Dear Middle School Parents,
Again, we have a plethora of events going on in our school right before the break. Please look out for MAP Scores today, the Halloween Dance this evening, UN Day next Wednesday and progress reports next Friday. You will find more information below regarding the items mentioned.
For the Halloween Dance tonight, it will be a long day for the teachers who will be chaperoning the dance; please remember to pick up your children promptly at 8:00pm. With the Friday traffic, please plan your trip accordingly. We appreciate your cooperation.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Middle School Social Events for Students:
Who runs these events? At the Middle School, students who have joined the Activities Club work with three advisors (Ms. Jaya, Ms. Lakshmi, and Mrs. Hall) on a weekly basis to plan various social events throughout the year.
What are the events this year? Typically there is a Pool Party, a Halloween party, a Winter Party, a Friendship Party, a School Spirit Week, a Movie Night, and an End of Year party.
What do the students do at these parties? A disc jockey plays middle school appropriate music and students socialize together. There is pizza, popcorn, chips, and drinks. Students are supervised by middle school teacher volunteers.
What can parents do to help? For the parties we ask parents to supply some baked goods such as cupcakes, cookies, or easily served sweet or savory snacks. We kindly request that these are finger foods that are easily served and are in small portions. Please do not include nuts in any of the food items and clearly label any item that is non-veg. The Class moms usually send out a request for these and follow up reminders. (No baked goods are needed for the Pool Party)
Is there a cost for these events? Students in the Club sell tickets the week of the event. The tickets are usually 200Rs in advance, 250Rs at the door. Student must pay with cash- students cannot use the school's smart cards for this. The money is spent on the refreshments, the disc jockey, the decorations, and any additional costs related to the events (movie rental, lighting, etc)
Can my child leave at any time? We are responsible for supervising your child during the event, therefore, please communicate in writing to the Principal before the event if your child needs to leave early for any reason.
Where can I pick up my child after the party? Students are dismissed from the party and are required to leave by the main gate. Please pick up your child there promptly. The timings for the events are published in the Community calendar. (The Pool Party timings are from 4:00 to 6:00)
Can my child bring a friend who is not a student at AISC or a younger/older sibling? As this is a middle school event and because we need to have a complete list of all students attending the event for security/safety reasons, these events are only open to middle school students enrolled at AISC.
Thank you for your understanding.
UN Day Reminder
One of AISC’s amazing traditions is the celebration of UN Day, which this year takes place on October 23. Historically, this has been an assembly for the whole school with parents invited, which included brief speeches, performances, and a Parade of Flags.
The United Nations was originally formed to promote international cooperation and achieve global peace and security, and seeing our students learn and create together, I have the sense that we are continuing that same work right here in our school. I cannot think of a more symbolic day to celebrate our community composed of so many cultures and backgrounds.
We are a big community now and, despite our very best intentions, it has become increasingly challenging to plan and execute an all-school assembly. Even with our auditorium, we cannot accommodate all students. (We have 945 students and about 805 seats.) In an ES assembly three weeks ago, the auditorium was virtually filled with students and parents.
Last year, we had the UN Day event in the gymnasium and, for the first time, included every student in the Parade of Flags. This year, we want to try to continue this tradition in auditorium. K-12 students will gather in the gymnasium between 8.30 and 8.50 and proceed to the auditorium for the beginning of the parade at 9:05. The PK students will gather in the auditorium lobby and then lead the school, with the UN Flag, when the parade begins. PK students will exit the auditorium when they finish their role in the parade.
Once our K-5 students finish their role in the parade each of them will be seated in the auditorium for this event. We will need parent support as seating will be limited. (Parents can watch the event “live” in the ES cafeteria as well.)
Once our 6-12 students complete the parade, they will proceed downstairs and be seated in the cafeteria with live streaming of the assembly in the auditorium.
Our program for the morning is:
8:30: Auditorium opens
8:50: Welcome, Head of School
8:55: Remarks, Model United Nations Secretary General, Student
9:00: Dona Nobis, Community Choir
9:05: Parade of Flags
9:35: Remarks, High School Student Council President
9:40: Bridge Over Troubled Waters, HS/MS Choirs
9:45: Closing, Head of School
10:30: Parents, Country Pavilions for Students (Gymnasium)
Are you interested in watching the event from work or home?
We will live stream this assembly. Go to our Events page to watch between 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, October 23.
Are you interested in a DVD after the event?
Sometimes filming or getting pictures during an event is too difficult. Too many photographers at an event can be a distraction. We will be giving DVDs of the event to anyone who asks. Stay tuned for ordering directions.
How does the parade work?
Students will be marching under their citizenship of record as listed in Skyward. ES teachers will help students make sure they are with the right group on the morning of the assembly. If students wish to wear national dress, they are welcome to do so. If you have questions about this, please contact your classroom teacher or our Admissions Director, Sanja Ilic ( admissionsdirector@aisch.org ).
MAP Scores
We will be sending out MAP scores home today so please ask your children for their copy. Please remember that this is just one snapshot of a student’s academic performance. If you have any questions regarding the scores, please feel free to contact me.
After School Activities (ASA)
Raptors Swim Club (Monday – Thursday) and Beginners Swim lessons (Mini Session on Fridays) are in progress. Both sessions end on December 13, 2013.
ARC Swim club (Saturdays) ends on December 7th, just before we go for our Winter break. Parents please make note.
Drama brings you an Americanized Indian Musical filled with Pop, Rock, Bollywood & Indian Folk Music combined with new-age theatre and histrionics. This is an honest attempt of an original production with an original script and cast adapted to instill the creativity of every child involved in the production. The production will premiere on Friday - December 6, 2013. Please save your date with us.
Have a good weekend!
Alan Phan
Middle School Principal