Friday, May 27, 2022

Dear Parents,

We are down to our last five days of school which is hard to believe. It feels like we just started school. This week will be filled with culminating activities in all subjects and classes, as well as grade level pool parties and our first in person Elementary School assembly for students. 

 

Important Dates:

Date	Event		Details
Sunday, May 29	If your child is ordering school lunch, please complete the form by 12:00 p.m.  EY- Grade 3 Order form Grades 4 & 5 Order form		Since students in EY-Grade 3 and Grades 4 and 5 eat in different cafeterias, there are two order forms. If you have children in both EY-Grade 3 and Grade 4 or 5 then you will need to submit a form for each child.
Monday, May 30	*Complete the ParentLocker questions every morning No ASAs this week
Wednesday, June 1	Wednesday Early Release - school finishes at 2:30 p.m. (please arrive promptly for pick up)
Friday, June 3	Grade 5 Celebration		9:00 a.m.  FAC

 

Farewell Assembly - wear school t-shirt

We will have a farewell assembly (for students only) on the last day of school. Please have your child wear their school t-shirt on Friday, June 3rd. Students in grade 5 can bring their school t-shirt to change into after the Celebration. 

 

Yearbook

Our 2021–2022 digital yearbook is live and available online now! Relive events from this past year by clicking on the link below. Congratulations to Ms. Lakshmi, Mr. Nick, and the Student Yearbook Team for creating such a great record of this past year!

Click here to see the view the digital yearbook (password: aischennai@2022ybk)
Please keep this link and password private, and limited to close family members.

Please note that the printed yearbooks will be distributed in August 2022. Those leaving AISC who are interested in receiving a printed yearbook should leave a forwarding address with their sectional assistant.

Summer Reading on Sora:

Did you know that we update Sora with new titles each month? We do! In addition, we have added four new collections that elementary students will love this summer: Elementary Summer Recs, Middle Grade Summer Recs, Manga and Graphic Novels, and Mythological Books! Students and families can use Sora throughout the summer to read ebooks and listen to audiobooks, so if you need a refresher on how to access these titles, please click here. The password for families is: Chennai21. Happy reading!

 

Arts, Sports & Activities (ASA) - Summer Camp '22

If you are interested in having your child(ren) engage in activities for Summer Camp, please fill out the Registration Form before Wednesday, June 1. Summer Camp will be a 2-week program that begins on Monday, June 6, and will run through Friday, June 17, 2022. Activities will run Monday to Friday. The fee for each activity will be INR 4,000 in total for 10 days. 

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

From the Counselors

The end of the school year is an emotional time. It is time for students to say goodbye to teachers and friends, some who will be moving away. Children may seem sad or anxious. Teachers will be doing many activities to prepare students for the end of the school year. Here are some things parents can do to further ease this time of change:

 

• Talk with your child about their experiences this past year and help them see the positive changes that have taken place. Bring out some photos of the child you have taken and the teachers have shared with you. Ask your child to notice how they have changed and grown. This helps them prepare to go to a new class. 

 

• Gratitude helps children stay positive and feel happier. Help them write thank you notes to teachers and friends. Here are some sentence starters:

Thank you for…

I loved it when you…

It was really nice when…

I will always remember….

I always looked forward to…

You are really great at….

This summer holiday I hope you get to…..

• Celebrate. Plan a fun celebration to mark the end of the school year. Plan a favorite meal or visit a favorite restaurant. They made it through a year of virtual and in person school! Think of all the books they read, assignments completed, problems solved, and things learned! Celebrate those accomplishments together as a family!

 

Have an enjoyable weekend.

 

Regards,

Lynn Schneider and Dave Allen

Elementary School Leadership Team

 

Friday, May 20, 2022

Dear Parents,

Starting Monday, May 23rd, parents will be able to enter campus through the Elementary School gate to pick up their child at 3:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. Wednesdays) dismissal time. Parents/Drivers will also be able to continue to pick up their child outside the ES gate as they are now.

If you would like to pick up your child inside the gate, here are some details to note:

• You may start to enter the campus through the ES gate beginning at 3:00 p.m. and wait in the elementary cafeteria, the courtyard or at any bench around the courtyard. Please do not enter any classroom hallway or stand at a classroom door. Food will not be available.

• You may remain on campus until 4:00 p.m. Please supervise your child at all times. .

