Izindaba - 3 October

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 4

October 3, 2013

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

School Director’s Message

What’s Inside...

Dear AISJ Community, The past few weeks have been very busy with a range of activities. It is always with the greatest of pleasure to be part of yet another successful International Day. The pride of community populated by so many different cultures is always thrilling. Many thanks are given to all participants from the smallest representative of a country to the organizers of the event.

Another critical school event commences today and continues through this weekend is the Johannesburg Model United Nations (JoMUN). This year’s theme of promoting sustainable solutions in Africa will, I am sure, resonate with many of the delegates. The diligent research and effective teamwork leading up to this event will lead to great debates and a truly wonderful learning experience for all those who participate. If you get a chance, please take the opportunity to witness our AISJ representatives in action at the Forum Conventions Center in Bryanston. For more details about the conference, please go to http://tw.aisj-jhb.com/jomun/.

School Director’s Message 1 Director’s Coffee Morning 1 Teaching and Learning News 2 Technology News 2 Service Learning @ AISJ 3 Communications @ AISJ 5 AISJ Counselors’ Corner 5 School Lunch Menu 6 Elementary School News - Johannesburg Campus 6 Pretoria Elementary and Middle School News 8 Middle School News - Johannesburg Campus 11 High School University & Career Communicator 13 High School News 14 Activities and Sports 15 Johannesburg Parents Association News 17 AISJ JHB Parents Association Social Co-Chairs 18

Additionally, last Thursday at the Board information evening, we presented the AISJ Annual Report to the community. It is our resolve to be more accountable and transparent, hence, this year’s Annual Report is organized around the six goals that have been developed and our current progress towards those goals. The teaching and learning goals are very much the back-bone of all that we do. Because the goals and objectives were not completed until May 2013, this year’s report is not able to give an account on all data; however, this is the format that we would like to use moving forward as we report on our progress. I am encouraged by much of the data shared in the report as we develop a culture of continual improvement. I really encourage you to read through the 2012 – 2013 Annual Report. Please go to http://www.aisj-jhb.com/Community/Community_School_ Board_Reports.html and click on the link 2012 - 2013 Annual Report (ISSUU Version) In conclusion, we would like to highlight the visit of two middle school principal candidates next week who will be interviewing with the community from Tuesday to Friday. They will be here with their spouses. Parent sessions have been organized for Wednesday and Friday mornings starting at 7:50 am in the Parent Room. Please refer to the email that was sent this Thursday morning.

Thanking you for your continued support.

Andy

Director’s Coffee Morning Date: Wednesday, 16th October 2013 (Please note the change of date and start time) Time: 9:30 am Venue: Col’Cacchio Pizzeria, Parkview Lifestyle Centre, Pretoria 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.

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American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 4

October 3, 2013

Teaching and Learning News Thank you to all parents who attended the workshop called “Putting Parents into the Equation” last Friday with Erma Anderson, an international math consultant. We were delighted with the turn out and managed to squeeze 55 parents into the Teaching and Learning Center! Erma has worked in 48 international schools over the last 4 years and this was her 159th parent presentation in the past 2 years.

Erma spoke to the importance of mathematical thinking and how we need to give children multiple ways of representation in order to develop their conceptual understanding. Parents were also invited to ask questions and we have captured some of them here with Erma’s responses below: How can parents help at home?

Parents can support their child’s learning at home by talking and asking questions. Parents should try to avoid telling their children “this is how I learned math” because it interrupts the child’s thinking. Rather ask the following questions to support their learning: • I wonder what would happen if…?

• Does it always work?

Do some children have a natural affinity with mathematics?

There are no studies to support this, only that every child can learn, we can’t teach anybody math we can only help them learn.

High performing students have alternative strategies and plans - they don’t give up. We need to work on giving students a map rather than giving them directions or rules to remember.

What do you think of Kumon math?

It increases speed but there are no studies to show that repetitive work increases understanding or problem solving. Problem solving means engaging in a task for which the solution or method is not known in advance. Kumon is just drill and practice – it allows students to practice the basics but doesn’t give them opportunities to solve problems.

Useful Websites

APEC website: http://hrd.apec.org/index.php/Mathematics_Standards Roadmaps for parents: http://www.cgcs.org/Page/244

Good Reads

Making Thinking Visible by Ron Ritchhart Please contact us for further information or if you have any questions.

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

Technology News We have had a few enquiries about accessing the Family Directory which is available online via the PowerSchool parent portal. (http://powerschool.aisj-jhb.com/public) If you have students in high school, and have had access to the parent portal in the past, there is no need to create a new account, the old one should work just fine. Also, you only need one account to access the parent directory, even if you have students in more than one division.

All new parents or parents in ES, MS and on the Pretoria Campus should have received a letter with details of how to log on to the parent portal. If you are having difficulty gaining access, please contact the PowerSchool Administrator, Pieter Brits (pbrits@aisj-jhb.com).

It’s worth mentioning that, at this stage, access to the parent portal is limited to the Family Directory for students in middle and elementary school. As such you will not be able to view your middle or elementary school student’s grades or attendance.

If you are receiving an error that your account already exists, it might be that we created your account last year; therefore,

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.

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American International School of Johannesburg

October 3, 2013

please contact the PowerSchool Administrator, Pieter Brits (pbrits@aisj-jhb.com) to get the password reset.

On another PowerSchool related issue, if you are still receiving your student’s calendar from last year, please subscribe to their new calendar and you will receive their latest calendar information.

Click on the links of the calendars you wish to receive information for and when the dialog box pops up, choose the calendar application you would like to use.

Firefox or Chrome are the best browsers to use for viewing PowerSchool.

Finally, on another tech related issue, if you are having trouble sending or receiving email to or from school, could you please contact the IT department here at school or have someone do it on your behalf? Please contact reception at (+27) *011 464 1505 and your call will be forwarded to the IT department.

