May 31, 2015

May 31, 2015 

Dear Middle School Parents, 

What an amazing week in the middle school! We celebrated the Grade 8 Peace One Day with each student delivering a speech about his or her research topic to a panel of experts. The experts included political, community, and non-profit leaders from Budapest as well as eleven ambassadors. Many of our panelists have now made our Peace One Day celebration an annual event on their schedules! 

Congratulations to all Grade 8 students: they did an outstanding job delivering their speeches. We will post pictures soon. 

Events coming up this week:

* World Language Assessment, ongoing throughtout the week 

* Sparking Energy Change at AISB; June 2-3; Grade 6 Science Project 

* MS Band Concert @ 6:00pm AISB Theater, Final one of the year!

* Grade 6 Special Olympic Event on Thursday, June 4th (10:00-3:00)

* MS PSA Meeting Friday at 9:00 in the curriculum room, Final Meeting
* Middle School Social from 7:00-9:00 pm Friday, June 4th

* Prizma Trip, Saturday, June 6th (More details coming out this week) 

7th Grade Students: Course registration for Exploratory Classes 

Students in 7th grade need to select which courses they want to take as an exploratory next year in Grade 8. Here is a pdf version of the online form that will be sent to your child on May 31 st by 8:00pm.

Students all take Health and Wellness for one quarter, but in the remaining three quarters they choose a Major class which is taken for two quarters, and one Minor class which is taken for one quarter. 

Student choices: Art, Band, Choir, Design/Tech, Drama, or Music. Note: Choir is a new choice for next year, and we have new focus in the Music course next year. Students will make their selection by submitting an online google form; the link will be sent to their email on Sunday night by 8:00pm. 

The course reqests are filled as they are recieved, therefore students need to make a first, second, and third choice to ensure they get into a course they'd like. 

Prizma Day Meeting: Monday, June 1st, 12:30 in Mr. Rudnicki's room 

On Saturday, June 6 from 10:00 to 1:00, the Prizma School is preparing a fun day for our students at their school. We would love to take 20-25 Blazers for this experience. If students are interested, they need to come to an informational meeting on Monday at 12:30 in Mr.Rudnicki's room.

Marc Lavoie Middle School Student Life Coordinator 

M.S French Teacher

Counselor's Corner: News from Ms Siebel

Budapest Job Shadowing Day

Our eighth graders enjoyed last Thursday off-campus, visiting 10 different job sites. Groups of students, transported by school vans, had a "hands on" experience at one of the following businesses: Alcoa, Apple Tree Kindergarten, BASF, Enihorn, HBO, Hilton Hotel, K & H Bank, Rozsakert Medical Center, Daddy Roys Upcycling Project, and the US Embassy.

The discussions upon the return to school were enthusiastic, substantive, and reflective!  Thank you to all of our parents who were part of this wonderful event

Photos from the day:

Departing Students and Families

Please contact me if you have just learned about departure plans. I have been conducting Departing Student Lunch Groups for 4 weeks with separate 6th, 7th and 8th grade groups. The 6th graders group ended last week and 7th and 8th graders groups will end next week. I am happy to continue meeting with any departing students or parents.

Grade 7 Scheduling Choices

Students recently reviewed their options for Exploratory classes next year. They will be able to choose one MAJOR (2 quarters) and one MINOR (one quarter), plus Health and Wellness class.

Last Friday students learned what each Exploratory would be next year from the teachers:

Ms. Waller talked about the Art major and minor. 

Ms. Tamas about talked the Drama major and minor.

Mr. Weingarten discussed  Music major and minors and the Band major and minor.

Mr. Farren shared about the Tech Design major and minor. 

I am happy to answer any concerns or questions!

Nancy Seibel

MS Counselor

May 25,2015

Dear Middle School Parents,

This was a special weekend with the high school graduation happening on Sunday. Congratulations to our graduating seniors, some of whom were also here when in middle school. Congratulations to our current middle school parents who have a graduating senior as well. 

This is a busy upcoming week in the Middle school, so hold onto your hats!

• Peace One Day: Grade 8 Students at 9:00 in the AISB theater, Wednesday, May 27th
• MS Co-Curricular Assembly at 4:00 in the Cafeteria Building B Wednesday, May 27th

Grade 8 Peace One Day Celebration

The 8^th grade students have been working throughout the school year in World Geography learning about different regions in the world and looking at geopolitical or social injustice issues in these areas. In Language Arts, students have worked extensively on writing and thinking analytically. This work helped students be ready to formulate their definition of peace and choose a topic about which they were passionate to research. This is our 6^th Peace One Day celebration, a powerful culmination of their work, so please come to learn from our students and celebrate their achievement. This event is open to all parents, but please remain throughout student speeches once they start.

