Dear Parents,
We have a few parents asking us on ‘how do I add another student to my family account?’ Please click this link to learn how.
Welcome back to school for the 2019-20 school year! We are thrilled to
have each and every one of your children joining us and looking forward to a
wonderful year together.
New Family Orientation
presentation
It was great welcoming so many families at our new family orientation on
Wednesday. Should you wish to review any of the information from our
presentation, you can find the slides here..
Today at our Welcome Back Assembly, we introduced all of our new
teachers and teaching assistants as well as welcomed our new students. Please
know that this year any assembly or learning celebration on the calendar is
open to parents too, starting each time right at 2:45 p.m. Our students love
sharing their learning and would appreciate parent support in the audience.
Please check assigned seating when joining us in the theatre, and know that if
you have toddlers or babies who may need a break, you are welcome to slip out
into the foyer with them to do so.
Next Thursday, August 15th you will note there is a school holiday for
Indian Independence Day.
Seesaw: Class -
Parent Communication
Your child's grade level teachers will keep you updated on news from the
classroom via Seesaw. 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 Seesaw
class accounts, using the emails that will be sent out by our Tech Team on
Thursday August 8th.
We have a few parents asking us on ‘how do I add another student to my family account?’ Please click this link to learn how.
Arts, Sports and
Activities (ASA) Registration
Registration for Season 1 ES ASAs starts today and you can sign up using
this Google Form: ASA Registration. Season 1 activities
will begin the week of August 19th
and will end the week of November 8th.
Registration will be open today, August
9th and will be closed the evening of Tuesday,
August 13th. Please know that registering your child for an ASA does not
guarantee that she or he will participate in that ASA. After registration is
complete, our Athletics & Activities Office will send a confirmation email
for approval of registration or provide you with other options for
registration. This email will also contain further information about payments
for the ASA.
Below are links with information about different ASA’s to help you
decide which activity is best for you:
Although regular after school ASAs are only for our Grade 1 - Grade 5
students, we do have some other ASAs organised for our youngest learners too,
with many of these happening over the weekend.
For new families who have students in grades 1-5 and who are interested
in doing a swimming ASA during Season 1, please come to the pool tomorrow
Saturday, August 10th, at 10:00 a.m. to find out your child’s swim level.
Please do not sign up for a swimming ASA until the student has been assessed
for swimming level. New KG families can sign up for level 1 & 2 swim lesson
ASAs.
SAISA Swimming
If you are a swimmer and want to participate in swimming during SAISA
season, please come to four mandatory tryout sessions next week:
Monday 12th, Tuesday 13th and Friday 16th from 3:45 - 5:00 pm
There are also a mandatory time trials event on Saturday, August 17th at
1:30pm.
You must attend all four events if you want to be considered for the
team. For your information, this year
SAISA swimming will be held at Lincoln School in Nepal.
Requirement:
You must be ten years old, and be in levels 5-6 to be able to
participate in this team.
If you have any questions, please come to my office in the pool area,
and I will be happy to assist you.
Giovanni Bello / Aquatics Director
Yearbook Photos
Our yearbook photos are coming up! Mark your calendar for August 26-30.
Please check communication from your child’s class to see exactly when their
child's portrait will be. All students’ individual and class photos will be
taken. There will be another session in January if your child is absent this
week and for students joining later in the year. Look for information on the
ordering process in next week’s notes.
Back to School
Mornings (BTSM)
We have two separate back to school mornings this year
·
Monday 19 August - Grades 3-5
·
Tuesday 20 August - Early Years - Grade 2
Each BTSM begins at 8:45 am in the Madras Hall. Following this
curricular orientation of all core areas and specialist areas, you will be
invited to grade level presentations for specific information pertinent to your
child’s learning this year. If you have more than one child on the same morning
feel free to pop into each grade level session. Digital presentations will be
posted after BTSM, so you will not miss out on important information!
After School
Supervision
Following parents feedback, we have tightened our after school handover
to parents. We ask you to please support us in ensuring close supervision of your Elementary child should you wish
to remain on campus after dismissal. This means physically being with your
child. If you wish to be in the ES Cafeteria, your child should be with you. If
your child wishes to play on the playground, you also must be out on the playground
to supervise. We do not have supervision after school. Our main goal is
to keep every child safe at school and we need your help with this.
Safety on the Soccer
Field, Stairs and Around Campus - no flip flops
Please remind your child, that as per our handbook, flip flop shoes are
only for days when students have swimming. All other days children should wear
athletic shoes if they plan to play soccer on the field, or sandals or other
shoes with a back strap. Students not wearing athletic or covered shoes will be
asked to choose another activity instead of playing soccer.
The following are all
Repeat Announcements from our blog published last week:
Very important forms
to return to school
1.
Handbook signature
pages
Today your child will
be bringing home the 2019-2020 Elementary School Handbook. It is very important
that your family takes the time to familiarize yourself with its contents.
Please take time to look at page 57 & 58, the “Signature Pages.”
After reading the
policies and information in the handbook, parents are asked to remove these
pages, sign them and return to your class teacher or Elementary offices. The
due date for returning this page is Friday 16th August.
2.
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.
Food Services
The Taj Madras Flight Kitchen (TMFK) is our school-wide food vendor.
AISC Access Cards (photo IDs) 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.
Elementary Section
Food Services
Two elementary lunch menus will be published on a monthly basis and will
be communicated to parents through this blog.
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.
Parents may pre-order a school lunch weekly or monthly for early years
to grade 3 students using the Payonline. Menu options will include: Veg meal,
Asian non-veg meal, Continental non-veg meal, and Soup combo.
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 Middle
and High school 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.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
Keryn Dowling, Dave Allen, and Calley
Connelly
Elementary School Leadership Team