25 April

Dear Middle School Parents,

It has been great to see so many parents around for the Three-Way Conferences today. Please remember that the Portfolio Presentation will take place on Wednesday, 30 April at either 1:30, 2:30 or 3:30, which is the same time as you had for yesterday. The conferences will start at 4:00pm, with the same appointment times as you had previously booked.

If you have a conflict with the new date--Wednesday, 30 April,  please contact Ms. Aziz in the Middle School Office.

Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Testing: 21 - 30 April

MAP testing started last week and will continue for this coming week. Please remind your children to charge the laptops each night, especially during testing weeks. There is no preparation required for MAP testing. We do, however,  recommend that students get adequate sleep and a good breakfast before they come to school for the MAP test.

Counseling Corner

Departing Students and Transitions - Why are transitions so hard?

As we are approaching the end of the school year, we also face with the departures of friends. Here is something from our counselor, Ms. Trish, to keep in mind:

“LOSS is at the core of every transition”

Things to do before you go:

1. Tell your friends how important their friendships have been. Perhaps leave them some memento of a special time you have shared.

2. Schedule time for your farewells: friends, neighbors, pets, teachers
1. Write a note or make a visit or bake some cookies to bring over to say “Thank you for being a special person! I will miss you!”

3. Visit the places that you will miss and say goodbye. You can even bury a secret object there so part of you will always be left behind there.

4. Take some photographs for memories.

5. Choose some sacred objects to take with you to remember the life you had here and special place that you lived in.

6. Talk and share with friends, family and teachers, how you are feeling.

Finally……..“Think Destination”…..learn something about where you are going. Connect with someone or something there.

Know your interests and Get Involved in your new environment and school.  Do the things that make you happiest!

High School Spring Concert, Friday May 2

Friday @ Five is going to be so much fun next week that it is spilling over its label. Friday @ Five, starting at 4:30 on Friday, May 2, will feature the High School Symphonic Band, Advanced Choir, and more. And if you liked the Jazz Band's rocking performance at last week's PTA Brunch at the Westin Hotel, then you'll love their new tunes. Listen for the guitar solo! A special guest appearance by multi-talented high school teacher Ms. Rachel Kessler ensures everyone will have a good time! Plus, there won't be many dry eyes in the house as our graduating seniors perform their last-ever concert at AISC. Come witness our seniors' final musical triumph of their high school careers.

Join us next Friday, May 2 for the High School Spring Concert, exclusively at Friday @ Five Four-Thirty.

Have a good weekend.

Alan Phan

Middle School Principal

17 April

Dear Middle School Parents,

In preparation for the Three-Way Conferences on Thursday and Friday on 24 (4:00pm to 7:00pm)  and 25 April,  please remember to bring your child’s report card, come with questions and be sure that your child attends to the conferences. Earlier in the year, I shared what the author Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, from the Harvard Family Research Group, said about conferences. She

“believes children should be present at parent-teacher conferences — after all, she argues, they’re the only ones who know completely what’s going on both at home and at school.“Children can be wonderful authorities, very wise, very honest, very candid, very insightful about what their experience is,” Lawrence-Lightfoot said during a PBS NewsHour piece. “And that’s a valuable perspective to have in a parent/teacher conference.”            

MS Coffee

Please remember to join us for the the last Middle School Coffee will take place on Tuesday, 22 April. Mr. Phan will be discussing the changes for next year: Schedule, Math Progression, World Language and Fine Arts contact time and the students, along with the advisors, Ms. Trish and Mr. Jet, will present Peer Mediation Program.

MS Choir Concert

There will be a special concert on Wednesday, 23 April at 5:00pm in the FAC Auditorium. Our choir students will perform and we will also have guests from Crotchets and Quavers, a local children’s choir in Chennai as guests who will perform as well. Please mark your calendar to listen to some wonderful music.

Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Testing: 21 - 30 April

MAP testing starts on Monday, 21 April. Please remind your children to charge the laptops each night, especially during testing weeks. There is no preparation required for MAP testing. We do, however,  recommend that students get adequate sleep and a good breakfast before they come to school for the MAP test.

Counseling Corner

As we are approaching the end of the school year, we also face with the departures of friends. Here is something from our counselor, Ms. Trish, to keep in mind:

Helping children say goodbye…..

When children face a move, they deal with the nervous anticipation of moving to a new place and the heartbreak of saying goodbye to friends. Not to mention the total lack of control over the situation.

Help Your Child Look to the Future

Be honest with your child about how he or she can stay in touch with old friends. If you’ll be able to visit your old town, let your child know that you can visit friends in the future. If you won’t be able to visit, focus on other ways to stay in touch.

• Explain to a young child that he or she can stay in touch with friends via social media, email or by the old-fashion method mailing letters and drawings.

Help Your Child Plan a Farewell Party

Before the move, plan a farewell party and invite your child’s friends. Do not make the farewell party a surprise. Your child could become depressed if it seems like no one cares that he or she is leaving. Make sure your child is involved in planning the party. This will give your child control over some aspect of the situation.

Tips to make the most of a farewell party:

• Take pictures at the party and make a scrapbook. (Polaroid pictures are fun because guests can write a note on the image.)
• Take a group photo of everyone at the party. Have everyone at the party sign a large white mat that can later be used to frame the image.
• Make a video to have friends record a message.
• Have your child’s friends make handprints on or write messages on a T-shirt, a bed sheet or a banner.

