Friday, May 17, 2019

Friday, May 17, 2019

Dear Colleagues,

It’s been a full week of report card writing and editing, with ample opportunity to reflect on our practices this year, and going forward. On Monday in the Grade Team Leaders meeting, we asked an inclusion question, “What comment did you most enjoy writing?” The GTLs’ responses were heart warming, and so we felt that it was worth sharing this question for reflection. What comment meant a lot to you? Who grew a lot? Who shined academically, who learned to work from a growth mindset, who was a community builder, who was kind? Thank you for helping all children to progress on their growth journeys, and for the effort, thoughtfulness, and time that you put into sharing their growth with parents. In this season of busyness, let’s all take those moments as they arise to reflect on the WHY.

We are approaching the end of the year, and so you’ll find many nuts and bolts in each of the coming Faculty Notes. Thank you for your attention to detail. 

We completed ASAs for Session 3 today, and there are NO REGULAR ASAs from next week. Students will be participating in ASA Showcases.  

Thank yous & Celebrations
  • Thank you to Padmapriya for helping out with processing comments and reports.
  • Thank you from the participants in the TA strand to Alex and Elliot, who, in their words, “got the ball rolling with TA professional learning” and “helped me make huge changes to my practice”. We appreciate you!
  • Thank you to the leaders and participants of the Strand professional learning, which wrapped up this week. We appreciate your commitment to professional growth!
  • Thank you to Jack and Gio for their work in revisioning the Upper ES Swim Gala… read more below.
  • Shout out to Grade 4 Passion Projects - it’s been fun seeing you guys around campus engaging in your passions and curiosities
  • Big congrats to the EY5 and Grade 1 advocacy posters and guides around the classrooms and in the cafeteria.  Students are proud of their contribution, and other students are learning from them. Very cool!
  • Just one more big WOW to Jen and Clinton for running the amazingly busy and full schedule of STEM Math projects. We appreciate you!
 Upcoming Week at a Glance
Monday 20th May
Reports - By 4 PM - Comments returned to teacher by admin.  Accept changes as indicated.
NO regular ASAs from today
ASA  Season 3 Showcases
Tuesday 21st May
Graduation Walk - Line the hallways - 10:00 - 10:20 AM
ASA  Season 3 Showcases
Wednesday 22nd May
Reports - By 8 AM - All comments entered into powerschool
Sherriden and IT team begin printing from 8:30 a.m (hard deadline)
ASA  Season 3 Showcases
Section Meeting - 3:45 pm Madras Hall
Thursday 23rd May
ASA  Season 3 Showcases
Friday 24th May
Reports - All printing complete, final print corrections made
Gr 3 - 5 Swim Gala 3:45 PM
ASA  Season 3 Showcases

Graduation Walk - This coming TUESDAY!  
Please support our annual Graduation Walk by lining the hallways and "high fiving" the seniors as they parade through the school. The route can be found below. The parade starts at 10:00 am and should conclude no later than 10:20 am.  
  • Depart 3rd floor FAC foyer downstairs to the 2nd floor, down 2nd-floor main hallway from field side to back, downstairs to 1st floor and across main FAC foyer.  
  • Depart FAC, walk past gym, iHub, admin, admissions, down ES hall to the amphitheater to ES stairs near the ES gate - stairs to the 3rd floor.
  • 3rd floor ES grade 5 hallway, grade 4 hallway, grade 6 hallway, HS 3221, 3220 and 3219, HS World Languages, MS 3rd floor to circular ES steps - stairs to the 2nd floor.  
  • Down circular ES steps to the 2nd floor, grade 3 hallway, grade 2 hallway to ES stairs near the ES gate - stairs to 1st floor.
  • ES EY3 hallway, covered play area, ES cafeteria to ES circular staircase - up to the 2nd floor
  • Down MS SS/LA hallway, past MS office, HS office, HS Eng/SS classrooms to Raptor's Den - stairs to 1st floor.
  • Past gym to FAC
Thanks for supporting our graduating senior during this special community-oriented celebration!

Grades 3-5 Swim Gala Changes to Program
The Elementary Swim Gala has been scheduled for next Friday, May 24, 3:45-4:45. With this being a new timing and format for a Swim Gala, we need some support in the following ways.
  • Grade 3- changed into swim suits and be at the pool at 3:30
    • 3SS & 3JM changing in pool locker rooms
    • 3TG & 3MR changing in the G3 bathrooms/classrooms
    • Backpacks in covered gym
    • NOTE: This will require Grade 3 teachers to pack up early from last period.  We appreciate your support.
  • Grade 4- at the swimming pool locker rooms ready to change at 3:30
  • Grade 5- in the covered gym and ready to change at 3:30
Heads up Grade 3-5 teachers- We will be putting the following information in the parent blog. Feel free to add it to your parent communications:

Grades 3-5 Swim Gala is coming!
Please come and support your child during this activity as it is an expectation that all students participate in this learning process.

Place: Swimming Pool
When: Friday, May 24th
Time: 3:45 pm
Grade 3 will start the Swim Gala, followed by grade 4 & 5 together.

Remember to send your child’s swimming supplies (swimsuit, goggles, and towel) and see you on Friday, May 24th.

All AISC Community - We will be looking for any extra support we can get to help this event to run smoothly.  If you would be willing to help out with this event please contact Gio (bgiovanni@aischennai.org) or Jack (bjack@aischennai.org).  

Update on NESA Virtual Science Fair Competition
As you know, our Grade 5 students supported by Ms Salome and Ms Jen competed in the NESA virtual science fair this year. There were 83 Middle School teams from a pool of 460 teams. Grade 5 winners came from a group of 25. Only 5 teams from NVSEF5 will continue into the Champion's League. AISC’s Team 4, with a project on Engineering, is currently placed fourth in the standings and we look forward to more news about their success!  Pictured below are Team 4 Jasim Mukhtar, Jamil Mukhtar, and Keshav Menon. Their project aimed to harness solar energy to generate electricity and provide a renewable source of power for lighting purposes. Wow!


Reminiscing on School Year 2018-19
As our school year starts to come to a close, we on the Elementary Leadership Team begin to wax reflective about the wonderful year of learning and growth that we have all experienced. We appreciate our teachers’ hard work, our parents’ openness and collaboration, and our students’ bright sparks and enthusiasm for learning, sometimes through productive struggle. For the last few blogs of the year, we’ll share a few highlights from the #aiscelementary Twitter feed. Here’s to a wonderful end to a wonderful year. Thank you for being a part of our #aiscelementary community. 

We are also sharing this to parents in the Principal’s Notes. Please consider popping your inspiring pics onto Twitter so that we can share them! :)
 



Have a wonderful weekend!

Keryn Dowling, Dave Allen, and Calley Connelly

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