Thursday 21 February

Principal’s Notes

21 February

Dear Parents,

Students continue to work on their STEAM projects on Wednesday afternoons. Have you had a conversation with your child about their inquiry into solving a problem using their skills from the sciences, technology, engineering, the arts or math over the past few weeks? STEAM enables students to make the natural connections between these subjects to answer questions. Here are some pictures from Grade 6 hard at work on their projects!

Parent Coffee Thursday February 28

The FCD prevention specialist will also present a parent workshop on Thursday, February 28th at 8:45 am in the Madras Hall. Please note that this is a change from what is currently on our school calendar (it will no longer be on Feb 26). Some of the topics the facilitator will discuss with parents include:

·Effective ways to communicate with your child about alcohol/drug use

·Up-to-date facts about current alcohol/drug use and trends

·What to say about your own experiences with alcohol and/or drug experimentation

·How to spot early warning signs of trouble and effective ways to respond

·The importance of communication among community members

This program presents a perfect opportunity for discussing alcohol and other drug-related issues with your children. Parent involvement is crucial to efforts to reduce the risks that teenagers face and in the commitment to keeping children safe. We hope to see you on February 28th. Elementary School parents are also welcome to attend, if interested. If you would like further information, go to www.fcd.org. 

All School Spirit Week: 25 February-1 March

From the MS Student Activities Club                                                                                                                We invite the students, staff & community of AISC to show your school spirit by making some small acts of random kindness throughout the week.

• Do you have the courage to try something new?
• Do you have the compassion to tell someone you care?
• Do you have the confidence to speak with someone you don’t know?
• Do you have the creativity to show kindness in a new way?

Monday Random acts of kindness. Examples include:open the door for someone, buy someone their favorite snack, help carry something for your friend or teacher

Tuesday Wear an AISC shirt with Raptor pride!

Wednesday Be kind to the environment. Examples include: Don’t buy one time use plastic items, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, Throw your trash in bins, See litter on the floor? Pick it up!

Thursday Compliment cards. Write a nice message on the paper provided for a friend or teacher, remind someone of why they are important to you or tell someone that you appreciate their work.

Friday High 5 Friday! Give a high 5 to new people who you haven’t talked to before. Give a high 5 to your friends, classmates and teachers.

Raptorthon

Sunday, March 3rd at 7 AM is the annual Raptorthon.  This year, since we have a track, we're changing the event a little and it will be a 180 meter swim then a 2 K run.  (Younger athletes can do a shorter run.)  If you're interested, please register here by February 28th.  

Model United Nations

From Pepper McFarland, MUN Club Advisor

Please save Monday, March 11th from 3:45-5 for an MUN informational parent meeting. We will meet in the Madras Hall to talk about our trips to Malaysia, Taipei, and Bombay, along with have a fun activity to help you understand why your delegates have been working so hard. Also, at the bottom of this email I have pasted in the information about attire, in case you wish to shop during spring break. Delegates are required to wear professional attire that fit certain guidelines. If you want more information you can check out these sites:

Female MUN Attire

Best Delegate: Clothing Section 

Guidelines:

·       Male delegates are expected to wear long sleeve shirts, a tie and trousers. Shirts should always be tucked in, buttoned up and sleeves rolled down. Jackets or suits are required. Delegates should wear dress shoes, preferably black or brown.

·       Female delegates are expected to wear a dress or trousers/skirt (appropriate length is knee level) with a dress shirt. Delegates should wear dress shoes/ closed toed sandals. Sweaters or dress jackets are also encouraged. All clothing must be modest and appropriate. 

ASA Season 3  Schedule

Have a great long weekend,                                                                                           

Jessica Pechhold                     Andrew Ranson                                                                                         Middle School Principal            Middle School Associate Principal

Friday 15 February

Principal’s Notes

15 February

Dear Parents,

This week we celebrate our students' accomplishments in math and science and new opportunities to develop students' love of reading and writing. These experiences are great examples of how our program supports our students as Innovators, Explorers and Collaborators. Enjoy! 

