Friday, May 11, 2018

Dear Faculty,

Happy Friday! A lot of information below…please read carefully as many of your year-end questions can be answered here!

Thank yous! (don’t forget to send us thank yous!)

• Carl, Jet, Kristina, John, Barabara, Leontheen, Jack, Ron and Jane for the ongoing extra lunchtime events
• Dee and Nicole for wrapping up a successful year with student council
• Fer and Vanessa for accommodating visiting potential students
• Amanda, Amritha and Keeley for thorough and detailed observation of a visiting student
• Everyone who welcomed Mary Kelly Bello (new Instructional Coach) during her visit today
• Megha and third grade team for hosting the last Learning Celebration today, and all of the fabulous performers from classes and subjects across the school - wonderful!
• To Seema and Dee for training me in WIDA testing - from Uma

Kath Murdoch, Inquiry Extraordinaire, is coming to AISC for one day only! Friday August 17.

Kath Murdoch is a well known Australian educator who has taught, researched, lectured and published most notably in the field of inquiry based learning, for 30 years. A popular, down to earth consultant, she works with teachers in Asia, Africa, Europe, America and New Zealand while remaining committed to classroom teaching and professional development that is school and classroom based. Kath’s most recent book ‘The Power of Inquiry” has been described as  “a beautiful and sophisticated read that truly inspires quality teaching.” 

Kath will be running a one day workshop at AISC 'Inquiry in the Elementary Classroom' as part of the Chapters International Workshops, which will also be advertised to outside educators.

We have several places reserved for AISC teachers, so if you are interested in attending, please indicate your interest via this form.

The cost of this workshop is US$300, and 50% of this will be supported by AISC programmatic funds.  Participants will need to contribute the other US$150 from their own personal PD.

There will be many opportunities for school supported PD at AISC next year, including Adaptive Schools, Responsive Classroom and also Reading Workshop PD.  Please think this through to plan your year carefully!

MAP Test Make Ups

All make up testing will be done Monday and Tuesday of next week:

Monday from 8:30-10:00 or 10:15-11:30

Tuesday from 8:30-10:00 or  10:15-11:30

This will take place in the learning support room (2136 by the third grade classrooms). Here is the list of students who need to complete make ups. Please decide which day/time you would like students to test, then send them to 2136 with a device; we will have back up devices if a child does not have one. At the very end of the list is a group of students who have missed two or more tests - Lori will email those teachers separately to make decisions about how to proceed.

Responsive Classroom Training
We are offering inhouse training for all TAs and any interested teachers who did not take part in the Responsive Classroom training in February. This allows our whole community to benefit from the Advanced training happening in September.

These dates have been scheduled and we thank homeroom teachers for being accommodating releasing your TA to attend this training, as well as any TA or teacher offering coverage for these blocks. The training will take place in the SHED, dates and times are:

• Friday May 18: 2-4pm  
• Friday May 25: 2-4pm  
• Wednesday May 30: 2-4pm

Faculty involved:

Teachers: Dee, Scott, Megha, Melissa, Jayashree, Sharon

TAs:  Preetika, Preethi, Uma, Adithya, Esther, Sai, Sruthi, Padma, Anitha, Geetha, Za, Steffi, Hannah, Jenisha, Mona, Clinton, Dillip, Radha, Valar

Discovery Studio - Upcoming Challenges

The task for the Challenge Blocks over the next 2 weeks will be to create designer shoes using only newspaper and tape. I have included an example for you to look at.

 

Next, as the DS is very busy at this time of the year I have been noticing people booking the studios over top of other teacher's booking.When booking please double check the time you want to make sure it is free on my calendar or contact me to see if I can fit an extra class in at that the time you want. I will do my best to get anybody in the lab who wants to be there.

Lastly, the DS will be closed on Thursday, May 31st and Friday, June 1st for cleanup. Any free blocks early that week I will be offering a newspaper Designer Hat challenge.

