WELCOME TO THE ES EXPRESS!
Weekly ES News
- April 14, 2021
- March 31, 2021
- March 24, 2021
- March 17, 2021
- March 10, 2021
- March 3, 2021
- February 24, 2021
April 14, 2021
ES Express
Dear ES Families,
We hope that all had an enjoyable Spring Break, spending time together with family.
The students were eager to be back at school and engaged in learning. They were especially excited to be able to enjoy the warmer Spring weather with less cold and layers of clothing.
💖 Thank You
We would like to thank the PTO and their volunteers who helped to make our revised version of the PTO Used Book Fair such a great success.
Students were very excited to be taking home “new to them” books to read. We very much appreciate all the time that was given to organize the books by age level, set them up and then store away those that did not find a new home this year.
🌎 Earth Day Celebration and Student Dress-Up
Thursday, April 22
Next Thursday is Earth Day!
In celebration of our Earth, the ES Student Council encourages our families over the next week to engage in activities that support our planet - planting flowers, picking up trash in nature areas, creating earth-related arts and crafts or taking time to read or watch about how we can all help our planet.
Next Thursday, in honor of Earth Day, students are encouraged to wear some “Earth Clothing” - items that are colored blue, green or brown OR an outfit or accessory that celebrates our planet. Students may wear “Earth Clothing” or their regular uniform. In the coming week, the ES Student Council will be sharing more ideas for how students can commemorate the day, both at school and at home.
🌱 Spring Break
We hope that all families enjoyed their Spring Break and were able to have quality time together.
As a reminder, students will continue to use our Daily Health Pass. Any individual who choses to travel internationally will need to remain off campus for 14 days and may return, if they are symptom free, after the 14 days are completed.
Please contact our Health Office if you have any health related questions.
Enjoy the warmer weather.
The ES Leadership Team
ES Counselors
🧒 ES Placement Survey Closed
Thank you for completing the placement survey that ran from February 10 - April 12, 2021.
We value and appreciate your timely input in the placement process. The survey is now closed and the fall placement process is underway.
🔀 Transition
At this time of year many parents ask for teacher reference letters to be sent to new schools. We understand that this can be a challenging time for families and that placement in the next school is of utmost importance to families on the move.
If your family is approaching a possible transition please keep the following in mind:
- Children can often sense the additional stress in the family that the idea of a move can bring so being as open and honest with your children as possible can help them move through this time more successfully.
- Please let your child’s counselor and teacher know of any potential move as soon as possible, and how your child is coping with the news, so we can be of support.
- Please contact your student’s counselor first for: reference letters, online teacher evaluation, requests for report cards, MAP reports and new school assessments.
- Please note that all teacher/counselor or principal references are confidential. Our procedure is that the confidential teacher reference forms or letters are sent directly to the new school by the school counselors or counseling department.
- The counseling department coordinates all documentation requested by parents to be sent to the application school(s). References and records usually take 1-2 weeks to complete.
Transition letter from Counselors
Transition Information for Parents
Tech Back Up Letter for Leaving Students
We best support our students moving on successfully when the potential new school receives all the information they need to allow them to meet a child’s needs. We want to help students end their time as AAS as positively as possible to prepare them to start well in their next school.
🤲 Tools for Praise and Appreciation
Describe what you see
“I see green lines that are zooming up and down on the page. And look how they connect with all the red shapes.” instead of “Pretty picture.”
Describe the effect on others
“The baby loves is when you make those funny sounds. I see a big smile on her face."
Describe effort
“You kept working on that button until you got it into that little buttonhole.”
Describe progress
“You sounded out each of the letters and put them together. You read a whole sentence!" instead of “Nice job reading.”
Consider asking questions or starting a conversation instead of simple praise. Give a child a new picture of themselves. Resist the urge to praise by comparison to other’s work.
Resources: How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2 - 7 by Joanna Faber and Julie King, Scribner Press, 2017. Easily purchased on Kindle.
