Thursday, October 24, 2019

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Dear Parents,

Happy Diwali! We hope you all enjoy this four day weekend celebrating with friends and family. Please be mindful in reading the important announcements in this week’s blog as we have a lot coming up in the Elementary.

No School on Monday, October 28th
On Wednesday, AISC received notice by Government Order that all educational institutions and Government offices are to be closed in Tamil Nadu on Monday, October 28 for Diwali. AISC will be closed and all meetings and activities scheduled for that day are canceled. The Board will consider options for a make-up school day at its November meeting.
Given the late notification, please note that there is no change to AISC’s calendared Diwali Holiday, Friday, October 25.  We appreciate your understanding.

Arts, Sports and Activities
November 4th - November 9th will be ASA Showcase Week for Season 1. Please come join your children in their final ASA lesson. Prepare to engage in learning activities with the students. Students will be given the opportunity to share their learning from the activity and will be celebrated as learners.

ASA Season 2 Program Descriptions and Registration (November 11th - February 21st)

This pre-registration information will be used to fill classes, but submitting the form does not mean a definite spot. We will email conformations the week of November 4th. Please note that students that were not in swim lessons during season 1 will have priority for lessons during season 2. Click here to look up swim levels that students should enroll in.

Here is the Registration Form

Payments for activities will be requested at the end of the second week of the ASA. There is a fee for any ASA attended past the second week.
*Please note that for those with outstanding balances from Season 1 ASAs, enrollment for Season 2 will be on hold until payment is made to the Cashier.

Athletics & Activities Office

Viewing Report Cards in PowerSchool
Please follow the instructions below to view the latest Elementary School Semester Report in PowerSchool. To access PowerSchool, click on this LINK.

The instructions for accessing Elementary School Reports are provided below, in both a text document and a video.
TEXT instructions to view your child's ES Report
VIDEO instructions to view your child's ES Report

Grade 3-5 Learning Celebration - Friday 1 November at 2:45 pm
Parents are invited to join us next Friday  in our learning celebration which features students from grades 3 - 5 in the FAC. Parents can be seated from 2:30 p.m., children will arrive close to 2:40 p.m. and we will begin at 2:45 pm.  
For safety purposes, strollers need to be parked and left outside in the FAC lobby. If you do have your baby or toddler with you in the audience and they need a break, you can also use this lobby area if need be. Thank you for understanding.

ES Parent Coffee on Tuesday, October 29th - Seesaw and MAP Test Results (repeat announcement)
On Tuesday, October 29, from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in the Madras Hall we will host a parent coffee about understanding MAP scores and test results as well as checking in with parents about Seesaw and responding to comments. Sherriden Masters, Director of Technologies and Innovation, will join us to explain MAP test scores and how to understand your child’s results. Following the parent coffee, parents of Grades 2-5 who took the fall MAP tests will receive an email with their child’s MAP test scores.

Halloween Parade 2019 (repeat announcement)
The Halloween parade will occur on October 31 during our last period of the day starting at 2:45 p.m. The students will parade around the track with parents on the field. Grade levels will follow in order from Early Years to Grade 5. Four trick or treating stations will be set up on the track. When students have paraded once around the track they will return to their classroom parties. In case of rain, we have a contingency plan in place. Children are encouraged to bring their costumes to school to change into before the parade. As always, we remind you that weapons should not be part of costumes and should not be brought to school.

MS Play next week (Thursday 31st and Friday 1st)
Shivers takes one of the lesser known tales from the Brothers Grimm and turns it on its head. A young woman named Roberta is strangely different from everyone else in that she was born without the ability to feel afraid. So, she sets out on a journey to discover the meaning of fear. On the way she encounters all kinds of zany, spooky characters and, in typical happily-ever-after fashion, ends up freeing the world’s most haunted castle from its curse.

"Seven-year-old Natanaƫl still doesn't know how to read and he has been bequeathed his eccentric old aunt's book collection to the young boy. Nat soon discovers that the characters of the books are counting on him for protection - they mustn't leave the library." Join us for ES Movie Night and follow Nat's adventure.

November Lunch Menu & Order Links  (repeat announcement)
To order a school lunch for your child, please use this PayOnline link.  
Elementary Lunch Menu Links: (Early Years- Grade 3 Pre-order) and (Grades 4 & 5 - No Preorder)

Happy Diwali & enjoy your long weekend!
Keryn Dowling, Dave Allen, and Calley Connelly
Elementary School Leadership Team

Friday, October 18, 2019

Friday, October 18, 2019

Dear Parents,

It was wonderful to see so many of you at our Student Growth Conferences this week. I am sure you appreciate the effort teachers took in preparing (the older) students for this too. I was able to be out at the end of this week to watch our AISC Raptor swimmers at SAISA in Kathmandu. I also got a chance to work with the Elementary School Principal and tour their elementary classrooms. As always, visiting another school gives great perspective and offers the opportunity to see new ideas, as well as share the good work happening in our school. I felt there was so much I could share and that is thanks to all of our wonderful teachers.