Spring Co-Curriculur Assembly: Wednesday, May 27th at 4:00

We have the Co-curricular Assembly on Wednesday at 4:00pm in the cafeteria. We hope all parents can make it to this final celebration of student achievement in our sports, clubs, and activities.

When: Wednesday, May 27 from 4:00 to 5:30pm

Where: School cafeteria and M.S Classrooms.

Teams or Activities & breakout locations:

M.S Boys Softball- Mr. Fleming and Mr. Murray (Field house)

M.S Girls Softball- Ms. Tarbell and Mr. Tarbell (Tarbell room)

M.S Boys Volleyball A & B- Mr. Rudnicki-Mr. Mahon (Rudnicki room)

M.S Girls Volleyball A& B Ms. Macmichael-Ms. Perzel (Perzel room)

M.S Track- Gibson & Pal ( Fubler room)

M.S Jazz Band- Ms.Davidoff (Davidoff room)

M.S Mural Painting- Ms.Waller (Waller room)

M.S ISTA- Ms.Tamas (Black box)

M.S Cooking- Ms.Manzella (Manzella room)

M.S Dungeons & Dragons- Robinson (Robinson room)

M.S Tech Crew- Mr.Savic (Student Life Office)

Schedule:

4:00 to 4:30: Opening Ceremony +Pizza in the cafeteria. Teams sit together.

4:30 to 5:10 - Breakout session in room

5:10 to 5:25 - Ice cream social in Cafeteria

MS Tech Deck

I also want to highlight the opening of the Tech Deck in the Middle School lobby. This is a place that will be undergoing development throughout the remainer of the school year. Currently we have designed, built and installed three benches and raised tables for students to work at in the MS lobby. We have installed a large screen where students can project their work. It is a very flexible space, meant to provide students with a place to be innovative, creative and collborative. Thank you to Mr. Farren for his efforts on this project and those of the students who assisted him. For those who might be interested, you can find the Tech Deck Creation process here.

Dog Shelter Trip: Saturday May 30^th at 2:00-5:00pm

The MS Blazer Barkers have their last field trip of the year to the dog shelter thus Saturday. The students have worked hard throughout the year raising awareness and money for the shelter. At this visit, students will present the money raised at the Book Sale during our International Festival

Transition Night:

5th Grade to 6th Grade  

8th Grade to 9th Grade

We enjoyed meeting many of the new grade 6 parents coming into the Middle School next year. We saw a lot of familiar faces among the parents who have a student in the middle school already, and we are looking forward to seeing everyone next August.

We will send out the supply lists and the laptop information before the end of the school year.

Photos from the Night:

Counselor’s Corner:

I hope all eighth graders have now submitted their permission form for the Job Shadowing day. Here's the link:

https://docs.google.com/a/aisb.hu/forms/d/1e3yOMiV6j9lSvE2W5SurAGiIJ-T72NXf0nBNtsl8lJg/viewform?usp=send_form

Get together with their parents, students were asked to answer the questions and submit this by last Friday.

Thanks!

Ms. Seibel 

May 17, 2015

Dear Middle School Parents,

Hope you enjoyed the weekend. We are eagerly awaiting the return of our two volleyball teams who were in Moscow for the CEESA Volleyball tournament over the weekend. This represents our last CEESA event of the school year. Once we get highlights and some pictures, we will add them to the blog for everyone to see.

There are a number of events happening this week in the Middle school: 

• Parent Informational Meeting about Standards-Based Reporting and Grading at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 20th (Curriculum Room)
• 5^th Grade Transition Night in MS Lobby at 6:00, then Grade 8 to 9 Transition starting at 7:00 pm in theater on Wednesday, May 20th

This coming weekend we have our last DVAC tournament for MS and HS track teams. There will be more information coming soon about the time and exact location for these events. 

Students in the MS have now completed the MAP testing season. We only have the students who were absent, sick or otherwise out of school to finish up. The results from this spring’s MAP testing will be sent home with students on June 10^th in a sealed envelope. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or Nora Fleming.

To view more upcoming dates, click here.

Road Construction Announcement & Starting Time at School: Due to road construction on the road to the school, there are significant delays in the morning. The construction will continue for the duration of the academic year.  We ask for your help to ensure that students are arriving on time.  We suggest the following items for you to consider: 1. Car pools to reduce overall traffic coming to the school 2. Arriving at school at 8:15. The traffic jam is significantly less at that time. Thank you for your help on this. Transition Night: Wednesday,May 20th  5th Grade to 6th Grade   8th Grade to 9th Grade

Our Transition Night for parents of 5th Graders and 8th Graders is on Wednesday, May 20th. We begin at 6:00 pm for 5 Grade parents and at 7:00 pm for 8th Grade parents. This 5th Grade Transition event is designed for parents, but all are welcome.

