**Please check the Meeting Schedules (in the sidebar) and the calendar at the bottom for information regarding this week's meetings and events. Laptops are not required unless requested. Thank you for leaving them in your classrooms.
***Please bookmark the Mindset link so you can access it easily.
Krista is off campus Wednesday & Thursday and possibly Friday this week for a minor operation. Please see Tracey in her absence.
~from the Elementary Office
The last newsletters (core and encore) of the 2018-2019 school year will be sent home this Friday, June 1st by 4:00 pm via team leads on behalf of the grade level. Please use the templates provided (core and encore). All School important dates can be found at the end of the Parent Update or in the sidebar of the Mindset => Schedules => ES Event Calendar.
If you need support embedding your newsletter, organizing your core or encore site pages, or setting up composer to send the newsletter, please check the step by step guide. If you are still struggling, check in with Nate and his team. Please give both Krista and Leigh editing access and let them know when your newsletter is published (Thursday, May 31st by 10 am latest), so they can review it before team leads send it home Friday, June 1st, 2018.
~ from the ES Principal
GDPR is now in full swing. As predicted many of the social media giants have already had complaints filed against them. We are a school. Our job is to educate children. Following a common-sense approach and adhere to the practices outlined below protects us and our students.
The senior leadership will be taking 'walk abouts' around the school and into classrooms today and in the coming days to check in and support the implementation of these practices. If you have concerns or questions, please report them to Krista. She will follow up with Paul if she is unable to answer your question.
~reprinted from Director's email to full faculty on May 24th, 2018
To prevent a data breach, please implement the following practices.
1. Do not leave student or faculty/staff personal data unsecured in your room when you are away from your room. Place it in a cupboard/drawer and one that preferably locks. Personal data includes: student photos, tests, test results, medical information, all external test scores e.g. MAP/ERB/CEM etc.; trip financial/payment details, references, report cards, transcripts, athletic stats, student presentations, student essays/reports where personal opinions are provided.
2. Secure your computer, make it password protected, and make sure you log out when you leave it unattended. Automatic shutdown is recommended. * Do not store or share passwords. Power off your computer when left for extended times (overnight, weekends, holidays.) If you use your school computer offsite, please do not connect to public wifi. Only use secured networks. Make sure your home internet is secure. Do not store school information on personal computers.
3. Do not use your cell phone * or Ipad to take pictures of school or student-related activities.
4. Do not post to social media anything that is school or student related.
5. Only use school authorized mobile storage devices(memory sticks, flash drive, thumb drive etc.) with encryption if you need to transfer information. Delete this information a soon as its use has been fulfilled.
6. Do not send sensitive information to printers, copiers, or fax machines. Always take this information personally and shred/file securely after accomplishing the task. * Send only from your computer and access printing with your id code. If the copying device stores this information, make sure you delete it from the device.
7. Do not share your copier or computer token or password with anyone.
8. Do not use the same AISB internal passwords that you use on your own external internet sites.
9. When sending email, do not put personal information in the body of the text. Attach a file that is encrypted. Do not send to multiple people with email addresses shown in the recipient list. * Make sure you are sending it to the right people (addresses!)
10. Do not discuss student/faculty or staff personal information in public areas or with people who don’t have a need to know.
11. Reference writing: At the moment confidentiality of references is vague in GDPR. If you are asked to write a reference, assume it is open.
12. Principals will send out a message about what software accounts that process personal student data can continue to be used after Thursday. I would advise not to use others for the last three weeks of school. More info will be available for the new school year on how to use sites and gain parent/student permission.
13. Do not take hard copies of student info off the school premises. If you have to take a trip with student medical/personal information in hard copy, keep it secure and shred on return to school.
14. Do not collaborate on google drive, unless the information is protected from, being shared, downloaded, printed or photo shot.
15. Dispose of sensitive personal data properly - delete files/emails from computer when information is no longer valid or needed. Shred hard copies. We will be contracting with a shredding company and will send details of how to store papers for shredding later.
Please welcome Judit Horváth to the AISB family. Judit is currently the EAL Coordinator at the International School of Budapest and will be joining the Assistant Teacher team this August. Judit has over 12 years teaching experience in early years education. She will be partnering with Lauren White in the Early Childhood.
We begin interviewing for the additional Grade 4 position this week.
~from the Principal
Peter Lindwurm (Office Assistant) will be moving on at the end of this week. On a fixed end contract, Peter had the opportunity to apply for and was offered a position in a local company. The job aligns with his career aspirations and educational focus. Peter has requested and we have approved early release from his contract so he can pursue his dreams. We are excited for Peter and the opportunities this position brings for him and his future. We wish Peter all the best and thank him for his service to AISB. Peter's last day is Thursday, May 31st. He will begin his new job on Friday, June 1st.
We will be advertising the position in the coming weeks and are looking for a substitute to support in the office during the final weeks of school. We thank you for your patience, flexibility, understanding, and support as we navigate these last weeks of school with one less person in the Office.
