Friday, September 24, 2021

Friday, 24 September 2021

Dear Parents,

Important Dates: 

Date

Event

Details

September 25- October 3

Fall Break


September 27- October 1

Virtual Fall Camp '21

See Athletics and Activities blog

October 4 - 9

ASA Season 1 Showcase Week

Watch out for the instructor email

October 8

ASA Season 1 ends / Season 2 Registration begins

See Athletics and Activities blog

October 14

No School - Ayutha Pooja


October 18 

Growth Conferences 3:45 - 5:00 p.m.

Details will come from your child’s teacher

October 19

Growth Conferences - All Day

No school for Elementary School students

Details will come from your child’s teacher

 

Math Morning Slides and Video


Thank you to those who were able to attend one of the math mornings this week. The videos are below. This is the resource link that was shared in the presentation. 

 

Grades KG-2 Math Morning

Grades 3-5 Math Morning

 

Elementary School T-Shirt Design


Congratulations to Sehyeon Cho in 5RS who won this year’s Elementary t-shirt competition with her drawing of a wonderful juggling raptor below! Elementary School t-shirts will be coming soon. 


 

From the Counselors


Here are some ideas to put in a “Feelings First Aid” box for children to use to calm down or change moods (see blog from last week):

  • Bottle of bubbles

  • Small puzzle

  • Something that smells good (small piece of felt with vanilla or lavender oil on it)

  • Music speaker with handwritten playlist (so they can listen to music) 

  • Book of yoga poses

  • Skipping rope

  • Toy kaleidoscope or hourglass

  • Play dough

  • Pop it toy

  • Bubble wrap

  • Photos of family and friends

 

Have a wonderful break next week.  

 

Lynn Schneider and Dave Allen
Elementary School Leadership Team

Friday, September 17, 2021

Friday, September 17, 2021

Dear Parents,

Important Dates: 

Date

Event

Details

September 17

ASA Fall Camp Registration Begins

See info below 

September 22

9:30 a.m.

Math Morning Grades K-2

Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 958 0207 5264

Passcode: aisc

September 23

9:30 a.m.

Math Morning Grades 3-5

Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 938 0421 6371

Passcode: aisc

 

Math Mornings 

Please join Elliot Fijman, Elementary School instructional coach, for our yearly Family Math Mornings. We will delve into the foundational beliefs of the math program at AISC and experience some instructional strategies together. Participants will see what a virtual, synchronous math class may feel like and learn about possible resources available to support students at home. There will be time allotted at the end of the session for questions and answers. We look forward to seeing you! 


Arts, Sports & Activities (ASA) - Virtual Fall Camp '21

If you are interested in having your child(ren) engage in FREE virtual activities for Virtual Fall Camp, please fill out the Registration Form before Friday, September 25. Virtual Fall Camp will be a 5-day program that begins on Monday, September 27, and continues through Friday, October 1, 2021.

For more information, please email Monicka (dmonicka@aischennai.org).

 

What is Sacred? - a Portal Project Conversation - Thursday, September 23rd

The first Portal Project dialogue will take place on Thursday, September 23rd at 4:30 pm on Zoom. Students, parents and faculty are invited to attend and explore "What is sacred" at AISC now and into the future! Not only will the dialogue be enjoyable in its own right, but participants will help generate data used in our ongoing futures planning process! 

 

Click here to add the link directly to your google calendar or here for the Zoom link if you use a different calendar service. 

 

From the Counselors

Most of us only have a few ways to manage emotions so coming up with additional strategies to help regulate emotions is helpful for children. You and your child can make a "first aid kit" for feelings. When your child is having a difficult time, they can go to the "first aid box". Inside the box or envelope put some objects, words, or drawings with different strategies to help them regulate emotions. A good way to get ideas is to think of the senses and what makes your child feel good. For example, think about a sound that is calming to them. What smells make them calm? Children love naming things as well as finding new ideas. Here is a blog with more ideas. Try using this approach when your child is not so emotional so they can understand how the kit provides strategies for regulating themselves. This is good for all ages! 