Service Learning @ AISJ Cathy Berger Kaye- Service Learning Consultant

We are very excited to host Cathy Berger Kaye our Service Learning Consultant to AISJ next week. She will work with teachers across the school as we work collaboratively to embed service learning in our units at AISJ. She will also attend PGCT and present in our Service Learning institute on Wednesday. On Friday the 11th, we will have a parent information session from 8:00 – 9:00 am in Teaching and Learning 1. Parents are welcome to come and get tips from the expert on how to get your child involved in service learning. For more information on Cathy please visit her website: http://www.cbkassociates.com/

Rhino and Endangered Animal Awareness in Pretoria This year’s first Service & Learning theme focused on Animal Protection and Care. Celebrating Rhino day within our PTA school community motivated our students to get more involved with wildlife rehabilitation.

Animal protection and care lends itself naturally to interdisciplinary work and making connections across the curriculum. With this objective in mind the Spanish and Visual Art departments decided to involve our 5th graders in an integrated unit. The students created cardboard silhouettes of African flora and fauna and composed their own bi-lingual English and Spanish script.

In a special Rhino Day Assembly on September 25th they performed their resulting shadow puppet show to a large and very enthusiastic audience. They did a super job!

Rhino Day puppet show in Spanish: raising awareness across the boarders!

Muy bien hecho, chicos! Felicidades!

Ms. Marie, Spanish teacher and Ms. Alex, Ar t teacher and Pretoria Ser vice Learning Representative 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.

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Vol. 4 No. 4

American International School of Johannesburg

October 3, 2013

Second Grade Service learning at Agricultural Research Centre Pretoria On Monday, September 16th, Second Grade visited The Agricultural Research Centre just outside of Pretoria. Mr. Silence was our guide and he taught us all sorts of new and interesting things.

The first place we visited was a tunnel that they are using for hydroponics research. The tunnel has a special shade cloth that blocks out 40% of the sunlight so that it is not too hot for the plants to grow.

Mr. Silence explained what hydroponics is, which was new for most of us. They put about 3 inches of gravel on a specially built table that is slanted slightly downwards. Then they attach thin little pipes to a water tank that has the correct amount of fertilizer and water for the plants to grow in it. The water then slowly runs from the top of the table to the bottom where it gathers into one bigger pipe and runs back into the water tank that is underneath the table. The plants need the water to keep running through 24-hours a day so that they don’t dry out and die. We got to see how they harvested spinach plants and how they planted new baby lettuce plants.

After learning about the hydroponics, we went to a tunnel that had tomato plants growing in wood shavings. These plants were very big and have been giving them fruit for a year already! Then, we went to the nursery tunnels. Mr. Silence taught us about the special heating system they use in the winter so that they can keep the plants growing even when it is cold. He also explained how the big fans work in the summer to cool the tunnels down when it gets too hot.

We are all fired-up to get started with our own community garden and have already started our planning as well as collecting the things we need to start growing our plants in our greenhouse nursery. There is still a lot of hard work ahead of us but it is going to be an exciting year in the Second Grade Community Garden.

Karen Pretorius - Grade 2 teacher and Pretoria Ser vice Learning Divisional Representative

Grade 10 CWW to Drakensberg This week on Tuesday the 1st of October we had a student informational session in home room and students received their informational package to take home to parents.

On Wednesday the 2nd of October we had the first preparation and planning session on the HS field. Students were tested on their fitness and learned how to pitch a tent, use a storm cooker, and pack for survival in the wilderness. We anticipate students will be ready for our adventure from the 11th to the 16th of November.

We will host two Parent Information sessions: • Monday, 14th October 2:15 pm – 2:45 pm in TL 2 th • Tuesday, 15 October 8:00 am – 8:30 am in TL 2 Students partcipating in the final track and field meet on Wednesday will complete a make-up session on Tuesday the 15th of October at 3:00 pm on the HS field.

High School Service After School Activities Students have been assigned service partners based on the recent high school student service sign up. Parents should have received a permission form for their child to be able to attend. Some start this week and early the week after JoMUN. The permission form can also be found on the service learning site: http://tw.aisj-jhb.com/servicelearning/ Thanks to our parent and teacher supervisors and volunteers for helping with service season 1. We look forward to more parent and teacher involvement in season 2 and 3.

Feel free to contact me for any further questions in regards to service learning at AISJ. Warm Regards, Tara Barton tbarton@aisj-jhb.com http://tw.aisj-jhb.com/servicelearning/ 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.

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American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 4

October 3, 2013

Communications @ AISJ We would like to introduce new parents and remind current parents about a communication tool we use at the school, it is called the d6 Communicator

d6 Communicator What is it?

The communicator uses Push Technology, this technology has been developed so that when a PC is turned on it will automatically pop up on your screen with all the latest news. News and relevant information is added regularly by the school. Your School Communicator will automatically update as new information is added. There’s nothing further you need to do. The School Communicator will pop up once a day when you switch on your computer, so you’re always informed of what’s happening at the school.

Getting started In order to use this communication tool, you need to download the software. Follow the link below to download: http://www.school-communicator.com/download.php You can install the School Communicator on as many computers as you like – for example work and home or both and your spouse. The School Communicator is compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, as well as Mac OS 10.5 and 10.6.

There is also a mobile version for your phone and tablet.

Get only the news you want You can select which news and calendar information you would like to receive. Click on the Personalize tab and select the relevant channels from the list provided.

Should you require assistance?

Should you experience any problems downloading the Communicator please send an email to aisj-communications@aisjjhb.com

AISJ Counselors’ Corner Hello! My name is Ann Ireland and I partner with Melissa Johnson-Schnyder to form the High School Counselling team here at AISJ. I’m excited to be in my second year here in South Africa.

I spent most of my career in the high school classroom, mostly teaching science and psychology. I taught in the USA for a number of years, and then at IST in Tanzania before coming to Johannesburg. My favorite parts of teaching were always the relationships I built with students. This passion is why I eventually returned to school for a degree in counselling.