Please contact your child’s counselor if you have any questions, issues or concerns we can support with. Please also reach out to Ms. Hinton if you have any questions or concerns about your Grade 3-5 child’s transition to modified full on campus learning this week. We are available to support your child and family.
March 31, 2021
ES Express
Dear ES Families,
We hope you have been able to enjoy some of our more Spring-like weather.
🚦 ES Conferences
We hope that families enjoyed the process of setting aside 45 dedicated minutes with their child in order for them to provide evidence and perspective on their growth as a learner so far this year.
In addition, we hope the conference with your child’s teacher allowed you the opportunity to collaborate with your child and their teacher, reflecting on goal progress and setting targets for the remainder of the. If you have any feedback on this year’s process, please pass this on to your child’s teacher or to the ES Office.
❓ ES Placement Survey
Monday, April 12
Please note that the ES Placement Survey has now been open for 7 weeks and will be closing right after the April Break.
This is your final opportunity to share your valuable thoughts about your child as a learner, if you wish them to be considered as a part of our placement process. Please see the ES Counselor section of the newsletter for more information.
Classroom Placement Parent Survey
Survey closes Monday, April 12th
🥸 Student Council Book Character Day
Today, all educators and students in our ES Community were encouraged to dress up as their favorite Book Character.
In response to student and educator suggestions in a survey, the Student Council was able to recommend a bunch of reading-related activities that students could do in their classrooms and also a few that all of the ES is doing (Picture to Padlet, Vote for Your Favorite Book Character, PTO Book Fair). Below are the Student Council Slideshow that was used to give more ideas, and a video created by Zahra and Ava that helped to launch the day.
See the Slideshow Watch the Video
📚 PTO Used Book Fair
April 1 - April 2
The PTO is very excited to announce that the Annual Used Book Fair will be held on tomorrow April 1st and Friday April 2nd.
Each Elementary class will be taken by their class teacher to visit the fair and will be able to choose up to 5 “new to you” books.
The PTO is asking for a minimum donation of 200 Rub for up to 5 books. The money raised will go towards upcoming PTO events. ES families should have received an envelope in their children’s bag with a brief note explaining the event. The envelope can be used to return your voluntary donations.
There are some fantastic books to choose from. Happy reading!
🌱 Spring Break
We hope that all families enjoy their Spring Break and are able to have quality time together.
As a reminder, when students return after the break we will continue to use our Daily Health Pass. Any individual who chose to travel internationally will need to remain off campus for 14 days and may return, if they are symptom free, after the 14 days are completed. Please contact our Health Office if you have any health related questions.
Have a great break!
The ES Leadership Team
ES Counselors
🧒 ES Placement for Fall 2021
February 10 - April 12
- Creating class lists is a complex process that requires great thought and time involving many perspectives. As professional educators, we invest a great deal of effort in the development of homeroom class rosters to create the best learning situations for all our students and classes.
- A request for a specific teacher will not be considered. However, a request to be thoughtful about a child's learning style will be considered as part of our process. Please fill in the form below to tell us about factors unique to your child’s needs. Please do not request friends by name. We make every effort to place each student with a friend but cannot guarantee your child will be placed with specific friends.
- All information from this survey is confidential and will only be seen by counselors and administration. Thank you for your partnership!
🤲 Tools for Engaging Cooperation
Be Playful
- Make it a game: “Can we get all the cars into the box before the timer beeps? Ready … set … go!”
- Make inanimate objects talk: “I’m an empty sock. I need a foot in me!”
- Use silly voices and accents: “ I …. am … your …..robot….Must …..buckle seat ...belt …. now..."
Offer a choice
“Do you want to hop to the tub like a bunny or crawl like a crab?”
Put the child in charge
“Johnny, set the timer for 5 minutes and let us know when it is time to leave."
Give information
“Tissues go in the trash”
Say it with one word
“Trash”
Describe what you see
“I see most of the blocks put away in the toy box. There are only a few more blocks left to go.”
