2010 October Shark

Community Announcements And Classifieds

To Advertise here contact:

g.gamble@aisr.nl or Tel + 31 (0)10 422 5351

If you have an article you would like to publish in the Shark, please send it to :

theshark@aisr.nl The deadline for submissions is Monday 15th November.

Middle School Trip Week

Therapy and Personal Development

Expat Socials - Internationals In Rotterdam

We don!t usually like to hang about...

“Hands to help and hearts to care” Do you need to talk to someone to express your difficulties and challenges with raising your child? Katherine Fortier, an educational and child psychologist, will lead the parents group. “...an opportunity to discuss their concerns and develop strategies to help their children and manage their own stress.” For further information or to register, Please email hearts.2care@yahoo.com or call Rubina Anis on mobile 06-52072084.

Monthly Expat Drinks"@ Cafe Engels (in front of Central Station) Open from 18:00 to 23:00hrs If you would like an invitation to this get together or any of the future events, please join us on Facebook: #www.engels.nl/internationals and subscribe to: #www.meetup.com/INTERNATIONALS-in-rotterdam We look forward to welcoming you all.

Languages LIFE COACHING – MIND AND BODY INC. With my skills, I can help you: • UNDERSTAND YOURSELF BETTER!# • USE YOUR INHERENT SKILLS MORE EFFECTIVELY# • CONTROL YOUR WEIGHT AND STAY FIT IN A NATURAL WAY# • UNDERSTAND YOUR CHILDREN#BETTER • ULTIMATELY LEARN THAT JOY IS WITHIN YOU

Would you like to improve your English ? Now is a great time to start studying in small friendly groups of adults with English teacher, Susannah Tomlinson. “Why not give it a go?” More details are available at reception, or contact Susannah via email: susannah.tomlinson@yahoo.com or telephone: 040-8428486

SPECIAL NEEDS TUTORING for Children • Gifted and Talented (including underachieving gifted), ADD and ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Behavior Management, Asperger's, Autism, Down's Syndrome, Fine Motor Skills.

DUTCH BEGINNERS CLASS OFFERED AT AISR Monday!s from 9am till 11am, starting on Monday the 20th of September My name is Arjan Blokland and I offer a Dutch beginners class at AISR. The course focuses on practical language skills. The course has been designed for people with no or almost no knowledge of Dutch. The course consists of 12 lessons. The first lesson will be held on the 20th of September. The minimum number of participants will be four and the maximum will be nine. The prices of the classes are between " 15,- and " 24,- per class, depending on the number of students.

• HELP AND SUPPORT FOR PARENTS of children with Special Needs PLEASE CONTACT ME, SANDRA, @ EMAIL: joyandpower@gmail.com MOBILE: 06-16593856.

Sandra B.A. Psychology, M.A. English Literature, M.S. Special Education (USA).

Culture BALLET CLASSES: For ages 3 and up in the AISR building. The classes will be taught by Sue Manville who trained at The Royal Academy of Dance in London. Sue has 20 years experience of ballet teaching and choreography, in the United States, UK, Australia, Greece, Spain and Brazil.

e-mail: lindenlanguages@hotmail.com or telephone: 06-41585013.

Services

If interested, please email Sue Manville at sue.manville@gmail.com stating your child’s age.

Treasured memories? Old or damaged photos restored: I can repair most images to a high level of presentation and provide a digital image and photo-print of the restored image. If interested please email me, David Blackburn.

GUITAR LESSONS: Private Guitar Lessons, after school at AISR or at home. Please contact bob@bobhamilton.net or visit www.bobhamilton.net more info. All ages and styles, flexible scheduling for both students and parents!

Email: mrblackburnart@gmail.com

Email: bob@bobhamilton.net

The AISR accepts no responsibility for the community announcements, services and items advertised.

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Inside: • Director!s and Principal!s letters • Middle School Trip Week • Nurse!s & Counselor's Corner • Grade 4 Update • Sporting News October 2010

The American International School of Rotterdam

SHARK

Athletes of the Week...

Graham Gamble October 4th - 9th, 2010.

