Dear Students and Parents,
Our apologies for the issue with the link for Student Parent Teacher Conference survey in last week’s notes. As soon as we learned people were unable to access the link we corrected the problem. If you were unable to take the survey last week, kindly take a moment to share your feedback with us over the next few days. Your feedback is important to us.
As you may know, today represents the start of our 8th Annual CHEMUN Model United Nations conference. Our campus is buzzing with visitors and there is no doubt that this weekend will be one of learning, relationship building and fun. We are proud to share with you a few words from the opening address by the CHEMUN Secretary General, our very own Calder Hoover. His words speak to living our mission and we appreciate his willingness to challenge all delegates, whether AISC students or guests, to embrace our four Cs!
As a school, we embrace what we call the four “C”s outlined in our mission statement: courage, confidence, creativity, and compassion. As delegates of CHEMUN VIII, I invite you to consider these four ideals in participating in this conference. Be courageous when caucusing with other delegates and putting your ideas forward, and be prepared for and open to scrutiny. Be confident when addressing the house, and believe in every word that you speak and every thought you propose. Be creative when drafting resolutions, thinking outside of the box when it comes to solving the real world issues your committee aims to tackle. And, last but not least, be compassionate at all times, as the people you meet may not only be your allies during the conference, but your friends when it comes to an end. I hope you all enjoy CHEMUN VIII, and take advantage of the opportunities it provides you with to expand and stimulate your perspectives and knowledge of the global community.
November Parent Coffee - Reminder - Save the Date!
Our next parent coffee will be on Tuesday, November 18th, at 8:45 am in the cafeteria. At the request of the community representatives, this coffee will be focussed on a variety of teen issues including social media, the after hours social scene, substance use and sexual activity. The coffee will be highly interactive as we know that parents can learn as much from each other as they can from any information we will provide. At the end of the coffee we will ask which topics parents would like to explore more in depth at coffees next semester.
Congratulations to NMSQT Commended Students
It is our pleasure to share that four AISC students have received Commended Student honors from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation because of their strong performance on the 2013 Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). The National Merit Scholarship program is open only to US citizens and, last October, over 1.5 million took the PSAT/NMSQT. Only 34,000 high performers were named Commended Students. Please join us in congratulating the following NMSQT Commended Students:
Molly Brouns
Calder Hoover
Rajesh Polavaram
Nihaal Shah
Cancer Lap-A-Thon - November 22nd
Global Issues Network (GIN) is hosting a Cancer Lap-A-Thon on November 22nd (from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm on the main field) to raise money for the Cancer Institute in Chennai. There will be a breakfast potluck afterwards in the cafeteria. To participate, individuals must be sponsored for the number of laps completed. Participants can walk, run, jog or crawl as long as they complete as many laps as possible to raise money for cancer research. Please pick up a form from the High School, Middle School, and Elementary School offices to start getting sponsors. If you have any questions please contact: slovishniakri@aisch.org or dmanasvi@aisch.org. Also as part of this event we are asking all participants to bring in a food item for 6 people so that we can have “potluck” or shared breakfast after the end of the final event.
What’s on the AISC Preschool Horizon?
If you are interested in the future planning and programming of our Preschools, we invite you to join us on Monday, November 17, 2014 for a World Cafe conversation. We are seeking input and ideas as we move ahead in revisioning our Early Childhood programs. There are two sessions planned, so pick the time that works best for you:
Timings: Nov 17 8:45 - 10:15 or 1:45 - 3:15
Location: Hall of Light.
IB Registration
Please Remember IB Cohort 2015 candidate registration fees are due November 26. You may pay the fees to the AISC cashier or electronic bank transfer (contact ibapcoordinator@aisch.org for details). Please return signed fee letter and proof of payment to Ms. Sunita in the HS office. Candidates will not be registered for their IB exams until the fees are paid.
From the Counseling Office
High School Counselors Correne Larsen and Susannah McGlamery recently spoke with students at the weekly high school assembly to inform them of the roles of the counselors. They let students know that they are not only available as resources for academic and college support, but are a resource for social/emotional needs as well. Students have been encouraged to reach out to their counselors to talk about stress, anything that may be troubling them and any concerns they may have for the emotional or physical safety of themselves or their peers.
Further, the counselors offer this link to information about teen safety.
Semester Exams - Schedule for December - Repeat Announcement
Students and parents can access the exam schedule from this link. Please note that AISC HS does not give examinations early. If a student opts to leave for vacation before completing his/her exams an alternative assessment will be given immediately when school convenes in January. Students will be unable to attend classes in January until all final assessments have been completed.
Students will have a final summative assessment in every class. This assessment will count for either 10% or 20% of the overall semester average. Students will take one of three different types of final assessments. In some courses teachers have opted for a written examination as a final assessment. Those assessments have been scheduled into one of the “exam” blocks on the schedule. In some courses teachers have opted for a practical assessment that is better done in smaller groups. Those assessments have been scheduled into the “period” blocks on the schedule. Finally, in some courses teachers have opted for an alternative assessment like a final project, essay or presentation. These assessments have been scheduled in class in the week prior to exams and due dates are not flexible. Students must submit these alternative assessments before exam week begins. A list of courses opting a “period” or alternative assessment can be found on the second page of the exam schedule.
As in years’ past, students are required to be on campus only during the times they have exams and, so, may arrive late or depart earlier than usual. However, students may not leave campus and, then, return, on the same day. No special documentation is required to avail of this option.
By November 25th all teachers will post on Moodle the following final assessment information:
- Overall weight of exam (10% or 20%)
- Type of assessment (alternative, practical, exam)
- Supplies required for assessment (eg: calculator, ruler, pencil)
- Format of exam if applicable (eg: includes multiple choice, short answer and essay questions)
By December 5th all teachers will post on Moodle a study guide for assessments scheduled during exam week. The content of this study guide will vary depending upon the type of assessment.
December 9th - 12th will be used for in class review. No new material will be delivered and no tests, quizzes and the like will be schedule during this time. This will allow students to concentrate on revising for their exams as well as completing any alternative final assessments due that week.
Extracurricular activities in the High School will end for the semester on Friday, December 12th to allow students to revise for and concentrate on their exams for the remainder of the term.
Specific information about exam expectations and behaviors will be shared in upcoming newsletters.
Sincerely,
Joelle Basnight
High School Principal
Jason Hicks
Secondary Associate Principal