Describe how you feel
“I don’t like food thrown on the floor.”
Take action without insult
“I’m putting the paint away for now. I can’t let you splatter other kids."
In all of these options, the adult keeps control and avoids shaming or name calling.
Resources: How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2 - 7 by Joanna Faber and Julie King, Scribner Press, 2017. Easily purchased on Kindle.
Please contact your child’s counselor if you have any questions, issues or concerns we can support with. Please also reach out to Ms. Hinton if you have any questions or concerns about your Grade 3-5 child’s transition to modified full on campus learning this week. We are available to support your child and family.
March 24, 2021
ES Express
It was wonderful to have all students on campus learning this week.
🧑🏫 Conferences
The students have worked very diligently, with the guidance of educators, to prepare for this Friday's conferences.
Please ensure that you set aside a protected 45 minute block of time for you and your child.
Your child(ren) will share the work they have selected from his/her learning journey. Your child(ren) have compiled evidence to demonstrate their growth. Each child will share with their parents the skills and knowledge they have developed throughout the year. Evidence selected by students might include pieces that have been previously shared as this conference is to show learning growth over time, which these pieces help to demonstrate.
For families that have not yet signed up for their 15 minute Student, Parent and Teacher Conference, select your child’s grade level below and then their teacher.
Times available are a light blue rectangle. Select a time, fill in the required details, and submit. You will need to complete a separate booking for each child if you have more than one in the ES.
Please sign up by the end of the day tomorrow.
Prekindergarten, Kindergarten, and Grade One
If you would like to meet with a Single Subject Teacher or other educator your child works with, please contact them directly to arrange a time.
We look forward to seeing you on Friday.
The ES Leadership Team
ES Counselors
💻 Conference Day
Friday, March 26
Please contact your child’s counselor if you would like to meet over Webex on Conference Day.
🧒 ES Placement for Fall 2021
February 10 - April 12
- Creating class lists is a complex process that requires great thought and time involving many perspectives. As professional educators, we invest a great deal of effort in the development of homeroom class rosters to create the best learning situations for all our students and classes.
- A request for a specific teacher will not be considered. However, a request to be thoughtful about a child's learning style will be considered as part of our process. Please fill in the form below to tell us about factors unique to your child’s needs. Please do not request friends by name. We make every effort to place each student with a friend but cannot guarantee your child will be placed with specific friends.
- All information from this survey is confidential and will only be seen by counselors and administration. Thank you for your partnership!
❣️ Tools for Handling Emotions
Acknowledge Feelings with Words
“You were looking forward to that playdate. How disappointing!”
“It can be so frustrating when the train tracks fall apart.”
Acknowledge Feelings with Writing
“Oh no! We don’t have the ingredients we need. Let’s make a shopping list.”
“You really want that underwater Lego set. Let’s write that down on your wish list.”
Acknowledge Feelings with Art
“You seem so sad.”
(Draw a stick figure with big tears or simply let them draw how they feel).
Give in Fantasy What You Can’t Give in Reality
“I wish we had a million, billion more hours to play.”
Acknowledge Feelings with Short Sounds
“Ugh!” “Mmmm.” “Ooh.” “Huh.”
After you have acknowledged the feelings, you can move on to the problem. Summarize the issue with “The problem is …” Then you can work out possible solutions with your child.
All feelings must be accepted. Some actions must be limited!
Resources: How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2 - 7 by Joanna Faber and Julie King, Scribner Press, 2017. Easily purchased on Kindle.
Please contact your child’s counselor if you have any questions, issues or concerns we can support with. Please also reach out to Ms. Hinton if you have any questions or concerns about your Grade 3-5 child’s transition to modified full on campus learning this week. We are available to support your child and family.
March 17, 2021
ES Express
🏫 Modified Full On Campus
March 22
On Monday, March 22 we will welcome all students in the ES back to campus as we transition to a Modified Full On Campus Learning Pathway, with safety mitigations still in place.