During the day on May 20th, 5th Grade students will come to the 6th Grade classrooms to visit. During the visit, 5th Graders will get answers to the questions they created with their current homeroom teachers. 

Programs and Meetings to assist in the transition to Middle School:

• 5th Grade Students participated in the Celebration of Learning this fall
• 5th Grade classroom visited 6th Grade Humanities classes to read students' digital books
• 5th Grade and 6th Grade teachers plan together for transition (Ongoing)
• ES PSA held a meeting on April 20th with the MS Principal and MS Counselor
• 5th Grade Student Visit: May 20th during the school day
• Parent Transition Night: May 20th @6:00pm
• Parent Survey and Student Survey: Sent out week of  May 11th
• Transition Night Survey will be sent out after May 20th
• Last Day "Walk Across the Birdge" on the last day of school 
• Back to School Night: Next August

Standards-Based Grading and Reporting at AISB: Informational Meetings

We invite you to an introductory presentation about Standards-Based Grading and Reporting at AISB. We have been working hard over the last three years to move toward a SBG/R environment. This is a direction that schools around the world have also adopted and implemented over the last five years.

During these meetings, we will share a presentation about SBG/R, followed by time for questions and answers. In preparing for the meeting(s), please view the following resources to learn more:

Video: Standards-Based Grading and Reporting in a Middle School

Resources and People who have influenced our work

Each of the meetings will also be translated from English to a second language.

Here are the meeting dates:

May 20: Wednesday at 5:00pm (Curriculum Room, English & Hungarian)
May 21: Thursday at 8:45-9:30 (Curriculum Room, English & Chinese)
May 29: Friday at 5:30-6:15 (Curriculum Room, English and other language TBA)

We look forward to sharing this exciting development with you.

MS PSA: Looking for Reps for Next School Year! 

We are looking for new MS PSA reps for next school year. The reign of our current reps, Deb Christian and Nikki Smith, is coming to a close. I thank them for their outstanding leadership and committment to working with the MS teachers. They have truly made the MS a better place for teachers and students. We will miss them next year! We are looking for two parents to step into their places for next year. If you are interested, please send an email to me, Deb, or Nikki. Thank you again to Deb and Nikki for their outstanding contributions to the MS over the last two years!

MS PSA Meeting: Monday, May 11 @9:00 a.m.  

Thank you to the MS parents at our meeting on Monday. Click on link for the information that was shared during the meeting by Mr. Ducharme. There were also announcements from the Counseling Office and Student Life. The minutes from the meeting will be posted later if you are interested.

MS Spring Co-Curricular Celebration: May 27th at 4:00 p.m. 

On Wednesday, May 27 we will celebrate the accomplishments of our students involved in AISB sports and activities from this final trimester. Parents, please join us for big thank you to our coaches and sponsors of clubs and activities during the second term and to celebrate our student achievements and accomplishments.

Our celebration of student achievement for the co-curricular events on May 27 is for students and parents. The students had an exciting third term with loads of highlights on a team and individual basis. Well done everyone and congratulations on a fine season of sport, activities, and clubs. We look forward to celebrating this term's round of activities, which are already in full swing.

  

Draft schedule: 

4:00 Teams meet in cafeteria for pizza and music

4:25 Opening of Celebration in cafeteria

4:35-5:15 Teams go to classrooms for team celebrations and recognitions

5:15-5:30 Teams return to cafeteria for a Celebration Cake

5:35 Students take late bus or go home with parents.

Parents are welcome to join breakout sessions and take pictures.

Counselor's Corner:

LOTS of activity in the Middle School these days!

In addition to the regular pace of classes, athletics, after school activities, and new student admissions, there are many "end of year" events springing up!

* Farewell groups (at each grade level) are meeting weekly in the Counseling office.
* Transitional programs are happening this week for both students and parents.
* Job Shadowing Day is coming up for eighth graders on May 28.
* MS eighth grade girls are learning from HS girls what to expect as freshman in the HS.

Please contact me if your family is leaving AISB at the end of June.  We know that sometimes these decisions get made last minute!

Enjoy the Spring!

