Friday, 30th September, 2016

Dear all,

I hope you are reading this from the other side of a large beverage of your choice :)  It has been a full on first block of school!  Thank you for all your humour, smiles and flexibility with the myriad of events and consultants we have experienced so far!

Enjoy this break - rest, relax, recharge and refresh - we look forward to seeing you all after the October break.

Lots of upcoming information below...

Thank you!

Thanks to teachers for all of your preparation and conversation to guide students through their goal setting conferences. Thanks, as well, to the TAs for keeping children safe and supervised.

Thanks to all the bakers for Operation Appreciation.

Welcome to Roshna Sultan, who is filling in as 5th grade TA while Nichelle takes over Nancy’s role in Learning Support.

Optional Feedback on UN Day or Conferences
2 short surveys linked here - only 2 questions in each - but please feel free to provide feedback if you have any!
Goal Setting Conference feedback
UN Day Feedback

ES Report Guideline
Below is the ES reporting timeline for Trimester report cards - this is a guide, however, and anyone who has their comments written and proofed early can turn them into to admin whenever they can!  (This is highly encouraged if you can :) )

Finally, a style guide will be coming your way during the first week back to ensure consistency in narrative comments about the learning of our students.  Please read this carefully after it is sent to you.

Final proof readers

PK	Lori
KG	Lori
Grade 1	Rachael
Grade 2 A B	Rachael
Grade 2 C D	Karen
Grade 3	Karen
Grade 4	Keryn
Grade 5	Keryn

Report Timeline

By Tuesday 25 Oct 4pm	Narratives written on google doc and given to proofing buddy
Weds 26 Oct	faculty meeting dedicated to reports; time could be used for entering proficiency levels (B, D, A, E) or for proofing a colleague’s narratives
Thursday 27 Oct 4pm	report card narratives (google doc) due to admin for final proofing
Friday 28 - Tues 1 Oct	Admin proof reports  (will return as completed)
By Tuesday 1 Nov 4pm -	Reports returned to teachers, can begin entering narratives into skyward
By Thursday 3 Nov 8am	All report information entered into Skyward
Friday 4th 3pm	Reports go live to parents

PGE
Thanks to those of you who have already completed your PG&E meetings.
For those of you still to come, please turn in your PG template or Self Assessment cover letter at least 24 hours before your meeting with your supervisor.
If you are on the self assessment pathway, please note that Moodle contains two links to the Professional Growth and Evaluation Handbook. The second link (here) is the most recent version and clearly delineates the difference between SAP-S and SAP-X.

Upcoming Visiting Artists

Bernajean Porter, November 7-11

Ira Glass once said that "Great stories happen to those who can tell them." There are many ways to tell stories, and we are excited to share with you an inspiring visiting artist in residence who will help us explore the art of Digital Storytelling.  Her name is Bernajean Porter, and she will be here from November 7-11 to learn with students in your classrooms. For more about her visit and how you might integrate her into your classroom that week, please click HERE.  If you are interested in learning with Bernajean, please email Kevin Crouch with a cc: to Dan Love. We will prioritize teams and departments with shared interest or goals around learner voice and choice and assessment for learning through digital storytelling.

TeeKay, November 8-15

TeeKay is a German Activist, Performance Artist, Think-Tanker, Coach, Enabler. TeeKay combines his careers in the performing arts - onstage as an actor, singer and comedian, backstage as choreographer and opera director – with his studies of psychology at the Technical University in Berlin. He and his team of “Refugee Academy” have started with theatre workshops in a couple of Berlin refugee shelters combining improv-theatre techniques with language exercises. They developed language tandems to improve language skills and have opened a free academy for refugees where they are being taught in their mother tongues. He brings an interesting perspective about the world we live in today. His schedule is here. Please email Ilona to find out more about it and reserve a time to have him work with your class.

Missoula Children's Theater, November 14-18

This year Missoula Children's Theater will be creating a magical performance of Blackbeard the Pirate with our Elementary school students. More information will be coming from Keryn regarding the procedure. For those new to AISC, there will be auditions and 60 ES students will be selected to perform. The rehearsals take place during the school day, and we are finalizing the time for the final performance, which will be on November 18. ES faculty parents, watch Keryn's blog for the link to sign up your child.

Upcoming Dates For Your Calendar
Tuesday 11 October ES Parent Coffee on ‘Supporting Early Readers’ (KG - Grade 2)
Wednesday 12 October ES India Month Opening Assembly (8.45am - 9.30am)
Wednesday 19 October Early Release Wednesday (2.00pm pick up)
Tuesday 25 October Reports to proof reading buddy
Thursday 27 October Reports due to admin for final proofing
Friday 28 October ES Halloween Parade (1.30pm - 3.00pm)
Monday October 31 Diwali Holiday
Wednesday 2 November Early Release Wednesday (2.00pm pick up)
Thursday 3 November Grade PK - 2 India Month Assembly (8.45am - 9.30am)
Friday 4 November Grade 3 - 5 India Month Assembly (*Time changed 2:15 pm - 3:15pm)
Friday 4 November Indian Month Lunch
Friday 4 November Report cards going home
Friday 8 November ES Parent Coffee
Mon 14 - Fri 18 Nov Missoula Children’s Theater

Have a wonderful week & safe travels wherever you may be going.

Warmly,
Keryn and Lori