While you can still find me in the classroom (grade 9 Science this year) the bulk of my time is spent oneon-one with high-schoolers, helping them navigate all the transitions of adolescence. I’m thrilled to add College & University Counselling to my plate this year. I personally love higher education and it is very exciting to help seniors find the best fit for this huge next stage of life.

I love the challenges and nuances that come with my job. My son is in second grade at this school, so I am familiar with the life of a Third Culture Kid. I am excited to continue to build the school community and provide the right support to empower the grow th of all these young leaders.

Feel free to drop me an email or call me.

My current designation of students is the following: All Grade 9 students Grade 10 students with the last name starting with A to I Grade 11 students with the last name starting with A to I Grade 12 students with the last name starting with A to D 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.

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October 3, 2013

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

School Lunch Menu Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

7 October

8 October

9 October

10 October

11 October

Pasta Day

Chicken Lasagna

Burger Day

Sweet Chili Hake (Mild)

Two Different Pastas

Beef Stir-fry

Beef Burger

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

Country Cottage Pie (Beef) Egg Top

Three Different Sauces

Chinese Noodles

Chicken Burger

Chicken & Phyllo Pie

(V) Vegetarian Option Available

(V) Roasted Vegetable Bake

French Fries

Peas & Corn

(V) Vegetarian Burger

(V) Soya Sausage Casserole

Chicken Schnitzel Potato Croquettes Creamed Spinach (V) Vegetable Cottage Pie

14 October

15 October

16 October

17 October

18 October

Mac & Cheese

Spare Ribs

Chicken Strips

Beef Lasagna

Home Made Frikkadels

Roast BBQ Chicken

Honey Glazed Chicken Wings

French Fries

Chicken Stir-fry

Chicken Cordon Bleu

(V) Butternut & Sweet Potato Bake

Chinese Noodles

Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

(V) Vegetarian Lasagna

Broccoli au Gratin

Roast Potatoes Mixed Vegetable (V) Veggie Curry (Mild)

Potato Wedges Baked Citrus Infused Butternut

(V) Vegetarian Soya Sausage

(V) Vegetable Moussaka

Elementary School News - Johannesburg Campus Dear Parents, What a wonderful celebration International Day was. I’m sure for those of you who came to school last Friday, you will agree that the day was a wonderful way to celebrate the diverse cultures within our community. Walking through classrooms, I saw students drawing the flags of different countries, discussing their favorite foods and welcoming friends from the Pretoria campus into our class. A huge thank you goes to our parent volunteers, teachers and Parent Association representatives for 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.

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Vol. 4 No. 4 organizing International Day.

Upcoming Events

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

October 1 - 4 JHB ES Grade 3 - 4 MAP Testing

MAP Testing MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing has begun this week for third and fourth grade. Next week, Grade 5 will begin testing.

Spirit Week Next week is Spirit Week. Our Student Council has been actively working on a plan for Spirit week that involves coming to school dressed in different and fun ways. We are encouraging each class to work together and support the theme each day as a way to build class and school community. More information can be found in the Student Council article in this edition of the Izindaba.

Halloween Celebrations Each year at AISJ, the PA room moms help our students celebrate Halloween. This year, our Halloween celebrations will take place on Friday, November 1st. A more detailed schedule will be sent out to parents via homerooms prior to the October break. The celebrations will involve students decorating their classroom or grade level area and will join me in a parade through the elementary. Students will be invited to dress in Halloween costumes on this day.

Elementary School StuCo News This week the ES StuCo elected their Executive Council. The Executive Council is made of: the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, the Secretary and the Historian. These are our Executive Members for 2013 -2014 School year.

President: Vice- President: Treasurer: Secretary: Historian:

October 3, 2013

Yasmin 5D Patrick 4 Declan 5B Kayla 4 Caity 5A

October 5 JHB and Pretoria ES Soccer Tournament @ JHB Soccer Fields, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm October 7 - 11 JHB ES Grade 5 MAP Testing Spirit Week October 9 JHB ES, MS and Pretoria ES, MS Service Learning: Bandana Day October 10 JHB and Pretoria Activities and Sports Photo Day October 11 Service Learning Parent Information Session @ T&L 1, 8:00 am - 9:00 am Presented by Cathy Berger Kaye October 14 JHB Parents Association Meeting (Open) @ Parents Room, 1:00 pm Board Meeting October 16 Director’s Coffee Morning @ Col’ Cacchio Pizzeria, Parkview lifestyle Centre, Pretoria 9:30 am October 21 - 25 School Holiday

Our first sponsored Event for the year will be Spirit Week: • Monday, October 7th: Pyjama Day • Tuesday, October 8th: Topsy Turv y Tuesday ( mismatch day) th • Wednesday, October 9 : Favorite Movie or Movie Character Day • Thursday, October 10th: Crazy Hair Day • Friday, October 11th: Bandana and Neon Day Let’s see which class or grade has the most spirit! We will be giving out certificates to the class with the most spirit each day.

These will be handed out at our next assembly.

During the week of 3rd – 11th of October, ES StuCo and MS StuCo will be selling bandanas and bracelets to support National Bandana Day. In ES we will be selling the bandanas and bracelets first thing in the morning in Mrs. V’s room (ES13) and under the gazebo on the field during morning recess. The cost of each bandana is R 25.00 and a bracelet goes for R 10.00. This is a day sponsored by the Sunflower Fund. Below is more information in regards to the sunflower fund: “The Sunflower Fund was formed in 1999 in suppor t of the SABMR and was inspired by Chris Corlett and Darren Serebro’s heroic struggle against leukaemia. It was formed by parents whose children had contracted leukaemia, and in some cases had lost their battle against it.

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.

