Austin International School
September 25, 2013 |
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Greetings!
Please take a quick moment to inform yourself on our newest announcements. If you have an item to submit, please email Suzanne Krause by Tuesday for publication the following Wednesday. |
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Dates to Know
September 27 | 3:15 - 4 p.m.
Meet the New Consul Général de France in Houston
 | | Sujioro Seam, Consul General of France in Houston |
Join us for a reception with Sujiro Seam, the new consul general of France based in Houston. Seam recently replaced Frédéric Bontems in the position. Join us in the foyer to welcome Mr. Seam.
October 16 | 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
AIS Hosts Language and Linguistics Scholar Pierre Escudé
Join us for an engaging discussion by Pierre Escudé, a lecturer at the Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maîtres (IUFM), which specializes in the training of secondary teachers at the University of Toulouse, France. Escudé is a world-renowned expert on the intercomprehension of Romance languages. More details coming next week.
October 14 - 18
October Break
Classes are dismissed during October Break; camp is available - details below.
October Break Camp
Celebrating Fall season, in French, Spanish and English!
Registration runs now through Friday, October 4. Campers will be celebrating Autumn, El Día de los Muertos and Halloween during the camp! Thank you to the parents who signed up already. We have some spots remaining; please ask the receptionist or Laurence for a registration form. An updated program has been posted in the corridor by the reception.
November 16 | 10 a.m.
Information Session for Prospective Parents
We're hosting our first information session of the school year on Saturday, November 16, at 10 a.m. Please spread the word to family, friends and coworkers who may be interested in learning more about our unique program. It's easy to share our event via Facebook. We welcome everyone to get to know us by coming to meet our teachers, ask questions and tour the campus.
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2013-2014 Annual Fund
Many, many thanks to all of the parents and staff for your generous donations to the 2013-2014 Annual Fund during our first drive of the new school year. At the end of our fall drive kick-off week, we are currently at 25 percent participation from our AIS families and we've raised nearly $9,000 from direct donations, pledges, company matching gifts, and expected monthly recurring gifts. Again, we cannot thank you enough for your support!
You will find our easy donation form online, or pick up a brochure at reception. Want to give but not quite ready? You can make a pledge now to fulfill before the school year is over; simply send us this form.
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Announcements
Lunch Policy Reminder
Parents please be reminded that you are solely responsible for providing a lunch for your child. The school works with an external caterer as an optional service and convenience for you. All orders and payments of meals are via this caterer, The Studio Kitchen. If you have questions about which days and meals you have ordered, contact Chuck Wright. Our receptionists, teachers, assistants and staff are unable to coordinate your child's lunches nor are they able to supplement forgotten or missing lunches.
Vision-Hearing-Scoliosis Screening
If you signed up your child for vision screening and your child wears glasses or contact lenses, please make sure that he/she wears them or at least has them at school.
If you signed your child up for scoliosis screening, please make sure that your child wears a polo type shirt and if you have a girl, that she wears a camisole or tank top under the shirt as the back will be exposed briefly. An AIS staff member will be present in the room during the scoliosis screening.
Traffic and Safety
Please do not block traffic by loading/unloading at drop off or pick up time by parking in the area between the portico and mailbox. Please tell your children not to climb the mailbox as this is a safety hazard.
School Forms due Immediately
All parents need to have turned in their updated wellness statements; these are required annually. Handbook receipts are also due immediately. We also require immunization records for all students GS and younger. All forms may be placed in Hilary's folder at the mailbox in the reception window.
Green Committee for Students
 | | Students learn what foods can go into their compost bins, like this apple, a "green" (plant) food |
We had our first visit from Keep Austin Beautiful today for Kindergarten, first and second grades. Other visits are coming in October. Students were excited to learn about the steps of composting. Check for photo and videos tomorrow, and read our blog post on 5 Easy "Green" Things to do at Home with Kids.
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PTO News
The next PTO meeting is Wednesday, October 9, at 5:30 p.m.
Please check out the PTO pages of the AIS website with new information on fundraising and PTO news.
The AIS Facebook Group is the unofficial hub of PTO chatter, and it's bustling! Join up and get in on the conversation.
The PTO is looking for ways to make to make a contribution to the school this year that ideally would combine a monetary donation with a project in which everyone can be involved. If you have an idea, we'd like to hear it ( contact us here)! The suggestions we receive will be published in the weekly e-Xplorer newsletter on October 2 and we'll be voting on any suggestions at the October 9 meeting.
Following the October 9 PTO meeting, Linda Connor will be holding a brief Pizza Friday information session for volunteers. She will be discussing the new Pizza Friday procedures since there have been some changes since last year. If you volunteer for Pizza Friday, especially if you are NEW volunteer, please plan to attend. The session will start at about 6:30 and should take only about 15 minutes.
We have heard from several parents that you haven't been getting emails the PTO sends out. The last email sent was on September 8, look for another later this week. Please check your junk mail folder in your email program to be sure they are not being sent there. Emails come from the PTO email address:
 Did you know that the PTO sells re-usable bags? The bags fold into a small pocket and are perfect for grocery shopping and just keeping in your car. Bags sell for $8 with proceeds sponsoring PTO activities. Contact us if you would like one!
Box Tops for Education
AIS is once again participating in the Box Tops for Education program as an additional, easy way to raise money for school supplies and equipment. Each Box Top you clip from participating products (General Mills cereals, Progresso soups, Motts applesauce, Pillsbury and Betty Crocker products, Avery paper products, and many more) or earn on the Box Tops for Education web site online marketplace portal is worth 10 cents for the school. That really adds up quick! See www.boxtops4education.com for more details and use the AIS School Code 956890 to earn more Box Tops there. Look for more details on this year's year-long Class Competition, collection tips and submission instructions in a special message coming your way in the next few days.
Reminder: For those who earned Bonus Box Tops in Randall's recent in-store promotion, please be sure to enter your Bonus Code at www.2ways2earn.com by the September 25, 2013 deadline. Use the search feature on the site to find our school to ensure it gets credit. Thank you for your support! |
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