Archive - High School

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

As we come to the end of the year, we would like to wish everyone a wonderful summer break. We hope that you and your family are able to transition to your next school as smoothly as possible and we wish you well on this next chapter. 

Please continue to connect with one another and with the school, we remain an interconnected, global community. One way to remain in touch is through our alumni network.

Join Alumni Network Here

Should you have questions about school records or other areas next year, you can continue to contact us via email at hs.office@aas.ru or at admissions@aas.ru and a member of the staff will get back to you shortly.
 

🗓  Schedule for Last Day of School

 June 17, 2022 

On our last day of school, June 17, we will have a special schedule.

During our HS assembly we will be distributing the Outstanding Student Awards for grades 9–11, recognition the winners of the Russian Essay Contents as well as hearing from members of our community. Parents and family members are welcome to join us using the link below.

Join Here
 

10:00 - 10:40
High School End-of-Year Assembly

10:40 - 10:45
Break

10:45 - 11:15
Advisory

11:15 - 11:30
Break

11:30 - 12:00
AAS Closing Ceremony

12:00
Dismissal

 

📖  Yearbooks

The 2021 - 2022 yearbook is now available online, the password is Learning@AAS.

View the Yearbook Here

It is a fantastic celebration of our community and all the wonderful individuals within it.

Students that are in Moscow and who have requested a hard-copy leaving pack will have a printed yearbook included with the leaving pack. If you would like a yearbook but are not getting a leaving pack you can pick one up from one of the security booths.
 

📚  Library Materials

If you are in a position to do so, please consider how you might return library, or other school materials to AAS.

There may be items that can be dropped off at school before the academic year is complete. If you have any questions about materials that are checked out on your account or that of your child, please contact the library.
 

🗂  End-of-Year Records

At the end of the day on June 17 you will be able to access transcripts and end-of-year report cards in PowerSchool.

Official transcripts and leaving packs will be available for pick-up beginning during the week of June 20th.

To request official records and leaving packs, please let us know here.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

☝️  CAS completion

The IB’s Community, Activity, and Service program is a requirement for AAS graduation and for receipt of the IB Diploma.

We had an April 1 deadline for all CAS material to be completed. If you have not completed your CAS you need to contact Ms. Natasha right away. AAS will not graduate students who have not completed this important program satisfactorily. Mr. Sonderman contacted families and students before the break to remind everyone of this important requirement.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now as I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

🗂  Grade 11s – End-of-Year Records

Grade 11 students should make certain to maintain a record of all of their IB materials BEFORE the end of the year.

This should certainly include all IA material, EE work, TOK Exhibitions, IO recordings, and CAS work. Do not assume that AAS will be able to retrieve this material for you once the high school year ends. While we will transfer ManageBac CAS, TOK, and EE material to receiving schools, this can only happen if a receiving school requests the material. After July, there will be no one in the high school office, so again, to assure your materials are retained, please download any school work that you may need next year.
 

As you and your family transition to new schools and communities, we want to wish you all the best.

It has been a pleasure to work with you and your children and we know that once settled into your surroundings, you will find those important connections that will make your new "home" feel like "home".

Should you need further documents or records in the future, please reach out to AAS Admissions. They will be able to assist in gathering or preparing any documentation that you may need.

As a final note...

 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

📖  Yearbooks

The 2021 - 2022 yearbook is now available online, the password is Learning@AAS.

View the Yearbook Here

It is a fantastic celebration of our community and all the wonderful individuals within it.

Students that are in Moscow and who have requested a hard-copy leaving pack will have a printed yearbook included with the leaving pack. If you would like a yearbook but are not getting a leaving pack you can pick one up from one of the security booths.
 

🗓  Schedule for Last Day of School

 June 17 

On our last day of school, June 17th, we will have a special schedule.

During our HS assembly we will be distributing the Outstanding Student Awards for grades 9-11, recognition the winners of the Russian Essay Contents as well as hearing from members of our community. Parents and family members are welcome to join us using the link below.

Join Here

 

🎞  Graduation Photos

In addition to the recording of graduation, we also would like to share photos that capture many of the moments from the celebration.

We have two albums that are available, one of photos taken in Moscow and another of photos from Zagreb.

View Photos from Moscow

View Photos from Zagreb
 

📚  Library Materials

If you are in a position to do so, please consider how you might return library, or other school materials to AAS.

There may be items that can be dropped off at school before the academic year is complete. If you have any questions about materials that are checked out on your account or that of your child, please contact the library.
 

🗂  End-of-Year Records

At the end of the day on June 17 you will be able to access transcripts and end-of-year report cards in PowerSchool.

Official transcripts and leaving packs will be available for pick-up beginning during the week of June 20th.

To request official records and leaving packs, please let us know here.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

☝️  CAS completion

The IB’s Community, Activity, and Service program is a requirement for AAS graduation and for receipt of the IB Diploma.

We had an April 1 deadline for all CAS material to be completed. If you have not completed your CAS you need to contact Ms. Natasha right away. AAS will not graduate students who have not completed this important program satisfactorily. Mr. Sonderman contacted families and students before the break to remind everyone of this important requirement.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now as I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

🗂  Grade 11s – End-of-Year Records

Grade 11 students should make certain to maintain a record of all of their IB materials BEFORE the end of the year.

This should certainly include all IA material, EE work, TOK Exhibitions, IO recordings, and CAS work. Do not assume that AAS will be able to retrieve this material for you once the high school year ends. While we will transfer ManageBac CAS, TOK, and EE material to receiving schools, this can only happen if a receiving school requests the material. After July, there will be no one in the high school office, so again, to assure your materials are retained, please download any school work that you may need next year.
 

During these last few days of a very challenging school year, we encourage you to take some time to check-in with your child(ren) about the transitions they are experiencing. Whether your family is moving on or staying in Moscow, times of significant change can leave us all feeling unsettled. Taking a few minutes in the car or at the dinner table to acknowledge this fact can go a long way towards opening a conversation with your child. It can help you understand your child's feeling at this point in their transition, and give you a chance to remind them how important it is to reflect on all of their good memories of friends, of AAS, and of Moscow.

For additional ideas on supporting your family during this time of change, we invite you to watch the counseling team's recorded presentation on the topic of family transitions. If you prefer, you can look over the presentation's slideshow.

Watch the Presentation Here

See the Slideshow Here

We continue to be a resource to you and your family in any way we can.

Please enjoy this short video below... It's amazing what we can learn from new friends.

Watch the video Here
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

⭐️  Staying Engaged and Motivated

With just a few weeks remaining in the school year, there is still a great deal of learning ahead of us.

Please anticipate that your child will also have cumulative AoLs in many of their classes. We are working with faculty to spread the assessments over the remainder of the school year so that your child has a balanced number of assessments each day. Should your child have three or more in-class AoLs scheduled for a day, please ask them to reach out to their teachers to reschedule one. 
 

📚  Library Materials

If you are in a position to do so, please consider how you might return library, or other school materials to AAS.

There may be items that can be dropped off at school before the academic year is complete. If you have any questions about materials that are checked out on your account or that of your child, please contact the library.
 

🗂  End-of-Year Records

At the end of the day on June 17 you will be able to access transcripts and end-of-year report cards in PowerSchool.

Official transcripts and leaving packs will be available for pick-up beginning during the week of June 20th.

To request official records and leaving packs, please let us know here.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Grade 12 IB Exams

Congratulations to Sunoh and Anna B. on the completion of their May 2022 Exams!

Now we can all look forward to Results day on July 6.
 

☝️  CAS completion

The IB’s Community, Activity, and Service program is a requirement for AAS graduation and for receipt of the IB Diploma.

We had an April 1 deadline for all CAS material to be completed. If you have not completed your CAS you need to contact Ms. Natasha right away. AAS will not graduate students who have not completed this important program satisfactorily. Mr. Sonderman contacted families and students before the break to remind everyone of this important requirement.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now as I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

⭐️  Grade 11s- TOK Exhibition

On Monday and Tuesday, May 23-24, all Grade 11 TOK students took part in their TOK Exhibition.

The Exhibition is the culminating experience of the TOK class and represents the sole assessment in the course. Students met in a virtual environment to present their Knowledge Question-based commentaries to an audience of their peers, faculty, and administrators. It was a great experience. Congratulations to the Grade 11s.
 

Thank you to the parents that were able to attend the PK-12 Parent Transition Session last week.

It was wonderful to have you join us and engage in this conversation with us. If you were unable to attend, you are welcome to watch the recording and review the presentation linked respectively.

Watch the Recording Here

See the Presentation Here

We hope that you are able to use this information to support a smooth transition for you and your child(ren) as you move on from AAS.

We are here to help with your and your child's transition.
Please reach out with any questions.

And because we all need a bit of "Joy" please enjoy this short video below.

Watch the Video Here
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

🎓 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AAS CLASS OF 2022! 🎓

Thank you to all the families who have supported our graduates, and all of our students. This past weekend was a wonderful celebration of learning and the culmination of all of our joint efforts. 

Visit the AAS Moscow Graduation 2022 page, where you can see either a full replay of graduation, or a brief overview of the festivities.

Visit the page now

In addition to our own academic awards, we’d like to highlight two seniors who received awards of distinction from beyond AAS.

Hahn
National Merit Scholarship Finalist and winner of a $2500 scholarship to a US university.
He is one of 7,500 finalists from approximately 1.5 million US students who take the PSATs

Elke
US Presidential Scholar.
With only 161 students overall, and only 3 from international schools, this prestigious award celebrates students achievement based on academic success, essays, community service and leadership.
 

⭐️  Learning this Week

It has been fantastic to speak with grade 11 students as they participate in this year’s Theory of Knowledge Exhibition.

Their insight, questions and topics were fascinating and provided us with wonderful and wide-ranging conversations.
 

🗂  End-of-Year Records

At the end of the day on June 17 you will be able to access transcripts and end-of-year report cards in PowerSchool.

Official transcripts and leaving packs will be available beginning the following week. To request official records and leaving packs, please let us know here.

Request the records here
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Grade 12 IB Exams

Congratulations to Sunoh and Anna B. on the completion of their May 2022 Exams!

Now we can all look forward to Results day on July 6.
 

☝️  CAS completion

The IB’s Community, Activity, and Service program is a requirement for AAS graduation and for receipt of the IB Diploma.

We had an April 1 deadline for all CAS material to be completed. If you have not completed your CAS you need to contact Ms. Natasha right away. AAS will not graduate students who have not completed this important program satisfactorily. Mr. Sonderman contacted families and students before the break to remind everyone of this important requirement.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now a I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

⭐️  Grade 11s- TOK Exhibition

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, May 23-24, all Grade 11 TOK students took part in their TOK Exhibition.

The Exhibition is the culminating experience of the TOK class and represents the sole assessment in the course. Students met in a virtual environment to present their Knowledge Question-based commentaries to an audience of their peers, faculty, and administrators. It was a great experience. Congratulations to the Grade 11s.
 

With just a few weeks left of this school year, we are hoping that each of you is finding a path forward for next year and a bit more ease with your upcoming transitions.

We are here to help you as you take these steps moving forward and to this light we are offering a PK-12 Parent Transition Session, this Thursday, May 26, at 13:00 MSK.

Join here

This will be a time to discuss the transition process from a social-emotional perspective, appreciate the uniqueness of our upcoming transitions and share important steps that you can take as a parent and for yourself as you transition to a new school, location and/or home.

We would love to have you join us!

This session will be recorded and emailed to all AAS Families, in case you are unable to make it.
 

⭐️ Summer Opportunities

If you and your child happen to be looking for opportunities, online or in-person, for summer programs or interested in engaging in university visits, in-person or online, this summer the AAS University Counseling page is a good resource.

Visit AAS University Counseling Page

This page is updated daily with new resources as we hear about them. If you do not see what you are looking for and need a hand, please reach out to your child's counselor. We are happy to meet with you and talk through some possibilities and resources. For summer programs, click on "pre-university experiences" and for university visits, click on "open days".

 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

This weekend marks the culmination of the High School learning experience for our seniors. The faculty of the HS look forward to celebrating this significant achievement with their students, family and friends.

Please join us on Sunday, May 22, beginning at 16:00 Moscow time as we have our annual graduation.

Join Graduation Here
 

⭐️  Keeping your Child Connected

We use Kumospace as a platform for students to be able to connect with one another in flexible groupings as they move through a virtual room.

In addition to being available for teachers during class, we have three dedicated periods each week in which students can join. Mondays and Thursdays after school from 15:45 - 16:30 and during lunch on Wednesday from 12:20 - 13:10.
 

🗂  End-of-Year Records

At the end of the day on June 17 you will be able to access transcripts and end-of-year report cards in PowerSchool.

Official transcripts and leaving packs will be available beginning the following week. To request official records and leaving packs, please let us know here.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Grade 12 IB Exams

Congratulations to Sunoh and Anna B. on the completion of their May 2022 Exams!

Now we can all look forward to Results day on July 6.
 

☝️  CAS completion

The IB’s Community, Activity, and Service program is a requirement for AAS graduation and for receipt of the IB Diploma.

We had an April 1 deadline for all CAS material to be completed. If you have not completed your CAS you need to contact Ms. Natasha right away. AAS will not graduate students who have not completed this important program satisfactorily. Mr. Sonderman contacted families and students before the break to remind everyone of this important requirement.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now a I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

⭐️  Grade 11s- TOK Exhibition

 May 23, 24 

On Monday and Tuesday of next week, May 23-24, all Grade 11 TOK students will be taking part in their TOK Exhibition.

The Exhibition is the culminating experience of the TOK class and represents the sole assessment in the course. Students will meet in a virtual environment to present their Knowledge Question-based commentaries to an audience of their peers, faculty, and administrators. It should be a great experience.
 

A huge congratulations to the Class of 2022 as they celebrate their graduation this week.

They have completed four years of a very unusual High School experience, contending with COVID, geo-political issues, and lots of transitions between Distance, Hybrid, and In-person Learning. We are so proud of the seniors and everything they have accomplished. We wish them the best of luck in university and beyond!

As we enter the last push towards the end of this school year for all other grades, we would like to share some reminders to ensure a smooth transition for you and your child(ren).

If you need records to apply for new schools, please use this form to do so. Once received we will be sure to prepare the documents requested and send them to the appropriate schools.

If your child in is Grade 11 and considering requesting recommendations for university, this document outlines the process for doing this. Please note that in order to provide teachers with at least 30 days to complete letters, the deadline for this requests is THIS WEEK and Step 1 is for the student to meet with their counselor to discuss recommendation strategy.

AAS Counselors from all divisions recognize that students are transitioning under a variety of circumstances and timelines, in many cases leaving no time for the usual routines and traditions put in place to support these moves. As such, the counselors will be offering a transition session for parents to provide information, resources and strategies as you support your child and family through this next move. More information will be coming next week.

A tidbit for this week: We all know how different we feel when we get a good night's sleep. How prepared we feel for the day - a heightened level of tolerance and an air of flexibility and understanding. But do you know how sleep affects on our overall well being. Please enjoy this podcast on The Science of a Good Night's Sleep to learn more.

Listen to podcast here

We are here to support you and your child(ren) in any way we can.  Please reach out any time with concerns, questions or to share information.
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principalhttps://explore.kumospace.com/features
 

We would like to welcome everyone back from the May holiday. We hope you were able to have a restful, relaxing and rejuvenating break. We look forward to continuing forward positively as we move towards the end of the year. 

The next five weeks may have mixed emotions for many of us. There may be elements of this period which seem e to pass quickly and others which will take more effort. Please help your child remain engaged throughout this period. One way to help them do that is by chunking the next five weeks into smaller, achievable goals. Whether it is an upcoming AoL or a family event that your child is looking forward to; having milestones between now and June 17 may help your child be successful.

As always if you sense your child’s motivation is flagging or you are concerned about their wellbeing, please reach out to their counselor, we are here to support them throughout this time.
 

⭐️  Learning this Week

We would like to celebrate the learning of grade 12 students who are in the IBDP Visual Arts course.

Over the last two years they have worked tirelessly to complete outstanding portfolios of work. Please take some time to see what they have accomplished.

Click Here to see the IB Works
 

🗂  End-of-Year Records

At the end of the day on June 17 you will be able to access transcripts and end-of-year report cards in PowerSchool.

Official transcripts and leaving packs will be available after that, we will have more information coming in June about how to request those and the timeline for them to be completed.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Grade 12 IB Exams

We have two students who are opting to take the exams at alternative locations, one in Prague and one in Tallinn, Estonia.

We have worked with other schools to accomplish this transition in a timely manner. These students will still graduate as AAS students this year. Good luck Sunoh and Anna!
 

☝️  CAS completion

The IB’s Community, Activity, and Service program is a requirement for AAS graduation and for receipt of the IB Diploma.

We had an April 1 deadline for all CAS material to be completed. If you have not completed your CAS you need to contact Ms. Natasha right away. AAS will not graduate students who have not completed this important program satisfactorily. Mr. Sonderman contacted families and students before the break to remind everyone of this important requirement.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now a I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

📝  Grade 11s – Extended Essay Extension

Mr. Sonderman extended the EE deadline to Monday, March 28, due to the obvious disruption to the school schedule.

The original deadline was March 11. We are still going to stay on track, but the schedule will get a little tighter. The objective is still to finish the 3,000-word first draft by the end of grade 11. We want this completed so that students do not have a great deal of EE work while they are juggling university applications in the fall.

The next deadline is the 2000-word draft due May 13.
 

Welcome back from break! We hope that you and your child found some peace, respite and relaxation and that you enjoyed time with family and friends.

As we make our way to these last 5 weeks of school and transition to new schools, this is a great time to stop and recognize that it is truly the small moments, those little things in life, that bring the greatest joy at even the toughest times. Below is a very short video that speaks to the POWER of taking a minute or two each day to recognize the positive things in our lives and the long-term happiness that it brings.

Watch the video here

You may consider incorporating this as a part of your dinner conversation, a daily diary challenge as a family or even a post-it challenge where each family member POSTS a couple of positive moments each day. So many fun ways to recognize the good in each day that is often overlooked or clouded, savour and share these special moments and bring happiness to our lives in the longer term too.
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principalhttps://explore.kumospace.com/features
 

We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday break. As a reminder, after this week class will resume on Wednesday May 11.
 

🐧  Athletics and Activities

If your child didn’t get to sign-up for Penguin Life activities or athletics last month, registration is still open.

Please visit Penguin Life webpage for times and sign-up information.

They have activities for students both in and out of Moscow.
 

⭐️  Connecting Students

We continue to have Kumospace as a platform for students to be able to connect with one another in flexible groupings as they move through a virtual room.

Join Kumospace

In addition to being available for teachers during class, we have three dedicated periods each week in which students can join.

Mondays and Thursdays after school from 15:45 – 16:30
and
during lunch on Wednesday from 12:20 – 13:10
 

🏫  Support for Transfers

As you and your family make plans for your child’s schooling next year, please remember we are available to answer questions, provide guidance or talk through options you are considering.

