Dear Parents,
On behalf of the AISC Elementary School faculty and staff, it
is truly my pleasure to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to you as we begin
the 2018-2019 school year. This is the time of year to reconnect with old
friends and welcome new friends. To everyone new to AISC, we extend a very warm
welcome. You have joined a very special family-like community.
This will be my third year at AISC as Elementary Principal
and I am joined here by my husband, James, who teaches high school PE and our
two daughters, Amelie (Grade 8) and Summer (Grade 5). Working with me in the
Elementary Principal’s office is Mr. Dave Allen, our Associate Principal, who
is joining us from Portland, Oregon. He is joined by his wife, Deb Allen,
and their son, Sawyer (Grade 4). Also, joining us in the Elementary Principal’s
Office is Ms. Calley Connelly who will be continuing her role as Elementary
Math Coach, and also taking on some Elementary leadership responsibilities. Her
husband Ross is a Grade 4 Homeroom teacher and their three children are Rowan
(Grade 4), Juniper (Grade 1), and six month old, Brynn.
We are all delighted to be here in India with you all, and
really look forward to continuing to connect with as many families as possible
as the year unfolds.
Please know that each of us in the Elementary Office operate
an ‘open door’ philosophy, and encourage you to drop by or schedule a time via
the Elementary Assistants to talk with us.
We also welcome the following new faculty and staff members
to the elementary school:
- Angie Kacner -
Associate Teacher in Grade 2 EAL
- Anita Horton -
Art
- Dave Allen -
Associate Principal
- Jennifer Cypra -
Design Lab & Makerspace
- Marea Bouma -
Grade 1 Homeroom
- Mary Kelly Bello
- Learning Coach
- Tara Gray -
Grade 3 EAL
- Usha Bushan -
Associate Teacher in Grade 4 EAL
- Vanessa Kim -
Counselor
Following is some important information that I want to share
with you prior to August 9th, the first day of school.
Principal's Notes
Every Friday, we will blog about the events taking place in
the elementary school and share other important information with the elementary
school community. An email reminder, with a link to my blog, will be sent to
you each Friday afternoon. Please read these notes carefully to stay informed
about what is going on in the elementary school.
Edmodo
Your child's grade level teachers will keep you updated on news from the classroom via Edmodo. This will include information about upcoming curricular units, photos from learning events within the class and other important information. Please ensure you are signed up for each of your children’s Edmodo class accounts.
Your child's grade level teachers will keep you updated on news from the classroom via Edmodo. This will include information about upcoming curricular units, photos from learning events within the class and other important information. Please ensure you are signed up for each of your children’s Edmodo class accounts.
Class Lists for 2018-19
Class lists will open for viewing on Powerschool next Tuesday afternoon. If you cannot remember how to login
to Powerschool, you can view
instructions here. New parents will be sent registration instructions, and
guidance, for setting up a new family Powerschool account.
Teachers and Counselors spent a great deal of time creating
the class lists, reflecting a balanced approach to friendship and cultural groups,
language acquisition, gender and individual needs. We do not expect to make any
changes. We ask that you encourage your child to make new friends in their new
class on the first day of school.
We understand that for a few children, the challenge of a new
class and making new friends is difficult. If you find this is the case, please
check in with your child’s teacher or grade level counselor. Contact Ms Cheryl
(fcheryl@aischennai.org) to make an
appointment with one of the counselors.
Ms.Vanessa will be working with students in EY4, EY5 and Grades 1 & 2 (kvanessa@aischennai.org)
Ms. Linda will be working with students in EY3 and Grades 3, 4, & 5 (glinda@aischennai.org)
Student Health Forms
Student health records are important sources of
information but we are making changes to our past practices. Please note the
following requirements for this year.
- Annual medical updates,
signed by a parent, are required every year.
- On
initial enrollment or at the beginning of grade 3, 6, or 9, a physician-completed form must be provided.
Students with significant allergies or on daily
medication should also submit the annual form completed by a physician.
Please handover the completed
forms to the school nurses - (Health Office - Room 1110) on or before Friday,
17th August. Students that have not returned these forms will not be permitted
to participate in ASAs or participate in classroom field trips.
Art, Sports & Activities (ASA) Program - Important
Information
Kindly click on this link Season-1
(ASA) for more information about the after school
activities offered for the school year 2018 -19.
There is a new process for registration this year - this will be done through google forms for all ASA from August
8 (will open at 12.00 noon) to Aug 10 (will close at 12.00 noon).
For any assistance with registrations, please visit the Athletics
& Activities office (1304).
Identification (ID) Badges
There are approximately 3,000 students, parents, faculty and
staff in the AISC community. For safety and security reasons, we ask that the
ID badges of all adults be visible at all times while on campus. We appreciate
your understanding. Please note:
1. New families will receive ID badges on Orientation Day,
August 8 (or 9 for EY3 and 4).
2. Returning ES parents will be able to collect their new ID
badges from the Elementary School Gate. Students will receive their ID badges
in their classrooms on their first day back. Please note that any funds that
were on the old ID card have been transferred to the new card.
3. Community members arriving on campus without a badge must
collect a temporary one.
