Izindaba - 22 August 2013

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

Together we dare to imagine, inspire to succeed, and courageously make a dif ference

School Director’s Message

What’s Inside...

To the AISJ community, Welcome to the first Izindaba for the 2013 - 14 school year.

The Izindaba is our bi-monthly communiqué, and as such, is a critical communication tool through which we share news of past and future events and happenings. For many of you the start of the school year is about adjusting back into the swing of things; or for those of you who are new, adjusting totally to a new country and/or school. You may have noticed the repetitive nature of some of the information; this is planned redundancy to accommodate the fluid nature of our population as we attempt to stress important dates and events. One of the most critical events fast approaching, is your child’s open house. These will be held over the next two weeks and will provide you with an opportunity to meet your child’s teachers to learn a little about their approaches and routines, as well as what to expect during the year ahead. These open houses are purposely held early in the school year to enable you to make these critical connections and to gain a broad understanding of what is, and what will be happening at school. Because it is early in the school year, please do not expect a progress update on your child! The focus, in this case, will be on the program and not on the individual children.

It is important to note, though, that if you do have any concerns - your child’s teacher is the first critical step in the communication process. Likewise if you have any divisional issues - the divisional principal is the person to contact. In the case of whole school concerns or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

School Director’s Message 1 Message from the Board of Directors 2 Teaching and Learning News 2 Technology News 3 Construction @ AISJ 5 Introducing Mike Schuetze 6 Service Learning @ AISJ 6 Director’s Coffee Morning 8 Culture Shock! 8 Classifieds page available to AISJ community 8 AISJ Counselors’ Corner 9 School Lunch Menu 10 Elementary School News - Johannesburg Campus 10 Pretoria Parants Association Back to School Picnic 12 Pretoria Elementary and Middle School News 13 Middle School News - Johannesburg Campus 15 JoMUN 17 High School News 18 High School Astronomy trip to the Waterberg 19 High School Student Art Competition Winner 19 Activities and Sports 20 Johannesburg Parents Association News 20 AISJ JHB Parents Association Social Co-Chairs 21 Pretoria Parents Association News 22

As we move to a more appropriate and efficient operational structure, Mr. Mike Schuetze introduces himself within this issue as our new Operations Director. As such he will often be your first contact for issues related to school Operation or non-educational issues.

Also in this issue Mr. Shane McLaren, Assistant Operations Director, who has particular responsibility for new construction, summarizes the construction and landscaping advances over the break, and will outline on-going progress and timelines for on-going projects.

Thanking you for your continued support.

Andy

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 1

Vol. 4 No. 1

American International School of Johannesburg

August 22, 2013

Message from the Board of Directors News from your School Board Welcome back to the 2013 - 2014 school year! The Board had its first meeting of the academic year on August 19th. We had an opportunity to meet and welcome the new school administrators. We voted on the composition of the Governance, Facilities, and Finance committees. It is through the committee structure that the Board carries out the majority of its work.

If you would like to learn more about the committees and have experience you think would be relevant to committee work, please contact one of the board members. You will also have a chance during the upcoming September 26th Board Information Session to ask questions and to fill out an interest form. Please save the date for this important meeting. You will find us at http://www.aisj-jhb.com/Community/Community_School_Board.html.

The Board was pleased to hear about the increase in International Baccalaureate test scores this year. The average passing grade went up, reflecting better preparation of our students. Other positive news is that campus construction is on time and within budget. The Board reviewed the annual audit process. We should have a final statement from the auditors in October or sooner. We also held initial discussions with the Director about his performance goals for the 2013 -14 school year.

Kate Pongonis AISJ Board Executive Secretary

Teaching and Learning News Welcome to the 2013-14 school year from the Teaching and Learning Center We are extremely fortunate to have a team of staff dedicated to Teaching and Learning working across the three divisions and two campuses. Our role is to support teachers in developing practices to best meet the needs of all our learners at AISJ. The aim is to build our on-site capacity by offering training and workshops to support continuous professional development.

In addition to myself, Liz Hargreaves, Director of Teaching and Learning, Robyn Spicer and Merris Page-Smith - Teaching and Learning coaches, Fred Biggar – Director of Technology and Tara Barton – PK-12 Service Learning Coordinator, we would like to welcome two new additions to the Teaching and Learning Center.

Jill Bellamy – PK-12 Teaching and Learning Coach My name is Jill and I have been teaching for 25 years with over 14 years overseas in International schools. I am Elementary trained with a major in literacy and my teaching experience spans from PK to Grade 8. I spent 10 years at a PYP school with experience and training in inquiry based teaching and learning, differentiating curriculum and planning using an integrated approach.

During the last 4 years I had a primary role in implementing and coordinating a developmental approach to the teaching and learning of numeracy across Kinder through Grade 5. This involved working closely with a mathematics consultant who was a member of the team and who wrote the numeracy framework. I attended professional development and training and then part of my role was to organise training sessions and coach staff. Last year the Middle School Mathematics Department decided to adopt the approach when they noticed the improved understanding among the students coming through from Elementary.

I am looking forward to getting to know you all better and being a part of AISJ! Jill Bellamy, jibellamy@aisj-jhb.com

Cheryl Young – PK-12 Learner Support Coordinator Hello to AISJ Community! My name is Cheryl Young and I am so pleased to have been hired as the new K-12 Learner Support Coordinator. I am from the United States and have a doctorate in Special Education from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master’s degree in Bilingual Special Education from the University of Arizona. I was first introduced to international schools at the Cairo American College in Egypt, and also taught at the International School of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Most of my teaching experience is at the secondary level, but I have taught children as young as pre-school. In addition to teaching, I was the K-12 Reading Coordinator for the State of Washington department of education (US), a professor in special education at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, and most recently, owned a private practice providing intervention and support to We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 2

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

students with academic needs.

The Learning Support specialists at AISJ provide services to students who need support while acquiring English, and to students who are identified as having additional learning needs or disabilities. AISJ has amazing, knowledgeable, caring, and effective teaching staff who make up the Learning Support team. I am honoured to be a part of this team, a part of the larger Teaching & Learning team, and a part of such a diverse, international community within a beautiful country.

Please feel free to contact me any time. I look forward to learning together.

Dr. Cheryl A. Young, cyoung@aisj-jhb.com

Settling into AISJ and South Africa So much information! We realize that it can be overwhelming at the beginning of a school year, but that, regardless – an understanding of the school, and the country that you have moved to is very necessary to your settling in process and comfort level.

To assist you with your busy schedules we are attempting to streamline information presentations for you. As a result we have the following coming up:

Johannesburg

August 26th • PA meeting (open) @ 1.00 pm, Parent Room • Teaching & Learning Overview for Parents @ 1:30 pm, Teaching & Learning Center 2 • Culture Shock for New (and old) Parents @ 2:00 pm Teaching & Learning Center 2 (please see flyer below) • Grade 9 CW W Parent information @ 2:50 pm, Teaching & Learning Center 2

Pretoria

August 22nd • PA Welcome Coffee @ 7:30 am, Library • Teaching & Learning Overview for Parents@ 8:00 am, Library September 4th • PA coffee morning @ 7:30 am, Library

To be followed by…

• Culture Shock for New (and old) Parents @ 8:15 am, Library (please see flyer below) You can find more information and lots of resources for teaching and learning here on our Teaching and Learning website.

We look forward to seeing you!

Yours in partnership, Liz Director of Teaching and Learning lhargreaves@aisj-jhb.com

Technology News By now many of you will have seen the new ‘s late’ personal computers that we are distributing to students from grade six through twelve on the Johannesburg campus. The roll out on the Johannesburg campus started on Monday with our grade nine and ten students, many of whom are veterans of the trial that took place in MS last year. Distribution will be continuing this week in HS and starting next week with the other grade levels. Specific dates and times will be communicated by divisional offices.

