MAP Assessments

Our students and faculty did a great job with our MAP Assessments this week. Any makeups or unfinished exams may be finished next week as needed with teachers.

Student Council Elections

Congratulations to all the candidates who learned first hand about the political process in action! The elections were held today, and we are pleased to announce our Elementary Student Council for the 2019-2020 school year is: Ella M., Elliana M., Sophia Y., Emma R., Valeria H., Marc-Olivier M., Margot M., & Hallie C. Our Middle School Council representatives are Matthew J., Alfred A., & Alexandra J. Congratulations to you all and thank you to our Student Council Committee: Virginie Grimaud, Gina Pieriboni, and Olivier Boudou, as well as our Upper School Principal, Emily Hopkins.

Room Parent Coffee

Thanks to all of our Room Parents who came to our coffee this week. Your time is much appreciated! We enjoyed sharing and hearing your feedback. If you are a Room Parent for fall or spring, you may review the information packet here. Be on the lookout for more information to come from our Room Parent Coordinator, Theresa Pudenz.

Campus Reminders

Please make sure you are checking your students in and out daily on the tablets to avoid late fees and daily charges for skipped punches. It is quite an administrative task to reconcile and adjust incorrect attendance and billings. And for safety, we want to ensure we have an accurate snapshot of our on-site students at all times. Thank you for helping ensure smooth transitions to and from campus.

You may have noticed our care station with a cot and curtain in reception to attend to ailing students. Thanks to all members of our community for walking around the outside of the reception desk (especially when the care station is occupied) when traveling to recess, the Art/CP-CE1 hallway, and visits to the auditorium and foyer.

Individual & Sibling Pictures-Mon., Sept. 16

Picture Day is Monday! Make sure students come in dress code as outlined and ready to smile! We have one more volunteer slot left to fill here. Thanks for your support.

Tops

o Color: Solid navy or white

o No logo (except the AIS logo)

o Shirts must be collared (except for Maternelle)

Bottom

o Trousers, shorts, skirt, or leggings

o Color: Solid navy

o No denim

Socks or tights

o Color: solid navy or white

Hispanic Heritage Month begins next week!

We are so excited to launch a month-long Hispanic Heritage celebration at AIS in a couple of weeks. We will have celebrations, highlights, and programmatic inclusions to share with you as a community, as well as special treat additions to October 4th Bake Sale. Thanks to Christina Aimard and Emily Hopkins for their hard work and planning. Please see some of our planned activities below, and stay tuned for more to come!

• 9/16-10/15 Library Class Parent Readers: Sign-up Here!
• 9/16-10/15 Hispanic Global Influencers Library Display
• 9/18 Mariachi Performance 10:15-10:30
• 9/23-9/27 Trilingual Book Fair
• TBD Visit from Mexican Consul General
• 10/4 French & Mexican Bake Sale
• 10/16 Flamenco Demonstration 10:15-10:30

Middle School Retreat-Tue., Sept. 17 thru Thur., Sept. 19

Our middle school students will be heading to Camp Champions in Marble Falls, TX from Sept. 17-19 for a special retreat. They will participate in several team building and nature activities and will spend a day at Enchanted Rock completing a geology tour.

PTO General Meeting-Tue., Sept. 17, 5:30 - 6:30 pm

As a Parent of AIS, each of you is a member of the Parent Teacher Organization and is encouraged to attend the first PTO general meeting of the year from 5:30 - 6:30 pm in the Science Room. PTO meetings are a great way to stay involved and participate as a community. Be on the lookout for an email and meeting agenda from the PTO separately. Meetings are also streamed on Facebook live via our Parent Community FB page. Limited childcare is offered during the event, by signing up here. Mark your calendars for future PTO meetings scheduled on 10/22, 12/17, & 4/21 preceding the open session (community welcome) of the AIS Governance Board meeting. The January 2020 date is still pending and other PTO meetings may be added throughout the year as needed.

St. Leonards School Visit, Wed., Sept.18

Dr Michael Carslaw, Headmaster at St Leonards School, an IB day and boarding school offering language programs in French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Norwegian and more in St Andrews, Scotland will be visiting AIS in September. This is a great opportunity to continue to build our international partnerships as part of our strategic plan tenet of Awareness and Growth as we strive to be a center for international education by contributing to the international drive for the development of future global citizens. Dr. Carslaw was referred to us by AIS alumni parent, Laura Jacks, whose 2 students currently attend St. Leonards.

Book Fair-Sept. 23 - Sept 27, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm daily

We can't wait for our upcoming, week-long AIS Trilingual Book Fair from September 23rd through the 27th! We are partnering with Book People and Bonjour Books and will have amazing titles in French, Spanish, and English plus Teacher Wish-Lists to procure an item for your student's classroom. We need volunteers for 2-hour shifts. Thanks for your consideration and time. AIS staff will be on hand to train and help during the event shifts.