Please reach out to your child’s counselor or a member of the leadership team to schedule a meeting.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Grade 12 IB Exams

We have two students who are opting to take the exams at alternative locations, one in Prague and one in Tallinn, Estonia.

We have worked with other schools to accomplish this transition in a timely manner. These students will still graduate as AAS students this year. Good luck Sunoh and Anna!
 

☝️  CAS completion

The IB’s Community, Activity, and Service program is a requirement for AAS graduation and for receipt of the IB Diploma.

We had an April 1 deadline for all CAS material to be completed. If you have not completed your CAS you need to contact Ms. Natasha right away. AAS will not graduate students who have not completed this important program satisfactorily. Mr. Sonderman contacted families and students before the break to remind everyone of this important requirement.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now a I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

📝  Grade 11s – Extended Essay Extension

Mr. Sonderman extended the EE deadline to Monday, March 28, due to the obvious disruption to the school schedule.

The original deadline was March 11. We are still going to stay on track, but the schedule will get a little tighter. The objective is still to finish the 3,000-word first draft by the end of grade 11. We want this completed so that students do not have a great deal of EE work while they are juggling university applications in the fall.

The next deadline is the 2000-word draft due May 13.
 

⭐️  Grade 10s – IB Diploma Course and Options Choices

As we now know, AAS will not run a high school program next year.

However, we realize that many of our student will join other IB schools. Therefore, we would still like to give you some guidance towards choosing your IB courses.

Beginning on April 19, IB Coordinator Sean Sonderman and all High School Department Heads met with the Grade 10 students to introduce course choices for the Diploma Program for next year. Students choose 6 courses, 1 from each of the 6 subject Groups. In Groups 1 through 5 students are required to select 1 course. In Group 6, the Arts, however, students can select Music, Visual Arts, or Theater, or they could take a second Social Studies, Language, or Science. We held a parent meeting on April 21 to share more information to aid in the course selection process.
 

As we head towards May break we often hear the question, "What are your plans for break?".

Recently, we came upon this quote:

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you"
– Anne Lamott

It gave us pause to more deeply consider the importance of time: time for healing, time to reflect, time to process, time to relax and time to savor. With so much happening in our lives and the push to move forward and find new paths and answers we often overlook the importance of TIME to JUST BE. This is not only helpful for challenging times but it is also an important part of healthy child development.

The article linked below, "The Benefits of Boredom," explores what our children can learn from managing their own free time.

Read it here

Here's a key quote from the article:
"Boredom helps kids build tolerance of less-than-ideal experiences. Boredom might not be super distressing... but it’s not fun. Life requires us to manage our frustrations and regulate our emotions when things aren’t going our way, and boredom is a great way to teach that skill... The key is to help kids learn how to manage their boredom so they can develop independence and feel agency over their own happiness and well-being...”

The full text goes into additional detail about these ideas, and offers suggestions as to how parents can support this process for their children.

We wish you and your families all the best as you go into this week away from school. Please reach out, if needed. We are here to support you during your transitions.

We hope you find some time for "boredom"! 🙂
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

⭐️  Connecting Students

As initially shared last week, we are now using Kumospace as a platform for students to be able to connect with one another in flexible groupings as they move through a virtual room.

In addition to being available for teachers during class, we have three dedicated periods each week in which students can join.

Mondays and Thursdays after school from 15:45 – 16:30 and during lunch on Wednesday from 12:20 – 13:10.
 

🏫  Community Connections

 Thursday, April 21, 14:00 MSK 

This week HS Leadership will be speaking with parents in grades 9 and 10 who are interested in learning more about selecting courses in an IBDP program.

Where to begin, what to consider and questions to ask. Please join us on Thursday at 14:00. Please note that the meeting location has been updated from last week, we will now be meeting here:

Click Here to Join
 

📊  MAP Testing Update

AAS has decided to not administer MAP testing this Spring.

To ensure validity of assessment results, it is key that we offer a common, proctored environment to all participants. Because of the quantity of students and staff currently not able to be on campus, to offer the MAP assessment at this time would be inappropriate. For internal and external purposes, we will utilize our Fall 2021 assessment results and we hope to provide additional assessment opportunities when we are back on campus in the Fall of 2022.

Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kirsten Welbes at kirsten.welbes@aas.ru.
 

🗂  Requesting AAS Records and Recommendations

As you complete applications to other schools, please use the link below to let us know what documents the other school is requesting.

Request Documents Here

*Please only complete this once you have made an application and the school has requested documents.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Grade 12 IB Exams

We have two students who are opting to take the exams at alternative locations, one in Prague and one in Tallinn, Estonia.

We have worked with other schools to accomplish this transition in a timely manner. These students will still graduate as AAS students this year. Good luck Sunoh and Anna!
 

☝️  CAS completion

The IB’s Community, Activity, and Service program is a requirement for AAS graduation and for receipt of the IB Diploma.

We had an April 1 deadline for all CAS material to be completed. If you have not completed your CAS you need to contact Ms. Natasha right away. AAS will not graduate students who have not completed this important program satisfactorily. Mr. Sonderman contacted families and students before the break to remind everyone of this important requirement.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now a I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

📝  Grade 11s – Extended Essay Extension

Mr. Sonderman extended the EE deadline to Monday, March 28, due to the obvious disruption to the school schedule.

The original deadline was March 11. We are still going to stay on track, but the schedule will get a little tighter. The objective is still to finish the 3,000-word first draft by the end of grade 11. We want this completed so that students do not have a great deal of EE work while they are juggling university applications in the fall.

The next deadline is the 2000-word draft due May 13.
 

⭐️  Grade 10s – IB Diploma Course and Options Choices

 Thursday, April 21, 14:00 MSK 

As we now know, AAS will not run a high school program next year.

However, we realize that many of our student will join other IB schools. Therefore, we would still like to give you some guidance towards choosing your IB courses. In April, IB Coordinator Sean Sonderman and all High School Department Heads will meet with the Grade 10 students to introduce course choices for the Diploma Program for next year. Students will choose 6 courses, 1 from each of the 6 subject Groups. In Groups 1 through 5 students are required to select 1 course. In Group 6, the Arts, however, students can select Music, Visual Arts, or Theater, or they could take a second Social Studies, Language, or Science.

There will be a Webex parent meeting on April 21, at 14:00 Moscow Time to share more information to aid in the course selection process.

Join the Meeting Here
 

The number and size of the changes impacting the AAS HS right now likely has many of us feeling overwhelmed. And feelings like that can make it hard to stay focused on – or motivated to take care of – the needs of right here and right now.

Decreased motivation is certainly understandable in the current context. But what can we do to help those students who may be struggling with it?

This short article from the Australian Department of Health is full of ideas and suggestions about getting and staying motivated. Goal setting is a fundamental part of this process, because having goals gives us something to get motivated for. The strategies listed here are general, but can certainly be applied to our unique situation. The article also links to additional resources that could be helpful in boosting motivation.
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

🎓  Celebrating the Class of 2022

Last Wednesday we held the first of our celebrations of the Class of 2022 and all that they have achieved.

Thank you to all the parents who attended to support their child and their peers. We would also like to share a visual representation of one aspect of student success, university acceptances. Please click below to see some of the universities where the senior class has received offers or acceptances.

See University Acceptances Here
 

🐧  Connecting Students

In the coming days we will share an option for students to be able to come together to socialize and mingle, regardless of location.

We will have times both during the school day and after-school where this space is available to any HS student, this is part of a trial through a platform called Kumospace. We have already utilized it as part of our first senior celebration and received very positive feedback from students.
 

⭐️  Community Connections

 April 7 

In our ongoing efforts to support families during this difficult time, the HS is hosting two family sessions tomorrow to discuss how we can support you and your child in their transition to another school.

We look forward to seeing grade 11 families at 14:00 and grade 9 and 10 families at 15:00. Both sessions will be in Mr. Groves’ Webex.

Join Here

For families in grades 9 and 10 who are considering an IBDP school as a potential option for next year, we are also hosting a meeting on April 21 at 14:00 to delve into the details of course selection and general information about the IBDP.
 

📊  MAP Testing Update

AAS has decided to not administer MAP testing this Spring.

To ensure validity of assessment results, it is key that we offer a common, proctored environment to all participants. Because of the quantity of students and staff currently not able to be on campus, to offer the MAP assessment at this time would be inappropriate. For internal and external purposes, we will utilize our Fall 2021 assessment results. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kirsten Welbes.
 

📑  Requesting Documents for Applications

Last Thursday we shared via email an outline of our updated process for requesting school records.

Please reach out to the office if you did not receive that email or have follow-up questions.

By the end of this week you will receive communication with school records that may be helpful in applying to other schools.

If you are already in the application process for another school and they have requested a recommendation letter, please complete this request:

Complete Request Here
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Grade 12 IB Exams Update and Applications for Adverse Circumstances

Obviously now, we all know that AAS was granted non-exam status by the IBO last week.

Mr. Sonderman finalized the list of students who are opting for this route and sent it off to be processed. As a result, most classes will end for seniors today. Some will need to continue, as there is outstanding material, pertinent to AAS graduation and the IB Diploma, that is still due. Thank you for your contributions to the non-exam application process and for your patience as the IBO came to a final decision.

We also realize that we have two students who are opting to take the exams at alternative locations, one in Prague and one in Tallinn, Estonia. We have worked with other schools to accomplish this transition in a timely manner. These students will still graduate as AAS students this year. Good luck Sunoh and Anna!
 

⭐️  CAS completion

The IB’s Community, Activity, and Service program is a requirement for AAS graduation and for receipt of the IB Diploma.

We have an April 1 deadline for all CAS material to be completed. If you have not completed your CAS you need to contact Ms. Natasha right away. AAS will not graduate students who have not completed this important program satisfactorily.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now a I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

📝  Grade 11s – Extended Essay Extension

Mr. Sonderman extended the EE deadline until this past Monday, March 28, due to the obvious disruption to the school schedule.

The original deadline was March 11. We are still going to stay on track, but the schedule will get a little tighter. The objective is still to finish the first draft by the end of grade 11. We want this completed so that students do not have a great deal of EE work while they are juggling university applications in the fall.
 

⭐️  Grade 10s – IB Diploma Course and Options Choices

As we now know, AAS will not run a high school program next year.

However, we realize that many of our student will join other IB schools. Therefore, we would still like to give you some guidance towards choosing your IB courses. In April, IB Coordinator Sean Sonderman and all High School Department Heads will meet with the Grade 10 students to introduce course choices for the Diploma Program for next year. Students will choose 6 courses, 1 from each of the 6 subject Groups. In Groups 1 through 5 students are required to select 1 course. In Group 6, the Arts, however, students can select Music, Visual Arts, or Theater, or they could take a second Social Studies, Language, or Science. There will be a parent meeting in April to share more information to aid in the course selection process.
 

Finding calm in the storm can be challenging as the high rate of information, list of to-do's, roller coaster of emotions, and amount of multi-tasking required to navigate sudden changes often results in tunnel vision (where seeing outside of the immediate circumstance is very difficult).

We are consumed by it all and our perspective to see the bigger picture and gain insight is greatly impacted. The article below offers 4 practical ways to regain our balance mentally and emotionally through: breathing, self-compassion, connection and compassion for others. These tools allow us and our children to gain control of our emotions and broaden our perspective to find a more calm state of mind.

Read the Article Here
 

Please know, we are committed to being a continued support to you and your children through the remainder of the school year and as you transition to new schools. Here are some of the ways that we can support you with your plans moving forward.

1. Family meetings to discuss schooling possibilities for next year, managing transitions and the impact of choices on university planning.
    
2. Student meetings to discuss the challenges that they are facing and provide support and resources.
    
3. Application support for new schools. We have streamlined with process as of April 1st:
    
   1. Complete one google form for up to 5 schools.
       
   2. Families will receive transcripts and MAP scores for their children this week so that you have them to upload directly for each school.
       
   3. Family resource for finding an IB school.
       

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

🔺  Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences

 March 31 
 April 1 

Our spring conference days are planned for this Thursday March 31 and Friday April 1.

Please use these days as an opportunity to connect with your child’s teachers via Webex and engage in meaningful conversations about their learning and next steps for this spring.

For technical reasons we have to transition our conference sign-ups to a new platform. You can sign up for conference times using the link below.

Sign Up for Conferences Here

We have also created a brief tutorial on how to use the new platform. Please review this video to ensure that you are able to see a full picture of available times and dates for each teacher.

Watch the Tutorial Here

The meetings themselves will still take place on Webex. Sign-ups will be available until 16:00 the day before the meeting. We will be able to take new appointments until 16:00 on Wednesday for Thursday and 16:00 on Thursday for Friday.
 

🏫  Supporting Families who are Transferring Schools

We recognize that in the coming period of time we will likely be supporting you and your child in seeking another school.

We are looking to update and streamline the process for families so that you are able to request multiple records on a single form. Additionally, we are working to ensure that applications are processed and sent out in a timely manner. We anticipate having an update on this in the coming days and we thank you for your patience as we are developing this new system.

If you have questions or concerns about this process please reach out to your child’s counselor. In addition to being available to meet throughout the week, they also have appointment times during parent-student-teacher conferences. Please use the link above to sign up.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Grade 12 IB Exams Update and Applications for Adverse Circumstances

Obviously now, we all know that AAS was granted non-exam status by the IBO last week.

Mr. Sonderman finalized the list of students who are opting for this route and sent it off to be processed. As a result, most classes will end for seniors today. Some will need to continue, as there is outstanding material, pertinent to AAS graduation and the IB Diploma, that is still due. Thank you for your contributions to the non-exam application process and for your patience as the IBO came to a final decision.

We also realize that we have two students who are opting to take the exams at alternative locations, one in Prague and one in Tallinn, Estonia. We have worked with other schools to accomplish this transition in a timely manner. These students will still graduate as AAS students this year. Good luck Sunoh and Anna!
 

⭐️  CAS completion

The IB’s Community, Activity, and Service program is a requirement for AAS graduation and for receipt of the IB Diploma.

We have an April 1 deadline for all CAS material to be completed. If you have not completed your CAS you need to contact Ms. Natasha right away. AAS will not graduate students who have not completed this important program satisfactorily.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now a I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

📝  Grade 11s – Extended Essay Extension

Mr. Sonderman extended the EE deadline until this past Monday, March 28, due to the obvious disruption to the school schedule.

The original deadline was March 11. We are still going to stay on track, but the schedule will get a little tighter. The objective is still to finish the first draft by the end of grade 11. We want this completed so that students do not have a great deal of EE work while they are juggling university applications in the fall.
 

⭐️  Grade 10s – IB Diploma Course and Options Choices

As we now know, AAS will not run a high school program next year.

However, we realize that many of our student will join other IB schools. Therefore, we would still like to give you some guidance towards choosing your IB courses. In April, IB Coordinator Sean Sonderman and all High School Department Heads will meet with the Grade 10 students to introduce course choices for the Diploma Program for next year. Students will choose 6 courses, 1 from each of the 6 subject Groups. In Groups 1 through 5 students are required to select 1 course. In Group 6, the Arts, however, students can select Music, Visual Arts, or Theater, or they could take a second Social Studies, Language, or Science. There will be a parent meeting in April to share more information to aid in the course selection process.
 

In light of Friday's news, we want to reassure you that we are here to support you and your children as you transition to new schools through documentation, recommendations, conversations about possibilities and the emotional aspects of this change as well.

PLEASE reach out to us! 

We are available to meet with you and your children to discuss options and to process all aspects of this change.

To request records for your applications to new schools:

1. Please check the supporting document requirements with the admissions offices of those schools to which you are applying.

2. Complete a request form and include that information on this record request form.

3. Send the completed form(s) to Ms. Natasha (natalia.golovanova@aas.ru) and your child’s counselor:

james.villers@aas.ru
for students in grade 9
Make an appointment Here

lauren.zimmerman@aas.ru
for grades 10-12, A-K
Make an appointment here

bryn.will@aas.ru
for grades 10-12, L-Z
Make an appointment here

Feel free to reach out to us for support, guidance or questions - we are here to help!
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

🌐  Community Spirit & Connections

We would like to thank the Penguin Life team for all that they did to put together a new and unique spring season for MS and HS students.

We have seen significant student and family interest in participation and look forward to the upcoming season.

If you haven’t signed up yet but are still interested, you can still participate, in both our on- and off-campus events, please see here for more details. 

We are in the final stages of setting up a social meeting space for students to be able to meet and mingle. We hope to be launching that soon and will let you know as it comes online.
 

⭐️  Parent & Student Feedback on Distance Learning

Thank you to parents and students who have shared feedback with us over the last several weeks.

We have gathered your input through surveys, student assemblies, family presentations and one-on-one meetings.

The main areas of feedback we’ve received were in regards to:

• planning for next year
• access to campus
• our current schedule

We understand there are many questions about next year. Your contributions to the family feedback survey shared by Rhonda last week are instrumental in providing the feedback needed for us to make informed decisions. We anticipate having more details for you in the near future.

To help facilitate social interactions and wellbeing we prioritized restarting Penguin Life activities, with the spring season beginning earlier this week. 

Students have expressed appreciation for the DL schedule. The adjusted class time allows classes to focus on what is needed to be done synchronously, while affording them more flexibility in their own schedule. We are continuing to examine how we can balance our current curriculum with DL to ensure students have an appropriate amount of work outside of classes.

Additionally, there were some requests for an asynchronous day. At this time, with the calendar that is in place between now and early May that is not something we are prioritizing.
 

🔺  Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences

 March 31 
 April 1

Our spring conference days are planned for next week, Thursday March 31 and Friday April 1.

Please use these days as an opportunity to connect with your child’s teachers via Webex and engage in meaningful conversations about their learning and next steps for this spring.

For technical reasons we have to transition our conference sign-ups to a new platform. You can sign up for conference times using the link below.

Sign Up for Conferences Here

We have also created a brief tutorial on how to use the new platform. Please review this video to ensure that you are able to see a full picture of available times and dates for each teacher.

Watch the Tutorial Here

The meetings themselves will still take place on Webex. Sign-ups will be available until 16:00 the day before the meeting. We will be able to take new appointments until 16:00 on Wednesday for Thursday and 16:00 on Thursday for Friday.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now a I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

📝  Grade 11s – Extended Essay Extension

Mr. Sonderman extended the EE deadline until March 28, due to the obvious disruption to the school schedule.

The original deadline was March 11. We are still going to stay on track, but the schedule will get a little tighter. The objective is still to finish the first draft by the end of grade 11. We want this completed so that students do not have a great deal of EE work while they are juggling university applications in the fall. Mr. Sonderman will hold an assembly with grade 11s on March 24.
 

⭐️  Grade 10s – IB Diploma Course and Options Choices

In the coming weeks, IB Coordinator Sean Sonderman and all High School Department Heads will meet with the Grade 10 students to introduce course choices for the Diploma Program for next year.

