Friday, August 27, 2021

We’d like to thank all of you for the preparation and delivery of your Back to School events/videos this week. Your passion, knowledge, and love for teaching (yes, even virtually) was evident. We’re off to a great start. 

Upcoming Week at a Glance:

Day	Event
August 30
August 31
September 1	All Faculty Meeting - Head of School Talk and Resilience Training
September 2
September 3

 Professional Growth & Evaluation (PG & E) - Repeat announcement with the OTL link

Please begin thinking about your Professional Growth and Evaluation goals for this year. If you are on the Professional Growth Pathway (anyone in year 2, 4, 5, 7, or 8), your goals are due September 15. If you are on the Self Assessment Pathway (SAP) or you are a new faculty member, the last day to submit your goals is October 4. If you are on the PG Pathway, please coordinate a time to meet with your supervisor before the October break. New faculty, we will go over the Professional Growth Plan at our meeting on Aug. 30th. Here is the link to the PG&E page on the OTL website.

 

Fall Camp (September 27 - Oct 1, 2021)

Are you interested in leading an activity for the Arts, Sports & Activities Fall Camp? If so, you can choose the activity to lead, share your time availability, and your grade level preferences by filling out this Google Form. Please complete this by Friday, September 10th and Fall Camp Registration forms will be sent to students and families on Friday, September 17th.

 

• Virtual Fall Camp will be offered to ES & MS Students.

• Activities will run Monday - Friday mostly during IST time. 

 

For more information, please email Monicka (dmonicka@aischennai.org)

 

A message from the Diversity & Equity Council

One of the beautiful things of working in an international school is the diversity of our student body! For some, it can be a challenge to pronounce so many new names and, yet, there is nothing more important we can do to make our students feel welcome. Wondering how to handle names you can't pronounce? Check out this resource from Leading ELLs. 

 

SAVE THE DATE: UN International Day of Peace Virtual Assembly and Parade of Nations (Friday, September 17)

 

This year’s theme for the UN International Day of Peace is "Recovering Better for a Sustainable and Equitable World." With student speakers and participants from Elementary to High School, we are excited to continue bringing annual traditions to you virtually. Stay tuned for more details on how you can join us on Friday, September 17, 2:45 p.m. 

If you have ideas on integrating this year’s theme into your classroom or need a thought partner, please email rgautami@aischennai.org.

 

Two Zoom Teaching Tips

1).  A way to use breakout rooms (BOR) - After your minilesson, open a BOR that students can join if they need help. Watch the BOR list and follow them in to offer support. You can add additional rooms for students to use for collaboration as well. You’ll need to use the "let participants choose room" option. You can also check options to allow participants to choose a room and return to the main session at any time. Thanks for the tip John. Feel free to reach out to him if you’d like to know more about how he uses this strategy. 

 

2). If you’re asking students to write an answer/response in the Zoom chat and want to give equal opportunity for all students to participate, have them type their response without pressing enter/return. When the teacher says go, students press enter/return and a waterfall of answers appears. Thanks for the tip Kieara. Feel free to reach out to her if you’d like to know more about how she uses this strategy. 

Yearbook Portraits

We are collecting yearbook portraits virtually this year. You can read the instructions and upload your portrait by visiting this website.

 At-A-Glance Information

• Please read the instructions carefully.

• Use the back camera of a mobile phone to take your photo. You can have someone take the photo for you or you can use a tripod. You can find detailed instructions on the website.

• You can also consider taking your photo professionally at a studio if you have access to one in your area; make sure to request for a grey background.

• IMPORTANT! Rename your photo accordingly. We will not be able to accept submissions if you do not rename the photo.

• FIRST NAME_LAST NAME_ID NO. (e.g. SHERENE_WILLIAMS_AISC000)

• Last Day to Submit: Friday, Sep 3, 2021.

Thank you for your support, AISC! Please write to media@aischennai.org if you have any questions.

From the Counselors

Here are some more movement break ideas:

• Stand for 2 - let kids know they must work standing up for 2 minutes

• Change positions - announce that everyone should change positions (if seated on a chair, maybe they can sit somewhere else).

• Sensory motor scavenger hunt  You can break it up and try to find one item on the list for a movement break.

• Mirror mirror - take turns imitating each other’s movements. Assign one person to be the leader and everyone follows along. 

• Shake break 

• Animal yoga poses

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lynn and Dave

Friday, August 20, 2021

Upcoming Week at a Glance:

Day	Event
August 23	Back to School Events
August 24	Back to School Events
August 25	Curriculum Reflection & Documentation (see details below from OTL)
August 26
August 27

Back to School Events

Although the times were published in the Principal’s Blog last week, please let your parents know your grade level back to school event time and Zoom link via email or Seesaw. 

 

From the OTL (Office of Teaching and Learning)

On Wednesday, August 25th we will gather for an all school faculty meeting focused on curriculum. Much of the time will be spent in dialogue with K-12 disciplinary groups. Please join the meeting on individual devices. Thank you!