• All students will walk through the ES courtyard at their dismissal time and you may pick up your child as they walk through to the ES gate. 

• The library will be open from 3:30-4:00 p.m. Students in the library must be accompanied by a parent.

 

It would be helpful to let your child know if you plan to pick them up on campus so they can look out for you.

 

Important Dates:

Date	Event		Details
Sunday, May 22	If your child is ordering school lunch, please complete the form by 12:00 p.m.  EY- Grade 3 Order form Grades 4 & 5 Order form		Since students in EY-Grade 3 and Grades 4 & 5 eat in different cafeterias, there are two order forms. If you have children in both EY-Grade 3 and Grade 4 or 5 then you will need to submit a form for each child.
Monday, May 23	*Complete the ParentLocker questions every morning No ASAs this week
Wednesday, May 25	Wednesday Early Release - school finishes at 2:30 p.m. (please arrive promptly for pick up)
Friday, June 3	Grade 5 Celebration		9:00 a.m.  More details to come

 

Arts, Sports & Activities (ASA) - Summer Camp '22

If you are interested in having your child(ren) engage in activities for Summer Camp, please fill out the Registration Form before Wednesday, June 1. Summer Camp will be a 2-week program that begins on Monday, June 6, and will run through Friday, June 17, 2022. Activities will run Monday to Friday. The fee for each activity will be INR 4,000 in total for 10 days. 

 

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

Roots and Shoots Club

Thanks to all those who donated items for the Blue Cross! The ASA Roots & Shoots group is still collecting things to help the animals at the Blue Cross. They are in need of items such as towels, newspapers, old t-shirts and other used clothes for cleaning animals.  Also, they need paint brushes to paint water bowls. There is a collection box set up at the Elementary Gate and outside a grade level classroom on each corridor. If you have any questions, please contact Linda (glinda@aischennai.org) or Leontheen (bleontheen@aischennai.org)

Thanks for your support!

The Elementary Roots & Shoots ASA

 

Enjoy the weekend.

 

Regards,

Lynn Schneider and Dave Allen

Elementary School Leadership Team

Friday, May 13, 2022

Dear Parents,

Starting Monday, May 23rd, parents will be able to enter campus through the Elementary School gate to pick up their child at 3:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. Wednesdays) dismissal time. Parents/Drivers will also be able to continue to pick up their child outside the ES gate as they are now.

 

If you would like to pick up your child inside the gate, here are some details to note:

• You may start to enter the campus through the ES gate beginning at 3:00 p.m. and wait in the elementary cafeteria, the courtyard or at any bench around the courtyard. Please do not enter any classroom hallway or stand at a classroom door. Food will not be available.

• You may remain on campus until 4:00 p.m. Please supervise your child at all times. .

• All students will walk through the ES courtyard at their dismissal time and you may pick up your child as they walk through to the ES gate. 

• The library will be open from 3:30-4:00 p.m. Students in the library must be accompanied by a parent.

 

Important Dates:

Date	Event		Details
Sunday, May 15	If your child is ordering school lunch, please complete the form by 12:00 p.m.  EY- Grade 3 Order form Grades 4 & 5 Order form		Since students in EY-Grade 3 and Grades 4 & 5 eat in different cafeterias, there are two order forms. If you have children in both EY-Grade 3 and Grade 4 or 5 then you will need to submit a form for each child.
Monday, May 16	*Complete the ParentLocker questions every morning Volunteer Appreciation Brunch		10:00 - FAC Cafeterias
Tuesday, May 17	ES to MS parent Coffee (for Grade 5 parents only)		On campus Madras Hall/Zoom 8:45 a.m.
Wednesday, May 18	Wednesday Early Release - school finishes at 2:30 p.m. (please arrive promptly for pick up)
Friday, June 3	Grade 5 Celebration		9:00 a.m.  More details to come

 

Library Materials

Please remember that all library materials are due in the ES library on Monday, May 16th. Please remind your child(ren) to bring them in on time. Thanks so much for your support and if you have any questions, please let Ms. Babs know. 