Students will choose 6 courses, 1 from each of the 6 subject Groups. In Groups 1 through 5 students are required to select 1 course. In Group 6, the Arts, however, students can select Music, Visual Arts, or Theater, or they could take a second Social Studies, Language, or Science. There will be a parent meeting in April to share more information to aid in the course selection process. Course selection forms will be due May 1.
 

CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

Sudden changes, leaving without goodbyes, separation from loved ones are all events that can cause grief (a sense of loss and sadness). What can parents and teachers do to support young people at this time? The article linked below shares 5 straightforward strategies to support youth and ourselves as we work through grief to include: connecting with community and nature, noticing, naming and navigating feelings, modeling self-care, empowering youth and helping to find flow. Enjoy!!!

Read the article here

If you are planning to move your HS child from AAS to another school, whether temporarily or permanently, please notify Ms. Natasha (natalia.golovanova@aas.ru) and your child’s counselor:

james.villers@aas.ru
for students in grade 9

lauren.zimmerman@aas.ru
for grades 10-12, A-K

bryn.will@aas.ru
for grades 10-12, L-Z 

We will be happy to help organize the necessary application documents – such as reports and recommendations – and offer moral support to you and your child, as well. A transition can be difficult under normal circumstances; the suddenness of recent events in our community is adding extra stressors and pressures.

Feel free to reach out to us for support, guidance or questions - we are here to help!
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

🌐  Community Spirit & Connections

Student connections and interactions are all the more important when we are not all on campus together. 

To support these social interactions and relationships for students in Moscow we are looking forward to resuming on-campus Penguin life activities next week. Sign-ups are beginning immediately, please see below for more info.

Learn More and Sign Up Here

For all students, regardless of location, we are resuming Penguin Life activities, beginning with E-sports and CEESA Math. Sign-ups are available in the link above. We are also exploring a social platform for students to have the opportunity to come together and see friends, to meet and mingle in real-time. We hope to have more information on this next week.
 

💻  Distance Learning

Thank you to all parents and students who have shared feedback regarding Distance Learning, what is going well and what can be improved.

In addition, we are meeting with families regularly to discuss questions and concerns, please reach out if you have a specific question that you’d like to meet about. 

Based upon the current feedback from families, students and faculty we anticipate that our current DL plan will remain in place at least through the end of March. We are regularly soliciting and compiling feedback and will re-evaluate what changes could be made at that time.
 

🏫  Connecting with HS Leadership

 Thursdays, 14:00–14:30 MSK 

In addition to the recent surveys and parent meetings, we will also be offering weekly drop-in sessions for parents.

The purpose of this time is to offer you a convenient way to meet with HS Leadership, counselors or the IB coordinator. There will not be a set agenda or presentation, this time is to answer questions, follow-up with a member of the team or connect with one of us. The meetings will take place on Thursday from 14:00 - 14:30, below is the link to join.

Join Parent Meeting Here

We are offering these sessions from now until the April break, at which point we will re-assess and determine how best to connect with the parent community.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🏫  Grade 12 – IB Exams Update and Applications for Adverse Circumstances

We wanted to let you know that AAS is sending all of the appeals for adverse circumstances to the IBO this week.

The applications take a bit of time, but we will get them out on schedule. The IBO has not indicated a response time, but we are very hopeful that it will be quick. Thank you to the parents and students for the letters you have written in support of the applications, and for the other evidence that was supplied.

We also realize that we have some students who are opting to take the exams at alternative locations. We are working with other schools to accomplish this transition in a timely manner. These students will still graduate as AAS students this year.
 

🏛  Grade 12s – Protocol for releasing IB Results Transcripts to Universities

We're getting close to the end of the year. Ms. Natasha and I are getting the logistics set and plans in place while our teachers work with your kids to finish the year.

I will soon ask all students to supply Ms. Natasha with a form detailing the university they plan to attend, or those they are planning to choose from, so that we can send Results Transcripts to universities, regardless of the exam route they are on. For those applying to the US/Canada you can only name 1 or 2 universities respectively. This is not due until July 1 (although I want it before they leave AAS). However, for those applying anywhere else, the due date is May 1 in the IB system. I am letting you know this now a I believe everything will take a while longer to complete from a distance. So, these will be pressing soon.

After July 1, we cannot send IB Results transcripts for any student.

Therefore, I am adding the website access link here:

http://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/

Hopefully, you will never need this site. But, invariably some students have a need to release their transcripts for a variety of reasons. If you have any questions about exams please let me know.
 

📝  Grade 11s – Extended Essay Extension

Mr. Sonderman extended the EE deadline until March 28, due to the obvious disruption to the school schedule.

The original deadline was March 11. We are still going to stay on track, but the schedule will get a little tighter. The objective is still to finish the first draft by the end of grade 11. We want this completed so that students do not have a great deal of EE work while they are juggling university applications in the fall.
 

⭐️  Grade 10s – IB Diploma Course and Options Choices

In the coming weeks, IB Coordinator Sean Sonderman and all High School Department Heads will meet with the Grade 10 students to introduce course choices for the Diploma Program for next year.

Students will choose 6 courses, 1 from each of the 6 subject Groups. In Groups 1 through 5 students are required to select 1 course. In Group 6, the Arts, however, students can select Music, Visual Arts, or Theater, or they could take a second Social Studies, Language, or Science. There will be a parent meeting in April to share more information to aid in the course selection process. Course selection forms will be due May 1.
 

“Moving is at the heart of the way we think and feel,” Williams writes. “If we stay still, our cognitive and emotional abilities become seriously compromised.”

This article speaks clearly to the connection of not only our bodies and moods but also our mental capacity. Take a few minutes to peruse the article and consider initiating a new family expectation regarding movement breaks as a way to keep our minds engaged during online learning and activities.

Read Here

If you are planning to move your HS child from AAS to another school, whether temporarily or permanently, please notify Ms. Natasha (natalia.golovanova@aas.ru) and your child’s counselor:

james.villers@aas.ru
for students in grade 9

lauren.zimmerman@aas.ru
for grades 10-12, A-K

bryn.will@aas.ru
for grades 10-12, L-Z 

We will be happy to help organize the necessary application documents – such as reports and recommendations – and offer moral support to you and your child, as well. A transition can be difficult under normal circumstances; the suddenness of recent events in our community is adding extra stressors and pressures.

Feel free to reach out to us for support, guidance or questions - we are here to help!
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

Thank you to everyone who has shared feedback regarding our recent transition to DL and what we can do to improve it. We’ve shared a summary of the feedback in the grade 9-11 parent meeting that was held earlier today. If you weren’t able to make that meeting, please look for the recording and slides in your inbox tomorrow.
 

⏳  Faculty Office Hours

We have now compiled the faculty office hours.

These are times each day when teachers are available for students to drop-in, ask questions, talk about a topic that is on their mind, or otherwise get individual support. Please see the family dashboard for this updated information.

See HS Family Dashboard Here
 

💻  Distance Learning Considerations

Over the next several weeks we will consider how we can make changes to DL to make it more effective and appropriate for our community.

We will be making those changes based upon your feedback, such as from the survey that was shared earlier this week, as well as feedback from your children and the faculty. 

Another important aspect of our plans is taking into account where students are and what time zone they may be in. Please help us ensure we have the most up-to-date information on this important topic by sharing that data with us now and make updates as appropriate.
 

🏫  Family circumstances - Student Records & Recommendation Letters

We do understand that circumstances may have changed, particularly if you are back in your home country.

If you plan to apply to a new school for the interim, please contact your child’s guidance counselor – James Villers (grade 9), Lauren Zimmerman (grades 10-12, last names A-K) and Bryn Will (grades 10-12, last names L-Z). They will be able to help you with any paperwork or documentation needed.

If you are considering a temporary transfer to one of the CEESA schools which have generously offered to enroll AAS students at no charge for the remainder of this school year, please let us know by contacting the HS Office. If you have any questions about this process you can also reach out for more information.

 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

I have received messages from a few of you concerning the recent announcement from AAS concerning the impending transition to DL and IB Exams.

Please understand that the situation is fluid. I will communicate our situation to the IBO and Mr. Groves and I will meet with them later this week. As of now we are still scheduled to hold exams at AAS in May. This is due to the fact that AAS has not closed, nor is the move to off-campus learning considered long-term at this point. The only conclusion under these circumstances is that the IBO will expect us to hold exams. This of course could change if the situation changes. 

The IBO could require that we find alternative testing locations for our students. This is what they have asked the schools in Ukraine to do. However, for some of you this may not be possible. I will assist you all in any way I can. Rest assured that I am not leaving you in the wind. I only ask that you be patient as we work through this. There will be many different circumstances among you. 

As a reminder, Mock Exams are still scheduled for March 14–18. We will be in touch with more information about how they will take place.

 

On 8 March we recognized International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions of women on both a large and small scale.

One way to honor the women in our lives, as we continue to handle difficulty and uncertainty, is to remember to focus on relationships. We all know the “fight or flight” response to threat, but did you know that the studies on this phenomenon were mostly done on males? When females were studied in their response to threat (Harvard, 2000), scientists discovered that they have a “tend and befriend” response. The underpinning of this response is caregiving and nurturing those around us. Let’s follow this example as we move forward, giving care and nurture to our loved ones, and supporting each other through these challenging times.

If the care that you need for yourself and/or your family goes beyond what you feel you can handle individually, please remember that there are resources available in Moscow for longer term counseling support. The AAS counselors have put together a list of providers at this link. It also includes some online therapy resources that many in our community have found extremely helpful.

Please reach out to your child’s counselor as well if you have any concerns or would like to talk.
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

🌏  Current Events

The last several years have provided us with a wide variety of new experiences and terms which have become part of our everyday lexicon.

One important lesson for us as educators has been that we have to be flexible in our approach to how, when and where learning may take place, and that there may be changes with little to no notice. 

As we head off to a well-deserved break next week, we would suggest students bring home any materials or resources that they would need to successfully engage in learning after the break should we have to change learning models. Similarly, if you are departing Moscow for the break, your child should bring with them what they would need to participate in classes should they have to do so remotely.

If the organization or embassy sponsoring your family’s visa is requiring that you relocate from Russia as a result of recent circumstances, please contact the hs office and admissions. 
To help maintain the learning for students in this situation, we are offering them Webex access. Please contact the HS office and admissions with your situation to get more information. We anticipate these transitions to be temporary; as such, we are regularly reviewing the situation and what we can do to support students and families.

We understand and are discussing how there may be additional nuances for students who are seniors that require a unique approach. If you have a question about your situation, please reach out to the HS leadership team.
 

📝  Semester 1 Progress and Report Cards

Last Friday we shared progress and report cards with families via email.

If you didn’t receive the report it can be found on the PowerSchool landing page. Please also let us know if you didn’t receive the reports so we can update our information.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Mock Exams coming after February Break!

 March 14 – 18 

Mock Exams begin soon!

Mocks will run from March 14–18. They are a good indicator of where our students stand in their march towards the May IB Exams. So, while much has been accomplished, now is not the time to lose focus. The second semester will fly by for our Grade 12s, so please continue to support your child’s academic efforts over the coming months.
 

🖊  Grade 11 Extended Essay Subjects and Supervisors Assigned

Extended Essay subject areas and Supervisors were released two weeks ago.

So all students should be diving into the EE process now. In order to get them off to a solid start we set up two TOK classes dedicated to topic development and beginning research. This is a crucial period. If students can develop a narrow topic that has available research over the next week, the process runs far more smoothly. Please talk with your Grade 11 student about possible topics to get the ball rolling. Again, topics should be very narrow in scope. Mr. Sonderman serves as the EE Coordinator and kicked things off on January 20-21, followed by sessions on research and topic choice delivered by Librarian Kelsey Hedrick.

The first 1,000 words are due March 11!
 

⭐️  A Note to Parents Regarding Semester 2 in the IBDP

This semester Grade 11 students will lose one of their weekly Study Halls to begin the Theory of Knowledge course.

They also have begun the Extended Essay, the 4,000-word research-based essay that is a requirement of the Diploma Program. What this means is less time and more work.

This is the semester where the reality of the rigor of the IBDP starts for many students. You may notice that your child is facing more stress this semester. At AAS, we attempt to control the flow of work and deadlines, however, at times periods of heavy workflow are an unavoidable component of the IBDP. The IB Coordinator and the Counsellors are here to support our students. Part of this process is making families aware of the gauntlet that faces their children over the next few months.

Mid-April through June will be the heaviest academic period of the IB. Encourage your child to keep to deadlines and to get as much of the work on the EE done before mid-April. Rest and hobbies are key as well. We will be emphasizing that students try to maintain a healthy work-life balance during this busy time. 
 

As we look towards February break and the opportunity it gives for some rest and downtime, we wanted to share some resources that you may want to peruse with your HS children.

One is a TV series that highlights universities throughout the world in a particularly engaging way and the other is an opportunity to explore some of the many summer opportunities available to your child. Enjoy and have a lovely break.

The College Tour – a series on Amazon Prime – highlights various universities around the WORLD. Columbia College Chicago was recently the focus of the series and they posted their episode. Click on this link to see what this series has to offer as you and your child navigate the world of university opportunities.
 

🏫  Upcoming University Visits

 Wednesdays at 12:15 

The full list of visits for 21-22 is located on the university counseling page of our AAS website under University Visits and Videos.

This week's visits
Webster University (Geneva, Switzerland)
and
Moscow State University of International Relations (Moscow, Russia)

Last visit of '21–'22 will be on March 2
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (China/UK)

AAS has had a TOTAL OF 76 University Engagements for our HS Students for the 21-22 school year – 45 universities at our fall fair and 31 visits!!!
What incredible opportunities for our students to meet with uni reps from around the world!!!
 

📹  Uni Visit Recordings

An opportunity to listen to the recordings of last week’s visits.

ALL students have access to the recordings of all university visits through Maia Learning. ENJOY!

Les Roches/Glion International HOspitality Schools

IE Business School
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

📝  Progress Reports and Report Cards

This Friday afternoon we will be sharing progress reports and report cards with all HS families via email.

These are important check-ins and updates for families, as well as a strong indicator of your child’s academic progress thus far this year. Please take time this weekend to speak with your child about their learning in each of their courses and what they see as their next steps. 

If you have any questions about how your child is doing in a course, you are always welcome to reach out to the teacher and meet with them. Our next Parent-Student-Teacher conferences is scheduled at the end of March.
 

⭐️  Learning This Week

Even when we can’t all be on campus together, CEESA activities are continuing to meet and engage in tournaments.

Last week, both our Robotics team and Knowledge Bowl competed in their annual events, using an online platform. AAS did well in both events and received specific feedback from a Knowledge Bowl reader that our students were highly engaged, thoroughly prepared and addressed several last minute changes with equanimity. 

 

Yesterday we were also able to share a band performance with the entire High School via a livestream event during the school day. We would like to congratulate all of our musicians as well as Mr. Waltho and Mr. Tarasov on an outstanding show. We look forward to more events like this soon.

 

✏️  SAT/ACT Exams

We are happy to share that we will be able to offer the SAT exam for both the March and May sessions.

Ms. Natasha in the counseling office will be in contact with test takers closer to the date with more information. 

To ensure the community’s safety, we will have separate entrances and testing rooms for AAS and non-AAS students. Additionally, we put in place heightened Covid precautions for individuals who are visiting our campus for the exam.
 

🏛  Updated COVID Protocols

After recent changes in both local government guidelines as well as recommendations from the CDC, AAS has revised its Covid Protocols.

The most recent update was shared with the community yesterday. These changes will continue to keep our campus a safe place for learning while allowing more students to be on campus. Please see below for our Covid page and Covid response flowchart.

Visit the Covid Page

See Covid Response Flowchart
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Mock Exams coming after February Break!

 March 14 – 18 

Mock Exams begin soon!

Mocks will run from March 14–18. They are a good indicator of where our students stand in their march towards the May IB Exams. So, while much has been accomplished, now is not the time to lose focus. The second semester will fly by for our Grade 12s, so please continue to support your child’s academic efforts over the coming months.
 

🖊  Grade 11 Extended Essay Subjects and Supervisors Assigned

Extended Essay subject areas and Supervisors were released two weeks ago.

So all students should be diving into the EE process now. In order to get them off to a solid start we set up two TOK classes dedicated to topic development and beginning research. This is a crucial period. If students can develop a narrow topic that has available research over the next week, the process runs far more smoothly. Please talk with your Grade 11 student about possible topics to get the ball rolling. Again, topics should be very narrow in scope. Mr. Sonderman serves as the EE Coordinator and kicked things off on January 20-21, followed by sessions on research and topic choice delivered by Librarian Kelsey Hedrick.

The first 1,000 words are due March 11!
 

⭐️  A Note to Parents Regarding Semester 2 in the IBDP

This semester Grade 11 students will lose one of their weekly Study Halls to begin the Theory of Knowledge course.

They also have begun the Extended Essay, the 4,000-word research-based essay that is a requirement of the Diploma Program. What this means is less time and more work.

This is the semester where the reality of the rigor of the IBDP starts for many students. You may notice that your child is facing more stress this semester. At AAS, we attempt to control the flow of work and deadlines, however, at times periods of heavy workflow are an unavoidable component of the IBDP. The IB Coordinator and the Counsellors are here to support our students. Part of this process is making families aware of the gauntlet that faces their children over the next few months.

Mid-April through June will be the heaviest academic period of the IB. Encourage your child to keep to deadlines and to get as much of the work on the EE done before mid-April. Rest and hobbies are key as well. We will be emphasizing that students try to maintain a healthy work-life balance during this busy time. 
 

As move towards February Break, this is a great time to consider summer opportunities of all kinds.

Check out the Pre-College Experiences section of our AAS University Counseling webpage to find out about all of the incredible opportunities available. Career related programs, special interest programs, summer university experiences and more. Just a taster of some of the summer opportunities available to HS students. And if you would like ideas about what students in each grade level can work on this summer to move towards university applications, check out the university timelines for each grade level - one our uni counseling page as well.

Direct links are below for easy reference:

Grade 9 Timeline

Grade 10 Timeline

Grade 11 Timeline

Grade 12 Timeline
 

🏫  Upcoming University Visits

 Wednesdays at 12:15 

The full list of visits for 21-22 is located on the university counseling page of our AAS website under University Visits and Videos.

This week's visits
Le Roches International School of Hotel Management (Switzerland)
and
IE University (Spain)

Next week's visits
Webster University (Geneva, Switzerland)
and
Moscow State University of International Relations (Moscow, Russia)
 

📹  Uni Visit Recordings

An opportunity to listen to the recordings of last week’s visits.

ALL students have access to the recordings of all university visits through Maia Learning. ENJOY!

British Higher School of Art and DesigN (Russia)
Not just art and design but architecture, music, film, game design, marketing and more - UK education right here in Moscow.
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

We know that transitions in and out of Distance Learning are difficult for many students, parents and faculty.

As part of our ongoing commitment to student wellness, the HS faculty came together this morning to discuss our student wellness tracker and how we can follow-up with individual students to provide support to help keep them mentally and physically healthy and engaged in learning. 

