Week 1 in the Middle!

Day 1:

We had a great first day in the Middle School - thank you and congratulations to all students and teachers!  On Day 1, students made their way to advisory classes to start the day with a variety of activities taking place across grade levels. Staff and students enjoyed our first assembly of the year at the end of the day which included:

1. Movin’ On Up Ceremony

2. AISB Director's Welcome by Mr. Paul Slocombe.

3. MS Principal's Welcome by Mr. Ball.

4. United Nations activity – Recognizing the diversity of nationalities in the MS. 

5. Housing, Sports and Activities Announcements.

6. Drama & Speech and Debate announcements.

7. New students, Mr. George and Mr. Ball were on stage taking the "Blazer Oath".

8. Blazer Cheer with all staff and students by Dr. Canali!


9. Closing remarks by Mr. Lavoie.

There was such great energy in the air - thank you to Mr. Lavoie and all staff for leading various parts of this first assembly.

Middle School PSA Meeting:

Sincere thanks to all parents who attended the first MS PSA meeting of the year.  I've been told there were record numbers at this meeting and so with this in mind, I would like to encourage all parents to join and if a larger venue is needed for the next meeting, we'll work it out!  I would also like to thank our MS PSA representatives, Annalies Van der Donckt and Clara Bystrand for organizing and chairing the meeting today.  I look forward to a great year ahead working in harmony with the MS PSA!

Freeze Pop Friday:

Middle School students were treated to an ice cold popsicle during lunch on Friday, August 28th in celebration of a successful first week in the Middle School.  Here are a few pictures of the fun!

Have a great weekend Middle School!

Warm regards,

Mr. Ball

Dear Middle School Parents,

My name is Marc Lavoie and I am the Middle School Student Life Coordinator. I would like to welcome you and your family to the 2015-16 academic school year. I would also like to invite you to attend our "Student Life Information Night" on Wednesday, August 26th @ 6:00 p.m. in the AISB theater. The session will last an hour and cover the following topics:

• What is Student Life?
• Who works in Student Life? Who do I get in touch with if I have a question?
• Our Student Life School Philosophy.
• How do you sign-up for an after school sport?
• How do you sign-up for an after school activity?
• What is CEESA, SCIS, DVAC, and ISTA?
• What are some of the travel opportunities for your child?
• What is housing? What are my housing obligations?

We hope to see you there!

Mr. Marc Lavoie

MS Student Life Coordinator

Welcome to 2015-16 in the AISB Middle School!

21/08/2015

Dear Middle School Students and Parents,

On behalf of the incredible and talented Middle School faculty and staff, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all new and returning Middle School students.  This letter marks my first official correspondence to the MS community, and I am honored and excited to join AISB as the new Middle School Principal.  

The purpose of this letter is to inform you of essential information and dates that will be useful to you to get the school year started smoothly.  

Dates and timings:

• Monday, August 24th - first day of school, students should look for their names on advisory lists posted in the main lobby and then proceed to advisory class which begins at 8:30 a.m. Students will be dismissed at 3:30 p.m. following our first MS assembly of the year.  Students will receive their schedules in advisory.
• Wednesday, August 26th - “Student Life” information session.  All parents are encouraged to attend this informative session led by Mr. Matt Fleming (AISB Athletic Director), and Mr. Marc Lavoie (MS Student Life Coordinator), in the AISB theatre from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
• Thursday, September 3rd - “MS Back to School Night” begins at 4:45 p.m. More information will be sent out soon regarding this key event on the MS calendar.

Other essential information for Day 1 / Week 1:

• Snack/Lunch - Students are encouraged to bring a snack for the morning break and are welcome to bring their own lunch or purchase food at the school cafeteria during lunch break.
• Students are also recommended to bring a refillable water bottle that they may carry with them throughout the day.
• In support of our BYOD Laptop Program, 7th and 8th grade students should plan to bring a laptop with them on the first day of school, along with other basic school supplies (pen/pencil, a notebook).  ** Note: 6th grade students should plan to bring their laptop starting on Tuesday, August 25th, (Day 2).  IT support for students and parents will be available at the MS Tech Deck, (MS lobby), from 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. during the first 2 weeks of school.
• Dress code - Clothing choices must be appropriate for school.
• Physical Education - There is no need to bring P.E. clothing for Day 1.
• We advise students to carefully follow the class/break timings.  Staff will support students in the halls between classes, should direction/assistance be needed.

We certainly hope the information included is helpful and should you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us in the Middle School office.  It’s going to be a great year in the Middle!!

Warm regards,

Andrew Ball

Middle School Principal

American International School of Budapest

June 7, 2015

Dear Middle School Parents, 

We are getting close to the end of the school year but the pace of events and activities has not slowed down! There are numerous events coming up this week and even more next week. I want to remind all parents that after school activities and sports have stopped and students must go home on the 3:30 buses from now until the last day of school.  Students may only remain after school if they have an appointment with a teacher or are receiving music lessons. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Events coming up this week:

* PE Update
* World Language Assessment, Monday and Tuesday in Grade 6 and 7

* Middle School Assembly, Wednesday at 11:15
* Middle School Field Trip, Aqua World, Friday at 8:30 am

* Grade 8 Boat Trip, Friday at @ 6:30 (Details to be sent to 8th Grade Parents)
* Celebration of Learning, Monday, June 15th, at 8:45 am in the MPR

* More End of The Year Dates: Click on this link
* Check out 7th Grade Blog
* Check out the 6th Grade Blog
* Jane Goodall is coming to AISB! Tuesaday, June 16th @ 9:00 (Main Gym) Parents are welcome.

7th Grade Students: Exploratory Class Selection for Grade 8 (Re-Do) 

We are asking only 7th Graders to re-select their Major and Minor choices for Exploratory classes due to feedback and changes to the courses. We have changed Band from 3 quarters to 2 quarters, and we are offering a Band course in all 4 quarters.

Seventh graders only will receive a link to an online form via email on June 7 by 7:00pm. 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. 

Next year, as eighth graders, 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. 

They can pick from: 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. 

Special Olympics Event: 6th Grade Students and Teachers

We had an exceptional day on Thursday with our service learning partner the Special Olympics for our sixth grade students. Teachers and students designed a variety of activites for students to do together during the morning (Arts and Crafts, Parachute Activity). In the afternoon students participated in track & field events including softball throw, long jump, triple jump, 4 x100 events.

It was a super day for all particpants. Many thanks to the teachers for organizing and for the role our students played throughout.

Pictures from the day( by Dusan Savic):


MS Social! 

We had our last Social on Friday, June 5th. The event was proposed, planned, and organized by our Blazer Voices! This is our student action group, who have been working with Ms. Herbert throughout the school year on a wide range of topics in the Middle School. For the end of the year, the Blazer Voices planned this Social, which included our own Oscar's Photo Booth, Red Carpet, Prizes and Dance Contests!  An interesting fact about this Social was that it was our largest attended one ever, with 170 coming out of 201 students!

Well Done Blazer Voices!

(Photos from the Social, by Dusan Savic)

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