Austin Spurs Spirit Night

Thanks to all the families who joined us for our Austin Spurs Spirit Night last night! They played a fantastic game and won 131 to 108 against the Texas Legends. Our Anthem Buddies were on the court with the players for the national anthem and we had a great time with our community members! Thanks for supporting our Spirit Nights. Save the date for next month's Spirit Event at Blaze Pizza on February 10th.

AIS Basketball Team

Our own basketball team has had a great start to the season. Mark your calendars for the upcoming games and come help cheer on our AIS Owls!

Our CM1/CM2 team will play on the following dates:

• Monday, 2/6 at Cathedral School of Saint Mary at 6 pm
• Monday, 2/13 at Cathedral School of Saint Mary at 5:30 pm
• Tuesday, 2/21 at Cathedral School of Saint Mary at 6:30 pm
• Sunday, 2/26 at HEB Center at 11:30 am

• Monday, 1/30 at Cathedral School of Saint Mary at 6:30 pm
• Thursday, 2/16 at Cathedral School of Saint Mary at 6:30 pm
• Sunday, 2/26 at HEB Center at 10:30 am

Gala Wine Collection Continues

If you haven't yet brought your wine bottle contribution to our gala, please do so next week. We put together awesome wine cellar bundles for each class and these are auctioned off to you, our community members, as part of our silent auction. So, please bring a signed bottle for each of your AIS students next week, and pass it off at morning drop-off as an easy way to support the gala committee and this fantastic community celebration. GS and CE1a are in the lead, make sure you don't let them pass you by and donate your bottle next week!

Gala Tickets on Sale - Buy Today, Sales End 2/17

We are so excited about our upcoming celebration which is just a few weeks away. Our annual gala is a fantastic event with a silent auction, live art auction of class artwork, raise the paddle event to support teacher's tuition scholarships, and a way to mingle with your fellow AIS community members. We are excited to return in person and this event is not to be missed. The gala is set for Saturday, February 25th at the Central Public Library from 7 to 10:30 pm, with a sponsor pre-event cocktail hour from 6 - 7 pm. Tickets and sponsorship packages are on sale now!

Please help us with our planning and buy them now! Sales will end on Friday, 2/17. We will have a dinner buffet, libations, music, dancers, and a few other surprises! It is sure to be a blast and is the biggest fundraising event of the year. Review the sponsorship and package perks online here. We look forward to seeing you there!

MAP Assessments Begin - Mon., 1/30

MAP testing will begin next week. Austin International School uses the Northwest Education Association's (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth assessment to track individual student growth during their time at AIS. Students in Kindergarten and up complete assessments three times per year, after which student growth data is shared with teachers and families. MAP Growth data points are important in identifying areas of strength and areas of focus for each student. As such, MAP forms an important part of the work that we do to support individualized student learning at AIS. Please stay tuned for a more detailed assessment schedule and review this video here for more information.

PTO Community Coffee - Thur. 2/2 8:30 - 9:30 am

Please join the PTO for their monthly community coffee in the morning after drop-off to mingle and share with other AIS families.

Bluebonnet Breakfast - Fri., 2/3 7:45 - 8:15 (by registration)

Students in 3rd through 6th grades who read a minimum of five books from the Texas Bluebonnet Awards list will be able to cast a vote for their favorite book/author at a breakfast to be held Friday, Feb. 3 from 7:45-8:15 a.m. Once students complete their five books, they can sign up for the event just outside the library. The winner of the bluebonnet award will be announced sometime in March. Thank you students for your participation, and parents for your encouragement of this program!

New Year Virtual Open House - Sat., 2/4 10:00 - 11:30 am

AIS will host a virtual open house to welcome prospective families to learn about our school community on Saturday, February 4th. We love having current families, students, or alumni join in to share their experiences with interested families. If you can join us, email Mathilde to rsvp.

A Special Invitation to the Cirque du Soleil

The Québec-based Cirque du Soleil will be bringing their critically acclaimed show Corteo to Austin from February 2nd through 5th, 2023. Through a special arrangement with Cirque du Soleil, we are very pleased to offer AIS community members a 20% discount on tickets by using this link to make your purchase. Reach out to your AIS friends and plan a weekend or an evening out enjoying Corteo, a truly unforgettable experience!

Save the dates

Mark these important upcoming dates on your calendars.

• 1/24 - 2/3 Gala Wine Collection
  
• 1/30 MAP Assessments begin
  
• 2/2 PTO Coffee
• 2/3 Bluebonnet Breakfast
• 2/4 New Year Virtual Open House
• 2/10 Spirit Night @ Blaze Pizza
• 2/14 Valentine's Class Parties
• 2/25 12th Annual Art Gala