4. AISC photo identity badges are not transferable. Lost or
damaged ID badges should be reported to the security staff.
ID Badges for Drivers/Household Staff
If a driver or nanny has been authorized by a parent to drop
off and pick up their child an ID badge will be issued. Please follow this
process if authorization has been granted:
For new families, a household staff and driver ID badge
application form will be issued at Security help desks in Main Reception and
Elementary Reception area. A passport photo and a valid government issued ID of
the household staff is required for processing the application. Drivers and
household staff are not allowed to pick up students without direct confirmation
from the parent until they are issued with an ID.
ID badge for nannies and drivers will be processed within 2-3
days after receiving the application form.
New Student Orientation
The Orientation for new
students in Early Years 5 - Grade 5 will take place on Wednesday August 8th,
and for students in Early Years 3 & 4 on Thursday August 9th. Please see
information below:
Yearbook Photos
There will be a photo shoot for Individual and Class pictures
from Tuesday 21st - Friday 24th August. Your child’s teacher will communicate
the date for their class pictures. There will be another photo session in
January for students who are absent that week and for those joining later in
the year.
Bring-Your-Own-Technology (BYOT) Program - Grades 3 - 5
All students in Grades 3 - 5 are required to bring
in a device that meets a minimum set of speciļ¬cations to support student
learning. Students may choose between a device with either the Mac or Windows
operating system. In order to configure the devices, we ask that students bring
their own device on these days:
· Monday, 13 August: Gr 4 & Gr 5 students
· Tuesday, 14 August: Grade 3 Students
Please remember to set your operating system language to
English in order for our IT department to configure devices.
The below link has more details about our BYOT Program.
http://www.aischennai.org/technology/byot-program/
http://www.aischennai.org/technology/byot-program/
Food Services
The Taj
Madras Flight Kitchen (TMFK), our school-wide food vendor, will be selling
meals and a-la-carte items at both cafeterias (ES & FAC) and the I-Hub
beginning on the first day of school, August 9th. Note: The I-Hub will be
stocked with items and open on Wednesday, August 8th for new students and their
families.
AISC
Access Cards (photo IDs) will also serve as smart cards (prepaid debit cards)
for all purchases on campus. Cards can be charged on campus at the I-Hub, both
cafeterias, the cashier’s window located off the main courtyard and recharged online using credit/debit cards.
Cash will
continue to be accepted for purchases through Wednesday, August 31. From
September 3, only smart cards will be accepted in all food outlets.
Cashier
& Food Sales – Hours of Operation
Main
Courtyard Cashier: 8:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.
ES
Cafeteria: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Main
Cafeteria: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
I-Hub:
7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Parent MC
CafƩ: 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Elementary
Section Food Services
Two elementary lunch menus will be published on a
monthly basis and will be communicated to parents through this blog.
Early Years - Grade 3 Lunch
Our youngest students will continue to pre-order lunches through
the Payonline link (see info below). This year’s menu options are being
expanded and each day will include the following options: Veg meal, Asian
non-veg meal, Continental non-veg meal, and Soup combo.
Grades 4 & 5 Lunch
Our older students will be eating in the FAC cafeteria. They
will not pre-order their meals, but will have access to the full range of
offerings that MS and HS students have. This includes the daily special (veg
and nonveg), soup, salad bar, sandwiches and the daily Indian meal. Students
will need to carry their charged ID cards to purchase their lunch.
The Payonline System
Payonline allows parents to charge their child’s
smart cards online, order and pay for lunches, and register and pay for after
school activities. Payment is completed online using a credit or debit card.
You need a username and password to access this system. Please see the user
guide here for help using the system. You
can access the Payonline link here.
If you have any difficulties logging in or ordering,
please notify itsupport@aischennai.org.
Elementary School Handbook
You will soon receive the Elementary School Handbook 2018-19.
It is very important that your family takes the time to familiarize yourself
with its contents.
I would like to draw your attention to page 57 & 58, the
“Signature Pages.” We require a parent signature, and ask that every student in
grades 3, 4 and 5 sign the signature page. You may have more than child in the
upper division (grades 3 to 5). If so, we ask that each child sign the page.
Parents are asked to remove the perforated page from the handbook and take it
to the Elementary Reception or Office. Alternatively, students can give the
page to their homeroom teacher. The due date for returning this page is Friday
17th August.
Elementary School Curriculum Guide
Our Curriculum Guide contains all the
curriculum information you will need regarding your child’s education. Further
to this, regular posts will be made in Edmodo regarding learning and events
taking place in your child’s classroom.
Questions, Comments or Concerns
Please remember that if you have a question or
concern about any aspect of your child's educational experience, please contact
the classroom teacher first. In most cases, your question or concern will be
resolved after speaking with the teacher.
In the rare case that it is not, please make an
appointment to see the Associate Principal, Mr. Dave Allen. If your question or
concern remains unresolved at this level, please make an appointment to see me.
Please contact Ms. Hazel (bhazel@aischennai.org) to schedule an appointment.
Looking forward to a fantastic year!
Keryn Dowling
Elementary School Principal
Elementary School Principal