June 2022

 

Thank you from the PCA Executive Committee 2021-22

We are almost at the finish line of the school year, and next Friday summer break will be upon us.  We would like to thank all of you for supporting us in our role on the PCA Executive Committee.  2021-22 has been one of change - from virtual school at the start of the year to the joy of being back on campus.  

We were so happy to be able to hold our recent staff appreciation on campus, and were very grateful for the wonderful volunteer appreciation brunch which was well attended by PCA grade reps, country coordinators and other volunteers.  An extra thank you to Deb Allen who will be leaving AISC to return to the United States.  Deb has been a great support throughout the year - we will miss you!

PCA Executive Committee 2022-23

A huge congratulations to the incoming PCA Executive Committee: Liliam Mariana Boti Llanes, Salima Velasco, and Kayoung Kim. We look forward to their leadership in the 2022-2023 school year. 

Liliam Mariana Boti Llanes - PCA President - Liliam is originally from Cuba and has lived in 8 countries.  She has a daughter in High School.

Salima Velasco - PCA Vice President - Salima has a daughter who will be in Middle School next year.  Salima is continuing in the role of Vice President, having also served on the Executive Committee in 2021-22.

Kayoung Kim - PCA Secretary - Kayoung is from Korea and has a son in Elementary school.

May 2022

 

PCA 2022-2023 Executive Committee Elections, May 10-12, 2022

Electronic ballots will be emailed to community members by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10th, and on Friday, May 13th at 8:00 a.m. an AISC tech team representative will close the voting. The results will be announced in the weekly newsletter on Friday, May 13th.

PCA Executive Committee Candidates:

Liliam Mariana Boti Llanes is running for president of the 2022-23 PCA Executive Committee. As PCA President, Lilliam wants to help sustain the partnership between parents and the school. She is originally from Cuba and has lived in 8 countries. She studied law, has served as a judge, and has also worked in business law. Lilliam's daughter is a high school student at AISC.

Salima Velasco is running for the Vice President of the 2022-23 PCA Executive Committee. This year (2021-22) she served in this same role on the PCA team. Salima believes that it is important to have a link between parents and school and she wants to remain actively engaged with the community. She is especially excited to play a part in organizing future school and community events. Salima's daughter will be a middle school student next year.

Kayoung Kim is running for Secretary of the 2022-23 PCA Executive Committee. Kayoung wants to be actively engaged with the entire AISC international and culturally diverse community. She is very excited about building relationships, learning more about the school, and getting involved! Kayoung's son is an elementary school student.

Staff Appreciation Event - Monday May 9, 2022

 

We will be hosting our annual staff appreciation lunch on Monday May 9, 2022, in order to show our sincere thanks for the AISC facilities and support staff and the great work they do at AISC.  A biryani lunch will be ordered, therefore we do not require parent donations for this event.

 

Volunteer Appreciation Brunch - Monday May 16, 2022 - 10.00-11.30

 

Our annual volunteer appreciation event will be held on Monday May 16, 2022.  We would like to thank all parent volunteers who have helped the PCA in some way in 2021-22.  We will shortly send out a google form to allow you to pre-register for this event which will be held on campus.

 

Kelir Books creates bilingual Tamil resources #forallkindsofTamilar and promotes access to Tamil resources that are representative and inclusive of the complexities of socio-cultural identity in today’s world.  Their vision is:

• For all kinds of Tamil children to access their language globally.

• To see no Tamil families struggle to pass down their language and roots to their children.

• To increase representation and belonging of interracial & intersectional Tamils.

• To tackle exclusion and insular narratives both about and within the community.

• To assist and promote learning Tamil as a second language to non-native speakers.

 

Upcoming PCA Meetings

9 May 2022	13.30 - 14.30		Staff Appreciation Lunch
16 May 2022	10.00-11.30		Volunteer Appreciation Event

Contact us 

President	Francesca Hammond	hfrancescapca@asichennai.org
Vice President	Salima Velasco	vsalimapca@aischennai.org
Secretary	Anitha Viswanathan	vanithapca@asichennai.org
Treasurer	Youngmi Kim (Grace)	kgracepca@aischennai.org

April 2022

 

 

PCA April Monthly Meeting, Monday, April 11, 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

 

 

Please join us for the PCA April monthly meeting on the AISC campus!! This will be an in-person only event, virtual and hybrid options are not available, and you must be registered to attend the meeting: registration form. Covid vaccination information will be communicated on the registration and a health screening form will be sent to registrants (same requirements as communicated for conferences). Special guest and veteran AISC teacher, Priya V., will be presenting information about living in Chennai and the changes to the area and our school over the past 20 years. We look forward to seeing you there! 

