Dear Students and Parents,
Good afternoon from a busy SAISA swim meet! If you have a chance to come watch the action tomorrow, please join us!
Yesterday our Interact Club members Sanjana Kolisetty and Susmera Cholayil volunteered to teach computers to kids (aged 12-15) at Seva Samajam, an orphanage near Taramani. Sanjana describes the experience in her own words:
"Their [the orphan's] determination, confidence, and humility really taught me a lot over the one hour that we were there. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and being exposed to it when I haven’t even decided what I’m going to major in, is such a big eye-opener. There is so much pride and satisfaction that comes from teaching others and seeing their faces light up when they learn something new. The gratitude I have for this opportunity is insurmountable, and this experience has made me realize how privileged I am to have a home, a school, parents. It's not about the community service hours/CAS requirements. It's not about a one-time outreach that we'll eventually forget about. It's about commitment, learning, and making a small difference."
We appreciate Sanjana's willingness to share her thoughts and hope that all students will have such opportunities to serve others during their time at AISC.
Mid-Semester Progress Reports - Reminder of Meaning
The recent mid-semester progress reports represent a grade to date and the halfway mark of the term. Please note that this mark is only used internally and is not reflected on a transcript. While the mark gives families a good indication of class standing, there are six weeks of coursework still to come. Kindly review this important document as a family and inquire directly with the students themselves should initial clarification be needed. If, in turn, questions remain, kindly contact the teacher, drop in on Thursday, November 6th for a quick conference or book an appointment on Friday, November 7th for a private conference.
Yearbook Photos Ready for Review and Order
Parents and students can now review the recent yearbook photos by clicking on the "Yearbook Photos 2014-15" link from the All School Moodle Page. Families interested in ordering photos should complete and return this form by November 14th.
October Parent Coffee - Competitive US Universities - A Few Take-aways
Many thanks to the parents who attended the October Parent Coffee with Panatha Ott. The counseling department will post Panatha’s powerpoint presentation on their website next week for anyone who wishes to reference it. While the presentation covered the entire application and selection process, here are a few verbal pointers she shared with the audience:
- There is a college or university for every student. Parents are encouraged to remain patient with their children during the selection process and to trust their child’s “gut” when it comes to finding the right fit.
- Students should choose the essay topic that most appeals to them, not their parents. Admissions officers are able to spot essays written at the behest of a parent because the student’s voice and passion does not shine through.
- Students should not underestimate the importance of the short answer questions in applications.
- Students should arrive to interviews prepared and armed with specific questions about the college or university. If the interview is not highlighting what a student feels is his or her best asset, it is perfectly acceptable for a student to say “I would really like to share a bit about ___ with you.”
- Seniors who drop off academically in their final year or semester may have their acceptances revoked. Panatha shared that her university has done this at least once yearly. It is important for students to keep putting effort forth throughout their entire senior year and to not view their college acceptance as permission to go “on vacation” early!
Finally, a question or two was raised about the difference between the ACT and SAT tests. The new SAT test will begin in the spring of 2016. To learn more about the new test and its comparison to the ACT, please reference this Huffington Post article.
Student Parent Teacher Conferences - Registration Closes Monday
Student-Parent-Teacher conferences will take place on November 6th and 7th.
An “arena style” drop-in conferences will be available in the gym on Thursday, November 6th, from 3:45 - 7:00 pm. There is no need to make an appointment to attend these conferences. Teachers will be available for quick 5 - 10 meetings on a first come, first served basis. By stationing teachers in the gym families can quickly scan for teacher availability and speak to teachers in whatever order works best for the family. There will be additional seating for families to wait for a teacher to become free and the administration will circulate to make sure that conferences are kept to a ten minute maximum so no one has to wait too terribly long. This style of conferencing is appropriate for non-confidential informal check-ins. For example, if you just have one or two quick questions about a student’s academic progress or you just want to take a few moments to get to know a teacher.
Further conferences “by appointment” in classrooms will be available on Friday, November 7th, from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. These are for confidential conferences and are ten minutes in length. Parents can make appointments electronically from today until Monday, November 3rd by clicking on this link and following the online directions.
As a High School we are interested in moving toward authentic student led conferences in the future. To that end, we have asked teachers to choose from three styles of conferences for their Friday appointments. The chosen conference style will be posted on the door of the teacher’s classroom so you are aware of what to expect when entering. The options are:
Green Circle - a traditional teacher led conference
Blue Square - a student led conference using “start, stop, continue” prompts
Black Diamond - a student led conference using prompts specific to the academic learning outcomes of the course.
Regardless of the style chosen, conferences on Friday should be selected if parents require specific feedback on academic progress and/or if a student is struggling academically.
Semester Exams - Repeat Announcement
As you begin to plan your winter vacation please make note that our semester exams run from the 15th - 19th of December. It is our expectation that students are in attendance for this entire week. Please note that we do not give exams early. Thus, if your vacation plans require you to leave before exams are finished make-up exams will be scheduled for the first few days of school in the second semester.
Sincerely,
Joelle Basnight
High School Principal
Jason Hicks
Secondary Associate Principal