In order to help with the dramatic increase in the volume of technology at school we have taken on two additional technicians.

To handle the slate and tablet specific needs of teachers and students, we have set up a service center in the Middle School administration block where they will be able to go for assistance with their computers.

If setting up close to a thousand slates and tablets over the winter break weren’t enough, the IT department worked on a number of other projects. Probably the most significant of these, in terms of student learning, was the work done to improve our We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 3

Vol. 4 No. 1

American International School of Johannesburg

August 22, 2013

connectivity. We have more than quadrupled the internet bandwidth available on both campuses and are well down the track to having a fibre link established in Pretoria.

Of course, nothing involving networking is entirely painless. One of the undesired by-products of our upgrading of external bandwidth is the need to change some of the telephone numbers we use at school. Despite assurances that our numbers would be seamlessly forwarded from existing numbers to the new ones, we discovered last week that this does not seem to be the case. The communications department will be publishing a complete and up to date list of numbers as soon as the dust has settled.

This year at AISJ, all classroom teachers will be maintaining and regularly updating their class WordPress sites.

Among other things, they will be detailing homework exThis is all old hat to our students in Pretoria who are into their third year of individual- pectations, posting assignment and syllabus details and ised computing. Distribution is well under way there. sharing student work. Details about access to the sites will be passed along as soon as we’ve given the teachers a chance to get them set up; it’s a massive effort largely spearheaded by the divisional Technology Integration Coaches who have introduced themselves below.

Technology @ Pretoria Campus – John Barton, Technology Integration Coach

My name is John Barton and I am very excited again to be in Pretoria this year. I have taught in many places over the years including Turkey, Kuwait, the Philippines and Australia. I am the Technology Integration Coach K - 8 and hope to help all staff to improve the incorporation of technology into their lessons to further enhance the fantastic student learning that is taking place in and out of the classroom.

I am also looking forward to a couple of new roles. One is teaching Middle School Robotics and Multimedia. This is the first time Pretoria has had such subjects and the intention is to provide students with hands on experience building robots, learning about programming and even competing against other schools. The multimedia class will equip students with valuable skills that will help them in the presentation of their work, researching and expanding their knowledge of how to use their laptops and other technology in all subject areas.

If you have any questions please contact me at jbarton@aisj-jhb.com

Technology @ Elementary School, Johannesburg Campus – Danielle Swanston, Technology Integration Coach

I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. However, I have lived in many places, and consider St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands to be my home.

I have two children, daughter Ryane and a son named Brandon. I have taught technology for 16 years at both the high school and the elementary school levels. This is my 8th year as the Elementary Technology Integration Coach at AISJ. I absolutely enjoy being a part of the learning process for both adults and children and believe that incorporating inquiry and critical thinking exercises into the learning process is one of the most important skills an educator can provide. I love what I do and like being a part of a school culture that understands the importance of enhancing learning through integrating technology within its units of instruction.

If you have any questions please contact me at dswanston@aisj-jhb.com

Technology @ Middle School, Johannesburg Campus – Jackie Booth, Technology Integration Coach

My name is Jackie Booth and I am excited to be joining the Middle School team here at AISJ this year. I have recently returned home to Johannesburg after teaching in Bogota, Colombia for three years, I have also taught in Botswana and England.

I am As the Middle School Technology Integration Coach, and part of my role is to work with teachers to integrate technology tools into our curriculum to make learning relevant and engaging for students. I will also be teaching Adventures in Gaming to the Grade 8 students and look forward to working with them during the year. My main goal is to equip students with technology We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 4

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

tools that will empower them to solve problems, think critically, invent and create new things, and collaborate with others from around the world to see others’ perspectives and to grow knowledge and understanding, of the world we live in, from a variety of contexts. I am looking forward to seeing our student embrace the power of technology to enrich their learning and make it relevant to their lives.

If you have any questions please contact me at jbooth@aisj-jhb.com

Technology @ High School, Johannesburg Campus – Dennis Ross, Technology Integration Coach

I am the High School TIC and I also teach ITGS and Robotics, which is a new course this year and one I am very excited about.

This is my second year at AISJ and my fifteenth teaching in international schools. A lot has changed in the world of Technology Education since my first international post as the Head of IT at St. Andrews International School in Malawi in1998. I have followed those changes as I have moved round the world from Malawi to China then to Costa Rica. I feel that AISJ is the most dynamic and innovative environment I have ever worked in and I am excitedly looking forward to all the new innovations that the 2013 - 2014 school year promises.

If you have any questions for me my e-mail is: dross@aisj-jhb.com

Construction @ AISJ I extend a warm welcome back to everyone after a busy winter break. Some of you may have noticed a new face in the Operations Department. I would like to welcome Mike Scheutze our new Operations Director to our team. With his help, the running of AISJ operations will be that much smoother and more efficient. Further, with the appointment of Mike, my responsibilities have changed a little as the new Assistant Operations Director. While I am still responsible for the grounds and landscaping on our campus I am now also responsible for the development of new construction to our facilities on both the Johannesburg and Pretoria campuses. With this said, I would like to share with you some of the progress made during winter.

Shane McLaren

Overall it has been a highly productive winter with work generally on time and still within budget. This work has been overseen by our newly promoted Assistant Operations Director Shane Mclaren, who will also retain responsibility for all grounds and landscaping work.

Johannesburg Campus • The Teaching and Learning Center is completed and houses the Teaching and Learning Team as well as the Activities Offices and Medical Center.

• The HS administration has been totally redesigned and renovated and occupied on August 9th.

• A new entrance and total upgrade of the foyer and prep areas were finalized in the HS Science Center. Next year the Science labs themselves will be renovated to complete the overhaul of this building.

• The New Operations Centre has been completed and was handed over on August 16th. This has predominantly been built from recycled materials including our old portable classrooms. The area includes maintenance yards, offices, meeting rooms and a container storage yard for our future operations and furniture storage needs.

• Two new Middle School Science rooms and prep area are on track for an October completion.

• Middle School amphitheater tensile structure covering was delayed due to design and cost issues but concrete footings will be completed within a week and then the structure will be erected when students are not on campus.

• New HS wing of seven new classrooms is on track for a November completion.

• Two new rooms upstairs in the FAC building have been fitted out and will be occupied by the HS and eventually form a part of the new Arts complex.

• Extensive services infrastructure work has been completed throughout the campus this has included major new storm water and sewage channels, irrigation, water mains and fire provisions. The vast majority of this work has now been completed although storm water on the north-west boundary and retention dams is still to be completed. This was planned to occur after school has started as it is mainly in the construction area adjacent to the new HS wing.

• Aquatics center entertainment areas has been developed and prepared – waiting for the builder to complete the barbeque area before paving commences and silica sand for volleyball courts to be applied We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 5

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

• The new double gym, dance studio, and exercise room, complete with ablutions and PE offices has started with the platform completed and foundations dug. This is still on track for an April 2014 completion date.

Pretoria Campus • The entire outside grounds between the swimming pool and the elementary classrooms has been totally renovated with the removal of many of the old trees into an open area with playground, grassed and paved areas. Virtually all of the planting has been completed although there has been some delays on some of the play equipment.

• The administration area has been redeveloped to allow a larger more appropriate foyer/entrance, a number of new offices and a considerable larger staffroom. It has also allowed for the creation of a large conference room and better air circulation. This was completed on August 7th.

• The three new MS classrooms are on track for a late September completion.

• Two new MS Science labs and a prep room will be completed a little later as per the construction plan but have been delayed a further two weeks due to major foundation issues leading to an extensive excavation and refill.