A letter was sent to all Grade 3, 4 and 5 families to support them in this transition. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s classroom teacher or the ES Office. Please carefully review the points below which are important to consider in order to allow this transition to a Modified Full On Campus Learning Pathway.
- Remember to fill in and sign your child’s Daily Pass each day before their arrival on campus.
- If you would like to pre-order cafeteria lunches, please do so by Thursday for the following week.
Pre-Order Here - Please refer to our calendar!
Calendar - With more students to be dismissed, please follow the reminder times below for pick up:
- 15:30 PK - G5 Students Who Walk
Playground Entrance and should leave immediately once with a parent/guardian - 15:40 PK - G5 Car Pick Up
Playground Entrance (please be sure to pull your vehicle all the way through to maximize access).
We continue to strive to keep our students and school community as safe as possible. When making family plans, please be mindful of the fluid circumstances during this pandemic that may result in last minute notifications of a transition in Learning Pathway for a class, grade level or division. AAS will continue to follow our AAS COVID Response Flowchart. Classroom teachers will continue to send out schedules and instructions if a class is asked to learn from home.
📙 Learning Pathway Engagement
As the COVID pandemic’s impact on schools evolves, we continue to adjust how we can best utilize our resources to ensure we optimize learning engagements for students in line with our school’s Vision and Mission. As a reminder, we will be prioritizing our allocation of resources to solely support the determined current Learning Pathway.
We will not be providing a parallel Distance Learning Pathway during Modified Full On Campus learning. It is not possible to replicate our experiential social learning experiences that students are engaged in when on campus. If a student is at home, that student will have access to learning through a one-way video/audio WebEx stream into the classroom (for relevant instructional lessons). However, students will not be able to engage directly with the teachers and students digitally. Teachers will no longer be sending out detailed daily/weekly schedules. These at home students will continue to have access to materials posted to the whole class through Google Classroom and Seesaw. World Language will continue to be offered through synchronous learning and is available to all students. Single Subjects have offered virtual classrooms that provide learning opportunities. These are aligned to our standards and expectations but are not assessed. Reading and writing for a purpose are also encouraged.
We will continue to use expectations for absences according to our ES Parent Handbook when all students are on campus.
🧑🏫 Conferences
All families of students that are receiving SEN services must sign up for a conference time by the end of today (this time will include both the SEN and Classroom Teacher). All other families will begin signing up for a conference with their child’s teacher on Friday, March 19 until Thursday, March 25. A letter will be sent home with all instructions.
❓ How Do My Child And I Meet With My Child’s Other Teachers?
Please send the following people emails to directly schedule Webex meetings, if you would like to meet with them. For those that have asked for a Webex meeting with the following educators, please ensure that your child attends. These meetings also follow the model of a Student, Parent and Teacher Conference, with the child being the center of the conversation.
Dr. Joseph Graybill, School Psychologist
joseph.graybill@aas.ru
Sharon Ronan (Grades K-2), ES Counselor
sharon.ronan@aas.ru
Donna Hinton (Grades 3-5), ES Counselor
donna.hinton@aas.ru
Beth Burnett, SEN Learning Director
beth.burnett@aas.ru
Helen Arnold, Art
helen.arnold@aas.ru
Adam Wolf, Music
adam.wolf@aas.ru
Leopoldo (Pol) Sembrano, Music
leopoldo.sembrano@aas.ru
Lyudmila Rhyzhova, Strings
lyudmila.rhyzhova@aas.ru
Galima Barsova, Strings
galima.barsova@aas.ru
Maria Lazareva, Strings
maria.lazareva@aas.ru
Nathan Weaver, PE
nathan.weaver@aas.ru
Jenny Collins, PE
jenny.collins@aas.ru
Todd Wohlberg, PE
todd.wohlberg@aas.ru
Malu Olson, Spanish
malu.olson@aas.ru
Carlota Talens, Spanish
carlota.talens@aas.ru
Grace Abou-Jaoude, French
grace.aboujaudi@aas.ru
Francoise Scelle-Hebert, French
francoise.scelle-hebert@aas.ru
Liliana Albu, French/Russian
liliana.albu@aas.ru
Andrei Bochkarev, Russian
andrei.bochkarev@aas.ru
Ekaterina (Katya) Grom, Russian
ekaterina.grom@aas.ru
Anna Andreyeva, Russian
anna.andreyeva@aas.ru
✈️ Traveling Over Spring Break
Any international travel over April Break will continue to require students to be excluded from campus for 14 days from the day after their arrival back in Moscow before returning to campus.