For John Keats, Autumn was the season of “mists and mellow fruitfulness”. For us, it continues to be a time of busyness, dark mornings, colds and coughs! It has been another energetic month, culminating this week in two days of parent conferences and Halloween celebrations. Thank you for continuing to support us (and, of course, your children!s education) by turning out to these events. Thanks also to those teachers who were pioneering a new kind of “student-led” conference this time. This was a very interesting initiative in communication and we appreciate the positive feedback we have received. We are interested in all kinds of feedback, however, so do please let us know what you thought of this different way of reporting on how your children are learning. In this way, we can develop our dialogue with you even further. The Strategy Group which has been working on long-term plans for the school, is, at last, close to being able to present its proposals, first to the Board of Trustees and then, following approval, to the wider school community. Please look out for further information on how these announcements will take place. Finally, thanks to Shelly Moseley and Julie Hartig who have nobly stepped up to take on the roles of PTSA Chair and Vice Chair. It is terrific that these two ladies have decided to take on this vital role in coordinating school community activities. They have already shared some of their ideas for this year with me and we look forward not only to some familiar and well-loved events but also some very interesting new ventures. Enjoy Halloween and the review of this past month!s activities in our Shark today.

Graham Gamble Director

Varsity Soccer goalkeeper Nick is playing in his first soccer season ever and is playing in the most difficult position on the field. #Nick has worked hard to improve not only his goal keeping skills but also his fitness levels. # Because of Nick's great work ethic and dedication to improvement, the whole team has increased confidence. #Recently the Sharks played two games, and despite being very ill, Nick played in both games. #This slowed Nick down a bit, but he never stopped trying and gave the team everything he had. Way to go Nick!

October 18th - 22nd, 2010. Anna is in her second year of playing JV Volleyball. This year she has improved so much that she now does not have any weak parts of her play. Her hustle, concentration and consequent self-confidence is noticeable on the court. Anna!s receiving and spiking and all-around good play has been deciding factors towards the team!s recent success. Way to go Anna!

October 25th - 29th, 2010. Raquel is member of the U12 Volleyball Team and is working hard at every practice to improve her skills. She gets more and more confidence and plays more aggressive at the net and is a good at motivating her team mates.At the recent home game against ISA, she said before the game that one of the team goals for that game should be "believe". The Sharks supporters surely believed in the team as they saw some impressive series of winning serves ending with the Sharks winning all 5 sets. Way to go Raquel!

EXPLANATION OF THE RECOGNITION: Each week AISR coaches select a student/athlete that has shown outstanding achievement in one or more of the following: Leadership, Sportsmanship, Skill Improvement, Outstanding Play at Games, Excellence in Practice, Concern for fellow Teammates, Encouraging Others, and other efforts deserving recognition. This person can be chosen from any of the SHARK Teams.

Away Games Coming Up.... Please check the Athletics page on the AISR website ical for future scheduled games:

http://www.aisr.nl/athletics/

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Sporting News

Graham Gamble

From the Director

Anne - Marie Blitz

NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC DEPT. The last 3 weeks of the soccer and volleyball season are upon us as the teams prepare for the 8 and 10 school NECIS Tournaments in Luxembourg for middle school and Amsterdam for high school, November 11th -13th. Parents interested in finding out more about the tournaments can go to the official FALL tournament sites at: http://sites.google.com/site/necissite/

This has been a very busy week for Elementary students and teachers. It started on Monday with Photo Day – everyone looked very smart. On Tuesday we celebrated UN Day – the students came to school dressed in their national costume and it was very moving to see the pride on their faces as they walked in the UN Parade. On Wednesday and Thursday, parent teacher conferences took place. Thank you for taking the time to come and talk to the teachers about your child!s progress.

AISR Fall Awards Evening - November 18th November 18th, starting at 6 PM is the AISR Fall Awards Evening. This is an event all team members and hopefully their parents attend. After a banquet with food parents provide, the coaches will make speeches and give out awards. Everyone leaves the evening with an award. Basketball Season starts Nov. 22, so all students in grades 5-12 interested in joining will need to get their try-out forms in soon. Get the full coaches report and more photos from AISR's Athletic Website.

It is so important to maintain a strong communication between home and school in order to ensure the best possible support for your child. The first parent-teacher conference of the school year provides a great opportunity for you and your child's teacher to share insights and information about her/him. At this meeting, you can develop a relationship with the teacher and present yourself as a team player in your child's education. If you did not get a chance to meet with all the specialist teachers, please do contact the individual teacher and make an appointment to see them at a convenient time.

http://www.aisr.nl/athletics/fall_sports/fall_sports.php

We had a celebration of another kind on Friday – Halloween. The students from JSR joined our student!s classroom parties and the traditional Halloween Parade. Many thanks to Justin Wah, who, once again, did a great job as MC for the afternoon and to Ruud Temminck for providing the appropriate music and special effects!

