Dear Parents and Students,
Today we start our spring break! We also are marking one year of online learning for our middle school. We have come a long way since our first days online in March 2020. Parent and student feedback has helped to shape our current online program. Parent support for student learning at home and the middle school program is one reason why we continue to learn, grow and even thrive in new ways online. Student resilience and flexibility has enabled us to adapt, innovate, and retain our middle school culture. Our teachers dedication and collaboration ensures that our online program continues to promote academic growth through times that continue to challenge us.
Calendar
Update: Polling Day --
Tuesday, April 6th – No School
Tuesday, April 6th has
been declared a Polling Day for elections in Tamil Nadu. AISC will be closed
virtually and on-campus for all classes, activities and meetings.
As you will have read in Mr. Hoover’s notes last week, we remain poised to open when granted permission. Please continue to check email over the spring break so that you aware of updates for our reopening for the middle school. If you have not already done so, please review the forms that are needed WHEN students are permitted to return to campus.
Here’s what you will need to do once your child’s grade level has permission to return:
- Complete this Permission Signature Form. Parents MUST give permission to their child to return to campus. This is a government SOP requirement. By completing this signature page, you indicate your willingness and interest to send your child to campus.
- Before attending classes on campus, we ask that the Health Office receive updated medical forms. These can be completed by a parent. All students will need this form completed and submitted. Additional forms are needed only for students that take prescribed medication during the day while on campus and for students that have allergies or asthma. Just click the relevant links and complete the portions needed and then click the top green button to have it submitted. No need to email a copy, no printing needed either.
- Attest to your Child(ren)’s Health. AISC has partnered with the educational software company ParentLocker to offer a way for us to monitor student, faculty, and staff health and wellness. Using this app, parents will attest daily to the health safety of their children. All faculty, staff and parents on behalf of their children will need to do this each day once we are back on campus. You received directions and permissions regarding this app on January 5th by direct email. Need help? Email cgreg@aischennai.org.
- Check the RaptorSafe website. As we continue to prepare for our return to campus, we have launched an informational web page on what to expect when we can be back at our beloved oasis. At-A-Glance Details Include
- Overview information of our health and safety campus protocols;
- One-stop resource for community members and prospective parents;
- Will evolve as local government directives and our own protocols develop further;
- Clear emphasis on personal and community responsibility to protect each other;
- CDC/WHO health and wellbeing resources made available;
- Campus signage and posters available for download.
Student Cohorts From March 29
When middle school students are permitted to
return to campus, they will be on campus all together after March 29 as we
depart from the Mango-Blue split grouping to section-based (MS/HS) on-campus
cohorts. To make that happen, we will spread students out into some high school
classes and use our cadre of Hybrid Classroom Facilitators to assist teachers
and assure adult presence in all classrooms. Part of our orientation to
campus will be orienting all MS students with the rooms on their schedule.
Classroom social distancing norms are remaining unchanged.
Also note that…
Middle and high school
students will not be on campus at the same time. Once middle school returns to
campus, we will shift to high school attending school on campus two days a week
(usually Monday and Tuesday) and middle school attending school on campus two
days a week (usually Thursday and Friday). Everyone will study virtually
mid-week in five-day weeks, which will help facilitate deep cleaning between
sectional cohorts.
March Parent Coffee
Our
March Parent Coffee has been reschedule to Monday March 22 from 12:30-1:20. At
the coffee, current plans for MS student return to campus, our hybrid learning
plans, and details of student orientation sessions will be shared. Here is the
meeting information:
Join
Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88275008966?pwd=Qi84azdQa0Z1NkFXcTF0cFBBU2g3Zz09
Meeting
ID: 882 7500 8966
Passcode:
319790
Student Parent Teacher Conferences
Student
Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Thursday and Friday March 25 &
26. The focus of the conference is on the Mid-Semester Progress Report and
student growth.
