Dear
Parents,
We are coming into the last couple of
weeks of the school year, a time when we bring the academic program to a close,
assess our students for the learning that they have done throughout the year
and celebrate their accomplishments. Today we had a special treat as the high
School Jazz Band, led by Bandmaster Cary Stewart, played from their repertoire
in the cafeteria during lunch. they laid down a pretty impressive groove for us all to enjoy.
High School Awards Assembly
At our annual Awards Assembly on
Friday, May 23 we will celebrate the accomplishments of our students. We will
induct new members of the National Honor Society, recognize our outstanding
athletes and announce the Valedictorian and the Salutatorian of this year’s
graduating class.
We will also present the High School
Faculty Awards. Last year the High School Faculty developed criteria for awards
to be presented to those high school students who have best exemplified the
qualities expressed in the Learning Objectives identified in the AISC Strategic
Plan. These Learning Objectives are as follows:
By 2018, all students will:
- Explore new interests with curiosity and be resilient in pursuing their passions.
- Evaluate real world situations, identify problems and design innovative solutions.
- Choose to actively serve their local and global communities.
The awards criteria are closely linked
to the IB Learner Profile. High school faculty members were asked to nominate
students for these awards based on the criteria. The faculty then selected the
awardees in each category by consensus. There are two rules that guided this
deliberation: no student would receive more than one award and faculty members could
advocate for students only by citing their positive qualities and accomplishments.
It is always one of the most uplifting discussions of the year for me as I
listen to the faculty share all of the wonderful things that our students do.
The
school has a history of asking parents and faculty their opinions about the
school climate in an annual survey. This year we extended that survey to the
high school students. The results, much like the parent and faculty surveys,
were on the whole very positive. Students were especially satisfied with the
way the school welcomes their families (93% satisfied), provides a safe an
orderly environment for learning (91%), provides access to learning resources
(93%) and provides guidance in selecting classes and making academic plans
(93%).
Areas
in which students expressed lower levels of satisfaction included their participation in the decision-making processes in the school (53%), the safety of their
personal belongings (69%), use of alcohol and other drugs (63%), academic
honesty (56%), the food in the cafeteria (39%), their comfort in speaking with
faculty members about problems (68%), having course offerings that match their
interests (66%) and their preparation for addressing issues and problems that
they will face in the future (67%)
This is
valuable information for the faculty as we continue to work toward providing a
learning environment that is physically and emotionally secure while at the
same time stimulating and challenging. Our plans for next year will be impacted
by the concerns the students have expressed. We have, for example, already made arrangements for consultants
from Freedom from Chemical Dependency to return in September to help guide our
students in making healthier decisions about their use of alcohol and other
drugs.
We
have also invited Mr. Muneer Panjwani to the high school in August. Mr.
Panjwani is a talented and skilled facilitator from the U.S. who has had a
great impact on countless young people through his social justice work. He will
conduct workshops with students, parents and faculty around issues of identity
(gender, culture, sexual orientation, faith, ability), leadership development,
empathy, conflict resolution and strategies for helping students move from being
bystanders to allies. Using an
empathy-based approach, Muneer creates safe spaces that allow for young people
to share their experiences honestly in an effort to reduce prejudice, bias and
bigotry.
Service Learning at AISC
As AISC continues to
explore Service-Learning, we are hearing from parents and students. Please click on the following links and read
about the thoughts of parent Margaret Rajan, and student Anouska Raval. Please
contact either author, or Jason Hicks, with your thoughts.
SAT preparation courses
The Chopras, representatives of the Kaplan Center,will be offering SAT preparation
courses on our campus beginning on August 16. The classes will take place in the afternoon on Saturdays. The Chopras will have
an enrollment desk in the main entrance of the school on May 27-29. For
enrollment information, please call 9176639785 or 9176639766 or send an email
message to Harleenb@thechopras.com.
Semester Exams
The end
of the school year is drawing near, which means that the semester exams will
take place soon. These are summative assessments that help teachers determine
the extent to which each student has met the learning outcomes for the course.
Seniors in non-IB or AP classes in English, Foreign Language, Social Studies,
Science and Math classes will take their exams on May 19-21. All other students
will take their exams starting on May 26 and ending on May 29. To ensure the integrity of the
assessments, final exams will not be given prior to the exam dates. A
final schedule will be posted in the Daily Bulletin, on the high school Moodle
page and on the bulletin boards around the high school.
Yearbooks
The yearbook staff, guided by their advisor Mr. Shawn O'Docharty, has worked hard
all year to create a record of the people and events at AISC over the past
eight months. I have seen an advanced copy and it looks fantastic! For the first time this year, Yearbooks will be distributed to
all students at no additional cost. High school students will receive their yearbooks on Friday, May 23 at the end of the school day.
Students
leaving AISC
Each
year some of our students leave the school. 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 us at least as soon
as possible so we can prepare the necessary documents to make your transition
as smooth as possible. Final report cards and transcripts will be made
available for 12th Grade students by the end of the school day
on Friday, May 30. Final report cards will be available for 9th, 10th and
11th grade students by Friday, June 6.
Requests
for letters of recommendation
Summer is approaching, which means that many students are in
need of letters of recommendation for summer programs and new schools. As this
is a busy time of year for the faculty, please be mindful that any requests for
letters and/or recommendation forms should be presented at least one week in
advance of the deadline. Writing a recommendation takes thought and time.
Students should communicate directly with the teacher from whom they are
requesting the recommendation so that, together, they can determine that
teacher is the most appropriate person to write the letter.
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.
Have a
restful, enjoyable weekend.
John
McCandless
High
School Principal