• Major storm water work has also been completed on the Pretoria site necessitated by th new construction and drainage issues. This has been completed with the exception of thenew construction area.

• Major tensile shade structure are presently being completed in the early childhood playground.

Respectfully submitted by Shane McLaren, Assistant Operations Director

Introducing Mike Schuetze My name is Mike Schuetze, (pronounced Shootz), the new Director of Operations at AISJ. In this role I oversee transportation, maintenance, catering, security and human resources. I work closely with the manager of each area.

In the past, I have worked as an operations director, a middle school principal and a high school principal. I look forward to using those administrative experiences to serve you, your daughters and sons.

My door is always open to members of the school community. Please call or come in anytime. I look forward to working with you to provide the very best environment for student learning.

Yours in service, teaching and learning, Mike

Service Learning @ AISJ A big warm welcome to our new students and families, and to our returning AISJ community.

As we embark on the new school year we are excited to get Service Learning started! My name is Tara Barton and I’m the Pre K-12 Service Learning Coordinator. I look forward to working with our school community to integrate service learning into the curriculum.

Communication Each fortnight I will report on what is happening in Service Learning across the two campuses and all divisions through Izindaba. We aim to improve our communication to parents this year through e-mails, regular updates on the Service Learning site and through Izindaba articles.

We have a Service Learning Site available through the AISJ website that you can access the following information: AISJ Service Learning Handbook, Information on our sustainable service partnerships, service activities, photos of service projects, resources, forms, links, articles, and examples of service projects and types of service at AISJ. We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 6

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

Goals for Service Learning Our main goal this year is to have everyone involved in Service Learning. One unit per year in each grade/subject area will be linked to service through our Service Learning standards and benchmarks.

All students in high school will complete a service project that demonstrates their understanding of the 5 stages of Service Learning: Investigation, Planning and Preparation, Action, Reflection and Demonstration/Celebration.

This is part of our graduation requirement and will be completed during Global Citizens/Mission during the year. Student goal setting and recording the 5 stages against the learning outcomes will be recorded in Managebac and follow students through to graduation.

Service Activities Sign-up We are delaying the start of our service activities this year until the service sign-up has been completed. Students, teachers and parents will be sent a link to sign up as a volunteer or supervisor.

This will happen next week, then service activity teams will meet to discuss their goals and expectations and then we will commence activities with our service partners come early September.

IB CAS Afrika Tikkun

Parent Volunteer/Supervisor- Rose Simpson

Family Global day of Play at Pretoria

Pre-K Gardening Unit

Teboho Trust IT Bootcamp

La Mmamutu Pre School

Grade 6 Riversands Reading Buddies

Thokazani School

AISA GISS- Kenya

CWW- Classroom Without Walls An outline of CW W is in the parent and student handbook.

Grade 9 will embark on their first High School CW W, Tuesday the 3rd – 6th of September. Students received a package of forms and information on Tuesday, 20th of August and their medical and indemnity forms are due back this Friday the 23rd of August.

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 7

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

American International School of Johannesburg

We will have 2 parent information sessions: • Friday 23rd August 2013 from 8:00 am - 9:00 am in T&L 2 • Monday 26th August 2013 from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm in T&L 2 Grade 10 CW W will be from 11th- 16th November at Menwini Cultural Centre in the Drakensburg. Students will receive more information on this in the coming weeks.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, suggestions, or would like to volunteer/be a service supervisor for our afterschool service activities. I look forward to working with you in Service Learning this year!

Warm Regards, Tara Barton tbarton@aisj-jhb.com http://tw.aisj-jhb.com/servicelearning/

Director’s Coffee Morning

Culture Shock!

Date: 12th September 2013 Venue: Parents Room, Johannesburg Campus Time: 7:30 am

When?

Johannesburg Campus Monday, 26th August (following PA open meeting) @ 2.00 pm Pretoria Campus * Wednesday, 4th September @ 8.15 am (following coffee morning)

Classifieds page available to AISJ community As we have many families and staff moving through our system from year to year we have a classified’s page available for the community to use to advertise any items they wish to sell.

• Where is this page: You will find this page under Community – Classifieds on the AISJ website.

• What we need: descriptions of items, pricing and an image if possible. Please also include all contact information.

• In order to get your items loaded you need to send an e-mail to AISJ-Communications@aisj-jhb.com, Subject: Classifieds.

• On receiving your request it will take up to 2 days for it to be live on the AISJ website.

• It will remain there for 1 month (should you wish that it be removed sooner (all items sold) – send an e-mail to the above address stating so), after one month your classified will be automatically be removed.

• You can just extend the period by sending a request to the same e-mail address.

This is a useful and free forum, so please make use of it to sell your unwanted items.

Where?

Johannesburg Campus Teaching & Learning Center Pretoria Campus Library Who? Dr. Merris Page-Smith Experienced expatriate, and parent!

Moving to another country and culture is not as easy as it might seem! Things might appear on the surface to be the same (or similar) to home but they rarely are.

You are bound to face a lot of changes and it’s natural to have difficulty adjusting to the new culture that you find yourself in…But the good news is that ‘culture shock’ is temporary!

What is happening to you?

Find out about the stages and phases that everybody goes through…

A Must for all Expatriates! * Please note that this presentation will be held at the Pretoria campus only if numbers support. Jhb attendees need not reply RSVP (Pretoria only) to pproudfoot@aisj-jhb.com

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 8

Vol. 4 No. 1

American International School of Johannesburg

August 22, 2013

AISJ Counselors’ Corner Guidance and counseling information from the Elementary School……

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Carol Wootton. I joined AISJ as a resource specialist in the elementary school in 2005 and became the counselor in 2007. My background is in remedial education, working with students who have special needs. I then qualified as an educational psychologist and went into private practice for a number of years, working with families, conducting educational, psychological and emotional assessments, and working with children using various play therapy techniques. I have fallen in love with all of your children and can truly say that AISJ is an inspiring community and a place where I love to work.

In the elementary school the counselor has a diverse and interesting role. Our philosophy is to take a pro-active approach to student intervention by teaching social and emotional literacy through a holistic curriculum. Some of the underlying principles come from a program called PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies). This curriculum has been developed to facilitate the development of self-control, positive self-esteem, emotional awareness and interpersonal problem solving skills. Children participate in specific and guided activities to enhance their social and emotional development, which reinforces and supports the values of our mission statement. In collaboration with the school nurse, we provide a workshop for the grade 5 students to help prepare them for adolescence.

At AISJ we are very aware that emotional and social difficulties can impact on a child’s willingness and ability to learn. In the elementary school, there are many instances when children may benefit from individual counseling and/or group counseling.

The focus is on supporting the students to discover ways to solve their own problems, to help them define their feelings, and explore possible options and consequences. On occasion we refer to outside professionals if therapy is required.

Children are observed in the classroom, lunchroom and on the playground, and I am available to teachers and parents for consultation regarding a student’s emotional and educational needs. Meetings can be arranged with teachers and parents to discuss and recommend interventions, support and possible additional assessments to meet the needs of the child, including parenting skills if required. This support is available on a one to one consultation basis. If necessary, close collaboration with doctors and therapists is maintained to ensure a coordinated program for the child.

As new students enter our school, I assist the Principal, Mr. Hart, during the admissions process by coordinating the assessment program and making recommendations regarding student admissions. Reports are compiled on each new child and given to the classroom teacher and specialist teachers. Each child who is leaving the school meets with me to process their transition. Farewell books are given to the teachers to be completed with pictures, autographs and a history of the time spent at AISJ. During assembly children are welcomed into our school and ‘good-byes’ are said to them in an effort to ensure that each child experiences a smooth transition in-to and out-of our school.

