December 8, 2014

December 8, 2014

Dear Middle School Parents,

We are heading into the winter break at the end of the week! What a wonderful weekend of events with the Middle School Prizma Day and the All School Clothes Sort (see photos below). We had over 40 AISB Middle School students participating in the Prizma Day! They had a great time making new friends with the visiting Prizma students while playing in the bouncy structure, on the slide, driving cars, face painting or just hanging out. Many thanks out to the PSA parents who also participated in the Prizma Day with helping out at the Arts and Crafts station.  We also want to thank the school cafeteria staff for providing lunch and staff to serve all of us lunch on this day.

We are going to have a busy week as we head into winter holiday.  Students are working on numerous activities, projects and assignments as we all try to get back on track from the ice days after Thanksgiving.  We will close out the year (calendar) with our traditional Middle School Holiday Assembly on Friday at 2:30-3:30 in the theater.

(PE Update; Parent Portal on FinalSite)


Hour of Code Week (Link)

We want our students to be problems solvers who are capable of being innovative, creative and caring people who make the world a better place one person at time, people who are curious about learning and are willing to take risks and try things and are willing and able to keep going after hitting obstacles. Today and the rest of this week are the celebration of this type of thinking and learning in what is being called "Hour of Code."

The teaching of computer coding to students is a movement started in schools over the last couple of years.  The learning that transpires in students who are involved in coding is deep and intense, as they are involved in problem solving and real world learning in a way that is difficult to replicate.  It is amazing to see the growth of technology in the lives of our own children let alone in our own personal and professional lives.  I encourage you to watch one of the videos or to seek out additional information on your own regarding this movement and to think about the implications for our children. It is so exciting, encouraging and empowering for the students and teachers alike.

New Opportunities for Creativity and Problem Solving at AISB!
By Bill Farren

The American International School of Budapest is starting a maker club this winter for middle school and fifth grade students. The goal is to give students opportunities to experience what it's like to create and problem solve using tools and materials that they would probably not encounter otherwise.

Students will be given ideas about what kind of projects they might want to work on. Freedom and choice are important. Some examples of technologies we will be using are computer aided design (CAD) to be output to a computer controlled cutter or 3D printer, prototyping with Lego Mindstorms (programmable machines), working with Arduino micro-controllers and Raspberry Pi micro-computers, woodworking, sewing, etc.

With the removal of "shop class" and home economics classes from most college preparatory programs, students today have fewer opportunities to make, repair or tinker with the tangible world. A maker space is a great way to help students be creative and to experience real, authentic problem solving. Maker spaces give students a reason to develop their math, science, arts, tech and entrepreneurial skills through real-world application. Creating in these environments allows students to learn from one another and to see new possibilities.

This is the first year we are doing this at AISB. No doubt, everyone involved will learn a lot, and in keeping with the maker ethos, even when we fail, we will have learned what doesn't work.

Check out the Web site


Vacation...Read, Read and Read!

We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday period connecting with one and another and spending time together. The vacation is also a wonderful opportunity for you and your children to send some time doing something old fashioned, reading a book!  Please come by our library or stop by your local bookstore and pick up a couple of books over the holidays.  

There are numerous tools for reading online but I am suggesting reading a book, magazine or newspaper and put your device aside to spend some quiet time with a book. If you can come to our assembly on Friday, come a little earlier and go to the library to sign out some books for the holidays.

Check out this link for some interesting data and research behind reading fiction.

Weekly Schedule of Events after School-Clink on this link to view


Photos of Prizma Day and All School Clothes Sort:

Prizma  

November 26, 2014

Dear Middle School Parents,

What an amazing busy schedule we have had over the last four weeks! Students have finished Quarter 1 and started the Quarter 2.  Students are now almost halfway through the second quarter. Students have finished one season of sports,clubs and activities and now signed up for new set of activities.

Below you will see various slideshows from some recent Middle School events (Hungarian Revolution; Co-Curricular; Parent Student Teacher Conference). We are in the final performances today of the MS drama performance this year of Romeo and Juliet. Students have been working extremely hard on this production and hopefully you will be able to see the production.

We hope you enjoy the holiday this week with your friends and family.

(Counselor's Update;See PE Update; 6th Grade Portal Update; 8th Grade Portal Update)

Report Cards:

We will no longer being using these EFFORT and BEHAVIOR indicators on Report Cards and instead will be using HABITS OF LEARNING starting quarter two. We will start using the Habits of Learning for the second quarter and provide student feedback at the end of the quarter.  Click on link for more information.

We believe that the Habits of Learning provide clearer feedback and evaluation opportunities about a student’s learning, growth and challenges than EFFORT and BEHAVIOR. 

