Dear
Parents,
Diwali,
the Hindu festival of light, is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil
and of knowledge over ignorance. It seems appropriate that I take some time on
the eve of our Diwali break to celebrate some of the achievements
of our students.
Honor Roll - At
last the calculations are done and we have identified our students who have
excelled academically in the third quarter. The High Honor Roll recognizes
those students who earned a grade point average (GPA) for the quarter of 3.65 or
above (on a four-point scale). Students on the Honor Roll earned a GPA of 3.5
to 3.65. The
Honor Roll and High Honor Roll for the 1st Quarter have been posted
in the sidebar of this page. Congratulations to all of the students who have
earned this recognition through their commitment to learning!
AISC at TEDx – Many of you already know about
TED Talks, the thought-provoking online presentations by leading experts from
around the world. These 20-minute presentations are made at large conferences
held at various locations around the world. What you may not know is that
organizations in other places work with the TED Talk parent organization to
offer smaller but no less engaging TEDx talks. These are satellite versions
held in cities all over the world.
Two
of our students will be presenting at TEDx talks next week. Samvitha Ram, Class of '13, will be
speaking at the Chennai TEDx event on January 17. You can learn more about this
event at TEDx Chennai. Nina Vasu, Class
of '14, is a budding singer-songwriter who has been invited to perform at the TEDxIB@Yorkschool, an event for IB Diploma candidates and interested adults to be held at the York School in Toronto on November 14th. You can learn more about this event at
TEDxIB York School. Congratulations to
both girls for achieving world-side recognition!
National Merit Scholarship
recognition –
Each year more than 1.5 million students take the Preliminary Scholastic
Achievement Test, or PSAT. Students who are among the top 16,000 of all test takers
and who are U.S. citizens are eligible to participate in a second round of
examinations to compete for National Merit Scholarships. Students who are among
the top 5% are recognized as Commended Students. This is a significant
achievement, and this year one of our students, Danush Harigovindsingh of the Class of '14, received a certificate
of recognition for achieving this honor for the October 2011 PSAT. Congratulations, Danush!
Band and Choir Concert – A very big thank you to the
high school bands and the choir for their outstanding concert last night. It
was our first concert in the Visual and Performing Arts Center and it couldn’t
have been better. The students played and sang beautifully, led by Band
Director Cary Stewart and Choir Director Diane Pritchett. Mark your calendars
for the Holiday concert to be held on December 12.
The Value of the IB Diploma - Don't miss Mr. Robertson-Jones' blog this week. (The link is in the sidebar.) In it he has shared an audio recording of a past student, Sujata Mahtaney, Class of '11, talking about her experiences with the IB Diploma Program at AISC and how it helped her prepare for college. Mr. Robertson-Jones has also included a research report that discusses, among other things, the impact of earning the IB Diploma on college acceptances in the U.S.
College representatives
– We have had a steady stream of representatives of colleges and universities
visit AISC over the past few months thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Callaway and
the Counseling Department secretary, Ms. Priya Sarath. Be sure to have a look
at the notes from the Counseling Department for an update on coming events.
Yearbook
photo retakes - A few parents have asked about retaking
photos for the Yearbook. The High School Yearbook staff is well on its way
to formatting the pages and uploading the photos, and have deadlines that are
nearing for submitting these pages to the publisher. Were we to retake student
photos, they would have to be included with the new students on a page at the
back of the Yearbook and not with their classmates' photos. We do not think
this is advisable. As a result, we will not be retaking student photos.Thank you for your understanding.
Raptors Swim Club -
Please note that
the Raptors Swim Club will not be in session on Saturday (November 10, 2012)
due to the long weekend break. Also, we request that parents wait
outside the Elementary Cafeteria from 3.15 pm -3.45 pm every day since children
in ASA’s assemble there. Thank you.
Departing students – Each year some of our students leave the school during the school year, often at the mid-year break. Records from AISC are usually required by the next school. However, it takes us some time to prepare these records. If you will be leaving the school, please contact Ms. Priya Sarath in the Counseling Office at least two weeks prior to your departure so we can prepare the necessary documents to make your transition as smooth as possible.
Departing students – Each year some of our students leave the school during the school year, often at the mid-year break. Records from AISC are usually required by the next school. However, it takes us some time to prepare these records. If you will be leaving the school, please contact Ms. Priya Sarath in the Counseling Office at least two weeks prior to your departure so we can prepare the necessary documents to make your transition as smooth as possible.
Please
note that for students leaving school at the Winter Break, we will be able to
provide all required documentation, including official report cards for Quarter
1. However, report cards and transcripts showing the Quarter 2 and Semester
grades will not be available until January. We will be happy to forward these
to you at your next destination.
I
hope you have a very restful and enjoyable Diwali weekend.
John McCandless
High School Principal