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Their aim was to secure financial suppor t in order to increase the number of bone marrow stem cell donors in South Africa. With the odds of finding a donor being 1:100 000, the idea is to expand the registr y to at least 100 000. You can help by joining the SABMR. All you have to do to be registered on the SABMR is to give t wo tubes of your blood. We need your fast response and long-term commitment.

The Sunflower Fund aims to educate and recruit a viable source of well-informed potential bone marrow stem cell donors who are ethnically diverse, in an ef for t to save the lives of those needing a transplant when suf fering from life-threatening blood disorders. It strives to maintain the associated donor records of the South African Bone Marrow Registr y.”

Their website is: http://www.sunflowerfund.org.za/

Elementary School Health Screens Dear Elementary School Parent, In October we will be conducting health screenings on all Elementary School students. This involves measuring height and weight, as well as a dental, vision and hearing screen. Grade 4 and 5 students will also undergo a check for scoliosis.

The health screenings are scheduled for the week of the 14th October 2013.

If you do not wish your child to undergo the health screening, please send an email to mmyburgh@aisj-jhb.com confirming so.

Should you have any queries or concerns, please contact the nurse’s office.

Nurse Mary and Nurse Sabine

Pretoria Elementary and Middle School News News from Pretoria Elementary and Middle School Dear Parents,

Upcoming Events October 5 JHB and Pretoria ES Soccer Tournament @ JHB Soccer Fields, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

International Day

October 9 JHB ES, MS and Pretoria ES, MS Service Learning: Bandana Day October 10 JHB and Pretoria Activities and Sports Photo Day We were delighted by the wonderful turnout of Pretoria parents at International Day. We are glad also to hear your positive, appreciative feedback. Our excellent attendance at whole school community events such as this will soon become part of the great traditions we have at AISJ. Taking Responsibility Grade 5 Pretoria students have taken on the responsibility to develop Essential Agreements for the use of our newly landscaped Grades 2-5 playground space. Through discussion and reflection, the students developed important indicators that need to be adhered to in order for everyone to enjoy a pleasant recess. In addition, some of these students have visited our other grade levels to share their outcomes. Grade 1 students are now tak-

October 11 Service Learning Parent Information Session @ T&L 1, 8:00 am - 9:00 am Presented by Cathy Berger Kaye October 14 Board Meeting October 16 Director’s Coffee Morning @ Col’ Cacchio Pizzeria, Parkview lifestyle Centre, Pretoria 9:30 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.

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American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 4 ing the lead in developing a similar set of instructions for the Pre-K/Kindergarten and Grade 1 space. Well done, students, it is great to hear you advocating for yourselves.

October 3, 2013

Pretoria Parents Association Meeting @ Band Room, 12:30 pm October 17 Pretoria Parents Afternoon Tea @ Library, 1:30 pm Topic: Learning Support

Recycling Grade 5 is also pleased to announce that Pretoria’s recycling program began again on Tuesday, October 1st. Clean and dry items can be brought to the collection point near the library every other Tuesday. Join us in doing our bit to respect and cherish our environment!

October 21 - 25 School Holiday

MAP Testing MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing is underway for our Grades 3-8 students. Following an introduction to the MAP itself and a practice test session, the students launched into the tests. Please support your child to do their best by providing good nutrition, plenty of sleep and an encouraging word or two.

Assembly on October 2nd Responsibility was the chosen Big Five attribute at our October assembly. As always, we enjoyed beautiful music from both Ms. Tammy’s and Ms. Marchelle’s students. We were pleased to hear the lovely vocal ensemble for the first time. Piper’s reflection and the Student Council members’ explanation of the meaning of responsibility were both inspiring. We look forward to our November 6th assembly which will begin at 1:00 pm in the lapa.

Best wishes Rachel Caldwell, Pretoria Principal

Pretoria After School Activities Dear Parents, The Learning Support Team which consists of the Counselor, Learning Support Teachers and ELL Teacher would like to invite you to enjoy Afternoon Tea in the Library on Wednesday 17th October at 1:30 pm.

While you enjoy refreshments, we will outline the programs as well the types and levels of support provided. The students will be on hand to explain what they need to be successful and share some of the strategies and tools they use to support their learning.

We hope you can join us to celebrate the students’ successes to date and become more informed about the LS program at AISJ Pretoria.

Hoping to see you there, Please email your wish to attend to: cmichelsen@aisj-jhb.com

International Day 2013: A Day to Remember On Friday, September 27th, AISJ’s Pretoria Campus traveled to Johannesburg to celebrate the tremendous diversity within our community. All of the hard work and preparations paid off as we enjoyed the Parade of Nations, the Food Festival, and crosscampus activities. We were one community celebrating our cultures together.

Here are a few comments from our students about their experience and some snapshots of the day…

• “I loved the lunch because there were lots of good foods to eat like sweet yellow rice and chicken from the Philippines.” – John, Grade 2A, Pretoria • “This was my first time I went to AISJ main campus in Johannesburg, so I was quite scared, but it was a lot of fun and I loved the food!” – Vasco, Grade 6B, Pretoria • “I enjoyed the food, especially the sushi. It was cool that we could go into 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.

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October 3, 2013

different 2nd Grade classes during recess time. Recess time reminded me of my old school where we went to other classes on Fridays.” – Ella, Grade 2A, Pretoria “I was nervous of walking the Dutch parade, but it was fun. The games we played with other middle schoolers was fun, hot and tiring, but we were rewarded with the food of our international community.” – Siebren, Grade 6A, Pretoria “During the Parade of Nations, I felt scared because all of the people were watching me. I was excited when I started to march for Latvia.” – Karlina, Grade 2A, Pretoria “I didn’t know what to do, because it was my first time on the Johannesburg campus. But when I found out, I wasn’t the only one from my country and got sushi and I was happy.” – Jaime, Grade 7A, Pretoria “I liked riding on my brother’s shoulders when we marched for France. At the beginning, I was feeling a little bit scared because everyone was around in a big cube waiting to march. When I was marching, I felt better and I felt excited and proud.” - A xel, Grade 2A, Pretoria “When we arrived, it was fantastic to see all the different nationalities. For the parade it was awesome to represent my country Argentina, and I was very proud. The best part was tasting all the exotic flavors and foods.” – Fausto, Grade 8, Pretoria

Middle School House Teams @ JHB Campus During International day, Pretoria Middle School Students were warmly welcomed by MS staff and students from JHB campus.