The Habits of Learning include: Responsibility; Perseverance; Reflection; Creativity; Collaboration. There are descriptors / criteria for each Habit of Learning to tell students and parents what they look like and mean in the classroom / learning environment. 

FCD Visit:

We have concluded our visit from FCD and the feedback from students and faculty has been positive. Students were engaged and involved in the classroom based discussions with the FCD counselor, David.  We also had an opportunity for two parent meetings and the feedback from those was positive as well. This is part of an ongoing discussion topic that teachers, parents must be role models for our children who need our support and guidance throughout this period.  

As an aside it was interesting to have the FCD visit at the same time as the Budapest Festival Orchestra was here performing for Middle and High school students. The performance the students saw focused on decision making and the importance of having all the information in order to make a good decision.  This was a wonderful connection with the FCD visit as we work to provide students with the facts, skills and a mindset to effectively problem solve issues related to Drugs, Alcohol and peer pressure.

MS PSA:  

Many thanks to the parents involved in the PSA for all their contributions during the first part of the school year. We are able to provide a lot of additional experiences due to the contributions of the PSA and we are extremely thankful for their collective efforts.  The next celebration will be Wednesday, November 27th's supper.

All School Clothes Drive- December 1st-5th; Actual Sort-December 6th

We hope you and your family will able to contribute items or time towards our All School Clothes sort.  Please click on the link more information.

1957 Assembly: Hungarian Revolution

Middle School Co-Curricular Assembly

Parent-Student-Teacher Fall Conferences


Counselor's Corner
All MS students had the opportunity last week to interact with David Sherell, Freedom From Chemical Dependency (FCD) presenter.  David was impressed with the knowledge, understanding and input from our students about healthy lifestyle choices.  Many students remembered last year's meetings, and hearing David's information about alcohol, tobacco and other addictive substances.  



This year additional topics were added directed at video games and social media behaviors.  David added two lunchtime discussion sessions to directly target new information about brain activity during gaming, and how students can address possible overuse of gaming and social media that all students were invited to participate.  Some of the questions discussed on these topics included: How much is too much?  When do you need help?  What's happening with your brain during excessive use of video gaming and social media?  

Please check:   

FCD.org.  For more information.
Nancy Seibel
MS Counselor

November 9, 2014

Dear Middle School Parents,

We had a wonderful turnout at the most recent Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences last week.  We will be sharing the results of the surveys with you in a coming blog post.  We have a busy week ahead with the Hungarian Revolution Assembly and the MS Co-Curricular Celebration planned for Wednesday. We hope you will be able to attend these events.  

Also coming this week is the hosting of CEESA Middle School Speech and Debate.  Many thanks to all the parents who are helping out in this event by hosting some of the visiting students from the nearly ten schools who are taking part.  Go Blazers!

Also check out the Grade 6 Portal; Grade 8 Portal and the various tabs at top of this page.

Hungarian Revolution Assembly 11:15-12:00 AISB Theater

The sixth grade students will be honoring the 1956 Hungarian Revolution with an assembly this Wednesday, October 12 at 11.15 until 12.00 in the theater.

Fine Arts Announcement November 18th

The Fine Arts Department is pleased to announce that on Tuesday 18th November the The Budapest Festival Orchestra, one of the world’s ten best orchestras, will perform at AISB. We will watch their 30 minute opera for youth called the 'Jasager- School Opera'. The opera was written for schools by Kurt Weil and Berthold Brecht, two of the greatest names in 20^th century German music and theater. Aside from the obvious musical connections, the piece is presented in the style of Japanese NOH theatre, offering even more cross-curricular opportunities.  We are pleased to offer our students such a rich experience and hope that it will spark some interesting discussion at the dinner table on Tuesday evening. 

If you would like further information please see the links to see  clip of opera performance in Berlin and an introduction to the opera.

MS Drama Performance Night  Family Dinner November 26th at 5:00pm

Enjoy a festive holiday Italian dinner before the MS play "Romeo and Juliet" on Wednesday, November 26 from 5:00-6:00 pm in the MS cafeteria! The play begins at 6:00. The menu for the holiday dinner includes baked ziti with meatballs, antipasto salad, bread, tiramisu, and mineral water. The dinner costs 1800 huf per person and must be paid at the ES and MS/HS cafes by Tuesday, November 25.

Brief Results from the Parent-Student- Teacher Conference Day

Parent Feedback Survey November 4, 2014 : 

86% of Parents attended the MS Conferences.

89% of 8^th Grade; 78% of 7^th Grade; 91% of 6^th Grade

We will be sharing more of the results at a later date with all parents.

Anti-Bullying Presentation Wednesday, Nov 12 @ 8:45-9:45, Theater

Cyber-bullying expert Perry Aftab will be speaking with students in grade 6 and 7 on Wednesday.  For more information, click on this link or visit her web site here.

