December 13, 2013

From the desk of your team....

Dear Friends,

Final exams, holiday parties, winter concerts...this has been a busy week for all of us as we prepare for our winter break.  Before we scatter to all parts of the globe for the holidays, we would like to give you a preview of upcoming PTA activities in the new year:

• The team updating the Chennai Chapter will be asking for your recommendations, so please think of your favorite places in Chennai, dig out those business cards, and be ready to share your wisdom!
• Andrew Hoover, Head of School, will be forming a PTA Task Force to review the PTA structure and bylaws, and realign with the school's overall strategic vision.  Look for more information beginning in January.
• Planning for the PTA Ball, our major fundraiser, will be in full swing in the new year.  We welcome your input and energy on the planning team!

We wish you all a very happy new year, and look forward to seeing everyone back at AISC on January 6.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday to you all.  Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year to you all. 

PTA Executive Team

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PTA Task Force

As part of the strategic planning process last year, our Community Action Team suggested that the purpose and structure of the PTA be reviewed, aligned to our Mission and Values, and perhaps revised. Following the New Year’s Holiday, we will be forming a PTA Task Force to assure that our PTA is designed to do the best work possible on behalf of our students – Pre-K-12 – and in partnership with the school’s teachers and leadership. Interested? Look for more information in January.

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Christmas Celebration News

Winter Break is just around the corner and many families are leaving to enjoy the must deserved break in school and work schedules. Before we all travel off in different directions, let’s ring in the Christmas holiday season together with a Community Christmas Celebration. The Westin on Velachery Road will be the location for our festive event. Activities will begin on Saturday, December 14th at 4:30 pm, followed by a traditional Christmas dinner at 7:00 pm. Some of the planned activities include decorating gingerbread men and houses, singing Christmas Carols, Christmas cooking demonstrations, and more. There will be an attended activities room for children.  This will be a ticketed event and tickets will be on sale before and after school outside the main reception beginning on Tues December 10th.

Special Buffet Offer (inclusive of all taxes):

Adult ticket including all beverages –2200 Rs.

Adult ticket with limited beverages –1800 Rs.

Child ticket ages 6 – 12 years – 900 Rs.

Children 5 years and under are free

Please contact Kris Bridges idemo22@gmail.com with any questions.

December 6, 2013

From the desk of your team....


Dear friends

Hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving break.  Thanks you to all who made it to the PTA meeting, Tuesday, December 3rd.  We are fast approaching the end of first semester and another holiday season is around the corner.  In this season of benevolence wanted to share something that came up while browsing the internet.  "The internet has become a weapon and schools have become the battleground.  We need to teach our children how to be kind and not to be critical.  We can do that only by our actions. Do not let our self worth be determined by a few cool words."

The community was treated to a musical afternoon by the MS band and choir.  Thank you the faculty and administration for this show.  The parent curriculum coffee was about the common core standards being implemented in language arts and Mathematics in the school.   Please refer to Kim Bane's presentation in the HOS notes for further details.

Have a nice weekend.

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Diwali Mela News

Dear all 

On behalf of the the PTA Executive Team, Viraj and I would like to express our gratitude to all the Diwali Mela planning and execution team in making the Diwali Mela a grand success.  You have all been responsible in bringing about magic in spite of the very short time frame that was available to us.  The magic of the Mela was felt by each person who was inside the auditorium on Saturday evening.

A big congratulation go out to each team, the coordinators and above all to the children who performed. 

Our big thanks goes out to the administration, the facilities staff, the sound engineer, the personnel department and the purchasing officer.  We would not have been able to accomplish any of this without their support.  Like a string of pearls every aspect was meticulously done.  

We ask the community please do share your thoughts / make suggestions for better handling of any aspect of the event for future years.  

Hats off to you all.

Many Thanks,

Shanti and Viraj 

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SAISA News

THANKS to all the ASIAC Middle School Soccer Tournament Volunteers!   Your volunteer spirit is so appreciated!  We applaud all our TEAM MOMS, our HOSPITALITY SNACK Makers AND POPCORN Ladies!    

Hugs,

Tammy & Marcela

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Christmas Celebration News

Winter Break is just around the corner and many families are leaving to enjoy the must deserved break in school and work schedules. Before we all travel off in different directions, let’s ring in the Christmas holiday season together with a Community Christmas Celebration. The Westin on Velachery Road will be the location for our festive event. Activities will begin on Saturday, December 14th at 4:30 pm, followed by a traditional Christmas dinner at 7:00 pm. Some of the planned activities include decorating gingerbread men and houses, singing Christmas Carols, Christmas cooking demonstrations, and more. There will be an attended activities room for children.  This will be a ticketed event and tickets will be on sale before and after school outside the main reception beginning on Tues December 10th.

