Dear Parents,
As promised, this week has
been full of the sounds of music in the high school. The SAISA Band Festival
last weekend was a great success. As with all SAISA events, our students had an
opportunity to make new friends from other schools in the region. Unlike most
of our SAISA events, this one focused not on competition but on collaboration,
and a fine collaboration it was. At Sunday’s Gala Concert the band of over 80
students from five schools, conducted by the band directors from the different
schools, played five musical selections. It was a fantastic end to the weekend.
Many thanks go to Festival Director Cary Stewart and his team – Diane
Pritchett, William Kumar, Netaji Renganathan, Elizabeth Davenport and Sally
victor – for successfully organizing this event for the students.
Last night the music
continued with the Winter Choir Concert. We heard songs from the middle school
choir, the high school choir and the community choir. With a dramatic opening
in the foyer and a grand finale that involved all three choirs, it was a
performance to remember. Thank you, Mrs. Pritchett and accompanist Edwin Roy,
for a wonderful performance.
If you haven’t been to the
foyer of the Performing Arts Center recently, now is the time to go. Art teachers
Ed Doherty, Sandhya Gopinath, Cailin O’Connor and Joel Suganath have organized
an exhibition of sculpture, painting and drawing that has transformed the space
into a fantastic gallery of student art by middle and high school students.
Professional Development update – As with all
professions, a commitment to continuous learning and ongoing improvement are what
make for outstanding educators. At AISC we provide a rich array of professional
development opportunities to help our teachers reach and stay at the forefront
of best practice in education. Our teachers receive support to attend workshops
around the world and online, and we bring consultants to our campus on a
regular basis.
Next week our high school teachers will
be engaged in important discussions with three consultants. Dr. Erma
Anderson is a former high school
physics and mathematics teacher and Albert Einstein Distinguished Fellow in the
United States Senate. She has played a key advisory
role in developing Math and Science curriculum both in the US and for
international school and has worked with our faculty on several other
occasions over the past two years. Dr. Anderson will be joining our math and science
teachers to further explore how they can use techniques of inquiry-based
learning to extend the depth of knowledge of their students. Parents will have
an opportunity to meet Dr. Anderson at the Parent Curriculum Coffees on Tuesday
at 8:45-9:45 a.m. and 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Dr. Tamela Canale will be working with our World
Language Department to conduct an extensive review of our current French and
Spanish curriculum and identify ways to ensure a rigorous continuum of
learning. Dr. Canale is currently the Assistant Head of School at the
American International School of Bucharest. She has a strong background in both
world language instruction and curriculum design.
Mr. Tim Walters is an experienced IB teacher of Economics and Theory of Knowledge
and is an IB teacher workshop leader. He will be working with our middle and
high school faculty to develop ways to help our students understand the connections
between the subject areas. Nurturing a solid understanding of the connections
between subjects and exploring the limits of our current knowledge are vital in
fostering intellectual curiosity and inquiry. Inquiry-based learning lies at
the foundation of our teaching at AISC and is a vital component of the IB
Learner Profile. Mr. Waters will be meeting with the high school students
during our morning assembly and will hold a seminar for parents at 10:00-11:15 on
Thursday. I hope you will be able to join us to learn more about the IB Theory
of Knowledge course and inquiry-based learning.
Course registration for 2013-2014 –
It is an important time for students, parents and teachers to be discussing the
student’s next steps in their academic careers. This week Mrs. Callaway shared
information on the process of registering students for their classes for next
year with students in grades 8 through 11 and with parents of 8th
grade students. Mrs. Callaway has also posted valuable information on her
website, (aischguidance.blogspot.in/).
From now through March 15
Mrs. Callaway will be meeting individually with students and their parents to
plan their courses for next year and beyond. The course selection forms will be
due in the office by March 15. For more information, see the Guidance Counseling
website link in the sidebar.
High
School Parent Coffee – We will continue our series of
informational meetings and discussions on Wednesday, February 27. On that day
we will continue our discussion of blended IB and AP courses and I will share
with parents some recent discussions with students and faculty about awards in
the high school. I hope you will join us for this meeting.
Student-Parent-Teacher
Conferences – Conferences
are a good opportunity for parents and students to meet with teachers to
discuss the student’s progress in his or her courses. This is the time to hear
from you child how he or she is performing and find ways to work together to
increase his or her success. Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, February
28 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and on Friday, March 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Information
on the online process for scheduling conference appointments will be sent home
via email this week.
Have a safe and relaxing
weekend.
John
McCandless
High
School Principal
