October 26, 2012

We welcomed home our grade 7 students and teachers from their fantastic Week Without Walls experience in the Indian state of Karnataka. Some of the highlights included: an early morning bird walk with beautiful weather, sightings of fresh tiger foot prints and for some an actual tiger sighting! Students spent time at a local school sharing performances, and back at the resort students were entertained by participating in a talent show. There were also some great swim sessions, team building activities, and orienteering as well.  A cultural show, campfire, and marshmallow toasting rounded off the last night. On the way to the train station on the last day, students had the opportunity to visit a Tibetan settlement and to visit the Tibetan monastery. An incredible India experience! Please see below for a few pictures from their trip.

United Nations day this year started off with a whole school flag processional. Thank you to Mr. Shawn O’Docharty for his efforts in making this event happen.

Thank you to all of the parent volunteers and to the PTA for their time and effort in providing such wonderful learning opportunities with the international pavilions on Wednesday. I have heard appreciative comments from students and teachers. Thank you for adding to the students United Nations experience. 
We had our inaugural assembly in the new Performing Art Centre auditorium on Thursday in recognition of the United Nations day. We were treated to performances by the high school choir, band and to a mock debate with members for the Model United Nations club.

3-Way Conferences will be held on November 1^st from 4:00 -7:00 pm and on November 2nd from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. A 3-way conference actively involves parents, teachers AND students, therefore it is important that all parents bring their child to the conferences. The conferences are scheduled for 10 minutes with a five-minute passing time between conferences. Please bring your child and their progress report with you to the conferences.

Conference Sign-up: We are using an online system to schedule conference appointments.

o   Once you are logged in, you will see a list of teachers with a button next to each name.

o   Click on the button for your child’s teacher.

o   You will be asked to enter your child’s and your name, as well as your email address.

o   You will see a list of available conference times. You may pick one conference time for each teacher.

o   Repeat the process for the rest of your child’s teachers by using the link on the sidebar on the left.

o   Once you have finished making your appointments, a confirmation will be sent to you via email. Teacher room numbers will be given on the list.

You can gain access to this system by using the following link: http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/American_International_School_Chennai_2

*Parent sign-ups will close on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 4:00 pm. Appointments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis; once an appointment has been made with a teacher, that time will not be available to other parents. If for some reason you are unable to access the conference signup system or if you don't have access to the internet, you are welcome to use the computers in the Library.

Thank you to all of the parents that provided treats for our spooktacular middle school Halloween dance. A big thank you to our student activities club for the amazing decorations; the PAC cafeteria was transformed! A big thank you to Ms. Jaya and Ms. Victoria for coordinating the event, and to the following teacher supervisors for their gift of time: Ms. Bridget, Mr. Tommy, Ms. Laura, Mr. Ramu, Ms. Diane, and Ms. Mythili. You will find some pictures from the event in the photo album in the right hand margin.


Cabaret 2013 is here! Auditions will take place on November 15 and 16. The show will be January 19.

*Before students sign up, please read the performer audition tips 

*Students can sign their act up for auditions at the online performer signup

MC auditions will take place on Monday, November 19.

*Before students sign up, please read the MC audition tips

*Students can sign up for Master of Ceremony auditions at the online MC signup

There are no paper audition forms. Students collect all of the information before submitting the audition signup. For questions about performing in Cabaret, talk to Mr. Stewart in room 2702. For questions about hosting Cabaret as MC, speak with Ms. Kapadia in room 2301.

Dengue Symptoms, Causes and Treatment from the Nurse’s Office

The alarming rise in cases of dengue across cities in the country has become a cause of worry. It’s now more important than ever to be aware of the risk factors, and protect yourself. Prevention in this case, is truly better than cure.

What is dengue? Dengue is a disease caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes. Dengue cannot be spread directly from person to person, i.e., is not contagious. A person can only become infected by the bite of a mosquito that is infected with the dengue virus. It is important to note that these Mosquitoes bite during the daytime as well as night time.

Symptoms: Dengue usually begins with chills, headache, pain while moving the eyes, and backache. Persistent high fever is characteristic of dengue. Other symptoms to watch out for are exhaustion, backache, joint pains, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure and rash.

Treatment: As Dengue is caused by a virus, there is no specific treatment for it; treatment of dengue is typically concerned only with the relief of symptoms. People who show the symptoms mentioned above should immediately consult a physician. It is important to drink plenty of fluids, stay hydrated, and get as much rest as possible.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever: DHF is a more severe form of dengue and can be fatal if untreated. It tends to affect children under the age of ten, and causes abdominal pain, hemorrhage (bleeding), and circulatory collapse (shock).

