Dear Parents,
Classes are now in full swing and the co-curricular
activities have begun. We have also started our weekly assemblies. These are held for the
time being in the new cafeteria. Lasting about 20
minutes, these assemblies give us an opportunity to share information about events taking place
in the school. They are also key elements in our efforts to build a cohesive
high school community. Our belief is that our connection to each other grows
through shared experiences. While coming together for 20 minutes each week
doesn’t seem like a lot, it does give us all a sense of the whole of the high
school and the collective opportunity to find out what various student groups
are doing.
At the beginning of the year the assemblies are
primarily led by adults. Soon the agenda and the responsibility for managing
the meeting will be handed over to the Student Council and students will be
making most of the announcements. This provides students with important
opportunities to develop their leadership and public speaking skills.
At our first assembly this week, Mr. Dirkson provided
information on the upcoming Week Without Walls. We also heard from our
Operation Smile club members who attended a leadership conference in
Washington, D.C. at the end of July. Finally, we heard from our Student Council
President, Pooja Reddy, who announced upcoming elections for class
representatives.
At our second assembly we heard from a group of
students from Tufts University who represent a student service club, BUILD:
India. This inspiring group of young people has developed a service project in
a village near Trichy that works to bring about sustainable improvements in
education and sanitation. After the assembly they met with our IB Diploma
candidates to discuss their experiences in more detail and share what they had
learned. The students I spoke with afterward were very impressed by this group’s
efforts and dedication.
Back to School Night - Each year, the High School at AISC hosts Back to School Night near the beginning of
the school year. This year the event will be held on Tuesday, August 21,
starting at 6:00 p.m. Please note the
change in the starting time.
The purpose of this
event is to give you
an opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and learn more about the
curriculum for each class. Students are welcome to
attend to help with translation needs. The schedule for the
evening will be a modified version of the daily schedule at the school. A copy of your
child’s schedule will be available in the Cafeteria. After a brief introduction in the Cafeteria at 6:00 p.m. you will follow your child’s schedule and listen to
short presentations by the teachers in their classrooms. Each class period will
be 10 minutes long, with 5 minutes for passing between classes. The full schedule for the evening is below.
Student Handbook Acknowledgement forms – If
you have not signed and returned yours, please help us by doing so as soon as
possible. The form must have the signatures of the student and a parent or
legal guardian. We will be opening access to student grades very shortly. These
forms must be submitted before families will be allowed access to their online
grades.
A reminder that that there is a lot more information
to be found in the sidebar links to communications from the Counselor, the IB
and AP Coordinators and the Athletics Director. There is also a new feature to
these Notes, a link to student reports on activities that are taking place in
and around the school.
Enjoy your weekend!
John McCandless
High School Principal
