ES Principal ENotes: May 16, 2016

Last week, Grade 3 students in 3 LaQuay (MacKenty) shared their love of reading by becoming a favorite character.

Dear Parents,

Thank you for attending my Parent Meeting this morning. We discussed many items including changes planned for next school year. (See below for a quick recap.) Reflecting on my work this year, I recognize a highlight is working with a positive parent community who want to find new ways to connect and collaborate. Your kids, are our kids. Together, we can make learning (and growing up) at ASW a positive experience for all students. Thank you for your support and trust this year. 

The school year wind down is always a very busy time. If you need any support, please don’t hesitate to contact the ES Office. We are here for you.

Warmly,
Jen

Important Dates:
Tuesday, May 17: Grades 2-5 Choir Concert (6:00 PM)
Wednesday, May 18th: Grade 4 parent screening of puberty video (1:30-2:30) in Mr. Miller’s room E113
Saturday, May 21: PTO Spring Fair
Tuesday, May 24: Parent Tech Connection (8:45 - 9:45 AM)
Thursday, May 26: Holiday- NO School
Friday, May 27: Spring Season of after-school activities ends
Saturday, May 28: High School Graduation (Evening)
Wednesday, June 1: Kindergarten performance (9:00 AM) Tower
Thursday, June 2: PreK performance (9:00 AM)  Tower
Friday, June 3: Elementary Field Day
June 4; 6-9pm: Daddy/Daughter Dance
Wednesday, June 8: Grade 5 Concert (1:30 PM)
Wednesday, June 15: Last Day of School- Dismissal at 11:30

Elementary Parent Partnership:

Highlights from PYP Parent Meeting Looking Back, Looking Forward to 2016-17

Parent Partnership: Communication/Collaboration/Community Building

• Parent Advisory Council- (PAC)- one homeroom parent from each grade will meet with Jen monthly to discuss issues and co-develop solutions. PAC members will communicate directly with parents via Grade-Level notes. 
• Parenting/ Social-Emotional and Behavioral Workshops- monthly with the Elementary Counselors
• Tech Connection Meetings- monthly with the Tech Coaches
• Curriculum Workshops- monthly with PYP Coordinator and Literacy/ Math Coaches

Schedule 2016-17:

• Recess before lunch to ensure students eat and don’t rush off to play
• Blocked scheduling of Specials to ensure PYP unit planning time for teachers
• ASW Foreign French and Polish Mother-Tongue programs offered Grades 1-5, 3-times per week
• Mother Tongue Tutor Programs continue during the school day next year as we determine how best to move forward with the planning requirements for the PYP
• Proposed move of PE as a “floating” class to allow extended time for changing clothes and blow-drying hair

New/Transitioning Teachers 2016-17

​Kindergarten:
Bree Kraft- currently in Grade 1
Grade 3:
Katherine Dunevant - American, Shanghai United International School
EAL:
Kelli Griffin- American, American Cooperative School Tunis
Dagmara MacKenty- currently in Grade 3
Magda Kluczek- currently in Grade 1
Grade 1:
Lindsey Arscott-Canadian, Canadian International School Singapore
Grade 4:
Charlotte Chestnut- Canadian, Canadian International School Beijing
Heidi Laffay*- currently in Grade 2 and Ann-Marie Cetlinska* returning Grade 3 and 4 teacher (Co-teaching a Grade 4 class)
Resource:
Lindsay Brewster- American, Canadian International School Hong Kong
Jessica Newnan- American, American Community School Abu Dhabi
Erin Keane- (Speech and Language Pathologist) - American, Taipei American School
Jamie Hamlin- (ES Counselor) currently in Grade 2
Grade 2:
Michael Nonato- Canadian, International School of Tanganyika
Nina Merritt- American, Colegio Nueva Granada International School
Grade 5:
Jeff Miller- currently in Grade 4
David Jordan- American, Poughkeepsie Day School
Art:
Jenn Jordan- American, Poughkeepsie Day School
Curriculum Team:
Part-time Literacy Coach: Heidi Laffay*
Part-time Math Coach: Ann-Marie Cetlinska*
PYP Coordinator: Miranda Rose- Canadian, currently consulting for the International Baccalaureate (IB)


Map Testing- Grades 3, 4, 5 (This week)

The reading and mathematics MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing for all students in Grades 3, 4, 5 will provide us with added information on where your child is in their understanding and skill development for reading and mathematics. It is a snapshot of student ability on one day at a particular time. The data is triangulated with other assessments teachers collect about student learning; then used to help us confirm or question the growth we are seeing in our own work with each child. We use the results to help us determine next steps for groups of students and for individual learners. Results will be sent home after the whole-school window closes later this month. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Carol Jordan, Director of Teaching and Learning, at cjordan@aswarsaw.org


2016-2017 Elementary Class Placement Process:

Class Placement is a multi-step process designed to ensure the development of balanced classes created to meet the needs of all students. Class Lists will initially be compiled without the assignment of specific classroom teacher names.  Classroom teachers will not be able to place students in specific classrooms. The teachers are able to assist with issues related to separating students into different classes based on past student experiences.

