Elementary ENotes- October 10, 2016

Dear parents,

As stated in our ASW Mission:
“We offer students and their families a welcoming, inclusive and safe environment, one that is balanced between our host country Poland and the international community…”

UN Day is a wonderful opportunity for our parents and students to celebrate our international school. We have children and families from everywhere at ASW and teaching our children to appreciate how we are unique, while also building bridges to better understand how we are similar, is a big part of our work as educators. parents, and as citizens of the world.

The Elementary School has designed several opportunities for our children to be engaged and learning next week: 

1. On Monday, Tuesday and/or Wednesday students will share about their home countries. How this looks is dependent on what the child (with parent support or guidance) decides is important to share with the class and will vary by grade level.

• For some children and families they will want to share a food which is important to them. For others, they might show a video, bring in an object, or demonstrate a game or dance. Teachers, working together with Homeroom Parents will provide information on what day or days will be used for this sharing, as well as any parameters around how it might best serve the needs of the particular age-group involved.

2. On Thursday, Oct. 20, the teachers and students are eagerly anticipating the Country Table visits!

• To begin the day, we will ask all ES classes to visit the ES Entryway to add flag stickers to our photos, which will capture our nationalities as a student body.
• Then, across the day, ES Teachers are eager to allow their students ample time to explore and learn about the different countries represented at ASW, as they visit the Country Tables. (The PTO is helping to make this an even richer time, by providing country stamps for each table, so our ASW Passports can be stamped.)
• We will continue our new "Spotlight On..." Assemblies

PK-2: 10:45-11:45 AM (Spotlight on Grade 2)
3-5: 1:30-2:30 PM (Spotlight on Grade 4)

• These assemblies will be our culminating UN Day activity and will also include a developmentally appropriate presentation of the flags, celebrating the different nationalities at our school. Parents are welcome to attend, although seating is limited.
• Students are encouraged to wear traditional or national dress on this day as they will be moving around the school showing their "home country" colors!

I appreciate the PTO support we've received in designing this day, and look forward to being part of this important event.

​*Please note, as discussed at the Homeroom Parents Advisory Council and due to Halloween falling in the latter half of the Autumn Break dates, ASW will not be celebrating Halloween at school this year.

Warmly,
​Jen

Important Upcoming Dates to Note:
Oct. 11-    NO SCHOOL for students in Grades PK-5: Teacher-Led Conferences
Oct. 12-   Parent Partnership Meeting: Social and Emotional Learning with Karen Gentilini and Jamie Hamlin- ES             Counselors “What does a Counselor Do?”  8:45 MPR
Oct. 20-    UN DAY!

• 10:45-11:45: Spotlight on Grade 2    
• 13:30-14:30: Spotlight on Grade 4

Oct. 24- Nov. 1 -     Autumn Break- NO SCHOOL

Parent Partnership

ES Parent-Teacher Conferences- Tuesday, October 11-
NO SCHOOL for students in Grades 1-5
We continue to strive to improve our communication. One aspect of that is making sure we have updated contact information. During these conferences, Teaching Assistants under the direction of our Technology Director will be working to help parents log into Powerschool and to update contact data. Thank you in advance for helping us with this project!

Spirit Day- October 14
HS Students have requested our participation in supporting the SCIS Girls' Soccer Tournament hosted at ASW Friday and into the weekend. The Elementary School has been invited to show our spirit by wearing red and black on Friday. (Parent too if you are inclined!)

PYP Parent Partnership Workshop
In case you missed our PYP Parent Workshop, the following resources were shared…

• PYP Parent Pack- FAQs
• Unpacking the PYP Presentation

Key takeaways from the workshop included:

• Thinking about the future for our children
• Considering essential skills in the conceptual age
• The PYP as a framework that supports, enhances ASW curriculum
• The IB Standards and Practices and our current focus on philosophy, leadership, resources and organization and collaboration
• Where we are in our PYP journey as a candidate school
• Thematic organization of our implementation plan and goals
• Evidence of work towards our 2016-2017 goals
• Parents role at home is to engage in conversations about learning, discuss happenings of the world, wonder and explore ideas together, support home learning, and model international-mindedness and the Learner Profile

Inspired wonderings by parents to shape our upcoming workshops:

• How does student council blend with PYP?
• Each school decides which topics kids will study- how does it work at ASW?
• I wonder what transition from PYP to MYP looks like?
• Will other subjects be involved in the Units of Inquiry?
• When some people are given too many choices will the teachers steer their learning?
• Would an acronym help remember and organize the Learner Profile?
• With inquiry- how do you motivate kids to be self- learners, how do we make sure some kids don't get left behind.
• What is the balance between framing the PYP around the existing curriculum vs creating new standards to meet the PYP?

Community News

Notes from the Nurse
Tick Borne Encephalitis 
One of our students was found with a tick stuck in his head after walking in the forest.  The child is perfectly fine but to raise awareness and prevention of Tick Borne diseases, this note is being shared.
Tick Borne Encephalitis or TBE is a viral infection that is spread through tick bites and is prevalent in eastern, northern, and south central Europe. In Poland, the endemic areas are the northern lake districts and the area immediately around Warsaw.

So you might think ticks are only common in spring and summer? The answer is No.

Tick Borne Encephalitis has another peak in September and October. The tendency of becoming ill is only 1:5000 even at its peak season and the chance of getting sick from it is very slight in children but it increases with age however the infection can be serious in its most severe form, causing infection of the brain with potentially dangerous neurological damage.

A vaccine for Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE) is available in Poland. Ask your doctor or the school nurses for information regarding the vaccine.

Lyme disease is another tick borne infection found in Poland. It is carried by a deer tick and the disease is extremely variable but often starts as a red circular rash and can progress to cause arthritis, neurological symptoms, and heart problems if untreated. The infection can be treated effectively with antibiotics if diagnosed early in the rash stage.
Recommended ways to prevent Tick Borne Encephalitis and Lyme disease:

1. Avoid tick-infested areas
   • Cut and clear brushes or tall grasses around your house and garden to help lower the tick population.
2. Provide personal protection when engaging in outdoor activities
   • Wear light colored clothing.
   • When camping, hiking, or working outdoors, wear a hat, long-sleeved shirts and closed-toe shoes. Tuck pants into socks or boots and tuck shirts into trousers. Keep long hair tied back and wear a hat.
   • Apply insect repellent containing DEET before walking into tick-infested areas.
   • Walk in center trails when hiking to avoid overgrown grass and trees.
3. Inspect  yourself, children and pets daily after outdoor activities
   • Remove clothing and shower as soon as possible after coming indoors.
   • Ticks may be as small as a pinhead. When performing inspections, pay close attention to the groin, armpits, neck and scalp.
   • Check pets before entering the house because they too can carry ticks into the house.
   •  If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor.
     

If you find a tick, do not panic. The most effective way to remove it is to grasp the tick’s mouth area with fine tweezers and pull it straight out. Clean area with soap and water or with a disinfectant. Do not use a lighted match or cigarette to force the tick to back out nor Vaseline or nail polish. This will only prolong the exposure time and may cause the tick to inject more of the infection to the body.

Marilyn Dypczynski RN (mdypczynski@aswarsaw.org)
Head School Nurse