Please see the email from the MS office earlier this week for the link to schedule conferences. Scheduling for parent conferences closes on Tuesday, March 23. If you are having difficulty scheduling conferences, please contact Ms. Aziz: msoffice@asichennai.org.
Conferences are from 8:00am-4:00pm on Thursday and Friday. These will be independent work days for students so they can continue their studies when they are not in conferences.
Should
middle school students be able to return to campus on Thursday and Friday,
conferences will be rescheduled, as our efforts will be focused on orienting
students to campus.
Mid-Semester Progress Reports
TEXT instructions to view your child's MS Report
VIDEO instructions to view your
child's MS Report
The mid-semester report provides parents and students with an update on students’ progress the first half of the semester. Learning Habits and reporting standards for which there is sufficient evidence at this point in the semester are reported on. A more comprehensive report including on all reporting standards and teacher comments will be issued in June.
Parents Logging into PS
Today
is the mid-point of a learning module for students and the mid-point of the
semester. If you have not logged into PowerSchool to check your child’s
progress over the past weeks, ask your child to log in and show you their
assignments and gradebook. You can log into PowerSchool here and visit our Parent and Student
resources in the Digital Skills Academy for directions on how to
access and navigate PS.
When
you log in with your child, he/she can also share with you the feedback
received and content of the modules.
HS/MS RISE: A New Paradigm for Peace
with Paul K. Chappell (March 24, 2:45 p.m.)
We’re pleased to welcome Paul K. Chappell, Peace Literacy Educator and
war veteran, to join us at our annual 12th RISE on Wednesday, March 24, 2:45
p.m. Paul will talk to us about his New Paradigm for Peace, which aims to
educate people to be as well-trained in waging peace as soldiers are in waging
war. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, says: Captain Paul
Chappell has given us a crucial look at war and peace from the unique
perspective of a soldier, and his new ideas show us why world peace is both
necessary and possible in the 21st century.
Watch a short video here where Middle Schoolers tell us
of their experience with Paul at last year’s GLOMUN conference.
WHAT
IS RISE?
Open to parents and Middle and High Schoolers, RISE (Resilience,
Innovation, Service, and Entertainment) brings innovative thinkers to our
school to enrich our discourse and exposure on global issues related to our
Mission and Core Values.
Family Use of the AISC Libraries
AISC families are able to request books every week from our
libraries using this Google
form. Books can be ordered through the form from Friday until Monday at
10:00am and can be picked up curbside at the ES entrance on Wednesdays between
8:30am - 3:30pm. Bags with the child's name clearly marked on the front will be
located inside the white cubbies. Patrons are invited to take the bag that
belongs to them without touching any other materials.
In addition, a book drop is positioned curbside at the ES entrance, as well as the main entrance, for returned books. We encourage families to return the books after two weeks, although if a specific title is needed for a longer period, please contact Babs to implement an extension.
Library staff will practice all health and safety protocols while gathering your books. Upon return, books and the canvas bags that are distributed will be sanitized.
We encourage families to check the library catalog before
requesting specific titles to ensure that they are available. Please
let Babs know on bbarbara@aischennai.org know if
you have any questions.
ASA Season 3 Showcase
Check out all of the learning and enjoyment
students gained by participating in Season 3 ASA’s on the Season
3 Showcase Document! (click on the raptors to see the links for each activity).
ASA Season 4
If you are interested in having your child(ren)
of all ages engage in FREE virtual activities for Season 4, please check out
the Athletics & Activities
Blog for more information and complete the Registration
Form. ASA Season 4 will begin Monday, March 22nd and will run
through May 29th.
Spring Break Camp
If you are interested in having your child(ren)
of all ages engage in FREE virtual activities for Spring Camp, please check out
the Athletics & Activities
Blog for more information and fill out the Registration
Form. Spring Break Camp will begin Monday, March 15th and run
through Friday, March 19th. Registration will close on Sunday, March
14th at 12:00 pm.
Have
a relaxing spring break!
Jessica Pechhold
Middle
School Principal