 

Enjoy the weekend.

 

Lynn Schneider and Dave Allen
Elementary School Leadership Team


Thursday, September 09, 2021

Thursday, September 09, 2021

Dear Parents,

Important Dates: 

Date

Event

Details

September 10

No School


September 13

Map Testing begins


September13-17

Spirit Week

See banner below

September 17

UN International Day of Peace Virtual Assembly and Parade of Nations

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 927 2546 4576

Passcode: AISC

See banners below for all events



MAP Testing - Slides from Parent Coffee

Thank you to all the parents who attended our recent Elementary School parent coffee. 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 3-5. Here are the slides from the parent coffee.

 

Update Current Location

Please keep the Elementary School office updated with your current location (esoffice@aischennai.org).

 

Spirit Week

Tuesday - wear school colors (blue/mango) or wear a school t-shirt if you have one. 

 

SAVE THE DATE: UN International Day of Peace Virtual Assembly and Parade of Nations (Friday, September 17)

 


AISC is celebrating the UN International Day of Peace with our annual Assembly and Parade of Nations! With student speakers and participants from Elementary to High School, we are excited to continue bringing shared community experiences to you virtually. So mark your calendars and help us celebrate our diversity and commitment to our collective future.


When: Friday, September 17, 2:45–3:15 p.m. IST

Where: Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 927 2546 4576

Passcode: AISC

 

HS MUN Impact Club Discussion - September 17th

 

Join the HS MUN Impact club in a discussion about the prevalent issues of the world, as they take a deeper dive into inequalities and global changes. We hope that through this discussion we will be able to further the UN Day theme and find ways to recover from what has occurred in the world recently and create a sustainable and equitable future.


Topic: UN76 Discussion

Time: Friday, September 17, 4:15–5:00 p.m. IST (soon after the UN Day Virtual Assembly)

Where: Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 929 4874 4863

Passcode: 819864


PCA International Community Celebrations: September 17 Onwards



One of the highlights of the AISC annual calendar is the PCA International Day Picnic. In partnership with the PCA and many Country Coordinators that represent our diverse community, International Day is a true celebration of AISC’s cultural identity.


This year, soon after our UN Day Virtual Assembly, the PCA will be launching an International Community Celebration webpage, complete with country-specific activities and pre-recorded content for you to celebrate our internationalism. And there are exciting prizes to be won! Visit the PCA Blog for more details.

 

From the Counselors

Parents at AISC had a book study of Lea Waters’ The Strength Switch, (focusing on your children’s strengths rather than correcting weaknesses). Lea offers some ways to work with handling emotions at home.  

 

Use a Feelings Chart. Print out a ‘How are you feeling today’ chart and use it for check-ins during the day – put it on your fridge and have a magnet for each person that they can move around. 

 

Mood Music. Create a mood boosting playlist for the family and pump it out when you notice you need a lift.

 

Emotion Charades. Get ready for games night and have a game of Emotion Charades. To prepare, print or write out a list of emotions on paper, chop them up and put them into a bucket. Have family members choose a random emotion from the bucket which they then have to act out. The family members in the audience have to guess the emotion based on body language and facial expressions.

 

Share the Good & Foster Gratitude. Amplify the good times, when you feel a positive emotion such as love/awe/joy/pride – name it and share it with your family – tell them what is making you feel this way and let the emotions become positively contagious. Put a blank piece of paper on your fridge and have family members  write what they feel grateful for. Your goal is to fill the piece of paper by the end of the week.

 

 

Enjoy the long weekend.

 

Lynn Schneider and Dave Allen
Elementary School Leadership Team

Friday, September 03, 2021

Friday, September 03, 2021

Dear Parents,

 Important Dates: 

Date

Event

Details

September 7

ES Parent Coffee

3:00-3:45 p.m.

 

  • Meet the counselors

  • ES Virtual Learning Plan

  • Map Testing (for parents in grades 3-5)

See details below

Zoom link


Meeting ID

5452717939


Password

aisc

September 10

No School


September 13 

MAP Testing begins Grades 3 - 5


September 13-17

Spirit Week

See banner below

 

Parent Coffee - September 7th

Please join us for our first parent coffee to meet the Elementary School counselors, hear about the current virtual learning plan, and learn about the upcoming MAP test (for parents in grades 3-5).