This mitigation is in place based on local Moscow and CDC recommendations in relation to international travel. At AAS, this applies to anyone accessing campus regardless of nationality or circumstance. No exceptions will be made. Therefore, we encourage parents to consider this requirement as plans are made for Spring Break travel.
Enjoy the rest of your week and we look forward to having all students back on campus on Monday.
The ES Leadership Team
ES Counselors
💻 Conference Day
Friday, March 26
Please contact your child’s counselor if you would like to meet over Webex on Conference Day.
🧒 ES Placement for Fall 2021
February 10 - April 12
- Creating class lists is a complex process that requires great thought and time involving many perspectives. As professional educators, we invest a great deal of effort in the development of homeroom class rosters to create the best learning situations for all our students and classes.
- A request for a specific teacher will not be considered. However, a request to be thoughtful about a child's learning style will be considered as part of our process. Please fill in the form below to tell us about factors unique to your child’s needs. Please do not request friends by name. We make every effort to place each student with a friend but cannot guarantee your child will be placed with specific friends.
- All information from this survey is confidential and will only be seen by counselors and administration. Thank you for your partnership!
🥪 Anger: A Secondary Emotion
Ms. Ronan recently did a guidance lesson with the PK - 2 students about anger.
Anger is a secondary emotion. Anger is like a smoke alarm letting you know something is wrong. It can’t tell you the cause of the anger.
As soon as you can calm your body down by slow deep breathing, moving away from the situation or other calming techniques, look for what was under the outside anger layer. We talked about safe ways to express anger and unsafe ways to demonstrate anger.
Common roots of anger are being tired or hungry. Sometimes we have expectations that were not met or are worried about another topic. Some students show anger when they are frustrated at not getting the outcome they wanted on an assignment. At times, anger can bubble up from feeling that something is unfair.
Anger is only a feeling that lets us know “something is not going well”. Looking under the feeling is the best way to dissolve the anger.
We compared anger to the tip of the iceberg and to the bread on the outside of the sandwich.
Resources
The Very Well Family
7 Ways to Help a Child Cope with Anger
Please contact your child’s counselor if you have any questions or concerns or if we can support your child in any way. We are available to support your child and family.
March 10, 2021
ES Express
🥞 Maslenitsa
March 11 and 12
This week, we will be celebrating Maslenitsa. Thank you to our Community Relations for making this a special time in the ES.
- Students will be learning about this celebration.
- Teachers and students will be sharing their wishes online to be added to the effigy.
- Each student will be given a Petushki and enjoy a Blinis with their lunch
On Friday, March 12 at 15:10, we will burn the effigy in the courtyard. All will be able to view the burning, from home or school, via the live feed.
At dismissal, traditional Russian dancers and musicians will be out front to provide music and dancing as students depart.
🧑🏫 Elementary School Conferences
Friday, March 26
On Friday, March 26, students in the Elementary School will have conferences.
This year there will be two parts to the conference.
The first part is a 45 minute Student Led Conference that each child will have with their families independently at home.
The second part is a Student, Parent and Teacher Conference that will take place through Webex.
Students should not come to campus
Part I - Student Led Conference @ Home (45 Minutes)
For the independent portion of conferences, families will need to set aside a dedicated time of about 45 minutes for their child to have their Student Led Conference. This is an important process for students to share their successes and growth with others/their parents, develop self-confidence, reflect on their practices, and to gain a better understanding of their learning.
