Friday, April 30, 2021

Dear Parents,

We had a number of fantastic events in the past two weeks. I would like to thank everyone involved with Earth Week, the Maker Carnival, and Litweek. In total, over 40 different Elementary School faculty were involved in planning and organizing these three events.

Important Dates

 

Date	Time	Event	Details
May 3rd		No School

 

Location Update

Please remember to email your child’s classroom teacher and ‘cc the ES office (esoffice@aischennai.org) if you are leaving Chennai before the end of the school year. This is for departing and returning students. 

 

Withdrawing from AISC

If you are relocating and your child is not continuing at AISC for the next school year, please complete either the online withdrawal form linked here, or use this pdf file and email it to esoffice@aischennai.org.

 

We need this document to begin your child’s school leaving process. 

 

Return of School Materials

As family travel plans for the summer may shift, all items belonging to AISC must be returned to campus before the summer break or your family's departure from Chennai. All students, withdrawing or returning, must return school property before the end of the school year. In the coming weeks, you will receive notifications for outstanding items from individual classes, the technology department, and ASAs. Students who are withdrawing will not be able to finalize the process if items are outstanding. 

 

MAP Testing and Slides

Thank you to all the parents who attended our recent ES parent coffees on MAP testing. During the parent coffee, we provided an overview about MAP testing and guidance for parents for MAP testing at home. MAP testing begins next week for Grades 2-5. Here are the slides from the parent coffee.

 

Class Placement for 2021-2022 

It is time to begin the class placement process for the 2021-2022 school year. A significant amount of time and energy is invested into the class placement process. This process is collaborative and involves the following stakeholders:

• Elementary School leadership team

• Counselors

• Current grade level teachers

• English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers and learning support teachers

 

When placing students, the Early Years and Elementary School faculty thoughtfully considers a variety of factors. The list below summarizes the main factors that we consider in the placement process:

• Cultures within each class

• Gender balance

• English proficiency levels

• Students who need extra support with their learning as well as students who benefit from having their learning extended or enriched

• Students who need additional behavioral or emotional support

• Constructive interpersonal dynamics

• Instructional groupings for students who need support from the EAL or learning support teachers

 

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. It simply summarizes the factors that are most frequently applied in order to create balanced classes. Our goal is to create classroom groupings that enable the teacher to meet the needs of the students as well as create a constructive and productive classroom community.

The school recognizes that the class placement process is highly complex and therefore we allocate a significant amount of time to it. The placement process for the 2021-2022 school year will begin in early May and run through the end of July. Please note that due to the complexity of the process and the large number of variables that are considered in placement decisions, we do not honor specific teacher requests.

If there is information about your child that you believe we don't already know and may impact placement, please complete this form by Monday, May 3rd. Do not contact a counselor or teacher directly. 

 

Have a safe weekend.

Regards,

Lynn Schneider, Dave Allen, and Elliot Fijman
Elementary School Leadership Team

Friday, April 23, 2021

Dear Parents,

Important Dates

 

Date	Time	Event	Details
April 26 - 30th		LitWeek and Author Visits	See details below
April 29th	3:00-4:00 p.m.	ES Parent Coffee for Grades 2-5 MAP Testing	Zoom link Password: ESCoffee
April 30th	9:30-10:45 a.m.	ES Parent Coffee for Grades 2-5 MAP Testing Please note: this session will have a Korean translator.	Zoom link Password: ESCoffee

 

AISC LitWeek 

The AISC Libraries are excited to announce that LitWeek 2021 begins Monday! All students will be invited to participate in a variety of literary themed events to celebrate reading! Please have a look at our LitWeek website to find out what is happening each day and let Ms. Babs know if you have any questions. Happy reading!

 

Visiting Author Padma Venkatraman

Parents are invited to attend our Elementary School virtual author visit with the author of The Bridge Home, Padma Venkatraman, on Thursday, April 29th at 1:40 pm. Please use the Zoom link provided below and let Ms. Babs know if you have any questions. We hope to see you there!

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/9776089545pwd=ME1aV2Rya2RkTFFRb3M2SDB0d0FTdz09

 

Meeting ID: 977 608 9545

Passcode: library

 

 

Class Placement for 2021-2022 

It is time to begin the class placement process for the 2021-2022 school year. A significant amount of time and energy is invested into the class placement process. This process is collaborative and involves the following stakeholders:

• Elementary School leadership team

• Counselors

• Current grade level teachers

• English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers and learning support teachers

 

When placing students, the Early Years and Elementary School faculty thoughtfully considers a variety of factors. The list below summarizes the main factors that we consider in the placement process:

• Cultures within each class

• Gender balance

• English proficiency levels

• Students who need extra support with their learning as well as students who benefit from having their learning extended or enriched

• Students who need additional behavioral or emotional support

• Constructive interpersonal dynamics

• Instructional groupings for students who need support from the EAL or learning support teachers

 

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. It simply summarizes the factors that are most frequently applied in order to create balanced classes.Our goal is to create classroom groupings that enable the teacher to meet the needs of the students as well as create a constructive and productive classroom community.