 

IMPORTANT: Submitting Student Yearbook Portraits
[EXTENDED!] Last day to submit: FRIDAY, September 10, 2021

We are extending submissions for Yearbook Portraits until Friday, September 10. You can read the instructions and upload the photo by visiting this website. A big “Thank You” to all those who submitted your portraits already!

 

At-A-Glance Details

  • Please read the instructions carefully.

  • You can use the back camera of a mobile phone to take your child’s photo. Make sure you use a plain background with no pictures or decor. 

  • You can also consider taking your photo professionally at a studio if you have access to one in your area; make sure to request for a grey background.

  • IMPORTANT! Please rename your child’s photo accordingly. We will not be able to accept submissions if you do not rename the photo.

    • Homeroom_First Name_Last Name
      E.g.  2DJ_Harry_Potter

  • Last Day to Submit: Friday, September 10, 11:59 p.m. IST

 

Thank you for your support! Please write to media@aischennai.org if you have any questions.

 

Getting in Touch with Specialists

If you need to get in touch with a specialist teacher, you may contact him/her through Seesaw or with a direct email. 

 

Art 3-5

Christine Netishen

nchristine@aischennai.org

Art EY-2

Priya Kathare

kpriya@aischennai.org

Design

Clinton Franswah

fclinton@aischennai.org

Design Associate

Cassidy Carvalho

ccassidy@aischennai.org

Indian Studies K-5

Bindu Krishnamurthy

kbindu@aischennai.org

Librarian ES /MS

Barbara Bowman

bbarbara@aischennai.org

Asst Librarian EY-2

Teena Marie Pennefather

pteena@aischennai.org

Music EY-2

Finny Albert

dfinny@aischennai.org

Music 3-5

Rachel McCallum

mrachel@aischennai.org

PE 3-5

Joshua Cannon

cjoshua@aischennai.org

PE K-2

Sobha Daniel

dsobha@aischennai.org

PE EY

Balaji Thiruvazhi

tbalaji@aischennai.org

Dance/Gymnastics K-5

Jane Fijman

fjane@aischennai.org

World Language - Spanish 3-5

Fer Latorre

lfer@aischennai.org

  

From the Counselors

Welcome to September! It is fall in Chennai and the weather is gorgeous! Here is a chance to take advantage of cooler temperatures and declining COVID numbers in our wonderful city to encourage your child to meet up with school friends in person. It is important for children to interact with other children, so they can practice their social skills, get exercise, and have developmentally appropriate conversations with other students. If your child is beginning to demonstrate reluctance to go outside their home or to see people outside their immediate family, this may be an indication that meeting up for playdates is extra important for your family. There are lots of COVID safe ways to meet friends. Here are just a few ideas:

 

  1. Meet friends at Cold Stone Creamery on ECR for ice cream and take it to the beach for a picnic.

  2. Some pools are beginning to open at the resorts. Meet up with a friend at one of the resort pools; oftentimes you can pay a day use fee and use the facilities without staying at the resort.

  3. Find out what other families are doing, like tennis lessons or surfing. Get a group of kids together for a weekly group lesson...it is more fun for everyone!

  4. Invite friends to your own pool or yard for a swim, game of badminton, soccer, or outside crafts.

  5. Join the Vael’s soccer practices that are happening on weekends for elementary age students.

  6. If you live in a community with sidewalks or minimal traffic, encourage bike riding, scootering, skateboarding, or inline skating with friends. 

  7. If your child has friends that they play online games with, help facilitate a meet up by obtaining parent contact information and set up a playdate. Please reach out to your Grade Level WhatsApp groups for contact information. Your Counselors Ms Linda and Ms Michele can assist as well.

 

Spirit Week - September 13-17

Stay safe and be well. 

Lynn Schneider and Dave Allen
Elementary School Leadership Team