21 November

Dear Middle School Parents,

We are in the spirit of keeping students healthy and keeping them and you involved. Ready to participate in a fun community event? Need a reason to get in shape? Ms. Donna Fava, our Aquatics Director, will be putting on AISC's SECOND ANNUAL RAPTORTHON - Swim 150m/Run 1600m/Swim 150m - will take place on Sunday, December 14th! Great for the whole family! Participate as an individual or as a team (one swimmer, one runner).  The event will be followed by a potluck breakfast and the awarding of certificates. Watch for more details in the near future. Contact Donna Fava at: fdonna@aisch.org if you have any questions!

It’s also Thanksgiving time in the US and we think about what we are thankful for and think about how we can help others as well. The High School National Honor Society (NHS) will be holding a Food Drive starting 1st December. Please support the NHS students and the local community.

Middle School Coffee

The next Middle School Coffee will be on Tuesday, 25 November @8:45 in the BBT. We will be discussing and introducing you to standards-based grading and reporting in the Middle School. This will be one of many meetings we will have regarding this topic.

Withdrawing Students

Any students that are withdrawing will need to contact Ms. Aziz in the middle school office a minimum of two weeks prior to the withdrawal date to ensure all necessary documents can be compiled in a timely manner. Records from AISC are usually required by the next school. However, it takes us some time to prepare these records. Please note that the report cards for the first semester will not be ready until Friday, 23 January.

Week Without Walls (WWW) Photos

In general, we have hundreds of pictures from these trips. Once we have collated all the pictures from the chaperones, we will share these pictures with you.

New Shelves in the Cafeteria

In addition to the refrigerators for student lunches that need refrigeration, we have now added two shelves for lunches that do not require refrigeration. Please pass the message on to your children.

Middle School Concert, 10th December 2014 @2:00 p.m.  

Please mark your calendar for this wonderful musical event.

Here is a reminder for our performers:

The neat, uniform appearance of Band and Choir members contributes greatly to the formality of the event. Looking sharp increases our students’ pride of accomplishment and the audience’s perception of the ensemble. Students that will be participating in the MS music program must wear special clothing for concerts consisting of a pair of full-length black dress pants, black dress shoes (no sandals), black socks and black belt. These pants and shoes can be purchased locally at Bata and other stores. Ask for school uniform pants and shoes.

In no case will black jeans, tights, skirts, shorts/pedal pushers, or sandals be an acceptable onstage attire.

A black music shirt purchased from the school store rounds off the concert outfit. This is a special, semi-formal shirt with our school’s official music logo. Any student who already possesses an AISC Music logo polo shirt may use it again.

The polo shirt will be available in the iHub store.

                                Boys                                                  Girls

AISC Middle School Band and Choir - looking good, sounding great!

Middle School Production

Thank you to Ms. Diane Reid and Ms. Deborah Lee putting on a great Middle School production, Once on this Island. In case you missed the production, there is video posted on our website and some beautiful pictures in the following link:

http://aiscgallery.smugmug.com/Once-On-This-Island/. Password: raptors14

Please note that there will be no Principal Notes next week. We will be back on the 5th December.

Have a great weekend.

Alan Phan

Middle School Principal

14 November

Dear Middle School Parents,

We had a very high percentage of parents signed up for the parent teacher conferences in the last two days. It shows how much parents are involved in their children’s education at our school. Thank you. Please remember to continue this support throughout their school years and meet with teachers should any issue arise.

I came across another great article about parenting and children which I think you will find very interesting. On Forbes.com, leadership expert, Dr. Tim Elmore talks about the 7 damaging parenting behaviors that keep children from becoming leaders – of their own lives and of the world’s enterprises:

1. We don’t let our children experience risk.
2. We rescue too quickly.
3. We rave too easily.
4. We let guilt get in the way of leading well.
5. We don’t share our past mistakes.
6. We mistake intelligence, giftedness and influence for maturity.
7. We don’t practice what we preach.

To read the whole article, please click on the link below:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2014/01/16/7-crippling-parenting-behaviors-that-keep-children-from-growing-into-leaders/

Week Without Walls

Grade 7 and 8 students will be leaving on Monday for their respective trips in India. Please remember to bring your children to school on time. The arrival time is an estimated arrival time as of now. Should there be any delays, we will be in touch:

	Departure Monday, 17 November	Arrival Friday, 21 November
Grade 7	Come to school as normal at 8:30AM	Friday, 1:00PM
Grade 8	Monday, 5:45AM at AISC	Friday, 4:50PM

Middle School Coffee

The next Middle School Coffee will be on Tuesday, 25 November. We will be discussing and introduction you to standards-based grading and reporting in the Middle School. This will be one of many meetings we will have regarding this topic. Please save the date.

Middle School Production

Thank you to Ms. Diane Reid and Ms. Deborah Lee putting on a great Middle School production, Once on this Island. In case you missed the production, there is video posted on our website and some beautiful pictures in the following link:

http://aiscgallery.smugmug.com/Once-On-This-Island/. Password: raptors14

What’s on the AISC Preschool Horizon?

If you are interested in the future planning and programming of our Preschools, we invite you to join us on Monday, November 17, 2014 for a World Cafe conversation. We are seeking input and ideas as we move ahead in revisioning our Early Childhood programs. There are two sessions planned, so pick the time that works best for you:

Timings:  Monday, 17 November:  8:45 - 10:15 or 1:45 - 3:15

Location: Hall of Light

The Collaboration and Inquiry Center (CIC)'s New Saturday Hours are a Huge Success!

