Dear
Parents,
The weeks
are flying by and the end of the semester is fast approaching. Semester exams
will be upon us in just 10 days and then we're off on our Winter Break. Even so, our student's are already planning events and activities for the next semester.
Jan Jamboree is coming! This year the Student Council will be taking an active role in the annual Charity Fair by organizing activities for elementary and middle school students. So far, plans are being made for over 25 different activities. Most, if not all of the high school students will be involved in some way or another.
In order to focus on this event being a fun-filled afternoon for the younger students, the Student Council has renamed the charity Fair to the Jan Jamboree. In addition to giving the high school students the opportunity to serve the school community, it provides many students with leadership opportunities.
The Student Council will also be restructuring the way that the proceeds from the Jan Jamboree will be used. In the past, the various service clubs would raise funds, often by requesting donations, holding raffles or selling baked goods. In order to free the clubs of the need to raise funds and allow them to concentrate on providing direct services to those they serve, the Student Council will make the proceeds of the Jan Jamboree available to the service clubs. The clubs will be asked to submit grant proposals to the Student Council, who will then allocate a portion of the Jan Jamboree funds to them. This approach will help our students learn how to apply for grants and will give our Student Council members valuable experience in evaluating the proposals and managing the funds.
I have enjoyed my collaboration with PTA Vice President Lakshmi Adityan and Treasurer Srimathi Srinivasan on making this shift. We have agreed that the PTA will continue to manage the food service and the bazaar for the time being as the students develop their organizational skills.
I hope that we will see everyone at the Jan Jamboree on January 19 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.!
Meetings with teachers – It has come to my attention that some parents have been making unscheduled visits with teachers in their classrooms. Please keep in mind that our teachers have time set aside during the school day for planning and preparing lessons and for assessing student progress in their classes. This time is very valuable to them and to the quality of our instructional program. Unplanned meetings can make it difficult for teachers to be prepared for their classes and hence can have a negative impact on the learning experience for the students.
At the same time, we want to encourage communication between parents and teachers. If you would like to meet with one of your child’s teachers, please contact him or her by email to set up a time to meet. Alternatively, you can contact Mrs. Berna in the high school office to schedule an appointment. Thank you for your cooperation.
Semester
exams are designed to give teachers an understanding of what their students
have learned since the beginning of the school year. While no one assessment
can measure all of the learning that has taken place, the exams do provide
teachers with a valuable snapshot of the knowledge and skills that their
students have developed. The exams also provide students with an important
opportunity to carefully review what they have learned. This review often helps
students see the ‘big picture’ in their subject and solidifies the learning
that has taken place.
It is
important for students to take a balanced approach in preparing for the
semester exams. The focus should be on reviewing the areas that the teacher has
indicated will be assessed and identifying those areas in which the student is
having most difficulty. Re-reading the text is rarely productive. Preparing an
outline or study guide that covers what has been learned over the semester is a
better approach, but only if the student does this on his or her own. Simply
reading a study guide prepared by someone else is not very helpful. One of the
most effective approaches to studying is for the student to take old tests or
quizzes, cover up the answers, take the test and then find out what he understands
and what he does not. The student can then focus his time on those areas that
are not well understood.
Perhaps
the most important key to success in any assessment is to be well nourished and
well rested. A good night’s sleep and a good breakfast will help the student
think more clearly and recall information more efficiently, leading to a stronger
performance.
High School Parent Coffee – There were two high school parent meetings this week. Both were well attended. The first, on Monday, was with the parents of our graduating seniors. We discussed the many events that will be unfolding for them over the next six months and ways we can ensure that these last months of high school are rewarding and enjoyable for the seniors.
At the second meeting I presented information about our IB and AP programs. We had a lively discussion of various aspects of the programs, including the impact of IB and AP results on college admissions, how IB and AP results impact credit and placement in U.S. universities and our efforts to strengthen the IB Diploma Program at AISC. At the meeting I distributed an article published by the IB Organization and the College Board that highlights the similarities and differences between the programs. A copy of that article can be seen at IB & AP.
Student photos - The
sale of yearbooks ended last week. As a result, the photos have been removed
from the AISC Moodle page and will no longer be accessible. Photos of new
students and staff and those who missed the August photo shoot will be taken
for one day only on January 21. More details will be provided after the winter
break. All photos, those from August and those from January, will be available
again for sale in early February. The Yearbook staff thanks all of the people
who made the online display and sale of the photos possible and parents for
their patience and understanding as we work to improve our service to the community.
Other
events – Be sure
to check the sidebar for links to news about our students’ participation in an Operation
Smile mission in Orissa, our Bollywood dance group and for news from our IB and
AP Coordinators.
Have a great weekend!
John McCandless
High School Principal