It is a pleasure and a privilege to work in the elementary school and especially with your children.

Kind regards, Dr. Carol Wootton, cwootton@aisj-jhb.com 011 464 1505 ext. 1842 or 087 809 1842

Contact the Counselors’ Please contact the counselors’ if we can help in any way: Johannesburg Elementary School Counselor Dr. Carol Wootton cwootton@aisj-jhb.com 087 809 1842

Johannesburg Middle School Counselor Dr. Justin Walker mscounselor@aisj-jhb.com 087 809 1819

High School Counselor High School Counselor Ms. Ann Ireland Mrs. Melissa Johnson-Schnyder High School Counselor High School Counselor All Grade 9 - Grade 11 Students with the last All Grade 10 and 11 Students with last name J - Z and the Class of 2013 name A – I (Grade 12 Students) aireland@aisj-jhb.com mjohnson-schnyder@aisj-jhb.com 087 809 1833 087 809 1841

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 9

August 22, 2013

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

Pretoria Campus Counselor Joe Rauschenbach jrauschenbach@aisj-jhb.com 087 803 0455

School Lunch Menu Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

26 August

27 August

28 August

29 August

30 August

Chicken & Pasta Bake

Grilled Lemon & Herb Hake Fillet

Hot Dog Day

Beef Cottage Pie

Deep Fried Calamari

Vienna’s (Pork or Chicken)

Chicken Casserole

Roast BBQ Chicken

Yellow Rice

Roast Potatoe

Beef Shortrib & Veg Casserole Herbed White Rice Broccoli au Gratin (V) Bean & Vegetable Casserole

Beef Chilli (Mild) with Yellow Rice Creamy Mashed Potato Steamed Green Beans

French Fries (V) Vegetarian Soya Sausage

Steamed Mixed Vegeta- Mixed Vegetable Bake bles (V) Vegetable Stir Fry (V) Spinach & Feta Pie

(V) Vegetable Stir Fry The September lunch menu will be available on the website by the end of August

Elementary School News - Johannesburg Campus Dear Parents,

Upcoming Events

A warm welcome to the 2013-2014 school year. I am excited to be writing to you as the new Elementary Principal. My family and I arrived over three weeks ago and already we are feeling settled and happy. It has been nice meeting many of you these past days of school. I hope to meet more of you throughout the coming days.

August 26 1st Session ASA Begins

It has been amazing to watch the hallways and classrooms fill with laughter, smiling faces and stories of summer holidays and adventures. Your children have made a great start building new friendships and finding their way. I can say for certain that most are extremely tired. I know my children have been to bed early this past week.

Teaching & Learning Overview for Parents @ T&L 2, 1:30 pm

This year we are welcoming over 120 new students to the Elementary School, the largest intake the elementary has ever seen. Another first is that our enrollment has now grown to over 400 students. It is an exciting time for our school as we continue to grow and build.

August 27 JHB and Pretoria Individual Staff and Student Photo Day

It is important for me to recognize that the start of school has been met with some logistical challenges with both bussing and communication issues. I assure you that these are areas in which I am committed to improve and acknowledge that we can and will do better. Please also know that we have an extremely dedicated team of teachers and staff at AISJ and I have been amazed at their commitment to ensuring your children are happy, safe and learning, right from day 1. As one teacher said to me last week, “having the children back at school makes all the hard work over the past two weeks, worth it.” I couldn’t agree more.

These early days of school are important, as the students learn new classroom routines and expectations, build new friendships and reconnect with their peers. Your children need sleep, our days are long especially for our

JHB Parents Association Meeting (Open) @ Parents Room, 1:00 pm

Culture Shock for New (and old) Parents @ T&L 2, 2:00 pm

JHB ES Open House @ Gazebo, 6:30 pm August 30 Early Release @ 1:30 pm September 2 - 6 JHB ES Student Council Elections September 4 JHB ES Assembly @ Gazebo, 8:00 am September 11 Building Bus Communities @ 12:45 pm

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 10

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

younger learners so it is important your child gets to bed early each night.

While we hope your child is coming home smiling and happy, please remember it can be a challenging time for some children and I encourage you to contact your child’s teacher if your child needs some extra support in the coming days and weeks.

August 22, 2013

September 12 Director’s Coffee Morning @ JHB Parent Room, 7:30 am

Your role as parents in the success of your child at school is vital. I encourage you to take an active role in the school and look forward to partnering with you to make this year a huge success for your child.

Kind regards, Ben Hart, bhart@aisj-jhb.com

Introducing New Staff 2013- 2014 Bronwyn Robertson

Grade 2 Teacher

Angela Langlands

Grade 2 Teacher

Lydia van Berkhout

Grade 3 Teacher

Taylor Corley

Grade 4 Teacher

Reidwan Kadar Grade 4 Teacher Angel Catholic

Art Teacher (Grade 3 - 5)

Stephen Faulkner

PE Teacher

Rachel Fowkes

Grade 1 Teaching Partner

Penny Maphalala

Kindergarten Teaching Partner

Liane Wilken

Kindergarten Teaching Partner

Robert Edgar

Library Media Specialist

Parents Association Meeting On August 26th the Parents Association will host an open meeting @1:00 pm in the Parent Room. Parents are then invited to join the Teaching and Learning Team for the following presentations: • Teaching & Learning Overview for Parents @ 1:30 pm, Teaching & Learning Center 2 • Culture Shock for New (and old) Parents @ 2:00 pm Teaching & Learning Center 2

Elementary School Open House- JHB Campus I look forward to welcoming parents to our elementary school open house this coming Tuesday, August 27. This evening is an opportunity for you to meet your child’s homeroom teacher, and to learn more about the classroom procedures and curriculum your child will experience this year. There will also be an opportunity for parents to meet and visit our Specialist teachers in PE, Music, Art and Spanish. Our Learning Support team will also be available to greet parents and discuss our support program.

This is one of the most important nights on the ES calendar and it would be great to see as many of you as possible. Below is the schedule for the evening. Please note that we will begin promptly at 6:30 pm in the ES Gazebo.

Time

Event

Venue

6:30 pm - 6:50 pm

Welcome, introductions and address from Ben Hart

ES Gazebo

6:50 pm - 7:10 pm

Session 1 - Homeroom Presentation

Classrooms

7:15 pm - 7:35 pm

Session 2 - Homeroom Presentation

Classrooms

7:40 pm - 8:00 pm

Session 3 - Homeroom Presentation

Classrooms

6:50 pm - 8:00 pm

Meet Specialist teachers in PE, Music, Art and Spanish

Specialist Classrooms

*Please note that three sessions are of fered throughout the night to accommodate families with siblings. The presentation will be the same at each session.

Parking will be available at the Elementary School car park.

Student Council Grades 3 - 5 In recent years the Elementary School has had a very active Student Council and this year will be no different. Our highlights last year were: Bandana Day, a Christmas party at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, bake sales, spray-a-thons, raising funds for the Grade 3 Service Learning Project, and sponsoring a stand at the Family Fun Day. Student Council also hosted two spirit We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 11

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

weeks last year. This is a fantastic opportunity for Upper Elementary students to take a leadership role within our school. We are looking for students who want to make a difference in our closer school community as well as in our extended community.

If your child is in Grades 3 - 5 and interested in running for our Student Council, please encourage them to run as a representative for their class. Elections will be held the week of September 2nd - 6th and students will need to inform their classroom teacher if they want to run. This year, the Elementary Student Council will be sponsored by Riedwaan Kader (Grade 4 teacher) and Karen Vicente (Grade 5 teacher). The student council will meet after school, every other week, beginning Monday, September 9th. More detailed information will be sent home with those students who are interested in running and the successful candidates.