What is a Student-Led Conference?
The student is in charge of the conference and shares work selected from his/her learning journey. Evidence of student work has been compiled to demonstrate each student’s growth. The students will share the skills and knowledge they have developed throughout the year. Conferences will last for up to 45 minutes. Evidence selected by students might include pieces that have been previously shared as this conference is to show learning growth over time, which these pieces help to demonstrate.
- Students are given the opportunity to take responsibility for their work, goals and their success throughout the year in developing their portfolio, which they share at the conference.
- Students take ownership over the conference; this active involvement promotes student responsibility and accountability.
- Students are able to reflect upon their learning when leading conferences.
- Conferences allow students to share their perspectives on their own learning and development with their parents.
- Conferences allow students to showcase their knowledge, skills, and understanding.
- Parents gain a better understanding of their child’s learning journey and experiences.
- To collect, select, organize and reflect on the items for their portfolio/conference and to share learning experiences.
- To bring all materials required for the conference home with them (and back to school as necessary).
- To lead the conference.
- To ensure students (and parents) are prepared for the conference.
- To remind students of what materials need to be taken home.
- To set aside a dedicated 45 minutes to have the conference with their child.
- To provide a quiet area in their home for the conference to take place.
- To ask supportive and inquiring questions. Examples of questions will be provided for the conference for you to use.
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Part II - Student, Parent and Teacher Conference (15 Minutes on Webex)
For the Parent, Student and Teacher Conferences, families will need to book a 15 minute scheduled Webex discussion with the classroom teacher. Parents may also contact their child’s Single Subject Teachers directly to arrange a separate conference time through Webex.
What is a Student, Parent and Teacher Conference?
The Student, Parent and Teacher each take an active role in discussing the holistic growth of the student over time. Parents and the teacher are present as the student looks specifically at progress towards achieving the goals previously established. As needed, goals are refreshed or newly created in order to plan the next learning steps as we move towards the end of the school year. The student is the center of this conference, so his or her attendance is mandatory.
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This conference is a time for students, parents and teachers to have a focused conversation.
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This conference is a reporting mechanism, with both students and parents understanding the current level of achievement based on grade-level standards and expectations.
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Provides an opportunity for reflection on achievement, growth, goals and next steps.
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Students share achievement/growth around goals as the basis for the conversation.
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Student plans next steps/revised goals.
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The student is the center of this conference so his or her attendance is mandatory.
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Prepares the students beforehand.
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Supports and facilitates the discussion.
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Provides both the parents and the student with a realistic picture of achievement, in terms of grade-level expectations and standards.
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Teachers provide opportunities to celebrate growth.
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To sign up for a 15 minute time slot through SimplyBook.me.
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To ask supportive and inquiry questions.
- To ensure they and their child are present.
- To support next steps shared during the conference
How Do I Sign Up Online?
- SEN families will register between Monday March 15 and Wednesday March 17
- All other families will register between Friday, March 19 and Thursday, March 25 at 14.00
- Conference times can be scheduled from 08:00 to 16:00 and are 15 minutes in length
How Do My Child And I Meet With My Child’s Other Teachers?
You will be able to email your child’s other teachers to set up a Webex meeting with you and your child. These meetings also follow the model of a Student, Parent and Teacher Conference, with the child being the center of the conversation.
SimplyBook.me sign ups will be sent in an email to all families
Have a great week and stay warm,
The ES Leadership Team
ES Counselors
🧒 ES Placement for Fall 2021
February 10 - April 12
- Creating class lists is a complex process that requires great thought and time involving many perspectives. As professional educators, we invest a great deal of effort in the development of homeroom class rosters to create the best learning situations for all our students and classes.