Nancy Seibel
MS Counselor
nseibel@aisb.hu

May 10, 2015

Dear Parents,

What an amazing weekend of weather we had to hold our MS CEESA Girls and Boys Softball tournament here at AISB! The Middle School teams played hard right up until the final during each and every inning. Our AISB teams did well with the Boys' team playing tightly contested games throughout the weekend. The Girls' team captured the spirit and commitment of the tournament by being chosen as the receipient of the CEESA Fair Play Award. See tournament website for more details. Congratulations to all the AISB players and coaches on a job well done. 

We also had volleyball matches with local teams at the school for the Boys and Girls. Our teams did well and learned a great deal on Saturday that will help them prepare for their upcoming CEESA volleyball tournament. Our track team was in Warsaw (click on link for Update) over the weekend; welcome back to the coaches and players. Also, our MS ISTA team was in Vienna this weekend. Stayed tuned for more news to come about how the groups did later this week. 

Standards-Based Grading and Reporting at AISB: Informational Meetings

We invite you to an introductory presentation about Standards-Based Grading and Reporting at AISB. We have been working hard over the last three years to move toward a SBG/R environment. This is a direction that schools around the world have also adopted and implemented over the last five years.

During these meetings, we will share a presentation about SBG/R, followed by time for questions and answers. In preparing for the meeting(s), please view the following resources to learn more:

Video: Standards-Based Grading and Reporting in a Middle School

Resources and People who have influenced our work

Each of the meetings will also be translated from English to a second language.

Here are the meeting dates:

May 20: Wednesday at 5:00pm (Curriculum Room-Hungarian)
May 21: Thursday at 8:45-9:30 (Curriculum Room-Chinese)
May 29: Friday at 5:30-6:15 (Curriculum Room-Language TBA)

We look forward to sharing this exciting development that will improve teaching and learning for all of our students.

Photos From MS Arts Day: 

Please see the the photos from last week's Arts Day!

 

MS PSA: Looking for Reps for Next School Year! 

We are looking for new MS PSA reps for next school year. The reign of our current reps, Deb Christian and Nikki Smith, is coming to a close. I thank them for their outstanding leadership and committment to working with the MS teachers. They have truly made the MS a better place for teachers and students. We will miss them next year! We are looking for two parents to step into their places for next year. If you are interested, please send an email to me, Deb, or Nikki. Thank you again to Deb and Nikki for their outstanding contributions to the MS over the last two years!

MS PSA Meeting- Monday, May 11,  9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Faculty Dining Room, Bldg. B

We would love to see lots of you MS parents at our meeting on Monday and ask you to please help us spread the word to current Grade 5 parents to come along also.

Breakfast will be served.
Topics include:

Mindfulness

Overview of End of Year calendar of events for all grade levels

Summer plans
Mindful Use of Technology - 

Have you ever just unplugged the wifi in your house? 

How often do you check your student's search history (if at all)? 
Do you have special ipad hours on the weekends?
Is your child feeling stressed and overwhelmed?

Come to the PSA technology round table meeting/discussion on to give and get tips and ideas for helping your middle schooler with being more productive with technology.

MAP Update: All related Information and Links on School Website

Students in the Middle School will take the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) on May 12th and 13th (One assessment each day). The MAP will assess student growth in Math, Language Usage, and Reading. Results will be shared in June with students and parents.

If you would like further information, Mrs. Fleming has put all the essential links on the Parent Portal under the MAP tab (see below). Note: you need to log-in to see the parent portal.

Transitions Night: May 20th 5th Grade -> 6th Grade 8th Grade -> 9th Grade

Our Transition Night for parents of 5th Graders and 8th Graders is on May 20th. We begin at 6:00 pm for 5 Grade parents and at 7:00 pm for 8th Grade parents. This event is designed for parents, not for the children.

During the day on May 20th, 5th Grade students will come to the 6th Grade classrooms to visit. During the visit, the 5th Graders will have get answers to the questions they created earlier this month with their current homeroom teachers. 

Programs and Meetings to assist in the transition to Middle School:

• 5th Grade Students participated in the Celebration of Learning this fall
• 5th grade classroom visited 6th grade Humanities classes to read students' digital books
• 5th Grade and 6th Grade teachers plan together for transition (Ongoing)
• ES PSA held a meeting on April 20th with the MS Principal and MS Counselor
• 5th Grade Student Visit: May 20th during the school day
• Parent Transition Night: May 20th @6:00pm
• Parent Survey and Student Survey: Sent out week of  May 11th
• Transition Night Survey will be sent out after May 20th
• Last Day "Walk Across the Birdge" on the last day of school 
• Back to School Night: Next August

Tech Crew: Where can you see their work? Check it out!

The MS tech Crew invites you to look at the selection of videos and slideshows posted on the MS Parent Portal of the school website under the tab titled "Videos and Slideshows". The page gets updated as videos, photos or slideshows of school related events and activities become available.