Prevention: There is no vaccine to prevent dengue. Prevention of dengue requires eradication of the mosquitoes that carry this virus. This means high standards of hygiene and sanitation.

Avoid areas littered with garbage. All containers of stationary water (like drums or buckets) should be covered or discarded, including flower vases and pets' feeding bowls. If your area is infested with mosquitoes, wear long sleeves, use mosquito repellents and fumigate if necessary.

Natty Knitters Club: Calling all parents and students from aged 10 and up.  On Monday 29 October, we are starting a new club called Natty Knitters.  No official registration needed.  Note: this includes parents who want to learn too and anyone else who would like to share their expertise in knitting. From beginners to advanced, we can all learn something new - join us.

Natty Knitters meets Mondays in 3214   3:45-4:45 PM (3^rd floor above MS office) starting on Monday October 29 until June

Costs: Club members will need needles (purchased from me or independently).We have plenty of starter yarns to practice with.  Needles are 200 rupees. We also have a limited number of yarns purchased in the U.S. which club members can buy.

My grandmother taught me to knit when I was 8. Because knitting is such a constructive hobby, it has become my passion. Now, I knit mainly for my grandchildren, and there are many free knitting pattern sites you can access.  I want to share my passion with those who want to learn.

If you are also a knitter and would like to share your skills to teach others, please join us.

                     Bridget Gardner aka Nana Knitter gbridget@aisch.org for any questions.

Have a joyous weekend,

Ms. Michele

October 19, 2012

Dear Parents,

As the founding Middle School Principal, I have had the pleasure of creating a middle school from it's beginning six years ago. Through the collective efforts of committed educators and with the support of the School Board we have developed programs and practices that are consistent with world class middle schools.  I would like to announce that I will be leaving AISC at the end of this school year. My time here has been filled with truly memorable moments with students, staff, and parents; there is a wonderful community spirit that exists in our middle school.

We welcome home our grade 8 students and teachers from their amazing Week Without Walls experience in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Some of the highlights included: rappelling down a 30 meter wall, kayaking in the local lake,  an orienteering activity where students learned to use an electronic GPS in addition to the traditional compass,  team building experiences that gave the students the opportunity to show their leadership skills, and some local cultural experiences such as discussing and looking at examples of Warli art with a local Warli artist. Students were also treated to a Tarapa dance performance by the Warli people and some were even able to take part in the traditional circle dance. Please see below for a few pictures from their trip.

Our grade 7 group are having a wonderful time on their Week Without Walls trip to Nagarhole.  We will have pictures and an update on their adventures in next week's Principal's Notes. 

This year we will be marking  United Nations day (Wednesday, October 24^th) with a flag processional which will include all students with flags from the nations represented by AISC’s student body. The oldest student  in the whole school carries the flag, while the youngest in the whole school carries the country name sign. The flag processional will start at 8:50 am and parents are asked to gather in the gym to view the flag processional. Students will pause in the gym for flag celebration and photograph by country. Later in the day, students will be attending the parent organized International Pavilion. This student event will have the students visiting the country booths that will be set up in the gym.

 We encourage all students to dress in their national dress or colors of their country on this day.

We will also be having a UN assembly for secondary students in the morning of Tuesday, October 23 in the PAC auditorium. 

Thank you to all of the parents that attended the Middle School Principal Coffee. We will be following up on what was discussed. Thank you to Ms. Trish, Mr. Brian, Mr. Jason, Betsy Elad, Dee Coughlin, and Aditi Vasu for  facilitating this coffee meeting in my absence as I needed to travel back to British Columbia due to the passing of my father.

The Middle School Activities Club is busy organizing a Halloween Party for October 25 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Please note that there is no supervision from 4:00-6:00 pm, if students remain at school during this time they need to be under parental supervision. Please ensure that your child is picked up promptly at 8:00 pm and note that students are not permitted to leave early unless prior arrangements have been made with the Principal.

Progress Reports are issued at the mid-semester point in semester 1 and 2. This half way point in the semester provides a ‘snapshot’ of student’s progress. Progress Reports will be given to students on Oct. 25^th. 


We will be having our second professional development day for staff on October 26th. Please note that there is no school for students on this day.

3-Way Conferences will be held on November 1st from 4:00 -7:00 pm and on November 2nd from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.  
Information on the on-line scheduling of conference appointments with teachers will be sent out next week in a separate email to all middle school parents.
A 3-way conference actively involves  parents, teachers AND students, therefore it is important that all parents bring their child to the conferences. 3-way conferences acknowledge the most important participant in the learning process – the student. 
The conferences will be held in the teacher’s rooms and are scheduled for 10 minutes with a five-minute passing time between conferences. Since there is very little time between appointments, you may want to consider leaving a gap between appointments to allow time to get to the next appointment.
*Please bring your child and their progress report with you to the conferences.
*Please respect the needs of other parents and do not continue your discussion beyond the allotted time. If you feel you need additional time to speak with any of your child’s teachers you can schedule an appointment at a later date.
*Your child’s teachers will need to take short breaks from time to time. These will be posted on their conference schedule. 