 

 

PCA Elections: Executive Committee 2022-23

Please consider serving on the PCA Executive Committee for the 2022-2023 school year! Being a part of the Executive team is a rewarding experience and an opportunity to engage with the school, developing what often ends up being long lasting relationships with many members in our community. Self-nomination forms are available by emailing Seema Thomas at tseema@aischennai.org. Completed forms should be returned to Seema by 12 Noon on Monday, April 18th. The PCA Elections will be conducted using an electronic ballot, the ballots will be open to the AISC community May 10-12, 2022, and results announced on Friday, May 13th. 

 

Faculty Appreciation Event - Wednesday, Mar 30, 2022

Many thanks to all those who have offered to donate snacks and treats for our Faculty Appreciation Event on Wednesday March 30.  We have received many generous offers, and are sure that the teachers will feel appreciated by the parent community.

 

Food labeling

To ensure the safety of our teachers and admin staff, kindly print out this food allergen label, complete it and attach it to your container.  If you do not have a printer, you can handwrite a label, identifying the name of the dish and any of the allergens mentioned on the label.

 

Container labeling

For ease of collection, please ensure you label your container/tray/plate with the following information:

Student name

Student grade and class 

 

Food drop off

Food can be dropped off from the morning of Wednesday March 30 at the MAIN GATE.  If dropping off first thing in the morning, to avoid traffic congestion, please either ask your student to drop off the food, or have your driver drop you off and return to the driveway once you have dropped off your food and student at school.

The latest time we can accept donations of food is 12 noon, to ensure the food can be distributed and set out in the relevant rooms.

 

Container collection

Containers can be collected from the MAIN GATE on Thursday 31 March between 9am and 3pm.  If you are asking your student to collect the container, please have them collect it at the end of the school day.

 

Kelir Books creates bilingual Tamil resources #forallkindsofTamilar and promotes access to Tamil resources that are representative and inclusive of the complexities of socio-cultural identity in today’s world.  Their vision is:

• For all kinds of Tamil children to access their language globally.

• To see no Tamil families struggle to pass down their language and roots to their children.

• To increase representation and belonging of interracial & intersectional Tamils.

• To tackle exclusion and insular narratives both about and within the community.

• To assist and promote learning Tamil as a second language to non-native speakers.

 

 

Join us for the Parents as Partners Webinar Series: Semester 2 with new webinars! To participate you may use the same link you used previously, or you may register again to receive a new email/link.

 

Webinar #7, — Supporting Your Child’s Learning Through Effective Guidance, Presented by Garfield Gini-Newman on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m (Please note change due to daylight savings).

 

For many children, assessments create stress and anxiety, yet when used effectively, assessment is one of the most powerful tools that can help to support their learning. The word "assessment" comes from Latin, meaning "to sit alongside". When we sit alongside children in their journey of learning, we can help them develop a deep love for learning. In this webinar, Garfield will share a vision for learning that seamlessly weaves supportive assessment into daily learning. He will provide practical strategies that parents can use to guide their children's learning and nurture important habits such as curiosity and perseverance.

 

Webinar #8 , Reflecting on the Journey, Presented by Ellen Mahoney on Tuesday, April 19, 6.30pm - 7.30pm 

 

To help close the Parents as Partners series, we will reflect on the work we have done this school year around the inner work required of the adults in young people's lives.

How have we strengthened our mindsets and social emotional competencies?

What insights can we glean from learning alongside our youth?

Participants will have the opportunity to share with each other and provide social support around their insights this year and the next steps they can take in their Adult SEL (Social Emotional Learning) journey.

 

NOTE: If you are unable to attend, or you want to listen to the session again, the webinar recordings and slides from the previous sessions are posted on the Parents as Partners Info Hub a day or so after each session.

Upcoming PCA Meetings

30 March 2022	From 14.30		Faculty Appreciation Event
11 April 2022	14.15 - 15.15	FAC Atrium (on campus)	PCA Monthly Meeting
9 May 2022	13.30 - 14.30		Staff Appreciation Lunch
13 May 2022	10.00-11.30		Volunteer Appreciation Brunch

Contact us 

President	Francesca Hammond	hfrancescapca@asichennai.org
Vice President	Salima Velasco	vsalimapca@aischennai.org
Secretary	Anitha Viswanathan	vanithapca@asichennai.org
Treasurer	Youngmi Kim (Grace)	kgracepca@aischennai.org

March 2022

 

 Head of School Search Process Update  

The PCA Executive Committee will lead the parent session interviews of the Head of School Search process. We are aiming to have a good number of parents present for all these sessions. In order for us to ensure we have sufficient parent turnout, we are requesting you to register for these zoom sessions ahead of time. Please take a moment to review the schedule and register for the sessions you can attend. Parents are encouraged to come to both the sessions to ensure an objective feedback process.