The Spirit Store will also be open for limited times during the Book Fair.

Birthday Books

Please review this information from our librarian, Ms. Amanda, about how you can support our growing school library needs in honor of your student's birthday by participating in our Birthday Book Program!

In the Community

Global Austin has partnered with Peace Day Austin to celebrate International Week of Peace from 9/11 to 9/21 and offers many free local events. Plus, Austin's Museum Day takes place on Sunday, Sept 22nd. Over 41 local museums are open to the public for FREE! Click the link for more information and a list of participating attractions.

Uniform Exchange

On the last Thursday of each month, the PTO hosts a uniform exchange. Bring in your gently worn or too small uniform items and get a ticket to exchange for another item. Donated items should be gently used in good condition (no holes or tears). Thanks to Christina Aimard for being our Uniform Exchange Coordinator this year! She could use an extra hand once a month and you can sign up here to help with the sales.

CM1 Trip to Ft. Davis-Mon., Sept. 30 thru Fri., Oct. 4

Our fourth graders are anxiously awaiting the trip to Ft. Davis. Students will visit the historic site, go horseback riding, visit McDonald Observatory for interstellar excitement, stop by the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens, visit Davis Mountain State Park, and their overnight stays will be on Prude Ranch! We can't wait to see the pictures and hear about their adventures.

Student Forms Due-Mon., Sept. 30

Please be reminded that as per Texas law, all wellness checkup forms and immunization records are due by September 30, 2019. There is no exception to this requirement. Students who do not have required documentation on file will be excluded from school until appropriate documentation is submitted.

• Wellness Check Form: A student wellness check must be completed every year, without exception. The wellness check form must indicate the date of the exam (i.e., not simply the date the form was signed) and wellness checks must have taken place within the last calendar year. If a wellness check is scheduled to take place after the previous wellness check has expired, please inform the school in writing (reception@austinis.org) of the upcoming wellness check date.
• Immunization records: All vaccine requirements are listed on our school’s website. This information includes which vaccines are required, the documentation that must be on file, and information about exemptions, if appropriate. Texas Administrative Code §97.66(a) requires our school to exclude students are not in compliance with the vaccine requirements.

We thank you for your support to ensure that your children’s records comply with the laws of the State of Texas. If you have any questions about these requirements, please do not hesitate to contact Jacques at your convenience.

Middle School Night-Tue., Oct. 1, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

CM1 and CM2 students and families, please mark your calendars Tuesday,10/1 for Middle School Night! Be on the lookout for more information.

AIS Spirit Night at Blaze Pizza - Thur., Oct. 3, 5:30 - 8:30

Save the date for our next Spirit Night at Blaze Pizza at Lakeline Commons located at 14009 N. Research Blvd. Austin, TX 78717. They will host us from 5:30 - 8:30 pm. Stop by anytime during that window and present our Spirit Flyer (coming soon) and Blaze will generously donate 20% of net sales to AIS. It is an easy way to skip the cooking for a night while giving back to your school. We hope to see you there!

Fall Break Camp: Lost in Time - Oct. 7 thru Oct. 11

Registration will begin next week for our fun-filled camp in French, Spanish, and English during Lost in Time! Campers will learn about ancient historic sites and archeological treasures that were once lost in time and then discovered such as the Rosetta Stone, Nazca lines, Terracotta Army, Great Pyramids, Atlantis, and Dinosaurs fossils.

The camp runs between 9:00 am - 3:00 pm for $310 for the full week or $80/day. Early drop-off is complimentary from 7:30 am - 9:00 am and afternoon care is available until 6:00 pm at $18/day or $80 for the week. A charge of $5 per minute is in effect for late pickups after 6:00 pm.

Camp charges will be added to your FACTS account, but if you prefer to pay by check, you may drop a check off at the box in reception.

Save the Dates

Please save the date for these upcoming events. More details to come.

• 9/16 Individual Picture Day
  
• 9/17-9/19 Middle School Retreat
• 9/23-9/27 AIS Trilingual Book Fair & Spirit Store
  
• 9/30 School Forms Due
• 9/30-10/4 CM1 Ft. Davis Field Trip
• 10/1 Middle School Night
• 10/3 PTO Coffee & Spirit Store Sales
• 10/3 Spirit Night at Blaze Pizza
• 10/4 Spinal Screenings
• 10/7-10/11 Fall Break & Fall Camp
• 10/15-10/16 MLF visits AIS
• 10/17 State of the School
• 10/18 Annual Fund Launch