Dear Students and Parents,
It has been thrilling to welcome new and returning students and families to the 2021-2022 school year. Students and teachers had two days of HS Orientation and all had their first classes together. Thank you for all of the reading, listening, thinking, sharing and learning this past week. The year is off to a great start.
I wanted to share with you a couple of a videos
The first contains information that we have shared with all students this past week about our virtual learning model, including modules and attendance.
The second is from our HS Raptor Agents, our student ambassadors, sharing their welcome to the school year 2021-2022.
Student Handbook - Please review and Signature Pages
The High School Handbook is an important document for all families to reference. You can view a copy of the handbook on our website.
Kindly take some time to review the handbook. We ask that all students and parents sign the final page of the handbook acknowledging an understanding of the key parts referring to rules and expectations. This year you can sign the page virtually by clicking here.
Grade 12 Families - Save the Date - Grade 12 College Night
On Tuesday, August 17th, the counselors will host our annual Grade 12 College Night to walk families through the university admissions process. Families are encouraged to look out for an email with the video conference link and password.
Support for Students in Timezones in Europe/Africa and the Americas
Starting next week in Module 1, we will be offering support for students currently located in timezones that present challenges to attending all classes on IST - in Europe/Africa and the Americas. We will communicate with students and families currently located in those timezones directly about the supports, directly on Monday. Supports include:
A Discovery Crew option for students in the Americas. This Crew will meet before school from 7:45-8:20 IST am each Tuesday, starting Tuesday, August 10th.
A Wellbeing Monday option for students in the Americas from 7:30-8:30 am IST. First Wellbeing Monday is Monday, August 16th.
Support for taking assessments that occur during a block that is difficult to attend due to timezone. These would occur as needed on the day of the assessment, either before school IST (Americas) or after school IST (Europe/Africa)
Individual support as needed to help students manage missed synch meetings and communication with teachers.
Standards Based Assessment and Reporting (SBAR)
The high school uses standards-based assessment and reporting for all courses. Teachers award scores using a 1 - 8 scale four times per year (October, January, March, and June) using common reporting achievement strands and common learning habits ratings. Details about the grading and reporting system can be found on page 44 of the High School Handbook or by accessing this informational document.
In addition to formal reports, students will receive regular informal feedback from teachers in class including verbal comments and written feedback on small assignments (eg: exit tickets, short quizzes). At least once before each summative assessment, students will receive formal feedback on a more comprehensive formative assessment. Formative assessments are assessments for learning and help students identify areas of strength and growth in preparation for their summative assessment. Such assessments are reflected in PowerSchool but are not used in determining final scores.
At least once per unit, students will complete a summative assessment. Such assessments provide feedback on the proficiency of the standards related to the unit. Performance on summative assessments determines a student’s final score in the course based on recent, most consistent performance. In the high school, the last three summative assessments of the semester (which may include the student’s semester examination) are used as the data, alongside the strand and holistic rubrics, to determine the final score in the course at the end of each reporting period. The rubrics for each specific to each class can be found linked to the course syllabus. A link to all course syllabi will be circulated in next Friday’s notes.
New Families - Save the Date - First Parent Coffee - SBAR
Our first high school virtual parent coffee will take place on Tuesday, August 31sh, from 8:45 - 9:45 am. This coffee is aimed to get parents new to high school up to speed on our Standards-Based Assessment and Reporting (SBAR) system. While returning parents in grades 10 - 12 are welcome to attend, please note that no new information will be shared.
PowerSchool/Schoology Reporting Dates
Families will receive regular updates about academic progress throughout the year. Progress reports with scores and comments are sent home and posted online in the middle of each semester. Report cards are sent home at the end of each semester. Approximately once per month in between these official reports, teachers will update their marks in our new student information system PowerSchool for your review. We call this a “Progress Update.”
For your information the reporting periods this academic year will be as follows:
August 30 at 8:00 am Progress Update
September 3 at 8:00 am Progress Update
October 13 at 3:30 pm S1 Progress Reports with comments
November 19 at 8:00 am Progress Update
January 21 at 3:30 pm S1 Report Cards with comments
February 25 at 8:00am Progress Update
March 30 at 3:30 pm S2 Progress Reports with comments
May 6 at 8:00am Progress Update
June 8 at 3:30pm S2 Report Cards available for students
Student Schedule Changes - Repeat Announcement
As we are beginning the year virtually, we have extended the drop/add period for schedule change until Monday, August 16th at 4:00 pm. This deadline is in place to help students settle into their classes as soon as possible. Students who wish to change their schedules should contact Ms. Priya (spriya@aischennai.org) to schedule a meeting with their counselor. Please note that priority will be given to students without a full schedule. After all students are fully scheduled counselors will begin meeting with students about changes.
Schedule changes made during this time do not require a parent’s signature. This means that it is important for families to discuss potential schedule changes before the student meets with their counselor. If a family feels strongly that no schedule changes should take place without written parent permission, they are encouraged to contact the appropriate counselor.
It is our expectation that students made wise choices regarding their schedules last spring during the registration process. We expect students to pursue schedule changes only when necessary. Our counseling staff works very hard to balance classes and respond to all students’ needs.
A copy of the master schedule for planning purposes can be found here.
Attendance and Intervention in the Virtual Space - Repeat Announcement
As you are aware, our school policy is to require 85% attendance in order to be eligible for credit in a course. This is normally calculated by block and is based on physical presence. In a virtual space, attendance takes on a different guise and the focus is really on engagement rather than physical presence.
As was indicated in the introductory video (linked above), we will be following our regular school timetable organized by two week modules. All of the required information for each module will be reflected in PowerSchool. This will include engagement expectations linked to participation and attendance. A full explanation of the HS attendance policy is here.
Sincerely,
Mike Malone
High School Principal