The process is designed to allow professional input of Resource Support, ELL, Classroom, Language, and Specials teachers and Teaching Assistants with a close eye on developing classes balanced in terms of gender, special student learning needs, English language development, nationality, learner traits, and relationships. Requests to place students in the classroom of a specific teacher will not be honored.

Consideration will be given to requests from parents to not have their child placed in a specific classroom due to past personal experience. Personal experience would mean that another sibling in the same family was previously in the teacher’s classroom and the experience was not a positive one. If your family is in this situation, please write a personal email to Mrs. Munnerlyn (jmunnerlyn@aswarsaw.org) by Friday, May 27, 2016, noting the name of the teacher and the name of the child that was in the teacher’s classroom in the past. Please be assured that any communication will be handled in a confidential manner.    
    
Parent Technology Connection - Sliding into Summer with Technology

Tuesday, May 24 from 8:45 - 9:45
Please join Simon May and Kris Sheehan in the Learning Center as we explore and discuss strategies for working with your child to manage their summer technology time. In this session we will provide you with a sample family contract you can use as a guide to balance screen time as well as share some tips to help you better understand your child’s online activities. We will also show some fun apps you can use to capture your summer memories. We hope you will join us for our last PTC of the 2015-2016 school year!


Field Day

Our annual Field Day  for Pre-K through Grade 5 students will be held on Friday, June 3rd (weather permitting). To help make our fun day run smoothly, we ask that students either bring a bag lunch from home, or purchase the special bag lunch option from the cafeteria. Information about the cafeteria bag lunch will be coming home with your child this week. Please return this form to your child’s teacher by May 27th.
We appreciate your help as other food options will not be available for students on Field Day.


AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

ATTENTION - ADVANCED AERIAL ACROBATICS CLASS CANCELLED THIS MONDAY! Due to HS exams in AA002, Aerial Acrobatics class had to be cancelled on Monday, May 16. We were not able to move it to a different location since this activity requires special equipment installed in that room.

We have 2 weeks of after-school activities left for this school year. Spring Season ends on Friday, May 27. After that time we will have a few make-ups and yearlong activities -  specified ending schedule of those will be published later.

PLEASE send an extra snack for your child on the days when he/she has an activity - students really DO NOT have time to go to the cafeteria! Also, please pick your child PROMPTLY at the end of the activity at 4:30!
If you have questions about Elementary After-School Activities please e-mail the coordinator Ms. Kusanovic:tkusanovic@aswarsaw.org

Community News:
PTO Spring Fair
What a Cake Walk… at the PTO Spring Fair!
Calling all bakers! The middle school student council will be running the cake walk event this Saturday, May 21 from 12:00-16:00 at the PTO Spring Fair and needs your help in baking/ making delicious cakes and other delectable treats. Please bring your baked goods to the area just in front of the new building. Thank you in advance for supporting the middle school student council!

PTO Elementary Spring Chess Tournament- sponsored by Sebastian Soltysik (HS Student)
Day: Saturday May 21st
Location: Multipurpose Room (New Building)
Time: 12- 2 pm
Participants: 8 Elementary school children
Format: Elimination (With seedings from 1-8)
Games per person: 4 
Length of Game: Max. 2 hours
Please contact Sebastian directly if you are interested in playing chess! (17soltysik_s@aswarsaw.org)

ASW is hosting a spring Daddy/Daughter Dance!
This is a special evening just for dads and their daughters to enjoy (dads may bring more than one daughter).  There will be a DJ playing all your favorite songs. Light snacks and refreshments will also be served. Students from all grade levels are welcome and there is no cost to attend.
When: Saturday, June 4; 6-9pm
Where: ASW MPR in the new building
Please RSVP to Katie Stein at kstein@aswarsaw.org

ASW Board of Trustees meeting date changed

Please note that the date of the next Board of Trustees meeting was changed from May 16 to May 23, 2016 at 6pm in Room AA001 (Multipurpose Room).