This week teachers have worked hard preparing report cards for the students. And every year the teachers struggle give a letter/number grade that is supposed to summarize the students achievement. What makes this process especially difficult is that the assessments throughout the year are not meant to judge the success/ failure, but rather improve the learning for each student. After each assignment the teachers are looking at the areas of success and establish goals for the areas that need improvement. Lesson plans are revised and differentiated tasks are developed for the students. Having worked like this all year, it is really difficult to put the students success now into a normed report. That is why your child's teachers have spend hours formulating comments that can be used to celebrate their success and help you support the student during the second half of the year.   

Does it have feathers or scales? Can it swim or fly? Does it live in a zoo, in our home or does it live on a farm? Does the animal provide for us (eggs, milk, meat) or does it live in the wild? There is more to preschool math than counting. Classification skills are building blocks for learning important math concepts. Children classify objects into groups (categories) according to traits they have in common. Preschoolers are learning to recognize colors, shapes, sizes and materials. They are learning about parts and wholes. They can sort one trait at a time but still might have difficulties sorting two traits at the time (e.g.: sort by color and size). The animal unit provides plenty of opportunities to classify and group the animals and the children are currently very busy investigating just that. They are exploring and describing similarities and differences of animals. They are describing an animal in different ways and might be describing characteristics an animal does not possess or what class it does not belong to, or they might be comparing attributes (longer/shorter or bigger/smaller). Questions and natural conversations will extend their thinking. You can do simple math activities with your children at home. To get you started with some ideas, please click here.   

All Members of the GAIS Corporation, as well as all parents and community members are invited to attend our  Members Meeting and Board election tonight at 7:30 pm in Gym. At this meeting, as usual, the Board and Administration will review the status and progress at the school. In addition, we will hold elections for five board seats that will come open on the expiration of the terms of five current Board Members.  More detailed information about the members meeting and Board elections has been sent out in a separate notice to all parents.  

Girl Scouts from Troop 32628 that go to GAIS will have a cookie sale after school on Monday, February 13. See you there!

Winterbreak will be from February 20 - 24. President's Day on Monday, February 20 the school will be closed and we do not offer Hort/Day. We do offer Hort from Tuesday, 2/21 to Friday, 2/24. If you need a spot for your child/children please sign- up by Friday, Feburary 10. An email with the sign-up sheet has been sent out to all parents. 

We are looking for a family who is interested to host an intern from Germany. Saskia Nees is studying Math, English and Prostestant Theology to become a Secondary School Teacher in Freiburg/Germany. She will stay from August 1, 2012 to January, 31 2013. If you are interested in hosting her, please contact the office at offmgr@gais.org.