After School Activities By now you will have received information on our After School Activity (ASA). Program. To enroll your child in ASA’s, please fill out the relevant forms and return these with your child to your homeroom teacher. Please note, we do not offer ASA’ for Pre-K and Kindergarten students. The ASA program begins on Monday, August 26th. Contact our ASA coordinator Kris Jettner if you have questions about your child’s activities kjettner@aisj-jhb.com.

Substitutes Wanted Are you interested in working at our school for a few days a month or more? We are in need of building our substitute pool.

A teaching certificate is preferred but if you have experience working with groups of young children then call our Elementary Office Manager, Carol McDonald on 087 809 1804.

a Parents Assoc i r o t e iatio Pr J n AIS

chool Pic S o t k nic c a B ember 2013 7th Sept 11:00 am - 2:00 pm ria AISJ Preto Campus

Bring a picnic lunch, blanket and a dessert to share Meet other parents and enjoy the afternoon with your kids at their home away from home!

Questions?

Email Pretoria Parents Association PTA-PA@aisj-jhb.com

A selection of activities including a Face Painter, Bouncy Castles, All-ages Puppet Show and Cotton Candy will be available Keep an eye out for more information in the next Izindaba

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 12

Vol. 4 No. 1

American International School of Johannesburg

August 22, 2013

Pretoria Elementary and Middle School News It is with pleasure that I introduce myself as the new Pretoria Principal at AISJ. I would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to new and returning families at this the beginning of the 2013-14 academic year and to share how happy I am to be here.

Upcoming Events August 23 Pretoria MS Social @ Lapa, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

I come to AISJ in my 25th year as an educator. To date I have worked in schools in London, Santo Domingo, Istanbul, Turin, Milan (Monza) and Guangzhou. During my ten years at two international schools in Italy I gained significant experience as Principal. I have arrived in South Africa with my husband and fourteen year old son and we are enjoying the many new experiences on offer in both our family and school situations.

August 26 1st Session ASA Begins

During my first days here I have observed a school where teachers enjoy teaching and students enjoy learning. It is understandable then that I feel optimistic and enthusiastic.

August 30 Early Release @ 1:30 pm

As you are all new for me so am I for you but rest assured that, together with my colleagues, I will do my very best to assist you and your children to make the most of the many and varied opportunities offered by AISJ. I am keen to meet you all and to create relationships that, I hope, will last for many years. I am a firm believer in the significance of the home/school connection so please do contact me with any questions or concerns or just to introduce yourself. Working together can only enhance our students’ educational experiences. As such, I look forward to productive and agreeable partnerships built on trust.

Together we dare to imagine, inspire to succeed, and courageously make a difference.

Rachel Caldwell, Pretoria Principal

August 27 JHB and Pretoria Individual Staff and Student Photo Day

September 3 Pretoria Open House @ Lapa, 6:30 pm September 4 Culture Shock for New (and Old) Parents @ Library, 8:15 am Please RSVP @ pproudfoot@aisj-jhb.com Pretoria Big 5 Assembly @ Lapa, 12:30 pm September 7 Pretoria Parents Association Back to School Picnic @ Pretoria Campus, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm September 11 Building Bus Communities September 12 Director’s Coffee Morning

The Pleasure of Reading

We begin the new academic year with some good news: reading should be for pleasure and that is what we strongly promote here at AISJ. All fine and well you might say but just because an activity is enjoyable does not mean it is good for language acquisition; enjoyment is no guarantee of effectiveness. This is where the news gets even better; there is much research evidence to suggest that free voluntary reading is the most effective way to develop levels of reading comprehension, writing style, vocabulary, grammar and spelling. Please join us in encouraging our children to read, read and read some more...

A comfy carpet in the Reading Corner is a great spot to enjoy a good book

Some parents may be familiar with Mem Fox; one of Australia’s most highly regarded picture-book authors. Her first title, Possum Magic, is the best selling children’s book ever in her home country, with sales of over three million copies. Mem Fox was an Associate Professor in Literacy Studies at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, where she taught teachers for twenty four years until her early retirement in 1996. She has received many civic awards, honors and accolades in Australia, including two honorary doctorates.

We would like to share with you her Ten Read-Aloud Commandments: 1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud.

2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read.

3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don’t be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 13

Vol. 4 No. 1

American International School of Johannesburg

August 22, 2013

4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners.

5. Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over again, and always read in the same ‘tune’ for each book: i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time.

6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games.

7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books are really short.

8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours, remembering that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous game.

9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.

10. Read aloud every day because you just love being with your child, not because it’s the right thing to do. This is as important for fathers as it is for mothers!

Students enjoy their free voluntary reading time

Integrating Technology at Pretoria Walking in to the campus I couldn’t believe how much work had been done over the break. It is sure to be an exciting year in Pretoria with so many new staff and students. The great thing has been all the smiles and the positive start to the school year. In terms of technology in school we are upgrading our servers and increasing our bandwidth so everyone will hopefully have better access to the internet to improve student learning. Middle School students will have their computer tablets this week and with the purchase of document cameras and video cameras for teachers, each class across the school should be well equipped to see what amazing things can be created by all our students. My intention this year is to be in each teacher’s classroom as much as I can, acting as a resource to help enhance staff and students’ knowledge of technology. I am especially excited to be teaching multimedia and robotics this year to Middle School for the first time. We will be using Lego robots and it is hoped we can organise with the other campus intra-class competitions and offer robotics as an after school activity.

John Barton, Integration Technology coach

Pretoria Middle Kicks Off!

Grade 6 students getting accustomed to their lockers

Ice Breaker Activity in 7A

The first week of the school year went off without a hitch as new and returning students were introduced to their teachers and new classmates. Teamwork was the name of the game; lockers were assigned, laptops were handed out, and we visited the library for a great first session. There was a lot of positive energy in the atmosphere and we’re all looking forward to continuing this great momentum!

Pretoria After School Activities Our students and staff at the Pretoria campus are very excited to get our action packed ASA program under way on the 26th of August.

Pretoria Elementary and Middle School have a wide range of activities to choose from that include sports, the arts and more academic foci. Most of the popular activities are back such as Art, Science, Soccer, Basketball and Tech Club along with some brand new activi-

ES Play Rehearsals

ASA basketball

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 14

School

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

ties such as Math Games, MS Student Council and AISJ Cross Fit. I am looking forward to the Elementary School production in December which is always a hit ASA.

Gym Kids

Arts and Crafts

Our PARENT FUNDED activities also provide some new, exciting possibilities such as Ballet, Martial Arts, and Film and Drama. Our favorites, tennis, golf and hip hop are back by popular demand.

With such a wide variety of activities on offer, it will be a difficult but fun exercise for students to decide just what to sign up for.

Please take note of the days and times of ASA: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: 3:10 pm – 4:30 pm Wednesday: 1:30 pm – 2:50 pm

If parents have any queries or comments about ASA at Pretoria please contact Ms Robyn Hall @ rhall@aisj-jhb.com.

Middle School News - Johannesburg Campus Dear MS Parents,

Upcoming Events

Welcome to the 2013-14 school year at AISJ. The Middle School is off to a great start. Those of us who are new have been pleased with the warm welcome we have received from everyone at AISJ. Since I am new, I would like to introduce myself to all MS parents. I look forward to getting to know you and your children in the coming weeks.

This is 40th year since my wife and I began our overseas careers. Having been a MS and HS teacher, a principal at all three school levels and most recently a school director, I am quite excited to be returning to my roots as a Middle School educator. Having spent roughly 20 years of my career as a teacher and principal with this age group, I eagerly anticipate working at the MS level again. I am also pleased to be filling a role as principal again.

While I enjoyed being a School Director, my passion as an educator is the close relationship with students and teachers that being a principal entails.

