**Please check the Meeting Schedules (in the sidebar) for information regarding this week's meetings.
***Please bookmark the Mindset link so you can access it easily.
*Observe your students, observe yourself, observe a colleague*.
*Record (for sharing) your observations about the languages of thinking, community, identity, initiative, knowing, and feedback & praise as well as questioning and the ways they support your learning and your students’ learning.
Prompts to consider (I.Q. Routine): I noticed, It supports student learning by..., It sends a message to the learner that..., I am wondering...
Questions? Clarifications? See Krista
Instructional Leads and Curriculum Leads will begin learning walks (February 27-March 3) with Krista this week. Thank you for opening your classrooms to us as we begin this part of the learning journey.
The Student Support Team continues to provide strategies to differentiate for identified students in the elementary. Classroom teachers have access to the CIPs, LSPs, and BSPs to ensure incorporation of strategies into the daily core learning environment. The SST has also created a spreadsheet identifying strategies to help support encore teachers who also teach these children. The document is regularly updated and is located (for easy access) in the sidebar of the Mindset under 'Teaching and Learning'. It is the first link 'SST Student Support Strategies'.
The EAL team has created a second tab in the document. They will also be listing strategies to help support the growth and development of EAL learners whether they are in core or encore classes. They plan to have this sheet populated with strategies in March. Both sheets are constantly updated with strategies to best support the individual learner.
All teachers and assistants are requested to review this document regularly and implement the strategies listed so we ensure the best possible learning environment for these students. If you have questions, require clarifications, or are using a strategy that is working well for a particular student please see one of the members of the SST team (LRC, Counsellor, EAL, DTL, Principal).
EAL Position
Please join me in welcoming Jennifer Gelinas who will be joining our EAL team beginning August 2017. Originally from the U.S., Jennifer and her husband, David, (an IT professional) currently live and work in Vietnam. Jennifer is an EAL teacher and the EAL Coordinator at the American School of Vietnam. Jennifer has six years experience teaching ELL students in both elementary and middle school. David works in IT infrastructure outside of education. Thank you Will, Kathy, and Leigh for supporting the interview process.
We continue to search for a multiage teacher who fits our philosophy and approach to teaching and learning in the Early Childhood. If you know of anyone (you would recommend) with the qualifications and experience teaching Multiage through the Reggio-inspired approach and who is interested in becoming a member of our elementary team, please ask them to send their application of interest to Krista. We thank you, in advance, for not advertising the opening via Facebook or other social media.
We all know the important of balance and mindfulness are to decrease stress and anxiety and promote a healthier well-being. As educators, finding the time to incorporate this into our busy days is not always easy. Thanks to Lisa Lebiecki we now have the motivation to do just that. If you have not already, come and check out the massage chair (compliments of Lisa Lebiecki) in our community room. Keegan offered to test it out for us. As you can see from the picture, it works. Listen to music, choose your massage, have a cat nap, grab a cup of coffee or tea, or spend time with colleagues. The chair offers you sanctuary during the day. The Community Room offers you a place to recoup. Thank you, Lisa for keeping the best interest of your colleagues in mind. We appreciate you.
Noa Ruby Gaensler was born at 8:00 am on Monday, February 13th at Dr. Rose Hospital in Budapest. She is healthy and strong and Catlin is recovering well. Catlin and Adam want to thank the AISB community for their warm wishes and kind support.
Join your colleagues for lunch and inquiry! Each Wednesday at lunch we will meet in the community room to discuss two chapters of the Power of Inquiry by Kath Murdoch. Join us for all discussions or for whichever topic interests you most right now. Copies of the book are available in the library.
March 8 - A fresh look & Creating the space
March 22 - Beyond topics & Inviting uncertainty
March 29 - Finding our way & Assets for life
April 5 - To each their own & Staying accountable
April 12 - Together is better & Building a Repertoire
Scheduling Consultant, will visit AISB March 6-10. During her time here, she will spend time observing and reviewing the schedules we currently have in place and make recommendations for possible modifications that meet the needs of all students (MA-Grade 12).
As mentioned in the February 6th Mindset, we are currently in conversations about possible changes to the Master Schedule (through school) that will provide the best support for all teaching and learning (MA-12). We have invited a Scheduling Consultant, Marilyn Holladay, to review what is currently in place, what we wish to remain in place, and what we would love to see changed. Thank you to those of you who took the time to share feedback about the current schedule. We have taken your feedback and added it to the SLT feedback for Marilyn to review. Here is a link to the document we will be sharing with Marilyn before her visit. If you have any questions, please see Krista.
Due to scheduling conflicts with the Middle School Fine Arts Day, we have agreed to move the ES Play performances. The original date, Thursday, April 13th is canceled.
Performances will now take place on Tuesday, April 11th (1:30) and Wednesday, April 12th (1:30 and 4:00).
All students who are participating in the play (grades 3,4, & 5) are needed from just before lunch through the performance. More information on viewing times for grade levels will follow later in March.
If you see any glaring issues, please come and see Krista.
We apologize for this change, but appreciate the flexibility of our awesome teachers.
Dress Rehearsal
The dress rehearsal for the ES Play will take place on ES Conference Day (Thursday, March 30). We kindly request were possible (we understand it may not be possible), you allow these students to sign up between one of the following times: between 8:00-9:00, 11:30-12:30, 4:00-5:00. This will help to ensure we have all members for the cast present for the bulk of the rehearsal.
Students involved in the ES Play:
Grade 3: 3C- Emilia & Maria, 3F- Alexis & Olga, 3S-Andres, Petra, & Simon
Grade 4: 4B- Sherwin, Lara, Emma, William, Christie, & Katie, 4H- JJ, Clara, Cemre, Marko, & Emma, 4L-Amaya, Quinn, Somin, Myrto, & Jessica, and 4T- Zoe, Tamami, James, Anna, Iza, Lucas, & Borcsi
Grade 5: 5K- Jan, Jude, Lexie, Katinka, & Jan, 5G- Ellen, Alfred, & Xinchen, 5J- Christina, Anita, & Rosa, and 5W- Adam, Nina, Avery, Anita, Nikol, Molly, & Lily