We participated in a number of fun games on the field as members of the various Middle School House Teams (organized by color). Everyone had a fantastic time and it was great to forge some bonds with our JHB counterparts.

At the end of the day one quarter of a point separated the three top teams with Yellow House taking out the trophy. Their prize was to be the first to sample the delicious food prepared by parents.

Thanks to Justin Walker for organizing this event and the MS team for warmly welcoming us into their classrooms and community.

Pretoria After School Activities The first session of After School Activities is in full swing. Our students have a wide variety of activities to choose from and are having so much fun whilst learning.

Grade 1 – 3 Science Club They say it is not ROCKET Science, but our students are learning all about rockets and launching them into space too!

Raymond and his rocket: We have lift off!

Eccentric Scientists ready for more experiments

SINK OR FLOAT: Easy you may say…but how do I make an object which floats in water, sink?! It is all about changing its density…

Middle School Art and Set Design Junior Arts and Crafts

Alec and Carmine with their creations

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.

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Middle School News - Johannesburg Campus Middle School Parent Coffee

Upcoming Events

Middle school parents participated in our first MS coffee on Sept 30th. Parents met at 12:00 pm in the Parents Room to mingle and enjoy some refreshments. At 12:30 pm the parents were joined by Dr. Robinson, Dr. Walker, Mr. Ciambrello (Grade 6 team leader), Ms. Dissa (Grade 7 team leader) and Ms. Miller (Grade 8 team leader).

Thanks to Sabeina Taneja for organizing this coffee.

International Day On behalf of everyone in the Middle School I would like to thank the many parents, teachers and staff members who contributed to an outstandingly successful AISJ International Day. Particular thanks go to the International Day Committee members, the many parents who prepared the wonderful food and the maintenance and support staff who worked so hard to get the set up done. Those of us who are new were amazed at the complexity and quality of the program and especially the overwhelmingly positive feeling of school and community spirit. Well done.

We made some significant changes in the MS program this year that worked well for both JHB and PTA students. We started the day with advisory activities for the first block to prepare the students for the day, followed by preparation and change of clothing for the Parade of Nations. After the Parade, the Pretoria MS students joined us for a major House event on the Lower Field. The House event was not only great fun but also was successful in blending the JHB & PTA students together for 3 exciting activities. This took us to the much anticipated lunchtime for all middle school students. With all the activity of the day, our middle schoolers had worked up quite an appetite and dove into lunch with gusto. Following lunch the Pretoria students returned to their school, while our MS students finished the day with activities planned by each grade level team.

October 3 - 6 HS and Grade 8 JoMUN @ The Forum October 5 JHB and Pretoria ES Soccer Tournament @ JHB Soccer Fields, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm October 7 - 11 Spirit Week October 9 JHB ES, MS and Pretoria ES, MS Service Learning: Bandana Day October 10 JHB and Pretoria Activities and Sports Photo Day October 11 Service Learning Parent Information Session @ T&L 1, 8:00 am - 9:00 am Presented by Cathy Berger Kaye October 14 JHB Parents Association Meeting (Open) @ Parents Room, 1:00 pm Board Meeting October 16 Director’s Coffee Morning @ Col’ Cacchio Pizzeria, Parkview lifestyle Centre, Pretoria 9:30 am

Middle School Spirit Week

October 21 - 25 October 7th – 11th is spirit week in the middle school. This will be the School Holiday first event that the STUCO reps are planning this year. This promises to be a week filled with crazy outfits and fun. On Thursday we will be supporting leukaemia awareness by wearing bracelets and bandanas provided by ‘The Sunflower Fund.’ STUCO will be selling these earlier in the week. The cost is R 25.00 per bandana and R 10.00 per bracelet. The week culminates on Friday with an exciting house event. Below are the themes for each day: Monday: Stuffed animal and pyjama day - Wear your pyjamas and don’t forget to bring a cuddly toy!

Tuesday: Sports day – Come dressed in your favorite sports outfit. You may NOT just wear your PE kit.

Wednesday: Character day - Come dressed as your favorite cartoon or movie character.

Thursday: Superhero and Bandana day – Come dressed as a superhero and add your bandana/bracelet to your outfit for cancer awareness.

Friday: Wacky House day - go ALL out with your house t-shirt, wigs, face paint and mascots!

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.

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American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 4

October 3, 2013

Grade 6 Slate Rollout This week began with the much anticipated rollout of Slate tablets for Grade 6. On Tuesday students were introduced to the Slates, how to care for them and MS expectations for use. This introduction took place with advisory teachers during Imbizo.

Thursday was Rollout Day. Students went to the MS Computer Lab in designated blocks throughout the day. During this time students set up their SkyDrive, Microsoft and Outlook accounts, so their Slates would be ready to use. Slates stayed in the lab for charging overnight. A Digital Citizenship lesson took place during Imbizo with advisory teachers.

On Friday students will spend the morning preparing for their Slate Expo. After lunch all children and parents will be welcomed to the Expo in the Amphitheatre. Parents will then go to their child’s advisory to fill in forms, watch their child’s presentation and visit other classes to see presentations from the students. Parents are encouraged to ask students questions about their presentations.

Following the student presentations, parents will go to the Teaching and Learning building for refreshments and a presentation by our Technology Department.

At the end of the day, parents and students will meet in advisory classes to check forms with the technical staff and then take Slates home with them.

