Dear Parents and students,
We have some big changes to report this week!
Snacks at break are no longer free - snacks can be purchased in the cafeteria with cash and student ID cards.
Starting February 21st, students will be eating in the cafeteria. Lunch is still free and can be ordered here.
Changes to lunch will be made clear to students by videos that will be shown to students during Advisory on Monday morning.
We hope that with these changes students will be able to enjoy our campus spaces.
Here is the calendar of upcoming events:
Important Dates
COVID Update:
The daily new cases numbers in Chennai have continued to drop precipitously. On Wednesday, February 16 daily new cases dropped below 300. See below in our Data Lab. The pressure of the current Omicron Surge has dissipated. This week, our testing protocol identified 0/zero positive cases.
We currently have two positive cases across our entire student body. We no longer see the community health need for continued 2X/week testing. And, we do want to continue to limit opportunities for community spread on campus.
Starting Monday, February 21st, we will do home testing on Monday mornings ONLY. Bring negative test cartridges to school on Mondays.
Please take the tests in the morning before school and bring the negative cartridge with you to school. Complete the ParentLocker survey. If the test is positive, inform us through ParentLocker and call the Section Office.
Virtual Learning & Student Absences:
Nearly all AISC students -- 98% -- are now attending our On-Campus Program.
If you have already arranged to stay in our Virtual Learning Program that program will continue through the end of the year.
If you have not arranged to be in our Virtual Learning Program and expect to remain there for the rest of the year, please contact the section principal no later than Friday, February 25.
For students attending our On-Campus Program, please note our attendance procedure:
a. If a student is sick or needs to stay at home for personal reasons, they will not attend class virtually. Please complete the ParentLocker survey and notify the section office.
b. If a student is in quarantine/isolation by COVID-19 Protocol, complete the ParentLocker survey and notify the section office to access virtual classes.
Class of 2026/Current Grade 8 Students & Parents:
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 Thursday, March 3rd, the HS counselors will host two identical 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 5:30 pm via Zoom. Please plan to attend at the time that is most convenient for you.
Here is the Zoom information for the parent meeting:
Meeting ID: 846 094 7203
Passcode: HS
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 check the HS Course Registration/Transition Overview found here for a peek at what to expect and when. If questions arise, please feel free to reach out to one of the high school counselors for clarification and support.
We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2026 into the high school in August!
Mrs. Engler and Mrs. Killmer
Back to campus:
SNACKS - Can be purchased in the cafeteria by cash & ID card, since they are no longer free. Students can eat snacks in the cafeteria.
HOT LUNCHES - will be served in the cafeteria. Here are the seating arrangements:
7th grade: Atrium
6th and 8th grade: Cafeteria.
Students will still be seated at desks with chairs.
Students should be sitting and eating for 15 minutes before playing.
EXIT - We will continue to follow the staggered exit timings for now. Here are the timings:
6th grade: 3:30/2:30 (Wed)
7th grade: 3:35/2:35(Wed)
8th grade: 3:40/2:40(Wed)
PANBIO TESTS -
Remember: COVID-19 test strips at the entry on only Mondays
GYMS - open for students to play at lunch, however they are also able to play on the field. We want to encourage all students to get up and move at lunch!!
EAL All School Dialogue Feb 17th 2022 Follow Up
Thank you to all the parents who were able to join us for the EAL All School Dialogue. It was wonderful to talk with you and answer your questions. We appreciate your participation. If you would like to look at the information we shared, here is the slide presentation. We also shared some great resources for supporting speaking, listening, reading and writing in English that you can use at home. Here is the EAL Parent resource page. We look forward to meeting with you again.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email.
Sabrina Kim, EAL Secondary Coordinator (MS HS)
Dave Allen, EAL Elementary Coordinator (ES)
Repeat information: Library Use
The library is once again available to MS students before school, during breaks, and during lunch. Students must sign in when entering in order to assist in contact tracing if need be.
Repeat information: Mark your calendars: Portal Project - Parent Sessions
We are excited to introduce a speaker series for parents starting in November called Parenting Beyond the Pandemic. These virtual sessions will bring experts and practitioners directly to our parent community to address a variety of relevant topics. The full list of sessions can be found here and the titles below. Registration for the sessions will take place through Eventbrite.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the lovely weather.
Take care,
Jennifer Bertram
Middle School Principal