Dear
Parents,
We have reached the end of the first semester, the exams are over and the year is coming to a close. It's time to reflect on the past semester, and it’s been
an exciting one. Since the beginning of August we
- welcomed 22 new students and five outstanding new teachers to the high school; we now have 215 students in the high school
- started a Theater Arts program
- got to know each other better and explored incredible India on our first Week Without Walls
- weathered a cyclone
- opened a new cafeteria and fine arts facility, including an amazing theater
- hosted our largest CHEMUN conference ever
- sent our first group of students on an Operation Smile mission to Orissa and
- came home with SAISA championships in soccer and tennis.
New Course
Proposals - Over the past few months the high school faculty has been
actively engaged in reviewing our practice and identifying ways that we can
improve the learning experience for our students and better prepare them for
their lives beyond high school. In our recent meetings we have begun the
process of developing an assessment policy and are undertaking a review of the
awards we present to students. The Department Heads have also received and
reviewed a number of proposals from teachers for changes to our course offerings.
I have provided a brief description of and rationale for the approved course in
the sidebar (NewCourse Proposals).
P.E.
Survey Parent Input is requested
- As a part of our continuous improvement efforts and the CIS Accreditation
Self-Study process, our P.E. department has set a goal of evaluating the PE
program at AISC. One method they are using to collect data for this
evaluation is a parent survey. Please complete this parent survey by
Monday, December 17th. Your input is very much appreciated.
Extended hours
for the High School Library - Starting on Monday, January 7, our first day back from
vacation, hours for the high school library will be from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
We will be monitoring the use during the extended hours. Based on how heavily
the library is used during this time, the hours may be extended to 6:00 p.m. later
in the school year.
Jan Jamboree is coming! The Jan Jamboree will happen
January 19 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. This year the Student Council will be taking
an active role in 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.
We hope to see you there!
Operation Smile Mission in Orissa - I received a glowing report from the leader of the Operation Smile Mission in Orissa regarding our two students, Youngho Cho and Seonggeun Hur of grade 11, along with their advisor, Ms. Vasanthi Thandlam. You can learn more about their experiences by clicking on the Operation Smile link in the sidebar.
Be sure
to check the sidebar for news about our IB
and AP Programs. Mr. Robertson-Jones has provided some valuable information
this week about the acceptance of IB and AP courses for credit or advanced
standing at U.S. universities.
Have
a safe, relaxing and enjoyable winter break!
John McCandless
High School Principal