MAP Testing Last year we piloted the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing program with Grade 7 in October. Then between April 2nd and May 15th all middle school students completed four MAP tests: Language Use, Math, Science, and Reading. This year all MS students with take all four tests both in October and in the spring. This will allow us to use MAP data as one lens to look at progress for entire grade levels as well as individual students. Teachers have been explaining to students the purpose of these tests and the importance of doing their best. Grade 8 students are taking the tests this week, Grade 7 students are scheduled for next week and Grade 6 the last week before our October break.

Building a House - Justin Walker, MS Counselor The Middle School is continuing one of its proudest initiatives this year. Anyone returning to AISJ or having been here so far is well aware of our house system. The goal is to have students get to know more of their peers and teachers across the grade levels in a safe and fun environment that promotes learning and school spirit. Competitions and other house activities will be held between the houses throughout the year at various assemblies, field days, school events, and in Spirit Weeks to promote the energy and involvement of the middle school.

In an effort to build unity across the middle school, we have formed four houses, each comprised of one advisory from each grade level. The houses are designated by colors (green, yellow, red, and blue) and the house name is one of the four elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water). The students in each house have constructed a cheer that represents their team, and designed a flag to symbolize their connection. Each advisory on a house team shares the house name, flag, cheer, and color, but has its own distinct name as well, modeled as a superhero, complete with accompanying superhero cape. For example, Ms. Miller’s 8th-grade class is on the red team, called Fire, and they share the Fire name, cheer, and flag with a fellow 7th and 6th grade advisory. However, Ms. Miller’s advisory is called the Lava Monkeys, allowing for some individual identity as well. Talk to your student about his/her advisory and house. By now, they should be able to give their color, house and advisory name, chant, flag, and purpose.

A typical middle school student identifies much more with their peer group at this age than they do anything else. Imagine trying to convince a 7th grader to stand in front of 210 classmates and chant “AISJ!” It isn’t going to happen. But incorporate them with their peers, all of who are dressed in colors and chanting and clapping, and you transform the reserved student into a participant who wants to be involved in what his or her friends are doing. Student self-esteem grows and commitment to their school enhances. This positive behavior method gives students the opportunity to be involved in fun, engaging activity while feeling confident and safe. Students model positive behavior for each other. Each small grade level advisory has their own identity, yet they share a common goal with members of other grade levels, and we all share the goal of the middle school. We are building a community of learners who work together for school pride and get to know each other in a cooperative environment.

Twelve individual advisories. Four distinct houses. One AISJ Middle School.

MS Girls’ Basketball On Thursday, September 19th, AISJ’s Middle School Girls’ Basketball team travelled to Dominican Convent School, in downtown Johannesburg for our first games. Although we lost both our games (2 - 8 Red Team and 11 - 14 Blue Team) our girls 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.

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played with passion and desire and gave their opponents a great fight. Scorers of our team were Maeve with 9 points and Ellen and Madison with 2 each. I would like to thank and congratulate all the girls for their efforts.

Our next game is on Thursday, September 26th at home vs. Alexandria. Please, come and support our team.

High School University & Career Communicator Dates and Deadlines for Grade 12 students!

Also information for Grade 11 students September 15th UCAS opens for applications-Buzzword: Eagles2014 • Make sure that grade 12 students have added the universities that they are considering to their Naviance account October 5th SAT at ALA & Witwatersrand University – Sign up with Mrs. Barltrop for the bus!

October 16th PSAT at AISJ - Only for Grade 10 and 11 students. Check our counseling blog for more information, http://tw.aisjjhb.com/hscounselors/ October 26th ACT at African Leadership Academy October 29th Nancy Meislahn is the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. She is part of the college admission consulting project sponsored by the Office of Overseas Schools. She will be working with parents and students regarding college admissions and financial aid. Times for workshops to be determined.

November 1 California University online application system and Ontario Universities’ Application Centre computerized application services opens st

November 2nd SAT at ALA & Witwatersrand University November 27th Final university applications completed * • Make sure that grade 12 students add their own application deadlines for universities to the list!

• Check out the Counseling site for updates and news and interesting tidbits of information, http:// tw.aisj-jhb.com/hscounselors/

CIS

university tour

connecting students to higher education

2013 College/University Tour to Africa

Come meet admission representatives from the following institutions: Agnes Scott College

Michigan State University

University of South Florida

Carleton University

St. Francis Xavier University

The University of Tampa

Foothill & De Anza Colleges

State University of New York at Plattsburgh

University of Victoria

Los Altos Hills, California | USA

Plattsburgh, New York | USA

IE University

Stony Brook University

Segovia | Spain

Stony Brook, New York | USA

Kansas State University

Swarthmore College

McGill University

University of California, Davis York University

Decatur, Georgia | USA

East Lansing, Michigan | USA

Ottawa, Ontario | Canada

Manhattan, Kansas | USA

Montreal, Quebec | Canada

Antigonish, Nova Scotia | Canada

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania | USA Davis, California | USA

Tampa, Florida | USA Tampa, Florida | USA

Victoria, British Columbia | Canada

University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario | Canada

Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore Singapore | Singapore

Toronto, Ontario | Canada

College & University Fair Date:

THURSDAY - NOVEMBER 7th 2014

Time: Location:

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.

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www.cois.org

American International School of Johannesburg

Vol. 4 No. 4

October 3, 2013

High School News Dear Parents,

Upcoming Events

International Day at the American International School of Johannesburg is a special day indeed. The coming together of nations, celebrating differences, demonstrating pride in mother countries and giving thanks to our beautiful host country are all melded together to make this day memorable. We are always excited with anticipation for the celebration to begin! International Day exemplifies how a community makes the effort to join hands in recognition of the true rainbow of colors and cultures that is AISJ. This year’s was simply fantastic. Thanks to all of you who worked to make this event such a special day for our community.