Congratulations to our four elementary swimmers; Gio, Minami, Minato and Minjoon.
 

We will have an Early Release on Wednesday, October 23. School finishes at 2:00 pm and all students must leave campus by 2:30 pm so Staff can begin their Professional Development.

There is no school next Friday, October 25th, which is a holiday for the Indian Festival of Lights, Diwali.

SAISA Track & Field
SAISA Track is taking place during Season 2 this year. We will be having an introductory meeting for SAISA Track Athletes on Monday, October 21st, 4:00-4:30, in the FAC Cafeteria. In order to participate in SAISA, the students must be 10 years old before February 20th, 2020.  


The practice schedule for this year will be dependent on the events the students are participating in (Jumps, Sprints, Throws, and Long-Distance Running). Students will be expected to come to 4 practices per week. Many of your questions about practice times will be answered at Monday’s Meeting. AISC will be hosting SAISA Track Feb. 19-22.  

You can contact any of the following coaches with your questions:
Pepper McFarland mpepper@aischennai.org
Jack Bissonnette bjack@aischennai.org
Ryan McFarland mryan@aischennai.org
Alex Ray ralex@aischennai.org
James Smeltzer  jsmeltzer@aischennai.org

Diwali Mela Postponement (repeat announcement)
The PCA Diwali Mela has been rescheduled for Saturday, November 16th from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. We look forward to having the opportunity to share with the community this wonderful event we have been planning and hope you will join us on this new date. A new registration form will be available on the Friday blogs.

Vision Project Week 2019! (repeat announcement)
We are thrilled to announce that November 11-15 will be Vision Project Week for students in grades 3-5! During the week of November 11-15, AISC students in grades 3-5 will join project teams to engage in experiential learning opportunities. These innovative learning experiences incorporate the inquiry framework, transdisciplinary skills, and the Vision of the AISC Learner.

This exciting news was shared with students on Thursday, October 10. Your child had the opportunity to watch promotional videos for each project and has already begun thinking about which projects sound the most exciting. For more information, here is the presentation from our kick-off assembly with students. Additional details about the projects can be found on Project Menu. We invite you to watch the videos and talk to your child about their hopes for Vision Week.

Students have found out their project selections and they are excited to get started on November 11. Talk to your child about their project, and expect to get more information soon.

ES Parent Coffee on Tuesday, October 29th - Seesaw and MAP Test Results
On Tuesday, October 29, from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in the Madras Hall we will host a parent coffee about understanding MAP scores and test results as well as checking in with parents about Seesaw and responding to comments. Sherriden Masters, Director of Technologies and Innovation, will join us to explain  MAP test scores and how to understand your child’s results. Following the parent coffee, parents of Grades 2-5 who took the fall MAP tests will receive an email with their child’s MAP test scores.

From the MUN corner:  World Food Day - Food Drive
When: Wednesday Oct. 16- 23rd  (1 week)
What: Non-perishable items
  • Canned/Bottled goods   Ex. Oil
  • Dried goods   Ex. Grains, beans
Where: Put in boxes - near ES, MS, HS offices, Reception, and ES library.
Who: All goods will be donated to Seva Samajam Children’s Home- Guild of Service

Halloween 2019
The Halloween parade will occur on October 31 during our last period of the day starting at 2:45 p.m. The students will parade around the track with parents on the field. Grade levels will follow in order from Early Years to Grade 5. Four trick or treating stations will be set up on the track. When students have paraded once around the track they will return to their classroom parties. In case of rain, we have a contingency plan in place. Children are encouraged to bring their costumes to school to change into before the parade. As always, we remind you that weapons should not be part of costumes and should not be brought to school.

Indian Snack and Lunch reminder (repeat announcement)
This will be provided by the school on Thursday, October 24th. All students will be provided a complimentary Indian Snack and Lunch, catered by our Taj Madras Flight Kitchen. Spices in the food will be minimal. 
Snack menu: Carrot sticks and cucumber sticks with ranch.
(Indian Flag- Tricolor Themed Healthy Snack)
Lunch menu: Jeera rice (rice cooked with cumin seeds and garnished with coriander leaves), poori (wheat bread), raitha (yoghurt with chopped vegetables), paneer masala (for vegetarians) or chicken tikka (for non-vegetarians), soan papdi (dessert), vadaam (rice crisps) and fresh juice (lime/sweet lime).

Parents who do not want their children to have this, may kindly send a packed snack and lunch from home.

Enjoy your weekend!