Professional Growth & Evaluation (PG & E)
Please begin thinking about your Professional Growth and Evaluation goals for this year. If you are on the Professional Growth Pathway (anyone in year 2, 4, 5, 7, or 8), your goals are due September 15. If you are on the Self Assessment Pathway (SAP) or you are a new faculty member, the last day to submit your goals is October 4. If you are on the PG Pathway, please coordinate a time to meet with your supervisor before the October break. New faculty, we will go over the Professional Growth Plan at our meeting on Aug. 30th. 

Class Schedules

Homeroom teachers, we know this was a busy week as you rolled out your full schedule. It’s okay to make adjustments if you feel you need longer breaks between your Zoom sessions or before a specialist class. 

Morning Meeting Rotation

Beginning next week, specialists will start joining morning meetings. You will find the schedule here. We will rotate the schedule every 4-5 weeks so specialists have the opportunity to connect with different classes. Specialists, please check in with homeroom teachers to see how to best support their morning meeting time. Also, please reach out to Dave if you have any questions about the schedule.

Reading Records

As mentioned in the meeting on Wednesday, the reading records window is from August 23rd - Sept. 17th. All of the resources you need are in the BAME charts Alex has shared with you. Let Alex know if you have any questions. 

We would like to help get you printed copies of the recording sheets. If you are interested in having printed copies, please fill out this spreadsheet. 

Yearbook Photos

We are collecting yearbook portraits virtually this year. You can read the instructions and upload your portrait by visiting this website.

 

At-A-Glance Information

• Please read the instructions carefully.

• Use the back camera of a mobile phone to take your photo. You can have someone take the photo for you or you can use a tripod. You can find detailed instructions on the website.

• You can also consider taking your photo professionally at a studio if you have access to one in your area; make sure to request for a grey background.

• IMPORTANT! Rename your photo accordingly. We will not be able to accept submissions if you do not rename the photo.

• FIRST NAME_LAST NAME_ID NO. (e.g. SHERENE_WILLIAMS_AISC000)

• Last Day to Submit: Friday, September 3, 2021

Thank you for your support, AISC! Please write to media@aischennai.org if you have any questions.

 

Zoom Links

A few parents (and only a few) are still letting us know their child can’t access specialist Zoom links. Please ask parents to refresh their child’s virtual classroom page if they contact you. They can also contact Priya V. at itsupport@. 

 

DVD Give Away - from HS library

The HS library is weeding our DVD section. We have hundreds of DVDs free for the taking. Come for the Kenneth Branagh Shakespeare adaptations, stay for the History Channel miniseries. There is something for everyone and every class--Muhammad Ali retrospectives, 101 Best Volleyball Drills, Forensic Science in Action, Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump! Get your modern classic today! DVDs will be available in the HS Library until August 27th. 

 

Marshall Memo - repeat announcement 

The Marshall Memo is designed to keep principals, teachers, instructional coaches, superintendents, and other PreK-12 educators well-informed on current research and best practices. Please fill out this short questionnaire if you'd like to sign up to receive the Marshall Memo delivered to your inbox this year. Please fill out the form again even if you already receive the Memo. Let Babs know if you have any questions. 

 

PD Opportunities!

Connections International is offering 5 week courses for educators -  Teaching & Leading Third Culture Kids and Connecting the Home and the School. Courses are online, affordable and eligible for university credit for recertification or licensing. Dr. Leigh Martin is open to tailoring courses for teams and disciplines should eight or more participants indicate interest. Registration for courses closes September 1st. 

From the Counselors

If you are concerned about any of your students, please contact Michele or Linda to get the conversation started about how to best provide support early in the year. 

 

Looking for something quick to shift Zoom room energy or re-engage students?....Try some of these creative brain breaks.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lynn and Dave

Friday, August 13, 2021

Week two finished! Thank you for the wonderful conversations during team meetings. You are an amazing group of educators. 

This is another packed Faculty Notes. Please read it carefully and note the action items. 

Upcoming Week at a Glance:

Day	Event
August 16
August 17
August 18	ES Meetings (see below for details)
August 19
August 20

Faculty Meeting Details:

We have a couple of sessions happening simultaneously during Wednesday’s meeting time:

Homeroom Teachers/EAL/LSS- calendar invite already sent

3:00 - 3:25 Library scope and sequence with Babs and Mary Kelly

3:30 - 5:00 F & P Workshop with Alex 

Specialists - calendar invite to come

3:30 - 5:00 Unit development with Mary Kelly

TAs - calendar invites to come

3:00 - 3:25 Responsive Classroom with Elliot

3:30 - 4:00 Technology training to automate archiving of BOR recordings

Technology Training - Mandatory (from Greg)

Next week we are running a series of workshops for ES, MS, and HS teachers and anyone else who might be in a breakout room with students (coaches, admin, counselors, etc…). The purpose of the training is to allow you to automate the archiving of your breakout room recordings. 