Our new hours have seen a great turnout of students, parents, and staff coming through the CIC's doors on Saturdays!  Since September 6th, when Saturday hours first began, the CIC has received 63 visitors on average each Saturday for the last six weeks. During that time visitors have been able to come in and use the CIC for projects, reading, Internet, and book checkout (over 350 books on Saturdays so far). Our new hours are part of AISC's continued commitment to literacy and learning, and is a great way for students, staff, and parents to utilize our print and digital resources even more. This is a space open to all students in grades preschool to twelve, so come on in and enjoy the CIC!  

As a reminder, please note that we will be closed on student 3-day weekends and during school breaks (this includes closing the CIC on Saturday, October 18 and October 25 of Diwali break).  We look forward to welcoming back to on Saturdays beginning November 1st.

Here are a few CIC Saturday Reminders:

• We are open 8:30-12:30.

• Please sign-in on clipboards when coming to the CIC on Saturdays.  This will help us with supervision as well as collecting data on Saturday usage.
• Please enjoy food and drink outside the CIC.
• ES students must be accompanied by a parent on campus during non-school hours (ES school policy).  ES students should come to the CIC on Saturdays with a parent.
• MS and HS students should only be on campus during non-school hours when they are part of a school-organized activity or sport.  Saturdays in the CIC counts as a school-organized activity.  If students leave the CIC, but are not taking part in another school activity or sport, they should leave the AISC campus.

Thank you! If you have any questions, please email Jeremy Willette at wjeremy@aisch.org.

Have a great weekend.

Alan Phan

Middle School Principal

7 November

Dear Middle School Parents,

If you missed the Middle School Musical Production, Once on This Island, last night, please join us tonight Friday, 7 November 7:00 PM. It is poignant story and catchy Caribbean-flavored score, Once On This Island is a highly original theatrical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s popular fairy tale, The Little Mermaid.   

Through almost non-stop song and dance, this full-hearted musical tells the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who rescues and falls in love with Daniel, a wealthy boy from the other side of her island. When Daniel is returned to his people, the fantastical gods who rule the island guide Ti Moune on a quest that will test the strength of her love against the powerful forces of prejudice, hatred, and even death. Come support the cast and crew of the upcoming Middle School musical!

Musical Cast

Aditya Thota	Alessio Paci	Andreas F Pattichis
Aoi Takagi	Arunveer S Kahlon	Ashira Haime
Bhavni Bharat Joshi	Domenic Wilbur	Enzo Sicaire
Hana Aqila Sivakumar	Ji Eun Park	Jin Young Kim
Kailey Dawn Porter	Luise Charlotte Frittrang	Marie Botonga Bebengo
Mutsumi Furuhashi	Prahalad Varadan Giridhar	Pranav Unni
Prannoy Thakore	Reuben Rehan Nielsen	Rhea Pahuja
Sai Dheeraj Reddy Kudithini	Samara Singh	Siddesh Vijayakumar
Sravya Sri Tanikella	Sriya Venepally	Tanika Naidoo
Vinay M Rao

Three-Way Conferences

If you have not signed up for the Three-Way Conferences, please remember to do so. The conferences will be held on Thursday, 13 November from 4:00 - 7:00 pm and on Friday, 14 November from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Please note that Mr. Ryan Sager and Ms. Lakshmi Saravanan will be away at a professional workshop. Their conferences will be held on Monday, 24 November from 4:00 - 7:00 pm and on Tuesday, 25 November from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.

In case you do not have the email, here is the link to sign up for the conferences:

http://www.ptcfast.com/schools/American_International_School_Chennai_

Yearbook Photo Order form 2014-15

Students photographs are now available for purchase.  You may view the photos in the All School Moodle Page  under the heading - Yearbook Photos 2014-15

Moodle user ID: Guest   Password: raptors 14

To order prints

• Go to your child's class folder
• Choose the photo and note the image number
• On the form choose the package you wish to order and write the image number
• Fill out separate forms if you have children in Elementary, Middle or High School

(if you have 2 children in Elementary you can use the same form, if you have one child in Elementary & another in Middle school or High school , please fill out separate forms)

• Complete the form with your name and contact telephone number
• Pay at the cash counter. Get the form stamped by cashier to acknowledge payment
• Submit the form with the paid seal to the ES /MS /HS section office
• Orders will be accepted only till 14th November. Photos will be ready for collection after 5th December

Package details

Package 1  (Rs. 250/-)	Package 2 (Rs.200)	Package 3 (Rs. 150/-)	Group photo print          (Rs 50/-)
2 nos. 4x6 in	1 nos. 4x6 in	1 nos. 4x6 in	1 no.  8x12 in
1 no. 6x9in	1 no. 8x12 in	1 no. 6x9in
1 no. 8x12 in	4 passport	4 passport	Group photo CD (Rs. 50/-
4 passport	CD included	CD included

	Student full name	Grade & Section	Package 1	Package 2	Package 3	Group photo - print	Group photo-CD	Total
			(Rs.250)	(Rs.200)	(Rs.150)	(Rs.50)	(Rs.50)
			Image no.	Image no.	Image no.	Image no.	Image no.
1
2
3
							Grand Total

Parent Name:   __________      Contact Telephone no:  ______________        Paid stamp:

Food Service Update

What’s on the menu?

The iHub’s New Look

Highlights for November

• Now open! The sandwich bar at the iHub and ES cafeteria. Choose from tuna, chicken and vegetable options on different days of the week.
• Introducing Soup and Sandwich combos at the iHub. Walk in from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and pick your favorite soup and sandwich combo.
• Also choose from several delicious juice and smoothie options from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• At the FAC Cafeteria, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are Dosa Days and Tuesdays and Thursdays are Wrap days.
• Beef and chicken options will now be a daily feature in the lunch menu. Fish is offered once in two weeks.

For more information with regard to food service, please email Josephine Ronald – directorpersonnel@aisch.org.

Have a great weekend.

Alan Phan

Middle School Principal