Middle School Production

Book your tickets here: https://pages.aischennai.org/play/ 

Thursday, May 19th @ 6pm

Saturday, May 21st @ 2pm

Come and watch two stories about friendship, courage, and the fear of change. Teddy is written by AISC’s own resident playwright Balajee Ginjapalee and based on Rudyard Kipling’s (author of The Jungle Book) short story; Rikki Tikki Tavi. The story takes place in the garden of a bungalow in Bihar, where Teddy’s family recently moved to. Teddy has challenges making human friends, but grows close to the many animals in the garden. There he learns about two dangerous cobras who slither about, terrorizing all the animals. All hope is lost until a monsoon brings in a brave little mongoose known as Rikki Tikki Tavi, who helps his new family conquer the wicked cobras and becomes a true friend to Teddy. 

 

From the Counselors

Transitions are challenging during the  best of times. It’s always hard to say goodbye to friends, teachers, and other community members. What are some ways we can support our community through these transitions?

 

Doug Ota, in his book Safe Passage:  How Mobility Affects People & What International Schools Should Do About It, posits that all students are impacted by transition in different ways and that every member of our community goes through periods of arriving, staying, and leaving:

• Arrivers - students that are new to the school community

• Stayers - students that have been in the school community for a while and are planning to stay

• Leavers - students that are transitioning out of the school community

 

Ota’s idea is that transition impacts everyone in our community. It is important to acknowledge the grief that accumulates from continuous transitions regardless of the age of the person when the transition took place.

 

Counselors, teachers, and administrators throughout the school are here to help students transition during this challenging time. Here are some helpful transition resources whether your family is arriving, leaving, or staying at AISC:

 

• Safe Passage Across Networks:   What SPAN has to do with COVID-19

• Transitions and Third Culture Kids - Building a RAFT

• The Transition that Never Ends

 

Remember that the counselors are here for support. Please reach out to us!

Michele and Linda

 

Enjoy the weekend.

 

Regards,

Lynn Schneider and Dave Allen

Elementary School Leadership Team

Friday, May 6, 2022

 Dear Parents,

Important Dates:

Date	Event		Details
Sunday, May 8	If your child is ordering school lunch, please complete the form by 12:00 p.m.  EY- Grade 3 Order form Grades 4 & 5 Order form		Since students in EY-Grade 3 and Grades 4 & 5 eat in different cafeterias, there are two order forms. If you have children in both EY-Grade 3 and Grade 4 or 5 then you will need to submit a form for each child.
Monday, May 9	*Complete the ParentLocker questions every morning MAP Testing Grades 2 - 5
Tuesday, May 10	EY Parent Coffee - for parents of students going to KG next year PCA Elections May 10 -12		8:45 a.m. on campus SHED, see below for the meeting place at 8:35 a.m.
Wednesday, May 11	Wednesday Early Release - school finishes at 2:30 p.m. (please arrive promptly for pick up) Board of Directors’ Meeting 5:00 p.m
Tuesday, May 17	ES to MS parent Coffee (for Grade 5 parents only)		On campus 8:45 a.m.
Friday, June 3	Grade 5 Celebration		9:00 a.m.  More details to come

 

Early Years 4 Parent Coffee Tuesday, May 10th

If you are an EY4 parent and joining our KG next year, please join Dave Allen to learn about our KG program. If you are attending the coffee, please enter through the ES gate after drop off. We will meet as a group in the ES courtyard at 8:35 and walk to the SHED, one of our meeting rooms. 

Outdoor Mask-Wearing Optional 

We are continuing to watch the COVID-19 cases in Chennai and among the AISC community. Things are still very stable across the board. We are keenly aware of the heat and humidity. We know that COVID-19 is very difficult to transmit with ample fresh air. In attempting to balance all aspects of student and staff health-safety, mask-wearing is optional while outdoors starting on Monday. For the time being, mask-wearing will remain compulsory while in the entry/exit area of campus, and at all times while indoors. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Roots and Shoots ASA - Collection for Animals

The ASA Roots & Shoots group visited Blue Cross Animal Hospital and Sanctuary last Saturday. Roots and Shoots is collecting things to help the animals at the Blue Cross. They are in need of things like towels, newspapers, old tshirts for cleaning animals, and other used clothes for cleaning animals.  Also they need paint brushes to paint water bowls. There are collection boxes set up at the Elementary Gate and outside one grade level classroom. If you have any questions, please contact Linda (glinda@aischennai.org) or Leontheen (bleontheen@aischennai.org).

 

Enjoy the weekend.

 

Regards,

Lynn Schneider and Dave Allen

Elementary School Leadership Team