**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.
Please join me in welcoming Peter Revfalvi and Henriett Vass to our AISB Family.
Peter will join Theresa and the Grade 2 team today. Peter is a qualified teacher who has taught English to elementary students, high school students, and adults. He believes a collaborative and responsive environment is necessary for learning to occur. Peter enjoys event planning, playing chess and soccer, running, and solving problems. He is married and has two young children.
Andrea's last day is October 31. We wish her all the best as she prepares for the birth of her son this coming January.
Heni will join Catlin and the Early Childhood team on Thursday, November 2nd. Heni's most recent experience is as an early childhood teacher in a local Hungarian nursery. She has also taught English to children from three to seven years old. Heni enjoys dancing, meditation, and has spent time as a camp counselor. Heni believes in creating a positive and supportive atmosphere where students can think and grow as learners.
We are grateful to Mirjam who has supported Catlin and her children through the month of October ensuring a smooth transition for Heni.
Our dear colleague Lili Karaszy has joined the world of motherhood. Lili's daughter, Zelda Nemeth was born on October 13, 2017. She was 51 cm and weighed 3.40 kg. Mom and baby are happy and healthy and living in Belgium. Petra will be visiting them over the Thanksgiving Holiday and will return with more pictures and further updates.
~from the Associate Principal
Monday, October 30th Important Information that Requires Action: (core teachers only)
- Your pumpkins will be delivered today. Please make sure they are carved before noon Tuesday.
- Check the supervision schedule to identify which of your students have signed up for supervision. Only students whose names are highlighted in GREEN are signed up. Students below the RED bar must go home at 3:30 pm on Tuesday. There are no ES After School Activities or Hosted Clubs on Tuesday.
- Halloween letters will be delivered to your class today. Each letter has a student name on it. Please make sure the right letter is handed to each child (they are named) and SEND HOME TODAY.
Tuesday, October 31st Important Information that Requires Action:
- Core teachers will receive supervision wristbands with a class list of students attending supervision. Please place the wristbands ONLY on the wrists of students who are identified on the accompanying class list as attending supervision before sending them to Blazer Voices supervision at 3:30.
- Please identify one member of your team to deliver students to Supervision in the Music/Drama area for check-in at 3:30.
- Please identify another 1 or 2 members of your team to escort all students taking the bus at 3:30 pm to the parking lot. Please have the remaining members wait with students being picked up by parents.
- In the unlikely event you have a student who thinks they should stay for Halloween but you know they are not signed up for supervision please contact their parents. Do not send any students to the office as we are all engaged in lockdown and supervision work.
- Please ensure all faculty children head directly to their parent's rooms unless they have signed up for supervision. No AISB students should be wandering Building A after 3:45 pm.
- Teachers, please look carefully at the volunteer schedule to locate the time and place your help is required.
IMPORTANT SECURITY MESSAGE:
All areas of building A not being used for the Halloween festivities will be locked down at 4:30 pm. You will not be able to get across the bridge to building B or into the MPR/Gym area after this time. Please plan accordingly. Your security card will work at the main door (to exit the building) but you will not be able to reenter. Please do not let anyone into the building as you exit, and be sure the door closes behind you.
~A message from Ms. Ed
Next week we will be introducing our first ever Red Ribbon Week in the AISB Elementary School! Red Ribbon Week is based off of a drug prevention program in the states. At the younger students level, it deals with awareness and making good choices. To have a successful and smooth entry into this program, we will focus on our theme of “Making Good Choices!” and leave the heavier stuff for MS and HS.
There will be themes for each day for students to dress up and some activities and videos that we will ask you to share with your students. We are trying to make it fun for the kids but not labor intensive in any way for you, our fabulous teachers.
Posters to advertise the spirit day themes will be on the way later this week, but here is a preview;
Monday: Don’t Monkey Around: Make Good Choices (wear red)
Tuesday: Making Good Choices Inside and Out (wear clothes inside out and backwards)
Wednesday: Hats Off the Making Good Choices (wear a fun hat)
Thursday: Sock it to Bad Choices (crazy sock day)
Friday: Bright Choices/Bright Future (bright clothes and sunglasses)
~from the Elementary Office
Newsletters (core and encore) will be sent home this Friday, November 3rd 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, 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, November 2nd by 10 am latest), so they can review it before team leads send it home Friday, November 3rd.