The school recognizes that the class placement process is highly complex and therefore we allocate a significant amount of time to it. The placement process for the 2021-2022 school year will begin in early May and run through the end of July. Please note that due to the complexity of the process and the large number of variables that are considered in placement decisions, we do not honor specific teacher requests.

If there is information about your child that you believe we don't already know and may impact placement, please complete this form by Monday, May 3rd. Do not contact a counselor or teacher directly. 

From the Art Sustains HS Club

Here is the Art Sustains website with more information. 

 

 

From the Counselors

You ARE “Good Enough”! From Psychology Today, February 2020.

D.W. Winnicott, a British pediatrician and psychoanalyst, was instrumental in shaping how contemporary psychotherapists think about human relationships, child development, and parenting. One of his most pivotal contributions is the notion of the “good enough mother”—the kind of caregiver that a child needs in order to feel safe, develop an authentic sense of self, form healthy relationships, and tolerate life’s commonplace disappointments.

We can reclaim “good enough” and give ourselves permission to be a little more human: to show up exactly as we are and let that be enough. At this point, you may be thinking something along the lines of, "Easier said than done," or "Okay, but what does that actually look like?" It means setting boundaries and saying no. It means letting yourself take that nap, or that mental health day—blanket permission to rest while viewing rest as wholly valid in and of itself, as opposed to as time stolen away from all of the shoulds and have-tos.

Over the past year during COVID-19, so many of us, both parents and caregivers, have doubted ourselves and whether we are being the best parents we can be. Instead of asking this question, trust that you are “Good Enough”. You ARE a “Good Enough” parent, and doing the best that you can, right now, in these times. Be kind to yourself and remember, your child’s view of you may be very different than how you perceive your own self. 

Have a safe weekend.

Regards,

Lynn Schneider, Dave Allen, and Elliot Fijman
Elementary School Leadership Team

Friday, April 16, 2021

Dear Parents,

Students in grades 2-5 will be taking the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test virtually from May 4th-May 14th. The make-up testing days will be May 15th, 18th and 19th. We will have two parent coffees to give you more details about the test. Please note that one parent coffee will have a Korean translator. See below for more information about the parent coffees. 

 

Important Dates

 

Date	Time	Event	Details
April 29th	3:00-4:00 p.m.	ES Parent Coffee MAP Testing	Zoom link Password: ESCoffee
April 30th	9:30-10:45 a.m.	ES Parent Coffee MAP Testing Please note: this session will be translated into Korean.	Zoom link Password: ESCoffee

 

ES Parent Coffees - April 29th and 30th

Please join us for an Elementary School Parent Coffee on Thursday, April 29th at 3:00 p.m. or on Friday, April 30th at 9:30 a.m. We will be talking about the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test for Grades 2-5 including set up, preparation, and expectations for students. MAP testing will begin on Tuesday, May 4th.  

 

Maker Carnival Friday, April 23rd

Get ready for Maker Carnival! Next week, come to our virtual event on Friday, April 23rd. There will be asynchronous videos and activities to complete throughout the day including stories, Tinkercad, cardboard games, homemade instruments and more! Click here to see the topics and materials you might need for the Asynchronous videos. In place of Closing Circle, there will be 2 live sessions for students to join from 2:30 - 3:00 and 3:00 - 3:30. Topics range from Cooking to Origami to Lego! Click here to see Live session information and materials needed. Can't wait to see all the Maker Carnival creations!

 

Game Time with the Counselors

Both Linda and Michele, our Elementary School counselors, are offering a weekly game and social time for each grade level. This is an optional time to get together with friends across the classes and have some fun. Here are the days and times for each grade level:

 

EY and KG - Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30-2:45

Grade 1 - Wednesdays 10:45 - 11:15 and 11:30-12:00 and Thursdays 3:00-3:30

Grade 2 Mondays 11:45-12:15, Wednesdays 12:00, Fridays 12:00

Grade 3 Thursdays 3:00-3:30

All the above times are on Ms. Linda’s Zoom link.

 

Grade 4: Mondays at 2:30

Grade 5: Wednesdays at 12:00

Ms. Michele’s Zoom Link:

Ms. Michele's Zoom link

 

More indoor fun ideas. Create an Obstacle Course! Great for all ages and can be made different every time so it never gets old. Make sure to create an engaging course that includes a variety of motions (jumping, crawling, balancing, etc.) and uses a large area like a hallway. Have your kids help make the course (which is half the fun!) using some of these creative ideas:

 

• Hula hoops to jump through

• Line of tape to balance on

• Couch cushions to hop between

• Table to crawl under

• Blanket over 2 chairs to crab walk through

• Plastic containers to hurdle over

• Stuffed animals to roll over

• Plastic cups to run around

 

You could even have them attempt it balancing a bean bag or stuffed animal on their head, or with one hand behind their back. For older children, you can time them to see how fast they can go through obstacles. 

 

Have a great Weekend!

