Dear Students and Parents,
Please join me in congratulating all of our students for their work and support of CHEMUN. Over 80 HS students participated in the event as delegates, note passers and administration! A special congratulations to Nivi, Lovish, Giulia and Priya who took the lead on organizing the conference this year!
Discovery Program Information and Service Hour Clarification
As was communicated earlier in the year, to make our service and experiential learning expectations in the high school more mission aligned, this year we have initiated the Discovery Program. In the past, students were expected to complete and submit a form to the HS office documenting their service learning activities. We have replaced this system with an e-portfolio expectation for all students. Every high school student has been assigned a discovery advisor who has guided them in creating a discovery blog. Students post their experiential or extracurricular activities on this blog with a reflection based on the 4 Cs of our mission. Students are given time during certain assembly periods when their Discovery groups meet to complete their blog posts. Successfully completing this process along with completion of the Discover India Travel Program will result in a ‘pass’ on student transcripts for the Discovery Program. Be advised that we ARE NOT COUNTING SERVICE HOURS, rather we have replaced this with more meaningful self reflections.
However, if students would still like to submit their community service hours to the office in the case that they will need documented proof of their activities when they leave AISC they can collect a ‘Community Service Student Time Sheet’ form from the HS office at the end of each grading period. Students will need to submit a list of their activities during the semester which will be recorded by the HS office staff. Only activities completed at AISC will be documented. For the majority of our students, this added step is not necessary. The timesheet should ONLY be completed if students need proof of community service hours in a document to submit to universities or transfer institutions.
Reminder - Wednesday, November 4th - Early Release Day - Final Reminder
In order to support continuous professional learning and development for AISC faculty members, there are seven Early Release Wednesdays on the calendar this year. On November 4, we will have our third Early Release Wednesday. As a reminder, students will be released at 1:30 p.m. and are expected to depart campus in a timely and organized fashion. We appreciate your patience. In preparation, please plan on allowing longer time for entry and exit to the school at release time.
As a reminder, the Early Release Wednesdays are:
- November 4th
- December 2nd
- January 20th
- February 10th
- March 9th
Save the Date! HS Band/Choir Concert - Repeat Announcement
All students and parents are cordially invited to the Band and Choir Fall Concert this coming Thursday. The concert will feature works by Wolfgang Mozart, Wayne Shorter and William Latham as well as covers of works by Maroon 5, The Beatles and music from the popular movie Frozen. Please join us!
Semester Exam Schedule Available
As you begin to plan your winter vacation please make note that our semester exams run from the 14th - 17th of December. It is our expectation that students are in attendance for all exams. Please note that our policy is 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. The semester exam schedule can be found here. All exams will take place in the gym. Please note that only written exams are reflected here. All alternative assessments like papers, practicals or portfolios are due before exam week begins.
The seating chart for each exam can be found by scrolling past the schedule itself. Students should arrive to the covered play area outside the gym 10-15 minutes before exams begin and should stand in front of the letter representing their assigned row. They will then be guided into the exam hall 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time.
Students are only allowed to bring required materials (pens, pencils, etc.) and a water bottle into the exam hall. All electronics and other valuables must be locked in their lockers before reporting to the covered play area. Students leaving valuables unattended during exams do so at their own risk. Further, students may not leave bags in the gym locker rooms during exams as this area is off limits.
Discovery Day - November 12th - Repeat Announcement
November 12, the day after Diwali break and day before the Discover India trips, will be the High School's first Discovery Day.
What is Discovery Day? It is a day of experiential learning similar to the purpose of the Discover India trips. It is an opportunity for students and staff to explore interests that may not fit into the normal school schedule. Activities range from a few hours long to a full day experience. Some of the activities are off campus. Some have requirements like having a camera with a telephoto lens or require payment of a fee. Some are teacher interests and others are organized by clubs. Here is a list of all activities.
How do students select activities? Students were sent a form to their email to complete a prioritization of their choices. They were asked to rank the full day, morning and afternoon activities and then were assigned based on their choices. Everyone that submitted the form on time was placed on at least one of their top choices.
What about pursuing a personal interest? Students in grades 11 or 12 may elect to develop their own plan for the day. Mrs. Crouch is coordinating with those students.
Is participation in Discovery Day mandatory? Yes!
Discover India Arrival and Departure Times - Repeat Announcement
Here is the departure and return schedule for the Discover India trips. Please note that you should plan to be at the school at least 15 minutes prior to the bus departure times. Staff on each trip may set the gathering time even earlier. The return times are estimated and will depend on the actual arrival time of flights and trains. The full schedule of flights is available here. Please note that all students must travel with the group, including on the return bus to the school.
Departure
|
Bus leaves
|
Return
|
At school
| ||
A
|
Yercaud Camp
|
Nov/13
|
5:00 PM
|
Nov/19
|
5:15 AM
|
B
|
Himalayan Foothills Hiking
|
Nov/13
|
4:15 AM
|
Nov/19
|
7:00 PM
|
C
|
High Himalaya
|
Nov/13
|
3:15 AM
|
Nov/20
|
11:00 PM
|
D
|
Inflatable Kayaking
|
Nov/13
|
4:15 AM
|
Nov/19
|
8:00 PM
|
E
|
Mahakali Rafting Expedition
|
Nov/13
|
3:15 AM
|
Nov/19
|
5:30 PM
|
F
|
Tour de' Himalayas
|
Nov/13
|
3:15 AM
|
Nov/19
|
11:00 PM
|
G
|
Tri Challenge
|
Nov/13
|
7:30 AM
|
Nov/19
|
7:00 PM
|
H
|
Bison Country
|
Nov/13
|
8:00 AM
|
Nov/19
|
7:30 PM
|
I
|
Dilli Champs
|
Nov/13
|
10:00 AM
|
Nov/19
|
5:30 PM
|
J
|
Photographing Varanasi
|
Nov/13
|
4:15 AM
|
Nov/18
|
11:00 PM
|
K
|
Ceramics in the Garhwal Himalaya
|
Nov/13
|
8:00 AM
|
Nov/19
|
7:00 PM
|
L
|
Surfing and Service
|
Nov/14
|
8:30 AM
|
Nov/20
|
4:15 PM
|
M
|
Camel Caravan
|
Nov/13
|
10:00 AM
|
Nov/19
|
10:30 AM
|
N
|
Little Tibet
|
Nov/13
|
3:15 AM
|
Nov/19
|
11:00 PM
|
O
|
Nature Photography & Conservation
|
Nov/13
|
5:00 PM
|
Nov/19
|
10:45 AM
|
P
|
Anaman Natural History
|
Nov/13
|
9:30 AM
|
Nov/20
|
6:00 PM
|
Q
|
Chennai Area
|
Daily
|
Variable
|
Variable
|
Yearbook Photos Ready for Review and Order - Repeat Announcement
Parents and students can now review the recent yearbook photos by clicking on the "Yearbook Photos 2015-16" link from the All School Page in Moodle. You may access Moodle using User ID -guest and the password - raptors15. Families interested in ordering photos should complete and return this Form by November 7th. Prints will be ready for pick up after December 11th.
Sincerely,
Joelle Basnight
High School Principal