August 23 JHB MS Welcome Back Social (JHB Parents Association Sponsored) @ Fields, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm August 24 HS and Grade 8 JoMUN Working Session @ , 10:00 am - 2:00 pm August 26 1st Session ASA Begin JHB Parents Association Meeting (Open) @ Parents Room, 1:00 pm

As an interim principal for this school year, I look forward to helping keep forward momentum in all aspects of the AISJ Middle School. With enrollment nearing or hitting ma ximum levels in Middle School, scheduling students and balancing classes has been particularly challenging. We have made last minute changes to some student schedules and may have a few more adjustments, as we strive to develop schedules for late arriving students and maintain the best balance for all our classes. While changes at this point will be minimal, everyone’s patience and understanding is greatly appreciated.

Teaching & Learning Overview for Parents @ T&L 2, 1:30 pm

We started the year with ample time for advisory where students received their schedules and information to ensure the success of their first few days.

This will set the tone for the entire school year. We culminated the first day with a pizza party lunch, which was a great success.

August 30 Early Release @ 1:30 pm

Our house theme this year is the Elements (Earth, Wind, Fire and Water) with a supporting theme of superheroes. We got our house events off to a great start with an assembly today, Friday, introducing our teachers in their superhero personas with teacher faces photo-shopped into their favorite

Culture Shock for New (and old) Parents @ T&L 2, 2:00 pm August 27 JHB and Pretoria Individual Staff and Student Photo Day

September 5 JHB MS Open House @ FAC, 6:20 pm September 11 Building Bus Communities @ 12:45 pm

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 15

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

superhero picture. We will be relating the superhero theme to the house elements as much as possible through the year. Each house has an assigned color and will design a flag, create a cheer and engage in other team building activities as the school year progresses..

August 22, 2013

September 12 Director’s Coffee Morning @ JHB Parent Room, 7:30 am

MS Back to School Social – August 23th Friday, August 23rd the Parent Association is sponsoring a Middle School Hip Hop Social! There will be dance instruction for all middle school students of all abilities. Students are encouraged to come out and get to know their classmates and join in what could be the largest middle school choreographed number so far. The social will be held on the covered basketball courts and will start right after school until 4:15 pm. Regular late buses will run at 4:30 pm for bus riders only. It is free for all MS students and will include the activity and snacks.

Samsung Slates for Middle School This year each child in the MS will be issued a Samsung slate (tablet) for their use to do school work both here and at home.

We are very excited about this access to technology for our students. We will be rolling the slates out to Grade 7 and 8 students next week and later this year to our Grade 6 students.

Grade 8 – will receive their devices on 26th August Grade 7 – will receive their devices on 27th August Each advisory will have a specific time to come to the MS computer lab to receive their devices. These times will be communicated to the students during this week.

This is a real privilege for our students and we are looking forward to seeing them use the devices to enhance their learning in the classroom. With this privilege comes a huge amount of responsibility. We are going to need parent support to ensure that our students look after and use their new devices appropriately.

A letter to parents and agreement forms were sent home with 7th and 8th grade students earlier this week. Please ensure that you have read, signed and returned the following forms by Friday 25th August.

1. Slate PC Loan Agreement Form 2. Slate PC Terms of Use 3. Digital Citizenship Agreement Seventh and eighth grade students will return these forms to their advisory teachers. If your child has not turned in the signed forms they will not be allowed to receive their devices on their allocated day and will have to wait to receive their device. If you have not received these forms, ask your child for them. If you need replacement forms to be issued, please contact the MS office immediately.

MS Blogs Our MS blog will be up and running soon, so that parents and students will have one place to go to see all the links and Middle School news. Teachers will have their blogs up by September 3rd.

Parent Open House Night - September 5th While our blogs are a great way to communicate with students and parents, meeting your child’s teachers in person is critically important. This opportunity will come on September 5th with our Middle School Open House. If your son or daughter takes ELL the ELL teachers will be starting their presentation at 6:00 pm in the FAC. A flyer went home with your child on the first few days of school. We will be presenting in teams again this year, as we received overwhelmingly positive feedback in the past from both parents and teachers regarding this format. We will start in the Fines Arts Center (FAC) with an introduction of key people in the middle school. Please arrive a few minutes before 6:20 pm to receive schedules. *Note it was published in the Community Calendar as a 6:30 pm start; however, to ensure that all teachers have time to present we have moved the start time to 6:20 pm.

Email our office at MS-Office@aisj-jhb.com if you have any questions or need more information.

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 16

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

Student Handbook – please return confirmation sheet sent home the first day of school The Middle School Parent Student Handbook is available on the AISJ website. Each student received a copy of a verification form on the first day of school. Please take time to go through the handbook with your child. Students need to have the verification sheet signed by their parents and returned to their advisor as soon as possible.

Student’s Personal Belongings Students are asked to only bring to school what they deem necessary and what they are prepared to be responsible for. All students are expected to have their belongings locked in their locker and should refrain from bringing any unnecessary valuables.

Parents please ensure that all of their items are labeled with their name and grade before they bring it to school. Students are not permitted to use cell phones or music and gaming devices during the school day.

Construction Finally, while most of the construction on campus is in the High School area or the periphery of campus, we do have two projects underway for the Middle School. Two new MS science labs are being built on the edge of our Upper Veldt area. When these labs are completed in early fall we will be moving 6th and 7th grade science into the new facilities. This construction is well away from MS student areas. Our second project is more central as it involves our Amphitheater. To make this a more useable area during hot or rainy weather, we are constructing a roof over the Amphitheater. We have this area screened off so that no students can enter the construction zone. Construction should be complete in two to three weeks.

JoMUN JOMUN XI (October 3rd – October 6th, 2013) For many High School students, when we think of the beginning of a new school year we also think of the beginning of a new JOMUN conference. Welcome to JOMUN XI. The theme of this year’s conference focuses on the promotion of sustainable solutions in Africa, discussing issues such as homosexual rights, whaling in Antarctica, and gender equality. Not only does it have a great impact to this particular continent, but it also affects many other countries on a global scale. The JOMUN delegates are extremely excited to participate in this upcoming undertaking. With resolutions and opening speeches well on their way to being complete, delegates are taking all the steps necessary to ensure that JOMUN XI is the best conference AISJ has ever held.

JOMUN Boot Camp is this Saturday, August 24th from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. This boot camp gives students who are new to MUN a brief introduction to the jargon associated with the Model United Nations and shows delegates what debates look like.

AISJ buses will pick up students from central pickup points early on Saturday morning; after the boot camp students will be taken to the door of their respective home. Central pickup times and locations will be communicated to all students involved.

We look forward to an excellent JOMUN conference.

By Ceclia de Almeida, The JOMUN Press Corps

High School News Upcoming Events

Dear High School Parents, Allow me to begin by welcoming you all back to school and expressing how much of a pleasure it was to see students return to AISJ this past Wednesday. Last year, as a new principal at AISJ, I didn’t know the kids and to get to know them took some time. This year was very different as I greeted kids with sleepy, but smiling faces as they got off the busses on Wednesday morning. It is good to have them back!

August 23 Grade 9 CW W Parent Information Session @ T&L 2, 8:00 am - 9:00 am HS Skating Party (JHB Parents Association Sponsored)

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 17

Vol. 4 No. 1

American International School of Johannesburg

We are off to a strong start and I am very pleased, but there were scheduling areas that needed attention, as they do at the start of any high school year. In a school like ours we build a master schedule based very much on the class selections made by returning students before the end of the school year and then taking an educated guess as to what the many new students may choose. Although the practice works, and did this year as well, there were also some surprises; however, we were able to react quickly and make some schedule changes for certain groups of students, particularly in grades nine and ten. Ms. Ireland and Ms. Jonson-Schnyder addressed the matter this past weekend and put in a huge amount of work to get it straightened out. There may be further changes in individual students’ schedules, but the counselors will endeavour to minimize any student concerns.

