Thank you for all of the growth conference preparation that you did to ensure that parents were informed about their child’s progress and areas for growth.
It’s been great seeing so many of you on campus. We’ll all be back together on Monday for the start of India Week! If you need a good chuckle this weekend as you plan for your return to campus, check out this NYT opinion piece called “7 Gadgets to Make you Less Weird When you Go Back to the Office” (pdf and link).
There is a lot of information to digest in this week’s notes. Please read carefully.
Upcoming Week at a Glance:
India Week:
Photo Booth - all week long
With India Month upon us, it’s time to bring out your best festive wear and Diwali flair! Visit the India Month Photobooth (Unity Courtyard) every day from October 25–28, 7:45–8:30 a.m. Cyril, our resident photographer will be available to take (socially distanced!) photos with props. We can’t wait to see you, AISC!
ES India Lunch
Please enjoy a fantastic Diwali lunch in the ES cafeteria on Tuesday from 11:30-1:00. Here is the menu - looks amazing. This coincides with our Indian colors/outfit day!
Read Aloud - Check this document and mark your calendars! Reach out to Teena, Babs or Bindu for any questions.
Please note that this week, you will have newly assigned guests joining your class to host activities connected to India. Each class will have guests join you on 2 different days. Mark the day and time on your calendar. Feel free to connect with the guest if you would like to know the plan and the time needed for the activity.
Halloween
Teams should talk about Halloween celebrations for Friday afternoon. Please take photos and feel free to invite media@aischennai.org to any celebrations. Costumes for students and faculty are optional.
Return to Campus
Helpful videos - please watch the videos below to understand the drop off procedure and feel free to show your students (this was shown at the coffees and is in the parent blog)
Homeroom teachers: your new class schedule
Please start to work on your new class schedule. You’ll want to get that out to students by Thursday, Oct. 28th so virtual students know when to join the class via Zoom. Please make sure you include specialist Zoom links in your new schedule. Remember you are not bound by 35 minutes blocks. Please plan to have reading, writing, and math daily with SS/Science multiple times a week. Dave and I are happy to look over any schedules.
How do we get local classroom supplies?
Most stationery items are available at our Purchase office and can be ordered with an email to purchase@aischennai.org. You can arrange to collect from the purchase office once ready.
For other orders, please fill out a Purchase Order form (PO) which is available in our office. This will be approved by the Principal and Business office.
If you have details - such as the item can be purchased from an online platform, and the cost, photo etc, please attach a printout of the details with the PO.
Note from IT
Welcome Back ES!
The classroom iPads are all ready and need to be picked up by your TA's from CIC. The box contains iPads, chargers, and extension cords.
If you have any questions or need help with your hybrid system, please contact Priya.
Report Card Timeline (will be repeated, don’t worry)
A few people have asked for the timeline. Here it is. More information to come.
Report Card Timeline Fall 2021
From the OTL
Thank you for your engagement in the data conversations this week. And, thank you to the Instructional Leadership Team for your leadership as facilitators. Our next data meeting is November 3rd, during which groups will look at data specific to departments/teams. Details to follow.
Our faculty time on Wednesday, October 27th is dedicated to curriculum development and documentation. Please use this document to access your curriculum team agenda and meeting location (in person!). Reach out to Mary Kelly or your HOD/facilitator should you have any questions.
From the Counselors
Ways to help students adjust to being on campus:
Check in about how students are feeling. Here are some printable charts.
Acknowledge feelings. If they say they are worried and provide reminders that everyone at AISC is here to help them stay healthy. Help them refocus on what they can control rather than worrying about what they can’t.
Encourage empathy. Students have had different experiences during the past months and will have different feelings about coming back to school. Some classmates will have seen friends and others not. Encourage everyone to be inclusive of all students. Some students will remain virtual- discuss how we can make sure to include them.
Encourage optimism. Tell some nice stories about being on campus and seeing others. For the students who will stay virtual encourage everyone to stay connected and develop special routines to help them feel included.
Include mindfulness in your day (counselors are happy to help with this).
Remember 3 Rs… reassure, routines, and regulation.
Reassure safety, establish routines, and regulate emotions: help manage unpleasant feelings with deep breaths, brain breaks, quiet time and emotional check ins.
Diwali Community Dance - From the PCA
Shake a leg this festive season with a dance tutorial from ASA Instructor Ms. Kavya! Bring your family together and share a recording with the PCA Executive Team! We hope many families will enjoy learning this dance and upload their videos to the folder below. Please click on the link for the music for this dance.
Please upload your videos in this folder
Technical details
o Find a space with good lighting, preferably natural light, not sunny but well-lit.
o Please record with limited background noise,
o Please keep the video in LANDSCAPE position.
o The format should be Mp4.
Responsive Classroom First 6 Weeks in November? (from Elliot)
The week of November 1st is not the first 6 weeks of school, and yet, it kind of is. Consider these first few days just like the first 6 weeks of a new school year. Although you have established virtual classroom routines and procedures, take time to build all your foundational in-class norms and expectations by setting goals, co-creating classroom rules, and using interactive modeling to introduce procedures. Classes will need time to build their class community together and begin to forge new friendships. It is okay to continue teaching content in the next weeks while remembering to include the goal of building solid, consistent classroom routines that will sustain your class throughout the year. Also, dust off your reinforcing and reminding language for this re-entry as students will definitely need to hear what they are doing well and be reminded about what they need to be doing to succeed in the classroom.
Save the Date! Portal Project AISC Dialogue - What is Learning? - repeat announcement
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.
Whew! That was a lot. Keep the questions coming.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn and Dave
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