SHARKS WIN BIG!

On Wednesday, November 24th, the annual Thanksgiving lunch will take place. There will be a short Thanksgiving Performance by all the students prior to lunch being served. This will be in the Gym and will start at 10:15. Details regarding each class!s lunch time will go out in the November issue of The Shark.$ $

Home game against ISA 26.10.2010 SHARKS WIN BIG 5-0!

Have a lovely weekend,

In their first home game of the season against ISA, the whole team played very strong at the service line and ALL the players managed to get at least 2 winning consecutive serves.

Sincerely, Anne-Marie Blitz

The Sharks concentrated on playing aggressive at the net and this worked very well. All 5 sets got won and I guess that all the supporters were quite fascinated by this performance.

Please don’t forget that the clocks

Go Sharks! Coach Meyers

“fall-back” one hour this weekend!

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Anne - Marie Blitz

From the Elementary Principal

Rob Zeilstra

From the Elementary Principal

Rob Zeilstra

Sports -

Sporting News

Nurse’s Corner

Kate Driver and Josué Gutiérrez

Nurse’s Corner

Laurence Chambers

Important reminder to all parents: Any member of the community (students, parents, child-minders, staff) showing a fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or above with or without any of the following symptoms MUST be kept at home and is not allowed at AISR for a minimum of 24 hours after the symptoms have disappeared without medication.

The Middle School classes went on a camping trip to the Ardennes in Belgium during the week of September 13th to the 16th, the. The students had a packed, fun-filled week of outdoor activities hosted by Mountain Network. Our guides (Edwin and Merij) were great in guiding the students and giving instructions while always placing safety as a top priority for all.

• • • • •

A sudden cough Headache Tiredness Chills Aching muscles

• • •

Limb or joint pain Diarrhea or upset stomach Sore throat

If your child is unwell and unable to come to school, please contact me at: l.chambers@aisr.nl 010 422 5351.

Upon our arrival in Dinant, the students were separated into two groups for the week!s activities. Our first activities were rock climbing and abseiling. All of our students stepped up and did their best at climbing to the top and abseiling down from the cliff. Emma and Joseph proved themselves to be excellent rock climbers, and Bethany, Hyeong-gyun, and Goohyun were great as belayers on the ground, sending up encouragement. Meanwhile, Laura, Byron, Siri, and many others pushed themselves to abseil down the cliff.

Day 2!s activities began with team building exercises and archery. All of the students made a group effort in completing the challenges. They put their minds together to ensure they could get medicine from a canyon for their injured mate, make it through a minefield, and cross a sticky spider web. While one group did team activities, the other group put their archery skills to the test. Matt and Yebin were standouts in archery.

Once again, many of us had to overcome a fear of heights, zipping off a cliff at high speeds or climbing up a treacherous mountainside. We will not forget Chloe's earsplitting zip line scream! Kunyao and Jaret confronted the zip-line with no fear. Jisoo, Kate, and Sophie's positive attitudes helped get everyone up the mountain. Alexander stepped up to be at the rear of the group to ensure all of his group mates made it up the mountainside safely. Asli and Jiwon proved they are great climbers.

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• • •

Runny nose Sneezing Loss of appetite

ce Lauren

Laurence Chambers

Counselor’s Corner

Kate Driver

We have entered the second quarter of our school year and many of our students are noticing that their courses are becoming more academically demanding. It is our job as adults to help students manage the stress they may be feeling. Ignoring stress won!t make it go away. As a parent, there a few things you can help your child do to cope: • • • • •

Help our child break up larger tasks into smaller, manageable bits Work out extra energy through physical activity Spend some quiet time listening to music, drawing, or reading a book Talk to someone they trust Ask for help

Sometimes a student will try to avoid homework or even school all together, but this doesn!t solve the problem and often leads to a greater deficit to make up. If your child is having difficulty coping with stress, please let us know. There are things we can do to help! As always, feel free to contact me at any time by phone or email (k.driver@aisr.nl). Kate Driver School Counselor

