Dear Students and Parents,
Next week is the final week for the Class of 2021! Congratulations! Starting next week we will be sharing celebrations via email and in these notes in the run up to Graduation on May 29th. You can watch the countdown here.
Next week is also the final week of new material and regular assessments for grades 9 - 11. Alternative final assessments are due the week of May 24th while those classes with traditional exams will be reviewing.
The Digital Yearbook is Ready - a Note from the Yearbook Staff
This year's yearbook is out in digital form! Physical copies of the yearbook will eventually be sent to AISC. Meanwhile, given the situation we are in, this might be useful for the end of year to view and sign each other's copies.
To view the yearbook, use this link and password:
Link: https://panel.flipbuilder.com/accessdenied?bookUrl=xqxb/ovwb/
Authorization ID: AISC@yearbook2021
Note: when you login, ignore the message (ACCESS DENIED). Add the password in the box and login. This will take you to the digital version of the yearbook.
Additionally, Jostens has created a digital signing option this year too (same as last year).
Jostens says, "The Yearbook Digital Signing Pages solution provides students with a fun, free and interactive web-based experience that results in a printable permanent keepsake. It is now live and available to all students. As with many websites, the signing website requires users to be 13 years of age or older. This requirement is included in the terms and conditions when a new user registers. As such, for middle or junior high and elementary schools the marketing materials encourage a parent to set up and administer the site for their students. It’s been a year like no other. Lots of special traditions have been cancelled — but not this one. Yearbook signing lives on. Funny messages. Sweet scribbles. Heartfelt notes. All of the typical yearbook signing customs get to live on for the rest of time. And they’re all just a click away. Get signing today."
If you wish to have friends or teachers sign your yearbook, you can set up an account following the steps below. In the end, you are able to print or save to pdf everything that is written to you. Your signature pages will only be accessible to those with whom you share the link.
To create your account, go to: yearbook signing.jostens.com. Check out this video for an overview of how to get started. Happy signing!
Grade 9 - 11 Semester Exam Schedules
Here is the updated Exam Week schedule for this semester. You will see that the India/East Asia time table is unchanged while a second time table has been added for students in Europe, North America and South America.
Mr. Malone will be sending zoom invitations to students shortly. Students will receive invites for the IST schedule unless they have indicated on this quick form that they may be traveling. Again, the travel form is not binding but it will allow us to make sure the invite for the alternative time is sent.
All exams for students in India and East Asia will begin at 9:00 am and 1:00 pm IST. Students are asked to be in the Zoom exam room 15 minutes early.
For students in Europe, North America and South America we will run one exam session a day (see schedule below). The start time is as follows:
US Pacific Time - 8:00 am
US Easter Time - 11:00 am
UK and Tunisia - 4:00 pm
Europe - 5:00 pm
Turkey - 6:00 pm
Students are asked to be in the Zoom exam room 15 minutes early.
Exam.net will be used for all traditional semester exams. Students have used this software in the past for summative assessments. Exam.net provides a lockdown browser to support academic honesty. Any students who have questions about this interface should contact Mr. Malone before May 21st.
A Note from the All School Counseling Department
Transitions are challenging in the best of times. It’s always hard to say goodbye to friends, teachers, and other community members, and COVID-19 has made this challenging period of transition even more difficult. What are some ways we can support our community through these transitions?
Doug Ota, in his book Safe Passage: How mobility affects people & what international schools should do about it, posits that all students are impacted by transition in different ways and that every member of our community goes through periods of arriving, staying, and leaving:
Arrivers - students that are new to the school community
Stayers - students that have been in the school community for a while and are planning to stay
Leavers - students that are transitioning out of the school community
Ota’s idea is that transition impacts everyone in our community. It is important to acknowledge the grief that accumulates from continuous transitions regardless of the age of the person when the transition took place.
Counselors, teachers, and administrators throughout the school are here to help students transition during this challenging time. Here are some helpful transition resources whether your family is arriving, leaving, or staying at AISC:
In the Time of Corona: Strategies for Grief & Loss, Transitions & Celebrations, Grief and Gratitude
Safe Passage Across Networks: What SPAN has to do with COVID-19
The Transition that Never Ends: The Ongoing Cycle of Expat Stayers, Goers, and Newbies
Remember that the counselors are here to support. Please reach out to us!
Library Use - Update from Ms. Babs - Repeat Announcement
The AISC libraries have stopped providing curbside checkout service and book delivery to classrooms because of protocols put in place to safeguard library staff. The return boxes will remain at the main and ES entrances, so library materials can be returned at any time. Thank you and please let Babs know if you have any questions.
Returning School Materials - Repeat Announcement
Whether your family decides to depart India before or after the end of the semester, we will be contacting families with a list of school materials which should be returned to the school before departure. Families are welcome to drop these items at security whenever convenient, but before June 3, in a well marked bag with the student’s name and grade level clearly visible.
Requesting School Records - Repeat Announcement
As the end of the school year approaches, many families will need copies of school records. Please contact Ms. Priya to make arrangements. Records pertaining to last semester and before can be made available immediately. Records for this semester will be available for Grade 12 after May 27 and for grades 9 - 11 after June 10.
Summer Programs - A Note from Counseling - Repeat Announcements
Summer programs can be a way to experience something new and to enrich your learning. If you are interested in diving deeper into a subject that you are passionate about or want to explore, check out the Summer Programs listed here. Many of the programs will be virtual this summer. Please let your counselor know if you have any questions!
Sincerely,
Joelle Basnight
High School Principal
