2012-01-20 Shark Bulletin

SHARKThe American International School of Rotterdam

From the Interim Director and Elementary Principal

In the last Shark, you may have seen a request from the PTSA for volunteers to help with the Dinner Dance, which is scheduled for Saturday March 17. This has become quite a tradition at AISR and is truly a wonderful evening. Without assistance it will not be possible to have it this year. So I am asking for your help.

The more people we have to help, the less there will be for individuals to manage. So please, contact Sue Syah at the following e-mail address: [email protected], to volunteer for this worthwhile event!

I would also like to remind the parents of Secondary students that all MS & HS related issues should now be directed to Alison Lipp: [email protected]. This would also include requests for absences etc.

Upcoming Important Dates:

• The next Board Meeting will take place in the School Library on Tuesday, February 17, starting at 7p.m.• Next Thursday January 26 is a half-day. All students will go home at 11:30.• Report cards have been posted home today.• On Thursday January 31, there will be a MAP Parent Training Session in the Media Lab. The first session will

run from 1:00 – 3:00 and the second from 6:00 – 8:00.• Map Testing for students will start on January 30 and continue through February 10. The MAP Reports will go

home on Friday March 9.• Please don’t forget the Coffee, Croissants and Curriculum Morning on February 14, with a special emphasis on

Elementary Math.

Young Authors JournalAnd finally, I have another request for help. As most of you know, every year we publish a Young Authors Journal. During the course of the year, the teachers from Pre-K 1 through Grade 5 collect stories and illustrations from the students. These stories are published and presented in book form at The Creative Arts Evening, which will take place this year on Thursday 24 May.

If you would like to help with putting together this great book, please contact me: [email protected].

Please get involved with AISR and the PTSA and feel a real part of our great community!

Have a lovely weekend,

Anne-Marie [email protected]

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SHARKThe American International School of Rotterdam

From the Secondary Principal and Curriculum Director

With the first full week of school under our belts, we are all settling back into the regular routines. As you know, I have taken over the "Principal" part of what Mr. Gamble did and Anne-Marie Blitz has taken over the "Director" aspects of his role. Though I will miss teaching my classes, I am looking forward to working with you in this new capacity.

From this point forward, please feel free to contact me directly with any secondary questions or issues. This includes student absence approval, questions about program, etc. I can be reached at [email protected] or by calling the school at extension 316.

In the Classrooms:Our CANSAT group in Science continues to work diligently every Wednesday and Friday to prepare for the competition in the spring. There will be a special Science night for the entire school on March 8th. This will be presented by students in grades 6-10 and our 11th and 12th graders will be showcasing their CANSAT and its progress during the event. The high school French class is off to Brussels on Thursday of next week so bon voyage to them!

Upcoming Important Dates:• Early dismissal next Thursday, January 26th• MAP Testing for students begins during the final week of January• MAP Parent Training on Tuesday, January 31st• AISR swimmers and Middle School Basketball players are competing on Saturday, Jan. 28th

Food for ThoughtAs educators, we often get questions from parents about assessment and how it seems different than their own educational assessment experience had been. The following excerpt focuses on one of these key differences: the emphasis on formative instead of only summative assessment.

Assessment That Improves PerformanceFormative assessment focuses on improving student performance and classroom instruction. It is contrasted with summative assessment that focuses on accountability and is often done to assign a grade for reporting purposes.The conditions for successful formative assessment include:• The student and teacher share a common understanding of what constitutes quality work. That is, they have the same

standards for achievement.• Both student and teacher can compare the student's performance to these standards.

• The student assesses as s/he is working on the task at hand, and upon completion.• The teacher may assess the completed work or while the work is in progress.

• Following the assessment, teaching and learning activities are adjusted to close the gap between the student's performance and the standard.• The teacher not only assesses the student's performance, but also provides feedback (guidance) to the

student enabling him/her to improve his/her performance.• The student will use what s/he has learned from the assessment to improve future performances.• The teacher also assesses the instruction that preceded the performance. The teacher will adjust their

instruction based on this assessment.Once again, I am really looking forward to working with you and please don't hesitate to contact me at anytime for further information or if you have any questions or concerns.

Regards,Alison [email protected]

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2012-01-20 Shark Bulletin

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