Special Buffet Offer (inclusive of all taxes):

Adult ticket including all beverages –2200 Rs.

Adult ticket with limited beverages –1800 Rs.

Child ticket ages 6 – 12 years – 900 Rs.

Children 5 years and under are free

Please contact Kris Bridges idemo22@gmail.com with any questions.

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Christmas Giving Tree

The PTA Elementary Grade Level Representatives, Elementary Student Council, and ASA Girl Scouts are sponsoring a Giving Tree to support 180+ students in 5 area orphanages. We are asking for the parent community to support this project and participate with our kids as we move into the holiday season and bring year 2013 to a successful and helpful close. The 5 orphanages our Giving tree will support are Home Of Hope for Boys by the World of Life Church – 49 Kids Assisi Ilam Orphanage – 24 Kids St. Joseph Social Service Center – 40 Kids Seva Samajam Girls Home – 57 Kids Mizpah orphanage – 18 Kids The Gifting tree will be set up on November 20th in the Elementary Cafeteria. 1. Children/parents can take a star off the tree and purchase a small item useful to them. We have included name, age, and gender of recipient on the stars. We are asking for new, non-perishable items only such as a water bottle, a snack box, towels and grooming kits, or toys if the child is very young. The needs are listed on each individual star. A nice gift can be purchased for around 200 Rs. 2. We would like the present to be returned wrapped and with the star attached to the gift (stars will be color coded to indicate which orphanage gift will go to). The gift drop off box will be in the Elementary Library. Thank you to Mr. Jet and the library staff for helping us set up the drop off area in the library. 3. The last day to drop off gifts will be December 11. 4. Gifts will be dropped off to the orphanages roughly between December 15-19, by Parent Gina Makawana and any other interested individuals who would like to help out. Gina will be happy to share delivery date information as time gets closer for anyone still in Chennai at this time who would like to help deliver gifts directly to the children. Please feel free to discuss using this service opportunity with your child's teacher if you would like to incorporate this into your year end celebration or as a class project. For any specific questions, please feel free to contact teacher Pam Thompson, parent Gina Makawana (gina_makawana@yahoo.com), or parent Margaret Rajan (mrprice1@yahoo.com).
Thanks everyone and we look forward to all you support on this project. Also, pls feel free to take as much stars as you want,

Each Orphanage also has items that are "needed" that they have not put into the stars into the Giving Tree. These are items that are necessary items, which were not listed on the Giving Tree. The list, per each Orphanage is listed below. If any family can assist in purchasing these items, please bring them to the ES Library. Collections for these items are being done there.

1. Seva Samajam Girls Home (56 Girls)

  An all girls home with ages from 11 yrs old to 17 yrs old

  They prefer to get school bags or any personal kits for girls (towels, grooming kit)

  The tiffin not needed because their school is near their home, so they come home to eat.

  Also asking for donations for sanitary pads and sanitary kit

 Address is 29 Casa Major Road, Egmore

 Delivery of present Dec 14 at 2:30 pm

2. Assisi Ilam Orpnage (24 kids)

  19 girls and 5 boys ages 7 yrs old to 15 yrs old

  They prefer to get water bottle, tiffin box, school bag and some toys

  Also asking for A4 paper, pens and pencils and chart papers

  Address is at 15 Nethaji Nagar, St.Thomas Mount

  Delivery of presents Dec 15 at 11 am

3. St. Joseph Social Service Center (40 kids)

 25 girls and 15 boys from ages 3 yrs old to 17

 They prefer school bag, tiffin, water bottle and toys for the little ones

 Also asking for A4 paper and sanitary kit (bath soap, toothpaste and tooth brush)

 Address is at 4/92-62 Magazine Road, St. Thomas Mount

 Delivery of presents on Dec 18 at 4 pm

4. Home of Hope for Boys by World of Life Church (49 kids)

  They prefer school bags, tiffin set, cricket bats and sweet treats

  Also asking for stationary supplies

  Address is at Mahabalipuram

  Delivery of presents Dec 15 at 5 pm

5. Mizpah Orphanage (19 kids)

   Boys and girls ages 6 yrs old to 18 yrs old

   They prefer towels, blanket, school bag and tiffin bags

   Also asking for recreational games for orphanage like board games and cricket set

   Address is after Mahabalipuram before Pondicherry

  Delivery of presents Dec 16