We also want to share some helpful resources and documents about Distance Learning at AAS and some tips on setting your child up for a successful learning space at home.

HS Distance Learning Overview
Philosophy and approach to DL
 

HS Daily Schedule
When classes meet
 

HS Calendar
Day A/B overview
 

HS Distance Learning FAQs
What to do and who to ask if you have a question
 

Tips for Successful Distance Learning
We know DL is a different routine than on-campus learning.
Here are some ideas for how to make it more successful.
 

✏️  SAT/ACT Exams

We are happy to share that we will be able to offer the SAT exam for both the March and May sessions.

Ms. Natasha in the counseling office will be in contact with test takers closer to the date with more information. 

To ensure the community’s safety, we will have separate entrances and testing rooms for AAS and non-AAS students. Additionally, we put in place heightened Covid precautions for individuals who are visiting our campus for the exam.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

 Grade 12 

🏫  IB Uploads Begin!

 Friday, February 4 

On Friday, Feb 4 Grade 12 students will begin the process of uploading the first of many IB components to IBIS- the IB Information Service.

These are the samples of work that include the TOK Essay and Exhibition, the Extended essay, Externally Assessed work, anddd Internally Assessed work. On Friday we will upload the students Extended Essay. Shortly after, we will upload the TOK Essays. By April,all samples, except some in the Arts will be sent to the IBO.
 

 Grade 11 

📝  Theory of Knowledge

Theory of Knowledge Course begins for Grade 11s

How is TOK structured?

As a thoughtful and purposeful inquiry into different ways of knowing, and into different kinds of knowledge, TOK is composed almost entirely of questions.
The most central of these is "How do we know?", while other questions include:

• What counts as evidence for X?
• How do we judge which is the best model of Y?
• What does theory Z mean in the real world?

Through discussions of these and other questions, students gain greater awareness of their personal and ideological assumptions, as well as developing an appreciation of the diversity and richness of cultural perspectives.

Assessment of TOK

The TOK course is assessed through an oral presentation and a 1,600 word essay.

The presentation assesses the ability of the student to apply TOK thinking to a real-life situation, while the essay takes a more conceptual starting point.

For example, the essay may ask students to discuss the claim that the methodologies used to produce knowledge depend on the use to which that knowledge will be used.

What is the significance of TOK?

TOK aims to make students aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases – whether these biases are retained, revised or rejected.

It offers students and their teachers the opportunity to:

• reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and on areas of knowledge
• consider the role and nature of knowledge in their own culture, in the cultures of others and in the wider world.

In addition, TOK prompts students to: 

• be aware of themselves as thinkers, encouraging them to become more acquainted with the complexity of knowledge
• recognize the need to act responsibly in an increasingly interconnected but uncertain world. 

TOK also provides coherence for the student, by linking academic subject areas as well as transcending them.

We look forward to introducing this fascinating course with our Grade 11s.
 

As we transition to distance learning for the remainder of the week, keep in mind that although high school students are moving towards adulthood, they may indeed benefit from your support and guidance in establishing clear routines and study habits.

A family discussion and the creation of a schedule to include bedtime, awake time, break times, study times and active times will support the development of good routines and keep your child on track academically. This will also clearly establish family expectations during distance learning thereby reducing the chance of discrepancies. If you have concerns for you child, please know that the high school counselors are here to listen and support you. Please reach out any time.

Here is a brief article with some tips.

Read the Article Here
 

🏫  Upcoming University Visits

 Wednesdays at 12:15 

The full list of visits for 21-22 is located on the university counseling page of our AAS website under University Visits and Videos.

This week's visits
British Higher School of Art and Design (Russia)
and
Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland)

Next week's visits
Le Roches International School of Hotel Management (Switzerland)
and
IE University (Spain)
 

📹  Uni Visit Recordings

An opportunity to listen to the recordings of last week’s visits.

ALL students have access to the recordings of all university visits through Maia Learning. ENJOY!

University Of Calgary
Top public research University in Canada
 

❞  Quote of the week

The role of parents is key to motivation!

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

As students return to campus tomorrow, we also want to give you more insight and perspective into how Covid, and the Omicron variant, has affected the High School. 

Recently, we had to transition each grade level to DL due to a large number of close contacts. The increase in the cases that we have seen in January in our community has been rapid, and the change to DL was a direct result of that. To give you an idea of the magnitude of the change, from August to December, the HS experienced nine students and one faculty/staff member who tested positive. From January 1 through January 25 the HS has recorded eighteen students and four faculty/staff members who have tested positive. This resulted in the vast majority of HS students being identified as a close contact over a period of four school days. This was a rapid and radical change from our past experience with Covid. The widespread number of close contacts necessitated we make a transition to DL. While the decision was made on a grade-level basis, the large number of cases that overlapped in a short period of time meant that all four grade levels were shifted to DL at nearly the same time. 

From the earliest days of the pandemic, AAS leadership has strived to provide learning experiences and environments that are consistent and predictable. This allows for a more stable learning environment and reduces the number of transitions that a student or family experiences. We are closely monitoring the number of cases in the school community and examining how a rising number of positive cases among both students and faculty/staff could impact the consistency and predictability of your child’s learning experience. 

We look forward to students returning to campus tomorrow, and will update you as we learn more about any significant developments.
 

✏️  SAT/ACT Exams

We are happy to share that we will be able to offer the SAT exam for both the March and May sessions.

Ms. Natasha in the counseling office will be in contact with test takers closer to the date with more information. 

To ensure the community’s safety, we will have separate entrances and testing rooms for AAS and non-AAS students. Additionally, we put in place heightened Covid precautions for individuals who are visiting our campus for the exam.
 

📷  Yearbooks Photos

 February 7 & 8 

If your child did not have their picture taken in October, there will be a picture retake day on February 7 and 8.

If this applies to your child, the HS office will be in contact to schedule the time.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🐧  Transition Period for Grade 12s

Grade 12 students are in the process of transitioning into a new phase of the IB Program.

With the EE over and the TOK course coming to a rapid conclusion two major components of the IB are wrapping up. The TOK Essay was due past Wednesday, and although some students will have to revise theirs after this date, it is nearing an end.

On January 28 the course will officially end. At this same time, some courses will move into full-on revision. Most will do the same in January and February.

The heaviest lifting is over, but there is plenty left to do during the revision period. This transition is something to celebrate, however, and our Grade 12s should feel a sense of accomplishment.
 

📝  Grade 11 Subject Selection & Supervisor Assignments

 this week 

Grade 11s have made their subject selections this week.

Mr. Sonderman has also assigned supervisors. Supervisors will work with students independently to advise the progress with the EE over the next 11 months. The Extended Essay is a major component of the IB Diploma Program. All DP candidates complete an intensive, research-based 4,000-word essay in a topic of their choosing. Topics must come from a subject the student taking at AAS.

Topics from the grade cohort that just finished the EE process include:

• To what extent are environmental factors the primary etiology of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)?
• To what extent could the implementation of Pigouvian Taxes mitigate the effects of Eco-Disasters such as the Kamchatka Marine Catastrophe?
• To what extent do inherited genetic mutations influence the development of familial early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and sporadic late-onset Alzheimer’s disease?
• How can sustainable mining be incentivized for cobalt mining operations in the Central African Copperbelt?
• Which aspect of an imaginary number allows its utilization in the electronic and electrical fields?
• How does Richard Siken communicate an atmosphere of panic in the poetry of his book Crush (2005)?
• To what extent does a collectivistic child upbringing affect divorce rates among 2nd generation children in societies that are predominantly individualistic?
• To what extent does plasma-rich platelet therapy provide an alternative method of treatment for improvement in recovery rates in high-performance athletes?
• To what extent did foreign intervention allow the Viet Minh to become the leading faction during the First Indochina War of 1946-1954?

As you can see, topics are quite narrow and vary greatly by subject. Before the break, we started with informal exercises designed to get students thinking about potential EE subjects and topics.

Last Thursday and Friday Mr. Sonderman held formal assemblies with the grade 11 students.

Please talk with your child about EE possibilities.

 

The majority of AAS students apply to 2-3 different countries when they are applying to universities.

With different applications and systems in each this can be a bit confusing – no worries though – as your AAS Counselors are skilled and knowledgeable regarding the ins and outs of these processes. AAS Counselors support students throughout this process which begins even in Grade 9 as they learn about their strengths, personalities and skills and what fields may be a good fit for them.

Interested in learning more about applying to university in different countries? The guide below is available on our University Counseling page as well as other resources. Stop by and visit it!

Read the guide Here
 

🏫  Upcoming University Visits

 Wednesdays at 12:15 

The full list of visits for 21-22 is located on the university counseling page of our AAS website under University Visits and Videos.

This week's visits
University for Creative Arts (UK)
and
University of Calgary (Canada)

Next week's visits
British Higher School of Art and Design (Russia)
and
Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland)
 

📹  Uni Visit Recordings

An opportunity to listen to the recordings of last week’s visits.

ALL students have access to the recordings of all university visits through Maia Learning. ENJOY!

American University In Rome
American university and academic program in English and located in Italy
 

❞  Quote of the week

As we continue to navigate our daily lives, this quote provides some resonance on the importance of sharing with others.

 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

To help support students during their period of Distance Learning, the HS put together this list of Frequently Asked Questions and resources to help give you and your child at-the-ready answers for questions that often come up.

Read the FAQ Here

The HS is also offering a drop-in Q&A session for any interested parent or guardian. It will be held Thursday January 20 at 9:15 in Mr. Groves’ Webex.

Join Mr.Groves' Webex Here
 

The end of first semester is coming very soon, on January 28th. As we approach that date, students may have several AoLs, though they should not have more than two in a day, and teachers have coordinated to ensure that. If there is a mix-up and your child does have more than two AoLs in a day please ask them to email the specific teachers so that an AoL can be rescheduled. 

For students in grade 9 and 10, the new semester means that many of their courses will change beginning January 31. Courses that will transition at the semester are PE, science and most electives. English, social studies, world language and some music electives run from August - June.

Progress report and report cards will be shared with all families via email on February 11th.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🐧  Transition Period for Grade 12s

Grade 12 students are in the process of transitioning into a new phase of the IB Program.

With the EE over and the TOK course coming to a rapid conclusion two major components of the IB are wrapping up. The TOK Essay is due this Wednesday, and although some students will have to revise theirs after this date, it is nearing an end.

On January 28 the course will officially end. At this same time, some courses will move into full-on revision. Most will do the same in January and February.

The heaviest lifting is over, but there is plenty left to do during the revision period. This transition is something to celebrate, however, and our Grade 12s should feel a sense of accomplishment.
 

📝  Grade 11 Subject Selection & Supervisor Assignments

 this week 

Grade 11s are making their subject selections this week.

Mr. Sonderman is also assigning supervisors. Supervisors will work with students independently to advise the progress with the EE over the next 11 months. The Extended Essay is a major component of the IB Diploma Program. All DP candidates complete an intensive, research-based 4,000-word essay in a topic of their choosing. Topics must come from a subject the student taking at AAS.

Topics from the grade cohort that just finished the EE process include:

• To what extent are environmental factors the primary etiology of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)?
• To what extent could the implementation of Pigouvian Taxes mitigate the effects of Eco-Disasters such as the Kamchatka Marine Catastrophe?
• To what extent do inherited genetic mutations influence the development of familial early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and sporadic late-onset Alzheimer’s disease?
• How can sustainable mining be incentivized for cobalt mining operations in the Central African Copperbelt?
• Which aspect of an imaginary number allows its utilization in the electronic and electrical fields?
• How does Richard Siken communicate an atmosphere of panic in the poetry of his book Crush (2005)?
• To what extent does a collectivistic child upbringing affect divorce rates among 2nd generation children in societies that are predominantly individualistic?
• To what extent does plasma-rich platelet therapy provide an alternative method of treatment for improvement in recovery rates in high-performance athletes?
• To what extent did foreign intervention allow the Viet Minh to become the leading faction during the First Indochina War of 1946-1954?

As you can see, topics are quite narrow and vary greatly by subject. Before the break, we started with informal exercises designed to get students thinking about potential EE subjects and topics.

Last Thursday and Friday Mr. Sonderman held formal assemblies with the grade 11 students.

Please talk with your child about EE possibilities.

 

As semester 1 comes to a close on January 28th, we begin to look forward to all the semester two brings for our students.

For Grade 11, the university research and application process has already begun through their completion of a University Questionnaire, shared with them this week.

Grade 11 Parents, have an important role in this process – as such, we invite ALL GRADE 11 PARENTS to complete a parent university questionnaire so that we can begin the discussion of how best to support your child in finding the path after high school that best meets their interest and needs.

Please go to the link  below to the questionnaire which is located on our school website.

Complete the Questionnaire

You may already be thinking about the sun and warmth that summer brings and also what opportunities are available to your child to explore a career, area of interest, learn a new skill, attend a webinar, take a course and more… our university counseling page on the website is regularly updated with several opportunities that may be of interest – click on Pre-University Experiences.
 

🏫  Upcoming University Visits

 Wednesdays at 12:15 

The full list of visits for 21-22 is located on the university counseling page of our AAS website under University Visits and Videos.

This week's visits
American University in Rome (Italy)
and
PACE University (USA)

Next week's visits
University for Creative Arts (UK)
and
University of Calgary (Canada)
 

📹  Uni Visit Recordings

An opportunity to listen to the recordings of last week’s visits.

ALL students have access to the recordings of all university visits through Maia Learning. ENJOY!

SUNY Korea
American university and academic program in English and located in S. Korea

Dickinson College
Small US liberal arts college with a focus on internationalism and sustainability and currently home to two Class of 2020 AAS Alumni.
 

❞  A lovely quote to leave with you this week.

 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

Welcome back to campus for a chilly start to 2022!

We hope that you and your families had a wonderful break and that you were able to do enjoyable activities over the last three weeks. We are seeing more and more students returning to campus each day this week and we hope to have everyone back by next Monday.

We also have several new families joining us this month and we look forward to welcoming their children to campus over the next several weeks. 

Please remember that the one-way Webex period following this vacation continues through January 14th. Beginning Monday, January 17th, Webex access will again be limited to students recovering from Covid, close contacts and students who are out of the country for visa-related reasons.
 

⭐️  Learning This Week

Just before break, on December 17th, the music and drama departments planned on holding a performing arts assembly during advisory that would have been shown both to a live audience and livestreamed to the HS.

Unfortunately, due to a large number of close contacts on that day most of the events were shown via recording. However, we were still able to see an incredible performance from Olga, one of our extremely talented grade 9 students. Please see the event below.

 

🍽  Cafeteria

If you need to add money to your child’s cafeteria account, please use the link below.

Top Up Cafeteria Account
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🐧  Transition Period for Grade 12s

Grade 12 students are in the process of transitioning into a new phase of the IB Program.

With the EE over and the TOK course coming to a rapid conclusion two major components of the IB are wrapping up. The TOK Essay is due this Friday, and although some students will have to revise theirs after this date, it is nearing an end.

On January 24 the course will officially end. At this same time, some courses will move into full-on revision. Most will do the same in January and February.

The heaviest lifting is over, but there is plenty left to do during the revision period. This transition is something to celebrate, however, and our Grade 12s should feel a sense of accomplishment.
 

📝  Grade 11 Start the Informal Extended Essay Process

The Extended Essay is a major component of the IB Diploma Program.

All DP candidates complete an intensive, research-based 4,000-word essay in a topic of their choosing. Topics must come from a subject the student taking at AAS. Topics from the grade cohort that just finished the EE process include:

• To what extent are environmental factors the primary etiology of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)?
• To what extent could the implementation of Pigouvian Taxes mitigate the effects of Eco-Disasters such as the Kamchatka Marine Catastrophe?
• To what extent do inherited genetic mutations influence the development of familial early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and sporadic late-onset Alzheimer’s disease?
• How can sustainable mining be incentivized for cobalt mining operations in the Central African Copperbelt?
• Which aspect of an imaginary number allows its utilization in the electronic and electrical fields?
• How does Richard Siken communicate an atmosphere of panic in the poetry of his book Crush (2005)?
• To what extent does a collectivistic child upbringing affect divorce rates among 2nd generation children in societies that are predominantly individualistic?
• To what extent does plasma-rich platelet therapy provide an alternative method of treatment for improvement in recovery rates in high-performance athletes?
• To what extent did foreign intervention allow the Viet Minh to become the leading faction during the First Indochina War of 1946-1954?

As you can see, topics are quite narrow and vary greatly by subject. Before the break, we started with informal exercises designed to get students thinking about potential EE subjects and topics.

This Thursday and Friday Mr. Sonderman will hold formal assemblies with the grade 11 students.

Please talk with your child about EE possibilities.

 

Happy New YEAR!!!

We all return to campus this week with rest and a focus on the second half of the year.

The vast majority of seniors have submitted their applications and offers are already rolling in. Congratulations to Senior Families on the good news that they have received so far!
 

🏛  The HS Counselors will meet with both Grade 11 and Grade 12 students

 Next week 

Grade 11 students will officially begin their university search process through a counselor presentation on Tuesday, Jan 16 and by completing a detailed questionnaire which will help them discern a variety of aspects of universities and their preferences AND provide important information to inform their recommendations. This is an important and critical document as they move through the university application process.

Counselors will be meeting with Grade 12 to share stress management strategies as they get closer to mock and final IB exams and managing university responses. This is a wonderful opportunity to be reminded of the importance of maintaining good health and wellbeing at these demanding times.
 

🏫  University Visits

 Wednesday, January 12, 2021 at 12:15 
 Wednesday, January 19, 2021 at 12:15 

This week's visits
 Wednesday, January 12, 2021 at 12:15 
Dickinson College (Liberal Arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
and
State University of New York in (Korea)

Next week's visits
 Wednesday, January 19, 2021 at 12:15 
American University in Rome (Italy)
and
PACE University (USA)
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

Finding meaning in life can be something that we contemplate over time and search for throughout our lives and COVID has caused many of us to think about this concept even more deeply.

The article below looks at meaning and satisfaction during these times across 17 countries and shares a great deal of insight and themes in their research. You may find this information intriguing at a time that has challenged us in many ways.

Here is one quote from this research
“There is a common thread that runs through multiple domains of meaning: connection to others. People around the world feel that family, romantic partners, friends, community, and pets can all make life more meaningful - an insight that confirms decades of scientific studies into the roots of well-being.”

Read the article here
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

Looking back on the start of this school year we would like to express gratitude for the outstanding ways in which students continue to engage in learning and with one another.

Over the last two weeks I have had the privilege to help facilitate both director interviews with students from all divisions of the school. In each interview the candidate asked what your children enjoy about AAS. The students were able to creatively and articulately share a different aspect of the school that connected with them and made AAS the right place for them. From providing a welcoming environment for a student who is new to AAS, to being a diverse and inclusive community, to offering a range of ways to engage outside of the classroom, the feedback was honest, genuine and spoke to their individual needs and situation. As a school leader, this conversation underscored what is so unique and wonderful about AAS, that no matter who you are, there is a place for you within our Mission and within our community. 