Sources: http://www.allconnect.com

Academic Corner

The Middle School Art Show is coming up on the afternoon 7th of May. Students are currently working with photography medium and they will be selecting their piece for the show. We will have more details in the coming weeks.

Grade 6: Students are working individually or collaboratively on a self-directed project of their own choice. The mediums are limitless, so they can choose to work digitally (video production/ graphic design/ digital imaging) or with traditional techniques (drawing, painting, sculpture, etc.). There are also a few groups focusing on installation art and mixed media!

Grade 7: Students are focusing on photography: cyanotype contact prints (also known as sun prints-this is where blueprints originated from, and scientists also used this contact printing method to document plants), then they will be moving onto digital imaging via Photoshop. They will have a choice for their final project before the art show

Grade 8: Students are working the same project as Grade 6 with an emphasis in developing their topic through in-depth research, planning, and reflection. They work individually or collaboratively on a self-directed project of their own choice. The mediums are limitless, so they can choose to work digitally (video production/ graphic design/ digital imaging) or with traditional techniques (drawing, painting, sculpture, etc.). There are also a few groups focusing on installation art and mixed media!

Have a good long weekend.

Alan Phan

Middle School Principal

11 April

Dear Middle School Parents,

FRIDAYS@5 Presents  --BLOOD BROTHER--

Today, Friday, April 11th, AISC’s Fridays@5 series will present a screening of the documentary, Blood Brother.  

Please remember that this documentary deals with mature subject matter, and while each family must decide what is suitable for their children, we feel this film is most appropriate for students in and above 8th grade. Middle school students will not be admitted alone without express consent of parents given to MS Principal, Alan Phan.

MS Portfolio Presentation and Three-Way Conferences

Today, students were given an invitation for you to come and participate in the portfolio presentation. Please mark your calendar for this time on Thursday, 24 April.

With guidance from their teachers, students have been given time in class to create their e-portfolios. It is completely student-driven and student-created. In the next couple of weeks, they will be finalizing their e-portfolios, selecting the work they will share with you and reflecting on why they have chosen these pieces to share.

During this time, it will be a process where students engage in a meaningful dialogue with their family about goals, accomplishments, and learning. The aim of the conference is to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning and share their academic progress with their families. This format gives students the opportunity to:

o  Reflect on their academic performance,

o  Take accountability for their own work,

o  Improve organizational and communication skills,

o  Include their parents in their learning experiences,

o  Learn to set and achieve realistic goals,

o  Take pride in their achievements.

The Three-Way Conference (student, parent and teacher) will take place on 24 (4:00 pm to 7:00 pm)  and 25 April. We will be sending directions to sign up for the conferences in a separate email.

NESA Science Fair

Congratulations to all our 8th grade students for a successful local science fair competition.  Our top 5 projects will move on to Round 2, the NESA international competition. Good luck to our finalist!

Place	Project	Students
First	Vacuum's Effect on the Freshness of Guava	Vishnu Sriram and Adam Galametz
Second	Water Air Filter	Maria-Luisa Luedecke and Kadambari Balasubramanian
Three	Algae Uptake	Hana  Suzuki and Marguerite Franchot
Fourth	LED Water Purification	Valerio Dussizza and Jeseo Pyun
Fifth	Plant Water Extraction through Transpiration	Sejin Park and Uday Saharia

              

Special thanks to: Mr. Thompson, Mr. Sager, Mr. Ross, Ms. Kanthi and Mr. Ramesh for all the hard work and long hours helping all our students be successful.

MS Coffee

The last Middle School Coffee will take place on Tuesday, 22 April at 8:45 in the BBT. Mr. Phan will be discussing the changes for next year: Schedule, Math Progression, World Language and Fine Arts contact time and Peer Mediation.

Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Testing: 21 - 30 April

MAP testing will begin on Monday, 21 April. There is no preparation required for MAP testing. We do, however,  recommend that students get adequate sleep and a good breakfast before they come to school for the MAP test. Please also remember to schedule any appointments outside of these dates.

Service Learning World Cafe

Creating a culture of service learning at the American International School-Chennai is a community effort! Voices of students, parents and faculty are key as we strive to envision service learning at our school. Bring your creativity and confidence to our World Cafe session and join a conversation that will help shape the future of learning at AISC.  Together we will explore the possibilities of creating collaborative relationships with NGO's and corporations. We will also begin thinking about service learning opportunities within our own community.  Please join us, on April 16th or April 29th from 3:45-4:45 in the FAC cafeteria for this exciting work. We value our community's ideas about making service learning a meaningful part of our lives and look forward to seeing you there.

MS Choir Concert

There will be a special concert on Wednesday, 23 April at 5:00 pm in the FAC Auditorium. Our choir students will perform and we will also have guests from Crotchets and Quavers, a local children’s choir in Chennai as guests who will perform as well. Please mark your calendar to listen to some wonderful music.

MUN Trip

Our Middle School MUN group will be going on their first MUN trip in the history of AISC. They are very excited to be joining students from 13 other international schools in the region at the Taipei American School in Taiwan. The students representing AISC are:

Grade 6	Grade 7	Grade 8
Arya Deepak Raval Karthik Narayanan	Medhya Dwaraknath Yoon Jung Kim Tarun B Krishna	Hye Rin An Moeka Murata SeoHui Park Sigapi Muthiah Sanghyeok Lee Sehun Lee Uday Saharia Vishnu K Sriram

Have a great weekend.

Alan Phan

Middle School Principal