Dear Parents and Students,
Thanks to everyone who came to Parent Back to School Night on August 19th. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to spend time with both parents and students to describe our Middle School program. It was also an excellent chance for our students to show their parents how our new Learning Management System called Schoology works. We hope that you were able to navigate through the menu for the evening, as well as the modules in Schoology to gain a greater understanding of your child’s learning at AISC. Here is a sampling of what the event looked like from the 6th grade perspective:
Here are our attendance numbers by grade level for the Back to School Night yesterday:
In case you missed the Back to School Night, here is a link to the Principal’s Welcome. If you were not able to attend the Back to School Night or visit your child’s Schoology pages, please sit with your child and have them walk you through their classes. Here is a video that will help you navigate through our new Learning Management System, Schoology. Please take a moment to fill out this brief Back to School Night Parent Survey which will be open for responses until next Friday when I will share results with you.
Community Outreach:
As was mentioned at the Back to School Night, we are working to gather feedback from our community. Over the next few weeks Ms. Gretchen Galaty and I will be calling MS parents in order to reach out and welcome you to a new school year. Rest assured these calls will be brief as well as social in nature.
On a similar note, students will be invited to meet in groups of three to speak to the Principal and share hopes for the school year and highlights of being a Middle School student. This is a casual conversation and a way to get to know students and establish lines of communication!
Handbook Links & Digital Signature:
Each year it is a requirement that all students and parents read and sign the Middle School Student Handbook.
1. Please review this year’s handbook here. It is linked to the MS page of the AISC website.
2. After reviewing the handbook, parents and students will need to sign the signature page of the handbook together. Follow this link to the signature page of the handbook: https://signnow.com/s/P8xoAEtZ to sign.
Review and sign the signature page by Friday, August 20. The Middle School Office will be in contact with families who have not submitted signatures by Friday, August 20.
MAP Testing:
Beginning on September 6th, we will commence MAP with Middle School students. As you may know, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) are a series of computerized adaptive tests that measure general knowledge in reading, mathematics, language usage and science. This is a test intended to measure our students’ growth and is not recorded in a student's report card. On Wednesday Sept. 8th, students will be testing on an early release day, where the blocks are shortened. In order to accommodate these timings, we have arranged an appropriate test for that day.
We will be conducting the testing in the first block of the school day and will be administering the following tests:
Reading
Mathematics
Language Usage
Science
It is important that students are ready to take the tests at 9:00am in the morning, by being well rested and having had a nutritious breakfast. We will be spending time in the coming weeks preparing students for the tests in Advisory to ensure that their technology is up to date to run the MAP test virtually.
On Monday, August 30, from 8:45-9:15 we will be hosting a MAP Testing Information Meeting for parents. In this presentation, we will give an overview of the test itself as well as give a description of the student experience with the test.
Please find the Zoom Meeting here:
https://aischennai-org.zoom.us/j/92369054178?pwd=aFFIelNlYWNraENhZ29MVHNOUnB0UT09
Meeting ID: 923 6905 4178
Passcode: 331688
Students will be briefed in their Advisory sessions on MAP testing during the week of August 30th and they will also update their technology to ensure they are ready to take the test on their own devices.
Yearbook Available for Pick up:
The printed copies of the 2020-21 AISC Yearbook are in. Returning 6-8th graders, may pick up a copy from Security. Please email Ms. Aziz (sazizunnisa@aischennai.org ) the day and time that your driver will be coming to school, so that Security can be prepared to hand over the Yearbook. Emailing ahead is essential!
Yearbook Photos:
IMPORTANT: Submitting Student Yearbook Portraits
Last day to submit: September 3, 2021
The Yearbook Team will be collecting student portraits virtually. You can read the instructions and upload the photo by visiting this website.
At-A-Glance Details
Please read the instructions carefully.
You can use the back camera of a mobile phone to take your child’s photo. Make sure you use a plain background with no pictures or decor.
You can also consider taking your photo professionally at a studio if you have access to one in your area; make sure to request for a grey background.
IMPORTANT! Please rename your child’s photo accordingly. We will not be able to accept submissions if you do not rename the photo.
Grade_First Name_Last Name
e.g. 7_Harry_PotterLast Day to Submit: Friday, September 3, 11:59 p.m. IST
Thank you for your support! Please write to media@aischennai.org if you have any questions.
Early Release Day:
Here is the schedule we will be using for Early Release days. On these days Middle School students do not have an Advisory session and their day ends at 2:30pm. Please contact the msoffice@aischennai.org if you have any questions.
Upcoming Dates:
August 30: MAP Testing Overview @ 8:45 - 9:15
Sept. 6th - 9th: MS MAP Testing
Sept. 14th: MS Parent Coffee @ 8:45
Sept. 17th: UN International Peace Day
Have a great weekend,
Jennifer Bertram
Middle School Principal