On the subject of class or schedule changes, please remember that students have a two-week window within which they may request a change.

The reasons for the change must be valid educationally and not merely a change of mind or a wish to be with a different group of students. We always seek to build a challenging and exciting program for each student, and their schedule should reflect this effort.

Further on the topic of schedules, you will have noticed, no doubt, that students will be signing up for activities this week. From sports to JoMUN and from musicals to service projects, students will be tempted to try a little of everything. While we encourage them to jump in and participate, it is extremely important that they keep “balance” as their main objective. The schedule over the first two months of school is very busy and a student who commits to more than he/she can handle will certainly be stressed in a very short time. We encourage you to talk with your teenager about the activities and the commitments he/she is about to make, and discuss the pitfalls of overestimating their ability to cope.

This week all students in the high school will receive their “slates”, provided they have turned in the usage agreement sheet they were given earlier. If the agreement sheet is still out there, please encourage your child to get it signed and returned as all his or her classmates will already be working with their slates.

I look forward to seeing all of you at our “Back to School” night on August 29th. You will have an opportunity to meet the teachers, returning and new, and to get glimpse of what your kids will be learning this year.

Please take the opportunity to great the new teachers: Chloe Tennyson, Mathematics Robert Langlands, Technology, Robotics and Yearbook Laura Davies, Science Head of Department Fiona Hurtado, English and IB Research Skills

August 22, 2013

August 24 HS and Grade 8 JoMUN Working Session @ Johannesburg Campus, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm August 26 1st Session ASA Begins JHB Parents Association Meeting (Open) @ Parents Room, 1:00 pm Teaching & Learning Overview for Parents @ T&L 2, 1:30 pm Culture Shock for New (and old) Parents @ T&L 2, 2:00 pm August 27 JHB and Pretoria Individual Staff and Student Photo Day August 29 JHB HS Open House @ FAC, 6:30 pm August 30 Early Release @ 1:30 pm September 3 - 6 HS CW W Grade 9 Departs September 6 - 8 HS Limpopo Service Learning Trip HS Astronomy Club Trip @ Waterberg September 9 HS IB Meeting with Grade 11 Parents @ FAC, 6:30 pm September 10 HS Grade 12 University App Workshop for Parents @ HS Lecture Hall, 8:00 am - 10:00 am

Garret Merle, Geography Katherine Maloney, English and TOK Kostas Gabriel, PE Christelle Gamet, French and Spanish

It is normal that parents have questions about program and about school in general over the first several weeks. We hope to be able to provide you with answers to these questions but it is important that you direct your questions to the person most likely to have the answer. Here are suggestions in that regard: • Problems related to schedules, contact your child’s counsellor • Problems or questions about a particular class, contact the teacher • Questions about transportation, please address the transportation department • Questions about general curriculum or program, contact a counselor or high school administrator • IB questions should be addressed to Will Hurtado, our IB coordinator • For general information, please read Izindaba when it comes out every two weeks We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 18

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

We are always available in the high school office should you need advice or direction so please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.

Just around the corner on the September 3rd our ninth graders will be participating in the first Classroom Without Walls in the high school. The four day field trip is designed to introduce service learning as well as to build community and help make the best start possible in high school. More information on this will be coming your way this week. Please contact Tara Barton, our Service Learning Coordinator if you have questions.

The tenth grade will also be participating in a Classroom Without Walls experience, but that is later in November and information on it will be made available soon.

We are off to a very good start and I know that we all share very high hopes for this academic year. Let us make a pledge to work in partnership for the purpose of better learning and happy students.

All best wishes, Tony Mock, High School Principal

High School Astronomy Trip to the Waterberg The Astronomy Club has made a great start with about 20 members signed up this semester. Our trip to the Waterberg to experience two nights of pristine dark skies at new moon departs on Friday 6th Sept. A detailed information pack with permission forms is available for members to collect from Mr Walsh or Mr Francis.

A typical Waterberg evening: Venus, surrounded by the glowing vertical cone of Zodiacal Light, sets over the Waterberg hills in this photo taken earlier this month. The Zodiacal Light is sunlight reflected towards Earth by dust particles orbiting closer to the sun then we do.

High School Student Art Competition Winner The AISA Art Challenge is an exciting annual competition that seeks to foster and strengthen the connections amongst students in our member schools through Art. Each year the AISA secretariat receives submissions from our member schools and the best 12 are then selected and featured in AISA’s Calendar.

This year we received over 100 submissions. The judging was quite difficult as all submissions were extremely interesting and each artist’s enthusiasm to illustrate AISA’s philosophy, mission and goals was clearly evident.

AISA would like to congratulate Ella Shoup whose artwork ‘Optimism’ will be published in the 2014 AISA Calendar.

Artwork Information:

Ella Shoup, Gr. 12 (2012-13) Title: Optimism Hand-painted and folded Origami flowers, wood, copper sheeting and paint.

Size: 100cm x 40cm

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 19

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

Activities and Sports For those of you who don’t know me, I am AISJ’s Activities Coordinator and I am looking forward to a very exciting year in activities at AISJ. In addition to student activities we will also have activities that we encourage parents to become involved in.

If you ever have any questions, concerns, or ideas regarding AISJ’s Activities Program please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or telephone.

Kris Jettner, K-12 Activities Coordinator Mobile: +27 (0)84 622 1272 Work: +27 (0)87 350 2495 aisj-activities@aisj-jhb.com

Fa x: +27 (0)86 265 7353

Community Activities @ AISJ This year at AISJ we are really making an effort to develop opportunities for our community to come together and get to know each other. We currently have basketball and softball taking place on AISJ’s Joburg Campus and these activities are open to all community members, both students and parents. We encourage community members to come out and get involved in these activities. If you are interested in any of the activities below please contact me for more information. In addition to these activities community members can utilize our new Aquatics Center as well as our new Golf Facility. Information regarding both of these facilities will be communicated in the next Izindaba.

Basketball This activity happens every Monday night from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm. All skill levels are welcome to participate. We currently have enough players to run at least one full court game with players ranging from very experienced to just getting to know the game.

Softball We will begin playing softball twice a month on a Saturday or Sunday depending on the weekend. We are planning on playing our first game on Saturday, September 7th. We hope to have enough people consistently come out so that we could form two teams. All experience levels are welcome. If you are interested in playing, please send me an email and I will send you all of the information.

We really hope that our AISJ community members come out and get involved in the above activities. These are great opportunities to get to know each other better, exercise, and have fun. If you have any ideas for additional activities that you would like to see offered, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

NBA Basketball Camp in Johannesburg I have been contacted by representatives of the NBA (National Basketball Association - USA) and wanted to pass on an opportunity for any AISJ student ages ten to eighteen to be involved in the NBA’s second ever basketball camp here in Johannesburg. This is a great opportunity for any student who wants to learn more about the game of basketball and be coached by some of the leading coaches in the world. In addition to excellent coaches there will also be NBA players and coaches who will be making guest appearances at the camp as well. The camp is taking place at St. John’s College in Johannesburg the weekend of August 31st. If you would like more information regarding this camp email me at aisj-activities@aisj-jhb.com.

Johannesburg Parents Association News Welcome back everyone from the Parents Association of ASIJ, a.k.a.

The PA! We hope all of our returning families had a wonderful break and are ready to start the new school year! We also want to welcome all the new families to ASIJ this year!

