Week of January 19

Dear Middle School Parents,

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Celebration of Learning on February 11th at 10:15 in the building B theater to celebrate the academic achievements of our students from semester 1. We have made the time so that you can plan to stay and have lunch with your child at school on this day if your schedule allows for this.

Purpose: 

• To celebrate the academic excellence of all students 
• To recognize and celebrate the growth and achievements of all students 
• To provide students with the opportunity to reflect on their learning and take greater ownership of the learning process 

Schedule: 

• Opening address at 10:15 in the theater 
• Parents join their child in a classroom to hear key learning experiences 
• Celebratory toast and closing remarks from our school Director in the MS lobby 

Please come and join us in this celebration. We ask that students come “Dressed in their Best” for the day.

Please note, the second quarter closes on Thursday, January 22nd and the third quarter will start on Friday, January 23rd. Students should be sure to check in with teachers and view assignment notebooks to make sure they are up to date with all their class work.

Mr.Ducharme

PE Update / Drama Update

Middle School Principal Search

It is has been a pleasure and an honor to work at this school over the past nine years. I am forever thankful for the support and feedback the parent community has given to me. I humbly submit that this is one of the best Middle Schools in the world, with the best teachers, and most outstanding students!  Hard as it is to leave, my family and I have decided to accept positions at another school in South America for next school year.  

This week, AISB has invited four outstanding candidates to visit as part of the search process to find a new Middle School Principal for 2015-2016. The school director, Mr. Paul Slocombe, is overseeing this process and has organized interviews with an array of stakeholders on Monday and Tuesday. The groups include students, parents, teachers, PSA members, school administration, student life, school director, MS leadership team, MS school support staff, and the school board.  All groups will share their feedback with Director Slocombe and a decision will be made regarding the appointment of the next Middle School Principal.

There is much work to be done throughout the remainder of the school year. I am eager to getting on with our work and will look forward to welcoming the new principal when the time comes. I will ensure a smooth and complete transition  for the new principal so that he can hit the ground running in August.

Maker Club

Do you know what this is? Click on this link to see what the Maker Club has been up to lately!  If you are interested in helping out, Mr.Farren has loads of projects going on and he is always looking for another set of hands or even more to get dirty. Any parents out there: if you have a hankering for this kind of tinkering, give Mr.Farren an email!

Click on the link and see what is happening in the Maker Club!

Poetry Slam!

On January 9, 2015 the 8th grade students participated in what has become an annual event: the Poetry Slam. This event, organized by Mr.Rudnicki, was truly a spectacular demonstration of our 8th graders' passion for prose and their ability to speak so clearly and concisely in front of many people. 

Outstanding job 8th graders! If you would like to see the video from the event, click on this link.

Report Card Quarter 2

The report card will be visible to parents and students online in VeraCross by the end of January. We will send a notice when they are available. Please note: you will not be getting a hard copy of the report card.

For the first time, we will give students feedback on the Habits of Learning in all classes. This new information will shine more light on the learning process and the strengths and areas for growth.

Report Card Comments

For Quarter 2, students will receive comments only from their advisor. The advisor is the academic, emotional and social mentor for each student. You also may see some comments from other teachers on the Report Card but not necessarily. If you have questions or concerns at any point, contact your child’s advisor and or the individual teacher of that subject.

MS PSA Meeting- Held on January 15,2015

The meeting was well attended and thank you tot he PSA Middle School representatives for organizing refreshments for the meeting. During the meeting we shared some information about brain research and homework suggestions.  If you were not able to attend or did and would like to see the presentation, please click on this link to view.

Book Club:  

The book club will meet to discuss  two remaining books:

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

Discussion Dates: February 12, 19th & March 5 & 12th

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

Discussion Dates: April 16, 23, 20th & May 7

Meetings will happen at 2:15-3:15 in the MS Counselor's Office. We hope you will join us for lively and enlightening discussion in a positive and supportive community atmosphere. Bring a friend; all AISB parents are welcome.

Math Specialist Presentation for Parents (from ES Principal)

Are you still trying to figure out what the Common Core State Standards are and how they support your child’s learning and understanding in math?  Do you have trouble supporting your child with math because “It just isn’t the way we used to do it”? 

Then please join us at this special parent workshop scheduled Wednesday,January 21st from 8:45-10:15.   The presentation will focus on the Math Common Core State Standards, how math instruction has changed and how it prepares students for the DP program and beyond.  This workshop is appropriate for parents from Multiage through grade 12.

Those interested should RSVP to Erika Nemes (enemes@aisb.hu) no later than Friday January 16th, so we can secure a room appropriate for numbers.