MATHCOUNTS 

Last weekend, our MATHCOUNTS team travelled to Mumbai for a regional competition. Our middle school team won third place out of 18 teams from nine schools! Many thanks to Ms. Kala and Mr. G for coaching our students and supporting this activity.

National Robotics Competition

On February 1, students were invited to take part in the National Robotics competition at AISC. Students from local schools and AISC designed devices to pop balloons and navigate mazes. Middle school students were a part of all three teams that placed in the competition. Thank you to Ms. Geetha, Mr. Roger and Ms. Nandini for making this event possible! 

 

Middle School Book Exchange

From Jeremy Willette, Director of Library Services

Middle School is starting an exciting, new way to get more great books into the hands of our students. We have started a middle school student book exchange! There is now a bookshelf on the ground floor in the middle school locker area where students can exchange books with each other. We’ve stocked the shelf already with some great titles to get started. Middle school students can come take a book that they find interesting and leave a book from home that they think other middle school students will enjoy. It’s free to participate and students do not need to sign up. 

ISWS & Author Visit

This weekend, 25 students from AISC and across India will gather for the International Schools Writers Summit hosted at AISC. This event is specifically designed for middle school students to explore their craft as writers. Guest authors include Morris Gleitzman, John Coy and Cat Weatherill. All of our middle school students will be spending time with Morris Gleitzman in their language arts classes this coming week. 

Spirit Week

All school spirit week is February 25-March 1. Our middle school Student Activities Club has planned all-school activities based on the Four C’s: Courage, Confidence, Creativity and Compassion. More details for each of the days will be published next week. 

Feb Fling

Feb Fling is on February 16 from 12 to 4 PM. This event is a student led fundraiser to generate funds for service clubs while giving MS/ES students an opportunity to have fun with various activities. We will have booths such as obstacle course race and bouncy castle led by high school students. The pool will also be open for water activities. Lunch is provided to people who buy tickets. Students will have a variety of food choices to choose from such as dosa, hotdogs, ice cream, and lemonade. Lastly, buying a ticket will allow you to enter the raffle. Raffle prized will be hotel brunches and dinners. The winners of the raffle will be announced throughout the event. Please buy a ticket to be a lucky one! Tickets are 500 rupees in advance and 600 rupees at the door.

Early Release Day 

February 20 is an early release day. Students are expected to depart campus in a timely and organized fashion upon dismissal at 2:00 pm. We appreciate your patience with traffic on these days as all three sections are picking up students at the same time. In preparation, please plan on allowing longer time for entry and exit to the school at release time. For our Middle and High School students, hot lunch will be served. Please note that the iHub will be open to provide an air conditioned waiting space until 2:40 pm in case drivers are delayed. Food services in the iHub will close at 1:50 pm.

Have a great weekend!

Jessica Pechhold                     Andrew Ranson

Middle School Principal         Middle School Associate Principal

Friday 8 February

Principal’s Notes

8 February

Dear Parents, 

Today in our advisory classes, we re-introduced our no-tech time at lunch. Starting on Monday February 11, we will have no-tech time from 12:05-12:25 each day. This time is the first twenty minutes of our lunch period. We are encouraging students to eat, socialize, take a break from their devices and explore other activities to interact with each other. After 12:25, students may return to their devices, if they choose. We see this as a way to promote balance and help students self-monitor their screen time. For more information, you can see the student presentation from our advisory classes. For more food for thought on this topic, this New York Time article from December 2018, “Is Screen Time Bad for Kids’ Brains?” sheds light on current research attempting to answer this question. 

Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) Week 25 February - March 2

As part of our health education program and ongoing commitment to prevention and wellness, each year we invite a trained prevention specialist from FCD Prevention Works to join our community. FCD Prevention Works is a non-profit organization that provides substance abuse prevention education for schools. Their mission is to:

·      Encourage and support the non-use of alcohol and other illegal or illicit drugs during the growing years

·      Empower young people to make healthy, responsible choices regarding alcohol and other drug use

·      Teach students and adults how to recognize the early warning signs of substance abuse and to intervene appropriately

·      Educate students, parents, teachers, and administrators on the physiological and psychological effects of alcohol and other drugs

The prevention specialist will be meeting with students in Grades 6-12 during the week of February 25 - March 2. Their aim is to provide students with the knowledge, understanding, and skills they need to make intelligent, healthy choices about alcohol and other drug use. 