Those of you who know me will also understand that I especially love the second event of International Day. The unbelievable culinary festival that follows the parade blasts all the senses in a most delightful way; the colors, aromas, and tastes that emanate from the Kgoro will always be my highlight! I love the pride taken by parents in the preparation of delicious foods that represent their countries. I also look forward to seeing the high school students pair-up with little ones from the primary and escort them through the tasty maze of tables. It was great to see all of you there enjoying the day, the food, and the community.

Staying just long enough to enjoy the food, our volleyball and boys soccer teams took off for tournaments in Maputo, Mozambique, and represented us well. See the activities section of this edition for details.

By the time Izindaba gets to you, we will be in the thick of “JoMUN 2013” which gets underway at “The Forum” in Bryanston on Thursday, October 3rd. I would encourage you to drop by to see what JoMUN is all about and to see our students at their very best. The amount of work and planning that goes into making JoMUN a unique experience for all participants is truly staggering, and the fact that so much of the effort and initiative is driven by students makes it all the more impressive. I do hope to see you there.

October 3 - 6 HS and Grade 8 JoMUN @ The Forum October 5 HS SATs SAT at ALA & Witwatersrand University – Sign up with Mrs. Barltrop for the bus!

October 8 HS Parents Coffee Morning @ Parents Room, 7:45 am October 10 JHB and Pretoria Activities and Sports Photo Day October 11 Service Learning Parent Information Session @ T&L 1, 8:00 am - 9:00 am Presented by Cathy Berger Kaye HS Progress Reports Released October 12 HS Volleyball Tournament @ AISJ JHB, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm October 14 JHB Parents Association Meeting (Open) @ Parents Room, 1:00 pm Board Meeting October 16 HS Parent-Teacher Conference @ Gould’s Gym, 7:45 am - 3:15 pm (No School for HS Students)

On a practical note, I had a couple of students sent to me recently for a behavioral offense. When talking to the two students I asked Director’s Coffee Morning @ Col’ Cacchio Pizzeria, if they had read the Parent/Student Handbook for this year and, un- Parkview lifestyle Centre, Pretoria fortunately, they admitted they had not done so. The reason I speak 9:30 am of this is that students who have not read or reviewed the handbook are in the dark regarding discipline matters in terms of what the PSAT at AISJ - Only for Grade 10 and 11 students. consequences might be for certain behaviors. I went over the sec- Check our counseling blog for more information, tion on discipline and possible consequences with these students http://tw.aisj-jhb.com/hscounselors/ and they were shocked! “Do you mean that I could be suspended from school for a week if I were caught drinking alcohol at a school October 21 - 25 event?” Yes, you would be suspended and this could be a serious School Holiday matter when filling out college applications. Please, students and parents, familiarize yourselves with the Parent/Student Handbook so that you have a better idea of our expectations for behavior and for possible consequences for not respecting the behavioral code.

Hope to see you all at JoMUN over the weekend.

Sincerely, Tony Mock High School Principal 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.

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October 3, 2013

Parent-Teacher Conferences We have managed to extend the hours for Parent-Teacher conferences on October 16th. Here is the new schedule for the day.

Please note that we have changed the surname letters slightly to better balance the number of students in each conference block.

Block Conference block 1

Time 7:45 am – 10:00 am

Surname A through G (104 students)

Break 10:00 am - 10:30 am (Teachers unavailable during this time) Conference block 2

10:30 am – 12:30 pm

H through O (98 students)

Lunch 12:30 am – 1:15 pm (Teachers unavailable during this time) Conference block 3 • • • • • • •

•

1:15 pm – 3:15 pm

P through Z (96 students)

.

We will be holding parent-teacher conferences on Wed. 16th October (there are no classes for students on this day) The conferences will be arena style in the Gym and you are welcome to bring your son or daughter with you.

You should have an opportunity to have a brief (5 – 10 minute) meeting with many of your child’s teachers.

If you need to speak to a teacher for longer than 5-10 minutes, please make an appointment for a follow-up interview to be held at a later date.

In order to minimize wait-times, we ask parents to follow the schedule below.

Mr. Pieter Brits will be available if you have any PowerSchool questions.

Please Note: Many Gr. 11 and some Gr.10 students will be doing their PSAT on this day (in the Teaching & Learning Center). At this time, we have ~20 extra PSAT tests booked, so if you would like your son or daughter to participate, please contact Deb Barltrop, dbarltrop@aisj-jhb.com, or Melissa Johnson-Schnyder, mjohnson-schnyder@aisj-jhb.com.

There will be light refreshments available all day in the gym.

Activities and Sports ISSA Middle School Basketball Tournament - Mafikeng, Sept. 27th - 29th On Friday, September 27th, AISJ’s Boys’ and Girls’ Middle School Basketball teams travelled to Mafikeng to compete at the International School of South Africa (ISSA) Invitational Tournament.

After a very successful showing, both teams tied for third place in their respective age groups (Under 14).

MS Girls Basketball Team The girls finished the tournament with a 4-1 record, scoring 76 points while allowing 50. The team had 70 rebounds. The under 14 girls’ group had 10 teams altogether with 2 teams coming from Zimbabwe and one from Botswana. Here are the results and the individual stats of our team.

AISJ AISJ AISJ AISJ AISJ

vs. vs. vs. vs. vs.

Won Won Won Won Lost

Kwekwe (Zimbabwe) 19 - 1 Redhill (Johannesburg) 10 - 0 (forfeit) MMW team B (Joburg) 18 - 0 ISSA team A (Mafikeng) 22 - 18 MMW team A (Joburg) 7 - 31

Maeve was our top scorer and rebounder with 30 points and 18 rebounds, Ellen with 16 and 16, Eloise with 10 and 7, Cybele with 8 and 6, Titi with 7 and 9, Julia with 2 and 3, Celina with 2 and 1, Bambi with 1 and 1, Floriane and Vero with 3 rebounds, 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.

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October 3, 2013

Cherokee with 2, Erica with 1.

Congratulations from Coach Gabriel to all our young athletes for a job well done!