Vision and Hearing Screening: Ms. Harlene, School Nurse
The school has hired professionals to come to the school and screen students. By

conducting these tests, doctors can screen for potential problems. If the doctors 

 suspect any problems, the school nurse will inform you so that you can take your 

child for further evaluation by professionals of your choice. 

The vision and hearing screening will be held at the Health Office from 6th-9th November 2012 during school hours.
Doctors conducting  the vision and hearing screening on the campus are: Dr Sudha and her team  from Madras ENT Research Foundation (P) Ltd.
1 Cross Street, 2nd Main Road, Raja Annamalaipuram,Chennai 600028. Dr Sudha and her team from " Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital, 19, Cathedral Road, Chennai.

October 12, 2012

Dear Parents,   

It was an exciting past weekend for our Raptor athletes. 

Our table tennis team showed wonderful sportsmanship while demonstrating their skills as players.  Both the girls and boys teams carried home the sportsmanship trophies as well as the girls placed second in team play and the boys placed third and fifth respectively.  Coaches Brian Hirsch and Kristie Nyugen are very proud of their players: Andre, Jungeun, Chaeyeon, Daniel, Henrik, Hee Won, Taeung, Vikram, Vishwaarth, Kyusong, and Taeung. Our athletes worked hard over the season getting up early and arriving for practices at 6:30 am; the team members were chosen after a series of selection rounds while improving their skills and game strategies over the six week season. Congratulations!




Our badminton team played very well.  The boys and girls teams placed 2nd overall in the tournament. The boys team acrued 1379 points overall, only 77 points behind the first place team. Our girls totaled 1160 points overall, just 30 points behind the first place team. Coaches Gopal K. and Bridget Gardner were very happy with the incredible progress this team made throughout the tournament.  Our athletes achieved six 1st place finishes and seven 2nd place finishes. Congratulations to our team members: Keshav, Kaviyan,  Ilari, Varun, Akira, Rahuul, Iniyan, Theo, Sigapi, Hitomi, Soojin, Yeri.

Our swim team placed 3rd overall in the SAISA swimming meet.  Our athletes achieved two age group first place trophies and the SAISA sportsmanship trophy.  The 10-12 age girls and 13-14 age boys were overall top point scorers coming away with gold trophies. Records were set all weekend with 11 of those records set by our own AISC swimmers.  Coaches Tommy Bohorquez, Marla Robertson Jones and Scott Larson were delighted with how the team performed. Click here to see a slideshow from the swim meet: http://www.youtube.com/user/AISCEVENTS?feature=mhee 

 

The grade 8 students had a wonderful experience on their Week Without Walls trip to the Indian state of Maharashtra. Some of the highlights included: rappelling down a 30 meter wall, kayaking in the local lake,  an orienteering activity where students learned to use an electronic GPS in addition to the traditional compass,  team building experiences that gave the students the opportunity to show their leadership skills, and some local cultural experiences such as discussing and looking at examples of Warli art with a local Warli artist. Students were also treated to a Tarapa dance performance by the Warli people and some were even able to take part in the traditional circle dance. I would like to extend a big thank you to the teachers for providing this opportunity for the students. 

Our grade 7 group are busy getting ready for their Week Without Walls trip this coming week.

It has been a long-standing tradition in our school to celebrate United Nations day (Wednesday, October 24^th)."The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights."  Taken from http://www.un.org/en/

This year we will be marking UN day with a whole school flag processional which will include all students with flags from the nations represented by AISC’s student body. The oldest student  in the whole school carries the flag, while the youngest in the whole school carries the country name sign. The flag processional will start at 8:50 am and parents are asked to gather in the gym to view the flag processional. Students will pause in the gym for flag celebration and photograph by country. 

Later in the day, students will be attending the parent organized International Pavilion. This student event will have the students visiting the country booths that will be set up in the gym.

 We encourage all students to dress in their national dress or colors of their country on this day.

We will also be having a UN Day assembly for secondary students in the morning of Tuesday, October 23 in the PAC auditorium. 

Middle School Principal Coffee for this month is scheduled for October 15 from 8:45 am-9:45 am. We will be discussing the following topics: heavy backpacks; lunch tables, queues, microwaves; community service; and time management. Ms. Trish, our Middle School Counselor will be facilitating this coffee meeting.