As we head into the December/January break, I hope everyone is able to relax, rejuvenate and find time for themselves and their loved ones.
 

⭐️  Learning this Week

As part of grade 10 advisory, students were asked to share what they were grateful for.

Students shared thoughts that ranged from something a friend had recently taught them to the cafeteria to their family. Here are examples of what students shared.

 

💻  Webex Access

 January 10 - 14 

Students who are traveling over the December break to be vaccinated will have one way digital access during the first week after break.

This will allow for any additional time needed for those appointments.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🐧  Transition Period for Grade 12s

Grade 12 students are in the process of transitioning into a new phase of the IB Program.

With the EE over and the TOK course coming to a rapid conclusion two major components of the IB are wrapping up. The TOK Essay is due this Friday, and although some students will have to revise theirs after this date, it is nearing an end.

On January 24th the course will officially end. At this same time, some courses will move into full-on revision. Most will do the same in January and February.

The heaviest lifting is over, but there is plenty left to do during the revision period. This transition is something to celebrate, however, and our Grade 12s should feel a sense of accomplishment.
 

📝  Grade 11 Start the Informal Extended Essay Process

The Extended Essay is a major component of the IB Diploma Program.

All DP candidates complete an intensive, research-based 4,000-word essay in a topic of their choosing. Topics must come from a subject the student taking at AAS. Topics from the grade cohort that just finished the EE process include:

• To what extent are environmental factors the primary etiology of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)?
• To what extent could the implementation of Pigouvian Taxes mitigate the effects of Eco-Disasters such as the Kamchatka Marine Catastrophe?
• To what extent do inherited genetic mutations influence the development of familial early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and sporadic late-onset Alzheimer’s disease?
• How can sustainable mining be incentivized for cobalt mining operations in the Central African Copperbelt?
• Which aspect of an imaginary number allows its utilization in the electronic and electrical fields?
• How does Richard Siken communicate an atmosphere of panic in the poetry of his book Crush (2005)?
• To what extent does a collectivistic child upbringing affect divorce rates among 2nd generation children in societies that are predominantly individualistic?
• To what extent does plasma-rich platelet therapy provide an alternative method of treatment for improvement in recovery rates in high-performance athletes?
• To what extent did foreign intervention allow the Viet Minh to become the leading faction during the First Indochina War of 1946-1954?

As you can see, topics are quite narrow and vary greatly by subject.

Please talk with your child about EE possibilities.
 

This week counselors are quite busy with the majority of university applications being sent before winter break.

We have had some acceptances already and have been adding to our “acceptance door” in the HS Guidance Office. Students embrace the updates and it is an incredible process to see it begin blank each year and then fill throughout with the names of all unis that our students have gained acceptances from. See for yourself!
 

🏫  University Visits

 Wednesday, January 12, 2021 at 12:15 

First virtual university visits of 2022!

 Wednesday, January 12, 2021 at 12:15 
Dickinson College (Liberal Arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
and
State University of New York in (Korea)

Students can sign up to attend visits on MaiaLearning.
 

☕️  College Coffees

Counselor coffee recordings and presentations are located on our university counseling page of the AAS website.
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

For IB students, breaks can often mean a time for catching up on work and sometimes working ahead but there is nothing more challenging then returning from break and feeling as though you are exhausted and that is you never had one.

If you child, MUST complete work or applications during winter break, PLEASE help them to set up clear times and days for this work so that the rest of the time they can sleep in, hang out with friends, enjoy family time and more. In this way, they will return from break refreshed and ready for second semester!

Here is a brief article that can give a bit more insight into how to compartmentalize as a skill in managing stress.

Read the article here
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

⭐️  Learning this Week

Thank you for your help in supporting Kids in the Community (KIK) and our ongoing shoebox campaign.

Each AAS student is asked to bring in two to three gifts based on a list shared last week in advisory. We will be accepting gifts through the end of this week, December 10. 

In recognition of our longstanding partnership with them and as a thank you to the AAS community, Kitizh, one of the local foster villages that we partner with recently sent us this.

It translates as: “Teachers and Parents of the children’s settlement Kitizh would like to express their gratitude to all children, parents and teachers of the Anglo-American School for their creative cooperation and New Year’s gifts. We wish you a Merry Christmas and happy New Year.”
 

🌐  Webex Access

Just a reminder that the only students who are able to have Webex access to classes are those who have been identified as having Covid, being a Covid close contact or who are out of the country for visa-related travel.

All divisions will be providing one-way Webex access for after the Winter break for one week, January 10-14. Students are not able to access Webex due to:

• Early departure for the holiday
• Non-Covid illness where a student is home for a few days

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the HS Office.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🐧  Transition Period for Grade 12s

Grade 12 students are in the process of transitioning into a new phase of the IB Program.

With the EE over and the TOK course coming to a rapid conclusion two major components of the IB are wrapping up. The TOK Essay is due this Friday, and although some students will have to revise theirs after this date, it is nearing an end.

On January 24th the course will officially end. At this same time, some courses will move into full-on revision. Most will do the same in January and February.

The heaviest lifting is over, but there is plenty left to do during the revision period. This transition is something to celebrate, however, and our Grade 12s should feel a sense of accomplishment.
 

📝  Grade 11 Start the Informal Extended Essay Process

 next week 

The Extended Essay is a major component of the IB Diploma Program.

All DP candidates complete an intensive, research-based 4,000-word essay in a topic of their choosing. Topics must come from a subject the student taking at AAS. Topics from the grade cohort that just finished the EE process include:

• To what extent are environmental factors the primary etiology of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)?
• To what extent could the implementation of Pigouvian Taxes mitigate the effects of Eco-Disasters such as the Kamchatka Marine Catastrophe?
• To what extent do inherited genetic mutations influence the development of familial early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and sporadic late-onset Alzheimer’s disease?
• How can sustainable mining be incentivized for cobalt mining operations in the Central African Copperbelt?
• Which aspect of an imaginary number allows its utilization in the electronic and electrical fields?
• How does Richard Siken communicate an atmosphere of panic in the poetry of his book Crush (2005)?
• To what extent does a collectivistic child upbringing affect divorce rates among 2nd generation children in societies that are predominantly individualistic?
• To what extent does plasma-rich platelet therapy provide an alternative method of treatment for improvement in recovery rates in high-performance athletes?
• To what extent did foreign intervention allow the Viet Minh to become the leading faction during the First Indochina War of 1946-1954?

As you can see, topics are quite narrow and vary greatly by subject. Next week we will start with exercises designed to get students thinking about potential EE subjects and topics.

Please talk with your child about EE possibilities.
 

This week the counselors presented to Grade 12 students about how to interview well.

This skill is crucial for getting jobs and internships, but it can also play a large role in university admissions, depending on the country and the type of university. One of the most important elements of acing the interview is gratitude, and grade 12 students will work on composing thank you notes after their mock interview practice.

Counselors also met with Grade 11 students to talk about the AAS Child Protection policy, and encourage them to find healthy ways to reduce stress as a way of protecting their own safety and wellness.  They will be engaging in Mindfulness and relaxation exercises for the rest of the week in advisory.
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

First virtual university visits of 2022!

 Wednesday, January 12, 2021 at 12:15 
Dickinson College (Liberal Arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
and
State University of New York in (Korea)

Students can sign up to attend visits on MaiaLearning.
 

☕️  College Coffees

Counselor coffee recordings and presentations are located on our university counseling page of the AAS website.
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

Did you know that Loving Kindness Meditation as a Mindfulness practice can actually increase physical wellness and longevity?

Check out the article below that highlights 18 different science-backed ways that practicing Loving Kindness Meditation can benefit your health.

Read the article here

We encourage you and your family to practice loving kindness towards each other and towards the people in your lives, and reap the rewards of all of those positive feelings!
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

🎄  KIK Club Shoebox Campaign

This year, one of our HS clubs, Kids in the Community (KIK), is bringing back an important community event that we were not able to do last year, our annual Shoebox campaign.

Every year, we work with three orphanages to deliver gifts to every child there. We hope everyone is in the mood to start some Christmas shopping!
 

📝  Learning this Week

Social studies 10 class with Mr. Maia.

 

⭐️  Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thank you to everyone for participating in last week’s conferences.

They are crucial in supporting your children’s learning and continuing our partnership with families.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📄  Grade 12 Viva Voce Interviews Are Underway

As a part of the Extended Essay process, the IB requires all students to undergo interviews with their respective EE Supervisors.

The interviews last approximately 30-minutes in which students are asked a series of questions related to the EE process, research, and completion. At the end of the interview students record their final EE Reflections.

Once completed the EE is done!
 

📝  Extended Essay Gallery Walk Is Up!

Grade 12 students worked on the installation of their EE Gallery Walk presentations last Monday.

Annually, AAS displays student presentations of the work they did on their Extended Essays of the community to see. While unfortunately not all members of our community can access campus, we will make sure to share the results of the Gallery Walk via video and pics. This is always one of the highlights of the year, seeing all of the senior’s hard work on display together.

 

This week and next, Grade 12s will share their experiences with the grade 11s in the Hall of Flags exhibit.
 

⭐️  Grade 11 CAS Interviews

Our Grade 11 students are involved in their first set of CAS interviews this past week.

As a part of the process, the students are interviewed by the advisors about the variety of Creativity, Activity, and Service elements they are involved in at AAS our outside our school community. CAS is a required element of all students at AAS. It is central to our belief that education extends beyond the academic subjects students study at school.

Please ask your child about their CAS experiences.
 

📰  Article(s) of the Week

Living a happy life is for all ages and the long-term effects of living through a pandemic are with us still.

Today's article discusses the various aspects of happiness for teens and how we can go about creating happiness for ourselves.

Feel free to read or listen to this article and share your thoughts with us.

Read the Article

This week students and counselors are gearing up to send the majority of university applications in these last 3 weeks before break. It is a very exciting time with lots of possibilities and we even have some acceptances already. We will be meeting with Grade 11 next week to discuss our AAS Child Protection Policy and How to Maintain Wellness and with Grade 12 to discuss how to prepare for interviews.

This is a busy and exciting time of year and we encourage students to be sure to take a significant amount of time away from school work during break to ensure that they come back refreshed and ready for second term.
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

First virtual university visits of 2022!

 Wednesday, January 12, 2021 at 12:15 
Dickinson College (Liberal Arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
and
State University of New York in (Korea)

Students can sign up to attend visits on MaiaLearning.
 

☕️  College Coffees

 November 30 

Counselor coffee recordings and presentations are located on our university counseling page of the AAS website.
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

📝  Learning This Week - Extended Essay Gallery Walk

Over the next several days students and faculty will have the opportunity to learn about what this year’s seniors have been focused on in their Extended Essays.

The gallery walk is a way for us to both engage with their projects and celebrate the culmination of nearly a year’s learning.

 

There will be opportunities for students to ask questions of the seniors as well as hear about the process and areas of growth.
 

⭐️  Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

 November 25 & 26 

Tomorrow and Friday are dedicated to the all important conversations between you, your child and your child’s teachers.

We’re heartened by the large number of families that have already signed up. While the sign-up window for tomorrow is now closed, you can still register for appointments on Friday.

Register for Friday Here
 

🐧  Recent Community Connection

Last week we hosted two prevention specialists from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation to speak with all members of our community about prevention and recovery solutions related to alcohol, nicotine and other drugs.

As part of their visit we held an information session for families. For a recording of that session, please see below.

Watch the recording here
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📄  Grade 12 Viva Voce Interviews Are Underway

As a part of the Extended Essay process, the IB requires all students to undergo interviews with their respective EE Supervisors.

The interviews last approximately 30-minutes in which students are asked a series of questions related to the EE process, research, and completion. At the end of the interview students record their final EE Reflections.

Once completed the EE is done!
 

📝  Extended Essay Gallery Walk is up!

Grade 12 students worked on the installation of their EE Gallery Walk presentations on Monday.

Annually, AAS displays student presentations of the work they did on their Extended Essays of the community to see. While unfortunately not all members of our community can access campus, we will make sure to share the results of the Gallery Walk via video and pics. This is always one of the highlights of the year, seeing all of the senior’s hard work on display together.

 

This week and next, Grade 12s will share their experiences with the grade 11s in the Hall of Flags exhibit.
 

⭐️  Grade 11 CAS Interviews

Our Grade 11 students are involved in their first set of CAS interviews this week.

As a part of the process, the students are interviewed by the advisors about the variety of Creativity, Activity, and Service elements they are involved in at AAS or outside our school community. CAS is a required element of all students at AAS. It is central to our belief that education extends beyond the academic subjects students study at school.

Please ask your child about their CAS experiences.
 

The counselors are looking forward to connecting with many of you during our upcoming Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences. This is a great time to hear from teachers, and also discuss strategies for improvement as well as thoughts about future plans post-high school. We hope that all parties—parents, students, and teachers—find the conferences insightful and productive.
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page.

Visit University Counseling Page

Please encourage your child to use these opportunities to learn more about university and the wide variety of options that are available to them.

Here is how they attend using Maia Learning.

 This week’s virtual university visits are the last visits of 2021! 

 This week’s visits - Wednesday, November 24 at 12:15 
Maastricht University (NL)
and
ESSEC Business School (FR)

 Next visits - Wednesday, January 12, 2021 
SUNY Korea (State University of New York campus in Songdo, Korea)
and
Dickinson College (Liberal Arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
 

☕️  College Coffees

 November 30 

Our next college coffees will take place on Webex at 14:00.

Prior counselor coffee recordings and presentations are located on our university counseling page of the AAS website.

•    November 30 - Magic 10: Matching eligibility and requirements to find the right student/university “fit”.

Join via Webex Here
 

📰  Article(s) of the Week

Today's article from Greater Good Magazine highlights the positive effects of gratitude on the brain.

Feelings of gratitude link strongly to reduced stress, better sleep, and a greater sense of happiness and wellbeing. The experiment highlighted in this article showed that when people experience gratitude, their brains exhibited increased activity in the area connected to empathy, emotional regulation, and stress relief.

Read the Article Here

If you celebrate Thanksgiving Day this week, or even if you do not recognize this holiday, engage in some active giving of thanks for the positive things in your life, and bask in the benefits of gratitude.
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal

⭐️  Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

 November 25 & 26 

Thank you to all the families that have already begun to sign up for the conferences next week.

Please use these days as an opportunity to connect with your child’s teachers and engage in meaningful conversations about your child’s learning and their next steps.

Below are a video of the directions on how to sign up, and a link to our sign-up page.

Watch the Video        Sign Up Here
 

💻  Recent Presentations

As part of our ongoing commitment to student wellness and learning, the HS is hosting two prevention specialists from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation this week.

As part of their virtual visit to AAS the specialists host a parent session. If you weren’t able to make the session yesterday, please see the link below for the recording.

Watch the Recording
 

📄  Learning This Week

This was taken recently in a grade 11 IB Biology class as students were making models to help explain different forms of diffusion in cells.

 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

✍️  Extended Essay Final Steps

The deadline for the final Extended Essay came and went last week.

I am happy to report that all the Grade 12 students met the internal deadline for this milestone component of the IB Program at AAS.

The final steps in the process include the viva voce defense of the paper with the students’ respective EE Supervisors and the presentation of the EEs in the Extended Essay Gallery Walk. Through the Gallery Walk, the students will share their EEs with the community.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021. Well done!
 

📝  Extended Essay Gallery Walk

Grade 12 students are working this week on their EE Gallery Walk presentations.

Annually, AAS displays student presentations of the work they did on their Extended Essays of the community to see. While unfortunately not all members of our community can access campus, we will make sure to share the results of the Gallery Walk via video and pics.

This is always one of the highlights of the year, seeing all of the senior’s hard work on display together.
 

⭐️  Grade 11 CAS Interviews

Our Grade 11 students are involved in their first set of CAS interviews this week.

As a part of the process, the students are interviewed by the advisors about the variety of Creativity, Activity, and Service elements they are involved in at AAS or outside our school community. CAS is a required element of all students at AAS. It is central to our belief that education extends beyond the academic subjects students study at school.

Please ask your child about their CAS experiences.
 

This is a busy week in the High School!

The counselors for the upper grades are currently attending the CIS Global Forum on International Admissions and Guidance. This is a great opportunity to attend breakout sessions on trends in international university admissions, solidify best practices, and network with admissions representatives from around the globe. Attendance and outreach at conferences such as this one is one of the many ways that we support our students in the university admissions process.

This week AAS is also hosting the Prevention Solutions Hazelden Betty Ford organization, formerly known as FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency). We have two representatives from this organization leading all-school assemblies, faculty meetings, a parent workshop, as well as small seminar discussions with grades 9 and 11. The focus of Prevention Solutions is inspiring students to lead healthy lives, free of dependency on drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page.

Visit University Counseling Page

Please encourage your child to use these opportunities to learn more about university and the wide variety of options that are available to them.

Here is how they attend using Maia Learning.

 This week’s visits - Wednesday, November 17 at 12:15 
International Film School of Paris
and
ESADE Business School in Spain

 Next week’s visits - Wednesday, November 24 at 12:15 
Maastricht University (NL)
and
ESSEC Business School (FR)
 

☕️  College Coffees

 November 30 

The next college coffees will take place on Webex at 14:00 on the following date.

Prior counselor coffee recordings and presentations are located on our university counseling page of the AAS website.

•    November 30 - Magic 10: Matching eligibility and requirements to find the right student/university “fit”.

Join via Webex Here
 

📰  Article(s) of the Week

Prevention Solutions Hazelden Betty Ford has a plethora of resources for parents available on their website.

They also host parent webinars and have published a series of podcasts on topics ranging from addiction and recovery, race and personal transformation, to the aftermath of distance learning. You can find a link to their podcasts below.

Check Out the Podcasts Here

 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

Welcome back from November break, we hope that everyone is feeling rested, refreshed and ready for the learning that is to come. We are halfway through the first semester, and are looking forward to more exciting experiences to come.
 

📝  Progress Reports

 Monday, November 15 

This Friday afternoon we will be sharing an update on your child’s learning so far this year.

This progress report focuses on our Approaches to Learning, the skills and dispositions that are underpin learning. 

Students will receive comments on their ATLs if they have specific areas of growth which the teacher has identified. Students who are finding success in the ATLs will find the essential attributes of that area in the descriptors linked above. 

Beginning Monday, November 15, parents and students will be able to login to PowerSchool to view cumulative grade information for all courses. This cumulative score is an average of the Assessments of Learning (AoLs) for each student.
 

⭐️  Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

 November 25, 26 

On November 25th and 26th, all divisions at AAS will be holding Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences on Webex.

Please use these days as an opportunity to connect with your child’s teachers and engage in meaningful conversations about your child’s learning and their next steps. 

This Friday we will share information on how you can sign-up for the conferences, each teacher will have time slots available on Thursday and Friday.
 