It was great to see all the returning and new faces at the Welcome Coffee on Wednesday, August 21st. We had many sign-up sheets available for community services, PA social events, outings, and school volunteers. If you weren’t able to attend, and are interested in any of these opportunities, please get in touch with one of the PA board members.

Announcements will be made through emails and in the school newsletter, the Izindaba, as well.

A big thank you to all the ambassadors who showed up to greet their

Upcoming Events For more information on all these events click on the Johannesburg Parents Association button on the AISJ website.

August 26 JHB Parents Association Meeting (Open) @ Parents Room, 1:00 pm September 12 Director’s Coffee Morning @ JHB Parents Room, 7:30 am

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 20

August 22, 2013

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

countrymen! AISJ has a very unique system installed in its community. It provides a volunteer ambassador from each country to help ease newcomers into the school and the Joburg area. If you weren’t able to meet your representative, or your country doesn’t have an ambassador and you would like to apply for the job, please contact our welcome coordinator, Annabel Newell.

We, the PA board, are really excited about this new school year. Our meetings are listed in the school calendar and are open to all parents! Please join us for our first meeting on Monday, August 26th, at 1:00 pm in the Parents Room.

All of our PA board members are listed on the school website. Don’t hesitate to contact one of us if you have a question, or comment!

Here’s to a great school year!

Sharla Rittershaus, PA President

Presentation of Fundraising Checks A sincere thank you to the AISJ Joburg community for their support of the Parents Association fund raising endeavors last school year. As a result, the Parents Association was able to continue their pledge to support not only one but two school wide projects from which both our children and community can benefit.

Two checks were awarded in May 2013. The first check in the amount of R 250, 000.00 was presented to Dr. Andy Page-Smith to help fund the new volleyball and braai area behind the pool. This will be a welcome new area for both our students and families to enjoy. As Service and Learning is an important component in our children’s experience at AISJ, a check in the amount of R 55, 000.00 was presented to Service and Learning Coordinator, Tara Barton.

The AISJ Johannesburg Parents Association Social Committee aims to present a myriad of activities which will immerse you into your life in South Africa through its arts, handicrafts, history, travels and more importantly meeting and developing a cascade of new friendships for you and your family.

AISJ JHB Parents Association Social Co-Chairs Debbie Pearce - AISJ PA Social Chair debbiejpearce@btopenworld.com 079 733 3021 Kathy Ustas - AISJ PA Special Events Chair jsustas@yahoo.com 072 350 3428

Save the Dates!

Tuesday, August 27 Joburg Hop on Hop Off Bus Excursion and lunch Tuesday November 12 SABC Studio Tour and lunch Tuesday December 3 Mistletoe Marketplace!

For tickets and sign ups contact PA Social Chair Debbie Pearce.

Day tours meet at the Parent Room and use AISJ transport.

Payment is required at sign up and there are NO refunds.

Discover Johannesburg on the new Hop On-Hop Off Bus! Tuesday, August 27th

8:00 am - 2:00 pm

Join us on a whirlwind introductory tour of 12 important sites in Joburg including the Mining District, Apartheid Museum, and Constitution Hill. Due to time constraints we will only be able to stop briefly at each site, but will not actually get off of the bus.

Because the weather continues to be cool, be sure to dress warmly. Following the Bus Tour we will enjoy lunch at Moyos at Zoo Lake.

R 400.00 per person includes Bus Tour, Lunch and AISJ Transport.

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 21

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

SABC Tour Tuesday November 12th

8:00 am - 2:00 pm

Get a glimpse of SABC television production and radio stations on a guided insight into one of South Africa largest broadcasting giants. Lunch to follow. R400 per person includes Studio Tour, Lunch and AISJ Transport.

Mistletoe Marketplace Tuesday December 3rd, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm The AISJ community is invited to the annual Mistletoe Marketplace hosted by the Joburg Parents Association. Come shop till you drop and get all your holiday shopping done with over 50 Vendors. Contact PA Special Event Chair Kathy Ustas (jsustas@yahoo.com) for more info.

Pretoria Parents Association News Upcoming Events

Dear Parents, Hi! My name is Glenn Frankel and I am the president of the Pretoria Parents Association (PA) this year. I’m not quite sure how that happened, but we should have a good time.

For more information on all these events click on the Pretoria Parents Association button on the AISJ website.

If you’re a parent with a child at our lovely Pretoria campus, you’re a September 7 member of the Pretoria Parents Association. (Welcome aboard!) Our Pretoria Parents Association Back to School Picnic goal is to support the school’s mission and enhance our children’s @ Pretoria Campus, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm experience at AISJ Pretoria and in South Africa. We work to foster a sense of community among students, parents, and faculty/staff; September 12 provide support to teachers; and raise funds to finance PA activities Director’s Coffee Morning @ JHB Parents Room, and support service learning projects and community-building ef- 7:30 am forts. You’ll receive a letter from the PA shortly with a list of our meetings, upcoming events, and “coffee mornings,” tips on grilling boerewors (just kidding), and a link to our first-ever online Parent Survey.

Welcome to all the new families on campus. I’m an American who’s been living in South Africa with my family for about 2 ½ years now. Somehow my daughter is beginning her fourth year at AISJ Pretoria. (See if you can figure that one out!) I’m excited about all the events we have planned this year, and I certainly don’t do all this PA stuff alone. I have the pleasure of serving with a wonderful cast of other parents, who hail from many other parts of the world, including Rachel Alderman (VP and Fundraising, USA), Bea Kérdö (Treasurer, Hungary), Joyce Moffat (Secretary, The Netherlands/USA), Bodil Michelsen (Elementary School Coordinator, Norway), Hendrikje Schievink (Middle School Coordinator, The Netherlands), Dawn Cline (Welcome Coordinator, USA), as well as Ruth Das (Australia) and Marianne Warner (USA), who coordinate our “Eagle Shop” with AISJ clothing and gadgets.

A few important things and then I’ll let you get back to your lunch/book/shower: 1. Come out and play! Put our Back to School Picnic on your calendar: Saturday, 7th September, from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, on campus. It’s going to a lot of fun and a nice way to meet other parents and your kid’s new friends. This is a free event, and there’s going to be an all-ages puppet show, a face painter, bouncy houses (a requirement of all South African parties, you should know), and lots of kids running around on our new green space and play equipment.

2. Get involved! We’re a parent-run group and we welcome (need!) your involvement. (Have you read the studies that show parent engagement improves student performance? Neither have I, but it’s true and it’s fun!) We know many of you have just joined us from other faraway lands. The PA is a wonderful way to make new friends and learn more about this beautiful, complex country in which we’re all living.

3. Win a free AISJ T-shirt! Look out for the link to our online parent survey. It’s short and will give you the chance to add your name as a future volunteer for PA events, sign up as a room parent, and share your thoughts (and dreams) about the Parents Association.

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 22

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 1

August 22, 2013

4. Stay informed! Read the Izindaba to keep up with our activities. Also, check the Pretoria PA web-pages under the “Community” menu on the AISJ website. (Our contact information is there, notes from our meetings, event info, etc.) And be sure to look through the Community Calendar that your child brought home. You’d be amazed at all the useful informant it has! (I ignored it a few times at my own peril and wondered why the bus didn’t come to pick up my daughter on a noschool day.)

Lastly, I want to take this opportunity to welcome our new principal, Rachel Caldwell. We are thrilled she is here with us and know this is going to be a fantastic year on our very special campus.

I and the other PA officers look forward to meeting and working (and by working, I mean having fun) with all of you. Write us anytime at PTA-PA@aisj-jhb.com.

Best wishes, Glenn Frankel AISJ Pretoria PA

We are a diverse, international communit y providing a balanced and nur turing learning program that fosters personal growth, provides meaningful oppor tunities for achievement, and promotes positive contributions to societ y.

Page 23