Discover India Student Outcomes
Dear Parents,
This week I am
writing from Kathmandu, Nepal where I am attending the Near East South Asia
Council of Overseas Schools’ Fall Leadership Conference. So far it has been a
fantastic opportunity to meet with other administrators and to learn from
world-renowned experts in the realms of creativity, research on the factors
that most impact student learning and effective feedback for students,
teachers, administrators and school boards. It is a renewing experience, and I
am looking forward to returning to Chennai to share what I have learned with my
colleagues.
Discover India
Report
Cards
Quarter 1 report cards were distributed at the end of the
school day today. They can also be viewed on Skyward. I encourage you to take
some time to discuss your child’s progress. It is a good time to celebrate on
successes and recognize the challenges. The following simple questions provide
a good framework for a discussion and the opportunity to set goals for the
semester.
·
What did you do well?
·
What did you not do well?
·
What can you do to improve in your
challenging areas?
Use these questions to discuss your child’s progress in each
class and set goals. Setting reasonable and attainable goals will lead to
success, and nothing breeds success like success.
NHS Food Drive
I received the
following note this week from the President of the National Honor Society,
Abhimanyu Sharma:
“The first activity
for NHS this year was conducting a food drive for the old age home at Little
Sisters of the Poor. We placed containers in locations such as the foyer and
Middle and Elementary School receptions. The food drive focused on collecting
rice, dal and vegetable oil for the people really in need of basic necessities.
We collected about 120 kg of rice, 50 kg of dal and 25 kg of oil. However, the
most important part of our commitment was the actual visit to the home.
“About 10 of us
with Mr. Mano [Mr. Krishnan, the club advisor] were greeted by the nuns helping
in the home. The organized structure of the home and the true commitment of the
nuns were inspiring and encouraged us to donate more for the future. Overall,
the feeling we got from the visit was not only humbling but also inspiring. It
finally proves that great things are possible with little financial aid. We
feel proud of our effort to help the old age people who live without any family
support.”
UN Day Parade of Nations
By all accounts this year’s
Parade of Nations was a great success. Thanks are due to all who helped to make
it the best ever, including Mr. Shawn O’Docharty, the Model UN leadership team,
the Community Choir and the combined middle and high school Choir. What a
beautiful way to celebrate the many cultural facets of our school! You can see
photos of this and other school events on the AISC webpage at Events.
Transition to College
In our continued effort to support parents in navigating the transition from high school to college, Board member and parent Tammy Oakes and Counselor Susannah McGlamery will be conducting a workshop on November 6th from 10:30-11:30 in the BBT called “Transition to College: Tips for Parents as Kids Get Ready to Leave the Nest.” We hope you will join us and add to the discussion!
CHEMUN is coming! We are looking forward to hosting over 400 students from across India and around the world at our annual Chennai Model United Nations Conference on November 8 and 9. I’ll be sharing news from this event in next week’s notes.
Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences – Parent-teacher 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 discuss how your child is performing and ways we can work together to increase their success. This is especially important if your child is not doing as well as they would like. There are always ways we can help them improve.
The first of these conferences for the 2013-2014 school year are scheduled for Thursday, November 14 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and on Friday, November 15 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This year we will again be using an online system to schedule conference appointments with teachers. Information on the process will be sent home via email after we return from the Fall Break.
Departing
students – Each year some of our students leave the school during
the school year, often at the mid-year break. Records from AISC are usually
required by the next school. However, it takes us some time to prepare these
records. If you will be leaving the school, please contact Ms. Priya Sarath in
the Counseling Office at least two weeks prior to your departure so we can
prepare the necessary documents to make your transition as smooth as possible.
Please note that for students leaving school at the Winter
Break, we will be able to provide all required documentation, including
official report cards for Quarter 1. However, report cards and transcripts
showing the Quarter 2 and Semester grades will not be available until January.
We will be happy to forward these to you at your next destination.
Who to See for What
I have placed a
document in the sidebar, Where to Go and Who to See to Get Things Done, to help
parents understand the various roles of the team in the high school office. If
you have any questions or are unsure who to contact, don’t hesitate to call or
email our Administrative Assistant, Sunita Suchith (ssunita@aisch.org). If she
is not available, you can contact the Administrative Assistant for the Guidance
Department, Ms. Priya Sarath (spriya@aisch.org).
That’s all for this week. I remind you that
school will be closed for Fall Break next week. I hope it is a pleasant and
enjoyable one for you.
John McCandless
High School Principal