We will have an announced lockdown drill on Monday, November 6th at 11:05 am. Please mark it on your calendar and/or in your plan book. Before the announced drill, please be sure to practice. All teachers (core and encore) need to walk all their students through each drill at least once. Please review the faculty handbook (pp 29-30) for important information regarding each type of drill. We are aware that the windows in the doors will provide a challenge for this drill. Your feedback about the experience following the drill, will be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please see Krista.
~from the Principal
It is time to begin thinking about resource requirements for the 2018-2019 school year. Below are the links you need to complete the ordering process. Instructional Leads and Curriculum Leads oversee the ordering process but may request team member support.
- Ordering Directions Read carefully before beginning the ordering process.
- Curriculum Lead Approved Items You do not need to add these to the spreadsheets. Curriculum leads will do it.
- Consumable Office Order Requests
- Overseas Purchase Order Requests
- Local Order Purchase Requests
Access to last year's Orders for reference can be accessed here:
Please see Krista if you have questions, need support, or require clarification.
Observe/examine/ reflect/ solicit feedback about how the environment impacts relationship-building, teaching and learning
How have you leveraged the environment to support inquiry-based teaching and learning?
How have you leveraged the environment to support language growth for all students?
What questions might you have for your colleagues?
~from the Principal
Looking for a great podcast? 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:
Check out Jennifer's podcast entitled How Hyperdocs can Transform your Teaching. In this podcast you will learn about how HyperDocs work, why they have such an impact on instruction, and how you can design HyperDocs for high-quality instruction. Click here to view the transcript or listen to the podcast.
~from the DTL
Last chance to register for an amazing opportunity to learn about the new Visible Thinking Routines that have been developed by Project Zero. Mark Church will be leading this FREE optional workshop on Wednesday, Nov. 1 from 9:00 - 4:00. This learning experience will change the way you think about teaching and transform learning for your students. Don’t miss out!
On Thursday and Friday this week, Mark will be working with teachers in a Learning Lab structure to support planning, teaching, and reflecting on student thinking in classrooms. He will also spend time supporting the Senior Leadership team in providing effective feedback around the Learning Lenses during our Learning Walks. To support the home/school connection, Mark will also offer a parent workshop from 2:30 - 3:30 on Friday in the MPR to support parents in providing opportunities and using language that supports deep thinking and understanding at home.
On our Saturday PD day, Mark will be working with ES teachers from 9:00 - 12:00 and MS/HS from 1:00 - 4:00 with a focus on the Learning Lenses and Identities. The remainder of the day will be utilized for collaborative planning and for the “Investigate” phase of our Professional Inquiry Cycle.
Mark Church Schedule November 1 - 4
PD Day Schedule Nov 4
Mystery Science
This week's Mystery Science lesson aligns with Halloween. Have fun and keep learning alive as your students explore the human skeleton through science and art. Click here to find out how.
Phenomena for NGSS
~shared by Heather Macmichael
Drawing on his background as a research scientist and his 7 years of on-air television work, TJ McKenna developed phenomena as a major way to engage students and teachers with core science ideas that they want to figure out. Check out his curated cache of phenomena this will open conversations and support student engagement in science. Click here to engage.
A Useful List of the Best 100 Education Hashtags for All Educators
~shared by Nate Ruhter
You can use this link to search tags on today’s most popular social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Join the Joy of Gardening and Help the Environment at the Same time
~shared by Theresa Rekawek
Kids love gardening. Last year's second graders and ES Garden Club kids keep begging me for more gardening. My body can only do so much gardening. Kids Gardening is an inspiring magazine that can help you get involved. Have a read and consider adopting one of our many gardens that deserves some tender loving care. I know last year's second graders could help teach everyone what to do in the garden and we have lots of students who are enjoying the forest behind the school. Wouldn't it be great to embed the gardens into our learning as well?