal, Mr. Dave Allen. If your question or concern remains
unresolved at this level, please make an appointment to see me. Please contact
Ms. Padma (ppadma@aischennai.org) or Ms. Hazel (bhazel@aischennai.org) to
schedule an appointment.
Looking forward to a fantastic year!
Keryn Dowling, Dave Allen, and Calley Connelly
Elementary School Leadership Team