📊 MAP Parent Information Sessions

 November 16, 18, 22 

Beginning in mid-September, Grade 2 - 10 students participated in the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP®) testing, an externally-created and measured standardized test. Over the next two weeks, Kirsten Welbes, AAS Secondary Learning Coordinator will be offering 3 parent sessions, with the reports going home to parents after parent conferences on the 26th of November.

Learn More and Join Here
 

💻  One-way Webex Access

As shared in the Director’s portion of the newsletter on October 27th, all students may access learning with one-way Webex access through Friday, November 12th. 

Beginning Monday we again prioritize our current learning model, Modified Full on Campus. We anticipate that all students will be attending classes in-person and on campus. Webex access to learning will be limited to students who are close contacts, those who received a positive PCR test and students who are out of the country to obtain a new visa.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

✍️  Extended Essay Final Steps

The deadline for the final Extended Essay came and went yesterday.

I am happy to report that all the Grade 12 students met the internal deadline for this milestone component of the IB Program at AAS.

The final steps in the process include the viva voce defense of the paper with the students’ respective EE Supervisors and the presentation of the EEs in the Extended Essay Gallery Walk. Through the Gallery Walk, the students will share their EEs with the community.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021. Well done!
 

⭐️  Grade 11 CAS Interviews

Our Grade 11 students are involved in their first set of CAS interviews this week.

As a part of the process, the students are interviewed by the advisors about the variety of Creativity, Activity, and Service elements they are involved in at AAS our outside our school community. CAS is a required element of all students at AAS. It is central to our belief that education extends beyond the academic subjects students study at school.

Please ask your child about their CAS experiences.
 

Welcome back from break!

All HS Counselors are now back in Moscow and eager to support you and your children as we move towards winter break. There are lots of events and activities coming soon so we will share the highlights below.
 

☝️  AAS Child Protection Policy

Grade 12 students will meet with Ms. Will and Ms. Zimmerman this week to review our AAS Child Protection Policy and discuss healthy boundaries and social media.

These meetings are part of our AAS Child Protection Policy which provides annual lessons to students in every grade each year on this topic.
 

⚠️  Freedom from Chemical Dependency

 November 15 - 18 

FCD is making their every other year visit to AAS NEXT week – November 15 - 18.

Presenters from FCD will speak with students, staff and parents about a variety of topics related to alcohol tobacco and other drug use as an adolescent. The parent session will take place on Mr. Wiese’s webex on Tuesday, November 16 at 10AM – please consider attending.

Join Tuesday Session Here
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page.

Visit University Counseling Page

Please encourage your child to use these opportunities to learn more about university and the wide variety of options that are available to them.

Here is how they attend using Maia Learning.

 This week’s visits - Wednesday, November 10 at 12:15 
University College Utrecht
(Liberal Arts College in Netherlands)
and
Minerva University
(Global program with campuses in 7 countries)

 Next week’s visits - Wednesday, November 17 at 12:15 
International Film School of Paris
and
ESADE Business School in Spain
 

☕️  College Coffees

 November 30 

The next college coffees will take place on Webex at 14:00 on the following date.

•    November 30 - Magic 10: Matching eligibility and requirements to find the right student/university “fit”.

Join via Webex Here
 

🤝  US Admissions Leaders Roundtable

 November 10, 16:00 

US Dept of State and College Board Overseas Schools Project is hosting a US Admissions Leaders Roundtable webinar for students and parents on November 10th at 4PM Moscow time.

Learn more and register to attend by clicking on the links below.

Learn More Here

Register Here
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

As we near the end of the first quarter we should all take time to celebrate the successes we have had so far this year, whether they be academic, outside of the classroom, on-campus or at home. As a High School we have been pleased to see how quickly students re-engaged in learning this fall and participated in extracurricular activities. 

We look forward to continuing to expand the voice of students in the High School. Recently, during our Leadership Academy, students reviewed the ideas and feedback of their peers on their understanding of Integrity, one of our school's Core Values. As we return from the fall break we will begin to share those understandings with the community and look for ways to integrate them into our routines and culture.
 

☝️  Learning Pathway for Thursday and Friday

 October 28, 29 

As shared last week, this Thursday and Friday AAS will engage in Distance Learning in response to the current epidemiological situation and the restrictions and recommendations from the city of Moscow. 

We will communicate with the AAS community on or before November 5 with information regarding the learning model as of November 8, 2021.

It is our goal to have students on campus as much as possible, as long as it is safe to do so.

For more details and suggestions on how to set students up for success during Distance Learning, please see our email to all HS families from Monday, Oct 25.
 

🏫  Campus Access Following November Break

Please see the Director’s section of the newsletter for information regarding this topic.
 

📄  Progress Reports

 November 12 

On November 12 families will receive the fall progress report.

This learning update focuses on the Approaches to Learning, the skills and dispositions that are essential building blocks for successful academic engagement. You will be able to access these reports in PowerSchool, directions on how to do so will be shared closer to the date. 

Please use this important first check-in as a starting place for conversations with your child about their learning and progress thus far this academic year. If you have specific questions or concerns regarding a class you can always schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher to go over those in more depth.

Up to this point in the academic year families have been able to follow feedback and scores on individual assessments, after November 15th we will begin to display summative grade calculations. These scores are a composite grade of all the summative (Assessments of Learning/AoL) grades that a student has completed in each class.

 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🗺  Grade 12 Individual Planning Meetings

Mr. Sonderman is meeting with all Grade 12 students individually for the next couple of months to discuss Year 2 in the IB, progress on major works such as IAs and the Extended Essay, university plans, and Predicted Grades.

The meetings are meant to provide context for the year and to identify weak points that need to be addressed. They are also intended to give each student a range of expectations for the Predicted Grades that are sent to universities. Many meetings will take place via Webex this year. Please discuss the results of your child’s meeting with Mr. Sonderman.
 

📝  Grade 12 Extended Essays Due Date Approaching

With the EE deadline coming just after break, Mr. Sonderman sent the following notice to students this week.

I felt a reminder was necessary for some of you, some not. Amid many IAs and coursework, do not leave the EE until the end. We have planned it so that you will have the break to finalize EEs, but I would highly recommend getting your editing done prior, so all you have to concentrate on is making sure the formal elements (Bibliography, table of contents, referencing, etc.) are all completed. Your 3.5 months are almost over. Keep it up. Some of you are all set. Some have significant work left.  All need to upload on time, by 11:55 pm on the due date. Do not upload after this time as a turnitin.com report will not be run. These reports will help catch any areas of your paper that require referencing that you may have missed. Give yourself a few minutes for the upload if you are pushing the deadline. My message from earlier in the year applies:

Please note this is not a negotiable deadline. DO NOT ASK ME FOR EXTENSIONS. So, make sure you get your references completed, a table of contents, page numbers, Bibliography, coverage in place. Plan time as it can take a while. Your cover page should have the subject (i.e. Psychology), the Research Question, "Personal Code:" (you will get the actual code later), the date, and word count. World Studies and English papers should also list the category. This will be a major threshold for you to pass. Supervisors will set a date for your viva voce interview before Nov 25. After this, your EE is done!

Please support your senior child as they complete this major grade 12 milestone.
 

🎯  Grade 11 Goal Setting Meetings Underway

Mr. Sonderman is currently meeting with all Grade 11 students in the final phase of the goal setting process.

The process is designed to motivate students and to lay the groundwork for setting personal and academic goals, including university aspirations. Individual students set academic goals related to their respective slates of Diploma courses. The baseline set from this process provides perspective, as well as a dose of reality, as students move closer to the most challenging semesters of the IBDP, semester 2 of Grade 11 and semester 1 of Grade 12.

Please ask your child about their meeting. If they have not set a meeting, please let me know.
 

This week counselors are working with Grade 12 students applying Early Action and Early Decision to the United States.

The EA/ED November 1 deadline marks a big milestone for those students applying to North America.  Counselors also presented to grade 11 students on the purpose and value of a resume/CV, and gave students guidance on how to reflect on their experiences in high school and craft a summary of those experiences for universities, internships, jobs and more.
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

University visits take place during Wednesday lunches and are online.

All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page.

Visit University Counseling Page

Please encourage your child to use these opportunities to learn more about university and the wide variety of options that are available to them.

Here is how they attend using Maia Learning.

 This week’s visits - Wednesday, October 27 at 12:15 
University of Glasgow
and
Swiss Management Hotel School

 Next week’s visits - Wednesday, November 10 at 12:15 
University College Utrecht
(Liberal Arts College in Netherlands)
and
Minerva University
(Global program with campuses in 7 countries)
 

☕️  College Coffees

 November 30 

The next college coffees will take place on Webex at 14:00 on the following date.

•    November 30 - Magic 10: Matching eligibility and requirements to find the right student/university “fit”.

Join via Webex Here
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

Check out the article from Psychology Today about the importance of time off from work (insert “school”) to boost wellbeing, productivity, and creativity.

We all need to disconnect from time to time in order to recharge our own batteries and be ready for the challenges ahead. Make sure to take time during this upcoming break to relax (preferably away from screens), exercise, and socialize with friends and family.

Read The Article Here
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

🏫  Blind University Fair

Yesterday all HS students had the opportunity to meet and have extended conversations with a select group of university reps from around the world.

Organized by one of our HS counselors, Mrs. Zimmerman, the blind university fair allows students to learn about schools without knowing the university’s name, allowing students to make informed decisions about whether or not it could be a good fit without the preconceived notions that can come with hearing the title of an institution.

 

In addition to the blind university fair, we also have schools conducting virtual visits with AAS students each Wednesday during lunch. Sign-ups are open to any HS student and can be completed through your child’s MaiaLearning account.

Sign Up Here

We have universities coming regularly now through March.

See the Schedule Here

If you or your child have a question about how to learn more about an upcoming visit, please contact your child’s counselor.
 

⭐️  Leadership Academy

Today student leaders from across various HS clubs and organizations will be meeting with Mr. Schnell and Mr. Norris for our annual leadership academy.

Across multiple sessions, students will learn about what it is to be a leader of a group, how to effectively and responsibly model leadership as well as engage in planning sessions for their various teams. 

Additionally, we will be revisiting our Core Value of Integrity and having students lead the development of what it will mean in the HS.

We are also looking to include some of the activities from the leadership academy into advisory activities this year so that all HS students can learn these valuable skills.
 

🍴  Cafeteria

If you need to add more money to your child’s cafeteria account, please use the link below.

Top Up Cafeteria Account

We are aware that some families have had difficulty in getting particular cards to work and there are occasional processing delays. If your child finds that they do not have sufficient funds to pay for a meal, please let them know they should come to the HS office for a meal voucher. We want to ensure that every child can get a meal without regard to the occasional technical glitch with their cafeteria account.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🗺  Grade 12 Individual Planning Meetings

Mr. Sonderman is meeting with all Grade 12 students individually for the next couple of months to discuss Year 2 in the IB, progress on major works such as IAs and the Extended Essay, university plans, and Predicted Grades.

The meetings are meant to provide context for the year and to identify weak points that need to be addressed. They are also intended to give each student a range of expectations for the Predicted Grades that are sent to universities. Many meetings will take place via Webex this year. Please discuss the results of your child’s meeting with Mr. Sonderman.
 

📝  Grade 12 Extended Essays Due Date Approaching

With the EE deadline coming just after break, Mr. Sonderman sent the following notice to students this week.

I felt a reminder was necessary for some of you, some not. Amid many IAs and coursework, do not leave the EE until the end. We have planned it so that you will have the break to finalize EEs, but I would highly recommend getting your editing done prior, so all you have to concentrate on is making sure the formal elements (Bibliography, table of contents, referencing, etc.) are all completed. Your 3.5 months are almost over. Keep it up. Some of you are all set. Some have significant work left.  All need to upload on time, by 11:55 pm on the due date. Do not upload after this time as a turnitin.com report will not be run. These reports will help catch any areas of your paper that require referencing that you may have missed. Give yourself a few minutes for the upload if you are pushing the deadline. My message from earlier in the year applies:

Please note this is not a negotiable deadline. DO NOT ASK ME FOR EXTENSIONS. So, make sure you get your references completed, a table of contents, page numbers, Bibliography, coverage in place. Plan time as it can take a while. Your cover page should have the subject (i.e. Psychology), the Research Question, "Personal Code:" (you will get the actual code later), the date, and word count. World Studies and English papers should also list the category. This will be a major threshold for you to pass. Supervisors will set a date for your viva voce interview before Nov 25. After this, your EE is done!

Please support your senior child as they complete this major grade 12 milestone.
 

🎯  Grade 11 Goal Setting Meetings Underway

Mr. Sonderman is currently meeting with all Grade 11 students in the final phase of the goal setting process.

The process is designed to motivate students and to lay the groundwork for setting personal and academic goals, including university aspirations. Individual students set academic goals related to their respective slates of Diploma courses. The baseline set from this process provides perspective, as well as a dose of reality, as students move closer to the most challenging semesters of the IBDP, semester 2 of Grade 11 and semester 1 of Grade 12.

Please ask your child about their meeting. If they have not set a meeting, please let me know.
 

This week AAS hosted its third Annual Blind University Fair!

This event involved 45 university representatives from 13 different countries and gave all students in grades 9-12 exposure to a wide variety of options for post-secondary study. The premise of the Blind Fair is that students choose to attend presentations based on university descriptions rather than the name of the university.  That way they can focus specifically on fit rather than trying to match their interests to a university they already know. In the past, our students have greatly appreciated this approach because it helps them to look beyond preconceived notions to discover schools they may not have thought of before.
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

University visits take place during Wednesday lunches and are online.

All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page.

Visit University Counseling Page

Please encourage your child to use these opportunities to learn more about university and the wide variety of options that are available to them.

Here is how they attend using Maia Learning.

 Next week’s visits - Wednesday, October 27 at 12:15 
University of Glasgow
and
Swiss Management Hotel School
 

☕️  College Coffees

 October 26 
 November 30 

The next college coffees will take place at 14:00 on the following dates.

•    26 October - MaiaLearning for Parents: An introduction/refresher course about our online university readiness tool 
•    30 November - Magic 10: Matching eligibility and requirements to find the right student/university “fit”.
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

There are so many things happening now that we cannot control. Certainly, the pandemic is a major one, but in the lives of High School students there are many other things as well like due dates for assignments, getting in (or not getting in) to university, having to go on Distance Learning.

One of the things we can do as parents is model and help our children learn “Radical Acceptance”. Radical Acceptance is the idea that we can accept the things we cannot control and come to terms with them. It does not mean that we like what is happening at the moment and “approve” of it, but we can understand it and move past it.

Linked below is an interesting article about the concept of Radical Acceptance. Some great phrases from the article that capture the sentiment of Radical Acceptance are:

“What I am going through right now is hard but it is temporary.”

“It’s possible for me to feel anxiety but still manage this situation in an effective way.”

“All I have control over is what I do in the present."

Read The Article Here
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

✍️  Worldwide PSAT

 October 13 

Next Wednesday students in HS will not have regular classes as it is the worldwide testing date for the PSAT, which all of our students in grade 10 and 11 take part in.

The PSAT is a standardized test, aimed at college bound sophomores and juniors (grades 10 and 11). The test consists of multiple sections covering reading, writing and language, math and reasoning. The PSAT is used most frequently by students considering university applications to the US, we also consider it helpful practice for standardized testing in general.

Learn More About PSAT

Here is an overview of what each grade will be doing on October 13:

• Grade 9
  Engaging in various grade level team building and community service activities
   
• Grade 10
  PSAT and engaging in various grade level team building and activities
   
• Grade 11
  PSAT and engaging in some of the activities that they were not able to on the Community & Connection Days
   
• Grade 12
  Taking their class photo at St. Basil’s and participating in some of the activities planned for the Community & Connection Days
   

📸  Photo Days

 October 14 & 15 

October 14 and 15 we will have a photographer on campus to take individual pictures of students.

These photos will be used in the Yearbook and will be available for purchase for families.

Please see here for the schedule

If your child is absent or unable to be on campus next Thursday or Friday we will have a make-up day later in the year.
 

🐧  Learning on Campus

Here are a few photos from activities on-campus that grade 9 and 10 participated in during the Community & Connection Days last week.

 

🔔  Faculty Professional Development Days

This Thursday and Friday, faculty and staff from across the school will be engaged in learning in order to grow and become better educators.

In the HS, faculty will be learning more about how to better utilize some of our new tech tools, such as PowerSchool, as well as how we will be updating our student interventions and support systems in order to provide more timely and targeted interventions. Faculty in leadership roles will also participate in a training from an outside provider. A reminder that Monday, October 11 is a school holiday, school resumes on Tuesday, October 12. 
 

⭐️  Past Presentations

Yesterday the HS welcomed grade 10 families to a session on how students learn more about potential careers and explore how they can find processional success after HS.

Additionally, we talked about the upcoming PSATs and their role for our students. By clicking on one of the following links you can review the slides or the recording.

Watch the Recording   Review the Slides
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🗺  Grade 12 Individual Planning Meetings

Mr. Sonderman is meeting with all Grade 12 students individually for the next couple of months to discuss Year 2 in the IB, progress on major works such as IAs and the Extended Essay, university plans, and Predicted Grades.

The meetings are meant to provide context for the year and to identify weak points that need to be addressed. They are also intended to give each student their Predicted Grades that are sent to universities. Please discuss the results of your child’s meeting with Mr. Sonderman.
 

📝  100% of Seniors Uploaded their Extended Essay First Drafts!

The first complete draft of the Grade 12 Extended Essays, the 4,000-word culmination of a major research topic of a student’s choosing, were two weeks ago.

Happily, 100% of eligible students turned in the draft. This is a critical piece and marks an important turning point in the IB Diploma Program for the students. The Supervisors will return the drafts by October 6 so that students will have time to complete edits and formal presentation components of the papers by the November 4 Final EE deadline. Well done Grade 12s, especially given the context of COVID-19, DL, and hybrid learning from the previous year.

This is a testament to your hard work and perseverance.
 

📃  Grade 11

Mr. Sonderman continues to meet with the Grade 11s to establish academic goals for IB year 1.

Mr. Sonderman collected the results from a goal-setting survey and is sitting down with each Grade 11 student individually to complete the process of forming realistic academic goals during September and October. We also set goals for academic improvement for the year.

Please discuss the process with your child.

 

Next week, early UK applications will be sent and thus begins the submission process for university applications.

HS Counselors have been working with Grade 12 students to ensure that they have clear timelines for their applications and are making the necessary preparations to complete their application.  We will be meeting with Grade 10 parents this week to review the PSAT and our HS approach to Career Exploration.

The PSAT will take place on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 9:15 for all Grade 10 and Grade 11 students.
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

University visits take place during Wednesday lunches and are online.

All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page.

Visit University Counseling Page

Please encourage your child to use these opportunities to learn more about university and the wide variety of options that are available to them.

Here is how they attend using Maia Learning.