***TAs, you are getting this training on Wednesday so no need to sign up for a time during the week. 

The signup sheet will help us manage numbers, and includes timings and meeting links. You will see bright yellow spaces where you can add your name (please don't delete someone else's name!). If the slots fill up, let me (Greg) know and we'll add more sessions or slots. In addition, this material will be available as videos and instructions starting on Monday.

Specialist Zoom Links

Here is the final document with the specialist Zoom links. This is a new document so PLEASE use this document to get the updated Zoom links for the specialists. The updated links should be posted to your virtual classroom by Monday morning. We apologize for the confusion with the links this past week. We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we worked it out. Homeroom teachers, please post an announcement on Seesaw informing parents and students that they should use the updated Zoom links on your virtual classroom and not any previously sent links. 

Welcome Back to School Bags for Students

Canvas bags have been ordered for the welcome back to school supplies and should be delivered to school early next week. We also plan to include a school towel (an ES gift to students that couldn’t be delivered in May due to the lockdown) and last year’s yearbook (for returning students) in the supply bag. We will inform team leads when the bags arrive so teachers/TAs can come to school to organize materials. 

Virtual Classroom Links

Please link your virtual classroom to this document. 

Class Schedules

When you have your “finalized” schedule, please drop it into this folder. 

Technology Notes from Priya

• Homeroom Teachers please make sure your students know how to sign in to Gmail. Most of the subscriptions that we use in Grade 3 - Grade 5 are Google sign-in. This would help the specialists.

• Here is a Safe Search Site I've created for ES Students. Please feel free to use it as you see fit.

• Please remind students and parents to email itsupport@aischennai.org for any tech-related issues.

Morning Meeting Specialist Rotation

To avoid scheduling conflicts with the specialist morning meeting rotation, please inform Dave if there is a particular day in which you already have something scheduled during your MM such as counseling. The morning meeting specialist rotation will begin the week of August 23rd. The schedule will be in next week’s Faculty Notes.

Marshall Memo

The Marshall Memo is designed to keep principals, teachers, instructional coaches, superintendents, and other PreK-12 educators well-informed on current research and best practices. Please fill out this short questionnaire if you'd like to sign up to receive the Marshall Memo delivered to your inbox this year. Let Babs know if you have any questions. 

 

Library Update 

The ES/MS and High School Libraries are open for your perusal! If you'd like to come into the library to check out books, please follow the following procedures:

 

1) Take a pair of disposable gloves to wear while you browse.

2) Browse and check out like normal. Library staff will be in the library, so they can help you. If there is no one there, please take a photo of the barcodes on your books and send it to Marion or Babs. 

3) Books can be checked out for two weeks and can be returned to the library or to the return boxes located outside the main and ES entrances for quarantine. 

 

Teachers are also welcome to use this Google Form to request books. In this case, we can gather what you need for pickup/classroom delivery within 24 hours. 

 

Family Use of the AISC Libraries - FYI, This went out in the Principal’s Blog today

Starting today, AISC families are now able to request books every week from our libraries using this Google form. Books can be ordered through the form from Friday until Monday at 3:30pm and can be picked up curbside at the ES entrance on Wednesdays between 8:30am - 4:00pm. Bags with the child's name clearly marked on the front will be located inside the white cubbies. Patrons are invited to take the bag that belongs to them without touching any other materials. 

In addition, a book drop is positioned curbside at the ES entrance, as well as the main entrance, for returned books. We encourage families to return the books after two weeks, although if a specific title is needed for a longer period, please contact Babs to implement an extension. 

Call for interest - Adaptive Schools Training (from Joelle)

As mentioned earlier this year, we will be offering a FACE-TO-FACE Adaptive Schools Foundations Training this fall. To minimize the impact on classroom teachers, the days will be spread over two months - Thursday, September 23; Friday, September 24; Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16. All four days must be attended (8:30 am - 4:00 pm) and a certificate is awarded upon completion.

Adaptive Schools training supports developing collaborative teams by providing strategies, skills, concepts and structures that support increased individual and collective performance, resourcefulness and satisfaction. Adaptive Schools is a cornerstone approach to our collaborative work at AISC.

This training is offered by an in-house facilitator and is free of charge.

If you are interested, please complete this survey no later than MONDAY, AUGUST 23rd. Supervisors will consider requests for participation upon close of the survey and selections will be confirmed no later than Friday, August 27th.

GOA Professional Development Catalogue Now Available

Our partner provider, Global Online Academy, has released their professional development courses for teachers. Not only are courses offered by GOA high quality, but the majority are free to member schools - which means they are free of charge for everyone at AISC! Registration is easy, just pick a course, select our school name and off you go! 

 

As you browse their full course catalogue you will see a broad range of courses, from sprints to series, addressing equity, online learning, competency based learning and various stand alone support sprints from redesigning grade books to setting up process portfolios. 

 

From the Counselors

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lynn and Dave