Middle School Co-Curricular Celebration  November 12th at 16:00-17:45

All parents and family members are invited to this celebration. This will be a chance to showcase students for their ability to overcome obstacles and for taking initiative to broaden their experience at AISB. Every student who has participated in a sport or activity will be given a certificate and recognized by his or her coach or sponsor. 

More information in the calendar section of the blog

Freedom From Chemical Dependency (FCD) Visit- November 17-21

Background:

For the past five years AISB has invited a Prevention Specialist representing The Freedom from Chemical Dependency Educational Service (FCD) to work with our community.  FCD Prevention Specialists are highly trained professionals who have achieved long-term recovery from alcohol or other drug addictions. Their unique perspective enhances the credibility of their message.

All students in the Middle School will have an opportunity to meet with the FCD counselor to learn from and ask questions.  The sixth grade students will meet once and the 7^th and 8^th grade students will meet twice with the specialists in a classroom setting with our MS counselor present.  There also will be two opportunities for parents to meet and ask questions of the visitors from FCD on Tuesday, November 18^th at 6:30 and also Wednesday at 12:00-1:00 in the curriculum room.

Additional information available from this link.

AISB Holiday Bazaar  Friday, November 21, 2014   9:00-5:30

Please come and join us for this extra ordinary event. Clink on link for mere details

Counselor's Corner

As the weather changes, holidays are approaching, and winter break comes into view, the excitement of seasonal change is also coupled with feelings of sadness for friends who will be leaving AISB.  Departing families are a part of International School life.  Whether a student friend, a parent colleague or a valued neighbour, it's important to acknowledge, process and celebrate with those who are leaving our school. 

THIRD CULTURE KIDS by David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken addresses dealing with transition as one of the main themes of globally mobile children and families. I frequently use their suggestion of building a "RAFT".  I assist departing students and their close friends on the process of "Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, and Think Destination".  Please take a look at the discussion of building a RAFT described in THIRD CULTURE KIDS,and check out other expat books at:  

www.expatbookshop.com

I encourage you to contact our MS Secretary and/or me if you know that you will be leaving AISB in the near future.

Best regards!

Nancy Seibel

MS Counselor 

Week of November 3

Updates and News from the Principal, 
Mr. Paul Ducharme

November 3:

Dear Parents,

We have a short week to start November. The Parent-Student-Teacher Conference Day is Tuesday, November 4th from 8:30-3:30. There is no school for students in grades 6-12 but we expect them to be present with you at the conferences. We hope you all will be able to make this day. All teachers will be eating lunch from 11:45 to 12:15. Please plan on 5 to 7 minute conversations with all teachers and additional times can be arranged at a later date if required by parents, teachers, or students.

Halloween: Thank You Middle School PSA!

Thank you to all of you who made the Halloween of the century possible this past week! Wow! The support by the parents and the PSA made for a Halloween day that was outstanding for our students and staff.  Many thanks to you for your support of the Middle School to make it the very best it can be.

In Concert: Middle School Bands Thursday, November 6th @ 6:30, Theater

The MS Band Concert will take place on the stage in the AISB Theatre. This intimate concert will be "in the round" with performers in the center and the audience on risers around them.  Performance pieces will include Batman, the Pink Panther, Terminal Velocity (with percussionist Mr. Charlie Robinson), small ensembles and more.

Anti-Bullying Presentation Wednesday, Nov 12 @ 8:45-9:45, Theater

Cyber-bullying expert Perry Aftab will be speaking with students in grade 6 and 7 on Wednesday.  For more information, click on this link or visit her web site here.

Hungarian Revolution Assembly Wednesday, Nov 12 @ 11:15-12:05, Theater

The grade six students and Humanities teachers invite you to the Middle School's Hungarian Revolution Assembly on Wednesday, November 12 from 11:15 until 12:00. This assembly is an important one in our middle school as we "celebrate" our host country and remember the events of 1956.  We also have prepared a display in the Middle School Lobby, designed by Mr. Lavoie, for students to read and reflect on this time period.

Counselor's Corner: Welcome to Middle School Quarter Two!

With a lively Halloween event, a Monday student holiday, and Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences on Tuesday, the Second quarter enthusiastically begins! Many of your children have changed Exploratory classes, the exception being if your child is in semester long Band or another Grade 8 "major" course.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about your child's schedule.  

Want to know the idea behind "Understanding the Impact of an Empty Tank" (Not your gas/petrol tank!)? Come join the Parent book Club! Discussion of the The Five Love Languages of Teenagers by Gary Chapman is already underway! Please feel free to join our second meeting on Thursday, November 6th from 2:15 to 3:15 in the MS Counseling office. Everyone is welcome, whether you attended the first meeting or not!  Check this link if you would like to read more about the book. 

