*Photos of the Week and Assembly Live Streams can be found in the Parent Update.
**All ES Faculty meeting this week. Please refer to the Schedule and Agenda (in the sidebar).
Please be aware automated phone calls indicating a bomb threat are still being received by both international and public schools. The area has expanded beyond Europe to include schools in Asia, New Zealand, Australia and North America. The same message is still used in each case, and all schools evacuated the students. It appears that these messages are still just threats to disrupt school life, and no explosive devices have been found at any of the sites.
Should we receive this message at AISB, we will evacuate the school. At this time, we cannot add a third alarm system to the PA, so the Principal (in Building A) and the Director (In Building B) or their designate will make an announcement on the PA system to evacuate the building. Please follow the revised evacuation procedure indicated here. This evacuation route is ONLY TO BE USED in the event of a Bomb Threat.
The fire alarm WILL NOT be activated for this evacuation drill. In the event of a fire alarm, please use the original routes outlined in the handbook (for fire drills).
Please make sure your students continue to travel with their coat, gloves and hat, in school during the school day. It is quite likely that we could be outside for a couple of hours before being given the all clear by the Police. It is highly recommended, for this reason, that faculty and staff also travel throughout the building with their outdoor clothes.
~ Vlad and Paul
It is that time of year when we request your help and support to start organizing photos for your class page. We would like 20 photos only (no more, no less) that represent your class. Please make sure all students are represented in your photos and that your photos are good quality. A friendly suggestion is not to have too many whole class photos. Photos with little groups and close-ups are more appropriate. The goal is to be able to see faces. We will have the official school class photo on your page. We request to have your class photos no later than the 6th of April (Wednesday before April break) as we use the break to put these pages together. Please send an email to Paul when your photos are ready. This message does not apply to encore teachers.
The cafeteria area in Building B has been extended to accommodate the number of students who pass through the area on a daily basis. The terrace is now covered with fiberglass and additional heating from the ceiling make it possible to use it in winter time. When the warmer weather arrives, the maintenance staff will open the windows to let the fresh air in. Faculty, students, and staff (other than the maintenance staff) are kindly requested to refrain from opening or closing these windows, or placing adverts or writing on the windows. The windows require a special process to be opened correctly and the foil on the window will be ruined if glue, tape or marker are applied.
Please join me in extending a great big thank you to Judit Nemeth and her team for making this a reality.
Below is an example of a rich problem. It provides choice and it evokes the thought process. Have a go. The first three people to share their thinking in a convincing and creative way (using words, pictures and numbers), get a free coffee.
“10 (Usually Wrong) Ideas About ELLs” by Barbara Gottschalk in Educational Leadership, February 2016 (Vol. 73, #5, p. 62-64), available for purchase at http://bit.ly/1LpN38g; Gottschalk can be reached at [email protected].
In this Educational Leadership article, Michigan ESOL teacher Barbara Gottschalk corrects these erroneous beliefs about ELL instruction:
• Misconception #1: ESOL teachers should know students’ language. “I’ve had as many as eight different languages represented in my classroom,” says Gottschalk. An ESOL teacher might be fluent in one or two, but not eight! What’s important is good training and empathy for second-language learners.
• Misconception #2: ELLs won’t learn English if they don’t speak it at home. Research says that strong native language skills facilitate learning English. Gottschalk tells parents, “We’ll take care of the English at school; you can help us by trying to develop your child’s native language at home and encouraging good study habits in general.”
• Misconception #3: ESOL students excel at math. “I wish this positive stereotype were true more often,” says Gottschalk. Language demands in math pose challenges for many ELLs – especially requirements to explain one’s thinking.
• Misconception #4: Teachers need to simplify the curriculum. Teachers need to stick with appropriate grade-level standards but find ways to support students’ learning.
• Misconception #5: ELLs should be retained if they’re behind. It takes 5-7 years to fully master a new language, says Gottschalk. Better to move ELLs along with modifications, accommodations, and support from ESOL teachers or trained paraprofessionals.
• Misconception #6: ELLs should speak English with one another at lunch. While English is expected in the classroom and ELLs shouldn’t exclude peers by speaking an unfamiliar language, they have a right to chat in their language outside the classroom.
• Misconception #7: Immigrant families are uninvolved. Many ELLs’ parents believe it’s the school’s job to educate their children and consider classroom volunteering and fund-raisers odd. Lack of time, money, or transportation are additional reasons they may not be a frequent presence in school.
• Misconception #8: ELLs should know about U.S. cultural events. Asking an ELL about his or her Super Bowl pick, for example, could be a conversation stopper. Don’t assume cultural assimilation.
• Misconception #9: ELLs are ignorant. “Ms. G., the new girl, she don’t know anything!” said a student. In fact, ELLs come to school with many life experiences, and it’s the teacher’s job “to tap those experiences and link them to the new information we’re teaching,” says Gottschalk. “Newcomers aren’t nearly the blank slate they appear to be.”
• Misconception #10: Recently arrived immigrant students won’t be behavior problems. Frequently untrue! says Gottschalk. ELLs need the same rules, routines, and expectations as native-born students.