 This week’s visits 
London School of Economics and Political Science
and
Savannah College of Art and Design

 Next week’s visits 
University of Glasgow
and
Swiss Management Hotel School
 

🔍  US University Application Overview

 October 18, 15:45 

Please join us in welcoming Liz O’Connell from University of Pennsylvania on October 18 at 15:45 on Webex. She will present on the nuances of the US application process in order to support our students and families who would like to pursue university in that part of the world.

Liz comes to us courtesy of the Overseas Schools Project through College Board and the US State Department, and has worked with AAS under the auspices of this program for many years.  She has presented virtually to our community, and has visited the AAS campus several times, so she knows our school and students well, and is very excited to help our families on this important application journey.
 

☕️  College Coffees

 October 26 
 November 30 

The next college coffees will take place at 14:00 on the following dates.

•    26 October - MaiaLearning for Parents: An introduction/refresher course about our online university readiness tool 
•    30 November - Magic 10: Matching eligibility and requirements to find the right student/university “fit”.
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

Testing, though an important part of receiving feedback about knowledge and skills gained, can sometimes cause stress and worry for students and their parents.

This article provides a nice overview about how to support your child in taking a different perspective on testing and being prepared for each phase of the testing process.

Read The Article Here
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

🐧  Community and Connections Days

 September 30, October 1 

This Thursday and Friday grade 9 and 10 students in the HS will be participating in our first Community & Connection days.

The events and activities on these two days are designed to create the space for, and foster, relationships and connections among the HS community.

Learn More Here

Due to recent Covid cases in grade 11 and 12 we have had to make adjustments to the schedule for students in these grades. Please see communication from the HS office for more information about these changes.

 

📅  2021-2022 Calendar Update

Please note that even though there are holidays in early May, the IBDP exams scheduled for these days will still take place.  AAS has to comply with the IB exam schedule, so those families with seniors who are considering travel during these May holidays please take this into consideration.

 

☕️  Upcoming Presentations

 October 5, 14:00 

Grade 10 Parent Coffee.

We will cover the system we use to support students in advisory and the college application process (MaiaLearning), the career interest survey that students take and how that connects to uni majors and IB course choices. We will also discuss the upcoming PSATs on Oct 13th and their role for grade 10 students.
 

☕️  Past Presentations

Last week we met with grade 9 parents to talk about the transition into HS and how children grow and are supported during their four years with us.

We also discussed what the pathway from grade 9 through grade 12 and beyond looks like, and how AAS meets the needs of students from around the world.

If you have specific questions about a class or something your child wants to get involved in please reach out to our grade 9 counselor, James Villers. You can also view the recording from last week or the slide deck.

Watch the Recording   Review the Slides
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🗺  Grade 12 Individual Planning Meetings

Mr. Sonderman is meeting with all Grade 12 students individually for the next couple of months to discuss Year 2 in the IB, progress on major works such as IAs and the Extended Essay, university plans, and Predicted Grades.

The meetings are meant to provide context for the year and to identify weak points that need to be addressed. They are also intended to give each student a range of expectations for the Predicted Grades that are sent to universities.

Please discuss the results of your child’s meeting with Mr. Sonderman.
 

📝  100% of Seniors Uploaded their Extended Essay First Drafts!

The first complete draft of the Grade 12 Extended Essays, the 4,000-word culmination of a major research topic of a student’s choosing, were due Tuesday night.

Happily 100% of the students turned in the draft. This is a critical piece and marks an important turning point in the IB Diploma Program for the students. The Supervisors will return the drafts by October 6 so that students will have time to complete edits and formal presentation components of the papers by the November 4 Final EE deadline. Well done Grade 12s, especially given the context of COVID-19, DL, and hybrid learning from the previous year. This is a testament to your hard work and perseverance.
 

📃  Grade 11

Mr. Sonderman is meeting with the Grade 11s to establish academic goals for IB year 1.

Mr. Sonderman collected the results from a goal-setting survey and is sitting down with each Grade 11 student individually to complete the process of forming realistic academic goals during September and October.

Please discuss the process with your child.

 

This week, Ms. Will and Ms. Zimmerman held the first College Coffee of the year.

College Coffees are a series of virtual presentations with Q&A that will help parents of students in grades 9-12 understand the university research and selection process. During this week’s coffee we discussed our “3-prong” approach to university counseling:

1. Know yourself
2. Know the universities
3. Know the process

We introduced parents to our University Counseling website where we have timelines for each grade that will help our AAS students move along that continuum of knowing themselves, the universities, and the application process.

See the recording HERE
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

University visits take place during Wednesday lunches and are online.

All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page.

Visit University Counseling Page

Please encourage your child to use these opportunities to learn more about university and the wide variety of options that are available to them.

Here is how they attend using Maia Learning.

 This week’s visits 
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
and
Lynn University

 Next week’s visits 
London School of Economics and Political Science
and
Savannah College of Art and Design
 

☕️  College Coffees

 October 26 
 November 30 

The next college coffees will take place at 14:00 on the following dates.

•    26 October - MaiaLearning for Parents: An introduction/refresher course about our online university readiness tool 
•    30 November - Magic 10: Matching eligibility and requirements to find the right student/university “fit”.
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

This week, High School students are engaged in our Community and Connection days on Thursday and Friday.

The activities organized for these days will help students in all grades foster relationships with each other as well as with the wider school and Moscow communities. Having a sense of connection and belonging to a particular community can have very positive implications for both physical and mental health. Take a look at this article to understand 7 key benefits of community.

Read The Article Here

 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

🐧  Community and Connections Days

 September 30, October 1 

Next Thursday and Friday students across the HS will be participating in our first Community & Connection days.

The events and activities on these two days are designed to create the space for, and foster, relationships and connections among the HS community. Students in each grade level will also be working on various aspects of teamwork and leadership.

Learn More Here

If you have a child in grade 11 or 12 and they are participating in an off-campus event please make sure to sign their permission form.
 

☕️  Upcoming Presentations

 October 5, 14:00 

Grade 10 Parent Coffee.
 

☕️  Past Presentations

Last week we met with grade 11 parents to introduce the university application process and discuss the IB Diploma Program at AAS.

If you missed it, please see the slide deck or a recording of the event below.

Watch the Recording   Review the Slides
 

📖  Quiet Study Rooms

Students with study halls or online classes have access to various areas in the HS to work or meet with their peers.

These areas include the library, student lounge and cafeteria. In addition, some faculty members make their rooms available to students for quiet study when they do not have a class. 

Please see below for a schedule of those rooms:

 

🔔  Absences

If your child is going to be out of school, whether it is for part of a day, the whole day or an extended period of time please let us know by contacting the HS Office.

This will help us let teachers know about any upcoming absences.

From: Sean Sonderman
 

🗺  Grade 12 Individual Planning Meetings

Mr. Sonderman is meeting with all Grade 12 students individually for the next couple of months to discuss Year 2 in the IB, progress on major works such as IAs and the Extended Essay, university plans, and Predicted Grades.

The meetings are meant to provide context for the year and to identify weak points that need to be addressed. They are also intended to give each student a range of expectations for the Predicted Grades that are sent to universities.

Please discuss the results of your child’s meeting with Mr. Sonderman.
 

📝  100% of Seniors Uploaded their Extended Essay First Drafts!

The first complete draft of the Grade 12 Extended Essays, the 4,000-word culmination of a major research topic of a student’s choosing, were due Tuesday night.

Happily 100% of the students turned in the draft. This is a critical piece and marks an important turning point in the IB Diploma Program for the students. The Supervisors will return the drafts by October 6 so that students will have time to complete edits and formal presentation components of the papers by the November 4 Final EE deadline. Well done Grade 12s, especially given the context of COVID-19, DL, and hybrid learning from the previous year. This is a testament to your hard work and perseverance.
 

📃  Grade 11

Mr. Sonderman is meeting with the Grade 11s to establish academic goals for IB year 1.

Mr. Sonderman collected the results from a goal-setting survey and is sitting down with each Grade 11 student individually to complete the process of forming realistic academic goals during September and October.

Please discuss the process with your child.

 

This week, Ms. Will and Ms. Zimmerman are busy meeting with Grade 12 students to help them prepare and create timelines for their university applications and review essay drafts.

It is a busy and exciting semester as students begin to feel like “it is getting real” and that the next phase of their lives and education is imminent. Mr. Villers is starting individual meetings with Grade 9 students to see how high school is starting for them and we are all looking forward to next week’s Community and Connection Days.
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

University visits take place during Wednesday lunches and are online.

All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page.

Visit University Counseling Page

Please encourage your child to use these opportunities to learn more about university and the wide variety of options that are available to them.

Here is how they attend using Maia Learning.

 Next week’s visits 
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Lynn University.
 

☕️  College Coffees

 September 28 
 October 26 
 November 30 

College Coffees with the counselors begin next week.

Counselors will hold a series of three coffees this fall touching on subjects relating to the ins and outs of the university application process. These coffees are open to parents from grades 9-12.  All coffees take place at 14:00 and will include a short presentation as well as lots of time for open discussion and Q&A.

Topics and dates are listed below:

•    28 September - University Research: A 3-pronged approach
•    26 October - MaiaLearning for Parents: An introduction/refresher course about our online university readiness tool 
•    30 November - Magic 10: Matching eligibility and requirements to find the right student/university “fit”.
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

It is easy to see the development that your child makes as an infant or toddler but developmental milestones take place throughout your child’s schooling.

The article below is a reminder of the physical, mental and social-emotional development that your child is going through during high school.

Read The Article Here

It is a helpful reminder that this is a time to continue to support your child with problem solving and developing coping strategies as they navigate these stages.

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

📚  Current Learning Pathway

As part of our phased approach to the start of the school year we are now approaching the end of our one-way Webex access for students not on campus.

Beginning Monday, September 20, AAS will no longer be able to have regular Webex access for those students.

If you believe your child will not be on campus for an extended period of time after September 20, please contact your child’s counselor or the HS Office.
 

🖊  Learning this Week

On Monday we had our first student-led assembly for the year, the focus of the meeting was to share more information about the club fair and help to publicize the variety of student clubs that the HS offers outside of the Penguin Life office.

We’d like to recognize all the student club presidents who helped to share information about their club and speak to their peers. Additionally, we’d like to particularly thank Paulina and Carla who helped to organize and lead Monday’s assembly.
 

🎪  HS Club Fair

Yesterday on the North Field students gathered to speak with each club and learn more about them in individual conversations.

Interested students could then sign up to participate in the club going forward. The following HS Clubs were represented:

Student Council (StuCo), Applied Concepts Lab, Call of the Wild, Enviro Club, Global Impact Club (GIC), IB-conomist, KIK (Kids in the Community), Lit Mag, National Art Honor Society, National Honor Society, Peer Helpers, Penguin Press, Social Impact Club, Stock Market Club, Dungeons & Dragons, AAS TV, E-Sports Club, Wellness Club, Dance Club, Themis Debate Club.

 

 

See More Here
 

🤝  Extra-help Times

Every faculty member is available after school once per week to help answer questions or go over material that your son or daughter may have missed or misunderstood.

Below is our schedule for each teacher’s extra-help time. If your child has a question or wants to extend their learning, please encourage her or him to visit their teacher during this time.

 

☕️  Upcoming Community Connections

 September 16, 14:00 
Grade 11 Parent Coffee
Mr. Groves’ Webex
 

 September 22, 14:00 
Grade 9 Parent Coffee
 note 
This date has changed from Thursday to Wednesday due to a scheduling conflict
 

 October 5, 14:00 
Grade 10 Parent Coffee
 

💻  Past Presentations

Yesterday we met with parents from grades 9-12 to discuss our Community and Connection days, Sept 30 and Oct 1.

If you weren’t able to come you can check out the video or the slides below.

Watch the Video   See the Slides

We are looking forward to having this event for the first time in just a few weeks!

Last Thursday we hosted our first parent coffee, this time it was for grade 12 parents. If you missed it you can see the video or review the slide deck.

Watch the Video   Review the Slides
 

🚨  Absences

If your child is going to be out of school, whether it is for part of a day, the whole day or an extended period of time please let us know by contacting the HS Office.

This will help us let teachers know about any upcoming absences.

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📝  Grade 12

Grade 12 Extended Essays, the 4,000-word culmination of a major research topic of a student’s choosing was due last night.

This will be the only full draft in which a Supervisor can provide extensive written feedback. Therefore, it is important that students provided as complete a draft as possible. The Supervisors will return the drafts by October 8 so that students will have time to complete edits and formal presentations of the papers by the November 8th Final EE deadline.
 

🐧  Grade 11

Mr. Sonderman met with the Grade 11s in a series of three assemblies over the last few days.

The first two assemblies focused on a welcome to the IB Diploma Program. The assemblies dealt with the nuts and bolts of the program as well as the overarching aims of the Learner Profile, Global-mindedness, and Approaches to Learning that anchor the International Baccalaureate. The third assembly addressed resilience and goal setting. Each student will be asked to complete a Goal Setting Survey. Mr. Sonderman will collect the results and sit down with each Grade 11 student individually to complete the process of forming realistic academic goals during September.

Please discuss the process with your child.

 

This week our Grade 12 students faced their first internal deadline for university admissions, and now the university application process has gone full swing for those applying Early UCAS (Oxford, Cambridge, Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science) and Early Decision and/or Early Action in the United States.

For all grade 12s, those deadlines, IAs, EEs, and every other IB acronym are looming, so they will need some extra love, support and care in these coming months. In other grades, students are settling in to their routines and enjoying the sense of normalcy that school provides, even as they are tackling some challenging workloads as well!
 

🏫  University Visits

University Visits have started on September 8th with a visit from Boston University, and go to February 16th.

They take place during Wednesday lunches and are online. All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page. Encourage your child to attend our virtual visits during their lunch time this Wednesday. Here is how to attend using Maia Learning.

This week’s visits
IED - Spain and Imperial College London 

Next week’s visits
Trinity College Dublin and NYU Abu Dhabi
 

☕️  Grade 9 Virtual Parent Coffee

 Wednesday, September 22 

Next Wednesday, 22 September, the HS principals and grade 9 counselor are hosting a Grade 9 Virtual Parent Coffee. Please see the main HS newsletter for additional details.
 

📰  Article(s) of the week

As the stress and workload builds up, it is important to keep perspective and, of course, a sense of humor!

Laughter really is some of the best “medicine”. Check out the site below for reasons why!

Visit the Site

 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal
 

Next week we are looking forward to our first student-led HS assembly of the year.

We began having these in the spring of 2020, and several more last year. Now, we plan to formalize the process to give more students the opportunity to present to their peers and take a larger role in helping to grow our HS community.
 

📈  MAP Testing

 September 16, 17 & 20 

Students in grades 9 and 10 will take part in the Fall window for MAP testing, please see below for a detailed schedule.

MAP Test Schedule

Students in grades 11 and 12 will have additional time scheduled for two of their classes during MAP testing.
 

🎟  HS Club Fair

 Tuesday, September 14 

On Monday students will focus on the upcoming Club Fair, when each HS club will talk about their mission, purpose and upcoming activities.

They are looking for new and interested students to join them. We have a wide range of clubs, from those focused on service learning such as Kids in the Community (KIK), to helping other students at AAS with Peer Helpers or on those focused more on scholarship such as the National Honors Society (NHS).

If your child is interested in getting further involved in our community outside of class, or Penguin Life Activities, please encourage them to sign up next Tuesday!
 

🤝  Upcoming Community Connections
 

 September 9, 14:00 
Grade 12 Parent Coffee
Mr. Groves’ Webex

 September 14, 14:00 
All HS Parents are welcome to join us to learn about our upcoming Community and Connections Days.
This year, HS students and faculty will take Sept 30 and Oct 1 to focus on relationship building, community service and team building. Additionally, students in grades 11 and 12 will have sessions focused on the IBDP Core, and academic and holistic success in these crucial school years. 

 September 16, 14:00 
Grade 11 Parent Coffee 

 September 23, 14:00 
Grade 9 Parent Coffee

 October 5, 14:00 
Grade 10 Parent Coffee

All the parent coffees will be recorded, and the recordings and slide decks will be shared out following the meeting.
 

💻  Previous Presentations

It was wonderful to see so many parents at our Back-to-School Night last week, parents we spoke to shared how good it was to meet their child’s teachers.

If you weren’t able to join us, please see the link below for the video of our introduction to the evening. You can also review just the slides from the event.

Watch the Video    Review the Slides

🌐  Learning This Week

We’d like to spotlight one of our student activities this week, Model United Nations.

📚  Current Learning Pathway

AAS remains focused on ensuring that we are able to continue in our current learning model, Modified Full On Campus.

We also know that not all families are able to be in Moscow yet, please review the document below for how we will continue to support your child’s learning until they are able to be on campus.

Review the Document

Please note that we are not able to provide one-way Webex access for students that are off campus. Our current plan is for this time period to end on September 17th. 

If you know that your child will not be able to join us on campus by September 20th please reach out to the HS Office so we can connect about your situation.

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📅  Grade 11 and 12

The IB Coordinator sent out an electronic copy of the IB Due Dates for both cohorts for the 2020-2021 school year.

This document should be used to help your child maintain an organized schedule in what is a very busy two years. You will notice that April, May and June of Grade 11 year and August-November of Grade 12 are periods of a high volume of work and due dates. Please note, on the document Grade 11 work is marked as (Grade 11). All other due dates are for Grade 12s.

Also, note that it is a living document. With changes the IB has recently made, some of the dates may change in the short term.

See the IB Due Dates Here
 

👋  Welcome to IB!

Mr. Sonderman  welcomed the Grade 12s and 11s to IB year’s 2 and 1 respectively in formal presentations over the past week.

Parent presentations geared towards the unique paths of each grade will follow this week and next in presentations in conjunction with the high school. We want to assure that both parents and students are well informed concerning the requirements of this sometimes complex program.
 

🔐  Grade 11 & 12 Kognity Accounts

AAS subscribes to an IB online textbook and revision education vendor.

Students receive online accounts as a part of their IB experience at AAS. Mr. Sonderman has set the accounts up based on choices students made on their Grade 11 Course Selection Forms. If a students changes a course or level, e.g. Chemistry SL to HL, then they should contact Kognity directly at support@kognity.com to request the change. This is the most efficient and quickest route to assuring uninterrupted service.
 

🖊  Grade 12 Extended Essays

 September 14  - first draft deadline

Grade 12 Extended Essays, the 4,000-word culmination of a major research topic of a student’s choosing has an important deadline approaching.

On September 14, the first full draft of the EE is due. This will be the only full draft in which a Supervisor can provide extensive written feedback. Therefore, it is important that students provide as complete a draft as possible. The Supervisors will return the drafts by October 8 so that students will have time to complete edits and formal presentations of the papers by the November 8th Final EE deadline.

 

This week all students in grades 8-12 will take part in an FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency) Survey in preparation for this year's virtual visit from FCD November 15 - 18.

AAS has hosted FCD since 2009 in alternating years and gathered data since that time as well. This data helps inform leadership on the needs of our community and informs the presented before their visit. All data collected is anonymous. If you have any questions, please speak with your child's counselor or HS Leadership.