Gift of Time Read-aloud

As we offered before winter break, optional times are available here if you would like a guest reader/teacher to come into your class and offer a read aloud or activity for up to 30 minutes. You can use this time for packing or completing other end-of-year tasks during the final week of school. Just sign your name up in the white box under the time you’d like.

Faculty Meeting - Wednesday 16
For this designated sectional meeting time we will not be coming together as a faculty - please consider this a gift of time to write report cards. A reminder of deadlines for these as well as proofreaders can be found below.  Here is the report card writing style guide for your easy access. If you would prefer to send a sample report card to your proof reader for helpful feedback, please do so well in advance of the deadline!

Wed 16 May	Faculty meeting dedicated to reports (and finishing the IRC survey if need be) ; time could be used for entering proficiency levels or writing narrative comments
By Mon 21  May - 8am	ALL comments complete on google doc and given to proofing buddy **vital step
By Wed 23 May 4pm	Comments  (google doc) due to admin for final proofing
Wed 23 - Mon 28 May	Admin proof reports  (will return as completed)
By Mon 28 May 4pm	All edited comments returned to teachers, can begin entering narratives into PowerSchool
By Wed 30 May 4pm	All report information entered into PowerSchool
Fri 1 June	Reports go live to parents

Proof Readers will remain the same (** specialist teachers please share comments with all proofers listed below)

LSS - Lori

EY3, 4 & 5- Lori

Grade 1 - Sherriden *** Please note a change of proof readers

Grade 2 - Hilary

Grade 3 - Keryn

Grade 4 - Dan

Grade 5 - Alex

Packing up Classrooms & End of Year rituals

• A reminder that we do not visibly pack up classrooms whilst students are still with us.   
• Boxes have been ordered and will be delivered to you towards the end of next week.
• Any boxes packed before the last day - we ask that they are please packed and stored out of the sight of students (in cupboards)
• Student art, displays, notebooks and other work should not be sent home until the last week of school
• Remember we have Saturday 2nd June as a working day to complete any packing, as well as check out
• End of Year check out form can start to be filled out as items are completed (except room sign off which can only happen Saturday 2 June)

Leave Requests

Please note we cannot grant personal leave (or permission) in the last two weeks of school unless in an absolute emergency. Please also be aware that this ‘permission’ leave is to be used sparingly, maximum asks for this should be only once or twice per year. If you are requesting this more than that, please know that personal leave will be applied.

Attending Children's Events

If you are a faculty member with children at AISC and wish to attend events that your child is participating in, please remember to request this well in advance of the event. We understand parents like to support their children, and we will endeavour to accommodate this as much as we can.  

Instructional Time - End of year

Remember be mindful of end of year celebrations to avoid further instructional loss. Instruction should be happening right until the Friday of the last week, and not replaced with screening movies or other non-instructional based activities, including ‘free time’ as we wrap up the year.  

Please know that it is not appropriate to take your class to another grade/classes event.

Graduation 2018

A reminder that the survey to indicate your interest to attend the graduation ceremony is still open. If you plan to attend, please take a moment to indicate how you would like to participate so we can set aside the right number of seats. Thanks! Joelle and Mike.

Hot Weather Policy

Please know that as the weather starts to heat up, we keep an eye on the temperature daily. If at any point it hits 40C we will call to have indoor recess. We try to do this before lunch recess begins, but often the temperature conveniently spikes around lunchtime. Please remember to check emails frequently as it gets hotter, and also share updates you hear with your colleagues.

Marketplace (repeat announcement)

Most of you have met with coaches about this, but here is the presentation as a refresher. If you have any questions about the process, feel free to check in with Rachael.

By Friday, May 18th - Have your closet and classroom cleaned and sorted

May 21st-23rd ONLY - You can take things to the designated spaces.
May 24th-25th - ALL SPACES CLOSED FOR ACCEPTING ITEMS FOR SORTING
May 28th-30th - Come shop the marketplace in the ES CIC!
May 31st - ES CIC Marketplace Closes. Remaining items will be donated.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Keryn and Lori