Parent Coffee for February

The FCD prevention specialist will also present a parent workshop on Thursday, February 28th at 8:45 am in the Madras Hall. Please note that this is a change from what is currently on our school calendar (it will no longer be on February 26). Some of the topics the facilitator will discuss with parents include:

·Effective ways to communicate with your child about alcohol/drug use

·Up-to-date facts about current alcohol/drug use and trends

·What to say about your own experiences with alcohol and/or drug experimentation

·How to spot early warning signs of trouble and effective ways to respond

·The importance of communication among community members

This program presents a perfect opportunity for discussing alcohol and other drug-related issues with your children. Parent involvement is crucial to efforts to reduce the risks that teenagers face and in the commitment to keeping children safe. We hope to see you on February 28th. Elementary School parents are also welcome to attend, if interested. If you would like further information, go to www.fcd.org. 

Join us for...

STEAM Studio Time 

Through the month of February, students will have afternoons each week devoted to STEAM studio time to work on their projects related to science, technology, engineering, art and math.  This week was our first studio session. STEAM Fest is scheduled for Monday, March 18. 

Have a great weekend,

Jessica Pechhold                         Andrew Ranson

Middle School Principal            Middle School Associate Principal 

Friday 1 February

Principal’s Notes

1 February 

Dear Parents,

Thank you to those of you who have been on campus Thursday and Friday for our winter concert, conferences and celebrations of learning. Our winter concert was wonderful example of our students’ confidence and courage to display their talent and learning! I hope your participation in conferences and celebrations of learning will lead to conversations with your child about the role Learning Habits (Preparation, Engagement, Collaboration, Growth Mindset) in their learning and reflection on how they are developing within our Vision for a Learner.

Class of 2023/Current Grade 8 Students & Parents:

As you approach semester two of your 8th grade year, it is time to start thinking about and planning for high school. The high school counselors are excited to meet with you and begin this process. Please note the following information sessions and timeline:

·      On Tuesday, March 5th, the HS counselors will host information sessions for parents regarding course registration for 8th graders moving into high school at AISC.  The meetings will take place at 8:30 am and at 5;30 pm in the Hall of Light.  

·      On the same day, the HS counselors will meet with all 8th grade students during their Advisory period to share course registration information.

·      The course registration process will be outlined at these meetings. Please see the attached Roadmap for a peek at what to expect. If questions arise, please feel free to reach out to one of the high school counselors for clarification and support:

Josiah Laposky -- ljosiah@aischennai.org

Susannah McGlamery -- msusannah@aischennai.org

We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2023 into the high school in August! 

Ms. McGlamery & Mr. Laposky

National Robotics Competition

Middle school students had the opportunity to participate in the National Robotics Competition Friday on campus. Students worked in teams and competed against students from AISC and local schools. 

Hosting for Visiting Students

As you may know, for many of the events that AISC participates in, home stays are done to keep costs down and increase the connection students have with the schools they visit. We have three events coming up where we need help with hosting visiting students. Please consider opening your home, providing a few meals, and connecting with students that are visiting.  Just complete this form and indicate which of the events you can host for.  We'll send more detailed instructions about the requirements then.

Early Release Day 

February 6 is an early release day. Students are expected to depart campus in a timely and organized fashion upon dismissal at 2:00 pm. We appreciate your patience with traffic on these days as all three sections are picking up students at the same time. In preparation, please plan on allowing longer time for entry and exit to the school at release time. For our Middle and High School students, hot lunch will be served. Please note that the iHub will be open to provide an air conditioned waiting space until 2:40 pm in case drivers are delayed. Food services in the iHub will close at 1:50 pm.

Have a great weekend!

Jessica Pechhold                           Andrew Ranson

Middle School Principal               Middle School Associate Principal