Here is a short video about FCD and the survey.
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

University visits take place during Wednesday lunches and are online.

All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page.

Visit University Counseling Page

Encourage your child to attend our virtual visits during their lunch time  this Wednesday.

Here is how they attend using Maia Learning.

This is a great way for students to explore some of the amazing opportunities that are open to them after high school.

 Next week’s visits 
IED - Spain and Imperial College London.
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

Here is a great article shared with students about dual degree programs around the world.

Read the article here

Dual degree programs are a great way to complete university with two diplomas, have a chance to attend university on multiple campuses and to add diversity to the university experience.

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal

🌃  Back-To-School Night

 September 2, 18:00 - 20:40 

Tomorrow evening we would like to welcome all parents and guardians to meet synchronously with each of your child’s teachers, learn more about the courses she or he is taking this year, and get a glimpse into their school day. 
 
We will be hosting the event through Webex; over the course of the evening you will have the opportunity to move through each of your child’s classes and meet their advisor. 
 
We will kick-off Back-to-School night in Mr. Groves’ Webex at 18:00. At that time we will introduce the leadership team, share an overview of the HS and walk you through the plan for the evening.

Join Mr.Grove's Webex

You can find the schedule for Thursday and other helpful links for the event here:

BtS Night Schedule

This past weekend families should have received login information to PowerSchool, one of our student data platforms. Prior to tomorrow evening please make sure that you or your child can login to PowerSchool in order to see their schedule. This will be an important piece in helping you successfully navigate the evening.

If you did not get the PowerSchool login email over the weekend, please email distance.learning@aas.ru.
 

🧁  Upcoming Community Connections

In addition to this week’s Back-to-School-Night, we are looking forward to meeting you in smaller settings and being able to address the needs of specific grade levels.

Please see below for a list of our upcoming parent meetings.

 Sept 9, 14:00 
Grade 12 Parent Coffee
Mr. Groves’ Webex

 Sept 14, 14:00
All HS Parents are welcome to join us to learn about our upcoming Community and Connections Days
This year, HS students and faculty will take Sept 30 and Oct 1 to focus on relationship building, community service and team building. Additionally, students in grades 11 and 12 will have sessions focused on the IBDP Core, and academic and holistic success in these crucial school years.

 Sept 16, 14:00 
Grade 11 Parent Coffee
Mr. Groves’ Webex

 Sept 23, 14:00 
Grade 9 Parent Coffee
Mr. Groves’ Webex

 Oct 5, 14:00 
Grade 10 Parent Coffee
Mr. Groves’ Webex

All the parent coffees will be recorded, and the recordings and slide decks will be shared out following the meeting.

If you have a specific question about your child’s situation please reach out to a member of the HS Leadership or Counseling team and we would be happy to set up an appointment with you.
 

📚  Current Learning Pathway

AAS remains focused on ensuring that we are able to continue in our current learning model, Modified Full On Campus.

We also know that not all families are able to be in Moscow yet, please review this document for how we will continue to support your child’s learning until they are able to be on campus.

Please note that Sept 3rd is the last day that we will be able to provide two-way Webex access for students that are off campus.

Starting Sept 6 we will begin a two-week phase of one-way Webex access for students that are off campus.

If you know that your child will not be able to join us on campus by September 17th please reach out to the HS Office so we can connect about your situation.
 

📸  Learning This Week

Mrs. Sonderman & Mr. Norris’ Skills for Academic Success class

Mr. Harper’s Grade 9 English class
 

📂  First Day Packs

Last week, your child’s advisor shared important documents for you to review, update if necessary, sign and return to the HS office by Sept 30.

Please make sure to ask your daughter or son about this folder and go over the documents with them. For any questions please contact the HS Office.
 

🍲  Cafeteria

Refilling your child’s cafeteria account virtually.

To protect the safety of our community, cash payments will not be accepted by the cafeteria to refill student cafeteria accounts. The AAS Cafeteria launched an online prepayment service through which you can refill your child’s cafeteria account. Please find more details on the Nutrition at AAS page, or go directly to the AAS Cafeteria webpage to refill your child’s cafeteria account.

Refill AAS Cafeteria Account

Your child can also pay directly with the cafeteria with a debit or credit card.
 

Our doors are always open! If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to make an appointment with us so that we can address them promptly.

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📅  Grade 11 and 12

The IB Coordinator sent out an electronic copy of the IB Due Dates for both cohorts for the 2020-2021 school year.

This document should be used to help your child maintain an organized schedule in what is a very busy two years. You will notice that April, May and June of Grade 11 year and August-November of Grade 12 are periods of a high volume of work and due dates. Please note, on the document Grade 11 work is marked as (Grade 11). All other due dates are for Grade 12s.

See the IB Due Dates Here
 

🔀  Welcome to IB Assemblies

Mr. Sonderman will welcome the Grade 12s and 11s to IB year’s 2 and 1 respectively in formal presentations over the next two weeks.

Parent presentations geared towards the unique paths of each grade will follow in the coming weeks. We want to assure that both parents and students are well informed concerning the requirements of this sometimes complex program.
 

🔑  Grade 11 & 12 Kognity Accounts

AAS subscribes to an IB online textbook and revision education vendor.

Students receive online accounts as a part of their IB experience at AAS. Mr. Sonderman has set the accounts up based on choices students made on their Grade 11 Course Selection Forms. If a student changes a course or level, e.g. Chemistry SL to HL, then they should contact Kognity directly at support@kognity.com to request the change. This is the most efficient and quickest route to assuring uninterrupted service. Accounts will be sent to students late next week.

 

 

The excitement and energy of being back in school with students and staff remains in the air this week as we work busily preparing for student presentations, university visits, welcoming new students and working with teachers.

In that vein, we wanted to remind you of some important resources and upcoming events that are open to ALL students in grades 9-12.
 

🏫  University Visits

 September 8, 2021 - February 16, 2022 

University visits take place during Wednesday lunches and are online.

All HS students are encouraged to attend. This year’s visits are updated regularly and available on our University Counseling page.

Visit University Counseling Page
Click on University Visits on the right side of the page to see schools and dates.

To attend, students log into their Maia Learning accounts, go to University Visits and click on the associated link to participate in the virtual presentation.

This is a great way for students to explore some of the amazing opportunities that are open to them after high school.

 Next week’s visits 
Boston University and the State University of New York (SUNY) – Korea.
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

Anxiety seems to be high and prevalent for many adults and students and this article has some insight into one strategy – reaching out to others and engaging in gratitude.

Read the article here

This is something that you can foster at home and take part in together as helping others can be a great way to get out of our own heads and find greater meaning which allows us to cope better. Hope you enjoy!

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal

On behalf of the HS Faculty, we would like to give a warm welcome to all our new families and welcome back those of you that are returning. As we start this year I am truly heartened by the positivity and excitement among the students, faculty and staff.

This past weekend we hosted events both virtual and on-campus for new families and were also able to invite all new students and grade 9 students to a unique orientation event at school on Monday. These events are so important in supporting students as they transition into the HS and we look forward to our grade level coffees which will begin in just a few weeks.

We are delighted to share that the vast majority of HS students attended the first day of school in-person. Having the classes, hallways and cafeterias full of students is an amazing way to start the year and brings energy and vitality to everything that we do.

We also know that not all families are able to be in Moscow yet, please review this document for how we will continue to support your child’s learning until they are able to be on campus.
 

🔬  Covid-19

For any questions about our Covid-19 safety protocols and procedures, or the school’s previous communication on this important topic, please visit this portion of our website.

For more information about the HS plan for our current learning pathway, Modified Full On Campus, please take a moment to review the document below.

Read More about Modified Full On-Campus
 

🎉  Back-To-School Night

 September 2, 18:00 - 20:40 

Next Thursday evening we would like to welcome all parents and guardians to meet synchronously with each of your child’s teachers, learn more about the courses they are taking this year and get a glimpse into their school day.

We will be hosting the event through Webex, you will have the opportunity to move through each of their classes over the course of the evening. We will start with a brief introduction of the HS Leadership Team, from there you will be able to meet each teacher and your child’s advisor. A detailed schedule with links will be shared in next week’s HS Flash, please stay tuned!
 

📄  First Day Packs

Today your child’s advisor shared important documents for you to review, update if necessary, sign and return to the HS office.

Please make sure to ask your daughter or son about this folder and go over the documents with them. For any questions please contact the HS Office.
 

📚  Learning This Week

We would like to share a few photos from around the HS on the first day of school.

Ms. Piven’s grade 12 Math Class

Ms. Wayas Grade 12 Chemistry Class

Mrs. Kupchik’s grade 12 English Lit Class
 

🍲  Cafeteria Payments

 Badge Only Payments! 

During Hybrid Learning, students may either bring a home lunch or purchase a lunch in the cafeteria.

As the cafeteria will not be taking cash payments, please make sure your student’s badge has been loaded for any purchases they need to make. You can find more information on the Nutrition at AAS page.

Refilling your child’s cafeteria account virtually. To protect the safety of our community, cash payments will not be accepted by the cafeteria to refill student cafeteria accounts. The AAS Cafeteria launched an online prepayment service through which you can refill your child’s cafeteria account. Please find more details on the Nutrition at AAS webpage, or go directly to the AAS Cafeteria webpage to refill your child’s cafeteria account.

Refill AAS Cafeteria Account

Your child can also pay directly with the cafeteria with a debit or credit card.
 

Our doors are always open! If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to make an appointment with us so that we can address them promptly.
 

From: Sean Sonderman
 

📅  Grade 11 and 12

The IB Coordinator sent out an electronic copy of the IB Due Dates for both cohorts for the 2020-2021 school year.

This document should be used to help your child maintain an organized schedule in what is a very busy two years. You will notice that April, May and June of Grade 11 year and August-November of Grade 12 are periods of a high volume of work and due dates. Please note, on the document Grade 11 work is marked as (Grade 11). All other due dates are for Grade 12s.

See the IB Due Dates Here
 

🔀  Welcome to IB Assemblies

Mr. Sonderman will welcome the Grade 12s and 11s to IB year’s 2 and 1 respectively in formal presentations over the next two weeks.

Parent presentations geared towards the unique paths of each grade will follow in the coming weeks. We want to assure that both parents and students are well informed concerning the requirements of this sometimes complex program.
 

🔑  Grade 11 & 12 Kognity Accounts

AAS subscribes to an IB online textbook and revision education vendor.

Students receive online accounts as a part of their IB experience at AAS. Mr. Sonderman has set the accounts up based on choices students made on their Grade 11 Course Selection Forms. If a students changes a course or level, e.g. Chemistry SL to HL, then they should contact Kognity directly at support@kognity.com to request the change. This is the most efficient and quickest route to assuring uninterrupted service. Accounts will be sent to students late next week.

 

 

What an exciting time of year! Halls and classrooms are abuzz with the sounds of students and teachers engaging in learning, and we are all very happy to be starting the year with Modified On-Campus Learning - quite a difference from last August!

Counselors and the IB Coordinator have worked hard to review and finalize schedules for the year, however if there are any questions about class placements, please contact your child’s counselor.

Scheduling assignments and contacts are as follows.

• Grade 9 – james.villers@aas.ru
   
• Grade 10 last names A-K – lauren.zimmerman@aas.ru
   
• Grade 10 last names L-Z – bryn.will@aas.ru
   
• Grades 11 and 12 – sean.sonderman@aas.ru
   

We look forward to working with you and your sons and daughters over the course of this year! Please stay up to date with the goings-on in the counseling office by reading this section of the newsletter every week and staying in touch with any questions.
 

📰  Article(s) Of The Week

Although the return to school can inspire excitement and eagerness in children ready to learn and interact with their peers, students can also feel anxious and nervous about going back to boisterous cafeteria crowds, classrooms where teachers’ and students’ eyes are watching every move, and walks down hallways requiring little social interactions that were absent during distance and hybrid learning.

The article from CNN highlights two students who have reservations about their return to school, and there is an article from Johns Hopkins that gives parents some tips on what to do to help alleviate your own child’s potential nervousness about full-time, on-campus learning.

Read the Article from CNN

Read the Article from JH
 

Matthew Groves | HS Principal
Andrew Wiese | HS Associate Principal

As we countdown the days to the start of the 2021-22 school year, we would like to welcome back our returning families and welcome new families to our community. We look forward to getting to know you over the coming weeks.

We hope that over this past summer you were able to immerse in activities that helped you to re-center and relax. Last year brought challenges for all of us and it is important that we were each able to recharge our batteries as we begin to shift gears back into school mode.

This year the HS is excited to celebrate some updates and improvements. As well, near the end of this letter we are providing important information about our upcoming Orientation day on August 23rd which will have two concurrent sessions; one for upcoming Grade 9 students and one for any new students in Grades 10-12.
 

🙏  HS Counselors And IB Support

First of all, we are transitioning back to having three counselors in the division.

James Villers, who many of you may know from MS, will now span the grade 8/9 transition as their primary counselor during those key years.

Lauren Zimmerman will now focus on grades 10-12 for students with last names A-K.

Bryn Will collaborates with students whose last names are L-Z in grades 10-12.

If you have any questions about the IB Program you can still reach out to Sean Sonderman.
 

📚  New Grade Books

We are also transitioning our grade books in MS and HS from JumpRope and NetClassroom to a new system called PowerSchool.

This update will provide a common platform for the two divisions and will provide you and your child improved communication and connection with their classes and learning. We will be in touch again shortly with information on how to log into PowerSchool and follow your child’s learning progression.
 

🎾  Sports And After School Activities

In another exciting change from last year, we will be able to start sports and activities from the very start of the year!

Please review the weekly newsletter or click below to visit the Penguin Life page on our website for more information.

Learn More about Penguin Life

Fall registration begins August 25 and the first day of activities will be August 30. We will soon be sharing more updates and events to come in the weekly HS newsletter.
 

🖼  Want to be Included in our Virtual Opening Ceremony?

Share a picture of yourself holding a poster you made that describes how you feel about your AAS friends, teachers, and other community members.

Share your picture here
Hurry! We are accepting submissions only until this Friday.
 

🧑‍🏫  Talent@AAS

We are also proud to welcome a variety of experienced international educators to the HS this August.

We were fortunate to be able to recruit a truly international and diverse group of teachers who are excited to join AAS and support our community. Faculty in this class have recent experience that spans the world, from the US to South Korea, Angola, Myanmar and St. Petersburg to name just a few of their postings. Each new faculty member has a passion for her or his subject area and is looking forward to further kindling that flame with your sons and daughters in the coming years.

Learn More About New Members Of AAS Community
 

🏫  Starting The Year On Campus

This year we will begin learning in Modified Full on Campus, an approach that was successful last year in balancing on-campus learning with community safety.

While we look forward to welcoming all students who are in Moscow to join us on campus, we know that not all families have been able to enter Russia. To support those families who are still finalizing their entry to Russia, please review these guidelines on our phased approach to the start of the year.

Review Guidelines Here
 

❇️  August 23 Orientation Day

 August 23 

On Monday, parents will have an opportunity to virtually meet our departments such as penguin life, library, technology, and our 3rd party student bus services provider. Parents will receive an email on Saturday, August 21 with all of the details, links and information needed for Monday.

On Monday, August 23, we will also host two groups of students on-campus for orientation; all Grade 9 students as well as all new students in grades 10 - 12.

Grade 9 Students
On-campus orientation will take place between 9:00 - 10:30.

This will be a time where students can meet their counselor, Mr. Villers and learn more about the High School. This is welcome to all grade 9 students, both new to AAS and those students already attending AAS from Middle School. If you are planning to have your child attend orientation, please fill out RSVP for below so that we can plan accordingly.

RSVP FOR GRADE 9 STUDENTS

Grade 10-12 New Students
On-campus orientation will take place between 9:00 - 10:30.

This will be a time where students can meet your counselor, Ms. Zimmerman or Ms. Will, and learn more about life in the High School. This orientation is only for students, G10-G12, who are new students to AAS. If you are planning to have your child attend this orientation, please fill out this RSVP form so that we can plan accordingly.

RSVP FOR GRADE 10-12 NEW STUDENTS

Please only sign your child up for on-campus orientation if you can meet the following COVID-19 mitigation measures listed below:

• masks will be worn on-campus and social distancing of 1-1.5m is observed at all times
• students must be able to present a daily pass, signed by a parent, that is fully answered based upon the mitigations included on the pass
• students have not traveled internationally less than 7 days ago
• students that have traveled internationally between 7-14 days ago have submitted a negative PCR to health.office@aas.ru by August 19
   

ℹ️  More Information About August 23

Students with questions about scheduling will be able to schedule virtual meeting time with their counselor, or Mr. Sonderman, our IB DP Coordinator, on Monday the 23 from 13:00 - 15:00.  You will receive sign-up links directly from the HS office shortly. 

If you are an incoming Grade 10 student who is looking to take our math diagnostic exam in order to possibly enter into our Integrated Math 3 (IM3) class, there will be a session offered from 11:30 - 13:30 on the 23rd in Mr. Joe Khan’s classroom. To take this exam you need to email Mr. Khan to sign up. If you’d like more information about this exam, or if this option could be a good fit for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to your counselor or Mr. Khan.

If you are a new student who has not had a chance to access PowerSchool to input your course schedule requests, please go ahead and do that. That will help our counselors as we transition all schedules into PowerSchool.

We are looking forward to partnering with you this year. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us, we welcome your feedback, questions and thoughts.

From: Matthew Groves, Senior Associate HS Principal
 

On behalf of the High School faculty, we would like to wish everyone a wonderful summer.

We are looking forward to coming back together as a community on August 23 feeling rejuvenated and ready to inspire students in another wonderful year of learning. 

If this is your last year at AAS, we wish you well and all the best as you move on to your next school. And remember, once a Penguin, always a Penguin!
 

🍎  Learning This Week

Last Friday we were fortunate to host our first live music performance for the High School Concert Band. They have worked diligently this year, rehearsing both in-person and over Webex in order to be able to put on a concert for both students and faculty in the Bolshoi Theatre as well as a wider audience who joined us over livestream.

Experience It Here

Additionally, a big thank you to Ms. Zimmerman, who interviewed students and faculty in order to put together this wonderful reflection on the year, discussing a variety of different highlights that made this year unique.

Watch It Here
 

🧑🏼‍🏫 Update on Recruitment for new HS Faculty for the 21-22 School Year

For several years the HS has been extremely fortunate to have had low faculty turnover.

This year, the HS has a slightly higher number of HS faculty departing. One significant benefit that students will experience as part of the transition to the NKO is that we are now able to recruit teachers who hold a passport from any nation. In the long run, this possibility will increase the diversity of our faculty, bringing a broader range of perspectives to the classroom, and ensure opportunities to recruit the best possible candidates. For students in the IBDP program transitioning from grade 11 to grade 12, AAS has already reallocated staff to ensure consistency and experienced educators within this program.
 

We wish everyone well this summer and look forward to seeing you all again in August.