- A request for a specific teacher will not be considered. However, a request to be thoughtful about a child's learning style will be considered as part of our process. Please fill in the form below to tell us about factors unique to your child’s needs. Please do not request friends by name. We make every effort to place each student with a friend but cannot guarantee your child will be placed with specific friends.
- All information from this survey is confidential and will only be seen by counselors and administration. Thank you for your partnership!
💚 Wellness
Please see the AAS Wellness Page for resources to support your child and family.
😀 7 Kinds of Rest
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a physician, researcher and the author of the book "Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity." says we all need 7 different kinds of rest.
- Physical rest, both passive (sleeping/napping) or active (yoga, stretching, deep breathing, massage)
Helps improve the body’s circulation and flexibility. - Mental rest (short brain breaks)
Many teachers incorporate brain break activities into their students' day to ready them for more learning. - Sensory rest (from devices, electronics and screen time)
Your child should be off all devices at least an hour before bedtime. - Creative rest (Nature, the Arts, or a good book)
To reawaken the awe and wonder inside each of us. - Emotional rest (The courage to be authentic)
Talk about how you are really doing to someone who cares. - Social rest (in person or virtually)
Spending time with a good friend or taking a break from socializing - Spiritual rest
Doing things that give you a sense of purpose or meaning
Sleep alone can’t restore us to the point we feel rested. What type of rest might your kids need that they are not getting enough of? How can you help them incorporate that rest into their week? What type of rest do you need as parents or individuals?
Please contact your child’s counselor if you have any questions or concerns or if we can support your child in any way. We are available to support your child and family.
March 3, 2021
ES Express
Dear ES Families,
Here is some information to support our learning partnership in the ES.
📖 Professional Development
Friday, March 5
At AAS, we pride ourselves in providing Professional Growth opportunities for our Educators.
Not only do the opportunities that we offer Educators to continue to grow professionally enhance the learning experiences for your children, they also help us to recruit high quality teachers. As you know, this Friday we will have a Professional Development Day. As you spend a long-weekend with your children, their teachers will be in school working together to strengthen our school programs, and themselves as educators. Our major focus this Friday will be to work on our PYP Units of Inquiry, learning from each other’s expertise, and preparing for our NEASC accreditation.
🌹 Women’s Day
Happy International Women’s Day!
To all of our moms, grandmas, aunts, sisters and daughters - we hope that you enjoy a wonderful day off of school with your families and we look forward to seeing the children back in school next Tuesday.
📚 Conferences
March 26
Please save the date of March 26 for our next conference day.
Traditionally, this day would be a Student Led Conference. With our community members supporting our safety mitigations during the COVID pandemic, students sharing their learning journey evidence and next steps will take place at home. Children will prepare for their Student Led Portion, to be completed at home, and we will also have time for a Three Way Conference with students, parents and educators meeting via Webex for 15 minutes. A total of about 60 minutes should be set aside for the entire process.
A sign up for the Three Way Conference Portion of the conference and details about the day will be sent home closer to the date.
Enjoy your Thursday and your long weekend.
ES Counselors
🧒 ES Placement for Fall 2021
February 10 - April 12
- Creating class lists is a complex process that requires great thought and time involving many perspectives. As professional educators, we invest a great deal of effort in the development of homeroom class rosters to create the best learning situations for all our students and classes.
- A request for a specific teacher will not be considered. However, a request to be thoughtful about a child's learning style will be considered as part of our process. Please fill in the form below to tell us about factors unique to your child’s needs. Please do not request friends by name. We make every effort to place each student with a friend but cannot guarantee your child will be placed with specific friends.
- All information from this survey is confidential and will only be seen by counselors and administration. Thank you for your partnership!
💚 Wellness
Please see the AAS Wellness Page for resources to support your child and family.
😀 Action For Happiness
We celebrate mindfulness this month. Mindfulness is something the ES counselors have talked with many classes about in recent months. Mindful moments can help students refocus and center themselves so they are able to be at their best. A mindful moment can also help students before beginning an assessment or presentation.
