Dear
Parents,
Congratulations
to our SAISA Boys’ Soccer and Tennis teams! Both teams emerged as the champions
of their respective tournaments. For the Tennis team it was the third
consecutive win. Our players won all 17 of their doubles matches, and senior
Mira Murali ended her SAISA career undefeated with 39 wins. For the Boys’
Soccer team, it was the first SAISA championship for any team sport at AISC. The
Girls’ Basketball team didn’t fare as well, but they played hard and we’re
proud of them too. Congratulations also go to coaches Ron Dirksen, Tommy
Bohorquez, Kostas Gabriel, Tom Meyers and Ron Thomson, along with a big thanks
for all of the time and effort they gave to help our players achieve their
best.
NHS Inductions - Congratulations are also in
order for our newly-inducted members of the National Honor Society. The National
Honor Society was founded in 1921 by the National Association of Secondary
School Principals to recognize and encourage academic achievement while also
developing other characteristics essential to citizens in a democracy. These
ideals of scholarship, character, service, and leadership remain as relevant
today as they were in 1921. Through NHS community service activities, members
maintain and extend the qualities that won them selection. Membership is thus
both an honor and a commitment. The new members are:
Sohyeon
Jeon Grade 11 Jaekwang Seol Grade 11
Seoyoung
Chang Grade 10 Calder Hoover Grade 10
Seongyeun
Hur Grade 10 Junghyun Lee Grade 10
Taewoong
Moon Grade 10
Curriculum review in the high school – Each year the high school faculty reviews the courses that are offered. We do this out of a belief in the importance of continually reviewing and improving our practice and to ensure that we are offering the best possible learning opportunities for our students in order to prepare them for their lives beyond high school.
Because we must
publish the Curriculum Guide for the following school year by the end of January
the review
process begins early in the school year. Initially, suggestions for changes to
our course offerings are discussed informally among the teachers in a
department and with the Principal. If the suggestion is thought to be a good
one, a formal proposal is presented to the department. The proposal includes:
- A rationale for offering the course (or removing it from the course offerings).
- A description of the course.
- A description of the main learning outcomes and links to standards.
- The length of the course (semester or year) and any prerequisites.
- Evidence of student interest in the course (generally from a survey of affected students).
- Impact on staffing.
Once a department
has approved a proposal, the department head presents the proposal to the
department heads at one of our weekly meetings for discussion. The proposal is
shared with the entire faculty, and teachers are asked to give their input to
their department head. If there is agreement among the department heads, the
proposal is approved. If there is no consensus to approve, may be modified or
returned to the department for further consideration.
We currently
have a number of proposals that are under consideration by the department
heads. The review and approval process should be completed before the Winter
Break. Once we return in January we will be seeking input from students and
parents on the approved proposals before any decisions to adopt the proposed changes is made.
Parent Curriculum Coffee Reminder - Please plan to join Kim Bane, our Director for Teaching and
Learning, for the monthly Parent Curriculum Coffee on Tuesday, December 11th in
the Black Box Theater. The meetings are scheduled from 8:45 – 9:45
and from 2:15 – 3:15 (only plan to attend one, as the same topics are discussed
at both meetings). This is a very important meeting, as we will be asking for
your thoughts on key areas of our strategic objectives. In particular we
will be gathering your input on:
- World Language at AISC
- Effective forms of communication for a diverse, international community
- Parent organization and involvement that supports our mission and core values
Semester exams – Semester exams will take place
next week on Monday through Thursday from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and from 1:00 to
3:00 p.m. Students are required to be on campus only during the times when they
have exams. On Friday, December 14 students will be released from school at
12:30 p.m. after a short assembly to bid farewell to our departing students.
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!
Other
events – Be sure
to check the sidebar for links to news about the Raptor Swim Club for Semester 2, our students’ participation in an Operation Smile mission in Orissa, our Bollywood dance group and for news about
our IB and AP Programs.
Have a great weekend!
John McCandless
High School Principal
