Dear Parents,
As one of its community building projects, the High School Students are organizing the “Jan Jamboree” on Saturday, January 31, 2015 from 2.00 to 5.00 p.m. on the AISC Soccer Field. This event is for AISC families and guests.
The entry fee is Rs.300 including food and a raffle ticket. You can buy an additional raffle ticket for Rs.100. The tickets will be sold at the front gate tomorrow. The ES and MS students can participate in activities such as T-Shirt decorating, Cookie Decorating, Pin the Tail on the Raptor, Splash, Can Knock Down, Ring Toss, Face Painting, Obstacle course (for ES kids only), Sponge Throw, Wii Games, Dress up & get Photographed, Bouncy Castle etc. Funds raised through this event will be used for high school clubs.
Come and the kids have a great time and spend a fun afternoon with family and friends.
Food Service Update
Earlier this school year, students from 2nd - 5th grade were invited to participate in a survey about their preferences and suggestions for lunches served in the cafeteria. In an effort to collect even more input, we invited a small group of parents to join us for lunch just prior to winter break. Parents were treated to the exact meal that their children were being served that day. This was an extremely useful exercise, as the parent group was able to offer positive feedback and helpful suggestions related to the lunch offerings.
We would now like to gather feedback from a larger group of parents about food service in general. We invite you to click on this link to share your thoughts about food quality and choice, ordering and pricing. The survey will remain open until Monday, February 9th and results will be shared with Taj Madras Flight Kitchen at the next Nutrition Task Force meeting. Thanks, in advance, for helping us to continue our improvements in the ES cafeteria.
Food Service Update
Earlier this school year, students from 2nd - 5th grade were invited to participate in a survey about their preferences and suggestions for lunches served in the cafeteria. In an effort to collect even more input, we invited a small group of parents to join us for lunch just prior to winter break. Parents were treated to the exact meal that their children were being served that day. This was an extremely useful exercise, as the parent group was able to offer positive feedback and helpful suggestions related to the lunch offerings.
We would now like to gather feedback from a larger group of parents about food service in general. We invite you to click on this link to share your thoughts about food quality and choice, ordering and pricing. The survey will remain open until Monday, February 9th and results will be shared with Taj Madras Flight Kitchen at the next Nutrition Task Force meeting. Thanks, in advance, for helping us to continue our improvements in the ES cafeteria.
Charity Bake Sale
On Friday, February 13, our Girl Scout Troop will be sponsoring our second annual Valentine's Charity Bake Sale. This year's proceeds will go to provide needed supplies to the Satkaarya Orphanage for Girls. The Scouts will be purchasing, packing and delivering these goods as part of their Community Service Activities.
The sale will take place near the HS Library during the MS and HS lunch hour (11:45-1 PM) and in the Elementary play area 3:30-4:30. All items will be sold at 50 or 100Rs CASH. Come prepared to treat yourself or your "sweetie" to some delicious Valentine goods (cookies, cupcakes, brownies). A big thank you to several Chennai hotels and restaurants for their generous donations which make the sale possible. Last year's sale was a huge success. We look forward to another this year. The Scouts and Satkaarya appreciate your contributions!
Lunch Menu and Order Link for February 2015
Please place your orders using the AISC pay online site or using the order link below for which you can pay at the cash counter before February 6th.
AMIS (Association for Music in International Schools)
AMIS runs music festivals at international schools around the world. The participants are selected through a rigorous audition process. This year we have two students have received the honor to participate in this festival: Yoon Jung Kim for Oboe and Suzu Toyonaga for French Horn. Congratulations to these two young musicians.
On February 11-14, we will be hosting 87 participants from 16 of the best international schools from around Asia, along with their band directors and a panel of AMIS officials. The festival will run from February 11-15, 2015 and will involve many hours of focused rehearsals, leading up to a gala concert on Saturday, February 14 at 6.00 p.m. in the AISC auditorium. There is no better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than listening to the beautiful music of these young Mozarts, Bachs, Louis Armstrongs, and A.R. Rahmans. Please join us for some fun music on February 14!
Ticket booths will be set up before and after school on the Thursday and Friday (February 12-13) before the concert, one by ES entrance and one by the main entrance. We will have tickets available free of charge for the general AISC community at that time. They are just admittance passes to keep our numbers straight. If anyone needs to get one before those days, please contact Ms. Deborah Lee at ldeborah@aisch.org.
Guidelines for Community Member Recreational Use of Campus Facilities
We have a number of new families we welcomed this month who may not be familiar with our Guidelines for Community Member Recreational Use of Campus Facilities. It is important for new parents to know our guidelines, and the following will also serve as a reminder to parents who have been with us for a while.
All AISC facilities, including the soccer and Raptors fields, are reserved for instructional purposes during the school day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Community members, including faculty and staff, may not use facilities for recreational purposes during the instructional day. While non-enrolled children can be on the campus, they are not to play on the playground, which includes the sand pit, amphitheater and soccer field, and covered play area between the hours of 8 am to 4 pm.
The full version of these guidelines is found on pages 20-21 of the Elementary School Handbook. New families are required to read this handbook and sign the Signature Page (page 57) at the back. All students in grades 3, 4 and 5 are required to sign the signature page as well. Please return this page to your child’s homeroom teacher, Ms. Prisca in the Elementary Reception or to Ms. Hazel or Ms. Cheryl in the Elementary Principal’s Office.
Book Week: February 9th to 13th
As part of "Books and the Arts," our theme for this year's ES and MS Book Week, we have the immense pleasure of welcoming two very talented artists to help us celebrate books. Lauren Stringer, a renowned author and illustrator, will be joining AISC alongside her daughter, Ruby Smith, who is an accomplished international dance instructor. While in Chennai, Lauren and Ruby will be leading workshops for both students and staff, showing them that stories can take on rich new meaning when connected to the arts! Below are Lauren and Ruby's biographies.
Lauren Stringer
Lauren Stringer is an artist, author, script-writer, and theatrical designer living in Minneapolis. She has exhibited her art in museums and galleries across the country. As an author and illustrator, she does numerous school visits around the world as well where she shares her passion for writing and drawing. Her work has won numerous honors, including the International Reading Association Children's Choice Award, the Minnesota Book Award, Booklist's Top Ten Art Books of the Year, and the Crayola Kids Best Book of the Year Award.
Ruby Smith
Ruby Smith is an international dance instructor, currently based in Tangier, Morocco. She teaches contemporary dance with a focus on personal expression, creativity, and connections between words, stories and movement. An esteemed choreographer, Ruby has worked with mentoring projects in the United States, as an artist in residence at the American School of Paris, and led dance workshops in London. Some of her work in London is also connected to performance workshops used to discuss important issues, such as domestic violence and other forms of abuse.
Lauren and Ruby will be our guest speakers at our next parent coffee (Tuesday, February 10th in the Black Box Theater). Lauren will share her story of becoming and illustrator and writer. Her daughter will also join her. How perfect to have a parent and daughter talking to parents about fostering creativity in their children! She will also share the story of making the book, When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky. There will certainly time for a Q&A.
Have a great weekend and see you at Jan Jamboree.
Kevin Hall
Elementary School Principal