Action for Happiness writes: “Let's take the time to pause, breathe and really take in what's all around us. This month we're encouraging you to take some time to look within. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our well-being in all areas of life - like the way we eat, the things we notice or our relationships. It helps us get in tune with our feelings and stops us dwelling on the past or worrying about the future - so we get more out of the day-to-day. It can also help us identify what we're grateful for, which has been proven to help boost your happiness levels!”
Download the Action for Happiness Mindful March Calendar and try some of their suggestions with your family. 🙂
DOWNLOAD MINDFUL MARCH CALENDAR
February 24, 2021
ES Express
Dear ES Families,
We trust that your break was an enjoyable one. Thank you for continuing to fill in your child(ren)’s Daily Pass each day before sending your child(ren) to school. We appreciate our community partnership, ensuring all COVID protocols are adhered to in order to help keep us all safe.
🧒 Grade One and Two
Our pilot of having all Grade One and Two students on campus each day has gone well.
There were some logistics that needed to be addressed with the greater number of students on campus each day. It is great that we are able to have our younger learners in Prekindergarten to Grade Two learning on campus each day.
❄️ Winter Weather
Our procedures require that students remain indoors when the temperature is -18 Celsius or lower (yesterday, students remained indoors and had movement breaks). It is the expectation that children will come each day with proper outdoor attire, as unless it is really cold or raining constantly, students should be outside for fresh air and movement during recess as a part of our balanced program. It has been said that there is no bad weather, only ill-suited clothing. This is especially true when temperatures and weather conditions fluctuate a good deal from day to day.
Thank you for providing attire suited to the varying weather conditions that we enjoy in Moscow.
🛍️ Grade Three Market Day
February 24 - February 26
This week, Grade Three will have their annual Market Day, which is a culminating learning experience from their Unit of Inquiry under the Transdisciplinary Theme of How We Organize Ourselves. The Central Idea of this unit is: Economic activity relies on a system of exchange and consumption of goods and services.
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Economic activity;
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The role of cost analysis and business plans in the marketplace;
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Our responsibility as producers and consumers.
This year, with pandemic restrictions, the students have set up “Virtual Stores”. Grade Three Students and Families will be able to purchase items online, send in their order/payment and then have it delivered through Grade Three Students. If you know a Student in Grade Three, please talk to them about how you might make a purchase of their good or service.
Virtual Stores open this afternoon and will remain open until Friday morning.
ES Counselors
🧒 ES Placement for Fall 2021
February 10 - April 12
- Creating class lists is a complex process that requires great thought and time involving many perspectives. As professional educators, we invest a great deal of effort in the development of homeroom class rosters to create the best learning situations for all our students and classes.
- A request for a specific teacher will not be considered. However, a request to be thoughtful about a child's learning style will be considered as part of our process. Please fill in the form below to tell us about factors unique to your child’s needs. Please do not request friends by name. We make every effort to place each student with a friend but cannot guarantee your child will be placed with specific friends.
- All information from this survey is confidential and will only be seen by counselors and administration. Thank you for your partnership!
💚 Wellness
Please see the AAS Wellness Page for resources to support your child and family.
😀 Action For Happiness
We celebrate mindfulness this month. Mindfulness is something the ES counselors have talked with many classes about in recent months. Mindful moments can help students refocus and center themselves so they are able to be at their best. A mindful moment can also help students before beginning an assessment or presentation.
Action for Happiness writes: “Let's take the time to pause, breathe and really take in what's all around us. This month we're encouraging you to take some time to look within. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our well-being in all areas of life - like the way we eat, the things we notice or our relationships. It helps us get in tune with our feelings and stops us dwelling on the past or worrying about the future - so we get more out of the day-to-day. It can also help us identify what we're grateful for, which has been proven to help boost your happiness levels!”
Download the Action for Happiness Mindful March Calendar and try some of their suggestions with your family. 🙂
DOWNLOAD MINDFUL MARCH CALENDAR