I hope everyone enjoyed the short week. There is a lot of information for the return to campus day so please make sure to read this week’s notes carefully.
On Campus Preparation Days
Please read this carefully:
If you are eligible to attend the on campus preparation day (either Feb 3rd or 5th) please arrive with plenty of time to complete the health clearance and be in the Rec Gym by 9:00 a.m for an orientation that will last about 30 minutes. Here is a synopsis of the day.
All homeroom classes will have asynchronous work for students - no morning meeting, small groups, or 1:1s. Specialists will continue to teach their class as usual. Specialists, please come for room preparation on the day that you do not teach. If you are a coach or counselor, you may pick which day to come to campus. EAL teachers and TAs, please come with your grade level.
In preparation, please ensure you:
Complete the attestation on the parent locker application (instructions shared previously by Greg Clinton via email)
Bring all food or snacks you may need for the day. Refrigerators and microwaves are not operational.
Bring a water bottle labelled with your name. Water dispensers are operational.
Wear a mask and bring a spare in a resealable bag.
Bring an individual hand sanitizer. While hand sanitizer is readily available throughout campus, you may find it convenient to have one of your own.
Bring your laptop. You will need to access a “To Do” list for the day.
Bring your old ID card, new cards are ready for pick up
Please note that coffee/tea is available in the Madras Cafe. You will be provided with a cup for temporary use and must return the used cup to the cafe in their designated place. You may not leave the cup in your classroom nor in the sink in the ES office as it must be sterilized properly by the cafe. Should you wish to use your own cup, you must take responsibility for washing the cup after use and returning it to your classroom or home.
The orientation will include:
A welcome from Andrew
A quick review of Raptor Safe takeaways from Ryan
Goals for the day from Lynn
Please mention the asynchronous day to your students and families. A note went to parents in the blog (see below) but a reminder from you is helpful. Please make it clear that specialists will be holding class as usual on these two days. Also, please don’t forget to reschedule any of your 1:1 meetings.
This was the message in the parent blog this week:
Asynchronous Student Days - Classroom Preparation Days for Teachers
Teachers will be working on campus on February 3rd and 5th to organize their classroom and pack up student work from last year. Teachers in EY-Grade 2 will be on campus on Wednesday, February 3rd and teachers in Grades 3-5 will be on campus on February 5th. When the grade level teachers are on campus, those grades will have asynchronous work only. There will be no morning meeting, small groups, or 1:1s (1:1s will be rescheduled).
Please note: Specialist teachers WILL hold live classes on these two days. Your child(ren) can join their specialist teacher on these days as usual.
Coaches Corner
During the February 10th faculty time, we will offer a range of workshops for you to choose from. Before finalizing the options, we would like to know what is of most interest to you. Please indicate your preferences by completing this short survey. Thank you!
Position Available
The Associate Athletics and Activities Director position will be open next year. This is a part-time role, where staff continue in a Faculty contract but have release time from teaching classes to fulfill the responsibilities. The primary role for this position is oversight of the ASA (Arts, Sports, & Activities) programs. Email Ryan McFarland (mryan@aischennai.org) for more details and the full job description by 5 PM on Monday, February 8th for consideration.
Save the Date - Vision Day Grades 3-5
We will have our second Vision Day for students in grades 3-5 on Wednesday, March 10th. Start thinking about if you’d like to run the same project or a different one. You will have time to work on your project on March 3rd. More information will come as we get closer to the date.
From the Counselors
Looking for ways to build and foster community virtually? Here is a great idea and doesn't have to be on a Friday). Building Community Virtually With Friendly Fridays
We look forward to seeing you all in person (socially distanced of course) next week.
Have a great weekend!
Lynn, Dave, and Elliot
