The American International School of Rotterdam
SHARK
Bulletin...
21.09.12.
From the Director “In order for me to move forward with my entry plan, I will be emailing you all a very short free response survey.” Happy Friday everyone! This week has been a little quieter than usual with the secondary students away for trip week. At this time, all reports are that the students are safe and sound, and having a great time. Students in grades five through twelve are spread over six different trips: twelfth grade is in Portugal, eleventh grade in London, ninth and tenth are exploring Normandy, students in seventh and eighth are in Belgium, and fifth and sixth graders are a little closer to home in Arnhem and Terschelling. With a little less activity at school, I’ve had some additional time to focus on my entry plan. I’ve been interviewing staff, meeting with various groups and reading various reports. Over the next little while, I will conclude the data gathering phase and move on to a period where I sift through the data that will ultimately lead me to a concrete school development plan. Last year the school conducted a parent survey to gain insight into parent perspectives on different operational areas. The information generated by the survey gave me some insight into certain aspects about the school, but I found that there were some simple things that I wanted to know about that the report didn’t address. In order for me to move forward with my entry plan, I will be emailing you all a very short free response survey. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to complete and will be included as a link in an email to you early next week. The survey is completely anonymous - there will be no record of names or email addresses associated with any responses. Responses to the survey will be collected in a Google spreadsheet that only I will have access to. Once the data has been received, I will compile the information into a single report, and delete all other survey records. The information you provide will help me with my position audit and give me more global targets to focus on, leading me to areas to examine in greater detail. At this time, I don’t need a lot of information, I just want your opinions on what you believe to be the greatest strengths and weaknesses of the school. I am interested in these perceptions so that I can ensure that when the school development plan is finalized it addresses the negatives without disrupting the positives. Thank you and have a great weekend. Neal Dilk neal.dilk@aisr.nl
1/4
Elementary Principal’s Message “...We encourage children to be active participants in their own learning and to continually question what they are learning and how it connects to their own experiences.” Once again, there was a good turn-out for the Open House last week. It is very encouraging to see that you as parents find it very important to know more about your child’s curriculum and class expectations. In the Elementary School, we encourage children to be active participants in their own learning and to continually question what they are learning and how it connects to their own experiences. If you feel that you didn’t get a chance to talk to all the teachers involved in your child’s education, please do make an appointment to meet with the teacher/ teachers at a future time. Don’t forget the EAL (English as Another Language ) Open House will be on Thursday September 27, starting at 7:00. On Tuesday October 2 and Wednesday October 3, students in Grades 3 - 10 will be taking the ISA tests. This assessment program is designed especially for students in International Schools. It is based on the internationally endorsed reading and math literacy frameworks of the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). A very big “Thank You” to Klaudia Gates and all the parent volunteers who helped with sorting and distributing the Scholastic Book Order, especially Ms. Azidah Aziz, Ms. Simone Pelgrim, Ms. Linea Brunclick and Ms. Amanda Trenchard. Congratulations to Ms. Simone Pelgrim, who was elected as the new PTSA President this week.We have a very enthusiastic PTSA group this year - however new volunteers are always welcome, so if you think you would like to help out with an event, please do contact Simone at the following e-mail address: simonepelgrim@me.com Ballet Classes: Ms. Christina Pavlov, a Ballet teacher from the English Ballet School in Amsterdam, would like to offer Ballet lessons at AISR, starting on Tuesday October 2. She has proposed the following: 3:15 - 4:00 - 3 and 4 year old students - 10 euros per student per session 4:00 - 4:45 - 5 and 6 year old students - 10 euros per student per session 5:00 - 6:00 - 7 year old and older - 13 euros per student per session. Please confirm before Tuesday September 25, if you would like your child/children to take part in these classes. I will pass on the information to Ms Pavlov and she will contact you before the end of next week. Reminder: There will be Early Dismissal on Wednesday September 26 and all students will go home at 11:30.
Have a lovely weekend. Sincerely, Anne-Marie Blitz anne-marie.blitz@aisr.nl
2/4
Secondary Principal’s Message
“We want to make strong connections with students, offer them an engaging curriculum, and help them develop and grow into responsible and respectful human beings.” With all of our Middle School and High School students away on their school trip I would like to take this opportunity informing you about IGCSE, a set of examinations students at AISR could be registered for. What is Cambridge IGCSE? The Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is one of the most recognized qualifications around the world. IGCSE courses are renowned for developing vital educational skills, including recall of knowledge, oral skills, problem solving, initiative, teamwork and investigative skills. The resulting qualification provides a foundation for higher level courses, such as the North American Advanced Placement program and the International Baccalaureate. Cambridge IGCSE offers a flexible course of study that gives candidates the freedom to choose subjects that are right for them, whilst providing them with a broad knowledge base and lifelong skills. IGCSE has an excellent reputation amongst international schools worldwide and IGCSEs are recognized as a reliable record of attainment which counts towards entry to universities and colleges around the world. Who can take IGCSE? Cambridge IGCSE is designed to be taught as a two-year course for students aged 14 to 16 years. At AISR, students can sit for IGCSE examinations upon request. IGCSE is taught alongside the American High School Curriculum at AISR. This means that students who opt to take on or more subjects at IGCSE level, will be required to work independently on areas which may not be covered in class. How is Cambridge IGCSE taught? At AISR, we have had students taking English, History and French at IGCSE level. The syllabus is set by Cambridge, but how it is taught will depend on the school. The course differs for each subject, but there will be a mix of assessment methods throughout, including coursework, practical exercises, oral and listening tests, projects and written examinations. Examination Information IGCSE courses take two years to complete and exams are taken at the end of that period. Examinations are held in late June each year with results issued in August. Kind regards, Marga Akerboom marga.akerboom@aisr.nl
3/4
READ TO GROW - Creativity Action Service (C.A.S.) “If you have not done so yet - please come to the page...” Recently, I attended a reception put on by READ TO GROW Europe, for their 10th anniversary. AISR has been supporting Read to Grow since its inception, as an integral part of the CAS program. It has been a very successful partnership because we get rid of all our unwanted school textbooks and the action is open to all members of the AISR community. You can track the destination of the books on the Read to Grow website (http://www.readtogrow.eu/). We also collect money to pay for the boxes in which we give away the books, and in which the sorted books are shipped all over the world. AISR holds the record of being a twice-time winner of collecting the most books, which is great, considering that we are a comparatively small school. The many articles written about AISR being a warm and caring environment for children is clearly reflected on the UNESCO sponsored, Read to Grow statue in Helmond, upon which AISR’s name holds pride of place. Don’t forget to look for the African Read to Grow statue in the AISR lobby as you pass by. It was specially commissioned in the Gambia as recognition for AISR’s support to Read to Grow over the years. The 10th anniversary Read to Grow souvenir book also contained several articles about AISR’s contributions. This book will be sent to participating school in Europe. How proud we should feel of AISR’s great achievements in this area of CAS! Don’t forget, there will be a collection of books for Read to Grow, as well as a clothes drive for Bag2School in November. More details to follow soon, but this is just a reminder for you not to throw these items away. They can be recycled and put to good use where there are areas of need in the world. Regards, Lynda Boot lynda.boot@aisr.nl
4/4