Dear Students and Parents,
I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable long weekend!
First Skyward Update Next Week
Please note that as of 4:00 pm on Friday, September 18th, teachers will have updated their gradebooks with as much information as possible and marks will be available for viewing on Skyward. Keep in mind that it is still early in the school year and, as such, many teachers have had only limited assessments to include. If you have any questions about what you see on Skyward please first check with your son/daughter. If he/she is unable to answer your query, kindly contact the teacher.
UN International Peace Day
The official UN International Peace Day is September 21, but AISC will celebrate it on Friday, September 18. The UN created this day to strengthen the ideals of peace. This year's theme for the day is "Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All." There will be a Graffiti Wall on the outside of the High School CIC facing the fountain courtyard. Students, parents, faculty - all community members - can share their thoughts, images, examples of what "Dignity for All" means to them. This wall will be up and ready starting on Tuesday, September 15.
UN Day, Friday, September 18
The preparations for UN Day are moving forward as the date approaches. The Parade Coordinator is creating a spectacular experience for the community as we celebrate our diversity. Country Coordinators are working hard to create an engaging experience for our students at the Country Pavilions.
Country Coordinators may be contacting you regarding the dress for UN Day. Wearing national dress is not mandatory, but many countries do dress up. Please see the PCA Blog for your Country Coordinator's name and contact information if you have questions.
Here is a parent schedule for that day, specifically for PCA Country Coordinators and Country Pavilion Volunteers.
Thursday, September 17
- 10:00am-8:00pm MC E & F are open for PCA Country Coordinators and Country Pavilion volunteers to store things in.
- 5:00-8:00pm The Gym is open for set up for PCA Country Coordinators and Country Pavilion volunteers. Maintenance staff will be available with flat beds to help move items.
Friday, September 18
- 8:00-8:30am Normal Drop off for students
- 8:30am Parents move to the FAC Auditorium to watch the UN Day Parade (seating is limited, and we will have spill over locations with TVs and streaming video of the parade).
- 9:00-10:00am PCA Country Coordinators can access Gym for Final Set Up of Country Pavilions
- 10:00am Parade ends
- 10:30 am UN Day Country Pavilions Begin
- 3:15 pm UN Day Country Pavilions End
- 4:00 pm UN Day Country Pavilions Must Be Removed. Gym is ready for ASAs.
Elementary school and middle school students are scheduled to come to the Country Pavilions with their classroom teachers between 10:30am-3:15pm. High school students will have the option of coming during their lunch.
High school students are reminded that they will need to eat lunch before coming to the Country Pavilions in the Gym.
Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship Certification
Common Sense Media is by far the best source for advice, tools, and curriculum related to your questions or concerns about raising a child in the digital age. This year we continue our systematic integration of their digital citizenship curriculum throughout the school.
AISC has supported Common Sense media for many years and we are now pursuing a school certification. Many of our teachers are also working toward their own teacher certification and are co-teaching with our tech coaches in the classroom.
A popular resource that we frequently distribute is Common Sense's Family Media Agreement which is designed to help families have conversations around the different issues they may face with media and technology. This is a very useful tool and your child will be given one in the next few weeks. Please talk through it with your child, sign it, and keep it in your home for reference.
Additional resources you will find helpful include, Parent Concerns FAQs, Family Guides, and Family Tip Sheets. The last resource is very straightforward and comprehensive. There is also a useful app for phones and tablets.
PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) - From the Counselors
The PSAT is coming! The PSAT measures Reading, Writing, Language and Math skills acquired over the course of your education. The exam will take place only on Wednesday, October 14th and is open to 10th and 11th graders. Interested students should stop by the office to sign up by September 14th. They will receive their PSAT Guide at that time.
We do not believe that 9th grade students need to take the PSAT this year. However, if a 9th grader is interested in taking the exam to practice for the US National Merit Scholarship qualification, please have him/her sign up and we will accommodate as many spots as possible after the 10th and 11th grade students have registered. Please note that you cannot qualify for the National Merit Scholarship unless you are a US Citizen and in grade 11.
Art Sustains Club Announces an Exhibit
Art Sustains is a service organization that works towards sustaining Tamil Nadu's cultural and natural assets with an emphasis on the arts.
Our primary goal is to support the sustainability of the arts in Tamil Nadu, through educational programs, promoting international awareness, and by providing financial assistance for artists and art communities in the area.
Beyond supporting the arts, Art Sustains believes in the importance of preserving and celebrating all cultural and natural assets of Tamil Nadu.
Art Sustains is proud to present "Chaparral", works by Gurunathan Govindan. This will be the first exhibition of our local artist series that will be displayed in AISC's Art Gallery (FAC atrium).
Celebrating Dot Day - From the CIC
Our school is celebrating “Dot Day” on September 15th, along with more than three million students in over 100 countries! It is one of the largest displays of worldwide creativity on a single day. Inspiration for Dot Day comes from Peter H. Reynold’s book, The Dot.
There are two ways that you can help celebrate Dot Day as part of the school community:
- Watch The Dot at home with your children. We carry this as an eBook on our free subscription to TumbleBooks!
- Come to the CIC and decorate a dot that represents you. Starting Monday, September 14th and all week long, there will be colorful dots and markers in the ES/MS CIC and HS CIC for you to decorate and wear around campus.
For more complete information please click here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: Kim Bane (bkim@aisch.org), Jeremy Willette (wjeremy@aisch.org), Peter Jacobson (jpeter@aisch.org). Thank you for helping us support Dot Day!
Here comes Big Bad Blue - From the Aquatics Office - Repeat Announcement
AISC will host its 12th Annual Big Bad Blue meet on Friday, September 18th (from 4-6pm) and Saturday, September 19th, (from 8:30am-5:30pm). Our AISC Team will swim on Friday evening and, on Saturday, we will welcome 9 local teams to join us in a full day of competitive swimming. We invite the community to join us to cheer on our teams as they prepare for their SAISA competition in Muscat, Oman, at the end of October.
Freedom from Chemical Dependency Week - From the Counseling Office
September 21st - 25th is the Freedom from Chemical Dependency Week at AISC. A prevention specialist from FCD Educational Services will join our community to work with Middle and High School students. 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 a parent workshop at our Parent Coffee (see below) to offer support and guidance in helping your children enjoy a drug-free adolescence.
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. The FCD specialist will host parents for a special session on Friday, September 25 from 3:45-4:45 in the FAC Cafeteria.
Save the Date - High School Parent Coffee
Our first High School Parent Coffee will take place on Monday, September 21st at 8:45 am in the Cafeteria. This is a combined Middle School/High School coffee featuring the consultant from Freedom from Chemical Dependency.
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.
Sincerely,
Joelle Basnight
High School Principal