Dear Students and Parents,
Welcome back to all after what was hopefully a restful Spring Break. It is difficult to imagine that we have only seven weeks until the end of term! It will be a busy time but, hopefully, an enjoyable final push to the end.
Three cheers for our SAISA Band students who departed yesterday for their festival in Kathmandu.
Three cheers and best of luck for our SAISA athletes as they head out for basketball, soccer and track & field in the middle of next week! Please join us on campus next weekend to support our boys basketball team! You can follow the schedule, results and live stream here.
Second Semester Exam Schedule Available
Please click here to access the second semester exam schedule. Please note that we do not give exams early and, as such, families are advised to make their departure for summer after exams conclude.
Kathryn Claire Is Back!
AISC welcomes singer-songwriter, Kathryn Claire as our Spring 2015 Artist in Residence! After a successful residency last year, Kathryn has returned for two weeks (April 13 - 24) of teaching and performance. Part of a new generation of traditionally-inspired musicians, Kathryn’s guitar and fiddle-playing exhibit a technical grace which is matched only by her truly captivating voice and her rare ability to move seamlessly across genres. She will be working in elementary, middle, and high school music classes and will conduct after school song-writing workshops with MS/HS students.
Beginning April 13th, Kathryn’s residency will culminate in a Friday@5 concert in association with R.I.S.E. on the 24th of April. Her charismatic presence and infectious smile have made her a favorite at venues and festivals around the world- and we are thrilled to welcome her back to our campus.
Final High School Parent Coffee of the Year - Save the Date!
The final parent coffee of the year will take place on Tuesday, April 28th at 8:45 am in the cafeteria. Kevin Crouch will share the results of the student, parent and teacher surveys regarding the March Virtual Day Drill and will answer questions and seek additional input and feedback from parents.
AP and IB Exams and Study Leave Policies
IB and AP exams will begin in May. Please join me in wishing our students the best of luck on their exams! Kindly note the various policies related to these upcoming external exams.
Full IB Diploma Students (seniors): The last day of school for full IB Diploma (IBD) students is Friday, April 24th. The following week IBD students can either revise at home or attend optional review sessions with their teachers on campus. IBD students who are taking non-IB courses (eg: electives) should return to those classes once they have completed their final IB examination. IBD students not taking any non-IB courses are excused from school until Senior Retreat on May 26th.
Study Leave for IB Certificate and AP Students (grades 10 - 12): Students taking IB and AP exams but who are not full Diploma students can avail of “study leave” to revise for exams. Students have the two blocks (half day) prior to the exam to study and are excused for the two blocks during which their exam is scheduled. For example, if a student has a Monday afternoon exam, he/she is excused from the morning blocks to study as well as the afternoon blocks to sit his/her exam. Alternatively, if a student has a Tuesday morning exam, he/she is excused from the prior afternoon (Monday) as well as the morning of the exam. This study leave does not apply to Monday morning examinations (students may not take Friday afternoon off to revise). Students who need help determining their study leave should see Ms. Basnight, Ms. McGlamery or Ms. Crouch.
When not sitting an exam or on official study leave, students are expected to attend their classes until (a) the AP/IB external examination has concluded or (b) until exams begin (for non-IB/AP classes). For example, a student who is taking a non-IB/AP course like Ceramics is expected to attend Ceramics throughout the month of May unless he/she is on official study leave.
AP/IB Students Opting Out of AP/IB Exams: Students taking an AP or IB course are expected to take the external examination in May. Students who have opted not to take the exam must sit an internal examination regardless of their performance in the class. Further, the student’s transcript will be amended to reflect a regular, rather than IB or AP course in that subject.
After AP/IB Exams: AP and IB courses officially come to an end when the external examination is taken. The class will no longer meet after that date.
Off Campus Privilege: IB Diploma Students are granted “off campus privileges” as of April 27th. This means that such students can come and go from campus as needed and no longer need to follow regular school hours.
Juniors and seniors taking IB and AP exams (but who are not Diploma students) and have class in blocks 1, 4, 5 or 8 may come late or leave early as and when their IB or AP course comes to an end. Students may not, however, leave and return to campus in the middle of the day.
If you, as a parent, do not wish for your son/daughter to have this freedom, please inform your child and alert the High School Office. Security will be notified that your son/daughter does not have permission to leave campus before the end of the official school day.
Food Service Update
We would like to highlight the following offerings in our cafeterias:
- Milk and yoghurt is sold in all cafeterias.
- We have introduced a breakfast menu of toast and eggs (boiled egg/omelette) in addition to croissants, sandwiches available in both the I-Hub and ES Cafeteria.
- The sandwich bar is open in the I-Hub and ES cafeteria. We offer tuna, chicken and vegetable options on different days of the week.
- We have several healthy options like grilled vegetables, salads, cut fruits, in the I-Hub and ES Cafeteria from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- There are several freshly baked items available both in the I-Hub and ES Cafeteria.
- Our FAC Cafeteria will continue to have live Dosa and Wrap counters. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are Dosa Days and Tuesdays and Thursdays are Wrap days.
- We continue to offer beef and chicken options each day in our lunch menu. Fish is offered once in two weeks.
Should you have any questions with regard to food service, please email Josephine Ronald – directorpersonnel@aisch.org.
Summer Opportunities for Students
The counselors continue to maintain and add to their blog with summer opportunities for students. Families who are interested in participating in summer programs should check out the Counselor's Blog on the HS Counseling Moodle page. There is a page dedicated to summer enrichment programs which the counselors are updating as new information comes to them. If you are aware of programs that you'd like to share publicly, please email information to Ms. McGlamery or Ms. Larsen.
We wish you all a restful and enjoyable Spring Break. Safe travels!
Sincerely,
Joelle Basnight
High School Principal
Jason Hicks
Secondary Associate Principal