We received the fantastic news that EY/KG students can return to campus on November 1st with the rest of the ES.
Upcoming Week at a Glance:
From the OTL and Counseling Department
Our faculty meeting on October 20th will be in two parts.
Part 1: Data, 3:00-4:00 (zoom link)
Members of the Instructional Leadership Team (HODs and GTLs) will lead faculty in data conversations using the AISC Data Protocol. We will start together as a full faculty (10 min) and then split into department groups (50 min). The agenda and group details are outlined here, Reach out to Mary Kelly should you have any questions.
Part 2: “Snapshot of a Journey” 4:10-5:00
Members of the Counseling Team will lead faculty and staff in a quiet, calming, connecting, and reflective process that will result in a meaningful artifact that represents the experience of each individual over the past 18 months of the pandemic. Please bring the “postcard” you will receive via your division counselors as well as pens, colored pencils, markers/drawing tools and an open heart for this session.
India Week Information
Invitation for Guest Readers - Repeat announcement
Want to be the special guest reader? Want to read to our Elementary students? Here is what you need to do:
Click on this link
Choose a class you would like to read to.
Pick one of the two options you see for that class and highlight it in yellow.
Add the title of the book you would like to read to them.
Reach out to Bindu, Liza, Babs or Teena if you need help finding a book!
Morning Meeting Rotation - India Week
We will not use the specialist rotation during the week of October 25th-29th as different specialists may be helping out in other class morning meetings so they will not be available for your morning meeting.
Morning Meeting Activities
During this week, there will be several activities connected to India that you may include in your Morning Meetings. Each homeroom will have a special guest join you on 2 days to host an activity and you may choose to do the self guided activities on the other days. Click here to see who will join our class, on which day and for what activity. Reach out to the special guest if you would like to know more about the activity. Reach out to Liza or Bindu should you have other questions.
Spirit Week
Please advertise this on your virtual classroom and on Seesaw.
Vision Day G3-G5
Thank you to all teachers G3-G5 for asking clarifying questions and bringing ideas to the Vision Day Fall 2021 plan. We are excited to be able to bring a variety of projects to students supporting our 10 Vision For a Learner attributes. We are looking to collect information about your potential project ideas. Please complete this Google Form Survey by Oct 22 with information about what you are interested in leading or co-leading this year. There is space to indicate if you already have partnered up on a project and want to work together with someone. Here is the Vision for a Learner Attributes poster and past projects for reference. Please reach out to Kay, Alex, or Elliot with any questions.
Save the Date! Portal Project AISC Dialogue - What is Learning?
This month the Portal Project is focussed on "What is Learning?" and we invite all parents, faculty and students to help us craft a definition of learning and identify conditions that support it. The session will take place on Thursday, October 28th from 4:30 - 5:15 pm. Portal Project dialogues are not only engaging but generate data that is shared with the Community Planning Team and Leadership Councils to help guide our Futures Planning process. As such, participants have a voice in helping to shape the AISC of tomorrow. Interested? Please click here to add the event directly to a google calendar or here for the direct meeting link.
New Library Books
Our new books have all arrived, so please browse the collections below and feel free to request these titles this weekend using the forms below. Happy reading!
Free PD Opportunity Saturday, October 23rd
Teachers College Reading and Writing Program Saturday Reunion
On Saturday, October 23rd, Teachers College is hosting its free Saturday reunion. The conference is being held on Eastern Standard Time but the start time is not too late in the evening here in Chennai. This is a great opportunity for anyone who teaches reading and writing workshop. You can find more information here (no registration required - just show up on Zoom).
From the Counselors
Dear Faculty, on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 a portion of the PD time will be spent with the AISC Counseling Department. There is a blank postcard that will be used during that session. Please keep it in a safe place with you until that session. If you have not received one, you can stop by the ES Counseling Office. There are some postcards on Cheryl’s counter or Jessy will have some in the Nurse's Office with the Panbio test.
Several weeks ago there was an essay (Now I’m Really Present, Ma’am!) in the Hindu newspaper by teacher Lekshmi Sankunni Nair about her experience of returning to her local school. She describes the challenges virtual learning presented and even though she had never “met” many of her students she was able to identify them in person. Students who never met her before said things like…”I thought you would be”...taller, bigger, etc).
Here is the last part of her essay - she expresses her feelings during COVID, the grief and humor about changes that have occured and her hopeful outlook on returning to school….
“The diffidence and fear that nurtured tech-phobia had to be conquered. Triumph, we did with a little help from each other and family. But as deaths mounted, fear enveloped each of us. It struck close to home when colleagues lost partners and students struggled to come to terms with personal losses...
I have always been a great friend of the blackboard and chalk. Now I wonder whether I will ever go back to seeing my fingers covered with chalk dust! This I do know...however adept I get on the smartboards, I will truly miss you, my chalkboard.
The smartboard however is a very exciting space. As an English teacher, I plan to take the class on a virtual tour of The Globe Theatre, trek the Yukon Valley and watch and listen to poets reading their own works.
So here we are, back in the near-antiseptic classrooms, observing all standard protocol, cautiously working our way out of the COVID conundrum.
At no time has people skills been more pertinent and the ability to see, observe, offer a shoulder and build trust seems to be the need of the hour.”
Have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn and Dave
No comments:
Post a Comment