November
25 - 26- Thanksgiving (School Closed)
29- Faculty PD Day
29 - December 3- All SChool Charity Drive
30- ES Faculty Conversation (3:45-5:00/5:30 pm)
December
6 - 9- Pauline O'Brien (ISS-Recruitment) on campus
7- ES Faculty Conversation (3:45-5:00/5:30 pm)
9 - 14- ES PSA Sweet Treat Café
10- Overviews and Learning Identities due on Veracross
14- ES Faculty Conversation (3:45-5:00/5:30 pm)
15- MA-Gr.. 2 Winter Concert (9:00-10:00 am)
20 - Jan. 7- Winter Break (School Closed)
January
10- First Day of School for 2022
11- Overseas and Overseas Consumables & Notebooks requests due
20- Report Completion (Comments & Indicators) Due Jan. 20th on Veracross
It has been a rough couple of weeks for all of us with symptoms ranging from coughs, to runny nose to flu-like symptoms, to COVID-19. While I appreciate your want to be on campus with our students, it is extremely important that you stay home if you are exhibiting any signs of illness no matter how small. Even if you have tested negative for COVID, we need you to stay home. Our priority right now is our students health and wellbeing and keeping learning on campus. Thank you for your understanding and support of the process.
Recruitment Update
This week we interviewed counselors for the elementary school. Instructional leads, counselors, learning support, elementary leadership and students had the opportunity to interview and feedback on the candidates. We have all other searches on hold until all extensions are complete and we confirm the number openings.
We will not move forward with any other positions that are open until all contract extensions have been returned and current faculty who haves spoken directly to Krista about possible grade level moves have had the opportunity to be considered.
Grace's Angels (from Corinne)
I would like to ask if any students in your class would like to please contribute to the Embrace the Angels project of an AISB eighth grader. Grace Wilcox was planning to talk at our Grade 1 assembly but it was cancelled and she still needs the drawings so I am following up for her. Her spiel is below.
She will still come to our assembly on 3rd December to thank the children for their drawings. Here is the sheet for children to draw on (printed A4). I will collect the drawings for Grace. Here are some examples:
I am collecting drawings of angels, for a pillow like this. I am trying to collect 100 drawings. It’s taken me nearly two years but I’m really close to my goal. We all need something to hug when we are not feeling well. Well there is a organization in my home town in US that gives a pillow like this one to very sick kids in the hospital. When I heard about it, I thought it was a really wonderful and good idea. I told them I would collect 100 drawings for them. The pillow has angels on it, and messages and drawings so sick kids know even though maybe they can’t see their friends or family that they are not alone. So if you help me, they are going to make a new pillow that will include all the drawings I’ve collected including yours. This is what the pillow will look like. I actually sleep with one of these pillows every night. It’s super silky and soft, perfect when I’m sick or scared or not feeling well. The teachers will have the forms for you to draw on. They can share some examples about what to draw. I know I like to draw and color. Draw an angel or a rainbow or what you’d like that might cheer up a sick kid. I really appreciate your help. Thank you for all your drawings and for letting me talk to you today.
We have decided to suspend all Elementary After School Activities (ASAs) through Friday, December 17. Therefore, we need all students in the Elementary School to be collected from school at 3:30 PM each day. We will continue to monitor the situation and hopefully reintroduce these activities in January.
Assistant Teachers
If your class is on Distance Learning, please arrange for someone to cover your duties (if you can’t cover them yourself). Depending on the number of classes out and the substitutes available, we may ask you to come to school.
Assembly
Grade 1 will host the assembly on Friday, December 3. Grades 1 and 2 will be in the theatre, and Grades 3-5 will watch from their classrooms. Theatre seating can be found on the sidebar of the Mindset.
The Educator Collaborative & ECIS is running a new professional learning course that is currently invite only. It's designed for schools like AISB that do the Readers and Writers Workshop model and are looking for outstanding training.
The Workshop training will also integrate topical training, such as how to address difficult topics with students and how to integrate service learning into the classroom. Our topic of discussion this March? Refugees.
Who: The Educator Collaborative's Chris Lehman and others will train up to 40 teachers, literacy coaches, and admin.
What: Fantastic "Workshop" training that is also helping teachers integrate service learning.
When: Every Saturday in March, four afternoons for two hours each session.
Where: Zoom, where else these days!
Why: To help teachers and schools improve literacy instruction without needing to fly folks between New York and their school.
How: Let Nikki know if you are interested - our ECIS membership price will be around 200 British Pounds (240 EUR) per teacher.
PD day on Monday!
We are very much looking forward to learning together on Monday. Thank you in advance to all our teacher-facilitators, and to all of you for the hard work you are putting in to making the accreditation process a really meaningful way for AISB to continue its process of continuous growth and improvement. Here is Monday's schedule again. See you all at 8am for coffee and pastries.