Re-Enrollment 2012-13  

For the first time, enrollment contracts for the re-enrollment of current students for the upcoming school year 2012/2013 will be done online. An email communication to this effect when out this week and the re-enrollment period will be open to February 10th. Parents wishing to enroll siblings should have application forms in to the office as soon as possible. The sibling enrollment period starts after February 10th and runs to February 15th. Again this year it is possible that some classes will reach full enrollment so we urge parents to act within the deadlines. Should you have any questions, or concerns about enrolling for next year, please do not hesitate to contact the school office for a meeting time.

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News from the Head of School    

I am pleased to see that everyone has come back from the holidays with renewed energy and a sunny attitude to match the wonderful weather we have been having recently. Equally delightful was last night's Parent Talk given by Susan Stone Belton. A group of over 50 parents and friends were on hand to learn about Susan's ideas on setting limits with children and helping them to make good choices. Her articulated goal as a parent, to produce confident, independent and happy adults clearly resonates with our school's mission and with the objectives of the IB Program. Susan Belton's dynamic style, humorous anecdotes and practical suggestions made this talk both informative and enjoyable. Our thanks go to Manuela Hipkins, our Speaker Series organizer for making a great choice for our benefit. I highly recommend our next talk on March 8 on 'Talking with Your Teen about Risky Behavior and Making Wise Decisions', by Sheila Dubin.    

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MYP Corner by Dominic Liechti

One of the Areas of Interaction in the MYP Program is the Approaches to Learning (ATL). The ATL includes seven main skills, which are organization, collaboration, communication, information literacy, reflection, thinking and transfer skills. These skills are carefully scaffold in the Middle School. In each year of the program we introduce, maintain or master certain skills. In transitioning from the Elementary to Middle School, a major challenge is the organizational skills. This is because in the Middle School have subject rooms and student lockers. Since the students need to switch rooms, usually after a double lesson, the organizational skills are still put to the test. In the Middle School we foster the organizational skills in all the different subjects. For example, we support them in setting up their lockers, or we help them with planning strategies they can apply to meet due dates. In addition there is a lot of one on one tutoring to meet the different needs of the students in their learning process. The implementation of organizational skills during puberty is a critical topic in the 21st century, because the students in this phase need boundaries and a good structure to succeed. Therefore, there is a holistic system developed in collaboration with the students that honors their improvements in organizational management.

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PYP Corner by Maike Silver   

Some of you might have heard your children come home singing songs about estuary or energy or even have showed you the boogie- woogie. This was part of the Banana Slug String Band performance Tuesday afternoon in the gym. Students and teachers alike enjoyed an afternoon of rhythm, lyrics, and education. Especially entertaining was our Hausmeister Tim, who brought the house to their feet when he made a guest "star fish" appearance. Thanks go out to the San Mateo county for sponsoring this fun event   

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Preschool Corner by Heike Schmalstieg     

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Student Leadership Team 

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Martin Luther King Day & Teacher in-Service Day 

The school and office will be closed for a national holiday on January 16 (MLK Day). There will be no school on January 17 (Teacher in-Service Day). We do offer Hort/Child Care on both days.

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Extracurricular Program Spring 2012 

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Tennis Instructur for EC Program Needed 

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Board Meeting

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Members Meeting - new date

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A Great Learning Event for this Martin Luther King Jr. Vacation Day by Marie-Jeanne Juilland  - mother of Paloma in 3S and alumna Adrian.

Our school, along with schools all over the United States, have an official holiday on Mon., Jan. 16, to remember the pivotal work of Dr. Martin Luther King in securing the voting rights for African Americans in this country.

A great way to learn more about this historic and cultural event is for families to ride on a special SamTrans train that goes from San Jose to San Francisco on Jan. 16th.  

The 54-mile train ride is the same distance Dr. King marched from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., in 1965 as part of his ongoing campaign for voting rights. Onboard the train, riders often join in singing songs as well as discuss Dr. King and his work.

Afterwards, most participants will walk in the a parade from the San Francisco train depot at Fourth and Townsend streets to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts for a day of celebration. The Northern California Martin Luther King Jr. Community Foundation organizes those events.

Join other GAIS families in this great learning and cultural experience.

Many of us will board at the Palo Alto train station, but you can get on at other stops.

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Sing with Ragazzi!

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