Dear Parents,
It has been great seeing students reconnect with each other and get to know their teachers. Here are some pictures from art, Indian Studies, and Spanish during the first two weeks of school.
Important Dates:
Back to School Events
Please join the back to school events the week of August 23rd.The Back to School events are a time for you to hear from your child’s teachers about the curriculum, grade level expectations, and how you can support your child’s learning this year. Please note the dates and times above. Zoom links will be sent from your child’s homeroom teacher.
Elementary Handbook
The Elementary Handbook is published virtually this year and available for your reference linked here. You can also find this link on the school website, and in the links tab on the right corner of this blog. It is very important that your family takes the time to familiarize yourself with its contents. After reading the policies and information in the handbook, please click on the links below to digitally sign and submit these online forms by August 21st.
Parents must sign the forms and students in grades 3-5 need to sign the form as well.
If you have more than one child at AISC, you must complete a form for each child.
Early Years - Grade 2 - https://signnow.com/s/Bycb54wC
Grade 3 - 5 - https://signnow.com/s/ucXwrKCm - parents and students need to sign
Elementary School Handbook link: ES Handbook
Welcome Back to School Supply Bags
We are working on getting a few school supplies along with last year’s yearbook (for returning students) distributed. We are hoping to have the bags ready for pick up on campus the week of August 23rd. More details will follow in next week’s Principal’s Notes.
Sora Use for Families
AISC families are invited to browse our digital library Sora. Your child can access Sora using their AISC email and families can follow these instructions. Please note that the password for all families is Chennai21 and your children will use their email password. Please let Ms. Babs know if you have any questions regarding access to Sora.
Family Use of the AISC Libraries
Starting today, AISC families are now able to request books every week from our libraries using this Google form. Books can be ordered through the form from Friday until Monday at 3:30pm and can be picked up curbside at the Elementary School entrance on Wednesdays between 8:30am - 4:00pm. Bags with the child's name clearly marked on the front will be located inside the white cubbies. Patrons are invited to take the bag that belongs to them without touching any other materials.
In addition, a book drop is positioned curbside at the Elementary School entrance, as well as the main entrance, for returned books. We encourage families to return the books after two weeks, although if a specific title is needed for a longer period, please contact Babs to implement an extension.
Library staff will practice all health and safety protocols while gathering your books. Upon return, books and the canvas bags that are distributed will be sanitized.
We encourage families to check the ES library catalog or the HS library catalog before requesting specific titles to ensure that they are available. Please let Babs know on bbarbara@aischennai.org know if you have any questions.
From our Counselors
Here are some tips for helping your children thrive during virtual learning:
Have a dedicated space for learning. Creating a separate, quiet workstation can help eliminate distractions and conflicts. Not every learning environment works for every child and now is a good time to evaluate what works for your child. Children can decorate and personalize as much as possible.
Create routines and include breaks between live classes. Have some equipment and ideas ready for your child when it is break time… jump ropes, mini trampoline, hula hoop, soccer ball for dribbling, basketball for bouncing, stairs for walking, yoga mat for yoga exercises, poster with deep breathing picture, etc. Some breaks are short and some longer and students will need ideas for what to do during breaks. Regular physical movement is a cornerstone of schooling, so building movement into their breaks can actually help stimulate learning. Longer breaks might include a walk outside when possible.
Stay in contact with teachers via Seesaw and email. These conversations can be about more than just assignments. If you are seeing new behavior patterns at home, you can let teachers know about it. Also the counselors are here and ready to help with challenging behaviors.
Stay safe and be well.
Lynn Schneider and Dave Allen
Elementary School Leadership Team