Dear Parents,
Beginning Monday, January 10, 2022, school will start at 8:30 a.m. The current start time is 8:45 a.m. and we have noticed in all three divisions (ES/MS/HS) a majority of our students are on campus well before that time. Please see the new staggered drop-off schedule below. All Elementary School students need to be on campus by 8:30 a.m. Students arriving between 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. will still be able to play on the playground and/or go to the library.
Important Dates
Vision Day Celebration Slides and Survey Results
Vision Day 2021 is in the past and now it's time to CELEBRATE. Please enjoy a few minutes clicking through the Vision Day Celebration Slides with your child at a convenient time. Here are some highlights from our student survey:
- 93% of students surveyed reported being happy with their project experience
- 93% of students surveyed gave their project a 4 or 5 score on a scale of 1-5 for working with different teachers and students
- Some words used to describe what students learned included: Resilience, innovation, collaboration, cooperation, and creativity.
We look forward to continuing our Vision Day projects next semester!
Arts, Sports & Activities (ASA) - Winter Camp '22
If you are interested in having your child(ren) engage in activities for Winter Camp, please fill out the Registration Form before Friday, December 31. Winter Camp will be a 5-day program that begins on Monday, January 3, and will run through Friday, January 7, 2022. Please note that the camp will be in person. The fee for each activity will be INR 2,000 in total for 5 days. For more information, please email Monicka (dmonicka@aischennai.org).
Recent Learning Models Survey
Many thanks to those who took some time from busy lives to give us feedback on our learning models and your experience from Semester 1. The results are cause for celebration all around, not only because you, the parent community, have helped us affirm our strengths and successes, but that we have fresh, relevant ideas for growth and improvement. Your feedback matters.
Of the many strengths and successes you pointed out, what rose to the top were the effective support for your child’s learning by teachers and staff, the timeliness of teacher and administration communication, and the quality of synchronous time with classmates during virtual or hybrid learning. These results emphasize what an extraordinary job our teachers and staff are doing to empower AISC students to live the mission, in all modes of learning.
At the same time, you helped us recognize opportunities for growth in the way we provide synchronous learning time for students, as well as how we communicate with our community groups, and your comments were brimming with frank and constructive feedback on these and other topics. Again, thank you for offering your ideas. When many of your suggestions align with our own reflective self-assessments, we know we are thinking together as a community.
From the Counselors
Here are some takeaways from this week’s parent portal program with Sean Truman, entitled “Down But Not Out: Coping with COVID”.
Emotional responses are normal. We can’t ask ourselves or children not to respond emotionally. Parents can recognize and address their own emotions and anxiety before helping their children.
When we talk with kids, let’s encourage them to focus on what they CAN control: their actions, their words, their behaviors, and their responses. One sentence that can help prompt kids to think about what they can control: How can I make this better?
Focus on concrete actions to feel better like getting enough sleep, limited screen time, moving our body, and getting outside in nature.
Thinking in less catastrophic ways….. Don't exaggerate. Stay specific.
Get proper sleep.
Don’t assume that whatever’s happening now or in the past will always be that way.
Go outside - do something physical.
Connect socially - arrange play time with friends.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn Schneider and Dave Allen
Elementary School Leadership Team