MS Boys Basketball Team On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 27th, 28th and 29th, 2013, AISJ’s Boys Middle School Basketball team participated in the second annual International School of South Africa’s Basketball Festival. The tournament took place on their campus which is located in Mafikeng, North West Province. The tournament consisted of teams from around the Johannesburg area as well as teams from outside South Africa in Botswana and Zimbabwe. The boys’ team first played the host school ISSA, on Friday afternoon, and defeated them quite easily to get a good start to the tournament. The good run continued Saturday morning when they played Michael Mount’s (Johannesburg) “B” team and also won that game comfortably. The middle game on Saturday was against Michael Mount’s “A” team and this team presented a much greater challenge. AISJ struggled from the beginning of the game in dealing with their size and speed. Michael Mount won in the end and moved into first place among the U14 teams. AISJ now needed to win their last game on Saturday to secure a semi-final spot and play in the Sunday knock-out games. The late game was against Rainbow School (Gaborone, Botswana). Both teams started slowly but AISJ was able to pull away at the end of the first half with a swarming defense and consistent fast breaks. The late win on Saturday meant that AISJ finished second among the U14 teams and would play St. John’s College (Johannesburg) on Sunday morning in the semi-finals. The boys met another big challenge in the semi-finals against a very strong St. John’s team that had a strong and fast team. We challenged early but St. John’s was too strong in the end and put up a very impressive victory to book their trip to the finals. I would like to thank all of the team for their hard work, commitment and sportsmanship during the entire tournament. Thank you also to the parents and the activities department that supported AISJ throughout this tournament.

AISM Soccer and Volleyball Tournament Varsity Girls Volleyball Team The AISJ Girls Volleyball team travelled to Mozambique this past weekend to play a tournament at the American International School of Mozambique (AISM). On Saturday, after playing four games outside on a grass field in very windy conditions, the girls finished with a 2 - 2 record, placing 5th out of 8 teams. On Sunday, the girls played and beat the 4th seeded team; advancing to the semi-finals. After a very competitive game in which the team played very aggressively, AISJ lost the match and was eliminated in the semi-final round. The AISM tournament allowed for the team to bond on and off the court and to prepare for the upcoming AISJ and ISSEA tournaments.

Varsity Boys Volleyball Team AISJ’s Varsity Boys Volleyball team travelled to a tournament at AISM this past weekend. We entered two teams in the tournament and both finished with a 2 - 2 pool play record. AISJ “2” played exceptionally well but came up short in an intense quarter-final match against a strong local club team. AISJ “1” beat a feisty Waterford squad (a healthy rivalry from the AISJ tourney last year!) in the quarter-final match but lost steam in the semi-final to another local club team. The tournament provided an excellent opportunity to play some intense volleyball and get lots of valuable experience to carry us into our home tournament on October 12th.

Varsity Boys Soccer Team The AISJ’s Boys Soccer team travelled to Mozambique to compete in its 7-a-side soccer tournament with a lot of courage, motivation, and drive but with only nine players. Contrary to the expectations of many, the boys’ soccer team did very well 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.

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and should be proud of themselves. The team managed to reach the semi-finals, scoring 6 goals in 5 games, and lost on penalties to a good team that went on to win the tournament.

We didn’t take our full team but the players who represented AISJ in this tournament played as a team, played well, and represented AISJ very well. The hosting school (AISM) was very good to us, and they treated us very well on and off the field.

We are looking forward to returning the favor when they come to our soccer tournament in May. I’m very proud of the performance and the conduct of our team.

Go Eagles!!!

Elementary School Soccer Tournament Hosted @ AISJ On Saturday, October 5th AISJ will host its annual U10/U12 Soccer Tournament. The Johannesburg campus will enter two teams and the Pretoria campus will enter one team in this tournament. This is an exciting day for these teams to compete against schools from around the Johannesburg area. We will have a summary and pictures of this tournament in the next Izindaba.

Equestrian @ AISJ Congratulations to Svenja Cronau, a Grade 6 rider at AISJ, who was presented with the Gauteng Provincial colors for equestrian sport and qualified to compete on a national level for the South African National Equestrian School Association.

The national competitions took place on the weekend of September 21st 2013 until September 24th 2013, where Svenja and her horse Ceprano achieved second place in their category and were awarded the silver medal.

A fantastic achievement. We are proud of Svenja and wish her well in her future equestrian endeavors which promise to be successful!

Kris Jettner K-12 Activities Coordinator Mobile: +27 (0)81 018 3803 aisj-activities@aisj-jhb.com www.aisj-jhb.com

Work: +27 (0)87 809 1813

Fa x:

+27 (0)86 265 7353

Johannesburg Parents Association News On behalf of the PA, I would like to extend a huge thank you to all the ambassadors, staff, teachers, parents and of course our own welcome coordinator, Annabel Newell, for an absolutely fabulous International Food Festival and Parade of Nations. I cannot even begin to compliment all the delicious food and the effort that went in to making it and presenting it. Having the Food Festival in the new dining space was spectacular.

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

Living as an expat is a wonderful, exciting opportunity. Seeing all those October 14 giddy, proud students marching behind their flag, whether they were JHB Parents Association Meeting (Open) @ Parents the sole representative or part of a group of 500 strong, made me a bit Room, 1:00 pm teary. It brought home the fact that they all share classes, lunch breaks and friendships together, and that they are all part of one big AISJ family and citizens of the world. It was really a great event!

Our next PA meeting will be on Monday, October 14th at 1:00 pm in the parent’s room. Please come join us and find out what is going on in the PA, what we have planned for you, and what is happening in your respective school(s).

Sincerely, Sharla Rittershaus, PA President 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.

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October 3, 2013

American International School of Johannesburg

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

Save the Dates!

Tuesday November 12 SABC Studio Tour and lunch Tuesday December 3 Mistletoe Marketplace!

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

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.

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. R 400.00 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 til 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.

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.

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