Keryn Dowling, Dave Allen, and Calley Connelly
Elementary School Leadership Team

Friday, October 11, 2019

Friday, October 11, 2019

Dear Parents,
Thank you for your support in making today our first and very successful Virtual Learning Day. We hope you enjoyed being part of your child's learning experience today and again we thank you for your support in ensuring our continuity of instruction even with several road closures over Chennai! Enjoy the rest of your weekend together and see you on Monday.
Diwali Mela Postponement
The PCA Diwali Mela has been rescheduled for Saturday, November 16th from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. We look forward to having the opportunity to share with the community this wonderful event we have been planning and hope you will join us on this new date. A new registration form will be available on the Friday blogs.
Growth Story Conferences
A reminder that we host our first growth conferences next week and we thank you all for signing up for these.
These conferences are a valuable opportunity for you to learn more about the growth your child has made in their learning this academic year, as well as hear about learning goals they and their teacher are aiming towards. The main focus will be on sharing assessment and learning data to show progress your child is making in the four core academic areas taught in the homeroom - math, reading, writing and either social studies or science, depending on unit currently being taught.

Growth Story Conference Dates:
Monday, October 14th from 3:40 pm - 5:20 p.m. (after a school day)
Tuesday, October 15th from 8:30 am - 3:30 p.m. (no school/classes on this day for students)
These will be 20 minutes in length, with one family in the room at a time. Look to your child’s Edmodo page for sign ups starting next week. All families need to make an appointment for these conferences. 


Early Years to Grade 2: Parent/Teacher conference (no students present)
  • Teachers lead the conference
  • Sharing of learning samples and data points 
Grade 3 - 5:  Student/Parent/Teachers (students attend)
  • Child will co-lead the conference together with the teacher
  • Sharing of learning samples and data point
There will be no ASA programs on these days, so if you are attending a conference on a Monday, please ensure you have a plan for child care for any children not in the conference. 
Also, on Monday after school, in order to reduce any noise or distractions so teachers, parents, and students can focus on their conferences, we are closing the playground and field. Students are welcome to be in the library or cafeteria where we will have supervision. On Tuesday, there will be supervision in the library only where siblings who are current AISC students are welcome to wait. Younger children and babies will need to remain at home.

Vision Project Week 2019!

We are thrilled to announce that November 11-15 will be Vision Project Week for students in grades 3-5!  During the week of November 11-15, AISC students in grades 3-5 will join project teams to engage in experiential learning opportunities. These innovative learning experiences incorporate the inquiry framework, transdisciplinary skills, and the Vision of the AISC Learner.

This exciting news was shared with students on Thursday, October 10. Your child had the opportunity to watch promotional videos for each project and has already begun thinking about which projects sound the most exciting. For more information, here is the presentation from our kick-off assembly with students. Additional details about the projects can be found on Project Menu. We invite you to watch the videos and talk to your child about their hopes for Vision Week.

On Monday, October 14 students will identify their top 5 choices. Project assignments will be announced next week.

We invite you to stop by room 2604 (Indian Studies) during Growth Conferences to learn more from project leaders!

India Month Celebrations
This week our children experienced many exciting experiences which allowed them to explore the different facets of India and its incredibility! We have experts leading sessions in Pottery, Tie and Dye, Indian Design Challenges, Yoga, Jewellery making and more.


Indian Book Fair
From Monday, October 14th - Wednesday, October 16th, Scholastic, Tulika Books, and Tara Books will present the Indian Book Fair 2019! The location will be the Unity courtyard and the times are as follows:

Monday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

All families are welcome to browse the book fair, particularly before or after your growth conference on Tuesday. Happy reading!

From Sarah Sahr, EAL Program Director
The first of four English as an Additional Language (EAL) Coffees will be next Thursday, 17 October from 8:45-9:45 am in the BBT. We will be focusing on AISC's Language Philosophy and what it means for all students, not just our English language learners. We will examine what current research says about language development and how it shapes our EAL Program. There will be plenty of time for participants to ask questions and seek clarification. So, if you are interested (and I hope you are!) mark you calendar for next Thursday, BBT, 8:45-9:45pm. 

If you can't make the coffee but have a question, feel free to email me, ssarah@aischennai.org, at any time.


Indian Snack and Lunch reminder
This will be provided by the school on  Thursday, October 24th. All students will be provided a complimentary Indian Snack and Lunch, catered by our Taj Madras Flight Kitchen. Spices in the food will be minimal. 
Snack menu: Carrot sticks and cucumber sticks with ranch.
(Indian Flag- Tricolor Themed Healthy Snack)
Lunch menu: Jeera rice (rice cooked with cumin seeds and garnished with coriander leaves), poori (wheat bread), raitha (yoghurt with chopped vegetables), paneer masala (for vegetarians) or chicken tikka (for non-vegetarians), soan papdi (dessert), vadaam (rice crisps) and fresh juice (lime/sweet lime).

Parents who do not want their children to have this, may kindly send a packed snack and lunch from home.

Enjoy your weekend!
Keryn Dowling, Dave Allen, and Calley Connelly
Elementary School Leadership Team