Friday, October 06, 2016

Dear all,

Busy week with a colourful India Month opening assembly to top it off! Thanks Bindu, Anu and many others listed below who helped make this event come to life. Big Bad Blue swim meet is this afternoon and all day tomorrow - 5 Elementary swimmers are competing and it would be great if you can come out or stop by to help cheer them along!

Next week 5th grade are out on their Classroom Without Walls trip to Pondicherry.  

• 5EF/5VL are out Mon-Wed (Keryn, Jack, Salome, Vanessa and Elliot as chaperones)
• 5BT/5JD are out Wed - Fri (Lori, Carl, Becky, Julia and Adithya as chaperones)

Linda will be around on Wednesday if you need anything when Lori and Keryn are crossing over in Pondicherry.

Thank you’s

• Preetika who has helped to cover during both math training and World Language blocks. Thanks for all your hard work! (from Tiffany).
• Thank you to Mr.Joseph for demonstrating and teaching the third graders to make kolams using wet rice flour.  (from Bindu)
• All the teachers who were amazing risk takers and models of learning in the teacher dance today!  
• Amy, Sweety and Steffi who were all modelling writing in 1AS during workshop time!  Fantastic.
• All the teachers and TAs for their support and cooperation during today’s India Month Assembly; especially keeping the students calm and quiet backstage.
• Nichelle, Preethika, Bindu, Uma and Chandra for teaching the spectacular dances, and Priya for the Grade 5 skit
• Sarah, Vasanth and Finny for teaching the students their songs.
• Joseph for decorating the ES with lovely thoramans and Ken, Dee and Clinton for volunteering to distribute programs.
• Shannon for photographs, Vijay and Thyagu for sound and lights.
• 1st grade team would like to thank Rachael for her AWESOME First Grade Light and Sound Exploratorium!

Meet AISC - Lakshmi Jayakumar - Early Years Teaching Assistant

Lakshmi grew up in Kodaikanal where she completed her schooling and bachelor degree. A life long learner, Lakshmi is currently completing her Phd., in English on the topic "Denial of Self: A study with special reference to the work of selected diasporic women writers". Impressive!  Lakshmi has worked as a middle school teacher for 5 years before becoming a teacher assistant at AISC. She has also worked in two International schools in Dubai. Lakshmi is very proud to say " I am an Indian". If Lakshmi had a superpower it would be to make people have the smile on their lips because smile speaks powerful language out without having to convey using words. Lakshmi believes that this is language which everyone can understand!

Style guide and proofers for Trimester 1 report cards

• Please read the style guide here, if you have any questions, please ask the coach/admin who is proofing your report.
• EAL and homeroom teachers should work to co-assess and write report comments
• All specialist areas will have bullet point comments this year
• All narratives/bullet points should be sent via google doc to the correct proof reader by the dates on the timeline below.  
• Narratives/bullet points are always accepted earlier

Proof Readers
EY3 and 4 - Lori
EY5 - Lori

Grade 1 - Rachael

Grade 2 - Hilary

Grade 3 - Keryn - Homeroom/Lori - Specialist

Grade 4 - Dan

Grade 5 - Keryn

Reporting Timeline

We will have another work session on SBAR, on Wednesday October 11. We are updating the style guide and will get that to you next week.

Weds 1 November	faculty meeting dedicated to reports; time could be used for entering proficiency levels (MP/B/P/IA) writing narrative comments, or for proofing a colleague’s narratives
By Friday 3rd	Narratives written on google doc and given to proofing buddy in triad/team
Monday 6th EoD	report card narratives (google doc) due to admin for final proofing
Thursday 9th	Admin proof reports  (will return as completed)
Monday 13 Nov	Reports returned to teachers, can begin entering narratives into powerschool
Wednesday 15 Nov	All report information entered into Powerschool
Friday 17  Nov	Reports go live to parents

Co-Teaching Survey
Survey’s will be returned to each teacher in Grades 1-4 who took the survey. Please find time in an upcoming triad meeting to review these and build on existing practices and norms to further enhance co-teaching and the learning opportunities for students.

Associate Principal Search Team

Thanks to Amy, Alex, Amritha, Morgen and Megha who will be forming as a Search Committee to help process applications for the Associate Principal position. We will keep you posted of progress, as well as seek input into questions as we get underway.

News from 3612
Supporting students in Workshop

Looking for more ways in which you can support your students during reading and writing workshop? Here is a great resource for supporting all learners including English Language Learners. The first 23 pages for all grade levels are identical and a must read for anyone teaching workshop at AISC. This portion includes an overview for supporting ELLs during workshop as well as an English Language Development toolkit.

Personnel Change
We welcome Fiona Babu on board as of next Monday to fill our open Associate Teacher position. Fiona will be co-teaching in 4th Grade with Ross and Marcus. Karen will continue her 5th Grade co-teaching role, and Anita will move to teaching the World Language programme.  

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Keryn & Lori