Dear Students and Parents,
Schedule for Next Two Weeks
The week of March 29th is a short week given the holiday on April 1. Grades 9 - 11 will study virtually at home. Grade 12 students who are cleared to come to campus will study at school on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Friday is a holiday and no classes will be in session.
The week of April 5 is also a short week. Monday, April 5th is virtual student parent teacher conferences and, so, no classes will be in session. Tuesday, April 6th, school is closed for elections. Grades 9 - 11 will study virtually
Progress Reports Available Soon
Mid-semester progress reports will be available online on March 31st at 4:00 pm. Please review the report with your child in preparation for conferences.
As a reminder, progress reports indicate a student’s academic achievement to date. There is plenty of time for students to set achievement goals and attain them before the end of the year.
Virtual Student Parent Teacher Conferences - April 5 - Link Live
The second semester student parent teacher conferences will be virtual and, as such, all students will remain at home on April 5th. Parents are encouraged to sign up for conferences using this link.
Conferences will be hosted on Zoom unless a parent specifically requests a phone call directly from the teacher. All Zoom links and pass codes can be accessed here. Upon clicking the link parents will be in the “waiting room” until their conference time begins.
Classroom Set Up - An Update from Ryan McFarland
The United States CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) released a Science Brief on March 19th with ample research-based findings on physical distancing in schools. Thanks in part to the state-by-state approach to safety measures in the US, there was a whole range of approaches and data to consider.
The importance of mask wearing is still highlighted. 6 feet of distance between people is still essential when not masked while eating, but the CDC now suggests that less distance does not have a significant impact on transmission in schools.
While we are not redefining social distancing at AISC, we are analyzing classrooms to determine which can accommodate some additional desks while still honoring our social distancing norms. Our early calculations for distancing gave each student a certain radius of distance (from other people, but also from walls/furnishings/windows) based on the square footage of the rooms and we standardized all rooms with the same number of students. Looking forward, we know some rooms are larger or are configured in such a way that a few additional students can fit safely and in compliance with all norms and regulations. As such, families should note that some rooms may not require a secondary learning space depending upon the configuration of the room and, in such cases, a class of 11 - 15 students will be able to learn safely in a single space together.
SAVE THE DATE! HS Spring Production; So We Can Flourish - A Note from Mr. Luna
Save the date for So We Can Flourish (25th Anniversary Production), written by Seoyoung Ryu, premiering on Thursday April 8th @ 7pm.
A group of explorers sit on a beach, staring at the world in front of them. A city spread across the coast;
a collage of futuristic IT parks, rubbled buildings and ancient temples. In the middle of it all; an oasis
of learning. Over the course of 25 years, the explorers, who are resilient, empathetic, thinkers,
and innovators, try to uncover what it means to truly flourish.
This original production is based on real life interviews of AISC community members,
conducted and composed by senior year student Seoyoung Ryu ('21), retelling their stories of the
school's impact and growth with Chennai over the past 25 years. The production features original
costume designs by Anjali Seshadri ('24), Erin Sullivan ('24), Hera Kwak ('21), Kavya Krishnan ('24)
and Yejin Choi ('23) and a proposed set design by SJ Lee ('22).
Ticketing information and the official website will be available SOON.
A Message from the IT/Communications Offices
We’re building a new AISC website and UK-based Interactive Schools is helping us do it! Our needs have evolved beyond our existing (and beloved!) website and it’s time for a refresh. And you can support us by taking part in focus groups that will help us gain insights into our needs and the kinds of stories we want to tell prospective community members and each other.
Students and parents are welcome to participate and the time commitment is only 30 minutes in mid-April. If you’d like to take part, fill out this form to show your interest.
Focus Group Dates:
Student Focus Group (30m): Tuesday, 13th April at 3:30 p.m. IST
Parent Focus Group (30m): Thursday, 15th April 2:00 p.m. IST
Thank you for your support, Students and Parents!
Sincerely,
Joelle Basnight
High School Principal
