Dear Parents,
Elementary School Field Day
We are excited to introduce the first ever Virtual Field Day at AISC. Wednesday, February 24th will be an afternoon full of activities, challenges, and will even include a teacher-relay video to enjoy. As a parent here is what you need to know:
Students might need access to the following materials:
Tennis ball sized ball (balled socks) and Ping pong sized ball (wadded paper)
Paper and pencil
Water bottles, bowling pins, or paper towel rolls
Baskets, hampers, or buckets
Cups or bowls
Other materials: rackets, balloons, sponges, & soft toys/pillows
All games are optional so it is not necessary to have ALL of the materials.
Homeroom Teachers will share detailed instructions on how to play the games. This will also be available on the Weekly Planners.
Students can complete a Field Day Passport on Seesaw as they complete different games and challenges.
If you would like to take pictures of Field Day activities at your home to share with the community, please add them to this Padlet.
If you have questions about Field Day, you can contact:
EY Field Day - Balaji Thiruvazhi - tbalaji@aischennai.org
KG- G2 Field Day - Sobha Daniel - dsobha@aischennai.org
G3 - G5 Field Day - Jack Bissonnette - bjack@aischennai.org
Please let us know your thoughts and thank you!
Elementary School PE Team
Spirit Week
Collecting Classroom Belongings /Yearbook From 2019-20 School Year
Your children's items (classwork, personal items, artwork, etc...) from last year have been collected to the best of our ability. If you are interested in picking up these items from school, please complete this form and we will contact you with pick up details. Please do not come to pick up your items until you have received an email from the Elementary School office. The 2019-2020 yearbook will also be included with your child’s work.
Invitation to Get to Know the Incoming Middle School Principal in 2021-2022 (for Grade 5 Parents)
Dear Grade 5/Middle School AISC Parents,
I am excited about the possibility of getting to know you and the AISC community over the next few months. My family and I are looking forward to moving from Bangladesh to Chennai and learning all about a new culture. We’ve enjoyed our time in Dhaka and my children have even visited AISC as part of the SAISA Sports League. It is wonderful to have these connections already with Track & Field and Volleyball. I feel very fortunate to have visited AISC back in February 2016 as part of the Middle School NESA Conference. There have been many changes made to the AISC campus since then, but I was struck by the lovely green and tropical feel of the campus. I was also inspired by the keynote presentation of Mr. Sugata Mitra and his hopeful vision for education as he described it in the “Hole in the Wall experiment.” I came away from the visit to Chennai recharged, and thankful to be working with such a talented group of people both in Dhaka and in the NESA region.
Throughout my five years in Dhaka, I have remained connected to both the SAISA organization through my children’s and students’ activities, and also the NESA network. It is through this organization that I was able to meet Jessica Pechhold and learn about the Middle School at AISC further. I am impressed by the Middle School initiatives like those in the areas of STEAM and Service Learning and it will be wonderful to experience these firsthand. In our time together in the upcoming weeks, we will have a chance to meet and get to know each other over Zoom. I am very interested in hearing about your perspective on the AISC community and what impresses you and makes AISC special. I am eager to learn about what you and your children value and how that relates to the school community. By sharing our ideas, we can begin to envisage what our partnership and time together will entail.
I look forward to embarking on this journey with you.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Bertram
The two sessions will be identical giving Middle School parents the opportunity to choose either one that works best for their schedule.
Thursday, March 4 at 5:30 p.m.
Meeting ID: 885 5937 6233
Passcode: AISCMS
Friday, March 5 at 12:00 p.m.
Meeting ID: 848 4706 7541
Passcode: AISCMS
From the Counselors
Your children are spending a lot of time in front of their learning devices each day. When you notice they are fatigued or need a brain break, try this simple activity to get them moving.“Crab Walking”, as it is called, has many positive benefits and is used by occupational therapists to promote organization in the brain centers. This is a great exercise for students of all ages and adults too. Adults can try it before they have to complete a challenging mental task. What do you notice?
Crab Walking takes a lot of muscle power and the weight bearing aspect helps to activate the filtering system in the brain. That’s why it is called a fabulous “Brain Organizing” activity.
Benefits of Crab Walking:
Crab Walking requires weight bearing and moving the body against gravity. This is “heavy work,” which stimulates the proprioceptor nerves, that in turn, stimulate the nerve cells in the brain that facilitate attention and focus.
The movement has a bilateral aspect and motor sequencing, both components of motor planning, so the heavy work and motor sequencing help build motor planning ability.
The heavy work also increases muscle strength. Obviously the trunk gets stronger but the hands and fingers also get a workout for hand strengthening. This in turn helps build fine motor control for writing.
For children who easily experience sensory overload, this is an excellent way to help them recover from excess energy, anxiety, and overstimulation.
Directions:
1. The child sits with the feet flat on the floor and the knees pointing up.
2. Hands go behind the back and push down on the floor to lift the bottom up off the floor.
3. First have your child practice lifting their bottom off the floor. If the child can do this with ease and can maintain the position for 5 to10 seconds, then they can begin Crab Walking.
4. It is easier to move backwards, so have children start by moving backwards.
5. Once Crab Walking backwards is mastered, encourage the child to Crab Walk in a forward direction. Because this is harder, it will take practice. Encourage patience and perseverance. You can make challenge courses in your home, mazes, or add obstacles! All is beneficial! For more great ideas on strategies to use in your home, see The Motor Story website.
Enjoy the long weekend.
Regards,
Lynn Schneider, Dave Allen, and Elliot FijmanElementary School Leadership Team