Dear Students and Parents,
Thank you for a great week and have a restful weekend.
If you missed the International Baccalaureate Core Component meeting on Thursday, visit the IB/AP Coordinator's blog to view the presentation and download a copy of the handout.
Dot/UN Day Celebration Next Week!
September 15th - 19th will be a very special week at AISC. Dot Day, an acknowledgement of the spirit of individual identity from the illustrated book by Peter Reynolds, is marked on our calendars for Monday, September 15th. Further, the UN International Day of Peace takes place on Friday, September 19th. This year, we are marking our values of diversity and identity, our respect for the efforts to bring peace to nations and groups throughout the world, and our responsibility to engage global awareness campaigns regarding the rights of all peoples to peace. In the coming days we will focus on three themes school wide: identity, international-mindedness and the rights of peoples to place. Different activities will be happening in each division leading up to our annual UN Day parade at the end on Friday.
This week’s edition of Head of School Notes details the all of events of the week. Rather than repeating the information here kindly click on the link to the right to access Andrew’s newsletter to learn more.
Spirit Week is Coming!
The week of September 22nd - 26th marks the High School’s official Spirit Week. Student council has been hard at work planning an exciting program filled with many opportunities for students to get involved and show their passion for AISC!
Each day of the week will have a theme and students are encouraged to dress in accordance. Each lunch will have a competition to earn prizes and points. We will have a pep rally Friday afternoon followed by exhibition volleyball games and the annual Homecoming dance!
Monday’s theme is “twin day” and students are encouraged to come in pairs/trios dressed identically. Those interested in participating in three legged race at lunch can compete for free Homecoming tickets.
Tuesday through Friday students can earn points for their grade level as well as win individual Homecoming tickets from lunch time events. Throughout this portion of the week students will collaborate on a class flag to be unveiled at Homecoming. The winning grade level will have their flag attached to the official “spirit stick” and it will be displayed in the iHub for the remainder of the year.
Tuesday’s theme is “pajama day” so students can roll out of bed and come to school provided they have two sleepy items in tow. Examples include teddy bears, slippers, actual pajamas (dress code applies), sleeping masks and the like. During first break students dressed by the day’s theme are encouraged to line up and get counted to earn points for their grade. The lunchtime competition is the “lemon walk” in which points for the grade can be earned and the ultimate winners will get free Homecoming tickets.
Wednesday’s theme is “mismatch day” so just about anything goes as long as at least two items of clothing do not match (dress code applies). The lunchtime competition is a watermelon eating contest that earns points and free tickets too.
Thursday’s theme is “fictional character day” and students are encouraged to dress up as their favorite villain, hero, cartoon or anime character (dress code applies). The lunchtime competition is a jenga tournament with, again, both points and Homecoming tickets.
Finally Friday is “school colors day” so students should come in blue and white to show their spirit. At lunch student can untie a human knot for points and tickets before heading to the pep rally at the end of the day. We hope all students will remain on campus to cheer on the boys and girls volleyball teams from 4:00 - 7:00 pm.
The Homecoming dance will be in the cafeteria from 7:00 - 9:30 pm, dress is casual and pizza will be served. Part way through the dance the grade level with the most points for the week will be officially recognized as the spirit flags are unveiled.
Please encourage your son/daughter to participate in any or all of these events. It should prove to be a fun and energetic week on campus!
Save the Date - High School Parent Coffee
Jennifer Alevy will be hosting this month’s parent coffee in the cafeteria at 8:45 am on September 23rd. She will give a brief overview of our library services and, then, students will have an opportunity to explore the database subscriptions and learn just how easy it is to do research!
Joelle Basnight will be attending a conference on the 23rd but the Associate Principal, Jason Hicks, and both Counselors, Susannah McGlamery and Correne Larsen, will be on hand to answer any general questions that arise.
Freedom from Chemical Dependency Week - From the Counseling Office
(repeat announcement)
September 15 -19 is the Freedom from Chemical Dependency Week, and we have invited a prevention specialist from FCD Educational Services to join our community. FCD is a non-profit organization that provides substance abuse prevention education for schools. Since 1976, they have taught over a million students of all ages.
FCD Prevention Specialists are highly trained professionals who have achieved long-term recovery from alcohol or other drug addictions. This unique perspective enhances the credibility of their message and provides students with role models for happy, healthy, drug-free living. The FCD Prevention Specialist will present multiple parent workshops to offer support and guidance in helping your children enjoy a drug-free adolescence. You may choose to come to any one or all of these meetings.
Some of the topics to be addressed include:
• Effective ways to communicate with your child about drugs and drug use
• Up-to-date facts about current drug use and trends
• What to say about your own experiences with alcohol and/or drug
• How to spot early warning signs of trouble and effective ways to respond.
These parent meetings will take place on the following dates:
- Monday, September 15th from 2:00 – 3:30 in the Hall of Light
- Thursday, September 18th from 8:30 – 9:55 in the Hall of Light (specifically for parents who want to gain understanding of how to support your student with the transition to college)
- Friday, September 19th from 2:05 – 3:30 – in the Hall of Light (debrief about the week)
As a parent, you also have the opportunity to meet with the FCD specialist for an individual consultation if you choose. Please contact Priya Sarath at spriya@aisch.org to schedule an appointment.
During the week, the specialist will also be meeting with students in groups, as well as provide opportunities for students to drop in and connect on an individual level.
This program presents a perfect opportunity for discussing alcohol and other drug-related issues with your children. Parental involvement is crucial to our efforts to helping our students make healthy life decisions. We want our students to hear from both school and home that we are committed to keeping our children safe and empowering them with the tools to make smart choices.
Please contact the High School Counseling Office if you have any questions.
A Message from the Athletics Office
(repeat announcement)
We currently are preparing for our upcoming ASIAC Table Tennis/Badminton Tournament on October 10-11 and our SAISA Swim Meet running from October 29 through November 2.
We need your help in housing all of our visiting athletes. If you can host for both of these events, that would be fantastic. If not, please help us out with at least one of these great events. Here are both forms: ASIAC and SAISA Hosting Form
If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Ron Thompson at tronald@aisch.org. Thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
Joelle Basnight
High School Principal
Jason Hicks
Secondary Associate Principal