 

Lynn Schneider, Dave Allen, and Elliot Fijman
Elementary School Leadership Team

Friday, April 09, 2021

Dear Parents,

Important Dates 

Date	Time	Event	Details
April 14th		No school - Tamil New Year

 

Earth Week 2021

AISC is celebrating Earth Week from April 19-22. This year’s theme is A Call to Action. The week will feature student projects and live presentations on environmental sustainability, zero-waste workshops, and more. We hope you will join us in celebrating student learning and activism and leave inspired to take action!

Next Week is Well Week!

The intention of the week is to bring attention to wellbeing and share our experiences. For each day of the week we are in school, AISC will bring attention to one of the four domains of wellbeing. 

 

 

Throughout the week AISC community members will be asked to:

Monday: Self-Awareness - How are you feeling?

Identify a color or colors that represent your emotion(s) and create a visual representation or art form of those emotions.

Tuesday: Healthy Habits - Try something new!

Select a Healthy Habit that might be new to you or that you have started this year and then share a video of yourself doing the activity or a description of the activity. 

Thursday: Positive Relationships - Gratitude & Kindness

Reach out to someone and show gratitude and commit to a random act of kindness. Then, share your experiences of showing gratitude and kindness through photos, videos, or written descriptions. 

Friday: Self-Management - Share your tips!

Reflect on how you manage stress, persevere through challenges, and control impulses. Then, share tips with the AISC community about your practices. 

 

*Elementary School community members can post in Seesaw Activities or social media #AISCWellbeing

 

Withdrawing from AISC

If you are relocating and your child is leaving AISC at the end of this school year in June or earlier, please complete this online Withdrawal Form. You may email esoffice@aischennai.org if you have any questions.

 

Maker Carnival Friday, April 23rd

Get ready for Maker Carnival! This year, we are hosting a virtual event on Friday, April 23rd.There will be asynchronous videos and activities to complete throughout the day including stories, Tinkercad, cardboard games, homemade instruments and more! In place of Closing Circle, there will be 2 live sessions for students to join from 2:30 - 3:00 and 3:00 - 3:30.Topics range from Cooking to Origami to Lego! Look for more information next week along with documents that outline sessions and materials needed. Can't wait to see all the Maker Carnival creations!

 

From the Counselors

Summer is coming, and with this season, comes the heat! What are some fun ways to get your child outside to enjoy some exercise or nature time?

Here are a few ideas from Ms. Linda and Ms. Michele:

 

1.   Try birdwatching from your balcony or yard! This sweet link gives some great information about Birds of India that you might spot from your own rooftop, balcony or yard! Get out binoculars and see what you might spy! Early morning and dusk can be great, if not cooler times to observe wildlife. Balcony Birding

 

2.   Pick a “sit spot.” Jon Young, one of the world’s preeminent nature educators and coauthor of Coyote’s Guide, advises children and adults to find a special place in nature, whether it’s under a tree at the end of the yard, a hidden bend of a creek, or a rooftop garden. “Know it by day; know it by night; know it in the rain and in the snow, in the depth of winter and in the heat of summer,” he writes. “Know the birds that live there, know the trees they live in. Get to know these things as if they were your relatives.” Doing so can reduce our sense of isolation, our species loneliness. In addition, building a fort, den, or tree house can help children with problem-solving, creativity, planning, and a sense of security and place.

 3.   Go backyard, rooftop or deck camping. Buy or borrow a tent or encourage your kids to create their own structure from a blanket, poles, or sticks. Leave it up all summer. Make a dessert treat, play flashlight tag, and make shadow puppets on the tent wall. To turn the structure into a homemade observation blind, cut a small window in the side that faces a nearby bird feeder, bat house, or a place frequented by wildlife. Stow binoculars, field guides, a digital camera with a telephoto lens, water, and granola bars. No yard? Before air-conditioning, pitching a hammock, dragging a mattress, or spreading a sleeping bag on a flat roof or fire escape was common. Put on the bug spray and mosquito coils and have some fun out there!

 

4.   Plant a family or friendship tree, or adopt one. Nurturing nature is a positive action to take whether you live in a densely populated urban neighborhood, suburb or apartment complex. Adopt or plant a tree to help mark important family occasions—a holiday, a birth, death, or marriage. Susan J. Tweit, plant biologist and author of Walking Nature Home, offers this suggestion: “Get to know a tree or shrub in your neighborhood intimately by observing it over the course of a growing season. Every week, check your adopted tree or shrub and note any changes.” The Take a Child Outside Week campaign suggests taking pictures of your live family tree in its first snow or after a big windstorm. Make bark rubbings using crayons and paper. Make a digital adoption notebook with photos, videos, and observations. Plant its seeds. To get started, visit Project Budburst or Nature’s Notebook, and set up an account for your adopted tree or shrub. Acts of caring for others and nurturing nature build psychological and spiritual resilience at a time when children and adults most need it.

          

5. And last, but not least, WATER! Water balloons, sprinklers, the garden hose, a small pool, are all great ways to cool off, splash, and have fun together. 

 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Regards,

Lynn Schneider, Dave Allen, and Elliot Fijman
Elementary School Leadership Team