By Nancy Seibel, MS Counselor

Happy Halloween! (Ms. Seibel and Madame Fabiny)

October 27:

Dear Parents,

Hope you have had a restful and relaxing fall vacation. We are closing the end of the first marking period in the Middle School (Tuesday, October 28th) and we welcome you all for the Parent-Student-Teacher Conference Day on Tuesday, November 4th from 8:30-3:30. We hope you all will be able to make this day. All teachers will be eating lunch from 11:45 to 12:15.

Middle School Co-Curricular Celebration  November 12th at 16:00-17:45

All parents and family members are invited to this celebration. This celebration will recognize the growth, commitment and excellence displayed by students who participated in a fall sport, club, activity or interest area in the Middle School. This will be a chance to showcase students for their ability to overcome obstacles and for taking initiative to broaden their experience at AISB. Every student who has participated in a sport or activity will be given a certificate and recognized by his or her coach or sponsor. 

The celebration will be organized so that teams, clubs, groups, or other that fall under the auspices of the AISB Student Life Program to have a specific time to celebrate their accomplishments, reflect on personal growth and recap their participation in the sport/activity.

There will be additional event information coming out to parents about the celebration. If you would like addition information, click on link.

Report Cards:

On this Report Card the areas of EFFORT and BEHAVIOR are blank.  We have done this on purpose as we will no longer being using these two indicators and instead will be using HABITS OF LEARNING starting quarter two.  They will be present on the Report Card but will be blank because we want to introduce, explain and present to students before marking and evaluating them on these areas. We will start using the Habits of Learning for the second quarter and provide student feedback at the end of the quarter.  Click on link for more information.

We believe that the Habits of Learning provide clearer feedback and evaluation opportunities about a student’s learning, growth and challenges than EFFORT and BEHAVIOR. 

The Habits of Learning include:

Responsibility; Perseverance; Reflection; Creativity; Collaboration. 

There are descriptors / criteria for each Habit of Learning to tell students and parents what they look like and mean in the classroom / learning environment. The first quarter Report Card will be available Saturday, November 1st online via VeraCross. We will be print out hard copies and your child’s MAP scores and hand them out on Tuesday, November 4th as part of the Parent-Student-Teacher Conference day!

Halloween-October 31st 

We are going to have a spectacular Halloween Day here in the Middle School. Many thanks to the PSA in advance of what looks like to be an amazing day to be 11, 12, 13 or 14 years old and a member of our wonderful Middle School!

Go to the calendar part of the Blog to see the schedule for the day!  Do not forget to wear your costume!

See also 6th Grade Portal; 8th Grade Portal

October 13

I am experimenting with various mediums to communicate to the parent community regarding news, updates, and best practices about learning in the middle school. This week, I am trying out a blog instead of the newsletter; please let me know what you think.

At the top of the blog, you'll see tabs (pages) with news by grade level and other areas of interest. Please check those each time, too, to see the latest updates.

Parent-Student-Teacher Conference Day:

The Middle and High School conferences will be held on Tuesday, November 4th from 8:30-3:30 in the Building B Gymnasium. The conferences are set up in an area approach. There are not appointment times; rather, you go to each teacher's table in the order you choose.

We have set aside the whole day for you to speak with the teachers, and we encourage you to bring your child(ren) to speak with them, too. 

Link with additional information.


Allergies at School:

Recently, a student suffered a severe allergic reaction to a perfume sprayed in the hallway. The student, like others in our community, has a severe allergy. Just as we are aware of other students with allergies to peanuts, for example, we need to be aware of allergies to sprays.

We ask that students not bring spray perfumes or deodorants to school. In addition, we are working with students on being aware of one another's personal space and not using our personal items in a way that impacts on others around us.

Please view this link for more information regarding perfumes.

See updates about 6th Grade, PE class, Drama, and calendar highlights, too.

The Counselor's Corner:

Dear Parents,

I am excited to share the list of books we will be discussing this school year in our Parent Book Club:

The Five Languages of Teenagers, by Gary Chapman

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, by Paul Tough

Raising Global Nomads: Parenting Abroad in an On-Demand World, by Robin Pascoe

Please plan to attend any or all of the meetings, open to any AISB parents and guardians.

The schedule for our first book starts on Thursday, October 30th. Book Club meetings will be Thursdays at 2:15 in the Faculty Dining Room in Building B.

Dates for the first book: Oct 20, Nov 6, Nov 15, Nov 20.

Please check this link for ways to access the book. I hope you see you at Book Club!

Nancy Seibel

nseibel@aisb.hu

Middle School Counselor