Dear
Parents,
It was
another relatively quiet week in the high school. I think we all, students and
faculty alike, are enjoying the beautiful weather and the comforting routine of
the school day.
Following
up on the wonderful performance at the winter Concert last Friday, the AISC
SAISA band traveled to Dhaka this week to participate in the annual SAISA Band
Festival. There they will join with musicians from other SAISA schools to present
a concert on the last day. It is an incredible exercise in collaboration and
intercultural understanding that we are proud to be able to offer to our
students. The SAISA Choir will have their opportunity when they travel to
Muscat at the end of February.
IB/AP
Parent Seminar – Theory of Knowledge
Tuesday’s IB/AP Parent Orientation
meetings, conducted by our IB/AP Coordinator Angelia Crouch, were well attended
and very informative. This coming Tuesday parents, students and faculty members
will have a chance to learn more about the IB Diploma Program when AISC
welcomes Dr. William “Bill” Roberts to our
campus. Dr. Roberts is an experienced Theory of Knowledge
teacher and teacher trainer who we have invited to share his expertise with our
students and faculty. He will be presenting a seminar for parents on the Theory
of Knowledge on Tuesday, February 4 from
10:00-11:00 a.m. in the Cafeteria. (Please note the correction in the
time.) All AISC parents are encouraged to attend.
The IB Theory of Knowledge course is
a unifying element in the IB diploma Program. It is focused on answering the
question, “How do we know what we claim to know?” Through the study of the ways
of knowing(language,
sense perception,
emotion, reason, imagination, faith, intuition, and memory) and the areas of knowledge (mathematics, the
natural sciences, the
human sciences, the arts,
history, ethics, religious knowledge systems, and
indigenous knowledge
systems), students learn about the
distinction between personal and shared knowledge and explore the nature of
knowledge.
Dr. Roberts graduated from the
University of Oxford with a degree in Engineering and then trained to teach
Mathematics. He has a Masters degree in Guidance and Counseling and a PhD which
considers the effect of international schooling on the formation of masculinity.
He has been involved in education for 23 years and has taught ToK for twelve
years in combination with Mathematics, first in Cairo, Egypt and most recently
in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He has been involved in ToK training and curriculum
development since 1999 and currently holds the position of Deputy Chief
Assessor. He is also an examiner for Mathematics HL. At present he holds a
part-time position at the University of Newcastle in the U.K. where he lectures
in communication, culture, gender, representations and identities and continues
his research in gender and education.
Guest Artist - Cohdi Harrell
AISC is thrilled
to welcome Cohdi Harrell back once again share his magic as a Guest Performing
Artist. Focusing on tools to develop physical and energetic awareness,
Cohdi's work uses acrobatics, object manipulation, and character building
exercises to encourage students to start thinking and moving with a broader
range of depth and motion.
Cohdi
worked with our students in the Theatre Arts program last year with great
success while also performing an original piece mixing modern dance and aerial
work (static trapeze and rope) during a school-wide assembly.
From
January 27th through the 7th of February, Cohdi will work with middle and high school theater
arts classes, introducing principles of circus skills and physical theatre
in relation to drama and dance studies. His focus with our students will
include:
- developing balance, and coordination through acrobatics (tumbling, pyramid building and creating an environment with their bodies
- learning about rhythm through body percussion
- developing skills in object manipulation by working with everyday objects and circus props
- understanding the process of artistic conception by creating imagery above ground
- exploring character development and individualized expression through clowning
On Friday
February 7th at 5:00 pm, the FAC Main Stage Theatre will
present an original performance piece by Cohdi Harrell as part of our ongoing Fridays@5
series. Look for tickets on sale early next week.
Course registration for 2014-2015
Even though August still seems a long
way away, we will soon begin the process of selecting courses for next year.
This is an important process for all of us. Ms. McGlamery and Mr. Summerfield
will be helping students and parents make decisions that will help our students
realize their academic and career aspirations. Once the course requests have
been received, we will begin to build the schedule of classes for next year.
The first step in this process is
sharing information on our academic program and on the many options that are
available. At the High School
Parent Coffee on Tuesday, February 11, Ms. McGlamery and Mr. Summerfield will
share information with parents regarding the course registration process.
They will present the same information
to students at an assembly on the same day. On that day we will be sending home
copies of the 2013-2014 edition of the High School Curriculum Guide. This has
information about our overall academic program as well as individual course
descriptions. It will be made available online as well.
From February 5 through March 7 Ms.
McGlamery and Mr. Summerfield 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.
Other
news
Be sure to check the sidebar for
news from our counselors, our IB and AP Coordinator and our Athletics Director
for important updates.
Enjoy
your weekend.
John
McCandless
High
School Principal
