Dear Parents,
One of the best
parts of my job is visiting classrooms during what are called “walkthrough
observations.” These short, unannounced observations give me the opportunity to
see our students and teachers engaged in learning activities that take place on
a daily basis, and I always come away with a greater appreciation of the
amazing things that are taking place in our classrooms.
Today during my
visits I was able to see our EAL inclusion/co-teaching model and our 1:1 laptop
program in action. These initiatives are new to the high school this year, and
so we are all learning how to best make use of the learning opportunities that
they afford. In Mr. Ranson’s English 9 course I watched as he demonstrated a
new piece of software, Google Dashboard, to a class of 20 students. All of them
had their laptops open and were following the demonstration closely, asking
questions to ensure that they could use the software effectively. Mr. Ranson
then showed the students how they could highlight electronic text in different
colors to identify the different parts of a paragraph and thereby gain a better
understanding of how to write well. One of our EAL teachers, Mr. Widi
Sumaryono, was there to assist the English language learners understand the
various literary terms and how to identify the parts of the paragraph they were
reading.
In Ms. Lisa Levi’s
English 11 class, our Learning Support Teacher, Mrs. Raji Suresh, was leading a
discussion in which the students selected quotes from a short story and
categorized them according to theme. As she did this, Ms. Levi typed the
students’ comments into a Google document that was projected on the screen so
the students could follow by reading as well as listening. Ms. Levi joined in
the conversation, asking the probing questions that pushed the students to deeper
levels of understanding. It could not have been a better demonstration of how
having two teachers in the classroom benefits the students, with one teacher to
focus on the subject matter and one to help all students, regardless of their
English language ability or their learning skills, gain access to the subject
matter.
That challenge –
of finding ways to ensure that all students have access to learning – is at the heart of our English as an
Additional Language and learning support programs. We firmly believe that all
of our students are capable of high levels of understanding and skill in the
subjects we teach. By helping them overcome the challenges presented by
learning in a language that they are not familiar with or by helping them find successful
approaches to learning, we can help them pursue their passions and lead
fulfilling lives.
Freedom from
Chemical Dependency
Freedom from Chemical Dependency is the world's
leading nonprofit provider of onsite, school-based substance abuse prevention
services. Last year, as a part of our effort to help our middle and high school students
make healthy decisions, we invited consultants from this U.S.-based
organization to come to our campus to conduct seminars. They will return during
the week of September 9-13. In addition to meeting with students, they will
also hold a seminar for parents on Wednesday, Sept 11 from 2:05 to 3:30 in the
Theater. I hope you will join us there.
Dot Day
In May the members of the Strategic Planning teams met to celebrate the
completion of the AISC Strategic Plan. It was the culmination of a year of
thinking and talking about where the school has been and where it should go. At
the celebration our director of Teaching and Learning, Kim Bane, shared with us
a book that encapsulated our newly-framed mission. The book, “The Dot” by Peter
Reynolds, tells a story of a child who is encouraged to pursue her passion.
Next week we will celebrate our ongoing commitment to our mission by
participating in the world-wide Dot Day. You learn more about the activities
that will be taking place at AISC
Dot Day 2013.
A Note on SAT
Preparation
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that SAT preparation classes would be
offered on Saturday afternoons on the AISC campus. This opportunity is being
offered for those students who want additional help in preparing for the SAT.
Please note, however, that AISC does not
endorse any SAT preparation programs. While the SAT is an important element
in a student’s application to U.S. universities, much research has shown that
the SAT
“ . . . has nothing to do with
skills necessary for higher education: it tests a tiny range of techniques,
mainly how quickly you can choose among four or five answers without thinking
deeply about any of them. For example, research shows that over 40% of reading
comprehension items can be answered correctly without reading the passage. Some
of the many qualities you need in college that the SAT cannot measure are
writing ability, strategic reasoning, higher order thinking skills, experience,
persistence and creativity” (Ten
Myths About the SAT, National Center for Fair and Open Testing, 2009).
At AISC, we believe that our
students’ time after school and on weekends is best spent on improving their language skills by reading
for pleasure, engaging in experiences that will improve their physical
skills, developing their leadership capabilities and learning more about the
challenges faced by less fortunate people in our community.
More news!
Don't forget to check the sidebar for links to communications from the Counselors, the IB-AP Coordinator and the Athletics Director. And don’t miss The Voice, our online student newspaper.
Don't forget to check the sidebar for links to communications from the Counselors, the IB-AP Coordinator and the Athletics Director. And don’t miss The Voice, our online student newspaper.
As
always, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or
matters you would like to discuss.
Have
a great weekend.
John McCandless
High School Principal