~from the Principal
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall while horseback riding and she’s hoping all the doctors will put her crushed vertebrae together again. Her advice to all of you is be safe and don’t ride horses named Daniel or bike where wild boars wallow. Theresa is heading home this week to meet with her surgeon in the States to determine the next steps. She is thankful for the support she has received from colleagues over the past week and is confident that Peter, with the help and support of Ian, A-K, Petra, Zsofi, Will, and Kathleen will ensure a successful end of the year for her grade 2 students. Theresa's son, Will, is waiting for her in Ann Arbour and will be there to take care of her before, during, and after the procedure. She wishes you all a wonderful and safe summer and looks forward to seeing you all in August when she will show off her new and improved back.
~from the ES Principal
All Overviews and Learning Identity comments should be completed and uploaded to Veracross. Reviewer begin reading this week. Please check the 'Reporting Guidelines' (in the sidebar) and 'A Look Ahead' for more information and deadlines for comments and indicators. Thank you for adhering to the set timeline.
~From the ES Principal
Erika is working to have all class placement information ready for Instructional Leads to pick up today and begin class placement discussions. There are a few classes she can not print because F&P information is not complete. Leigh is following up this morning with those teachers who need to complete their entries.
Instructional Leads need to come to the office and sign out the folders containing the student information. Instructional Leads with locked cabinets in their classrooms may keep the folders until the team has completed the class lists (by Monday, June 4 latest). If Instructional Leads do not have a locked cabinet the folders in their entirety must be signed back into the Office each day until you have completed the class placement process. Here is the link to the Class Placement Directions. Please see Krista if you have any questions.
~from the Principal
Today is Graduation Day for our seniors. The graduation walk is scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm with the elementary school being the first part of the walk. Please see the maps below for the route. To help the celebration maintain excitement, please spread yourselves out along the route. Children are invited to make inspirational posters for our graduates and encouraged to cheer as they pass. Thank you for supporting our graduating class. To reiterate Jeff's thoughtful comments, each and every one of us plays a role in the growth and development of our children. The young adults who graduate today are a product of the hard work and dedication of every teacher who has had the privilege to teach them. Congratulations to our graduates and to you for your role in helping them achieve this milestone.
All ASAs and HCs are canceled today due to graduation. All students must head home at 3:30 pm. Please ensure all your students are picked up or put on the 3:30 pm bus.
The Student-led Celebration of Learning Conferences are on Tuesday, June 12th. Peter has sent an email regarding PTCfast. He has set up 60-minute conferences with 3 conference slots for EC-GR.3 and 4 conference slots for GR.4-GR.5. You should have received a separate email from PTCFast.com with a link through which you can access your conference schedule (please let Peter know if you cannot find the link).
Please confirm your final schedule by the end of the day on Wednesday, May 30th. The email will go out to parents on Thursday, May 31st. P
May 28- HS Graduation- All ASAs and HCs Canceled- All students home at 3:30 pm 29- Gr. 5 Parent Orientation to Middle School 29- MA Vadas Park (HC) | June 04- Class Placement Drafts Completed 08- ES ASA Session 3 Ends 08- All Student Comments and Indicators for S2 completed and uploaded to Veracross (Timeline) 12- ES Celebration of Learning Conferences 13- ES Sports Fun Day 13- Tarzan Park - EC Fun Day 14- Grade 5 Bridge Walk (8:40 am) 14- ES Grade K-5 End of Year Assembly (8:45 am) 14- Final Reviews and Edits (S2 Reports) completed (Timeline) 15- Last Day of School- Half Day- Dismissal 11:20 am 15- Semester 2 Reports Go Live |
~from the ES DTL (Leigh Miller)
Please complete the reflection stage of your PIC and select 3 of your colleague's inquiries that you would like to learn more about through the PIC Reflection Survey by June 8.
~from the Principal
The Cult of Pedagogy podcast is a collection of episodes focused on teaching and learning. There is something for everyone. Author, Jennifer Gonzalez , interviews teachers, parents, students and administrators about hot topics in education (MA-Grade 12). Each episode provides the listener with practical ideas, tools, and resources to reinforce, support and extend teaching and learning. Each week I will highlight one or two of Jennifer's Podcasts or resources. I hope you will find time to explore them yourself. If you do and come across one you believe others in our community might enjoy, send it my way and I will add the link here.
This Week's Cult of Pedagogy Highlight: What is the Point of a Makerspace?
Have an article, website, tool worth sharing? Send it to Krista and share it with your colleagues here.
Just Wondering [Kath Murdoch] ~Looking Back to Look Forward- Reflections on Learning About Agency
Inquiry Mindset by Trevor Mackenzie with Rebecca Bathhurst-Hunt (Shared previously April 23, 2018)
The author of Dive into Inquiry, has written a second book. We have both in the library. Inquiry Mindset focuses on the power of curiosity and how we harness it to foster a love of learning. The authors provide ideas and resources to help focus on student driven passions. They offer personal experiences and examples of concepts from around the globe.