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Counselor’s Corner

Middle School - Trip Week

Melissa van Ringelesteijn and Maria Teresa Sorondo de Lara

Welcome to the Library! My name is Melissa van Ringelesteijn and I!m delighted to be the Elementary Teaching Librarian. With my energy and passion, I!m excited to bring my six years of teaching experience (4 of which were at AISR), and Master!s in International Multicultural Education into building valuable lessons at the Library. Your children are quite busy during Library. Some of the things that we have been doing are; reading picture books (both printed and online), learning informational skills, giving video book recommendations, navigating AISR!s %Kids Grolier Online Encyclopedia! (Grade 3 to 5), putting on puppet theatre and enjoying books in our cozy new and expanded reading area. Though taking books out of the library is not mandatory, it is highly encouraged! Please help your child remember to bring their books back during their scheduled library time. Of course, you are also welcome to come and enjoy the library at your leisure. We have a new sign up sheet for students Grade 1 to 5 who would like to come to the library during lunch recess on Mondays or Thursdays. Happy Reading!!! Mrs. van Ringelesteijn m.vanringelestijn@aisr.nl

Day 4!s activities took us the town of Dinant. There we were given an informative guided tour of the Citadel full of information about the importance of the Maas River and the battles in the area. The students displayed great patience and excellent behavior throughout the tour. After the tour, the students were given some free time to explore the town square and purchase chocolate and souvenirs. Shortly after, we were picked up by our charter bus and headed back to Rotterdam.

The PTSA

From the Library

From the Library...

Day 3!s activities started out by separating the students into 5 groups. Each group had to engineer a raft using logs, rope and inner tubes and test their rafts in the cold river. Before hitting the water, Raquel, Doohyung, and Seonghyuk proved they are fast on their feet in a game of Apples and Eggs. After completing the raft test, students enjoyed tubing down the small, but fast man made waterfall. Milou and Daniel, to name a few had a little too much fun and did not want to get out of the water. The students later went on a 5k hike to a ropes course. The course had a few suspension bridges at different heights. Walking across these bridges was arduous for all of us. Next, the students went on an obstacle course that was lengthy and tiring. Gabi, in an amazing display of strength, did a one-armed pull-up to untangle herself and clip on to a new line. Aymann and Nico carefully crossed the highest suspension bridge with encouragement from Maddie, Yeon Jae, and Marianne on the other side. After 3 days of activities and camping, we all slept well the final night of our adventure.

The PTSA. We Have New Leadership for the PTSA! Now we would like to invite you! Bring your ideas, excitement, and talents...

WE NEED YOU! Would you like to come to the Library as a volunteer just an hour a week? ...Just send an e-mail to m.lara@aisr.nl indicating which day of the week and what time suits you best. Maria Teresa Sorondo de Lara

Wednesday Morning November 3rd at 8:30 In the Cafeteria In our first meeting we will be planning this year!s events and finalizing the details for the many festivities coming in the next few weeks.

Hope to see you there! Shelly Moseley and Julie Hartig

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Grade 5 Update

Grade 4 Update

Grade 4 Class Update... Aleksandra Mandi&

“ It is no exaggeration to say that humankind is stardust, since the iron in our blood, the calcium in our bones and all the other heavy metals in our bodies originated in the explosion of a supernova, from which our Solar System and, finally, ourselves have evolved”. (Michael Shara, astronomer)

After a very successful first quarter and a well deserved fall break, Grade 4 is ready for new challenges and new adventures! In the second quarter we are going to explore the secrets of universe and our Solar System. To launch the new IPC unit “Our Place in Space”, we visited the Sonnenborgh Museum in Utrecht. This field trip has been a very successful introduction and a great source of inspiration for the fourth graders. Observing sun spots, meteorites, learning about birth and death of stars has awakened their curiosity, and the best is yet to come! There are so many questions to be answered, and in order to do that we are working on our vocabulary, too. Our language unit “Astronauts” has given us the tools to explain and discuss the views and share ideas about our place in space. We are learning about the difference between abstract and concrete, endless and limited, desired and realistic.

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In Math we are solving word problems that have to do with rotation and revolution. That helps us understand the significance of time and the importance of patterns. This way students can appreciate math as a method to find answers and explain the processes in our every day life. It is wonderful to see how open and willing the fourth graders are. What helps them the most in their academic development is their spirit! Grade 4 classroom is a magical place. Friendship, loyalty, honesty, and caring are being valued and appreciated on a very high level. We put a lot of effort and patience into understanding each other and being there for each other. This makes the days in school enjoyable and the fourth graders are always ready to give their maximum! The philosophy of the fourth grade classroom is summed up in a Latin proverb: “Non scholae sed vitae discimus”, and that means – We are learning not for school, but for life…

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