The link to the MS Parent Portal is here:

http://www.aisb.hu/page.cfm?p=3020

May 4, 2015

May 4, 2015

Dear Parents,

Hope you have had a wonderful long weekend. We had a spectacular Arts Day celebration on Thursday. The event was organized by the MS Fine Arts Department and students got the opportunity to take workshops offered by MS teachers, parents and outside presenters ranging from Hip Hop Dance, Air Guitar to the Budapest Circus. The day was concluded with a MS Talent Show and it was truly remarkable to see the amazing talents of our AISB students!

Please enjoy the photos from the day.

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s1368.photobucket.com/user/newsfromthemiddle/embed/slideshow/Arts%20Day%20April%202015"></iframe>

Tech Crew Announcement- Where can you see their work?

The MS tech Crew would like to invite you to take a look at the selection of videos and slideshows that are posted on the MS Parent Portal of the school website under the tab titled "Videos and Slideshows".  The page gets updated as videos, photos or slideshows of school related events and activities become available.

The link to the MS Parent Portal is here:

http://www.aisb.hu/page.cfm?p=3020


MS PSA- Looking for Reps for Next School Year!

We are looking for new MS PSA reps for next school year. The reign of current reps, Deb Christian and Niokki Smith is coming to a close at the end of this year. I want to thank them for their outstanding leadership and committment to working with the MS teachers.  They have truly made the MS a better place for teachers and students. We will miss them next year but are looking forward to having someone step into their place for next year.

If you are interested send me an email or send one to Deb or Nikki!  Thank you again to Deb and Nikki for their outstanding contributions to the MS over the last two years!

MAP Update: All related Information and Links on School Website

Students in the Middle School will be taking the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) on May 6th, 12th and 13th (One assessment each day). Students will be taking the MAP using their own laptops in their regular classrooms. These two changes will improve the level of comfort and familiarity for our students during the three days of assessment. The MAP will assess student growth in Math, Language Usage, and Reading. Results are shared with the end of year report card in June.

If you would like further information, Mrs. Fleming has put all the essential links on the Parent Portal under the MAP tab (see below). Note: you need to log-in to see the parent portal.

CEESA MS Softball Tournament- Thursday to Sunday

We are excited about hosting this year's MS CEESA Softball tournament starting this Thursday and ending on Sunday. We will have both the Boys and Girls softball teams here from six CEESA schools. We are extremely thankful to all the families who hosting the 120 student athletes who are participating. Please come on out to watch games on Friday and Saturday to support our teams.  A schedule will be sent out later this week and a big thanks to the athletic department (Matt Fleming-Athletic Director) for organizing this event and we are hoping for great weather!

Go Blazers!

Rec Frenzy: Friday, May 8 from 5-8pm

Blazers!,

On Friday, May 8 from 5-8pm we will be holding our next Rec.Frenzy! Some of the highlights of the Frenzy will include a skateboard park, open pool, the climbing wall, a home run derby, some outdoor volleyball, table tennis, soccer, ultimate Frisbee and an opportunity to fly a drone over the school!!!

We will also be hosting special guests from the visiting schools of the CEESA Softball Tournament, and from the 5th grade who will experience their first taste of a Middle School event. Hamburgers and fries will be available at the Field House from 5:00 to 6:00pm and it will cost 900 Forints per student. You will be able to pay at the Field House.

The Rec. Frenzy will officially start at 6:00 pm and finish at 8:00pm sharp. A sign-up link for Middle School will be sent to students directly. Students must sign-up in order to attend.

Counselor's Corner

Returning from a four day weekend, your children will be challenged by new, as well as summative experiences to solidify their learning.  It is an exciting time!

*Weather in Budapest has turned gloriously Springlike!

*May is upon us, highlighted by many Student Life events.

*Departing student and friend lunch groups start this week.

*MAP testing will begin this week.

*A bigger than ever REC Frenzy is coming up on Friday.

*Departing parent group will be scheduled next week.

*Parent Book Club continues on Thursday afternoons.

*Grade 8 Job Shadowing Day is solidifying and soon students will make their choices.

*Grade 5 students and parents will experience orientation to the Middle School.

*Grade 8 students and parents will experience orientation to the High School.

*Middle School will be saying good-bye to Mr. Ducharme.

Please feel free to contact me for any assistance during these upcoming weeks.  It is exciting to witness the significant growth that your children have made this year.  Our upcoming Celebration of Learning will highlight the growth your children have made.

Nancy Seibel

MS Counselor

nseibel@aisb.hu