Monday, February 28th at 10:30-11:30 a.m.- Leigh Fitzgerald

To register click the link below  

https://aischennai-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcrdOyorjgrGddU7EmftjUFKRn5fRKwcWQ2

 

Wednesday, March 2nd at 10:00-11:00 a.m.- Vladimir Kuskovski

To register click the link below  

https://aischennai-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUocuGrrDooGNxNhxdK_MpHEqQmwxnsncz-

 

The sessions will end with a quick feedback survey.  We thank you for your engagement and participation. 

PCA Monthly Meeting  -  Monday March 7 - 13.30 - 14.30

 

Come one, come all to the PCA March monthly meeting! This month we will be meeting a panel of PCA reps, including the PCA Executive Team, who will talk about their roles in advance of the PCA Elections taking place in April.  If you are interested in a role on the PCA next year please come along to learn more!

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://aischennai-org.zoom.us/j/94528312597?pwd=WGY0Q1lhNXFhMWZDN1c4U0RoY1M3QT09

 

Meeting ID: 945 2831 2597

Passcode: 619915

 

AISConnect  - we need your stories

We are in the process of collecting articles and stories for the 2021-22 edition of AISConnect.  We already have some great contributions - but we need more!  You can get involved by:

 

Recipes 

Please share your favourite recipe with the community.  This can be in any language and will be published in the original as well as the English translation.  You can submit your recipe using the google link AISConnect recipes

 

Poetry

Many of you will have noticed that our Head of School loves to share poems as part of his weekly Head's Notes.  Now it is your turn.  Please share your favourite poem for publication in AISConnect.  Poems can be submitted in any language, and will be published in the original (along with a summary in English).  You can submit your poem using the google link AISConnect poems

 

Virtual and in-person experiences

We would love to hear from students, parents and faculty about what went well in virtual and as we returned to campus.  Specifically we would like to hear about:

 

- first day back on campus

- virtual ASAs

- specials (music, drama, art, PE) thriving despite Covid restrictions

 

You can tell us about your experiences using the google link First Day on Campus, ASAs, Specials

 

 

Faculty Appreciation Day - Wednesday, March 30th 2022

We would like to take the time to show our appreciation to all teachers, assistants and office administrators at the annual Faculty Appreciation Day.  We will be asking the parent community to sign up to provide “finger-food” of 10-20 servings, which can be served without the need for refrigeration or reheating, and can be eaten with the fingers (eg no serving spoons or forks required).

We will be providing the google form sign up sheets via whatsapp shortly before Spring Break.  However this year we are asking that each section of school signs up for a particular snack.  This is to ensure that we have a good range of snacks for the faculty and staff.  

KG - Gr 2 - cookies / biscuits

Gr3 - Gr 5 - savoury snacks

MS - cakes / brownies

HS - Indian snacks

We will provide full details of how to label food and containers when the google forms are sent via whatsapp.

 

 

Join us for the Parents as Partners Webinar Series: Semester 2 with new webinars! To participate you may use the same link you used previously, or you may register again to receive a new email/link.

 

Webinar #5, — Building a Parent Pandemic Partnership: Strengthening Your Wellness, Self-Care and Self-Compassion, Presented by Fran Polman on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

 

 

This pandemic has triggered a world-wide mental health crisis. We have paid an emotional toll in response to being isolated for far too long, sitting with fear and loneliness; along with too many disorienting events and the changes required of us. As parents, you were asked and will continue to be asked to embrace new roles as you build a "Pandemic Partnership" with your child's school. Exhaustion seems to be the great equalizer.

 

Webinar #6 , International School Parents: Champions of DEI(B)J - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Justice, Presented by Jennifer Beckwith on Tuesday, March 22, 7.30pm - 8.30pm 

 

This webinar is an introduction for parents to DEI(B)J. Its objective is to help parents acknowledge the complex realities of DEI(B)J and the importance that schools play in recognizing that differences exist and that differences are positive in the learning environment.

 

NOTE: If you are unable to attend, or you want to listen to the session again, the webinar recordings and slides from the previous sessions are posted on the Parents as Partners Info Hub a day or so after each session.

 

 

 

PCA Book Group 

Our  book for this semester is “The War of The Worlds” by HG Wells.  Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday March 2nd  at 19.30.  Please email hfrancescapca@aischennai.org if you would like to join.

Upcoming PCA Meetings

2 March 2022	19.30 - 20.30		PCA Book Group
7 March 2022	13.30 - 14.30		PCA Monthly Meeting
30 March 2022	After school		Faculty Appreciation Day
11 April 2022	13.30 - 14.30		PCA Monthly Meeting
9 May 2022	13.30 - 14.30		PCA Monthly Meeting

Contact us 

President	Francesca Hammond	hfrancescapca@asichennai.org
Vice President	Salima Velasco	vsalimapca@aischennai.org
Secretary	Anitha Viswanathan	vanithapca@asichennai.org
Treasurer	Youngmi Kim (Grace)	kgracepca@aischennai.org