The Middle School Activities Club is busy organizing a Halloween Party for October 25 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Please note that there is no supervision from 4:00-6:00 pm, if students remain at school during this time they need to be under parental supervision. Please ensure that your child is picked up promptly at 8:00 pm and note that students are not permitted to leave early unless prior arrangements have been made with the Principal.

Progress Reports are issued at the mid-semester point in semester 1 and 2. This half way point in the semester provides a ‘snapshot’ of student’s progress. This is not a fixed or static mark as this mark will change as tasks are added through the remainder of the semester. Progress Reports will be given to students on Oct. 25^th.

Raptor Swim Club: Mini-Session

Try Outs: any grade 8 students that would like to be a part of the Raptor swim club can contact the ASA office for their try-out schedule as they were on their Week Without Walls trip this past week. Mr. Joaquin Hildebrandt will be the Head Coach. He will have qualified swim teachers/coaches assisting him to run this swim club for 7 week mini session from October 20^th - December 14^th. AISC swimmers who are interested in swimming competitively or working on their swimming strokes or fitness are encouraged to try out for the AISC Swim Club. Please note that only proficient swimmers will be eligible for the club. Registrations will go through the ASA office (registration forms will be given only after eligibility level is determined). Registration Dates: October 15^th - 17^th through room No: 2142 B (ASA Office) from 9.00- 10.00 am. Fees: Rs.1500/- per child for the 7 weeks.

October 5th, 2012

Dear Parents,  

Go Raptors! There is a lot of excitement in the school today with the start of the SAISA swimming tournament. We welcome students and coaches from five international schools. I encourage you to come out this weekend and cheer on the athletes. If you want to watch the swim meet live you can view it from our school web site or click: http://www.livestream.com/aisch. A special thank you to all of the staff and parents that are volunteering at this event, and thank you to all hosting families. This event could not happen without your support.

The ASIAC Middle School Badminton & Table Tennis Teams have arrived safely in Delhi, everyone is in high spirits and they have started their tournament play. Check out the updates posted on the Athletics’ page. 

Thank you to the parents that attended the technology meeting regarding the grade 6 laptop pilot project. Our technology department will be working with the teachers and the students on the logistical aspects of the pilot. A few notes regarding the pilot that were shared at the information meeting include: Every child will use a dedicated laptop. Laptops are charged in the core classes overnight. Laptops will be taken only to their core classes (math, science, language arts, and social studies). Students will not take laptops home. Students will complete a Digital Citizenship Project.

Raptor Swim Club: Mini-Session

Try Outs after school @ the pool 3.30- 4.30 pm on Tuesday October 9^th, Wednesday October 10^th, Thursday October 11^th and Saturday October 12^th from 10.00 - 11.30 am

Mr. Joaquin Hildebrandt will be the Head Coach. He will have qualified swim teachers/coaches assisting him to run this swim club for 7 week mini session from October 20^th - December 14^th.

AISC Swimmers who are interested in swimming competitively or working on their swimming strokes or fitness are encouraged to try out for the AISC Swim Club. Please note that only proficient swimmers will be eligible for the club.

Registrations will go through the ASA office (registration forms will be given only after eligibility level is determined). Registration Dates: October 15^th - 17^th through room No: 2142 B (ASA Office) from 9.00- 10.00 am. Fees: Rs.1500/- per child for the 7 weeks.

How to try out:
·        Swimmers should come to the pool deck prepared to swim.
·        Swimmers please carry your suit, goggles, cap or have their hair tied back
·        They will be asked to swim a minimum of 2 lengths of the pool using at least 2 competitive swim strokes (front crawl/freestyle breast stroke, back stroke or butterfly).
·        The Instructors will assign an ability level for each swimmer and they will be grouped
·        Parents will be informed if the student is not eligible for the Swim Club.
·        After the ability levels are determined, the parents will be informed of the swim day for their child.
·        Refunds will not be given on ASAs already in session if they conflict.

Middle School Principal Coffee for this month is scheduled for October 15 from 8:45 am-9:45 am. We will be discussing the following topics: heavy backpacks; lunch tables, queues, microwaves; community service; and time management. Ms. Trish, our Middle School Counselor will be facilitating this coffee meeting.

The Middle School Activities Club is busy organizing a Halloween Party for October 25 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Please note that there is no supervision from 4:00-6:00 pm, if students remain at school during this time they need to be under parental supervision. Please ensure that your child is picked up promptly at 8:00 pm and note that students are not permitted to leave early unless prior arrangements have been made with the Principal.

Progress Reports are issued at the mid-semester point in semester 1 and 2. This half way point in the semester provides a ‘snapshot’ of student’s progress. This is not a fixed or static mark as this mark will change as tasks are added through the remainder of the semester. Progress Reports will be given to students on Oct. 25^th.

Ms. Michele