Dear Students and Parents,
An exciting week of SAISA events, both on campus and abroad, this week! Please support our sportsman and artists.
Please note that a number of teachers, including me, will be in Oman this weekend for the NESA Winter Training Institute. World language, PE and art teachers will be examining assessment practices while a small group of administrators and counselors explore mindfulness in schools. Please reach out to Mr. Jason Hicks if you need any assistance over the weekend.
A Note from Mr. Thomson - Support the Weekend Tournaments
SAISA Soccer & Tennis Tournaments hosted by AISC through Saturday. The Tennis tournament will be held in two venues; the Raptor Perch on the roof and also on the Raptor Field behind the gym. The Soccer Tournament will be held on the Main Field. Please join us if you are able!
Here is the link to the schedule, results and live streaming.
Save the Date! Cabaret!
Cabaret 2016 has the exciting theme of Carnevale! Come celebrate this worldwide party with over fifty of AISC's talented performing artists, for one show only, on Friday, February 12th at 7:00pm in the AISC Auditorium. Tickets go on sale on Monday, the 8th of February, at a modest Rs. 50. All Elementary, Middle and High School parents are invited, and this show is also appropriate for ages 8 and up with parental supervision.
Save the Date! High School Parent Coffee
The next High School Parent Coffee will take place on Tuesday, February 23rd at 8:45 am in the BBT. Susannah McGlamery and I will share with parents some of the work we have been doing with students regarding mindfulness and parents will have the opportunity to participate in some mindfulness practice of their own.
Skyward Progress Update - Coming Soon
The first Skyward Progress Update will be on Friday, February 12th. By 4:00 pm on that afternoon, teachers will have done their best to have all marking up to date and in Skyward. Should you have questions about your student’s progress after checking Skyward, please first have a direct conversation with your son/daughter. Your own student is the best resource for determining what is to be celebrated or improved. If questions remain, please contact the relevant teacher.
Early Release Wednesday - February 10th
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 February 10th, we will have our sixth Early Release Wednesday. Teachers will be engaged in our ongoing work with Harvard's Project Zero educational consultant, Mark Church. Mark's work with us is focused on promoting engagement, understanding and independence for all learners. 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. Lunch will be a quick "grab and go" sandwich on this day for our Middle and High School students. If students want a hot lunch, please remember to pack one from home.
Annual Student Lifestyle Survey Coming Soon
Please be aware that during the week of February 15th all high school students will complete an in-house student lifestyle survey. This is a similar survey to the one completed last year. The survey includes questions about alcohol and drug use, sexual activity, computer use, sleep patterns, stress and various other health and lifestyle related questions. The survey is based on the CDC student survey completed every other year in the United States with some additional questions added that are specific to our school context. All responses are anonymous and the results will be fully debriefed with parents and students.
Food services at AISC are always looking for ways to improve. Should you have questions, suggestions or concerns, please contact Food Service Manager Prakash Shanmugam (sprakash@aisch.org), Elementary Associate Principal Lori Newman (nlori@aisch.org) or Secondary Associate Principal Jason Hicks (hjason@aisch.org). If you have not had the chance to have a meal in the IHub or Main Cafeteria, please join us. We would love to hear your feedback about the food at AISC.
Food Service Update - A Message from the Food Service Manager
Thanks for the Parent Feedback! On Monday, February 1st, 40 parents from the elementary, middle and high schools joined us for our second food tasting of the year. We successfully surveyed parents about their views and here is what we found:
100% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed with the statement “I am satisfied with the food services provided by Taj Madras Flight Kitchen.” Similarly, 82% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed with the statement “ I believe my child is satisfied with the food services provided by TMFK.” Overall, parents are very satisfied with the child-friendly menu options and appreciate the recent changes to the menu. They were also generally quite satisfied with the variety and taste of our entree choices. A couple of areas for improvement include reflecting on the Asian veg dishes and also working to moderate the spice level.
Thank you to all of the parents who joined us and provided feedback. We are considering more opportunities for parents to taste the food and share their thoughts with us. Look for further communication surrounding future opportunities. here.
Food services at AISC are always looking for ways to improve. Should you have questions, suggestions or concerns, please contact Food Service Manager Prakash Shanmugam (sprakash@aisch.org), Elementary Associate Principal Lori Newman (nlori@aisch.org) or Secondary Associate Principal Jason Hicks (hjason@aisch.org). If you have not had the chance to have a meal in the IHub or Main Cafeteria, please join us. We would love to hear your feedback about the food at AISC.
IB and AP Informational Presentation for Grade 10 Parents - A Note from Ms. Crouch - Final Announcement
If your child is considering AP or IB classes next year, please come to an informational session on Tuesday, February 9th at 5:15 in the BBT. Angelia Crouch, the IB/AP coordinator, will be discussing the various options available to your student within these programs. The same presentation will be held at lunchtime on the same day at 11:40 in the BBT for interested grade 10 students. Parents are welcome to attend in lieu of the evening program.
Attention Class of 2017 and Parents - A Message from Counseling - Final Announcement
Please join the High School Counselors for Junior Class College Night on Tuesday, February 9th at 6:30 pm in the BBT. This is an important event for Juniors to officially kick-off the college application/admission process. The presentation will not be country specific. It will outline what steps students should take to be prepared for their college applications next year, regardless of their destination. Ms. Larsen and Ms. McGlamery hope to see all members of the Class of 2017 and parents on this important evening!
The Third Annual AISC RAPTORTHON! - A Message from Ms. Donna - Final Announcement
What better way to spend Valentine's Day, Sunday, Feb. 14, 7AM-10AM, than with friends and family doing something that is heart-healthy. This has proven to be a FUN event.
Raptorthon is a FUN FAMILY AND COMMUNITY EVENT that combines swimming and running. Participants will be required to swim 150m, run 1600m then jump back in the pool and swim another 150m.
Enter as an individual or as a team of two (one person swims and the other runs). The entry fee is 300 rupees per individual and 600 rupees per team. This is an AISC Community Event. Anyone grade 4 and older may participate! (Watch for more information and a sign-up link next week!!!) The money raised will be used to cover the cost of the event and any remaining money will benefit the Chennai Flood Relief.
After the event, there will be a potluck breakfast provided by the entrants. All participants will receive a certificate with their official time at the breakfast.
If you have any questions, please contact Donna Fava at: fdonna@aisch.org
Sincerely,
Joelle Basnight
High School Principal